17th March 2019 - Solemnity of St Patrick, National Apostle of Ireland

On this weeks programme we have a combination of things for our listeners. We have a repeat of a programme from 2013 with Fr Michael Liston who reflects on the real St Patrick. In addition due to an error at WL102fm last week, our programme for the first Sunday of Lent did not go out at 10am as originally planned. As such, we are repeating the interview with Dr Jessie Rogers on this weeks programme. We have a reflection on the gospel from the 2nd Sunday of Lent (the account of the Transfiguration from St Luke) as well as some other notices and liturgical odds & ends.

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

Who is St Patrick? - A reflection with Fr Micháel Liston

St Patrick's Day is the national Irish holiday when we commemorate firstly the memory of the man who brought the Christian Faith to the Emerald Isle around 432AD and also a celebration of what is good and great about us as a people and a country in culture and other fields of life.

It is also a day when we remember in a special way our emigrants who for many and varied reasons but generally economic ones have had to leave "the land of our birth". As a returned emigrant, St Patrick's Day gained in significance while I was away overseas, a day of sadness for being far from kith and kin, but also of joy and pride in being from a little isle on the verge of the mighty Atlantic which, has in its own small way, has contributed to the betterment of society and our world in general through art, music, song, literature, science, peacekeeping under the UN, our many NGO's and volunteers, and of course the contribution of our missionaries to the development in many parts of the world in education, health care and the promotion of human rights in the course of spreading the gospel and witnessing to their faith.

We remember all of our diaspora fondly and as we pause in prayer or raise a glass in honour of St Patrick, from our hearts, we wish them all a very Happy St Patrick's Day from the Emerald Isle!

But like so many Christian feasts, St Patrick’s Day has been somewhat hijacked. St Patrick has about as much to do with a pint of Guinness as St Valentine has to do with a box of chocolates and a romantic meal for two. But what does this saint, so strong in missionary zeal and about whom we know very little, have to do with our modern day celebrations? The answer comes from his Confessio itself. 

In the very opening paragraphs of the autobiography, St Patrick offers a meditation on the gift of faith and the praise that we owe in return to God for such a gift. Perhaps this is St Patrick’s greatest relevance, particularly in a culture that seems increasingly hostile to declarations of faith. He refuses to stay quiet; his evangelising zeal comes from knowing that he must speak to others of Christ:

“That is why I cannot be silent – nor would it be good to do so – about such great blessings and such a gift that the Lord so kindly bestowed in the land of my captivity. This is how we can repay such blessings, when our lives change and we come to know God, to praise and bear witness to his great wonders before every nation under heaven.”   

Enjoy the celebrations of St Patrick’s Day, but we must remember Christ’s call to conversion in our lives; a call to conversion and change that St Patrick felt so strongly that he left behind everything he had and followed Jesus so that he might bring the gospel to others. 

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Originally broadcast on 17th March 2013, a dear friend of the programme, Fr. Micheal Liston, joins John and Ann Keily to celebrate the solemnity of St. Patrick (Patron Saint of Ireland).

Fr. Micheal introduces St. Patrick as someone who suffered a lot in his youth, but in the middle of all his suffering, he became conscious of God's presence and love. Fr. Micheal encouraged us to set aside the external celebrations of St. Patrick's day to look at the model of St. Patrick as someone who had discovered the mysterious presence of God in his life. We are invited to reflect on the reality that God is here with us as He was for Patrick. God is fond of us. God has time for us.

St. Patrick is also a great model of how we should respond to God's grace in our lives. Patrick recognised his own limitations and the abundance of God's grace working in his life. Fr. Micheal invited us to confess, as Patrick did, that with all our limitations, it is God who has done this good work in our lives. Patrick gives glory to God, because the glory is God's. God has a sheer ghrá (affection/love) for us and we are called through prayer and humility to imitate Patrick by responding to God's grace and love with a spirit of self-giving and gratitude. This is the true spirit of Patrick.

You can listen to the interview with Fr Michael excerpted from the main programme podcast HERE.

Repeat - Reflecting on the journey of Lent with Dr Jessie Rogers

Due to an error at WL102fm last week, our programme for the first Sunday of Lent did not go out at 10am as originally planned. As such, we are repeating the interview with Dr Jessie Rogers on this weeks programme.

Dr Jessie Rogers who lectures in scriptures at the Pontifical University St Patrick's College Maynooth and would be familiar to many people across the diocese of Limerick as she often gives retreats and reflections around scripture and was also involved with Synod2016.

During our time on this weeks programme Jessie reflects on the journey of lent and opening the space of Lent. She reflects on how Lent is a preparation/journey to a mystery - the mystery and wonder of Easter. We reflect on how Lent is a journey where we try to get rid of things to allow us to listen for and meet Jesus. It is a time to pray and listen carefully about our lives and where we go in our lives.

Sometimes we are familiar with the rituals and the practices but not 100% sure why we do it. So this year maybe we can go into the meanings behind what we do. After all the invitation that lent gives us is to slow down, to de-clutter, to make space for God by giving up something, not to give up something for the sake of it but rather to make space to meet the Lord.

You can listen to the reflection from Jessie excerpted from the main programme podcast HERE.

Gospel - Luke 9:28-36

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus* took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake,* they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings,* one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen;* listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Reflections on the gospel reading for the 2nd Sunday of Lent

Word on Fire
Sunday Reflections
Centre for Liturgy
English Dominicans

Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours - Psalter week 2; 2nd week of Lent

Saints of the Week

March 18th - St Cyril of Jerusalem 
March 19th - St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
March 20th - St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne
March 21st - St Enda
March 22nd - Bl Clemens August Von Galen
March 23rd - St Turibius of Mogrovejo