THE JAIL OF IMPATIENCE

Impatience imprisons. City and county jails are places of temporary detention. A victim of impatience is tossed temporarily into the "slammer." The term "slammer" seems to have come from the sound of the iron prison gates being slammed shut behind incoming criminals. It's an appropriate image for impatience, since those suffering from it are itching to release their pent-up anger by slamming doors, plates or people.

While impatience can happen to us anywhere, surprisingly it is frequently a domestic, home-grown affliction. Parents with small children and teenagers know the feeling of being taken hostage by impatience. At the other end of life, caring for an aged family member can also cause us to lose our patience. We have learned to be polite when dealing with the public, fellow workers and strangers, and so expressions of impatience are usually muzzled in social situations. But we can easily be jailed by impatience, when we are in a hurry and find ourselves stalled in a traffic jam. That cramped, cell-like feeling can also seize us when we are forced to wait in a long checkout line or when we're placed on seemingly indefinite "hold'' by some company's automatic telephone service. Impatience can take us hostage and can be a source of irritation while we are shopping, travelling, at work or at home.

Impatience most often results from feeling ''out of control.'' On the home front, it might happen when we're faced with the unending demands for attention by small children, the erratic behaviour of teenagers and the constant complaints of aged people. Away from home, rush hour motorway gridlock, long waits at the doctor's surgery, slow service at a restaurant and failure of co-workers to do their assigned tasks are painful for anyone with a particular need to be "in charge" of life's events. A clear indicator of one's degree of both maturity and personal freedom is the ability to let go of having to control life and of scheming to make things happen. Free people, while they plan and organise, are able to let go of their day's agenda and can just let life happen. Those who are free can float with the unexpected and uncontrollable, and are even able to creatively find blessings hidden in such times.

Old age often recycles childhood, and the elderly can once again find it difficult to wait calmly, even becoming irritable complainers. The infirm and sick can be impatient with their bodies, which no longer can do what they once did. Regardless of our age or state of life, we are challenged to keep learning the art of patience.

DEATHS

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

Kathleen Walters, Alexander Place.

May she rest in peace.

ANNIVERSARIES

Charles Elliott Jnr, Gregory Kearney

Sean McNamee, Annie Conaghan

PRAYER GROUP

The contemplative prayer group will meet on Monday 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.

PRAY FOR PRIESTS

This week we ask you to pray for:

Fr. Christopher Ferguson CC, Waterside, 27 June
Fr. John P Forbes PP, Gortin, 28 June
Fr. Edward Gallagher CC, Limavady, 29 June
Fr. John Gallagher, Florida, 30 June
Fr. John Gilmore PP, Aghyaran, 1 July
Fr. Joseph Gormley CC, Dungiven, 2 July
Fr. Eamon Graham PP, Banagher, 3 July

ACCORD DERRY
Marriage Preparation Workshops 24/25 September and 22/23 October at Thornhill Centre Culmore Road, Derry. Friday 6.45pm - 10.00pm and Saturday 10.00am - 4.00pm. To book a place on any of these courses please contact Rosemary on 02871362475 Monday - Thursday 9.30am - 1.30pm.

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.

SICK AND HOUSEBOUND TO BE ATTENDED

Fr. Boland will visit the sick and housebound in the following areas on Thursday 1 July after 10.00am Mass: Courtrai Park, Barrack Street, Lower Townsend Terrace, Mount Carmel Heights, Springhill Park, Mill Street, Newtownkennedy Street, Lower Main Street, Glenview Park, Church View, Patrick Street and Tristan Road.

Fr. Boland will visit the sick and housebound in the following areas on Friday 2 July after 10.00am Mass: Bearney Road, Camus Road, Conthem Road, Upper Townsend Street, Townsend Terrace, Marian Park, Fountain Street and Innisfree Gardens.

PARISH DRAW

The winners of the Draw for the month of June are:

£1000.00 Claire McColgan 677
Promoter Fr. Boland
£300.00 Maura Coyle 123
Promoter Maura Coyle
£200.00 Eamon McGonagle 209
Promoter Sheila McGonagle
£100.00 Rosaleen Duggan 827
Promoter Mary Christy
£100.00 Patricia Devenney 910
Promoter Eileen Canning
£100.00 Fidelma Hassan 288
Promoter Sheila McGonagle
100.00 Marion O'Goan 352
Promoter E. McNulty & M. Cooke
£100.00 Pauline Kelly 262
Promoter Fr. Boland

CARMELITE RETREAT CENTRE

A Mass for the sick with Eucharistic Blessing will take place in the Carmelite Retreat Centre, Termonbacca, Derry, on Tuesday 29 June at 8.00pm. All are welcome to attend.

Carmelite Pilgrimage to Knock, Sunday 18 July. Coach leaves Termonbacca at 7.30am with a pick up point at Melmount Centre at 8.00am. Returning to Derry at approx. 11.00pm. Return coach, snack on the way down and four course evening meal. Fare £35.00stg or €40.00Euro. For further information, telephone Termonbacca, at Derry 71262512 during office hours only.

LOURDES 2010
The next (final) meeting of the Lourdes Group will take place in
'The Den' on Wednesday 30 June at 7.30pm.

CHILDREN IN CROSSFIRE
Children in Crossfire are recruiting 20 runners for the Barcelona Half Marathon on the 13 February 2011. For more information, please contact Sarah on 71269898 or email events@childrenincrossfire.org

RALLY FOR LIFE
A bus taking people to the Rally for Life in Belfast will leave from the Melmount Centre on Saturday 3 July at 8.45am. There will be Mass in St. Patrick’s Church, Belfast. For further details contact 71882048.

TASTER EVENING
Craft Training will be holding an open evening on Monday 5 July from 6.00pm till 9.00pm, Mopack Business Complex, Ballycolman Road, Strabane. You are invited to come and have a look around our custom built workshops and offices. You will have the opportunity to try out some of our practical skills e.g. joinery, bricklaying, plastering or painting and have the chance to talk to some of our current trainees. Please feel free to bring along your parent, guardian or friends.

NORTH WEST REGIONAL COLLEGE
North West Regional College at Strabane, Derry, and Limavady is now offering an exciting range of part-time courses, commencing in September. A number of new courses will be offered this year in a range of subject areas. For a copy of the new Part-Time Prospectus contact the College on 02871276000 or email info@nwrc.ac.uk

ST. PATRICK'S LUNCHEON CLUB
St. Patrick's Luncheon Club are having a Social/Dance on Monday 28 June in St. Patrick's Hall. Music is by Country Features. Doors open at 9.00pm. Admission £5.00/€6.00 (includes a light supper).

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 winners in last week's Draw
The numbers drawn were:

1, 2, 16, 17

Next Week's Lucky 4 Jackpot is £2350.00

PRAYER CORNER

PSALM FOR PRAYING

The Beloved is our refuge and our strength,
a loving Presence in times of trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though
the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the
heart of the sea;
Though it's waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble
with its tumult.

There is a river whose streams
make glad the Holy City,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
The Beloved is in the midst of it,
it shall not be moved;
Our loving Creator is an
ever-present help.
The nations may be at war,
countries left in ruins,
yet is the Voice of the Almighty heard,
melting hearts of stone.
The Beloved is with us,
the infinite Heart of Love.

Come, behold the works of the Beloved,
how love does reign even in
humanity's desolation.
For the Beloved makes wars to cease,
breaking through the barriers of fear,
shattering the greedy and oppressors,
refining hearts of iron!

"Be still and know that I am Love.
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth"
The One who knows all hearts is with us;
The Beloved is our refuge and our strength.

***************
"Anger is an acid,'' the proverb teaches, "that can do more harm to the vessel in which it stands that to anything on which it's poured.'' What we are fuming about outside is eating us away inside. What, if anything, is worth the loss of the gentle spirit when what is being corroded is our own well-being?