THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
7th MARCH 2021
Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem , and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons , and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple , cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers , ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market .’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture : Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered , ‘Destroy this sanctuary , and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied , ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’
But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.
During his stay in Jerusalem for the Passover many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he gave, but Jesus knew them all and did not trust himself to them; he never needed evidence about any man; he could tell what a man had in him. [John 2:13- 25]
Sun 7th THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
Sat. 17.00 Mass at St Mary’s Chorley
Sun.10.00 Mass at St Mary’s Chorley
11.30 Mass – Joseph Robinson
Mon 8th St John of God
Tues 9th St Frances of Rome
Wed 10th St John Ogilvie
10.00 Mass – Ann-Marie Hartley
Thurs 11th St Aengus of Clonenagh
Fri 12th St Elphege of Winchester.
Sat 13th Blessed Agnellus of Pisa
Sun 14th FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
Sat. 17.00 Mass at St Mary’s Chorley
Sun. 10.00 Mass at St Mary’s Chorley
11.30 Mass – Florence Mary Jackson
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday - Mass at 12 noon at St Mary’s Chorley PR7 2SR
PLEASE PRAY FOR ALL THE SICK AND THE HOUSEBOUND
including: Emeritus Pope Benedict, Joan Bailey, Stan Bolton, Francis Brennan,
Gerard Clarke, Jimmy Doherty, Kitty Ellison, John Fearnhead, Mary Fearnhead,
Philip Fishwick, Pat Font, William Freeman, Barbara Goulding, Fr Dunstan Harrington,
Cyril Hodkinson, Cathy Hull, John Kerfoot, Richard Kerfoot, Mary Johnston, Marion
Kerins, Emma King, Gordon Lee, Paul McBeth, Finton McPeake, Karl Manley, Eddie
Marsden, Fr Laurence Mayne, Ellen Morris, Teresa O’Malia, Heidi O’Neill, Barrie
Swift, Alan Taylor, Irene Tootell, Peter Warren, Betty Wignall,
and all at Grove House & Marley Court.
THANK YOU for your continued support of the parish during these difficult times,
especially those who have sent in donations, or taken out standing orders, or donated
via the Archdiocesan Parish Giving facility.
RECENTLY DECEASED: Fr Peter Fox (76), Parish Priest of St Luke’s, Whiston, and
previously St John Fisher, Widnes. He once served as a curate at St Joseph’s,
Harpers Lane, Chorley.
COLLECT FOR THE MASS IN TIME OF PANDEMIC (2020)
Almighty and eternal God, our refuge in every danger, to whom we turn in our
distress; in faith we pray, look with compassion on the afflicted, grant eternal
rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick, peace to the dying,
strength to healthcare workers, wisdom to our leaders and the courage to reach
out to all in love, so that together we may give glory to your holy name.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
CAFOD envelopes are available in church this weekend and contributions can
be returned over the next 2 or 3 weeks either to church or presbytery.
Your gifts will help vulnerable communities around the world to have access to clean
water – something we take for granted in England. Text LENT 10 to 70460 to give
£10 (enough for sturdy water containers to store clean water safely) Or add the
amount you’d like to donate eg Text LENT 5 to give £5 or LENT 20 to give £20.
JESUS CLEANSING THE TEMPLE:
This Gospel episode shows us that there is such a thing as healthy or righteous anger. This is the kind of anger that Jesus felt toward the money changers and the animal sellers who had turned the Temple Court of the Gentiles into a noisy market, when it should have been a place of peace and prayer for all nationalities. Jesus was angry at this defilement of his Father’s House, allowed by the High Priests
and the religious establishment, in order to line their own pockets.
Righteous anger is what anyone feels when faced with evils in society: injustice, lying politicians, corruption, abortion, poverty, discrimination, war, etc. It is a natural response when one finds oneself or others deeply wronged.
Righteous anger has a good purpose. It should impel us to work for justice, to
punish and wipe out vice and corruption. It is the natural, healthy reaction when one
sees evil done, especially against the young, the poor and vulnerable. To fail to be
stirred to action in the face of such wrongdoing is in fact the sin of apathy, literally, of
feeling nothing.
The correct response is to channel such righteous anger positively into action,
so that it makes a difference. Denying righteous anger or repressing it can cripple
people in a number of ways: morally, spiritually, emotionally, socially or physically.…
Anger must be dealt with or it will deal with us.
“The capital sin should not be feeling anger but nursing unresolved anger
resulting in hostility, the attitude leading to hurt another by negative humour,
destructive criticism or other unloving behavior. Feeling anger is healthy; acting in
hostility is usually unhealthy and sinful.”
Unrighteous anger, on the other hand, is the sort of anger which comes when
we don’t get our own selfish way, somebody contradicts us, or we are just impatient,
sulky and out of sorts. It may flow from wounded pride, from our bruised ego. This is
the sort of anger which is sinful if we nurture it. “If you are angry, let it be without sin.
The sun must not go down on your wrath; do not give the devil a chance to work on
you” (Ephesians 4:26-27).
Anger becomes sinful when it evolves into resentment, hostility, revenge and
destructive behavior. Hostility and revenge are warped ways of seeking justice.
Righteous anger seeks true justice and retribution – which is not vengeance,
but correct reparation for sin.
Lord, help me to cultivate in my heart the holy and righteous anger that
You desire I have. Help me to discern between what is sinful and what is
righteous. May this passion and all my passion always be directed at achieving
Your holy will. Jesus, I trust in You.
CHORLEY COMMUNITY HELPLINE 0800 368 8452
CHORLEY JUSTICE AND PEACE GROUP work to tackle poverty, violence,
prejudice and injustice, climate change, environmental protection, to work for a world
where all have access to food, clean water, shelter, health, education and livelihood.
They are inviting parishioners to join them. Please contact Andrew Thomson on 07802
249495 or thomson.andrew@btinternet.com
HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTION FOR MARCH
Let us pray that we may experience the Sacrament of Reconciliation with renewed depth, to taste the infinite mercy of God.
CHORLEY AND PRESTON HOSPITALS: Please contact St Joseph's Chorley (262713) if any member of your family is admitted into Chorley Hospital and needs a visit. Please, by
making a request for the visit, make sure that the ward staff understand that you would like the RC Chaplain to come and administer the Sacraments to your loved one,
the ward staff will call the Chaplain on his bleep/phone.
For the chaplaincy service at Royal Preston Hospital please ring 01772 522435. For the chaplaincy service at Wigan Infirmary T. 01942 822324.
Picture: A different take on the cleansing of
the Temple! How the Lord will deal with
those who demand excessive rates of
interest: the grave sin of usury.
CCC 584 Jesus went up to the Temple as the privileged place of encounter with God.
For him, the Temple was the dwelling of his Father, a house of prayer, and he was
angered that its outer court had become a place of commerce. He drove merchants out
of it because of jealous love for his Father: "You shall not make my Father's house a
house of trade. His disciples remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for your house will
consume me.'" After his Resurrection his apostles retained their reverence for the Temple.
COLLECTIONS OF APF RED BOXES are due during the month of March however
due to continuing pandemic restrictions we would like to ask for your help and support.
We will try to contact red box holders by telephone during the next few weeks to find
out if either a) you can empty your own box, place in a bag with your name and deliver
to church if you are managing to attend the weekend mass or b) we can arrange to
pick up from your home. Some of you are sending your donations direct to APF Mill
Hill and for this we are very grateful. Please contact Kath 483041 or Jen 48056
Parish Priest: Fr Francis Marsden
Secretary: Mr Frank Webster
Parish Office: St Joseph’s Presbytery, 28, Bolton Road, Adlington, Chorley PR6 9NA
Tel: 01257- 480237 or 01257- 262537 (St Mary’s Chorley)
E-mail: stjosephs.anderton@tiscali.co.uk
Parish Website: www.stjosephsanderton.com
LIVERPOOL ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESAN TRUSTEES INC Registered Charity No.232709
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