12th August 2018 - Visit of the relics of Saints Louis & Zélie Martin and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux to Limerick

On this weeks programme (via some very dodgy Skype connections!) John and Shane are joined by Sr Beatrice Cotter from the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia in Nashville (and also of St Saviours Parish Limerick!) to tell us about the up coming visit of the relics of Saints Louis & Zélie Martin and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux to Limerick and the example of the Martin's to us in our daily lives. We have our regular run through the saints of the week, local notices and of course a short reflection on the Sunday gospel.

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

Visit of the relics of Saints Louis & Zélie Martin and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux to Limerick

Sr Beatrice Cotter joins us on this weeks programme with a reflection on the example of the Martin family as saints for us. While one member of the family may be more well known than all the others, the example of St Louis and Zeile Martin cannot but have influenced St Therese of Lisieux and her sisters - three of whom also entered Carmel and one became a Visitation sister.

The Dominican Church, Glentworth St, Limerick will be hosting the relics of Saint Therese of Lisieux, and of her parents, Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, on Saturday 18 August, beginning with the 1pm Mass. Blessing of roses, veneration of relics, and reflections by the Dominicans will follow, with sung Vespers concluding the event at 5pm.


You can listen to Sr Beatrice reflection on the example of the Martin's HERE.

Gospel - John 6:41-51

Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Word on Fire
English Dominicans
Centre for Liturgy
Sunday Reflections

Liturgical odds and ends

Liturgy of the Hours - Psalter week 3

Saints of the Week

13th August - Bl Con O'Rourke
14th August - St Maximilian Kolbe
15th August - Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
16th August - St Stephen of Hungary
17th August - Our Lady of Knock (as per the revised Irish liturgical calendar)
18th August - St Ronan of Iona

The Relics of Saints Louis & Zélie Martin and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux are visiting Ireland - August 4 to Sept 9 2018

In conjunction with the organisers of the World Meeting of Families, the Irish Order of Carmelites, Order of Discalced Carmelites, Carmelite nuns and Lay/Secular Carmelites have arranged that Relics of Saints Louis, Zélie and Thérèse will come from Lisieux and be in Ireland for the World Meeting of Families. The relics will arrive on August 4 and remain in Ireland until September 9

The Relics of Saints Louis & Zélie Martin and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux visiting Whitefriar Street Church, Dublin

The Relics will be at the Opening Ceremony in the R.D.S., Dublin, on Tuesday, August 21, and they will also be in the sanctuary in the Phoenix Park for the Papal Mass on Sunday, August 26. The Carmelites have also been invited to give a forty-five minute presentation on the spirituality of the Martin family in the Phoenix Park before the Papal Mass. This will consist of interviews with people on aspects of the Martin spirituality, texts from the writings of the saints and intercessions and have engaged the services of Kairos Communications to ensure that this will be done to a professional standard. Music will be provided by the Comhaltas Ceoltóiri Eireann orchestra.

The Relics will also travel to several places across Ireland before and after the World Meeting and this gives a much wider group of people who cannot the Congress in the R.D.S. or the Festival of Families in Croke Park or the Papal Mass at the close of the World Meeting to participate in the Meeting in a different though tangible way. Given the short time the Relics will be in the country it is not possible to visit every diocese and every part of the island, but the hope is that given the time available, that as many people as possible will be able to spend time with the Relics and to consider the life of this saintly family. The journey of the Relics through Ireland is a form of pilgrimage leading up to the World Meeting itself and leading away from it afterwards.

Each place that will receive the Reliquaries will organise their own liturgical celebrations and times for veneration and these will be made known over the coming weeks. Information regarding the preparations in each place can be had direct from each place.

You can find more information from the Carmelites website here.

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The Dominican Church, Glentworth St, Limerick will be hosting the relics of Saint Therese of Lisieux, and of her parents, Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, on Saturday 18 August, beginning with the 1pm Mass. Blessing of roses, veneration of relics, and reflections by the Dominicans will follow, with sung Vespers concluding the event at 5pm.

Visit to Ireland of the Relics of Saints Louis & Zélie Martin and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux August 4 to September 9, 2018

Louise & Zelie Martin

In conjunction with the organisers of the World Meeting of Families, the Irish Carmelites have arranged that Relics of Saints Louis, Zélie and Thérèse will come from Lisieux and be in Ireland for the World Meeting of Families. The organisers consider the presence of the Relics in the country to be an integral part of the Meeting. The Relics will be at the Opening Ceremony in the R.D.S., Dublin, on Tuesday, August 21, and they will also be in the sanctuary in the Phoenix Park for the Papal Mass on Sunday, August 26.

The Relics will also travel to several places across Ireland before and after the World Meeting and this gives a much wider group of people who cannot the Congress in the R.D.S. or the Festival of Families in Croke Park or the Papal Mass at the close of the World Meeting to participate in the Meeting in a different though tangible way. Given the short time the Relics will be in the country it is not possible to visit every diocese and every part of the island, but the hope is that given the time available, that as many people as possible will be able to spend time with the Relics and to consider the life of this saintly family. The journey of the Relics through Ireland is a form of pilgrimage leading up to the World Meeting itself and leading away from it afterwards.

Each place that will receive the Reliquaries will organise their own liturgical celebrations and times for veneration and these will be made known over the coming weeks. Information regarding the preparations in each place can be had direct from each place.

You can find more information from the Carmelites website here.

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The Dominican Church, Glentworth St, Limerick will be hosting the relics of Saint Therese of Lisieux, and of her parents, Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, on Saturday 18 August, beginning with the 1pm Mass. Blessing of roses, veneration of relics, and reflections by the Dominicans will follow, with sung Vespers concluding the event at 5pm.

1st October - Feast of St Therese of Lisieux

 

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus. St. Therese has been proclaimed a Doctor of the Church because of her 'little way' which means taking God at his word and letting his love for us wash away our sins and imperfections. We cannot all be martyrs or missionaries, but we are all called to respond to daily opportunities of grace. Let us do little things with great love today.

 

October 1st - St Therese of Lisieux (Repost of Benedict, Therese and "Ze Little Vay"!)

"I prefer the monotony of obscure sacrifice to all ecstasies. To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul." These are the words of Therese of the Child Jesus, a Carmelite nun called the "Little Flower," who lived a cloistered life of obscurity in the convent of Lisieux, France. As we have seen recently, Pope Francis has a devotion to this "little saint" but previously Pope Benedict also reflected on this Carmelite saint.

You can read more about Therese HERE.

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Repost:

With h/t to the Anchoress for the post title!

From Zenit:

Here is a translation of the Italian-language catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience held in St. Peter's Square. Continuing with the cycle of catecheses on Doctors of the Church, the Pope centered his meditation on the figure of St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897).

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today I would like to speak to you about St. Thérèse of Lisieux, [also known as] Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, who lived only 24 years in this world, at the end of the 19th century, leading a very simple and hidden life, but who after her death and the publication of her writings, became one of the best known and loved saints.

"Little Thérèse" has not failed to help the simplest souls, little ones, the poor, those who suffer and who pray to her, but she has also illumined the whole Church with her profound spiritual doctrine, to the point that, in 1997 the Venerable John Paul II wished to give her the title of doctor of the Church, adding it to the title of patroness of the missions, which Pius XI gave her in 1939. My beloved predecessor described her as an "expert in the scientia amoris" ("Novo Millennio Ineunte," 27).


Thérèse expresses this science, which sees the whole truth of the faith shine in love, primarily in the account of her life, published a year after her death with the title "Story of a Soul." The book immediately had great success. It was translated into many languages and spread throughout the world. I would like to invite you to rediscover this little-great treasure, this luminous commentary on the Gospel fully lived! "Story of a Soul," in fact, is a marvelous history of Love, recounted with such authenticity, simplicity and freshness, before which the reader cannot but be fascinated! But, what was this Love that filled Thérèse's whole life, from her childhood to her death? Dear friends, this Love has a Face, it has a Name, it is Jesus! The saint spoke continually of Jesus. Let us review, therefore, the great stages of her life, to enter into the heart of her doctrine.

St Therese of Lisieux

Pope Benedict XVI explains what St. Therese of Lisieux can teach Christians about spirituality

Relics of St Therese of Lisieux in Limerick

As noted in our weekly programme blog post, October 1st is the feast day of St Therese of Lisieux. In Limerick this week as part of a celebration to mark the completion of restoration and renewal of St Joseph’s Church, the relic of St Therese of Lisieux (The Little Flower) will be located there on the afternoon and evening of Sunday 30th September, and also on the morning of the Feast Day itself Monday 1st October.

 

At 4 p.m. on Sunday 30th, the relic will be solemnly received into the church with a liturgy of welcome, and will be available for veneration before and after the 5.30 p.m. Mass, concluding with Vespers and Benediction at 8 p.m.

 

On Monday morning 1st October, Mass for the Feast Day will be celebrated at 10.30 a.m., to coincide with the 33rd Anniversary of the memorable visit of Pope John Paul II to Greenpark Racecourse – located within the parish boundaries.

 

St Joseph’s Church in Limerick has for many years had a special association with devotion to St Therese, and the forthcoming event is expected to be the source of significant interest from both near and far. Fr Willie Moran OCD, Prior of the Carmelite Community at Loughrea, Co Galway will lead the celebrations and will be guest preacher.

 

All are welcome to participate in this unique and prayerful occasion.