The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 5th February, 2023, Cycle A
St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)
Parish Priest: Fr Mario Ashuikeka and Fr Emmanuel Chukwujekwu
Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email stjohntheevangelist@gmail.comWebsites http://www.stjohntheevangelistnewferry.com www.lpa24.org
The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time 5th February, 2023. Cycle A
FAITH IN FOCUS: PASS THE SALT!
In Jesus' day salt was very precious. Some people were even paid in it. (Our word "salary" is from the word for salt-payment.) Since there were no fridges or freezers people used it to preserve food as well as to flavour it. In fact, there is even today an Arabic expression of friendship that says, "There's salt between us".
The obvious thing about salt is that it pervades everything it comes into contact with. You can't just have part of your soup that is salty. The whole lot gets transformed. And today Jesus tells his disciples that they are the salt of the earth. They are to bring flavour and taste to the earth, to all the people and situations they find themselves in. So often Christians appear as killjoys whose message is one of a life of deprivation and self-denial that would appeal to no normal person. Yet Jesus is saying that our job is to bring good news to a society that is becoming increasingly fearful and feeling under threat. The message of the gospel is one that is intended to add the flavour to life, to give life some seasoning, to leave a nice taste in the mouth. And we are called to be that salt.
He also calls us the light of the world. The Jews he was speaking to had no electricity. They used oil wicks. Without matches it took an age to light these lamps and so, for safety reasons, when people went out of their homes for a while, they put the lamp under a container where it could burn without danger of catching fire. As soon as they came back in they took it from under the pot and put it on a stand.
As our world comes under the grip of real or imagined terrorist threats, as conflicts break out here and there, and as once more we hear of countries suffering famine and disaster, where can we look to shed some light on the situation? The only true source of light is God since there is no darkness in God. Jesus today tells us that we are to be the light of the world. By living his life, by witnessing to him, to the power his gospel has to transform, we reflect not our own light but God's.
You are the salt of the earth, but what happens if the salt loses its flavour? You are the light of the world, but what happens if the light grows dim? Pass the salt!
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ENTRANCE ANTIPHON: O come, let us worship God and bow low before the God who made us, for he is the Lord our God.
RESPONSE TO THE PSALM: The good man is a light in the darkness for the upright.
GOSPEL ACCLAIMATION: Alleluia, alleluia! I am the light of the world, says the Lord, anyone who follows me will have the light of life. Alleluia!
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, his wonders for the children of men, for he satisfies the thirsty soul, and the hungry he fills with good things.
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Weekend Masses - Please note that the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed immediately before each mass. Please use this as a time for prayer and quiet devotion.
Devotions/Adoration: From now on, Saturday Morning Devotions will be prayed in Church (the Rosary, Divine Mercy and Divine Praises) from 10:30am- 11:30am. Fr Mario will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation during this time 10.30-11.00am. All most welcome.
If you have any queries or ideas, please continue to contact Deacon Mike Daly on 07542463319 or Carol Dalziel on 07808975011 on any Parish matters, or if you wish to arrange a Baptism, Wedding or Funeral. Please also use the box at the back of church for your suggestions.
Mike Daly’s Homilies are now available on the Parish Website. Log in details to the Website are www.stjohntheevangelistnewferry.com
Mass Intentions If you would like to have a Mass said for your own or someone else’s intentions please fill in one of the Mass offering envelopes at the back of Church, place a donation in it & put it through the presbytery letterbox. Remember Mass intentions can be for anything you choose. Thank you.
Please continue to keep all of our sick parishioners in your thoughts and prayers.
Children's Liturgy – is during the 9.30am Mass, all are most welcome. Tea and Coffee : is still suspended for now.
Canon John Marmion RIP : Canon Marmion’s body will be received into St Joseph’s Upton on Tuesday 14/02, with a Vigil Mass at 7pm. Bishop Mark will offer Canon’s Funeral Mass at St Michael’ & All Angels, Woodchurch, at 11:30am on Wednesday 15/02, followed by interment at Frankby.
Last Weeks’ Offertory Collection amounted to £450.67p. Thank you for your generosity. Thank you to everyone who contributes to the collection by regular Standing Order; £857.00 was received by this means in December 2022.
PARTNERING NIGERIA. With a big thank you to all those who donated, a total of £846.32 was collected and a letter was read out at Mass recently from Fr John, Parish Priest of St Michaels Mbeke - Isheke, Nigeria. See the letter on the noticeboard at the back of church for further details.
Mother’s Prayers - Please see the poster about this group of mothers from our parish who meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 7pm, to pray for their children and grandchildren and offer each other support. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 21st February. All are most welcome to attend.
If you know of any St John's parishioners, who would welcome a home visit by members of the S.V.P, please email St John's with details and we will pass on the information, which is treated confidentially, to Steve Bell, President of St John's SVP. Please ask the person or persons involved if they would like a visit before passing on their details. stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com
Wirral Foodbank Christmas Appeal: Please help support your Foodbank with food and funds this New Year. All donations need to be non-perishable, please refer to the list on the notice board of items urgently needed. Please continue to support this as much as you can in these difficult times and thank you for your continued generosity.
Altar-Servers - Could you please encourage any child who has made their First Holy Communion to consider becoming an Altar-Server. If you could give their names to Mike Daly, he will arrange for their training and support. We were renowned for our team of 'servers' and it would be great to create such a team again.
Novena to Our Lady of the Perpetual Succour will be held here at St John's on Tuesday at 7pm in the main church. All most welcome.
Mass to Celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes - Sat 11 February, 2pm at St Mary’s Crewe. Shrewsbury Lourdes Hospitality members are warmly invited to join the parishioners of St Mary’s, Crewe, for a Healing Mass to celebrate the Feast of our Lady of Lourdes on Sat 11 February. The Mass will be at 2pm, followed by refreshments in the parish centre. If you wish to attend, please let our Hospitality Secretary know so that she can collate the numbers to pass on to the parish for catering purposes. Lucy can be contacted at secretary@teamshrewsbury.co.uk or text 07451 249267 St Mary’s is situated at 13 Gatefield Street, Crewe CW1 2JP.
St John’s will be hosting a service to Our Lady of Lourdes at 2pm on Saturday 11th February. Please join us.
Parish Bulletin Notice: “The church relies on people getting involved. Our church, our world needs you. Could your New Year’s resolution be getting more involved in the life of our church? Could you give a bit of time to help those parts flourish?
CAFOD, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, are looking for people to give some time and join them in their mission. Could you help in our parish, bringing people together to help build a better world or help by visiting local schools? Or raise a voice and campaign for justice or perhaps speak for CAFOD throughout the diocese? Could you support local volunteers or share your office skills to help CAFOD keep costs low? Training and support is provided. See cafod.org.uk/Volunteer for more information or get in touch with shrewsbury@cafod.org.uk or 07920 232936”
WORDS FOR WORSHIP: Let us pray for the Church that it may be a light for those who are seeking meaning and may be the salt of flavour for those whose life has lost its taste.
Lord, let us see your light: That we may enlighten the world.
Let us pray for ourselves that we may be conscious of the hidden effect we can have on those who listen to our words and observe our actions. Lord…
Let us pray for those who bring the light of learning to our world, particularly for the staff of our local schools and colleges, that they may enjoy the reflection of God's wisdom in those whom they teach. Lord…
Let us pray for those who work to relieve the debt of developing nations, for those who struggle to bring reconciliation and peace to countries at war, and for those who provide food to peoples who are starving. Lord…
Please pray for Mark, Eleventh Bishop of Shrewsbury on the anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood – 11/2/1984.
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Saturday 4th 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm Canon John Marion RIP
Fourth Sunday of the Year 5th 9.30am Ints Christine Gallagher
11.00am Vincent Schoenstein RIP (St Luke’s)
7.30pm Prayer Meeting
Monday 6th 9.15am For Racial Justice
Tuesday 7th 9.15am For all in Prison
7.00pm Novena
Wednesday 8th 9.15am For Victims of Trafficking
Thursday 9th 7.00pm William Dalziel 45th Anniv RIP
Friday 10th 9.15am For the Sick in Our Parishes
Saturday 11th 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
2.00pm Rosary Service to Our Lady of Lourdes
5.00pm Margaret & Les Realey RIP
Sixth Sunday of the Year 12th 9.30am Jonathan Lesmana 1st Annv RIP
11.00am Teodor Hanzaryk RIP (St Luke’s)
7.30pm Prayer Meeting
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ST ANNE’S WEEKLY MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday 4th 6.30pm Norah White Birthday Remb.
Fifth Sunday of the Year 5th 11.15am Tom Farnworth 1stAnniversary.
Monday 6th 12 Noon UCM Intentions
Tuesday 7th 12 Noon Mary Walsh Anniversary
Wednesday 8th 12 Noon Funeral Mass Lucy Goodison RIP
Thursday 9th 7.00 pm Canon John Marmion RIP
Friday 10th 12 Noon Pauline Codd 19th Anniv.
Saturday 11th 6.30pm Anne McGrory 90th Birthday
Sixth Sunday of the Year 12th 11.15am Bridget O’Hanlon Anniversary
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