Churches of the Day
Pictorial Thought for Today
Nov 14 - St Laurence O'Toole (1128-80): a spiritual leader for difficult times
Summary :St Laurence O'Toole, monk. Laurence was born in Leinster in 1123. studied at Glendalough, became abbot there in 1148, and in 1162 was chosen as the first native Archbishop of Dublin. He followed the reforming methods of Ceallach and Malachy, introducing the Canons Regular to Dublin and following their Rule. He returned from the Lateran Counci, Rome l as Papal Legate and held synods to extend reform. He died at Eu in Brittany in 1180 while on a mission to try to restore peace between the kings of Ireland and England.
Archbishop of Dublin during the takeover of Ireland by the Normans and King Henry II, his efforts in the peace process and his frustration with King Henry probably caused his early death. Highly honoured at Eu in Normandy, France, where he died. It was the monks at Eu that introduced his cause to Rome.
Fr Kevin Doran, parish priest of Glendalough, tells his story.
Prince/Hostage
Laurence O'Toole was born in Castledermot, Co. Kildare in 1128. His father was Maurice O'Toole, King of Hy Murray. It was common practice in those times for princes of one clan to be given as hostages to another clan, as a guarantee of peace. When Laurence was ten years old he was given as hostage to Dermot McMurrough, King of Leinster, who treated him very badly. Laurence was sent in chains to a remote place, where he got very little to eat; he hadn't even enough clothes to keep him warm in the winter. For two years, even though he was a king's son, he learnt what it was like to be poor and to be oppressed.
Monk
After two years, it was agreed that Laurence would be released. He was sent to a monastery at Glendalough, and the monks made him welcome. It was agreed that his father would come and collect him there. But Laurence soon came to love Glendalough. He liked joining the monks in prayer. He felt very close to God there. After his two years as a hostage, he realised that wealth and power were not important.
He asked his father's permission to stay there, and become a monk, and his father agreed. When he was still only 25, Laurence was elected Abbot of the monastery. As the leader of the community he encouraged the monks in their learning. There was always a welcome in the monastery for the poor. When there was a famine in the area, Laurence sold some of the treasures of Glendalough to provide food for those who were hungry.
Archbishop
In 1162 Laurence became the first Irish-born Archbishop of the Danish city of Dublin. In those days, many of the people of Dublin didn't take their Christian religion very seriously. Laurence encouraged them to become real Christians. He brought monks to Dublin from France, and they lived at Christchurch Cathedral. They helped many people to come back to Mass, and to the Sacraments. Laurence himself never forgot his own days of poverty. He continued to care for the poor, especially homeless children. He made room for them in his own house, and they shared the food at his table.
Man of Prayer
Laurence was a man of prayer. He got up in the early hours to sing the office with the other monks in the cathedral and often stayed on afterwards, deep in prayer. Then he would walk for a while in the little graveyard, watching and praying over the city. When he had some free time, he loved to go to Glendalough and spend a few days in solitude in a lakeside hermitage which could be reached only by boat.
Mission to Reform the Irish Church
As Archbishop of Dublin, Laurence participated in the Third Lateran Council in Rome in 1179, with some of the other Irish bishops. The Pope, Alexander III, knew that Ireland had been going through a bad time. He knew that many people, including priests, were no longer taking their religion seriously. He entrusted to Laurence the task of reforming the Church in Ireland.
The Peace Process
The Normans landed in Ireland in 1169. The following year they besieged Dublin under their leader, Strongbow. Laurence met Strongbow to arrange peace but the Normans attacked while the talks were going on. They seized the city, and began killing the citizens and looting their houses. Laurence saved the lives of many people.
He often visited England in his efforts to bring about peace between the two countries. Travelling by sea was dangerous and shipwrecks were common. More than once, his ship was caught in a violent storm. In 1175 he was one of the signatories of the Treaty of Windsor between England's King Henry II and Ireland's High King, Roderic O'Connor.
But the work of making peace is never finished. A new dispute broke out between the King of England and the Irish Kings. In the spring of 1180, Laurence left Ireland again to see if he could help to settle the dispute. The English King, Henry II, didn't have much time for bishops. He had already arranged to have the Archbishop of Canterbury (Thomas à Becket) murdered. He would not welcome Laurence O'Toole. He saw a chance to get rid of Laurence as Archbishop of Dublin and would not let him come back to Ireland. Henry had control of Normandy as well as England. Laurence followed him there. As long as there was a chance of peace, he would not give up trying.
Death in exile
In 1180, Laurence became seriously ill. The monks at Eu in Normandy looked after him in their monastery. But eventually, on 14th November 1180, at the age of 52, he died.
His tomb is in the crypt, under the Collegial Church at Eu. Many people still go there to pray. Laurence was canonized in 1225.
His heart was transferred to Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. The 800 year old heart relic was kept in a wooden heart-shaped container sealed within a small iron-barred cage in St Laud’s chapel in the cathedral. It was stolen in March 2012, happily retrieved undamaged in 2018.
Icon credit: Sr. Aloysius McVeigh RSM. See www.hermitage.dublindiocese.ie/icon_slot.html
The hermitage project received support from various Church and community sources as well as from the Millennium fund, and five “Cillin’s” or “cells” were built in the vicinity of St. Kevin’s Church. Like the hermitages of old, they are slightly off the beaten track, a short distance away from the original monastic
settlement. While pilgrims have easy access both to the monastic village and to the surrounding forests and mountains, they are also offered a degree of solitude in the hermitage which is not always available these days down in the valley.
The hermitages themselves, which are self-catering, are far more comfortable than the ones occupied by St. Kevin and the hermits of bygone days. Apart from the main room, which includes a bed, dining area and prayer space, each “cell” has a modern kitchenette and shower room. Pilgrims also have access to a library and prayer room in the Coachhouse. The parish Church is fifty metres away and mass is celebrated daily. A communal morning and evening prayer are celebrated in the coach-house. The hermitage project is staffed by two sisters of Mercy, Sr. Kathleen Delaney and Sr. Mary McKeever, both of whom are available to meet pilgrims if requested. Provision is also made in the coach-house for small groups who wish to meet in an atmosphere of quiet, “far from the madding crowd.”
Further information can be had by phoning 0404-45777 or by contacting www.hermitage.dublindiocese.ie
Archbishop of Dublin during the takeover of Ireland by the Normans and King Henry II, his efforts in the peace process and his frustration with King Henry probably caused his early death. Highly honoured at Eu in Normandy, France, where he died. It was the monks at Eu that introduced his cause to Rome.Fr Kevin Doran, parish priest of Glendalough, tells his story.
Prince/Hostage
Laurence O'Toole was born in Castledermot, Co. Kildare in 1128. His father was Maurice O'Toole, King of Hy Murray. It was common practice in those times for princes of one clan to be given as hostages to another clan, as a guarantee of peace. When Laurence was ten years old he was given as hostage to Dermot McMurrough, King of Leinster, who treated him very badly. Laurence was sent in chains to a remote place, where he got very little to eat; he hadn't even enough clothes to keep him warm in the winter. For two years, even though he was a king's son, he learnt what it was like to be poor and to be oppressed.
Monk
After two years, it was agreed that Laurence would be released. He was sent to a monastery at Glendalough, and the monks made him welcome. It was agreed that his father would come and collect him there. But Laurence soon came to love Glendalough. He liked joining the monks in prayer. He felt very close to God there. After his two years as a hostage, he realised that wealth and power were not important.He asked his father's permission to stay there, and become a monk, and his father agreed. When he was still only 25, Laurence was elected Abbot of the monastery. As the leader of the community he encouraged the monks in their learning. There was always a welcome in the monastery for the poor. When there was a famine in the area, Laurence sold some of the treasures of Glendalough to provide food for those who were hungry.
Archbishop
In 1162 Laurence became the first Irish-born Archbishop of the Danish city of Dublin. In those days, many of the people of Dublin didn't take their Christian religion very seriously. Laurence encouraged them to become real Christians. He brought monks to Dublin from France, and they lived at Christchurch Cathedral. They helped many people to come back to Mass, and to the Sacraments. Laurence himself never forgot his own days of poverty. He continued to care for the poor, especially homeless children. He made room for them in his own house, and they shared the food at his table.
Man of Prayer
Laurence was a man of prayer. He got up in the early hours to sing the office with the other monks in the cathedral and often stayed on afterwards, deep in prayer. Then he would walk for a while in the little graveyard, watching and praying over the city. When he had some free time, he loved to go to Glendalough and spend a few days in solitude in a lakeside hermitage which could be reached only by boat.
Mission to Reform the Irish Church
As Archbishop of Dublin, Laurence participated in the Third Lateran Council in Rome in 1179, with some of the other Irish bishops. The Pope, Alexander III, knew that Ireland had been going through a bad time. He knew that many people, including priests, were no longer taking their religion seriously. He entrusted to Laurence the task of reforming the Church in Ireland.
The Peace Process
The Normans landed in Ireland in 1169. The following year they besieged Dublin under their leader, Strongbow. Laurence met Strongbow to arrange peace but the Normans attacked while the talks were going on. They seized the city, and began killing the citizens and looting their houses. Laurence saved the lives of many people.
He often visited England in his efforts to bring about peace between the two countries. Travelling by sea was dangerous and shipwrecks were common. More than once, his ship was caught in a violent storm. In 1175 he was one of the signatories of the Treaty of Windsor between England's King Henry II and Ireland's High King, Roderic O'Connor.
But the work of making peace is never finished. A new dispute broke out between the King of England and the Irish Kings. In the spring of 1180, Laurence left Ireland again to see if he could help to settle the dispute. The English King, Henry II, didn't have much time for bishops. He had already arranged to have the Archbishop of Canterbury (Thomas à Becket) murdered. He would not welcome Laurence O'Toole. He saw a chance to get rid of Laurence as Archbishop of Dublin and would not let him come back to Ireland. Henry had control of Normandy as well as England. Laurence followed him there. As long as there was a chance of peace, he would not give up trying.
Death in exile
In 1180, Laurence became seriously ill. The monks at Eu in Normandy looked after him in their monastery. But eventually, on 14th November 1180, at the age of 52, he died.
His tomb is in the crypt, under the Collegial Church at Eu. Many people still go there to pray. Laurence was canonized in 1225.His heart was transferred to Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. The 800 year old heart relic was kept in a wooden heart-shaped container sealed within a small iron-barred cage in St Laud’s chapel in the cathedral. It was stolen in March 2012, happily retrieved undamaged in 2018.
Icon credit: Sr. Aloysius McVeigh RSM. See www.hermitage.dublindiocese.ie/icon_slot.html
Glendalough Hermitage
As the Jubilee Year of 2000 approached, the idea began to take shape that Glendalough might once again become a source of spiritual energy for the Irish Church, as it was in the past. Fr Seán O’Toole, who was parish priest of Glendalough at the time, began to think in terms of developing a new hermitage around the “new” St. Kevin’s Church, which was built in Laragh shortly after Catholic Emancipation. He wanted to provide a place of welcome for pilgrims, where they could be accommodated comfortably in an atmosphere of quiet and prayer.
The hermitage project received support from various Church and community sources as well as from the Millennium fund, and five “Cillin’s” or “cells” were built in the vicinity of St. Kevin’s Church. Like the hermitages of old, they are slightly off the beaten track, a short distance away from the original monastic
settlement. While pilgrims have easy access both to the monastic village and to the surrounding forests and mountains, they are also offered a degree of solitude in the hermitage which is not always available these days down in the valley.The hermitages themselves, which are self-catering, are far more comfortable than the ones occupied by St. Kevin and the hermits of bygone days. Apart from the main room, which includes a bed, dining area and prayer space, each “cell” has a modern kitchenette and shower room. Pilgrims also have access to a library and prayer room in the Coachhouse. The parish Church is fifty metres away and mass is celebrated daily. A communal morning and evening prayer are celebrated in the coach-house. The hermitage project is staffed by two sisters of Mercy, Sr. Kathleen Delaney and Sr. Mary McKeever, both of whom are available to meet pilgrims if requested. Provision is also made in the coach-house for small groups who wish to meet in an atmosphere of quiet, “far from the madding crowd.”
Further information can be had by phoning 0404-45777 or by contacting www.hermitage.dublindiocese.ie
******************************
Memorable Saying for Today
My God is the rock where I take refuge;
my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold."
~ St Laurence O' Toole ~
******************************
Liturgical Readings for: Friday, 14th November, 2025
Friday of the Thirty -Second Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1
The beauty of the world is a work of art, leading us to our God and reflecting his transcendence.
Saint of the Day: Nov 14; St Laurence O'Toole, monk, Archbishop of Dublin, missionary
c/f short history of today’s saint can be found below today’s Readings and Reflection.
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of Wisdom 13:1-9
If we are capable of acquiring enough knowledge to be able to investigate the world,
how have we been so slow to find its Master?
Naturally stupid are all men who have not known God and who, from the good things that are seen,
have not been able to discover Him-who-Is, or, by studying the works, have failed to recognise the Artificer.
Fire however, or wind, or the swift air, the sphere of the stars, impetuous water, heaven's lamps, are what they have held to be the gods who govern the world.
If, charmed by their beauty, they have taken things for gods, let them know how much the Lord of these excels them,since the very Author of beauty has created them.
And if they have been impressed by their power and energy, let them deduce from these how much mightier is he that has formed them, since through the grandeur and beauty of the creatures we may, by analogy, contemplate their Author.
Small blame, however, attaches to these men, for perhaps they only go astray in their search for God and their eagerness to find him; living among his works, they strive to comprehend them and fall victim to appearances, seeing so much beauty. Even so, they are not to be excused:
if they are capable of acquiring enough knowledge to be able to investigate the world,
how have they been so slow to find its Master?
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 18: 2-5 R/v 2
Response The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
1. The heavens proclaim the glory of God and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up the story and night unto night makes known the message. Response
2. No speech, no word, no voice is heard yet their span extends through all the earth,
their words to the utmost bounds of the world. Response
Gospel Acclamation Heb 4: 12
Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of God is something alive and active:
it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts.
Alleluia!
Or Mk 21: 28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 17:26-37 Glory to you, O Lord.
When the day comes for the Son of Man to be revealed.
Jesus said to his disciples:'As it was in Noah's day, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating and drinking, marrying wives and husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
It will be the same as it was in Lot's day: people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but the day Lot left Sodom, God rained fire and brimstone from heaven and it destroyed them all. It will be the same when the day comes for the Son of Man to be revealed.
'When that day comes, anyone on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must not come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back either. Remember Lot's wife. Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it; and anyone who loses it will keep it safe.
Let me tell you, on that night two will be in one bed: one will be taken, the other left; two women will be grinding corn together: one will be taken, the other left.'
The disciples interrupted. Where, Lord?' they asked. He said, 'Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.'
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
*****************************
Gospel Reflection Friday, Thirty Second Week in Ordinary Time Luke 17:26-37
The activities mentioned in the gospel reading of eating and drinking, marrying wives and husbands, buying and selling, planting and building are the stuff of everyday life. Yet, Jesus suggests in that reading that all those activities can suddenly come to a stop, as at the time of Noah and the flood, and the time of Lot and the destruction of Sodom. Jesus is not suggesting that all these activities are not important, but he is implying that they are not of ultimate importance, because they will all pass away and, sometimes, quite suddenly. What then is of ultimate importance?
Both of today’s readings suggest that it is not so much the activities themselves that are of ultimate importance but the fundamental attitude of heart that lies behind them. The gospels as a whole name this attitude of heart as love, and this is what ultimately matters.
In the gospel reading, Jesus declares that anyone 'who loses his life will keep it'. By ‘losing one’s life’ Jesus means giving one’s life in love to others, and to God present to us in others. This is what gives meaning to all our activities, and it is this quality of heart which will endure when all else passes away. As Saint Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians, ‘Love never ends’. Love never ends because it is of God, it is a reflection of God’s life, of God who is Love, and God never ends.
________________________________
The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd. and used with the permission of the publishers. http://dltbooks.com/
The Scripture Reflection is made available with our thanks from Reflections on the Weekday Readings : Your word is a lamp for my feet and light for my path by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications , c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/
______________________________________________
Saint of the Day: Nov 14th; St Laurence O'Toole, monk, Archbishop of Dublin
St Laurence was born in Leinster in 1123. studied at Glendalough, became abbot there in 1148, and in 1162 was chosen as the first native Archbishop of Dublin. He followed the reforming methods of Ceallach and Malachy, introducing the Canons Regular to Dublin and following their Rule. He returned from the Lateran Council, Rome as Papal Legate and held synods to extend reform.
Archbishop of Dublin during the takeover of Ireland by the Normans and King Henry II, his efforts in the peace process and his frustration with King Henry probably caused his early death. He died at Eu in Brittany in 1180 while on a mission to try to restore peace between the kings of Ireland and England. Highly honoured at Eu in Normandy, it was the monks at Eu that introduced his cause for canonisation to Rome.
Fr Kevin Doran, parish priest of Glendalough, tells his story.
Prince/Hostage
Laurence O'Toole was born in Castledermot, Co. Kildare in 1128. His father was Maurice O'Toole, King of Hy Murray. It was common practice in those times for princes of one clan to be given as hostages to another clan, as a guarantee of peace. When Laurence was ten years old he was given as hostage to Dermot McMurrough, King of Leinster, who treated him very badly. Laurence was sent in chains to a remote place, where he got very little to eat; he hadn't even enough clothes to keep him warm in the winter. For two years, even though he was a king's son, he learnt what it was like to be poor and to be oppressed.
Monk
After two years, it was agreed that Laurence would be released. He was sent to a monastery at Glendalough, and the monks made him welcome. It was agreed that his father would come and collect him there. But Laurence soon came to love Glendalough. He liked joining the monks in prayer. He felt very close to God there. After his two years as a hostage, he realised that wealth and power were not important.
He asked his father's permission to stay there, and become a monk, and his father agreed. When he was still only 25, Laurence was elected Abbot of the monastery. As the leader of the community he encouraged the monks in their learning. There was always a welcome in the monastery for the poor. When there was a famine in the area, Laurence sold some of the treasures of Glendalough to provide food for those who were hungry.
Archbishop
In 1162 Laurence became the first Irish-born Archbishop of the Danish city of Dublin. In those days, many of the people of Dublin didn't take their Christian religion very seriously. Laurence encouraged them to become 'real' Christians. He brought monks to Dublin from France, and they lived at Christchurch Cathedral. They helped many people to come back to Mass, and to the Sacraments. Laurence himself never forgot his own days of poverty. He continued to care for the poor, especially homeless children. He made room for them in his own house, and they shared the food at his table.
Man of Prayer
Laurence was a man of prayer. He got up in the early hours to sing the office with the other monks in the cathedral and often stayed on afterwards, deep in prayer. Then he would walk for a while in the little graveyard, watching and praying over the city. When he had some free time, he loved to go to Glendalough and spend a few days in solitude in a lakeside hermitage which could be reached only by boat.
Mission to Reform the Irish Church
As Archbishop of Dublin, Laurence participated in the Third Lateran Council in Rome in 1179, with some of the other Irish bishops. The Pope, Alexander III, knew that Ireland had been going through a bad time. He knew that many people, including priests, were no longer taking their religion seriously. He entrusted to Laurence the task of reforming the Church in Ireland.
The Peace Process
The Normans landed in Ireland in 1169. The following year they besieged Dublin under their leader, Strongbow. Laurence met Strongbow to arrange peace but the Normans attacked while the talks were going on. They seized the city, and began killing the citizens and looting their houses. Laurence saved the lives of many people.
He often visited England in his efforts to bring about peace between the two countries. Travelling by sea was dangerous and shipwrecks were common. More than once, his ship was caught in a violent storm. In 1175 he was one of the signatories of the Treaty of Windsor between England's King Henry II and Ireland's High King, Roderic O'Connor.
But the work of making peace is never finished. A new dispute broke out between the King of England and the Irish Kings. In the spring of 1180, Laurence left Ireland again to see if he could help to settle the dispute. The English King, Henry II, didn't have much time for bishops. He had already arranged to have the Archbishop of Canterbury (Thomas à Becket) murdered. He would not welcome Laurence O'Toole. He saw a chance to get rid of Laurence as Archbishop of Dublin and would not let him come back to Ireland. Henry had control of Normandy as well as England. Laurence followed him there. As long as there was a chance of peace, he would not give up trying.
Death in exile
In 1180, Laurence became seriously ill. The monks at Eu in Normandy looked after him in their monastery. But eventually, on 14th November 1180, at the age of 52, he died. His tomb is in the crypt, under the Collegial Church at Eu. Many people still go there to pray. Laurence was canonized in 1225. It was the monks at Eu that introduced his cause to Rome.
His heart was transferred to Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. The 800 year old heart relic was kept in a wooden heart-shaped container sealed within a small iron-barred cage in St Laud’s chapel in the cathedral. (It was stolen in March 2012, but happily, retrieved, undamaged in 2018.)Icon credit: Sr. Aloysius McVeigh RSM. See www.hermitage.dublindiocese.ie/icon_slot.html
Laurence's Glendalough Hermitage
As the Jubilee Year of 2000 approached, the idea began to take shape that Glendalough might once again become a source of spiritual energy for the Irish Church, as it was in the past. Fr Seán O’Toole, who was parish priest of Glendalough at the time, began to think in terms of developing a new hermitage around the “new” St. Kevin’s Church, which was built in Laragh shortly after Catholic Emancipation. The process of the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829, primarily championed by Daniel O'Connell, which allowed Catholics to hold political office, vote, and participate fully in public life, fundamentally altered the political landscape. Fr Sean wanted to provide a place of welcome for pilgrims, where they could be accommodated comfortably in an atmosphere of quiet and prayer.
The hermitage project received support from various Church and community sources as well as from the Millennium fund, and five “Cillin’s” or “cells” were built in the vicinity of St. Kevin’s Church. Like the hermitages of old, they are slightly off the beaten track, a short distance away from the original monastic
settlement. While pilgrims have easy access both to the monastic village and to the surrounding forests and mountains, they are also offered a degree of solitude in the hermitage which is not always available these days down in the valley.The hermitages themselves, which are self-catering, are far more comfortable than the ones occupied by St. Kevin and the hermits of bygone days. Apart from the main room, which includes a bed, dining area and prayer space, each “cell” has a modern kitchenette and shower room. Pilgrims also have access to a library and prayer room in the Coachhouse. The parish Church is fifty metres away and mass or service is celebrated daily. A communal morning and evening prayer are celebrated in the coach-house. The hermitage project is staffed by two sisters of Mercy, Sr. Kathleen Delaney and Sr. Mary McKeever, both of whom are available to meet pilgrims if requested.
Provision is also made in the coach-house for small groups who wish to meet in an atmosphere of quiet, “far from the madding crowd.” Further information can be had by phoning 0404-45777 or by contacting www.hermitage.dublindiocese.ie
******************************
Memorable Saying for Today
My God is the rock where I take refuge; my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold."
~ St Laurence O' Toole ~
******************************
Liturgical Readings for: Friday, 14th November, 2025
CÉAD LÉACHT Sliocht as leabhar hEagna 13:1-9
Óir, má bhí sé ar a gcumas an oiread sin feasa a fháil, gurbh fhéidir leo tuairimíocht a dhéanamh faoin saol, cén fáth nár chuir siad aithne ar mháistir na nithe seo níos luaithe?
Is baoth ó nádúr iad na daoine go léir a bhí aineolach ar Dhia agus nach raibh sé ar a gcumas fios a fháil
ar an Té Atá Ann, ó na nithe maithe atá le feiceáil agus nár chuir aithne ar an gceardaí
trí mhachnamh a dhéanamh ar a oibreacha, ach a cheap gur dhéithe a rialaíonn an domhan iad
an tine nó an ghaoth nó an t-aer mear nó ciorcal na réaltaí nó an t-uisce suaite nó soilse neimhe.
Má mheas siad gur dhéithe iad na nithe seo
toisc gurbh ábhar aoibhnis dóibh a náilleacht, bíodh a fhios acu a oiread is atá a máistir níos fearr ná iad, óir is é údar na háilleachta a chruthaigh iad.Má chuir a gcumhacht agus a n-éifeacht ionadh orthu tuigidís uathu a oiread is atá a ndealbhóir níos láidre ná iad. Mar ó mhéid agus ó áilleacht nithe cruthaithe cuirtear eolas ar a ndéantóir go hanalachúil.
Ach mar sin féin is beag is inlochtaithe iad na daoine seo.
Óir b’fhéidir nach ndéanann siad ach dul ar seachrán agus iad ag lorg Dé agus dúil acu lena fháil.
Ag maireachtáil dóibh i measc a oibreacha leanann siad orthu á mionscrúdú.
Ach is amhlaidh a chuireann a ndealramh cluain orthu toisc gurb álainn iad na nithe atá le feiceáil.
Ach arís, fiú amháin iad seo, níl siad inleithscéil.
Óir, má bhí sé ar a gcumas an oiread sin feasa a fháil, gurbh fhéidir leo tuairimíocht a dhéanamh faoin saol,
cén fáth nár chuir siad aithne ar mháistir na nithe seo níos luaithe?
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Salm le freagra Sm 18: 2-5
Freagra Fógraíonn na spéartha glóir Dé.
1. Fógraíonn na spéartha glóir Dé agus foilsíonn an fhirmimint saothar a lámh.
Insíonn na laethanta an scéal dá chéile agus tugann na hoícheannta an t-eolas dá chéile. Freagra
2. Ní chluintear caint ná canúint ná briathar cé go ngabhann a nglór i ngach uile thír
agus a bhfocail go críocha imchiana na cruinne. Freagra
SOISCÉAL
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as an Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Lúcás 17:26-37 Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Sa chaoi chéanna a bheidh, an lá a bhfuil Mac an Duine le foilsiú.
San am sin dúirt Íosa lena dheisceabail:
'Amhail mar a bhí i laethanta Naoi, is amhlaidh sin freisin a bheidh i laethanta Mhac an Duine; bhí siad ag ithe, bhí siad ag ól, bhí siad ag gabháil fear céile nó ban céile, go dtí an lá a ndeachaigh Naoi san áirc; agus tháinig an díle gur thug an bás dóibh uile. Mar an gcéanna, amhail mar a bhí I laethanta Lót: bhí siad ag ithe, bhí siad ag ól, bhí siad ag ceannach, bhí siad ag díol, bhí siad ag plandáil, bhí siad ag tógáil; ach an lá ar imigh Lót amach as Sodom, fearadh tine agus ruibh ó Dhia as an spéir gur thug an bás dóibh uile. Sa chaoi chéanna a bheidh, an lá a bhfuil Mac an Duine le foilsiú.'An lá sin, an té a bheidh ar bharr an tí agus a urra tí sa teach, ná téadh sé síos chun é a bhreith leis, agus mar an gcéanna an té a bheidh sa ghort, ná casadh sé ar ais. Cuimhnígí ar mhnaoi Lót! Cibé a iarrfaidh a anam a choinneáil slán, caillfidh sé é, agus cibé a chaillfidh é, déanfaidh sé é tharrtháil.
Deirim libh, beidh beirt fhear in aon leaba an oíche sin; tógfar duine acu agus fágfar an duine eile. Beidh beirt bhan ag meilt in éineacht; tógfar bean acu ach fágfar an bhean eile.
Beidh beirt sa ghort; tógfar duine acu, ach fágfar an duine eile.”
Dúirt siad leis á fhreagairt: “Cén áit, a Thiarna?”
Dúirt sé leo: “Mar a mbíonn an corpán, is ann freisin a bheidh na badhbha cruinnithe le chéile.'
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 16th November, 2025
Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C
World Day of the Poor
Marking the end of the 'Jubilee Year of Mercy', the late Pope Francis wrote "the worthiest way to prepare for next Sunday's celebration of our Lord, King of the Universe would be to identify with His little ones, the poor
and who will judges us on our works of mercy to them."
FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of Malachi 3:19-20
For you the sun of righteousness will shine out.
The day is coming now, burning like a furnace;and all the arrogant and the evil-doers will be like stubble.
The day that is coming is going to burn them up, says the Lord,
leaving them neither root nor stalk.
But for you who fear my name,
the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 95:5-9 R/v 9
Response The Lord comes to rule the peoples with fairness.
1. Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp with the sound of music.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn acclaim the King, the Lord. Response
2. Let the sea and all within it, thunder; the world, and all its peoples.
Let the rivers clap their hands and the hills ring out their joy
at the presence of the Lord. Response
3. For the Lord comes, he comes to rule the earth.
He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with fairness. Response
SECOND READING
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians 3:7-12
Do not let anyone have any food if he refused to do any work.
You know how you are supposed to imitate us: now we were not idle when we were with you,
nor did we ever have our meals at anyone's table without paying for them;
no, we worked night and day, slaving and straining, so as not to be a burden on any of you.
This was not because we had no right to be, but in order to make ourselves an example for you to follow.
We gave you a rule when we were with you:' not to let anyone have any food if he refused to do any work'. Now we hear that there are some of you who are living in idleness, doing no work themselves but interfering with everyone else's.
In the Lord Jesus Christ, we order and call on people of this kind to go on quietly working and earning the food that they eat.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation Lk 21: 36
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.
Alleluia!
Or Lk 21: 28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand'.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke 21:5-19 Glory to you O lord
Your endurance will win you your lives.
When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said,
'All these things you are staring at now-the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another:
everything will be destroyed'.
And they put to him this question: 'Master,' they said 'when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?' 'Take care not to be deceived,' he said 'because many will come using my name and saying,
"I am he" and, "The time is near at hand". Refuse to join them.
And when you hear of wars and revolutions,
do not be frightened,for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon.'
Then he said to them,
'Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
'But before all this happens, men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name - and that will be your opportunity to bear witness.
Keep this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict.
You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death.
You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost.'
Your endurance will win you your lives.'
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
For homily resources for this Sunday's Gospel click here: https://www.catholicireland.net/sunday-homily/
Taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published and copyright 1966, by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House Inc, and used by permission of the publishers.
Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 16th November, 2025
CÉAD LÉACHTSlíocht as leabhar Malaci 3:19-20
Soilseoidh grian na ffréantachta oraibh.
Féach, tá an lá ag teacht, agus é ar dearglasadh mar fhoirnéis, a mbeidh na scigirí uile agus lucht déanta an oilc go léir mar choinleach, agus ídeoidh an lá atá le teacht iad sa chaoi nach bhfágfaidh sé fréamh ná craobh acu, a deir Tiarna na Slua.Ach, maidir libhse, a thugann ómós do m’ainm, éireoidh oraibh grian na fíréantachta, bhfuil íocshláinte ina gathanna aici.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Salm le Freagra Sm 95:5-9 R/v 9
Freagra Tá an Tiarna ag teacht a rialú na náisiún go cothrom.
I. Canaigí sailm don Tiarna leis an gcruit agus le fuaim na cláirsí.
Tugaigí gárthale fuaim stoic is adhairce don Tiarna, ár Rí. Freagra
2. Bíodh an fharraige agus a bhfuil inti ag búirthí an domhan agus a maireann ann.
Bíodh na haibhneacha ag bualadh a mbos; déanadh na sléibhte gairdeas
i bhfianaise an Tiarna atá ag teacht a rialú na cruinne. Freagra
3. Déanfaidh sé an domhan a rialú go cóir agus na náisiúin go cothrom. Freagra
DARA LÉACHT
Slíocht as dara litir Naomh P0l chuig na Teasalónaigh 3:7-12
An té nach bhfuil fonn oibre air, ná caitheadh sé bia ach oiread.
A bhráithre, tá a fhios agaibh féin cad atá agaibh le déanamh chun aithris a dhéanamh orainne.
Ní raibh aon díomhaointeas orainne fad a bhíomar in bhur measc, ná níor ghlacamar cothú in aisce ó dhuine ar bith. Is amhlaidh a bhímis ag obair le dua agus saothar, de lá is d’oíche, ar shlí nach mbeimis inár muirín ar dhuine ar bith agaibh. Ní hé nach bhfuilimid i dteideal ár gcoda ach d’fhonn sampla a thabhairt daoibhse chun go leanfadh sibh ár lorg.
Go deimhin nuair a bhíomar in bhur measc, seo é an foláireamh a thugaimis daoibh:
“An té nach bhfuil fonn oibre air, ná caitheadh sé bia ach oiread.”
Tá sé á chloisteáil againn go bhfuil daoine áirithe oraibh a chaitheann a saol go díomhaoin, gan aon ní acu á dhéanamh ach a ladar a chur i ngnó daoine eile. Táimid ag tabhairt foláirimh dá leithéidí sin agus ag moladh dóibh in ainm an Tiarna Íosa Críost, bheith ag obair go ciúin dóibh féin agus a gcuid bia féin a ithe.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Alleluia Véarsa Lc 21: 36
Alleluia, alleluia!
Bígí gach uile thráth do bhur bhfaire féin agus ag guí chun go mbeadh sibh
ag seasamh díreach os comhair Mhac an Duine.”
Alleluia!
SOISCÉAL
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as an Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Lúcás 21:5-19 Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Is le bhur mbuanseasamh a ghnóthóidh sibh bhur n-anamacha.
San am sin nuair a bhí daoine áirithe á rá mar gheall ar an Teampall go raibh sé maisithe le clocha breátha agus le tíolaicí dúthrachta, dúirt Íosa:“A bhfuil le feiceáil ansin agaibh – tiocfaidh na laethanta nach bhfágfar cloch ar mhuin cloiche nach leagfar anuas.”
D’fhiafraigh siad de ansin: “Más ea, a Mháistir, cén uair a thitfidh an méid sin amach, agus cad is comhartha ar na nithe sin a bheith ag teacht?”
Dúirt sé:
“Bígí aireach agus ná cuirtear amú sibh; óir tiocfaidh mórán i m’ainmse ag rá: ‘Is mise é’; agus: ‘Tá an t-am in achmaireacht.’
Ná téigí ina ndiaidh. Nuair a chluinfidh sibh caint ar chogaí agus ar cheannaircí, ná glacaigí scéin, óir ní foláir na nithe sin a theacht ar dtús, ach ní bheidh an deireadh ann chomh luath sin.” Dúirt sé leo ansin: “Éireoidh náisiún in aghaidh náisiúin agus ríocht in aghaidh ríochta. Beidh maidhmeanna móra talún ann, agus gortaí agus plánna anseo is ansiúd; beidh tuartha uafáis ann agus comharthaí móra ón spéir.
Ach roimh an méid sin uile, leagfar lámh oraibh agus géarleanfar sibh, tabharfar ar láimh sibh do na sionagóga agus do na príosúin, seolfar i láthair ríthe agus gobharnóirí sibh mar gheall ar m’ainmse. Is é a thiocfaidh as sin daoibh, go bhféadfaidh sibh fianaise a thabhairt. Dá bhrí sin, bíodh sé de rún agaibh gan ullmhú roimh ré chun bhur gcosanta, óir tabharfaidh mise urlabhra daoibh agus eagna nach bhféadfaidh bhur gcúisitheoirí uile cur ina haghaidh ná a bhréagnú. Tabharfar ar láimh sibh ag bhur dtuismitheoirí féin, fiú amháin, ag bhur ndeartháireacha, ag bhur ngaolta, ag bhur gcairde, agus básófar cuid agaibh, agus beidh fuath ag cách daoibh mar gheall ar m’ainmse; ach ribe de ghruaig bhur gcinn ní mhillfear.
'Is le bhur mbuanseasamh a ghnóthóidh sibh bhur n-anamacha.'
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
