the church on the streets - redemptorists … · do must point to god’s crazy love for all. jesus...

THE CHURCH ON THE STREETSLIVING THE GOSPEL TODAY

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It can seem that good news is in short supply today. The economy is still

struggling to recover from the terrible collapse of five years ago; many

people remain out of work or in financial difficulty; many others have

been forced to emigrate.

The news from overseas isn’t very positive either. It is dominated by stories

of conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East, by worries about the onset of a

new cold war, and concerns about the damaging impact of climate change.

The Church’s struggles continue too, as it tries to deal with the fallout from

the series of scandals that have engulfed it in recent years, as well as cope

with the challenge of a confident and aggressive secularism.

But it isn’t all bad news. For in March 2013 a new public figure appeared

who, by his words and actions, has fascinated people throughout the

world. His name is Francis, bishop of Rome.

Francis hasn’t changed any of the Church’s core teaching, but he has

changed the tone and emphasis. He has pointed the Church back to basics.

He has reminded Catholics and non-Catholics alike of why the Gospel is

good news, especially for the poor and those on the margins. He has

challenged Catholics to leave their comfort zones, to leave the security

of church and sacristy and living room, and go out onto the streets, out

into the periphery, out to where people are lost or hurt or abandoned,

and to stand in solidarity with them as good news people. Everything we

do, he says, must proclaim the good news of the Gospel. Everything we

do must point to God’s crazy love for all.

Jesus of Nazareth was a man of the streets. He walked the dusty roads

of Palestine preaching good news to the poor, to sinners and the street

people everyone else had abandoned.

So also did St Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Redemptorists. He walked

the mountains and hills around Naples in southern Italy, bringing good

news to the poor.

Pope Francis reminds us that, as followers of Jesus, we must do the same.

We must be street people, who identify with and stand alongside the

weakest in society. This is our vocation. All our words and all our actions

must tell of good news, especially for those who need to hear it most.

THE MAGNIFICATMy soul glorifies the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.

He looks on his servant in her lowliness;

henceforth all ages will call me blessed.

The Almighty works marvels for me.

Holy is his name.

His mercy is from age to age

on those who fear him.

He puts forth his arm in strength

and scatters the proud-hearted.

He casts the mighty from their thrones

and raises the lowly.

He fills the starving with good things,

sends the rich away empty.

He protects Israel his servant,

remembering his mercy,

the mercy promised to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Amen.

THE MEMORARERemember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,

that never was it known

that anyone who fled to your protection,

implored your help,

or sought your intercession, was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you,

O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.

To you do I come, before you I stand,

sinful and sorrowful.

O Mother of the Word Incarnate,

despise not my petitions,

but in your mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

A PRAYER TO MARY FROM THE OLD IRISHHoly Virgin Mary, you are the joy of my soul.

You are the dew of heaven to relieve my

parching thirst.

You are the stream of God’s grace,

flowing out from his heart into mine.

You are the light of my darkened soul.

You are the healing of my wounds.

You are the strength of my weakness.

You are the consolation of my hardship.

You are the easing of my trouble.

You are the loosing of my chains.

You are the help of my salvation.

Hear me, I beg you, O Virgin most faithful.

Take pity on me.

Turn not away from my need.

Let my tears move you.

Let your own compassionate heart move

you.

I cry to you, Mother of God and lover of the

human race.

Hear me, poor sinner that I am, and grant

me the grace I ask from you,

O Mary, my Mother.

Amen.

THE CHURCH ON THE STREETSLIVING THE GOSPEL TODAY

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THE MESSAGEAs soon as he appeared on the balcony the night he was elected, it

was obvious the new pope was going to bring a different style and

tone to the papacy.

People could see it straight away – how Pope Francis wore only the

simple white cassock and black shoes, how he refused to live in the

papal apartments, how he paid his own hotel bill, how he dispensed

with so many trappings of high office.

He was sending out a clear message – Christians must imitate Jesus

by living as simply and as humbly as possible. Our model must always

be Christ, the servant king.

A second thing that struck people is his language. In his homilies

and speeches, Pope Francis uses simple, direct words. It doesn’t

matter whether he is addressing diplomats or preaching a morning

homily to Vatican employees, he talks like a country pastor, using

images and stories everyone can understand. It is a style made for

the age of twitter.

He knows that it is essential to speak about faith in an uncomplicated

way that even the poorest and most uneducated person can follow.

People notice his humour, too. Francis smiles a lot and uses jokes and

self-deprecating remarks to make his point. The message he is sending

out is that Christians are good news people, who radiate hope.

Everything about us must show that we are bearers of good news.

But what people have noticed above all else is his concern for the

poor. By taking the name Francis in honour of Francis of Assisi – a

name no pope had ever before dared to take - the new bishop of

Rome couldn’t have made a stronger statement of intent: Catholics

are called to care passionately for the least among us, and for all

God’s creation.

Three days after his election, Francis said: “How I would like a poor

church for the poor!” Over and over again, he has expressed a desire

for a commitment to the poor to be at the heart of Christianity’s

role in the world.

What Francis is doing is reminding the Church of its origins, of the

vision set out by Jesus at the start of his public ministry. When he

stood up to read in the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus told his listeners

that he had been sent to proclaim good news to the poor, and liberty

to all who were oppressed. It was his inaugural address as Messiah,

a statement of God’s plan and concern for God’s people, especially

the least of all.

It was this same vision that inspired an Italian priest called Alphonsus

Liguori in the 18th century. Alphonsus could have chosen to live in his

home city of Naples, doing regular priestly work. He didn’t. Instead,

he went out into the mountains to bring good news to the poor, and

to assure them of God’s love. He founded a religious congregation,

called the Redemptorists, to do that same work of preaching good

news to the most abandoned.

But the vision that Jesus spelled out at the start of his ministry isn’t

meant just for official church types like priests and religious. It is for

all the baptised.

As Pope Francis has made clear, all Church members have an

obligation towards each other, and especially towards the poor

and the hurting. Each of us is called to take on board the vision

and mission of Jesus, and to make it a reality in our time and place.

THE WORD

Then Jesus, filled with the power

of the Spirit, returned to Galilee,

and a report about him spread

through all the surrounding

country. He began to teach

in their synagogues and was

praised by everyone. When he

came to Nazareth, where he had

been brought up, he went to the

synagogue on the Sabbath day,

as was his custom. He stood

up to read, and the scroll of

the prophet Isaiah was given

to him. He unrolled the scroll

and found the place where it

was written: “The Spirit of the

Lord is upon me, because he

has anointed me to bring good

news to the poor. He has sent

me to proclaim release to the

captives and recovery of sight to

the blind, to let the oppressed

go free, to proclaim the year of

the Lord’s favour.” And he rolled

up the scroll, gave it back to

the attendant, and sat down.

The eyes of all in the synagogue

were fixed on him. Then he

began to say to them, “Today

this scripture has been fulfilled

in your hearing.” Luke 4:14-21

“I prefer a Church which is

bruised, hurting and dirty

because it has been out on the

streets, rather than a Church

which is unhealthy from being

confined and from clinging to

its own security.”

Francis, Bishop of Rome

Our common vocation to live

out Christ’s love in practical

ways is the thread that runs

through the teachings of Pope

Francis and St Alphonsus.

We begin our novena by

reflecting on the missionary

spirit of the Church and our

own responsibility to be part

of this grace-filled endeavour.

HE SENT ME TO BRING THE GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR MISSION STATEMENT

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THE MESSAGEOver ten years ago, the singer Beyoncé

released a single that immediately reached

No. 1 in the charts, and has become one of the

most performed songs of the last decade. It’s

called Crazy in Love. According to Beyoncé, the

song talks “about how, when you are falling in

love, you do things that are out of character and

you do not really care because you are just open.”

The lyrics refer to a state of romantic obsession.

Being crazy in love means that you are prepared to

do crazy things for the person or persons you love.

More than two centuries before Beyoncé released

her single, an Italian preacher was using the same

language to talk about God. The preacher was St

Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Redemptorists, and

he used the phrase “Pazzo per amore” to describe God’s

love for humanity. “Pazzo per amore” means “God’s

crazy love.” According to St Alphonsus, God doesn’t just

love humanity; God is crazy with love for humanity. God

loves us so much God does wild and crazy things, such

as send his own Son among us to show us how to live, to

show us the way to salvation. No words can describe the

extent to which God loves us.

This kind of language is uncomfortable for some people. They

find it hard to believe in God’s crazy love. They struggle to

accept that God could possibly love them - weak and sinful

as they think they are, and unworthy of God’s affection. When

they look at themselves, they focus only on the negative. They

cannot believe they could be created in God’s own image.

Others may have grown up with an understanding of God as a

difficult taskmaster, always waiting to catch them out, eager

to pounce when they do wrong.

This is something St Alphonsus struggled with himself. Growing up,

he was taught to see God as a harsh judge, someone who is remote

and to be feared. And it left him full of scruples and anxiety, a

tortured soul. Slowly, Alphonsus began to alter his image of God.

He began to see God not as a distant judge, eager to condemn,

but as a concerned parent, madly in love with humanity. And he

began to preach and write about this crazy love of God, using

the kind of effusive language that leaves the likes of Beyonce

in the shade.

This is the good news of the Gospel. God loves us – every one

of us – crazily, madly, deeply. No matter what we do or don’t

do, God loves each of us with an absolute love. God loves

us unconditionally. Knowing that God loves us means we

need no longer be afraid. We can be completely at ease

with our God. It gives us the confidence to do our best to

love God and others in return.

PAZZO PER AMORECRAZY IN LOVE

THE WORD

Jesus said, “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in

the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only

Son, so that everyone who believes in him may

not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God

did not send the Son into the world to condemn

the world, but in order that the world might

be saved through him. Those who believe in

him are not condemned; but those who do

not believe are condemned already, because

they have not believed in the name of the

only Son of God. And this is the judgement,

that the light has come into the world, and

people loved darkness rather than light

because their deeds were evil. For all

who do evil hate the light and do not

come to the light, so that their deeds

may not be exposed. But those who

do what is true come to the light,

so that it may be clearly seen that

their deeds have been done in God.”

John 3:16-21

The extent to which we are loved

and cherished by God remains one

of the most consoling teachings of

our faith. Let this abundant love of

God shape the way we pray. May

it guide us in our works of love for

others.

“God’s becoming man

is a great mystery! But

the reason for all this is

his love, a love which is

grace, generosity, a desire to

draw near, a love which does

not hesitate to offer itself in

sacrifice for the beloved.”


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THE MESSAGEOn 18 March 1958, a monk was going about his business in a city in

Kentucky when suddenly he had a revelation, a mystical experience.

Describing it later, he said: “In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth

and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly

overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all those people, that

they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another

even though we were total strangers…” He felt, he said, the immense

joy of being human, a member of a race in which God himself became

incarnate. He longed to tell those people that “they are all walking

around shining like the sun.”

The monk was the famous Trappist, Thomas Merton, and today a

bronze plaque stands at the spot where Merton had his revelation.

Usually such plaques commemorate a political or literary figure, or

an historical event, but the one on that street corner in Louisville

celebrates Merton’s mystical moment. Merton had an intense

experience of God’s presence and love. He saw the divine

in that ordinary setting on that ordinary day. He saw the

divine – the image of God - in the ordinary people walking

around him.

What Thomas Merton realised in a profound way was that

God can be found in the ordinary, that the holy lurks in all of

creation, and that all of creation points to the glory of God.

Merton’s experience was nothing new – the Church has always

seen the world and all that belongs to it as sacramental, as

revealing God’s grace and presence. Objects, events, people,

nature, all have the capability to reveal God’s grace. It’s why

we have statues and holy water, incense and votive candles,

stained glass and crucifixes, saints and feast days, religious

medals and rosary beads, altars and shrines, holy pictures and

icons like that of our Mother of Perpetual Help. They speak to

our senses and emotions, they touch our hearts, they point to

the divine, they draw us into God.

St Alphonsus Liguori knew this instinctively. He knew that religion

isn’t something confined to the head, but to the emotions and

to the heart as well. For him, our God is an intensely passionate

God, who loved us so much he took on human form and died

on a cross for us. And so we need, not just words, but symbols

and images – sounds and smells, silence and music – if we are

to speak to God and hear God speak in the bottom of our heart.

Three of the most powerful symbols for Alphonsus were the crib,

the cross and the Eucharist. He used the image of the baby in the

crib to preach about the incarnation, to point to a God who is with

us and for us, always on our side. He used the image of the cross

to preach about suffering and redemption. Jesus’ humiliation and

pain on the cross is heart-wrenching proof of how much God loves

us. He used the image of the Eucharist and the Blessed Sacrament

to preach about God’s burning desire to be always accessible to us.

For Alphonsus, all of these symbols point to God’s crazy love. They

are tangible signs of the extent to which God loves us. They are

reminders that all of creation points to and is infused with the glory

of God, as Thomas Merton experienced so intensely on that Louisville

street more than half a century ago.

STORIES OF GOD’S CRAZY LOVESIGNS AND SYMBOLS

THE WORD

In those days a decree

went out from Emperor

Augustus that all the world

should be registered. This

was the first registration

and was taken while

Quirinius was governor

of Syria. All went to their

own towns to be registered.

Joseph also went from the

town of Nazareth in Galilee

to Judea, to the city of David

called Bethlehem, because

he was descended from the

house and family of David.

He went to be registered with

Mary, to whom he was engaged

and who was expecting a child.

While they were there, the

time came for her to deliver

her child. And she gave birth to

her firstborn son and wrapped

him in bands of cloth, and laid

him in a manger, because there

was no place for them in the inn.

Luke 2:1-7

“Only in Christ crucified and risen can we find

salvation and redemption. With Him, evil,

suffering, and death do not have the last

word, because he gives us hope and life:

he has transformed the Cross from being

an instrument of hate, defeat, and death

to being a sign of love, victory, triumph

and life.”


To have a contemplative spirit

is to see God in the ordinary

bits and pieces of daily life.

Cultivating that spirit of prayer

and awareness is a life-long task

where we constantly remind

ourselves of God’s abiding

presence and amazing grace.THOMAS MERTON

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THE MESSAGEA popular quiz show on BBC television some years ago was called The

Weakest Link. It was a quick fire general knowledge quiz, hosted by

Anne Robinson, in which the contestants had to decide at the end

of each round which of their number should be eliminated. They

voted for the person they considered to be the weakest performer,

whose failure to answer a question would have broken a chain of

correct answers and thus cost the team money. After the person was

voted off, he or she would then by coldly dismissed by Anne with the

cutting phrase: “You are the weakest link. Goodbye.” At which point

the unfortunate weakest link would have to take the embarrassing

walk of shame out of the studio.

In the bible, one of the striking things about the great figures of the

Old and New Testament is their sense of their own weakness. They

had no illusions about how wonderful or worthy they were. Even

though God had chosen them to do great things – to be prophets, to

be Church leaders - they were painfully aware they were not perfect.

St Paul regarded himself as one who had done wrong. “I am the

least of the apostles,” he tells the people of Corinth. “In fact, since I

persecuted the Church of God, I hardly deserve the name apostle.”

St Peter, the first pope, was acutely aware of his own sinfulness, too.

After all, he had denied Jesus three times.

The prophets and apostles saw themselves as unworthy servants

of God. They knew all too well just how weak and fragile and sinful

they were.

But they knew something else too: that God had not called them

because they were perfect. Rather, God had called them in spite of

their imperfections. God had chosen them even though they were

sinners. God had seen the goodness in them, their potential, and

that was enough for God.

This is the great truth of our faith: God sees the good in each of us,

God sees the potential in all people, and God loves everybody so

much he wants them to become saints. Nobody – no matter who

they are or what they have done or what they have failed to do – is

beyond God’s mercy and salvation.

St Alphonsus Liguori knew this. He knew that God isn’t interested in

saving a select few ‘good’ people but wants to save everyone. That’s

why Alphonsus set out to minister to the illiterate poor in the hills

around Naples who had been abandoned by the Church. That’s why

his colleague Fr Sarnelli ministered to the prostitutes of Naples who

had been written off by everybody as outcasts beyond redemption.

Alphonsus and Sarnelli knew that nobody is beyond the reach of God,

and that God wants all to be saved. Every single person is called to

holiness. The key is prayer. If we try to develop a relationship with

God and do our best to live good lives, then God will do the rest.

Unlike the unfortunate contestants in that quiz show, in God’s eyes

there are no weakest links, no hopeless cases, no lost souls. God

never gives up on anyone. He reaches out in love and mercy to each

and every human being. All we have to do is respond.

THE WORD

Now all the tax-collectors

and sinners were coming

near to listen to him. And the

Pharisees and the scribes were

grumbling and saying, “This

fellow welcomes sinners and

eats with them.” So he told

them this parable: “Or what

woman having ten silver coins,

if she loses one of them, does

not light a lamp, sweep the

house, and search carefully

until she finds it? When she

has found it, she calls together

her friends and neighbours,

saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I

have found the coin that I had

lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there

is joy in the presence of the

angels of God over one sinner

who repents.” Luke 15:1-3.8-10

GOD WANTS TO SAVE US ALLNO WEAK LINKS

“I see clearly that the thing

the Church needs most today

is the ability to heal wounds

and to warm the hearts of the

faithful; it needs nearness,

proximity. I see the Church as a

field hospital after battle... The

Church sometimes has locked

itself up in small things, in

small-minded rules. The most

important thing is the first

proclamation: Jesus Christ has

saved you.”


To know we are forgiven and to

feel we are loved are powerful

forces in our lives. When we

fail to see the goodness within

ourselves, God fills the void

with love and mercy. God sees

the potential in each one of us.

ST ALPHONSUS LIGUORI

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THE MESSAGEAnne McClean was raised a Catholic and brought her children

up in the faith, “but it didn’t mean anything,” she says. She had

parted mentally from the Church years earlier as a child, when

a priest in confession told her to “speak up or get out.” She left.

Years later, she realised she had everything she could want -

a wonderful husband, children, career, cars, holidays, and yet

“something was missing.”

One day through her work, she was introduced to a priest, called

Fr Tom. After a while she invited him home to meet her husband

and family. She was fascinated by the way he spoke of “my prayer.”

Over dinner, he told her husband about a form of contemplative

prayer that he used, called Centering Prayer. “In miniscule detail I

remember everything he said,” she recounts.

The next day, without telling anyone, Anne started to do the prayer.

It became a daily practise. Three months later her husband turned to

her and said, “There is something different about you.”

“He had noticed differences I hadn’t noticed myself,” she says.

And she has changed. At work, she is no longer the ‘ice queen’ but

accessible to all, and trauma resulting from a childhood marred by an

alcoholic father has been healed.

Ten years on from her meeting with Fr Tom, her life is firmly rooted in

prayer. Each morning she rises at 6.10 am and goes to her ‘sacred space’

in a living room. “I quiet myself down and take a piece of scripture,

often the Gospel of the day. Then I pray for 30 minutes.”

In the evening, when she comes home after a hectic day at work, her

first stop is the sacred space, for more prayer. “I am on my own, but

I feel connected to everyone else.” In her spare time she now also

works as a spiritual director, and has a great love for the Eucharist.

Anne discovered the power of prayer and it has changed her life.

The method she uses is called Centering Prayer – a form of silent

contemplation. But there are lots of different ways to pray. In fact,

how we pray and the amount of time we spend praying are not

nearly as important as that we do pray.

Prayer is necessary because it is how we connect with God. It’s how

we relate to the one who has created us and loves us with a crazy

love. A relationship cannot exist if there is no communication.

It’s like knowing about a relative who lives in another town or

country but never contacting that person. For a relationship to

exist, to develop and to grow, there has to be regular contact.

Prayer is how we connect with the God who has shaped us

into life.

Prayer is necessary because we depend on God. We know

that God created us, and that all we have and are, we owe to

God. Prayer is how we express thanks and praise; it is how we

give glory to God, and how we seek God’s help. Like the child

dependent on its parent, we turn to our heavenly parent for

all we need. Prayer is the proper response to the God who

loves us with a crazy love.

Prayer changes us. As Anne discovered, nurturing a

relationship with God changes how you relate to God and

how you relate to those around you. You develop a deeper

awareness of God’s presence. You become less focused on

yourself and more tuned into the needs of others and of

God’s creation. You see things differently. You love more.

You trust more. You thank more. You become a new person.

That’s the promise and the reward of a prayer relationship

with our God of love.

THE WORD

Jesus said to his disciples, “Pray then

in this way: Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name. Your kingdom

come. Your will be done, on earth as it

is in heaven. Give us this day our daily

bread. And forgive us our debts, as we

also have forgiven our debtors. And

do not bring us to the time of trial,

but rescue us from the evil one.”

Matthew 6:9-13

“How do we pray? Do we

pray piously and calmly

out of habit or do we place

ourselves courageously

before the Lord to ask for

grace, to ask for what we are

praying for? Prayer that is not

courageous is not real prayer.”


Prayer is a conversation with God

where we talk and God listens and

God talks and we listen. We connect

with God today in focusing on the Our

Father, which centres our minds on the

grace of God’s presence.

OUR RESPONSE – PRAYERPRAY AS YOU ARE

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THE MESSAGEOn Holy Thursday 2013, just a few days after his election, Pope Francis

did something new for a pope. He celebrated the Mass of the Lord’s

Supper not in St Peter’s Basilica where it was originally scheduled

but in a Rome juvenile detention facility. About 50 girls and boys

attended. He washed the feet of 12 of them, including two girls

and two Muslims.

The ceremony of washing another’s feet is important, the pope

said, because it shows that “the person who is most high among

us must be at the service of the others.” It also means that

“we have to help one another, each one.”

What the pope did that night was simply a reflection of what

he has been doing throughout his ministry. He wants a

Church of the poor. He wants a Church of service. He wants

to emphasise that the values Jesus lived by are the values

that all Christians must live by – simplicity, humility,

solidarity with the abandoned and the suffering. For Pope

Francis, as for Jesus of Nazareth, the act of washing of

feet is not a clever PR stunt – but a statement of how

we should live.

And that’s how we will be judged on the last day,

according to St Matthew. Of all the Gospel stories,

Matthew’s account of the last judgement is surely

the most challenging. On judgement day, on what

basis will God separate the sheep from the goats,

the saved from the lost? Not on how often we

went to Mass or the sacraments. Not on how

much we put in the collection plate. Not even

on whether we served the Church in some

capacity. But rather on something altogether

more demanding… I was hungry and you

gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave

me drink; I was a stranger and you made

me welcome, I was naked and you clothed

me; sick and you visited me; in prison and you came to see

me. For as often as you did this to one of the least of these

sisters or bothers of mine, you did it to me.

At the end of the day each of us will be judged on how good we

were at washing feet. And that is the frightening thing. Because

we know how often we fail to wash feet, how often we fail to see

Jesus in the least of our brothers and sisters, how often the last

thing we want to do is to see Jesus in those who are in need. It asks

too much of us. Far easier to donate to charity or to say a prayer.

And yet serving others is what each of us is called to do. Because God

loves us with a crazy love, we are called to love in return. We must

wash feet. It is as simple and as challenging as that.

THE WORD

Now before the

festival of the Passover,

Jesus knew that his hour

had come to depart from

this world and go to the

Father. Having loved his own

who were in the world, he

loved them to the end. The devil

had already put it into the heart

of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to

betray him. And during supper

Jesus, knowing that the Father had

given all things into his hands, and

that he had come from God and was

going to God, got up from the table, took

off his outer robe, and tied a towel around

himself. Then he poured water into a basin

and began to wash the disciples’ feet and

to wipe them with the towel that was tied

around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said

to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am

doing, but later you will understand.” Peter said to

him, “You will never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered,

‘Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon

Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my

hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has

bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is

entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.”

For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said,

“Not all of you are clean.” John 13:1-11

“When we are generous in welcoming people and sharing

something with them – some food, a place in our homes,

our time – not only do we no longer remain poor: we are

enriched. I am well aware that when someone needing

food knocks at your door, you always find a way of

sharing food; as the proverb says, one can always ‘add

more water to the beans’! Is it possible to add more

water to the beans? Always? And you do so with

love, demonstrating that true riches consist not in

materials things, but in the heart!”


OUR RESPONSE – SERVICEFOOT-WASHERS

Allowing ourselves to be shaped by the

actions and gestures of Jesus will lead

to greater self-esteem and fulfilment

in our lives. People, who live lives of

service for the love of God, know the

true meaning of the foot-washing

scene in John’s Gospel.

16 17

THE MESSAGEA bad experience of the sacrament put Greg

Kandra off confession for years. One Saturday

evening just before Mass he asked the priest to

hear his confession. The priest agreed to do so. But

Greg felt that the priest didn’t really listen to him; he

felt the priest was simply going through the motions,

anxious to get it over with as quickly as possible, and

so Greg left the confessional feeling worse than when

he went in.

He felt so annoyed about it, he says, that he went for a

long time without darkening the door of a reconciliation

room or slipping behind the velvet curtain of a confessional.

Years later, the twisting road of his life led him back to the

church and the sacraments. There were many reasons for his

return, he says: the deaths of his parents, his wife’s prayers, and

a growing sense that there had to be more to life than just getting

up and going to work and planning where to go out for dinner or

where to spend the next holiday. Before long he became a daily

communicant and, later, an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist.

Then one day he decided to give confession another chance and he

visited a church popular with confession-goers. After entering the

small reconciliation room and closing the door, he found himself seated

opposite a kindly old friar wearing the familiar brown robe of his order.

He cleared his throat and began: “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It

has been 10 years since my last confession.”

The priest broke into a small smile. “Welcome back,” he said. “It’s good

to see you again.” They had never seen each other before in their lives but

Greg knew what he meant.

And with that, he began his confession. The friar listened, and nodded. When

it was over he gave Greg a mild penance and some gentle advice: “Just live the

Gospel,” he said softly. “Just live the Gospel.” He sighed and smiled. “There you

are. Good as new. God bless you.”

It was, according to Greg, the first time in a long time that those words stuck. And

he says that when he left that little room he did feel, in fact, “good as new.” So

he returned a few weeks later, and a few weeks after that—again and again

and again. It became a habit, a practice that has had a transforming effect on

his life. Some time later he was ordained a Permanent Deacon and he now

ministers in a parish in New York City.

Greg Kandra gave confession a second chance and he was delighted he did.

He experienced the power and the beauty of the sacrament when it is

celebrated as it should.

In confession, the focus is not on our sins but on God’s bountiful

forgiveness, not on our failings but on God’s mercy, not on raking over

the past but on being restored, set free, made whole again. Good as new.

The profound act of being reconciled with God enables us to live

resurrected lives every time we emerge from the confessional. We

hope again. We are given grace. We are good as new.

That is the promise and the invitation the sacrament of reconciliation

offers each one of us. It is a promise and an experience of God’s

crazy love. It’s an invitation we should respond to during this

novena and as often as we can.

OUR RESPONSE – RECONCILIATION

GOOD AS NEW

THE WORD

Jesus said to his disciples, “You have heard that it was said to

those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever

murders shall be liable to judgement.’ But I say to you that

if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable

to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you

will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’

you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you

are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember

that your brother or sister has something against

you, leave your gift there before the altar and

go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister,

and then come and offer your gift. Come to

terms quickly with your accuser while you

are on the way to court with him, or your

accuser may hand you over to the judge,

and the judge to the guard, and you will

be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you,

you will never get out until you have

paid the last penny.”

Matthew 5:21-26

“From the

beginning, God’s

message was

one of restoring

what was broken,

reuniting what had

been divided. Walls,

chasms, differences

which still exist today are

destined to disappear. The

Church cannot neglect this

lesson: She is called to be a

means of reconciliation.”


This day of reconciliation draws us into the abundant

love and mercy of God. The experience of entering into

the sacrament of confession gives us a tangible glimpse

of the ease with which God forgives. We are renewed

and restored in our encounter with Christ.

POPE FRANCIS GOES TO CONFESSION

18 19

THE MESSAGEThey called her the ‘Angel of the Amazon.’ Her name was Sister

Dorothy Stang and for nearly 40 years she lived in Brazil fighting

for two things: the poor peasant farmers who were being exploited

by loggers, miners and ranchers, and the tropical rainforest, which

was being ravaged to the point of irreversible destruction by

multinational corporations.

The 73-year-old American was a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame

do Namur. Over the years, she developed sustainable agricultural

programmes which provided jobs and food for the indigenous

people. She also opened schools and established health clinics.

Sr Dorothy chose to live in poverty in order to help others living

in poverty. She had a passion for people of all cultures, for social

justice, peacemaking, and for the environment. She possessed

few material things: a mix-match of colourful clothing, spartan

furnishings and her bible, which she carried everywhere and which

she called her “weapon.”

Tragically, on 12 February 2005, Sr Dorothy became a martyr. In the

days preceding her murder, she was attempting to halt illegal logging

where land sharks had interests but no legal rights. As she made her

way along a muddy Amazon jungle road to the village where she

lived, two gunmen approached

her. They had been hired by a

local landowner who was upset

by Sr Dorothy’s activities. The

gunmen asked her if she was

carrying a weapon. She reached

into her bag, pulled out her bible

and reputedly said, “This is my

only weapon.”

She read to the men. They

listened to two verses, stepped

back and aimed their guns. Sr

Dorothy raised her bible toward

them and six shots were fired at point blank range, killing her instantly.

Following her death, Brazil’s Human Rights Minister described her as

“a legend, a person considered a symbol of the fight for human rights.”

Sr Dorothy spent almost four decades bringing the love of God to the

poorest of the poor. She left her home in the United States to travel a

long journey to Brazil to be with them. She came, bringing only her

faith and her bible. And she stayed with them - as companion, friend,

advocate, sister, mother - to the end.

Sr Dorothy was following in the footsteps of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Mary also left home to stay with her cousin Elizabeth when she was

in need; she journeyed with her Son Jesus throughout his life; she

stood in solidarity with the poor and oppressed; she said a constant,

wholehearted ‘yes’ to God.

As Sr Dorothy was mother and sister to the voiceless poor of the

Amazon, so Mary is our mother and sister. But we don’t look to her

simply as our mother and sister; we look to her as our model. She

shows us what it means to be attentive to God’s will. She shows us

what it means to hear the word of God and keep it. She shows us how

to find salvation.

St Alphonsus Liguori had extraordinary devotion to Mary. He saw her

as being close to the ordinary people, someone with whom they could

identify. And he encouraged the people to be close to her. A statue of

Mary, before which Alphonsus prayed when he was up in the hills with

the abandoned poor, is called Santa Maria dei Monti. It shows Mary

holding the infant Jesus in one

hand and the scriptures in the

other. Mary brought Jesus, the

Word of God, into the world and

she was obedient to the Word of

God throughout her life. As was

Sr Dorothy Stang. That is why

Alphonsus looked to Mary with

such affection and devotion.

That is why we honour Mary as

our sister, model and mother.

That is why we can turn to her

in all our needs.

THE WORD

In those days Mary set out and

went with haste to a Judean

town in the hill country,

where she entered the house

of Zechariah and greeted

Elizabeth. When Elizabeth

heard Mary’s greeting, the

child leapt in her womb. And

Elizabeth was filled with the

Holy Spirit and exclaimed with

a loud cry, “Blessed are you

among women, and blessed

is the fruit of your womb.

And why has this happened

to me, that the mother of my

Lord comes to me? For as soon

as I heard the sound of your

greeting, the child in my womb

leapt for joy. And blessed is

she who believed that there

would be a fulfilment of what

was spoken to her by the Lord.”

And Mary remained with her

for about three months and

then returned to her home.

Luke 1:39-45.56

MARY: TRULY OUR SISTERSOUL SISTER

“She is our Mother, but we

can also say that she is our

representative, our sister, our

eldest sister, she is the first of

the redeemed who has arrived

in heaven.”


U n w a v e r i n g i n h e r

determination and unbeaten

in her love for her son, the

image of the grieving mother

standing at the foot of the

cross strikes a chord within

the human heart every time

we recite the Hail Mary.

Somewhere within us is a

desire to seek out Mary as

a source of strength and an

inspiration in our lives. SR DOROTHY STANG

S. MARIA DEI MONTI

20 21

THE MESSAGEIt’s an unforgettable image. A priest kneels over two naked

and battered bodies. His brow is deeply furrowed, his face

anguished and distressed. He has just given the men the

last rites and a bloodstain is visible on his face. The blood

of one of the deceased.

The photo of Fr Alec Reid kneeling beside the two dead

soldiers remains one of the graphic icons of the Troubles.

It captures the sense of fear, of division, of hopelessness so

many people felt after years of bombings and shootings.

The events in Belfast on that terrible day in March 1988

suggested that things might get even worse. But in

the midst of that awful darkness something good was

happening. What those looking at the picture of Fr Reid

didn’t know was that, in his pocket, he was carrying

a position paper from Sinn Fein that would trigger

the Hume-Adams dialogue. It too was stained with

blood. That position paper was part of a slow process

of negotiation that would lead to the Good Friday

Agreement.

It was something Fr Reid had worked for unceasingly.

For decades he laboured behind the scenes trying to

bring the opposing sides together. He visited prisons,

he attended funerals, he met paramilitary leaders,

he wrote letters and position papers, he contacted

politicians, he walked the streets. Though based in

Clonard monastery, he spent his time out amidst the

people, at the coalface, on the streets. He knew that if

he wanted to help end the violence, he couldn’t stay in

his monastery, he had to be out on the streets. He had

to be with the people. He had to get his hands and face

dirty. And he did.

When he died in November 2013, Fr Reid was

acknowledged as one of the main architects of the peace

process. A man whose quiet, persistent street walking

saved lives and made a real difference for good.

Pope Francis has said that priests must be shepherds who

live with “the smell of the sheep.” In other words, they

mustn’t stay in their rectory or church, cut off from people.

They must go out to where the people are, out onto the

streets, especially to the lost and poor. It was something

he did himself when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires – he

would visit the shantytowns and back streets and prisons. It’s

what took St Alphonsus out into the streets of Naples and

up into the hills beyond the city. It’s what Jesus did after his

inaugural address in the synagogue in Nazareth – he reached

out to those the better class of people didn’t want to touch.

It’s something countless followers of Jesus have done down

through the centuries – they have gone into the slums and out

on the streets and into mission territory far from home in order

to bring the good news to the poor.

It’s something each of us is called to do, also, by virtue of our

baptism. Our faith is not a private affair. It’s meant to be shared.

We are called to go from church to street, from home to street,

to witness to the Gospel, to stand in solidarity with those who

suffer or are on the margins, to work to build God’s kingdom of

justice, peace and love. We must be street people.

A CHURCH OUT ON THE STREETSSTREET PEOPLE

THE WORD

Then Jesus, filled with the power of

the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a

report about him spread through all

the surrounding country. He began

to teach in their synagogues and

was praised by everyone. When he

came to Nazareth, where he had been

brought up, he went to the synagogue

on the Sabbath day, as was his custom.

He stood up to read, and the scroll of

the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He

unrolled the scroll and found the place

where it was written: “The Spirit of the

Lord is upon me, because he has anointed

me to bring good news to the poor. He has

sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind, to let

the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year

of the Lord’s favour.” And he rolled up the

scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat

down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were

fixed on him. Then he began to say to them,

“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your

hearing.” Luke 4:14-21

“We need to come out of ourselves and head

for the periphery. We need to avoid the spiritual

sickness of a Church that is wrapped up in its

own world: when the Church becomes like this,

it grows sick. It is true that going out onto the

street implies the risk of accidents happening,

as they would to any ordinary man or woman.

But if the Church stays wrapped up in itself,

it will age. And if I had to choose between

a wounded Church that goes out onto the

streets and a sick withdrawn Church, I would

definitely choose the first one.”


How challenged do we feel by

today’s Gospel reading? Ministering

to the sick, the homeless and the

marginalised was a task undertaken

by the early disciples so that people

might know what being Church

really means. Infusing ourselves

with this key message is at the

heart of our faith.

FR ALEC REID C.Ss.R.

22 23

03

05

04

02

01

07

08

09

10

06

Ag Críost an síol, ag Críost an

fómhar;

in iothlainn Dé go dtugtar sinn.

Ag Críost an mhuir, ag Críost an

t-iasc;

líonta Dé go gcastar sinn.

Ó fhás go haois, ó aois go bás,

do dhá láimh, a Chríost, anall

tharainn.

Ó bhás go críoch nach críoch ach

athfhás,

i bParthas na ngrás go rabhaimid.

Let us build a house where love

can dwell

and all can safely live,

a place where saints and children tell

how hearts learn to forgive.

Built of hopes and dreams and

visions,

rock of faith and vault of grace;

here the love of Christ shall end

divisions:

All are welcome, all are welcome,

all are welcome in this place.

Let us build a house where prophets

speak,

and words are strong and true,

where all God’s children dare to

seek

to dream God’s reign anew.

Here the cross shall stand as

witness

and a symbol of God’s grace;

here as one we claim the faith of

Jesus:

All are welcome, all are welcome,

all are welcome in this place.

All that I am, all that I do,

All that I’ll ever have,

I offer now to you.

Take and sanctify these gifts

for your honour, Lord.

Knowing that I love and serve you

is enough reward.


all that I’ll ever have I offer now

to you.

All that I dream,

all that I pray,

all that I’ll ever make,

I give you today.

Take and sanctify these gifts

for your honour, Lord.

Knowing that I love and serve you

is enough reward.


all that I’ll ever have I offer now

to you.

Amazing Grace,

how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now, I see.

T’was Grace that taught

my heart to fear.

And Grace, my fears relieved.

How precious did that Grace appear

the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and

snares

we have already come.

T’was Grace that brought us safe

thus far

and Grace will lead us home.

The Lord has promised good to me;

His word my hope secures.

He will my shield and portion be

as long as life endures.

As I kneel before you,

As I bow my head in prayer,

Take this day, make it yours,

And fill me with your love.

Ave Maria, gratia plena,

Dominus tecum, benedicta tu.

All I have I give you,

Ev’ry dream and wish are yours

Mother of Christ, Mother of mine,

Present them to my Lord.

As I kneel before you,

And I see your smiling face,

Ev’ry thought, ev’ry word

is lost in your embrace.

You shall cross the barren desert,

but you shall not die of thirst.

You shall wander far in safety

though you do not know the way.

You shall speak your words in

foreign lands

and all will understand.

You shall see the face of God and live.

Be not afraid, I go before you

always.

Come follow me, and I will give

you rest.

If you pass through raging waters

in the sea, you shall not drown.

If you walk amid the burning

flames,

you shall not be harmed.

If you stand before the power of hell,

and death is at your side,

know that I am with you through

it all.

Be still for the Presence of the Lord,

the Holy One is here.

Come, bow before him now

with reverence and fear.

In Him no sin is found,

we stand on holy ground.

Be still for the presence of the Lord,

the Holy One is here.

Be still for the glory of the Lord

is shining all around.

He burns with holy fire,

with splendour He is crowned.

How awesome is the sight,

our radiant King of light!

Be still for the glory of the Lord is

shining all around.

Be still for the power of the Lord

is moving in this place.

He comes to cleanse and heal,

to minister his Grace.

No work too hard for Him –

in faith, receive from Him.

Be still for the power of the Lord

is moving in this place.

Brother, sister, let me serve you,

let me be as Christ to you;

pray that I may have the grace to

let you be my servant too.

We are pilgrims on a journey,

and companions on the road;

we are here to help each other

walk the mile and bear the load.

I will hold the Christ-light for you

in the night-time of your fear;

I will hold my hand out to you,

speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping;

when you laugh I’ll laugh with you;

I will share your joy and sorrow

till we’ve seen this journey through.

When we sing to God in heaven

we shall find such harmony,

born of all we’ve known together

of Christ’s love and agony.

Brother, sister, let me serve you,

let me be as Christ to you;

pray that I may have the grace to

let you be my servant too.

Céad míle fáilte romhat,

a Íosa, a Íosa

Céad míle fáilte romhat, a Íosa.

Céad míle fáilte romhat,

a Shlánaitheoir,

Céad míle, míle fáilte romhat,

Íosa, a Íosa.

Glóir agus moladh duit,

a Íosa, a Íosa.

Glóir agus moladh duit, a Íosa.

Glóir agus moladh duit,

a Shlánaitheoir,

Glóir, moladh, agus búiochas duit,

Íosa, a Íosa.

Christ be beside me,

Christ be before me,

Christ be behind me,

King of my heart.

Christ be within me,

Christ be below me,

Christ be above me,

never to part.

Christ on my right hand,

Christ on my left hand.

Christ all around me,

shield in the strife.

Christ in my sleeping,

Christ in my sitting,

Christ in my rising,

light of my life.

Christ be in all hearts

HYMNS 01 – 10

24 25

11

14

13

12

17

16

15

1819

20

thinking about me,

Christ be in all tongues

telling of me,

Christ be the vision

in eyes that see me,

in ears that hear me,

Christ ever be.

Come as you are,

that’s how I want you.

Come as you are, feel quite at home.

Close to my heart, loved and forgiven,

Come as you are, why stand alone.

No need to fear, love sets no limits,

No need to fear, love never ends.

Don’t run away, shamed and

disheartened

Rest in my love, trust me again.

I came to call sinners,

not just the virtuous.

I came to bring peace, not to condemn.

Each time you fail, to live by my promise,

Why do you think I’d love you the less.

Come as you are, that’s how I love you,

Come as you are, trust me again.

Nothing can change the love that I

bear you,

All will be well, come as you are.

Diverse in culture, nation, race,

We come together by your grace.

God, let us be a meeting ground

Where hope and healing love are found.

God, let us be a bridge of care

Connecting people everywhere.

Help us confront all fear and hate

And lust for power that separate.

When chasms widen, storms arise,

O, Holy Spirit, make us wise.

Let our resolve, like steel, be strong

To stand with those who suffer wrong.

God, let us be a table spread

With gifts of love and broken bread,

Where all find welcome, grace attends,

And enemies arise as friends.

Give me joy in my heart, keep me

singing,

Give me joy in my heart, I pray,

Give me joy in my heart, keep me

singing,

Keep me singing till the break of day.

Sing Hosanna, Sing Hosanna,

Sing Hosanna to the King of Kings.

Sing Hosanna, Sing Hosanna,

Sing Hosanna to the King.

Give me faith in my heart, keep me

searching, etc.

Give me hope in my heart, keep me

striving, etc.

Give me love in my heart, keep me

serving, etc.

God, beyond our dreams,

you have stirred in us a memory,

you have placed your powerful spirit

in the hearts of humankind.

All around us, we have known you;

all creation lives to hold you,

In our living and our dying

we are bringing you to birth.

God, beyond all names,

you have made us in your image,

we are like you, we reflect you,

we are woman, we are man.

God, beyond all words,

all creation tells your story,

you have shaken with our laughter,

you have trembled with our tears.

Hail, Queen of heav’n,

the ocean star,

guide of the wanderer here below

thrown on life’s surge, we claim

thy care;

save us from peril and from woe.

Mother of Christ, star of the sea,

pray for the wanderer, pray for me.

O gentle, chaste and spotless maid,

we sinners make our prayers

through thee;

remind thy Son that he has paid

the price of our iniquity.

Virgin most pure, star of the sea,

pray for the sinner, pray for me.

Hail Redeemer, King divine!

Priest and Lamb, the throne is

thine;

King, whose reign shall never cease,

Prince of everlasting peace.

Angels, saints and nations sing;

“Praise be Jesus Christ our King;

Lord of life, earth, sky and sea,

King of love on Calvary!”

King whose name creation thrills,

rule our minds, our hearts, our wills,

till in peace each nation rings

with thy praises, King of kings.

I, the Lord of sea and sky,

I have heard my people cry.

All who dwell in dark and sin

my hand will save.

I who made the stars of night,

I will make their darkness bright.

Who will bear my light to them?

Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?

I have heard You calling in the

night.

I will go, Lord, if You lead me.

I will hold Your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of snow and rain,

I have borne my people’s pain.

I have wept for love of them,

They turn away.

I will break their hearts of stone,

give them hearts for love alone.

I will speak my words to them,

Whom shall I send?

O Lord my God, when I in awesome

wonder,

Consider all the works thy hands

have made;

I see the stars, I hear the rolling

thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe

displayed.

Then sings my soul,

my Saviour God, to thee,

How great thou art,

how great thou art.

Then sings my soul,

my Saviour God, to thee,

How great thou art,

how great thou art!

And when I think, that God his Son

not sparing;

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take

it in;

That on the cross, my burden gladly

bearing,

He bled and died, to take away

my sin.

When Christ shall come, with

shouts of acclamation,

And take me home, what joy shall

fill my heart.

Then I shall bow in humble

adoration,

And there proclaim: “My God, how

great thou art!”

How lovely on the mountains are

the feet of him,

who brings good news, good news,

announcing peace, proclaiming

news of happiness.

Our God reigns, our God reigns

Our God reigns, our God reigns.

Our God reigns, our God reigns.

You watchmen lift your voices

joyfully as one;

shout for your King, your King

See eye to eye the Lord restoring

Zion,

our God reigns, our God reigns!

Waste places of Jerusalem break

forth with joy,

We are redeemed, redeemed.

The Lord has saved and comforted

his people,

our God reigns, our God reigns!

In Christ there is no east or west,

in Him no south or north;

but one great fellowship of love

throughout the whole wide earth.

In Him shall true hearts everywhere

their high communion find;

His service is the golden cord,

close-binding humankind.

Join hands, then, members of the faith

whatever your race may be!

Who serve each other in Christ’s love

are surely kin to me.

In Christ now meet both east and west,

in him meet south and north;

HYMNS 11 – 20

26 27

21

25

24

23

22

26

27

31

30

29

28all Christly souls are one in him

throughout the whole wide earth.

I will never forget you, my people;

I have carved you on the palm of

my hand.

I will never forget you, I will not

leave you orphaned.

I will never forget my own.

Does a mother forget her baby?

Or a woman the child within her

womb?

Yet even if these forget, yes even if

these forget,

I will never forget my own.

Let us be bread,

blessed by the Lord,

broken and shared, life for the world.

Let us be wine, love freely poured.

Let us be one in the Lord.

I am the bread of life, broken for all.

Eat now and hunger no more.

One faith, one hope, one symbol

of love

given to us in this one bread,

one cup. O let us be one in the Lord.

You are my friends if you keep my

commands,

no longer servants but friends.

See how my people have nothing

to eat.

Give them the bread that is you.

As God has loved me so I have loved

you.

Go and live on in my love.

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee;

E’en though it be cross

That raiseth me.

Still all my song shall be,



Nearer to Thee.

Deep in Thy Sacred Heart,

Let me abide;

Thou that hast bled for me,

Sorrowed and died,

Sweet shall my weeping be,

Grief surely leading me


Nearer to Thee.

Make me a channel of your peace.

Where there is hatred,

let me bring your love.

Where there is injury your pardon, Lord.

And where there’s doubt true faith

in you.


Where there’s despair in life, let me

bring hope.

Where there is darkness only light

and where there’s sadness ever joy.

Oh, Master, grant that I may never

seek

so much to be consoled as to

console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved, as to love with all my

soul.


it is in pardoning that we are

pardoned,

in giving to all men that we receive,

and in dying that we’re born to

eternal life.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God,

and His righteousness;

and all these things shall be added

unto you.

Allelu, Alleluia.

Ask and it shall be given unto you.

Seek and you shall find.

Knock and the door shall be opened

unto you.

Allelu, Alleluia.

We do not live by bread alone,

but by every word;

that proceeds from the mouth of

the Lord.

Allelu, Alleluia.

Soul of my Saviour,

sanctify my breast;

Body of Christ, be thou my saving

guest;

Blood of my Saviour, bathe me in

thy tide

wash me ye waters flowing from

his side.

Strength and protection may thy

Passion be;

O blessed Jesus hear and answer me;

deep in thy wounds, Lord, hide and

shelter me;

so shall I never, never part from thee.

Guard and defend me from the foe

malign;

in death’s dread moments make me

only thine;

call me, and bid me come to thee

on high,

where I may praise thee with thy

saints for aye.

Sweet sacrament divine,

hid in thy earthly home,

lo, round thy lowly shrine,

with suppliant hearts we come;

Jesus, to thee our voice we raise,

with songs of love and heartfelt praise,

sweet sacrament divine,

sweet sacrament divine.

Sweet sacrament of peace,

dear home of ev’ry heart,

where restless yearnings cease,

and sorrows all depart,

there in thine ear all trustfully

we tell our tale of misery,

sweet sacrament of peace,

sweet sacrament of peace.

The love I have for you, my Lord,

is only a shadow of your love for me:

only a shadow of your love for me;

your deep abiding love.

My own belief in you, my Lord,

is only a shadow of your faith in me;

only a shadow of your faith in me;

your deep and lasting faith.

My life is in your hands;

my life is in your hands.

My love for you will grow, my God.

Your light in me will shine.

The dream I have today, my Lord,

is only a shadow of your dreams

for me;

only a shadow of all that will be;

if I but follow you.

Take our bread, we ask you,

take our hearts, we love you,

take our lives, oh Father,

we are yours, we are yours.

Yours as we stand at the table you set,

yours as we eat the bread our

hearts can’t forget.

We are the signs of your life with

us yet;


Your holy people stand washed in

your blood,

Spirit filled, yet hungry, we await

your food.

Poor though we are, we have

brought ourselves to you:


The bells of the Angelus

calleth to pray.

In sweet tones announcing the

sacred Ave.

Ave, Ave, Ave Maria.


Immaculate Mary, our hearts are

all thine.

Protect us, thy children, who kneel

at thy shrine.

O bless us, dear Lady, with blessings

from heaven,

And to our petitions let answer be

given.

This is my body,

broken for you,

bringing you wholeness,

making you free.

Take it and eat it,

and when you do,

do it in love for me.

This is my blood,

poured out for you,

bringing forgiveness, making you

free.

Take it and drink it,

and when you do,


HYMNS 21 – 31

28 29

32

35

34

33

38

37

36

43

42

41

40

39

46

45

4449

48

47

51

50

Back to my Father

soon I shall go.

Do not forget me;

then you will see

I am still with you,

and you will know

you’re very close to me.

Filled with my Spirit,

how you will grow!

You are my branches;

I am the tree.

If you are faithful,

others will know

you are alive in me.

Love one another -

I have loved you,

and I have shown you

how to be free;

serve one another,

and when you do,


Let’s all join together

in communion sweet,

Walk, walk in the light.

And love one another till the

Saviour we meet,

Walk, walk, in the light.

Walk in the light

Walk in the light

Walk in the light

Walk in the light of God.

Jesus died on Calvary,

Walk, walk, in the light,

To save the lost like you and me;


Jesus did what He said,

Walk, walk, in the light,

He healed the sick and He raised

the dead;


When creation was begun,

God had chosen you to be

Mother of his blessed Son,

Holy Mary, full of grace.


When creation was restored,

You were there beside the Lord

Whom you cherished and adored,



All of us are children too,

often doubtful what to do,

Needing to confide in you,



You who dwell

in the shelter of the Lord,

who abide in his shadow for life,

say to the Lord: “My refuge, my rock

in whom I trust!”

And he will raise you up on eagles’

wings,

bear you on the breath of dawn,

make you to shine like the sun,

and hold you in the palm of his

hand.

The snare of the fowler will never

capture you,

and famine will bring you no fear:

under his wings your refuge, his

faithfulness your shield.

You need not fear the terror of the

night,

nor the arrow that flies by day;

though thousands fall about you,

near you it shall not come.

CHANTS & RESPONSES

Christ be our light!

Shine in our hearts,

shine through the darkness.

Christ be our light!

Shine in your church,

gathered today.

My soul is longing for your peace

Near to you my God.

Guiding me, guarding me, the Lord

is by my side.

Guiding me, guarding me, the Lord

upholds my life.

I will search in the silence for your

hiding place.

In the quiet, Lord, I seek your face.

Even though the rain hides the

stars,

even though the mist swirls the

hills,

even when the dark clouds veil

the sky,

God is by my side.

Even when the sun shall fall in

sleep,

even when at dawn the sky shall

weep,

even in the night when storms

shall rise,

God is by my side.

God is by my side.

Bless the Lord my soul

and bless God’s holy name.

Bless the Lord my soul,

He leads me into life.

Be still and know that I am God.

(sing 3 times)

I am the Lord that healeth thee.

(sing 3 times)

In thee, O Lord, I put my trust. (sing

3 times)

Confitemini Domino,

quoniam bonus.

Confitemini Domino,

Alleluia.

Eat this bread,

drink this cup,

come to me and never be hungry.

Eat this bread,

drink this cup,

trust in me and you will not thirst.

O Christe Domine Jesu,

O Christe Domine Jesu.

Father, we adore you.

(Jesus, Spirit)

Lay our lives before you.

How we love you.

Father, we love you,

we worship and adore you,

Glorify thy name through all the earth.

Glorify thy name,

glorify thy name,

Glorify thy name through all the

earth. (Jesus, Spirit).

In the Lord

I’ll be ever thankful,

in the Lord I will rejoice!

Look to God,

do not be afraid;

lift up your voices,

the Lord is near;

lift up your voices the Lord is near.

Jesus,

name above all names,

beautiful Saviour,

glorious Lord.

Emmanuel, God is with us,

blessed Redeemer,

living Word.

Jesus, remember me

when you come into your Kingdom.

Jesus, remember me

when you come into your Kingdom.

Lay your hands gently upon us.

Let their touch render your peace.

Let them bring your forgiveness and

healing.

Lay your hands gently,

lay your hands.

O Lord, hear my prayer,


when I call answer me.



come and listen to me.

HYMNS 32 – 51

30

59

58

57

56

55

54

53

52Open our eyes, Lord,

we want to see Jesus,

to reach out and touch him

and say that we love him;

open our ears, Lord,

and help us to listen;

open our eyes, Lord,

we want to see Jesus.

Spirit of the living God,

fall afresh on me. (sing twice)

Melt me, mould me, fill me, use me.

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh

on me.

(...on us, on all)

Sweep over my soul, (sing twice)

Sweet Spirit,

sweep over my soul,

my rest is complete

when I sit at your feet,

Sweet Spirit

sweep over my soul.

Ubi caritas et amor,

Ubi caritas Deus ibi est.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

that I might serve you.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

that I might be renewed.

So fill me, heal me,

then bring me back to you.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

that I might serve you.

Take, O take me as I am; summon

out what I shall be;

set your seal upon my heart and

live in me.

Faithful is the Lord, our King. Let

us all in glory sing,

ever praise in song and word: Holy,

holy, holy Lord!

Salvator mundi, salva nos;

qui per crucem et sanguinem

redemisti nos,

auxiliare nobis, te deprecamur,

Deus noster.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe following songs covered by Christian Copyright Licensing

Europe Ltd have been reproduced under license: As I Kneel Before

you, Maria Parkinson, 1978; Be Still for The Presence of the Lord,

David Evans; Brother, Sister (The Servant Song), Richard Gillard;

Father, we adore you, Terrye Coelho; How great thou art, Stuart

K. Hine; How lovely on the mountains, Leonard E. Smith; Seek Ye

First, Karen Lafferty, 1972; Spirit of the Living God, Daniel Iverson;

This is my Body, Jimmy Owens and Damien Lundy.

The following songs covered by Calamus have been reproduced

under Calamus license. 1. All are welcome 2. All that I am 3. Be

not afraid 4. Christ be our light 5. God beyond our dreams 6. Here

I am Lord 7. I will never forget you 8. Let us be bread 9. Prayer of

St Francis 10. The love I have for you 11. Take our bread 12. You

who dwell 13. The cloud’s veil 14. I will search in the silence 15.

Guiding me 16. Bless the Lord 17. Confitemini Domino 18. Eat

this bread 19. O Christe domine Jesu 20. In the Lord I’ll be ever

thankful 21. Jesus remember me 22. Lord hear my prayer 23. Ubi

caritas 24. Salvador mundi

Acknowledgements: © 1. Marty Haugen, GIA Publications Inc.

2 & 9. Sebastian Temple, OCP Publications 3. Bob Dufford, OCP

Publications 4 & 5. Bernadette Farrell, OCP Publications 6. Daniel L

Schutte, OCP Publications 7 & 10. Carey Landry, OCP Publications 8.

Thomas J Porter, GIA Publications Inc. 11. Joe Wise, GIA Publications

Inc. 12. Michael Joncas, OCP Publications 13 & 14. Liam Lawton,

GIA Publications Inc. 15. Michael Joncas, GIA Publications Inc.

16 - 24. Ateliers et Presses de Taizé

& Reprinted with permission of Calamus, Oak House, 70 High

Street, Brandon, Suffolk, IP27 0AU

Spectrum Publications PL, composer Deirdre Browne and sung by

Paul Gurr O.Carm for Come as you are.

All other hymns have been reproduced by permission of copyright

holders.

Bible extracts are from the New Revised Standard Version. All

rights reserved.

Text: Gerard Moloney, C.Ss.R.

Prayer Text: Derek Ryan C.Ss.R.

Design: David McNamara, C.Ss.R.

Printed by Nicholson & Bass, Belfast

Produced by Redemptorist Communications, 75 Orwell Road,

Rathgar, Dublin 6, Republic of Ireland Tel: 00353 1 4922488,

Email: [email protected] www.redcoms.org

HYMNS 52 – 59

NOVENA PRAYERMother of Perpetual Help,

with the greatest confidence

we come before your holy picture

to be inspired by the example of your life.

We think of you at that moment when,

full of faith and trust,

you accepted God’s call

to be the mother of his Son.

Help us, your children,

to accept with joy our own calling in life.

When you learned that your cousin

Elizabeth was in need

you immediately went to serve her

and offer your help.

Help us, like you,

to be concerned for others.

We think of you, Mother,

at the foot of the cross.

Your heart must have bled

to see your Son in agony.

But your joy was great

when he rose from the dead,

victorious over the powers of evil.

Mother of Sorrows,

help us through the trials and

disappointments of life.

Help us not to lose heart.

May we share with you and your Son

the joy of having courageously faced up

to all the challenges of life.

Amen.

THANKSGIVING PRAYERO Mother of Perpetual Help,

with grateful hearts we join you

in thanking God

for all the wonderful things

he has done for us,

especially for giving us,

Jesus, your Son, as our Redeemer.

O God, our Creator,

we thank you for the gift of life

and all the gifts of nature:

our senses and faculties,

our talents and abilities.

We thank you for creating us

in your image and likeness

and for giving us this earth

to use and develop,

to respect and cherish.

Despite our failures,

you continue to show your love for us today

by increasing the life of your Spirit in us

at the Eucharistic table.

Finally, we thank you, loving Father,

for giving us Mary,

the Mother of your Son,

to be our Mother of Perpetual Help.

We are grateful for all the favours

we have received through her intercession.

We pray that those past favours

may inspire us

to greater confidence in your loving mercy

and to seek the aid

of our Mother of Perpetual Help.

Amen.

Redemptorist Communications75 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6 www.redcoms.org

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