St Kevin, abbot,<\/p>\n
\u2018Let us adore the Lord, for it is he who made us.\u2019(Invitatory antiphon)<\/p>\n
Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St Kevin. One can only imagine what it must be like this morning in this hallowed place of Glendalough.\u00a0 God is alive in the beauty of nature, bird-song, the sun, the mist and rain, scent of summer flowers and hedgerows, the colour, the stirring of so much life; all reflected in the memory of St Kevin and those who lived in early Christian Ireland.\u00a0 These are all signs of hope and the living God.<\/p>\n
Today, the Church remembers St Kevin as a hermit who came from Kilnamanagh, to settle in Glendalough (the Glen of Two Lakes), Co Wicklow. This is a renowned place of retreat and a huge tourist attraction as well as a place of pilgrimage. From earliest times people began to flock to Glendalough to see where Kevin lived. Being a hermit, each day Kevin went to and fro to the face of a cliff high above the Upper Lake, pulling his rope ladder up behind him so he wouldn\u2019t be disturbed. Today, this is called St Kevin\u2019s bed.<\/p>\n
Many young men wanted to live like Kevin so he built a large hut where he prayed with the men. In time this building became a monastery, and included a school, a chapel and a house for people who were sick. The place grew so crowded that Kevin settled twelve miles away in a place called Cnoc Rua.<\/p>\n
During the Viking era, AD 800 to 1000, a round tower was built in the monastery grounds as a protection for the people against raids on the community.<\/p>\n
In Ireland as part of our sacred tradition, pilgrimages hold a significant place.\u00a0 Pilgrims annually visit St Kevin\u2019s, Glendalough, the Marian Shrine at Knock, St Patrick\u2019s Purgatory, Lough Derg. There are also pilgrimages to local wells, shrines and other sacred places where pilgrims seek silence to pray and reflect.<\/p>\n
This year, because of Covid-19, many pilgrimages to these places are cancelled. However, with technological advances, creativity and the determination of organisers, it has been possible to organise virtual pilgrimages. One such virtual pilgrimage is to Lough Derg, Sanctuary of St Patrick, Co Donegal. Pilgrims are invited to participate from 27-29 June, 2020 in a virtual pilgrimage \u2018from wherever they are\u2019. They will be accompanied on pilgrimage by the Prior and members of the Lough Derg Pastoral team. Details are available on the website.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s readings (2 Tim 1:1-3) and the Gospel (Mk 12:18-27), will be proclaimed via the webcam or may be read in the New Testament.<\/p>\n
In the reading from Paul to Timothy (2 Tim 1:1-3), we hear St Paul\u2019s words to Timothy, \u2018I invite you to fan into a flame the gift of God you have received.\u2019 This is how St Kevin responded to God\u2019s call\u00a0 as he accepted God’s gift to fan the flame of faith and prayer in his life which lives on in Glendalough.<\/p>\n
In the Gospel on this occasion the Sadducees, came to Jesus to challenge him about the resurrection. They did not believe in life after death.\u00a0 The resurrection, Jesus explained, points not something a person lives after death but \u2018a transformation and raising up of our whole person\u2019 after he\/she dies. This is God\u2019s work. It is impossible for us to understand or perceive the \u2018new heavens and the new earth\u2019 as recorded in Sacred Scripture (Is 65:17; Rev 21:1-4).<\/p>\n
When he speaks to the Sadducees, Jesus recalls the story of Moses and the event at the burning bush. God revealed Godself there as God of the living, not of the dead.<\/p>\n
ST KEVIN AND THE GROW AND LOVE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAMME FOR CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS<\/p>\n
Children through the Grow in Love programme and in their history, are introduced to life in early Christian Ireland. They explore the strong sense of the natural world to be a source of revelation of the power and beauty of God as Creator. Through praying Psalms 104 and 148, they come to praise and lovingly thank God for the world in which they live. God’s work of Creation continues and God’s people are co-creators with God.<\/p>\n
Children grow in awareness and gratitude of the gifts and talents that God gives them. Therefore, they are encouraged by the words of St Paul, \u2018to fan into a flame the gift of God.\u2019<\/p>\n
Children will also be familiar with the story of Moses at the burning bush where God revealed Godself to him (Ex 3:1-6). God called Moses and told him not to come near and to take off his shoes for he was standing on holy ground.\u00a0 God said, \u2018I Am who Am\u2019.<\/p>\n
From the life of St Kevin the children explore the simplicity of a hermit’s life and how he prayed and praised God for the beauty of the work of his Creation. God called St Kevin to this way of life and Kevin responded faithfully in love.\u00a0 Children explore life in a monastery and spending life outdoors.<\/p>\n
A lesson on St Kevin is available with accompanying resources\u00a0 in Grow in Love, Third Class\/ P5 to help the children understand the stories, legends, the environment and life of St Kevin. Check out the website for the e-book, the poster and\u00a0 icon of St Kevin, the videos and also helpful resources for adults. This content of this lesson can be integrated with Laudato Si’.<\/p>\n
Logon: www.veritas.ie<\/p>\n
Email: trial@growinlove.ie<\/p>\n
Password: growinlove<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
INVITATION TO:<\/p>\n
READ from Grow in Love \/I nGr\u00e1 D\u00e9<\/p>\n
\u2018God Calls Moses\u2019 (Ex 3:1-16)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
SING from Grow in Love: \u2018Celtic Blessing\u2019, \u2018When Creation was Begun\u2019, \u2018A Mhuire Mh\u00e1thair\u2019, \u2018Christ Be beside Me\u2019, \u2018Use What You\u2019re Given\u2019, \u2018Take off your Shoes\u2019., ‘Care for the Earth’.<\/p>\n
Pray from Grow in Love\/I nGr\u00e1 D\u00e9<\/p>\n
SIGN OF THE CROSS<\/p>\n
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.<\/p>\n
COMHARTHA NA CROISE<\/p>\n
In ainm an Athar, agus an Mhic agus an Spioraid Naoimh. \u00c1im\u00e9an.<\/p>\n
GL\u00d3IR DON ATHAIR<\/p>\n
Gl\u00f3ir don Athair,<\/p>\n
Agus don Mhac,<\/p>\n
Agus don Spiorad Naomh,<\/p>\n
Mar abh\u00ed \u00f3 th\u00fas,<\/p>\n
Mar at\u00e1 anois<\/p>\n
Agus mar a bh\u00e9as go br\u00e1ch,<\/p>\n
Le saol na saol. \u00c1im\u00e9an.<\/p>\n
L\u00daIREACH PH\u00c1DRAIG<\/p>\n
Cr\u00edost liom.<\/p>\n
Cr\u00edost romham.<\/p>\n
Cr\u00edost I mo dhiaidh.<\/p>\n
Cr\u00edost ionam.<\/p>\n
Cr\u00edost ar mo l\u00e1mh dheas.<\/p>\n
Cr\u00edost ar mo l\u00e1mh chl\u00e9.<\/p>\n
Cr\u00edost I mo chuideachta is cuma c\u00e1 dt\u00e9im.<\/p>\n
Cr\u00edost mar chara agam, anois go buan. \u00c1im\u00e9an.<\/p>\n
\u2018Show us your mercy, O Lord; remember your holy covenant.\u2019(Benedictus antiphon).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u2018The Almighty has done great things for me; holy is his name.\u2019 (Magnificat antiphon).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u2018To you I lift up my eyes, to you whose throne is in heaven.\u2019(Psalm 122:1).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u2018Popular piety enables us to see how the faith, once received, becomes embodied in a culture and is constantly passed on\u2026\u00a0 In the Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, Pope Paul VI gave a decisive impulse in this area\u2026 he stated that popular piety \u201cmanifests a thirst for God which only the poor and the simple can know\u201d and that \u201cit makes people capable of generosity and sacrifice even to the point of heroism, when it is a question of bearing witness to belief\u201d (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 123).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
St Kevin, pray for us.<\/p>\n
Sr Anne Neylon<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
St Kevin, abbot, \u2018Let us adore the Lord, for it is he who made us.\u2019(Invitatory antiphon) Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St Kevin. One can only imagine what it must be like this morning in this hallowed place of Glendalough.\u00a0 God is alive in the beauty of nature, bird-song, the sun, the mist […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5220\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.growinlove.ie\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}