THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT (YEAR C)
WEEK: MARCH 9TH - 15TH 2025
“Jesus…was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days.”
YOUR CHARITABLE PRAYERS are requested for our parishioners and friends, especially those whose names appear below.
SICK: John Green, Joan Killeen, Christine Clarke, Tony Kenny, Luke Burke, Dominic Boardman, Connie Marrone, Alexander Loughlin, Surya Duval, Margaret Lawless, Peter Barlow, Nynna Carpio, Terry Cummins, Elizabeth Flanagan, Margaret Emsis, Nel Eaton, Andrew Debbie LATELY DEAD: Paul Clarke, Graham Jarvis, ANNIVERSARIES: Dr. John Duddy, Maria Manuela Veloso, Soraia Seiros, Claudia Moreira, Alan Johnstone, Paddy McDermott, Henry McDermott, Ronnie Heppenstall
LAST WEEK'S COLLECTION: £797.71
Standing Order: £674.00 a month
CHURCH BOXES / DONATIONS
Caritas (Homeless) £20.00
Many thanks for your kind generosity.
If anyone needs the Bank account details to set up Direct Debit payments, please contact Father Phil.
THIS SUNDAY'S MISSALETTE & HYMNS
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NOTICES:
All Masses will continue to be live streamed. A link is provided on the Parish website: www.smwsp.org.uk or via the Twitter App (@PhilipSumner13).
DIOCESAN SYNOD: THE END OF THE JOURNEY |
MARY’S MEALS
Mary’s Meals is a charity organisation based in Scotland which feeds more than two million primary school children every day in the world’s poorest areas. They have now come up with the idea to collect and reuse foreign currency. People returning from travel in different countries often have some foreign currency left over. They might be able to use some of that again or get it changed into pounds sterling. But there might be still some bits and pieces left over. I know that we often get some of these bits and pieces put in the collection plate in the church! Mary’s Meals are now requesting those bits left over so that they can get them exchanged and use it to feed even more children. They say that they can also use UK coins and notes that are no longer legal tender. There are some envelopes at the back of the church for this currency or you can just bring it to the parish office and we will arrange for it to be sent off to Mary’s Meals.
DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO WALSINGHAM |
LENTEN STATION MASSES FOR 2025
There’s been a slight change in the programme of Lenten Station Masses this year. They will begin on 11th March at St. Joseph’s, Mossley. The bishop will attend this Station Mass. Then, on 18th March, we will be in St. Joseph’s, Shaw. On 25th March, we will be at St Herbert’s, Chadderton. On the 1st April, we will be at St. Anne’s in Ashton. Then, finally, on 8th April, we will be at St Edward’s, Lees. All these Masses will be at 7.00pm.
SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMME |
CONFIRMATION PROGRAMME FOR 2025
The programme will begin this week with a meeting for parents of all the young people who wish to be confirmed, on Wednesday 12th March at 7pm at St. Edward’s Church, Lees. Then the programme begins for the children on 17th March at Newman, 18th March at St Damian’s (both 3.30-5pm) and 18th March at St. Edward’s (at 6.00pm). You can sign up the young people for the programme at the first meeting (the one for parents). There will be seven sessions in all, the last one being a reconciliation service. The confirmations will take place at 7pm on 4th June at St. Mary’s Failsworth, or a 7pm. 5th June at St. Edward’s, Lees. Young people of Year 8 age group and older can register.
SPECIAL DAYS THIS WEEK |
THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS
Luke, like Matthew, wants to suggest to us that the arrival of the Messiah on the scene is reflective of the two great stories of Jewish history, the Passover and the Exodus. Jesus is among us to win our freedom but that only comes by passing first through the desert, where, like the Jews, he and we will be tested by God and by the devil. The testing by God is a purifying and a strengthening process. The testing by the devil is an attempt to tear us apart so that we completely lose our integrity. Jesus, in today’s Gospel story is at the beginning of his public ministry and he realises that he must enter the desert to be tested. He has choices to make as to what sort of Messiah he is meant to be. The first of the temptations he receives suggests that he should think of himself first and make sure that he is fed and safe. He’s been in the desert for 40 days and he must have been desperately hungry. So, the devil says, “feed yourself”, “Look after yourself”. We will hear the Apostle Peter come up with this same temptation later when Jesus tells his apostles that he must go to Jerusalem and be killed. Peter said that this must not happen to Jesus. In other words, Peter was saying that a Messiah should always be someone who was safe from any harm himself. Jesus says to him “Get behind me Satan!” because it is the same temptation as the first one mentioned here. Victor Frankl, a survivor of Auschwitz and the writer of “Man’s search for meaning” suggests that we must recognise the difference between ambition and vocation. The first is when we search for what we want in life. The second is when we search for what life wants from us. It’s the second that gives us meaning, the first leaves us dissatisfied. The second temptation was for Jesus to take political and military power, to take the throne of Caesar and force people to follow him. Again, this is a temptation that comes to us all; we can try to control or manipulate others so that we get what we want. Jesus knew that love was the opposite of such an approach. The third temptation was for Jesus to become a ‘Superstar’ and gain celebrity status so that everyone would follow him. If he became like a modern day ‘influencer’ and dazzled people into being his followers, he would surely have achieved his purpose. But Jesus rejected this way too; he was to become rather, ‘a thing despised and rejected by men’, someone ‘the Lord has been pleased to crush with suffering’ (Isaiah 53). To choose otherwise would be a rejection of what he was called to be. Again, we will hear later the return of this third temptation when Jesus is on the cross. The soldiers mocked him saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself” (Lk. 23:37). Matthew’s version of the same Gospel story is even more specific, “If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross and we will believe in him” (Mtt. 27:42). His rejection of these temptations enables our true freedom. We too are tempted to follow the way of ambition rather than vocation.
HEATING SYSTEM IN THE HOUSE |