New Year Liturgy Seminar

Come to our liturgy gathering on Saturday 30 January in Clonliffe College (9.30 a.m. – 1.30 p.m.). Meet others involved in liturgy throughout the diocese and attend two workshops of your choice from the five on offer. Registration is at 9.00 a.m. and sessions begin at 9.30 a.m. There is a 20 minute break at 11.00 a.m. and the next session will continue until 12.50 p.m. Then we will go to the church for a Prayer Service which will incorporate elements from all five workshops. Booking is essential and forms are included with this newsletter or available in the download section of our website.

Workshops

  1. How can I pray with the Jubilee Logo?
    Father Damian McNeice will lead people into a prayerful reflection on the logo of the Jubilee of Mercy created by Marko Rupnik S.J. Youwill take home ideas for praying with small or large groups as you are invited into the prayerful world of image and icon-ography.
  2. How can the Parables of Luke still speak to us today?
    Father Kieran O’Mahony O.S.A. will open up the treasures of the Parables of Mercy which are a rich source of inspiration for prayer services, scripture study and lectio divina groups during the Year of Mercy.
  3. How can I rediscover Mercy/Trócaire at this time?
    Ms. Hannah Evans will introduce Trócaire’s catechetical programme entitled ‘Rediscovering Mercy’. This workshop will show how to use this resource with its theme of mercy and how we can express it in our lives. Additional liturgical resources for the Year of Mercy and Lent 2016 will also be provided.
  4. How can I celebrate the Jubilee of Mercy in Lent 2016?
    Father Pat O’Donoghue will offer ideas for creating an ‘oasis of mercy’ during Lent which will include music, reflection and nature. Examples of reconciliation Services which can be used during the ‘24 Hours for the Lord’ campaign on 4/5 March will be shared. He will also look creatively at the corporal and spiritual works of mercy showing how they can be incorporated into a Novena of Grace.
  5. How can I continue to Gather for Prayer on weekdays in the absence of an ordained priest?
    Ms. Julie Kavanagh will explore in a practical and reflective way the challenge of leading people in prayer on weekdays when Mass cannot be celebrated. Drawing from the recent publication of the National Liturgy Centre – It Is Good For Us To Be Here – Julie will introduce the formation material from this resource and the wider context for this discussion.

Little Gems of Mercy
In the Tender Embrace of God’s Mercy is a collection of Prayers, Meditations and Reflections celebrating the Year of Mercy compiled and edited by Father Gareth Byrne. These well-chosen gems are beautifully imbedded in original and inspiring photographs. Available in Veritas outlets.

Jubilee of Mercy
The Jubilee of Mercy continues to offer many opportunities for deepening our understanding of God’s mercy and for sharing that grace with others. 60,000 Advent Mercy Packs were distributed in over 130 parishes throughout this diocese and in a few other dioceses who also liked the idea. People were encouraged to place the logo on a door to let people know that as they crossed their threshold they would experience mercy and compassion. The challenge is to accompany the opening of our ‘holy door’ with the daily living of the call to be ’merciful like the Father’.
We offer you some more resources in our liturgy seminar for the season of Lent especially in response to the invitation of Pope Francis for every community to celebrate ‘24 Hours for the Lord’ on the weekend of 4/5 March. Sunday 6 March is the 4th Sunday of Lent and also Mother’s Day and the Gospel is the story of the Prodigal. Many parishes celebrate the Novena of Grace from 4-12 March which could have mercy as the focus this year. This period of Lent could be such a graced and inclusive time as we work together to create ‘an oasis of mercy’.

Oasis of Mercy
You are invited into an ‘Oasis of Mercy’ for an evening of music, reflection, drama and prayer on Monday 22 February 2016 at 8.00 p.m. in the Monastery of St. Alphonsus, Drumcondra. Music will be led by the members of the Dublin Diocesan Music Group. You can also view on webcam – www.rednuns.com

From Ashes to Light
Kieran O’Mahony OSA is offering a series of talks on the Lent Readings for prayer and preaching over four Thursdays of Lent – 18 and 25 February/ 3 and 10 March in Saint Kevin’s Oratory in the Pro-Cathedral beginning at 11.30 a.m. There will be a break during which people might like to attend the 12.45 p.m. Mass and have a lunch break. The second session begins at 1.30 p.m. and finishes at 2.15 p.m. Because there are handouts it is practical to let Kieran know beforehand if you are coming – komahony1@me.com

Celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday
The Divine Mercy devotion inspired by Saint Faustina was much loved by Saint John Paul II and placed by him in the calendar of the church on the Sunday after Easter. The scripture readings for that day illustrate various aspects of mercy – the gracious healing of so many by the Apostles is described in Acts 5:12-16, the boundless love of God is celebrated in Psalm 117:2-4.22-27, the seven golden lampstands in Apocalypse 1:12 could represent the seven corporal or spiritual works of mercy while the Gospel story of the sending of the Spirit and the commissioning of the disciples as missionaries of forgiveness in John 20:19-31 completes the selection.

The Word of God draws together the various strands of the Divine gift we arecelebrating this year and the Collect is addressed to the ‘God of everlasting mercy’. The liturgy of the day is rich in ‘mercy’. A suitable song is Christ In Me Arise (Trevor Thomson) from Emmanuel 2015 which combines resurrection and healing.

Jubilee Resource Books
Eight resource books for the Jubilee of Mercy have been prepared by the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation. They are brief and concise resources which are published by Our Sunday Visitor and available in Veritas shops.

  1. Celebrating Mercy – pastoral ideas for the celebration of the Jubilee
  2. Psalms of Mercy – spiritual, prayerful and scholarly contribution
  3. Parables of Mercy – rooted in the grace of mercy
  4. Confession: the Sacrament of Mercy – a valuable pastoral resource
  5. TheWorks of Mercy – scriptural roots explored
  6. The Saints of Mercy – stories of 27 saints
  7. Mercy in the Fathers of the Church – mainly St. Augustine
  8. Mercy in the Teaching of Popes – concentration on most recent popes

These are reviewed in more detail on our website in the Update section.

Salt of the Earth/Salann na Talún
The Inaugural Service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will take place in St Paul’s Church, Arran Quay, Dublin 7 on Monday 18 January 2016 at 8 pm. the preacher will be Very Revd. Kenneth Newell, former Moderator of Fitzroy Presbyterian Church who played an important role in promoting reconciliation in the North of Ireland. St Paul’s is close to the Smithfield LUAS stop. Parking in the Smithfield area is free after 7pm. All are welcome. Resources for the Week of Prayer, including orders of service and prayers for each day of the octave, both in English and Irish, are downloadable from https://ctbi.org.uk/resources-for-week-ofprayer-for-christian-unity-2016/ The song Cry the Gospel (Tom Booth) in Emmanuel 2016 would be very suitable for this theme.

Catholic Schools Week 2016
Catholic Schools Week will take place from Sunday 31 January to Saturday 6 February 2016 on the theme “Catholic Schools: Challenged to Proclaim God’s Mercy”. Catholic Schools Week is an all-Ireland annual event which invites Catholic schools to give expression  in a special way to the ethos of Catholic education. Resources are available from the website of the Irish Bishop’s Conference – (www.catholicbishops.ie) The weekend liturgy for the 4th Sunday of the Year (31 January) could be enhanced by using suitable music from the Emmanuel 2016 programme on the theme of mercy such as Lord, Show Us Your Mercy (Jeanne Cotter), Let Your Mercy Wash Over Us (Trevor Thomson) and Blessed Are the Merciful (Jackub Blycharz). It would be great if they could be led by students from the local school who are taking part in the Emmanuel programme. A list of participating schools is on our website in the music section.

Day for Consecrated Life
The Year of Consecrated Life will conclude throughout the world on 2 February – the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. The Dublin celebration will take place in the Church of Saint Therese, Mount Merrion at 7.30 p.m. on that day. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin will lead a Service of Prayer inspired by the Gospel of the Presentation and the expectations for the year expressed by Pope Francis. Music will be led by members of the Dublin Diocesan Music Group.

Rite of Election 2016
The Rite of Election (for Catechumens) and the Call to Continuing Conversion (for Candidates already baptised who wish to be received into the full communion of the Catholic Church) takes place as usual on the First Sunday of Lent, 14 February – at 3.30 p.m. in St Mary’s Pro Cathedral. If your parish has someone who you deem to be ready for Christian Initiation or Reception at this year’s Easter Vigil and have not yet submitted completed registration forms to the Diocesan Liturgy Resource Centre, please do so immediately – if not we cannot guarantee their inclusion in the Rite of Election. The registration forms can be printed off from the Downloads section of www.litmus.dublindiocese.ie. Otherwise, contact us at the Liturgy Resource Centre and we will post them out to you. Each parish could mark this significant occasion by including a song of hope in the liturgy. A Future with Hope (David Haas) from Emmanuel 2016 might be just the one.

Current Issues
The question of the Baptism of children who are not infants and the reception of children from other Christian traditions has surfaced in various parishes in recent times. Come and explore this topic as ideas and experiences are shared under the guidance of Father Damian McNeice on Thursday 25 February in Clonliffe College from 8.00 – 9.30 p.m.

Hail Holy Queen (Adapted)
Greetings to you, O Holy Queen. We salute you, Mother of mercy. You are our life, our sweetness and our hope. As we struggle in our humanity with the difficulties of life we turn to you with tearful eyes and heavy hearts. Let your merciful eyes look kindly upon us and point us with your look of love towards the fruit of your womb, Jesus. O merciful, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

Emmanuel 2016
Can you believe that Emmanuel 2016 has grown so much that a 4th night has been added this year? Due to the increase in the number of students wishing to take part in the Emmanuel Programme of Liturgical Music for Second Level Schools in the Diocese we now have an extra day to accommodate them. 2,400 students from over 60 schools will take part this year culminating in the Helix Concerts on 29 February and 1/2/3 March at 7.30 p.m. Bring along members of your music group as the enthusiasm is infectious. Even after a day of rehearsal and spiritual input the students lift the roof in the Helix with their energy. Book now – www.helix.ie or 01 700 7000.

New Mass Setting
Many people have visited Saint Mel’s Cathedral in Longford which was restored and re-dedicated after the disastrous fire of Christmas 2009. The Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois commissioned John O’ Keefe to compose the Mass of Saint Mel. It is now available from Father Turlough Baxter, St. Mary’s Church, Athlone, Co.Westmeath. In the introduction to this Mass, John O’Keefe offers practical background information about its use which could be applied generally: ‘In communities where these settings have already been successfully piloted, results were achieved through the initiative and encouragement of the local pastor, assisted by singers who learnt the material in advance, so that it could be gradually handed over to the congregation.’

Advent/Christmas Review
It’s always good to review when memories are fresh. Did Advent liturgies hold that prayerful spirit of waiting and preparation? At Christmas was there too much Santa and not enough Jesus? Now is the time to take notes for next year.

Icon Opportunity
Mihai Cucu the Iconographer, who was commissioned to write the icon of Saint Laurence O’Toole for the Archdiocese of Dublin, is a skilled and patient guide in this area. You could have the opportunity to write an icon of Christ, Our Lady or one of the saints under his guidance at the Ruah Faith Centre of the Monastery of Saint Alphonsus, Drumcondra on the following dates: 17 July – 23 July, 31 July – 6 August and 14 August – 20 August 2016. Please contact Sr Lucy lucy.conway@redemptorists.ie or mihaicucu78@gmail.com

Proclaiming the Word
Helen Norton will bring the best out of readers by working on their use of voice as they proclaim God’s word in the liturgy. This one off session will take place in Clonliffe College on Thursday 4 February from 8.00 – 9.30 p.m. Booking is required – a contribution of €5 is invited.

Keeping Up to Date
Do you want to receive this newsletter by email? Do you know someone who would like to be included in this mailing? Do you want to have your name taken off our database? Let us know –litsec@dublindiocese.ie

 P.S. – If you want to order some of the Jubilee labels or bookmarks get in touch.

 

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