
Sunday,
5th February 2012
Fifth
Sunday in Ordinary Time

“The
fever left her and she began to wait on
them.” One
of the lovely features of the Gospels is
the number of healing stories they contain.
Nothing is too big or too small to bring
to Jesus. He raised Lazarus from the dead;
he healed Peter’s mother-in-law from
a fever. That same Jesus is with us and
among us with the same power and the same
longing, to heal us into wholeness. All
we have to do is ask him for what we need
for ourselves and for one another and know
that he will answer. We all need his healing
power in so far as we set limits to our
love for one another because his great commandment
is to love. Husbands and wives often need
to stretch their love into forgiveness if
they are to go forward together. Parents
need to grow in understanding of their children.
And in our faith community we need Christ’s
power to help us to take true responsibility
for those in need.
Fr.
Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R.

First
Reading: Job 7:1-4.6-7
Restlessly I fret till twilight falls.
Second
Reading: Corinthians 9:16-19.22-23
I do not boast of preaching the gospel,
since it is a duty which has been laid on
me; I should be punished if I did not preach
it.
Gospel:
Mark 1:29-39
He cured many who suffered from diseases
of one kind or another.

Reflection:
Living
God, source of light and life,
we come to you as broken members of your
body;
your strength is our strength,
your health is our health,
and your being is our being.
Grant us your wisdom in our work,
your love in our pain
and your peace in our hearts.
Send your blessing on all those who care
for the sick,
and those whom they serve,
and give us the joy of everlasting love.
In the name of Jesus your Son.
(CARA) (adapted)

SYMPATHY
We offer our sympathy
to the parents and family of
Paddy McDermott,
Hawthorn Drive who died during the week.
May he rest
in peace.

In the TV series ‘In Treatment’,
the psychiatrist, played by Gabriel Byrne,
sometimes uses the phrase ‘the customer
is always – wrong’! In a joking
way he is trying to protect his patients
from self-analysis. The use of the word
‘wrong’ instead of ‘right’
shocks us as we do not expect it. The jarring
of words makes us think.
Father Richard Rohr gives me much spiritual
nourishment in his writings and I recommend
him to you. He makes me think at a deeper
level. He has a book called, ‘Falling
Upward’. We tend to say ‘falling
down’. It suggests to me the notion
that when we are broken, have given up control
and humbly handed the situation –whatever
it is- into the hands of God, then we are
open to the possibility of being lifted
up in His grace. It reminds me of the phrase
‘religious people believe in hell,
spiritual people have been there’.
Another such phrase Fr. Richard uses is
“Until death do us... unite”
he heard it from a Polish nun .We expect
the word ‘part’ and so again
we are made to think about the deeper meaning
of the phrase
Usually we think true union is on this side
of death, and the work of uniting all things
is already our work in this world. Indeed
this is true .We think death is about parting,
but really it is all about union when we
will meet again all those we have loved
and have journeyed on ahead in the path
of life.

BAPTISMS
Our parish family welcomes:
Jake Oliver Johnson 8 Altnafoyle
Riley Jacob Cregan 42 Rossnagalliagh
Anniversaries
- We pray for
Tommy Donegan, Anne Shore,
Paddy Brown, Monica Coyle,
Philip Coyle, Daniel McLaughlin,
Laura McLaughlin, Lily Nicell,
Conor O’Neill
OFFERTORY
PROCESSION
6.00pm Claire Devlin &
family
12.30pm Orla Wilson &
family
PRAYERS OF FAITHFUL
6.00pm Darina Nash
12.30pm Caitlin Brown

SUNDAY
COLLECTION 22nd Jan
amounted
to £1902.79 and €171.11
EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS
if you are visiting the sick in the parish
please leave the names and addresses of
those whom you visit in the parochial house.
Please note all retired ministers
may still help at Masses if needed but only
when invited forward by the priest.
ST JOSEPH YOUNG PRIESTS SOCIETY
will meet at 8pm on Thursday 9th February
Sunday Evening Mass in Our Lady
of Lourdes Church, Steelstown today
Sunday, 5 February at 7.30pm. Everyone is
welcome.
The Marian Devotions will take
place in Termonbacca, on Tuesday
7th February beginning at 7.30p.m. All are
invited and welcome to attend.
The Monthly Mass the Latin Rite
will be celebrated in Long Tower Church,
today, Sunday, at 2:00pm. It is an opportunity
to pray in the form used by the Church for
many centuries. Everyone is welcome.

Scripture Course: Thornhill
Centre - For three Mondays in February from
7:30 to 9:30 pm. Sr. Rosemary Gallagher
offers background and fascinating insights
into the Gospel of Mark, including themes
of ‘Bread’ and ‘Discipleship’.
Begins Monday 6 February. Cost: £5
per night. For more details/to book a place,
phone 71351233.
The Poetry of Love A 4-session
poetry course led by Mary Murphy will begin
on Wednesday 8 February in Thornhill Centre,
Derry . Participants will have the opportunity
to write their own love poems. Time: 7:30
to 9:30 pm. Cost: £5 per night. Tel
71351233
Foyle Hospice invite everyone
in the North West to Leap Into Action on
Wednesday 29th February and support their
local Hospice. For further information please
contact the Fundraising Dept at Foyle Hospice,
61 Culmore Road, Tel: 71359888, email michellemcginn@foylehospice.com

EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS
The Tickets for the final Mass of the Eucharistic
Congress in Croke Park on Sunday 17th June
2012 are now available- Applications forms
available from parochial house Please include
€10 or £10. Cheques payable to
Fr Kelly. for more information tel. 79628248
or Email: derrydioceseiec@btinternet.com
Please mark on form if interested in travelling
by bus.
International Eucharistic Congress.
Fr Kelly and Colette Furlong will
speak in Thornhill Church on Saturday 26th
February from 2.30 - 4.30 Light refreshments
will be served. Cost £5 per person.
Booking forms available from the Parochial
House.
St Patrick’s & St Brigid’s
College, Claudy Presents a production
of ‘Oklahoma’! Tuesday 7th -Thursday
9th February at 7.30p.m. Adults: £6
Concessionary: £4
Rosemount Primary School celebrates
its Centenery this year They want
past pupils who sang in various choirs to
come together to create a new Male Choir
to sing at concert in Millenium Forum on
15th May Rehearsals start on Wednesday 8th
Feb in Rosemount School It is also hoped
to form a Ladies Choir. If interested please
contact Rosemount School 71265605
ZUMBA classes, St Peter’s
High School – All Welcome
starts Thursday 1st March 2012, 7.30pm –
8.30pm, £2.00 per class. Instructor
Katrina Brady Glenview Community Centre,
Courses: Six week 'Introduction to Email'
course on Monday 13th February from 2-4pm.
The course is free.
Yoga classes: Thursdays
5.45-7pm, mats, blocks etc supplied - all
abilities catered for - £2 per class.
New members welcome. For details phone 71268748

Volunteers needed to assist
with the Sure Start Services in the Creevagh/Springtown/Rosemount
areas. Volunteers will receive FREE training
& out of pocket expenses will be covered.
If you are 16yrs or over please contact
Rose Doherty or the secretary @ 71267524
Men and Toddler Group every
Thursday morning (term-time) from 10am-12noon
in Rosemount Primary School. Varied activities.
Refreshments provided. New men welcome.
Free Hearing Aid support sessions!
Ráth Mór Centre:
Wednesday 8th February from 11am –
12 noon Old Bridge House: Wednesday 8th
February from 3.30pm – 4.30pm Resource
Centre, Carnhill: Thursday 16th February
from 11am – 1pm
If you’re having trouble with your
hearing aid, need new batteries (they are
free), need the tubing changed, or just
need some information about your hearing,
come along and talk to us. We’ll be
glad to help!
A LONELY PLACE
Jesus often went to a lonely
place to pray.
Yet the same Jesus who prayed
in lonely places said ‘When you pray,
go into your room and pray to your Father
in secret.’
This means that the lonely
place is not necessarily a place far away,
or that by ‘room’ he means four
walls that separate us physically from others.
The room is the room of our
innermost heart.
This room is with us at all
times.
We should make it a place to
which we can go to find rest and spiritual
recovery when the world is too much with
us.
Then we will discover that
the empty room is not empty at all, but
is occupied by the God of love who dwells
in us all.

HEALING THE WOUNDS
OF THE HEART
All of us are wounded by sin.
The part of us which is most deeply damaged
by sin is the heart.
The heart is so beautiful, so innocent,
but it can be betrayed, scorned and broken.
Darkness of heart is the blackest night
of all.
Emptiness of heart is the greatest poverty
of all.
A heavy heart is the most wearisome burden
of all.
A broken heart is the most painful wound
of all.
Only love can heal the wounds of the heart.
Lord, send your Holy Spirit to us, to heal
the wounds of our hearts so that we produce
the fruits of love.

HOLY
FAMILY LOURDES PILGRIMAGE
21st
July 2012
Cost £615
Deposit
£100
Savings scheme on Thursdays 8pm in
Parochial
House For details
Phone Margaret
07732468511.