Burning Palm Crosses from Palm Sunday last year to prepare ashes for Ash Wednesday this week (Photograph: Barbara Comerford)
Patrick Comerford
At the weekend, we spent some in the Rectory burning Palm Crosses from Palm Sunday last year to prepare ashes for Ash Wednesday this week.
This is a traditional way of preparing ashes for Ash Wednesday, and this year we are marking Lent, Holy Week and Easter in the Rathkeale and Kilnaughtin Group of Parishes with traditional services between now and the beginning of Easter.
The Dean of Limerick, the Very Revd Niall Sloane, is visiting the parish next Sunday, the First Sunday in Lent, there will be services each evening in Holy Week, and there will be study groups in the Rectory on some Thursdays in Lent, using ‘All Thigs Are Possible,’ a study course produced by the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel) exploring how faith in God can change the world.
There are two noteworthy innovations this year: the Good Friday service is being brought forward in the day to the more traditional time of 12 noon to 3 p.m. with a series of reflections on Christ’s journey to Calvary for the Three Hours.
Some people will want to drop into Saint Mary’s for shorter or longer times during these three hours, without feeling they have to stay for the full three hours. Parishioners are invited to drop in, stay a while, and take time to listen to the readings, reflection, pray, and wait a while in the silence.
There is a slight adjustment too to the times of the Easter Eucharists or Celebrations of the Holy Communion, with two celebrations on Saturday evening (8 p.m., Holy Trinity Church, Rathkeale; 10 p.m., Castletown) and two on Easter morning (9.30 a.m., Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton; 11.30 a.m., Saint Brendan’s Church, Kilnaughtin, Tarbert).
Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world … the Byzantine-style crucifix by Laurence King (1907-1981) behind the freestanding altar in the crypt of Saint Mary le Bow on Cheapside in London (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)
Ash Wednesday, 14 February 2018:
8 p.m.: Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton:
Ash Wednesday Eucharist (Holy Communion 2) and the traditional imposition of ashes.
Readings: Joel 2: 1-2, 12-17; Psalm 51: 1-18; II Corinthians 5: 20b to 6: 10; Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-21.
Hymns: 535, 586.
Followed by tea/coffee in the Rectory.
Thursday 15 February 2018:
Parish study group, ‘All Things Are Possible’ (USPG), The Rectory, Askeaton.
Sunday 18 February 2018, the First Sunday in Lent:
9.30 a.m.: Morning Prayer, Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton.
11.30 a.m.: The Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion 2), Saint Brendan’s Church, Kilnaughtin, Tarbert.
Readings: Genesis 9: 8-17; Psalm 25: 1-9; I Peter 3: 18-22; Mark 1: 9-15.
Hymns: 207, 204, 652
On this Sunday, the Dean of Limerick, the Very Revd Niall Sloane, is presiding and preaching at both services, while Canon Patrick Comerford is presiding and preaching at the Eucharist in Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick, as the Canon Precentor.
Tuesday 20 February 2018:
7.30 p.m.: Askeaton and Castletown select vestries, meeting in The Rectory, Askeaton.
Thursday 22 February 2018:
Diocesan Council Meeting in Adare; no evening Lenten discussion group.
Sunday 25 February 2018, the Second Sunday in Lent:
9.30 a.m.: Morning Prayer, Castletown Church, Kilcornan.
11.30 a.m.: The Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion 2), Holy Trinity Church, Rathkeale.
Readings: Genesis 17: 1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22: 23-31; Romans 4: 13-25; Mark 8: 31-38.
Hymns: 418, 599, 666.
Sunday 4 March 2018, the Third Sunday in Lent:
9.30 a.m.: The Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion), Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton.
11.30 a.m.: Morning Prayer, Saint Brendan’s Church, Kilnaughtin, Tarbert.
Readings: Exodus 20: 1-17; Psalm 19; I Corinthians 1: 18-25; John 2: 13-22.
Hymns: 645, 553, 330.
Sunday 11 March, the Fourth Sunday in Lent (Mothering Sunday):
9.30 a.m.: The Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion 2), Castletown Church, Kilcornan.
11.30 a.m.: Morning Prayer Holy Trinity Church, Rathkeale.
Readings: Numbers 21: 4-9; Psalm 107: 1-3, 17-22; Ephesians 2: 1-10; John 3: 14-21.
Hymns: 630, 642, 484.
Saturday 17 March, Saint Patrick’s Day:
11 a.m.: The Eucharist (Holy Communion 2), Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton.
Readings: Tobit 13: 1b-7; Psalm 145: 1-13; II Corinthians 4: 1-12; John 4: 31-38.
Hymns: 321, 322, 611.
Sunday 18 March 2018, the Fifth Sunday in Lent:
9.30 a.m.: Morning Prayer, Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton.
11.30 a.m.: The Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion 2), Saint Brendan’s Church, Kilnaughtin, Tarbert.
Readings: Jeremiah 31: 31-34; Psalm 51: 1-13; Hebrews 5: 5-10; John 12: 20-33.
Hymns: 553, 652, 226.
The Crucifix on the Nave Altar in Lichfield Cathedral (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)
Holy Week:
Sunday 25 March 2018, Palm Sunday, the Sixth Sunday in Lent:
9.30 a.m.: Morning Prayer, Castletown Church, Kilcornan.
11.30 a.m.: The Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion 2), Holy Trinity Church, Rathkeale.
Readings: Isaiah 50: 4-9a; Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29; Philippians 2: 5-11; Mark 11: 1-11.
Hymns: 217, 134, 715.
Monday 26 March 2018, Monday in Holy Week:
8 p.m.: Evening Prayer, Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton.
Readings: Psalm 36: 5-11; Hebrews 9: 11-15; John 12: 1-11.
Hymn: 217.
Tuesday 27 March 2018, Tuesday in Holy Week:
8 p.m.: Late Evening Office, Saint Brendan’s Church, Kilnaughtin
Readings: Psalm 71: 1-14; John 12: 20-36.
Hymns: 66; 218.
Wednesday 28 March 2018, Wednesday in Holy Week:
8 p.m.: Compline, Holy Trinity Church, Rathkeale.
Reading: John 13: 21-32.
Hymn: 247.
Thursday 29 March 2018, Maundy Thursday:
8 p.m.: the Maundy Eucharist, with Washing of the Feet, Castletown Church, Kilcornan.
Readings: Exodus 12: 1-4 (5-10), Psalm 116: 1, 10-17; I Corinthians 11: 23-26; John 13: 1-17, 31b-35.
Hymns: 431, 432, 515.
Friday 30 March 2018, Good Friday.
12 noon to 3 p.m.: The Three Hours, Christ’s journey with the Cross to Calvary, Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton.
The Crucifixion and the Harrowing of Hell, depicted in a chapel in Saint John’s Monastery, Tolleshunt Knights, Essex (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)
Saturday 31 March 2018, Easter Eve:
8 p.m.: The Easter Eucharist (Holy Communion 2), Holy Trinity Church, Rathkeale.
10 p.m.: The Easter Eucharist (Holy Communion 2), Castletown Church, Kilcornan.
Readings: Exodus 14: 10-31, 15: 20-21; Psalm 114; Romans 6: 3-11; Mark 16: 1-8.
Hymns: 652, 258, 255.
Sunday 1 April 2018, Easter Day:
9.30 a.m.: The Easter Eucharist (Holy Communion 2), Saint Mary’s Church, Askeaton.
11.30 a.m.: The Easter Eucharist (Holy Communion 2), Saint Brendan’s Church, Kilnaughtin, Tarbert.
Readings: Acts 10: 34-43; Psalm 118: 1-2, 14-24; I Corinthians 15: 1-11; John 20: 1-18.
Hymns: 286, 78, 263.
The Resurrection … a stained glass window in Saint Michael’s Church, Lichfield (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)
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