12th March 2017 - Trocaire Lenten Campaign 2017

On this weeks programme SS102fm team are joined by Rosemary O'Connor and SeanFarrell to  talk about the 2017 Trócaire Lenten campaign. We have our regular weekly reflection on this weeks gospel as well as liturgical odds and ends.

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

Trócaire Lenten Campaign

On this weeks programme we are joined by Rosemary O'Connor who was the Limerick Diocesan representative to visit Trócaire's country programme in Honduras in November 2016.  We also welcome back to the programme Sean Farrell who is the International Programme Director for Trócaire. Both Rose and Sean tells us about the 44th Trócaire Lenten Campaign in 2017 which focuses on the work that Trócaire does in Honduras.

Trocaire field visitors November 2016

As Rose tells us on the programme she was privileged to participate in a field visit to Honduras last November with Trócaire. The situation in Honduras makes pretty grim reading by any circumstances. The poverty in which the majority of Honduran people live becomes evident very quickly when you travel through the country. 64% of Honduran people live below the poverty line and 45% on less than €2 per day. Corruption is rife throughout the country. Human rights, resource rights and land rights are violated on a regular basis.

Yet despite all these challenges there are signs of hope and of positive change and Rose shares with us how she was really struck by the warmth and hospitality of the people and their willingness to share what they had with the visitors.

Maria José and Miriam Marivel Campos Perez

This years Lenten campaign focuses on Maria José (age 6) and her Mother Miriam Marivel Campos Perez who feature on this years Trócaire box. The Cuyamel community in the North of Honduras is the focus of this year’s Trócaire Lenten Campaign. Honduras is the most vulnerable country in the world to climate change. While on her visit Rose tells us how she saw first-hand the devastating effect that rising sea levels and extreme weather has wreaked on a community of 84 families (approximately 500 people). Miriam Marivel Campos Perez and her 6 year old daughter Maria José feature on this year’s Trócaire box and they live on the Cuyamel sandbar. The area where they live is very beautiful – wouldn’t anyone love to live on the beach?

The problem for Miriam, Maria and their neighbours is that the sea is encroaching further and further into their community. There used to be an 800 metre beach between the community and the sea. This is now reduced down to 35 metres. Between September and February is the rainy season in Cuyamel. At least once a week people have water coming into their houses. They wear flip flops all the time because the ground is so wet and muddy.

At least twice a year the area is flooded and the community has to evacuate in fear of their lives. The evacuation usually happens at night; one single mother of six small children described the terror of the water coming in and trying to get her children to safety. The road gets flooded so the only route out is via boat on a narrow canal. The community has access to only two boats with the capacity to evacuate 25 people at a time. Trócaire has supported the community with training and resources to establish a disaster committee to coordination evacuations and emergency responses. They have also supported the dredging of the canal which had been blocked with mud and debris from previous storms and floods.

• Find out more about Miriam and Maria's story on the Trócaire website HERE.

• You can listen to Rose's and Sean's interview excerpted from the main programme podcast HERE. 

We will be posting a fuller reflection from Rose on the blog in the next day or two.

• Trócaire's Lenten campaign -  you can find out more from Trócaire's own website HERE. 

As discussed on the programme you are encouraged to donate through your local school/parish; online at Trócaire's website or by phoning 1850408408. Please note that Trócaire doesn't fund raise by sending people door to door asking for contributions to their work. 

Gospel - Matthew 17: 1-9 - The Transfiguration

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” 

When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Word on Fire
English Dominicans
Sunday Reflections
Centre for Liturgy

Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours: Psalter week 2, 2nd week of Lent

Saints of the Week

March 13th - St Euphrasia
March 14th - St Matilde
March 15th - St Louise de Marillac
March 16th - St Finian
March 17th - St Patrick - Solemnity  of the principal patron of Ireland
March 18th - St Cyril of Jerusalem