Sunday 14th October 2007

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflection

Would you count yourself as a grateful person? Are we grateful to our parents for what they’ve done for us? Grateful to our friends for their kindness to us? Grateful to a husband and wife for standing by us? Grateful to an aunt or uncle or grandparent who never forgets us? Or is our gratitude buried deep beneath the rubble of assumption or forgetfulness? Most of all, are we sufficiently grateful to God? That’s what’s hammered home in today’s readings. The two people who were cured, Naaman and the Samaritan, weren’t just grateful, they were believing. They were healed of their leprosy and they responded in faith. In other words, their cure didn’t just bring them to health; it brought them to God. The Samaritan came back praising God, and Naaman, who, like the Samaritan, was a foreigner, and was so grateful to the God he had discovered, the God of Israel, that he did something very beautiful. He sought permission to bring back to Damascus, his hometown, some of the soil of Israel – as much as two mules could carry – so that he could build an altar on the holy soil and give thanks to the true God. We have lessons to learn from the two lepers. We are asked to be Samaritans. We are asked to be other Naamans. We are asked to get out the mules and bring home the muck!

Could we end with a little suggestion? Would we set this week aside as ‘gratitude week’? Do something this week, within the family, within our circle of friends, to show our gratitude? Give some thought this week to being thoughtful? And let’s be especially grateful to God. Start praying again in your heart, or in your home, or decide to go to Mass once more this week, because the word ‘Eucharist’ means thanksgiving. Somebody once said, ‘Gratitude is the heart’s memory’. We owe so much to God and to other people. Never let it be said that your heart has no memory at all.

We Gratefully Acknowledge
The Anonymous Donations To The General Renovation Fund: £20, £20, £10, £10, £10, £5, £5, £20.

LAST WEEK’S ENVELOPE COLLECTION £1827.00

LAST WEEK’S RENOVATION COLLECTION £ 652.00

BAPTISMS
We welcome:
Aidan Patrick Healy, 29 Ashthorpe, who was baptised recently.

THE BRANDYWELL GROTTO COMMITTEE will be carrying out a door to door collection this coming week in order to raise vital funds for the restoration of the Grotto. Please give generously.

CREATIVE WRITING COURSE on the memories of pupils of St Cecilia’s College over 4 decades will begin on Tuesday 16th October at 7.00 pm. St Cecilia’s is keen to hear from dedicated, enthusiastic individuals who are either interested in having their thoughts preserved for posterity, or, indeed, from those with a future writing career in mind. Contact Roisin Lynch on 7128 1800 or email rlynch616@c2kni.net.

YOU ARE INVITED TO:
NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL SUCCOUR
Every Sunday, 6:00pm
Beginning Sunday 28th October

MASS FOR DECEASED OF LAST 12 MONTHS
Friday 2nd November, 7:30pm

Lasco Lotto
Numbers Drawn 5, 9, 13, 16
No Jackpot Winner 2 £10 Winners
Next Weeks Jackpot £2,650.
Anyone wishing to join contact LASCO 02871374443.

BIG HALLOWEEN BINGO
ST EUGENE’S PARISH HALL SUNDAY 28TH OCTOBER 2007 AT 8.30 PM

HISTORICAL WALKS around Derry. Join us. If you are interested phone 7126 6440 for further details.

LEARN A NEW CRAFT
If you would like to learn to make your own jewellery, flower arranging, quilting, interiors or art classes will be starting soon. If you are interested please phone 7126 6440 for further details.

2008 O'Dochartaigh Reunion
The committee has been working hard to organise the upcoming reunion and we hope it will be a great success, with over 450 visitors coming from all over the world. With such a large event there is a lot of organising to do, and so we would like to appeal for volunteers to help us out. The volunteers will not be required to make a huge commitment. The committee meets once a month and the reunion itself will run from the 1-10 July 2008. Volunteers can pledge as much or as little time as they can afford. It will be an opportunity to participate in a wide range of cultural activities and to meet many interesting people who have a Doherty heritage from all over the world. The reunions are always good fun, with events planned all over Derry and Donegal. Prospective volunteers can contact: Niamh: niamh63@hotmail.com
Eva: egremmert@comcast.net
Helena: (028) 71261039

FOUND MP3/iPod in Abercorn Road area. Please contact the Parochial House.