Come & See Inspirations

So one of the things we do here on the podcast each year is at the start of the New Year we take a look back at the 12 months just gone looking at 2023 through the highs and lows of events in the sphere of things church related and also to share with listeners a recap of some of the things we covered on the podcast during the year. With a year that started out with a papal funeral and ended with Pope Francis telling us where he wants to be buried it was kind of a strange one along the way with Synod on Synodality, papal health scares and that Vatican finance trial.We have our regular run through the saints of the week in this second week of ordinary time as well as our weekly gospel reflection on the Sunday gospel.In the saints of the week we mention St Ita of Kileedy whose feast day is on 15th January so if you want to find out more about our local diocesan saint you can listen back to some old podcasts about her:St Ita of Killeedy: A discussion with Michael Keating - 12 Jan 2014St Ita of Kileedy - 14 Januar

On this weeks podcast John and Shane continue our Christmas celebrations (on the Irish liturgical calendar today is the feast of the Baptism of the Lord so liturgically Christmastide ends at sunset today!) and also takes a wander (magazine style) through some interesting, quirky and thoughtful pieces we came across online during the Christmastide. The pieces help provoke some thoughts on the challenges people can face in the festive time and into the New Year as well as others encouraging us to ease our way into January rather than trying to hit it full gallop!Links to the articles in this weeks podcastI Know It Is Hard to Live - it is so much easier to pretend you don't existRemember. - Before we venture into a New YearThe Five ListsWhat Time is the Sunrise? Our health and our creativity need us to come out of our heads and into our bodies.January Notebook - The Slow Living IssueSowing Anachronism: How to be Weird in Public, and PrivateSimple Acts of Sanity: A Seed Catalogue - Glimmers of light for a da

On this weeks podcast excerpt John and Shane continue our Christmas celebrations (on the Irish liturgical calendar today is the feast of the Baptism of the Lord so liturgically Christmastide ends at sunset today!) and also takes a wander (magazine style) through some interesting, quirky and thoughtful pieces we came across online during the Christmastide. The pieces help provoke some thoughts on the challenges people can face in the festive time and into the New Year as well as others encouraging us to ease our way into January rather than trying to hit it full gallop!Links to the articles in this weeks podcastI Know It Is Hard to Live - it is so much easier to pretend you don't existRemember. - Before we venture into a New YearThe Five ListsWhat Time is the Sunrise? Our health and our creativity need us to come out of our heads and into our bodies.January Notebook - The Slow Living IssueSowing Anachronism: How to be Weird in Public, and PrivateSimple Acts of Sanity: A Seed Catalogue - Glimmers of light

So Merry Christmas folks!We are still in the Christmas Octave so it is still Christmastide on the liturgical calendar even if some grinches have already taken down their Christmas decorations! In Ireland, the tradition is that no Christmas decorations come down until after Nollaig na mBan (Women's Christmas = Little Christmas = Feast of Epiphany on Jan 6th, and we still keep in on Jan 6th and don't move it around like some other countries do on their liturgical calendars!). So in part two of this weeks podcast, we continue with our Christmas reflections and Noirin Lynch shares some thoughts with us on Epiphany. In addition to it still being within the Octave of Christmas, as it is the Sunday within the Octave it the Feast of the Holy Family and as it is 31 December it is also the vigil for the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, which is also the World Day of Prayer for Peace with the annual papal message.  Fr Luke McNamara gives us a reflection on the Crib and we are sharing on this Sunday to lin

So Merry Christmas folks!We are still in the Christmas Octave so it is still Christmastide on the liturgical calendar even if some grinches have already taken down their Christmas decorations!In Ireland, the tradition is that no Christmas decorations come down until after Nollaig na mBan (Women's Christmas = Little Christmas = Feast of Epiphany on Jan 6th, and we still keep in on Jan 6th and don't move it around like some other countries do on their liturgical calendars!). So in this weeks podcast excerpt  we share our Christmas reflections and Noirin Lynch shares some thoughts with us on Epiphany.In addition to it still being within the Octave of Christmas, as it is the Sunday within the Octave it the Feast of the Holy Family and as it is 31 December it is also the vigil for the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, which is also the World Day of Prayer for Peace with the annual papal message. So again in this weeks podcast excerpt, Fr Luke McNamara gives us a reflection on the Crib and we are shar

We are sharing individual excerpts from our Christmas Day podcast over the days of the Christmas Season to provide a pause moment for listeners throughout the days of this special time.On todays reflection, Fr Derek Leonard reflects on moving from Darkness to Light. 

We are sharing individual excerpts from our Christmas Day podcast over the days of the Christmas Season to provide a pause moment for listeners throughout the days of this special time.On todays reflection, Jane Mellet reflects on how Christ is always with us. 

We are sharing individual excerpts from our Christmas Day podcast over the days of the Christmas Season to provide a pause moment for listeners throughout the days of this special time.On todays reflection, Fr Frank Duhig reflects on the fact there was no room at the Inn. 

We are sharing individual excerpts from our Christmas Day podcast over the days of the Christmas Season to provide a pause moment for listeners throughout the days of this special time.On todays reflection, Julianne Moran takes down memory lane with Christmas cakes the Christmas Crib. 

We are sharing individual excerpts from our Christmas Day podcast over the days of the Christmas Season to provide a pause moment for listeners throughout the days of this special time.On todays reflection, Fr Chris O'Donnell reflects on the messiness of Christmas. 

We are sharing individual excerpts from our Christmas Day podcast over the days of the Christmas Season to provide a pause moment for listeners throughout the days of this special time.On todays reflection, Bishop Brendan Leahy reflections on the simplicity of  the crib as we celebrate 800 years since St Francis of Assisi created the first one. 

From all the Come & See Inspirations podcast team, wishing you and yours every blessing of the Babe of Bethlehem for the Holy Season of Christmas and into the New Year 2024.Nollaig shona agus athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh go léirFromJohn, Ann & Shane*******************On this special podcast we celebrate this special day with reflections, favourite Christmas carols and hymns, readings & reflections and our regular reflection on the Gospel of the day. We are joined on the programme with a reflection by Bishop Brendan Leahy and other special guests.The Nativity scene is with us for 800 years - Bishop Brendan LeahyThe Messiness of Christmas - Fr Chris O'DonnellChristmas cake and the Christmas Crib - Julianne MoranNo Room at the Inn - Fr Frank DuhigChrist is always with us - Jane MelletFrom Darkness to Light - Fr Derek LeonardThese reflections will also be published as daily reflections over the Christmas Octave as well so listen to in bite sized parts. ********************"In those days a d

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, Fr Frank Duhig shares with us a reflection on Advent from Fr Donal O'Leary called "Annunciations Big  & Small". The music piece is taken from the Biscantorat - The Sound of the Spirit from Glenstal Abbey CD from monks of Glenstal called Puer Natus in Bethleham with the late Sinead O'Connor. 

We continue our journey through the season of Advent. Over the four Sundays we are sharing various reflections on the season  of waiting which often gets subsumed into the mayhem of the rush to Christmas. We ask ourselves what Advent is for and how can we create space to let Advent be Advent.  Lets not get to the end of Advent and regret that we missed it!On this the fourth Sunday of Advent, Fr Frank Duhig shares with us a reflection on Advent from Fr Donal O'Leary called "Annunciations Big  & Small". The music piece is taken from the Biscantorat - The Sound of the Spirit from Glenstal Abbey CD from monks of Glenstal called Puer Natus in Bethleham with the late Sinead O'Connor. Reflection with Fr Frank Duhig on the gospel for the 4th Sunday of Advent (Luke 1:26-38) which  is the account of the Annunciation in the infancy narrative in the gospel of St Luke. The music piece is taken from the Biscantorat - The Sound of the Spirit from Glenstal Abbey CD from monks of Glenstal called the Se

Reflection with Fr Frank Duhig on the gospel for the 4th Sunday of Advent (Year B) - Luke 1:26-38 which  is the account of the Annunciation in the infancy narrative in the gospel of St Luke.The music piece is taken from the Biscantorat - The Sound of the Spirit from Glenstal Abbey CD from monks of Glenstal called the Seven Rejoices  of Mary with the late Sinead O'Connor.

We continue our journey through the season of Advent. Over the four Sundays we are sharing various reflections on the season  of waiting which often gets subsumed into the mayhem of the rush to Christmas. We ask ourselves what Advent is for and how can we create space to let Advent be Advent.  Lets not get to the end of Advent and regret that we missed it!On this weeks podcast Fr Luke McNamara OSB from Glenstal Abbey gives us a reflection this week focusing on the person of Mary as a witness and modal for us as we prepare for Christmas.

We continue our journey through the season of Advent. Over the four Sundays we are sharing various reflections on the season  of waiting which often gets subsumed into the mayhem of the rush to Christmas. We ask ourselves what Advent is for and how can we create space to let Advent be Advent.  Lets not get to the end of Advent and regret that we missed it!On this weeks podcast Fr Luke McNamara OSB from Glenstal Abbey gives us a reflection this week focusing on the person of Mary as a witness and modal for us as we prepare for Christmas.We have our regular run through the liturgical odds and ends, some local notices and also our weekly reflection on the Sunday gospel (John 1:6-8, 19-28) where we once more encounter John the Baptist this time through the lense of the gospel of St John.

The second purple candle on the Advent wreath is the candle of peace and truly we need the gift of God's peace in the world at the moment. We continue of journey into Advent this week by "borrowing" a reflection from Bishop Robert Barron over on Word on Fire where he reflects on the Advent Revolution. Which  is an appropriate lead into our gospel reflection this week which is where St Mark introduces us to the prophetic rebel John the Baptist who along with Mary is one of the key Advent figures of the New Testament (Mark 1:1-8). Our good friend Noirin Lynch from the FCJ House of Spirituality shares some thoughts with us as well around Advent and also this weeks gospel which calls for us to "prepare the way of the Lord". 

Welcome to this weeks podcast and as we enter into a new liturgical year, we enter into the season of Advent. Over the next four Sundays we will have various reflections on the season which often gets subsumed into the mayhem of the rush to Christmas. We ask ourselves what Advent is for and how can we create space to let Advent be Advent.  Lets not get to the end of Advent and regret that we missed it! We have our regular run through the liturgical odds and ends, some local notices and also our weekly reflection on the Sunday gospel (Mark 13:33-37) where we start our readings of the gospel of Mark which we will journey through for this liturgical year. On this weeks podcast we also share some resources to help you with carving out some time to reflect:ResourcesVeritas - Books and resources for AdventC&SI particular book recommendations for Advent:- Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas- Waiting in Mindful HopeLoyola Press - Advent resources Catholic Climate Covenant - Advent Resources 202

Welcome to this weeks podcast and as we enter into a new liturgical year, we enter into the season of Advent. Over the next four Sundays we will have various reflections on the season which often gets subsumed into the mayhem of the rush to Christmas. We ask ourselves what Advent is for and how can we create space to let Advent be Advent.  Lets not get to the end of Advent and regret that we missed it!On this weeks podcast we also share some resources to help you with carving out some time to reflect:ResourcesVeritas - Books and resources for AdventC&SI particular book recommendations for Advent:- Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas- Waiting in Mindful HopeLoyola Press - Advent resourcesCatholic Climate Covenant - Advent Resources 2023Advent is for the ones who know longing