Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time, 24th August, 2025. Cycle C
St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road,
New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)
Parish - Priest: Fr Mario Ashuikeka
Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com Websites http://www.stjohntheevangelistnewferry.com
Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time , 24th August 2025. Cycle C.
FAITH IN FOCUS: FAVOURITE THINGS: We all have favourite things. There’s the suit or dress we like for special occasions, the worn shoes we treat like old friends and the jumper that everyone says we should have got rid of years ago. In the food department we have our special likes and dislikes, perhaps preferring caviar to cod, Chardonnay to cider and pasta to pudding. For us it’s the most natural thing in the world to consider some things as more desirable than others. And it’s the same with people. There are some folk that we naturally warm to while others we find off-putting or pushy and give them a wide berth. We make our choices and have our favourites. All of this has the effect of making us create categories of people in our mind’s eye. There’s us and them. There’s good and bad. There’s suitable and unsuitable people. And, of course, the older we get the more predictable and intransigent we become in our opinions of other people. Unless, that is, they happen to be our favourites. God has got no favourites. None at all. Not even you. Yes, that’s right, not even you! Everyone that God created was created good, whole, complete and worthy of God’s love and satisfaction. God didn’t make anyone better than anyone else. Perhaps one of the hardest things for us to grasp is that God loves us not for what we should be, not for what we could be, but for what we are now at this moment. God’s love is unconditional; it never leaves us where we are but gradually draws us forward into a deeper appreciation of what is on offer for us. This causes some people problems, like the Jews in our reading today from Isaiah where God says he’s going to bring “foreigners” from all those strange-sounding places, put them in the holy city and make some of them priests! This didn’t seem right to some Jews. And what about us? Can we recognise ourselves in the gospel among those people who thought they would waltz into heaven but found that others were taking their seats? The first and the last seem to have got mixed up. That’s because there are no reserved seats in heaven for God’s favourites. And why? Because God hasn’t got any.
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ENTRANCE ANTIPHON; Turn your ear, O Lord, and answer me; save the servant who trusts in you, my God. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all the day long.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: Alleluia, alleluia! If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him. Alleluia!
COMMUNION ANTIPHON: Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, says the Lord, and I will raise him up on the last day.
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Devotions/Adoration: Saturday Morning Devotions will be prayed in Church (the Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises) from 10:30am-11:30am. Fr Mario will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation between 11.00am- 11.30am. All morning services will take place in St Anne’s house; at St John’s: all Masses will be held in the Main Church.
Last Weeks’ Offertory Collection: this week’s total is £549.95p. Many thanks for your continued support .Retiring Collection for Caritas £265.59p.
The Boiler Appeal- a separate bank account has been set up specifically to ‘ring fence’ contributions to the new boiler fund. Please make cheques payable to St John’s New Ferry and write 29001/NFJ/DU on the reverse. Cash donations should be placed in an envelope with 29001/BNFJ/DU written on the outside.
Bookings- for the reception & Celebration of Sacraments: Baptism, Holy Communion, Confirmation & Wedding, please enquire & arrange for these through the parish emails / Secretaries of St. Anne’s & St. John’s. Also contact the Parish Priest/ Administrator through 0151 645 3996.
Funerals should be booked through the Parish Offices by the funeral directors.
Mass Intentions Please complete an intentions envelope. If a particular date is requested give at least THREE week’s notice. If the date has been filled, we will put your intention in as near as possible to the original date. Thank you for your patience and co-operation.
In Memoriam. Please pray all the faithful departed that they may rest in the peace of Christ.
Children's Liturgy – takes place during the 9.30am Mass. All are most welcome.
Sunday Morning Teas continue on the first Sunday of each month. Come along for tea/coffee & biscuits whilst enjoying a chat. The next date is SUNDAY, 7th SEPTEMBER 2025.
Wirral Foodbank Appeal: Please help t o support our local Foodbank as much as you can with both food & funds. All items urgently needed are listed on the notice board at the back of church.
Confirmation: Confirmation, this year, is at St John's on Wednesday 19th November at 7.00pm. Confirmation preparation classes will start on 12th September 6.30pm to 7.30pm in St John's church. Those candidates who have already returned the registration forms will be notified by email
Foundation Governors The Governors at St John’s Catholic Junior School are currently recruiting additional Foundation Governors. The role would suit someone with an interest in serving our community and supporting the needs of our school children. Being a school governor is about supporting the school leadership in their strategic direction, holding the leadership to account for school performance and ensuring good financial management. Training is provided and this is also a great professional development opportunity. Anyone interested in finding out more about the role can contact the school to arrange an informal chat: Tel: 0151 645 9615 Email: schooloffice@stjohns-junior.wirral.sch.uk or we can be contacted directly via email at chair-governors@stjohns-junior.wirral.sch.uk Gillian Dyche and Tony Rutherford, Co Chairs of Governors
Assisted suicide - action needed! The Leadbeater assisted suicide Bill is expected to have its Second Reading in the House of Lords on Friday 12 September. Right To Life UK has launched an Easy Action tool to help you write to a few Peers with a tailored message to highlight key concerns with the Bill. Please take action now and visit www.righttolife.org.uk/aspeers to ask Peers to oppose assisted suicide - it takes just 30 seconds!
SVP Summer Raffle: Raffle tickets are now on sale at the back of church. £1 per ticket. First prize is £5000, 2nd prize £1000 with 15 x £100 additional prizes. All tickets now sold. Many thanks.
St. Luke's are hosting cream tea afternoon at 76 Church Rd. Bebington on Saturday the 6th September from 2 till 4 pm, for our three parishes ( Charity to be decided ). ALL ARE WELCOME
Jubilee Evangelisation Event Sharing Hope with a Broken World with guest speaker Mark Saunders on Saturday 13th September 10.30am-2.15pm at St Joseph's Eucharistic Shrine, Tatton St, Stockport SK1 1EJ. To book email: natalie.orefice@dioceseofshrewsbury.org
Jubilee for Catechists with Bishop Mark Davies, the Dominican Sisters of St Joseph and Natalie Orefice, Diocesan Director of Evangelisation and Catechesis. On Saturday 15th November at St Joseph's Eucharistic Shrine, Tatton St, Stockport SK1 1EJ. Book a free place here: https://bit.ly/Jubilee-for-Catechists PLEASE SEE THE 2 POSTERS ON THE NOTICE BOARD AT THE BACK OF CHURCH.
Invitation to a Tea Party: to be held at St John’s Junior School on Friday 12th September 2-3pm to discuss ideas for fundraising for the coming academic year. For more details, please see the poster on the notice board at the back of church.
Jubilee of Social Justice: to be held at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral on Saturday, 20th September for all those involved in catholic social action within England and Wales. Holy Mass at 12 Noon, followed by light lunch and Social Action Exhibition in Pontifical Hall. See poster on the notice board at the back of church.
PHASE TWO: OPERATION WEED KILLER Saturday 30th August at 10am: Volunteers needed again, please, to join Fr Mario to clear all the weeds from the church car park. Please bring with you your garden equipment i.e. strimmers, etc. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks to all those parishioners who turned out to help on Saturday, 16th August.
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Saturday 23rd 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm Luciana Gerald Sadri 3rd Annv. RIP
Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time 24th 9.30am Eileen Spencer RIP
7.30pm Prayer Meeting
Monday Bank Holiday 25th 9.30am Ints Fr Mario & his Family
Tuesday 26th 9.15am In Honour of St Anne – Pray for Families
Wednesday - St Monica 27th 7.00pm MASS AT ST JOHN’S ONLY
In Honour of St John –Pray for all Parishes, Young People & Good Friendship in the Parishes
Thursday – St Augustine 28th NO MASS
Friday – The Passion of St John the Baptist 29th 9.15am Cath Green RIP
Saturday 30th NO devotions this morning
5.00pm Tom Kelly RIP
Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 31st 9.30am Birthday Blessings Reuel Michael Ormond
7.30pm Prayer Meeting
Weekend Masses - Please note that the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed immediately before each Mass. Please use this as a time for prayer & quiet devotion. Please enter the church quietly & remain so. Thank you.
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ST ANNE’S WEEKLY MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday 23rd 6.30pm Wilfred White Anniversary
Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time 24th 11.00am Francis Okah Ordiah 25th RIP Remembrance
Monday 25th 12 Noon Ronnie Jones RIP
Tuesday 26th 12 Noon For Families
Wednesday 27th 7.00pm MASS AT ST JOHN’S ONLY
Thursday 28th NO MASS
Friday 29th 12 Noon Funeral Mass - Harry Brightmore
Margaret McLaughlin Birthday
Saturday 30th 6.30pm For all Parishioners of St. Anne’s, St. John’s & St. Luke’s and for Youth
Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 31st 11.00am Deacon James Armstrong RIP Anniversary
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Pope Leo XIV Intentions for August
“Let us pray that societies where coexistence seems more difficult might not succumb to the temptation of confrontation for ethnic, political, religious, or ideological reasons.”
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