Notices
Please see the Church Bulletin and Porch notice boards
for further notices of events and dedications in our parish.
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS: is celebrated next weekend. There will
be a special collection at all Masses for the Little Sisters of the Poor.
Thank you!
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: (Confession) will not be available this week.
EXPOSITION & ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT: this Friday, in the
meeting room between the end of Mass and 6pm. Please add your name to the
list
in the Church porch to ensure there is always someone in attendance. Our
intentions
include World Peace, Persecuted Christians, Asylum Seekers and Refugees,
the Renewal
of our Parishes of St Michael’s and St Mary’s within the partnership of
St Benedict's and
Personal intentions.
SCRIPTURE SHARING: continues on Wednesday evening in the Parish Centre at
7.00pm.
PIE & PEA SUPPER: on Saturday, 5th May (7:30pm - 10:30pm) in the Parish
Centre.
Entertainment provided by singer, Sue Cassidy. Tickets @ £6 each will be
on sale after
Masses weeks ending 7th/8th April & 28th/29th April, or contact Anne
Wilson (5842042) . Bring your own drinks. Any raffle prizes will be greatly
appreciated.
THE BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE SCRIPTURE WORKING GROUP: has been working
alongside the Northern Dioceses and religious orders to organise events
celebrating the Word of God – one in the north-east, the other in the north-west.
The event closest to our own diocese is to be held on Saturday 12th May
at All Saints School, York (5 minutes from the railway station). It is open
to all but might be of special appeal to clergy, school and university chaplains
Readers and students (6th form and above). More information on the poster
or from Kathryn Turner (spirituality@diocesehn.org.uk)
LOAVES & FISHES: there will be a special collection at St. Mary’s, Easington
Lane this weekend in support of the local foodbank. Thank you for your support!
Daily Prayer This Week
This can be a very good week to grow in a sense of and practice with the
notion of being a "contemplative in the midst of action." We have
practically a whole week of gospels about Jesus' gift of himself to us as
the "Bread of Life." This gives us the opportunity to let that
mystery be in the background of our consciousness every day this week, as
we go about our everyday tasks. What makes it "contemplative” is that
we will be asking for graces each morning, and we will let our desires and
our activities interact. We can begin reflecting
upon how often we “work for food that perishes.” The pay-off, the success,
the
accomplishment, the reward we receive for what we do is often quite passing
and
unsatisfying. It would be important to be able to sense anything that appears
to be food that doesn't last and name it as such this week. The real food,
the life-giving nourishment that our Lord offers us is himself. If we can't
celebrate the Eucharist daily this week, we can make what we used to call
a “spiritual communion” simply by opening our hearts and desiring to receive
our Lord, so that he remains in us and we remain in him. We can
practice consciously choosing union with Jesus, our Risen Lord and only
Saviour, and
experiencing how that would affect the choices we need to make throughout
our day. If we begin each day, asking for the grace of this union, and renew
the desire at brief moments we have at various times in the day, our focus
and attention begins to change. We will
experience a peace and a gifted lack of hunger and thirst for so many of
the things that draw us away from him, from loving, from mercy, from consciousness
on those in need. If the background focus of each day this week is to desire
to be fed by a closeness with my Lord, it doesn't matter how busy I am,
or how many conflicts I have to face or what
suffering I or my loved ones must endure. His flesh and blood are real food
and drink
because they are the real sacrifice that takes away the power of sin and
death itself. United with his surrender to the Father, we are set free from
whatever can take away the life he gained for us. For this gift, for this
faith, we can give thanks for every night, as we review our union with our
Lord each night.
PRACTICAL STEPS FOR PARISHES AND PARTNERSHIPS: A conference will take
place on Saturday 12th May at St Joseph’s Catholic Academy, Hebburn
to help parishes and partnerships engage with young people in their
communities. The keynote speaker is Fr Dominic Howarth, responsible for
Youth Services in Brentwood Diocese, and the programme includes 12
workshops. The conference is for everyone who is concerned about our young
people and will offer inspiring examples of good practice. The conference
fee is £10 which includes lunch. Further details are in the booking forms
available in parishes, downloadable from www.ymt.org or contact admin@ymt.org
ANNUAL TRAINING FOR CONFIRMATION CATECHISTS:
or those interested in becoming Catechists, will take place this year at
the Youth Ministry
Conference on Saturday, 12th May 2018 at St Joseph’s Catholic Academy, Hebburn.
Details on the booking form.
St. Michael’s Cleaning — Group 6 T Smith, J Greenwood, A Wilson &
D Smith
