The Third Sunday in Lent, 12th March, 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.com Websites http://www.stjohntheevangelistnewferry.com
The Third Sunday of Lent, 12th March, 2023. Cycle A
FAITH IN FOCUS: FANCY A DRINK? We'd be fooling ourselves if we thought that people wander around with a thirst for God. We'd even be fooling ourselves if we thought that most Christians experience a great thirst for the word of Christ. The fact is that they don’t. Yet all of us, Christian or not, do have some deep-seated yearnings that we long to be fulfilled. We may find it hard to put our finger on exactly what these are. We disguise them under the veil of needing more money, more free time, or perhaps a few luxuries. But all of us have needs that can only be satisfied at the deepest level. The most basic need we feel is to be loved. We soon get knocked off course if we sense that people dislike us or that we are not exactly crucial to anyone's plans for the future. This is because we created in love by Love. Some of learn to live with being rejected by most people, like the Samaritan woman at the well. But it doesn't stop of from yearning. And it came as such a surprise to the Samaritan woman that Jesus should just treat her like a decent human being."I only want to be happy" is something we've all heard. Happiness and joy go hand in hand with being fulfilled. And when Jesus speaks about the water that is on offer to those who believe in him, he is talking in part about being freed from fear, from worry and anxiety. He is talking about knowing that we belong, we matter, and that nothing can ever come between us and the care and concern of God. And everyone has times when they wonder what it's all about. What's the point of life? Where is its meaning and significance? We can get hung up on drinking what the rest of the world takes for water, yet it doesn't satisfy our thirst deep down. Jesus tells us that the water he gives us will well up to eternal life, a life that has a purpose now and a promise for the future. When the woman sits and talks with Jesus at the well she begins to get a whole new outlook on life. Jesus promises something she's never had and yet always longed for. And he does it again to us during this Lent. Feeling thirsty already?
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ENTRANCE ANTIPHON: My eyes are always on the Lord, for he rescues my feet from the snare. Turn to me and have mercy on me, for I am alone and poor.
RESPONSE TO THE PSALM: O that today you would listen to my voice: “Harden not your hearts”.
GOSPEL ACCLAIMATION: Lord you are really the saviour of the world; give me the living water, so that I may never be thirsty again.
COMMUNION ANTIPHON: For anyone who drinks it, says the Lord, the water I shall give will become in him a spring welling up to eternal life.
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The 5pm Mass on Saturday, 18th March is in Honour of St Luke and the intentions are for the sick, health workers and carers.
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.
Lenten Reconciliation Service with Confession will be held here at St John’s on Friday 17th March at 6.00pm.
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 £704.06p. 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- Please pray for the repose of the soul of Frank Morris whose Funeral Mass is at St John’s on Monday 13th March at 11.00am followed by burial at Bebington (Town Lane ) 12.30pm.
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. May these and all the faithful departed rest in the peace of Christ.
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.
An online course on Vatican II: Online course on Vatican II: Thank you to those who have been in touch to say how interesting/ informative/ helpful/ even ‘excellent’(!) you have found the first two podcasts. The next two on Divine Revelation are now available on the diocesan website at dioceseofshrewsbury.org. They are not time-bound and may be listened to any time. There are also 3 handouts for downloading or printing: An introduction to the document; A guided reading of the text; A suggested reading list for the whole course. A leaflet outlining the content of the podcasts is available in the parish. Should you have difficulty accessing this material, any questions or reflections, don't hesitate to call Barbara Davies: 07730 526821.
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 16/03: 7pm Service of the Word & Communion at St John’s only
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!
What a wonderful Mass on Sunday as we saw our young children being enrolled for their First Forgiveness and First Holy Communion in the company of their family and friends and St John’s Parish community. Please keep the children in your prayers as they continue their journey of faith. They will receive the Sacrament of First Forgiveness on Thursday, 23rd March here at St John’s.
St Philip Neri Parish Social: St Patrick’s Night, Friday 17th March, 7.30pm – 11pm. Come and celebrate St Patrick’s day at a Parish social to be held at St Joseph’s Catholic Club, Greenbank Road, Birkenhead. There will be live music from Blackthorn Root with Ceilidh dancing and more. Hot/Cold food with an Irish surprise! The more people who come the merrier the night will be. Please get your tickets from the St Philip Neri Parish Office Monday to Friday, 10.00am to 1.00pm on T: 0151 652 5767, E: admin@saint-philip-neri.co.uk Tickets:£10 Adults, £2.50 Children.
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Saturday 11th 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm Mary Phil McLean RIP
Third Sunday of Lent Cycle A 12th 9.30am Mrs H McRory RIP (Dungannon)
11.00am Richard & Charles Quinlin RIP (St Luke’s)
3.00pm Stations of the Cross
7.30pm Prayer Meeting
Monday 13th 11.00am Funeral Mass – Frank Morris
Tuesday 14th 9.15am Peggy McAllister RIP
Wednesday 15th 9.15am For all Refugees
Thursday 16th 7.00pm Service of the Word & Communion
Friday 17th 9.15am John Freeman RIP
6.00pm Lenten Reconciliation Service with Confession
Saturday 18th 10.00am Carmelite Mass
10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm In Honour of St Luke
Fourth Sunday of Lent Cycle A 19th 9.30am Bernadette (Detty) Williams RIP
11.00am Madelene Allen RIP (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 11th 6.30pm Elsa Kemp Special Intention
Third Sunday of Lent 12th 11.15am Martin Patrick Gorman Birthday Remembrance
Monday 13th 12 Noon Noelene Evans Special Int
Tuesday 14th 12 Noon Fr Connor Murphy OMI RIP
Wednesday 15th 12 Noon Louise Browne RIP
Thursday 16th 7.00 pm NO MASS
Friday 17th 12 Noon Sr Kathleen O’Reilly RIP
Saturday
Saturday 18th 6.30pm The Sick, Health Workers and Carers
Fourth Sunday of Lent 19th 11.15am Rudy Belmar Annv
