4th June 2017 - Pentecost

On this weeks programme John and Shane are joined by Fr Frank Duhig to reflect on the Holy Spirit and the feast of Pentecost. We have our regular reflection on the Sunday gospel led this week by Fr Frank as well as other liturgical odds & ends including some notices.

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

Reflecting on the Holy Spirit & our need for an internal Pentecost

Fr Frank 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.

• Patheos - The Call to Holy Surprise: Reflections on Pentecost - The story of Pentecost asks us a question: How do I let my expectations and cynicism close my heart to the new voice rising like a fierce wind?
• The Gift of the Holy Spirit – A reflection by Dr. Anthony Lilles 
• Pope Francis reflects on the work and power of the Holy Spirit

Gospel - John 20:19-23

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Word on Fire
English Dominicans
Centre for Liturgy
Sunday Reflections

Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours - Psalter week 1; 9th week in ordinary time

Saints of the Week

June 5th - St Boniface
June 6th - St Jarlath of Tuam
June 7th - St Colman of Dromore
June 8th - St William of York
June 9th - St Colmcille (secondary patron of Ireland) also St Ephrem of Syria 
June 10th - St Ephrem of Syria (Irish calendar)

June 3rd - Feast of St Charles Lwanga and Companions - the Ugandan martyrs - UPDATED

June 3rd is the liturgical commemoration of St Charles Lwanga and Companions known as the Ugandan Martyrs. It is also a public holiday in Uganda. While the RCC celebrates the 22 canonised martyrs killed between 1885-87, the Anglicans also commemorate their martyrs, all of whom were martyrs for the faith mainly by being burnt alive although some were dismembered and/or mutilated in defense of the faith 

The story of their martyrdom is told here and here but what makes it stand out was the fact that Christianity had only recently arrived in Uganda and the relative youth of the martyrs which can be seen from this photo taken a number of years before (to get a closer look, double click on the photo).

Celebrations begin on May 30th at Butega in the Diocese of Kiyinda-Mityana with the commemoration of the martyrdom of St Matia Mulumba followed on May 31st with the commemoration of the martyrdom of St Noa Mawaggali at Kiyinda (which is the site of the cathedral of the diocese) followed by the national celebration at Nammugono outside Kampala on June 3rd which was the main site of the martyrdom.

At Kiyinda, the cathedral of the Diocese of Kiyinda-Mityana is under the patronage of St Noa Mawaggali, St Luka Baanabakintu and St Matia Mulumba, who are part of the group of the Ugandan Martyrs killed in 1886. The cathedral is one of the two national shrines to the martyrs (although much les well known than the main site of the martyrdoms in Namugongo) and the relics of the martyrs placed in the altar can be seen by anyone who visits the cathedral.



Source - Uganda Catholic Secretariat

The cathedral built in 1965/66 is on the site of the tree (a part of which is still preserved in a small chapel built where St Noa's housse stood) to which St Noa was tied, speared and then left for the wild dogs to finish off. 

St Matia Mulumba was dismembered, castrated and while still alive, dumped into a swamp. 

St Lukka was amongst those burnt alive at Namagongo. 

St Luka and St Matia were born within the confines of the diocese of Kiyinda-Mityana, hence their commemoration at this shrine.


Hundreds of thousands from all over Uganda and even as far a field as Nigeria will gather for the main annual commemorations on June 3rd at Namagongo.  The Uganda Martyrs Shrine Namugongo stands at the exact spot where the gallant leader of the Uganda Martyrs; St. Charles Lwanga was burnt alive from head to toe.

RCC National Shrine at Namugongo

Fr Robert Barron was in Uganda a couple of years ago for the feast day and gives a reflection on the feast and a small video taken during the national celebration at Namugongo.

Popes Prayer Intentions - June 2017