26 April 2015 - Interview with Aidan O'Rourke - Good Shepherd Sunday (Day of Prayer for Vocations)

On this weeks programme John has an interview with Aidan O'Rourke who is the current seminarian in Maynooth for the diocese of Limerick and Fr Leslie McNamara, the Vocations Director for Limerick diocese. We have a reflection on this weeks gospel as well as some liturgical odds and ends.

Just to remind people next Friday is May Day, so the tradition of sprinkling the garden and farm with Easter water on May Eve should be done on Thursday evening around sunset.

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

Vocation Sunday

The World Day of Prayer for Vocations is celebrated on Sunday 26th May this year, the Fourth Sunday of Easter. The World Day of Prayer for Vocations is also known as Vocations Sunday or Good Shepherd Sunday and will be celebrated this year on the theme ‘Exodus: a fundamental experience of vocation’. 

In his message for Vocations Sunday Pope Francis reflects that "The exodus experience is paradigmatic of the Christian life, particularly in the case of those who have embraced a vocation of special dedication to the Gospel,” the Pope said in his message, which was dated March 29 and released April 14.

“This calls for a constantly renewed attitude of conversion and transformation, an incessant moving forward, a passage from death to life like that celebrated in every liturgy, an experience of Passover,” he added. “From the call of Abraham to that of Moses, from Israel’s pilgrim journey through the desert to the conversion preached by the prophets, up to the missionary journey of Jesus which culminates in his death and resurrection, vocation is always a work of God.”
You can read Pope Francis full message for Vocation Sunday HERE.

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Aidan and Fr Leslie reflect on the meaning of vocation and in particular the vocation to priesthood and Aidan shares his faith journey to date which has led him to discern his vocation at the national seminary at Maynooth.

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

Gospel - John 10:11-18

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Word on Fire
English Dominicans
Sunday Reflections
Centre for Liturgy

Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours - Psalter week 4, 4th week of Easter

Saints of the Week 

April 27th - St Asicus of Elphin, bishop
April 28th - St Louis de Montfort
April 29th - St Catherine of Siena OP (patron of Europe)
April 30th - St Pius V (May Eve, blessing of lands and gardens with Easter water)
May 1st - St Joseph the Worker (First Friday)(May the month of Mary)
May 2nd - St Athanasius of Alexandria