Churches of the Day

Friday of the Third week in Ordinary Time, Year 2

Saints of the Day: Jan 30th 1. St Aidan, bishop. 2. Bl Margaret Ball and Francis Taylor, martyrs
C/f A short life of this saint can be found below todays' Readings and Reflection.

FIRST READING         

A reading from the book of the Prophet Samuel   11: 1-10, 13-17
'Station Uriah in the thick of the fight so that he may be struck down and die'.

At the turn of the year,  the time when kings go campaigning, David sent Joab and with him his own guards and the whole of Israel. They massacred the Ammonites and laid siege to Rabbah. David however remained in Jerusalem.

It happened towards evening when David had risen from his couch and was strolling on the palace roof, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. David made inquiries about this woman and was told, 'Why, that is Bathsheba, Eliam's daughter, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.'
Then David sent messengers and had her brought. She came to him, and he slept with her; now she had just purified herself from her courses. She then went home again. The woman conceived and sent word to David, 'I am with child'.

Then David sent Joab a message, 'Send me Uriah the Hittite',
whereupon Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came into his presence, David asked after Joab and the army and how the war was going. David then said to Uriah, 'Go down to your house and enjoy yourself'. Uriah left the palace, and was followed by a present from the king's table. Uriah however slept by the palace door with his master's bodyguard and did not go down to his house.

This was reported to David; 'Uriah' they said 'did not go down to his house'.
So David asked Uriah, 'Have you not just arrived from a journey? Why do you not go to your home?'
The next day David invited him to eat and drink in his presence and made him drunk. In the evening Uriah went out and lay on his couch with his master's bodyguard, but he did not go down to his house.

Next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah. In the letter he wrote,
'Station Uriah in the thick of the fight and then fall back behind him so that he may be struck down and die'.

Joab, then besieging the town, posted Uriah in a place where he knew there were fierce fighters. The men of the town sallied out and engaged Joab; the army suffered casualties, including some of David's bodyguard; and Uriah the Hittite was killed too.

The Word of the Lord      Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm          Ps 50:3-7, 10-11 R/v 3
Response:                            Have mercy on us, Lord, for we have sinned.

1.  Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.                   Response

2. My offences truly I know them; my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned; what is evil in your sight I have done.         Response

3. That you may be justified when you give sentence and be without reproach when you judge,
O see, in guilt I was born, a sinner was I conceived.                                                       Response

4. Make me hear rejoicing and gladness, that the bones you have crushed may thrill.
From my sins turn away your face and blot out all my guilt.                                          Response

Gospel  Acclamation           Ps 118: 27
Alleluia,  alleluia!
You will shine in the world like bright stars because you are offering it the word of life.
Alleluia!

Or                                                Mt 11: 25
Alleluia, alleluia!
The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;
whoever finds the seed will remain for ever.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL 

The Lord be with you.                      And with your spirit
A reading from the Gospel according to Mark          4: 26-34         Glory to you, O Lord
Theme: A man throws seed on the land. While he sleeps the seed is growing; how,he does not know.

Jesus said to the crowd:
'This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.  And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come.' 

He also said,
'What can we say the kingdom of God is like? What parable can we find for it? It is like a mustard seed which at the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.'

Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it.  He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone.

The Gospel of the Lord            Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection           Friday            Third Week in Ordinary Time           Mark 4:26-34

The first of the two parables in today’s gospel reading suggests that when a farmer has sown seed in the ground, he has to step back and allow nature to bring the seed to fruition. It is only when the seed is fully grown that the farmer swings into action again, harvesting the crop. Between sowing and harvesting, he has to leave the seed alone. If he were to start poking around in the soil to see how the seed is doing, he would greatly inhibit its growth. When Jesus says the kingdom of God is like that, what does he mean? He may be saying that the coming of God’s kingdom into our lives and into our world isn’t all down to us. We have our work to do, as the farmer has to sow and harvest. However, the real work of spiritual growth within ourselves and in our world is God’s doing.

As Saint Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians, ‘I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.’ Having done what we can, we have to step back and allow God to do what only God can do. Sometimes, God’s good work can be happening all around us, even when we are doing very little. God can be working powerfully in and through our lives in those times when we seem to have little to give, perhaps because of advancing years or illness. The good work we have done in the past can be bearing fruit in ways that we might never suspect. God’s good work continues, even when we seem to have little to show for our efforts. What the Lord asks of us is perseverance, not to lose heart.

We are to keep faithful, especially when times are lean and difficult.



The scripture readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and used with the permission of the publishers.  http://dltbooks.com/
The Gospel reflection is available with our thanks from Reflections on the Weekday Readings My Words Will Not Pass Away by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications c/f  https://www.messenger.ie/product/my-words-will-not-pass-away-reflections-on-the-weekday-readings-for-the-liturgical-year

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Saints of the Day: Jan 30th: 1. St Aidan, bishop. 2. Bl Margaret Ball and Francis Taylor, martyrs

1 St Aidan. An inscription on the wall of the Church of Ireland (Anglican) Cathedral of St Aidan in Ferns, Co Wexford, tells of his burial place. 

Patrick Duffy tells what is known about St Aidan and the diocese.

Many Irish saints have an intimate form to their name and Aidan, or, as he is also called, Mogue, is a case in point. Mogue is derived from the Irish Mo Aodh Óg (= "my young Aodh" or "my darling Aodh"). Ferns (Fearna, the alder tree), where he set up his church, became his episcopal seat. 

Born on Inis Breachmhaigh, Templeport Lake, C o.Covan
Aidan was born in Inis Breachmhaigh, now known as Port, Inch or Mogue's Island, in Templeport Lake, near Bawnboy in County Cavan, around 550. Both his father Setna and his mother Eithne were of noble origin. There was no boat to take the infant to the mainland to be baptised, so he is said to have been miraculously floated across the lake on a slab of stone to where Saint Kilian was waiting to baptise him. The parish church of Templeport parish (St. Mogue's Church in Bawnboy) in the diocese of Kilmore is called after him and the church's holy water font is said to be made from part of that slab of stone.

Studies at Clonard and in Wales
As a small boy, Aidan was held as a hostage by the High King of Ireland, Áedh MacAinmuirech, of the Cenél Conaill, probably to insure the loyalty of his family. When he was released, Aidan studied to become a monk under St Finnian of Clonard, where he made friends with St Molaise, who would later found the monastery of Devenish Island on the River Erne. From Clonard Aidan went to study under St David at Kilmuine (Cil-mynyw) in Wales. During his time here David placed him in charge of a church at Llawhaden (pronounced LLAN-HAUA-DEN) in the hundred (county sub-division) of Dungleddy in the centre of Pembrokeshire, where a church remains dedicated to him to this day.

[caption id="attachment_75652" align="alignleft" width="194"] Saint Edan's Cathedral, Ferns … the saint became Bishop of Ferns in 598, a year after Saint Augustine became Archbishop of Canterbury[/caption]

Return to Ireland
In 580, Aidan returned to Ireland, going to the coast of Wexford. Here he served in the area around Ferns. In 598 Brandubh, king of the Uí Cinsealaigh in Leinster, defeated and killed King Áedh MacAinmuirech at the Battle of the Pass of Dunbolg (near Holywood, Co Wicklow). Brandubh called a celebratory synod at which he elevated Ferns to the status of a diocese and made Aidan its first bishop giving him nominal supremacy (Ard-Escops or chief bishop) over the other bishops of the region.

Lives of St Aidan
The written Lives of St Aidan tell of many miracles showing his generosity and kindness. One story tells how some spurious beggars hid their clothes, dressed in rags, and asked Aidan for help; knowing what they had done, Aidan gave away their clothes to some more deserving poor, and sent off the imposters with neither clothes nor alms.
Other stories tell of feats of austerity, such as fasting on barley bread and water for seven years, as well as reciting 500 Psalms daily.

Other Monasteries in Cavan, Waterford and Leitrim
Other monasteries were said to have been founded by Aidan at Drumlane, near Milltown, Co Cavan; at Dísert-Nairbre in County Waterford; and at Rossinver on Lough Melvin’s shore in County Leitrim, where he died on the 31 January 632. He was said to have been buried in the church that he had established there. A bronze reliquary in which his relics were kept is currently preserved in Dublin.

The Diocese of Ferns
One of Aidan's successors, St Moling (died 679 - feast 17th June), dedicated a holy well at Ferns in memory of its founder, now known as Maodhóg's Well. During the 9th and 10th centuries the monastery at Ferns was raided and burned by the Vikings on at least eight occasions before they eventually converted to Christianity. In 1111 the boundaries of the diocese were defined by the Synod of Rath Breasail. In 1158 Dermot McMurrough founded an Augustinian abbey in Ferns and had Ferns as his capital. Ferns Cathedral was built in the 13th century         within the boundary of the monastery founded by St Aidan, probably by John St John, the first English bishop of Ferns, who died in 1243.  In 1539 with the suppression of the monasteries it passed to the Church of Ireland. The remains of St Aidan or Mogue are said to be buried underneath the Church. An inscription on the wall states that he died on 31st January 632 (see image above).  In the years after Catholic Emancipation a new Catholic cathedral in honour of St Aidan designed by A.W.N. Pugin was built in Enniscorthy, which then became the Catholic episcopal seat.

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Memorable Proverbs for today

The goal of a good pastor is to raise up good pastors;

~Francis Khan~

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Saints of the Day: Jan 30th  2. Bl Margaret Ball and Francis Taylor, martyrs

Bl Margaret Ball and Francis Taylor, a lay woman and a lay man respectively, were among a representative group of seventeen Irish martyrs of the 16th and 17th centuries beatified by Pope John Paul II on 22nd September 1992.

Patrick Duffy gives a brief resumé of their lives.

Margaret Ball: died in prison in Dublin 1584
Born Margaret Bermingham about 1515 in Skreen, Co Meath, she married Bartholomew Ball, a prosperous Dublin merchant, where she came to live. Her eldest son, Walter, yielding to the pressure of the times, became a Protestant and an opponent of the Catholic faith. Margaret continued to provide 'safe houses' for bishops and priests passing through Dublin and would invite Walter to dine with them, hoping for his reconversion to Catholicism.

But Walter was not for turning. When he was elected Mayor of Dublin, he had his own mother arrested and drawn through the streets, on a wooden hurdle, as she could no longer walk, to Dublin Castle. Here she remained imprisoned for the rest of her life. If she had renounced her faith she could have returned home, but she refused and died in prison aged 70 in 1584. The chapel-of-ease, called Blessed Margaret Ball Church, built in the 1980s on the Coolock Road at Santry in Larkhill parish, Dublin, was named in her honour.

Francis Taylor of Swords, layman, Lord Mayor of Dublin: died in prison 1621
Francis Taylor was born into a wealthy Catholic family in Swords about 1550. In 1595 he was elected Lord Mayor of Dublin. A convinced Catholic, he refused to accept the Acts of Supremacy (Monarch is the head of the Church) and Uniformity (The Book of Common Prayer is the only legal form of worship and all citizens must attend Church services according to that form). Francis was put in prison in 1614 during the reign of King James I and remained there until he died seven years later. He is said to have been buried in the family grave in St Audeon's Church.

(A bronze sculpture of him along with Margaret Ball stands to the left of the main entrance to the Pro-Cathedral of St Mary's (The Immaculate Conception) in Marlborough St, Dublin 1)

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Memorable Wise Words for today

Soldiers and war heroes are honoured and commemorated,
explorers granted immortal fame, martyrs, revered,
but how many people look upon women too as soldiers?

~ Anne Frank ~

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Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A
Jesus revealed  the Beatitudes himself as his and his Father's, secret of happiness.
Jesus invites us to watch they was lived out in his life.

Saint of the Day, in Ireland, Feb 1 St Brigid, Abbess, Secondary Patron of Ireland
C/f A short life of this saint can be found below todays' Readings and Reflection.

FIRST  READING

A reading from the book of the Prophet Zephaniah     2:3. 3:12-13
 In your midst I will leave a humble and lowly people.

Seek the Lord, all you, the humble of the earth, who obey his commands.
Seek integrity, seek humility:  you may perhaps find shelter
on the day of the anger of the Lord.

In your midst I will leave a humble and lowly people, and those who are left in Israel will seek refuge in the name of the Lord.
They will do no wrong, will tell no lies; and the perjured tongue will no longer be found in their mouths.
But they will be able to graze and rest with no one to disturb them.

The Word of the Lord        Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm    Ps 145: 7-10 R/v Mat 5:3
Response                          How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

1. It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever, who is just to those who are oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry, the Lord, who sets prisoners free.                     Response

2. It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind, who raises up those who are bowed down,
the Lord, who protects the stranger and upholds the widow and orphan.              Response

3. It is the Lord who loves the just but thwarts the path of the wicked.
The Lord will reign for ever, Zion's God, from age to age.                             Response

SECOND READING  

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians  1:26-31
God chose what is foolish by human reckoning.

Take yourselves, brothers, at the time when you were called: how many of you were wise in the ordinary sense of the word, how many were influential people, or came from noble families? No, it was to shame the wise that God chose what is foolish by human reckoning, and to shame what is strong that he chose what is weak by human reckoning; those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones that God has chosen - those who are nothing at all to show up those who are everything.

The human race has nothing to boast about to God, but you, God have made members of Christ Jesus and by God's doing he has become our wisdom, and our virtue, and our holiness, and our freedom.
As scripture says: 'If anyone wants to boast, let him boast about the Lord.'

The Word of the Lord                 Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation            Mt 11:25
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children.
Alleluia!

or                                          Mt 5: 12
Alleluia, alleluia!
Rejoice and be glad: your reward will be great in Heaven.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL 

The Lord be with you.                    And with your spirit
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew     5:1-12       Glory to you, O Lord
'How happy are the poor in spirit.

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples.
Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

'How blessed are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the gentle: they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Blessed are those who mourn: they shall be comforted.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.
Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

'Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.

The Gospel of the Lord    Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.



The scripture readings are taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and used with permission of the publishers.

For homily resources for this Sunday's Gospel click here:  https://www.catholicireland.net/sunday-homily/

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Saint of the Day, Feb 1 St Brigid, Abbess, Secondary Patron of Ireland
C/f A short life of this saint can be found below todays' Readings and Reflection.

Bridget patroness of those who have a care for the earth, for justice, equality and peace and also model for contemplative prayer.

Brigidine Sister Rita Minehan profiles St Brigid here as a model for contemplative prayer.

A great resurgence of interest in all aspects of our Celtic heritage is leading many individuals and groups to rediscover - and draw inspiration from - the lives of the early Irish saints. St Brigid, the patroness of Ireland, is emerging as one whose life has relevance and inspiration for us as we try to face the issues that confront our country and our world at this time. When we look at the life of Brigid and at some of these issues we can see more clearly why she continues to be relevant to us today. (The image left is of Brigid with lepers,  taken from  the mosaic in Armagh Cathedral.)

Carer of the Earth
The feast of St Brigid on the 1st of February is a celebration of the wonderful springing back of the earth from its winter sleep. It is the season when we celebrate new beginnings and new life on earth. The sod is turned. The day lengthens. Seeds are sown and sails are hoisted.

Many of the stories about Brigid tell of her milking the cows, churning the milk, making up the firkins of butter, shepherding her flocks of sheep, helping with the harvest and even brewing the ale! Brigid, in keeping with her Celtic traditions, was wonderfully attuned to the seasons and cycles of nature. She valued the elements of nature: earth, air, fire and water.

Light the Fire


Today, we are becoming more aware of the fragility of our planet. Lands are becoming barren, skies fouled, waters poisoned. Many individuals and groups concerned about the environment draw inspiration from the reverence and respect which Brigid had for the land. She is often referred to as the' Saint of Agriculture.' In a new hymn, composed by Fr Liam Lawton, Brigid is invoked 'to heal our wounds and green our earth again.'

"A Life of Brigid" (Vita Brigitae), composed by Cogitosus about 650 AD,  places great emphasis on Brigid's faith, her healing powers, her hospitality, her generosity, her great skill with animals, and her compassion for the poor and the oppressed. Twenty three of the thirty two chapters tell of her extraordinary concern for the poor. One of the Brigidine legends illustrates this very effectively.

Woman of Compassion
One day when Brigid was on a long journey she stopped to rest by the wayside. A rich lady heard about this and brought her a beautiful basket of choice apples. No sooner had she received them than a group of very poor people came by and begged her for food. Without a moment's hesitation, Brigid gave them the choice apples. The rich lady was utterly disgusted and she complained to Brigid, "I brought those apples for you, not for them." Brigid's reply was: "What is mine is theirs." This Brigidine legend poses a challenge to all of us in terms of our world today, where forty-five thousand people die from hunger and hunger-related diseases every day and where twenty percent of the population own and consume about eighty percent of the earth's resources. The poverty gap continues to widen both within and between countries, as the rich grow richer and the poor grow poorer. This legend challenges us to work for a more equitable distribution of the world's resources.

Model of Equality
It is generally accepted that Brigid established her abbey and church in Kildare around 480 AD, on the site now occupied by St Brigid's Cathedral. Brigid held a unique position in the Irish Church and society of her day. As Abbess, she presided over the local Church of Kildare and was leader of a double monastery for men and women.

Tradition suggests that she invited Conleth, a hermit from Old Connell near Newbridge, to assist her in Kildare. Cogitosus tells us that 'they governed their Church by means of a mutually happy alliance.'

What emerges from many of these stories and legends about Brigid is the portrait of a strong and gentle woman, a powerful leader, a good organiser, a skillful healer and a wise spiritual guide. Brigid has become - for men as well as women - a potent symbol of Christian womanhood, showing us in so many different ways the feminine face of God.

Woman of Peace
There was no lack of domestic strife in the Ireland of Brigid's day, where feuds between clans were commonplace. She is often depicted as a peacemaker who intervened in disputes between rival factions and brought healing and reconciliation. Folklorists tell us that in some parts of Ireland a St Brigid's cross was often used as a token of goodwill between neighbours, indicating a desire for peace and friendship after a local quarrel.

One of the best-known stories associated with St Brigid is that of her giving away her father's precious sword to a poor man so that he could barter it for food to feed his family. Thus, a sword, a weapon of war, was transformed into a life-giving instrument. This story offers an important lesson for our world today where every minute thirteen million pounds is being spent on weapons of war. One wonders what links Brigid would make today between the massive expenditure on arms and the welfare of the poor people of the world?

Woman of Contemplation
Brigid emerges as a woman of action in the stories, legends and poems about her. If one, however, were to seek the source from which she drew her strength and energy, one could probably find the answer in this story.

One day, St Brendan the Navigator stood on a cliff top and watched two whales engaging in fierce combat. Suddenly, the smaller whale, in a human voice, cried out for help not to Brendan but to Brigid, who was not even present. The cry was answered immediately, and the combat ceased. Brendan was puzzled as to why he had been ignored. 'Do you always think about God?' asked Brigid, when the two met. 'Yes,' replied Brendan, 'except at times when my boat is caught in a storm at sea and I have to concentrate on keeping it afloat.' 'That's the explanation,' Brigid answered. 'From the moment I first knew God I have never let him out of my mind, and I never shall.'

An old Irish poem, written in the seventh century, speaks of her contemplation of the Trinity:

Deeper than the seas,
Greater than words can express,
Three persons in one only God;
Overflowing with wonder.'

Woman of Inspiration
Even today, poets, writers and artists still find inspiration in the symbols, customs and folklore surrounding Brigid. One writer recently referred to her as 'the woman who, above all others, embodies the spirit of pre-Christian and Christian Ireland'.

In a beautiful leadlight window in Kildare College Chapel, Holden Hill, South Australia, the artist depicts Brigid dancing the dance of the new life of creation, carrying the Spirit of Jesus into the twenty-first century.

Many of the values associated with Brigid are captured in this delightful poem:
Lady, from winters dark,
Star of Imbolc, rise!
Dance around our threshold,
Scattering warm laughter,
Seeds of hospitality,
Tolerance, forgiveness!
Return again to the folk;
You the spring we yearn for!

What a lovely image to carry with us into the future!

This article first appeared in The Messenger (February 2002), a publication of the Irish Jesuits. c/f  c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/

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Memorable Irish Proverbs for today

I should like a great lake of ale, for the King of Kings.
I should like the family of heaven to be drinking it through time eternal.