Gospel Reflection for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time | September 16th

Gospel Reflection
In Dialogue with Questions of the Day:
When the Church is weak, then she is strong.

In our own day, the Church, particularly in Europe and the English-speaking world, is undergoing a crisis, especially because of faulty Church administration, allegations of abuse, and court verdicts. For many this can be disheartening; for others a reason to abandon practice of their faith or even faith itself. The problem is felt keenest in countries where the Church and the clergy were held in high esteem, and the clergy even in a sense beyond reproach. Some even question whether the Church will ever regain her moral status, or even survive the crisis.

In a sense, in view of the attacks from various angles, the Church is being persecuted. This may be a good thing for the Church. In fourth-century Africa, the Church was at peace and had a vigorous spiritual life after centuries of persecution. The noted scholar Tyconius, writing on the Apocalypse of John, could not identify with the Church since it was not being persecuted! The present crisis in the Church could be a call to regard the Church, the Body of Christ, as it really is – a mystery. She understands herself best by going back to the Gospels and the teaching of St Paul.

“God, in Christ and the Church, works through human weakness.”

We all like status, being in a state of respect and of honour, and this is natural. But let us recall Jesus’ message. Possibly Jesus, as a human, liked the same. After his baptism, where he was declared by the Father from heaven as his Son, in whom the Father was well pleased, he may have had the natural desire to profit by this. In his temptations, Satan tried to get him to do so. The early Christian hymn in Philippians 2:5-11 says that, instead of this, Jesus humbled himself even to the ignominy of the cross. Peter at Caesarea Philippi found reference to Jesus’ humiliation and crucifixion too much, but as follower of Christ came to accept the mystery. For the Pharisee Saul, death by crucifixion of one believed to be the Messiah was totally repulsive. But he too was led to see that this was God’s way.

God, in Christ and the Church, works through human weakness. Paul came to realise that in the contradictions of his ministry and in his own personal life: “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). In his preaching of the Gospel, he was keen to stress the centrality of the Cross and resurrection, so that Christian faith is based on divine grace and power, not human reasoning. God willed to save the world not by wisdom (as Greek wisdom would wish it), nor by miracles, but by the foolishness of the cross.

It is not that the Church does not respect human wisdom and ingenuity. With Paul, believers are called on to rejoice always, and to think positively, about “whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, is gracious, if there is anything worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8). But Christian faith is a continuation of Christ’s death and resurrection, a mystery to be understood through faith, and by prayer for the understanding of this great mystery. Christ is with his Church, in the soul of every believer bringing conviction in trials.

Fr Martin McNamara MSC

New beginnings at the Sacred Heart College, Cameroon

September marks back-to-school season for students all over the world, and the Sacred Heart College in the village of Lada II in Cameroon is no exception! This year, not only are the Sacred Heart family preparing for a new term of hard work and study, they’re also working hard at improving their school buildings and facilities, thanks to the generosity of our MSC mission friends here in the Irish Province and beyond.

This summer, we asked you to help us to raise funds for the Sacred Heart College, where eager young students have been doing their best to learn despite unfinished surroundings and a lack of facilities. Thanks to your kindness, work has already begun on making the school a safer place for students to learn and grow, with the equipment they need to do their best.

The new school year at the Sacred Heart College has already begun, with attendance increased by 80% from last year. A new school bus is in place, making it safer and easier for students to get to school every day. Staff and students are looking forward to working together this year to make the Sacred Heart community stronger than ever.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all who donated so generously to make this work possible, and we’re wishing the staff and students at the Sacred Heart College a wonderful year ahead!

If you would like to find our more about the Sacred Heart Bilingual College and its students, you can find out more about our 2018 Summer Appeal and read the students’ stories here.

PLEASE HELP US TO HELP STUDENTS IN CAMEROON

WMOF 2018: Fr Alan Neville MSC talks to Vatican News

Fr Alan Neville MSC spoke with Lydia O’Kane, Vatican News correspondent, at the Festival of Families in Croke Park on Saturday, August 25^th. Reflecting on the sheer joy of this momentous occasion, Fr Alan speaks of the importance of acceptance, togetherness, and presence.

Lydia O’Kane: The curtain has come down on a stunning event – tell me what you thought of it.

Fr Alan Neville: It was just wonderful. We had everyone gathered together – we had people from all around the world, we had fantastic music, incredible dancing, and these wonderful testimonies, people coming out and sharing their stories. It was incredible, and there was a lovely sense of authenticity to it, a lovely sense of reflecting, amoris laetitia; actually, life is complicated, but families are the very foundation of who we are as a Church and who we are as a society, and that actually, as a Church, we’ve got something to offer, and working together, we can support one another. Coming together with something like this, this is what it means to be a Church. Okay, it’s a huge stadium, but we’re all gathered here. We’re gathered in prayer and there’s joy and there’s hope. You’ve got people who are homeless, people who are travellers, people who are refugees and asylum seekers, people from Ireland, everyone together, and it’s just wonderful.

LOK: When the Pope came in, there was a huge uproar of affection for him – there was so much affection for him in the stadium tonight, wasn’t there?

AN: Oh yeah! As Irish people, we pride ourselves on our hospitality, but there’s something about Pope Francis, I think. When you see him, he just seems like there’s great warmth there, and as Irish people, we respond to that. Even if you just take the first step, we’ll just embrace you – it is a land where, God willing, we make everyone feel welcome. We’ve travelled the whole world, and when someone comes here, there’s this real sense of, “Do you know what? It’s great to have you here!” And certainly for Pope Francis, it’s a huge occasion, because it’s 1979 since we last had a Pope in Ireland, and people still talk about it – “Where were you when that happened?” And this is that moment now. We’ve got kids beside us here who were playing music, they were wonderful, and when the Pope visits next time – God only knows when it will be – but they’ll be able to say, “I was there and it was amazing. We gave him a great welcome, and he was fantastic.”

LOK: What do you think it means to have the World Meeting of Families in Ireland?

AN: I think that maybe as a country in Western culture, there’s a real sense that for families, if they’re really struggling at the moment, there’s a lot more pressure perhaps than there was previously. Maybe the question for us then as a Church is, what do we do to support families? You know we’ve had difficult referendums here in Ireland recently, and you’ve got to acknowledge that – but then you’ve got to say, as a Church, do we actually back up what we say? How welcome do we make families in our Church? Do we merely tolerate them? Do we merely tolerate kids who come to Mass and cry and maybe make a mess, or run around, or laugh, or do we actually say, “Listen, you’re welcome, it’s so wonderful to have you here. You are actually the most important part of this entire Church.” The actual Irish word for “church” is “teach an phobail” – it’s “the house of the people”, that’s what it means. The buildings are beautiful, the artwork is incredible, the stained glass windows are stunning – but if we don’t have the people, it means nothing at all. And so in Ireland, the church is the house of the people.

LOK: Just one final question – what do you think people will take from the Pope’s words back to their own families? What do you think they’ll take from this evening?

AN: I think that maybe it’s something he brings himself, that gift of presence. We had it there when we had a family from India, the D’Costas, speaking about things like social media – not necessarily bad things, but how are we present to one another? Or the Richardson family, the challenges that they face. You can imagine, with 10 kids now in a house, it’s very chaotic, but there’s presence together. Pope Francis is very keen on how we treat one another, and there’s that real sense of, you don’t go to bed angry with one another, you’ve really got to be able to say “please”, “thank you”, and “I’m sorry”. And actually, another one that I’m sure he’s a very big fan of as well, is “I love you”. There’s something amazing with kids – if you ask a child how much God loves them, or does he love his mother and father, they have no doubt whatsoever, they believe 100% they are loved entirely. Something happens as we get older, we tend to forget that, or we feel almost ashamed to say it. There’s a real need to reclaim that, because we’re meant to be a people of love. I think that’s what we take away – “please”, “thank you”, “I’m sorry”, and “I love you”.

LOK: And on that note, Fr Alan, thanks so much. It’s been a great evening and thank you for talking to us.

Listen to Fr Alan’s interview here: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2018-08/apostolic-journey-ireland-festival-families-testimonies.html

Gospel Reflection for the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time | September 2nd

THE LAW PROTECTS THE LITTLE ONES

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is accused of being a law-breaker. On many occasions the religious elite accused Jesus of breaking the law of Moses.

Jesus points out that they have misunderstood the law and its purpose. The highest law, as Jesus reminds us, is love of God and love of neighbour. Love of neighbour particularly means love of the poor, vulnerable, and weak neighbour.

The law was never meant to make life more difficult for these little ones. It was never meant to take bread out of their mouths.

In fact, one purpose of the law of love is to protect the poor and weak from abuse by the rich and powerful. In Hebrew, these little ones are called the Anawim.

God loves everyone, rich or poor, strong or weak, powerful or vulnerable. However, the little ones need a bit more looking after.

Jesus’ mother Mary foretold that through Jesus, God would “cast the mighty from their thrones and raise up the lowly”, that he would “feed the starving with good things and send the rich away empty”.

Of course, the rich and powerful would not like this. This is one of the reasons they accused Jesus of being a law-breaker. This is why they conspired to have him killed at the hands of the Romans.

Today, Jesus calls us to stand with the Anawim, to stand up for them any way we can. He was unafraid. May we be granted something of His courage as well.

Fr Con O’Connell MSC

Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2018

Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 2018

Our annual Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is a beautiful time of reflection and thanksgiving, when we bring our prayers and petitions before Our Lady.

Our Novena of Masses runs for nine days and will take place from Friday, August 31st to Saturday, September 8th.

All are welcome to join in the Novena by watching our daily Masses live from the Sacred Heart Church in Cork. These Novena Masses will take place daily at 10.00am and 8.00pm.

Be part of this year’s Novena to the Sacred Heart

At this special time of year, you can help us to help others by supporting our ongoing mission projects, and in gratitude for your contribution, we will be glad to remember your intentions at our daily Novena Masses. You can then submit your personal prayers and intentions online, and our MSC priests will remember your petitions specially throughout the course of the Novena.

The theme of year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will be “The Church on the Street: Living the Gospel Today”.

OLSH Novena at the Sacred Heart Church, Western Road, Cork

Daily Novena Masses: 10.00am & 8.00pm

Sacrament of Reconciliation: Thursday, September 6^th
Sacrament of Anointing: Friday, September 7^th
Special Mass of Healing: Friday, September 7^th at 3.30pm

All are welcome to attend. Tea and coffee will be served in the Sacred Heart Centre following all sessions. You are very welcome to come along and relax, meet new friends, and renew old acquaintances.

Daily Mass Themes

Friday, August 31^st: A field hospital on the battlefield.

Saturday, September 1^st: He sent me to bring the good news to the poor.

Sunday, September 2^nd: Care of creation.

Monday, September 3^rd: God wants to save us all.

Tuesday, September 4^th: Our response: Prayer.

Wednesday, September 5^th: Our response: Service.

Thursday, September 6^th: Our response: Reconciliation.

Friday, September 7^th: Our response: Healing.

Saturday, September 8^th: Mary, truly our sister.

We welcome each and every one of you to this year’s Novena to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. We hope and pray that these nine days of prayer will be a grace-filled and blessed time for all of us.

TAKE PART IN OUR 2018 OLSH NOVENA

Celebrating old friends and new: World Meeting of Families 2018

After a whirlwind week of WMOF celebrations in Dublin, this weekend’s Papal visit was the crowning glory on a truly wonderful occasion.

Saturday’s Festival of Families was a triumph, featuring a joyous, vibrant programme of music, song, and prayer. “One of the most significant and beautiful events within every World Meeting of Families is the Festival of Families, a very special concert-type event which, at its heart, celebrates families and their faith from all around the world”, says the official WMOF website, and Saturday’s event did not disappoint.

Pope Francis was an enthusiastic participant, overseeing performances with a smile and embracing all he met with his customary warmth. Merging charming Irish tradition with dazzling performances representing different cultures from all over the globe, the evening’s programme featured “community-based artists as well as some well-known local and international artists, joined by an orchestra of over 50 musicians; over 700 Irish, sean nós and contemporary dancers, including 500 from Irish dance schools across the country; a 1,000 strong choir; 100 community groups; and 300 flag bearers” – a feast for the eyes and the ears in every way!

The week’s events brought families flocking to Dublin from across the globe. “We met families from Indonesia, Paraguay, Taiwan, and Brazil, among many others,” says Fr Alan Neville MSC, who attended the celebrations throughout the week. “The energy there was amazing.”

The Festival of Families also addressed the challenges faced by families in today’s society with a heartfelt poignancy. “Throughout the Festival of Families, we looked at the challenges faced by families,” Fr Alan says. “There were powerful testimonies from families from Iraq, Canada, Burkina Faso, and Ireland.”

As highlighted by the WMOF website, these family testimonies focused on “how their families have sustained and nourished them with hope and love through the most challenging and momentous times of their lives. Their testimonies focus on forgiveness, strength, and hope in family life; the intergenerational nature of families today; and the impact of technology on family life.” The overriding message is one of unity, hope, and, above all, love.

On Sunday, Fr Alan attended the Papal Mass in Phoenix Park, braving the bad weather with hundreds of thousands of worshippers from all over the world. Checking in on the MSC Vocations Facebook page, Fr Alan posted: “Sunday Mass with a couple of hundred thousand people. You know, as you do! The Pope has arrived and it’s incredible.”

“Incredible” is the only word to sum up a very special weekend indeed. Ireland has been a proud host to the 2018 World Meeting of Families, and everybody involved has done a tremendous job in making the entire week one to remember. Fr Alan says it in a nutshell:

“This whole week has been about celebrating the Church with one another, old friends and new, and with the Pope. It has been wonderful.”

Read more about Fr Alan’s time at WMOF 2018 here.

Visit Shalom World TV to watch video coverage from the week’s events.

Catch up on the best of WMOF 2018 on our Facebook and Twitter pages:
Visit MSC Missions on Facebook and Twitter
Visit MSC Vocations on Facebook and Twitter

MSC Missions hit the ground running at WMOF 2018!

Festivities for this year’s World Meeting of Families kicked off on Tuesday, August 21st – and our Vocations Director, Fr Alan Neville MSC, has been at the heart of the action all week long!

Preparations began in earnest on Sunday, as Fr Alan joined Maura, Cini, and the Shalom World TV team in Knock. Fr Alan has joined forces with Shalom World TV for WMOF 2018 and will be covering the celebrations throughout the week. Visit Shalom World TV on Youtube for the full list of video coverage, including family interviews and daily round-ups of WMOF events.

The opening ceremony on Tuesday evening was a wonderful event, with one of the highlights being Pope Francis’ video link. The Holy Father expressed his enthusiasm for his visit to Irish shores, heralding the beginning of a truly special week for Ireland and for the Catholic Church.

Fr Alan also walked the Vocations Ireland Pilgrimage of Peace on Thursday evening. Pilgrims came together to cross Dublin, and were addressed by Sr Stan, founder of Focus Ireland, and Fr Peter McVerry, founder of the Peter McVerry Trust.

Friday holds a wealth of compelling discussion panels, as excitement mounts ahead of the Papal visit on Saturday and Sunday. Stay tuned to MSC Missions and MSC Vocations on Facebook and Twitter for live updates from WMOF 2018 throughout the weekend!

Visit MSC Missions on Facebook and Twitter
Visit MSC Vocations on Facebook and Twitter

Commemorate World Meeting of Families 2018 by enrolling your loved ones in our Holy Family Entrustment Book – the perfect keepsake from this historic occasion!

Congratulations to the MSC Missions Office in the Philippines!

Congratulations to the MSC Missions Office in the Philippines, who were recently awarded Social Welfare and Development Agencies Certification from the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Manila “in recognition of their efforts to contribute to the uplifting of the poor, vulnerable, and disadvantaged sectors of society”.

This certification means that the MSC Missions Office in the Philippines is now authorised by the government to operate as a Civil Society Organisation, as our MSC brothers continue in their work to bring aid to communities in need.

A spokesperson for the MSC Missions Office in the Philippines said, “This is a great achievement of the office to be able to continuously help and serve the poor, disadvantaged, and marginalised sectors in society”.

Well done to all involved, and we wish you every blessing as you continue your great work in the Philippines!

For the latest updates from the MSC Missions in the Philippines, please visit their Facebook page.

PLEASE HELP US TO TRANSFORM LIVES IN THE PHILIPPINES

Celebrating WMOF 2018 with MSC Missions

Commemorate Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families 2018 with a beautiful Holy Family Entrustment Book from MSC Missions.

The WMOF festivities will commence on Tuesday, August 21st, as Ireland prepares to welcome Pope Francis to our shores for the first papal visit in almost 40 years. The World Meeting of Families is a major international event which is held every three years, with the aim of bringing together families from all over the world in a joyful celebration of marriage and the family as the bedrock of everything we do, as individuals, as a Church, and as a society.

Commemorate this great celebration of family love by enrolling your loved ones in our Holy Family Entrustment Book, a one-year enrolment in the Masses and prayers of our MSCs. The Holy Family Entrustment Book features a personalised prayer certificate presented in a beautiful hand-crafted card, while the specially designed eight-page booklet is filled with thoughtful prayers and reflections.

As thousands of people gather from across Ireland and all over the world to take part in the celebrations during the six-day event, we invite you to mark the occasion in a truly special way by enrolling those dear to you in our Holy Family Entrustment. Not only will you have a beautiful keepsake of this momentous event, but your donation will also bring hope and joy to families in need on our MSC mission projects around the world.

Where can I get a Holy Family Entrustment Book?

Visit our Cards & Gifts section to order a personalised Holy Family Entrustment Book online. You can have your order delivered to your door, or we can send it directly to the person being enrolled. If you have any further questions, please feel free to get in touch with us by email at info@mscmissions.ie, or by phone on +353 (0) 21 454 5704.

Sacred Heart Students in Cameroon: Michel’s Story

This summer, the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are raising funds to help the Sacred Heart College in Cameroon, where students gather every day in classrooms that are still under construction. For most of these students, poverty and hardship mean life is a daily struggle, and education is their only hope for the future. Here, the students share their stories, telling us what the Sacred Heart College means to them.

 

“My name is Michel. I am 17 years old and a student in Form 4 at the Sacred Heart Bilingual College of Lada II.

My mother died when I was 10 years old, and my father became dependent on alcohol.

Because of this, I left school for 3 years, and I worked on building sites to earn money. However, it was not enough to pay my school fees and cover my basic needs. During these 3 years of hard labour, I was able to save enough to start a small business. I now sell cloths in the evenings, and during weekends and holidays. I thank God for the good he has done for me, and I now wish to get my education so I can help my father and my family.”

 

This summer, we’re working to provide a safe, comfortable space for students like Michel to learn and grow. If you can, please help us to build a brighter future for the Sacred Heart community.

PLEASE HELP US TO CHANGE LIVES IN CAMEROON

Sacred Heart Students in Cameroon: Justin’s Story

This summer, the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are raising funds to help the Sacred Heart College in Cameroon, where students gather every day in classrooms that are still under construction. For most of these students, poverty and hardship mean life is a daily struggle, and education is their only hope for the future. Here, the students share their stories, telling us what the Sacred Heart College means to them.

 

 “My name is Justin. I am 12 years old and a student in Form 1 at the Sacred Heart Bilingual College of Lada II.

I started school when I was six years old. It’s thanks to God that I can go to school and survive, because my home life is very difficult.

I get up at 4.00am every day, and after school I go to the market to earn money by helping people with their shopping.

My mother produces and sells cassava sausage. With my money and my mother’s, we can earn a living and I can continue to go to school.

Despite these harsh conditions, we still survive, thanks to God.”

 

This summer, we’re working to provide a safe, comfortable space for students like Justin to learn and grow. If you can, please help us to build a brighter future for the Sacred Heart community.

PLEASE HELP US TO CHANGE LIVES IN CAMEROON

Sacred Heart Students in Cameroon: Elie’s Story

This summer, the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are raising funds to help the Sacred Heart College in Cameroon, where students gather every day in classrooms that are still under construction. For most of these students, poverty and hardship mean life is a daily struggle, and education is their only hope for the future. Here, the students share their stories, telling us what the Sacred Heart College means to them.

 

“My name is Elie. I am 11 years old and a student in Form I at the Sacred Heart Bilingual College of Lada II. During the week, I get up at 5.00am and I prepare myself for school. I live 2km away from the college and I have to leave early in order to arrive on time, which is not always easy.

I have no breakfast and I often have no money to buy lunch. The road is dusty during the dry season and muddy during the rainy season.

I come back from school around 4.30pm, but I don’t have dinner until around 10.00pm. My mother doesn’t live with us anymore and my sister has to come back from school also before cooking. My father is a tailor and he does not have a lot of money. I thank God that I am able to get my education at the Sacred Heart College.”

 

This summer, we’re working to provide a safe, comfortable space for students like Elie to learn and grow. If you can, please help us to build a brighter future for the Sacred Heart community.

PLEASE HELP US TO CHANGE LIVES IN CAMEROON