This week in St. Ninian's
Sunday 18th August: TWENTIETH SUNDAY, YEAR C

“Think of the way he stood such opposition from sinners,
then you will not give up for want of courage.”

First Reading: Jeremiah 38:4-6. 8-10
Today’s Old Testament reading recounts one of the many trials suffered by the prophet Jeremiah in carrying out his mission to speak the word of God to the people of Israel, the chosen people.
Some of the powerful men of Jerusalem approached the King and told him that Jeremiah’s preaching was “unquestionably disheartening” both the soldiers and the people in the city. “The fellow”, they said, “does not have the welfare of this people at heart so much as its ruin”. King Zedekiah gave them leave to do whatever they liked with Jeremiah, since he was ‘powerless against them’, and they forthwith had Jeremiah thrown into a deep dry well, where it could be expected that he would die of thirst.
One good man however – a foreigner, “Ebed-melech the Cushite” – went to the king and told him what they had done, and the king gave him permission to “pull the prophet Jeremiah out of the well before he dies”.

Second Reading: Letter to the Hebrews 12:1-4
The writer of the letter to the Hebrews (who was not Saint Paul) encourages his fellow Christians to persevere in their faith, and not give up in the face of trials. He urges them:
“Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who … endured the cross, disregarding the shamefulness of it, and from now on has taken his place at the right of God’s throne. Think of the way he stood such opposition from sinners, then you will not give up for want of courage.”

Gospel Reading: Luke 12:49-53
In the Gospel reading today Our Lord makes it plain to his disciples that the way of the Christian is a way that will inevitably lead to opposition, trials and ‘divisions’ of every sort.
The teaching of Christ is a “fire” in the world, and its ‘blazing’ is a powerful threat to the status quo. “I have come to bring fire to the earth”, says Jesus, “and how I wish it were blazing already!”.
Our Lord asks: “Do you suppose I am here to bring peace on earth?”, and answers, “No … but rather division”. Because even in a single small household, it will result in “the father divided against the son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
I suppose we should take from this that the Christian way is not a way of passive non-resistance to everything that’s going on in the world – ‘peace at any price’, but that there are times when peace must be surrendered for the sake of Truth and Right. Jeremiah certainly didn’t have a very ‘peaceful’ existence!

Parish Notices

MASS TIMES AT SAINT NINIAN'S

Saturday Vigil: 6.00 pm (Vigil Mass fulfils the Sunday obligation)
Sunday Mass: 9.30am
Weekday Masses: Mon, Wed & Fri:10.00am

CONFESSIONS: Saturday: 5.15 to 5.40 pm

Visit of Father Jojesh, all the way from India! click here

SICK & HOUSEBOUND: If you know of any parishioner who is sick or housebound and may want a visit from Father Raphael, or would like to have Holy Communion brought to them at home, please let Father know.

HOSPITAL chaplaincy Please note the change in contacts for requesting a priest to visit a person in hospital. Fr Ninian Doohan has advised of new telephone numbers to contact the Hospital Chaplain: 07821 624124, or 01382 660111 to page him. Please alert him when someone requires Pastoral Care while in any of the hospitals.

WANTED! READERS & EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS - Please consider taking a more active part in the Liturgy as a reader. Readers are currently in short supply, especially for our Saturday Vigil Mass. If you would like to participate as a reader please add your name to the sheets at the back of the church or speak to Canon, Theresa or May. Thank you. New rotas are now available in the porch.

SERRA MASSES FOR VOCATIONS
Serra Masses will be held at 7pm in Lawside Convent on the last Tuesday of each month – See poster in porch. Our need for vocations to the priesthood and to consecrated life has never been so critical and we should all pray fervently that the Lord will send us the Priests and Religious who are so necessary to preserve our Church in these difficult times.

Are you interested in the Priesthood? - If you would like more information about the priesthood, please contact the Director of Vocations, Father Jim Walls at St. Stephen's, 8 Bank Street Blairgowrie: tel:01250 872171, or email: jimwalls@btinternet.com

THE PERMANENT DIACONATE
The Church is in great need of vocations to the permanent diaconate. If you are a man over 30yrs old - married or single, please consider whether you may be being called to offer yourself in service to the Church as a Deacon. To read more about the permanent Diaconate, click on the link DEACONS

DUNDEE LATIN MASS
"The Extraordinary Form of the Mass, the Traditional Latin Mass, began to be offered once more in St Joseph’s Lawside Convent Dundee on the fourth Sunday of Lent, March 15th 2015. The Lord Bishop of Dunkeld invited Father John Emerson (of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter) to re-establish this liturgical apostolate at the request of the lay faithful of the diocese." For further information about Mass times please visit the website, at https://dundeelatinmass.com/

CHILDREN'S LITURGY
There is a 'Little Church' for children every Sunday Morning. Children rejoin the people at the Offertory procession, having been out for a while learning about the readings of the day in their own way.
We are still looking for at least one volunteer to help with supervising, assisting the liturgists in the activities. This would mean taking a turn about once a month. Please see Mgr. if you can help. Thanks a lot!

ST. NINIAN'S PRIMARY SCHOOL
St. Ninian's Primary School Parent Council
If you would like to get in touch with the School's Parent Council for any reason, their email address is stninians@dundeeparentcouncil.org

CAKE & CANDY:
The Cake & Candy table at our Sunday Mass is in great need of helpers to sell our cakes. If you feel you are able to give a few minutes once a month, please contact Helen Scroggie. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

DUNDEE FOOD BANK:
Many thanks for your donations. This is an ongoing project in the parish and there are boxes at the back of the Church, and lists of foods this charity needs posted on the notice board. Your donations also would be most gratefully received.

EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network)
Have you discovered EWTN yet?! - the TV network for Catholics. Traditional Catholic programmes for all ages. Fascinating interviews, wonderful children's programmes, live Mass, Rosary, Papal audiences, etc. etc. Visit the EWTN website by clicking HERE.
You can get EWTN If you have Sky t.v., or a Freesat box for either Sky or BBC on the 'Religion' tab, number 589; and you can watch it live on your computer as it goes out on the TV channel.