14th July 2019 - Emmanuel School of Mission

On this week's programme we chat with Geraldine Creaton of the Emmanuel Community and Nina, Vianny and Maria who participated in the Emmanuel School of Mission. You can listen to the podcast of this week's full programme HERE.

Emmanuel Community
The Emmanuel Community is present in Ireland, and in fifty six countries around the world, and on every continent. The Emmanuel Community was founded in France in 1972 by the Servant of God Pierre Goursat and Martine Lafitte-Catta. The mission of the Community is to reveal to every man and woman the presence of the God of Love in our lives, Jesus Christ, who is “Emmanuel”, ”God With Us”, and wants to be close to us.

The Community consists of members with different states of life (families, singles, priests and celibate brothers and sisters) having the most different professions and trying to live a fraternal life in the world. It sees its aim as to respond to God's call to holiness addressed to each person, mainly through intense personal prayer, Eucharistic adoration, compassion for the spiritually and materially poor and evangelization. Members are helped to grow spiritually in various ways: "household meetings" (small groups of members, meeting regularly for prayer and reflection on God's action in their lives), "spiritual companionship" (personal meeting with a more experienced member), monthly meetings of all the members in a country or region.

Emmanuel School of Mission

Today John is joined by Geraldine Creaton from the Emmanuel Community as they chat with other members of the ‘Emmanuel School of Mission’ in California. The mission year is directed Fr Paul Glesson who introduces us to three participants attending the ESM this year – Nina, 26 years, from Australia, Vianny, 26 years, from France and Maria, 24 years, from Wexford. They share their faith journey with as their experience at the ESM for the last nine months. All three students bring back to their ordinary lives in main stream society the fruits and lessons they have experienced as they carry out the work of the Lord in their daily lives. Fundamental to this is prayer and a personal relationship with Jesus.

Further details regarding the Emmanuel Community and the School of Mission are available here: 

Emmanuel Ireland - http://www.emmanuelcommunity.ie/  

Emmanuel International - https://emmanuel.info/en

Emmanuel Rome (access ESM's from this site) - https://esm-rome.com/

ESM New York - https://www.esm-nyc.com/ 

ESM New York Newsletters - https://www.esm-nyc.com/news 

Gospel - Luke 10:25-37

A lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal lie?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

Wanting to justify himself, the lawyer asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Reflections on this week's Gospel: 

Word on Fire
English Dominicans 
Centre for Liturgy
Sunday Reflections 

Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours - Psalter Week 3

Saints of the Week
July 15th - St. Bonaventure
July 16th - Our Lady of Mount Carmel
July 17th - Carmelite Nuns of Compiegne
July 18th - St. Frederick
July 19th - St. Arsenius the Great
July 20th - St. Margaret of Antioch

16th June 2019 - Geraldine Creaton - The Emmanuel Community

On this week's programme Geraldine Creaton of the Emmanuel Community shares with us on her experience of the Emmanuel Community. We also have our regular celestial guides and reflection on the Sunday Gospel.

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

The Emmanuel Community

Geraldine Creaton joins us on our programme this week to share her experience of becoming involved with the Emmanuel Community, a community founded in France in 1972 by Pierre Goursat  and Martine Lafitte-Catta.  

Geraldine tells of her making a visit to Paray Le Monial and experiencing a Jesus talking to her and leading her to a new life with him. This was the start of her journey with the Emmanuel Community as she went on to spend a year at the Community’s School of Mission. Now Geraldine is part of a community numbering 10,000 throughout the world with a further associate 30,000 members.  

The mission of the Community is to reveal to every man and woman the presence of the God of Love in our lives, Jesus Christ, who is "Emmanuel," "God With Us," and wants to be close to us. The Community consists of members with different states of life (families, singles, priests and celibate brothers and sisters) having the most different professions and trying to live a fraternal life in the world. It sees its aim as to respond to God's call to holiness addressed to each person, mainly through intense personal prayer, Eucharistic adoration, compassion for the spiritually and materially poor and evangelisation. Members are helped to grow spiritually in various ways: "household meetings" (small groups of members, meeting regularly for prayer and reflection on God's action in their lives), "spiritual companionship" (personal meeting with a more experienced member), monthly meetings of all the members in a country or region.

• Emmanuel Community - International
• Emmanuel Community - Ireland

Home is where His Heart is!
From July 23-28 an International Session will be held in Paray le Monial (France).  A dozen of nations from different continents will be present to be renewed in the Heart of Jesus.  Workshops, Mass, teachings, praise, … and various parts of the program will be in English!  Come and live this unique experience! This session is open to everyone. Invite your family and friends!

Home is where His Heart is!


See you in Paray le Monial!

You can listen to a podcast of this reflection excerpted from the programme HERE.

Gospel - John 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘I still have many things to say to you
but they would be too much for you now.
But when the Spirit of truth comes
he will lead you to the complete truth,
since he will not be speaking as from himself
but will say only what he has learnt;
and he will tell you of the things to come.

He will glorify me,
since all he tells you
will be taken from what is mine.
Everything the Father has is mine;
that is why I said:
All he tells you
will be taken from what is mine.’

Reflections on this week's gospel:

Word on Fire
English Dominicans
Centre for Liturgy
Sunday Reflections

Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours - Psalter Week 3

Saints of the Week
June 17th - St. Emily de Vialar
June 18th - St. Gregory Barbarigo 
June 19th - St. Romuald 
June 20th - The Irish Martyrs of the (16th and 17th centuries)
June 21st - St. Aloysius Gonzaga
June 22nd - St. Thomas More

16th September - Emmanuel Community - Emmanuel School of Mission

On this week's programme John is joined by members of the Emmanuel Community, Fr. Paul Glennon and Geraldine Creaton, who share their experiences of the Emmanuel School of Mission and the Emmanuel Community. We also have our regular saints of the week and Sunday gospel reflection.

Emmanuel Community - Emmanuel School of Mission

Fr Conleth Meehan (L) and Fr Paul Glennon (R) are Emmanual Community Priests for the Archdiocese of Dublin.

Back on 22nd June 2014 we had an interview with then deacon Paul Glennon, now Fr. Paul Glennon, who shared with us his on-going journey towards priesthood. Paul was then one of the 15 men ordained deacon in Maynooth on June 1st 2014 for the Archdiocese of Dublin. When Fr. Paul was ordained the Lord led him to become the chaplain to the Emmanuel School of Mission in New York. Geraldine and Fr. Paul both share their experiences of being members of the Emmanuel Community in Ireland (you can learn more about the community from our previous blog posts HERE) and their experience of Emmanuel Schools of Mission.

You can listen to the full programme podcast HERE.

You can listen to Fr. Paul and Geraldine speaking about the Emmanuel Community and Emmanuel Schools of Mission excerpted HERE

Gospel for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 8:27-35

Jesus and his disciples left for the villages round Caesarea Philippi. On the way he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say I am?’ And they told him. ‘John the Baptist,’ they said ‘others Elijah; others again, one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he asked ‘who do you say I am?’ Peter spoke up and said to him, ‘You are the Christ.’ And he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about him.
    And he began to teach them that the Son of Man was destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and to be put to death, and after three days to rise again; and he said all this quite openly. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him. But, turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said to him, ‘Get behind me, Satan! Because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.’
    He called the people and his disciples to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.’

Reflections on this week's gospel:

Word on Fire
Centre for Liturgy
Sunday Reflections 
English Dominicans
Dominican Sisters of St. Joseph

Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours: Psalter week 4

Saints of the week

17th September - St. Robert Bellarmine
18th September - St. Joseph of Cupertino
19th September - St. Januarius
20th September - St. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang and Companions
21st September - St. Matthew
22nd September - St. Maurice

Notices

The annual Padre Pio Triduum will take place in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick on Wednesday, September 19th, Thursday, September 20th and Friday, September 21st from 7.00pm to 9.00pm with devotions, Mass and blessing with the 1st Class Relic of St. Pio. Celebrant: Fr. John Mockler.

25th March 2018 - Sharing a faith journey - Gerard Hanley - Palm Sunday

On this weeks programme John is joined by Gerard Hanley from the Emmanuel Community who reflects on his faith journey. We have our regular Sunday gospel reflection (reflecting on the Lords Entrance into Jerusalem) and some thoughts for Holy Week as well as some other liturgical odds and ends.

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

A Journey to Faith

On this weeks programme we are joined by Geraldine Creaton and Gerard Hanley from the Emmanuel Community.

Gerard shares with us his journey to faith and the challenges he has faced over the years through which faith has helped him to over come.

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

Gospel
Procession - Mark 11: 1-10
Reading of the Passion - Mark 14: 1- 15;47

When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,

“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Reflections on the Gospel readings of this Sunday:

Word on Fire - The Return of the King
Sunday Reflections 
English Dominicans - The Hour of the Son of Man
Centre for Liturgy

Liturgical odds and ends

Holy Week and the Sacred Easter Triduum out rank all saints memorials and commemorations this week so we wont be posting any saints of the week list. The Easter Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil and closes with evening prayer on Easter Sunday.

When does Lent end? Lent ends at sunset on Holy Thursday before the Mass of the Lord's Supper.

The Mass of Chrism - Limericks Chrism Mass is in St Johns Cathedral at 7pm on Wednesday, March 28th 

Holy Thursday - Mass of the Lord's Supper is celebrated in parishes around the world to commemorate the first Mass, the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood. Reminder to people to bring your Trócaire box to church for collection.

Good Friday - No Masses are celebrated any where around the world on Good Friday. The main liturgical event is the Commemoration of the Lords Passion usually held at 3pm. The traditional collection is taken up for the support of the Holy Places in the Holy Land. Good Friday is a day of fast and abstinence for Catholics in Ireland.

Why do we celebrate the Easter Vigil after dark ... why is the darkness a big deal!?!?

The entire celebration of the Easter Vigil takes place at night. It should not begin before nightfall; it should end before daybreak on Sunday. This rule is to be taken according to its strictest sense. The Easter Vigil does not correspond to the usual Saturday evening

anticipated Mass, and its character is unique in the cycle of the liturgical year. It ought to take place at night.

The Church notes that the kinds of objections raised to holding the Paschal Vigil at night are not raised when it comes to midnight Masses at Christmas or other gatherings of various kinds! To light a fire and candles and speak of “this holy night,” and “Christ the Morning Star,” while there is still light on the western horizon is literally to make an incorrect statement at the most important liturgy of the church year - that does us, or our liturgy, no justice!

The intention of the Missale Romanum is clear: the Easter Vigil is to take place in darkness, “after nightfall;” that is, after the time in the evening when daylight is last visible. 

Sunset in Limerick on Saturday March 21st is at 8:07pm, and sunrise on Easter Sunday morning is at 7:07am.

17th December 2017 - 3rd Sunday of Advent (Gaudate Sunday)

On this weeks programme John is joined by Edmund Collins and Geraldine Creaton reflect on family and being able to share our stories in the modern world. We have our regular reflection on the Sunday gospel as well as notices and other liturgical odds and ends.

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

Gaudate Sunday

The Third Sunday of Advent is also known as Gaudete Sunday.  The word “gaudete” is derived from the Latin words “gaudium,” joy, and “gaudeo,” to rejoice or be glad.  Gaudete Sunday occurs eight to thirteen days before Christmas, and the nearness of this major feast is reason for great joy.

So its appropriate that the candle on the Advent wreath is rose, not purple, to indicate joy. Some parishes even have rose coloured vestments. We are rejoicing!! This reflection by Graham Hunt OP is helpful this weekend: 

To prepare meaningfully for Christmas can be exceedingly difficult. We must ask ourselves whether, amidst the tumult of our everyday lives – the rush to find the right presents, get the cards away on time, attend the obligatory functions – we are allowing ourselves to find the time to truly prepare and, more dauntingly perhaps, truly proclaim this wonderful news. That Christ dwells in us, each and every one, and that, in little over a week, we will celebrate the most astonishing and wonderful event that is Christ’s birth here in our midst, should truly fill us with such joy and peace. However, it can only do so if we allow ourselves the time to reflect, to pray and to prepare. Only then will we, like John the Baptist, be so moved by the Spirit that we will also wish to proclaim this blessed coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in a world that greatly needs to hear His message of salvation.

"Three Telling Tales"

Geraldine Creaton joins John on this weeks programme to reflect on Advent and the preparation for Christmas and as part of the reflection there is a discussion with Edmund Collins about his book "Three Telling Tales" which is used as a key to reflection about the need for space and time as families in this hyper-digital world.

This weeks interview with Edmund Collins about his book "Three Telling Tales" and the reflection with Geraldine Creaton is excerpted from the main programme podcast HERE.









Gospel - John 1:6-8, 19-28

A man named John was sent from God.He came for testimony, to testify to the light,so that all might believe through him.He was not the light,but came to testify to the light.
And this is the testimony of John.When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priestsand Levites to himto ask him, "Who are you?"He admitted and did not deny it,but admitted, "I am not the Christ."So they asked him,"What are you then? Are you Elijah?"And he said, "I am not.""Are you the Prophet?"He answered, "No."So they said to him,"Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?What do you have to say for yourself?"He said:"I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,'make straight the way of the Lord,'"as Isaiah the prophet said."Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him,"Why then do you baptizeif you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?"John answered them,"I baptize with water;but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,the one who is coming after me,whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,where John was baptizing.

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Word on Fire
Sunday Reflections
English Dominicans
Centre for Liturgy

Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours - Psalter week 3, 3rd week of Advent

Saints of the Week

December 18th - St Flannan
December 19th - Blessed Kazimiera Wolowska
December 20th - Blessed Michal Piaszczynski
December 21st - St Peter Canisius
December 22nd - Blessed Thomas Holland
December 23rd - St John of Kanty
December 24th - Adam and Eve
December 24th (evening) - The Vigil of the Nativity of the Lord

30 April 2017 - Catch-up with the Emmanuel Community in Ireland

On this weeks programme John is joined by an old visitor Geraldine Creaton from the Emmanuel Community who updates on what the community has been up to and up coming events. We have our regular reflection on the Sunday gospel as well as other odds and ends.

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

Emmanuel Community Catch-up

This week Geraldine Creaton from the Emmanuel Community joins us to talk about the Community and up coming events. 

The Community is now present in 67 countries with 10,000 members in every continent. Based on Eucharistic Adoration, Compassion and Evangelisation the community reaches out to support people where they are in life. 

A typical outreach in Ireland involves members of Emmanuel inviting shoppers at the Tallaght shopping centre in Dublin to visit the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel in the centre to light a candle, leave a petition and say a quiet prayer. Geraldine told us that people often want to chat at these times and this listening ear is just what people appreciate.

Geraldine also shares with us the story of Cyprien Rugamba and Daphrose Mukasanga - the founders of the Emmanuel Community in Rwanda over 25 years who were martyred for speaking up for Justice on the 1st day of the Genocide on 7th April 1994, and whose cause for Canonization has been opened. 

• The music played today is from the new album of the Community - Mercy
• 25th -30th July 2017 - special week for English speaking pilgrims in Paray-Le-Moniel with the Emmanuel Community.
• You can contact Emmanuel Ireland at info@emmanuelcommunity.ie 

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

Gospel - Luke 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were goingto a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?"They stopped, looking downcast.One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalemwho does not know of the thingsthat have taken place there in these days?"And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,who was a prophet mighty in deed and wordbefore God and all the people,how our chief priests and rulers both handed him overto a sentence of death and crucified him.But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;and besides all this,it is now the third day since this took place.Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body;they came back and reportedthat they had indeed seen a vision of angelswho announced that he was alive.Then some of those with us went to the tomband found things just as the women had described,but him they did not see."And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these thingsand enter into his glory?"Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,he interpreted to them what referred to himin all the Scriptures.As they approached the village to which they were going,he gave the impression that he was going on farther.But they urged him, "Stay with us,for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."So he went in to stay with them.And it happened that, while he was with them at table,he took bread, said the blessing,broke it, and gave it to them.With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,but he vanished from their sight.Then they said to each other,"Were not our hearts burning within uswhile he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalemwhere they found gathered togetherthe eleven and those with them who were saying,"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"Then the two recounted what had taken place on the wayand how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Word on Fire

Centre for Liturgy

Sunday Reflection

English Dominicans

Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours - Psalter week 3; 3rd week of Easter

Saints of the Week

May 1st - St Joseph the Worker

May 2nd - St Athanasius of Alexandria

May 3rd - Ss Philip and James

May 4th - Blessed Martyrs of England & Wales

May 5th - Bl Edmund Rice (First Friday)

May 6th - St Edberto of Lindisfarne (First Saturday)

Ad multos annos Fr Paul Glennon

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin with Fr Paul Glennon (l) and Fr Christopher Derwin (r)

Back on 22nd June 2014 we had an interview with then deacon Paul Glennon who shared with us his on-going journey towards priesthood. Paul was then one of the 15 men ordained deacon in Maynooth on June 1st 2014 for the archdiocese of Dublin but he also has links to the Emmanuel Community in Ireland (you can learn more about the community from our previous blog posts HERE). He told us of his re-discovery of faith through the Charismatic Conference, his experience at WYD2005 in Cologne and how he went on to explore his faith and the Emmanuel School of Mission in Rome with the Emmanuel Community before starting the journey to ordination.

SS102fm extends its heartiest congratulations to Fr Paul Glennon who was ordained by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin yesterday - feast of St Kevin - in Dublin. Ad multos annos Fr Glennon!!!

Irish Independent report - Ex-barman and engineer join priesthood

December 28th 2014 - Feast of the Holy Family

On this weeks programme we have an interview with Philip Milligan about the shrine at Paray-le-Monial. Geraldine joins us to reflect on this weeks gospel which is that of the Feast of the Holy Family.We have some other liturgical odds and ends as well.

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

The Sanctuaries of Paray le Monial 

Wall painting, Vincent de Paul, left, before Sacred Heart of Jesus appearing to Margaret Mary Alacoque; original in convent chapel, Paray le Monial

On this weeks programme, John is out and about as a roving correspondent for SS102fm and brings you a programme he recorded during the summer in France at the shrine of Paray le Monial. For many people this Burgandian shrine of course is closely associated with the devotion to the Sacred Heart which is a favourite devotion among many in West Limerick. John is joined by Philip Milligan to discuss the history and devotion at the shrine.

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

The Message of Paray le Monial
The History of Paray le Monial

The future belongs to Mercy from Sessions de Paray-le-Monial on Vimeo.


Gospel - Luke 2:22-40

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family which always occurs on the Sunday during the Octave of Christmas. This year it displaces the Feast of the Holy Innocents.The Holy Family is seen as the model of the human family, of religious community of the Church itself. The celebration of the Incarnation has brought us to see God's closeness and in the Holy Family we see the ordinariness of the life of Jesus.

Our reflection on this weeks gospel can be listened to HERE, excerpted from the main programme.


"Think about it. The creator of the universe spent most of his human life as a craftsman, working with dad in the family business and ultimately taking it over. Mary, the holiest of all creatures, spent most of her time changing diapers, cooking, and cleaning. The secret to holiness is not to do extraordinary things, but to do ordinary things with extraordinary love and gratitude...." Continue reading this reflection here.

"Nazareth is a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ’s life was like and even to understand his Gospel . . . How I would like to return to my childhood and attend the simple yet profound school that is Nazareth! How wonderful to be close to Mary, learning again the lesson of the true meaning of life, learning again God’s truth. . . May Nazareth serve as a model of what the family should be. May it show us the family’s holy and enduring character and exemplify its basic function in society: a community of love and sharing, beautiful for the problems it poses and the rewards it brings, in sum, the perfect setting for rearing children – and for this there is no substitute." from an address given by Blessed Paul VI in Nazareth, January 5 1964

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

English Dominicans - Holy Waiting
Sunday Reflections
Word on Fire

You can read more about the feast day HERE.

“May the Holy Family, who had to overcome many painful trials, watch over all the families in the world, especially those who are experiencing difficult situations.  May the Holy Family also help men and women of culture and political leaders so that they may defend the institution of the family, based on marriage, and so that they may sustain the family as it confronts the grave challenges of the modern age! . . .  may Christian families find the light and strength to be united and to grow as the ‘domestic church’ especially in their diligent participation in the celebration of the Eucharist on Sunday."

Saint John Paul II,  – Prayer from Angelus Message for the Feast of the Holy Family 2004

Reflections and prayers for the feast of the Holy Family available on the website of the Irish Bishops Conference HERE.

Liturgical odds and ends

Liturgy of the Hours - Psalter Week 1 

Saints of the Week

December 29th - St Thomas a Becket (martyr)
December 30th - Blessed Giovanni Maria Boccardo
December 31st - St Sylvester (Pope)
January 1st - Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God (also World Day of Peace)
January 2nd - Ss Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen (Bishops & Doctors of the Church) - First Friday
January 3rd - St Munchin (Bishop) - Patron of the Diocese of Limerick