| Castlemaine Parish Fifth Sunday of Lent 20th/21st March 2021 |
Who is my brother or Sister?
Only a life spent for others will be glorified here in this world and in Heaven. We know that the world owes everything to people who have spent their time and talents for God and for their fellow human beings. Mother Teresa, for instance, gave up her comfortable teaching career and, with just 5 rupees (17 cents) in her pocket, began her challenging life for the “poorest of the poor” in the crowded slums of Calcutta. Thus, she became, in the words of the Secretary General of the U.N., “the most powerful woman in the world.” We see similar cases in the history of great saints, scientists and benefactors of mankind in all walks of life.
Today’s Gospel teaches us that new life and eternal life are possible only by the death of the self through obedience, suffering and service. Salt gives its taste by dissolving in water. A candle gives light by having its wick burned and its wax melted. The oyster produces a priceless pearl by transforming a grain of sand through a long and painful process. Loving parents sacrifice themselves so that their children can enjoy a better life than they themselves have had.
People, in general, can be grouped into two: (i) Those who seek their own welfare and completely neglect the welfare of others, and (ii) people who seek the welfare of others even at the cost of their own welfare.
Needless to say, that the first group is more in our world than the second group. There are plenty of people for whom their own happiness and comfort comes in front of everything and everybody else. They relentlessly and assiduously pursue anything that, they think, would make their life more comfortable and contented. But the unfortunate thing is that these people don’t seem to harvest what they are looking for in their lives. The history of the world reveals to us that people who sought their own happiness, their own welfare, their own comfort, and people who tirelessly worked for material accumulation in order to live their lives happily – in short those who had themselves as the centre of their lives – have just lost them and regretted for having led such a life.
To become the people God calls us to be, to live our lives in the joy of God’s love, begins by our “dying” to our doubts and fears, “dying” to our self-centred wants and needs, “dying” to our immaturity and prejudices. The risk of being hurt is the price of love. That is the challenge of the grain of
wheat: only by loving is love returned, only by reaching out and trying do we learn and grow, only by giving to others do we receive, only by dying do we rise to new life. The Gospel of the grain of wheat is Christ’s assurance to us of the great things we can do and the powerful miracles we can work in letting go of our prejudices, fears and ambitions in order to imitate the compassion and love of the crucified Jesus, the Servant Redeemer. Therefore, let us pray that we may acquire this self-sacrificing spirit, especially during Lent.
A Prayer for Lenten Grace
Loving God
During the sacred season of Lent, bring me closer to you.
Prepare a place in my home and heart for silence and solitude, so that I may re-discover the grace of a prayer full of life.
Help me to fast from those things that threaten the well being of body and soul. Remind me of the grace of simplicity.
Enlarge my heart so that I give to those in need and, in so doing, re-discover the grace of gratitude and generosity.
May this season be a grace filled time to rekindle my love for and faith in you.
Amen
Fr. Danny Broderick 087 9061255
Parish Residence: 18 Ballyoughtragh Heights, Milltown
Rev. Conor Bradley 087 3664057
Parish Office: open Wed. & Fri 9:30-12:30 066-9767312
Email: castlemaine@dioceseofkerry.ie
Website: www.castlemaineparish.com
Safeguarding Children: Contact No (087) 6362780
| Masses & intentions online | ||
| Sat. Mar. 20th | 7:30 p.m. | Nora Cournane, Tubber – 1st Anniversary Broadcast from Keel Church |
| Sun. Mar. 21st | 10:00 a.m. | Aiden Kelliher, Ballyfinane Broadcast from Kiltallagh Church |
| Tue. Mar. 23rd | 6.30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. | Stations of the Cross Broadcast from Listry Church |
| Wed. Mar. 24th | 9:00 a.m. | Broadcast from Milltown Church |
| Fri. Mar. 26th | 6.30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. | Stations of the Cross Broadcast from Milltown Church |
| Sat. Mar. 27th | 7:30 p.m. | John Barton, Keel Broadcast from Keel Church |
| Sun. Mar. 28th | 10:00 am | Blessings on our schools in the Parish Broadcast from Kiltallagh Church |
Reminder
All Masses will be celebrated without a congregation due to Covid-19 Government Restrictions.
All Masses will be streamed online via our new webcam system:
- Log into www.castlemaineparish.com
- Scroll down to the bottom of page to where it says Live Streams.
- Click St. Gobnait’s, Keel for Mass in Keel
- Click on ► to play
- Click St. Carthage’s for Mass in Kiltallagh
- Click on ► to play
Priest on duty this Sunday:
Fr. Kieran O’Sullivan (087) 2432155
Trócaire: Every year Trócaire asks for your help during Lent to fund lifesaving programmes around the world. Families like Awut and Ajak’s in South Sudan need your support now more than ever. Trócaire are appealing to you to continue your support this Lent. Resources, prayers and videos are available on www.trocaire.org and donations can be made to the Lent campaign in the following ways:
- By collecting a Trócaire box available from the porches of both Keel and Kiltallagh churches or from the Parish Office.
- Online at www.trocaire.org
- By phone: 1850 408 408 (ROI) or 0800 912 1200 (NI)
The contents of each and every Trócaire box, no matter how small, come together to make a significant difference. This virus knows no borders, but neither does our compassion. Thank you for your continued support.
Recovery Haven Kerry will facilitate a Lymphoedema awareness, information & management talk via Zoom on Wednesday, March 24th from 3pm-4pm. University Hospital Kerry physiotherapists Kiera O’Brien and Mary Hickey will host the online talk, explaining what Lymphoedema is and how to manage the condition. To register for this free event and receive your personal Zoom link, please call Recovery Haven Kerry at 066 7192122 or email reception@recoveryhavenkerry.com
The Legion of Mary will hold its Annual Consecration to Our Lady on Sunday 28th March at 3.p.m. via the Killarney Cathedral Webcam. www.churchservices.tv/killarneycathedral Please join us in making this consecration to Our Lady. This is the Centenary of the Legion of Mary 1921– 2021. The Legion of Mary will celebrate 100 years in September 2021. It will be a time of joy, of celebration and of thanksgiving.
ALONE manage a national support line and additional supports for older people who have concerns or are facing difficulties relating to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Professional staff are available to answer queries and give advice and reassurance where necessary. The support line is open seven days a week, 8am – 8pm, by calling 0818 222 024.
Little Way Sunday School is an online faith initiative geared towards children. Short videos explain the Sunday gospel, much like a small faith lesson, followed by a short reflection from a priest. Children are given a “mission task” for the week. The videos are very engaging and enjoyable and last between 6 and 9 minutes, to hold children’s attention. “Little Way Sunday School” is a fantastic resource for your family’s faith journey particularly if your children are preparing for the sacraments of Holy Communion, Confession or Confirmation and Easter celebrations.