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.
On this weeks programme John is joined by our regular panellist Michael Keating and by Donal Foley, secretary of the World Apostolate of Fatima (England & Wales) to reflect on the message of Fatima in this centenary year. We have our regular reflection on the Sunday gospel as well as a quick visit to this weeks celestial guides and other odds & ends. You can listen to the podcast of this weeks programme HERE. Reflections on Fatima
Donal Foley & Michael Keating reflect and discuss the message of Fatima and its relevance for today especially in its centenary year. The call to devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the recitation of the rosary still echo today, 100 years after Our Lady asked the little seers of Fatima to share the message. The Message of Fatima – Q&A with Donal Foley You can listen to the interview with Donal excerpted from the main programme podcast HERE. Gospel - Matthew 21:33-34
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:"Hear another parable.There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.When vintage time drew near,he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking,'They will respect my son.'But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,'This is the heir.Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.'They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"They answered him,"He will put those wretched men to a wretched deathand lease his vineyard to other tenantswho will give him the produce at the proper times." Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures:The stone that the builders rejectedhas become the cornerstone;by the Lord has this been done,and it is wonderful in our eyes?Therefore, I say to you,the kingdom of God will be taken away from youand given to a people that will produce its fruit."
Reflections on this weeks gospel: Word on Fire English Dominicans Sunday Reflections Centre for Liturgy Liturgical odds & ends Liturgy of the Hours - Psalter week 3, 27th week in ordinary time. Saints of the Week October 9th - Blessed John Henry Newman October 10th - St Daniel Comboni October 11th - St Canice also Pope St John XXIII October 12th - St Cyprian October 13th - St Edward the Confessor also St Benedict of Cupra October 14th - Pope St Calistus I Pope's Intentions October 2017 Workers and the Unemployed: That all workers may receive respect and protection of their rights, and that the unemployed may receive the opportunity to contribute to the common good. Work brings a basic dignity to our human participation in God’s creation. Although we can cooperate in God’s work through our labor, and we can exercise creativity in the arts, speech, and thought, we cannot truly create out of nothing. Only God creates in this fashion, ex nihilo, and it was in this way that He created the world.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta had a slightly different worded version of this popular prayer which she used in her speech to the UN in 1985:
Make us worthy Lord to serve our fellow men throughout the world, who live and die in poverty and hunger. Give them through our hands, this day, their daily bread and by our understanding love give peace and joy. Lord, make me a channel of thy peace. That where there is hatred I may bring love, That where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness, That where there is discord, I may bring harmony, That where there is error I may bring truth, That where there is doubt I may bring faith, That where there is despair I may bring hope, That where there are shadows I may bring light, That where there is sadness I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted, To understand than to be understood, To love than to be loved. For it is by forgetting self that one finds. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven, it is by dying that one awakens to eternal life. Amen.
“Let us produce worthy fruits of penance. Let us also love our neighbours as ourselves. Let us have charity and humility. Let us give alms because these cleanse our souls from the stains of sin. Men lose all the material things they leave behind them in this world, but they carry with them the reward of their charity and the alms they give. For these they will receive from the Lord the reward and recompense they deserve. We must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh. Rather we must be simple, humble and pure. We should never desire to be over others. Instead, we ought to be servants who are submissive to every human being for God’s sake. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on all who live in this way and persevere in it to the end. He will permanently dwell in them. They will be the Father’s children who do his work. They are the spouses, brothers and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
– St. Francis of Assisi, in a letter to the faithful, in today’s Office of Readings for his feast
Couple of links which may be of interest:
Blue Eyed Ennis - Phil has an astounding round up of links, videos and reflections on St Francis.
The greatness of family and its core role in our lives will be celebrated in the best way possible on this Sunday (October 8th) as young and old from across the Diocese of Limerick gather for a festival of fun at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. The ‘Family Fun Day’, which will be free to the public, is Limerick Diocese’s formal launch of its World Meeting of Families programme as it builds towards the first ever hosting of this global event in Ireland next year. Sunday’s event, which runs from 1p.m. to 5p.m., will capture the essence of family as children, parents, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts and cousins come together for fun-filled celebration that will be a reminder of the beauty of family.
A special Festival Mass will be held at 4p.m. but before that there will be three hours of inter-generational revelry as all ages come together to enjoy family fun activities. They will get to enjoy food stalls, a mobile farm, face painting, archery, an obstacle course, water zorbs, music and games and more. Looking ahead to the day, Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy said: “We have the exciting prospect next year of Ireland hosting the World Meeting of Families in Ireland and we wanted to launch our programme in support of this great event by celebrating families through a fun environment. There is a deeply spiritual aspect to the World Meeting of Families and, appropriately, we will have a Festival Mass on Sunday but there’s few things more sacred than families enjoying time together. “Family is such a special institution. It’s there for you on the good days and also there when you need it most. Other than the presence of God, there’s nothing more constant in our lives than family. Nothing else in the living world compares to that. Our wider communities are, in their own right, a family but the core family is the ultimate sanctuary. Sunday and the World Meeting of Families is not about what we consider the perfect or traditional family, however. It’s for all families and, indeed, families of faith, little faith and no faith. Everyone is welcome.” Said Emer Williams, who along with her husband John is the Limerick Diocesan delegates to the World Meeting of Families: “The title is Family Fun Day and that’s exactly what has been planned for Sunday. The World Meeting of Families is a celebration of family and a reflection of the importance of family to society. Sunday’s event will be a taster for that great gathering next year. It will be all about families having fun together. There will be people from across Limerick - from the diocese, different parishes, different ethnic backgrounds, all celebrating family and community. As with the World Meeting of Families, it will be everyone; for families who have lost touch with faith and, indeed, families who are challenged in one way or another. I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of smiles and hearing a lot of laughter.”
