Sixth Sunday of Year B - 15th February 2009

Small Christian Communities - Lent 2009

Lent is the time of year when we are invited to spend more time in prayer. We are challenged to relate Jesus' journey to our own journey through life in the hope that if we can weave the two together, we will be drawn closer to him. In this parish, we have had a tradition of providing materials for individual meditation and for small groups of people to meet with. Once again this year, I would encourage you to think about making the time to pray in this way during Lent.

As usual, the diocese will provide a daily meditation and group reflection booklet this Lent called ''Lord, Giver of Life". The aim of this resource is to encourage people to explore the theme of the Holy Spirit using texts from St. Paul, John's Gospel and other Church documents and Scripture passages. Over the course of six weeks, the material will help us to consider the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the life of the Church.

There has also been a tradition in the parish for ecumenical groups to meet during Lent. They have chosen to use the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland materials, called "'Sense making faith". The materials can be accessed on the internet: www.sensemakingfaith.org.uk .

This year, we are offering a third alternative of materials for use in the small communities in the parish called ''Journeying with Jesus" by Fr. Denis McBride, an eminent Scripture scholar and Redemptorist priest. It is a seven week programme which invites us to journey side by side with our Lord during Lent either individually or in small groups — facing his temptations, travelling to the mountain top and sitting with him at the table before accompanying him to the cross and then recognising him on the road after the resurrection.

Parishioners who have been members of small groups in the past will speak to us at Masses this weekend to tell us of their experience of being part of these prayer groups. We will hear how they have grown in faith and how they have met and made friends with people they may have seen at Mass for years.

There will be sign-up sheets at the back of the church after Mass over the next few weeks. See if one of the times will suit you; some groups meet during the day and some meet in the evening. The road where the group meets will be shown so you can choose somewhere near to where you live. The list will include a note of which resource will be used. (The cost of the diocesan materials is £1 per booklet; the ''Journeying with Jesus" is £4.95. If you want to join one of the ecumenical groups, please sign up on one of their sheets, which are also at the back of the church.