Feast of the Immaculate Conception - Mass at 6pm

There will also be a 'candle-light Rosary procession', 

leaving the Parade in Kilkenny (nr. the castle) at 8pm, 

and walking to the Black Abbey (Dominicans), 

where there will be Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Second Sunday of Advent

"Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the ways of Your only-begotten Son, so that through His coming we may be able to serve You with purified minds."

(Collect of the 2^nd Sunday of Advent)

  Low Mass at 5pm, St Patrick's Church, College Rd, Kilkenny.

 

In today’s liturgy the texts invite us to have complete trust in God’s help. “Thy salvation cometh quickly: why art thou wasted with sorrow…? I will save thee and deliver thee, fear not… As a mother comforteth her sons, so will I comfort thee, saith the Lord.” God does not want anxiety or discouragement. If He proposes to us an exalted way of sanctity, He does not leave us alone but comes to help and sustain us. There is physical or moral misery which Jesus cannot cure. He asks only that we go to Him with a heart dilated by faith, and complete trust in His all-powerful, merciful love.

In today’s Gospel Jesus directs our attention to the strong, austere figure of John the Baptist. If we want to prepare our hearts for the coming, we, like St. John the Baptist, must detach ourselves from all the goods of the earth. John had left everything and gone into the desert to lead a life of penance. His example invites us to retire into the interior desert of our heart, far from all creatures, to await the coming of Jesus in deep recollection, silence and solitude, insofar as the duties of our state of life permit. 

We must preserve in this waiting, in spite of aridity and discouragement. If we wish to taste the sweet joys of Christmas, we should know how to prepare ourselves with these dispositions which the Church invites us to pray for today: “We beseech You, O Lord, to teach us… to despise the things of earth and to love those of heaven.”

"La Vierge, L'Enfant Jesus et Saint Jean Baptiste", William-Adolphe Bouguereau

"La Vierge, L'Enfant Jesus et Saint Jean Baptiste", William-Adolphe Bouguereau

 

Hark, a herald voice is calling; 

“Christ is nigh,” it seems to say; 

“Cast away the dreams of darkness, 

O ye children of the day.” 

(Hymnus, En clara vox)

First Sunday of Advent

"... our salvation is closer to us now than we first learned to believe. The night is far on its course; day draws near. Let us abandon the ways of darkness, and put on the armour of light." (Extract from today's Epistle, Romans 13. 11-14)

"And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud, with his full power and majesty... the kingdom of God is close at hand." 

(Extract from today's Gospel Luke 21. 25-33)

 Mass at 5pm, St Patrick's Church, College Rd, Kilkenny.

Advent is a season of waiting and of fervent longing for the Redeemer: “Drop down dew, ye heavens, and let the clouds rain the Just One!” As St. Paul reminds us in the epistle today, Advent is a time to arouse ourselves and bring forth the fruits of sanctity. The great fruit of Advent should be that we “cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light… put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13. 11-14). Now is the time to arouse ourselves to a new life, to strip ourselves generously of our meanness and weakness, and to put on Jesus Christ, that is, His holiness.

In the Gospel today we are reminded of that other great theme of Advent. What is put before us is Christ’s coming at the end of time as the supreme Judge. He came with great love to Bethlehem; He comes with grace into our souls; He will come with justice at the end of the world: Christ’s triple coming, the synthesis of Christianity, an invitation to a vigilant, trusting expectation, “Lift up your heads, for your redemption is at hand!”

Last Sunday After Pentecost

Image source: Jerome Nadal SJ

The Mass is that of the 24th and Last Sunday After Pentecost.

"When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet... For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be... Then if any man shall say to you: Lo here is Christ, or there, do not believe him. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect."

"Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass."

Extracts from the Sunday Gospel Matt. 24. 15-35.

 

 

Mass at 5pm, St Patrick's Church, College Rd, Kilkenny.

Mass schedule in Kilkenny - All Saints and All Souls

Tuesday 1st of November- Feast of All Saints

5pm -  'Low Mass'. 

Celebrant: Rev. Thomans O'Toole. CC.
St. Patrick's Church, College Rd., Kilkenny 

 

 

 

Sunday 30 October - Christ the King

Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the Feast of Christ the King 

 

In the 'traditional' Calendar the feast of Christ the King is celebrated on the last Sunday of October, the Sunday which precedes All Saints. 

The feast was instituted on this day in 1925 by Pius XI in his Encyclical Quas Primas, which reminds us that "once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony" (Quas Primas, # 19).

The encyclical has lost none of its importance, or relevance, as it speaks of the Eternal Truth, of Him, whose empire embraces all men (cf. Quas Primas, #18). It is in, and through, Him alone that there "is the salvation of the individual, in him is the salvation of society" as:

"...there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we must be saved [Acts iv, 12]. He is the author of happiness and true prosperity for every man and for every nation. For a nation is happy when its citizens are happy. What else is a nation but a number of men living in concord? [S. Aug. Ep. ad Macedonium, c. iii. ] If, therefore, the rulers of nations wish to preserve their authority, to promote and increase the prosperity of their countries, they will not neglect the public duty of reverence and obedience to the rule of Christ" (Quas Primas, # 18).

We are reminded, and never more true than now, that it is through, and in, Christ that there are to be found all the remedies needed in society. It is through the understanding of this feast that one "shall minister to the need of the present day, and at the same time provide an excellent remedy for the plague which now infects society " (Quas Primas, # 24). A plague that has only spread:

"We refer to the plague of anti-clericalism, its errors and impious activities. This evil spirit... has not come into being in one day; it has long lurked beneath the surface. The empire of Christ over all nations was rejected. The right which the Church has from Christ himself, to teach mankind, to make laws, to govern peoples in all that pertains to their eternal salvation, that right was denied. Then gradually the religion of Christ came to be likened to false religions and to be placed ignominiously on the same level with them. It was then put under the power of the state and tolerated more or less at the whim of princes and rulers. Some men went even further, and wished to set up in the place of God's religion a natural religion consisting in some instinctive affection of the heart. There were even some nations who thought they could dispense with God, and that their religion should consist in impiety and the neglect of God. The rebellion of individuals and states against the authority of Christ has produced deplorable consequences" (Quas Primas, # 24).

As exhorted in the encyclical there follows after the Mass a Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as-well-as a Litany and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. 

In praying the Consecration, and under all the usual conditions, the faithful receive a plenary indulgence.

Prayer of the Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus 

Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thine altar. We are Thine, and Thine we wish to be; but, to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Thy most Sacred Heart.

Many indeed have never known Thee; many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Thy sacred Heart. Be Thou King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken Thee, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned Thee; grant that they may quickly return to Thy Father's house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.

Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbour of truth and unity of faith, so that there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.

Be Thou King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism, and refuse not to draw them into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Thine eyes of mercy towards the children of the race, once Thy chosen people: of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Savior; may it now descend upon them a laver of redemption and of life.

Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: "Praise be to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to it be glory and honor for ever." Amen. 

Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Image source: Jerome Nadal SJ

"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who made a marriage feast for his son... the king went in to see the guests, and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet and cast him forth into the darkness outside, where there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen."

Extracts from the Sunday Gospel, Matt 22:1-14

Mass at 5pm, St Patrick's Church, College Rd, Kilkenny.

Upcoming Holydays - Mass schedule in Kilkenny

1. Christ the King (Sunday 30th of October), 5pm - Sung Mass. 

Celebrant: Very. Rev. A. O'Connor PP.
St. Patrick's Church, College Rd., Kilkenny

Mass is followed by exposition and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament , during which the prayer consecrating the human race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is recited.
 

The faithful are reminded that praying the Consecration on this day (and under all the usual conditions) they will receive a plenary indulgence.

2. All Saints (Tuesday 1st of November), 5pm -  'Low Mass'. 

Celebrant: Rev. Thomans O'Toole. CC.
St. Patrick's Church, College Rd., Kilkenny

3. All Souls (Wednesday 2nd November), 7.30pm. 

Sung Requiem Mass with Absolutions at the catafalque. 

Celebrant: Rev. Thomas O'Toole. CC. 
St. Patrick's Church, College Rd., Kilkenny

The desecration of the church of St. Marcellino e Pietro al Laterano

Barbarians and vandals once more in Rome! 

Pray for these people, and the Holy Father. 

The church is situated near the Lateran basilica and was targeted during the so called “day of rage”.

Saturday’s violent clashes in central Rome included an attack by protesters on the church of Santi Marcellino e Pietro al Laterano in which a crucifix and a statue of the Virgin Mary were destroyed.

The Vatican described the violence of the 'protest' as horrific, during which the church was desecrated by some protesters, other property damaged, and over 130 people injured throughout the course of the day.

The 18th-century church is near St John Lateran square where much of Saturday’s violence occurred.

“When I came down, I saw the entrance door had been smashed in,” the church’s parish priest, Father Giuseppe Ciucci, was quoted by Italian media as saying.

“The Virgin Mary’s statue, which was near the entrance, had been taken away and I saw it had been thrown into the street and smashed,” he said.

“I went into the sacristy and I saw the door there was also destroyed. The large crucifix at the entrance had been vandalized,” he added.

(Historic details about the church can be seen here)

http://www.corriere.it/cronache/11_ottobre_16/madonna-distrutta-reazione-vaticano_91689c46-f7ee-11e0-8d07-8d98f96385a3.shtml

Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost

"And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven you... that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins,

- then He said to the paralytic - Arise... But when the crowds saw it, 

they were struck with fear, and glorified God Who had given such power to men. " 

 

Extracts from the Sunday Gospel, Matt 9:1-8

 

Mass at 5pm, St Patrick's Church, College Rd, Kilkenny.