SCRIPTURE NOTE: A vine is an extraordinary plant. It can grow to a
huge size, spreading over a wide area, a whole garden wall or
trelliswork, from one single root, and producing a rich sap which yields
grapes at the end of countless little branches. And then there is the
business of pruning: cut it back thoroughly on all its many shoots and
tendrils, and it seems only more determined to grow thick and strong. So
the vine was the symbol of Israel, drawing from the Lord a sap which
penetrated to all its shoots, and lovingly pruned by the gardener in a way
which best encouraged its growth. The image was taken over by Jesus
for his own community, the new Israel. Pairing with last week’s picture of
the good shepherd, it is one of the greatest of Jesus’ images. It perfectly
sums up the two emphases of this Sunday’s other two readings. The
only source of fruitful energy for the Christian is union with and
dependence on the life flowing from Christ. Without that, the branches
wither and die; a trimming cut off from a vine no longer has any chance
of life. The vine itself at pruning season looks stark, rough and suffering.
It is in fact bursting with new life.
What bits of your life need to be pruned away now? What more can you
do to express the flow of Christ’s life within you?
REFLECTION/PRAYER: The vine and the branches
Lord, you said: ‘I am the vine, you are the branches. Separated from me
you can do nothing, but united with me you will bear much fruit.’ Thank
you, Lord, for the bond you formed with us. And thank you for the bond
that exists among us, because of our union with you. Thanks to this
bond we have invisible riches to share with one another. Grant that we
may never be separated from you, so that we may produce in the world
the fruits of faith, hope, and love.
PARISH PRAYER
Heavenly Father, pour down on our Church your Holy Spirit, the fire of
your love. Give us the courage, the wisdom and the faith to be salt for
the earth and light for the world.
Help us to build warm and welcoming communities of faith in our
families, our neighbourhoods, our Parish. May we carry the Good News
by word and action into all our environments, especially those which are
hostile and hurting.
Together with Mary, the first evangeliser we entrust all our efforts into
the care of the Divine Spirit, who fills and renews the face of the earth.
Amen.
Franciscan
Church of St. Francis of Assisi
277 Sandygate Road, Sheffield S10 5SD
Telephone 0114 263 0383
Email: stfrancis@frkevin.f9.co.uk
parishcounci26@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.stfrancisrc-sheffield.org.uk
Registered Charity No. 512021
Parish Priest: Fr Kevin Thornton
Parish Deacon: Stephen Parker
YEAR B - PSALTER WEEK 1
5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Mass book pg 264. Preface III of Easter pg 60.
Eucharistic Prayer II pg 25.
Sunday
3rd
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
9:00 am
11:00 am
10:00 am
7.30 pm
10:00 am
10:00 am
10:00 am
11.15-11.45
12 noon
(Yorkshire Brethren Society)
(People of the Parish)
The English Martyrs (Father Tomblin)
(Noreen Sharman)
(Intentions of CK)
(In thanksgiving-ED)
(Connie McNicholas)
Sacrament of Reconciliation
(Private Intention-KJT)
Thank you for last week’s OFFERTORY COLLECTION.
Thank you for the PRIESTS’ TRAINING FUND collection.
CAFOD has launched a £3 million emergency appeal following the
EARTHQUAKE IN NEPAL. Thousands of people in this already
impoverished country have been killed and many thousands more are in
urgent need of food, water, shelter and emergency supplies. 8 million
people are affected. CAFOD is responding with Church partners and has
deployed a team to provide specialist support. There is a basket in the
narthex if you wish to support the appeal. There are also some Gift Aid
envelopes if you pay tax.
S2 FOOD BANK is short of food and money to buy goods. Can you
help? There is a container in the narthex for your donations.
PLEASE PRAY for Alan, Alexander, Alison, AM, Fr Antony Hayne,
Benjamin Lewis, Brian Dwyer, David Skinner, David Thomas, Eileen
Jones, Ellen Dalton, George Windsor, Ian Baxter, Irene Bell, Jim Foley,
John Denzil Joseph, John Rowan, J&E.D, JTD, Karen Kilbride, KC,
Leonora, Margaret Paget, Mary Hunt, Mary Rigby, Maura Kay, May
Leonard, Michael Hulley, Nancy Lennon, Rachel Grace, Roger Kemp, Fr
Roy Pannell, Ruth Hill, Teresa Kenyon, Tony Mulchrone, Willow Grist
and Yvonne Reaney, who are sick and for Connie McNicholas whose
anniversary occurs about this time.
The CAFOD/CHRISTIAN AID SPONSORED WALK on Monday 4th May
is starting from St Lukes at Lodge Moor. There are 6, 11 and 16 mile
walks. Visit www.sheffieldmaydaytrek.org.uk for maps of the routes or to
register. If you are interested in walking the 6 mile route as a group,
please contact Sian on fractalsynapse@aol.com.
The FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAMME will continue on
Wednesday 6th May at 6:30pm in the upper room.
Please see the posters in the narthex about the ST MARIES
CATHEDRAL CONCERT SERIES:
 The Tallis Scholars - War and Peace. Thursday 7th May 7:30pm
 The King's Singers - Pater Noster and songs in close harmony.
Thursday 28th May, 7:30pm.
St Marie's Cathedral is launching a CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC
PRAYER GROUP at 7:30pm on Monday 11th May at the Cathedral.
Prayer, praise, community, talks & fellowship followed by tea, coffee and
cake. Everyone is welcome!
‘LITTLE FISHES’ - Praise and play for the under fives will be on Monday
18th May at 1.45pm. Meet in the Assisi Hall and then in the Blessed
Sacrament Chapel. Contact Clare Byrne for more information. New
people always welcome.
The PARISH COUNCIL AGM will be at 7:30pm on Tuesday 19th May in
the Assisi Hall (Mass will be at 7pm). We will present a report of our
activities over the last year and a report on the finances of our parish.
We would like to hear your views and suggestions. Everyone is invited.
Refreshments will be provided.
We need new MEMBERS FOR THE PARISH COUNCIL. The Parish
Council meets every two months on Tuesday evening. If you can help or
would like more information, please speak to any Parish Councillor or Fr.
Kevin or email parishcounci26@yahoo.co.uk.
Please see the POSTERS ON THE NOTICE BOARD, which include:
 Council of Christians & Jews Provincial Study Day ‘Finding Common
Ground’ - 10:30am, Monday 18th May at Sheffield Jewish Centre.
 Church Action on Poverty in Sheffield - ‘Problems and Possibilities’ at
7pm followed by AGM at 8:30pm. 21st May, Quaker Meeting House.
On Pentecost Sunday (24th May), there will be an INTERNATIONAL
MASS with readings and bidding prayers in foreign languages. We
would also like to use this occasion to sell international food - savouries,
puddings and cakes for the Hallam Bethlehem Fund. The Hallam
Bethlehem Fund aims to raise £250,000 to buy land in Bethlehem to
build a new Day Care Centre. Everybody, not just our international
community, is invited to bring something along. It would be lovely to
have a big variety of special food in the Assisi Hall. National Costumes
are
also
welcome.
Please
contact
Susanne
Staub
on
s.staub@btinternet.com if you would like to take part or contribute
towards the food stall.
The fifth SHEFFIELD NIGHTFEVER will be on Saturday 20th June from
5.30pm to 11pm at St Marie’s Cathedral. Volunteers will go into the
streets to invite passers-by into the Cathedral to light a candle, say a
prayer, experience the sacrament of reconciliation and adore before the
Blessed Sacrament. You are invited to experience Nightfever and also to
be part of our prayer, mission or welcome teams. Please contact
nightfeversheffield@gmail.com for more information.
Thank you to those people who completed the questionnaire for the
SYNOD OF THE FAMILY.
Thank you to all those who donated Easter Eggs to ROUNDABOUT;
they were much appreciated!
Thank you for the TEA, COFFEE AND SUGAR donated for St. Wilfrid’s
recently.
The CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST MARIE is offering guided tours
every Wednesday and Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm. Tours are free, but
donations would be most welcome.
CARMEL CARE CENTRE in Hillsborough needs volunteers for
Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10am until 2pm. Please ring 2335727
for details.
The APOSTLESHIP OF PRAYER LEAFLETS for May are on the trolley
with the hymn and Mass books.