The Fourth Sunday in Lent, 19th March, 2023
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.com Websites http://www.stjohntheevangelistnewferry.com
The Fourth Sunday of Lent, 19th March, 2023. Cycle A
FAITH IN FOCUS:LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TUNNEL It's an interesting question that the disciples asked Jesus. Since they thought that illness was a punishment sent by God, they wanted to know whether the blind man or his parents had sinned for him to be born blind. Jesus turns the question upside down and simply says that the man was born blind so that God could be glorified through his cure. Obviously he was answering them on their own level. Even today we come across people who think that sickness or disability is something "sent" by God on people. Under the guise of religion we hear people say that those who do wrong will get their "comeuppance" from God in the end. There are two flaws in this reasoning. First of all, how can a newborn baby be responsible for sinful actions? How can it have merited being born blind, deaf or malformed? But secondly, and more importantly, this argument reduces God to a petty busybody who spends his time getting his own back on those who break the rules. The truth is that God loves all people, no matter what they are like. Hard for us to take? Probably. But then God even loves you and me, and we both know what we're like! The church puts the gospel of the man born blind before us in Lent to show that at the heart of God's grace is the ability to be rescued from the darkness that produces sin, aimlessness and life-weariness. Lenten repentance invites us to a new vision, to light, to seeing things in a clearer and brighter way. Those who live in Christ know where they are going; they are not blind stumblers who have to take what life throws at them. They can choose to walk in the light of God's promises. Now that we're about mid way through Lent we have the chance to thank God for the light of faith. In a world of darkness and half-truths we are not condemned to await the next storm that threatens the horizon. Christians face the future with confidence. It's not just that we see light at the end of the tunnel. We see it in the middle, and that's where it counts.
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ENTRANCE ANTIPHON: Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exult and be satisfied at her consoling heart.
RESPONSE TO THE PSALM: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
GOSPEL ACCLAIMATION: I am the light of the world, says the Lord; anyone who follows me will have the light of life.
COMMUNION ANTIPHON: The Lord anointed my eyes: I went, I washed, I saw and believed in God
The 9.30am Mass on Sunday, 26th March is in Honour of St Anne and the intention is to pray for all families.
Devotions/Adoration: 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 between 10.30 and 11.00am. Also, during Lent, there will be Adoration from 10:30 to 12 noon. All most welcome.
Mother’s Prayers - 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 March. All are most welcome to attend.
If you have any queries or ideas, 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. Also use the box at the back of church for your suggestions. Mike Daly’s Homilies are available on the Parish Website. Log in details 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. Thank you.
Please continue to keep all of our sick parishioners in your thoughts and prayers.
ACCESS TO WEEKDAY MASSES AT ST JOHN’S: If the main doors to the church are locked please gain access to the church via the side door located down the passage at the side of the presbytery.
Children's Liturgy – is during the 9.30am Mass, all are most welcome.
Tea and Coffee: is still suspended for now.
Last Weeks’ Offertory Collection amounted to £520.77p. Thank you for your generosity in these difficult times.
A collection will be held on the 19th March for the Holy Family Fathers and Brothers of the Youth. Envelopes are available on the table at the back of the church. Please take an envelope and return by the 19th March. Many thanks for your continued generosity.
In Memoriam- For those parishioners and friends of Peggy McAllister who would like to send cards and/or Mass cards, the address is John & Denise, 85 Hooton Road, Willaston, Cheshire CH64 1SQ. Peggy’s Funeral Mass will here at St John’s on Monday 3rd April at 11.00am followed by Cremation at Landican at 12.30pm. Refreshments will be at the Saddle Club, Prenton Hall Road, Prenton.
Please also pray for the repose of the soul of Joan Kinsella who died recently. Joan’s Funeral Service will take place at Landican Crematorium on Monday, 27th March at 12.30pm followed by refreshments at 1.30pm at Oxton Cricket Club, Townfield Lane, Oxton, CH43 2LH. May these and all the faithful departed rest in the peace of Christ.
St Luke’s will be hosting a visit by Fr Stephen Coonan on 25th March at 2pm, being held at St John’s Church. Fr Stephen will speak on The Annunciation. There will also be Rosary.
Readers: Please advise Dot Humphrey if you are available during Holy Week and Easter.
CAFOD Family Fast: CAFOD envelopes are available on the table at the back of church. (If you are a taxpayer, please complete the Gift Aid section). Envelopes can be returned up to and including Palm Sunday, 2nd April.
Wirral Foodbank Appeal: Please help support your Foodbank with food and funds. 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.
Altar-Servers - Please encourage any child who has made their First Holy Communion to consider becoming an Altar-Server. Please give names to Mike Daly, who will arrange for their training and support.
MASS SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAYS IN MARCH AND APRIL:
You may have noticed from the Mass Intentions section that some changes to the Thursday evening Mass schedule have taken place; the timetable until the end of April is as follows:
Thursday 23/03: 7pm Mass at St Anne’s only
Thursday 30/03: 7pm Mass at both Churches
Thursday 06/04, Holy Thursday: Masses at both St John’s & St Anne’s
Thursday 13/04: 7pm Mass at St John’s only
Thursday 20/04: 7pm Mass at both Churches
Thursday 27/04: 7pm Mass at St Anne’s only
Watch this space for any updates!
A sincere thank you to all friends and parishioners who have sent me cards, Mass Cards and good wishes for my recovery from a road accident which occurred just before Christmas. Your generosity and prayers are very much appreciated. Thank you. Noelene Evans.
MOTHERS DAY PRAYER: All-loving God, we give thanks and praise for mothers young and old. We pray for young mothers, who give life and count toes and tend to our every need; May they be blessed with patience and tenderness to care for their families and themselves with joy.
We pray for our own mothers who have nurtured and cared for us; May they continue to guide us in strong and gentle ways.
We remember mothers who are separated from their children because of war, poverty or conflict; May they feel the loving embrace of our God who wipes every tear away.
We pray for women who are not mothers but still love and sha pe us with motherly care and compassion.
We remember mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers who are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their love. Amen.
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Please remember to put your clocks forward one hour next weekend, Saturday 25th March.
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Saturday 18th 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm In Honour of St Luke
Fourth Sunday of Lent 19th 9.30am Bernadette (Detty) Williams RIP Cycle A 11.00am Madelene Allen RIP (St Luke’s)
3.00pm Stations of the Cross
7.30pm Prayer Meeting
Monday 20th 9.15am John Armstrong 7th Annv RIP
Tuesday 21st 9.15am All Mothers
Wednesday 22nd 9.15am Vocations to the Religious Life
Thursday 23rd 7.00pm Mass at St Anne’s Only
Friday 24th 9.15am For All Prisoners
Saturday 25th 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm Anne & Chris Oakley 1st Wed Annv
Fifth Sunday of Lent Cycle A 26th 9.30am In Honour of St Anne
11.00am Ints Brian Jones (St Luke’s)
3.00pm Stations of the Cross
7.30pm Prayer Meeting
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 during Lent
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ST ANNE’S WEEKLY MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday 18th 6.30pm The Sick, Health Workers and Carers
Fourth Sunday of Lent 19th 11.15am Rudy Belmar Annv
Monday 20th 12 Noon For all Refugees
Tuesday 21st 12 Noon Thomas Blakemore 50th Anniv (Dec’d)
Wednesday 22nd 12 Noon Sr Kathleen O’Reilly RIP
Thursday 23rd 7.00 pm World Peace
Friday 24th 12 Noon Donald McCaffery RIP
Saturday
Saturday 25th 6.30pm Brockway Family Ints
Fifth Sunday of Lent 26th 11.15am For Familie
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