Christ on the streets of Cork

Some of the teenagers who took part in this year's Procession in Cork.

I took part in the Eucharistic Procession, now in its 90^th year, here in Cork city on Sunday. It takes place annually on the Feast of Corpus Christi - The Body of Christ. 

There was a great group of young people from S.H.A.R.E. with us in the procession. We assembled in the grounds of the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne and processed to Daunt Square in the heart of the city. 

Bishop John Buckley followed the procession with the Blessed Sacrament. We were accompanied along the way with prayers, reflections and hymns. 

Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly of Cashel and Emily, who is a past pupil of the Presentation Brothers, was the guest preacher this year.

A Eucharistic Procession is a public witness to the faith. It celebrates the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Our faith does not belong in the safety of the church. We are expected to take our faith into the world. The Procession reminds us of that challenge. 

If you would like to follow Christ as a Presentation Brother, get in touch with me at vocation@PresentationBrothers.org 

Renewing Vows in Kerry...

I travelled from Cork to Killarney on Thursday afternoon for a special ceremony at our International Novitiate. Br. Thiventhiran (Theiva) Pillai from Sri Lanka was renewing his vows as a Presentation Brother. Theiva made his First Profession last year and for the next several years he will re-commit to his vows.

The vows are Chastity, Poverty and Obedience.

Brothers and friends gathered in the novitiate chapel for the occasion. Two more young men from Sri Lanka, Colins and Duglus, led us in music and song. Colins and Duglus are novices. Novitiate is the name given to an important period of spiritual preparation before First Vows.

After the celebration of the Eucharist by Fr. Jim Lenihan we shared some lovely food provided by friends of Theiva. Theiva will soon make his first return visit to see his family and friends in Sri Lanka. It is important for a Brother to maintain contact with his family during his formation programme.

He will then return to Ireland where he will commence studies. Best wishes to Theiva for the future!

If you wish to learn more about the Presentation Brothers, don’t hesitate to get in touch. I'm at vocation@PresentationBrothers.org

Exam time!

I'm sure many of you who follow this blog are preparing (or are in the middle of) exams these days.

Know that you are remembered in the Brothers' daily prayers during these weeks.

Here's a simple prayer I found which might help...

Loving God, as I begin my exams,
Help me to stay focused,
Help me to study with dedication and vigour,
Give me a clear mind to perform to the best of my ability,
Grant me the calmness to process the knowledge I have obtained.
Let me sleep peacefully at night, so that I am refreshed and renewed.
Be with me, loving God, during these days.
During the moments when I want to quit and give up, please sustain me.
Holy Spirit, guide me during times of trouble.
Protect me from feelings of anxiety and frustration.
Help me be satisfied with the work I have done.
And guide me in Your ways into the future.
Amen.

Lough Derg anyone?

If you are discerning a religious vocation, you will know that the need for time to reflect on God's call is very important.
On Friday, June 26th, the Presentation Family will be making the three-day, traditional pilgrimage to Lough Derg in County Donegal.
This pilgrimage is a unique spiritual experience that has endured for centuries.
It's nice to do the pilgrimage as part of a group

Learn more about our pilgrimage here

Saints needed...

Here's a little reflection for you...It has appeared on a lot of Facebook pages and is often attributed to Pope Francis. It almost certainly wasn't written by the Pope but appears, at least, to be inspired by him...
These are the kind of people we need in the Presentation Brothers too! If you would like more information, send me an e-mail vocation@PresentationBrothers.org

Saints

We need saints without veil or cassock.
We need saints who wear jeans and runners.

We need saints who go to the movies,
listen to music and hang out with friends.
We need saints who put God in first place,
but who let go of their power.

We need saints who have time every day to pray.
We need modern saints, Saints of the 21 Centenary,
with a spirituality that is part of our time.
We need saints committed to the poor
and the necessary social changes.

We need saints who live in the world and
who are sanctified in the world,
who are not afraid to live in the world.
We need saints who drink cola and eat hot dogs,
who wear jeans; who are internet savvy
and who listen to CDs.

We need saints who passionately love the Eucharist
And who are not ashamed to eat a pizza
at weekends with friends.
We need saints who like the cinema,
theatre, music dance and sports.
We need saints who are social, open, normal,
friendly, happy and who are good companions.
We need saints who are in the world
and know how to taste the pure
and nice things of the world
but who aren’t of the world.