Aughaval Group of Parishes

  Following Jesus  for life A quotation and image for St  Benedict's Day by Darell L. Guder, source and artist unknown. The gospel         Matthew 19:27-29 Then Peter said in reply, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold,  and will inherit eternal life. Sacred Space You can find a gentle reflection here: https://sacredspace.com/daily-prayer/2025-07-11/ Christian Art A reflection on the life and influence of Saint Benedict may be found here: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-19-27-29-2025/

  “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” The disciples cure the sick Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing  CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons Matthew 10:7-15 As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.”  Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers,  cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for labourers deserve their food.    Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you...

  Wed 9 July There will be a short service of Morning Prayer, at 10.30am in St Mary's Westport (South Mall), in the side chapel, led by Parish Reader Barbara Sheppard. This is in place of the normal service, of Holy Communion. Followed by coffee in the Clew Bay Hotel, James Street, from 11.05 am. Online Prayer and Bible Reading will take place as usual at 8pm. Link on request - email aughaval@tuam.anglican.org, or text 083 800 3233. Today's gospel     Matthew 10:1-7 Then Jesus  summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;  Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus...

  Gospel reading      Matthew 9:32-38 After they had gone away, a demoniac who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the one who had been mute spoke; and the crowds were amazed and said, ‘Never has anything like this been seen in Israel.’ But the Pharisees said, ‘By the ruler of the demons he casts out the demons.’ Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’ Sacred Space You can find a gentle prayer guide and short reflection here: https://sacredspace.com/daily-prayer/2025-07-08/ Christian Art https://chri...

  Today's gospel touches on the themes of the healing, wholeness and salvation through Christ and the divine touch. 'Encounter', mural in the Chapel of Encounter , Magdala Photo: Author, November 2017     The gospel reading        Matthew 9:18-26 While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue  came in and knelt before him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.’ And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples.  Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well.  When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute-players and the crowd making a comm...

Orthodox Icon of the Seventy Apostles, 2020 Creative Commons via Wikipedia   https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ikon%C3%AB_e_t%C3%AB_Shtat%C3%ABdhjet%C3%AB_Apostujve.jpg The Gospel Reading Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way.  See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!” And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you en...

  Sunday 6 July 2025 in the Aughaval Group of Parishes Hymns, or as announced 39 - For the fruits of his creation  247 - When I survey the wondrous cross 517 - Brother, sister, let me serve you 478 - Go forth and tell! O Church of God, awake!  Collect  Almighty God, you have broken the tyranny of sin and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts, whereby we call you Father: Give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service, that we and all creation may be brought to the glorious liberty of the children of God; through Jesus Christ our Lord.                                           Naaman in Jordan River , artist unknown Credit: Wikipedia The First Reading 2 Kings 5: 1-14 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favour with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man,...

Services this weekend in the Aughaval Grouped Parishes: Sat, 7pm in Turlough Church, Evening Prayer Sunday, 10am in Christ Church Castlebar, Holy Communion/ The Eucharist Sunday, 12 noon in St Mary's RC Church, Westport (for Holy Trinity Westport), followed by tea in Carrowbeg House Sunday, 3pm in St Thomas's, Dugort, Achill,  Holy Communion/ The Eucharist Today’s gospel      Matthew 9: 14-17 New cloth on an old garment Chistiancliparts   Then the disciples of John came to him [Jesus], saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, ...

Jesus calls Matthew  from a church window in the Netherlands  Source: Pixabay Today’s gospel      Matthew 9:9-13 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’   The Calling of Matthew by Orcagna, Florence, 1367-68 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orcagna,_s._matteo_e_santi_,_da_orsanmichele_(uffizi),_1367-68,_05.jpg In this 14th century painting Jesus is presented as standing between the diminutiv...