Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham Registered Charity No 234216 Latest on Church Repairs Work on the Repository ceiling and broken slates to begin soon. ACTA Gavin Da Costa is speaking at the University chaplaincy on Sunday 22nd at 3.00 speaking on the Family in preparation for the Synod later this year in Rome. John the Evangelist & St Martin de Porres St 31 George Street, Balsall Heath, Birmingham B12 9RG 0121 440 3025 Parish Priest: Fr Dominic Innamorati SCJ Mass Time Feb 2015 Michael McKearney Readings Cycle Sun B. Weekdays 2. Fifth Sunday of the Year Sat 7 10.00 Feria Parish Sun 8 10.00 Fifth Sunday of the Year Eileen Drugan Mon 9 9.30 Feria Rita and Brian Taylor Tue 10 9.30 St Scholastica at St Martins Mandy Whitaker Wed 11 9.30 Feria Dennis Duell Thu 12 9.15 Feria at Ss John & Monica Mrs Qhereshi Fri 13 9.30 Feria Margaret Bodkin Sat 14 Sun 15 10.00 Ss Cyril and Methodius Parish 10.00 Sixth Sunday of the Year Mary McNiece Confessions Pray always Deacon: www.ssjohnandmartin.org.uk [email protected] Saturday 10.15-10.30 & by request Please pray for those who are sick:, Majella McAtavey, Harry Walkley, Pat Flaherty, Paul Keene, Sr Stella, Lynn Callaghan, Brian Reaney. Bridget Graham. David Mishra. Blasia de Souza. Feb Wed Mar Tues Tues April Wed Thur 18 Forthcoming Parish events 9.30 Ash Wednesday 3 31 7.00-9.00 Eucharistic Ministers Evening Passover Meal 1 2 7.00pm Service of Reconciliation 8.00pm Solemn Liturgy of the Last Supper 11.00 Churches together Procession of the Cross from Weslyan Holiness Church 3.00 Solemn liturgy of the Passion 8.00pm Easter Vigil Easter Family Sunday Fri 3 Fri Sat Sun 4 5 Please take this newsletter home to read Please pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time: ...... Ted Simon. Seaumus McSorley. Clare Palfreyman. Delia Gallagher. Gerrard Griffin. Sean Griffin. Julia Smith. Sarah Cafferkey. Elizabeth Robinson. John Walsh. Wilfred Waterson. Helen Conlon. Thomas Campbell. Matthew Glynn. Recently died. Please remember in your prayers Dennis Duell, Father of Anne. May he rest in peace. You are invited to refreshments in the Hall after the Sunday Mass Journey in Faith on 7.00pm Wed. in the Presbytery. Subject; The Family Our Lady's Society: will be cooking another brunch on Sunday 15th Feb. after Mass to send two sick parishioners to Lourdes on the Diocesan Pilgrimage. Diocesan Pilgrimage to Walsingham (Saturday 9th May 2015). Led by Bishop Kenney C.P. Coach - £30.00 per person (includes a Pilgrimage Booklet, a cooked evening meal and the Diocesan Levy). The coach will leave: The Oratory, Plough and Harrow Road at 7.15 am; St Catherine’s, Great Colmore Street at 7.30 am and St Chad’s Cathedral at 7.45 am. Please contact Mrs Anne Roebuck to book a seat on the coach. Her contact details are: Tel: 0121 454 0130. Email: [email protected]. Please book early to avoid disappointment. A Sense of Mission One can see that Pope Francis in his reforms and visits around the world has a sense of Mission; the sense one can find in today’s Gospel. Jesus with his newly gathered Apostles had gone to Peter’s village and cured his motherin-law of a fever. That evening crowds brought their sick with the whole town crowding around the door. It sounds that Jesus and the Apostles preached, prayed and helped the people late into the night. When the Apostles awoke the following morning they could not find Jesus. Only by searching did they find him in prayer in a lonely place. When they asked what they was going to do, to their surprise he told them to come away and go elsewhere to other villages and preach in the neighbouring towns. The disciples must have asked for his reason for leaving Caphernaum so soon. His reply sums up the reason for his life; ‘because this is what I came for’. Some people have a sense of destiny they feel they can be a great pianist, a scientist, a priest, an athlete and they pursue it to perfection. At the present time there is a call with the present Pope for mission to make known that Jesus brings hope and inspiration. In these times when leaders are trying to find a way to peace in the Middle East and in Ukraine, and to avert further financial hardship in Europe. To many to succeed might seem impossible. There is a temptation to lose hope. As Christians we know that Jesus offers hope and light in times of darkness and we the Church need to let it shine. A very necessary part of achieving this is found in today’s Gospel which teaches the need for prayer, so easily ignored or forgotten. Jesus shows the way. Do our homes have prayer? Pray always says St Paul. One may ask do we ever pray during the day? Do we teach our children to pray. Do we believe in prayer? To reflect on this Gospel can teach us the reason why Jesus prayed and why we ourselves should pray and teach others to pray. Please take this newsletter home to read You are invited to refreshments in the Hall after the Sunday Mass