2 April 2017
5th Sunday of Lent

Ezekiel 37:12-14
Psalms 129
Romans 8:8-11
Gospel of John 11:3-7,17,20-27,33-45

Mary and Martha sent this message to Jesus, ‘Lord, the man you love is ill.’ On receiving the message, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will end not in death but in God’s glory, and through it the Son of God will be glorified.’ Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, yet when he heard that Lazarus was ill he stayed where he was for two more days before saying to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judaea.’

On arriving, Jesus found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’ ‘Your brother’ said Jesus to her ‘will rise again.’ Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said: ‘I am the resurrection and the life. If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she said ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.’

Jesus said in great distress, with a sigh that came straight from the heart, ‘Where have you put him?’ They said, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept; and the Jews said, ‘See how much he loved him!’ But there were some who remarked, ‘He opened the eyes of the blind man, could he not have prevented this man’s death?’ Still sighing, Jesus reached the tomb: it was a cave with a stone to close the opening. Jesus said, ‘Take the stone away.’ Martha said to him, ‘Lord, by now he will smell; this is the fourth day.’ Jesus replied, ‘Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and said: ‘Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer. I knew indeed that you always hear me, but I speak for the sake of all these who stand round me, so that they may believe it was you who sent me.’ When he had said this, he cried in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, here! Come out!’ The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth round his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, let him go free.’ Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what he did believed in him.

Preparing for the Resurrection

Christ the Lord both said and did many things that are not recorded; but such were chosen for record as seemed to suffice for the salvation of believers. You have just heard that the Lord Jesus raised a dead man to life; and that is sufficient to let you know that, were He so pleased, He might raise all the dead to life. And, indeed this very work has He reserved in His own hands till the end of the world. For while you have heard that by a great miracle He raised one from the tomb who had been dead four days, the hour is coming, as He Himself says, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth. He raised one who was putrid, and yet in that putrid carcass there was still the form of limbs; but at the last day He will by a word reconstitute ashes into human flesh. But it was needful then to do only some such deeds, that we, receiving them as tokens of His power, may put our trust in Him, and be preparing for that resurrection which shall be to life and not to judgement.
St. Augustine, Tractates on John

Saints of the week
Tue 4 St. Isidore, Bishop, Doctor
Wed 5 St. Vincent Ferrer, Priest
Fri 7 St. John Baptist de la Salle, Priest

Psalter week I

Next Sunday’s readings
Isaiah 50: 4-7
Psalm 21: 8-9, 17-20, 23-24.
Philippians 2: 6-11
Matthew 26:14 – 27:66

THE PASSION OF THE LORD 2017

SAINT PAUL’S PARISH INVITES YOU!

Palm Sunday (9 Apr) 3:45pm on Agia Kyriaki grounds

Come and pray with us as we honour our Saviour with a sacred representation of his way to Calvary where the Christian community of Paphos working together to proclaim the name of Christ to the world. We pray that this beautiful devotion of The Way of the Cross, now on its fourth consecutive year, becomes a local tradition.

MASS SCHEDULE FOR HOLY WEEK

• Palm Sunday 9 Apr: Masses on normal schedule (just longer than usual)
• Monday 10 Apr and Tuesday 11 Apr: Mass at 9am
• Wednesday 12 Apr: 11am Adoration, 12pm Mass

Paschal Triduum

• Holy Thursday: Mass of the Last Supper 8pm (NO 9am Mass)
• Good Friday: Passion of our Lord at 3pm (NO 9am)
• Holy Saturday: Vigil Mass 8pm (NO 6pm Mass or 4pm at LPH)
• EASTER SUNDAY: Masses normal schedule (just longer than usual)
• Easter Monday Mass 12noon.

Mass Times HERE