Cluster News

6/7 March

Dear parishioner,

God gave Moses the Ten Commandments almost all of which are couched in the negative “Thou shalt Not...” All spiritual progress begins with our readiness to say no, particularly to all that stops us getting closer to our God.

Lent is above all the season of self-denial. May we have the courage to say no to all that stands in the way of getting closer to our God, the God of love.

Fr. Alex

Weekend Liturgy:

Third Sunday of Lent B

Children's Liturgy:

Third Sunday of Lent B

St Gregory's

Phone: 07401 071 732

St John Vianney's

Phone: 07898 170 282

St Catherine's

Phone: 07869 473 068

All phones lines are closed for booking inquiries but we will continue to monitor them.

For details of how you can donate to help the work of the three conferences in the cluster, or if you need help from them, please go to this page .

Remembering the loved ones we have lost during the pandemic

This past year with Covid-19 restrictions has been both unusual and difficult for all of us, but especially so for those who have lost a loved one during this time. Attendance at funerals has been strictly limited and in our parish communities we have not been able to support a bereaved person in the natural way we usually would, through visits or simply a friendly chat after Mass over a cup of coffee.

Therefore, we are planning to set up a remembrance page on our Cluster website. If you have lost a loved one during the pandemic and wish them to be included on this remembrance page, we invite you to email us with the following details:

a photograph
name
year of birth and death (2020 or 2021)
a short tribute of up to 60 words.

The Cluster Bereavement Group offer help to anyone who has been bereaved. Until restrictions are lifted and home visits can resume, they are happy to phone anyone who needs support. If you would like one of the Group to get in touch, please email either:
Jacinta at awaywiththeangels@yahoo.co.uk or phone 0131 664 5581 or

Mary at thomson.clan@blueyonder.co.uk or phone 07801 271 860

Fair Trade Festival: 22 Feb - 7 Mar

Fairtrade Fortnight comes to an end on Sunday but our support of fairer systems continues throughout the year. Click on the picture.

This week's recipes from Fr Alex:

Filo Pie and Nutty Crumble

Cluster Challenge for Week 3 in Lent

How good are you at being a Fairtrade Detective? Become a Fair Trade Finder and help build up a list of shops, cafés and restaurants that sell Fairtrade goods in Scotland.

No 58 was the winning number for the 200 Club draw in February. But you have to be in it to win it! Contact Ann Callaghan or Jacinta Flockhart.

Hymn of the Week: O the love

of my Lord is the essence

The Light of the World by William Holman Hunt

Our series of Lenten Sessions continues on Monday evenings at 7.30. Email cluster.alpha@outlook.com. It's never too late to join in - see you there!

From 1st March, the cafe is open on Mondays & Wednesdays from 10am to 2pm for takeaways & ‘drive-thru’ selling soup, hot rolls, cake, hot & cold drinks. (Order & pay at the front door & pick up your order in the car park.)

We are a Fairtrade cafe and there are a selection of Fairtrade items available to buy from the cafe.

For more information, check out our Facebook page or email kirkgatecafe@libertonkirk.net

Views from the pews

A massive well done to the cluster newsletter team for putting together our newsletters every week and in such an engaging way. Apart from everything else that’s in it, I was very impressed this week with the lovely incorporation of the Fairtrade theme for FTF. Brilliant work! Suzanne Blair

God's foolishness is wiser... God's weakness is stronger...

It’s the third Sunday of Lent and the initial motivation of giving up or taking on a new habit has passed. It is getting more of an effort not to have that glass of wine and the hour I have set aside to be still, has, I confess, been whittled down. Such small sacrifices. It is perhaps, because of this, that the second reading made an impact on me this week. It ends “for God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” What does it mean?

See: No one could fail to be moved by the sight of Ahmed Rageeb a blind 9 year old Yemeni child who teaches his classmates. His love and joy shine out against odds that are unimaginable to us in this country. His actions spread out and are seen in the eyes of his students. We see this and we also see their surrounds – the bombed schools, the starving families, the parents who are grief stricken at their children’s deaths. We see our country’s complicity in this place of war and our decision to continue selling arms and cut aid.

Reflect: As Christians we follow a crucified Christ who did not resist his murder at the hands of men. If we believe that God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom what does this mean for us today? How do we react to the human wisdom of selling arms that will kill? Can we see Christ in that? Is God’s foolishness based on economy and profit or is it based on love of all and self-sacrifice?

Act: We can make sure this is not done in our name – write to your MP. Many of our actions be it on climate disruption, Palestine or food poverty are well begun by a letter to our MP. They are our mouthpieces. The cut to Yemen, comes as a result of our aid budget cut which was set at 0.7% of our GDP and is now set at 0.5%. This in fact means it was reduced twice, it suffered due to our GDP going down and it was further cut by the government. We can donate to the DEC. We can find out more about our actions in the world. We can pray and join one of the groups in the cluster.

Free book tokens and

Sacramental Preparation

We were delighted to hear the announcement on Tuesday that our P4-P7 pupils will return to school on the 15th March, we are looking forward to seeing them all. It will be great to have all our pupils back for a few weeks before the Easter Holidays and we are very much looking forward to a great final term with all our pupils.

On Thursday at school we celebrated World Book Day at school. Many pupils and staff came to school dressed up as a book character. It was a fun day where we got the opportunity to appreciate a love of reading and books. Pupils received a book day token which they can swap for a book at most supermarkets. The tokens are valid until the 28th March. Our P4-7 pupils will receive their tokens on the 15th March.

Sacramental Preparation started this week for our P3 pupils who will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Our P4 and P7 pupils will begin theirs once they return. If you have not received an email from the school about this then please get in touch with the school at the contacts below.

Contact for the School Office: 0131 6641742 or admin@st-johnvianney.edin.sch.uk

Kids returning (Yes!) and

Road Works notice

With the great news that the schools are coming back still ringing our school ears, what is deafening is the collective cheers and sighs of relief from families all over Scotland who have endured so much in these last few months. Thank you all. It’s great to be able to try to focus on more ‘normal’ things this week. You may have seen some road works and road closures happening outside the school. This (we have been told) is partly fibreoptic works but also preparation for electronic bollards which will close the school through road during peak pupil times. More information on this will follow when the works are completed. Can’t wait to see you all in a physical guise soon, we hope. Take care and stay safe everyone.

Paul

Contact details:

0131 664 4257

admin@st-catherines.edin.sch.uk

You are held in prayer

Please remember in your prayers those who are sick:

Helen McCann, Bridie Hand,

Annie Calvey, Anne Doig,

Sr May Lewis, Eileen Kelly,

Jessie and George Ritchie,

John Skinner, John McGinley,

Fr Eugen, Evelyn Levine,

James Duffy, Ronan Boyle,

Hazel Martin, Paul Brennan,

Maureen Phillips, Mary Boyle,

Mary Dias, Catriona McAuley,

Elaine Hepburn, Lorraine,

Marie, Sophie,

Roney Fernandes, Christopher Browne,

Xaverina Rodrigues, Anne and Helen,

Sacred Heart sisters in Avigliana, Italy

and Algorta, Spain.

I am the Resurrection and the Life

We remember in love:

Those who have died recently

Sister Moira Donnelly,

Sid Hallford,

Margaret Martin,

Edith Fallon.

Anniversaries

Saja Thomas, Nancy McCabe,

Mary Agnes Ross, Charles Brehery,

Alexander McHardy, Ellen Curran,

George Murray, Anne O’Conner,

James McGuckian, Michael Boyle,

Lucy Black, Thomas Malone,

Louis Stachini, Jane Smith,

Molly Donlevy, Manus Ferry,

Agnes Simpson, James O’Connor,

James Laidlaw.

For those without internet access

If you know a parishioner without internet access please tell them about our podcast. For the cost of a local call, 0131 357 6463 they can hear our Lockdown Liturgy (available on Sunday).

United in prayer: Tues 2.45 & Weds 7pm
Our Prayer Foundation invite us all to join in 30 min of silent prayer. For an example of an opening prayer see here.

For prayer requests email clare.roller@icloud.com

South Edinburgh Foodbank

The relevant food bank for the cluster is: 47 Southhouse Broadway EH17 8AS

Phone number 664 9353
Email edinburghfoodbank@blythswood.org

Tinned Carrots,

1ltr of any diluting juice,

Multi packs of crisps

Also thanks to a parishioner for a cash donation.

Entitlements Page

There are many benefits and grants to which people are entitled but often they are not aware of these. Please let us know of others you have come across.

Click on the picture to go there.

Scottish Child Payment: £10 a week paid monthly for each child under 6.

If anyone would like to give a gift then there are three ways this can be done:

Use Online Banking:

Account name - R.Arch of St A St Cath 2

Account Number - 00693806

Sort Code - 80 02 73

Reference - Father Fallon

Use a special collection offertory envelope and leave in collection box - marked, Father Fallon
Use any envelope and leave in collection box - marked, Father Fallon
If none of these are suitable for you then please contact Fred McConnell - fredmcconnell@btinternet.com or 07901 964 100 for alternatives.

Please make sure that it is clearly marked, Father Fallon.

This poem “Esperanza (Hope)” by Alexis Valdes comes at the end of the book “Let Us Deam" by Pope Francis.

When the storm has passed

and the roads are tamed

and we are the survivors

of a collective shipwreck

With tearful heart

And our destiny blessed

we will feel joy

simply for being alive.

And we’ll give a hug

to the first stranger

and praise our good luck

that we kept a friend.

And then we’ll remember

all that we lost

and finally learn

everything we never learned.

And we’ll envy no one

for all of us have suffered

and we’ll not be idle

but more compassionate.

We’ll value more what belongs to all

than what we earned.

We’ll be more generous

and much more committed.

We’ll understand how fragile

it is to be alive.

We’ll sweat empathy

for those still with us and those who are gone.

We’ll miss the old man

who asked for a buck in the market

whose name we never knew

who was always at your side.

And maybe the poor old man

was your God in disguise.

But you never asked his name

because you never had the time.

And all will become a miracle.

And all will become a legacy.

And we’ll respect the life,

the life we have gained.

When the storm passes

I ask you Lord, in shame

that you return us better,

as you once dreamed us.

Pope Francis addresses clergy in Baghdad Cathedral

Click to enlarge