成人快手

Opening Announcement: 成人快手 Radio 4 and 成人快手 Sounds. Sunday Worship today comes from Northern Ireland and is introduced by Ruth Jennings. begins with the old Irish hymn, Be Thou my vision.

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Note: This script is not a transcription of the reflections but an attempt to summarise the reflections.

Music听 Be thou my vision (Irish traditional melody)
The Priests with Moya Brennan from Alleluia (SWM7)

Ruth Good morning from Northern Ireland this Sunday morning- on the eve of St Patrick鈥檚 Day. That was probably the best know of all Irish hymns sung there by The Priests along with Moya Brennan

Nearly 17 years ago three priests from the Roman Catholic diocese of Down and Connor signed a recording deal. Father David Delargy with the brothers, Fathers Eugene and Martin O鈥橦agan had been singing together since they鈥檇 been at secondary school. They made three bestselling albums and sang before three Popes, the late Queen Eizabeth and King Charles when he was Prince of Wales and the Priests join me today.

And then last May they announced that they were retiring form public performances and had farewell concerts finishing with one in Belfast with the Ulster Orchestra.

It鈥檚 very obvious the Priests love music and Father David reads Psalm 150 with its call for everyone to praise God in music.

Father David 听Alleluia! Praise听听in his holy place, praise him in the heavenly vault of his power,
praise him for his mighty deeds, praise him for all his greatness.
听Praise him with fanfare of trumpet, praise him with harp and lyre,
praise him with tambourines and dancing, praise him with strings and pipes,
praise him with the clamour of cymbals, praise him with triumphant cymbals,
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Alleluia!

Father Martin Let us pray:

Worthy of praise from every mouth, of confession from every tongue,
of worship from every creature is your glorious name,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God for ever.
You created the world by your grace and by your compassion you redeemed
us in Jesus Christ
We bless you that you raised Jesus from the dead
and for his promise to be with us always.

Heaven and earth are full of your glory

Father Eugene Yet we acknowledge our faults
We sing your praise but our singing can often be joyless and careless
We are quicker to criticise other people than to praise and affirm them. May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.

Father in heaven,
you sent saint Patrick, as a missionary
to the people of Ireland to share his faith
and to spend his life in loving service.
May our lives bear witness
to the faith we profess,
and our love bring others
to the peace and joy of your Gospel. Amen

Music B铆 脥osa Im Chro铆se" (Irish Traditional)
The Priests from Harmony (RCA)

Reflection 1听 The Experience

After 17 years The Priests decided that they decided to bring their 鈥渨onderful journey鈥� to a celebratory end rather than just disappear but while they鈥檙e stepping back there will still be chances to sing together. Music in worship, stretching back to David and the Psalms and liturgical music in the liturgy has developed. It engages the mind, the heart and creativity,. Different forms of music can be used in worship but there needs to be a consensus that it enhances that worship of God

They felt overwhelmed by the opportunity to have a recording contract. It opened up a whole new world, although their priests hood remained Number One in their work and lives. Their recording company was most accommodating in this. They were in an unfamiliar world in which they had to learn quickly. At the beginning there was a small increase in attendance at Mass which they celebrated. They did have to juggle things to meet all their commitments and get their albums recorded I time

Music The Lord is my shepherd (Howard Goodall)
The Priests from Alleluia (SWM7)

Reflection 2 An extension of priestly ministry

Their singing is described as 鈥渁 sort of soft evangelism鈥�- a way to connect with people through the of music. They were conscious that what they were doing was very much part of their ministry to spread the Gospel. The music is so wonderful that it can touch the lives of others so to sing a piece of music in a difficult situation can change the atmosphere. Do no matter what the context, music can touch the hart and help to bring a sense of peace. One of them recalls that after preaching at a service for Christian Unity, being asked to sing and the Presbyterian minister said that the congregation would forget the sermon but not the music. Remembering high points in their career, they recall meeting the Pope, recoding in the Vatican, singing to an audience of 80.000 people in Hyde Park during the visit of Pope Benedict and watching a former singing teacher, now well on in years sitting conducting them听 at one of their first concerts.

Music 听Alone with none but Thee my God (King of kings) (Irish traditional)
The Priests from Harmony (RCA)

Reflection 3 Legacy

Their story is really a fermentation 听of many years of music making and people will still be able to dip into their music. It鈥檚 been a roll.er coaster of a journey in which many journeyed together as pilgrims. There is a hope that people in their dipping in may be comforted, reassured and allow God to speak to their hearts. People may have got a new understanding of priests as real people and a lot of hearts were uplifted. People have found comfort and consolation at difficult times in their lives through their music. That is the real legacy.

Music 听Down in the River to Pray (Traditional American melody)
The Priests from Alleluia (SWM7)

Prayers

Lord God, Giver of all good gifts, we praise you for your gift of music, that it is able to move and thrill, enthral and inspire us, stirring our emotions and helping us express our feelings in a way that transcends words.

For the inspiration given to those who compose it
for the skill and devotion of those who perform it
for the facilities and powers which help us to enjoy it

听听 We thank you that music and song enrich our worship, but also our lives.听 That young and old, regardless of creed or colour, can be united in this common bond and be raised to new heights.

Loving God, may the songs of our lips and the music of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, today and every day.

We pray for the Church throughout the world that all its members will listen to the voice of Jesus and faithfully follow him Lord in your mercy
听Hear our prayer

For all who make music to the glory of your Name , that they may find joy and inspiration in their work. Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

For all who are facing crisis or loss, that they may grow in their trust of God to bring forth change and a new beginning. . Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

For peace in your world, an end to conflict and strife, and the wisdom to resolve our differences with compassion and understanding. Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

For the victims of war and violence: that they may be protected and soon find paths to peace and reconstruction. . Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

For all who are sick, suffering or bereaved,听 that they will be strengthened by the knowledge of Christ鈥檚 love. . Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer

Music The Lord鈥檚 Prayer (Traditional)
The Priests from Harmony (RCA)

We pray in words attributed to St Patrick:

May the strength of God pilot us.
May the power of God preserve us.
May the wisdom of God instruct us.
May the hand of God protect us.
May the way of God direct us.
May the shield of God defend us.
May the hosts of God guard us against the snares of the evil one and the temptations of the world.
May Christ be with us. Christ before us. Christ in us. Christ over us.
May your salvation O Lord be always ours this day and for evermore

And the blessing of God Almighty- Father Son and Holy Spirit be with you, this day听听 and evermore听 AMEN

Ruth听 Thank you for joining us this morning and we pray that God will give you guidance and blessing through these days of Lent and beyond. And we finish with an Irish blessing.

Music An Irish Blessing (Bob Chilcott)
The Priests from The Priests (Epic)

Closing Announcement: In today鈥檚 Sunday Worship, led by Ruth Jennings, Fathers David Delargy and Eugene and Martin O鈥橦agan reflected on their time singing together as The Priests. The producers were Bert Tosh and David Walker.

听Next week as part of our Lenten journey Sunday Worship will draw on the ideas of the third and fourth century desert fathers and mothers to explore the ideas of wilderness, silence, temptation and freedom.

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