The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Greystones is always a hugely positive event, where community organisations come together to celebrate our national saint, and our island culture. This year, several local churches have decided to collaborate in celebrating our joint Christian heritage. Members of Holy Rosary Church, the Presbyterian Church, St. Patrick’s Church have been working on a float that would embrace all Christian traditions present in our town. This float would parade under the banner of ‘Greystones Churches Together’, with the proposed theme being ‘Land of Saints and Scholars’.

We’re inviting all pupils of local schools to join in with our parade float. We would encourage children either to dress as a Celtic saint, perhaps the ‘patron saint’ for their school (Kevin, Patrick, Brigid, Lawrence), or simply to wear their school uniform. We would also suggest that, perhaps as part of a school project, children make and bring a symbol of their school’s patron saint (by way of suggestion: a shamrock, a St. Brigid cross, a blackbird, or a mitre) which they can carry in the parade. We will need parents also to help and join the walk.

Children would arrive at the designated area on Mill Road no later than 11.45, in order to parade at 12. Warm clothing is highly recommended, weather depending. Parents with younger children should bring up the rear of the float, in order to ensure children arrive safely at the parade’s end.

WE ARE FLOAT NO.33 IN THE PARADE

Morning Prayer of the Church will be celebrated each Tuesday and Thursday of Lent beginning Tuesday 5th of March at 9.15am in the Holy Rosary Church.

All Welcome.

What is the Liturgy of the Hours?

The  Liturgy of the Hours  is a collection of daily psalms, prayers, and scripture readings that has been part of the Church’s liturgical prayer life almost from it’s very beginnings. It is prayed at morning, midday, evening, night, plus one other “floating hour” that can be done at any time.

You may also have heard other names for the liturgical hours, names derived from Latin. Lauds, Vespers, and Compline are the other names for Morning, Evening, and Night Prayer. Daytime Prayer can be called Terce, Sext, or None, depending on whether it is prayed at Mid-morning, Noon, or Midafternoon.

The psalms and readings of the Divine Office rotate in a four week cycle throughout the year during ordinary time. There are  additional variations for the liturgical seasons and/or feast days.

Although long perceived to be the territory of religious and clergy, the Divine Office is strongly recommended by the Church to lay people.

The Liturgy of the Hours

From Universalis.com

“Seven times a day I praise you.” – Psalm 118(119):164

The Hours help us to pray without ceasing.

Morning Prayer – at the start of the day’s work and the coming of the light.

Daytime Prayer – at mid-morning, noon and in the afternoon, to unite us with the one for whom and through whom we are working.

Evening Prayer – at the end of the day’s work, to offer up what we have done.

Night Prayer – last thing at night, to commend our souls to God.

And finally, there is the magnificent Office of Readings, at whatever time of day is best for us to reflect on the mystery of salvation, with the help of Scripture and the writings of the Fathers of the Church.

“The purpose of the Divine Office is to sanctify the day and all human activity.” – Apostolic Constitution, Canticum Laudis.

The Liturgy of the Hours is the richest single prayer resource of the Christian Church, with prayers, psalms and readings for each of the Hours, changing each day and through the seasons.

But such riches come at a price. With more than a thousand different Hours every year, the books are thick and using them is complex. So complex that it is rare to find anyone reciting the Hours apart from the clergy and religious. Which is not as it should be. This treasure is too marvellous to be the exclusive possession of our servants:

“The Office is… the prayer not only of the clergy but of the whole People of God.” – Apostolic Constitution, Canticum Laudis.

Each Friday during Lent join us in a Taizé Prayer service taking place in St. Kilian’s Church Blacklion, from 8pm to 9pm. All are welcome.

It will conclude on Good Friday evening 19th April.

Singing is one of the most essential elements of worship. Short songs, repeated again and again, give it a meditative character.

Using just a few words they express a basic reality of faith, quickly grasped by the mind. As the words are sung over many times, this reality gradually penetrates the whole being. Meditative singing thus becomes a way of listening to God. It allows everyone to take part in a time of prayer together and to remain together in attentive waiting on God, without having to fix the length of time too exactly.

To open the gates of trust in God, nothing can replace the beauty of human voices united in song. This beauty can give us a glimpse of “heaven’s joy on earth,” as Eastern Christians put it. And an inner life begins to blossom within us.

These songs also sustain personal prayer. Through them, little by little, our being finds an inner unity in God. They can continue in the silence of our hearts when we are at work, speaking with others or resting. In this way prayer and daily life are united. They allow us to keep on praying even when we are unaware of it, in the silence of our hearts.

Learn some of the Taizé music here or read a guide about Meditative singing courtesy of the Taizé website

POPE FRANCIS’ WORDS

Do you want to fast this Lent?

Fast from hurting words and say kind words.
Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude.
Fast from anger and be filled with patience.
Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.
Fast from worries and trust in God.
Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity.
Fast from pressures and be prayerful.
Fast from bitterness and fill your heart with joy.
Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others.
Fast from grudges and be reconciled.
Fast from words and be silent so you can listen.

Read the child friendly version below – adapted from Pope Francis’ words.

Due to the parade there will be a change to the Sunday morning Masstime in Holy Rosary Church. On Sunday 17th March, Mass will be at 10am.

An Cór Gaelach will be singing.

Other Mass times on Sunday as normal.

We will celebrate the beginning of the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday on 6th March 2019.

Lent is a time of prayer and fasting as we prepare to celebrate Easter, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Church’s biggest celebration in the liturgical year.

Lent is a time for authentic conversion and for coming to know Christ as the bringer of justice. Our journey is towards him.

Lent is a time of many blessings; in fasting, in prayer and almsgiving, in self examination, confession, purification and healing, in contrition, conversion and repentance.

Lent then is a wonderful opportunity to know anew and afresh they mystery and grace of God revealed in Christ Jesus. This mystery, kept hidden but now fully revealed in Jesus who is God’s Mercy, God’s Love and God’s Justice.

Let us use this Lent well.

Let us experience God’s gift of loving justice in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and celebrate its fruit in Easter Eucharist.

We are hosting CAPPELLA mixed voice choir supported by Corde Chamber Choir in the Holy Rosary Church on Friday 22nd March at 8pm.

The cost of tickets are €10 and the concert will be used as a fundraiser for charity.

Tickets available from next week form the parish office.

The Archdiocese of Dublin is seeking the views of the faithful on how to improve the preparation and celebration of sacraments, especially Holy Communion and Confirmation. Sacraments are not conveyor belts. They are not just social occasions, although they are social, but “they are fundamentally moments of faith”.

“We want to see how is the best way in the years to come, to prepare children and families for the celebration of the sacraments.” He said the review process was important and significant. “If we all play our part, it can have a transforming effect. It can help change the quality of how we accompany young parents and young families. It can help us form tomorrow’s church; a church of faithfilled families who are confident witnesses.”

The survey arises from a growing need to review the preparation for sacraments. “Many people are asking how can these celebrations be joyful encounters with the Risen Christ rather than just ‘rites of passage’? How can they be celebrations of a vibrant faith rather than the ‘conveyor belt’ they are often described?” asked the Archbishop. “The first step in the consultation will be to listen. The review group wants to listen to the people who are most involved with these sacraments. They will listen to parents. They will listen to clergy, to pastoral workers and catechists, to sacramental teams, to pastoral councils, as well as to others in the parish. In addition, in the case of First Communion and Confirmation, they will listen to people in our schools, to principals and to teachers.”

Both surveys can be accessed online go to www.dublindiocese.ie and follow the link.

Do it today!!!

Why not come along and join in for lunch on the last Wednesday of the month in Kilian House Family Centre.

It is a gathering for a chat and some delicious food. All welcome!

See photos here.

All couples getting married in 2019 in Greystones & Kilquade Parishes are very welcome to come along to Holy Rosary Church, Greystones Sunday, 17th February 2019 at 6:30pm to bless you both in your relationship and bless your engagement ring.

Refreshments in Kilian House Family Centre beside the church after 6.30pm Mass.