22nd March 2015 - Interview with Br Conor McDonagh OP - 5th Sunday Lent (Year B)

On this weeks programme John, Anne and Shane and joined by Br Conor McDonagh who shares his Dominican story and what it means to be a young religious in Ireland. We have a short reflection on the Sunday gospel as well as some other odds and ends.

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

Interview with Br Conor McDonagh OP

Br Conor and Sr Louise after his diaconal
ordination 15th March 2015

Br Conor McDonagh OP joins John and Shane on the programme this week to share his journey to becoming a Dominican friar and onto his diaconal ordination on 15th March. 

In what is an interesting discussion, Conor reflects on what it means to be a Dominican and a in a particular way to reflect on what it means to be a young religious in Ireland today. Conor reflects on the challenges and opportunities that religious have as people of encounter and how religious life is an opportunity of evangelical witness.

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

You can find out more about the Irish Dominicans from their website.



Conor was also involved in the video that was produced to mark the Year for Consecrated Life:

Gospel - John 12: 20-33

Some Greeks who had come to worship at the Passover Feastcame to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.Whoever loves his life loses it,and whoever hates his life in this worldwill preserve it for eternal life.Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.The Father will honor whoever serves me.
“I am troubled now. Yet what should I say?‘Father, save me from this hour’?But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.Father, glorify your name.”Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.”The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; but others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come for my sake but for yours.Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”He said this indicating the kind of death he would die.

Here I am, imperfect, concerned, broken. 

I give it all to you - I let go trying to be in charge and 

I will let God be God in my life.

Prayer of Confession

(inspired by John 12:20-33)

Lord, we confess that we love our lives as they are.

We struggle with even the idea of change.

We wrestle with the thought of doing things differently.

But we know that the life we cling to is only a half-life.

Only you, O Lord, can give us true life in full.

Forgive us for holding onto the wrong things.

Teach us by your Spirit to let go of our agendas and assumptions.

Help us to let go of our self-righteousness and false notions of power.

Give us the strength and courage to try new things.

Encourage us – and even push us –

to let go of ourselves so we can fully embrace you, Holy God.

We pray these things in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.

~ written by Amy Loving, and posted on The Worship Closet: The Place for Creative Worship Ideas. 




Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Word on Fire
Sunday Reflections
Centre for Liturgy


Liturgical odds and ends

Liturgy of the Hours: psalter week 1; 5th week of Lent

Saints of the Week

March 23rd - St Turibius
March 24th - St Macartan (anniversary of the death of Archbishop Oscar Romero)
March 25th - Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
March 26th - St Mochelloc of Kilmallock
March 27th - St Rupert of Salzburg
March 28th -Bl Donal O'Neylan