The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Sunday, 19th January, 2025. Cycle C
St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road,
New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)
Parish Priest: Fr Mario Ashuikeka
Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com Websites http://www.stjohntheevangelistnewferry.com
The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 19th January 2025, Cycle C
FAITH IN FOCUS: WHOSE WEDDING?
Strange, isn’t it, how we don’t know the names of the couple who were getting married at Cana? In fact, we hear nothing about them at all, not even when the chief steward compliments the groom on the quality of the wine.
St John’s emphasis is on the presence of Jesus at the wedding. All throughout the Old Testament the prophets had spoken about God’s relationship with his people as that of a bride and groom. God speaks about taking Israel as his bride in a wedding feast that would outshine all others and in a love that was everlasting and unparalleled.
So when St John gives his account of Jesus’s first miracle (or “signs” as he calls them) he is trying to tell us that the marriage between God and us has now begun. The changing of water into wine is a “sign” that the kingdom of God is now among us.
Sometimes people have used Mary’s request to Jesus as an indication of her power with her Son. But there is really something deeper going on in the story. Mary represents the Jewish people or humanity that is about to learn of the explosion of the kingdom upon the earth. She is about to learn that the real groom is Jesus, whose wedding with humanity is just beginning and will be consummated in his death and resurrection. In Jesus God has visited his people to take it as his spouse and lead it definitively into a life of everlasting love.
At Cana, Jesus of Nazareth reveals himself for the first time in John’s gospel as the Son of God with all the creative power that was needed to fashion heaven and earth. And the changing of water into wine is a “sign” of this revelation.
What about today? Whose wedding is Jesus at? Well, he’s at yours and mine. By coming among us, as one of us, Jesus invites the Church to be his bride. It’s our wedding that he wants to celebrate daily, our wedding with him, with the Father and the Spirit. It’s to us that he proposes marriage; it’s our water that he promises to turn into wine. And each time we eat and drink the bread of his body and the wine of his blood we renew our marriage vows with him.
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ENTRANCE ANTIPHON: All the earth shall bow down before you, O God, and shall sing to you, shall sing your name, O Most High!
RESPONSE TO THE PSALM: Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: Alleluia, alleluia! Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life; you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!
COMMUNION ANTIPHON: You have prepared a table before me, and how precious is the chalice that quenches my thirst.
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SUNDAY IS A SPECIAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR WORLD PEACE.
Sunday morning at the 9.30am Mass we welcome Y3 children and their families from St John’s Junior School for their Enrolment Mass. We pray for them as they begin their preparations to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and then Holy Communion over the months ahead.
Devotions/Adoration: Saturday Morning Devotions will be prayed in Church (the Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises) from 10:30am-11:30am. Fr Mario will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation between 11.00am- 11.30am.
All morning services will take place in St Anne’s house at St John’s Monday and Friday Masses will be held in the Day Chapel, Tuesday and Wednesday Masses will remain in the main Church.
Last Weeks’ Offertory Collection: this week’s total was-£360.11p. Many thanks for your continued support.
The next Healing Service is due to take place on the first Friday in April. All most welcome.
Special Collection- This weekend 18th/19th January for Priest’s Retirement Fund. Please try to support this important fund.
Further to the recent Boiler appeal, a separate bank account has now been set up specifically to ‘ring fence’ contributions to the new boiler fund. Please make cheques payable to St John’s New Ferry and write 29001/NFJ/DU on the reverse. Cash donations should be placed in an envelope with 29001/BNFJ/DU written on the outside.
Road Closure: At the site of the new houses at the junction of Bebington Road and Boundary Road, New Ferry there is a need to construct a new sewer and this work requires for a small section of Bebington Road and Boundary Road to be closed for 10 days between 13th and 22nd January 2025. M & Y Construction apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Bookings for the reception & Celebration of Sacraments: Baptism, Holy Communion, Confirmation & Wedding, Please enquire & arrange for these through the parish emails / Secretaries of St. Anne’s & St. John’s. Also contact the Parish Priest/ Administrator through 0151-645-3314 You can also get in touch with Carol Dalziel on 7808975011 or Ann Murray on 07745490279 regarding general parish queries.
SJE’s Parish Safeguarding Officer is Celia Daly, who can be contacted on 0151-645 9256 on all safeguarding matters.
Mass Intentions If you would like to have a Mass said for your own or someone else’s intentions, fill in one of the Mass offering envelopes at the back of Church, place a donation in it & put it through the Presbytery letterbox. We are receiving numerous Mass intentions for the same dates. Every effort is taken, but it is impossible to fulfil every request as dates have already been filled and, therefore, we will deal with them on a first come first serve basis. If a particular date is requested please give at least THREE week’s notice. If the date has been filled, we will put your intention in as near as possible to the original date. Thank you for your patience and co-operation.
In Memoriam: Please continue to pray for the repose of the soul of Margaret Mary Dunne who died on 5/01. Requiem Mass at St Johns this Wednesday 22nd January at 9:15 a.m. Followed by cremation at Landican at 10.30am.Please also pray for the repose of the soul of Kath Adamson, mother of Mike Adamson, who died peacefully on 6/01. Funeral Mass at St John’s on Monday 3rd February at 9.30am then Landican Central Chapel at 11am. Kath was well known to the parishioners of both St Luke’s and St John’s as her late husband, Jack , was the headteacher at St John’s School. Please continue to pray for Joan Elizabeth Clark who died on 23rd December. Please continue to pray for the repose of the soul of Kenny Daly (Deacon Mike’s brother) who died recently. Please keep all their families in your prayers. May they and all the faithful departed, rest in the peace of Christ.
Children's Liturgy – takes place during the 9.30am Mass. All are most welcome.
Sunday Morning Teas continue on the first Sunday of each month. Come along for tea/coffee & biscuits whilst enjoying a chat. The next date is SUNDAY 2nd FEBRUARY 2025.
St John’s Catholic Pre School - St John's Catholic Infant School If your child will be 3 years of age by 31st August 2025, they will be able to join us for their Pre School year starting September 2025. You are invited to come along to our OPEN EVENING Tuesday 28th January 2025 3.45pm – 4.30pm.You will be able to collect an application pack and view our setting.Please note this session is for ADULTS ONLY, we are unable to accommodate children at this time.Any queries please email Bernadette at Preschooloffice@stjohns-infant.wirral.sch.uk
Wirral Foodbank Appeal: Please help to support our local Foodbank as much as you can with both food & funds. All items urgently needed are listed on the notice board at the back of church.
CCTV CAMERA SYSTEM: has been installed inside and outside the church, to the rear door of the church and also to the front door of the presbytery. The system is to safeguard all our parishioners and the church and presbytery buildings.
The Registration for First Holy Communion Preparation Classes has now started and the preparation classes for the children will commence at the beginning of February. Kindly contact the parish office for the registration form. These forms are for children who do not attend a catholic school.
St. Paul's conversion teaches us that it is never too late to let Jesus completely change and transform your life, insists Pope Francis.
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Saturday 18th 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm In honour of St Luke – Margaret Bennett
The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 19th 9.30am Fliss Salisbury & Family
7.30pm Prayer Meeting
Monday 20th 9.15am Juan Fernandez 4th Anniv RIP
Tuesday 21st 9.15am Jack & Nora McCormick
Wednesday 22nd 9.15am Funeral Mass - Margaret Mary Dunne
MASS AT ST ANNE’S
Thursday 23rd NO MASS
Friday 24th 9.15am Kenny Daly RIP
Saturday 25th 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm Shaun Corrigan RIP
The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time 26th 9.30am In Honour of St Anne- For all parishioners, young people & good friendships in the parishes.
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 & quiet devotion. Please enter the church quietly & remain so. Thank you.
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ST ANNE’S WEEKLY MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday 18th 6.30pm Wilfred White Birthday
The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 19th 11.00am Lynda Clark Birthday
Monday 20th 12 noon Daniel Brett Remb.
Terry Birch 25th RIP Anniv
Tuesday 21st 12 noon Jack Stormont Anniv
Wednesday 22nd 7.00pm For Sick, Health Workers &Carers
MASS AT ST ANNE’S
Thursday 23rd NO MASS
Friday 24th 12 noon Les Duff RIP
Saturday 25th 6.30pm For World Peace & Justice
The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time 26th 11.00am Mary & Tony Duff RIP
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Pope Francis’s Prayer Intentions for January 2025
Let us pray for migrants, refugees, and those affected by war, that their right to an education, which is necessary to build a better world, might always be respected.
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