For those moments when it seems a bit much, just a quick reminder

31 August 2014 - Trocaire's appeal for Middle East - 22nd Sunday in Ordinary time

The SS102fm team is back with an almost full contingent on air this morning with John, Lorraine, Anne and the welcome return of Michael Keating to studio. On this weeks programme we have an interview with Caoimhe de Barra who is the International Director of Trocaire and she is talking about Trocaire's work. We have our regular reflection on the Sunday gospel as well as some other odds and ends.
 
You can listen to the podcast of this weeks programme HERE.

Trocaire
 

Trócaire works in over 20 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. In 2013-14, their programme work had a direct impact on the lives of over 3.4 million people in these regions. Trócaire delivers support through local partner organisations and churches, helping communities and families to free themselves from the oppression of poverty.

In Ireland, they raise awareness about the causes of poverty through their outreach programmes in the education sector, through parish networks, and through their public campaigns and advocacy work.
 
Iraq/Syria
 
Trócaire has committed humanitarian aid to respond to the urgent needs of civilians from minority communities in northern Iraq, who have fled their homes under threat of attack from the militant group, Islamic State (formerly ISIS). A major humanitarian crisis has unfolded in the region, with 850,000 people fleeing in the last two months alone to escape brutal attacks by IS, as it seeks to extend its control across the region. The total displaced since the start of the year stands at 1.4 million.

“The lives of thousands of people from minorities in Iraq, including Christians, Yazidis and Turkmen, are in critical danger, as this humanitarian crisis escalates,” said Éamonn Meehan, Executive Director of Trócaire.

“People trapped in conflict zones are seeking shelter wherever they can find safety, often in churches and temples, and are in desperate need of urgent emergency aid."

“Trócaire is working with our partners in northern Iraq to assess the needs of these people and has committed an initial €300,000 to respond to this evolving emergency.”
 
Gaza
 
Trócaire is appealing for your support for their efforts to deliver emergency aid to Gaza and their work towards a just peace in the region. Conflict in Gaza has killed over 1,800 civilians and displaced more than 485,000 people. They are also working with partners in Israel and the West Bank to build a just peace based on a respect for human rights.
 

 

For more information and to donate to our Gaza appeal - www.trocaire.org

You can listen to Caoimhe de Barra's interview excerpted from the main programme HERE.

Gospel - Matthew 16:21-27

 
From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you." But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men."
 
Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done

Other reflections on this weeks gospel:

Word on Fire
Sunday Reflections
English Dominicans
Centre for Liturgy

Liturgical odds and ends

Saints of the Week

September 1st  - Bl Pedro Rivera
September 2nd - St Margaret of Louvain
September 3rd - St Pope Gregory the Great
September 4th - Saint Macanisius
September 5th - Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (First Friday)
September 6th - Saint Maccallin of Lusk

Pope's Intentions for September

Mentally disabled. That the mentally disabled may receive the love and help they need for a dignified life.

Service to the poor. That Christians, inspired by the Word of God, may serve the poor and suffering.

24th August - Reflecting on Prayer - 21st Sunday in Ordinary time (Year A)

The SS102fm team makes a return to the airwaves this week after a couple of weeks break as well as some delays due to technical difficulties at WL102fm HQ in Newcastle West. We hope that our readers and listeners found some time and opportunity to have some "down time" over the summer to recharge the batteries.

On this weeks programme John and Lorraine reflect on prayer and the different types of prayer. We have our regular reflection on the Sunday gospel and some other liturgical odds and ends. 

You can listen to the podcast of this weeks programme HERE.

Reflecting on Prayer

"Lord teach us to pray" was the cry of the apostles and sometimes it can be a difficult thing to do - or rather we can make it a difficult thing to do! St Teresa of Avila is often quoted as saying that "prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us". John and Lorraine reflect on prayer on this weeks programme.

You can listen to this section of the programme excerpted HERE.

Gospel - Matthew 16: 13-20 - "Who do you say I AM?"

"Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesare'a Philip'pi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli'jah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ."

From Limerick Diocese weekly newsletter:

It is important to know what the church teaches, what society says, what is news and what is everlasting. All these things inform us.  In fact, Jesus begins his teaching today by asking this - who do 'people' say I am? Whats the general opinion? whats the consensus? ...   Then he takes it to the next level:

‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’

After all the words, all the information, all the noise and opinions ... what do you believe? where do you stand? Do you have an answer? I wonder if any of the apostles felt a little shocked or upset at the question? They were following him, wasn't that enough! Why did they have to articulate it like this?

We live in a world full of noise and information and ideas. We are easily manipulated into agreeing or disagreeing with the prevailing stories. We are advertised to, preached at, entertained. Sometimes its hard to slow down and know what is really our opinion, our belief. 

Jesus challenges us today with this question "Who do you say I am?". He does not ask it because he is unsure, he asks because he wants to know what you've learnt, how you're developing in faith. 

Heres your homework this week then: In one paragraph, with only your own words and no quotes, answer Jesus question. Then bring that answer to some fellow Christians and share your thoughts.  Don't be afraid to struggle with the question - its a sign you're going deeper. Ask Gods help in prayer, that God might reveal to you what is true and good and divine. 

You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. 

Alleluia, Amen.

Other reflections on this weeks gospel:

Sunday Reflections
Word on Fire
English Dominicans
Centre for Liturgy

Liturgical odds and ends

Saints of the Week

25th August - St Louis of France
27th August - St Monica
28th August - St Augustine 
29th August - The Beheading of St John the Baptist
30th August - St Fiacre

August 20th - St Bernard of Clairvaux

Youth 2000 - Summer Festival 2014

SS102fm has spoken to members of Y2K over the last few years and just a reminder that their upcoming summer festival is in Roscrea this year from 14th to 17th August.


When will the festival take place?

This year it is taking place from Thursday 14th – Sunday 17th August 2014. Registration will begin at 6pm on Thursday evening.

Where will the festival take place and how do I get there?

It will take place at Cistercian College, Mount Saint Joseph Abbey, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary. There are free buses from various locations around the country(online from June 2014). To book your place on the FREE BUS you MUST contact the relevant bus contact (booking online DOES NOT book your place on the bus.)

What happens at the Youth 2000 Summer Festival?

The Youth 2000 Summer Festival is full of variety. The festival includes inspiring talks, music, prayer, concert, workshops, dramas, share groups, reconciliation and healing service and Mass. It is a packed program but there is also time for chatting, sitting, relaxing, soccer and generally chilling out.

Who can attend this?

This is a youth event, so we are encouraging those aged between 16 - 35 years to attend. If you are over 35, this festival isn’t really for you although we do always need mature volunteers to help with the running the festival. If you're interested in coming along to help in some way, please contact the National Office on 01 6753690 to discuss this matter further. Any prospective volunteers will be required to be Garda vetted and referenced checked.


Youth 2000 have recently joined iCatholic and have posted a number of videos online explaining who and what they are.

Heroic Priesthood

Holiness is heroism.

Christ’s invitation to priesthood is an invitation to a way of life that is athletic in its intensity and heroic in its form.

Discern the call.

In this short film, produced by Word on Fire Catholic Ministries in partnership with Spirit Juice Studios, Father Robert Barron and the seminarians of Mundelein Seminary present the demands and the joy of the priestly vocation.

The Growing Popularity of Eucharistic Adoration

In this short video, John Howard, the Coordinator of the Apostolate of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, amongst others, speak about the growing popularity of Eucharistic Adoration in Ireland.

August 3rd - Franciscan Friars of the Renewal - 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

As we had technical difficulties on our programme when Br. Frantisek's interview was due to be aired, we have decided that it was just too good to miss, so we are replaying it on our programme this week...

On this week's programme we have the third and final part of our interview with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal about their life and ministry. 

You can listen to the podcast of this week's programme HERE. 

Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (Part 3)

                                                                                This week we have the third and final part of our interview with the Franciscans Friars of the Renewal and this week we learn more about Br. Frantisek Marie and his vocation story.

You can read more about the friars including the first and second part of this series of interviews HERE and HERE.

You can listen to the interview excerpted from the main programme HERE.


Gospel - Matthew 14:13-21

When Jesus received this news he withdrew by boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But the people heard of this and, leaving the towns, went after him on foot. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them and healed their sick.

When evening came, the disciples went to him and said, ‘This is a lonely place, and the time has slipped by; so send the people away, and they can go to the villages to buy themselves some food’. Jesus replied, ‘There is no need for them to go: give them something to eat yourselves’. But they answered ‘All we have with us is five loaves and two fish’. ‘Bring them here to me’ he said. He gave orders that the people were to sit down on the grass; then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing. 

And breaking the loaves handed them to his disciples who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected the scraps remaining; twelve baskets full. Those who ate numbered about five thousand men, to say nothing of women and children.

 
If we look at today's Gospel, it may remind us of the actions of the Mass.  We bring our offerings to God. Jesus took the bread and the fish, He blessed the meal, broke the loaves, gave it to his disciples.  The same action takes place during our celebration of the Mass.  We bring our offerings to God - not just the bread and wine - but our whole lives, ourselves, our relationships, our joys, our worries, our dreams, our hopes are all offered to God on the paten.  Jesus takes our offerings and blesses them.  He consecrates the bread and wine to become His Body and Blood.  He consecrates us as His Body, members of His Church.  Nourished at the Table of the Lord, Jesus commissions us to go out and to give others 'something to eat' (Mt 14:16).  What can we give others for nourishment?  We can give them ourselves, our time, our talents, our help, our love, our support, but most of all, we can give others Jesus.  Pope Benedict reminds us that "Each of us is truly called, together with Jesus, to be bread broken for the life of the world." (Sacramentum Caritatis  88).

Thanks to the Diocese of Limerick Facebook page for bringing the following thought-provoking prayer to our attention:

A Pastoral Prayer based on Sunday's Gospel:

We come believing in our emptiness,

believing that we will never have enough,

believing that what we have is unworthy.

We come fearful of sharing,

fearful of losing our tenuous grip on security,

fearful of touching and knowing the pain of others.

We come overwhelmed by the hunger,

overwhelmed by the suffering of children near and far,

overwhelmed by the endless tales of senseless violence, greed, and death.

We come aching from the weight of the responsibility,

aching from the chilling challenge of knowing our abundance,

aching from the gnawing awareness that we have much to share.

We come clinging to our meager lunches;

bless them, and us.

break them, and us.

share them, and us.

Pastoral Prayer (inspired by Matthew 14:15-21, Mark 6:35-44, Luke 9:12-17, John 6:4-13)~ written by Katherine Hawker, on Liturgy Outside http://liturgyoutside.net/ From http://re-worship.blogspot.ie/

Reflections on this week's gospel:
 
Sunday Reflections
English Dominicans
Word on Fire
Centre for Liturgy
 
Liturgical odds and ends
 
Liturgy of the Hours - 18th week in ordinary time; Psalter week 2
 
Saints of the week
 
August 4th - St. John Vianney (the Cure of Ars)
August 5th - St. Addal
August 6th - The Transfiguration of the Lord
August 7th - St. Cajetan
August 8th - St. Dominic
August 9th - St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), Patron of Europe