Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 18th August, 2024. Cycle B
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
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 18th August, 2024. Cycle B
FAITH IN FOCUS: I AM
When Moses asked God what his name was, God said it was “I AM” (Yahweh). It was God’s way of saying that he was the source of all being, the author of life, the indescribable one.
In St John’s gospel Jesus calls himself “I AM” on eight occasions. We’re not just talking about “I am…” in a simple way, as when we say “I am going home…I’m hungry…I’m fed up”. We’re talking about “I AM” as a title, a name. So we hear Jesus call himself (with this divine title) the Light of the World, the Gate of the Sheepfold, the Good Shepherd, the Son of God, the Resurrection and the Life, the Way, Truth and Life, and the Vine. And today St John recalls that Jesus said, “I AM the Bread of Life”. Each time St John quotes this title, “I AM”, he is trying to show the divinity of Jesus. He is trying to show that the teaching of Jesus points to a oneness between himself and the Father. What Jesus has to offer is different from any other teaching, because it comes from God. Unlike any other teaching it offers life. It lasts. The bread that Jesus offers is not like the manna that people of old ate, for they are now dead. But whoever eats his flesh will live for ever.
To accept Jesus as the Bread of Life, the living bread, means that we draw the meaning of life from him. To eat and drink his body and blood means that he is what nourishes all our existence. His person, his teaching and his presence pulsate through all our decisions, our choices and our actions. He becomes the source and cause of our life. We can wander through this world living and breathing like everyone else, but that is no guarantee that we have life within us. But anyone who hears Jesus say “I AM the Bread of Life” and eats and drinks of his flesh and blood has eternal life. Not just in the future but now. For his flesh is real food and his blood is real drink. Are you convinced? I am.
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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: Taste and see that the Lord is good.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: Alleluia, alleluia! The Word was made flesh and lived among us; to all who did accept him he gave power to become children of God. Alleluia!
COMMUNION ANTIPHON: With the Lord there is mercy; in him is plenty redemption.
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PLEASE NOTE: Fr Mario will be away throughout August until the first week of September. Some of the priests who help us will also be on holiday. As a result, Weekend Masses will remain the same, but Weekday Masses will be as follows:
St Anne’s: Every Wednesday at 12noon
St John’s: Every Friday at 9:15am.
Devotions/Adoration: Saturday Morning Devotions will be prayed in Church (the Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises) from 10:30am-11:30am. There will be no Confessions during August.
Last Weeks’ Offertory Collection: amounted to £515.61p. Many thanks for your continued support.
If you have any queries regarding parish matters or if you wish to arrange a Baptism, Wedding or Funeral please contact Fr Mario on 0151-645 3996. You can also get in touch with Carol Dalziel on 07808975011 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. Please give at least three weeks’ notice as we are receiving a large number of requests for particular dates and days.
Due to the reduction in weekly Masses throughout August, it will not be possible to celebrate Mass on a number of dates requested and the intentions will be placed as near as possible to those dates. I hope you will understand. Many thanks. Ann
In Memoriam: Please pray all the faithful departed that they may rest in the peace of Christ. We remember especially Peter O’Brien, former Diocesan Property Manager, who died recently.
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. There will be no teas in August. SUNDAY 1st SEPTEMBER is the next date. There will also be a plant and book sale on 01/09 .
Autumn Sale SUNDAY 1st September 2024
Books and Plants
Paperbacks to while away the winter blues; 5 for £1
Nursery grown winter bedding plants: including pansies, primroses, violas, polyanthus and spring bulbs at reduced prices.
Raffle: ticket sales will commence after evening Mass
On Saturday 17th august. lots of prizes.
All proceeds for CHURCH FUNDS
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. Thank you.
Confirmation 2024 for St John’s & St Anne’s will be held at St Anne’s on Wednesday 27th November at 7.00pm. We would like to invite all young people in Year 7 and above for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Preparation will begin in September. Please speak to Fr Mario and/or contact St John's by email stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com if you would like to receive this special Sacrament.
Face book: St John’s now has a new Face book page which will advertise Mass times & information on various church events. Please ‘like,’ follow & share to make this page more widely known & relevant. To find our page, search on Facebook for St John the Evangelist New Ferry
St John's Altar Servers: We are looking for some more altar servers for our Masses & special occasions. Any boy or girl who has made their First Holy Communion is eligible to become an altar server. If interested, please have a word with Fr Mario or make contact through the parish email stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com Parents, grandparents & parishioners -please encourage our young people to become involved in this important ministry.
Walking Shrewsbury Diocese - Fundraising for SVP Holiday Homes and Youth Camps. Kate Birkenhead (SVP Officer for the Diocese) & her partner Colin will be walking the whole of the Shrewsbury Diocese: 200 + miles from New Brighton to Ludlow in South Shropshire, via South Manchester, raising money for our local St Vincent De Paul Society Children’s Camps & Holiday homes. They will take 2 weeks in July/August to complete the walk. All money raised will go towards funding these vital initiatives. https://giving.give-star.com/online/saint-vincent-de-paul-society-england-and-wales/kate-and-colin-are-walking-the-length-and-breadth-of-shrewsbury-diocese
Job Vacancy: A vacancy has arisen for an Administration Support Officer within our Mission & Evangelisation team based in Chester. Hours: 25 per week (to include occasional & weekend duties as required). Rate of pay: £12-£15 per hour depending on experience. More details can be found via the Diocesan website: https://www.dioceseofshrewsbury.org/latest-vacancies/ CV’s with a covering letter should be sent to Pauline McCulloch recruitment@dioceseofshrewsbury.org Closing date: Friday 30 August 2024.
WAR MEMORIAL APPEAL: Following last weekend’s request, if you have any information about any of the names on our War Memorial, please would you either email to stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com or push it through the Presbytery door? There has been a good response so far, and it would be great if we could discover something about every name. Thank you.
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Saturday 17th 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm John Shaw B.day Rem RIP
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time 18th 9.30am Pray for the Sick, Health Workers and Carers
7.30pm Prayer Meeting
Monday 19th NO MASS TODAY
Tuesday 20th NO MASS TODAY
Wednesday 21st 12 Noon MASS AT ST ANNE’S ONLY
Thursday 22nd NO MASS TODAY
Friday 23rd 9.15am MASS AT ST JOHN’S ONLY
Luciana Sadri 2nd Annv. RIP
Saturday 24th 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm Victims of Violence
Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time 25th 9.30am Brian Corr RIP
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 17th 6.30pm The Sick, health workers and carers
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time 18th 1 1.00am John & Rosan Walker B.day
Monday 19th No Mass today
Tuesday 20th No Mass today
Wednesday 21st 12 Noon MASS AT ST ANNE’S ONLY
Nijole Kelly RIP
Thursday 22nd No Mass today
Friday 23rd No Mass today
Saturday 24th 6.30pm Thanks giving for prayers answered Novena for St. Joseph
Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time 25th 11.00am Mary Mercer 1st Annv.
———————————————————————————————————- Pope Francis’s Intentions for August
We pray that political leaders be at the service of their own people, working for integral human development and for the common good, especially caring for the poor and those who have lost their jobs.
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