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Praying Together 15th March 2026

Praying Together 15th March 2026

by | Mar 14, 2026 | Pray Together, St Patrick's Church Kenmare News

So the commandment is a challenge. To love those who betray you. Those who jeer. Those who wield the whips embedded with flint, hammer in the nails, pierce your side.

Mothering Sunday 2026

Collect

Heavenly Father, you chose the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of our Lord, your only begotten Son, and to suffer with him. Help us too to bear the cross so that we may share with her in your life for ever. This we ask through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Luke 2:25 – 35

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother marvelled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Reflection

…the consolation of Israel…

There are several annoying pieces of advice that have been around for centuries when people are looking for help and reassurance. ‘It’s always darkest just before dawn’ ‘it is what it is’. The technological version of helpful (not) suggestions is ‘Try switching it off and on again’.

Having said which, sometimes a complete reset is indeed the only option.

Since the beginning of time, God has given Israel plenty of opportunity to turn away from sin and obey His Commandments. They don’t; they follow their own way. And every time, disaster follows.

An impatient god would get sick of being ignored and leave humanity to it. The true God who created us isn’t about to do that – He loves His creation too much. He resorts to the only option that can work – the total reset that allows the world to start again. He sends His only Son to be the ‘consolation’ of Israel.

“Consolation” in this context refers to comfort or solace, pointing to the long-awaited hope of deliverance and restoration, rooted in the promises of the Hebrew Scriptures. This hope identified a person (the Messiah) who would bring redemption to Israel and, ultimately, to the world.

Isaiah spoke about it and prophesied.

40:1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.

Unfortunately, no-one listened. They refused to believe, relying on strict (and impossible) adherence to the Law for their salvation. Prophets came and went with the same outcome, but you have to wonder whether the Jewish authorities actually wanted a Messiah at all. They worried about the risk of not being able to use the Law as leverage to exert their power as judge and jury over the people.

They denied the voice of the Holy Spirit by failing to trust those prophesies; but ordinary people like Anna and Simeon heard and believed.

Simeon, though, didn’t just hear about the Messiah being incarnate in the child – he also knew that the child’s destiny would involve pain and suffering in order to fulfil His mission. And Mary knew too. The consolation of Israel – of the world – would cost her the life of her child. And that gives additional meaning to the song in Luke’s Gospel we know as the Magnificat and Mary’s acceptance of her role. ‘Let it be to me according to Thy Word’

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Praying Together 8th March 2026

Praying Together 8th March 2026

by | Mar 7, 2026 | Pray Together, St Patrick's Church Kenmare News

So the commandment is a challenge. To love those who betray you. Those who jeer. Those who wield the whips embedded with flint, hammer in the nails, pierce your side.

Lent 3 2026

Collect

Merciful Lord, Grant your people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil and with pure hearts and minds to follow you, the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing that you have made and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may receive from you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 4: 5-30

5So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.

7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’. 8(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) 9The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)* 10Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ 11The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’ 13Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ 15The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’

16 Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come back.’ 17The woman answered him, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are right in saying, “I have no husband”; 18for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!’ 19The woman said to him, ‘Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you* say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.’ 21Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ 25The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.’ 26Jesus said to her, ‘I am he,* the one who is speaking to you.’ the one who is speaking to you.’

27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said,  ‘Why are you speaking with her?’ 28Then the woman left her water-jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?’ 30They left the city and were on their way to him.

Reflection

We probably know the story of the Samaritan woman at the well – it’s a favourite text when we talk about people meeting Jesus. But like many familiar stories we can easily miss some of the detail that adds to its significance.

v.6 Jesus, tired out by his journey. Jesus is fully human. He gets tired and thirsty on the road, and the sun is at its hottest when He stops to rest and get a drink of water

v.7 A Samaritan. There was a religious dispute between the Samaritans and the Jews going back centuries causing antagonism and sectarian division. They share the Pentateuch but not the later prophets. They simply would try to ignore each other

v.7 Jesus said to her. Never mind that relations between Jews and Samaritans were frosty at best, Jewish men did not consider even Jewish women in any way as equal or worthy of conversation, certainly not a heretic

v.10 ‘If you knew the gift of God’ Because of their different religious ideas, a Jewish man would consider Samaritans to be heathen and excluded from God’s covenant relationship with Jews

v.11 you have no bucket. The woman is thinking rationally in worldly terms

v.13 Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, Jesus is talking in spiritual terms – a different rationality altogether

v.14 the water that I will give them Jesus doesn’t suggest His gift is exclusive – the water is available to all who desire it

v.14 a spring of water … eternal life.’ He refers to the inclusive cleansing act of salvation

v.17,18  …you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. A Samaritan woman living in an extramarital relationship, perhaps even bigamously with others

v.26 Jesus said to her, ‘I am He. The Christ, in whom even Samaritans believe

v.27 the disciples came…. but no one said, ‘Why are you speaking with her?’ The disciples are used to Jesus behaving unconventionally, but this transaction renders them speechless

v.28,30 the people… left the city and were on their way to him. And this, for me, is the most important lesson from the scriptural story. Jesus will accept all who come to Him without prejudice. He chooses the most unlikely messengers to proclaim His coming as the Messiah. People hear them and their message and they come to Him.

And in turn, we are challenged to become messengers ourselves, however unsuitable or ill-equipped we might feel.

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Praying Together 22nd February 2026

Praying Together 22nd February 2026

by | Feb 22, 2026 | Pray Together, St Patrick's Church Kenmare News

So the commandment is a challenge. To love those who betray you. Those who jeer. Those who wield the whips embedded with flint, hammer in the nails, pierce your side.

Lent 1 2026

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing that you have made and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may receive from you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Genesis 2: 15-17, 3: 1-7

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’

3Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God say, “You shall not eat from any tree in the garden”?’ 2The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.” ’ 4But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not die; 5for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,* knowing good and evil.’ 6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

Reflection

If God didn’t want them to eat from the tree of Knowledge of good and evil, why did He put it there in the first place?

Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Good questions. In fact, the same question and the same answer. We recognise the qualities of things in terms of opposites. Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. A fierce Tyger and a meek and gentle lamb. Safe things and dangerous things. War and Peace. Why does a loving God allow the possibility of evil? Why not make sure everything is nice and safe all the time?

The answer is that He had to. If we are to appreciate the gentleness of a lamb, we need to know its opposite. If we are to understand what safety is, we need also to experience the possibility of danger. Peace means nothing if war doesn’t exist. If we are to know freedom, we need to know imprisonment. So, if there is to be ‘good’, the existence of ‘evil’ is inevitable.

If we don’t have the ability to choose between the two, we are just puppets with no free will, living in a Utopia we aren’t even aware of. God wants us to be human, with all that humanity entails, good and bad. And that means, painful as it was, He had to let Eve and Adam have the opportunity to decide. In a sense, the serpent was an instrument of God’s intention.

Eve and Adam chose to leave the Garden. They could have stayed. The serpent didn’t force them out – they were simply faced with having to make a moral decision, and they got it wrong. But at least they had that choice.

The ability to choose was a gift. But when they ate the poisoned fruit of human evil, God wasn’t about to desert them. His love extended to a second gift – forgiveness and redemption. It cost Him Himself, on the Cross. When we make choices, let His passion be our guide

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Praying Together 15th February 2026

Praying Together 15th February 2026

by | Feb 14, 2026 | Pray Together, St Patrick's Church Kenmare News

So the commandment is a challenge. To love those who betray you. Those who jeer. Those who wield the whips embedded with flint, hammer in the nails, pierce your side.

Sunday before Lent

Collect

Almighty Father, whose Son was revealed in majesty before he suffered death upon the cross: Give us grace to perceive his glory, that we may be strengthened to suffer with him and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory; who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Matthew 17: 1-9

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.

3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Reflection

Two transfigurations?

The gospel story of the Transfiguration in Matthew 17 provides many opportunities for exposition.

17:2 has parallels with Exodus 34:29, when Moses returns from talking with the Lord, his face radiant with the light he has seen with his own eyes – God’s real presence becoming visible.

In 17:3, we could discuss the link between Old and New Testaments – the fulfilment of the Law given to Moses, and the promise of a Redeemer as prophesised by Elijah, being filled by the Messiah.

In 17:4, Peter’s all too human response is a request for permanence, a desire to hold on to the Mountaintop experience for ever.

In 17:5&6, God commands an acceptance of Jesus’ authority with such power that the disciples are terrified.

17:7 records Jesus’ encouragement that they should not be afraid but inspired them and reassures them to be fearless in the events that are to happen – that His power will overcome the world.

In 17:8, short as the experience might be, it will be burnt into their memory and they too will carry the reflected light with them in their future ministries.

In later years Paul will describe his own personal experience of meeting Christ in 2 Corinthians 3:18 – And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory

In all of this, the Transfiguration – when Jesus the human is recognised as divine – is often described as the meeting place of the temporal and the eternal. But let me suggest that our interpretation of this massive, life shattering meeting might sometimes get it the wrong way round.

Perhaps the Mountaintop Transfiguration – the metamorphosis, the change – is actually in the believer’s eyes as, for the first time, they see the changeless Jesus as he is, was before the world was made, and will be when the New Jerusalem descends; His Earthly Transfiguration having happened at the moment of incarnation, when the divine became a human being.

Malachi 3:8 – He changeth not. Rather, it is in our belief that we, with unveiled faces, are changed forever. Perhaps, when we pray, we need to remember it is the Jesus on the Mountain to whom we address our prayers, the one whose face shines like the sun and transfigures our faces as we radiate in His light.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (Church Online) – Hillsong Worship

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Praying Together February 8th 2026

Praying Together February 8th 2026

by | Feb 8, 2026 | Pray Together, St Patrick's Church Kenmare News

So the commandment is a challenge. To love those who betray you. Those who jeer. Those who wield the whips embedded with flint, hammer in the nails, pierce your side.

The Second Sunday before Lent

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow…

Collect

Almighty God,
you have created the heavens and the earth and made us in your own image:

Teach us to discern your hand in all your works and your likeness in all your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit
reigns supreme over all things, now and for ever.

Corinthians 4: 1-12

Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries.

Moreover, it is required of stewards that they should be found trustworthy. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.

Therefore do not pronounce judgement before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive commendation from God.

Matthew 6: 24-34

‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.*

‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,* or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?* And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?”

For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God* and his* righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.’

Reflection

Is Jesus suggesting, not to eat and drink? And is he saying we should not wear clothes but go naked?

How unrealistic is this, and how depressing – we need to eat and drink, and we need clothing.

Or are we called to acts of severe penitence, fasting, wearing sack cloth and pouring ashes over our heads?

And how would anyone, who struggles with putting food on the table and getting the basics of life, perceive those lines? Does Jesus not care about their struggles?

On the contrary.

Jesus speaks here about human obsession with material stuff, wealth, pomp and fashion, and about getting our priorities right.

Isn’t life worth more than making a superficial impression on others? He encourages us, NOT to worry but to value and to treasure life and being God’s creation.

So much time, effort and worrying goes into things that many believe are making us better, happier, superior, more confident, more attractive and more successful. Comparing themselves to others and following expectations which are neither coming from God nor thought through by each person themselves, puts people under pressure and into some sort of competition, resulting in focusing on the all kinds of material things.

Frustration and depression build up in this chase. Where is the joy, the happiness, the gratefulness and love for life which we are looking for?

Not only will we miss out on being and doing what we are created for, we will also cause damage, waste and abuse elsewhere and to others in our greed and obsession.

Jesus gives us permission and encouragement to say: ‘hold on a moment’ and to rethink what really matters to us in life, what really brings out the best in us, what makes us to flourish, be joyful, good humoured, content and loving.

Let’s not worry so much, hasn’t God created us beautifully and with many talents? Does he not want us to be joyful? Hasn’t he provided plentifully?

Hymn 365: Praise to the Lord, the almighty – Lobe den Herrn

There is a little background explanation of the hymn, which is quite nice to listen to, and the music starts at minute 13.

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