SOPHOMORE SPIRITUALITY
September is the back to school month, and in the
names we have given to the different classes of students
is hidden a truth about our journey to God. Freshmen
are, of course, those who enter high school or college
for their first year; it is easy to see how the name
originated. This is likewise true with Seniors, who
are in their last year, as well as Juniors, who are
in the class beneath Seniors. But the remaining class
of students, those in their second year of studies,
has a name that isn't as easily understood: the Sophomores.
The name is a combination of two Greek words meaning
"wise fools." No doubt parents and teachers
of sophomores will nod in agreement with this definition.
Though it may sound like a joke, we are all called
to a Sophomore Spirituality. Everyone has a spirituality,
for spirituality is the lifestyle that flows out of
what we believe. It is more than prayer or certain
religious exercises, it is an entire way of thinking
and acting. If we believe that money is the most important
thing in this life, then our daily lives will reflect
that belief in countless ways. If we believe in God
and in the words of Jesus Christ, then our entire
life should express that belief. But why should we
as Christians have a sophomore, a "wise fool,"
spirituality? What is foolish about loving God and
living that love out in my daily life? St. Paul says
to us, "We are fools for Christ's sake, while
you are such sensible Christians" (1 Cor. 4:10).
Paul went on to list the hardships of his life and
ministry, telling how he tasted distress and disgrace,
how he was cursed and persecuted for his attempt to
live out his faith.
Are we sensible Christians or foolish ones? We may
appear foolish if we attempt to live out the teachings
of Jesus as a lifestyle. We may look foolish if we
believe in peace instead of war, if, for example,
we promote nuclear disarmament. We will likely be
counted as fools if we think that giving money to
someone in need is helping Christ. We risk being fools,
if we waste time daily on prayer, which most of the
world believes doesn't change anything. Most will
consider us fools if we trust more in God than in
our bank accounts or our clever plans for the future.
But in these and any other attempts to live out the
Gospel, we will be sophomores, wise fools.
Let us examine our daily lives to see if we are sensible
Christians or if, like St. Paul, we are sophomore
Christians.
COLLECTION
We acknowledge last Sunday’s collection of
£1823.00 Many thanks.
PRAYER GROUP
The contemplative prayer group will meet on Monday
evening at 8.15pm in the Parochial House. Newcomers
very welcome. This is an opportunity to experiment
with a new form of prayer, especially if you find
that your present methods are unsatisfactory.
DEATHS
We offer our deepest sympathy to the
family and friends of:
Michael Cassidy,
1 Owenreagh Pass
Kathleen Christy, 65 Laurel Drive.
May they rest in peace.
ANNIVERSARIES
Bessie Doherty, Maggie McCallion,
Hugh Duncan, John Gallagher,
Margaret Connolly, Denis Connolly Snr,
Sarah Richmond, Johnny Montague,
Danny McDaid, Sarah McAteer,
Seamus McLaughlin, Paddy McGillian,
Lily McCauley.
PRAY FOR PRIESTS
Last year the diocese published a prayer card with
the names of all the Derry diocesan priests. Many
of you have these cards and every day a specific priest
is named. This week we ask you to pray for:
Fr. Kieran Page CC, Ballymagroarty,
7th Sept.
Fr. Desmond Polke CC, Doneyloop, 8th Sept.
Fr. Michael Porter CC, Fahan, 9th Sept.
Fr. Anthony Quinn, Retired, 10th Sept.
Fr. William Rafferty, Retired, 11th Sept.
Fr. John Ryder, Retired, 12th Sept.
Fr. Gerard Sweeney CC, Killyclogher, 13th Sept.
PARISH DRAW
The Draw for the month of September will take place
on Thursday 18th September at 2.30pm in the parish
office. Promoters are asked to make their returns
to the parish office on Monday 15th September.
PARISH SAVINGS SCHEME
We have now reached the final 12 weeks of the Parish
Savings Scheme. As in previous years the Scheme is
going very well and we encourage all our savers to
continue their contributions and remind those who
have not saved for a while that they can start up
their savings at any time. We also thank our collectors
for their hard work. The Savings Scheme is vital for
offsetting any interest the parish owes to the bank
as well as being a very practical way of saving for
events at the end of the year. If you would like to
join the Scheme contact the parish office for the
name of the promoter in your area. We also remind
all our savers that they must have either a bank account,
building society account or credit union account so
that cheques can be lodged to their account at the
end of the year.
PAYMENTS BY CHEQUE
The Bank have reminded us that all payments made
to the parish by cheque (for Parish Savings, Parish
Draw, Sunday and Special Collections etc.) must be
made payable to Church of the Immaculate Conception.
NOTICES FOR PARISH
BULLETIN
In order to facilitate printing we ask that all notices
and anniversaries for the parish bulletin are either
given to the sacristan or left at the parish office
by Wednesday morning at the latest.
THORNHILL CENTRE
Interested in developing your faith a little more?
Thornhill Centre has a number of courses starting
soon. Prayer in daily life, Saint Paul Liturgy, Theology/Spirituality.
For further details contact the Centre on 02871351233.
PILGRIMAGE TO KNOCK
There will be a pilgrimage to Knock on Saturday 13th
September in honour of Our Lady of the Miraculous
Medal. Bus leaves Abercorn Square at 8.00am sharp.
Fare £12.00 or €15.00. Contact Mary Hegarty
15 Patrick Street, Tel. 02871882886 for details. Please
bring a packed lunch.
PADRE PIO WEEKEND TO
KNOCK
There will be a Padre Pio weekend to Knock on 20th
and 21st September. Contact Sean Mulrine, Derry, Tel.
02871265926 for details.
REJOICE
Derry Diocesan Youth Choir
'REJOICE' the new Diocesan Youth Choir founded in
May is now preparing for a new year of singing, worshipping
and performing. The choir is looking for new singers
and musicians (of all sorts) to join the ranks. Members
are to be aged 14-19 years old. The choir sings a
variety of sacred music from contemporary, folk and
Gospel, as well as traditional hymns and Irish repertoire.
If you'd like to be involved in the choir you are
invited to attend the initial gathering on:
Derry City - Monday 15th September
at 4pm in St. Mary's Creggan
Omagh - Tuesday 16th September at 4pm in Omagh Pastoral
Centre
Strabane - Monday 22nd September at 4pm in Holy Cross
College
Maghera - Tuesday 23rd September at 4pm in Maghera
Pastoral Centre
Contact rejoice@derrydiocese.org
or 71264087 for more information.
POPE JOHN PAUL 11 AWARD
If you ae aged 16-18 years old you are invited to
take part in the Pope John Paul 11 Award. This award
is for all young people who would like to get involved
in their local parish and community. There are 3 levels
to the award: gold, silver and bronze and successful
applicants are awarded with a medal and certificate.
This is a wonderful opportunity to get involved in
something new and worthwhile. Check out www.thepopejohnpauliiaward.com
or 71264087 for full details or to apply.
MARRIAGE PREPARATION
WORKSHOP
Marriage Preparation Workshop in the Thornhill Centre,
Culmore Road, Derry on Friday 26th September 2008
from 7.00pm to 10.00pm and Saturday 27th September
from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Booking forms available from
the Pastoral Centre, Bishop Street, Derry, telephone
028 71362475.
WORKSHOP ON MARRIAGE
Renew your Wedding Vows
Marriage Encounter is a weekend away (Friday 8.00pm
- Sunday 5.00pm) for married couples of all ages with
a stable relationship. Couples explore, in complete
privacy, how to come to a deeper mutual understanding
of each other. The dates for the next Marriage Encounter
Weekends are 26th-28th September Drummond Hotel, Ballykelly
10th-12th October Emmaus Conference Centre, Swords.
For information telephone 02871350612 or www.marriageencounter.
THE SAMARITANS
The Derry Branch of the Samaritans are holding Information
Evenings in September to recruit new volunteers. The
dates are as follows:
Tuesday 9th September, 16 Clarendon
Street, Derry.
Wednesday 10th September, The Orchard Inn, Letterkenny
Thursday 11th September, 16 Clarendon Street, Derry.
These evenings will begin at 7.30pm
and last approximately 1 hour, refreshments will also
be served.
NORTH WEST REGIONAL
COLLEGE
NW Regional College, Derry, Limavady and Strabane
is offering an exciting range of full-time and part-time
courses commencing this September. Places are still
available and enrolments are now open. Text nwrc to
86122, tel. 71276000 or visit www.nwrc.ac.uk
BALLYCOLMAN/LINKSIDE
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT GROUP
Hearing Aid Information Clinic at
339 Ballycolman/Linkside Community Development Strabane
25th September 10.00am - 12 noon
30th October 10.00am - 12 noon
27th November 10.00am - 12 noon
11th December 10.00am - 12 noon
Our volunteers will help you:
Clean and look after your hearing aid
Show you how to use your hearing aid and offer support
Tell you about other equipment available
Provide advice for you and your family
Provide batteries and tubing.
CEILI DANCING CLASSES
Ceili Dancing Classes will resume
in ‘The Den’ on Wednesday 10th September
from 8.30pm - 10.30pm. Admission £2.00. Everyone
welcome.
STRABANE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
Strabane Multiple Sclerosis presents
An Evening with Strabane Concert Brass in St. Patrick's
Hall on Friday 26th September starting at 8.00pm.
Tickets £8.00 or pay at door.
ST. PATRICK’S
HALL
Bingo and Lucky 4 Draw as usual this
Thursday.
All our patrons are very welcome.
LUCKY 4 DRAW
There were no match 3 winners in
last week's Lucky 4 Draw
The numbers drawn were:
6, 21, 22, 24
Next Week's Lucky 4 Jackpot is £2475.00
BALLROOM DANCING CLASSES
There will be Ballroom Dancing Classes
in St. Patrick's Hall on Thursday evenings from 7.30pm
- 9.00pm. Everyone welcome.
ST. PATRICK'S HALL
THEATRE GROUP
The production for 2008 is West Side Story. One of
the greatest musicals ever with songs including Maria,
Tonight, Somewhere, I Feel Pretty and America. The
modern day version of Romeo and Juliet set in New
York's West Side involving two gangs, the native Jets
and the Sharks from Puerto Rico. The story has very
relevant racial tensions contemporary to all cities
and towns throughout the world today.
AUDITIONS! AUDITIONS! AUDITIONS!
Auditions will take place in St. Patrick's
Hall :
Sunday 7th September at 2.00pm for
adults (18 years +).
Saturday 13th September at 1.30pm for all aged 14
- 17 years.
Call backs on Sunday 14th September
at 2.00pm
N.I. BLOOD TRANSFUSION
SERVICE
A team from the N.I. Blood Transfusion Service will
be in St. Patrick's Hall on Wednesday 24th September
from 1.30pm - 4.00pm and 5.15pm - 8.00pm. The Blood
Transfusion Service would appeal for the support of
all existing blood donors and welcome new donors.
PRAYER CORNER
ACCEPTANCE
'' How can I change myself?"
''You are yourself - so you can no
more change yourself that you can walk away from your
feet.''
''Is there nothing I can do then?"
"You can understand and accept
this."
"How will I change if I accept
myself?"
"How will you change if you don't?
What you don't accept you do not change, you merely
manage to repress."
*************************
REACHING OUT AND REACHING IN
With every creature, Meister Eckhart
says,
according to the nobility of it nature,
the more it indwells in itself, the more it gives
itself out. A metaphor may clarify his meaning.
Imagine some object, a book,
leaning out over the edge of a table.
There comes a moment when it will overbalance
if it leans any further.
Its reaching out must be balanced by its reaching
in.
If I have only a shallow inreach -
interiority - in my life, then my outreach to others
will be full of hazards.
The way to reach further out is to reach further in.
If I am reluctant to live from the full interiority
of my spirit, then I will have little to bring to
others,
no matter how much I involve myself in their lives.
While, on the other hand, there are people who can
enter another's life for half-an-hour and leave it
transformed.
I think of these people as having
some of the depth and power that Jesus had.
This human experience of inreach and outreach is a
chink through which we can glimpse the mystery of
God's life.
It is because God has fathomless inner life
that God can reach so far out in creation.
All creatures, then, have a double
depth.
Their being shows God's outreach to us,
and we feel the fascination of this.
But creatures also manifest God's inner life,
and this should fascinate us no less.
*************************
DON'T BE CLEVER!
Here is a tale the Master told a philosopher
who demanded to know why cleverness was an obstacle
to enlightenment.
There were only three passengers
in the plane - Big Brain, a Boy Scout
and a Bishop. The plane developed
engine trouble and the pilot
announced he was bailing out;
there were only three parachutes
and he was taking one. The others
would have to decide which of them
was going to be saved. The Big Brain
said, ''Since I am necessary
to the country I take it for granted
that I should have a parachute.''
So he grabbed one and jumped out.
The Bishop looked at the Boy Scout
and said, ''Son, I have lived a long time
so I think it fitting that you should have
the remaining parachute. I am ready to die.''
''That won't be necessary, Bishop,''
said the Boy Scout. ''There are two
parachutes here. Big Brain just jumped
with my haversack.''
Added the Master, ''Cleverness ordinarily
leaves no room for awareness.''
*************************
THE DIFFICULTY OF HAVING POWER
Jesus, by washing the disciples feet,
is saying something about the distinction so common
in humanity and throughout the history of humanity
between master and slave,
between those in power and the powerless,
between superiors and inferiors.
In many cultures, slaves did all the really difficult,
strenuous, hard manual labour,
and were forced to work horribly long hours.
They were the ones who built the pyramids
and the palaces of the emperors.
They were the ones on whose shoulders
industrial societies depended, as they worked in inhuman
conditions and for a pittance.
Then, as now, immigrants in Europe did the work that
others refused, just as factory workers in the South
provide designer-label products for consumers in the
North.
Jesus came to make things new.
For Jesus, each person is precious,
each one is loved by God,
each is called to become the 'home' of God;
each has a gift to bring to others,
each one should be deeply respected.
