A saint is another name for an escaped prisoner. Multi-millionaires and billionaires are products of a lifestyle revolving around the core belief that money is the most important thing in life. When lived with passion and dedication that belief often produces a very wealthy person. A saint is the product of a lifestyle lived with passion around a core belief in the Enchanted Kin/Kingdom of God. Saint is one of those words that sticks in our throats. Most people would be too embarrassed to designate sainthood as their destination in life. Yet Leon Bloy, a French author of the twentieth century, said, "The greatest sadness is not to become a saint." The purpose of any spirituality is to create a saint, a Godlike person, one who is holy. Indeed, God, in the book of Leviticus, commands us to be holy as God is holy.

As with prayer, becoming a saint is not an option. Holiness is not some elite state reserved for a select few. Because it has a long history of being identified with renunciation of this world, of marriage and sexual love, holiness usually feels out of reach for the ordinary layman or woman. If you question this statement, scan the list of the saints of the church and you will find it almost exclusively composed of religious men and women who have taken vows impossible for the married layperson. The root of the Hebrew word for "holy" means set apart or separate. It is used to describe God as well as those places, persons and things that have been set apart, dedicated to God. The "Holy" signifies that which is tremendous, fearful and absolutely other than created reality – and thus unattainable by normal humans.

The work of holiness is acting in a Godlike way. Indeed, that sounds totally out of reach – or at least like a long and difficult process.

Saints are those who open themselves fully to the Divine Reality and then fill every task with all of themselves. Saints strive to enjoy – to have fun – doing everything. Saints do everything with passion. Ultimately, saints are escaped prisoners freed from a whole range of vain and shallow pursuits, from greed, gluttony self-preoccupation, idle chatter, busyness and even the need to be useful. Saints are freed to live the abundant, fruitful, enchanting life of the Kingdom of God.

Perhaps a lifestyle of the Gospel of God requires only the courage to organise our daily life around the belief that the Time of God has arrived at our doorstep. A liberation spirituality not only promotes an attitude of ceaseless prayer, it may also carefully cultivate organised times and forms of prayer till they become more and more frequent, if not ceaseless. By such daily structured times of prayer and spiritual nourishment, we can evolve into holiness; we can grow naturally towards a fully developed prayer life. In any case, holiness is not a supernatural state, it is a natural state of everyone created by the Holy One.

DEATHS

We offer our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of:

Tommy Porter, Sion Mills.

Austin Rouse, Lower Main Street

May they rest in peace.

ANNIVERSARIES

Leo Boggs, William Kearney,

Joseph Baldrick, Cecil Patterson,

Leo McGarrigle, John Allen,

Sr. Monica O'Kane, Edward O'Brien,

Jenny Gallagher, Frances McGillian, Bertie McCosker

PRAY FOR PRIESTS

This week we ask you to pray for:

Fr. John McDevitt CC, Omagh, 25 July
Fr. Michael McEldowney, 26 July
Fr. Kevin McElhennon CC, Cappagh, 27 July
Fr. Brendan McGinn, Deceased, 28 July
Fr. Dermott McGirr CC, The Three Patrons, 29 July
Fr. James McGlinchey, Retired, 30 July
Fr. Brian McGoldrick PP, Doneyloop, 31 July

PADRE PIO MASS

Please Note: There will be no Padre Pio Mass during the month of August.

LEGION OF MARY
Legion of Mary meets each Thursday morning after Mass at 10.30am in the Church Conference Room. Work consists of Rosary promotion in the parish, also visitation of residential nursing homes in Strabane. New members welcome.

PARISH DRAW

The winners of the July Draw are:

£1000.00 Eileen Casey 480
Promoter Fr. Boland
£300.00 Gabriel & Josephine Dolan 243
Promoter Anne Mullen
£200.00 Susan Doherty 475
Promoter Maisie Boggs
£100.00 Seamus Dunne 658
Promoter Patricia McCrossan
£100.00 Bridgeen Devine 897
Promoter Mary Christy
£100.00 Sean McNulty 464
Promoter Maisie Boggs
£100.00 Teresa Clarke 109
Promoter Maura Coyle
£100.00 Paul McMullen 748
Promoter Pat McColgan

The winners of the August Draw are:

£1000.00 Coleen Kelly 353
Promoter E. McNulty & M. Cooke
£300.00 Adrian Kennedy 992
Promoter Eileen Canning
£200.00 Celine & Stim Hughes 784
Promoter Kathleen Morris
£100.00 Judy Doherty 680
Promoter Doreen Diver
£100.00 Jackie Hunt 570
Promoter Kathleen Kelly
£100.00 Roisin Murphy 1021
Promoter Sr. Carmel
£100.00 Mary Bonner 999
Promoter Eileen Canning
£100.00 Sean Devine 640
Promoter Maisie Boggs

THANK YOU

We gratefully acknowledge the proceeds from the

Ceili which was held in St. Patrick's Hall last Friday evening.

RUMMAGE

Rummage Charity Shop urgently requires donations of good quality clothes, clothes for recycling, furniture, unwanted gifts and bric-a-brac. All proceeds from donations go towards the care and support of older people in Strabane. Rummage is a charity shop of Strabane Community Project - providing Luncheon Club, Meals on Wheels, and Good Morning service. For more information or to arrange a collection telephone 02871 883102.

FREE HEARING AID SUPPORT SESSIONS

Do you wear a hearing aid or know someone who does? RNID is running a free monthly hearing aid support session in St. Patrick’s Hall, Barrack Street, Strabane. It will be held on the last Thursday of every month from 1.00pm – 2.30pm. If you’re having trouble with your hearing aid, or need new batteries, or just need some advice, come along and talk to a trained RNID volunteer. They'll be glad to help.

PARISH BULLETIN

There will be no parish bulletin until September.

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.

PAYMENTS BY CHEQUE
The Bank have reminded us that all payments made to the parish by cheque (for Parish Draw, Sunday and Special Collections, etc.) must be made payable to Church of the Immaculate Conception.

PLEASE NOTE: All payments for St. Patrick's Hall should also be made payable to Church of the Immaculate Conception.

LIAM BRADLEY TOURS
Galway 14 September, Dublin 27 September. Four days for £225.00 pps. Telephone 71269109 anytime. Departs Abercorn Square at 9.20am.

ST. PATRICK’S HALL

Bingo and Lucky 4 Draw as usual this Thursday.
All our patrons are very welcome.

LUCKY 4 DRAW

There were 3 Match 3 Winners in last week's Draw

Agnes McCrea
Rose Gallagher
M. Hannigan

The numbers drawn were:

2, 3, 6, 11

Next Week's Lucky 4 Jackpot is £550.00

N.I. BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICE
A team from the N.I. Blood Transfusion Service will be in St. Patrick's Hall on Wednesday 28 July 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

I AM A SEEKER

Father,
I am a seeker,
I am often unsure,
I need your guidance,
I need your presence,
I need your love.

Father,
Give me joy in my journey,
Give me wonder on the way,
Give me your grace to guide,
Give me sureness in seeking,
Lead me to you.

Father,
Let your eye watch over me,
Let your hand guide me,
Let your presence protect me,
Until I come to rest before you,
Until I come at last before your face.

***************

PRAYER OF AN EXPECTANT MOTHER

God our Father, as you are giving me the
blessing of bringing an infant into the
world and knowing that as Creator of all life
it is more truly more yours than mine, I ask you to
help me to fulfil all my maternal duties.

O Lord Jesus Christ, look upon this unborn
little one that lies close to my heart. Grant
that this baby may one day become a member
of the Church through the sacrament of Baptism.

Holy Spirit, sanctify us, father, mother and the baby.
Holy Mary, Mother of God nourish us with your
love and protection always.

Dear St. Joseph, watch over our baby as you
watched over Jesus.
Holy angel of our little child, pray for us.

Amen.

***************
RELIGION

In Belfast, Ireland, a Catholic priest, a Protestant minister, and a Jewish rabbi were engaged in a heated theological discussion. Suddenly an Angel appeared in their midst and said to them, "God sends you His blessings. Make one wish for Peace and your wish will be fulfilled by the Almighty."
The minister said, "Let every Catholic disappear from our lovely island. Then peace will reign supreme.''
The priest said, "Let there not be a single Protestant left on our sacred Irish soil. That will bring peace to this island."
"And what about you, Rabbi?" said the Angel. "Do you have no wish of your own?"
"No,'' said the rabbi. "Just attend to the wishes of these two gentlemen and I shall be well pleased.''

Little boy: "Are you a Presbyterian?"

Little girl: "No. We belong to a different abomination."

***************

MAKING CONCLUSIONS

A little old Jewish lady sits down in a plane next to a big Swede and keeps staring at him. Finally she turns to him and says, "Pardon me, are you Jewish?"
He says, "No."
A few minutes later she turns to him again and says, "You can tell me, you know – you are Jewish, aren't you?"
He says, "Most certainly not."
She keeps studying him for some minutes, then says again,
"I can tell you are Jewish."
In order to get rid of the annoyance, the man says, "Okay, so I'm Jewish!"
She looks at him again, shakes her head, and says, "You certainly don't look it."

We first make our conclusions – then find some way to arrive at them.