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St Mary’s, Lanark 70 Bannatyne Street, Lanark, ML11 7JS Tel. 01555 662234 Email – stmarylanark@rcdom.org.uk Parish Priest – Fr. Thomas W. Doyle

MassTimesSaturdayEveningVigilMass: 5.00pmSundayMorningMass: 10.30amMonday/Wednesday/FridayWeekdayMasses: 9.30amMasswillalsobeavailableliveat10.30amonSundaymorning,andavailabletowatchanytimeafterthatonourFacebookpage.-TobookfornextweekendsMassespleasecall01555662234or07936306344betweenthefollowingtimes:BookingTimes:Thursdays:9am–12pm Fridays:9am–12pm(FormoredetailsonbookingMass,pleaseseetheUpdates&NewsSectionofthewebsite.)-Thereisnoneedtobookforweekdaymass,howeverwewillrequirecontactdetailsonarrivalandstillrequiretomaintainthecurrentguidelines.WearestillundertheGovernment’sprotocolofonly50ParishionersateachMass.-MorningprayersessionshavebeensuspendedwiththeresumptionofMass.

Sundaythe27thofSeptember2020–TwentySixthSundayofYearA

Anniversaries&RecentDeathsPleaseprayfortheAnniversaryof:KeithMooney

FeastDays:Tuesday-SSMichael,Gabriel&RaphaelArchangelsWednesday-StJeromeThursday-StTheresaoftheChildJesusFriday-GuardianAngels

IwouldliketotakethisopportunitytosincerelythanktheparishionersofStMary’s,StIsidore’s&StMaryMagdalenefortheirkindnessandsupportinmypriestlyministryamongyou.Yourfaithand

commitmentstoyourparishhasbeenoutstanding,especiallyatthismostdifficulttime;aswecontinuetoworkinarestrictedfashioninthefaceofthe

pandemic.IpraythatGodwillcontinuetoblessyouandyourfamiliesandkeepyousafeandsecureinHislovingembrace.IamsurethatyouwillextendtoFr.JohnPaulawarmandjoyfulwelcomeashebegins

hisministryasParishPriest.Witheveryblessingandprayer,

Fr. Thomas Doyle

October is the Month of the Holy Rosary : “The rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at a heart a Christ-centered prayer. It has all the depth of the gospel message in its entirety. It is an echo of the prayer of Mary, her perennial Magnificat for the work of the redemptive Incarnation which began in her virginal womb” (Blessed John Paul II, apostolic letter, The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)

Sunday Reflection - Echoing the complaint heard in last week’s readings, today’s FirstReadingagainpresentsproteststhatGodisn’tfair.WhydoesHepunishwithdeathonewhobeginsinvirtuebutfalls intoiniquity,whilegranting lifetothewickedonewhoturns fromsin?ThisisthequestionthatJesustakesupintheparableintoday’sGospel.The first son represents the most heinous sinners of Jesus’ day—tax collectors andprostitutes—whobytheirsinatfirstrefusedtoserveintheLord’svineyard,thekingdom.AtthepreachingofJohntheBaptist,theyrepentedanddidwhatwasrightandjust.ThesecondsonrepresentsIsrael’sleaders—whosaidtheywouldserveGodinthevineyard,butrefusedto believe John when he told them they must produce good fruits as evidence of theirrepentance(seeMatthew3:8).Onceagain, thisweek’sreadingsinviteustoponder theunfathomablewaysofGod’s justiceandmercy.HeteachesHiswaysonlytothehumble,aswesingintoday’sPsalm.AndintheEpistle today,Paulpresents Jesusas themodelof thathumilitybywhichwecometoknowlife’struepath.PaulsingsabeautifulhymntotheIncarnation.UnlikeAdam,thefirstman,whoinhispridegraspedatbeingGod,theNewAdam,Jesus,humbledhimselftobecomeaslave,obedientevenuntodeathonthecross(seeRomans5:14).InthisHehasshownsinners,eachoneofus,theway back to the Father.We can only come to God to serve inHis vineyard, theChurch, byhavingthatsameattitudeasChrist.ThisiswhatIsrael’sleaderslacked.Intheirvainglory,theypresumedtheirsuperiority-thattheyhadnofurtherneedtohearGod’sWordorlistentoGod’sservants.But this is the way to death, as God tells Ezekiel today. We are always to be emptyingourselves,seekingforgivenessforoursinsandfrailties,confessingonbendedkneethatHeisLord,tothegloryoftheFather.

SaintJerome:Mostofthesaintsarerememberedforsomeoutstandingvirtueordevotion,whichtheypracticed,butJeromeisfrequentlyrememberedforhisbadtemper!Itistruethathehadaverybadtemperandcoulduseavitriolicpen,buthisloveforGodandhissonJesusChristwasextraordinarilyintense;anyonewhotaughterrorwasanenemyofGodandtruth,andSaintJeromewentafterhimorherwithhismightyandsometimessarcasticpen.HewasaboveallaScripturescholar,translatingmostoftheOldTestamentfromtheHebrew.Jeromealsowrotecommentarieswhichareagreatsourceofscripturalinspirationforustoday.Hewasanavidstudent,athoroughscholar,aprodigiousletter-writerandaconsultanttomonk,bishop,andpope.SaintAugustinesaidofhim,“WhatJeromeisignorantof,nomortalhaseverknown.”SaintJeromeisparticularlyimportantforhavingmadeatranslationoftheBiblewhichcametobecalledtheVulgate.ItisnotthemostcriticaleditionoftheBible,butitsacceptancebytheChurchwasfortunate.Asamodernscholarsays,“NomanbeforeJeromeoramonghiscontemporariesandveryfewmenformanycenturiesafterwardsweresowellqualifiedtodothework.”TheCouncilofTrentcalledforanewandcorrectededitionoftheVulgate,anddeclaredittheauthentictexttobeusedintheChurch.Inordertobeabletodosuchwork,Jeromepreparedhimselfwell.HewasamasterofLatin,Greek,Hebrew,andChaldaic.Hebeganhisstudiesathisbirthplace,StridoninDalmatia.Afterhispreliminaryeducation,hewenttoRome,thecenteroflearningatthattime,andthencetoTrier,Germany,wherethescholarwasverymuchinevidence.Hespentseveralyearsineachplace,alwaystryingtofindtheverybestteachers.HeonceservedasprivatesecretarytoPopeDamasus.Afterthesepreparatorystudies,hetraveledextensivelyinPalestine,markingeachspotofChrist’slifewithanoutpouringofdevotion.Mysticthathewas,hespentfiveyearsinthedesertofChalcissothathemightgivehimselfuptoprayer,penance,andstudy.Finally,hesettledinBethlehem,wherehelivedinthecavebelievedtohavebeenthebirthplaceofChrist.JeromediedinBethlehem,andtheremainsofhisbodynowlieburiedintheBasilicaofSt.MaryMajorinRome.

LiturgicalGuidelinesforHolyMassRecognisingthatthevirusispredominantlycontagiousthroughthebreathinginofairdroplets,theseguidelinesarebasedontheneedtoreducethelengthoftimewhenparishionersaretogether.ThesearetentativestepsforreturningtoMassandmaybereviewedatanytime:-SingingofMasspartsandhymnsmaybeomitted.

-BoththeGloriaandtheCreedmaybeomitted.

-AtSundayMassthesecondreadingmaybeomitted.

-Thesermonshouldbebrief.

-Inplaceofthewords“BodyofChrist”foreachcommunicant,beforetheCelebrantreceivesHolyCommunion,hemaysaythewordsMaytheBodyandBloodofChristkeepusallsafetoeternallife,towhichthecongregationrespondsAmen.

-InaccordancewiththenationalprotocolonInfectionControl,itisrecommendedthatHolyCommunionbereceivedinthehandforthedurationofthepandemic.

-Thecommunicantshouldextendhis/herhandstoreceivethehostandthensteptwopacestothesideinordertoplacethehostonthetongue.

-HolyCommunionmaybedistributedaftertheFinalPrayer.ParishionersmaybedirectedtoleavetheChurchimmediatelyafterreceivingHolyCommunion.

ArchangelsMichael,GabrielandRaphael:Angels—messengersfromGod—appearfrequentlyinScripture,butonlyMichael,GabrielandRaphaelarenamed.MichaelappearsinDaniel’svisionas“thegreatprince”whodefendsIsraelagainstitsenemies;intheBookofRevelation,heleadsGod’sarmiestofinalvictoryovertheforcesofevil.DevotiontoMichaelistheoldestangelicdevotion,risingintheEastinthefourthcentury.TheChurchintheWestbegantoobserveafeasthonoringMichaelandtheangelsinthefifthcentury.GabrielalsomakesanappearanceinDaniel’svisions,announcingMichael’sroleinGod’splan.Hisbest-knownappearanceinthescripturesisattheAnnunciationwhenheinvitesMary,tobepartofGod’splanandsheconsentstobeartheMessiah.Raphael’sactivityisconfinedtotheOldTestamentstoryofTobit.ThereheappearstoguideTobit’ssonTobiahthroughaseriesoffantasticadventureswhichleadtoathreefoldhappyending:Tobiah’smarriagetoSarah,thehealingofTobit’sblindness,andtherestorationofthefamilyfortune.

SaintThérèseofLisieux:“Ipreferthemonotonyofobscuresacrificetoallecstasies.Topickupapinforlovecanconvertasoul.”ThesearethewordsofThérèseofLisieux,aCarmelitenuncalledthe“LittleFlower,”wholivedacloisteredlifeofobscurityintheconventofLisieux,France.Andherpreferenceforhiddensacrificedidindeedconvertsouls.FewsaintsofGodaremorepopularthanthisyoungnun.Herautobiography,TheStoryofaSoul,isreadandlovedthroughouttheworld.ThérèseMartinenteredtheconventattheageof15anddiedin1897attheageof24.LifeinaCarmeliteconventisindeeduneventfulandconsistsmainlyofprayerandharddomesticwork.ButThérèsepossessedthatholyinsightthatredeemsthetime,howeverdullthattimemaybe.Shesawinquietsufferingaredemptivesuffering,sufferingthatwasindeedherapostolate.ThérèsesaidshecametotheCarmelconvent“tosavesoulsandprayforpriests.”Andshortlybeforeshedied,shewrote:“Iwanttospendmyheavendoinggoodonearth.”Thérèsewascanonizedin1925.OnOctober19,1997,PopeJohnPaulIIproclaimedheraDoctoroftheChurch,thethirdwomantobesorecognizedinlightofherholinessandtheinfluenceofherteachingonspiritualityintheChurch.

KeepingInTouchIfyouoranyoneyouknow,requireshelporinformation,oryouwouldliketoofferhelpwithinourParish,pleasegetintouchon01555662234oremailusatstmarylanark@rcdom.or.ukTokeepuptodatewithanyParishnewsorupdatespleasevisit:Facebookpage-StMary’sRCChurch Website–www.stmaryslanark.org.uk

RegisteredCharityNumber–SCO11041

PLEASENOTE:CouldanyitemsfortheBulletinpleasebesenttousnolaterthanThursday5pm,anythingreceivedafterthiswillgointhefollowingweeksBulletin.Youcanemail,phoneorputanotethroughtheParishHousedoor.Manythanks

FoodbankManythankstoallourgenerousparishionerswhosupporttheirbrothersandsistersinneedthroughdonationstothefoodbank.StMary’sParishisoneofthemajordonorstothefoodbank,giventhepresentcircumstancesmostofourusualdonationshavestoppedandtheneedhasneverbeengreater.IfyouareabletorestartyourcontributiontothefoodbankcouldyoupleasegivedonationstoapasskeeperbeforeMassorhandintotheChurchHouse.Onceagain,mayGodBlessyouforyourgenerosity&kindness.

Inkeepingwiththecurrentgovernmentadviceweremindyouofthecurrentguidelines:-WearafacecoveringintheChurch.-Observesocialdistancing.-SanitiseyourhandsatsanitizingunitsinChurch-EnterandexittheChurchusingthedooryouhavebeengivenonthetelephonewhenbookingforMass.Pleasebeassuredwehavedoneeverythingwecantocreateasafeenvironmentforyou,whenyouarriveapass-keeperwillmeetyouandguideyoutoayourseatandwillbeonhandtolookafteryouduringyourvisit.TheseguidelineshavebeensetbytheScottishGovernmentandareforyourwellbeingaswellasthatofyourbrothersandsistersintheparish.

PleaseRemember:

TheobligationtoattendSundayMasshasbeensuspended.ThosewhoareshieldingshouldnotcometomassuntiladviseditissafetodosobytheScottishGovernment.ThoseinotherhealthcategoriesshouldfollowtheGovernment’sadviceincomingtotheirdecisiontoattendmassornot.Ifyouhavesymptomsofcoronavirusorhavebeenincontactwithsomeonewhohaspleasestayathome.ForthoseintheabovecategoriesandanyonewhocannotcurrentlymakeittoMass,pleasebeassuredwealwaysrememberyouinourprayers.

FeastoftheGuardianAngelsPerhapsnoaspectofCatholicpietyisascomfortingtoparentsasthebeliefthatanangelprotectstheirlittleonesfromdangersrealandimagined.Yetguardianangelsarenotonlyforchildren.TheirroleistorepresentindividualsbeforeGod,towatchoverthemalways,toaidtheirprayer,andtopresenttheirsoulstoGodatdeath.TheconceptofanangelassignedtoguideandnurtureeachhumanbeingisadevelopmentofCatholicdoctrineandpietybasedonScripturebutnotdirectlydrawnfromit.Jesus’wordsinMatthew18:10bestsupportthebelief:“Seethatyoudonotdespiseoneoftheselittleones,forIsaytoyouthattheirangelsinheavenalwayslookuponthefaceofmyheavenlyFather.”