Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Olympic Games

After 7 years of preparation the 2012 Olympic Games opened in London on Friday evening watched by a global TV. audience numbered in billions.

Over the next 16 days 10,500 athletes from all over the world, including 66 from Ireland, will participate in the world’s premier sporting festival.

Since they were revived in 1896 the motto of the Olympics has been “Faster, Higher, Stronger”.

Anyone who loves sport knows it is an art form and can teach us much about life. Most sports call for skill, discipline, imagination, creativity and are clearly vehicles of self-expression. Just think of these magical moments in swimming, boxing, cycling, basketball, football, rugby, tennis and the rest where humanity shines at its most beautiful and best. There will be many moments like these on display at the 2012 Games this summer.

Sport enables us to discover much about ourselves from reflection on our performances and the processes we go through when training. The love of sport discloses the spirituality of sport. As they train, and push themselves beyond their comfort zone on through that pain barrier, athletes realise they are in control of the Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and Spiritual dimensions of their lives.

Without self-control, sport, or life in general, ends in disaster. For the Physical, there is temperance; for Intellectual, prudence; for the Emotional, fortitude; and for the Spiritual, justice. Tasting success or learning from failure generates joy for everyone who accepts that God is an appreciative spectator of their life.

Sport imitates life’s vital processes. Many sports teach the importance of making fast decisions in complicated situations. Loss of temper is mostly costly. Concentration and attention are rewarded. Underestimating the opposition is often disastrous. Hard work and sustained commitment are rewarded.  Pushing on through pain, serving a team, facing defeat with dignity and never giving up are essential for success.

Experienced coaches who have faith remind those they train that they are more than what they do. They are children of God. Otherwise, once they  retire they can all too easily see themselves as without purpose and so become depressed. Through sport we may see humanity at its most sublime.

Sport seems to satisfy our yearning for spiritual communion between people from every part of our Earth.

 For those who love it,

Sport is JOY.

The simple Basic Things

O God,

Give me all the simple basic things

Which will make me a useful person in this world.

Help me to be;

Honest

So that people will be able to depend on me;

Conscientious

So that nothing I do may be less than my best;

Punctual

So that I may not waste the time of others;

Reliable

So that I may never let people down;

Responsible

So that I may always think how my actions may affect others.

Help me to live in the constant awareness

Of your love for me, Amen.

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Goodness and Sacrifice

On the 11th March 2011 a dreadful earthquake and tsunami struck Japan killing many people and destroying a vast amount of property. In the editorial of the July/August edition of the ‘Far East’ there is this extract from a letter written by a policeman to a friend in Vietnam:

“There was one really moving incident involving a little Japanese boy: he taught an adult like me a lesson on how to behave like a human being. I had been sent to a little grammar school to help a charity organisation distribute food to the refugees. It was a long line that snaked this way and that, and I saw a little boy around nine years old. He was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. It was getting very cold and the boy was at the very end of the line. I was worried that by the time his turn came there would not be any food left. So I spoke to him. He said he was at school when the earthquake happened. His father was working nearby and was driving to the school. The boy was on the third floor balcony when he saw the tsunami sweep his father away.

I asked him about his mother. He said his house is right by the beach and that his mother and little sister probably did not make it. He turned his head and wiped his tears when I asked about his relatives. The boy was shivering so I took off my police jacket and put it on him. That’s when my bag of food ration fell out. I picked it up and gave it to him. ‘when it comes to your turn, they might run out of food so here’s my portion, I already ate. Why don't you eat it?’ The boy took my food and bowed. I thought he would eat it right away, but he did not. Instead he went up to where the line ended and put it where all the food was waiting to be distributed.

I was shocked. I asked him why he had not eaten the food and had instead added it to the food pile. He answered, ‘Because I see a lot more people hungrier than I am. If I put it there, then they will distribute the food equally’. When I heard that I turned away so that people would not see me cry.

A society that can produce a nine-year-old who understands the concept of sacrifice for the greater good, must be a great society, a great people."

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Eucharistic Congress Sunday 17th June (RTE One 2:00pm)

Closing Mass of the International Eucharist Congress with principal celebrant Papal Legate, Cardinal Marc Ouellet. Pope Benedict XVI contributes a message via video-link as he adds his blessing to the week-long celebration.

What some of the speakers at the congress during the week said:

The Eucharistic Congress is “a signpost for the future” where the Church will be able to share the Good News and “say to young people you will find love, commitment and care here”, the Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has said. This is not going to happen overnight, he added.

The archbishop, who is presiding over the Eucharistic Congress, said the Church in Ireland would be renewed by returning to its centre in the message of the Gospel and the Eucharist.

Asked about abuse, he said that people from all over the world are in solidarity with the Irish Church and he defended the many priests who love the Church and have no involvement with the sins and failures of others.

He added that the Irish Church is looking towards its own future and what are the things it wants to stress in its renewal.

This hope for the future was echoed by Alois Loser, prior if the Taize community, who spoke at the congress.

“I am sure that coming back to the essentials of our faith we will find the courage and the way for the future. We don’t know the face of the Church of tomorrow, not in Ireland, not anywhere.”

“Especially now is the question of how the young generation can be involved. They do not just continue the old traditions but want to find a personal faith. Personal conviction is the future.”

Maria Voice, president of the Focolare movement, also saw hope despite the obstacles.

“Every difficult moment is part of God’s sacred story with people. And that story has always had wonderful times followed by sadly difficult ones, times of doubt, uncertainty, of criticism. But those periods have always served for our growth, for our purification, for witness”

 

Eucharistic Congress Prayer

Lord Jesus, You were sent by the Father to gather together those who are scattered.

You came among us, doing good and bringing healing, announcing the Word of salvation and giving the Bread which lasts forever.

Be our companion on life’s pilgrim way. May your Holy Spirit inflame our hearts, enliven our hope and open our minds, so that together with our sisters and brothers in faith we may recognise you in the Scriptures and in the breaking of bread.

May your Holy Spirit transform us into one body and lead us to walk humbly on the earth, in justice and love, as witnesses of your

resurrection.

In communion with Mary, whom you gave to us as our Mother at the foot of the cross, through you may all praise, honour and

blessing be to the Father in the Holy Spirit and in the Church, Now and forever. Amen

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Eucharistic Congress 10th to 17th June

This weekend Marrion Carroll is speaking at both Masses on The Gift of The Blessed Eucharistic.

On Monday 11th June at 8:00 pm there will be an outdoor Mass in Lavagh at the site of the Old Church in

Evelyn Roe’s field to celebrate the beginning of the Eucharistic Congress .

Calendar of events at the R.D.S.

On RTE Two TV:

Sunday 10th June:        

              1:45 pm—Opening ceremony and Mass celebrated by the Papal Legate, Cardinal Quellet.

              Catholics from 99 countries and every Diocese in Ireland will join the Mass.

On RTE Radio (Long Wave 252)

Monday 11th June:

            1:45 pm—Ecumenical Liturgy of the Word

            4:00 pm—Ecumenical Service.

Tuesday 12th June:

             1:45 pm—Family Day.

             4:00 pm—Mass.

Wednesday 13th June:

             1:45 pm—Priesthood and Ministry.

             4:00 pm—Mass.

Thursday 14th June:

             3:00 pm—Liturgy of Reconciliation.

             4:00 pm—Mass celebrated by Cardinal Sean Brady.

Friday 15th June:

             1:45 pm—Suffering and Healing. Anointing of the sick.

             4:00 pm—Mass.

Saturday 16th June:

            Feast of Immaculate Heart of Mary.

             12:00 pm—Eucharist involving Young People.

Sunday 17th June:

             1:00 pm—Closing Mass (Statio Orbis). Croke Park

 Eucharistic Congress Prayer

Lord Jesus, You were sent by the Father to gather together those who are scattered.

You came among us, doing good and bringing healing, announcing the Word of salvation and giving the Bread which lasts forever.

Be our companion on life’s pilgrim way. May your Holy Spirit inflame our hearts, enliven our hope and open our minds, so that together with our sisters and brothers in faith we may recognise you in the Scriptures and in the breaking of bread.

May your Holy Spirit transform us into one body and lead us to walk humbly on the earth, in justice and love, as witnesses of your

resurrection.

In communion with Mary, whom you gave to us as our Mother at the foot of the cross, through you may all praise, honour and

blessing be to the Father in the Holy Spirit and in the Church, Now and forever. Amen

The Most Holy Trinity

There is one God and in this one God there are three Divine Persons; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Father is the first Divine Person; the Son is the second Divine Person, and the Holy Spirit is the third Divine Person.

All three Persons contributed to and shared in the work of redemption. The Father sent His Son to earth, for "God so loved the world as to give His only-begotten Son."  The Father called us to the faith.

The Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, became man and died for us. He redeemed us and made us children of God.

After Christ's ascension the Holy Spirit became our Teacher, our Leader, our Guide, our Consoler.

The feast of the Most Holy Trinity which falls on the first Sunday after Pentecost, should make us mindful that actually every Sunday is devoted to the honor of the Most Holy Trinity, that every Sunday is sanctified and consecrated to the triune God. Sunday after Sunday we should recall in a spirit of gratitude the gifts which the Blessed Trinity is bestowing upon us. The Father created and predestined us; on the first day of the week He began the work of creation. The Son redeemed us; Sunday is the "Day of the Lord," the day of His resurrection. The Holy Spirit sanctified us, made us His temple; on Sunday the Holy Spirit descended upon the infant Church. Sunday, therefore, is the day of the Most Holy Trinity.

Lord, I believe, help my weak faith.