The Vineyard of God
The Christian message stands in stark contrast to the consumerism and selfish individualism of modern Irish culture. There are positive and good aspects of present-day Irish life, generosity to those in need, a sense of humour and of fun, but we may also notice a certain coarseness in life, a lack of respect for values that was not there before, and at the moment a pervasive anxiety.
In the Gospel parable the custodians of the vineyard are the religious leaders of Israel. God’s message was rejected and those he sent were rejected, and God himself was rejected in Jesus. We must ask ourselves if we also reject God at times. The teachings of Isaiah and of Jesus make it clear that there are consequences when we reject faith, when we reject God’s grace.
This raises the question of how to we respond to the situation in our own lives and to the situation in our culture. A key is given in the psalm included in today’s readings, the plea: God of hosts bring us back, let your face shine on us and we shall be saved. We turn to prayer, a prayer that includes an admission of guilt, an acknowledgement that it is we who have forsaken God, and a promise that we will try not to forsake him again.
St Paul sets prayer as a sort of polar opposite to worry. He advises us to fill our minds with all that is good, true, noble and turn to God in prayer, placing all our needs before him. Then the God of peace will be with us and fill our hearts with that peace of Christ which is beyond all human understanding. That peace will answer all our anxieties.
Pray for our Planet, our Common Home
The Season of Creation ends today, a time set aside by Pope Francis to reflect on our place within creation and our responsibility to care for our common home.
Pope Francis comments that the Eucharist is an act of cosmic love. Even when it is celebrated on the humble altar of a parish church, the Eucharist is celebrated on the altar of the world. The Eucharist joins heaven and earth: it embraces and penetrates all creation as the world which came forth from God’s hands returns to him in blessed and undivided adoration. In the bread of the Eucharist, creation is projected towards unification with the Creator himself (cf. Laudato Si’ .
OCTOBER, MONTH OF THE ROSARY
It’s probably fair to say that for many younger Catholics, the rosary is associated with an older generation. However, at this time every year we are all encouraged to use the rosary to reflect on different aspects of the life of Jesus. This ancient and Bible based prayer invites us it to think about the principal parts of Christ’s life and the way in which we are is called to follow him. Some years ago Pope Benedict XVI commented on the month of the rosary saying: “It is as if every year Our Lady invited us to rediscover the beauty of this prayer, so simple and so profound.”
Turner’s Cross Confirmation and First Holy Communion
Confirmation ceremonies will be held on Wednesday 7th October, and Wednesday 14th October, at 12.00 noon.
Our First Holy Communion Masses will take place on Saturday 17th October, at 10.00 am and 12.00 noon.
There will be no public morning Mass on Saturday 17th October.
Because of Covid-19 restrictions the number of people present in the church for each ceremony will be limited to the pupils receiving the sacrament, their parents and one other person only for each family.
Vocations
Thirteen new seminarians begin their formation and studies in Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, in Rome and in the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, Dundalk. Others are starting a pre-seminary programme in other locations in Ireland and abroad. This brings to 72 the total number studying for the priesthood for Irish dioceses. We pray that men and women will be open to the call of the Lord, asking them to serve him as a priest or in the consecrated life.
Deaths: We pray for Jeremiah (Jerry) O’Leary, Curragh Road and Marie Bowen, Deerpark Mews, who died recently, and offer our sympathy to their families.