ST. MICHAEL’S PARISH

P.O. BOX 610 - BELL ISLAND, NF - A0A 4H0
PHONE: 488-2525 – FAX: 488-3399

`Treat others (even your enemies) as you would like them to treat you.' These words are taken from today's Gospel. We know exactly how we like others to treat us: we like them to be forgiving, merciful, generous and loving towards us. But how many of us could say that we treat others in that way?

First Reading (1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23). Saul, jealous of the young David, pursues him seeking to kill him. David gets an opportunity to kill Saul, but he will not do so because he believes it would not be right before God.

Second Reading (1 Cor 15:45-49). Here we are dealing with the parallel between Adam and Christ. To Adam we owe the life of earth. To Christ we owe the life of heaven.

Gospel (Luke 6:27-38). Instead of seeking revenge on one's enemy this Gospel urges us to show forgiveness and compassion towards all.

SCRIPTURE NOTE
Because of his great successes on the battlefield, David was very popular with the people. As a result, Saul saw him as a threat and sought to kill him. The First Reading contains the moving story of how David had an opportunity to kill Saul, but refused to do so because in his eyes Saul, as king of Israel, was a sacred person.

This passage prepares us for the Gospel, which contains Jesus' injunction to love our enemies. Jesus goes on to stress the obligations of fraternal charity. The ideal of love to which his followers must aspire is that of God himself. We are to love as God loves.

Jesus' vision of human behaviour is at such variance with the view most people have, that many people regard it as humanly unachievable, and therefore ignore it. From a human point of view it is unachievable. Divine help is needed.

Tuesday Feb. 20th 7:00 p.m. Jim Fitzpatrick; Rosalie Boyle; Diane (Jones) Bickford;
Leander Bickford; Horrace Gendreau

Wednesday Feb. 21st 7:00 p.m. Ash Wednesday
Charles & Rita O’Brien; Mary Furlong; James & Myria
Kelly; Mary Hedderson; Kevin Hedderson
My Way of the Cross

Thursday Feb. 22nd 7:00 p.m. Marion Sweeney; Albert Dalton; James Kavanagh Sr. &
 Jr.; Sadie Kavanagh; Jack & Lou Ann Kent

Friday Feb. 23rd 9:30 a.m. Darlene Boudreau; Florence Kavanagh; Louise Conway;
Lawrence Tremblett; William & Catherine Tremblett & Dec. Family

Saturday Feb. 24th 4:00 p.m. Sacrament of Penance
5:00 p.m. Brendon & Patrick Jackman; Ted & Terry Butler; Vincent
McGrath & Patricia McGrath (Noftall); Anastisas &
Thomas Cole; Stephen Warren; Ed Hammond; Granville
O’Brien; Emmie Fitzgerald; Patrick McGrath

Sunday Feb. 25th 10:30 a.m. Vocations to the Priesthood & Religious Life
 

Collection for Feb. 10th & Feb. 11th, 2007
Offertory – 126 envelopes…………………………………………………….$1, 218.50
Dues – 8 envelopes……………………………………………………………. $97.00

Thank –You for your Financial Support

SANCTUARY CANDLE: In Loving Memory of Horrace Gendreau

Dates To Remember
February 21st Ash Wednesday
April 1st Good Friday
April 7th Holy Saturday
April 8th Easter Sunday

Liturgical Ministers
Saturday 5:00 p.m. Readers: Colin Taylor & Harriett Taylor
Feb. 24th Eucharistic Ministers: Art Whelan; Betty Quigley; Kevin Quigley; Ros Hurley; Brenda Sweeney
Presentation of Gifts: Lydia Brazil Family
Ushers: Leo Byrne; Fred Carroll; George Hickey; Brian Tulk

Sunday 10:30 a.m. Readers: Jean Williams; Patricia King
Feb. 25th Eucharistic Ministers: Bonnie Spracklin; Tom Spracklin; Shirley
Murphy; Pat Murphy; Rosanne Grant
Presentation of Gifts: Bob Seward Family
Children’s Liturgy: Janet Lahey
Ushers: Tom Cole; Kevin Delahunty; Sidney Rees; Ray Whalen

Church Cleaning Team - 2 - for week of Feb 19th - Feb. 23rd, 2007
Madeline Lewis; Angela Johnson; Marg Lewis; Jean Ezekiel; Angel Ezekiel; Peter Power

2007 - Cemetery Schedule
Cemetery Mass at the Front: Sunday, July 22nd, @ 2.30 p.m.
Cemetery Mass at Lance Cove: Sunday, Aug. 5th @ 2:30 p.m. (Date Rescheduled)
Please note the changes made to Cemetery Mass for Lance Cove

St. Patrick’s Day Weekend
Please schedule the following events in your calendar for you and your family to enjoy St. Patrick’s Weekend together. Note: the change in date for the Card Game
Saturday, March 17th Irish Stew Dinner
Sunday, March 18th St. Patrick’s Day - Irish Concert
Wednesday, March 19th, Super Card Game with special prizes.

Bereavement Seminar
There will be a Bereavement Seminar for people who have lost a loved one. This two-hour seminar describes the grieving process and presents some information on things individuals and families can do to help themselves and other during the time of grief. It also describes the resources available for those who are grieving. This session will be presented by Dr. Rick Singleton, Director of Pastoral Care and Ethics with Eastern Health. The session is from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. on Monday, February 19th, 2007 at the Health Science Centre in room 2J-619. Stay on the main corridor through the main entrance. No registration is necessary. For more information you can call 777-6959.

Countdown for Lent
Ash Wednesday is coming! Ash Wednesday as well as Good Friday is a day of FAST and ABSTINENCE . This means not eating between meals and eating no meat on that day. Those 14 and over are bound to abstain from meat while those 18 to 59 years of age are bound by the laws of fasting. Ash Wednesday sets the tone for the next forty days of Lent. Lent begins on February 21st. Mass for the day will be at 7:00 p.m. Lent is a time for penance and repentance, for almsgiving and prayer, for working to change attitudes that are not pleasing to God. During the season of Lent the Stations of The Cross will be said following our Weekday Masses.

PENITENTIAL DISCIPLINE:
A) Law of the gospel: The Church wants new emphasis to be given to the evangelical law that a follower of Christ must do penance. While the heart of penance is hatred for sin as an offence against God (CSL, no. 109b), external forms of penance are required to deepen and encourage the internal virtue.

B) Fridays are days of abstinence from meat, but Catholics may substitute special acts of charity or piety on this day.

C) Lent: The penitential character of Lent is to be maintained. On these days penance is to be considered an important requirement of the Christian life. Fulfillment of this duty involves prayer, works of piety and charity, and self-denial by fulfilling one’s obligations more faithfully and especially by observing the prescribed fast and abstinence.

Mercy Associates
The next meeting of the Original Group of Mercy Associates will take place on Thursday, February 22nd, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sister’s Residence.

Knights of Columbus Meeting
The Knights of Columbus will be holding a meeting on Friday, February 23rd, 2007 at 8:00 p.m. at St. Michael’s Hall. All members are asked to please attend.

R. C. Cursillo
The R. C. Cursillo will be hosting an “Education Day” on Saturday, March 3rd. This will be held at St. Peter’s Parish Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p. m. Guest speaker will be Sylvia Mackinnon from ACCC. All Cursillo Members are welcome to attend.

    Top of Page