Presider’s Page for 24 March (Palm Sunday) Today’s liturgy gives a preview of the events we will celebrate between Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday: the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. These events are also the focus of this and every Sunday celebration. We ask for God’s help in understanding their significance. Alternative Opening prayer (from…
19 Mar 2024 – Saint Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin 1st Reading: 2 Samuel 7:4-6, 12-14, 16 From king David’s offspring will come the universal spiritual King But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one…
18 Mar 2024 – Monday of Week 5 of Lent Optional Memorial: St Cyril of Jerusalem, 315-86, Bishop of Jerusalem. (1) Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 31-62 Susanna is falsely accused; Daniel’s questions uncover the truth There was a man living in Babylon whose name was Joakim. And he took a wife named Susanna, the daughter of…
17 Mar 2024 – Lent, 5th Sunday, Year B St Patrick, Patron of Ireland 2 Kgs 4: 18-21, 32-37; Ps 16:1, 6-8, 15, R/ v15. Jn 11:1-45 (Lect 1:316) may be used instead of the Lenten readings any day this week. (Reflections on St Patrick at the bottom of this page). (1) Jeremiah 31:31-34 The…
16 Mar 2024 – Saturday of Week 4 (1) Jeremiah 11:18-20 The Just One is led like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter It was the Lord who made it known to me, and I knew; then you showed me their evil deeds. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter….
15 Mar 2024 – Friday of Week 4 of Lent (1) Wisdom 2:1, 12-22 Malice against the good foreshadows the Passion of Jesus Foolish people reasoned unsoundly, saying to themselves, “Short and sorrowful is our life, and there is no remedy when a life comes to its end, and no one has been known to…
14 Mar 2024 – Thursday of Week 4 of Lent (1) Exodus 32:7-14 Though his people rebel, Moses begs another chance for them The Lord said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from…
13 Mar 2024 – Wednesday of Week 4 of Lent (1) Isaiah 49:8-15 God promises the exiles, “You’ll be a sign of salvation!” Thus says the Lord: ‘In a time of favour I have answered you, on a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant…
Presider’s Page for Sunday 17 March (Lá Fhéile Pádraig, on the Fifth Sunday of Lent) Opening Comment As the fifth week of Lent begins in other countries, we pause from our lenten penances to honour Patrick, the apostle of the Irish. In our celebration of this solemn feast, we worship God, creator, redeemer and sanctifier,…
12 Mar 2024 – Tuesday of Week 4 of Lent (1) Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12 Life-giving water flows out from the Temple of God Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple; there, water was flowing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east); and the…
11 Mar 2024 – Monday of Week 4 of Lent Optional memorial: St Aengus, bishop and abbot in Clonenagh, Laois, composed two martyrologies. Died c 824. (1) Isaiah 65:17-21 “Rejoice in what I am creating!” Good things in store for those who love God For I am about to create new heavens and a new…
10 Mar 2024 – 4th Sunday of Lent, Year B (1) 2 Chronicles 36:14-23 For their sins the people were exiled to Babylon. But God’s mercy will bring them back All the leading priests and the people also were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abomination of the nations; and they polluted the house of the…
09 Mar 2024 – Saturday of Week 3 of Lent Optional Memorial: St Frances of Rome, died 1440, founded a society of women and live din it after her husband’s death. (1) Hosea 6:1-6 God wants our love more than ritual sacrifice “Come, let us return to the Lord; for it is he who has…
08 Mar 2024 – Friday of Week 3 of Lent Optional Memorials: St John of God, 1495-1550, patron saint of nurses, the sick, heart patients, printers and booksellers. St Senan, a Clareman, anamchara to Ciarán of Clonmacnoise and Brendan; died in 544 (1) Hosea 14:2-10 How God supports those who trust in Him Take words…
07 Mar 2024 – Thursday of Week 3 of Lent Optional Memorial: Ss Perpetua and Felicity, martyred in Carthage in 203 (1) Jeremiah 7:23-28 Life’s highest goal is obedient response to God But this command I gave them, “Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk…
06 Mar 2024 – Wednesday of Week 3 of Lent (1) Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9 God’s people have clear duties and a high destiny So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the…
Presider’s Page for 10 March (Fourth Sunday of Lent / Laetare Sunday / Mothers’ Day) This Sunday we come to the midpoint of Lent. The season is half over, and the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus is nearer to us. On this midway Sunday, it is traditional to honour mothers, praying for…
05 Mar 2024 – Tuesday of Week 3 of Lent Optional Memorial: St Kieran, pre-Patrician saint, patron of Ossory. (1) Daniel 3:25, 34-43 Nebuchadnezzar admires the miraculous escape of the young Jews Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his counselors, “Was it not three men that we threw bound…
04 Mar 2024 – Monday of Week 3 of Lent Optional memorial: St Casimir, 1458-84, a peacemaker, patron saint of Poland. (1) 2 Kings 5:1-15 Naaman the Syrian takes the prophet’s advice and is cured of leprosy Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favour…
03 Mar 2024 – Lent, 3rd Sunday, Year B (1) Exodus 20:1-17 The Ten Commandments, given to Moses on Mount Sinai Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before…
