First Reading
A reading from the second book of Chronicles
All the heads of the priesthood, and the people too, added infidelity
to infidelity, copying all the shameful practices of the nations
and defiling the Temple that the Lord had consecrated for himself
in Jerusalem. The Lord, the God of their ancestors, tirelessly
sent them messenger after messenger, since he wished to spare
his people and his house. But they ridiculed the messengers of
God, they despised his words, they laughed at his prophets, until
at last the wrath of the Lord rose so high against his people
that there was no further remedy.
Their enemies burned down the Temple of God, demolished the walls
of Jerusalem, set fire to all its palaces, and destroyed everything
of value in it. The survivors were deported by Nebuchadnezzar
to Babylon; they were to serve him and his sons until the kingdom
of Persia came to power. This is how the word of the Lord was
fulfilled that he spoke: through Jeremiah, Until this land has
enjoyed its Sabbath rest, until seventy years have gone by, it
will keep Sabbath throughout the days of its desolation.
And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfil the word
of the Lord that was spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord roused
the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to issue a proclamation and
to have it publicly displayed throughout his kingdom: Thus speaks
Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me
all the kingdoms of the earth; he has ordered me to build him
a Temple in Jerusalem, in Judah. Whoever there is among you of
all his people, may his God be with him! Let him go up.
This is the word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
O let my tongue
cleave to my mouth
if I remember you not.
By the rivers of Babylon
there we sat and wept,
remembering Zion;
on the poplars that grew there
we hung up our harps. (R)
For it was there that they asked us,
our captors, for songs,
our oppressors, for joy.
'Sing to us', they said,
'one of Zion's songs.' (R)
O how could we sing
the song of the Lord
on alien soil?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither! (R)
O let my tongue
cleave to my mouth
if I remember you not,
if I prize not Jerusalem
above all my joys! (R)
Second Reading Ref: Ephesians 2:4-10
A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians
God loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy:
when we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with
Christ - it is through grace that you have been saved - and raised
us up with him and gave us a place with him in heaven, in Christ
Jesus.
This was to show for all ages to come, through his goodness towards
us in Christ Jesus, how infinitely rich he is in grace. Because
it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith; not by
anything of your own, but by a gift from God; not by anything
that you have done, so that nobody can claim the credit. We are
God's work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life
as from the beginning he had meant us to live it.
This is the word of the Lord.
Gospel Ref: John 3:14-21
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
'The Son of Man must be lifted up
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
Yes, God loved the world so much
that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost
but may have eternal life.
For God sent his Son into the world
not to condemn the world,
but so that through him the world might be saved.
No one who believes in him will be condemned;
but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already,
because he has refused to believe
in the name of God's only Son.
On these grounds is sentence pronounced:
that though the light has come into the world
men have shown they prefer
darkness to the light
because their deeds were evil.
And indeed, everybody who does wrong
hates the light and avoids it,
for fear his actions should be exposed;
but the man who lives by the truth
comes out into the light,
so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.'
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Lenten Reflection
The Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the desert.
The significance of Moses lifting up the serpent in the desert
is to show how the people of God (Jews), even after their release
from slavery in Egypt, started to allow the human weakness of
tiredness, hunger and exhaustion to influence their minds and
they preferred to retrieve to captivity in Egypt. This made God
very angry so he sent venomous snakes whose bite was lethal. So
desperate and contrite were the Jews that they turned to Moses
and begged him to ask God's forgiveness for their sins. Moses
interceded and God listened to his plea and commanded him to make
a bronze serpent and to lift it high on a pole. Those who looked
at the serpent (A symbol in the ancient world of life and regeneration)
were saved from venomous snakes. Human nature was still the same
in Jesus' day. That is why God sent his Son in order to save his
people from slavery to sin and death. Jesus who was lifted up
on the Cross brought about God's forgiveness and reconciliation.
In the year 2003 human nature has not changed, and at times cause
us to rebel against God. Through his Son Jesus he has given each
of us a way to repent and turn back through faith in Jesus his
Son. A faith that is expressed in many ways but principally through
the Mass and the Sacrament of Confession.
May the Lord Jesus who was obedient to God his Father in saving
humanity, help each of us to follow God as Moses, and the men
and women of the Old and New Testaments did, and on the last day
may he raise each of us and bring us to the Heights of Heaven.
Recent Death
Jane (Babs) Murphy, Lackareigh
John (Jack) Sexton, Farnanes
Anniversaries
Paddy Collins, Crookstown
John Corkery, Knockaneleigh
Maureen Lynch, Ballinguilla
Niall Dineen, Oakville Cloughduv
Molly Murphy, Poulanargid
Paddy Burke, Currabeigh
Margaret Shorten, Pullerick
Dan & Julie Quill, Curragh
Stations This Week
Mon Mar 31 @ 10 a.m. for Rathard, Knocknahilan, Lyrias & New
Grove, at Declan & Mary Lynch's
Thurs April 3 at Seamus & Rosmarie Moynihan's for Shandangan
@8:00 pm
Friday April 4 at Sheila Hallissey's for Knockavullig, Forrest
& Coolnashamrogue @ 8:30pm
Sat April 5 at Denis & Eileen Mullane's for Coolduve, Bishop
Galvin Tce & Deermount @ 10:30 am
Sat April 5 at Patrick & Peggy Kenneally's. for Knockamhaddra,
Lr. Scart & Kilbonane @ 10 a.m.
Lectio Divina
Monday evening at 8pm at Fr. Martin's house in Lissarda. All are
welcome.
Sunday Masses
Canovee Cloughduv Kilmurry
Vigil 6:30 pm 7:30 pm 8:30 pm
Sun 09:00 am 11:00 noon 10:00 am
Parish Pastoral Council meets on Wed. April 2 at 8.30
p.m. at Fr. O'Sullivan's house.
Weekday Masses
Kilmurry: Mon, Tues& Wed at 10:00
Friday (First Friday) at 8:00 pm (No morning Mass). Sat at 11:00
am.
Cloughduv: Mon - Fri at 8:55 am.
Sat at 12:00 noon.
Canovee: Thursday & Fri (First Friday) at 10:00 am.
Summer time begins
Clocks go forward one hour tonight.
Kilmurry GAA
Weekly lotto: (1200 euro) 3, 8, 9. No Winner. Prizes for Damien
Kelleher, Finbarr Sheehy, June Kissane, Tommy Murray, Emma Hoey.
Next week at Horan's Bar.
Monthly Committee meeting in dressing rooms Thurs April 3rd at
9pm.
Athletic Club Training on Wed April 2nd at 7:00pm in Crookstown
Hall. Registration fees to be paid on the night.
Roinn Na nÓg Cil Mhuire
Fixture: U12 B Kilmurry V Macroom in Kilmurry Sun Mar 30th at
11.30 am.
Crookstown Development Association Meeting in Clifford's Bar
Tues April 1st at 8.30pm re litter challenge.
St. Vals Ladies Football Club
Social night at Clifford's Lounge Fri April 4th at 9pm. Tickets
€10 . Monthly committee meeting in Kilmurry School Wed April
2nd at 9.15pm.
Cloughduv Hurling Club
Result: Junior League Cloughduv 1-12 Blarney 0-6.
Canovee GAA
Lotto: No's 6:13:15 No Winner
Next weeks Jackpot €1400 at Farnanes. Spin the wheel: Clare
Lehane Aherla.
Fixture: Junior A Canovee V Clondrohid in Carrigadrohid, Sun Mar
30th at 12.30 pm.
Canovee ICA
Meeting in Canovee Hall on Wed April 2nd at 8pm. Cookery demonstration
by Kathy McCarthy is postponed to a future date, due to unavoidable
circumstances.
Canovee N.S. Board of Management & Parents Association
Annual Cake & Plant Sale in aid of School Funds
after 6.30pm Mass on Sat 29th and 9am Mass on Sun 30th. Everyone
welcome.
Special Olympics
Cookery demonstration Coolcower House Mon Apr 14th with Frank
Moynihan
"I said to the man
who stood at the gate of the year:
'Give me a light
that I may tread safely into the unknown!'
And he replied: 'Go out into the darkness
and put your hand in the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light
and safer than a known way.' "
Mothers Day
Wishing all mothers everywhere a very happy Mothers Day.
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