Thank You & Farewell From The Capuchins

We the Capuchins wish to express our profound gratitude to Pope Benedict for his tireless service of the Church, his courageous defence of the truth, and his humble departure. He practices what he preaches. Our prayers and good wishes accompany him as he continues to serve us through a life of prayer, reflection and example.

Farewell!

Lessons from the Wilderness...

Peace to you all!!

In today's Gospel reading, for the first Sunday of Lent, we hear the story of Jesus' time in the wilderness.This is very appropriate for us all as we begin our Lenten journey and face the same temptations Jesus did, to give up what we have started and put ourselves at the centre of our life experience, and not God.

I came across this article this morning which reflects on five lessons we can learn from Jesus' own experience of dealing with his time in the wilderness and also how important it is for us to set aside some'wilderness time' into our daily lives.

I hope you find it beneficial
Pax
Br Martin

5 Lessons from Jesus' time in the wilderness

Evangelisation in the Digital Age

Peace to you!!

Today most people are tuned into some form of digital media or other be it Facebook, Twitter or even this blog!! I was asked by one of our Friars last week, 'How are we supposed to Evangelise today?'...and excellent question which still has me scratching my head!

Mission Alive (Mission Alive on Facebook) today posted a link for two excellent presentations, one on evangelising in the digital age and the other on evangelisation in the year of faith. They provide excellent background and some very practical suggestions.

The message we have to offer is timeless but we need to present it well for our time using all the tools and resources at our disposal. These presentations will offer some food for thought and I am sure you find them useful. Duc in Altum !

Pax and enjoy the journey!
Br Martin

The New Evangelization and the Year of Faith from Jonathan Sullivan

Evangelization and the New Media -- Webinar from Diocese of Harrisburg

Lent: A time to re-evaluate, renovate and reinvigorate

Peace to you all!!

Today begins Lent. The Liturgy of the day speaks of the traditional ways of living Lent, through giving to the poor, prayer and fasting or 'giving up something for Lent' as we say here in Ireland!

The call of this season is to move beyond the superficial into the deep. The deep is often a mysterious place to us, a place we don't like entering too often, a place where we encounter our real selves in all it's brokenness, uniqueness and also beauty. It is in this deep place that we also encounter God. Lent calls us to move into this space and from here to re-valuate, renovate and reinvigorate our spirits and lives.

The external observances are not an ends in themselves but rather a means by which we can tame the frantic thrashing of our minds and spirits to allow us to communicate with God and God with us at a deeper level. So if it's chocolate, coffee or Facebook, when it gets a little tough and you think, 'a sure one won't do any harm..' be clear the reasons behind you little sacrifice. Is it a good thing for you? Will it benefit somebody else? Will it benefit the world? What intention have you set to accompany you on this Lenten journey?

As Christians we can rest assured that we are never alone. Millions of others around the world are doing the same thing and, though we are not physically next to each other, we still stand spiritually shoulder to shoulder, united through our giving, our prayer and our fasting.

Enjoy this journey and cherish every step. Here is a great little resource to help you on your way...a Lenten Calender (like and Advent Calender but for Lent!)Lent Calender Link
Pax

Br Martin

Beginning Again in Ireland

http://www.digitalvocationguide.org/vision/2013#pg108

Capuchin Vocations Experience: Cork (March 8th - 10th)

We are pleased to announce that we will be holding a Capuchin Vocation Experience for men in Cork from Friday 8th of March to Sunday 10th of March. The weekend will be hosted by our Community in Holy Trinity Capuchin Friary, Father Matthew Quay, Cork.

What's it all about? Well, simply put, this is an opportunity for men considering a vocation to Religious Life to come and see what life as a Capuchin Franciscan Friar is like. It's an opportunity to get a taste of Fraternal living by joining with the Friars for prayer and meals. It's an opportunity to talk to the Friars about your experiences and to learn from theirs. Most of all it's a chance to step away from the busyness of your daily life to give give some time to discern what God is asking you to do with your life.

If you feel that this experience would benefit you, do contact us. You can contact our Vocations Director, Br Terence, on 086 3230638 or at tharr@eircom.net. Alternatively, you can contact Br Sean Donohue at Holy Trinity Friary on 021 4270827.

St Francis of Assisi heard the words of Christ deep in his heart....he listened....he responded...he changed the world. What is God saying to you, right now?

Feast of St. Brigid of Kildare

   St. Brigid lived at the beginning of the Golden Age of the Celtic Irish CatholicChurch.  This period, from the late fifth century AD, saw monasteries become social, spiritual and political centers.  They were often huge theocratic villages,associated with a clan, along with their slaves, freemen, celibate monks,married clergy, professed lay people, men and women, all living side by sideand serving in various roles.  

   In thesetimes the monastic abbots were not necessarily ordained and, as is the casewith St. Brigid, were women too.  TheseCeltic Christians took their spiritual life very seriously and sought toachieve a personal and organic union between themselves and God (a theosis);with God dwelling in them and they in Him. They saw the true Christian life as being lived in and with Christ.  During these times the monasteries wereuniversally esteemed and regarded as the utmost expression of the Christianlife. 

     Today, as we seek a renewed vision and approach to boththe spiritual and the material world, we pray that we may recapture something ofthe essence of the deeply spiritual, holistic, ecologically sensitive, inclusiveand egalitarian Church which St. Brigid knew and led.  Following her example, may we grow each dayinto greater wholeness of mind, body and spirit!