5th March 2017

1st Sunday

of Lent

Parish Priest: Fr John Southworth

Parish Office: 27 High Park St, Liverpool L8 8DX Phone: 0151 727 1463

www.mountcarmel-stpatrick.org.uk • Email: olmc@rcaolp.co.uk • stpatrick@rcaolp.co.uk

Liverpool Roman Catholic Archdiocesan Trustees Inc Registered Charity No 232709

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Lenten Themes (This year is Year A)

The themes for the first two Sundays of Lent are

the same in every year of the three year cycle:

First Sunday Temptation

Matthew 4:1-11

Focuses on the humanity of Jesus

Second Sunday Transfiguration Matt 17:11-9

Focuses on the divinity of Jesus.

Jesus takes Peter, James and John to the top of a high mountain and they get of glimpse of Jesus in glory, flanked by Moses and Elijah, representing the Law of the Old Testament and the Prophets.

Easter The purpose of Lent is to prepare us for Easter and so….

Lent Sundays 3, 4 & 5…. the Sundays leading up to Palm Sunday, explore three great baptismal themes:

Water • Light • Life

The stories of the woman at the well, the man born blind and the raising of Lazarus.

J esus was led by the Spirit out into the desert to be tempted by

the devil. (Matthew 4:1)

No one escapes temptation. Fortunately temptation is not sinful; but giving in might be. Are we aware of where temptation lies in wait? What are the occasions, the places and the people who pose the biggest threat to us? And what do we do to avoid them?

FAITH IN FOCUS: PLENTY OF TIME?

One day the devil called a meeting in hell with all his demons. Top of the agenda was the

question of how to get people to stop believing in God and end up ignoring sin and

being forever at each others’ throats. This would then swell hell’s numbers.

One of the chief demons said, “I have a plan. Let’s tell the people that there is no God and they’ve been tricked.” Another demon said, “No, that’s too obvious. Of course, there’s a

just and holy God. Anyone except a fool knows that.”

“Well then,” another demon said, “Let them believe that he is a just and holy God, but tell

them that they are so sinful that they’ve had their last chance and now he won’t accept

them. That will demoralise them.”

But another said, “No, that won’t work. Everyone knows he’s also a God of mercy,

and anyone who recognises their sinfulness and repents is assured of his forgiveness.”

“I know exactly what we can do!” another demon exclaimed, “Let them believe there is

a God – a just and holy God, full of mercy, but let’s just tell them that

there’s plenty of time.”

Lent is the season of penance and self-denial. It’s six weeks when we take stock

of our lives and see whether they are taking us closer to God or further away from him. Is there any rush? Should we get urgent about it? Should we begin looking to see if there is

a pattern about the way we fall into situations that we know are sinful and do us no good?

Are there aspects of our lifestyle that need checking? Are some of our desires

questionable? Are we genuinely trying to purify our motives? Do we do enough for

others, close to home or those abroad who are in need?

Lent is about action, about opening ourselves to the working of God’s grace, about having a

change of heart, a U-turn in the normal pattern of our behaviour.

It’s a holy season of self-denial. But don’t worry; there’s plenty of time.

Or so the devil says.

The first reading tells the story of the Original Sin, the temptation of Adam and Eve and the ‘forbidden fruit’. The Gospel tells us the story of Jesus’s 40 days in the desert and his temptation by Satan — the origin of our 40 day Lent. The contrast is simple: Adam and Eve give in to the temptation. Jesus does not.

MASSES AND SERVICES

IN CHURCH THIS WEEK

No Mass on Monday

Early morning Mass 7am Friday

Sunday 5th March

1st Sunday of Lent

Sat 5.00pm William (Bill) Hamilton OLMC Sun 9.45am Jim Timlin St Patrick Sun 11.15am Parishioners OLMC Mon 6th February 9am NO MASS OLMC

Tues 7th February 7pm Helena Jade Green OLMC

Wed 8th March 10am Marie O’Connell & Family St Patrick

Thu 9th March 10am Sr Marie Carmel St Patrick

Fri 10th March 7am Clare Mulcahey OLMC

Sunday 12th March

2nd Sunday of Lent

Sat 5.00pm Ronnie Snr & Ronnie Jnr & Kevin Griffiths OLMC Sun 9.45am Parishioners St Patrick Sun 11.15am Tommy Farrell OLMC

Evening Service Stations of the Cross Wednesday St Patrick 7pm Thursday OLMC 7pm

Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturday 4-4.30pm OLMC

Collections Many thanks

Mount Carmel Sat Envelopes £141.85 Loose £225.00 Sun Envelopes £75.00 Loose £ 96.85 Total £538.70 St Patrick Envelopes £0 Loose £121.15 Total £121.15

Bonus Ball / Mount Carmel and St Patrick

The bonus ball for Wednesday No 42

Please Pray For…. Those who have died: Michael Lawler The sick: Freya Matheson, Pat & Brian Smedley, Bernadette Morgan, Rene Humphreys, Clifford Browne, Gary Hollinson, Jackie Heath-Anderson, Ted Cunningham, Anne Deuchar, Charlotte Rice, Irene Finneran, Lisa Balshaw, Mary Kewley, Claire Kearney, Lyn Barton, Betty Devine, Tony Jones, Kathleen Devine, Joseph Baxendale, Ann Chapman, Nadia Kent, Susan Roberts, Alex Sielski, Lee Foster, Paula Lacey, Denise King, John Dunning, Tommy Huyton, Emily Rolands, Angela Kent, David Majoury, Donald Smith, Pius Laizer, Maria Jones, Mary O’Toole, Sally Wilkins, Michael Murphy, Margaret Chung, David Stevenson, Thomas & John Paul Conroy, Keith Holden, Kathleen Crowny, Joanne Fairbrother, Eileen Edwards, Erin Caulfield, Lisa Ginley, Lillian O’Connor, Owen Hall, Anne Brannigan, Thelma Mainwaring, Cheryl and Lenny Hart, Sheila Chapman, Elaine Gorry, Alexandra Reid, Winifred Williamson, Kathryn Reid, Wally Williams, Chrissy White, Nicholas Maher, John Hodson, Terry Macklin, Muriel Minshull, Peter Benger, Maureen Ryan, Mary Ryan, Regna Lewis, David Shea, Steven Binks, Teresa Koo, Holly and Lucy Brown.

Lent 2017

Daily Mass The following two Masses will be celebrated each week even if there is a requiem Mass on the same day:

• Tuesday evening at 7pm • Friday morning at 7am Both at OLMC church.

Stations of the Cross

• Wednesday St Patrick 7pm • Thursday OLMC 7pm

Confessions for Lent The Sacrament of Reconciliation continues to be celebrated every Saturday at OLMC. In addition, in this Pastoral Area, there will be two Saturdays during Lent when the Sacrament will be available most of the day: Confessions will be available from 10am to 4pm

•In St Charles on 11th March • In St Francis on 4th April

CAFOD Lenten Fast Day This Friday 10th March. There are envelopes at the back of church. Taxpayers who put their donation into an envelope and fills in the simple form enables CAFOD to reclaim tax on the donation.

Charity Social Evening The Knights of St Columba, OLMC Parish

Centre, Saturday 11th March at 8.30. Featuring Michael Coyne, Bingo, Raffle…..Tickets £5 from the parish centre or pay on the door. Prizes for the raffle appreciated.

SVP Collection This weekend.

Interested in Gardening and Growing your own food? Come and join the Toxteth Town Hall Community Growing Project. A course delivered by a qualified Horticulturist. Every Friday 2-3pm, up to 36 weeks. Call 727 2648 or drop in to Toxteth Town Hall Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.

John Southworth

Easter Triduum: The Three Day Feast

The main purpose of Lent is to prepares us for Easter. So:

Maundy Thursday 7pm Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper St Patrick Thursday 13th April

Good Friday 3pm Celebration of the Lord’s Passion OLMC Friday 14th April

Easter Vigil Saturday 9pm OLMC 16th April

PLUS the usual Sunday morning Masses