12th November 2017 - In November, remembering those who have died

On this weeks programme John and Shane are joined by Sr Margaret O'Sullivan who reflects on November as the month of remembrance and helping to cope with grief. We have our regular reflection on this Sunday's gospel as well as notices and other liturgical odds & ends.

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

Remembering those who have died in November

Sr Margaret O'Sullivan joins us on the programme this week and leads us through a reflection on remembering and coping with grief in this month of November - the month of the Holy Souls. 

You can listen to Sr Margaret's wonderful reflection excerpted from the main programme podcast HERE.

Gospel - Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
'Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.'
But the wise ones replied,
'No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.'
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'
But he said in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour."

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Word on Fire
Sunday Reflection
English Dominicans - Remembrance Sunday
Centre for Liturgy

Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours - Psalter week IV, 32nd week in ordinary time

Saints of the Week

October 13th - St Frances Xavier Cabrini also Bl David Sutton
October 14th - St Laurence O'Toole 
October 15th - St Albert the Great
October 16th - St Margaret of Scotland also St Gertrude the Great
October 17th - St Elizabeth of Hungary also St Hilda
October 18th -  Dedication of the Basilica's of St Peter & St Paul

To Rise with Christ - Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith publishes new guidelines on Cremation

Given the increasing popularity and/or economic necessity of families and individuals cremating the remains of their dearly beloved, the CDF on behalf of Pope Francis has issued a universally binding document today called Ad resurgendum cum Christo on the treatment of cremated remains from the Church's point of view.

The Congregation notes that in many regions cremation is markedly increasing, making a reiteration of the existing norms and their theological bases advisable. The Church permits cremation but not the scattering of ashes on land, sea or in the air; dividing them among family members, or preserving them in jewellery, the Vatican has stated in their new Instruction.

It is a re-statement of the existing position first set out in 1963 and then included in the 1983 Code of Canon Law where the Church prefers that "all necessary measures must be taken to preserve the practice of reverently burying the faithful departed”, adding however that cremation is not “opposed per se to the Christian religion” and that no longer should the sacraments and funeral rites be denied to those who have asked that they be cremated, under the condition that this choice has not been made through “a denial of Christian dogmas, the animosity of a secret society, or hatred of the Catholic religion and the Church”."

As we often say on SS102fm, sometimes it is best to read the original document rather than the spin and coverage given by the media. Full text of the document is available HERE.

Rocco over at Whispers in the Loggia has a very good report on it HERE.

PrayTell has an interesting commentary piece HERE.

Altelia has their coverage HERE

Reflecting on the Holy Souls in November

 

In the month of November, we pray in a special way for those who have died. Bishop Brendan offers a short reflection on Purgatory

The Closing of the month of the Holy Souls

While the month of the Holy Soul's draws to a close this weekend, memory and remembrance of those who have gone is not turned off with the changing of the calendar - especially for this left behind. For so many who are grieving a recent loss, those aching and those remembering  John O'Donohue's words may be a reminder that those who have died and the bereaved are held in a special way in November.

On The Death Of The Beloved - John O’Donohue

Though we need to weep your loss,

You dwell in that safe place in our hearts,

Where no storm or night or pain can reach you.

Your love was like the dawn

Brightening over our lives

Awakening beneath the dark

A further adventure of colour.

The sound of your voice

Found for us

A new music

That brightened everything.

Whatever you enfolded in your gaze

Quickened in the joy of its being;

You placed smiles like flowers

On the altar of the heart.

Your mind always sparkled

With wonder at things.

Though your days here were brief,

Your spirit was live, awake, complete.

We look towards each other no longer

From the old distance of our names;

Now you dwell inside the rhythm of breath,

As close to us as we are to ourselves.

Though we cannot see you with outward eyes,

We know our soul’s gaze is upon your face,

Smiling back at us from within everything

To which we bring our best refinement.

Let us not look for you only in memory,

Where we would grow lonely without you.

You would want us to find you in presence,

Beside us when beauty brightens,

When kindness glows

And music echoes eternal tones.

When orchids brighten the earth,

Darkest winter has turned to spring;

May this dark grief flower with hope

In every heart that loves you.

May you continue to inspire us:

To enter each day with a generous heart.

To serve the call of courage and love

Until we see your beautiful face again

In that land where there is no more separation,

Where all tears will be wiped from our mind,

And where we will never lose you again.

3rd November 2013 - 31st Sunday in Ordinary time (Year C) - A Reflection on the Holy Souls

On this weeks programme John, Anne and Lorraine reflect on November and the month of the Holy Souls as we enter into what can be a special time of reflection for many people. We have our reflection on this weeks gospel and our usual liturgical odds and ends.

You can listen to this weeks programme podcast HERE.

The Holy Souls

Lorraine and John reflect on November being the month of the Holy Souls during this weeks programme going through how the liturgy can express our belief in the Resurrection and the life to come.

The Church never forgets you. Over the course of the year we will pray for every portion and class of humanity, no matter where or in what difficulty or sorrow. Jesus Christ took on the full burden of human experience in his life and during his passion, and so now his Church too must look to the needs of all its members. In November our concern reaches even beyond earthly shores. We remember those who have gone before us, family and friends, and who now may be going through a time of being purified and made ready for the face-to-face vision of God in the great banquet of Heaven. We call this Purgatory, and the Catholic understanding has always been that we are intimately united with the Holy Souls there, that our communion in faith continues even after death. We can pray for them and they can pray for us.

Souls in Purgatory, or the Holy Souls, are the souls of those who have died in the state of grace but who are not yet free from all punishment due to their unforgiven venial sins and all other sins already forgiven (for which satisfaction is still to be made). They are certain to enter Heaven but must first suffer proportionately in Purgatory. It is the teaching of the Church that these souls are aided by our prayers and good works, and especially by the Sacrifice of the Mass. Though they cannot help themselves, it is commonly believed that they can assist us, and the Church commends our prayers for their intercession.

 

“We must not make purgatory into a flaming concentration camp on the brink of hell—or even a ‘hell for a short time.’ It is blasphemous to think of it as a place where a petty God exacts the last pound—or ounce—of flesh.... St. Catherine of Genoa, a mystic of the 15th century, wrote that the ‘fire’ of purgatory is God’s love ‘burning’ the soul so that, at last, the soul is wholly aflame. It is the pain of wanting to be made totally worthy of One who is seen as infinitely lovable, the pain of desire for union that is now absolutely assured, but not yet fully tasted” (Leonard Foley, O.F.M., Believing in Jesus)

You can listen to this section of the programme excerpted HERE.

More information and prayers available here and here.

Gospel - Luke 19:1-10

"He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchae'us; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchae'us, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it they all murmured, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." And Zacchae'us stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost."

In the Gospel story, Luke likes to show the mercy of the Master towards sinners and Lk 19: 1-10 is one example. The story of the conversion of Zacchaeus tells us that no human condition is incompatible with salvation: Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham, (Lk 19: 9) says Jesus.

 Sometimes we gloss over well known biblical stories because we think we know the ending. Zachaeus - a tax collector - has sometimes become a cuddly carton character. An article in this weeks Irish Times has a headline 'Go on, Hug a banker' ... Notice the feelings that evokes. Now imagine you're a Jew watching Jesus do just that - hugging a tax collector ...Let us not assume we have learnt all that is to be learnt from scripture - especially from the well-known stories!

Zachaeus is not simply a representation of a certain role - we are all Zachaeus. You and I. Most of us have at one point or another felt judged, caught out, too small or beyond redemption. Many of us have decided to step away rather than risk rejection. Perhaps we can recognise that feeling of looking in (from a safe place), but not really feeling its safe to join in ...

Can you recognise yourself in Zachaeus? Are there parts of your life hidden or held back? Do you hunger to come down from the place of safety and step joyfully into the arms of love? As disciples of Jesus Christ, we often ask ourselves - what would Jesus do? Here we find an answer. Here we are given a lovely example of who we are called to be - we are called to awareness, to kindness, and to hope. Where people experience themselves as truly noticed and engaged with, where they experience kindness and inclusion, they have hope.

Go out, with Jesus, to "seek out and save what was lost.” Not in order to make them like you, but in order that every ones full potential is known and shared.

 

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Sunday Reflections
Word on Fire
English Dominicans
Centre for Liturgy
Augustinian Friends

Liturgical odds and ends

Liturgy of the Hours - Psalter week 3, 31st week in ordinary time

Saints of the Week

November 4th - St Charles Borromeo
also St Lua of Limerick
November 5th - St Magnus of Milan
November 6th - All the Saints of Ireland
November 7th - St Willibrord
November 8th - Bl John Dun Scotus
November 9th - Dedication of the Basilica of the Most Saviour and St John on the Lateran in Rome - Mother and Head of all the churches of the City and the World, the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome.