The Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 20th August, 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 Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 20th August, 2023. Cycle A
FAITH IN FOCUS: FOREIGNERS?: When we first start to read the pages of the bible we get the impression that God is dealing simply with the Hebrew nation. The early accounts tell us about the history of the Jews and how they were God’s promised people, living in a land given them when they were led from slavery. Not many other nations get much of a good press.
But the middle section of the Book of Isaiah, written much later by a distant pupil of the original prophet, (and sometimes called Deutero or Second Isaiah) starts to show a realisation that God has other plans. And in today’s first reading we hear very plainly that foreigners will be able to offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord. This was revolutionary and revolting to some Jewish ears.
The idea that God does not limit his promises to just certain categories of people is known as Universalism and we see it once more today when Jesus speaks to the Canaanite woman. It’s not where she comes from that matters, her nationality is irrelevant. Jesus praises her for the quality of her faith and then he cures her daughter.
Nowhere in scripture can we find any evidence of God turning his back on someone just because they didn’t fit the bill. There is no support for a God who leaves people wanting when they call on him in good faith. In fact God exudes inclusiveness. God is a gatherer rather than a scatterer, an integrator rather than an excluder.
On Sundays we profess our faith during the Creed in a Church that is one, holy, catholic and apostolic. We may be a migrant community; we may be a settled suburban group worshipping in a parish that has been established for years and years; we may be multi-racial; we may be all one colour or a rainbow of faces.
But what unites us is that we are baptised members of a “catholic” Church. And catholic means nothing more than universal. The opposite of catholic is not Protestant. The opposite of catholic is exclusive. So if we’re ever tempted to feel that our congregations are becoming too varied, or to hive ourselves off into some sort of sub-group then we have lost a grip on our catholicity.
I want “foreigners” to come and place their gift on the altar, says God through Isaiah today. And, of course, we are somebody else’s foreigner!
————————————————————————————————————-
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON: Turn your eyes, O God, our shield;
And look on the face of your anointed one; one day within your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
RESPONSE TO THE PSALM: Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
GOSPEL ACCLAIMATION: Alleluia, alleluia! The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, says the Lord, I know them and they follow me. Alleluia!
COMMUNION ANTIPHON: With the Lord there is mercy and plentiful redemption.
————————————————————————————————————-
Please continue to keep all of Families in your thoughts and prayers., especially this week, as we honour St Anne on 26th August.
Please continue to pray for all parishioners, young people and good friendship in the parishes as we honour St John on 27th August.
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 11.00. All are welcome.
Last Weeks’ Offertory Collection amounted to £563.91p. Thank you for your continued generosity.
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.
Children's Liturgy – is during the 9.30am Mass, all are most welcome.
MASS SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAYS: For the next few weeks, the Thursday night Mass will alternate between St Anne’s and St John’s.
In Memoriam - Please pray for all those who have died recently, especially Margaret Dancey whose Funeral Mass is here at St John’s at 9.30am on Tuesday, 29th August followed by Cremation at Landican at 11am. May Margaret and all the faithful departed rest in the peace of Christ.
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.
Confirmation 2023 for St John’s and St Anne’s will be held at St John’s on Wednesday, 22nd November at 7.00pm. Will all candidates in Years 9 and above (or their parents) please contact Mike Daly as soon as possible to record their interest? We are asking for volunteers to form a Team of Catechists to take the candidates through the Confirmation Programme. If you are interested in becoming part of the Team, please contact Mike Daly ASAP on 07542463319.
HEALTH AND SAFETY: It is a requirement for all parish groups, using the presbytery and day chapel for meetings, FOR EACH to sign in upon entry to the presbytery and sign out when leaving. The book is located on the hall stand next to the office door. Thank you.
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE: A recent incident in a Wirral church involving unauthorised use of faulty electrical equipment, brought in from outside could have resulted in serious and possibly tragic consequences for the user, who received an electric shock. Fortunately, trained First Aiders were present and rendered immediate and life-saving assistance.
Consequently, after an investigation, the Health and Safety Officer for the Diocese issued the following MANDATORY instruction. “No electrical equipment is to be brought in and used in church without evidence of a recent PAT-test and then only with the express permission of the Parish Priest. If in doubt please speak to Tony Delaney, Health & Safety Officer for St John the Evangelist.
CURRENCY UPDATE FOR YOUR INFORMATION: Isle of Man currency is NOT legal tender over here on the mainland and the Bank will not accept it if it is included in our collection.
St Philip Neri Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes, December 2023: the details which were shared with you a few weeks ago have undergone some major changes. The revised itinerary is on the notice board at the back of Church.
Tuesday 5th September at 12.30pm, to be held at St Anne’s Parish Hall, a Screening of the film called “The Letter- a message for our earth” from Pope Francis. All are welcome.
Love the Stranger and the Illegal Migration Act: In response to the passing of the Illegal Migration Bill in Parliament in July Bishop Paul McAleenan, the lead Bishop for Migrants and Refugees, has stated ‘This legislation stands at odds with the teaching of the church on welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating refugees’. The Love the Stranger publication from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales provides a Catholic response to migrants and refugees and can be found attached and at https://tinyurl.com/CSAN2023 as is the accompanying Call to Action document from the national Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN). Caritas Shrewsbury as a CSAN member is supporting diocesan study and action in response to Love the Stranger and the Call to Action. Please get in touch with them if you can help speak up about this issue - Telephone: 0151 652 1281; Mobile: 07824 329 344; Email: ben.gilchrist@caritasshrewsbury.org.uk CSAN’s update on this topic including links to the documents can be found at https://tinyurl.com/CSAN2023
SERVICE OF ANOINTING AND HEALING with Fr Emeka and Fr Mario will be held here at St John’s on Friday, 1st September at 7pm. All most welcome. “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you”.
St Joseph’s Birkenhead Choir has been given permission to sing in the small Chapter House of the 12th Century Birkenhead Priory on Sunday, 20th August, 2.00pm-2.45pm. All welcome.
—————————————————————————————————————
Saturday 19th 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm Paul Green B.day Annv. RIP
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
20th 9.30am Fr Frank Rice Annv. RIP
11.00am Michael Barry Annv. RIP (St Luke’s)
7.30pm Prayer Meeting
Monday 21st 9.15am The Homeless
Tuesday 22nd 9.15am Pat Bevan RIP
Wednesday 23rd 9.15am Jim Ford RIP
Thursday 24th 7.00pm MASS AT ST ANNE’S ONLY
Friday 25th 9.15am Vocations to the Priesthood
Saturday 26th 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm In Honour of St Anne
Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time 27th 9.30am In Honour of St John
11.00am Janina Hanzaryk B.Day Annv. (St Luke’s)
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. Please enter the church quietly and remain so. Thank you.
————————————————————————————————————-
ST ANNE’S WEEKLY MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday 19th 6.30pm Andrew Shackleton
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time 20th 11.15pm Irene & Phil Robinson Remem.
Monday 21st 12 Noon Thanksgiving
Tuesday 22nd 12 Noon Ints. of Pauline Shevlehan
Wednesday 23rd 12 Noon Funeral Mass - Elizabeth McNally
Thursday 24th 7.00pm MASS AT ST ANNE’S ONLY
Friday 25th 12 Noon Ints. Chris Rolfe-Moor
Saturday 26th 6.30pm For Families
Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time 27th 11.15am All parishioners of our 3 parishes and young people
————————————————————————————————————-
WORD OF GOD: Foreigners’ holocausts and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples. (Isaiah 56:7)
————————————————————————————————————-
RED MISSAL LEFT IN CHURCH IS IN St JOHN’S PRESBYTERY FOR COLLECTION
BY THE OWNER
————————————————————————————————————-
