Dear Parishioners and all those who logged into our Parish,

greetings and the blessing and peace of God be upon you.

A What’s App during the week recommended lighting a candle at 7.30pm and saying a prayer – something we can all do, and at the same time.

The Parish Bulletin is available via the Parish website.

The celebration of Mass took place at 7pm on Saturday 28th March – Parishioners and others joined via the webcam.

Once again, I would like to share some thoughts with you. Intercom, a Catholic Pastoral and Liturgical Resource magazine that I receive monthly gives a thought on the readings:

First Reading: from the prophet Ezekiel 37:12-14.

The promise of new life is accompanied by the promise that the people of God will be settled on their own soil. God’s blessings are not vague or theoretical: he wants us to live a contented, meaningful life in our concrete circumstances.

Responsorial Psalm: 129 With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

Second Reading: from St Paul’s letter to the Romans 8:8-11

Fundamentally, to be ‘interested only in unspiritual things’ means to live as though God did not exist. It is a practical form of atheism, which we must all guard against.

Gospel: according to John 11:1-45

Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus, but when he heard the news of Lazarus’ illness, he stayed where he was for two more days. Jesus’ wisdom – and his itinerary – transcend even the most urgent and pressing of human appeals, and yet his love finally embraces every situation.

My few words:

At the beginning of Mass:

I am going to bless water at the beginning of Mass – so if you want to get a bowl of water now in preparation.

So here we are again praying with each other at a distance but close in spirit and close to God because God is always with us. As we begin let us bring before God ourselves and our loved ones asking God for whatever we need to get through these days.

Bless water…

Living together so closely brings joy and fun and opens up many new ways of being family or being alone – it can also bring a downside – we can say and do things and think thinks that bring discord, disharmony, friction, depression, selfishness. Now is the time to say sorry…

We ask for forgiveness…

After the Gospel:

I look forward to that day when Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Dr Michael McBride, the Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Health use the same words that Jesus said to Lazarus in the tomb: Come out of your homes; Unbind yourselves, let yourselves go free from all the restrictions you have embraced.

That day is a while away yet. And life as we know it changes every day.

The Gospel story of Lazarus is very apt for us today. First of all, it tells of sickness – Lazarus, someone Jesus loved, is sick and Jesus refuses to visit him in his hour of need and in doing so also does not visit Martha and Mary, his family, to comfort them. Visits to hospitals have been suspended. Even priests are advised that visiting the sick at home should be restricted during these times. These restrictions are not easy to follow or accept – but for the greater good we have no choice.

Lazarus dies, and as we are used to, a wake ensues, and people arrive to sympathise and support those bereaved. Such a show of solidarity is not encouraged in our Parishes at present.

The death of a loved one changes everything. Individuals and families have to reinvent themselves, make long-lasting life changes. But as one lady put it many years ago during her father’s wake – we will learn to laugh again. And so, families and those who live alone have had to made changes as we live through the reality of coronavirus. Pope Francis during his mediation on the Gospel about Jesus and the disciples on a boat battling a storm said last evening: For weeks now, it has been evening. Thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities; it has taken over our lives, filling everything with a deafening silence and a distressing void, that stops everything as it passes by; we feel it in the air, we notice in people’s gestures, their glances give them away. We find ourselves afraid and lost. Like the disciples in the Gospel we were caught off guard by an unexpected, turbulent storm. We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other.

Coronavirus has made us all act differently for the common good. A video doing the rounds and shared with me put it very well. It showed empty streets and roads, empty playgrounds, empty GAA

fields. The speaker told us that this is love in action and shows how much we care for each other and how much we care for people we will never meet. Not just family and friends and neighbours but all those involved in health care and keeping vital services going. This love in action is a true reflection of God’s love for each and every one of us – and we are made in the image and likeness of God so we should reflect something of God in our lives. So, staying at home, physical distancing, washing our hands often is doing our bit to prevent the spreading of coronavirus.

Jesus ultimately brings life to Lazarus – life as we know it on earth but also everlasting life – that is the life that Martha embraces and comes to realise as a truth of her faith, in her conversation with Jesus. He says to her and to us: I am the resurrection and the life. if anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? and like Martha we too can answer: Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God.

At the end of Mass:

You may have read in the papers that in the Diocese of Down and Connor and with the new restrictions down south that when someone dies, for whatever reason, there will only be a burial at that time. A funeral Mass will be arranged later. That guidance will come here too. Just be aware of it.

I want to share tow things that happened to me during the week. Every day when I say my prayers you are all very much part of them. I pray for whatever you may need every day and one day out of the blue I prayer that you be given a sense of humour – I don’t know where the prayer came from, but I offered it to God and have done so daily ever since. Alongside courage and tolerance and patience, it may be useful being cocooned t home.

The other thing was, I took into cleaning – some of my friends through the self-imposed house arrest was getting to me – I did enjoy the end product – but maybe like climbing Everest, it’s a once in a lifetime achievement!

Some advice that you will have heard already:

Don’t watch too much news. That can overwhelm us. Social media is good for keeping in touch, but sometimes all those bleeps overwhelm me too!

We need balance:

in eating

with work

at play

with television

with outdoor activity

in praying

with handwashing

 

I want to do something to help others at this time.

BALLYGAWLEY COMMUNITY INITIATIVE & ERRIGAL CIARAN GAC.

Due to Covid19 some of us have been advised to STAY AT HOME.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU STAY AT HOME TO PROTECT YOURSELF.

This included the elderly and vulnerable people.

If you fall into this category and need items to be picked up from the PHARMACY SHOP POST OFFICE

We can help you to access these items without leaving your home.

We also have some foodbank reserves for distribution for any families/individuals that may be struggling at this time.

If you know of anyone else that may need our help, please pass the numbers below to them.

If you need support or assistance, please phone:

Sharon McAleer: 07712471212

Carmen Hamill: 07591208418

Kelly Marie McRory: 07821080127