FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT CYCLE C

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT CYCLE C

INTRODUCTION:

Christ told us that the will be a feast in Heaven if one sinner returns home to the Father. Easter is such a feast of the reunion between God and those who were far from him. We are preparing for this feast. It is the fourth Sunday of Lent, and there are only three weeks before Easter. Every day we are called to prepare ourselves by self-denial, by good works and by reflecting. 

GOSPEL: LUKE 15: 1-3, 11-32

Some Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable: “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.”

Disability Parking

Please be mindful of the designated parking for persons with disabilities. Even if you are late for Mass, please leave the spaces FREE for persons with genuine disabilities

EVERY FRIDAY DURING LENT

17:00 Stations of the Cross at St Jude
17:30 Mass at St Jude
18:00 Stations of the Cross at Regina Pacis
18:30 Growing in Faith session in the Hall.

LENTEN APPEAL COLLECTION

Envelopes available in the porch.
Second collection, every weekend during Lent.
This collection directly and indirectly supports works of charity in dioceses involving feeding schemes, elderly in need and vulnerable children; educational outreaches including catechesis; the training of priests; Justice and Peace; youth ministry; specialised ministries such as those serving the deaf; as well as the offices helping to coordinate this work in the Southern African Church

CATECHISM CLASSES

Are now closed and will resume again on Friday 11 April and Sunday 13 April.

FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS

The Five First Saturdays devotion, first revealed by Our Lady at Fatima on Fatima on 13 July 1917, was requested on 10 December 1925, when the Biessed Virgin, appeared again to Sr. Lucia, together with the Child Jesus, who said: “Have compassion on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother, covered with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there is no one to make an act of reparation to remove

The Great Promise of Our Lady

“I promise to assist at the hour of death all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me”

What does Our Lady ask all of us to do?

• Go to confession – this can be up to 8 days before or after the First Saturday itself.
• Receive Holy Communion – on the day itself, in a state of grace, with the intention of making reparation as above.
• Recite five decades of the Rosary.
• Meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary for 15 minutes: this is not difficult, e.g, slowly read the Gospel account of the mysteries, or use a booklet on the Rosary.
  
  Each part of the devotion should be made with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months.

POPE’S PRAYER INTENTION FOR MARCH:

For families in crisis:

Let us pray that broken families might discover the cure for their wounds through forgiveness, and rediscovering each other’s gifts, even in their differences.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• 06/04: Meeting for all existing Altar Servers and Candidates who want to be altar servers, after Mass
• 13/04 Palm Sunday Mass at RPP. There will be NO MASS AT ST JUDE.

SICK & ELDERLY

Please pray for the sick & elderly of the parish, family & friends especially:

Nokuthula Kubheka, Penny Powell, Jean Smith, Dolly Bimbrish, Alvin Govender, Mavis Makhubo, Norman Browne, Khohli Kunene, Barbara Amod, Sebenzile Molefe, Margarida De Franca, Joyce Chetty, Netta Liebenberg, Mthokozisi Mthembu, and Avenel Aarons.

LAETARE SUNDAT

WHY IS FATHER WEARING ROSE VESTMENTS THIS SUNDAY?

The fourth Sunday of Lent is sometimes called Laetare Sunday. Laetare is a Latin word that means “rejoice.”. Traditionally, this Sunday has been a day of celebration within the austere period of Lent. The brightness of rose is meant to “encourage” us to persevere unto the happiness of Easter.