Sunday 9th April 2023

THE LORD’S RESURRECTION

Happy Easter to all of you from Fr. Derek Kearney SMA and all parishioners in St. Teresa’s parish! 

Sunday Gospel -In today’s Gospel we see the stone rolled back and the cold, gaping emptiness of the tomb. There is something very different about this narrative and that of the raising of Lazarus. Lazarus came forth from the tomb still wrapped in the burial cloths, for death kept its hold on him. He would still die. In today’s Gospel, the cloths are left behind – a sign that death could not hold Jesus in its clutches. The cloth covering Jesus’ face is singled out, for now Jesus’ face is unveiled. Those who look upon the risen Christ will see the glory of God revealed. While the empty tomb does not, of itself, tell us what happened to Jesus, it does raise a question and it prepares us, as it prepared Mary of Magdala, Peter and the Beloved Disciple, to be vigilant so that when the risen Christ made himself known to them they would be ready to recognise him. You will have noticed that in today’s Gospel it is the one who loves who grasps the significance of the empty tomb. We are told that it was the disciple whom Jesus loved who ‘saw and believed’. A similar message is conveyed in the scene that immediately follows today’s Gospel. The other disciples return home, but Mary of Magdala continues to linger by the tomb. She refuses to give up the search and so Jesus comes to her. As Jesus himself promised at the Last Supper: ‘I will reveal myself to those who love me’(John 14:21). All the resurrection appearance stories that we will be reading over the Easter period are icon-like portraits in which the Gospel writers express the various ways in which Jesus’ disciples became aware of Jesus’ living presence among them in the days after his death. If we place ourselves in the various scenes we will notice that it is in these same ways that Jesus has revealed himself to us. The story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus dramatises the fact that they experienced him as their hearts burned within them when they reflected on the sacred Scriptures in the light of the events of Jesus’ life and death. The scenes in which we see Jesus conversing with Peter and the apostles, dramatise the truth that Jesus’ followers experienced him among them when they found themselves being called by him, forgiven by him, loved by him and commissioned by him to share this love with others. The life that they experienced welling up within them was that of Jesus himself. It was his Spirit who inspired them, and it was the power of his love that bore fruit in their ministry. The feeling of communion that they experienced, with God and with each other, was inspired and made possible by the Jesus whom they had known. He was not dead but alive in God, and present at the heart of their lives. (Catholicsermons.org Fr. Michael Fallon MSC) 

Easter Saturday St Teresa’s Vigil Mass 8pm. Easter Sunday St Matthias’ 10am, St Teresa’s 12noon.  

Weekday Masses St Matthias’ Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10am. St Teresa’s Friday 10am.  

There is no adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Friday 14 April 2023 as there is a wedding. 

Parish Office will be closed on Easter Tuesday and will re-open on Thursday 13 April. 

To book a wedding or baptism, please contact the parish office (better to email). 

Please return your Trocaire boxes asap. Thank you. 

Recently Deceased Kathleen Copeland, Daniel McKeown. 

Month’s Mind Kathleen McLaughlin. 

Anniversaries Patrick Molloy, Walter, Mary, Edward & Anne Kelly, Patsy Crilly, Susan Taggart, Josie & Bill McCrary, Anthony (Tony) Wildy, Patrick Montgomery. 

Weekly Offertory £1,345. Thank you. 

Belfast Beginning The loss of a partner through death, separation or divorce is devastating. Beginning Experience is offering a programme of bereavement support in St Bride’s Hall, Derryvolgie Ave., Belfast on three Saturdays (April 29th; May 27th and June 24th 2023) Booking essential. To find out more, contact Phil: 02890 207645 or Marie 07896119669 or email belfastbe@yahoo.com 

On the Feast of the Good Shepherd, 29th April, the Irish Bishops are launching a Year for Vocation for Diocesan Priesthood with the theme: “Take the Risk for Christ”. The year will allow us to focus our energies and renew our prayer for Diocesan Vocations. This year, the Drumalis Vocations Retreat, Larne will take place on 21-23 April 2023 and will be co-hosted by the Northern Dioceses. The contact link is: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/northern-dioceses-vocationsdirectors-61425428073. Please see the poster at the back of the Church for further details. 

The Council for Vocations-In life, many hear God’s call to priesthood.  Is your heart open to the Lord?  Have you ever considered taking the risk to follow in the footsteps of Jesus?  If so, you are invited to the national seminary of Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, on 25 April, to attend a special conference on evangelisation and vocations in Ireland today.  Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelisation, will be the keynote speaker.  Please register directly on www.vocations.ie, or contact the National Vocations director Father Willie Purcell at willie.purcell@iecon.ie or Rev Eric Cooney secretary of the National Vocations Office at eric.cooney@iecon.ie  

Holy Land Pilgrimage – QUB Alumni and Friends – The Catholic Chaplaincy at Queen’s University Belfast will lead a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land for alumni and friends.*  Departing 9 February 2024 for 8 nights with half-board accommodation in 4 star hotels in Jerusalem and Nazareth, this promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip.  The Pilgrimage’s Spiritual Director will be Queen’s Chaplain, Fr Dominic McGrattan, with music and song provided by the Chaplaincy’s Director of Sacred Music, celebrated soprano, Marcella Walsh.  In addition to a rich itinerary which includes visits to the principal sacred sites, we will also visit the Holy Family Maternity Hospital in Bethlehem and the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem.  If you would like to know more information including price, itinerary and how to book, please email Chaplaincy Director, Shannon Campbell, at catholicchaplaincy@qub.ac.uk 

Living Church- Adult Faith Development Programmes for May  

Proclaiming the Word of God in the Gathered Community. (Ministers of the Word) 

• Online session Monday 17April, 7pm-8.30pm 
• Enrichment Day Sat 22 April (Holy Rosary Parish Centre, Belfast) Sat 20 May 2023 (Newcastle)10am – 4pm.  

Eucharist- Food for the Journey (Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion) 

• Online session: Wednesday 10^th May 
• Enrichment Day Saturday 13^th May (Holy Rosary Centre, Belfast) Sat 20 May 2023 (Newcastle) 

Bethany Group Contact number 0799 0381248 

St Vincent De Paul Helpline No.  0741 9326678