19th August 2018 - 1978: The Year of the three Popes

On this weeks programme John, Shane and Lorraine take a look back into the history books to mark the 40th anniversary of the Year of Three  Popes. We have our regular notices, reflection on Sunday gospel as well as our usual visit to this weeks saints of the week.

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

1978 - The Year of the Three Popes

This year is the 40th anniversary of the Year of the Three Popes which occurred in 1978. The three popes involved were:

• Paul VI, who was elected on 21 June 1963 and died on 6 August 1978. 
• John Paul I, who was elected on 26 August 1978 and died thirty-three days later on 28 September 1978.
• John Paul II, who was elected on 16 October 1978 and held the position until his death 26 years, 5 months, and 18 days later on 2 April 2005.

So on this weeks programme we discuss that eventful year and the impact it had on Church and world history with the end of the Italian stranglehold on the papacy and a shift to engagement with the world following the implementation of the Second Vatican Council.

BBC - 1978: Year of the three popes
‘Year of Three Popes’: Paul VI’s Death 40 Years Ago Heralded Whirlwind in Church

You can listen to the discussion about 1978 excerpted from the main programme podcast HERE.

Gospel - John 6:51-58

Jesus said to the crowds:
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my flesh for the life of the world."
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,
"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Jesus said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.
For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
remains in me and I in him.
Just as the living Father sent me
and I have life because of the Father,
so also the one who feeds on me
will have life because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven.
Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,
whoever eats this bread will live forever."

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Word on Fire
English Dominicans
Centre for Liturgy
Sunday Reflections

Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours - Psalter week 4

Saints of the Week

August 20th - St Bernard of Clairvaux
August 21st -  St Pius X
August 22nd - Queenship of Mary
August 23rd - St Eoghan
August 24th - St Bartholomew
August 25th - St Louis of France

Anniversary of Pope John Paul II

WMoF2018 remind us that today is the anniversary of Pope John Paul II. He died on this day 13 years ago. He had a great love and belief in the family and its role in Church and society. 

Pray for us St John Paul II

International Women's Day

Letter of Pope John Paul II to Women 1995

This word of thanks to the Lord for his mysterious plan regarding the vocation and mission of women in the world is at the same time a concrete and direct word of thanks to women, to every woman, for all that they represent in the life of humanity. 

Thank you, women who are mothers! You have sheltered human beings within yourselves in a unique experience of joy and travail. This experience makes you become God's own smile upon the newborn child, the one who guides your child's first steps, who helps it to grow, and who is the anchor as the child makes its way along the journey of life. 

Thank you, women who are wives! You irrevocably join your future to that of your husbands, in a relationship of mutual giving, at the service of love and life. 

Thank you, women who are daughters and women who are sisters! Into the heart of the family, and then of all society, you bring the richness of your sensitivity, your intuitiveness, your generosity and fidelity. 

Thank you, women who work! You are present and active in every area of life-social, economic, cultural, artistic and political. In this way you make an indispensable contribution to the growth of a culture which unites reason and feeling, to a model of life ever open to the sense of "mystery", to the establishment of economic and political structures ever more worthy of humanity. 

Thank you, consecrated women! Following the example of the greatest of women, the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word, you open yourselves with obedience and fidelity to the gift of God's love. You help the Church and all mankind to experience a "spousal" relationship to God, one which magnificently expresses the fellowship which God wishes to establish with his creatures. 

Thank you, every woman, for the simple fact of being a woman! Through the insight which is so much a part of your womanhood you enrich the world's understanding and help to make human relations more honest and authentic. 

SS102fm@WYD2016 - Pilgrimage of Mercy

This morning (Tuesday) we completed our Pilgrimage of Mercy walk from the St John Paul II Sanctuary to the Divine Mercy Sanctuary. Fr Chris shared with us about St John Paul II and St Faustyna and the Divine Mercy devotion. We prayed the divine mercy chaplet between both sanctuaries and went through the door of mercy at the Divine Mercy Sanctuary where we had the opportunity to entrust to God's mercy all those whom we carry on our hearts.

John Paul II final appearance in 2005 - March 30th 2005

October 22nd - feast day of St John Paul II

“I plead with you! Never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid,” Pope John Paul II

The Universal Church is marking the first liturgical feast day of Saint John Paul II, Tuesday October 22. Poland’s greatest son led the Church from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005. He was canonized along with Pope John 23rd earlier this year by Pope Francis.He was the longest reigning Pope in modern history, serving from October 16, 1978 until his death on April 2, 2005.

Saint John Paul was canonized this year on Divine Mercy Sunday — an observance he put on the church's universal calendar in 2000 on the Sunday after Easter. The Polish pope was a longtime enthusiast of the Divine Mercy devotions of St. Faustina Kowalksa, whom he beatified in 1993 and canonized in 2000.

As the first non-Italian pope in 455 years, John Paul saw the fall of European communism and the passage to the third millennium of Christianity.

From Vatican Radio:

Saint John Paul and the Mysteries of Light: a musical meditation

Universal Church marks first feast day of St. John Paul II

20 Images that Prove St. John Paul II was the Coolest Saint Ever

From Catholic Online - saint of the day

The readings from the Office of Readings for the new feast day.

Why Pope John Paul II is a Saint - Word on Fire

Pope John Paul II: Thinking outside the church

National shrine, exhibit feature artifacts, insights about late Pope St. John Paul II

Pope John Paul II was in many respects a pope of firsts: the first pope to visit the White House, the first pope to visit Cuba, and the most widely traveled Pope in history. As one of the longest reigning popes in the history of the Church, his influence will be felt for generations. Join host Cheridan Sanders as she speaks with Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB about the life and times of Pope John Paul II in this latest episode of Catholic Focus from Salt + Light.

Saint John Paul - Mass of thanksgiving, 35th Anniversary of his visit!

 

“There is no such thing as an ordinary lay person”
Saint John Paul, Freeman of Limerick

 

October 1st 1979 at Greenpark Racecourse, Limerick

A special Mass of Thanksgiving
to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the visit of Saint John Paul

Thursday, October 2nd 2014 7pm St Josephs Church

Afterwards refreshments and an small exhibition of memorabilia from the visit will be on display in St Joseph’s Hall next door.

All welcome – please spread the word!

You can re-read the Pope's homily from the Mass in Limerick HERE.

Homily of Bishop Donal Murray to mark the 30th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Limerick HERE.

Vatican Announces Feast Days of Newly Canonized Pontiffs

From Zenit:

The Feast Days of Saints John XXIII and John Paul II will be on October 11th and October 22nd respectively, the Vatican has announced.

In a decree published in today’s edition of L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican said Pope Francis had approved putting the saints on the Church’s general Roman calendar of feast days in light of "countless requests from every part of the world.” The decree, issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, stated they will be optional and not obligatory memorials.

Vatican watcher Sandro Magister notes that the saints will join fifteen other popes - in addition to St. Peter - mentioned in the calendar. Only four of these are an "obligatory memorial": St. Gregory the Great (Sept. 3), St. Cornelius (Sept. 16) and St. Leo the Great (Nov. 10). The only holy pontiff of the second millennium with a mandatory feast day is St. Pius X (Aug. 21).

New norms regarding obligatory and mandatory feast days were implemented in 2007 on account for the relatively large number of saints who are now celebrated in the Church.

Canonisations of John XXIII and John Paul II - UPDATED 1 - 4

While Rome may have been crowded last weekend for the Easter ceremonies with 150,000 people in St Peter's Square for Easter Sunday Mass with Pope Francis,  the expectation is that around a million pilgrims will be drawn to the Eternal City for next weekend as Pope Francis will solomnely declare that his predecessors Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II are among the saints. The coverage online is blanket but we will try to give you a flavour of some of the articles online. However if you want to browse yourself some of the best coverage is from the following sites:

• Salt + Light - website and Facebook page
• Vatican Radio - English Section Facebook Page
• Vatican Radio
• Word on Fire
• Rome Reports - we are big fans of Rome Reports on this blog and going back over the last three weeks RR have had a series of short videos on different aspects of the lives of both JXXIII and JP2; well worth a look.
• Irish Bishops Conference facebook page
• Catholic News Agency
• Catholic News Service

UPDATE 1: Official website for the canonisations

Starting off the round up of articles, Fr James Martin SJ poses the question - What is a saint?

Staying a bit more closer to home:

Over at America magazine, Loyola press have given permission for Fr James Martin's chapter on John XXIII from his book "My Life with the Saints" (a book that comes with a five star recommendation from the SS102fm team) to be published - Vicar of Christ.

St. John Paul II: The 20th Century’s Greatest Dissident

Blessed John XXIII: pope of hearts (Vatican Radio)

John Paul II: pope from a far away country (Vatican Radio)

Blessed John Paul II's Polish roots: courage and moral strength (Vatican Radio)

John XXIII: The accidental saint

The virtues of John XXIII

What the canonizations of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II tell us

SS102fm's previous blogs about these two saints HERE and HERE

Everything you need to know about popes and saints

Joint canonization encourages politicized Catholics to bridge divides

New papal saints have flaws as well as greatness

ICBC has a summary page of the canonisation process and the two new saints

Freedom Lived Nobly: The Social Magisterium of John Paul II

Holy Popes! Significance of the Canonization of John XXIII & John Paul II

Blessed John XXIII: Cardinal Loris Capovilla and the canonisation - Cardinal Loris Capovilla was for many years the personal secretary of John XXIII and recently wrote how this twentieth century Pope rather than arouse in us feelings of nostalgia should encourage us to look towards the future..

Becoming saints: Two popes who revolutionized Jewish-Catholic relations

UPDATE No. 2

The canonisation celebrations - Irish Catholic

Men of our time, for our time - Irish Catholic

Pius XII to John XXIII: A change in style - Vatican Radio

UPDATE No. 3



The Pope and I: Remembering John XXIII (Thinking Faith)

Pope John Paul II: Thinking outside the Church (Thinking Faith)

Discussions on the Pontificate of Blessed John Paul II (Dominicans Interactive)

UPDATE No. 4

John Paul II: tainted saint? - Irish Times

Proposer defends swift canonisation process of Pope John Paul II - Irish Times

The debate over canonizing two popes - John Thavis

John XXIII and John Paul II, ‘twin bookends’ of Vatican II - Catholic Comment

It is the person who is canonized, not every pontifical choice he made - Vatican Insider

The Process of Beatification & Canonization

Vatican issues official prayers to Saints John XXIII & John Paul II

Remembering John Paul II and the build up to the canonisations of John XXIII & John Paul II on April 27th

Nine years ago on April 2nd, John Paul II died. Do you remember where you were when you heard the news?

Over at Pilgrims Progress, Sr Louise recounts her memories of the events of that time and her meetings with John Paul II - Santo Subito! Remembering Pope John Paul II .

Excitement is building in Rome as we head towards April 27th and the double canonisation of Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II. Rome Reports is covering the build up.

 

 

 

 

Conversations on John Paul II - the 'new evangelization' - Irish Dominicans

 

Irish Dominican student brothers along with the Regent of Studies of the Irish province Fr John Harris OP are recording conversations in memory of Blessed John Paul II. The first conversation focuses on the "New Evangelisation" - a term first coined by the late Pope.

Four of our student brothers took part - Bro Matthew Farrell, Bro Philip Mulryne, Br Michael O Dubhghaill and Bro Matthew Martinez.
This first episode is part of a three episode series on some of the
themes in the pontifical of Blessed John Paul II. The second episode will be on the 'Culture of Life' and the third on the 'World Youth Days'.

Saints John Paul II and John XXIII

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum......

(I announce to you a great joy....)

Readers of the blog will have noticed that we have been offline for a few days but by golly did the news out the Vatican brings us back with a bang yesterday! Fr Lombardi (the spokesman for the Vatican) must have had a reel in his head dealing the good news stories that came flowing out yesterday following on a week of horrendous tales about the Vatican Bank.

Pope Francis first encyclical Lumen Fidei (the light of faith) was published today. The first encyclical (letter) of the new pontificate is generally seen as scene setter for the new pope but this is the first encyclical where it is officially acknowledged that it is written by two Popes as Pope Benedict had most of it written before his abdication in February as part of the things being done for the Year of Faith. Some highlights of the encyclical can be read HERE, HERE and HERE and we will do a post on it during the week.

But the news that has grabbed the media headlines (and which is some great news!) is the decision to proceed with the canonisations of both John Paul II and John XXIII.

The official announcements and a round of excellent links are below (highly recommend Phil's over at Blue Eyed Ennis as she went thralling through the archives for some great links especially over at EWTN).

• Vatican Radio
• John Allens analysis - John XXIII, John Paul II to be canonized together and also Three things to learn about Francis from his sainthood surprise
• America magazine
• CNS
• Blue Eyed Ennis - Phil has out done herself with this round up of links to all around the web and wonderful quotes from these two new saints.

Previous posts on SS102fm about these two men:

•  SS102fm blogposts on John XXIII
• SS102fm blogposts on John Paul II

Rome Reports Coverage:

**********

But on a personal level the canonisations have brought up a few thoughts.

John Paul II was my Pope - in the sense that he ascended the throne of St Peter before I was born so he was the only Pope I had ever known before he died. I had been to WYD2000 in Rome and had been inspired by his talks and homilies in many ways. While I was too young to appreciate the impact this colossus had in the early 1980's on the world stage and against the fight against communism, the example of his last years where he offered to the world an example of the right of life from conception to a natural death and the value of all life was truly an inspiring period for many catholics of my own age and generation. But personally I thought the speed of his beatification and canonisation was too fast, too hurried for a man who had been the successor of St Peter for so long and whose legacy was so recent and still with us. It was not to say he was not a holy man, faith filled, but one can not look at the catholic church around the world and wonder about his legacy and the time we would need to read, understand and adjust to the many great teachings he had left us. There was a lot to be said for the old wait under canon law of fifty years before a cause for sainthood could be opened and the need for the Devils Advocate to test the case of sanctity and holiness.

John XXIII - Goood Pope John, the smiling Pope. Another example held up by many to us JP2 catholics of what an open and friendly Pope should be - not like the grinches John Paul II and Benedict XVI. I got tired of being told how great he was and how poor his successors were so I went exploring the writings of this man and indeed found a great teacher and humble servant of the people of God. But I felt the comparisions between the Popes and especially the constant harking on to an either/or "spirit" of John XXIII and the council he convened to be ill advised and some what childish. You hear many invoking the spirit of the council for many things, but for those of us who didn't live through it, like all the other and equal church councils before it, we cannot depend on this"spirit" but rather on the Spirit who inspired and guided all councils from Jerusalem to Trent to Vatican II and we must look to the actual teachings - what the councils actually said as to what we think they said - as we move into the future. The divisions and disunity following the council have divided the church since it was unleashed by John XXIII in 1962. But the smiling Pope was a man of vision and openness and heart who could not but be admired.

There are pro's and con's to the canonisations of both men. As John Allen has pointed out, these are the role models held up in our bitterly divided church from the conservative and liberal sides, yet to paraphrase St Paul - " I am for Christ!". We need to strive for a unity in faith and live out what was best in both of these humble men who are now given as examples worthy of imitation to the christian faithful.

At the end of the day, God creates his saints, the church only recognises them! As someone who longs for a via media in the church where gregorian chant and roman gothic vestments are not seen as a stark other to the simplicity of folk masses and ceramic chalices but rather each has a place and where we have diversity in unity, I welcome the canonisation of both these men trusting in the Spirit that guides our church and pope in making this infallible decision. Once more the church is setting before us two examples of what it means to be church not an either/or situtation but rather that in this universal family of faith there is room for many. And so, when the offical decree is read in St Peter's Square and Pope Francis gives his official assent, I will join with the Church Universal in singing a Te Deum!

Blessed John Paul II

John Paul II Tribute from Rocco Palmo on Vimeo.

 

"To celebrate the Eucharist, “to eat his flesh and drink his blood”, means to accept the wisdom of the Cross and the path of service. It means that we signal our willingness to sacrifice ourselves for others, as Christ has done.

 

Our society desperately needs this sign, and young people need it even more so, tempted as they often are by the illusion of an easy and comfortable life, by drugs and pleasure-seeking, only to find themselves in a spiral of despair, meaninglessness and violence. It is urgent to change direction and to turn to Christ. This is the way of justice, solidarity and commitment to building a society and a future worthy of the human person.

This is our Eucharist, this is the answer that Christ wants from us, from you young people at the closing of your Jubilee. Jesus is no lover of half measures, and he does not hesitate to pursue us with the question: “Will you also go away?” In the presence of Christ, the Bread of Life, we too want to say today with Peter: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”

 

......You will carry the proclamation of Christ into the new millennium. When you return home, do not grow lax. Reinforce and deepen your bond with the Christian communities to which you belong. From Rome, from the City of Peter and Paul, the Pope follows you with affection and, paraphrasing Saint Catherine of Siena’s words, reminds you: “If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze!” (cf. Letter 368)."

 

 

- Pope John Paul II

Homily at closing Mass of World Youth Day 2000 at Tor Vergata

First anniversary of the beautification of Pope John Paul II

May 1st 2012 is the first anniversary of the beautification of Pope John Paul II. The annual celebration of Blessed John Paul II has been inserted into the liturgical calendars of the Diocese of Rome and all the Dioceses of Poland as a “memorial” to be observed on 22 October.

"Blessed John Paul’s heroic witness of faith, love and courage has helped believers throughout the world not to be afraid; not to be afraid to be called a Christian, not to be afraid to belong to the Church or to speak of the gospel". – Cardinal Seán Brady

Statement on the anniversary from Cardinal Sean Brady

Rome Reports has a series of videos covering different aspects of the beautification as well as the life and death of Pope John Paul II.

Rome Reports - 7th Anniversary of the death of John Paul II

It was seven years ago, on April 2, 2005, that John Paul II passed away. Millions of people mourned his death, as the bells of St. Peter's Square rang over and over again.

To mark the seventh anniversary of his death, here is a portion of ROME REPORTS' documentary “John Paul The Great: A Pope Who Made History.”

"Man Is the Way of the Church, and Christ Is the Way of Man"

Homily of His Holiness Benedict XVI at the Papal Mass on the occasion of Beatification of Pope John Paul II

Saint Peter's Square

Sunday, 1 May 2011

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Six years ago we gathered in this Square to celebrate the funeral of Pope John Paul II. Our grief at his loss was deep, but even greater was our sense of an immense grace which embraced Rome and the whole world: a grace which was in some way the fruit of my beloved predecessor’s entire life, and especially of his witness in suffering. Even then we perceived the fragrance of his sanctity, and in any number of ways God’s People showed their veneration for him. For this reason, with all due respect for the Church’s canonical norms, I wanted his cause of beatification to move forward with reasonable haste. And now the longed-for day has come; it came quickly because this is what was pleasing to the Lord: John Paul II is blessed!

I would like to offer a cordial greeting to all of you who on this happy occasion have come in such great numbers to Rome from all over the world – cardinals, patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches, brother bishops and priests, official delegations, ambassadors and civil authorities, consecrated men and women and lay faithful, and I extend that greeting to all those who join us by radio and television.

Today is the Second Sunday of Easter, which Blessed John Paul II entitled Divine Mercy Sunday. The date was chosen for today’s celebration because, in God’s providence, my predecessor died on the vigil of this feast. Today is also the first day of May, Mary’s month, and the liturgical memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker. All these elements serve to enrich our prayer, they help us in our pilgrimage through time and space; but in heaven a very different celebration is taking place among the angels and saints! Even so, God is but one, and one too is Christ the Lord, who like a bridge joins earth to heaven. At this moment we feel closer than ever, sharing as it were in the liturgy of heaven.

Rome Reports: Blessed Pope John Paul II

RITE OF BEATIFICATION
Following the penitential act of the Mass of Beatification, Cardinal Agostino Vallini, Vicar General of the Pontiff for the Diocese of Rome, joined Benedict XVI, along with the postulator for the cause of beatification, Msgr. Slawomir Oder, and asked that the beatification of the Servant of God, John Paul II, might proceed:

"Most blessed Father, Your Holiness' Vicar General for the Diocese for Rome humbly asks your Holiness to beneficently deign to inscribe the Venerable Servant of God John Paul II in the number of the Blessed."
He then read a brief biography of the Polish Pontiff:

"Karol Józef Wojtyla was born in the Polish town of Wadowice on 18 May 1920 to Karol and Emilia Kaczorowska. He was baptized on 20 June of that year in Wadowice's parish church. The second of two children, the joy and serenity of his childhood was shaken by the premature death of his mother when Karol was nine (1929). Three years later, in 1932, his older brother Edmund also died and then in 1941, when he was 21, he also lost his father.

Rome Reports: Rome Vigil for the Beatification of John Paul II

From the Associated Press:


Thousands of young people flooded an ancient Roman field Saturday for an all-night prayer vigil honoring Pope John Paul II on the eve of his beatification, remembering his teachings, travels and his own suffering.


Pilgrims waving flags from Poland, Spain Germany and Brazil filled the Circus Maximus, which twinkled with the light of thousands of candles as choirs from John Paul's native Poland, the Philippines and Italy sang. They listened as a French nun who suffered from Parkinson's recounted how she was cured after praying to John Paul, who also battled the same disease.


The Vatican has decreed that Sister Marie Simone-Pierre's inexplicable healing was the miracle needed to beatify John Paul, a process that will reach its culmination Sunday during a Mass in St. Peter's Square celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI.


Benedict put John Paul on the fast-track for possible sainthood when he dispensed with the traditional five-year waiting period and allowed the beatification process to begin weeks after his April 2, 2005 death. Benedict was responding to chants of "Santo Subito" or "Sainthood Immediately" which erupted during John Paul's funeral.


On Saturday night, a "Santo Subito" banner was emblazoned on the side of the Circus Maximus field, and film of John Paul's final moments and his funeral reminded those gathered of the tearful days many had witnessed six years earlier, when St. Peter's overflowed with some 3 million people paying their last respects to the pope.


"He died a saint," Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, John Paul's longtime secretary, told the crowd.

May 1st - 2nd Sunday of Easter - Year A

May 1st - Generally it is May Day and the feast of St Joseph the Worker but on this years liturgical calendar it happens to be the second Sunday of Easter, Feast of Divine Mercy and will also be the date of the beatification of Pope John Paul II. On this weeks show we have a short discussion about Pope John Paul II, what is beatification and also what is the feast of Divine Mercy about, as well as our regular prayer space, reflection on the Sunday gospel and a quick run through the saints of the week.

Pope John Paul II beatification

We have a quick discussion about what is the distinction between beatification and canonisation and also give a quick visit to the life of John Paul II, the miracle which led to the decree of beatification and the relics which will be venerated in Rome.

Beatification is an "administrative act" by which the pope allows a candidate for sainthood to be venerated publicly in places closely associated with his or her life and ministry; the place may be as small as one city, although usually it is the diocese where the person lived or died. In the case of Pope John Paul, his Oct. 22 feast day is entered automatically into the calendars of the Diocese of Rome and all the dioceses of his native Poland. A canonization, on the other hand, is a formal papal decree that the candidate was holy and is now in heaven with God; the decree allows public remembrance of the saint at liturgies throughout the church. It also means that churches can be dedicated to the person without special Vatican permission.

The date which is being set aside 22 October is the date which marked the inauguration of Pope John Paul II's papacy in 1978.

We have some other articles posted on the blog for people that want to read about the beatification.

The Vatican is maintaining a website about the beatification tomorrow which sets out the timetable of events and has links to the booklets, programmes and afterwards will have the text of the homilies and reflections.

For online commentary about the happenings in Rome over the next couple of days, check out Rocco over at Whispers in the Loggia, who always comes with a strong recommendation from the Sacred Space 102fm team.

Divine Mercy Sunday

The Divine Mercy is a devotion focused on the mercy of God and its power, particularly as a form of thanksgiving and entrusting of oneself to God's mercy. The devotion as known today can be traced to Polish nun and canonized saint, Sister Faustyna Kowalska, known as the "Apostle of Mercy", who lived from 1905-1938. It is based upon the biblical verse: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you in that anyone who seeks God's mercy will not be turned away. According to Kowalska, Jesus, in inner speakings to her, requested her to commission a picture of him with the words Jezu Ufam Tobie (Jesus I Trust In You) inscribed on the bottom.

In 2000, Pope John Paul II officially instituted the Feast of the Divine Mercy universally for the Catholic Church on the same day that he also canonized St. Faustina.

Reflection on the feast from the homily at the Mass of Canonisation.

Further information about the devotion, the message, the Chaplet and the image associated with the devotion can be found here.

Gospel - John 20:19-31

This week we have the gospel of Doubting Thomas which can be a very comforting gospel for all of us who have doubts at some stage about God and our faith.

It is one of the appearances recorded in Johns gospel which echos very much the new dawn of the new day - the renewed Creation after the Resurrection - where Jesus breathes on the disciples to give them new life, mirroring the breathing of God on the water to bring forth life in Genesis.

Every one is a Thomas. We have all had doubts about our faith. Even the greatest saints of the church have had moments when they have experienced the "dark night of the soul" where like Mother Teresa of Calcutta and St Therese of Lisieux, it seems like God has abandoned them or seemed very far away from them. But they have clung on to the belief that somewhere in the darkness, in that aloneness, God is still with us.

The great line which is spoken to us is "Blessed are those that believe but have not seen". A message which speaks to us now who are seeking the Divine in our lives. The other blessing or message of the risen Christ to us is "Peace be with you" Even amongst your doubts and the darkness of your life my peace I bring you, my peace I give you". The blessing of peace is so important to us who are behind closed doors in our lives, where we see doors closed to us in terms of emotion, or unemployment or what ever way we feel excluded by doors being closed.

"My Lord and my God" - Thomas response to the Lord, his total response of faith. The challenge to us is for us to question do we really believe, and what does that mean for me? How do I live the gospel rather than just hearing it? Ultimately that is what we are called to say, to be able to express that faith, to take a jump into the darkness and say Credo - I believe. 

Other reflections on this weeks gospel from Word on Fire, English Dominicans, Sunday Reflections, Deacon Greg Kandra.

Saints of the Week

May 2nd - St Athanasius of Alexandria (Bishop, Doctor)
May 3rd - St Philip and James, Apostles 
May 4th - St Conleth (Bishop) - Patron of Newbridge, Co Kildare.
May 5th - Bl Edmond Rice (Religious) - Founder of the Christian Brothers and Presentation Brothers
May 6th - St Hilary of Arles (Bishop)
May 7th - St John of Beverly (Bishops)

Local Notices

• Our Lady's Pastoral Area pilgrimage to Knock on June 12th 2011 - Bus fare is €16 and further information available from your local parish is the pastoral area.
• St Joseph's Young Priests Society are going to hold a 3 hour prayer vigil of Prayer for Vocations in St Nessan's Church in Raheen on Saturday May 14th 2011 concluding at 10.30pm

Podcast

Programme podcast also up on the podcast page.