What do you do with a problem in life or a difficulty in relationship that gnaws at your heart, disturbing your peace?  Worry is not the solution to a problem. In fact, worry damages one’s health. Yet, people say ‘don’t worry’ about such and such a problem! It will pass. People cope with problems in different ways.

In the book ‘I Am With you Still’, (2021), author Megan McKenna, while on a visit to South America told of a young girl whom she met when she stayed with a family there. She showed Megan a small set of dolls she had all of different sizes contained in the one doll. Every day the young girl took out the dolls and chatted to them about her cares in life. This helped her to deal with issues in life. Some people carry ‘worry stones.’  Others do novenas. Others share their stories with a trusted friend.  Many pray the Rosary. There is wisdom in the saying, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved.’

In June 2015, Pope Francis introduced the Statue of the Sleeping St Joseph to the world. Pope Francis had a statue of a sleeping St. Joseph on his desk for years and when elected Pope; he brought the statue from Argentina to the Vatican.  During his January 2015 visit to the meeting with families in Manila, he told them of his devotion to St. Joseph.  He places slips of paper under his statue of a sleeping St. Joseph when he has a special problem. In that way, he asks St Joseph to take care of the problem.

Pope Francis said, “Even when St Joseph is asleep, he takes care of the church! Yes! We know that he can do that. So when I have a problem, a difficulty, I write a little note and I put it underneath St. Joseph, so that he can dream about it! In other words I tell him: Pray for this problem!” Pope Francis said. “Do not forget St. Joseph who sleeps! Jesus slept with the protection of Joseph.”

Hence, these statues of the sleeping St Joseph are increasingly popular throughout the world.

Today 19 March, the Church celebrates the feast of St Joseph. People are familiar with the many images of St Joseph, holding the carpenter’s work tools, or standing with the baby Jesus in his arms or holding a lily.  The Church honours Joseph as the guardian and patron of Christ’s universal Church.

So how did the image of the sleeping Joseph emerge? Pope Francis explained how the Scriptures seldom speak of St Joseph but when they do, Joseph is resting, as an angel reveals God’s will to him in his dreams.  He said, “Joseph’s rest revealed God’s will to him. In this moment of rest in the Lord, as we pause from our many daily obligations and activities, God is also speaking to us.” Like St Joseph, once we hear God’s voice, we must wake up, get up and take action.

Today the Gospel (Mt 1:16, 18-21:24) proclaimed at Mass tells the story of how an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. The angel told Joseph to remain with Mary and take her as his wife, even though she was pregnant. Joseph was a man of honour and integrity and wanted to spare her from publicity. He wanted to divorce her informally.  The angel told him that Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and that, her child Jesus would ‘save people from their sins.’ In his integrity and obedience, Joseph ‘did what the angel told him to do.’

VERITAS publications offers this Gospel story (Mt 1:16, 18-21:24) about St Joseph with accompanying free online resources including the Grow in Love/ I nGrá Dé e-book on the website.

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INVITATION

PRAY

• Pray this prayer to the Holy Family

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony. Jesus, Mary and Joseph may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you. Amen.

• St Joseph, pray for us.

DO

• You might like to write out this prayer and share it with your family and friends
• See if you can find a statue of St Joseph. Look up the internet for an image of the sleeping statue of St Joseph
• You might visit the parish Church and find the statue of St Joseph and perhaps light a candle and say a prayer.

READ

• From your Grow in Love/ I nGrá Dé e- book, (Fifth Class/ P7), or from your Bible, you may like to read ‘Joseph’s dream’ (Mt 1: 18-24). You might like to read the prayer to St Joseph on page 45 of the e-book.

Sr Anne Neylon

Water is one of life’s necessities. It is a natural gift; sometimes a gift taken for granted. The experiences of Awut’s life story as told in the Trócaire Lenten Campaign (2021) reveals the difficulty of life without water. Awut took her grandchildren into her care because their parents died in the war in Sudan.  Awut recalls ‘the painful trek to escape ‘the terrible violence in South Sudan.’  As Awut and the family fled Sudan, they suffered from hunger and thirst. They acquired a patch of land from the local chief and with other people; they survived on wild fruits and greens.  Life was difficult for the women and the girls in the war. Then Awut met Ajak and her family, while both tried to escape the violence in Sudan. They became friends and supported their families together. They tried to eke out an existence without shelter, food or access to clean water and healthcare. They are still struggling and need our help to survive each day. When people support the annual Trócaire Lenten Campaign, they help families like Awut and Ajak’s.

In 2015, Pope Francis wrote a letter, Laudato Si’ to every person in the world. The theme of the letter was ‘on care for our common home’. Pope Francis wants people to know how humankind exploits the planet by their lifestyle. He particularly speaks about water. He says ‘fresh drinking water is an issue of primary importance, since it is indispensable for human life and for supporting terrestrial and aquatic systems’ (no.27). Pope Francis is concerned about water poverty in Africa, including Sudan. He denounces the quality of water ‘available to the poor’ (no. 28). He names diseases such as ‘dysentery and cholera’ linked to ‘inadequate hygiene and water supplies’ (no. 28). The Pope addresses issues such as pollution and scarcity of water. He says, ‘that the problem of water is partly an educational and cultural issue’ (no. 30). During this Lenten season, one can hardly ignore this water crisis and the suffering caused to our brothers and sisters.

The readings today proclaimed at Mass explore the theme of water. Both readings relate to the theme of the water of Baptism, as Christians prepare for the Easter season. The first reading (Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12) portrays the vision of the river which starts from the Temple, where God is present. God reveals himself in the life giving power of the river as it flowed in different directions at different depths. The living water gives life to the seeds and plants. It gives life to the fish of the sea and life will abound in the flowing water. On the banks of the river, trees will produce fruit as their roots fill with water, flowing from the Temple. The prophet Ezekiel remarks, ‘the fruit will be good to eat and the leaves will be medicinal.’

The Gospel today (Jn 5:1-3. 5-16), tells the story of the man with paralysis that could not get into the pool to bathe. Jesus approached the man and asked him, ‘Do you want to be healed?’ The man told his plight to Jesus and Jesus healed him.

These stories remind us of the cleansing which takes place at the sacrament of Baptism. The priest pours water over the head of the person saying the words, ‘I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ At Baptism, the baptised person becomes a member of the Church and receives the gift of faith, symbolised by the light of the Baptismal candle. The priest blesses the person for baptism with oil, a symbol of strength. When the sponsors (in the case of an infant) respond to the Baptismal promises, the ear of the one baptised opens to the Baptismal call. This sacrament brings great joy to the Christian community for whom they pray with thanks.

VERITAS publications offers free online resources on the theme of Baptism throughout all the standards of the Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé Religious Education programme. These include the Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé e-book.

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INVITATION

PRAY

• Pray the Act of Faith/ Gníomh Creidimh, Grow in Love/ I nGrá Dé, Rang V1/P8
• Mission Prayer/ Ár bPaidir Misiúnta
• Pray for people today who are suffering from hunger and drought in our world
• Read the stories from the Trócaire website

READ

• From your Bible or from the Grow in Love/ I nGrá Dé e-book, read the account of the ‘Baptism of Jesus’ (Mt 3.13-17; Mk 1.9-11; Lk 3.2)

DO

• Find out from your parents/guardian/sponsor about your ceremony of Baptism
• Look at your Baptismal Certificate. Why is that an important document?
• With your family, you might like to visit the parish Church where your Baptism took place. What is the name of the Church in which the sacrament took place? What names did you receive at Baptism?
• Don’t forget your contribution to Trócaire. Read the story on the Trócaire box about one of the families.

Sr Anne Neylon

The words ‘new’ and ‘hope’ have potential to fill the human mind and heart with peace, excitement and joy. We anticipate the ‘new’ being somewhat better than the present or the past. What new thing do you now wait for in your life?

During this third time of lockdown, people are joyful because they hope that new life lies ahead with the vaccine. In anticipation of that new life, obstacles arise with some vaccines. Presently, the medical teams prudently stall one of the proposed vaccines. Meanwhile, citizens remain hopeful of better days ahead as they live with uncertainty. They wait for the new normal to give some stability to their lives.

The reading proclaimed at Mass today from the prophet Isaiah (Is 65:17-21), hears the Lord say that he will ‘create new heavens and a new earth.’ The Lord says the people will leave the past behind. For this reason, the people can ‘be glad and rejoice.’ Why is that? Because God will care for his people now and forever.

In faith, we believe that God sent Jesus to share the good news of his love in this life and in eternal life.

The Lord creates Jerusalem ‘Joy’ and her people ‘Gladness.’ There is hope for the people as ‘they will build houses, inhabit them, plant vineyards, and eat fruit.’ These are signs of God’s presence for eternal life.

God also wants the faithful today to leave the past behind and to keep their eyes fixed on God and on his unconditional love for them. God desires we share that love with our neighbour.

The response to the Psalm (Ps 29:2) is one of praise. The psalmist is thankful because he recognises that God rescues him. The assembly of people respond with joy in their hearts, ‘I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.’  The psalmist promises God, ‘O Lord my God, I will thank you forever.’ Can we say these words and really mean them?

Today we too as followers of Jesus believe that God saves us from our sins. We thank him with all our heart. We pray to God and share his love.

The Gospel according to John (Jn 4: 3-54), continues on the note of joy. Rejected in his hometown, Jesus moves forward to Galilee. The Galileans received him well because they saw all that he did in Jerusalem during the festival. Jesus came to Cana, where he performed his first miracle, when he turned water into wine.

This time an official came to Jesus and asked him to cure his son who was ill. Jesus remarked that the people would not believe unless they saw ‘signs and portents.’ Jesus told the official to ‘go home’ and told him his son would live. The man believed Jesus’ words and went off home. On his way, he met many people who ran towards him to tell him the good news. They told him his boy was alive. The man asked what time the boy began to recover.  They told him ‘at the seventh hour.’ The father realised this was the exact time that Jesus told him his son would live.

Today, God’s people reflect on their life of faith with God. Do I believe because I have faith in God? Am I waiting for signs to help me believe? At Baptism, the one baptised receives the gift of faith. In faith, the baptised respond to God’s love. We pray for the gift of faith to stay alive in our hearts. Prayer and the sacramental life nourish our faith in God.

VERITAS publications provide the free online resources from the Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé Religious Education programme. These resources including the Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé e-books cover themes related to faith, hope and love for each class standard.

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INVITATION

PRAY

• Pray the Act of Faith/ Cré na nAspal
• Using your Rosary beads pray the second decade of the Mystery of Light, The Wedding at Cana by saying Our Father, Hail Mary (X10) and Glory be to the Father.

READ

• From your Bible or from your Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé book read what St Paul says about Love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
• From your Bible read the story of the Wedding at Cana (Jn 2:1-12)

DO

• You might visit your parish church with your family. Look for the Baptismal font. Chat about your Baptism. Thank God for the gift of faith. What else do you notice in the Church?
• Why do you think the Pope called the Church ‘a family of families’?

Sr Anne Neylon

On Sunday 14 March, families will celebrate Mother’s Day. Unfortunately, this year there will not be an opportunity to gather in groups or to host big celebrations due to Covid restrictions. However, families will celebrate in a way that they praise and thank their mother in an appropriate way. They will acknowledge the love their mother shows each day of her life. This is also a day also to honour grandmothers and great grandmothers. Take a moment to think about your mother… your grandmother… your great grandmother.  Say thanks in your heart, whether they are alive or deceased. St Vincent de Paul says ‘Love is inventive to infinity’ so herein lies a challenge for creativity for the celebration.

Sunday is also a day to celebrate and honour Mary, Mother of God and or Mother, under her many titles of Mother.

The reading proclaimed at Mass today from the prophet Hosea (Hos 14:2-10) reveals the Lord calling back the people to God, by turning away from their sins. God desires happiness for Israel.  God promises them compassion, healing and love. The prophet Hosea uses poetic and picturesque images to attract the people to him. God ‘will fall like dew on Israel.’ Dew falls gently. The appeal lies in the images of the lily, the poplar and the olive. God promises that when the people act lovingly according to God’s will, they will ‘grow corn that flourishes’ and ‘cultivate vines.’ Idols will not interest people whose life is in God, who hears their prayer and cares for them. Through Hosea, God appeals to the wise and intelligent to ‘understand the words and grasp their meaning.’

God reveals Godself through the psalmist (Ps 80) as the assembly responds, ‘I am the Lord your God, listen to my warning.’

The Gospel today (Mk 12:28-34), proclaims Jesus’ teaching on love. He answers the scribe’s question, ‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’ Jesus does not list off the Ten Commandments but sums them up in the great commandment, ‘you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength… you must love your neighbour as yourself.’ Jesus says ‘there is no commandment greater than these.’

To love God is not a commandment like the others.  The other commandments guide us in ways we love our neighbour i.e. honouring our parents, not stealing or telling lies or taking our neighbour’s good name or destruction of the planet. When it comes to loving God, there are no limits. God is love. God is holy and God is a jealous God.

God is love. Disciples love God first. If disciples truly love God, they will love their neighbour. They love God more than they love everyone else. They show that love by doing God’s will. Disciples love God with all their mind by following God’s guidance and by offering a sacrifice to God. They offer sacrifice this season of Lent as they keep the Lenten promise by prayer, fasting and almsgiving. They live each day to make God’s kingdom of peace and love a reality in daily life. They also read the Bible and reflect on God’s teaching. Disciples love with all their strength when they serve God and when they actively participate in the Church and parish community.

When disciples love God alone, they will understand the best way to love his/her neighbour.

VERITAS publications provides free access to the Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé online resources, which support the theme of love in all class standards. These resources include the Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé e-books. The Grow in Love / I nGrá Dé e-book for Fourth Class/P6 explores the Gospel message proclaimed for Mass today. Third P/5 and Fourth /P6 Grow in Love /I nGrá Dé class programmes also outline the Ten Commandments.

INVITATION

READ

• From the Bible or from Grow in Love / I nGrá Dé read ‘The greatest commandment’(Mk 12: 29-31)

PRAY

• Hail Mary/ Sé do bheatha a Mhuire, The Magnificat

SING

• ‘Love the Lord your God,’ You will find the video lyric on line for the Fourth Class/P6 Grow in Love/ I nGrá Dé programme

DO

• Make a Mother’s Day card for your Mam and write a prayer of thanks or a poem of love
• If you live near your parish church, you and your family could visit the Church. See if you can find a statue or image of Mary, Mother of God. Light a candle at a shrine or light the virtual candle from the Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé Say a prayer to Mary.

Sr Anne Neylon

One of the restrictions the Government and the health authorities placed on Churches was, not allowing the assembly to attend daily celebration of the Eucharist. Hence, Mass takes place each day on webcam and people attend virtually. This is a cause of great upset to many people. Others see this restriction is in the best interest of safety. However, this does not deter God’s faithful from praying or from taking more time to reflect on the Liturgy of the Word.

Parish churches for the most part are open after Mass for private prayer. Many people go there daily to pray, while many pray at home. They light a candle at one shrine or another, sit quietly praying, and remain attentive to God. Some sit and allow God to gaze on them. The fruit of this quiet prayer is a sense of peace and one’s response can only be one of gratitude.

Today, the reading proclaimed at Mass is from the prophet Daniel (Dan 3: 25, 34-43). It is a great model for prayer. Azariah with his three friends is condemned to death and he is in great distress. He stands before God knowing his great need. He pleads with God asking him ‘not to abandon us forever… and not to withdraw favour from us.’  Azariah recalls the covenant God made with his people. He tells God why he feels abandoned because ‘we have at this time no leader, no prophet, no prince…no place where we can offer first fruits and win your favour.’ Azariah offers a contrite heart to the Lord. He then prays that it might be God’s will that they follow him wholeheartedly. Azariah recognises the importance of trust in God. He identifies God as gentle and compassionate and asks that God might ‘treat us gentle, as you yourself are gentle and very merciful.’

Just as God is gentle and merciful, he also desires that we would treat one another gently and with mercy.

The Gospel proclaimed today (The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Mt 18:21-35) calls God’s people to forgive others if they have offended them, just as God forgives us. Each time the faithful pray the Our Father they say, ‘forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.’ In this Gospel, we reflect on the reaction of the king to the servant who failed to forgive.  In this parable, Jesus tells us that he will treat us in the same way as the king treated the unforgiving servant if we do not forgive those who offend us.

During this Lenten season, God asks us to turn away from sin and love with all our hearts. The way we do this is through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. God will give us the courage to forgive. We can pray the Prayer for Forgiveness.

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of St Frances of Rome. She is buried in the Church of Santa Maria in Rome. Every year in Rome outside the church police cars, buses, ambulances and cars assemble to receive the blessing of St Frances. She is the patron saints of motorists. Frances lived in the 15^th century when there were no cars but she had great devotion to her guardian angel.

Frances suffered greatly in her life. Her entire family died in a civil war. She strongly and faithfully believed that her guardian angel was always at her side.  After her family died, she spent her life helping people who lived in poverty. She opened her house as a makeshift hospital and a shelter for people who were homeless.  She established a Christian community of women to help her. Before her husband Lorenzo died, his last words to Frances were, ‘I feel as if my whole life has been one beautiful dream of purest happiness. God has given me so much in your love.’

VERITAS publications offers free online resources to support the themes and lessons on Forgiveness and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. These include the Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé e-books. The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Mt 18:21-35) and accompanying resources are in the Sixth Class/P8  Grow in Love/ I nGrá Dé programme (Theme 3 Lesson 2). Access available at;

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INVITATION

READ

• From the Bible or from Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé e-book read the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Mt 18:21-35)

PRAY

• Pray the Prayer for Forgiveness/Prayer after Forgiveness
• Pray to the Guardian Angel/ Paidir chuig an Aingeal Coimhdeachta
• St Frances of Rome, pray for us.

THINK

• If someone hurts your feelings, how would you like that person to show they were sorry?
• If you hurt someone’s feelings and you wanted to show you are sorry what would you do?

DO

• Find out some facts about St Frances of Rome.

Sr Anne Neylon

Have you noticed that during the pandemic the Governments and health authorities asked citizens internationally to take very simple measures to stay safe? What advice did people receive?  It was simply to wash hands, maintain a social distance, wear a mask, and stay within a restricted boundary. People discovered that simple rules were difficult to keep. Money cannot buy medicine to heal Covid-19. Thank God, with the work of the scientists and research, the world is procuring vaccines. The challenge is to ensure that there is an equal distribution of vaccines among all countries.

Today’s reading from 2 Kings 5, proclaims the healing of Naaman’s leprosy.  Naaman, a Syrian, and army commander of the King of Aram had a disease called leprosy.  He had a servant who was in a position to help. She suggested that Naaman go to the prophet in Samaria and he would cure his leprosy. Naaman told the King of Aram what the young girl said and the king told him to go to the prophet. Naaman set out and brought many expensive gifts with him to pay for his healing. The king read the letter Naaman brought and he was indignant. He said, ‘I am not God to give life or death.’  Elisha, the prophet knew that the king was distressed and he sent a message to him. Elisha then sent a message to tell Naaman to go to the river Jordan and wash seven times and he promised healing for him. Naaman was angry because of the simple thing the prophet asked him to do.  His servants challenged him. Nevertheless, Naaman went down and bathed himself in the river as Elisha ordered. Healing took place. At this, Naaman realised that there was no other God anywhere in the world but in Israel.

There is much to learn from this reading today. Notice that Naaman received no great privileges or special attention.  Naaman expected some great gesture of cleansing. All he did was simply have the water flow through his skin. Naaman’s healing is a gift. There was no need to bring presents to the king. The Lord gives as he wills.  All God asks is that we appreciate his love and mercy. In this Scripture passage there is a reminder of baptism, in the flowing of water, which heals the baptised person from original sin.

Baptism is part of the preparation for Easter because it is then that we renew our Baptismal promises and our Baptismal call. Catholics do that each year at the Easter Vigil. Confirmation candidates also renew their Baptismal promises when receiving the sacrament of Confirmation. The Baptismal promises take the form of question and answer. In saying the promises, we renew and refresh our belief in God. The catechumens prepare also for Baptism.

Today we celebrate International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate the achievements of women and raise awareness about gender equality. Today we pray for all people, men and women that they will respect the dignity of one another. We pray that all people will adhere to the Declaration of Human Rights so to build a world of justice, love and compassion.  We remember Mary, Mother of God who models gratitude to God in praising God for the great things God did for her. We pray for those who work to raise the dignity of others daily.

Today, the Church celebrates the memorials of St John of God and St Senan.

VERITAS publications provide online resources for the theme of Baptism. These and the Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé e-books are available free of charge on the Grow in Love/ I nGrá Dé website.

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INVITATION

READ

• From your Bible read the story ‘Naaman healed of leprosy’ (2Kings 5:1-15)
• Can you find the story in the New Testament of where Jesus cleansed the 10 lepers?
• From your Bible or your Grow in Love /I nGrá Dé e-book, read the story of Jesus’ Baptism (Matt 3.13-17. Mark 1.9-11. Luke 3.21-22).

FIND OUT

• Find out some facts about St John of God, who devoted his life to the poor and the sick. Find out about St Senan, an Irish saint who was born near Kilrush, Co Clare.

THINK

• Which rules do you find most difficult to keep during the pandemic?
• Think about the great things that God did for Mary, his Mother
• Why is it important to celebrate International Women’s Day?

CHAT AND VISIT

• Chat to your family about the experience of your Baptism. If you were baptised in your parish Church, your family might like to visit the Church, see the baptismal font, bless themselves and say a prayer of thanks to God.

PRAY

• The Apostles’ Creed/ Cré na nAspal
• Hail Mary/ ‘Sé do bheatha a Mhuire
• The Magnificat
• St John of God, pray for us
• St Senan, Pray for us.

Sr Anne Neylon

Two words in popular culture are ‘jealousy’ and ‘envy’. Behaviour out of envy or jealousy, if not corrected can leave devastating scars on human relationships. It is natural for people to feel envious and jealous from time to time. However, it is not the feeling of jealousy or envy that causes harm but a person’s behaviour as a result of feeling such. There is a difference between envy and jealousy.  An envious person wants something that someone else possesses. Jealousy relates to feelings in human relationships. Envy relates to someone’s achievement or possessions. Some feelings associated with jealousy and envy include resentment, feeling threatened, desire for revenge and possession, suspicion or anger. Today’s Scripture deals with envy.

Films and books sometimes reveal characters who are envious or jealous. Can you think of any?

We need to acknowledge envy and jealousy in our daily lives and learn how to deal appropriately with them. Let us always be thankful for what we have ourselves, be satisfied, and acknowledge the unique giftedness of other people.

The reading proclaimed at Mass today (Gen 37:3-4, 12-13, 17-28) reveals how envious Joseph’s brothers were of him. Joseph’s Dad had a special coat made for him with long sleeves. The brothers hated Joseph because their Dad loved Joseph more than them. They were envious of him.  They made a plot to kill Joseph. One of the brothers Reuben tried to save him from the violent brothers who wanted to kill him. The brothers listened to Reuben, as far as there was no blood shed. However, they seized Joseph, took off his coat and threw him into an empty well. They decided not to kill Joseph but sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver pieces. They took Joseph to Egypt.  The brothers acted out of their envy by plotting to kill Joseph.

The Gospel (Mt 21:33-43. 45-46) proclaims a parable that Jesus told the chief priests and the elders of the people. He told them how the envious nature of the tenants caused them to kill the landowner’s son so they could seize his inheritance. When Jesus told this parable, the chief priests and scribes wanted to kill him. Jesus knew this is what they wanted to do with him. However, they were afraid because the crowds who were in their midst, knew that Jesus was a prophet.

Both these stories relate to Jesus’ life. Jesus’ enemies sold him for a few pieces of silver and sent him to his death. God’s people reflect on Jesus’ imminent death during the Lenten season as they prepare for the events of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.

How can a person deal with jealousy or envy? A person can reflect on their own gifts and talents and say thanks to God for them. They can pray with gratitude like Mary, Mother of God for the good things that God gives them. God is generous and loves each person unconditionally. The psalmist advises God’s people to trust always in God. Throughout the Bible, we read about many people who placed their trust in God. Can you think of any of those people?

When we act from an envious or jealous nature, we can pray to God and ask God’s mercy. Then we can say sorry for hurting feelings, show kindness to others and ourselves. We can also forgive those who hurt us.

Today the Church celebrates the feast of St Kieran. He was born in Cape Clear, Co Cork. He travelled to the Continent where he received the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Orders. He returned to his father’s territory in Ossory, where he lived as a hermit. Later some disciples joined him and Saigir became a well-known monastery.

VERITAS publications provide free online resources linked with these themes of gratitude and trust.  Stories, prayers and psalms are available in the Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé e-book.

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INVITATION

PRAY

• Our Father/An Phaidir
• Lamb of God/A Uain Dé
• A Thiarna, déan trócaire. A Chríost déan trócaire.
• Pray to St Kieran by saying, St Kieran, pray for us.

READ

• From your Bible you can read verses from the story of Joseph in Genesis (Gen 37: 3-4, 12-13, 17-28).
• The Parable of the Tenants (Mt 21: 33-43, 45-46).

DO

• Today you might watch the musical ‘Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat.’
• Talk to someone in your family today about things for which you are thankful.

Sr Anne Neylon

The Trócaire Lenten Campaign 2021 focuses on two families displaced by war in Sudan. This is not the only place where such atrocities are currently happening internationally.  War brings violence and poverty. War infringes on the human rights of people and Trócaire describes the situation of these displaced families, ‘Years of war have nearly taken everything from their families and it’s not just.’

Awut recalls the painful trek to escape terrible violence in South Sudan. She said, ‘The experience was horrible. My children’s feet were swollen and we were weak with exhaustion. We were fleeing for our lives.’

Can anyone imagine how a mother feels when her children are subject to such suffering? However, though there is tremendous suffering, there is light at the end of the tunnel. People in their own suffering compassionately share the burdens of others, bringing hope and relief to the situation.

The reading proclaimed at Mass today from the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 18:18-20) tells how his enemies tried to ‘concoct a plot against him.’ They did not like Jeremiah because he was a prophet and when he spoke on behalf of God, they refused to listen. The people did not like what they heard. Jeremiah was faithful to God and God’s message. Jeremiah knew they wanted to destroy him and were ‘digging a pit for me.’ Jeremiah appeals to God, asking God to remember how he had pleaded on their behalf. He wanted God to save the people.

Hence, Psalm 30: 17 proclaims at Mass ‘Save me in your love, O Lord.’ This prayer reminds God’s people that salvation comes from God alone. The psalmist wants release from the ‘snares they have hidden’ and he turns to God for refuge. He knows that God will redeem him. The psalmist is afraid of the crowd who slander him and plot against him to kill him. Nevertheless, the psalmist trusts in God. He knows that God will deliver him from evil.

These readings prepare God’s people for Holy Week when we recall the passion and death of Jesus. Jesus knew he had to undergo suffering and death before God raised him to new life in the Resurrection. Jesus knew he was also facing a murderous conspiracy.

The Gospel (Mt 20: 17-28) proclaims the mother of Zebedee’s sons looking for a special place for her sons in heaven; one to sit at the right hand of Jesus in heaven and one to sit at his left hand. Jesus told her he could not do that for her or for them. He explained that anyone who wants such security in heaven must do the Father’s will while on earth, That meant they had to follow Jesus’ teaching on love and reach out in love to their neighbours. God sent Jesus to earth to lead a mission of service. His followers must do the same. Jesus served others by sharing the Good News, by forgiving sins, by feeding the hungry and by healing the sick. Eventually, he saved all the people forever by dying on the cross.  Disciples today continue to serve as Jesus did and live in the hope of eternal life with God.

During the Lenten season in the light of the Word of God, we reflect on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Discipleship invites us to take up our cross each day and face suffering as Jeremiah and Jesus did. Doing that, God assures the faithful that Jesus by his passion, death, and resurrection brought life, truth and love. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus is the Light of the world.

VERITAS publications provides free online resources for the theme of Lent on the Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé website including the Children’s e-book in English and Irish. The current Lenten resources are available on the Trócaire website.

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INVITATION

PRAY

• Pray Hail Mary/ Sé do bheatha a Mhuire
• Lord have mercy/ A Thiarna déan trócaire

Christ have mercy/ A Chríost, déan trócaire

• A Uain Dé a thógann peacaí an domhain, déan trócaire orainn…

READ

• Read the stories of the families of Awut and Ajax on the Trócaire box. Where did light come for the families in their suffering?
• Find out where Ethiopia is on the map of Africa. Read about the war situation in that country also. Where is the light for the people of Ethiopia? How can we bring light to suffering?
• In your Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé book you might like to read the lesson on Lent.

DO

• Follow your Trócaire Lenten 2021 Calendar and you can choose to do as it says, ‘Phone a friend or relative and drop a coin in the Trócaire box for them.’
• Is there anyone you can help in your home today?

THINK

• Think about your Lenten promise. Is it easy to keep the promise you made? What makes it easy to keep a promise?

Sr Anne Neylon

To recognise and notice the beauty of nature is to experience the goodness and the generosity of God. In nature, we celebrate the power and love of God.  God gave the gift of life to all he created. God made humankind in his image and likeness but ‘that should not make us overlook the fact that each creature has its own purpose.’ Pope Francis writes in Laudato Si’ that ‘soil, water, mountains; everything is, as it were is a caress of God.’ (LS no. 84). Through the centuries, Church leaders and saints namely, the Canadian bishops, St John Paul II, the Japanese bishops, St Thomas Aquinas, St Brigid, St Catherine of Siena, St Francis of Assisi, the mystics and others praised the beauty of creation.

Today, many people praise the beauty of the natural world and want to maintain its beauty while others are reckless about the environment making it into a throwaway culture; dumping, polluting and disturbing the climatic system with devastating effects. During the Lenten season, we read the stories of Ajuk and Awut to understand what happens such peoples’ lives when human beings live selfishly and indiscriminately. We also see what happens when people show compassion and love.  Greta Thunberg is an advocate for climate justice and protection of the planet.

The Church celebrates the memorial of St David today. He is the patron saint of Wales where he lived as abbot and bishop in the sixth century. Many of the pupils David taught in Ireland became saints. He influenced monastic development here and he died around 601.

The Word proclaimed today at Mass comes from the prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:4-10). Daniel sees the beauty and generous love of God. Daniel praises God for keeping the covenant he made with humankind and praises God’s kindness for those who love God and keep the commandments. He contrasts that with the wickedness and betrayal of others. Daniel takes on himself the community aspect of sin, which is why some members of the community bear the look of shame. However, Daniel recognises to God alone belong ‘mercy and pardon.’ God wants to forgive everyone.  God calls Christians to take on the guilt and shame of the sin of the world. God’s people drifted from God’s call to love. During Lent God seeks our repentance. Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins. He took on our guilt and shame. He is our Redeemer.

Psalm78 with its response from Psalm 102:10, proclaims the psalmist asking on the people’s behalf, ‘Do not treat us according to our sins, O Lord.’ The psalmist asks for compassion and forgiveness and promises to ‘give thanks to God forever and ever.’

Compassion is the key word proclaimed in the Gospel (Lk 6:36-38). Jesus asked the disciples to ‘be compassionate as your Father is compassionate.’ Jesus loves unconditionally and shows compassion always. We readily see this in the story of the Good Shepherd and in the miracles he worked- the feeding of the multitudes, the healing of people who were blind, deaf and lame and the people whose sins he forgave. Jesus also teaches the disciples not to judge or condemn others but to forgive and be generous. Jesus taught by words and example. The Holy Spirit teaches disciples to follow Jesus’ way of love.

God’s people learn lessons from the readings today about love and respect, about playing their part in accepting the sin and shame of the world, about keeping the commandments and about repentance.

These themes of love and respect for God and his creation and the mission of discipleship are woven through the Grow in Love /I nGrá Dé Religious Education programme for Catholic primary schools. VERITAS publications gives free access to the online resources including the Children’s Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé e-book to support the themes and lessons.

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INVITATION

READ

• Read Psalm 148 from your Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé e-book or your Bible and think about how every created thing can give praise and thanks to God
• Read the story of David and Goliath from your Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé e-book or from your Bible
• From your Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé e-book, read Mary’s prayer of thanks to God in her Magnificat
• Read the story of the family on the Trócaire box. If you haven’t got a trócaire box you can collect one in the Church

REFLECT AND PRAY

• What is similar between your family life and Ajax and Awut’s family life?
• How might all citizens help Trócaire in its work?
• What is your favourite prayer?
• Invite your family to pray the Our Father/An Phaidir
• St David, pray for us.

FIND

• Find the country of Sudan in the continent of Africa. Do you recognise any other countries in Africa? Do you know anyone who has relatives living in Africa?
• Find yourself doing one compassionate act today. Compassion is more than kindness. A person is compassionate when he/she feels in their heart the sadness and pain of people and then reaches out to help them
• Find out about Greta Thunberg’s work for climate change and climate justice in your Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé e-book

Sr Anne Neylon

In these days of pandemic in whom do the people of the world have confidence? In what do they trust? Obviously, they trust in the scientists, the medical teams, the people who care for them when they are sick, and the government and authorities.  Ultimately, people believe that when the vaccine comes, all will be well. Then people visualise ‘getting back to normal.’ Of late, this phrase changes to ‘the new normal.’ One thing is sure; there is no going back.

In her situation, Queen Esther put her total confidence in God. She ‘took refuge with the Lord.’

The first reading proclaimed at Mass today (Esther 4:17) shows Queen Esther’s practicality to do what was right. However, above all, she had complete trust and confidence in God. There is something real and heartfelt about her prayer to God. She is not putting on a show or showing pretence. There is nothing fake about her. When Esther prayed, she poured her whole heart into her prayer. She recognised her aloneness before God. She said, ‘come to my help, for I am alone.’ Esther was true to herself. She was truly dependent on God, ‘I am alone and have no helper but you.’ Queen Esther trusted God from her ‘earliest years’ and understood that her ancestors trusted God’s goodness and saving help. In her prayer, Esther knows what she needs. She asks for ‘courage’ to face the challenge that lies ahead of her.

Queen Esther’s prayer is a great model for prayer.  God understands Esther’s prayer and God understands our prayer. God accepts that at times when we come to pray we are distracted, confused, absent, tired and disinterested. At other times, we are alert, content and fully aware of God’s presence.  Whatever way we come to God ‘we come as we are’ knowing, believing and trusting that God loves us unconditionally.

The Psalm proclaimed at Mass (Psalm 137) proclaims the gratitude of the psalmist. The psalmist says, ‘I thank you Lord, with all my heart.’ Again, he has complete trust in God. He is confident of ‘his faithfulness and love’ and all that entails. This brings a sense of joy and assurance to God’s people as they take time to reflect. To say thank you is a very important part of prayer.

The Gospel (Mt 7:7-12) also assures the faithful of God’s steadfastness. Jesus taught the disciples to pray, asking, searching and knocking on the door. God knows all we need even if we do not know ourselves. When we pray we talk to God. We thank God, we ask him for what we need, we say sorry and we tell him that we love him. God listens to our prayers and knows what is best for us.  We believe that when we say, ‘I believe in God.’

There is great hope expressed in the readings today.  So in addition to the hope we put into receiving the vaccine and the further research of the scientists to eradicate the Covid-19, let us firstly place our trust in God. We also can ask Mary, Mother of God to intercede for us with God. Mary wants to do this for us but we must ask her. Mary had great confidence in God. She thanked God in her Magnificat prayer for his goodness to her.

Prayer is an integral part of the Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé Religious Education programme for Catholic primary schools. VERITAS publications grants free access to all their resources. There are a vast amount of resources available on the theme of prayer including all the formal prayers and the Prayers of the Mass in the Children’s Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé e-book.

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INVITATION

PRAY

• Our Father/ An Phaidir
• Hail Mary/ Sé do bheatha a Mhuire
• The Magnificat

CHAT

• Chat to a member of you family about praying to God. Chat in your own words or say a prayer together. Is there anything for which your family would like to say thanks?

TASK

• Have you a favourite prayer to say? Write it on a sheet of paper and decorate it. Display it in your home where members of your family can see it.

WATCH

• You might like to give thanks to God by watching Mass on the webcam today from your parish or from any other parish throughout the world.

Sr Anne Neylon