The highlight was Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at a public place prepared for the occasion. The atmosphere was solemn, joyful and dignified – a genuine expression of shared belief. For various reasons the practice largely died out in Ireland, probably towards the late 1980s.
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| The Bread of Life is a painting by Michael Torevell |
Three serious questions are asked here.
What is it that I seek in life?
Where do I find joy in my life right now?
Do I find joy in what I seek?
When, as we read in John 6:22-37, Jesus and his disciples saw the crowds looking for them on the other side of sea in the area of Capernaum they knew that the miraculous and the extraordinary had drawn them. The people were seeking the miracle more than the sign that the evangelist, John, wishes to highlight.
Like the people who followed Jesus to the other side of the lake we can miss the Signs of God in our chaotic, broken but beautiful and mystery-laden world. We seek the wrong type of bread in the wrong sorts of places when the real bread of God’s word and loving sacramental presence is freely on offer. This is the true bread ‘come down from heaven’ and it is also freely available to those who seek and come to be nourished in the Sacrament. Nobody can take this gift from us.
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St Kizito being baptised by St Charles Source: wikimedia (Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine)
Today is a significant
day in Uganda, when Christians remember the sacrifice of many who gave their
lives for the faith in the 1880s, including Saint Charles Lwanga and his
companions.
The Uganda Martyrs were 45 young Christian converts – both Roman Catholics and Anglicans – who were killed between 1885 and 1887 on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga II when they refused to compromise their faith. Their witness became, as the Church has often said of martyrs, the seed of future conversions to the Gospel and the spread of Christianity in Uganda.
A Sunday without the Eucharist, in my view, makes no sense; none.
Rubrics in an illustrated Gradual - Wikipedia
In yesterday’s blog (Rightsand Rites), I distinguished between:
Rubrics derive from the Latin rubrica, meaning “red earth”, and refer to the red text in liturgical books that gives instructions about what is to be done during the Mass. They indicate, literally, the red writing on the page of the missal, describing what is to be done and how. These rubrics, and the detailed liturgical guidance they contain, are very important, but they belong to a different category of importance from the Rite itself.
My late mother used to say that one of the advantages of the ‘Old Latin Mass’ was that you could follow it more easily when you were abroad, as she experienced in the 1950s. She was no ‘traditionalist’ in the sense in which the term is used today to describe a small minority of Catholics who have rejected not only what they call the ‘New Mass’, but also some of the key teachings of the Second Vatican Council.
Trinity Sunday
Lectio
Divina:*
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Meditatio:
‘..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.’
(John 3:16)
Commentary:
This
relatively short Gospel reading for Trinity Sunday contains one of the most
beautiful passages in all Scripture:
“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.” (John 3:16)
This is the heart of the Gospel: God’s love poured out for the world.
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Caption: Pope Paul VI
celebrates an open-air mass at Kololo Terrace in Kampala, during his historic
three-day visit to Uganda in 1969.
One of the roles of the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, is to serve as a centre of unity for the worldwide Church. This role has developed over time, shaped by personal, political, and theological circumstances in each era. According to Roman Catholic understanding, the Pope is the visible head of the Church on earth and the Vicar of Christ – the one who represents Christ and exercises a unique ministry of leadership in His name.
What do you want me to do for you. (Mark 10:51)
Each time we
participate in the Mass we need to
prepare and still our souls in the time just before the celebration begins. He
asks us, each time, ‘what do you want me to do for you today, N..?’
We should speak, heart
to heart, with Jesus the lover our souls and say to him that we wish to grow in
faith, hope and love. Perhaps we might add a special intention for someone. If
we get what we ask for let’s thank Jesus for this. If we do not, or, if it is
slow to happen or happens in a different and even surprising way let us thank
Jesus for that too. He knows what is best for each one of us better than we
know, ourselves.
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In the Mass we meet
the living bread who gives Himself to us in his Body and Blood. This is our
source of life and this is the goal of our Christian living in a world
thirsting for meaning and purpose.
In his recent
encyclical, Pope Leo speaks of the Eucharist in these terms (#88):
For the Christian community, solidarity finds its source in the mystery of Christ and is nourished by the Eucharist. Solidarity emerges from communion in faith and the Sacraments: Baptism and Confirmation unite us in Christ, so that we may become one Body and one Spirit, one heart and one soul (cf. Eph 4:4; Acts 4:32). The Eucharist, which is the sacrament of unity, nurtures our belonging to the Body of Christ and teaches us how to share. The diverse sensibilities present in the Church and the strong convictions that animate each person are a source of richness if they remain anchored in the certainty that unity is a gift received and a responsibility to be fulfilled.
Today we made the
journey to Croatia for a break. Looking out at the grass outside where we are
staying, a strange object is roaming about the lawn, somehow ‘knowing’ when to
turn and cut the grass. A robotic lawnmower is only one of a myriad of new devices
designed to make life easier.
Picture: Pope Leo XIV (Vatican)
Artificial ‘intelligence’ is transforming our world in countless ways. It resembles a new industrial revolution, accelerating communication and allowing access to information in seconds. It brings remarkable opportunities as well as serious challenges. I deliberately use quotation marks around the word ‘intelligence’ because it is not clear that these systems possess intelligence in the proper sense. Human beings reason, decide, feel, and act from their innate capacity to live for others and with others. Everything humans create—from chewing gum to computers to autonomous, AI‑guided military drones - is the fruit of human intelligence and freedom, ordered toward some purpose, whether for good or for harm.
Pic: Francesca Pollio Fenton/EWTN News
Yesterday, we celebrated the birthday of the Church. At Pentecost, the Church was born – not quietly, but with a kind of holy explosion, bursting forth into the streets of Jerusalem and spreading rapidly to Samaria, Antioch, Alexandria, Rome and beyond. The Good News went out in every direction, reaching Asia, Africa, and Europe.
In 2018, Pope Francis established that today, the Monday after Pentecost, be celebrated as the Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church. This feast forms an important link in a long tradition that stretches back to the earliest centuries of Christianity.
There is something about African culture, as we experience it here in Ireland, that is uplifting, joyful, and community-oriented. Perhaps we have lost some of that spirit in recent years?
The Great Amen is proclaimed by all the faithful at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer. In it, we are saying ‘yes’ to all that has been prayed and proclaimed – to the saving power of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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| Picture source is here |
Lectio Divina:*
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Meditatio:
‘..the disciples
rejoiced when they saw the Lord’ (John 20:20)
Commentary:
The scene is set by
John. The disciples are afraid - very afraid. They might well be like a small
congregation in a tense situation today, glancing nervously at every uncertain
movement, imagining the worst. Fear grips them at a deep, almost physical
level. You can feel it in the gut.
Then, something extraordinary happens. Jesus stands among them again. As he does each time he appears after the Resurrection—and as he still does today in the life of the Church – he says: “Peace be with you.”
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| Source: Pinterest |
Jesus said to the disciples who sought places beside Him:
“You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptised with the baptism with which I am baptised?” (Mark 10:38).
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| Why Relics? | St. Innocent of Alaska Orthodox Monastery |
It may be helpful to step into a setting less familiar to many of us: the sanctuary area of an Eastern Orthodox church which uses the Byzantine rites. This sacred space is normally reserved for clergy and those with a blessing, and is only partially revealed to the congregation during the Divine Liturgy when the Royal Gates are opened.
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| The artiphorion or tabernacle on the altar at a celebration of the Eucharist in the UkrainianGreek Catholic Church. |
The first mention of
the word tabernacle is in the Hebrew Bible, in the Book of Exodus. It
refers to the mishkan – the dwelling place of God:
“And have them make me a sanctuary, so that I may dwell among them. In accordance with all that I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.” (Exodus 25:8–9)
The mishkan, or
“Tent of Meeting”, was the place where, above all, the people approached God.
God was among His people. It was a visible sign of His enduring presence – a
local and physical sign. It housed the Ark of the Covenant, containing the Ten
Commandments given to Moses.
Jumping forward to the
first millennium following the Resurrection of Christ, Christians had reason to
reserve the consecrated bread after the Eucharist, principally in order to
bring it to the sick who were unable to participate in the celebration (Viaticum).
Over time, the
reserved consecrated bread became a focus of special veneration. It is
noteworthy that in the ancient rites and customs of both the Eastern (Orthodox)
and Western Churches, the consecrated bread was housed in a special and sacred
container on the altar where the Eucharist was celebrated. Only since the
reforms of the 1960s has the tabernacle often been placed apart from the altar
in the Roman Catholic Church. Today, it is typically located within the
sanctuary, often behind or to the side of the altar where Mass is celebrated.
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| The sanctuary area including the altar and, behind it, the Tabernacle in my home parish of Holy Trinity church, Goresbridge, County Kilkenny |
For Catholics, the
tabernacle is a sacred and special place where Jesus Christ is truly, really,
and substantially present in the Blessed Sacrament. It is a focal point for
prayer, adoration, petition, and silent contemplation. Typically, a sanctuary
lamp, often red, is placed nearby to signify that the Eucharistic presence of
Christ is reserved there.
In some parts of the
Anglican Communion, the Blessed Sacrament is reserved, usually for the purpose
of Communion for the sick between celebrations of the Eucharist. However, some
Anglo-Catholic (“High Church”) communities give a place of prominence to the
reserved sacrament, as in the example below, where a hanging pyx is
used. The image of the Bread of Heaven, or manna, suspended above the altar is
striking.
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| High Wycombe Anglican church, Buckinghamshire. Photo by Sarumsleuth |
Practice in the
Eastern Orthodox Churches is similar in some respects to that of the Roman
Catholic Church. There, the Artophorion (Greek for tabernacle) is placed
on the altar where the priest celebrates the Divine Liturgy. An important
difference, however, is that the Orthodox generally do not practice private
Eucharistic adoration outside the liturgy, as is common in the West. Rather,
the consecrated Gifts are venerated within the context of the liturgy itself.
Below is a striking
and beautiful image of the sanctuary in a Russian Orthodox church.
In the centre of the
sanctuary, beyond the Royal Doors, is the altar table, which can only be
glimpsed from a distance when the doors are opened during services. The Holy
Table, or Prestol, is where the Eucharistic sacrifice is offered; the
Book of the Gospels rests there, the Antimension is placed upon it, and
the reserved sacrament is kept in the Artophorion (tabernacle). It is
honoured as the throne of God, the tomb of Christ, and the heavenly altar.
Note the “altar of
oblation” to the left. It is called the Prothesis and is the place where
the bread and wine are prepared before the Divine Liturgy.
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The Altar
at the Church of All Saints in Yekaterinburg - Sergei Pyatakov /
Sputnik
Tomorrow, I will
explore the place of the Antimension in the Eastern liturgy. It is rich
in symbolism and draws together many Eucharistic themes.
In my blog of this series (“Bread for the Journey”)
published yesterday (Just believe) I quoted from the Imitation of Christ
written in the 15th Century:
Do not argue in your own mind, or try to answer the doubts the Devil hurls against you. Trust the word of God, believe his saints and prophets, and you will put your wicked enemy to flight.
The author was interested in a relationship with the Lord and not in disputes over philosophy or theology important and useful as these may be in context.
I suspect that devout souls in England were perplexed by
some of the controversies swirling around the realm at the time of the Reformation
and subsequent political and theological battles that ensued. In a widely used poem whose
source is disputed but often attributed to John Donne (1573-1631) and which
has alsobeen attributed to Queen Elizabeth I (of mixed memories in Ireland, let it
be said) there is a flavour of this in the lovely quaint English:
He was the Word that spake it;
He took the bread and brake it;
And what that Word did make it,
I do believe and take it.
First, some individual priests have been guilty of grievous
and, at times, heinous crimes.
Second, some bishops — including those in very senior positions — knowingly covered up wrongdoing and reassigned offenders, even when the risk of re‑offending was clearly grave.
It is therefore not surprising that many people cite these failures as reasons why they “walked away from the Church” long ago.
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The Eucharist is not a private affair. It is the gathering of believers who come together to hear the Word of God, proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus, and receive his Body and Blood. It is an act of the whole Church. On his journey to martyrdom in Rome, sometime around 110 A.D. , Saint Ignatius of Antioch wrote to the Church at Smyrna:
Sunday 17 May 2026
Lectio Divina:*
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Meditatio:
‘ I am with you always. (Matthew 28:20)
Commentary:
What was formerly celebrated as Ascension
Thursday has become—at least in Ireland—Ascension Sunday. This is something of
a loss, as it interrupts the traditional and indeed biblical pattern of a nine‑day
period of prayerful preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
The first Christian novena was this very prayer to the Holy Spirit, made in the
company of the Apostles and Mary, the Mother of Jesus (cf. Acts 1:14).
This Sunday’s Gospel is taken from the very
closing section of the relatively long Gospel according to Matthew. While
written with a Jewish audience particularly in mind, it reminds us that the
universal call to salvation now extends to all nations. There are no privileged
groups or insiders now. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to
the Lord Jesus Christ, who sends us out as his missionaries of healing and good
news.
The Ascension reminds us that while our
hearts are lifted to the heavenly places where Christ is seated at the right
hand of the Father, we are nonetheless mandated, commissioned, and sent to
continue the saving mission of Jesus in a broken and waiting world.
Matthew ends his Gospel by reporting these
words of Jesus:
“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Jesus—who is the eternal “I AM”—is with us
always. Always. Always. Including in those moments when we might feel that God
is absent or silent.
In contemporary Western post‑modern
culture, some adopt what might be called a practical atheism, living as
though God were irrelevant to life here and now. With genuine respect for those
who hold such views for pragmatic or experiential reasons, it must still be
said that the fullness of human meaning, identity, and purpose ultimately finds
its home in a trusting faith in a loving and personal God. More than that,
Christians believe that God seeks us, finds us, and meets us in Jesus Christ.
As St Irenaeus famously taught, “the glory of God is the human person fully
alive”—and our coming fully alive takes place in the light and truth of
God.
Even if our churches seem to be weakening
in parts of Europe, it may be that we are being led back, so to speak, to
Galilee: to the places of first encounter, original faith, and missionary
impulse, rather than relying on the spiritual prestige or security of former
centres of influence.
Along the way, we may have to contend with
doubt—but doubt need not prevent worship, for as Matthew tells us:
“When they saw him, they worshipped him;
but some doubted.” (Mt 28:17)
Our call is to be open to the fullness of
life given by the Holy Spirit. From that life and light, we are invited to
become bearers of hope – candles in the darkness - for others. This is our
commission, rooted in the sacrament of Baptism, nourished by the teaching of
the Word of God, and sustained by the mutual care that must be the hallmark of
a living, and not a dying, Church.
We are sent to bless the world not in three
separate names but in one Name—the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit. And this Name is Love (cf. 1 John 4:8).
Some extras:
Collect
of the Word for this Sunday (Church of Ireland)
Eternal and gracious God, we believe your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ to have ascended with triumph into your kingdom in heaven; may we also in heart and mind
ascend to where he is, and with him continually dwell; who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Amen
Post-Communion
prayer (Church of Ireland)
God our Father, you have raised our humanity in Christ and feed us with the bread of heaven. Mercifully grant that, nourished with such spiritual blessings, we may set our hearts in the heavenly places; where he now lives and reigns for ever.
Post-Communion prayer (Roman Catholic missal of
1970)
Father, in this Eucharist we tough on the divine life you give to the world. Help us to follow Christ with love to eternal life where he is Lord for ever and ever.
Private prayer after Holy Communion
(from The Family Missal and Prayer Book
of the Church of the Holy Spirit, Ballyroan, Co. Dublin, 1976)
Lord Jesus, King of glory, you ascended in victory to the Father; but you do not leave us orphans. I treasure your promise “Know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time. Stay with us, Lord. Lord Jesus, send the one you promised, the gift of the Father, the Holy Spirit, that your Church may spread your saving gospel to the ends of the earth.
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| Adoracja z Niepokalanowa |
It is not required of Catholics to believe in apparitions of
the Blessed Virgin Mary and other saints.
However, many do and at some point most have been touched along the way
by memories, pilgrimages and readings.
The image of the ‘Lourdes Grotto’ has marked the Irish countryside from
inner city park corners to a field near where I live.
In 1917 three young children say they witnessed a series of
apparitions in which Our Lady imparted various warnings and important spiritual
messages. The context was set by the time when a vicious world war enveloped
Europe and more would be presaged.
At the centre of these apparitions and other similar ones
across the world (at least those that have been approved as worthy of belief by
the church) is the message of prayer, penance, conversion, reparation and trust
in God. Many miracles and
life-transforming experiences have been reported. I have no reason to doubt the
sincerity and validity of these witnesses. Nobody is required to believe or go
there but it can help.
Crucially, in one of the messages Our Lady told the
children:
“Pray the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war.”
The next time we face a difficult or annoying chore or
unexpected email or visit we might consider this advice:
“O Jesus, it is for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation of the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
The little things matter along with the big. And even today,
as Ireland has come closer than ever to an all out assault on human life in the
womb we may join our prayers especially from before 8.30pm
when the vote will be taken on the second state of the ‘Reproductive Rights
(Amendment) Bill 2026’.
Where does the Eucharist enter in at Fatima?
Even before the 1917 apparitions, the children reported a
vision of an ‘Angel of Peace’ who visited them on three occasions the previous year.
On one occasion, the three children saw the angel prostrate
before a host and chalice that hung in the air. Worshiping
the Eucharist, the angel prayed:
“Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly. I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. And, through the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of sinners.”
While some question the theological basis of this prayer I
think that it offers a very simple and practical formula for all of us – lay
and ordained – to lift our minds and hearts to God especially but not
exclusively in the presence of the reserved Blessed Sacrament.
Just as Mary said yes to God in the incarnation she
continues to lead us to Jesus present in the sacrament of the Eucharist so that
we may become broken bread for a troubled world.
Just two additional
facts to be mindful of today:
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| Picture: Pugin's chapel, Loreto Abbey, Rathfarnham, Dublin - Patrick Comerford |
This morning, 62 years ago, there was great excitement in a house on the foothills of south Dublin. Together with my parents we were setting out on foot for Loreto Abbey in Rathfarnham for my First Holy Communion. I was dressed in pure white from head to toe. I remember particularly the sleeveless white jumper over the white shirt and tie, the white short trousers, long stockings, and the squeaky new white soft shoes.
Martyrdom of St Polycarp
Tomorrow, the church celebrates the memory of Saints Nereus
and Achilleus, early Christian Martyrs of Rome along with Saint Pancras. We do not know a lot about each of them
except that they were honoured and remembered in the liturgy of the early Roman
church.
By tradition, Nereus and Achilleus were soldiers who converted to Christ and were martyred around 100 A.D.. Pancras was a 14 year old boy who was beheaded during the Great Persecution associated with Diocletian in 303 on the Via Aurelia on the way out of Rome for having refused to offer sacrifice to the Roman gods.
Once again, I had occasion to visit my local cathedral for
Sunday Mass. One thing in particular struck me as I was leaving afterwards.
The celebrant—who would usually greet people at the door—was
sitting, still vested for Mass, in a pew, listening intently to a young woman.
I thought that she might be distressed. In any case, I had a strong sense that
this moment captured something essential:
…this is what it is all about – serving and loving each
person one by one as we are sent out into the world from the celebration.
For me it tied together three things from this morning’s
mass:
1 The ‘post-communion’
prayer for this Sunday which reads as follows:
Almighty, ever-living God, who restore us to eternal life in the Resurrection of Christ, increase in us, we pray, the fruits of this paschal Sacrament and pour into our hearts the strength of this saving food, through Christ our Lord. Amen
2 Today’s
daily reflection from the Focolare movement:
‘Isn’t it true that the world today wants to see people who truly give witness to the love of Jesus? Therefore, let us love with deeds, rather than with words, starting with the humble service asked of us every day by those right net to us’ (Chiara Lubich, May 1988).
3 Communion
reflections for the Sixth Sunday of Easter from an old missal I have kept:
Lord Jesus I reverence you in my heart. You sent the Holy Spirit to me at confirmation. May the Spirit of Truth help me to understand your words and strengthen me in my daily life to follow your example. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of your love.
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By Velopilger -
Own work, Public Domain
In yesterday’s blog I wrote about areas of agreement between Roman Catholics and Anglicans regarding the Eucharist, and in particular the mystery of Christ’s real presence in the consecrated bread and wine. It should be noted, of course, that Anglicans represent only one strand of Christianity that emerged from the Reformation of the sixteenth century. Moreover, there are arguably as many theologies of the Eucharist among Anglicans as there are among Christians across all denominations.
Sunday 10 May 2026
Lectio Divina:*
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‘ You know him,
because he abides with you, and he will be in you’. (John 14:17)
We are drawing ever closer to that most wonderful of celebrations: Pentecost Sunday—the feast on which, once again and anew, the Holy Spirit comes among us in a special way, even as the Spirit is at work in our broken and wounded world day by day. As we remember the first great outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and apostles shortly after the death and resurrection of Jesus—events that are inextricably bound together—we open ourselves to a fresh gift of the Spirit’s peace, joy, and freedom.
