First Sunday of Lent, 10 March 2019

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1 Newsletter Parish of St John Vianney, incorporating the former Parishes of St Andrew, Holy Family & St Mark St Therese of Lisieux Pastoral Area Parish Administration: Maureen Conley (Mon & Tues 9am-1pm) Jacqui O Rourke (Thurs & Fri 9am-1pm) St John Vianney Parish Office, Penmann Crescent, Liverpool, L26 0UG Tel: johnvianney@rcaolp.co.uk Website: Parish Priest: Father Matthew Nunes Tel: Outside of the urgent need for a priest, all enquiries should please be directed to the Parish Office ( ) in the first instance. First Sunday of Lent, 10 March 2019 The period of Lent is a time of seeking, an intense 40-day period of searching for that purity of heart and therefore, purity of living which will enable us to both experience more deeply and express more lovingly the centrality of Christ in our lives. The advice given through the Gospel writer Matthew on Ash Wednesday was this: don t do any of this seeking and searching in too public a fashion as if to attract attention; it is to be done in secret, because goodness is its own reward. In January we made new year resolutions, which may or may not remain intact. The arrival of the lengthening of days, the springtime of faith, invites us to renew that resolve by giving something up or, perhaps more positively, taking upon ourselves some act of prayerful growth and charitable care of others so that the rhythm of times and seasons is marked not merely by the changing of months or the passing of calendar days but by a seeking and searching and deepening of the one gift which St Paul says last forever: love. Liverpool RC Archdiocesan Trustees Incorporated. A registered Charity

2 In each of the three Synoptic Gospels, after his baptism, Jesus is reported to have spent forty days in the desert, fasting and praying. In Luke and in Matthew, the devil presents three temptations to Jesus. The devil tempts Jesus to use his power to appease his hunger, he offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus will worship him and he tempts Jesus to put God's promise of protection to the test. In each case, Jesus resists, citing words from Scripture to rebuke the devil's temptation. Each temptation that Jesus faces offers insight into the spirituality we hope to develop as we keep the forty days of the Season of Lent. We can trust God to provide for our material needs. We worship God because God alone has dominion over us and our world. We can trust God to be faithful to his promises. Jesus' rejection of the devil's temptations shows that he will not put God to the test. Grounding himself on the Word and authority of Scripture, Jesus rebukes the devil by his confidence in God's protection and faithfulness. This Gospel highlights for us one of the central themes of the Season of Lent. We are dependent upon God for all that we have and all that we are. Anything that leads us to reject this dependency or to distrust its sufficiency, is a temptation from the devil. Luke ends his report of Jesus' temptation in the desert by noting that the devil departs for a time. The implication is that the devil will return. Jesus knows that he will be tempted again in the Garden of Gethsemane. The depth of Jesus' trust in God is shown most fully when Jesus rejects the temptation to turn away from the task God has given to him. Jesus' final rebuke of the devil is his sacrifice on the Cross. Jesus' responses to the temptations of the devil teach us how we can respond to temptation. As we start our journey through Lent, this Sunday's Gospel calls us to adopt the same confidence that Jesus had in the face of temptation: God's word alone will suffice, God's promise of protection can be trusted and God alone is God. Living the Paschal Mystery Human beings are faced with temptations that concern our wellbeing (bread), our own power and glory (kingdoms of the world) or the limits of God s power (throwing oneself off the parapet of the temple). 2

3 Jesus overcame each of these temptations with the power and knowledge of Scripture and secure in his relationship with God as his son. As Jesus faced such fundamental temptations we shouldn t be surprised by temptation either. However, in Luke s telling there might be a slight dis-service to the reader. For our temptations will likely not come in the physical personification of the devil. But we will be tempted, nonetheless, by appeals to our well-being, our own power and glory and what we would consider the limits of God s power If we, like Jesus, can be assured of our relationship with God, secure in our relationship with the divine, we can overcome temptation as well. Though the devil left Jesus for a time, he did return. It was then that the ultimate temptation faced Jesus. Then he trusted in God to the point of death, only to be raised up to new life. Parish Office The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, 11 March due to staff holidays. Rite of Welcome Holy Family, 5.15pm: Bella Patricia Spencer, Tobias Fabian Durand, Lucas William O Rourke, Lottie Grace Moglione. St Mark s, 9.15am: Lake Willow Porter-Sanderson, Elka Snow Porter- Sanderson, Penelope Rae Begley. Holy Family, 11.00am: Arabella Mari Smith, Emmy Dickinson, Isla Eva Beckett. Baptismal Information Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we welcome in to our Parish of St John Vianney at Holy Family Church, Evren James Atasoy. Let us keep Evren and his family in our prayers. The next Baptism Registration meeting will take place on Monday, 1 April at 6.00pm in St Mark s Annexe. All enquiries to our Baptism Coordinator Mrs Chris Myles on ** Please note there are only a few Baptism places left to the end of July and none in August. ** Preparing our Young People for the Sacrament of Confirmation The moving of the Sacrament of Confirmation back to the teenage years will see the Archbishop confirming the first group of such young people next year. 3

4 In seeking to help our young people to prepare for the sacrament work has been going on to develop an approach that might enable us to draw on the strengths of our parishes, pastoral areas, schools and diocese. At the heart of this approach is the recognition that a key element in nurturing the faith of our young people is the opportunity to connect with other such young people, as seen in the appeal of Flame, Lourdes, Faith in Action, etc. Further information will follow, but in order to explore the scheme any interested parishioners, would be very welcome to come to any of the following gatherings: 7.00pm-8.30pm, Wednesday, 27 March at St Anne s, Ormskirk am-12.30pm, Saturday, 30 March at LACE. 7.00pm-8.30pm, Tuesday, 9 April at St Joseph s, Wrightington. Please contact Jonathan Mercer or j.mercer@rcaol.co.uk if you would like to come to one of these. Bereavement Team Meeting & Drop In Session Lord, may we always be present to those who suffer bereavement and help us to be attentive to their needs. Our next meeting will take place on Tuesday, 19 March at 2.00pm followed by a drop in session at 2.30pm in St Mark s Annexe. Parish Council The next meeting will take place on Tuesday, 2 April at 6.00pm in St Mark s Annexe. The minutes from the meeting of 16 October 2018 are available to read on our website. With You Always Easter Crafts Monday, 1 April, 5.30pm in Holy Family School. All queries should be ed to vianneywya@gmail.com. 12 Rules For Life This is a four week Lent course taking place on Mondays 11, 18 & 25 March and 1 April at Hope Chaplaincy, 5.00pm-6.30pm. Based on the book of the same name by Jordan Peterson. All welcome. 4

5 Would You Like To Train To Be An Altar Server? opportunity for all Christians in Hunts Cross and Halewood to worship together. The collection made for good causes both here and abroad. Synod 2020 Update Altar Servers form a very important part of the church and every parish is enriched through their dedication and service. But what does it take to be an Altar Server? Is it for you? Do you have the qualities and enthusiasm to serve our Priest in celebration of the Mass and other services? Meetings for those interested will take place on Friday, 15 March, 6.00pm-7.00pm in Holy Family Church and the following week on Friday, 22 March, 6.00pm-7.00pm in St Mark s Annexe. The meetings are for current altar servers and any children who are interested who have made their First Holy Communion or will be taking this sacrament this year. Thank You Thank you to all those parishioners who attended the World Day of Prayer at St Nicholas' on 1 March. It was a wonderful service and a fantastic Over the last few weeks the Synod members took part in an initial meeting. The presentations were very stimulating, engaging and inspiring. They showed a real honesty in the realties of church life in today s world and how we can move forward together. The three presentations are available for everyone to watch. Google Synod 2020 Youtube, all very enlightening or log on to the Synod website address below. Please take the Synod Survey: At the heart of this survey are four Synod questions which begin from the truth that God speaks to us in our everyday lives. We are then invited to think about what the Catholic Church is for. Finally, we can reflect on the questions, issues and topics that our Synod should make recommendations on. Log on to SFX Spring Recital An evening featuring some of SFXs most talented musical students 5

6 showcasing their work. Tuesday, 19 March at 7.00pm, adults 4, child 2. Tickets from school reception or pay on the door. St Patrick s Night Celebration Starting at 7.30pm on Saturday, 16 March in the Parish Club for OLA, Gateacre. There will be a Ceili, Irish music, food, entertainment and time just to socialise all for just 7. Bring your neighbours, friends and family for a great night of fun and enjoyment. Tickets on sale in the OLA piety shop and their parish office. Collect Your Plant Pots! If you brought a plant in for display over the Christmas period, your plant pot can now be collected. Uncollected pots will be given to charity. What s On At Our Cathedral Lenten Talk 1 of 5, Gibberd Room, Tuesday, 12 March, 7.00pm-8.00pm. Each week throughout Lent we ll be hosting weekly reflections on practical ways to deepen our spiritual life. Join us on 12 March for a talk from Bishop Tom Williams on St Therese of Lisieux and St Teresa of Avila. All welcome. St Joseph s Prayer Centre, Formby, L37 1PH Come and learn more about Raising Awareness of Human Trafficking and Combating Modern Slavery in the UK Today on Tuesday, 9 April, 10.30am- 3.30pm, donation 20 includes lunch. For more info call Keep In Your Prayers Please remember those facing sadness, those burdened by misery, those weighed down by despair, those coming to terms with failing health and advancing years, those who have lost loved ones and who are striving to come to terms with the emptiness and heartbreak they feel. Parish Finance Gift Aid Envelopes Other Envelopes Loose GASDS Total Offertory Standing Orders Bonus Ball Retiring Collection (CAFOD) Retiring Collection This weekend none. Next weekend Lenten Alms. 6

7 Lenten Almsgiving For those who have Gift Aid envelopes, the envelope marked Lenten Alms but with no date, can be placed in with the collection any time over this Lenten period. For those who do not donate via Gift Aid but wish to give Lenten Alms, your donation should be placed in an envelope marked Lenten Alms and given in during the collection. Many thanks. Lent Extra Magazine These are available at the back of church, price Confessions Holy Family, 4.45pm, Saturday Our Lady Of The Assumption, Gateacre, 11.30am-11.55am, Saturday St Mary s, Woolton, 11.00am-11.45am, Saturday Our Lady Of The Annunciation, BE 4.00pm-5.00pm, Saturday Eucharistic Ministers This Weekend 5.15pm J Roach, P McGuiness, C Morris, S Coleman, A Stubbs 9.15am Gerry, Rosemarie, Stephanie, Edyta, Bernie Our Synod Prayer Father, we thank you for the love you have shown us in the gift of Jesus, your Son. We thank you for the gift of the Church, through which you show us that you are always with us and are always at work in our lives. As we journey together to Synod 2020 help us to become the Church that you are calling us to be. May your Holy Spirit be powerfully at work among us. Strengthen each of us and guide Francis, our Pope and Malcolm, our Archbishop. Help us to respond to the challenges of our times in new ways to bring your love to all our sisters and brothers. We make this prayer through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen Blessed Sacrament Shrine, Mon-Sat 11.00am-12 noon Log on to synod2020.co.uk for all the latest news. 7

8 Question of the Week Adults: How willing are you to profess your faith in Jesus Christ openly to others? Children: Would you still be able to say that you believe in Jesus if others made fun of you for it? First Sunday of Lent 10 March 2019 Date 2019 Holy Family Church St Mark s Church Saturday, 9 March Saturday After Ash Wednesday Sunday, 10 March First Sunday of Lent Monday, 11 March Tuesday, 12 March Wednesday, 13 March Thursday, 14 March Friday, 15 March Saturday, 16 March Sunday, 17 March Second Sunday of Lent 5.15 pm Mass (Molly Roche) am Mass (Anthony Murphy) 9.00 am Mass (Christopher Marsh) am Mass (Patricia Gaunt) 5.15 pm Mass (People of the Parish) am Mass (Marie O Neill) 9.15 am Mass (People of the Parish) am Funeral Service for Philip Francis Bradford am Mass (Father Jimmy Smale) 9.00 am Mass (Colin Birkett) 9.15 am Mass (Bill Potter) We apologise for when times and Mass intentions may occasionally need to be changed at short notice to allow for a Requiem Mass or Funeral Service. Guidelines for the submission of Mass Intentions can be found on our website Readings for Second Sunday of Lent Gen 15:5-12, Phil 3:17-4:1 Luke 9: