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Trinity Sunday Gospel Reflection
A God of Relationships About seventy years ago, the famous theologian, Karl Rahner, remarked that if the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity was removed, it would make virtually no difference to the majority of Christians. However, things have changed somewhat since then. The Charismatic Renewal awakened awareness of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The…
Capuchin Connection: Updates and News from around the Irish Province
A Warm Fraternal Welcome: A word of welcome to Brother Thomas and Brother Suneesh who arrived in Ireland on the 25th of April as part of our International Fraternal Collaboration with the Capuchin Provinces in Kerala, India. This important programme allows overseas Friars come to Ireland to live and work to help build and sustain…
Capuchin Friary Raheny acknowledged for biodiveristy efforts
The Capuchin Friary in Raheny has been acknowledged for their efforts to promote and sustain biodiversity on the Friary grounds. A green plaque was presented by Raheny Tidy Village Group which will be displayed at the entrance to the grounds. The plaque has a QR code which provides some information on the Friary’s history and…
Gospel Reflection for Easter Sunday
Wishing you all every blessing this Easter Season. Alleluia! Alleluia! https://www.capuchinfranciscans.ie/reflection/easter-gospel-reflection/
Palm Sunday Reflection
Follow this link to access our weekly Gospel Reflections: https://www.capuchinfranciscans.ie/reflection/palm-sunday/
5th Sunday of Lent Gospel Reflection
I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:1-45) This Sunday’s Gospel, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, is the third story from John’s Gospel, chosen to cast light on the meaning of baptism.First, at the well in Samaria, Jesus offered a sinful woman a living water which would quench many forms of thirst:…
The Padre Pio Apostolate will be in Ferns next Monday for the annual Padre Pio Healing Mass. All are welcome. ... See MoreSee Less
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It was an attempt to start an argument with Jesus, to disconcert him, when one of the Pharisees asked for his opinion on the greatest commandment. Jesus cut through all their commentaries and debates with a simple and challenging answer. “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second resembles it: you must love your neighbour as yourself” (Matt 22:35). Religious laws are meant to be pointers to total love of God and the practical expression of that love in the way we treat people, beginning with ourselves.
It’s no harm to remember that the people who plotted the death of Jesus were the religious leaders. When religion gets warped it is very dangerous. People have been driven to scrupulosity, bitterness and justification of war by the concept of a severe, judgemental God. It is important to enjoy the loving, merciful God revealed in Jesus Christ. As Pope Francis constantly reminds us, let God love you. Don’t let clouds get in the way. Loving with all your heart recognises God as the driving energy of life. All your soul makes God the desire of your eternal spirit. All your mind means making space for God in personal prayer each day. All your strength directs you into practical works of charity. Today’s First Reading (Exodus 22:20-26) reminds us to welcome the strangers forced to leave their own country.
The Trinity of Love
The doctrine of the Blessed Trinity reveals that the inner life of God is about interpersonal relationships of love: love given, loved received and love returned. Think of it as a circle or a triangle. We are offered three aspects of love in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
God the Father, the source of all life, loved me into life. I was first a thought in the beautiful mind of God before ever I was spoken into life. As Saint Paul said, “We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning he had meant us to live it” (Eph. 2:10). A friend gave me a simple line drawing of a little boy, arms resting on a table, looking at you with this message underneath: I know I am somebody ... See MoreSee Less
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Religion and Politics (Matt 22:15-21)
In today’s Gospel, the enemies of Jesus try to trap him in the political minefield of paying taxes to the Romans. “Is it permissible to pay taxes to the Romans or not?” If he opposes paying taxes, the Romans will take a political case against him in the civil court. But if he is in favour of paying taxes to the Romans, he will lose all popular support. It looks like a no-win situation.
The alliance of Pharisees and Herodians, traditional enemies, was a dishonest, hypocritical partnership. Pharisees were determined to maintain total separation from all foreign culture, while the Herodians owed their power through wheeling and dealing with the Romans. Normally Pharisees and Herodians would be at loggerheads with each other. Notice their hypocrisy in calling Jesus an honest man. Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and cleverly turned the question back on those who asked it. Instead of saying yes or no, he suggested that they had the answer in their own pockets. “Let me see the money you pay the taxes with. Whose head is this? Whose name?” The head was an image of Tiberius Caesar, known as Son of the Divine Augustus. Divine Augustus! This was a double whammy for the Pharisees who were adamant about not worshipping images and certainly not any politically appointed god. If you have Roman money, if you avail of their great engineering projects, their roads and bridges, their aqueducts and water cisterns, do you expect to get it all without taxation? Pay back to Caesar what you get from belonging to the Empire. Then Jesus adds the punchline. “Render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.”
Total separation of politics and religion is not feasible because we have dual citizenship, of earth and of heaven. Secularism denies our responsibilities towards God: selfcentred piety reneges on earthly and social responsibilities. Religion and politics live in holy harmony in the person who is fully responsive to God and to society. What is required is not the separation of religion and politics but their collaboration. ... See MoreSee Less
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God’s Invitation to us (Matt 22:1-14)
Today’s Gospel is a parable about being invited to a wedding, not just any wedding, but the royal wedding of the king’s son. This parable of invitation and rejection was originally addressed to the chief priests and elders of the Jews.
Those who were invited to come to the wedding banquet did not accept. One went off to his farm, another to his business. I’m sure they regarded these as good excuses. Did you ever hear anybody saying, “I have a poor excuse”? It’s always a good excuse! There is great wisdom in the Irish word for an excuse, leathsceal, which literally means half a story. The full truth of this parable is that they were not interested. As the story proceeds, apathy turns into violence as servants of the king were maltreated and killed.
The Joy of the Gospel
Let us move forward to our own time. Pope Francis, in his Apostolic Exhortation called The Joy of the Gospel, begins with God’s invitation to us. “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus.” As in the parable of the royal wedding, Pope Francis highlights[Silvester1] some excuses causing people to be uninterested in God’s invitation: consumerism, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures and blunted conscience. “Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades. Many fall prey to it, and end up resentful, angry and listless. That is no way to live a dignified and fulfilled life; it is not God’s will for us, nor is it the life in the Spirit which has its source in the heart of the risen Christ” (Paragraph 2).
A Daily Encounter
Pope Francis proceeds to invite all Christians to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ and to do this every day. “Now is the time to say to Jesus: ‘Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have shunned your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save me once again. ... See MoreSee Less
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Our Vicar Provincial and Vocations Director, Br Martin, recently gave an interview to the Faith Alive programme on Midwest Radio speaking about St Francis, the Capuchin vocation and our life in fraternity. Thanks to Monica Morley and Midwest Radio for organising the interview. You can copy the link here to listen on SoundCloud :
on.soundcloud.com/vOCZHWqD4DdSEzZRew ... See MoreSee Less
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Blessings to all on the feast of our Holy Father, St Francis of Assisi. May the Lord bless you and keep you always. St Francis, pray for us, for peace and for our world. ... See MoreSee Less
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Some news from Ards ... See MoreSee Less
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The homily given by our Provincial Minister, Br Richard Hendrick OFM Cap at the celebration of the Transitus of St Francis of Assisi, 2026. ... See MoreSee Less
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Some images from this evening's celebration of the Transitus from the Conventual Franciscan Church in Fairview Dublin. This celebration concludes the three nights of preparation for the feast of St Francis. ... See MoreSee Less
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