Today's gospel."People will come from east and west, from north and south..."


 Wednesday 29 October

Please scroll down for notices and a link for this evening's online Prayer and Bible Reading. Everyone is invited and welcome.



The Sermon on the Mount 
Károly Ferenczy, 1896
Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest
Photo by Yelkrokoyade
CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18056968



The gospel reading    Luke 13:22-30


Jesus went through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.

Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He said to them, 

“Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then in reply he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out. Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”



Comment on the gospel reading

This is a hard and challenging gospel reading. Contained within the words attributed to Jesus is a warning against complacency. It warns the reader against missing out on knowing God and having a part in God's kingdom. 

Simultaneously there is a positive emphasis on the breadth of the Lord's invitation to enter and share in God's peaceable kingdom, and on its openness and inclusiveness: "People will come from east and west, from north and south...". 

Today's gospel, then, encourages us to take to heart the invitation to "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8) and to open our hearts to God, so that by the end of our life on earth we will have begun to know the Lord, rather than be strangers to God. 

It also contains a reminder that the Lord knows our hearts, thoughts and actions. There is an onus on each of us to desist from doing, thinking or saying anything that is even remotely evil. 

"This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your descendants may live."  (Deuteronomy 30:19)

The gospel reminds us, then, to instead choose to be followers of Christ and to choose goodness, love and mercy, that is, to choose life and to be life-giving people! 


Christian Art

Today's Christian Art reflection contains some hard history but good for us to understand. We, people from all backgrounds and traditions, are all in need of God's grace and forgiveness for our histories, both collective and personal.

https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-10-28-33-2025/



Some notices 

  • Wed 29 October, 10.30am, Midweek Holy Communion in Westport, in St Mary's side chapel, followed by coffee in the Clew Bay Hotel from 11am.  

St Mary's RC Church continues kindly to accommodate Holy Trinity Westport services while HTW is closed for safety repairs.  

  

  • Wed 29 October, 8pm, Online Prayer and Bible Reading (Compline). Link below. ID and Passcodes on request.



  • Saturday 1 November, 7pm Holy Baptism in Turlough Church. This will also be an All-age service - children and young people are extra welcome!

  • Movie night at the Rectory, Friday 7 November, 8pm. Please let us know if you plan to come along, for planning. All welcome! 

  • The First Sunday in Advent 2025 is 30th November.



Regular Service Pattern in the Aughaval Group of Parishes:


Turlough

Saturdays Weekly at 7pm:  

Holy Communion on 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month.

Evening Prayer on 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month.

 

Castlebar *Christ Church Castlebar is a registered charity: Registered Charity Number  20206867

Sundays Weekly at 10am: 

Holy Communion on 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month.

Morning Prayer on 2nd and 4th.

Open church every Friday from 11am - 1pm.

 

Westport

Sundays Weekly at 12 noon and Wednesdays at 10.30am. 

Services are in St Mary's RC Church, South Mall, Westport, while Holy Trinity Church is closed for safety repairs.

 

Dugort, Achill: October - April inclusive

2nd and 4th Sundays of the month at 3pm. Evening Prayer/ Holy Communion


Inishbiggle

As announced

 



Pastoral care and enquiries:  


Revd Suzanne Cousins, Rector  
Email: aughaval@tuam.anglican.org  
Tel. 083 800 3233  
Aughaval Parishes' Website aughaval.tlk.ie
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AughavalParishes 





Popular posts from this blog

In memoriam: Linda Bourke

Image
  "Safe in the arms of Jesus." It is with great sadness that we share with you the news of the death of our friend and sister in Christ, Linda Bourke, faithful Westport parishioner (Holy Trinity Church), on Sunday 9th March, peacefully in Mayo University Hospital.  May she rest in peace and rise in glory.  Notice and arrangements can also be found here:   https://rip.ie/death-notice/linda-bourke-mayo-westport-587759 The death has occurred of Linda Bourke, Riverside, Clogher, Westport – peacefully.   Predeceased by her parents Alex & Frances & infant sister Elizabeth.   Deeply regretted by her sister Iris, extended family, relatives, neighbours, friends & her Westport Country Market Community.   AT REST   Reposing at McGing's Funeral Home (F28 RX58) on Tuesday (Mar 11th) from 11:30am until 12:30pm. THE PUBLIC QUEUE FOR ENTRY INTO THE FUNERAL HOME WILL NOW BE FROM THE SHOP STREET DIRECTION.   Funeral arriving to Holy Trinity Cemeter...
Read more

Return to Inishbiggle, Sat 15 February 2025

Image
  It was especially joyful for a few of us from mainland Mayo to step foot again on Inishbiggle on 15th February, having been prevented by the weather from sailing on our last attempt at the end of November 2024. While on this occasion it was lashing in Limerick, wet in Westport, and raining cats and dogs in Castlebar, the sun was splitting the clouds gloriously on the approach to beautiful Biggle. Also uplifting was to arrive at the church and on entering to find it looking, if not transfigured, transformed - for example, with its newly-stripped and repolished pews, clean floors, doors, harmonica and walls, and a close-to-spotless vestry into the bargain. Hats off and enormous thanks to the church wardens for the hours of painstaking work - truly a labour of love for this precious and important place of gathering and worship, emanating from a sincere love for God and his people, of all faiths and persuasions. Holy Trinity Inishbiggle conveys the message “Come on in! There’s plenty...
Read more

Inishbiggle blessings, on the Eve of St Bartholomew's Day, 23 August

Image
  Return to Inishbiggle  A happy day was enjoyed on Saturday 23rd August when a group of ten people, which included some from Castlebar, Westport, Galway, Kilkenny and Dublin - made the short crossing by currach from Doran’s Point to ‘Biggle’.  As always the passengers were well cared for by ferrymen Michael and Tim, and we were delighted and privileged to have, amongst others, Valerie Raitt, Diocesan Co-ordinator of Spiritual Tourism and Pilgrimages, join us for the trip. Church wardens Chris and Jeremy, outside the old national school, with the wardens' recently acquired wand.  Just disembarked: the 'crew', minus two Tom Smith, a member of the Holy Trinity Westport congregation   Photo by Susie Fry, Castlebar Michael, ferryman Tim, ferryman Valerie Having been welcomed at the pier by islanders and Holy Trinity Inishbiggle church wardens, Christine Gibbs and Jeremy Holt, we took the short stroll to the church. A service of Prayer and Praise (a 'Servic...
Read more