23rd March 2014 - Trocaire 2014 Lenten Campaign - 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year A)

On this weeks programme John and Anne are joined by Noirin Lynch who tells us about this years Trocaire Lenten campaign which focuses on access to clean safe water. She tells us about her trip to Malawi which is the focus of the Trocaire campaign this year. We also have our regular reflection this week with Michael Keating on the Sunday gospel as well as other notices and liturgical odds and ends.

You can listen to a podcast of the full programme HERE.

Trocaire Lenten Campaign 2014

 

On this weeks programme we are joined by Noirin Lynch from LDPC who comes on to share with us about this years Trocaire Lenten Campaign. Noirin was lucky enough to be part of the Trocaire team which went to Malawi in January to see the reality behind this years campaign.

Trócaire works in over 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. In 2012-13 Trócaire’s programme work benefitted over 2.7 million people, working across areas like (i) Sustainable livelihoods, (ii) Human rights, (iii) Gender equality, (iv) HIV, (v) Climate change, amd (vi) Emergency relief.

Overseas Trócaire delivers support through local partner organisations and churches, helping communities and families to free themselves from the oppression of poverty. In Ireland, Trocaire raise awareness about the causes of poverty through outreach programmes in the education sector, through parish networks, and through public campaigns and advocacy work. 92% of all money received by Trocaire goes directly to the people that need it most. 

The Lent 2014 theme is Water, and the featured country is Malawi. As part of its preparations, Trocaire brings a number of diocesan reps each year to the featured country, so that they might speak from experience of the visiting these projects and people. Noirin Lynch, Pastoral Co-ordinator was invited to join Trocaire in Malawi for one week in January 2014
 
 

This year's Trócaire Lent Campaign is about the global water crisis. Drier climates across sub-Saharan Africa are leaving communities struggling without enough water for drinking, sanitation and growing food.

Enestina (9) is the girl on this year's Trócaire Box. She comes from a small community in rural Malawi that has relied on a polluted river for drinking and washing for many years. The community depends on the unpredictable rains to water their crops, meaning they never know what food they can produce. Trócaire is working to change this.

For children like Enestina, access to water means better health, more nutritious food and more time in school.

 


 
Your donation will help a community to install a water pump or a water irrigation system. This will free up children’s time from fetching water so they can attend school, and will help families to increase their crop harvest and grow more food to eat.
 
Where your money goes:
 
92% goes on direct charitable expenditure
7% is spent on fundraising and publicity activities
1% goes on governance costs
 
You can listen to Noirin's interview excerpted from the main programme HERE.

You can see photos of her trip to Malawi on the Limerick diocesan website HERE.
 
Trocaire's website with resources for schools and parishes and the links to donate is HERE.

Gospel - John 4:5-42

There came a woman of Samar'ia to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samar'ia?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, `Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?" Jesus said to her, "Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, `I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly." The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he." Just then his disciples came. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but none said, "What do you wish?" or, "Why are you talking with her?" So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city, and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" They went out of the city and were coming to him.

 

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Word on Fire
Sunday Reflections
Centre for Liturgy
English Dominicans

To Be Loved, Is To Be Known
To Be Loved, Is To Be Known

written by Chris kinsley and Drew Francis

I am a woman of no distinction. Of little importance, I'm a woman of no reputation to say which is bad.

You whisper as I pass by and cast judgment until glances. Though you don't really take the time to look at me, or even get to know me. 

For to be known is to be loved.

To be loved is to be known, otherwise what is the point of doing either one of them in the first place.

I want to be known.

I want someone to look at my face and not just see two eyes, a nose, a mouth and two ears

But to see all that I am and could be, all my hopes loves and fears. But that is too much to hope for, to wish for or pray for, so I don't, not anymore.

Now I keep to myself, by that I mean the pain. Pain that keeps me in my own private jail, the pain that's brought me here at midday to this well.

To ask for a drink is no bigger quest, but to ask it of me.

A man unclean, ashamed, used, abused,an outcast,a failure, a disappointment a sinner.

No drink passing from these hands to your lips could ever be refreshing, only condemning. As I'm sure you condemn me now, but you don't

You are a man of no distinguish to the outmost importance, a man with little reputation at least so far. You whisper and tell me to my face What all those glances have been about.

You take the time to really look at me, I don't need to get to know me. For to be known is to be loved, and to be loved is to be known.

You know me, you actually know me, all of me and everything about me.

Every thought inside and hair on top of my head, every hurt stored up, every hope, every dread.

From my past to my future, all I am and could be, you tell me everything, you tell me about me.

And that what would be spoken by an other would bring hate and condemnation.

Coming from you brings love, grace, mercy, hope and salvation.

I've heard of one to come who would save a wretch like me and here in my presence you say I am he. 

To be known is to be loved, and to be loved is to be known.

I just meet you, but I love you. I don't know you, but I want to get to know you.

Let me run back to town this is way too much for just me.

There are other brothers, sisters, lovers and haters. The good and the bad sinners and saints who should hear what you've told me, who should see what you showed me, who taste what you gave me, who should feel how you forgave me.

For to be known is to be loved, and to be loved is to be known, and they all need this too, we all do, need it for our own.

Liturgical odds and ends

Saints of the Week

24th March - St Maccartan
25th March - Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
26th March - Saint Mochelloc of Kilmallock
27th March - Blessed Pellegrino of Falerone
28th March - St. Hesychius of Jerusalem
29th March - Blessed Bertold of Mount Carmel