THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT 23 MARCH 2025 Newsletter
Penitential Rite
As we enter into the mystery of Gods’ wisdom, let us be mindful of his great love for us.
You lead us to your light and life. Lord have mercy
You show us your truth and love. Christ have mercy
You ask us to follow your way. Lord have mercy
May our wise and ever merciful God, forgive us our sin and bring us finally to everlasting life. Amen
Exodus 3:1-8,13-15
Moses was looking after the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law priest of Midian. He led his flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in the shape of a flame of fire, coming from the middle of a bush. Moses looked; there was the bush blazing but it was not being burnt up. ‘I must go and look at this strange sight,’ Moses said, ‘and see why the bush is not burnt.’ Now the Lord saw him go forward to look, and God called to him from the middle of the bush. ‘Moses, Moses!’ he said. ‘Here I am,’ Moses answered. ‘Come no nearer,’ he said. ‘Take off your shoes, for the place on which you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your fathers,’ he said, ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’ At this Moses covered his face, afraid to look at God. And the Lord said, ‘I have seen the miserable state of my people in Egypt. I have heard their appeal to be free of their slave-drivers. Yes, I am well aware of their sufferings. I mean to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians and bring them up out of that land to a land rich and broad, a land where milk and honey flow, the home of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites.’ Then Moses said to God, ‘I am to go, then, to the sons of Israel and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you.” But if they ask me what his name is, what am I to tell them?’ And God said to Moses, ‘I Am who Am. This’ he added ‘is what you must say to the sons of Israel: “I Am has sent me to you.”’ And God also said to Moses, ‘You are to say to the sons of Israel: “The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.” This is my name for all time; by this name I shall be invoked for all generations to come.’
1 Corinthians 10:1-6,10-12
I want to remind you, brothers, how our fathers were all guided by a cloud above them and how they all passed through the sea. They were all baptised into Moses in this cloud and in this sea; all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink, since they all drank from the spiritual rock that followed them as they went, and that rock was Christ. In spite of this, most of them failed to please God and their corpses littered the desert. These things all happened as warnings for us, not to have the wicked lusts for forbidden things that they had. You must never complain: some of them did, and they were killed by the Destroyer. All this happened to them as a warning, and it was written down to be a lesson for us who are living at the end of the age. The man who thinks he is safe must be careful that he does not fall.
Gospel Acclamation
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God! Repent, says the Lord, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Luke 4:1-13
Some people arrived and told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. At this he said to them, ‘Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered like that were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen on whom the tower at Siloam fell and killed them? Do you suppose that they were more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.’ He told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it but found none. He said to the man who looked after the vineyard, “Look here, for three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?” “Sir,” the man replied “leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.”’
Prayer of the Faithful
Lord God, through your love for us we discover the mystery of who you are. We bless you. Lord hear us
Lord Jesus, in taking on human living, we discover the mystery of who we are. We bless you. Lord hear us
Holy Spirit, by your wisdom and inspiration, we discover the mystery of who we can be. We bless you. Lord hear us
We call to mind all those who have died, and especially those who have died through violence and war. May the injustice of their deaths drive us to be more faithful to the ways of the Gospel. Lord hear us
Lord God, who says, ”I am who am”, teach us to live in the moment. Lord hear us
In silence we remember those in need
of our prayer and support………Lord hear us
Reflection
Somewhere, out at the edges, the night
Is turning and the waves of darkness
Begin to brighten the shore of dawn
The heavy dark falls back to earth
And the freed air goes wild with light,
The heart fills with fresh, bright breath
And thoughts stir to give birth to colour.
I arise today
May I live this day
Compassionate of heart,
Clear in word,
Gracious in awareness,
Courageous in thought,
Generous in love.
John O’Donohue
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Thank you for visiting our parish website which we hope you find informative and friendly. Our website has been created to offer you helpful information on parish life. As the church where many pilgrims begin their Camino to Santiago in Northern Spain, we provide an Irish passport and stamp.
St James’s Church is situated on the corner of James St. and Echlin St. The parish is served by Dublin buses 13, G1, G2, S2 and 123. The Red Luas line runs close by, with a stop at James St. (turn right at this station on to James St.) and Heuston Station is only a few minutes walk away. Dublin Bikes have two stations at the front and rear of the church.
Passports for the Camino de Santiago are available from
Church Sacristy
on Mon & Tues 9am to 12noon, Thurs 10.30am to 12 noon
Buen Camino!
Reg Chy No 20016166
