Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday 19th January, 2020. Cycle A

St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)

Parish Priest: Fr Bernard Forshaw Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email: stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com Websites: http://www.stjohnevang.co.uk http://www.lpa24.org

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday 19th January, 2020. Cycle A

WORD FOR TODAY
John the Baptist not only saw Jesus but recognised him as the Lamb of God. Christ promises to be with us all our days in the faces of those we come into contact with. We see all these people, but how do we recognise the Lamb of God?

Wirral Foodbank: Thank you to all those who contribute to the Foodbank, helping to support people in crisis in our Local Community. The total raised this week is on the Notice Board at the back of Church along with details of the Foodbank and the services it offers. Please keep your donations coming- Items urgently needed- sugar, custard, tinned potatoes, deodorant, and washing up liquid, toiletries. Once again if you have any spare plastic bags or even an idea on how they are able to distribute food/goods without the need for plastic bags, it will be gratefully received.
We have a number of vacancies for Foundation Governors within our Catholic schools across the Wirral. In looking to such appointments, key requirements of Foundation Governors are: That they should be practicing Roman Catholics and that they genuinely believe in the value and importance of Catholic Schools. Is this you? Are you able to offer your services? For more information and/or an application pack please contact Sue Blackwell, Governance Support Officer, either by email: sue.blackwell@dioceseofshrewsbury.org or telephone on 0151 652 9855.
Please take a look at the Notice Boards at the back of Church for details of other Local Events over the next few weeks, and don’t forget to buy a Catholic paper and to take a look at the Card Rack

Please take a copy of the Wednesday Word. It is a helpful reflection on next Sunday’s readings.

If you have a notice for the bulletin please email it to the parish email address or put it through the presbytery letter box by
12 noon on Thursdays. Many thanks.

FAITH IN FOCUS: THE LAMB OF GOD

When John the Baptist called Jesus the “Lamb of God” what did his hearers think he was talking about? To us it seems such a strange thing to say. Was it any less strange for the people on the banks of the River Jordan?
Those who knew about the scriptures would think of two things. They would remember some mysterious passages in the prophecies of Isaiah, and their minds would also go back to the Exodus and its annual celebration at Passover.
At one stage in their history the Jews were deported to Iraq, to Babylon, close to Baghdad. Their hopes seemed dashed as for about fifty years they were separated from Jerusalem and the proper practice of their religion. At that time Isaiah (or one of his disciples) begins to talk about a mysterious “suffering servant” who would take on the troubles of the people and ultimately save them by giving his own life.
The Jews in today’s gospel might have been back home in Jerusalem but once more they were under army occupation, this time by the Romans. When John points Jesus out as the “Lamb of God” his hearers would have made the connection with the “suffering servant” of Isaiah. Some would have hoped for a revolutionary leader to overthrow the Romans, but others would remember the perfect disciple of God who proclaims the true faith in the midst of errors, who suffers to atone for the sins of the people and who is ultimately glorified by God.
Of course, not everyone would have immediately taken all this in. But every Jew would have made the connection with the Exodus and the Passover. For the lamb was the animal by which the people were saved from Egyptian slavery and brought into the Promised Land. It was with the blood of the lamb that sacrifices were made daily in the Temple and at the annual celebration of Passover it was a lamb that was eaten. The lamb was a central spiritual symbol.
So when John the Baptist called Jesus the “Lamb of God” it started to ring bells for his hearers. Who was this man? What did he want? What would he do?
Little did they suspect. And little did they know.

Second Sunday in Ord Time 19th 5.00pm
9.30am
7.30pm Douglas Watkins RIP
World Peace & Justice
NO Prayer Meeting
Monday 20th 9.15am Ints Phil & Gerry Topping
Tuesday 21st 9.15am Birthday Ints Peggy McAllister
Wednesday 22nd 9.15am Rels/Fnds McGree Family
Thursday 23rd 7.30am Ted Corrigan RIP
Friday 24th 9.15am Service of Word & Communion
Saturday 25th 10.30am Christian Unity Service
Third Sunday in Ord Time 26th 5.00pm
9.30am
7.30pm Maura Farley Ann. RIP
Genofefa Tenska RIP
NO Prayer Meeting
Confessions Each Saturday 10.30am-11.15am
Morning Prayer
Exposition 15 min before daily Masses
Saturdays 4.00-4.50pm
Welcome to Rev Mike Loach, the Vicar of Christ Church, Higher Bebington who will be preaching at both our Weekend Masses in this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Lately Dead: Please pray for the repose of the soul of Helen Crowther who died in Arrowe Park Hospital recently. Funeral Service here at St John’s on Wednesday 29th January at 10.30am. Please note that the Funeral Mass for Peter Rooney is at St Anne’s on Monday 27th January at 12 noon and the Funeral Mass for Gerda McArdle is at St Anne’s on Tuesday 28th January at 11.30am. May they rest in peace.
First Sacraments Café/Gathering : As you are already aware the children at St John’s School have begun their preparation for the Sacraments of First Forgiveness & First Holy Communion and now we are asking for your prayer support for these children. With this in mind Mrs Mullins, our Head Teacher, Fr Bernard and all the staff would like to invite you to our school First Sacraments Café on Monday 3rd February from 2.00- 3.00pm in the Junior School Hall. On this afternoon there will be a short liturgy on the theme of light led by Fr Bernard and the children and then there will be an opportunity for you to meet the children over tea and cakes. All parishioners are warmly invited to come along to school on 3rd February for what promises to be a very enjoyable afternoon. For catering purposes please let Fr Bernard or the school office Tel 645 9615 know if you can definitely make it.

February Half Term (17th-21st February) Holiday Club for young people aged 7-12 years in St Anne’s Parish Centre 10am -1.45pm each day led by the Diocesan Youth Mission Team. There is a meeting of parishioners from the local parishes who would like to help with this new & exciting venture with the Director of the Youth Mission Team and his staff in St Anne’s Presbytery this Wednesday at 7pm. Those who have already volunteered should have received an email about this. Additional volunteers from our local parishes are all most welcome. The more volunteers we have the better

Sick Visits: If you know of anyone in the parish who is in need of Holy Communion /a visit please do let us know stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com
or Tel 0151 645 3314 that includes those who may be in
hospital at this time.

Tea & Coffee in the Parish Centre after 9.30am Mass. Please drop in out of the cold and have a chat.
Money Matters: Last Sunday Collection £522.86p. White Flower Appeal £375.20p. Thank you for your continued generosity
Next weekend the annual Collection for the Retired Priests Fund will be held. With your help we can build up the Fund to help meet the future needs of our sick and retired priests. Special envelopes are available for you to use. A leaflet about the Fund is also available which explains how to make a regular donation to the Fund by Standing Order or how you can make a donation by cheque. It also explains how to Gift Aid these donations to the Fund. I ask that you give as generously as you can to this very worthy cause and would also like to express my sincere gratitude for your continued support.
“Sunday of the Word of God”: Pope Francis has recently asked that we celebrate NEXT SUNDAY, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time which this year falls on 25th/26th January. On that weekend you are invited to bring your Bibles to church. Bibles will be blessed after the Bidding Prayers at both Masses that weekend. Good quality Bibles can be obtained at St Paul’s Bookshop, Bold Street, Liverpool or via the internet at Redemptorist Publications or the Catholic Truth Society. In Catholic Churches we use the Jerusalem Bible for the readings at Mass and other liturgical services.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Saturday 18th-25th January. The Theme “Unusual Kindness”
As usual we will be having our trip around the Churches here in the Bebington area.
Prayers for Christian Unity here at
St John’s will be held on Saturday morning 25th January.

The programme is as follows. Also see poster at the back of church.
Monday 20th Jan St Andrew’s
Tuesday 21st Jan Life Church
Wednesday 22nd Jan Christ Church, Hr Beb
Thursday 23rd Jan St Luke’s
Friday 24th Jan Christ Church, P. Sunlight
Saturday 25th Jan St John’s
Each meeting starts at 10.30am for tea/coffee.
Service starts at 11.am
The Churches Together in Cheshire Christian Unity Week Service will be held at Chester Cathedral next Sunday 19th January at 3.30pm. Everyone is most welcome. Lord David Alton is the speaker. Bishop Mark will be there to represent the Diocese and Fr Bernard is attending in his capacity as a local Catholic Dean.
United Service will be held at Christ Church Higher Bebington on Sunday 26th January at 6.30pm.
The Annual Diocesan Mass to Celebrate Marriage will be celebrated by Bishop Mark at St Joseph’s Church, North Road, Birkenhead on Saturday 8th February at 12 noon. All married couples and their families are welcome. If you are celebrating a significant anniversary (25th 40th 50th 60th) and wish to attend the Mass please let Fr Bernard know by 26th January and you will receive a special letter of invitation. If you are not celebrating a significant anniversary and wish to attend the Mass please know that you are very welcome.
Medjugorje Pilgrimage: A five day pilgrimage to Medjugorje costing £399 is being organised within our local pastoral area from 23rd to 7th June 2020. For more information please see the poster at the back of church or contact Maria Fryer. Tel 07576 243343.

The Baptism of the Lord, Sunday 12th January, 2020. Cycle A

St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)

Parish Priest: Fr Bernard Forshaw Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email: stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com Websites: http://www.stjohnevang.co.uk http://www.lpa24.org

The Baptism of the Lord, Sunday 12th January, 2020. Cycle A

Wirral Foodbank: Thank you to all those who contribute to the Foodbank, helping to support people in crisis in our Local Community. The total raised this week is on the Notice Board at the back of Church along with details of the Foodbank and the services it offers. Please keep your donations coming- Items urgently needed- sugar, custard, tinned potatoes, deodorant, and washing up liquid. Once again if you have any spare plastic bags or even an idea on how they are able to distribute food/goods without the need for plastic bags, it will be gratefully received.
Use your free time to inspire young people to build a fairer world: CAFOD is looking for volunteers who have a passion for, and experience of, working with young people. We need people who have a commitment to CAFOD’s aims and values and an interest in sharing our work in secondary schools through delivering assemblies or workshops. CAFOD will provide training and support and expenses will be paid. Volunteering assignments will be in local Catholic schools and you can either work on your own or as part of a team. None of our work is possible without you, so join us and put your faith into action. If you are interested please email Ciara Hogan, chogan@cafod.org.uk
Please take a look at the Notice Boards at the back of Church for details of other Local Events over the next few weeks, and don’t forget to buy a Catholic paper and to take a look at the Card Rack

Please take a copy of the Wednesday Word. It is a helpful reflection on next Sunday’s readings.

If you have a notice for the bulletin please email it to the parish email address or put it through the presbytery letter box by
12 noon on Thursdays. Many thanks.

FAITH IN FOCUS: PERSONAL STEREO RELIGION

Life seems to become more and more privatised as the days go by. For whatever reason, we don’t see many children playing games together in our streets or our parks. Buses and trains are full of people who don’t talk to each other because they sit listening to music on their own personal stereos. Teenagers are said to spend many hours a week by themselves in their bedrooms on the computer. And families claim that life is so frenetic that they have to make a special effort to eat a brand of gravy together once a week.
Of course, there are some people whose religion is exactly the same. It’s about them and God, about them getting holy and going to heaven. If others can do the same, all well and good; but they don’t actually affect them in any way. These are the sort of people who prefer a “private” wedding or a “private” funeral. After all, it’s about them, not the rest of the parish. Or is it?
The feast of the Baptism of the Lord turns all of this on its head. For it reminds us that at our own baptism we were anointed by the priest or deacon. We were anointed with oil so that we could become “priests…prophets…and kings (or queens).” To be a priest means that we offer every moment of our lives to God that they may become sanctified and profitable. To be a prophet means that by our words and actions we are to speak out to our world as spokesmen and women. We are to say what God wants the world to hear. To be a king or queen means to accept responsibility for our world as well as for the kingdom of God. The world we have been given is on loan to us; we are to watch over it, to protect it and hand it on to the next generation in even better condition.
Our religion is the expression of our baptism. We are baptised into a living, believing community that worships collectively, that publicly makes its stand for the power of God’s word in our world and is ready to come to the aid of those whose human dignity is under threat. That’s because our baptism calls us to be other Christs in our world. Far from being a private hobby it is a reminder that our vocation is to be part of the ever-advancing People of God. And if we’re to be part of a people, then we need others.

The Baptism of the Lord 12th 5.00pm
9.30am
7.30pm Joyce Dalziel (10th Annv) RIP
Daniel Farley Annv RIP
Prayer Meeting
Monday 13th 9.15am Helena Czapinska RIP
Tuesday 14th 9.15am Ints Joan Anton
Wednesday 15th 9.15am Cath Wright RIP
Thursday 16th 7.30am Rels/Fnds Fitzpatrick & Gilligan Families
Friday 17th 9.15am Ints Tyburn Sisters
Saturday 18th 10.00am Carmel Mass
Second Sunday in Ord Time 19th 5.00pm
9.30am
7.30pm Douglas Watkins RIP
World Peace & Justice
Prayer Meeting
Confessions Each Saturday 10.30am-11.15am
Morning Prayer
Exposition 15 min before daily Masses
Saturdays 4.00-4.50pm
Baptisms & Weddings in 2020: Please contact us as soon as possible as available dates are going fast.
First Forgiveness for the children at St John’s School will be celebrated in Church on Thursday 13th February at 6.30pm.

First Communion Masses: Saturday 25th April and Saturday 2nd May both at 10.30am.

Sick Visits: If you know of anyone in the parish who is in need of Holy Communion /a visit please do let us know stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com
or Tel 0151 645 3314 that includes those who may be in hospital at this time.

Tea & Coffee in the Parish Centre after 9.30am Mass. Please drop in out of the cold and have a chat.
Money Matters: Last Sunday Collection £661.87p. Crib Collection £236.37. Thank you for your continued generosity.

White Flower Appeal: The Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child (SPUC) will be holding its annual appeal at both Masses THIS weekend.

Are you a Catholic Teacher but not working in a Catholic School? Your Diocese needs you. The Department of Education offers support to those teachers who are considering returning to or joining the Catholic sector. An informal session will be held on Tuesday 14th Jan at Ellesmere Port Catholic High School from 6.00pm-7.30pm. If you would like to attend or want further information please email Sue Jenkinson PA to Damian Cunningham the Diocesan Director of Schools; sue.jenkinson@dioceseofshrewsbury.org
St John’s Parish Pastoral Team: First meeting of 2020 Thursday 16th January at 7.30pm in the presbytery. Any thoughts, observations, suggestions for the team to consider please place in the suggestion box at the back of the Church or through the presbytery letterbox or email them to us at stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com
MEDJUGORIE PILGRIMAGE 2020.
A five day pilgrimage to Medjugorie costing £399 is being organised for 23rd to 27th June. This is a wonderful opportunity to be in Medjugorie on the 39th anniversary of the apparitions and on the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. Anyone interested should please attend a meeting in the day chapel at 6.30pm on Thursday 16th January for more information. Please also see the poster displayed at the back of church.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins NEXT Saturday 18th-25th January. The Theme “Unusual Kindness” As usual we will be having our trip around the Churches here in the Bebington area.
Prayers for Christian Unity here at
St John’s will be held on Saturday morning 25th January.

The programme is as follows. Also see poster at the back of church.
Saturday 18th Jan Lower Beb Methodist
Monday 20th Jan St Andrew’s
Tuesday 21st Jan Life Church
Wednesday 22nd Jan Christ Church, Hr Beb
Thursday 23rd Jan St Luke’s
Friday 24th Jan Christ Church, P. Sunlight
Saturday 25th Jan St John’s
Each meeting starts at 10.30am for tea/coffee.
Service starts at 11.am
The Churches Together in Cheshire Christian Unity Week Service will be held at Chester Cathedral next Sunday 19th January at 3.30pm. Everyone is most welcome. Lord David Alton is the speaker. Bishop Mark will be there to represent the Diocese and
Fr Bernard is attending in his capacity as a local Catholic Dean.
United Service will be held at Christ Church Higher Bebington on Sunday 26th January at 6.30pm.
“Sunday of the Word of God”: Pope Francis has recently asked that we celebrate this on the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time which this year falls on 25th/26th January. On that weekend you are invited to bring your Bibles to church. Bibles will be blessed after the Bidding Prayers at both Masses that weekend. Good quality Bibles can be obtained at St Paul’s Bookshop, Bold Street, Liverpool or via the internet at Redemptorist Publications or the Catholic Truth Society. In Catholic Churches we use the Jerusalem Bible for the readings at Mass and other liturgical services.
The Annual Diocesan Mass to Celebrate Marriage will be celebrated by Bishop Mark at St Joseph’s Church, North Road, Birkenhead on Saturday 8th February at 12 noon. All married couples and their families are welcome. If you are celebrating a significant anniversary (25th 40th 50th 60th) and wish to attend the Mass please let Fr Bernard know by 26th January and you will receive a special letter of invitation. If you are not celebrating a significant anniversary and wish to attend the Mass please know that you are very welcome.

Epiphany of the Lord Sunday 5th January, 2020. Cycle A

St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)

Parish Priest: Fr Bernard Forshaw Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email: stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com Websites: http://www.stjohnevang.co.uk http://www.lpa24.org

Epiphany of the Lord Sunday 5th January, 2020. Cycle A

NEW YEAR’S BLESSING God be with you at the turning of the year, that you may know the Lord is ever near.
In days of struggle may his Spirit be your strength,
and as the times and seasons run their length,
may Jesus Christ your rock and fortress be,
renewed in faith, in hope and charity.
So praise our God whose great and mighty hand
supports all humankind in every land.
The opening year his faithfulness he shows;
his mercy be among us till its close. Amen

Wirral Foodbank: Thank you to all those who contribute to the Foodbank, helping to support people in crisis in our Local Community. The total raised this week is on the Notice Board at the back of Church along with details of the Foodbank and the services it offers. Please keep your donations coming- Items urgently needed- sugar, custard, tinned potatoes, deodorant, and washing up liquid. Once again if you have any spare plastic bags or even an idea on how they are able to distribute food/goods without the need for plastic bags, it will be gratefully received.
Use your free time to inspire young people to build a fairer world: CAFOD is looking for volunteers who have a passion for, and experience of, working with young people. We need people who have a commitment to CAFOD’s aims and values and an interest in sharing our work in secondary schools through delivering assemblies or workshops. CAFOD will provide training and support and expenses will be paid. Volunteering assignments will be in local Catholic schools and you can either work on your own or as part of a team. None of our work is possible without you, so join us and put your faith into action. If you are interested please email Ciara Hogan, chogan@cafod.org.uk
Please take a look at the Notice Boards at the back of Church for details of other Local Events over the next few weeks, and don’t forget to buy a Catholic paper and to take a look at the Card Rack

Please take a copy of the Wednesday Word. It is a helpful reflection on next Sunday’s readings.

If you have a notice for the bulletin please email it to the parish email address or put it through the presbytery letter box by
12 noon on Thursdays. Many thanks.

FAITH IN FOCUS: THREE WISE WOMEN?

If the wise men had been women, things might have been different. They would have stopped to ask directions outside Jerusalem and so avoided Herod; they would have arrived on time and helped deliver the baby; instead of gold, frankincense and myrrh they would have brought a casserole, some nappies and a box of baby wipes; and there would have been peace on earth!
Although the Christmas season finds it last echo officially on February 2nd with the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, in reality it is today that marks Twelfth Night, or the closure of the Christmas period. And it’s significant that the cosy little birth scene in the stable is suddenly broadened and opened out to the whole world as representatives from the ends of the globe turn up to acknowledge this baby as something very special.
Epiphany is about searching. The wise men travelled from afar, guided by a star. They knew that someone important was about to be born, but they didn’t know who or where. And their quest was to keep moving forward in search of what was to be fully revealed to them.
Matthew deliberately shrouds the wise men in mystery. We are the ones who have invented the fact that there were three of them, that they were kings, that they had crowns, that their names were Gaspar, Balthazar and Melchior. The bible has none of this. Surely, what Matthew wanted us to realise is not some simple historical event but the fact that the wise men represent each one of us. They are a symbol of the whole of humanity that is called to search. Every human being is called to “see” Christ. For everything was made by him and must find its completion in him. And our life is a journey in search of what makes us tick, what will give ultimate meaning to our existence.
The meaning of our existence radiates from the little baby in the stable. We are made in God’s image and are called to worship God with whatever gifts we have to bring. Epiphany invites us to continue the journey and the search, for if we find Christ then we find ourselves!

Epiphany of the Lord 5th 5.00pm
9.30am
7.30pm Ints Elaine Summersgill
Baby Francis Fryer RIP
Prayer Meeting
Monday 6th 9.15am Service of Word & Communion
Tuesday 7th 9.15am
7.00pm Service of Word & Communion
Novena
Wednesday 8th 9.15am Service of Word & Communion
Thursday 9th 9.15am Service of Word & Communion
Friday 10th 9.15am Service of Word & Communion
Saturday 11th
The Baptism of the Lord 12th 5.00pm
9.30am
7.30pm Joyce Dalziel (10th Annv) RIP
Daniel Farley Annv RIP
Prayer Meeting
Confessions Each Saturday 10.30am-11.15am
Morning Prayer
Exposition 15 min before daily Masses
Saturdays 4.00-4.50pm

Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour will be held here at St John’s on Tuesday 7th January a 7pm.
Baptisms & Weddings in 2020: Please contact us as soon as possible as available dates are going fast.
First Forgiveness for the children at St John’s School will be celebrated in Church on Thursday 13th February at 6.30pm.

First Communion Masses: Saturday 25th April and Saturday 2nd May both at 10.30am.

Sick Visits : If you know of anyone in the parish who is in need of Holy Communion /a visit please do let us know stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com or Tel 0151 645 3314 that includes those who may be in hospital at this time.

Tea & Coffee in the Parish Centre after 9.30am Mass. Please drop in out of the cold and have a chat.

Money Matters: Last Sunday Collection £602.06p. Thank you for your continued generosity.
Crib Offerings: This weekend is your last opportunity this Christmas to make donations at the Crib for the work of Caritas Diocese of Shrewsbury who offer much care and support to needy families & individuals on the Wirral and throughout the Diocese.

White Flower Appeal: The Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child (SPUC) will be holding its annual appeal at both Masses next weekend

Are you a Catholic Teacher but not working in a Catholic School? Your Diocese needs you. The Department of Education offers support to those teachers who are considering returning to or joining the Catholic sector. An informal session will be held on Tuesday 14th Jan at Ellesmere Port Catholic High School from 6.00pm-7.30pm. If you would like to attend or want further information please email Sue Jenkinson PA to Damian Cunningham the Diocesan Director of Schools; sue.jenkinson@dioceseofshrewsbury.org
Thank you: Fr Bernard thanks you for your prayers and on- going support. He particularly thanks all those who do so much for St John’s Parish and Schools in so many different ways throughout the year. Fr Bernard thanks you for your Christmas cards, gifts and good wishes and prays that this Christmas will be a special and grace-filled time and that the New Year will bring good health and happiness to all.
St John’s Parish Pastoral Team: First meeting of 2020 Thursday 16th January at 7.30pm in the presbytery. Any thoughts, observations, suggestions for the team to consider please place in the suggestion box at the back of the Church or through the presbytery letterbox or email them to us at stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com
MEDJUGORIE PILGRIMAGE 2020.
A five day pilgrimage to Medjugorie costing £399 is being organised for 23rd to 27th June. This is a wonderful opportunity to be in Medjugorie on the 39th anniversary of the apparitions and on the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. Anyone interested should please attend a meeting in the day chapel at 6.30pm on Thursday 16th January for more information. Please also see the poster displayed at the back of church.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins on Saturday 18th-25th January. The Theme “Unusual Kindness” As usual we will be having our trip around the Churches here in the Bebington area.
Prayers for Christian Unity here at
St John’s will be held on Saturday morning 25th January. The programme is as follows. Also see poster at the back of church.
Saturday 18th Jan Jireh
Monday 20th Jan St Andrew’s
Tuesday 21st Jan St Luke’s
Wednesday 22nd Jan Christ Church, Hr Beb
Thursday 23rd Jan Life Church
Friday 24th Jan Christ Church, P. Sunlight
Saturday 25th Jan St John’s
Each meeting starts at 10.30am for tea/coffee.
Service starts at 11.am
United Service will be held at Christ Church Higher Bebington on Sunday 26th January at 6.30pm
“Sunday of the Word of God”: Pope Francis has recently asked that we celebrate this on the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time which this year falls on 25th/26th January. On that weekend you are invited to bring your Bibles to church. Bibles will be blessed after the Bidding Prayers at both Masses that weekend. Good quality Bibles can be obtained at St Paul’s Bookshop, Bold Street, Liverpool or via the internet at Redemptorist Publications or the Catholic Truth Society. In Catholic Churches we use the Jerusalem Bible for the readings at Mass and other liturgical services.

Feast of the Holy Family, Sunday 29th December, 2019. Cycle A

St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)

Parish Priest: Fr Bernard Forshaw Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email: stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com Websites: http://www.stjohnevang.co.uk http://www.lpa24.org

Feast of the Holy Family, Sunday 29th December, 2019. Cycle A

PRAYER TO THE HOLY FAMILY Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we contemplate the splendour of true love. To you we turn with trust.
Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that our families, too, may be places of communion, prayer and authentic schools of the Gospel and small domestic churches.
Holy Family of Nazareth may families never again experience violence , rejection and division; may all who have been hurt or scandalised find ready comfort and healing. Amen.

Wirral Foodbank: Thank you to all those who contribute to the Foodbank, helping to support people in crisis in our Local Community. The total raised this week is on the Notice Board at the back of Church along with details of the Foodbank and the services it offers. Please keep your donations coming- Items urgently needed- sugar, custard, tinned potatoes, deodorant, and washing up liquid. Once again if you have any spare plastic bags or even an idea on how they are able to distribute food/goods without the need for plastic bags, it will be gratefully received.

Use your free time to inspire young people to build a fairer world: CAFOD is looking for volunteers who have a passion for, and experience of, working with young people. We need people who have a commitment to CAFOD’s aims and values and an interest in sharing our work in secondary schools through delivering assemblies or workshops. CAFOD will provide training and support, and expenses will be paid. Volunteering assignments will be in local Catholic schools and you can either work on your own or as part of a team. None of our work is possible without you, so join us and put your faith into action. If you are interested please email Ciara Hogan, chogan@cafod.org.uk
Please take a look at the Notice Boards at the back of Church for details of other Local Events over the next few weeks, and don’t forget to buy a Catholic paper and to take a look at the Card Rack

Please take a copy of the Wednesday Word. It is a helpful reflection on next Sunday’s readings.

If you have a notice for the bulletin please email it to the parish email address or put it through the presbytery letter box by 12 noon on Thursdays. Many thanks.

FAITH IN FOCUS: FAMILIES

No two families are the same and each of us has to work out how best to function in our own family. The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph are put before us as models for us to emulate. But how do we do that in the twenty-first century? Perhaps with three simple ingredients, the three Cs:
Commitment: Joseph’s trust was stretched when it came to committing himself to Mary and her unborn child. It goes without saying that families need commitment. Casual groupings of adults and children find it harder to provide the necessary stability. Families only exist because people have a “no matter what” attitude to their wives, husbands, children and parents. We don’t give up when things get tough. But commitment has other natural consequences. If you’re committed to someone then you have to convince them of the fact. When did you last tell your child, wife etc that they really mattered in your eyes? How quick were you to forgive them when they did something that displeased you? What do you bring to your family to show your commitment?
Communication: The greatest danger to married life is not infidelity but lack of communication. Many people survive long years of marriage but never get to know the mind of their partner because they simply don’t talk about things that matter to them both. Many parents find their children’s behaviour puzzling but don’t know how to sit down with them and talk things through. And so the children never expect their parents to understand, especially when they really need them to. It’s just easier to talk to the computer for hours on end.
Common Activity: When a survey asked children what single thing they would most like to change in their family, the answer came back that they would like to do more things together with their parents. Being part of a family means sharing time, experiences, hopes, joys, tears and dreams. Building a family means planning common activity, going out together, doing things together.
Just as human beings need to grow and develop, so do families. We really know very little about how the Holy Family functioned, but you can bet that the three Cs were there somewhere.

Feast of
the Holy Family 29th 5.00pm
9.30am
7.30pm Mary Jackson RIP
Ints Colette Jones
Prayer Meeting
Monday 30th 9.15am Service of Word & Communion
Tuesday 31st 9.15am William Kealey
Mary Mother of God 1st 10.00am All Mothers
Thursday 2nd 9.15am Ints Eva Armstead
Friday 3rd 9.15am Service of Word & Communion
Saturday 4th
Epiphany of the Lord 5th 5.00pm
9.30am
7.30pm Ints Elaine Summersgill
Baby Francis Fryer RIP
Prayer Meeting
Confessions Each Saturday 10.30am-11.15am
Morning Prayer
Exposition 15 min before daily Masses
Saturdays 4.00-4.50pm
Christmas Services at St John’s
Sat/Sun 28th/29th Dec: Feast of the Holy Family
Masses at the usual times Sat 5.00pm and Sun 9.30am.
Wed 1st Jan 2020 Feast of Mary the Mother of God
Mass at 10.00am. (St Anne’s 12 Noon)
Sat/Sun 4th/5th Jan: Feast of the Epiphany Masses at the usual times Sat 5.00pm and Sun 9.30am.
Baptisms & Weddings in 2020: Please contact us as soon as possible as available dates are going fast.
First Forgiveness for the children at St John’s School will be celebrated in Church on Thursday 13th February at 6.30pm.

First Communion Masses: Saturday 25th April and Saturday 2nd May both at 10.30am.

Sick Visits: If you know of anyone in the parish who is in need of Holy Communion/a visit please do let us know. stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com or Tel 0151 645 3314 that includes those who may be in hospital at this time.

Tea & Coffee in the Parish Centre after 9.30am Mass. Please drop in out of the cold and have a chat.

Money Matters: Christmas Collection for the Clergy £1,200.00p. The Big Card Collection for the Ark amounted to £85. Thank you for your continued generosity.
Your offerings at the Crib during the Christmas Season support the work of Caritas Diocese of Shrewsbury who offer much care and support to refugees and needy families and individuals on the Wirral and across the Diocese…. See Caritas recent newsletter on the table at the back of Church.

Are you a Catholic Teacher but not working in a Catholic School? Your Diocese needs you. The Department of Education offers support to those teachers who are considering returning to or joining the Catholic sector. An informal session will be held on Tuesday 14th Jan at Ellesmere Port Catholic High School from 6.00pm-7.30pm. If you would like to attend or want further information please email Sue Jenkinson PA to Damian Cunningham the Diocesan Director of Schools; sue.jenkinson@dioceseofshrewsbury.org

Mass Intentions: If you would like to have a Mass said for your intentions or someone else’s intentions of for your deceased relatives and friends etc during the early part of 2020 please fill in one of the Mass offering envelopes at the back of Church, place a donation in it and hand it to Fr Bernard or put it through the presbytery letterbox.
Thank you: Fr Bernard thanks you for your prayers and on- going support. He particularly thanks all those who do so much for St John’s Parish and Schools in so many different ways throughout the year. Fr Bernard thanks you for your Christmas cards, gifts and good wishes and prays that this Christmas will be a special and grace-filled time and that the New Year will bring good health and happiness to all.
St John’s Schools and St John Plessington Catholic College are currently on their Christmas break. We hope that pupils and staff are enjoying a good and peaceful and that the New Year will be a blessed one for all our Catholic Schools.
St John’s Parish Pastoral Team: First meeting of 2020 Thursday 16th January at 7.30pm in the presbytery. Any thoughts, observations, suggestions for the team to consider please place in the suggestion box at the back of the Church or through the presbytery letterbox or email them to us at stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com
Christian Unity Week 2020: begins on Saturday 18th January and runs until Saturday 25th January. The United Service at St John’s will be on Saturday 25th Jan.10.30am Coffee. United Service at 11.00am.

Fourth Sunday of Advent, Sunday22nd December, 2019. Cycle A

St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)

Parish Priest: Fr Bernard Forshaw Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email: stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com Websites: http://www.stjohnevang.co.uk http://www.lpa24.org

Fourth Sunday of Advent, Sunday22nd December, 2019. Cycle A

Wirral Foodbank: Thank you to all those who contribute to the Foodbank, helping to support people in crisis in our Local Community. The total raised this week is on the Notice Board at the back of Church along with details of the Foodbank and the services it offers. Please keep your donations coming- Items urgently needed- sugar, custard, tinned potatoes, deodorant, and washing up liquid. Once again if you have any spare plastic bags or even an idea on how they are able to distribute food/goods without the need for plastic bags, it will be gratefully received.
Use your free time to inspire young people to build a fairer world: CAFOD is looking for volunteers who have a passion for, and experience of, working with young people. We need people who have a commitment to CAFOD’s aims and values and an interest in sharing our work in secondary schools through delivering assemblies or workshops. CAFOD will provide training and support and expenses will be paid. Volunteering assignments will be in local Catholic schools and you can either work on your own or as part of a team. None of our work is possible without you, so join us and put your faith into action. If you are interested please email Ciara Hogan, chogan@cafod.org.uk
Please take a look at the Notice Boards at the back of Church for details of other Local Events over the next few weeks, and don’t forget to buy a Catholic paper and to take a look at the Card Rack

If you have a notice for the bulletin please email it to the parish email address or put it through the presbytery letter box by 12 noon on Thursdays. Many thanks.

FAITH IN FOCUS: A PERFECT CHRISTMAS?

By now you’re probably fed up with all the adverts to get you to spend your money in order to have “the Christmas you and your family deserve”. But is there such a thing as a perfect Christmas?
It might not have seemed so for Mary. She had every reason to dread that first Christmas. A young teenage girl, she now finds herself having a baby and is unmarried. What will her family say? How’s she going to explain things to Joseph? And what about the neighbours? There’ll be tongues wagging all over the place and she’ll probably being living under a cloud for years to come. Only she and God would ever really understand. And she didn’t understand much.
Joseph’s probably wasn’t looking forward to that first Christmas either. For him it didn’t look too promising. People would point him out as the husband who’d been the last to know. They’d wonder why he didn’t simply ditch Mary. And he probably had a nagging feeling that all these strange dreams were storing up trouble for the future.
Joseph and Mary are good examples of the untidiness of human existence, of how things rarely go according to plan. It’s strange, isn’t it, that God couldn’t find some perfect parents for his only Son? He ends up with these two.
Maybe that’s what Christmas is about. Perhaps one of its jobs is to remind us that into our “screwed up” planet, into the bleak complexity of our private lives, into a world where achievements never seem to match up to yearnings, into the higgledy-piggledy days of our existence…the infant God is born.
God could have chosen some ideal scenario into which to be born. But he chose one that was profoundly human instead. It was all so fragile: Mary had to trust the angel; Joseph had to trust Mary; God had to trust them both.
Christmas is almost upon us and we’re surely not on top of things; in fact, we’re probably dreading some. But if this week we were able to realise that the child Jesus offers to keep being born into the jumble of our human lives, no matter how untidy they are, then we would have experienced a great truth. And despite all the stress and strain we would have had a perfect Christmas into the bargain.

Fourth
Sunday of Advent 22nd 5.00pm
9.30am
3-4pm
7.30pm Maria Haigh Annv RIP
Nora & Dinny Mahony
Holy Hour
Prayer Meeting
Monday 23rd 9.15am No Mass or Service
Tuesday
Christmas Eve
Vigil Mass of Christmas 24th 9.15am
3.00pm
7.30pm No Mass or Service
Crib Service
St John’s Parishioners
Wednesday
The Nativity of the Lord 25th 9.30am For the Poor and Needy
Thursday
Feast of
St Stephen 26th 10.00am The Guild of St Stephen
Friday
Feast of
St John the Evangelist 27th 10.00am Ints of St John’s SVP

Saturday 28th
Feast of the Holy Family 29th 5.00pm
9.30am
7.30pm Mary Jackson RIP
Ints Colette Jones
Prayer Meeting
Confessions before Christmas at St John’s Sunday from 2.00pm -2.50pm
Morning Prayer
Exposition 15 min before daily Masses
Saturdays 4.00-4.50pm

Sunday is a Special Day of Prayer for Expectant Mothers

Money Matters: Last weekend’s Offertory Collection amounted to £564.58p
The Collection at Christmas Masses is for the support of the Parish Clergy
Your offerings at the Crib during the Christmas Season support the work of Caritas Diocese of Shrewsbury who offer much care and support to refugees and needy families and individuals on the Wirral and across the Diocese…. See Caritas recent newsletter on the table at the back of Church

Christmas Services at St John’s
Christmas Eve Crib Service for Children at 3.00pm in Church, Mass of the Nativity begins at 7.30pm Christmas Day Mass 9.30am Christmas Week Mass Times 26th-27th will be at 10am. Feast of St Stephen: 26th December. Mass at 10am will be offered for our Altar Servers. Feast of St John the Evangelist: 27th December Patron Saint of our Parish. Mass will be held at 10am. Sat/Sun 28th/29th Dec: Feast of the Holy Family Masses at the usual times Sat 5.00pm and Sun 9.30am. Wed 1st Jan 2020 Feast of Mary the Mother of God Mass at 10.00am. (St Anne’s 12 Noon) Sat/Sun 4th/5th Jan: Feast of the Epiphany Masses at the usual times Sat 5.00pm and Sun 9.30am.
Tea & Coffee in the Parish Centre after 9.30am Mass. Please drop in out of the cold and have a chat.

Parish Christmas Raffle: Many thanks to all who bought tickets. £239 was raised. All prizes have been collected and the winning numbers are:
1st Prize 753, 2nd Prize 212
3rd Prize 325, 4th Prize 124
5th Prize 525
Thank you for your continued generosity.

THE BIG CHRISTMAS CARD is at the back of church. Please write your Christmas message at a suggested minimum donation of £1. All proceeds will go towards the work of The Ark. Please support this very good cause and thank you for your support over the years.

Our Schools: are on holiday now until 6th January. After a successful but busy term we wish all the children and staff a safe and restful holiday. The Diocese has recently appointed two additional Foundation Governors to St John’s infant school: Richard Blundell and Joanne Corrigan

Are you a Catholic Teacher but not working in a Catholic School? Your Diocese needs you. The Department of Education offers support to those teachers who are considering returning to or joining the Catholic sector. An informal session will be held on Tuesday 14th Jan at Ellesmere Port Catholic High School from 6.00pm-7.30pm. If you would like to attend or want further information please email Sue Jenkinson PA to Damian Cunningham the Diocesan Director of Schools; sue.jenkinson@dioceseofshrewsbury.org

Mass Intentions: If you would like to have a Mass said for your intentions or someone else’s intentions of for your deceased relatives and friends etc during the early part of 2020 please fill in one of the Mass offering envelopes at the back of Church, place a donation in it and hand it to Fr Bernard or put it through the presbytery letterbox.
Thank you: Fr Bernard thanks you for your prayers and on- going support. He particularly thanks all those who do so much for St John’s Parish and Schools in so many different ways throughout the year. Fr Bernard thanks you for your Christmas cards, gifts and good wishes and prays that this Christmas will be a special and grace-filled time and that the New Year will bring good health and happiness to all.

Third Sunday of Advent, Sunday 15th December, 2019. Cycle A

St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)

Parish Priest: Fr Bernard Forshaw Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email: stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com Websites: http://www.stjohnevang.co.uk http://www.lpa24.org

Third Sunday of Advent, Sunday 15th December, 2019. Cycle A

Wirral Foodbank: Thank you to all those who contribute to the Foodbank, helping to support people in crisis in our Local Community. The total raised this week is on the Notice Board at the back of Church along with details of the Foodbank and the services it offers. Please keep your donations coming- Items urgently needed- sugar, custard, tinned potatoes, deodorant, and washing up liquid. Once again if you have any spare plastic bags or even an idea on how they are able to distribute food/goods without the need for plastic bags, it will be gratefully received.
Use your free time to inspire young people to build a fairer world: CAFOD is looking for volunteers who have a passion for, and experience of, working with young people. We need people who have a commitment to CAFOD’s aims and values and an interest in sharing our work in secondary schools through delivering assemblies or workshops. CAFOD will provide training and support, and expenses will be paid. Volunteering assignments will be in local Catholic schools and you can either work on your own or as part of a team. None of our work is possible without you, so join us and put your faith into action. If you are interested please email Ciara Hogan, chogan@cafod.org.uk
Please take a look at the Notice Boards at the back of Church for details of other Local Events over the next few weeks, and don’t forget to buy a Catholic paper and to take a look at the Card Rack

If you have a notice for the bulletin please email it to the parish email address or put it through the presbytery letter box by 12 noon on Thursdays. Many thanks.

FAITH IN FOCUS: THE RIGHT ONE?

John the Baptist has some second thoughts about Jesus in today’s gospel. After preaching about the coming of the Messiah for so long, John now finds himself in prison and things don’t seem to be working out as he had expected. So he asks, “Are you the one who is to come, or have we got to wait for someone else?”
It seems that John thought the Messiah would be much more militant and political than Jesus. It’s quite comforting that John can have his ideas on the Messiah turned upside down; if he needs to take a second look then so do we. His ideas of what Jesus was about proved to be out of synch with reality. And ours often are equally wide of the mark.
In fact, John even wondered whether his cousin Jesus was the right one. Yet Jesus replies that John should open his eyes and look around: those who are blind, deaf, lame and lepers are being cured and the Good News is being preached to the poor. All of these things were known to be signs that the Messiah had arrived.
What about us? Are we sure we’ve got the right idea about Jesus? When he comes again ought we to be worried or should we be joyfully expecting him? Is he coming to bring vengeance or is he “on our side”. Will he condemn or save?
Having second thoughts about Jesus allows us to get things in perspective. It allows us to see Advent as a joyful season of expectation. It lets us realise that fear is out of place for those who await Christ’s coming. It encourages us to actively look forward to the promises that God has made to us through his Son. It permits us to sing “Come, Lord Jesus” and really mean it. And so Advent invites us to yearn for the coming of that joyful day when our salvation will be fully revealed.
John the Baptist had to have a rethink about Jesus. Advent summons us to do the same. Is Christ’s coming something we look forward to or something we secretly dread?

Third
Sunday of Advent 15th 5.00pm
9.30am
3-4pm
7.30pm Sick Parishioners
Ints Norah & Bill Martin
Holy Hour
Prayer Meeting
Monday 16th 9.15am Service of Word & Communion
Tuesday 17th 9.15 am Barbara Forshaw (1st Annv)
Wednesday 18th 9.15am
7.00pm Service of Word & Communion Reconciliation Service
Thursday 19th 9.30am Ints Peggy McAllister
(in School)
Friday 20th 12 Noon Funeral Service –
Susan Heathcote
Saturday 21st 10.00am Bob Purfield
Fourth
Sunday of Advent 22nd 5.00pm
9.30am
3-4pm
7.30pm Maria Haigh Annv RIP
Nora & Dinny Mahony
Holy Hour
Prayer Meeting
Confessions before Christmas at St John’s
Wednesday Advent Reconciliation Service at 7.00pm Next Saturday from after 10am Mass until 11.30am Next Sunday from 2.00pm -2.50pm
Morning Prayer
Exposition 15 min before daily Masses
Saturdays 4.00-4.50pm
Exposition: Next Saturday from after 10am Mass until 11.30am

Prayers for the Sick: Fr Bernard is offering this Saturday’s (14th Dec) 5pm Mass for all our Sick and Housebound Parishioners. Please keep these people in your Advent prayers and if anyone is in need of a visit /Holy Communion please do let Fr Bernard know either after Mass this weekend or by phone or email

Lately Dead: Please pray for the repose of the soul of Susan Heathcote whose funeral service will be held here at St John’s this Friday 20th December at 12 Noon. Please keep Susan and her family in your prayers. May she rest in peace.

Tea & Coffee in the Parish Centre after 9.30am Mass. Please drop in out of the cold and have a chat.

Money Matters: Last weekend’s Offertory collection amounted to £555.88p
Church Flower Collection £277.53p. Thank you for your continued generosity.

Parish Christmas Raffle : Tickets are on sale after Masses this weekend, next weekend and during the week for the St John’s Christmas Raffle …….some great prizes on offer all donated by parishioners. The draw will be made by our Altar Servers at the end of 9.30am Mass on Sunday 15th December.
LPA Advent Reconciliation Service (with individual confession) will be held at St John’s this Wednesday 18th December at 7pm. All welcome
Christmas Services at St John’s
Christmas Eve
Crib Service for Children at 3.00pm in Church,
Mass of the Nativity begins at 7.30pm
Christmas Day
Mass 9.30am
Christmas Week Mass Times
26th-27th will be at 10am.
Feast of St Stephen: 26th December.
Mass at 10am will be offered for our Altar Servers.
Feast of St John the Evangelist: 27th December Patron Saint of our Parish. Mass will be held at 10am.
Sat/Sun 28th/29th Dec: Feast of the Holy Family
Masses at the usual times Sat 5.00pm and
Sun 9.30am.
Wed 1st Jan 2020 Feast of Mary the Mother of God
Mass at 10.00am. (St Anne’s 12 Noon)
Sat/Sun 4th/5th Jan: Feast of the Epiphany Masses at the usual times Sat 5.00pm and Sun 9.30am.

THE BIG CHRISTMAS CARD is at the back of church. Please write your Christmas message at a suggested minimum donation of £1. All proceeds will go towards the work of The Ark. Please support this very good cause and thank you for your support over the years.
Scout Stamps will be on sale after Mass on Saturday 14th December. Price is 35 pence. The newsagent on the corner of Windsor Close is also selling stamps on our behalf. Last date for posting your cards is Wednesday 18th December at 12 noon.
SJP Christmas Carol Service “Follow the Star”. St John Plessington Catholic College will be holding two Carol Services in College Hall, the first will take place on Monday 16th December 2019 at 6.30pm and the second on Thursday 19th December 2019 at 6.30pm. We do hope that you will be able to join us. Tickets are available from the School Office or telephone 0151 645 5049. A collection will be taken on the evening in aid of our college charity and the Wirral Foodbank.
Hospital Advent Mass: Mass will be celebrated by Canon Philip Moor, Vicar General of the Diocese and Parish Priest of Holy Apostles & Martyrs Parish in Wallasey in the chapel at Arrowe Park Hospital (1st Floor of main building) on Thursday at 12.30pm. Patients, Staff, Visitors, members of our local Wirral Parishes are all most welcome. Why not go along and pray God’s blessing’s upon our local hospitals and hospice this Christmas and into 2020,

Second Sunday of Advent, Sunday 8th December, 2019. Cycle A

St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)

Parish Priest: Fr Bernard Forshaw Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email: stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com Websites: http://www.stjohnevang.co.uk http://www.lpa24.org

Second Sunday of Advent, Sunday 8th December, 2019. Cycle A

Wirral Foodbank: Thank you to all those who contribute to the Foodbank, helping to support people in crisis in our Local Community. The total raised this week is on the Notice Board at the back of Church along with details of the Foodbank and the services it offers. Please keep your donations coming- Items urgently needed- sugar, custard, tinned potatoes, deodorant, and washing up liquid. Once again if you have any spare plastic bags or even an idea on how they are able to distribute food/goods without the need for plastic bags, it will be gratefully received.
Traidcraft will be on sale THIS weekend Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th December. Please take the opportunity to buy /Christmas cards and gifts.
Use your free time to inspire young people to build a fairer world: CAFOD is looking for volunteers who have a passion for, and experience of, working with young people. We need people who have a commitment to CAFOD’s aims and values and an interest in sharing our work in secondary schools through delivering assemblies or workshops. CAFOD will provide training and support, and expenses will be paid. Volunteering assignments will be in local Catholic schools and you can either work on your own or as part of a team. None of our work is possible without you, so join us and put your faith into action. If you are interested please email Ciara Hogan, chogan@cafod.org.uk
Please take a look at the Notice Boards at the back of Church for details of other Local Events over the next few weeks, and don’t forget to buy a Catholic paper and to take a look at the Card Rack

If you have a notice for the bulletin please email it to the parish email address or put it through the presbytery letter box by 12 noon on Thursdays. Many thanks.

FAITH IN FOCUS: HALF MEASURES?

There are some people for whom half measures just aren’t good enough.
We all know of people who put us to shame by their indefatigable commitment to the cause they have espoused. It might be someone who has been cured of cancer and now spends all their time raising funds for research. Perhaps it’s a politician risking their life by opposing corruption in their country, or someone campaigning tirelessly for the voiceless. Maybe it’s just an ordinary person who spends their entire life looking after a bed-ridden family member. Whatever they do, they put all their energy into it.
John the Baptist was such a person. He was no quiet preacher, not content to give his message in an unobtrusive way nor unconcerned by those who rejected it or failed to hear it. He was a disturbing character. Living on the edge of the desert, wearing strange clothes and eating a weird diet, his message struck panic into people, causing vast crowds to repent and to come and be baptised in the Jordan. That the kingdom of heaven is close at hand was his rally call.
When the Pharisees and Sadducees claimed to have repented he turned on them. Produce the evidence. If you really knew what this kingdom of heaven was all about then you wouldn’t be so self-satisfied. They had learnt how to practise their religion half-heartedly while seeming to keep all the rules.
So what about us? As Advent begins do we feel any sense of urgency about our need for continual repentance, or do we think of it as just another milestone in the calendar? Will the word of God this Advent make any difference to our attitude? Will it affect the way we behave towards God and each other? Do we most resemble the Jewish leaders taking their religion in their stride or the crowds who heard John’s message and realised that there can be no half measures when it comes to changing the way we live? Advent is the time for making our choice.

Second
Sunday of Advent 8th 5.00pm
9.30am
3-4pm
7.30pm Anthony Butterworth RIP
St John’s Parish
Holy Hour
Prayer Meeting
Monday 9th 9.15am Fr Frank Rice RIP
Tuesday 10th 9.15 am
Rels/Fnds Brockway & Callaghan Families RIP
Wednesday 11th 9.15am No Mass or Service Today
Thursday 12th 7.30am Shaun Corrigan RIP
Friday 13th 9.15am No Mass or Service Today
Saturday 14th 10.00am Carmel Mass
Third
Sunday of Advent 15th 5.00pm
9.30am
3-4pm
7.30pm St John’s Parish
Ints Nora & Bill Martin
Holy Hour
Prayer Meeting
Confessions Each Saturday 10.30am-11.15am
Morning Prayer
Exposition 15 min before daily Masses
Saturdays 4.00-4.50pm
Lately Dead: Please pray for the repose of the soul of Susan Heathcote who has died recently. Her funeral service will be held here at St John’s on Friday
20th December at 12 Noon. Please keep Susan and her family in your prayers. May she rest in peace.

Tea & Coffee in the Parish Centre after 9.30am Mass. Please drop in out of the cold and have a chat.

Money Matters: Last weekend’s Offertory collection amounted to £527.81p. Thank you for your continued generosity.

Parish Christmas Raffle : Tickets are on sale after Masses this weekend, next weekend and during the week for the St John’s Christmas Raffle …….some great prizes on offer all donated by parishioners. The draw will be made by our Altar Servers at the end of 9.30am Mass on Sunday 15th December.

Christmas Flower Collection will be held over THIS weekend Saturday and Sunday 7th and 8th December.

LPA Advent Reconciliation Service (with individual confession) will be held at St John’s on Wednesday 18th December at 7pm. All welcome
Christmas Services at St John’s
Christmas Eve
Crib Service for Children at 3.00pm in Church,
Mass of the Nativity begins at 7.30pm
Christmas Day
Mass 9.30am
Christmas Week Mass Times
26th-27th will be at 10am.
Feast of St Stephen: 26th December.
Mass at 10am will be offered for our Altar Servers.
Feast of St John the Evangelist: 27th December Patron Saint of our Parish. Mass will be held at 10am.
Sat/Sun 28th/29th Dec: Feast of the Holy Family
Masses at the usual times Sat 5.00pm and
Sun 9.30am.
Wed 1st Jan 2020 Feast of Mary the Mother of God
Mass at 10.00am. (St Anne’s 12 Noon)
Sat/Sun 4th/5th Jan: Feast of the Epiphany Masses at the usual times Sat 5.00pm and Sun 9.30am.

THE BIG CHRISTMAS CARD is at the back of church. Please write your Christmas message at a suggested minimum donation of £1. All proceeds will go towards the work of The Ark. Please support this very good cause and thank you for your support over the years.

BOST Fanfare for Christmas An evening of Festive Music featuring well- loved and traditional favourites and exciting new modern Christmas music is being held on Tuesday 10th December at 7.30pm at St Anne’s Church in Rock Ferry. Tickets (£8 per person) are available after weekend Masses here at St John’s and also from St Anne’s Presbytery during the week.
3Ls Christmas Concert Celebrating Christmas will be held here at St Michael’s & All Angels Church, Woodchurch CH49 5LE on Thursday, 12th December at 7pm. Tickets are £3. Tickets are and available from Norah Martin. You can also pay at the door. All welcome.
SJP Christmas Carol Service “Follow the Star”. St John Plessington Catholic College will be holding two Carol Services in College Hall, the first will take place on Monday 16th December 2019 at 6.30pm and the second on Thursday 19th December 2019 at 6.30pm. We do hope that you will be able to join us. Tickets are available from the School Office or telephone 0151 645 5049. A collection will be taken on the evening in aid of our college charity and the Wirral Foodbank.
Bebington Churches Together will be Carol singing on the 14th December at 11am outside Cross Lane Co-op. Everyone is very welcome to come along and join in with the singing.
S cout Stamps will be on sale after both Masses THIS weekend 7th and 8th December and the following Saturday Mass 14th. Price is 35 pence. The newsagent on corner of Windsor Close is also selling stamps on our behalf. Last date for posting your cards is Wednesday 18th December at 12 noon.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Sunday 24th November, 2019

St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)

Parish Priest: Fr Bernard Forshaw Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email: stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com Websites: http://www.stjohnevang.co.uk http://www.lpa24.org

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Sunday 24th November, 2019

WORD OF GOD
Above him there was an inscription:“This is the King of the Jews.”
(Luke 23: 38)

WORD FOR TODAY
Our liturgical year comes to a close today as we recognise that Jesus is not simply a guru, not some wise philosopher or gentle philanthropist, but is the Son of God sent into our world to make known to us the Kingdom of God over which he now rules as Universal King.

Welcome Cafe – which distribute surplus supermarket food at no cost to you are held every Tuesday at St Anne’s Parish Centre, Highfield Road Rock Ferry from 11am-1pm. And also every Friday at St Werburgh’s Parish Centre, Grange Precinct, Birkenhead from 11am-1pm. All are welcome to use this facility.

Wirral Foodbank: Thank you to all those who contribute to the Foodbank, helping to support people in crisis in our Local Community. The total raised this week is on the Notice Board at the back of Church along with details of the Foodbank and the services it offers. Please keep your donations coming- Items urgently needed- tinned fruit, instant mash, squash, sponge puddings, hot chocolate, shower gel, washing up liquid, jam and UHT milk. Once again if you have any spare plastic bags or even an idea on how they are able to distribute food/goods without the need for plastic bags, it will be gratefully received.

Please take a look at the Notice Boards at the back of Church for details of other Local Events over the next few weeks, and don’t forget to buy a Catholic paper and to take a look at the Card Rack

If you have a notice for the bulletin please email it to the parish email
address or put it through the presbytery letter box by
12 noon on Thursdays. Many thanks.

FAITH IN FOCUS: THE THREE CROSSES

Today’s gospel tells us that on the first Good Friday there were three crosses on Calvary. They were the cross of sin, the cross of sorrow and the cross of salvation. The one that we choose for ourselves will affect where we spend eternity.
The cross of sin belonged to the thief who was unrepentant. We don’t know what his crime was (traditionally we say he was a thief) but we do know that he was there to be executed. His life of crime had hardened him and he clearly could feel no remorse for his sin. He was so far from God that his cynicism lasted to the very end. He even mocked Jesus, suggesting that if he really were the Christ he would be able to get down from the cross and save them too. His choices in life were such that he didn’t know how far he had fallen. His sin had blinded him to reality.
The cross of sorrow was the one on which the other thief hung. Unlike his fellow criminal he recognised his own guilt and felt contrition. He knew that he deserved what he was getting while Jesus had done nothing wrong but was suffering the same fate. His act of repentance took the form of standing up for Jesus and rebuking the other thief. Although he had led a life of crime he was not proud of it and he still had respect for God, something he tried to point out to his companion. Even at this late stage there was still a chance for him to try and set things right.
Of course, the cross of salvation was reserved for Jesus of Nazareth. His crucifixion was a great paradox because although he was being executed, after being falsely accused, his death would end in victory. He had never claimed to be King of the Jews, as the inscription on his cross proclaimed, but he would end up as Christ the Universal King. His cross was the means by which he took the world’s sinfulness upon himself in a glorious act of atonement. He willingly accepted to be the sacrificial victim, loving to the very end those entrusted to him by his Father. It was this salvation that he offered to the repentant thief moments before they were both to breathe their last.
The cross of sin, the cross of sorrow and the cross of salvation: we each have a choice. Which will you choose?

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe 24th 5.00pm
9.30am
7.30pm
Ints Philip & Sara White
St John’s Parish
Prayer Meeting
Monday 25th 9.15am Douglas Watkins RIP
Tuesday 26th 9.15 am Arthur Brockway RIP
Wednesday 27th 9.15am Leo & Cath Shore RIP
Thursday 28th 7.30am Decd Members of Bell Family
Friday 29th 9.15am John Murray RIP
Saturday 30th
First Sunday of Advent 1st 5.00pm
9.30am
7.30pm Ints St John’s Parish
Peter Ritson RIP
Prayer Meeting
Confessions Each Saturday 10.30am-11.15am
Morning Prayer
Exposition 15 min before daily Masses
Saturdays 4.00-4.50pm

Today’s Feast of Christ the King is also National Youth Sunday. Please keep all our children and young people in your daily prayers

Tea & Coffee in the Parish Centre after 9.30am Mass. Please drop in out of the cold and have a chat.
Confirmation 2019 : Congratulations, best wishes & prayers to those young people from our parish and our neighbouring parishes who were confirmed by Bishop Mark at Christ the King, Bromborough last Thursday Thank you too to their parents, sponsors and catechists for supporting them on this important step on their faith journey.
First Sacraments – Enrolment Mass at 9.30am this Sunday 24th November, the Feast of Christ the King. All Year 3 children and their parents are invited to this special Mass to enrol the children in their Sacramental programme.
Youth Matters: The 2nd meeting with the members of the Diocesan Youth Mission Team to see how we can support and encourage young people in our local parishes will be held on Wednesday at 7pm in St Anne’s Presbytery, Rock Ferry. All welcome
Money Matters: Last weekend’s Offertory collection amounted to £595.42p.
Donations from Sunday Tea Money will be given to:
St John’s SVP: £25
St John’s Church Flowers: £20
Ark Christmas Card: £30.
Thank you for your continued generosity.

The Parish Pastoral Team meets roughly on a monthly basis…. it’s minutes are on the designated notice board on the left hand side of the Church. The Pastoral Team’s next meeting is on Thursday
28th November at 7.30pm in the presbytery. If you have any suggestions/ideas for the team to consider please place them in the suggestions box on the table at the back of Church.

As we begin the Year of the Word a Reflective Scripture / Prayer Service will be held at
St John’s Day Chapel on the First Sunday of Advent, 1st December from 3pm-4pm led by Fr Thomas. Please take a copy of the Wednesday Word. It is a helpful reflection on the Sunday readings.

Men’s Group- This month the men’s fellowship revisited the keynote speech from Adoremus, held in Liverpool in 2018.”The Mystery of the Mass- The Source and Summit of Christian Life” It’s very clear and engaging and an inspiring, uplifting reflection of our communion with God.Highly recommended watching for all! Is available on You Tube at https://youtu.be/DRP2u6NkZeU
Next months mens fellowship will focus on the Birth of the Messiah and will meet at 7.30pm on Wed 4th December, in St John’s Presbytery.
BOST Fanfare for Christmas : An evening of Festive Music featuring well- loved and traditional favourites and exciting new modern Christmas music is being held on Tuesday 10th December at 7.30pm at St Anne’s Church in Rock Ferry. Tickets (£8 per person) are available after weekend Masses here at St John’s and also from St Anne’s Presbytery during the week.
THE BIG CHRISTMAS CARD will shortly be at the back of church. Please write your Christmas message at a suggested minimum donation of £1. All proceeds will go towards the work of The Ark. Please support this very good cause and thank you for your support over the years.
Mass Intentions: If you would like to have a Mass offered for your intentions or someone else’s intentions and for your deceased relatives and friends etc during Advent or in the Christmas Season, please fill in one of the Mass offering envelopes at the back of Church, place a donation in it and hand it to Fr Bernard or put it through the presbytery letterbox.
Wirral South Hustings: Meeting will be held on Monday, 2nd December 8-9.30pm at Christ Church Community Centre, Higher Bebington CH63 8LX. This is your opportunity to quiz the candidates about the issues that matter to you. For more information and to submit your question, please contact Christ Church Parish Office at parishoffice@christchurchhigherbebington.org.uk or 0151 6084429. All welcome. Admission free.

Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time 17th November 2019, Cycle C

St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)

Parish Priest: Fr Bernard Forshaw Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email: stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com Websites: http://www.stjohnevang.co.uk http://www.lpa24.org

Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time 17th November 2019, Cycle C

WORD OF GOD Take care not to be deceived because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them. (Luke 21: 8)

WORDS FOR WORSHIP Let us pray for those countries that have been caught up in natural disasters of flood, earthquake, hurricane and famine , that world governments and agencies may be speedy in their response and relief. Lord, may your kingdom come: May your will be done. Let us pray for those who are searching for meaning in their lives that they may not be distracted and disturbed by false claims, predictions of disaster and gloom-mongering but may come to know the all pervasive care of a loving God. Lord, may your kingdom… Let us pray for those who have died recently and for all the departed members of our families that they may enjoy the light, happiness and peace that is God’s promise to those who endure in faith. Lord, may your kingdom… Let us pray for those who have lost their jobs, for those young people seeking employment for the first time and for those who are finding it hard to make ends meet as they provide for their families. Lord, may your kingdom…

Welcome Café’s – which distribute surplus supermarket food at no cost to you are held every Tuesday at St Anne’s Parish Centre, Highfield Road Rock Ferry from 11am-1pm. And also every Friday at St Werburgh’s Parish Centre, Grange Precinct, Birkenhead from 11am-1pm. All are welcome to use this facility.

Wirral Foodbank: Thank you to all those who contribute to the Foodbank, helping to support people in crisis in our Local Community. The total raised this week is on the Notice Board at the back of Church along with details of the Foodbank and the services it offers. Please keep your donations coming- Items urgently needed- tinned fruit, instant mash, squash, sponge puddings, hot chocolate, shower gel, washing up liquid, jam and UHT milk. Once again if you have any spare plastic bags or even an idea on how they are able to distribute food/goods without the need for plastic bags, it will be gratefully received.

Please take a look at the Notice Boards at the back of Church for details of other Local Events over the next few weeks, and don’t forget to buy a Catholic paper and to take a look at the Card Rack

If you have a notice for the bulletin please email it to the parish email
address or put it through the presbytery letter box by
12 noon on Thursdays. Many thanks.

FAITH IN FOCUS: SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT? We can always find reasons to worry, even when there’s nothing to worry about. Some people love to be frightened into thinking that every flood, hurricane, war or earthquake is somehow a sign that the end of the world is about to hit us. They love to have something to worry about. In today’s gospel Jesus tells us to be worried about three things. But they’re not the ones we expect to hear. First, he tells us to worry about being deceived. Make sure you’re not taken in by claims about the end of the world. If you believe that the predictions of Nostradamus or the prophecies of Malachy are true then it’s time to give in. You should worry, says Jesus, if you’re enticed by these claims to know about the future, by rumours, apparitions of gloom, or plagues and revolutions as forerunners of the end of the world. Yes, worry. Because if you put your trust in these predictions (which are always explained away when they fail to deliver) then you’re far away from trusting in God’s promises. You’ve already been tricked. Secondly, worry about letting people disturb you. The fact that terrorists exist doesn’t mean that one lives next door to you. The fact that people get shot and knifed doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen to you or your family. The fact that new strains of diseases come into being does not mean that half the world is about to be wiped out. Start to worry, says Jesus, when you begin to fear that natural disasters have a sinister meaning. All sorts of fearful things take place in this world, but your endurance will win you your lives. Thirdly, Jesus implicitly tells us to worry if we find that we’ve become distracted. Today’s gospel is a plea to get things into perspective. Where are our priorities? Are we living our lives eating and drinking, so caught up in the ordinariness of daily existence, planning how to spend our lottery win, how to improve our garden and how to get the latest i-sound that we have lost the plot? If you want something to worry about, then worry about how you are preparing for the Second Coming of Jesus. Or maybe that’s not as interesting as worrying about nothing or worrying about something that will never happen?

33rd Sunday in Ord Time 17th 5.00pm
9.30am
7.30pm
Ints Rowlands Family
For the Poor, Sick & Needy
Prayer Meeting
Monday 18th 9.15am Service of Word & Communion
Tuesday 19th 9.15 am Joe Moore Anniv RIP
Wednesday 20th 9.15am Kath Ryan RIP
Thursday 21st 7.30am Audrey Atkinson RIP
Friday 22nd 9.15am John McIntosh RIP
Saturday 23rd
Feast of Christ the King 24th 5.00pm
9.30am
7.30pm Ints Philip & Sara White
St John’s Parish
Prayer Meeting
Confessions Each Saturday 10.30am-11.15am
Morning Prayer
Exposition 15 min before daily Masses
Saturdays 4.00-4.50pm

Tea & Coffee in the Parish Centre after 9.30am Mass. Pop in and have a chat.

Confirmation 2019: This year’s Confirmation Mass with Bishop Mark presiding will be held at Christ the King, Bromborough this Thursday 21st November at 7pm. Please keep all the candidates , their sponsors, families and our Catechists in your prayers as they receive this special sacrament.
Children’s Liturgy at Sunday 9.30am Mass in the Day Chapel. This provides your children with the opportunity to experience the Word of God at a level suitable to their age. Celebrating Children’s Liturgy- A day for those involved in leading Children’s Liturgy this Saturday 23rd November at Saint Joseph’s Parish Centre Birkenhead . Coffee & registration from 10am. The day will finish with prayer at 3pm. Please bring a packed lunch, drinks will be provided. £5 per person.
First Sacraments – Enrolment Mass at 9.30am next Sunday 24th November, the Feast of Christ the King. All Year 3 children and their parents are invited to this special Mass to enrol the children in their Sacramental programme.
St John’s Catholic Pre School September 2020 Admission .Open Evening this Thursday 21st Nov from 4.00-5.30pm. If your child will be 3 years of age by 31st August 2020 they will be able to join us for their Pre School year, starting September 2020.You are welcome to come along to our Open Evening, it is a drop in session where you will be able to view the setting, meet the staff and complete an admission form.Further details from Bernadette – 0151 645 5291 Option No. 2
Wirral Hospitals- Monthly Mass in Arrowe Park Hospital Chapel this Thursday at 12.30pm. The Chapel is located on the first floor. All most welcome.
Youth Matters- The next meeting will be at St Anne’s on Wednesday 27th November at 7pm.

As we begin the Year of the Word a Reflective Scripture / Prayer Service will be held at St John’s Day Chapel on the First Sunday of Advent 1st December from 3pm-4pm led by Fr Thomas . Please take a copy of the Wednesday Word. It is a helpful reflection on the Sunday readings.

Readers-Thank you to the readers who attended the meeting last Saturday. Copies of Pope Francis’s document are available this weekend in the Day Chapel.

Money Matters: Last weekend’s Offertory collection amounted to £595.13p. Many thanks.
Missio Red Boxes last months collections amounted to £285.73. Thank you to all who continue to support this important cause.

Clergy Education & Training Fund – Special Collection
This weekend the annual Collection for the Clergy Education & Training Fund will be held. On the training and formation of Priests, the future of our Diocese so much depends.
Special Envelopes are available for you to use.
A leaflet about the Fund is also available which explains how you can make a regular donation, how you can take advantage of Gift Aid for your donations and how you can donate online at http://www.dioceseof shrewsbury.org/clergy-education-and-training-fund.
I ask that you give your support in whatever way is possible for the provision of the best formation for a new generation of priests. It is in every sense an investment in the future of the life and mission of the Diocese.
With every good wish,
+Mark

Men’s Group- This month the men’s fellowship revisited the keynote speech from Adoremus, held in Liverpool in 2018.”The Mystery of the Mass- The Source and Summit of Christian Life” It’s very clear and engaging and an inspiring, uplifting reflection of our communion with God.Highly recommended watching for all! Is available on You Tube at https://youtu.be/DRP2u6NkZeU
Next months mens fellowship will focus on the Birth of the Messiah and will meet at 7.30pm on Wed 4th December, in St John’s Presbytery.

BOST Fanfare for Christmas: An evening of festive music, featuring well-loved traditional favourites and exciting new modern Christmas music. Tuesday 10th December at 7.30pm at St Anne’s church. Tickets £8 from St Anne’s.

Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 10th November 2019, Cycle C

St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)

Parish Priest: Fr Bernard Forshaw Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email: stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com Websites: http://www.stjohnevang.co.uk http://www.lpa24.org

Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 10th November 2019, Cycle C

WORD OF GOD God is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all men are in fact alive. (Luke 20:38)

Caritas Shrewsbury currently has 1 vacancy for an Office Administrator (closing date: 22nd November) based at their Head Office on the Wirral. For further details and an Application Pack, please contact them: http://www.caritasshrewsbury.org.uk (‘Job Vacancies’ can be found under the ‘News’ Section) / Tel: 0151 652 1281 / info@caritasshrewsbury.org.uk

Welcome Café’s – which distribute surplus supermarket food at no cost to you are held every Tuesday at St Anne’s Parish Centre, Highfield Road Rock Ferry from 11am-1pm. And also every Friday at St Werburgh’s Parish Centre, Grange Precinct, Birkenhead from 11am-1pm. All are welcome to use this facility.

Wirral Foodbank: Thank you to all those who contribute to the Foodbank, helping to support people in crisis in our Local Community. The total raised this week is on the Notice Board at the back of Church along with details of the Foodbank and the services it offers. Please keep your donations coming- Items urgently needed- tinned fruit, instant mash, squash, sponge puddings, hot chocolate, shower gel, washing up liquid, jam and UHT milk. Once again if you have any spare plastic bags or even an idea on how they are able to distribute food/goods without the need for plastic bags, it will be gratefully received.

Please take a look at the Notice Boards at the back of Church for details of other Local Events over the next few weeks, and don’t forget to buy a Catholic paper and to take a look at the Card Rack

If you have a notice for the bulletin please email it to the parish email
address or put it through the presbytery letter box by
12 noon on Thursdays. Many thanks.

FAITH IN FOCUS: WILL MY DOG BE IN HEAVEN? Jesus had less than a week to live when the events of today’s gospel took place. So it’s perhaps not surprising for him to be talking about life after death and teaching against the Sadducees that there is a resurrection that all created flesh will share in. Because the Sadducees didn’t believe in a resurrection they tried to trick Jesus into giving a stupid answer to their farcical case of a woman who was the surviving widow of her husband and six brothers-in-law. Whose wife would she be in heaven? Yet this is the sort of question that many people ask even today. Will my dog be with me in heaven? Will I recognise people I’ve known here on earth? What will happen if I come face to face with someone who’s been my sworn enemy? What about my best friend who doesn’t believe in God? And what if I don’t like it?! Perhaps the first thing that we must say about heaven is that it’s the fulfilment of all our desires and yearnings for God. Jesus enticed his listeners by saying that no eye had seen nor ear heard what God has in store for us. It goes far beyond what we could ever imagine or hope for. We see God face to face and as we gaze on his glory we are moved to the profoundest level of love, a love which leaves no room for any kind of emptiness or regret. The second thing that we need to remember is that God is eternal, just like the life he offers us. We necessarily live in time but God’s eternal nature means that he experiences infinity at every moment; in fact “moment” is too restricting for a God who exists free from the boundaries of time. After our resurrection we share in that “instantaneousness” of God. We are caught up in the immediacy of God. There is no yesterday or tomorrow about heaven. It’s an eternal “now”. When we view heaven in this way we realise that many of our questions and difficulties about it are simply man-made and woman-inspired. We naturally have a tendency to tie things down to our own experience of reality. Yet today Jesus tells us that the afterlife is radically different from some of the ways we conceive of it. That’s why he says that the Lord is God not of the dead but of the living: for to God all people are in fact alive.

32nd Sunday in Ord Time 10th 5.00pm
9.30am
7.30pm Deceased SVP Members
Theresa McLean Anniv RIP
Prayer Meeting
Monday 11th 9.15am
Service of Word & Communion
Tuesday 12th 9.15 am Remembrance Mass
Wednesday 13th 9.15am Stephanie Lane RIP
Thursday 14th 7.30am Bishop Brian Noble RIP
Friday 15th 9.15am Eleanor McGuigan RIP
Saturday 16th 10.00am Deceased Carmelites
33rd
Sunday in Ord Time 17th 5.00pm
9.30am
7.30pm Ints Rowlands Family
For the Poor, Sick & Needy
Prayer Meeting
Confessions Each Saturday 10.30am-11.15am
Morning Prayer
Exposition

15 min before daily Masses
Saturdays 4.00-4.50pm

A Remembrance Sunday Prayer
by Denis McBride C.Ss.R
Our God our Heavenly Father,
look mercifully upon the unrest in our world
and draw all people to yourself and one another
in the sure bond of peace.
We give you ready thanks for the memory
of all those men and women
who laid down their lives
in service of their country.
As we hallow their memory
we bless you for their courage and devotion
even to death.
In your mercy
send your peace into the hearts of all people
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Tea & Coffee in the Parish Centre after 9.30am Mass. Pop in and have a chat.
Children’s Liturgy at Sunday 9.30am Mass in the Day Chapel. This provides your children with the opportunity to experience the Word of God at a level suitable to their age. Celebrating Children’s Liturgy- A day for those involved in leading Children’s Liturgy on Saturday 23rd November at Saint Joseph’s Parish Centre Birkenhead . Coffee & registration from 10am. The day will finish with prayer at 3pm. Please bring a packed lunch, drinks will be provided. £5 per person.
School News- Year 5/6 children from St John’s Junior School will be celebrating a Remembrance Mass with us here in church on Tuesday at 9.15am. All most welcome. First Sacraments – Enrolment Mass at 9.30am on Sunday 24th November, the Feast of Christ the King.
Confirmation 2019: This year’s Confirmation Mass with Bishop Mark presiding will be held at Christ the King, Bromborough on Thursday 21st November at 7pm. Please keep all the candidates and their families in your prayers.

Youth Matters- Many thanks to those who came to the meeting last Monday at St Anne’s. The next meeting will also be at St Anne’s on Wednesday 27th November at 7pm.

As we begin the Year of the Word a Reflective Scripture / Prayer Service will be
held at St John’s Day Chapel on the First Sunday of Advent 1st December from 3pm-4pm led by Fr Thomas . Please take a copy of the Wednesday Word. It is a helpful reflection on next Sunday’s readings.

Money Matters: Last weekend’s Offertory collection amounted to £552.85p. Many thanks.

Clergy Education & Training Fund – Special Collection
Next weekend the annual Collection for the Clergy Education & Training Fund will be held. On the training and formation of Priests, the future of our Diocese so much depends.
Special Envelopes are available for you to use.
A leaflet about the Fund is also available which explains how you can make a regular donation, how you can take advantage of Gift Aid for your donations and how you can donate online at http://www.dioceseof shrewsbury.org/clergy-education-and-training-fund.
I ask that you give your support in whatever way is possible for the provision of the best formation for a new generation of priests. It is in every sense an investment in the future of the life and mission of the Diocese.
With every good wish,
+Mark

Men’s Group- This month the men’s fellowship revisited the keynote speech from Adoremus, held in Liverpool in 2018.”The Mystery of the Mass- The Source and Summit of Christian Life” It’s very clear and ingaging and an inspiring, uplifting reflection of our communion with God.Highly recommended watching for all! Is available on You Tube at https://youtu.be/DRP2u6NkZeU
Next months mens fellowship will focus on the Birth of the Messiah and will meet at 7.30pm on Wednesday 4th December, in St John’s Presbytery. Plans for meetings in 2020 include great men of the Bible.

BOST Fanfare for Christmas: An evening of festive music, featuring well-loved traditional favourites and exciting new modern Christmas music. Tuesday 10th December at 7.30pm at St Anne’s church. Tickets £8 from St Anne’s.