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A word from Fr Joe and Fr Jonathan
This week saw a big change in our parish as Fr Laurent moved to the cathedral in Paisley and we welcome to St John’s our new priest, Fr Jonathan Whitworth. Please keep Fr Laurent and Fr Jonathan in your prayers. I know you will give our new priest a true Barrhead welcome!! Fr Joe. I am absolutely delighted to be joining the great family of St. John’s, and am looking forward to getting to know you and serve you! After the wonderful example of priesthood shown by Fr Laurent, I certainly have big shoes to fill. Let us keep one another in prayer. Fr Jonathan. Reflection on this Sunday’s Scripture Being fed by our God who loves us The Gospel passage this Sunday recounts one of the most famous miracles performed by Jesus: the feeding of five thousand people from a simple small packed lunch! The passage, however, is about much more than a mere multiplication of food. To fully appreciate this miracle we have to look at this weekend’s scriptures as a whole. The first reading from the prophet Isaiah gives us God’s own words addressed to the old testament people who are living in Babylon, in exile from their own land. Through the prophet, God invites the people to come to Him, to be fed and nourished by Him. We are given the image of a sumptuous banquet which is a sign of the bountiful and generous nature of our God the host. To share in this, all the people have to do is come to Him with open hearts. These words from the prophet Isaiah would have meant SO much to the people in exile—God still loves them and still cares about them! When we then look at the Gospel, it begins with the people saddened by the murder of John the Baptist, coming to Jesus. They are in need of guidance, answers, direction and solace and so they leave their homes and towns and normal everyday lives behind them to go after Jesus. They are coming to God, reaching out to Him. And what Happens? He feeds them first with His words and teachings and then with food to nourish them spiritually and physically. And so to us. Whenever we go to the Lord in prayer-whether at Mass or in our homes- we are exactly like those people. For a short period of time we leave behind our normal lives, sometimes even our homes to meet the Lord, to spend time with Him. Leaving the normal routine behind, we reach out to God, we come to Him in humility and in our need. And what does He do? He nourishes us and feeds us just as He did with the crowd of five thousand or the exiles in Babylon. With His words and with His own body and blood received in Holy Communion, He feeds and strengthens us, telling us we are not alone, that He loves us and cares for us! This is truly wonderful for us to hear! And so we thank Him for His goodness and His kindness. Remember, all we have to do is truly come to Him, truly want Him. He will do the rest. He loves us, He loves you! Prayers Requested Let us pray for all those who have requested our prayers—the Sick, the Dying and also: Terry Conway, Linda Bisland and Stephen McCartney who died recently The month mind of Jim McCaffrey And the anniversaries of Margaret Carroll, James Devenney (Jnr), Nacy Goldie, James Goldie, Malcolm and Molly Ross, Catherine Mclaughlin, Robert McHale, Margaret Mooney, Thomas Donegan, Aldo Ridolfi, May McMaster May all the faithful departed rest in peace in the arms of the Lord. Amen. Lord, hear us. Funerals this week Terry Conway Requiem Tuesday at 10am
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