Category Archives: events/notices

Scripture Notes – Sunday 6th March 2022

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Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!

 

Lent: our springtime of faith!

Welcome

As Ash Wednesday approaches, we are painfully aware that war has broken out in Europe. It is a catastrophe. Pope Francis reflects:

My heart aches greatly at the worsening situation in Ukraine. Despite the diplomatic efforts of the last few weeks, increasingly alarming scenarios are opening up. Like me, many people all over the world are feeling anguish and concern. Once again the peace of all is threatened by partisan interests. I would like to appeal to those with political responsibility to examine their consciences seriously before God, who is the God of peace and not of war; who is the Father of all, not just of some, who wants us to be brothers and not enemies. I pray that all the parties involved refrain from any action that would cause even more suffering to the people, destabilising coexistence between nations and bringing international law into disrepute.

And now I would like to appeal to everyone, believers and non-believers alike. Jesus taught us that the diabolical senselessness of violence is answered with God’s weapons, with prayer and fasting. I invite everyone to make next 2 March, Ash Wednesday, a Day of Fasting for Peace.I encourage believers in a special way to dedicate themselves intensely to prayer and fasting on that day. May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war.

The Readings

NB: For Lent, the YouTube video looks at all three readings for each Sunday.

Some Inspiration

The Lord’s Prayer in a new setting by a composer from Kiev.

Tarsus Scripture School: Lent 2022

“And their eyes were opened and they recognised him” Jesus, prophet, martyr, Risen One in Luke-Acts. 9 presentations, 1 webinar and 1 meditation: all for €30 per household/community. Click here to register.

Reading for Lent and Holy Week 2022

To buy a copy online, click on the image.

Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Kieran J. O’Mahony OSA

Scripture Notes – Sunday – 13th February 2022

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The Beatitudes

Welcome

Since Covid, we’ve all been obliged to take stock and look at ourselves. What is it I really want deep down? When am I flourishing? How to live so as to flourish?

One contemporary way of reading the beatitudes is to replace the word “blessed” or “happy” with the word “flourishing.” This is recommended by Jonathan T. Pennington in his book The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing(2017).

With the translation adjusted in this way, the sense of being invited to something more, something richer is very much in place. Happiness is not just a feeling, it is a way of being from within. In our better moments, we all recognise this, even if only by a fleeting glance. And Jesus’ teaching speaks directly to our inner selves, to the heart always in pilgrimage.

The Readings

Some Inspiration

The beatitudes are put to music in the Orthodox Liturgy. Here’s an intense performance from the monastery of St Elizabeth (Minsk).

Tarsus Scripture School: Lent and Holy Week 2022

Our Lent and Easter programme is focused on the Gospel of Luke. “Jesus: prophet, martyr, Risen one in Luke-Acts.” To register, click here.

Reading for Lent and Holy Week 2022

To buy a copy online, click on the image.

Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Kieran J. O’Mahony OSA

Scripture Notes – Sunday 6th February 2022

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 Put out into the deep!

Luke offers us an interesting scene in 5:1-11, an original bringing together of the preaching of Jesus, a miracle and a prophetic call. In our context — the context of the Synodal Pathways — certain expressions jump off the page:

  • the word of God,
  • put out into the deep,
  • do not be afraid,
  • from now on you will be catching people alive (literally in Greek; see YouTube video below).

Any one of these could help us reflect deeply on our engagement with the Gospel.

The Readings

Some inspiration for putting out into the deep…

Scripture Notes – Sunday 30th January 2022

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They were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips

Welcome

The lectionary divides Luke 4:14-30 into two parts. Our Sunday Gospel is, therefore, the continuation of the scene in Nazareth, as imaginatively represented by Luke. Luke’s expansion of the story anticipates, in symbolic fashion, the inclusion of the Gentiles in the Gospel project. Welcoming the Gentiles was a real struggle, as may be seen from Acts 10:1-11:18 (the “conversion” of Cornelius) and from Galatians. The struggle may speak to us today, as we become aware of the individual and groups we exclude from the worshipping community.

The Readings

Some Inspiration

It is not forbidden to continue to reflect on the place of the Scriptures in our lives, precisely because last Sunday’s Gospel reading was Part I. This Sunday we have Part II of the Lucan scene in Nazareth. There are more resources here, including a rich collection of pastoral resources from the Council for the New Evangelisation (Rome). Click on the image below to access the PDF. The Synodal Pathways journey will indeed be fruitful if, and only if, we ground our participation in prayer and in the Word of God. The regeneration of faith can have no other genesis.

For some music, you could try the St Olaf Choir singing “The Word was God,” a setting of the Prologue of John. Very powerful.

Reading for Lent and Holy Week 2022

To buy a copy online, click on the image or go the Irish Messenger shop directly. NB: At the time of editing this email, their website seems to have been down.

In case it might be useful, my own reflections and homilies are regularly uploaded on my website. Click here.

Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Kieran J. O’Mahony OSA

Scripture Notes – Sunday 23rd January 2022

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Jesus said, Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing

Sunday 3C is dedicated to the Word of God. Already in the Reformed tradition, Bible Sunday celebrates the importance of the Scriptures (usually on or near Reformation Sunday). Pope Francis established this Sunday in 2019, to mark the 16th centenary of the death of St Jerome, the brilliant, hard-working, holy and irascible bible scholar. More importantly, it serves to underline the place of the Scriptures in our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ.

The third Sunday in Ordinary Time is a suitable day because on this Sunday we start reading the Gospel for the year from the start. In 2022, this means we are reading from Luke: the opening dedication (1:1-4) and the opening scene of the ministry in the synagogue in Nazareth (4:14-21). The Nazareth story continues next Sunday with the remaining verses (4:21-30). Today’s reading contains the words: ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen,’ something we aspire to every Sunday.

The Sunday of the Word of God presents an opportunity to reflect on the place of the Scriptures in our lives as individual believers and as part of the community of faith. There are plenty of resources: Vatican II documents; the publications of the Pontifical Biblical Commission (up-to-date position papers); the writings and reflections of Pope Francis. See alsoBible+, on my own website. Here are a few sample links:

This year, it becomes especially important because we are embarking on the substance of the synodal pathways. There are many dimensions to the regeneration of faith today. There is no doubt, however, that this regeneration can have no other genesis than in the Word of God.

The Readings

Some Inspiration

Lord, inspire me to read your Scriptures and to meditate upon them day and night. I beg you to give me real understanding of what I need, that I in turn may put its precepts into practice. Yet, I know that understanding and good intentions are worthless, unless rooted in your graceful love. So I ask that the words of Scripture may also be not just signs on a page, but channels of grace into my heart. Amen.

To buy a copy online, click on the image.

Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Kieran J. O’Mahony OSA

Scripture Notes – Sunday 9th January 2022

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 ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.’

Welcome

From a calendar point of view, the Christmas season is over. Nevertheless, the continuous reading from Luke does not start until the third Sunday of the year (19 January 2022). We pause for an extended Epiphany season. This started with the Epiphany proper on the 6th of January. The following Sunday is dedicated to the Baptism of the Lord, also considered an epiphany. Not only that but the Sunday after that is dedicated to the Wedding Feast of Cana — yet another epiphany of sorts. These are rich feasts and the readings invite deep reflection. You may find the extra Gospel exploration (below) useful in that regard.

The Readings

Some inspiration

Contemporary Icons of the Baptism of Christ: clickhere. Very interesting evolution of the tradition — to be taken slowly!

I’ve just come across this website: Breaking open the Word. It brings together meditation, contemporary art and contemporary music, in an understated way.

You may like to sample an album of Winter Songs by Ola Gjeilo.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord let face shine upon; may the Lord give you his peace.

Kieran J. O’Mahony OSA

Scripture Notes – Christmas Season 2021 (to 9th January 2022)

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All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

 

This is our second Covid Christmas, but it doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the feast. The readings are inspirational and it is a great season for music. To adapt a prayer of St Augustine:

You have spoken, O God, and shattered our deafness and we can hear you in one like ourselves. Let celebrate the feast, then, in love and great joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Readings

The Christmas weekend offers a rich selection — four sets of readings for Christmas Day and one for the feast of the Holy Family. To keep things simple, it seemed better this time to give the link to the relevant webpage on tarsus.ie, where all the material can be found. For the PDFs etc., click here.

Visual resources

  1. There are talks specifically on the Christmas gospels at www.tarsusscriptureschool.ie (if you haven’t already registered). There are six presentations in all.
  2. For the prologue of John, there’s a meditation (free) on www.tarsusscriptureschool.ie.

Some inspiration: musical and poetical

For a bit of musical fun, you might like The Canadian Brass “take” on the Twelve Days of Christmas.

To hear Guite read the poem himself, click here.

A Happy Christmas to all and every blessing in 2022.

Kieran J. O’Mahony OSA

Zoom Mini Course – Laudato Si

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Laudato Si – OpenInvitation to All

You are invited to join us for a Zoom Mini Course on Laudato Si, Pope Francis Encyclical “On Care For Our Common Home”

We will explore Pope Francis inspiring document which is addressed to each of us and offers a blueprint for responding to the Cry of the Poor and the Cry of the Earth

Jane Mellett, Laudato Si officer with Trócaire will be our host.  Our mini course is for six Wednesdays, starting October 27th to December 1st from 7.30pm to 8.30pm.

To register please email: parishofloughlinstown@gmail.com A Zoom link will be sent to you later. Encyclical is available at Veritas or online at:  https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

AN IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE SACRAMENTS

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Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
Archbishop Dermot Farrell has informed us that Government guidelines will allow for “special religious ceremonies”, including First Holy Communion and Confirmation from 5th July onwards.
Over the next few weeks, the Parish Team and Area Pastoral Council will be meeting to look at how best we can begin to proceed with these celebrations.
The Government’s/Archbishop’s advice is that while these ceremonies will be permitted from July, it would be best practice to wait till early Autumn (September) to maximise the numbers of people vaccinated and allow for the fact that many people/families will be hoping to take holidays during the Summer.
We need to measure that advice against the resources we have in our parishes to complete 2 years of Communions/Confirmations in small groups across our 3 parishes.
In short, we will be in a position to give you clearer guidance on when we will begin these celebrations by Friday, June 19th.
Please check our parish websites/Facebook page from that date for further information. Many thanks for your continued understanding and support as we continue to work together towards celebrating these milestones of Faith in your children’s lives.
Blessings,

Parish Team.