SacredSpace102fm was a weekly programme produced by "Come & See Inspirations" in West Limerick. The programme included inspirational music, chat, interviews, what’s on locally and not so locally and a reflection on the Sunday gospel reading of the day. It was presented by John Keily, regular panelists, contributors and invited guests. Programmes are available to be listened to online on our podcast pages.
This weeks programme has some of the reflections from the 2018 novena at Mt St Alphonsus in June during the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. John and Shane have our regular run through local notices and our celestial guides for week and we have our reflection on this weeks Sunday gospel.
You can listen to the full podcast of the programme HERE.
Reflections from Limericks 2018 Novena
From June 15th - 23rd, Limerick celebrated its solemn novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Again this year family was a focus of the novena with the theme of this year’s Novena being “Celebrating Family”.
On this weeks radio programme we share two of the reflections recorded from the novena:
Fr Peter Hill gives us his reflection on a just household
Ann Walsh gave us her reflection on family and understanding family.
You can listen to these reflections excerpted from the main SS102fm programme podcast HERE.
Gospel - Mark 9:18-26
He left that place and came to his home town, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence at him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’ And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching.
On this weeks programme, John and Shane are joined by Fr Seamus Enright from Mt St Alphonsus in Limerick to talk about the 2018 Limerick Solemn Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help which runs from from June 15th to 23rd 2018 and marks 150 years of veneration of Our Lady under this title in Limerick. We have our regular run through the celestial guides for the week, other liturgical odds and ends plus notices and up coming events. For many of the events highlighted on this weeks programme you can get further information from the weekly diocesan newsletter HERE. You can listen to the podcast of this weeks full programme HERE. Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Fr Seamus Enright talks to us this week about Limerick’s Novena in honour of Our Mother of Perpetual Help which takes place from June 15th to 23rd with 10 sessions each day. The theme of this year’s Novena is “Celebrating Family”. The focus will be on Family Life.
Through out the novena the times of the various sessions are 7am, 8am, 10am, 11.30pm, 1.10pm, 4.30pm, 6pm, 7.30pm, 9pm and 10.30pm. On Saturday June 23rd, to allow for the Mass for the Elderly, Sick and Infirm, there will be no 10am or 1.10pm Novena; instead we will have a 9.30am and 1.30pm Novena.
There will also be a number of special celebrations during the Novena:
On Sunday June 17th at 4.30pm we will have a special Children’s Novena, a short session without Mass, where each child will receive an individual blessing.
On Monday June 18th at 11.30am we welcome children who have made their First Communion this year. Schools from the city and counties of Limerick, Clare and Tipperary are welcome to attend. It is also an opportunity to give thanks for teachers and those who help to educate children today.
On Tuesday June 19th we celebrate God’s mercy for us with a Day of Reconciliation. Masses will be celebrated at 7am, 10am, 1.10pm, 6pm and 10.30pm. Reconciliation Liturgies will take place at 8am, 11.30am, 4.30pm, 7.30pm and 9pm.
On Saturday June 23rd at 11.30 am we will have a Mass including the Sacrament of the Anointing, for the Elderly, Sick and Infirm.
You can follow the novena online HERE including pdf booklet of the scripture and reflections for the nine days.
You can listen to the interview with Fr Seamus excerpted from the main programme HERE. Gospel - Mark 3: 20-35
Jesus came home with his disciples. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "By the prince of demons he drives out demons."
Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder the house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin." For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."
His mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him and called him. A crowd seated around him told him, "Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you." But he said to them in reply, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
As our radio listeners will have realised, last weeks programme did not go out on air at our usual time on Sunday morning due to lack of due care and attention at WL102fm which is beyond the control of the team on SS102fm. As our regular listeners will appreciate unlike many other programmes on the station, SS102fm can't easily be replayed or aired the following week when such mistakes happen as our programmes each week work around the gospel for the week, the liturgical calendar and often up coming events which can't be replayed. We apologies to our radio listeners for the inconvenience caused.
On this weeks programme, we are joined by Fr Seamus Enright to speak about the upcoming annual novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Limerick. We also reprise Fr Frank Duhig's reflection from last Sunday's programme about the Holy Spirit in part two. We have a short reflection on this weeks gospel and the solemnity being celebrated today of Holy Trinity as well as other liturgical odds and ends. You can listen to the podcast of this weeks full programme HERE.
Novena 2017 to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
On this weeks programme we are joined by Fr Seamus Enright to tell us about the 2017 novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Indirectly linking in with the national preparation for WMoF2018 next year in Dublin, this year's novena theme focuses on the family. At the same time the Redemptorist community in Limerick is celebrating the centenary of the arrival of the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the city. You can listen to Fr Seamus being interviewed HERE. Further information is available online including webcam of the sessions HERE. Over 100,000 people expected to attend Limerick Novena
Limerick City Corpus Christi Procession
During his interview about the novena, Fr Seamus mentioned about the Children's Novena on 18th June. At the same time we would like to remind people about the Limerick city Corpus Christi procession which takes place on the Feast of the Most Blessed Sacrament (Corpus Christi) - Sunday 18th June 2017. The event begins with participation in the 6.00pm session of the Novena in the Redemptorist Church. Others will join at 6.40 pm and everyone will proceed to St Joseph’s church, O Connell Avenue for the veneration of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
All are warmly welcome especially families, and this year there will be a special emphasis on Grandparents and Grandchildren as well as all those who have received the sacraments of Baptism, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Marriage.
Children who have celebrated their First Holy communion are invited to attend in their First Communion attire to mark their and their families special year.
Reflecting on the Holy Spirit & our need for an internal Pentecost
We repeat last weeks reflection from Fr Frank Duhig who leads us in a reflection on the forgotten person of the Trinity - the Holy Spirit on this weeks programme. We reflect on how the Holy Spirit is an the Agent of God present in us to fulfill Jesus' promise. The question for us this week is where do allow ourselves to create space for the "gentle one of the Trinity"; where do we allow ourselves to discover the beautiful thing called silence. The Holy Spirit is being crowded out by the voices and noises of the modern world - we are interconnected but are we truly communicating both with each other and with God? You can listen to Fr Frank's reflection on the Holy Spirit excerpted from the main programme HERE. Previous posts from SS102fm on Pentecost including a reflection from Dom Patrick Hederman OSB and from Fr Michael Liston. Gospel - John 3:16-18
‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
This weeks programme on SS102fm is a rather busy one. Initially John has a short interview with Fr Seamus Enright from Mount St Alphonsus on the upcoming novena. And then John and Shane are joined in studio by Br Malachy Thompson from Mt St Joseph Abbey in Roscrea who shares with us about the Cistercian life.
We have our regular review of the weekly celestial guides as well as some notices and other bits and pieces.
You can listen to the podcast of the full programme HERE.
Annual Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Like the arrival of the swallows, the erection of the roadside signs reminding Limerick that the annual novena is coming is a sure sign of the summer. On this weeks programme Fr Seamus Enright has a chat with John about the up coming novena - in this special 150th anniversary year - and extends an invitation to all to come and participate in one of the daily sessions between 17th and 25th June.
There will be 10 celebrations each day – the first at 7am, the final one at 10.30pm. The blessing of babies and young children will take place on Sunday, June 19th at 4.30pm. Mass will not be celebrated at this session.
The interview with Fr Seamus Enright about this years solemn Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help is excerpted from the main programme and can be listened to HERE.
You can find out about the novena and the times and themes of the sessions on the website HERE.
Exploring the Monastic Life - Mt St Joseph Abbey Roscrea
We are joined in studio this week by Br Malachy Thompson OCSO who is a member of the Cistercian community of Mount St Joseph's Abbey at Roscrea in Co Tipperary.
He joins us this week to tell us about the monastic life and in particular how that is lived as a Cistercian monk as well as sharing his own journey to the monastic life.
Br Malachy also extends an invitation to young men to attend a weekend 1st - 3rd July 2016 to take time aside and make space to discern where their life journey is taking them and to explore and share the rhythm of monastic daily prayer life.
The interview with Br Malachy Thompson about Cistercian life and the upcoming discernment weekend is excerpted from the main programme and can be listened to HERE.
You can find out more about Mount St Joseph Abbey and the Cistercian way of life by checking out their website HERE.
Gospel - Luke 7:36 - 8:3
A Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him,
and he entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at table.
Now there was a sinful woman in the city
who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.
Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
she stood behind him at his feet weeping
and began to bathe his feet with her tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,
"If this man were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner."
Jesus said to him in reply,
"Simon, I have something to say to you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.
"Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days' wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?"
Simon said in reply,
"The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven."
He said to him, "You have judged rightly."
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
"Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven
because she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little."
He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
The others at table said to themselves,
"Who is this who even forgives sins?"
But he said to the woman,
"Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others who provided for them
out of their resources.
Sometimes when it comes to posting a blog on SS102fm, the creative juices seem to be dry and barren or it can be a case of re-using what we have used before on the blog (which makes sense if you think about it as we follow the liturgical calendar which repeats itself again and again). The devotion to the Sacred Heart is a case in point, how do you look again at a devotion, a prayer cycle, a belief which is seen as "traditional" or "antiquated". Something associated with a culture seen as oppressive and burdensome in Ireland? How do we rediscover the essentials again of what is the point of this devotion to the Heart of Jesus? What does it teach and remind us of?
Mercy and Love!
The keys to finding a way into this little side chapel in the many devotions in the universal church are Marcy and Love! How appropriate that we reflect on the mercy and love of God expressed in the human heart of Jesus which was united to the Divine! But even using that language can be a block for people with so much of it wrapped up around the issue of the imagery used.
A couple of years back, a friend of mine commented on Facebook that he was going to post a funky, Facebook-friendly version of the Sacred Heart image in honour of the feast, but then he remembered that the old-fashioned painting was the image through which he came to know Jesus as a child. It hung in the kitchen, and communicated at once Jesus' solemnity and his mercy. On the back, his mother had written the childhood sicknesses of her six children, entrusting fears, tears, and little agonies to the loving heart of Our Lord, like countless mothers all over the world. How blessed we are to know that we are loved, no matter how we suffer or fall. 'Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His love has no end' (Psalm 135)
Many Irish homes had a triptych of the Sacred Heart, the Pope and John Fitzgerald Kennedy probably over hanging the statue of the Child of Prague or Our Lady of Lourdes. Probably as the feast generally falls in June and coincides with the national state examinations, there are few people who may not have had a candle lit for them in front of the image of the Sacred Heart. One memorable quote which I came across was "Good luck to all my fellow 6th years.. I'll be grand, Nana's lightin a candle for me".
June is by tradition, the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart is falling on June 3rd 2016 (as it is dependent when Easter falls).
The Sacred Heart represents Christ's love for all humanity, and our devotion to it is an expression of our faith in His mercy and His love which seems particularly relevant in this Jubilee Year of Mercy. The devotion especially emphasizes the unmitigated love, compassion, and long-suffering of the heart of Christ towards humanity. Think about that for a minute.........think about what it means for You!
In June 2013 Pope Francis noted how closeness and tenderness are the pillars of God's relationship with us, because He knows us all by name. The Pope said God draws near out of love, He walks with His people, and this walk comes to an unimaginable turning point. We could never have imagined that the same Lord would become one of us and walk with us, be present with us, present in His Church, present in the Eucharist, present in His Word, present in the poor. This said Pope Francis is the closeness of a shepherd to his sheep, whom he knows, one by one. Pope Francis noted that it's harder to open our hearts and let God love us, than for us to love God. [Full report from Vatican Radio including audio HERE.]
The Sacred Heart of Jesus is very much his human heart. It is not so much that we worship the flesh and blood of his physical heart in itself, but rather what it symbolizes. In general use, we refer to the heart as the centre of our feeling and emotion, our inmost core, the place where we encounter God, and from which springs what love we can show to Him and to others........Thus, in a sense, the devotion to the Sacred Heart is a bold and audacious one. In adoring Jesus’ Sacred Heart we are adoring his humanity. Or to put it less disturbingly, we are adoring his Incarnation
Understood in the light of the Scriptures, the term "Sacred Heart of Jesus" denotes the entire mystery of Christ, the totality of his being (a reminder to us of his humanity and his divinity), and his person considered in its most intimate essential: Son of God, uncreated wisdom; infinite charity, principal of the salvation and sanctification of mankind. The "Sacred Heart" is Christ, the Word Incarnate, Saviour, intrinsically containing, in the Spirit, an infinite divine-human love for the Father and for his brothers and sisters. One of our favourite blogs on SS102fm is Blue Eyed Ennis and while it is no longer active, Phil has left the blog online and we take great delight in dipping into its archives from time to time. Two lovely and thoughtful reflections on the Sacred Heart from Phil are here and here. Offering of my Heart: A prayer before the image of the Sacred Heart
The Novena to the Sacred Heart (May 26th - June 3rd 2016)
The origin of the idea of praying for a special intention for nine days is very attractive and worth thinking about - it comes from the alleged length of time that Mary and the eleven remaining disciples spent praying together in the upper room, waiting for the Spirit to come upon them at Pentecost. In our imitation of them in these nine days we'll surely be in good company, especially with Mary, the one who shows us what our attitude in prayer should be: she always trusted, despite confusion; she continued to hope, despite the seeming darkness. The disciples were a small community of fragile yet hopeful trust, of confusion yet deep desire within their hearts. In short, they were probably very much like ourselves at the beginning of this novena. On each day of the novena, try to have a few quiet moments with yourself or with others to reflect on the scripture passage. Then, in your own time, move on to the reflection and think about what it might say to you today. Then pass on to the short prayer and make it your own. Always end with the Novena Prayer and include in it any intention you would like to make.
The origin of this devotion in its modern form is derived from a French Roman Catholic nun, Marguerite Marie Alacoque, who said she learned the devotion from Jesus during a mystical experience. Predecessors to the modern devotion arose unmistakably in the Middle Ages in various facets of Catholic mysticism (read more here).
There are a number of versions of the novena prayer of which we give two below:
Novena Prayer to the Sacred Heart (1)
Lord Jesus, the needs of your people open your heart in love to each of us. You care for us when we are lost, sympathise with us in loneliness and comfort us in mourning; you are closest to us when we are weakest. You love us most when we love ourselves least; you forgive us most when we forgive ourselves least; you call us to spread your love in whatever way we can.
Lord Jesus, your heart is moved with compassion when we are suffering, when we need your help and when we pray for each other. I ask you to listen to my prayer during this novena, and grant what I ask (make your request silently). If what I ask is not for my own good and the good of others, grant me always what is best for me, that I may build up your kingdom of love in our world. Amen.
Novena Prayer to the Sacred Heart (2)
(this version of the novena prayer would be one of the best known as it was used by Padre Pio and was promoted during the promotion of the cause of St Pio)
I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...... (here name your request) Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request) Our Father...Hail Mary....Glory Be To the Father....Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request) Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be to the Father...Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.
Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
For those in the county, the annual St Senan's Parish (Shanagolden/Foynes/Robertstown) Novena to the Sacred Heart is being held nightly at 8pm in Robertstown Church (N69 Limerick side of Foynes).
On this weeks programme John and the team are joined by Fr Seamus Enright who tells us about the Limerick Redemptorist Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help which is currently running. We have some thoughts on the devotion to the Sacred Heart during the month of June as well as our regular reflection on the Sunday gospel as well as some other liturgical odds and ends.
You can listen to the full podcast of this weeks programme HERE. Limerick Redemptorist's Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Fr Seamus Enright joins us on this weeks programme to speak about the 2015 Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help which is running from Friday June 12th to Saturday June 20th in Mount Saint Alphonsus Redemptorist Church, Limerick. The Novena in honour of Our Lady of Perpetual Help marks the high point of the year for the Redemptorists in Limerick and is a very popular festival of faith for the city and its hinterlands.
There are ten sessions every day at: 7.00am, 8.00am, 10.00am, 11.30am, 1.10pm, 4.30pm, 6.00pm, 7.30pm, 9.00pm and 10.30pm lead by Fr Tony Bidgood CSsR, Fr Kieran Brady CSsR, Fr Tadhg Herbert CSsR, and Fr Denis Luddy CSsR.
You can find out more about the Novena including how to follow the sessions online at the website HERE.
The novena or nine days of prayer is focused around devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and you can read more about the icon here.
You can listen to the interview with Fr Enright here. June as the month of the Sacred Heart
Martina, John and Shane discuss the tradition of the devotion the Sacred Heart and the various traditions associated with the month of June on this weeks programme. You can check out the various posts on the blog about the Sacred heart including links to prayers, reflections, the history of the devotion including the twelve promises made to St Margaret Mary as well as some video and musical resources.
Check out the tag Sacred Heart. Gospel - Mark 4: 26-34
"[Jesus] also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.” He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples."
