Prayer for Vocations.

God of life, you speak to us and nourish us through the life of our Church community.  In the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we ask you to send your Spirit so that men and women among us will respond to your call to service and leadership in our Church, as priests, deacons, brothers and sisters.  May those who open their hearts and minds to this call be encouraged and strengthened through our enthusiasm and support.  We make this prayer through Jesus, your Son.  Amen

No  Hands  But  Yours

 
 
Christ has no body here on earth but yours;

No hands but yours, no feet but yours;

Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion looks out on the world;

Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good;

And yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now.
 
These well-known words of Teresa of Avila give us a taste of how we can make Jesus present to others as we go about our daily lives.  We are called to treat everyone whom we meet with the same love and compassion Jesus did - including those whom we find difficult, those who are alienated or deprived, and those most in need of a kind word or deed. 

That is what Jesus did. 
 
In today’s gospel we hear the very last words of Jesus before he is taken up into heaven:  ‘Go out to the whole world.  Proclaim the Good News to all creation.’  With these words he hands over the responsibility for his mission to his disciples. 
 
There is an immediacy to his instruction, and we don’t get the impression that the disciples hung around for any length of time. 

Even as Jesus took his place at the right hand of God, the disciples are already going out, preaching and performing signs.  Jesus could no longer be there, and he needed someone to carry on his work of spreading the Good News.  The hand-over was instant, and the task urgent. 

It is just as urgent for us today.

Intercom  

 50th International Eucharistic Congress

Dublin - 10th  -  17th June

You can book to attend the Congress for 7 days, 3 days or 1 day.  For more information see www.iec2012.ie  Join the many thousands from home and abroad and be part of this momentous occasion in Ireland in 2012.
 
2 main venues: RDS and Croke Park.

25,000 participants expected each day.

12,000 international pilgrims from 5 continents.

Upwards of 3,000 volunteers of all ages.

80,000 expected in Croke Park for the closing ceremony

100 exhibition stands,  150 workshops and discussion groups.

1 immense opportunity of renewal for us all.

1 Lord - 1 Faith - 1 Baptism.

INTERNET BROADCASTING. Mass and other services will be broadcast each day over the Internet. The operator of the system is Fr. Paul Byrne, P.P., Parochial House, Coalisland, 028 8774 0221, to whom queries should be referred.