The Parish of St Wilfrid of York 53 London Road, Coalville, Leics, LE67 3JB

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT 26/27th March 2011 First Reading: Exodus 17 — Water will flow... Psalm Response: O that today you would listen to his voice: harden not your hearts. Second Reading: Romans 5 — Hope is not deceptive Gospel: John 4 — Give me some of that water. T HOUGHT

FOR TODAY :

I am musing about the woman at the well. Her story in the Gospel is many-sided, but what catches me is the part about water soothing our thirst. In the Gospel Jesus asks the woman to draw some delicious well-water for him to drink. She hesitates. She is Samaritan. Then maybe she sees his need, and she moves into action. Thirst is ever present. Sometimes dramatically so. I remember bicycling with a friend out in the countryside on a very hot day. We had not counted on one particular hill that would continue to rise up before us, a very long and unremitting one. We worked and worked and at last achieved the top. But the heat and humidity had sucked the moisture out of us, so we were parched. Off to the left stood a farmhouse or residence of some kind. Hey, why not go ask for a drink of water? We knocked at the door, received greetings from a most gracious lady who could think of nothing more delightful than to bring us each a big glass of cool water. Then off and away! Nothing else in the world could have tasted so delicious and so satisfying. It seems that human beings have a thirst for something even more profound than such a welcome drenching. As St. Paul

puts it in the Second Reading, we thirst for “the love poured forth from God in Jesus through the Holy Spirit.” Love. This is a primordial need, very like the need for water; it is “a God-sized hole” within us, a yearning for the greatest love there is. Jesus says he will put a flowing fountain of such water right inside the Samaritan woman. It will slake her thirst forever. Often you and I use other, lesser things to try and satisfy this great need: food, work, looks, accomplishment, other persons, sex, drink, and so on. All of these are good in themselves. Yet taken to excess they lose their effect. Even at their best they leave us humming the famous line, “Is that all there is?” No, that is not all there is. We are each built in such a way that we die without real love. If our small selves have been fitted with a soul that opens wide to love and especially to the greatest love of all, God, then we have to open up this depth centre within us. Whatever careful steps will get us there, we need—Lenten quiet, selfdenial, re-fitting our lives, even being at peace with our losses. Maybe Jesus will answer the door and give us “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Father John Foley SJ

PARISH TOTE No.58: E Hodson—£25 THANK YOU FOR YOUR OFFERINGS Envelopes:£350.35; Loose:£155.74 Standing Orders: £97; Sr. Jean £7.95; Family Fast Day Collection: £403.48 PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK: Harry Hill, Mrs Haywood, Maria Sharp, Nicole Williamson, Joan Briers, Teresa Sheriden, Celia Geraghty, Eileen Jarvis, Joan Brown, Nuala Culley, Michael Grimley, Christopher Hubbard, Robert Livingston, Paul Baldwin, Mary Ball, Ron Moreton, Peter Bullimore, Roger Smith, Sheila Stacey, Robert Gallagher, Mona Grady, Mary Godden, Lilian Stratton, Mary & Gordon Head, Pat Pullen, Mrs Pallett, Giovanni Brunetti, Emily Brown, Madeline Moyens, June Faulks, James Mcanna REQUIEM ANNIVERSARIES: Peter Murphy, Richard Wilcox, Harry Powers, Patrick Durcan, BAPTISM ANNIVERSARIES: Alice Lees, Kaci Cooper, Rose Holman. WE LOOK FORWARD TO: •Lent and Holy Week Activities — see separate sheet •St Wilfrid’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert: June 16th •St Wilfrid’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Mass: June 22nd •First Holy Communion Celebration Mass: June 26th •Sacrament of Confirmation & blessing of new facilities: November 25th EASTER EGGS Thanks to all who pre-ordered a fair-trade Easter egg. They have arrived and are available for special price of £3.99 . Please collect from Lynda Durcan after Mass. BUILDING W ORKS Work is progressing well on the interior of the presbytery to make it a more useful space for both parish and priest. We have now received planning permission for the extension, and work on the footings is underway. If you need to remind yourself what is happening, the plans are displayed in the porch. We shall soon be ready to take up the kind offers of decorating, contributions towards white goods, etc. BOOKS We have a number of books which are surplus to requirements. These will be available after Mass for the next couple of weeks, and then disposed of. ST W ILFRID’S QUIZ NIGHT Saturday April 9th at Greenhill Community Church, Charnborough Road. Arrivals at 7.45pm for 8pm start. £1.50 per person, refreshments and raffle. Bring your own drinks. Please note, new venue. ST CLARE’S SCHOOL The building and remodelling works to our school are finally complete. If you would like to see the results and have a look around, the school will be open to visitors on Thursday 7th April, 9.10–10.15am, and 2.15–3.15pm. Refreshments available. EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION The annual Renewal Days are at St Peter’s, Hinckley (not Leicester) , on 7th and 14th May. There will be more information shortly. The annual newsletter is now available online. I have put a link to it on the parish website. If any minister does not have internet access, please contact Lynda Timson for a hard copy.

FAITH IN FAMILIES BOXES... ...are due for emptying and counting. Please bring to Church for the attention of Linda Hunt. CONGRATULATIONS... ...to Jan Stratton as he celebrates his 90th birthday. God bless you, Jan.

...the one who was asking for a drink of water was thirsting for her faith. Listen now and learn who it is that asks for a drink. Jesus answered her and said: If you

knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, perhaps you might have asked him and he would have given you living water. He asks for a drink, and he promises a drink. He is in need, as one hoping to receive, yet he is rich, as one about to satisfy the thirst of others. St Augustine Ministries Rota: 26/27th March Sat 6pm

Sun10am

Readers:

C. Rogers/C. Durcan

Kevin McHugh

Offertory/Welcome:

K Cohoon

Davis Family

Tote:

J Watkins

m Martin

Tellers:

C. Maher/J Caulfield

Tea/Coffee:

Siby Family Church Care: A. Alcaraz 2/3rd April

Readers:

J Watkins

C Smith-Magee/B Durcan

Offertory/Welcome:

Hudson Bennett Family

Haywood Family

Tote:

B Proctor

D Starbuck

Tellers:

Durcan Family

Tea/Coffee:

Philipino Group Church Care Garratt Family

Sat 26 Sun 27 Mon 28 Tue 29

Wed 30 Thu 31 Fri 01 Sat 02

Sat 2 Sun 3

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT Sunday Lectionary Year A; Psalter Week 3 6.00pm Mass for for Pat Roe RIP 10.00am Mass for the People of the Parish 9.15am Mass for Donor’s Intention 10.30am Cherubs (at Barney’s Play Barn) 7.00pm Mass for Pat Roe RIP 7.30pm RCIA Group 9.30am Mass for Donor’s Intention at St Clare’s 10.00am Mass for Fr Timothy Feely RIP 7.15am Mass for Pat Roe RIP 9.30am Morning Prayer & Holy Communion 5.15–5.45pm Stations & Sacrament of Reconciliation FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT 6.00pm Mass for Harry Powers RIP 10.00am Mass for the People of the Parish

Exposition before weekday Masses — except Wednesday CONTACT DETAILS Parish Website: http://stwilfscoalville.blogspot.com/ Priest in Charge: Father Colin Patey: Phone: 01530 832098 Email: [email protected] Deacon: Rev John Timson: Phone: 01530 243477 Pastoral Assistant: Miss Sue Tompkin: Phone: 01530 811486 Schools: St Clare’s Catholic Primary School: Phone 01530 837747 Head teacher: Mrs J Monaghan De Lisle Catholic Science College: Phone 01509 268739 Head teacher: Mr C Davies http://www.delisle.leics.sch.uk/ Nottingham Roman Catholic Diocesan Trustees (Company Number 7151646, Charity Number 1134449) Registered Office: Willson House, 25 Derby Road, Nottingham, NG1 5AW