Sunday Newsletter

Masses Today

6.30: (Vigil) John Joe Conneely, Market St., (Anniv).
11.00: Michael & Maureen Kieran; Gerry & Carmel Colgan, (Anniv).
6.30: Bridget, William & Bernie Mulkerin, (Anniv).

Masses for next Sunday, February 5th: 6.30: (Vigil) Martin & Kathleen Coleman; 11.00: Stephen Concannon; 6.30: Creedon & Gilboy families.
The collection last Sunday amounted to €1,458.00.

As I Was Saying...

They were on honeymoon, treating themselves to the first luxury in their joint lives. They'd had dinner and gone to bed. They were fast asleep. So they had no idea when tragedy tore the ship's side, and by the time they woke it was too late: their cosy Costa Concordia cabin was transformed into a dark dungeon of deep despair.

Han Ki-Deok and Jeong Hye-Jin screamed for help for hours until they were hoarse. They had a few biscuits and a little water, a life-jacket each - no use for their escape - and a spare which they shared for warmth.

No light but a tiny pinprick to tell them night from day. They made another vow. If they were found and saved, they would have a good life together.

Their survival depended on someone else's search. They couldn't go looking for help: they could only trust that they were missed. If no one came for them, they faced a long and lonely death. How terrifying it must have been to wait and wonder whether anyone knew about them.

One of the most poignant philosophical questions of the last century is whether we're alone in this vast universe. Is anyone else aware of our existence?

In the seventies there was a television series called 'The Long Search', about the world's major religions: our quest for God. On the Internet now you can find the following four sites dedicated exclusively to that search: lookingforgod.com; looking-for-god; Iamlookingforgod; looking4god. God must be feeling quite hunted! Apparently one in four of us is looking for God on the Internet.

And yet many who seem to have found God describe the opposite experience. CS Lewis writes of the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom he so earnestly desired not to meet. Frances Thompson dubbed Him the Hound of Heaven, while William Holman Hunt more gently depicts One who comes knocking at our door.

'Where are you?' is the first question God asks Adam and Eve after they disobey Him and hide. Throughout the Old Testament God searches and finds: Abraham, Moses, David. The many parables of Jesus depict a God who is seeking us out: the shepherd tracking the lone lamb; the woman sweeping her house for a coin; the heartbroken father who never takes his hopeful eyes from the horizon till his prodigal son comes home.

According to Judeo-Christian scripture, God is looking for us. Often we are unaware, confidently fast asleep in the dark with no idea that we're in danger, sometimes right up until death stares us in the face.

The honeymoon couple were lost and are now found again; were as dead and are alive. They were sought and saved, and can celebrate all over again a life to spend together.

- Dick Lyng

HAPPENINGS

RECENT DEATH (1): Remember in your prayers the late Philomena Tuohy, Kilmactigue, Aclare, who died at the Galway Clinic on Sunday last. Here funeral Mass was celebrated on Wednesday last in Kilmactigue, a Sligo village where where she had served as Principal teacher for over forty years. We offer sympathies to her husband Dan, to Marie (Garvey) and Justin on the death of their mother. May she rest in peace.
RECENT DEATH (2): The late Vera Breen, from Portlaoise, died on Friday last. Her funeral Mass is being celebrated today, Sunday, at 12.30pm followed by burial in St. Peter and Paul's Cemetery in Portlaoise. Vera is mother of Nevin Breen who works in the Priory Office here in the Augustinian. May she rest in peace.
RECENT DEATH (3): Pray also for Anne Lee, late of Myles Lee's, Mainguard Street, who died on Friday morning last at the Galway Hospice. Her remains will be removed to the Augustinian on Sunday evening at 7.00. Funeral Mass on Monday at 11.00 and burial afterwards in Killanin Cemetery. May she rest in peace.
ST PAT'S SCHOOL: An Open Evening and Enrolment will be held there on Tuesday evening next, January 31st at 7.15. All interested are welcome!
FIRST FRIDAY: Next Friday is also the First Friday of the month. Holy Communion will be brought to the sick and the housebound. Incidentally, if you are aware of any parishioner who is housebound and is NOT receiving First Friday calls, please let us know.
EDUCATION SUNDAY: Today is the annual 'Education Sunday' in the diocese. The indoor collection today helps defray the costs of running the Pastoral Centre, Newtownsmith as an educational and catechetical resource for the diocese.
ST BRIGID: Wednesday next, February 1st, is the Feast of St. Brigid of Kildare, Patroness of Ireland. To mark the feast, an Evening of Prayer for St. Bridget, celebrating women's gifts to the Church, will take place in Galway Cathedral at 7.30pm that evening. Frances Tolan will be Guest Speaker. The Evening Service will be supported by music from the Gospel Choir and Michael Vignoles playing the Uilleann Pipes.
FEAST OF ST BLAISE: Friday, February 3rd is the Feast of St. Blaise. The Blessing of Throats is customary on that day in many churches. It will be conducted in the Augustinian after the three morning Masses.
CANDLEMAS DAY: Thursday next, February 2nd is Candlemas Day, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Traditionally, parishioners send in candles to the church to be blessed on that day. We usually bless them at the 11.00 Mass. Could those who left candles for blessing collect them from the sacristy after the Mass or during the week?
CATHEDRAL NOVENA: The Annual Novena commences on Monday week, February 6th and continues on to February 14th. You might like to have a browse through the novena section of the Cathedral website where you can read all about the novena, as well as send in petitions by email. www.galwaycathedral.ie/novena.
CROI NUA CENTRE: A series of three lectures on the Eucharist will begin in the Croi Nua Centre, starting tomorrow night, Monday 30th January at 8.00p.m. (1) 'Eucharist Meeting Our Deepest Hungers'. (2) 'A Spirituality of Communion' on Monday February 6th at 8.00pm. (3) 'The Eucharist Builds the Church' on Monday, February 13th at 8.00pm. The lectures will be given by Fr. Michael Screene. For more information: Tel. (091)520960 or 0876833195.

Back to those Proposals

You have had a week now to discuss among yourselves the four possibilities that emerged from our recent 'Open Assembly'. Quite a strong (if still tentative) interest has been expressed in the Book Club idea and in the Compostela pilgrimage. There will come a point when those who share those common interests will have to meet in common! So I will put out a few more 'feelers' today in an effort to see where we stand.

A BOOK CLUB: If you are interested in a Book Club as a means of exploring the faith, please give your name to one of the priests. Perhaps we could set the first week of Lent as a deadline for getting this on the road?
FILM CLUB: The same aims apply here. We would use film to explore the faith life. Again, if you would like to be involved, give your name and contact number to one of the priests.
PILGRIMAGE: There is a great interests in a pilgrimage to Compostela. I flagged a 'promotional night' by Croi in the Westwood Hotel on Tuesday night last. The organisers expected 50 to attend. Over 300 people showed up! Some asked how long our pilgrimage would take. That, I presume, would ultimately be decided by the group. My first suggestion would be one week walking. We'd need a couple of days on either side of the pilgrimage then to prepare first of all, and them to absorb what had befallen us! Again, if you are interested in travelling on this pilgrimage as a parish group, give your name to one of the priests. If we get a sufficient number of people, we will begin organising.
SEMINAR: Some people expressed a desire for more contact with other Augustinian congregations with a view to deepening our faith. A course titled "Bringing Faith to Life", conducted in three modules, begins in Limerick on Saturday next, February 4th. It runs from 10.00 to 3.30. For obvious reasons, if we haven't names by this evening, we will presume that there are no takers.

Cill Aodáin

Anois teacht an Earraigh beidh an lá dul chun síneadh,
Is tar eis na féil Bríde ardóidh mé mo sheol.
Ó chuir mé i mo cheann é ní stopfaidh me choíche
Go seasfaidh mé thíos i lár Chondae Mhaigh Eo.

I gClár Clainne Mhuiris a bhéas m é an chéad oíche,
Is i mBalla taobh thíos de 'thosós mé ag ól,
Go Coillte Mach rachad go ndéanfad cuairt mhíosa ann,
I bhfogas dhá mhíle do Bhéal an Áth' Mhóir.

- Antaine Ó Reachtabhra (Raifteirí) (1784-1835).

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