Pope Francis designated 8th February, the feast of St Josephine Bakhita, as the World Day of
Prayer, Reflection and Action Against Human Trafficking.

Name: Saint Josephine Bakhita
Feast Day: 8 February
Birthplace: Darfur, Sudan
Born: 1869 (approximately)
Died: 8 February 1947
Canonised: 1 October 2000 by Pope St John Paul II
Patron saint of Sudan, South Sudan and trafficked people

In the Star Trek franchise, there is a species of alien called the Borg. The Borg are cybernetic organisms that force other species to join their "hive mind" by assimilating them into their collective. They strip away everything that makes a person unique and individual. "Resistance is futile" was the last thing one heard when encountering the Borg.
St. Josephine would have disagreed: resistance is never futile. A native of Sudan, she was kidnapped at age seven, enslaved, abused, sold, and resold. She was finally bought by the Italian consul in Khartoum, Sudan, and taken to Italy, where she obtained her freedom. Despite all the indignities she suffered, Josephine's spirit was never broken. She always maintained her dignity as a child of God. Our dignity comes from God: "So God created humankind in his image." (Genesis 1:27) Our value as human beings does not come from what we do or whom we associate with. Our dignity is not based on nationality, religion, or socioeconomic status. Our dignity comes from the simple fact that we are made in God's image. We are made out of love so that we may love. And when we love someone, we respect their individuality and their dignity because they too are an image of God. To strip someone of their dignity - to deny them their human rights - is blasphemy. As I reflect on the life of Saint Josephine, I realise that protecting and advocating for human rights is a sacred act. Advocating for others' freedom is itself liberating - it frees me to love people less fortunate than myself. It is a solemn act of devotion.

So after what was dubbed "The Lentiest of Lents", it's like Groundhog Day and 2021 is going to be more challenging than we had hoped.
So, we're going to put it out there... Lent is a beautiful time, but can feel overwhelming...
and this year there is definitely potential for that!
So please, don't feel pressure to do something 'big' for Lent. Anyways, it's not a time to fall into pride about what you're giving up - Matthew 6:6 says something about this: "But when you pray, go to your private room, shut yourself in, and so pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you." 
Lent is also not about 40 days of being grumpy, again let's turn to Matthew chapter 6, verse 16:  "When you are fasting, do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they go about looking unsightly to let people know they are fasting. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward." 
The central point and reason for Lent is a time to re-orientate, to strip away some of the 'noise' (read: distractions... i.e. social media) and focus on our relationship with God. It doesn't need to be a huge gesture, especially in these days when we are fasting from so many things.
So we offer some options: some things you could give up; and some things you could take up.
Check out our ideas below and some of the content linked at the bottom of the page!!

​What can you give up?

• Social Media, take the 40 days off or limit your time scrolling on Insta
• Words hurt, we should always be mindful of what we say to and about others. Let's make an extra effort for Lent
• Give up the snooze button... what a lesson in personal discipline​

Check out all these links to more great ideas and content to check out for Lent:
FOCUS - Pope Francis' 10 Tips for Lent
Busted Halo - Fast.Pray.Give Calendar
Busted Halo - 25 Great Things You Can Do for Lent (besides giving up chocolate)
Lifeteen - What to Give Up for Lent: 25 Creative Ideas
Lifeteen - 102 Things You Should Really Give Up For Lent
Lifeteen - Into the Desert: How to Live Your Lent with Purpose

Trusting that God has a plan for your life is a central part of faith, but it’s difficult to let go and hand over the reins to God.
This can be even more true in the times we find ourselves... in the middle of a global pandemic, restrictions on what we can do and where we can go, school closed and maybe end of year examinations already cancelled.
This prayer from the Sisters of Life can help.
Find the full prayer here.

Join us on Sunday 6th December for a short Advent Prayer Service @ 7pm.
This service will give you the opportunity to properly enter into the Season of Advent, preparing for the coming of Jesus at Christmas.
​Livestreaming on our Facebook Page and IGTV.
The service will be available to watch here, on our website afterwards.
A huge thanks to Fr. Leo, our musicians, and all those who recorded prayers and reflections for this service.

*****Watch the service here*****

Each November we gather as a Christian Community to remember those who have
gone before us and to offer our consolation and support to those among us who
have been recently bereaved. In Ireland death is encased by prayer and rituals
that for generations have become part of the rich heritage of our faith tradition.

Clogher don Óige will be holding a service to remember our dead on Wednesday 18th November at 7pm in Saint Joseph's Church, Monaghan.
Due to current restrictions, this service will be held behind closed doors, but will be available to join online - via the Church webcam and also on the Clogher don Óige Facebook page.

There are a number of ways you can do this:

• ​Email your list to info@clogherdonoige.org
• Check out our Instagram Story Highlights and tag @clogherdonoige or DM us
• Copy and paste your list into the online form below

All received lists will be placed in front of the Altar for our Remembrance Service.

Noting that the crisis is also a spiritual one, the bishop urges people ‘to rediscover a sense of reverence for God, for the earth and for our brothers and sisters who are excluded and treated like second class citizens - at home or away from home, born and unborn. We share this responsibility with the whole Church. We owe it to generations yet unborn to work together to sustain life on this planet, to protect God’s creation, our common home.’
 
The Diocese of Clogher has a Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation Group and Bishop Duffy invites new members to come forward. Anyone interested in helping out in the work of the group is asked to contact the secretary, Anne Molloy at amolloy164@live.co.uk
 
 
The following is the full text of the Pastoral Letter –
 
Letter from Bishop Larry Duffy to the People of God in the Diocese of Clogher for the Season of Creation, 1st September- 4th October. 2020
 
Part I
 
On the 1st September, we celebrated the World Day of Prayer for Creation which marks the beginning of the Season of Creation. This wonderful season runs until the feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th.  As you may remember, five years ago, Pope Francis published a ground-breaking letter called Laudato Si’. It was addressed to all people of good will and that includes you and me. He requested an “urgent dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet”, adding that we need a conversation which includes everyone, because the challenge we are facing affects us all. (see LS, 14).
 
Since then a lot has happened in our world. There have been many more severe weather events causing death, destruction and displacement of peoples. We are repeatedly seeing many consequences of global warming which results in loss of life and threatens many different species of animal and insect life, the marines and their ecosystems.
 
Today, our world continues to be deeply affected by the Coronavirus pandemic which has much in common with the environmental crisis. Many experts tell us that this pandemic is a symptom of a much wider ecological crisis. It has certainly shown us how deeply connected everything is, how vulnerable we are as human beings and how fragile is our world. A small invisible virus has stopped the world, forced us to go into lockdown. As we celebrate the Season of Creation this year, we are asked to stop and think about the type of world we want to return to when this crisis has passed. As a human family, we cannot be healthy if the planet is not healthy.
 
To celebrate the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si’ and to highlight the urgency of the ecological crisis, Pope Francis has designated this year a special Laudato Si’ Anniversary Year until May 2021. He has done this to remind all Catholics of the urgent need to take action in order to protect our common home. I would like to invite you during the upcoming Season of Creation to think about how we might better take care of our common home-and how we might join with others to protect life and the Earth that God has created and has given us to care for.  
 
The Coronavirus pandemic shows just how interrelated we are and how much we depend on each other. It has also highlighted how dependent we are on the earth for our survival.  The pandemic is also a call for us to reflect; an opportunity for us all to judge ourselves, to judge what we are doing and how we might have been contributing to the problem by our lifestyles. And the problem is wider than simply the ecological dimension – it is also a social one. We must integrate questions of social justice into debates on the environment. Questions such as human rights abuses, the religious intolerance, discrimination, racism, the attacks on the life of the unborn and the denial of the right to life – these are all part of what Pope Francis calls ‘colonizing interests’ and ‘the throw-away culture’ underpinning our neglect of creation and the creator. In responding to this invitation to judge, we are called to be like the good Samaritan; to show solidarity with the earth and all its people, to hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor and the wounded, to love our neighbour.
 
 
Part II
 
In Laudato Si’ we read that Christians need ‘an ‘ecological conversion’..., that ‘living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.’ (LS, 217).
 
Since the publication of the Pope’s letter five years ago many young people have taken on the challenge of caring for our earth and our environment. The young Swedish student, Greta Thunberg, only sixteen years old, has led the way. She started out as one person, and last year 7 million young people joined her in global solidarity. Young people have been urging us to reflect on these questions surrounding care of creation, highlighting the cry of the earth, the cry of the poor and wounded.
 
So what can we do? The theme for this year’s Season of Creation in Ireland is “Cultivating Hope”. Hope is found in action and each of us can do something. We can take action to protect our bio-diversity, the birds and insects. During lockdown many people remarked on noticing the beauty of nature more, the birdsong, the trees, the wildlife. This is what happens when we slow down. We need to reconnect with nature and rekindle that sense of awe and wonder with creation – the presence of God. We are being invited to fall in love again with God’s Creation, like St. Francis, to see nature as part of our family.
 
Each week during this season, and beyond, we can also try to do small actions such as walking or cycling more, watching our energy use, sorting out our recycling, really thinking about how we use the resources of this planet. Our parishes should begin to look at how we can become more sustainable, more eco-friendly. I invite people to read Laudato Si’ during this season of creation and ask others to join you.  I invite each parish to plant a native Irish tree during this Season of Creation, set up a Laudato Si’ reading group / a care for creation group in light of this special anniversary year for Laudato Si’.
 
This crisis is also linked to the spiritual life of our parishes. We need to rediscover a sense of reverence for God, for the earth and for our brothers and sisters who are excluded and treated like second class citizens -at home or away from home, born and unborn. We share this responsibility with the whole Church. We owe it to generations yet unborn to work together to sustain life on this planet, to protect God’s creation, our common home. 
 
At Diocesan level, we have a Clogher Justice and Peace & Integrity of Creation Group which does great work in this area. The group would welcome additional members. If you are interested in joining and playing a part at that level, please contact the secretary, Anne Molloy on amolloy164@live.co.uk
 
This is urgent. I urge you to act now and to pray.  May our fragility, as shown by the pandemic, be our hope. Let us all use this time wisely; to pray and to act; to examine our consciences about the lifestyles we have; to choose simplicity of living as a route back to wonder and awe in God’s presence and, moreover, to show solidarity with our fellow beings and with creation through our compassion and actions. Everything is connected.
 
This is our time. As Pope Francis puts it:
 
“Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life.” (LS, 207)
 
                                                                                                                                                     + Larry Duffy
​

In 1263 a German priest, Fr. Peter of Prague, made a pilgrimage to Rome. He stopped in Bolsena, Italy, to celebrate Mass at the Church of St. Christina. At the time he was having doubts about Jesus being truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. He was affected by the growing debate among certain theologians who, for the first time in the history of the Church, began introducing doubts about the Body and Blood of Christ being actually present in the consecrated bread and wine. In response to his doubt, when he recited the prayer of consecration as he celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, blood started seeping from the consecrated host and onto the altar and corporal.

Fr. Peter reported this miracle to Pope Urban IV, who at the time was nearby in Orvieto. The pope sent delegates to investigate and ordered that host and blood-stained corporal be brought to Orvieto. The relics were then placed in the Cathedral of Orvieto, where they remain today (see photo below).

This Eucharistic Miracle confirmed the visions given to St. Juliana of Mont Cornillon in Belgium (1193-1258). St. Juliana was a nun and mystic who had a series of visions in which she was instructed by Our Lord to work to establish a liturgical feast for the Holy Eucharist, to which she had a great devotion.
After many years of trying, she finally convinced the bishop, the future Pope Urban IV, to create this special feast in honour of the Blessed Sacrament, where none had existed before. Soon after her death, Pope Urban instituted Corpus Christi for the Universal Church and celebrated it for the first time in Orvieto in 1264, a year after the Eucharistic Miracle in Bolsena.
​
Inspired by the miracle, Pope Urban commissioned a Dominican friar, St. Thomas Aquinas, to compose the Mass and Office for the feast of Corpus Christi. Aquinas' hymns in honour of the Holy Eucharist, Pange Lingua, Tantum Ergo, Panis Angelicus, and O Salutaris Hostia are the beloved hymns the Church sings on the feast of Corpus Christi as well as throughout the year during Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Change your phone wallpaper for the month... a reminder to pray to Our Lady more often this month.