7 May 2017
4th Sunday of Easter
Vocations Sunday

Acts of the Apostles 2: 14, 36-41
Psalm 22: 1-6
1 Peter 2:20-25
The Gospel of John 10:1-10

Jesus said: ‘I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand.  The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.’

Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them. So Jesus spoke to them again: ‘I tell you most solemnly, I am the gate of the sheepfold. All others who have come are thieves and brigands; but the sheep took no notice of them I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: he will go freely in and out and be sure of finding pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.

A good life leads to life eternal

Indeed those cannot be said to lead a good life, who are either blindly ignorant of, or wilfully despise, the end of good living. No one can hope for eternal life, who knows not Christ, who is the life, and by that door enters into the fold. Whoso wishes to enter into the sheepfold, let him enter by the door; let him preach Christ; let him seek Christ’s glory, not his own. Christ is a lowly door, and he who enters by this door must be lowly, if he would enter with his head whole. He that does not humble, but exalt himself, who wishes to climb up over the wall, is exalted that he may fall. Such men generally try to persuade others that they may live well, and not be Christians. Thus they climb up by some other way that they may rob and kill. They are thieves, because they call that their own, which is not; robbers, because that which they have stolen, they kill.
St. Augustine (Catena Aurea)

Saints of the week
Mon 8 Our Lady of Lujan (IVE feast)
Fri 12 Saints Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs and Saint Pancras, Martyr 
Sat 13 Our Lady of Fátima (100 Anniv of 1st apparition) 

Psalter Week IV

Next Sunday’s Readings
Acts of the Apostles 6: 1-7
Psalm 32: 1-2, 4-5, 18-19
1 Peter 2: 4-9
John 14: 1-12

Our Lady of Lujan (8 May)

The Blessed Virgin Mary began to be invoked under the title of Our Lady of Lujan in the year 1630 when a small image of the Immaculate Conception which was made in Brazil, was being transported to a chapel in Argentina. During the trip, a strange event took place near the Lujan River as the image could not be moved by any means, this was a sign that Our Lady desired to stay in that place and so a small chapel was built in her honour and soon enough, many miracles began to happen. Our Lady of Lujan is today not only the Patroness of Argentina, but also of our small religious family of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, where she has fostered many vocations and is constantly interceding for our missionaries. (Picture from our mission in Papua New Guinea)  Wherever the IVE has gone —including Cyprus— Our Lady of Lujan has gone with us and it is difficult to say who made who a missionary. Journeying to distant lands, winning the hearts of many people and encouraging Christians to accompany her at the foot of the Cross, she has been the IVE’s main instrument of evangelization.

Our Lady of Lujan, Pray for us.

Vocations Sunday 2017

In his message for the 54th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, our Holy Father, Pope Francis speaks strongly about the missionary nature of the Christian life. Here’s an excerpt of the message: “Commitment to mission is not something added on to the Christian life as a kind of decoration, but is instead an essential element of faith itself … We must overcome a sense of our own inadequacy and not yield to pessimism, which merely turns us into passive spectators of a dreary and monotonous life. There is no room for fear!
Pope Francis on the World Day of Prayer for Vocations

NEWS

BBQ Parish Lunch 14 May, €10 suggested donation. Please sign up to know how much meat we will need!

Screening of our Passion of the Lord 2017 short video after the Parish Lunch. Ask Fr. Fernando for a free digital copy of the film and pics (bring your own flash drive). Donations are welcomed.

CARITAS PAPHOS: We need nοn-perishable food to help the poor in the Paphos area. Prayers and Donations welcomed.

Sundowner Party at the Tala Amphitheatre Café Wed 24 May, 6:30pm, €2.50 tall glass of wine. Entrance €3 donation. Book signing by Sir Foxley-Fox co-author Andrew Lauder, royalties from book sales worldwide will be donated to SMHC. Contact Michele 99528943.

Archangel Michael Hospice: Volunteers needed in the areas of reception, nursing assistants and cafeteria. Contact Mona 99494140

Mass Times HERE