The Preaching Life - thought sharing for homilies.

2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time (B)

2012-01-11T23:22:00.027Z

John 1:35-42

As John stood with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, 'Look, there is the lamb of God.' Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, 'What do you want?' They answered, 'Rabbi,' - which means Teacher - 'where do you live?' 'Come and see' he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about the tenth hour.

One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' - which means the Christ - and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at him and said, 'You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas' - meaning Rock.

Who's image and likeness?

Sometimes you can get into wonderful debate about religion. You don't have to be in the Church or the school for a hotly contested argument on the points of faith. I have found myself discussing the same in the most unusual of circumstances; the barbers is a great place for it; or even the gym! Where ever it takes place, there seems to be genuine interest on behalf of the parties involved to talk about faith - even if they profess to have little or none themselves. People like to talk to people of faith about faith. Maybe they are looking for some answers (maybe a fight?), who knows.

I had a little incident a few months ago in the parish. A couple were getting married and in the course of the preparation the question of the practice of the faith came up; put very bluntly, I asked 'do you go to Mass?' A deep discussion ensued. One of the parties told be out straight that they did not go to Mass, because they like to meet God in their own way, not in a way that is dictated to them. What way was that, I asked? Lighting a candle now and then and doing no wrong, was the reply. I asked was that enough, I was told I was bordering on being interfering. I replied, I'm a priest - that's my job!

It is not uncommon for people to describe themselves as religious or spiritual. A relationship with God for most adults is no more that a passive acknowledgement that 'there is something there'. For whatever reason many have not even a basic understanding of the what it means to be a Catholic, let alone what and why the Church teaches what it does. In days gone by when a 'cultural piety' existed it was not as necessary to ask the hard questions about what we believe. The faithful attended Mass and said the prayers and that was enough to make them very holy and good people. With fewer people attending Mass, that great mainstay is gone. The support of the community has dissipated and in its place a myriad of competing voices. God is up for grabs. If there is a God at all, some are happy to look for Him alone - on their terms.

John did not keep the disciples to himself. They saw Jesus and he told them to follow. The Lord was not content to answer their question "where do you live?" by giving them the address, he said "Come and see?" They came and spent time with Jesus, the rest of the day. Whatever they heard, or whatever they saw must have been very impressive, because Andrew the very next day was on the mission.
I find it interesting that he called Peter to come and see Jesus. He did not want to tell him about him, he wanted to introduce him, so that Peter could see for himself the Messiah.

From the very beginning of the Church apostles have been bringing people to Jesus. Andrew, John and Peter all went on to do great and wonderful things in Jesus' name. They worked great miracles, went on long and dangerous journeys. Andrew and Peter were to give their own lives for the faith. In all of this they pointed to Jesus. He was their reference and their message. No matter what they kept bringing people to Christ.

It is very easy to say, I will meet God in my own way- I will do it myself. If we do that we will inevitably be wrong. The image of God I will have will more likely be made the image and likeness of myself. God will vindicate all I do and say, hopefully he will smite my enemies for me - the thoughts of which gives some kind of wicked comfort. God is to be discovered not invented. We do not need to start from scratch, figuring out who God is and what we wants from us. It is already done. Jesus has revealed the face of the Father. In his Church - One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic - the Good News is preserved intact. Of course the history of our family the Church has it's darkness. Many have failed badly to reveal Christ as they should; despite all this the Church remains to point the way to the Father.

The Apostles saw Jesus, they met Him, they knew Him and loved Him. They have given us a complete and trustworthy faith to hold on to, so that in a world that changes the presence of God is real and alive. As we celebrate the Eucharist may we remember that we do not and should not feel as if we do it alone. By being part of the Church we will not stray and if we do the Shepherd, who's voice is known to the flock will bring us to green pasture.

(The large bell at St Peter's is called St. Andrew.)

January 8th - The Baptism of the Lord

2012-01-07T16:43:00.002Z

In the course of his preaching John the Baptist said, 'Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I ,have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.'

It was at this time that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised in the Jordan by John. No sooner had he come up out of the water than he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit, like a dove, descending on him. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.' (Mark 1: 7-11)

Root and Branch

Last week there was some pretty bad weather. Nothing, thankfully like the snow that afflicted us during Christmas 2010, but the weather was bad. The most significant aspect of this meteorological unpleasantness was the wind. For about three days, heavy Atlantic wind and rain lashed the countryside. As the storm passed a considerable amount of damage was done. What took most of the brunt of the gusts were trees. In parts of the country many roads were blocked of partially blocked by falling trees – thank God, no one was hurt.

I noticed something about trees during the storm. There are no leaves this time of the year. It is very impressive the sound the wind makes when it blows through the naked branches of trees. Most of the trees could bend and resist the tempest, not falling to the ground. If the storm had come in June or July, when there was a think blanket of vegetation, the trees may not have fared so well. Nature, in its own way, knows what it is doing when autumn becomes ‘the fall.’ The sails, as it were, were down. Most of the trees that did tumble were old and rotten, or wrapped in ivy and weeds making them easy prey for the fury of winter.

Today we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord and in so doing we have a chance to reflect on our own baptism. Christmas has been celebrated, the Magi have presented their gifts, today God is revealed in a most spectacular way in Jesus. We all have a share in this glory, by the grace of the Sacrament of Baptism. The trees I referred to, can possibly be used as a little reminder of what we are about when it comes to baptism.

In the waters of Baptism we sink deep into the very life of God. We are submerged into God’s eternal life. The Spirit is poured into our hearts and looking at Jesus we can also hear the voice of the Father. The roots are deep and strong. We are in God and God is in us. We are also rooted in the Church. We are baptized into the faith of the Church, so that even if we do not always understand what we are about, we have the support of the community, which is the Body of Christ. These are the roots that keep us firmly on the path of salvation, the roots that give us strength when the wind blows.

The second thing is the leaves. When a tree has leaves and there is violent wind there is every chance that just the right amount of force applied will bring it to the ground. When our lives are laden with sin, worries and anxieties, it is far more likely that we will fall. If my life is choked with regret and guilt, how can I rejoice in the presence of God? Baptism washes sin away. It takes away the sins that obscures us from the light of God. We are free to choose what is right and what is wrong, we are no longer slaves to sin – we have an innate freedom as a child of the Most High. Of course, we have the capability to sin (and we do sin) but we also have the gift of freedom.

So what am I saying? A dead tree in winter is the perfect model of the Christian life?! Not exactly. Our call is to live to the very fullest, to bloom and grow, to reflect the beauty of our Creator. The fullness of that life will be revealed in the presence of the Trinity in Heaven. There we fear no wind or storm. As we journey though this world on our pilgrim journey, the weather is not always fair. Wind often buffets us left and right. There are so many decisions and choices we have to take. Rooted in the Church we have a safe dwelling where we can encounter God in the Word and the Sacraments. Trees in a wood will survive a storm better that it would out in a field by itself.

The faith we receive in Baptism as wonderful thing. God is our refuge and strength. Rooted in Christ, with our sins forgiven we can weather the storms until at last we can rejoice in the Eternal Springtide of the Father’s house.

January 1st, Mary, Mother of God.

2012-01-01T00:41:00.000Z

Happy New Year to one and all. This Sunday I would like to share a very powerful part of the Holy Father's Message for the World Day of Peace, addressed to young people:

Raising one’s eyes to God

Before the difficult challenge of walking the paths of justice and peace, we may be tempted to ask, in the words of the Psalmist: "I lift up my eyes to the mountains: from where shall come my help?" (Ps 121:1).

To all, and to young people in particular, I wish to say emphatically: "It is not ideologies that save the world, but only a return to the living God, our Creator, the guarantor of our freedom, the guarantor of what is really good and true … an unconditional return to God who is the measure of what is right and who at the same time is everlasting love. And what could ever save us apart from love?"9 Love takes delight in truth, it is the force that enables us to make a commitment to truth, to justice, to peace, because it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (cf. 1 Cor 13:1-13).

Dear young people, you are a precious gift for society. Do not yield to discouragement in the face of difficulties and do not abandon yourselves to false solutions which often seem the easiest way to overcome problems. Do not be afraid to make a commitment, to face hard work and sacrifice, to choose the paths that demand fidelity and constancy, humility and dedication. Be confident in your youth and its profound desires for happiness, truth, beauty and genuine love! Live fully this time in your life so rich and so full of enthusiasm.

Realize that you yourselves are an example and an inspiration to adults, even more so to the extent that you seek to overcome injustice and corruption and strive to build a better future. Be aware of your potential; never become self-centred but work for a brighter future for all. You are never alone. The Church has confidence in you, follows you, encourages you and wishes to offer you the most precious gift she has: the opportunity to raise your eyes to God, to encounter Jesus Christ, who is himself justice and peace.

All you men and women throughout the world, who take to heart the cause of peace: peace is not a blessing already attained, but rather a goal to which each and all of us must aspire. Let us look with greater hope to the future; let us encourage one another on our journey; let us work together to give our world a more humane and fraternal face; and let us feel a common responsibility towards present and future generations, especially in the task of training them to be people of peace and builders of peace. With these thoughts I offer my reflections and I appeal to everyone: let us pool our spiritual, moral and material resources for the great goal of "educating young people in justice and peace".

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen

Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

2011-12-23T10:10:00.000Z

"This is the sign: a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes"

In the village of Tyrrellspass, Co Westmeath (Ireland) there is a statue. It was erected in 1970 by a committee formed to commemorate the struggle for Irish independence in the opening decades of the twentieth century. At the time there was much debate about the shape, style and size of the monument. Some wanted a war memorial of some sort, others a large Celtic cross or another symbol evocative of Ireland. The monument was to be worthy of the memory of all who died and at the same time one that would remind future generations of the difficult history of the nation. The result of the deliberations was quiet unique, quite special. It was decided that a sculpture was to be commissioned of three little children. They were to stand together, facing slightly to the east. A small inscription was placed near by which read "to the men and women of Westmeath and Offaly who fought for Irish freedom" and on an other plaque "so that future generations of Irishmen [and women] could be free". The children symbolised freedom, hope for the future and at the same time reminding all who look at the statute of the sacrifice made by the children of another generation.

Today [this night] we celebrate the birth of a Child. Not just any child but the Son of the Most High God, Our Lord Jesus Christ. He is 'God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, consubstantial with the Father'. We celebrate the birth of a little baby in Bethlehem, who was born not just to free future generations, but all. Christ's birth begins the final chapter of our true liberation, which comes to its completion in the Pascal mystery. Our Savior is a baby, our Savior is a child.

What difference does it make? All the difference in the world. What did He free us from, the world is as bad as it ever was? Why did he waste His time?

Jesus came, was born, suffered, died and rose again because He loved me! Amazing as it sounds, God became man because He Loved me! Just think, it happened for me!! And why? Because without Him I am a slave. Without Jesus I am not free, I am hemmed in by so much. His presence has made the difference, His life and death has given meaning to everything - to love, to life, to death. God has taken them all to Himself and has made them holy. Because God is there everything and everyone has value. Not only did he come in the flesh, He willing died on the Cross, taking to Himself all that binds us. This child was born, if you like, to die.

What did He free us from? I would say three things, there maybe more, but broadly speaking three things. Firstly, SIN. Sin is what makes us miserable, because when we sin we cut ourselves off from God and each other - and whether we like it or not, the place is full of it. But we are not slaves to sin, we can choose which way to go. Jesus gives us the freedom to see what is sin and the strength to avoid it.

The second thing is fear. We sin. We make mistakes and we have regrets, some which can be carried for a life time. Fear of our past, fear for the future, fear for our loved ones. Without Christ fear would be irresistible. Jesus' love casts out fear, because we are not alone in the darkness of this world. "Even if I should walk in the the valley of the shadow of death I will not fear, for you are there with your crook and your staff with these you give me comfort." Christ has brought the reign of fear to a close. Just like your mother or father turning on a light on a dark and stormy night Jesus very presence gives us light and comfort. I am not afraid of my self, my mistakes, my weakness, because Jesus is with me.

The third thing He frees us from is death. His Sacrifice has brought life in abundance. I know many in our parishes have experienced bereavement in the last year. Christmas can bring the pain of loss into very sharp focus. Our loved ones are not with us to celebrate as we always did, and we miss them. The little Baby, frees us from death. His life has stolen death of its sting. We often think about this at Easter, but in these days, it is as important. We will see our loved ones again. As the Church on earth celebrates Christmas, the Church in Heaven also rejoices. The Church in Purgatory looks longingly towards the end of that journey knowing much better than we do that the 'promises of the Lord have been fulfilled'. Jesus is life in all its fullness and gives it to us today.

The statue of the children in Tyrrelspass was erected to remind children yet unborn of the price paid for freedom - that future generations of Irish people would be free. The Child of Bethlehem brings a greater freedom than the founders of the state could even imagine. This Christmas, let us stand tall, facing the East where the 'loving kindness of the heart of our God, who visits us like the dawn from on high'. Christmas reminds us of what Christ has done for us. 'Freed from fear and from the hands of our foes let us humbly rejoice....CHRISTUS NATUS EST PRO NOBIS.....Christ is born for us. Alleluia!

4th Sunday of Advent

2011-12-17T09:41:00.000Z

Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.' She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, 'Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.' Mary said to the angel, 'But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?' 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you' the angel answered 'and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God' 'I am the handmaid of the Lord,' said Mary 'let what you have said be done to me.' And the angel left her.

The Angel left her.

We can get very excited this time of year about 'the meaning of Christmas', and even though liturgically it is not the Season of the Nativity yet, there is no avoiding the fact; it is Christmasy! At this time many Church people bemoan the fact the feast of the Lord's birth has been hijacked by the commercial word. At best the Christ has been reduced to the sideline, at worst Christmas has been reduced to a mid winter festival when we can eat, and be merry with no reflection on the mystery itself. I have a slightly different take on it. For me, it does not matter a bit what the 'world' celebrates. It does not bother me if the place is falling down with Christmas lights, that people go crazy buying gifts, putting themselves under awful pressure and hardship - for me, what we will celebrate in the coming days is the cause of great joy and happiness, it is impossible for the crassness and superficiality of much of what goes on to eclipse the 'true meaning of Christmas.' And it all starts in today's Gospel.

"The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary". What an event! The Annunciation (not to be confused with the Immaculate Conception, which lots of folks do) begins the Good News of Jesus Christ. Before He is even born, before He says a word in the human language The Word speaks to us. 'The Word was made flesh' and even before His birth 'we see His glory.

Mary is asked to be the mother of God and there is the remarkable dialogue with the Angel Gabriel. 'How can this come about?', says Mary. 'God will do it', says the Angel. 'I will do it' says Mary. And the Angel left her. The Angel left her! She had just agreed to be the Mother of God, to conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Angel left her! Of all times in history when an angel should have stayed around the place, he is gone. Mary was left alone. But was she? The Power of the Most High had covered her with His shadow, and what happened: The Word was made flesh and lived among us. The Angel was gone; but already Christ was there. The Angel left her, but even before he had vanished Mary's savior, Mary's Lord, Mary's God, Mary's Son was with her. "Blessed be the fruit of thy womb."

We can get very excited about the way the world celebrates Christmas. To me, its not worth a fight. As Christians we celebrate that God is with us. In a world that can be fearful and full of danger and anxiety, the Word was made flesh and lives among us. Let us pray for Mary's faith; the Angel seems to leave us alone, may we always trust that God is with us. The tree will go, the lights will be put way, the presents will be opened and forgotten; but the Word of God lasts forever. Come Lord Jesus.

3rd Sunday in Advent (B)

2011-12-08T18:05:00.007Z

I am so sorry for not putting as much diligence into the blog in recent weeks.
Hopefully I am back on track as of now!!
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3rd Sunday of Advent: Gaudate!

A man came, sent by God.
His name was John.
He came as a witness,
as a witness to speak for the light,
so that everyone might believe through him.
He was not the light,
only a witness to speak for the light.

This is how John appeared as a witness. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, 'Who are you?' he not only declared, but he declared quite openly, 'I am not the Christ'. 'Well then,' they asked 'are you Elijah?' 'I am not' he said. 'Are you the Prophet?' He answered, 'No'. So they said to him, 'Who are you? We must take back an answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?' So John said, 'I am, as Isaiah prophesied:

a voice that cries in the wilderness:
Make a straight way for the Lord'.

Now these men had been sent by the Pharisees, and they put this further question to him, 'Why are you baptising if you are not the Christ, and not Elijah, and not the prophet?' John replied, 'I baptise with water; but there stands among you - unknown to you - the one who is coming after me; and I am not fit to undo his sandal-strap'. This happened at Bethany, on the far side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.

Rejoice!

If you live in Ireland, or nearly everywhere in the West in these days, you may ask yourself, what is there to rejoice about. What is there to be happy and jumping about, because the entire outlook is so bleak. It is as if the world is ending, the worst is yet to come, brace yourself for a storm, all the clichés are dished out with relish. The truth of the matter is, we have been like this for the last four years. I came across a little play we put on in the parish four Christmases ago, 2007. I was shocked! The same things we are talking about now were in the lines of that short sketch. Fear about jobs, fear about mortgages, fear about it all. Did you notice that all this fear has one thing in common? There is a thread that unites it all; money! The fear that is projected that we are all supposed to be crippled by is economics. It is as if the only way that we can be happy is by having a healthy bank balance and when that is sorted, all is sorted. Yes it is true that one of the most serious causes of stress is money; if you have money worries yourself, you know exactly what that means. Sleepless nights, endless calculations and recalculations, hoping the books will balance. However a bit of perspective can help us find the balance between genuinely worried about what we need to survive and what is 'unnecessary anxiety' - a phrase some colleagues were fond of using, after the Our Father in the 'old dispensation'!

John gives us perspective. The Gospel begins :

'A man came, sent by God.

His name was John.

He came as a witness,

as a witness to speak for the light,

so that everyone might believe through him.

He was not the light,

only a witness to speak for the light.'

John came to proclaim his baptism of repentance. He did such a good job, caused such a stir that people had all kinds of ideas about him. Was he the Christ, was he the prophet? Who is this man that has captivated so many. You cant really blame the people. They were so much talk in the air about the coming Messiah, they would have been delighted to have been put out of their anxiety and claim to have seen the Christ. But John says no, I am not he. I am not he, but he stands among you, unknown to you. The Christ is here, the one who will take away the sins of the world; not symbolically, but actually. He is here.

Journeying towards Christmas, many voices cry out. Many voices of gloom and doom, voices of despair and fear of the future. Many will hear only these voices. If you were in the crowd all those years ago and heard them saying John was the Christ, what would you have believed? If they are all saying it, must it not be correct! The same goes today, when I hear voices saying, we are all doomed, the country is ruined, the Church is finished, do I listen to them? Do I allow myself to lift up my head and look around? When I do, might be very surprised to see the good that surrounds us and the reality of the world may nit be as frightening as I think?

John pointed to the one who stands among us, unknown. As we continue to journey towards Bethlehem, may the courage of John help us to keep firm in faith and hope to remember Jesus is with us, and journeys with us in trial and triumph. A voice cries "a voice that cries in the wilderness:

Make a straight way for the Lord" . This voice is one of authority and hope, it does not permit it to wallow in self righteousness or self pity. Christ has come and will come. He gives us strength to stand and say though I am not fit to undo his sandal-strap, He will never let me go. Christ is God with us, not God away from us. He strengthens every trembling hand and foot.

2nd Sunday of Advent (A)

2011-12-04T00:53:00.001Z

PREPARE A SACRED SPACE

During this time of Advent it is very important that if we are to receive the Word of God, we must make space in our hearts so that our meeting with the Lord can take place. In today’s Gospel the Word of God has the power to surprise and to change us.

We all find change difficult and from experience it does not come easily. We can become very attached and convinced about our own ideas. We have opinions and ideas that are as stubborn as the highest mountains and the rugged cliffs. Unfortunately they block us from hearing the Word of God.

During this period of longing and waiting, let us take time to deepen our understanding of the Word of God so that we may be better able to reflect the light of Christ. May the Advent road lead us to the gift of Christmas.

In the Silence let me hear your Voice
In the Peace let me see your Face.
In the Calm let me know your Love.
Advent
We have tested and tasted too much, lover-
Through a chink too wide there comes in no wonder.
But here in the Advent-darkened room
Where the dry black bread and the sugarless tea
Of penance will charm back the luxury
Of a child's soul, we'll return to Doom
The knowledge we stole but could not use.

And the newness that was in every stale thing
When we looked at it as children: the spirit-shocking
Wonder in a black slanting Ulster hill
Or the prophetic astonishment in the tedious talking
Of an old fool will awake for us and bring
You and me to the yard gate to watch the whins
And the bog-holes, cart-tracks, old stables where Time begins.

O after Christmas we'll have no need to go searching
For the difference that sets an old phrase burning-
We'll hear it in the whispered argument of a churning
Or in the streets where the village boys are lurching.
And we'll hear it among decent men too
Who barrow dung in gardens under trees,
Wherever life pours ordinary plenty.
Won't we be rich, my love and I, and
God we shall not ask for reason's payment,
The why of heart-breaking strangeness in dreeping hedges
Nor analyse God's breath in common statement.
We have thrown into the dust-bin the clay-minted wages
Of pleasure, knowledge and the conscious hour-
And Christ comes with a January flower.
Patrick Kavanagh

1st Sunday of Advent (A)

2011-11-26T22:28:00.000Z

Mark 13:33-37
Jesus said to his disciples: 'Be on your guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come. It is like a man travelling abroad: he has gone from home, and left his servants in charge, each with his own task; and he has told the doorkeeper to stay awake. So stay awake, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming, evening, midnight, cockcrow, dawn; if he comes unexpectedly, he must not find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake!'

So the wait has begun again. Year after year the journey to the 25^th of December kicks off with the first Sunday of Advent. Churches and chapels all over the place don the purple, the wreath is decorated and lit and some of the most beautiful liturgical music echoes throughout the world. Advent is a beautiful season. The Gospel is however hard hitting “Be on your guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come…so stay awake”

Advent prepares us for Christmas, true. Despite the activity that has become a hall mark of this time of the year, the Church invites us all to stop and think. Christ will indeed come at the end of time, but he breaks into our lives in many many ways. What are we waiting for? Christ will of course come at the end of time to judge the living and the dead and ‘all eyes will see Him.’ He comes, however, day after day in the mystery of our lives and our relationships. He comes to us in the face of friend and stranger.

A few weeks ago we celebrated the feast of St Martin of Tours – his conversion story is very well known. When he was a soldier in the Roman army, during the depth of winter he met a beggar. Feeling sorry for him he divided his great cloak, gave it to the poor man and went on his way. That night he dreamed of Christ. He saw the Lord in the face of person he helped. Christ had broken into his life and he was changed forever.

The Liturgy reminds the Church at the beginning of the season of the urgency of the Gospel. It gives us a reminder that a response to the call of the Lord cannot be put off for some future date. It is easy to say to ourselves “there is time, I will change tomorrow”. Every moment of every day gives us opportunities to meet and experience Christ. The end will come and we will see the Lord face to face; before we do, however, we will have plenty of practice. We will have our lines of greetings well learned of; for we will have met him already. If we do not recognize Him now, will we when he returns in glory?

31st Year of Ordinary Time Year A

2011-10-25T08:07:00.011+01:00

Addressing the people and his disciples Jesus said, 'The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they! Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.

'You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will exalted.

We have just completed the first Presidential Election in Ireland in fourteen years. For many people it is the first one they can remember. In the process seven candidates put themselves before the people as potential holders of the most senior position in the land. Seven people put their lives before the electorate in the hope of being selected and each of them had a grueling time. Private details of family and business were explored and examined, and for some of them the experience was to say the very least difficult. Only one could be chosen and after all the campaigning, canvasing and debating the election is over. Only one could be chosen; for the next seven years Mr Michael D. Higgins will be President of Ireland.

Now taking the personalities out of the equation, the entire business of picking a new president was a remarkable business. Some candidates has posters, smiling effigies of would be leaders peering from lamp posts and bridges, everywhere smiling, everywhere presenting themselves as someone to trust, someone to be trusted in. Others sent letters, their faces beaming from the glossy publications, explaining in detail what they wanted us to accept and vote on. There was never a question of a doubt about their ability to be Head of State, what they had on offer made perfect sense. At the end of the day one had to be chosen, obviously the one in the post box or looking in your window from the close by street lamp was the obvious choice. At any given moment there were seven obvious choices for the prized 'No 1' in our prized proportional representation. If not father, teacher or rabbi - they all wished to be called President.

I cannot help but draw parallels to what I have seen and heard in the last few weeks with the Word of God today. In an election everything is done to attract attention. Be it complaining about the age of one or the record in public life of another, it was most important to be seen and heard, so that the voter will have been attracted to attention. Nice ties and impressive designer dresses, take the place of broader phylacteries and longer tassels. Being greeted obsequiously in the market squares took place in schools and active retirement groups. It did not matter who you talked to once it looked good, garnering another few votes as you move along.

The Gospel today points to a different way or style when it comes to leadership. Jesus says that to put yourself in the first place can be a dangerous business. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will exalted. To attempt to put yourself in the first place runs the risk of disappointment when the self delusion we create for ourselves turns out to be a bottle of smoke. Every misjudgement, every error, every sin of your life is on display for the whole nation to see.

No one going for election feels they are not worthy of the post they look for. Despite all the talk of being servants of the people, it is obvious that a candidate must always put them selves forward with confidence. Jesus says 'the greatest among you must be your servant.' Not just in talk but in action. As a nation reflects, we have a chance to ask the very basic question of ourselves 'am I at peace with myself so that humbled or exalted, because I have always done what was right? if we all lived for the other, how great a world we would have - everyone at the service of everyone else. The crazy thing is that it is possible - only thing it costs and the cost can only be paid in one currency - humility. Rare stuff and like cod liver oil - often hard to take. We have only one master and you are all brothers and sisters. May Jesus give us the grace to be like Him and create a world fit for his Kingdom.

Mission Sunday

2011-10-23T05:32:00.001+01:00

Gospel proposed by the Irish Episcopal Conference for Mission Sunday 2011

Matthew 9: 1-8

He got back in the boat, crossed the water and came to his home town. And suddenly some people brought him a paralytic stretched out on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, 'Take comfort, my child, your sins are forgiven.' And now some scribes said to themselves, 'This man is being blasphemous.' Knowing what was in their minds Jesus said, 'Why do you have such wicked thoughts in your hearts? Now, which of these is easier: to say, "Your sins are forgiven," or to say, "Get up and walk"? But to prove to you that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins,' -- then he said to the paralytic-'get up, pick up your bed and go off home.' And the man got up and went home. A feeling of awe came over the crowd when they saw this, and they praised God for having given such authority to human beings.

Homily given at Confirmation preparation Mass:

An important part of our faith is our relationship with the Saints. Most days of the year there is a specific saint celebrated, an we called these days feast days. Some of these days we know well, for example March 17th is St Patrick's Day, December 26th is the day of St Stephen. If your school is dedicated to a saint or blessed their feast day is usually marked by a special celebration. November 1st is a holy day when we remember All Saints. When you celebrate Confirmation you will take a new name and normally that name is the name of a saint whose story you will learn. I took Martin after St Martin de Porres. He was a Dominican saint from Peru and when I was growing up my mother had great devotion to him. His picture was in our home, he was like a special friend to us, so I took his name and to this day I often feel he is with me in my life.

Why are we so interested in saints? Obviously enough they are close to God. They lived such good lives in response to their faith, the Church can confidently say they are in Heaven, praying for us and guiding us in our lives. But even more than that the saints are ordinary people, just like us, who were so caught up in their love of God their entire lives were changed by it. They give us an example of how to live as we should and show us that by being close to God - by giving their entire lives to following Jesus - they learned what it really means to be happy. Not only that, being so close to God they were able to help others to come to know Him making Heaven visible all around them. But the Saints are ordinary people just like us. They struggled and sinned as we all do, but being completely open to God, they did not let weakness stop them growing closer to Him. Every saint has a story that we can learn from. There are two I really like.

Once there was a name named Ignatius. He was a young Spanish noble, who dreamed of being a great warrior. In a battle one day he was injured and was forced to spend a long time in hospital. Lying there for days and days, he had nothing to do but think. There were a few books in the place so to pass the time he read them. Some of them were stories of great heroes and battles. He would read them and picture the scenes. He would imagine himself in the stories and pretend he was receiving the glory of the people described. Then he would get bored and put the book away. One day he was given another book, a story book version of the life of Jesus. He started to imagine those scenes, putting himself in the crowd. He began to notice that when he thought of these things he never got bored, in fact he noticed that they made him feel very happy; the more he thought about them, the more he wanted to think about them. Eventually he realised the other stories were of no interest to him at all. All he wanted to think about was Jesus, because it made him happy. He got better, but instead of returning to war, after a long journey, he became a priest and founded one of the great orders in the Church - the Jesuits.

Another story is about a young girl called Therese. When she was young all she wanted to be was a nun, and not just any nun, a Carmelite nun. These nuns lived in a special convent called an enclosure. They never left the convent spending their lives praying, working and thinking about God. One day the superior asked her to write down all she could about her life. She wrote many beautiful things. She wrote that she wanted to do all kinds of things for God. She wanted to go to far away countries to tell everyone about God, she wanted to be a martyr - that means she wanted to die proclaiming the faith- she wanted to do all kinds of things. She realised, however, that God had not called her to do any of this. He wanted her to do one thing - He wanted her to love. He wanted her to be love for everyone around her, and if she was to do this she would change the world. And she did.

The men in the Gospel had faith and they carried their friend to Jesus and they were all changed. All the people praised God when they saw what happened. Not everyone was happy though, some grumbled and complained.

Just like St Ignatius and St Therese, if we allow Jesus into our lives we will be like the people in the Gospel who praised God. We will not be grumblers, there are enough of them in the world. We call ourselves Christians. When you receive Confirmation you will stand before all the people in the world with a new name; but more that that you will stand before the whole world with a new power in your life that will change you - if you let it! You will be a witness to the greatness of God - if you allow God into your life. If you allow the Spirit to mold you into a genuine follower of Jesus you will be really happy - even when things go wrong. Seeing you people will give praise to God and will desire to have what you have. There is nothing as powerful as a smiling Christian; unfortunately it's a rare commodity! On this Mission Sunday may we let that power shine in our lives and on our faces and witness our world change around us.

29th Sunday of Ordinary Time year A

2011-10-10T00:15:00.025+01:00

Render God's unto God.

The Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap Jesus in what he said. And they sent their disciples to him, together with the Herodians, to say, 'Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in an honest way, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you. Tell us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? But Jesus was aware of their malice and replied, ‘You hypocrites! Why do you set this trap for me? Let me see the money you pay the tax with.’ They handed him a denarius and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they replied. He then said to them, ‘Very well, give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.'

Looking at the protests throughout the world in the last few hours, one cannot but be forced to think about where we are going in the world. Young people, the disaffected and protesters of all kinds (not excluding people who may not have the best interests of society at heart) have taken to the streets protesting against corporate greed and government austerity. A cry seems to echo a voice from people on the ground concerning the state the world is in. It is hard to imagine it is 2008 when the whole system of the world economy started to shake. I came across a prayer service I used in autumn 2008 recently. The theme was fear and anxiety for the future. Dark clouds were amassing. Little did we know that those clouds were going to get very thick and remain would remain in the sky for a very long time.

Listening to the news and reading the papers it would be easy to believe that economics was the only subject in the world. Of course it is important, we could not function without money; we have to live and eat. The objection that could be made to all the coverage, however, is that there seems to be nothing else at all in the world. We have become experts in price.

I remember going to Rome for the first time. It was in the era just before the introduction of the Euro, so for the first few months there, I had the wonderful experience of the Lira! I kept one note from that time; a fresh green 2000lira bill. I brought it to school one day to show the 1st communion class. I told them about this great amount of money, all 2000 of it, and I asked them to guess how much it was worth in euro, I got all kinds of fantastic guesses. The were a bit disappointed when I told them it was worth about 1.20 euro. Not great on the face of it.

Somethings we hold very dear; our families and relationships. Often a position or a job is of huge value to us. A car, a house, a boat - there are endless examples. We hold them and treasure them as rightly we should. All of them, however, in an instant can be taken away from us. When look with thanks to God at all we have, we have to remember everything is a gift. If we can have a spirit of gratitude for all we have received, we will never fall into the trap of putting the gift before the giver.

There is only one thing that lasts. St. Theresa of Avila once said: "Let nothing trouble you,let nothing frighten you. All things are passing; God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever possesses God lacks nothing: God alone suffices." As we gather to give thanks, celebrating the Eucharist, may we give to God what is God's. The only thing we can possibly give to God is our thanks and our love; He has no need of it our desire to thank Him is itself His gift, as the liturgy says. When we are thankful to God, we will cheerfully give of all that he has given us. With grateful hearts we will receive the gift of Christ's body and blood and prepare to celebrate God's goodness in heaven.

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

2011-10-05T06:52:00.002+01:00

Sorry to have been out of the loop over the last few weeks!

Matthew 22:1-14

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: 'The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son's wedding. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come. Next he sent some more servants. "Tell those who have been invited" he said "that I have my banquet all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding." But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them. The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town. Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy, go to the crossroads in the town and invite everyone you can find to the wedding". So these servants went out on to the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment, and said to him, "How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?" And the man was silent. Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth". For many are called, but few are chosen.'

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Many are called but few are chosen.

The king must have been having a very bad day. No matter what he tried to do things seemed to go from bad to worse. For months, maybe even years, he had been looking forward to this wedding. After all the careful preparation and planning that goes into a royal wedding I am sure he was relishing the opportunity to show off his magnificence and exuberance to all who had been invited to share in the festivities. A royal wedding has the added factors of dynasty and politics at play, the love of the young prince and his betrothed may not have been to the fore of discussion. In fact the Gospel text does not deal with the couple that are getting married at all; it was the king’s day.

So you can imagine how he felt when those who had been invited did not show up. They must have forgotten, reasoned the King, so he sent for them. Hearing the petty excuses, he blows! When he was finished punishing, he had everyone else rounded up, if they liked it or not, and marched into the wedding hall. I feel sorry for the character that did not have his wedding garment? I can picture him being bundled up and herded into the king’s palace. Whether he wanted to or not he was on the move. He had not time to think, never mind to change. Unfortunately for him, it did not matter, he was not as he should have been and was thrown out. Jesus finishes by saying many are called, few are chosen

Its all a bit mad, isn’t it? It makes no sense what. What about the man without the wedding garment? Wasn’t the man good enough as he was, after all the King asked him to come and really he hadn’t much choice? Wasn’t the kings action a bit drastic, throwing him out bound and gagged into the darkness? Stay away from that king, if that’s the way he does his business.

By times the Christian call does indeed seem a bit strange. The way we live and love as followers of Jesus Christ is completely different to the norms and mores of our times. As society shifts away from the Gospel, all the more different and alien a life lived by the Gospel appears. When you think about it, the Gospel demands a lot. It demands that we put ourselves in the second place, it demands hat we act in such a way as to deny what is often better for ourselves in deference to others. As Christians we are to be faithful in marriage or vows of religion. We are to live chastely when the world around us follows another pattern; one of self-indulgence and relative values.

Why was the man thrown out into the dark? That is a question that requires a deeper exegesis than I could possibly offer; however this is what I think. He came to the feast, you would assume by coercion. Maybe there was another motivation, possibly curiosity, possibly following the crowd? There was a free dinner on offer and when again was he ever going to have the opportunity to eat in the king’s dinning room. Before he knew what was going on he was in the presence of the king. But just maybe, his heart was not in it. He was there just for the sake of being there, rather than to share in what was really going on.

We all have an experience like that from time to time. We go too Mass, celebrate the sacraments, and pray the office or our prayers half-heartedly. We are ‘there’ but ‘we are not there’. The call of faith invites us to a much deeper experience of God than a mere going through the motions. It is no wonder that most of the time people have no idea we are Christian at all. If I am honest with myself can I see in my own life the mark of a disciple?

Many are called but few are chosen. I often lament that many of my own family and friends who call themselves Catholic have no more interest or knowledge of there faith than the man in the moon. The Church provides a service of a birth, deaths and marriage office, with the odd first communion, confirmation and Christmas Day thrown in. If the Church was closed there would be a bit of a fuss, but after a few days there would be no discernable difference in life. If we are really followers of Jesus our entire life should be a living witness to a living faith. Not only should we ‘turn up’, we should come dressed in the garments of faith hope and love, ready to celebrate every good thing the King has to offer. Our very being should radiate gratitude and love for God and for all His goodness and love.

Sometimes we are miserly with our faith; we keep it in the pantry. It is on the shelf - if we need it. When we finally dip into it, we find a stale taste and throw it out. Faith can only be relished if it is fresh and ripe. When we eat what is fresh and green and succulent we will not be content to eat from tins and jars – we will long for the fresh.

If we accept the invitation to the wedding, regardless of how the invitation is given, we have to choose well. Do we go half-heartedly or do we go fully dressed? If we go grudgingly and get thrown out we will spend our lives complaining and giving out about the nastiness of the King; but if we take up the invitation and go rejoicing our lives will be one long canticle of praise – everyone will know we have been to the best party imaginable – and they too will long for the courts of the Lord.

(Not exactly the Royal wedding in the Gospel, but fantastic music!)

24th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A

2011-09-11T00:24:00.000+01:00

Forgiveness is our call.

Do you remember where you were on 9/11? its one of those days that has become etched into the mind and heart of history. Two generations ago the question was "do you remember where you were when JFK was assassinated?" in our time the question regularly is "do you remember where you were when you heard about the twin towers?" There then follows a blow by blow account of where you were, what you were at, who you were with.

I was in Assisi in Italy. I was a seminarian at the time and had just begun studies in Rome. We were bundled off to try and learn Italian in the Umbrian town so much associated with 'pax et bonum'. What I remember about the day was not knowing what had happened. I remember going into a shop, the attendant glued to his radio. It was obvious that something had happened. i could not understand. It was only when I go back to our house did I realise the horror that was unfolding for so many people. I had to see the pictures, it had to be explained to me what had happen - and it was very, very scary,.

The Gospel today paints pictures. It is as if Jesus is painting us a picture about what he wants us to learn. The huge debt versus the small, the ungrateful servant verses his debtor, the compassion of the master and his justice. Each of the comparisons paint a vivid image. On such a significant day a 9/11, we cannot but face this most difficult teaching of the Lord.

Forgiveness is not easy, in fact it can be so hard, we can spend a life time held captive by feelings of regret and guilt over the things we have done and failed to do. In Jesus we have been forgiven. By no merit of our own. We share His life because of his Passion and debt. "How can I repay the Lord for his goodness to me?" Forgive and be forgiven.

On 9/11, let us ask God for His all powerful forgiveness to touch the hearts of rulers and nations; may

the God of mercy and compassion guide us into the way of peace.

23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time(A)

2011-09-03T11:40:00.003+01:00

Bond on earth, bound in heaven

Every generation
Blames the one before
And all of their frustrations
Come knocking at your door

I am not sure if you recognize the words of the song, but it is the opening lines of a one that was very popular a few years ago called The Living Years, and it still gets plenty of play on the radio. I find that songs and poems often put words on things much better than I can. The song is about a man’s realtionship with his father. The father has died, and it seems that there was a troubled relationship between them. The singer reflects on their relationship; their differences; maybe the arguments they had. The lyrics are filled with regret and with sadness. Many things were left unfinished and unspoken between them; he regrets all the things that were not said in the Living Years. Very ordinary things and unfortunately not that uncommon.

Today’s Gospel is about ordinary life. The very first line Jesus says ‘if your brother or sister does something wrong’. Living as part of a family, as part of the community, we will inevitably face situations where people will do us wrong, and of course, there will be times when we do wrong to others ourselves.

Some of the teachings of the Catholic Church are hard for many to accept. Living in a world that does not prize what we hold dear can make the conflict between the spirit of the Gospel and the spirit of the world, to say the least, challenging. Sometimes the hard teachings are presented as the ones about morality, however I would argue that one of the most difficult teachings of all scarcely gets a mention. It is a part of the faith that is fundamental to what we believe, it almost sums up everything we believe as Christians- what is this teaching? It is one we profess in the Creed every Sunday – and that is – forgiveness. While next Sunday’s Gospel asks how many times we forgive, today we are faced with the challenge living with others.

When I was growing up, we were, as most children are, taught the Our Father. Every night we said our prayers and the first one was always the Our Father. It roles of the tongue, we know it as well as the ABC. In the prayer Jesus gave us, we always say “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”. We had a neighbor who had a big sign on the gate of one of his fields, that said “NO TRESPASSING”, and I remember thinking that that what the prayer was about. As you get older, of course, you get to understand an bit more – that trespassing is much more than trampling on the grass of a neighbors farm.

The Gospel today, Christ brings us into the mystery of this teaching which any normal person will find difficult at least at some time or another. Jesus gives us a plan to resolve trouble that may occur between people. Go and have it out alone, if that does not work bring two witnesses, if that does not work report it to the community, and after all that, if the person you are having grief with does not listen – well, basically, we have to love them all the more.

Sometimes it is hard to go through a process like this, particularly when someone has hurt you. When someone does or says something to you that causes you pain – and the pain of a broken relationship can be as painful as any wound or sickness we might suffer – we often want to lash out, to tell the world and it’s mother what has happened to us and skip right down to the Lord’s last words – treat them like a tax collector or pagan- forgetting how Jesus Himself would have treated them. And that is all very easy to do; it’s certainly a natural reaction.
Jesus says something a bit different. The first port of call is simply to talk things over. How many unnecessary roughs and disputes could be talked over and solved without days and months and sometimes years of hostility and anger?

Sometimes it is hard to forgive, particularly when we have been hurt by someone close to us. To be hurt by a brother or sister, a parent or child; to be hurt by a spouse in marriage; all these things are very hard to bear. And sometimes, listening to the good News, we can often say “how can I be expected to forgive” “does God have any idea what that person has put me through?”

There is a great poem by a Scottish poet called Robert Burns who wrote about man out with his friends one day and as the day rolled into night, they thought of home and trouble they were going to be in when they got back, he wrote:

We don’t think of the long Scots miles,
The marshes, waters, steps and stiles,
That lie between us and our home,
Where sits our sulken, sullen dame,
Gathering her brows like a gathering storm,
Nursing her wrath, to keep it warm.

It is so easy to keep the anger warm. The more we cuddle it and protect it and keep it alive, the more difficult it is ever to let it go. We can be content to spend a lifetime held captive by what others have done to us. The ‘brother or sister’ in the Gospel who is confronted, obviously has no idea of what they have done wrong or at least they don’t seem to care, if the conflict has to go through so many stages.

The song I mentioned earlier has a very sad few lines:

I wasn't there that morning
When my Father passed away
I didn't get to tell him
All the things I had to say

It goes on:

I think I caught his spirit
Later that same year
I'm sure I heard his echo
In my baby's new born tears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years

Left on our own we can confirm every wrong idea we have of everyone we have ever met. Jesus today widens our perspective to remind us that we do not make that journey alone. Why does Christ make reference to all these other people; witnesses; the community. If I can’t sort out a problem alone, why do I need the help of others? To intimidate our opponent? To make ourselves out the to be better? I hardly think so. The wisdom of God knows that we function much better when we act with others.

I do not believe for a moment that God expects us to forgive and forget in an instant, as if nothing was wrong. We can often seek peace and the olive branch may not be accepted; that’s where the last bit of today’s Gospel comes in. All we can do, is our best. If we are open to the Spirit, and genuinely wish to be at peace with each other, it will happen. If we can be open to what the Lord wants of us, to be willing to forgive and be forgiven, in time things will work out.

We have no idea what is in store for us:

So Don't yield to the fortunes
You sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective
On a different day
And if you don't give up, and don't give in
You may just be O.K.

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as hear
It’s too late when we die
To admit we don’t see eye to eye

Jesus concludes:
“If two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.”

We do not make this journey alone we do it as part of the family of the Church, we do it with the help of God. And whatever difficulties we face, we do so with God’s help. All we need is patience and courage.

20th and 21st Sunday

2011-08-13T22:56:00.000+01:00

Friends,
I am on the way to the World Youth Day in Madrid with a group from the Diocese. I will not be able to post until I get back. Please say a prayer all goes well and that all who go to this great event of faith will come home on fire "rooted and planted in Christ."

19th Sunday year (A)

2011-08-07T07:54:00.000+01:00

Jesus walks on the water.

When Our Lord called St Peter to Him across the Sea of Galilee, what must have St Peter thought? Did he regret his bravery, his bravado, in asking the shadowy figure on the water who he was? I am sure the last thing he expected was an invitation to walk on the water. There was a risk involved - like drowning - and a choice to be made. Was it safer to stay o the boat with the turbulent waves or step out on to the water and answer Jesus’ invitation to “Come” (Matt 14:28). Did he really believe it was Christ at all?

It is not always easy to trust. It can be terrifying taking risks and making choices for God, especially when we are going through difficulties in our lives. We can feel much safer in a boat buffeted by waves. The tiny dimensions of the hull of a fishing boat keep us from the water; we would do anything to stay n that boat; we 'don't DO walking on the water!' Do we have the faith of St Peter to stretch out our hands and cling to Jesus? We cannot afford to take our eyes off Jesus for a moment, even though there are times when we find it hard to trust either ourselves of Him.

Are we listening to the gentle breeze of the Spirit guiding and steering us in the right direction or are we caught up in worldly turmoil, darkness and scandal?

The first reading is set on a mountain, the Gospel on a lake in a storm. The Rock, Peter, is even over come by the 'full force of the wind' and begins to sink. Jesus is like the mountain. He can never be over come or drowned by the sea. He is there for us when the waves threaten and scare. He is there when all seems hopeless. He tells us:”Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid”, (Matt 14:27).

Are we listening to the gentle breeze of the Spirit guiding and steering us in the right direction or are we caught up in worldly turmoil, darkness and scandal? Let our faith in His power in our lives, be the light that allows His presence to filter through to us.

There was a book called "The Lost Art of Walking on Water": Jesus, give us the courage to see you, give us the courage to walk towards you.

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

2011-07-30T22:20:00.000+01:00

Nothing can come between us and the love of God made visible in Jesus Christ.

There are reasons for every word written in the Bible. Every book and letter have been arranged in the order of the canon for a specific reason; we call it the Word of God. The second reading, to my mind, is very, very interesting. In a few short verses St Paul addresses a huge amount. Reading it in the 'here and now' you could almost imaging St Paul talking to us, in our situation. So what does he say:

Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ
even if we troubled or worried
or being persecuted
or lacking food or clothing
being threatened or even attacked.
These are the trials through which we triumph
by the love of Him who loved us

Church and society are being buffeted by forces beyond our control. The state of economies and fear of the future make tomorrow a worrying place. There is almost a feeling of 'the worst is yet to come' , and who knows, that may very well be the case. And regardless of what tomorrow may bring, today has enough trouble of its own. The Church, for so many generations a source of refuge has become a place of disappointment and of hard and bitter memories. Even though the good is visible and apparent, a trust has been broken which does not allow many to seek refuge in her. We can ask what is left?

St Paul continues:

For I am certian of this:
neither death nor life,
no angel, no prience,
nothing that exists,
nothing still to come,
not any power,
or height
or depth
nor any created thing
can come between us and the Love of God
made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.

He reminds us as he reminded the Romans, that in Jesus we have the promises of the Kingdom of Heave. In Jesus, the one who will not let us down, we have the hope of a brighter future. In a world that seems to be pulling itself apart these words give us great hope. No matter who has let us down, what institution or person, the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who gives us confidence to look to Christ, to follow him and keep going.

When our faith in God and man is tested the words of St Paul should boom like a clarion call:

"Nothing can come between us and the Love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord."

****************************

Pope Benedict wrote to the young people of Ireland:

"I wish to offer you a particular word of encouragement. Your experience of the Church is very different from that of your parents and grandparents. The world has changed greatly since they were your age. Yet all people, in every generation, are called to travel the same path through life, whatever their circumstances may be. We are all scandalized by the sins and failures of some of the Church's members, particularly those who were chosen especially to guide and serve young people. But it is in the Church that you will find Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today and for ever (cf. Heb 13:8). He loves you and he has offered himself on the cross for you. Seek a personal relationship with him within the communion of his Church, for he will never betray your trust! He alone can satisfy your deepest longings and give your lives their fullest meaning by directing them to the service of others. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and his goodness, and shelter the flame of faith in your heart. Together with your fellow Catholics in Ireland, I look to you to be faithful disciples of our Lord and to bring your much-needed enthusiasm and idealism to the rebuilding and renewal of our beloved Church."

17th Sunday in Ordinary Tine (A)

2011-07-30T21:50:00.004+01:00

I was away last week so I did not get a chance to post. Here is a short thought:

As children, we were excited by the book “Treasure Island”; following the map, digging for the treasure only to discover that pirates had stolen it.

Treasure can mean different things to different people, for example fame, wealth, status and luxuries of all kinds. This is not what the gospel is about. As followers of Jesus we must seek the treasure, seek the things of real value in our lives. This treasure is not buried in any field or island, it can be found in our hearts, deep within each of us. It is our faith telling us that we are heirs to the kingdom of God.

The treasure of the Gospel can be found in ordinary places, where God is speaking to us in the simple things of life. He is in the bits and pieces of every day, so we have to keep that treasure and help to pass it on to the next generation. The treasure remains hidden for some because they search in the wrong places. C.S. Lewis put it beautifully; “there is a God-shaped emptiness in the human heart. Knowing Christ Jesus is a treasure awaiting discovery”.

X marks the spot on the treasure map.
The Cross is the X of our treasure.

16th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year

2011-07-16T04:52:00.003+01:00

The weeds in the crop.

It is difficult to imagine that another Sunday has come when we in Ireland have to address the issue of child sexual abuse in the Church. Unfortunately, this tragedy must be faced again in the light of the publication of the report by the government into the handling of abuse cases in the Diocese of Cloyne. Firstly, it must be said that our prayers and thoughts are with those whose lives have been torn apart by the actions of a few and the in actions of others. Our thoughts also must be with the faithful of the church in Cloyne who first hand must deal with the aftermath of the reports findings.

I am putting these few words together on the feast of St Bonaventure. He was an early Franciscan who rose to great prominence in his day a great teacher and bishop. I was reminded in the words of the preface that in every age the Father raises up men and women outstanding in holiness, whose lives build and rebuild the Church of God when decay sets in. We only have to think of the state of the Church at the time of this great man to realise that ours is not the only age that must deal with the consequence of sin and division. We pray that as St Bonaventure, St Francis, St Dominic responded to the call of grace so faithfully in their day, we too in our own day will help rebuild what is damaged, mend what is broken and heal what it wounded.

At this point in time, we all have a very clear choice to make as regards our relationship with the Church. If we chose to remain- and do not forget that many have left because of the scandals - we must humbly, before Almighty God, pray for forgiveness, make reparation for sin (even if the sins of the reports are not ours, God knows we have enough of our own to atone for) and beg the Holy Spirit to make us worthy of our calling to proclaim Jesus to our time. Because of scandal many, many people have lost the only limited contact they may have had with Christ. We have become so fixated the sins of members of the Church we forget what the Church is - the Body of Christ, the font of grace, the instrument Christ chose to continue His saving work in the world. And it is the world Christ talks about in the Gospel.

The field is the world and the crop of wheat and weeds grow side by side. In the sight of the land owner the two grow. Onlookers almost mock him "was it not good seed you bought". Still the two occupy the same space, the same sun shines on them, the same rain falls on them, the same wind shakes them. In the end the same sickle takes them from the field. It is then that good is separated from the bad.

In every life there are weeds and wheat. When I look at myself, I often think that if the weeds were taken from me, what would be left. There would be holes all over the place, the ground would be disturbed. All would be different. After a short while I would notice that the wheat of my life would be getting stronger and stronger. The nutrients would make me grow strong as I should, then the crop the Lord spoke of last week would become a real harvest.

We give so much of our time to tending and caring for weeds, we often neglect the wheat. The Church and the world have their dark sides as we all know. We believe, however, that God is not detached from it all. God is not the clock wider that set everything in motion then backing off. God is in the world, in the lives of the faithful, in the life of nations, in the life of the Church. It should be of no surprise that God tends to the needs of His people.

Maybe this is not for a homily, but it is a thought I have, and I cannot claim it is original (and they are just personal musings rather that a theological perspective) Why is clerical sexual abuse highlighted so much? It is obvious that it exists in other sectors of society, but why the Church, the Catholic Church? Is Divine Providence at work in this? Imagine God looking at the world and seeing the terrible plight of so many children; slavery, exploitation in the most evil ways, neglect, infanticide, abortion - the list goes on. God obviously sees it in the place where it most certainly should not be - in the heart of the Church. Like a vile poison it infects the world. Where would God begin the process of healing and liberation - in the Church. She is to be the light of the world and the hope of peoples. How could She be with such a stain? God pulls the weed from the field of the Church and leaves the wound wide open for every one to see, so that every one Catholic or not will see the terrible effects of sins against little ones. This is not some kind of 'cheap grace', as if to say the Church is offered up as a victim for the sake of the world. Certainly not, the sin is in the Church and needs to be burned out. Ignem veni mittere in terram et quid volo si accendatur.

We as priests and people have a responsibility to make sure the Church is a place where everyone can be safe and grow in holiness. There is no room for ambiguity in this matter. Learning is over. The lesson has been painfully taught and if we have not learned.....there is something very serious at stake - people and people's very relationship with God.

When the weeds have finally been tied up in bundles and burnt in the fire then we will see the field grow gold in the sight of God and prepare for Eternity in His presence.

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

2011-07-03T22:28:00.001+01:00

Isaiah 55: 10-11
"The word that comes from my mouth does not return empty"
Romans: 8: 18-23
"To enjoy the same freedom as the children of God"
Luke 13-1-23
"A sower went to sow...listen, anyone who has ears!"

Jesus teaches in Parables, using scenes that the people are familiar with. They would know whether the seed produced a good crop or not.

The seed fell on a variety of soils, but only one is good soil. This bears fruit and in one case yields a hundred fold, another sixty, and another thirty.

This Parable challenges us! In our lives the seed sown, is the Word of God. How do we receive the Word we hear each Sunday?

In the Parable, the first type hears but does not understand and never really becomes a disciple. The second type is the inconstant person who displays great joy in their Christian life until their faith proves inconvenient. The third type allows the cares of the world. The fourth type is the person who understands and does what the World demands, producing good fruit.

Perhaps this Sunday, we could make a real effort to listen to the Readings and decide what word or sentence we are going to take to heart and apply to our lives during the week. We need to give God time if we want his Word to mean something in our lives.

Lord Jesus, help me this week to make your Word my own.

14th Sunday of Ordinary Time (A)

2011-06-30T15:24:00.002+01:00

"Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Sion."
"Your interests are not in the unspiritual but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made his home in you"
"Come to me all you who labour and are over burdened and I will give you rest."

After the feasts and holy days of the last couple of weeks we have found ourselves in Ordinary time. The Sundays between Trinity and Christ the King are marked by the green vestment and the ever increasing number of the Sunday was we journey towards the years end and Advent. Why do I mention this? Is this just an irrelevant piece of trivia that the members of our congregations need not concern themselves with? Possibly, however, I can see a significance in this season we called Ordinary.

Most of our lives are spent in the realm of the ordinary. Normally our days are plain sailing, day to day, week to week, we just get on with things; our work, our families, our parishes. Now and again this ordinary is punctuated by the less ordinary. Life can take turns and things can happen that make us change. We can experience joys and sadness, sickness and health, disappointment and surprise, things good and bad on the journey. The Pope recently commented, on the jubilee of his priestly ordination, that the fruit of the vine, the grape, need sunshine and rain to make it mature. But back to the ordinary. Even though our experiences can be punctuated by ups and downs, the majority of our lives are lived in a place between the two. We can feel the presence of God, maybe, more keenly in drama - but there is not one second of our existence that is not touched by the presence of the love of God. It is mostly in the regular that we find Him, in the regular we have a chance to grow in his love, in the regular we can lean who God is and the life that gives.

God has made himself known to us in Jesus. Sometimes there is a temptation to think that friendship with Jesus is for 'other people'. Sometimes can only imaging the saints or great priests and bishops really knowing God. And while it is true many of the great legends of our faith were blessed with heroic lives of faith, we lesser mortals can have a really intimate and profound experience of God. I could list of any amount of ordinary things that speak to us of God; a visit, a help out, a baby laughing, the dawn chorus, everyone has their own example. In the Word of God and the celebration of he Sacraments, particularly the Eucharist, we can come face to face with God who wants us to know Him and love Him, just as He knows and loves us.

The Gospel today says "Jesus exclaimed" that the knowledge of God is revealed to mere children. He exclaimed, he just didn't say or teach, he exclaimed this. Then what does He say? He says what I believe to be some of the most beautiful words ever recorded; "Come to me all you who labour and are heavy burdened..and I will give you rest."

Where ever you are in life as you read or hear this, Christ invites you to come to Him. You may be in the depths or on high, most probably you are somewhere in between, where ever you are he says come. Jesus wants to to learn from Him, to be like Him, to be close to Him and when we do the prophesy of Zachariah in the first reading come true; we "rejoice with heart and soul, because the King comes to you" not in splendour but on a donkey, in the ordinary moments of life.

I can't find a Gregorian setting of Venite ad me, so I include an Ambrosian one. Pardon the quality of the video, but you can hear the magnificent sounds of the Church of Milan's setting to the Gospel acclamation on All Saints:

Corpus Christi

2011-06-30T13:09:00.001+01:00

The story goes that when the Feast of Corpus Christi was established in 1264, by Pope Urban IV a competition was held for the music that was accompany the feast - that time of course, it was all Gregorian chant. Two great theologians St Bonaventure and St Thomas Aquinas got to work on the texts and the music. When the day came for the compositions to be heard by the Pope, St Thomas was the first to present. When he came to the end, there was silence in the room. St Bonaventure who was beside Thomas took the text he had prepared and placed it on the ground. He looked at Thomas and said, nothing could compare to the beauty and faith of what just been heard. Whether the story is true or not, it cannot be denied that the music associated with this feast is beautiful.

The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ is beautiful. When we pause and think about the mystery of what we celebrate, we can only do what the words of the Adoro Te says; we can only get lost in wonder. I think a problem we have in our words today is that we have lost the ability to get lost in wonder!
When we celebrate the Eucharist we celebrate the unending presence of God in our midst. Not only that, in the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries we remember all that Christ has done for us.

There are two antiphons associated with evening prayer for the feast. The O Sacrum Convivium from second vespers:

O sacred banquet!
in which Christ is received,
the memory of his Passion is renewed,
the mind is filled with grace,
and a pledge of future glory to us is given.
Alleluia.

and a less celebrated one from first vespers:

Lord, how good you are and how gentle your spirit.
When you wished to show your goodness to your children
you gave them bread from heaven filling the hungry with good things
and sending the rich away empty.

Both of these reveal a little of the great beauty of the Eucharist - the memory of the Passion is renewed, our minds are filled with grace and the pledge of future glory is given to us. We are reminded of how generous God is to us, giving us everything in Christ. On this feast day may we have a chance to experience the beauty of the mysteries we celebrate day after day and week after week. Stay with us Lord, for evening is approaching. We are also reminded of the gentleness and the kindness of God. "To ransom a slave you gave away your Son"

The Eucharist is in the heart of countless communities throughout the world. As we celebrate Corpus Christi we remember that Jesus is with us. We partake in His sacred passion. He stays with us to make us one with one another and with Him. The Eucharist is unity; the Eucharist is beauty: the Eucharist is love.

This a good reflection written the Mass by Gregory Dix in his work 'The Shape of the Eucharist'

"Men have found no better thing than this to do for kings at their crowning and for criminals going to the scaffold; for armies in triumph, for a bride and her groom in a little country church; for the proclamation of a dogma or for a good crop of wheat; for the wisdom of a parliament of a mighty nation or for a sick old woman afraid to die; for a school boy sitting an exam or Columbus setting out to discover America; in thankfulness that my father did not die of pneumonia; for the village headman tempted to return to fetish because the yam crop had failed; for captain so and so, wounded and a prisoner of war; while the hiss of scythes in the think June grass came faintly through the windows of the Church; tremulously, by the old monk on the fiftieth anniversary of his vows; furtively, by an exiled bishop who had hewn timber all day in a prison camp near Murmansk; gorgeously for the canonisation of St Joan of Ark - one could fill many pages with the reasons why people have done this, and not yet tell a hundredth part of them. And best of all, week by week, and month by month, on a hundred thousand successive Sundays, faithfully, unfaithfully, across the parishes of Christendom, the pastors have done this just to make the plebs sancta dei - the holy common people of God.

Adoremus in aeternum Sanctissimum Sacramentum!

This is a childhood favorite of mine:

Trinity Sunday

2011-06-13T00:41:00.000+01:00

On the Sunday after Pentecost we celebrate the mystery of the Trinity. After Eastertide we have the chance to draw a breath and think for a moment about God Himself. It is a part of our faith that is a huge mystery; One God, in three persons, equal to each other, of the same substance, yet totally distinct. Everything alive has its own mystery - no matter how much we discover and uncover about the natural world, there is always more to learn. The mystery of God’s life is truly on an infinite scale.

But what we do know about God? Has anyone ever seen Him? Not many people I know had Moses’ experience of meeting God in the form of a cloud on the mountain, as we heard in the first reading. Sometimes we have an idea of God that seems to be straight out of a comic – a nice story for children. God is not just a concept up in the sky that is beyond our reach. We believe that Jesus has revealed God to us and when we look to Christ we see the face of the Father. So what did Jesus tell us? The first thing he revealed was the Father’s endless love for us all. God is love. That is a tremendous statement - God is Love! Jesus tells us in the Gospel that not only does God love us, but that He sent His Son, Christ himself, into the world not to condemn the world but to save it, in other words to bring the world back into the very life of God, despite our sins and failings. Jesus also says that he does not leave us alone, he has asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit to us to keep us on the right track. Our faith tells us that God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit - is near, within our very being, we become living temples of God by the gift of baptism.

The Trinity can be experienced in a million ways. One of the most special moments of my life, so far, was the birth of my first little niece last December. In the middle of the cold and hardship that we experienced before Christmas little Hayleigh Rose came into to world. Every human life is sacred, and this is most clearly seen in the life of baby. When she was born, just like any little one, there was only one to communicate with her – simply by love. I remember marveling at how her first time parents, took so naturally to their new role. Passing the child to each other, holding her, welcoming her into life – every action was action love. Our very nature calls us to live in family, community and love – a love which reaches out to embrace, holding everything in being. The ultimate experience of community is the life of God.

From all eternity the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit live in the happiness of their own presence. In the mystery of creation God opened life to us all, and in Jesus we are invited to share that very life; we become part of the mystery of the Trinity

You know, more than anything in the world we want to be happy. If we had every material thing we ever wanted and did not have happiness my might as well have nothing. Our true happiness is found in love. What is love? Love is the very nature of God - real love that gives life in all its fullness. The Trinity’s invitation to you and me is to live forever in the happiness of Heaven where all our longings will be fulfilled. We can spend a lifetime desiring happiness, seeking it on the out side. Happiness begins in the depths of our own souls; in our own hearts where God has made his dwelling.

As a society, we have taken a huge knocking. Prosperity and economic success has been replaced with much hardship. No doubt many of you have your own worries and fears – fears for yourself and your loved ones, particularly the young. So much is beyond our control. Life can very hard and despair can seem to be a very easy option.

Today’s feast is a source of great hope. We come face to face with God who is love, not just of Himself, but every human being that is made in God’s image and likeness. Our destiny as God’s children is nothing less than being part of God’s very life. Our hearts are restless until they rest in God, St Augustine famously said, but already in this life we can rest in faith that Father who created us, the Son who redeemed us and the Spirit that makes us holy is with us – in the depths our very being.

Pentecost

2011-06-09T23:16:00.000+01:00

Ireland has a new energy.

Ads are great! It is obvious that hours and hours go into the construction of advertisements. On tv, the radio and in the printed media ads are everywhere. You can't look at something on the internet now with out an ad popping up, and even if it lasts 30 seconds, you are coerced into the word of the 'mad men'.
One ad recently has being playing on RTE Radio, for those of you not too familiar with Irish media, that is, the State's national broadcaster. It is amazing that they can pop in ads everywhere. This one comes in just before the weather after the news and Irish people being so preoccupied with the weather, the sponsor can be guaranteed a very wide audience. The jingle is very simple "Ireland has a new energy" - it is for an electricity provider. It is clever for a number of reason, the most compelling I suppose is a the juxtaposition of 'new energy' with the reality of a county that has taken a bit of a battering of late.

A question came up recently in a parish prayer group; what is the difference between an apostle and a disciple? A disciple follows a teacher, an apostle is sent to proclaim. The Church was built on the foundations of the Twelve, which is continued to this day. The Holy Spirit gives disciples apostolic zeal to go forth and preach the Good News as Jesus as asked us to. On Pentecost the whole Church is invited to open wide to the Holy Spirit to help us make knows to all people the saving message of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit is God. We do not celebrate the feast of the Holy Spirit any more than we celebrate the feast of God the Father or God the Son. We celebrate His coming upon the apostles and Our Lady on this day giving the Church its new energy. On this Pentecost Day we earnest ask the Holy Spirit to enkindle within us the fire of his love.

A few weeks ago we celebrated the feast of St Charles Lwanga. I often wondered what made these great saints so special? If i was in the face of martyrdom would I be as brave as they were? Or even saints who did not suffer death for the faith like Blessed John Paul or St Columba, why did these people make such a great impact on the Church and the world? By themselves they were no different to any other Christian. Their response to faith is what made them great. They were truly anointed by the Holy Spirit who made them strong in the face of their own weakness and the threats of the world. We are not all called to such heroism, but we are all called to the be open to the Spirit and working with his grace we can do more than we could ever dream possible.

Come Holy Spirit! Fill our hears, fill the Church! Make everyone one of us burn with the love of God and neighbour, so that people will see in us the seeds of the Kingdom and reality of the presence of Christ in the world, to the glory of God the Father.

Ascension (Word Communications Day)

2011-06-04T23:45:00.004+01:00

(My internet has been on the blink the last few days, sorry for the delay.)

The Ascension of the Lord and the World Day of Communications.

When I was growing up, today’s feast day was on a Thursday; Ascension Thursday. Both it and Corpus Christi were holidays from school and more often than not we would get the Friday of; a joyous event! (the day off more so than the Feast)

Today brings to an end this part of the wonderful journey of Easter. While the liturgical season has another week to go, there is now something different about the celebration. We wait for the Holy Spirit as we witness that Lord goes up with shouts of joy. Just like the men of Galilee, we wait for the Lord to return in the same way he has gone. Jesus has not abandoned us, he has gone to prepare the place for us that he told us he would.

Jesus ascends into Heaven the Acts of the Apostles tells us. It’s the second time in just over 40 days he has been taken away from the disciples. The first time they scatter to hide in Jerusalem for fear, this time they go back to wait for the Holy Spirit to give them all they need for the great commissioning they have received from Jesus.

A colleague of mine in the Diocese had an unusual request a few weeks ago. A man called to the door of the presbytery with a medal of St Christopher. He wanted it blessed and the priest duly obliged. The man told him the reason he had gotten the medal and had come to have it blessed was that he was about to climb Mt Everest, as he was setting out on this huge journey we wanted something to him to remind him of God and keep him safe. The faith displayed by the climber can be tied very much into what we celebrate today.

The Ascension, in itself, is a part of the Mystery of Faith. From the earliest times it was included as part of the profession of the Christian faith. Every Mass is a celebration of what we celebrate today. The preface says “today the Lord Jesus, the King of Glory the conqueror of sin and death, ascended to heaven while the angels sang his praises” The Eucharistic Prayers I, III and IV also make reference to it. Jesus ascended into glory and as he ascends we ascend with him. The fruits of faith in Christ are not just reserved for the end of time, every moment of every life is a opportunity of ascension. Of course only in the hereafter will we experience the true meaning of union with God, but even now we can experience that glory.

The man that climbed Mt Everest had in his pocket, or around his neck a tiny piece of metal with the image of a saint, blessed by a priest. In itself it is insignificant, what it symbolizes is infinitely greater. He believed that God was going to help him as he climbed the highest mountain on earth and when he got there, taking in what must be a spectacular view, no doubt he thanked the Almighty for what he achieved.

Jesus journeys with us as we ascend. As we gather to celebrate the Mass we celebrate the mystery of faith; from where Christ is, he will return to bring us home. As we receive the Eucharist we receive his unfailing presence which guides and brings us to the summits and through the valleys of life. Christ has not left us alone. He has sent us the Holy Spirit and has called us into the family of the Church. Unlike Good Friday this time we can return to Jerusalem joyful knowing that Jesus has not abandoned us and will keep us close if we but let him.

All peoples clap your hands
cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,
great king over all Gods.

God goes up with shouts of joy.
The Lords ascends with trumpet blast
Sing praise for God sing praise
Sing praise to our king sing praise

God is king of all the earth
Sing praise with all you skill.
God is king over the nations
God reigns on his holy throne.

6th Sunday of Easter

2011-05-24T10:49:00.001+01:00

"If you love me keep my commandments"

(I will be on retreat for the next few days so pardon the non-post)

5th Sunday of Easter

2011-05-19T12:15:00.001+01:00

The Home Guard was an important part of Britain's Second World War experience. Men who could not serve in the armed forces were either conscripted or volunteered to serve their country in an improvised defensive body that patrolled the coast and countryside of Britain looking out for invasion. The body has been immortalised in the series Dad's Army, which, now old, never ceases to entertain. The reason I mention this crew is, recently I saw a documentary on them and the period of the early years of World War 2. When Britain feared invasion after the fall of France, there was almost hysteria in the country. The Army, it was believed was not ready to defend, the RAF was stretched to the limits. There were stories of infiltration behind the lines by the enemy. Hundreds of Germans and Austrians were interned in huge camps on the Isle of Mann and other remoter areas. There was an interesting comment that when a group of Austrians together the founded tea-shops and a university! Remarkably in the Austrian interment camps, which were secured streets in towns really, tea shops and schools offering courses in languages and philosophy emerged all over the place! That's by the way.

Why I refer to all is business is that one thing the Home Guard had to do in preparation for possible invasion was the removal all road-signs and confiscation of maps. There are iconic pictures of signs painted over and removed to prevent any possible invader finding there way around. If a spy dropped and did not know the lie of the land he could easily be caught, betrayed by the simple fact he did not know where he was going.

Directions are important. They are everywhere. If we are driving about in a place we do not know, once we have directions we will muddle through. A map, a sat-nav, AA-route Finder - all these things we use to find our bearings and get from A to B. Even if we end up going by C, D and E as long as we have directions we will get there.

Jesus tells us today that He is the Way, the Truth and Life. Not one without the other two, but all three; way, truth and life. He is the way that leads to truth and life, the life that way of truth, that truth, the way that brings life in all its fullness. The disciples were afraid that they would not find the way if He was taken from them. Jesus reminds them that in HIMSELF resides the way, the truth and the life.

Life can, by times, seem directionless. We work hard, we care for our families, we struggle and stumble and try to get through as best we can. Sometimes it can be very difficult. These days there seems to be obstacles at every turn, making this life of ours very much the valley of tears. The Lord reminds us today that to have seen Him is to have seen the Father. In our faith we have received the consolation of knowing that Christ is our guide - God Himself. The Apostles, His closest collaborators, on whom he laid the foundations of the Church by times lost sight of us. He gently, but firmly reminds us that He is the direction we must follow, for no one can come to the Father but through him.

As we continue to meet Him in the Scriptures and the Breaking of the Bread, as we follow Him as members of the Church, may Christ fill us with the knowledge of Himself. We must trust in Him, for He is truth itself. Christ does not make false promises, His word is good. Listening to Him, believing in Him, following what He teaches through the Church, will bring us to the Father. He is the way, He is the only way to life, to truth, to Heaven.

Blogger.com has been down

2011-05-14T00:44:00.002+01:00

Dear Readers,
The internet provider for the blog has been down, and consequently my submission this week is only in bullet points: I know that I have been late in posting lately; I will do better:

This week is Good Shepherd Sunday and Vocations Sunday:

1. Don't be afraid to give an account of your own story. This is the one Sunday of the year, I believe, you are allowed to be personal; after all YOU have a vocation.
2. The Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep; there is an element of suffering in a true vocation.
3. Everyone has a vocation; the most important one is to be holy! (cf. Vatican II!)
4. Ask people to pray for vocations; no priests no Eucharist, no Eucharist no Church.....
5. If you are happy in your vocation let it be known. If you are not ask the Good Shepherd for strength.
6. If a young man/woman presented themselves with what they believed to be a vocation...what would you tell them?
7. The Vocation we all share is to proclaim the Good Shepherd is risen: Surrexit Pastor Bonus, Alleluia!

Two reflections:

The Beautiful Hands of a Priest.

We need them in life's early morning,
We need them again at its close;
We feel their warm clasp of true friendship,
We seek it while tasting life's woes.

When we come to this world we are sinful,
The greatest as well as the least.
And the hands that make us pure as angels
Are the beautiful hands of a priest.

At the altar each day we behold them,
And the hands of a king on his throne
Are not equal to them in their greatness
Their dignity stands alone.

For there in the stillness of morning
Ere the sun has emerged from the east,
There God rests between the pure fingers
Of the beautiful hands of a priest.

When we are tempted and wander
To pathways of shame and sin
'Tis the hand of a priest that absolve us.
Not once but again and again.

And when we are taking life's partner
Other hands may prepare us a feast
But the hands that will bless and unite us,
Are the beautiful hands of a priest.

God bless them and keep them all holy,
For the Host which their fingers caress,
What can a poor sinner do better
Than to ask Him who chose them to bless

When the death dews on our lids are falling,
May our courage and strength be increased
By seeing raised o'er us in blessing
The beautiful hands of a priest.

Thou Art a Priest Forever (Lacordaire)

To live in the midst of the world,
Without wishing its pleasures;
To be a member of each family,
Yet belonging to none;
To share all sufferings;
To penetrate all secrets;
To heal all wounds;
To go from men to God
And offer Him their Prayers;
To return from God to men
To bring pardon and hope;
To have a heart of fire for charity
And a heart of bronze for chastity;
To teach and to pardon,
Console and bless always--
What a glorious life!
And it is yours,
O Priest of Jesus Christ!

This is a nice recording of Orlando Lasso's 'Surrexit Pastor Bonus'

4th Sunday of Easter (Good Shepherd Sunday)

2011-05-08T22:00:00.000+01:00

Jesus said:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

3rd Sunday of Easter

2011-05-08T12:24:00.000+01:00

This the homily from Mass broadcast live on RTE Radio, as part of the annual conference of Irish Post Polio Support Group. The homily focused on the late effects of polio in the context of the Road to Emmaus.

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My Dad is from Bray in Co Wicklow. When I was young, my brothers and I would have spent a lot of time there with my grandparents. They lived in a beautiful Victorian house facing a park, number 5 Sidmonton Square. Behind their house there was small street called Glenard Avenue. Now we used to refer to this little road as the ‘back lane’. I am not sure what the good citizens of Glenard would have made of us calling that! There was door in the garden wall that opened out into this little independent republic tucked away in the sea-side town. They were our second set of neighbors, our summer time family and they loved the three ruddy kids from country who would visit from time to time, shattering the tranquility of neighborhood with footballs and bikes and whatever else we could borrow from our Bray cousins during our holidays. One of the citizens of Glenard Ave was June Wheeler – June was a survivor of polio.

When she was young, like so many of her generation, she fell ill. After many many months in hospital she came home a very different person. I never knew her with braces or crutches, she had been sick along time even before my grandparents settled there. The scares of her illness however remained with her for life. June was special to us. She lived in a small house, filled with photos of another era, holy pictures and bits and pieces belonging to her deceased mother, each with their own place, each with their own story. Despite her frailty, her left arm was practically powerless, she worked every day in little shop on the Meath Road, the proprietors name to us was irrelevant – we only called it June’s. She cared for her mother until she died in her eighties – and only then dared to put the official name of the her house on the door – Victoria Villas – her mum came from firm republican stock!

June had two loves. Her little dog Skippy, who she walked slowly but determinedly every day in the Park in front of my Grandparents house and the Italian Capuchin saint, Padre Pio. She maintained that it was both of these that kept her going. Every month she organised a bus to the Capuchin’s in Church St, Dublin to a Mass for his canonization. Ironically, I learned of her death when I was on a trip to San Giovanni Rotondo, St Pio’s town, when I was a student in Rome.

Growing up June was one of those people who made mark on my life and lives my brothers and cousins. We knew nothing about polio. Unlike when my grandparents were young and starting their own family, polio was not threat and had for us had receded into history. For June and for many people like her, polio is as real now as it was then. Coming in and going out of her house, visiting her in the shop, playing with her dog, going on the bus Church St, we could not even begin to imagine what she had gone through as a child, as only survivors of polio can understand.

The Gospel today tells the story of the road to Emmaus. It’s a real Easter story. The two men, one called Clopas, the other unnamed had just experienced the most traumatic event of their lives. They had witnessed their dreams, their plans for the future, their hopes evaporate before their eyes. Jesus, whom they hoped would answer all their questions had been taken from them, crucified and buried. They felt as if they had no option, but to leave. They waited till the dust settled and on the first day of the week, they skipped town. They had heard foundationless rumors that he was still alive, but they knew best, he was gone, that was it. And as they were talking about it all writing two lines under their bad debt, the risen Jesus comes to them. He asks them what is wrong, and not without irony, he is told. Only after a long time can they see him for who he is. Their hearts burning as they go back to confirm what the others knew – Jesus is risen and had appeared to Simon.

What really strikes me about this story is the range of human emotion that is presented. Fear, maybe anger, cynicism, regret, then coupled with joy, love, passion and faith. It says that their hearts burned within them and when they realized what had just happened to them they ran back to Jerusalem in the dark – a dodgy enough endeavor. When illness comes our way, we can identify with the two men. Many of you who are listening today will have had the experience of a doctors office; being told news that changes everything. An accident, a diagnosis, results of test can burst us. In an instant dreams and hopes can be replaced by the fear of the future, uncertainly and darkness. The experience of post polio is certainly like that. When life seems to be just fine, everything seems to going well, another cross, another Calvary is added to what may already have been a life of challenge. Sometimes the painful memories of the past can return to play with us. Separation from loved ones, hard and difficult treatment, abuse (mentally, physically and sexually) can return to scourge us like the whips of Good Friday, refusing to let us heal.

Still, we are here. As we gather on this Easter morning, there is something at work in our lives, which the darkness can never over power. June Wheeler walked with me, part of the journey of my life and I have been changed forever. She showed me love and kindness and friendship that can never be quantified in a material way. Her polio never came to mind yet her experience of illness was a factor that made her who she was. It did not stop her being fully alive despite her physical limitations - so much so that her memory by times keeps me going in trials and difficulties.

Jesus walks with us in all things – good and bad. Some times we know he is there, sometimes he is hidden from us, we have to look hard to find him. Sometimes he is in the face of a friend, other times in the kind words of stranger. If you feel alone this morning, cut off from friends and family, if illness or disability or infirmity has stolen your dreams – during this Mass when we meet Jesus in the scripture and the breaking of the bread - let us walk with you. Be it polio or any other sickness, old age or any suffering of body, mind or spirit that is holding you back – stay with us for a while, for Christ is here. Everyone at some time or another feels the pain of loneliness and disappointment. Jesus tells us today that everything is okay – even apparent disaster.

As we gather in his name today let us allow him, tell us we do not suffer alone. He as gone before us, he knows our pain and he will make our hearts burn within us with his love – and the love that is in hearts of all people - if we but reach out and take it.

Low Sunday 2011

2011-04-30T13:08:00.000+01:00

I hope you had a very pleasant Easter, where ever in the world you celebrated the Resurrection. Holy Week was an incredibly busy week. Easter Week provides a chance to recover! So my postings over the Holy Days were scant. I will put my notes and ideas together at some stage and post them. All in all, this Easter was very special! Good weather and good sized congregations added extra to the celebrations. We arise with Christ and keep going, knowing He goes before us.

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"In union with the whole Church we celebrate that day when Jesus Christ Our Lord, rose from the dead in His human body" The Roman Canon.

There are so many things to celebrate today. The last day of the Easter Octave makes this an Easter Day. The celebration of the Divine Mercy reminds us of the greatness of God's love and the pledged of love and forgiveness we have received in Jesus. The Gospel tells us today that we are blessed because we have not seen. Easter joy is all over the place! One extra celebration today is the beatification of the Servant of God, Pope John Paul 11.

It only seems like yesterday we heard of the tragic news of his death. I had the privilege of being in St Peter's Square that evening. As long as I live I will never forget it. It was an event of mystical proportions. I was ordained to the deaconate the previous Easter Monday (this was now Saturday). My family had all returned home, the previous evening a number of students form the Irish College had remained in the Square all night, joining with hundreds of others, praying, singing, keeping vigil with someone who was special to us all.

He died about half nine, or twenty to ten. The rosary had just finished. After a pause of a few seconds some extra prayers were offered ad hoc, then came the announcement "Our beloved Holy Father has returned to the House of the Father." Many cried, the Italians clapped in accordance with their tradition, the entire crowd united in prayer, sorrow and mourning. I met people whom I had had known in college, people who until this I had only know by sight - that night we were brothers and sisters, united in the loss of a common father. It was a profound experience of what it means to be Catholic - people from every tribe and people and tongue and nation, formed into one by a common faith

I have often reflected on that night. Particularly I have often reflected on that phrase 'returning to the house of the father'.

Pope, soon to be Blessed, John Paul II procalimed one thing and one thing only - Jesus Christ. In his love of Mary, his condemnation of evil, his striving for the truth to prevail against all odd, all pointed to the reality of the the love of God made visible in Jesus. You may say that this is a radical simplification of the achievements of a great man, possibly a doctor of the Church, but the essence of what he was about was Christ. In all his journeys he was an apostle of the Lord. From the first moment of his Papacy he challenges us all to open wide the doors to Christ, the only one who will not let us down.

I have not read, nor will I probably read but a fraction of John Paul II's writings. So many of his encyclicals and sermons, which we studied in college, plumb the depth of the heart and mind. The one thing I will learn from him however is; in a world filled with darkness and disappointment, of short cuts and half values, there is a possibility of living the Gospel to the full. The life and death of this great man reminds me that there is another way - a way of life, a way of truth, a way of hope. Pope John Paul II points us to Jesus; to Calvary and beyond.

The day he took up his sacred office as Successor to St Peter he said "DO NOT BE AFRAID, open wide the doors to Christ" May Blessed John Paul help us in our fears and encourage us by his prayers to open wide the doors to Christ.

The man himself:

This song always reminds me of Pope John Paul II:

Palm Sunday and Holy Week, 2011

2011-04-15T18:09:00.000+01:00

Indifference to the Passion

When Jesus Came to Birmingham

When Jesus came to Golgotha, they hanged Him on a tree,
They drove great nails through hands and feet, and made a Calvary;
They crowned Him with a crown of thorns, red were His wounds and deep,
For those were crude and cruel days, and human flesh was cheap.

When Jesus came to Birmingham, they simply passed Him by.
They would not hurt a hair of Him, they only let Him die;
For men had grown more tender, and they would not give Him pain,
They only just passed down the street, and left Him in the rain.

Still Jesus cried, 'Forgive them, for they know not what they do, '
And still it rained the winter rain that drenched Him through and through;
The crowds went home and left the streets without a soul to see,
And Jesus crouched against a wall, and cried for Calvary.

G. A. Studdert-Kennedy

I am always amazed at the relative indifference people show towards the great events of Holy Week. Even some who attend Church on a regular basis seem to trivialise the events of Salvation as just the happenings of another week. Some lament the fact that the ceremonies of Holy Week are longer, some bemoan that the Easter Vigil is at 9pm not the regular 7, others just do not care and stay away, popping in for a while on Easter Sunday.

It is however this very week that we live for. In the Liturgy we actively play our part in the Gospel events of the first Holy Week. There are so many roles in the drama we can identify with. At one time we can be untied with Jesus in His sufferings, bravely carrying our crosses usque ad mortem. At other times His cry from the Cross can be our prayer of abandonment and loneliness. We can be soldiers of Rome or women of Jerusalem. We can sell Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (or less) or lovingly wipe his face on the road to Calvary. We can identify with the centurion, acknowledging Christ as the Son of the Most High, or we can be like the people hurrying into Jerusalem, passing the crucified saviour of the world, ignoring or avoiding the price of our redemption.

If one of our loved ones was to die within days, we would not think of leaving their side. This week as we carry the palms into the Jerusalem, may we not leave Jesus' side. When the crowds change their tune from adulation to bitter cries of condemnation, we will be faced with the choice; do we stay or do we leave. Christ suffered for us all, may we have the faith to go up to Jerusalem with Him.

5th Sunday of Lent

2011-04-05T23:44:00.001+01:00

Lazarus, here! Come out.

Fifth Sunday in Lent: March 21,1999 (Cycle A)

This is an exegesis I have found useful:

Exegesis of Gospel: John 11:1-45
The literary structure of sign (semeion) and discourse that is common to the previous narratives (5:1-47; 6:1-59; 9:1-41) is reversed in the raising of Lazarus. Here the dialogical structure of chapter 11 concludes with Jesus' command: "Lazarus, come out" (v. 43). In this seventh sign, Lazarus' illness is inextricably connected with a manifestation of God's glory: God's power working through Jesus' sign (v. 4). According to the narrator, Jesus' hour of glorification begins proleptically since the raising of Lazarus is the catalyst for plotting Jesus' death (11:45-53).
The dramatis personae in chapter 11 symbolically constitute a full range of responses to Jesus. The unnamed disciples who accompany Jesus play a minor role by misunderstanding his work (vv. 7-10). Martha's belief in Jesus, however, is based on his word (vv. 25-26). Unlike the other disciples, her belief preceded Jesus' sign and enabled her to witness his glory (11:40) as the other disciples had experienced it at Cana (2:11). Martha's comprehensive confession parallels Nathanael's (1:49): "I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world" (v. 27). Her statement is a variation of the Petrine confession at Caesarea Philippi (Matt 16:16 par.). Her confession at Bethany (near Jerusalem) is an additional response which supersedes that of the Galilean official. His belief in Jesus' word was following by the confirming sign which restored life to his son (4:46-53).
In contrast to her sister Martha, Mary is a secondary, two-dimensional character. She does not advance the drama either by her actions or her speech that are stylized to repeat Martha's character, and draw attention to her significance in the narrative (cf. vv. 20 and 29, 31; 21 and 32). Lazarus, their brother, is the only voiceless character in the narrative. His restoration to life essentially links him with Jesus to the extent that the chief priests also plot his death (12:10-11).
The Jews are additional characters in the narrative. They are generally described in a positive light: consoling Martha and Mary (v. 19);staying with Mary in the house and accompanying her to the grace (v. 31); showing Jesus Lazarus' tomb (v. 34); and acknowledging Jesus' love for Lazarus (v. 36). As the narrative ends with its climax extending into chapter 12, the description of the Jews changes. Some blame Jesus for not preventing Lazarus' death (.v 37).
The disagreement over Jesus (vv. 36-37) develops. The raising of Lazarus elicited faith from one group who had been present at the tomb (11:34; 12:11). They witnessed to Jesus because of his sign (12:17). The tense of the verb (emarturei) suggests that their faith in Jesus prompted a continuous witness. Some of those present at the tomb, however, reported Jesus action to the authorities (11:46). His sign did not lead to belief for them. A third group, "a great crowd" appears in chapter 12. In Jerusalem for the Passover, they are drawn to Jesus because they have heard about Lazarus (12:12, 18). Although they greet him enthusiastically with palm branches and acclamation (12:123), there is no indication from the narrator of their subsequent belief. The final group described in the narrative, the officials (11:46; 12:10, 19) realize that Jesus' signs are dangerously persuasive: "Everyone will believe in him" (11:47-48; cf. 12:11, 19). This is the group that plots Jesus' death (11:45-47).

Lazarus and Martha are the only individuals in the narrative whom Jesus addresses directly. While Lazarus' response to Jesus' command is not recorded, Martha's response is a confession, a genre appropriate fore revelation. How does Jesus identify himself? "I am (ego eimi) the resurrection and the life" (v. 25a). His statement that discloses how he is the life (vv. 25b-26) is the culmination of the "I am" (ego eimi) sayings in the Book of Signs (1:19-12:50).
First, to satisfy the basic needs of hunger and thirst, Jesus himself supplies the nourishment: "I am (ego eimi) the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst" (6:35). The parallelism of "whoever comes to me" and "whoever believes in me" suggests that the believer is sustained and satisfied by Jesus' teaching. This sapiential interpretation for the bread of life is complemented by he Eucharistic interpretation of 6:51-58. In both interpretations, hunger and thirst are negated and life is given in abundance.
Second, to free individuals from final condemnation, Jesus cancels the judgment (3:18). Judgment occurs during an individual's life. Believing in Jesus means participating now in eternal life; conversely, those who do not believe condemn themselves as long as their failure to believe persists.
Third, to dispel the darkness experienced in life, Jesus offers himself as the source of light: "Whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness" (8:12;9:5,39). The present experience of the believer can also be described by considering 12:46 in tandem with 6:37b: "The one who comes to me I will not cast out." The verses contain an element of final judgment imagery--being cast out into the darkness. From the Johannine perspective, the judgment is realized now. No one who believes will be subject to darkness now or eternally.
Fourth, to deal with death itself, Jesus promises that death is not the ultimate condition: "Whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (3:16b). The death implied in "perish" is clarified in 11:25-26 where physical death is not denied; rather, the assurance of everlasting life beyond the grave is emphasized.
The believer, then possesses the resources that are needed to face the experiences which threaten life (hunger and thirst, moral judgment, darkness, and spiritual death). In addition, the believer receives eternal life (3:16, 36). According to 6:40, belief in Jesus is the basis of eternal life while 11:25-26 emphasizes the definitive absence of death for the one who believes. Correspondingly, a refusal to believe means a rejection of life (5:40). Whether or not the noun "life" (zoe)is continuously qualified by the adjective "eternal" (aionios) is not significant since whenever "life" appears in any verse it signifies the life common to the Father and Son which is shared by the believer. Finally, participation in divine life is a present reality for the believer. The Prologue describes this reality: "To those who believed in his name, he gave the power to become children of God"(1:12).
Professor Mary Margaret Pazdan

4th Sunday of Lent.

2011-04-02T21:24:00.002+01:00

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

We are often moved by the sight of a blind person with a white cane or a guide dog, making their way across a busy street. We marvel at their courage and trust, to be able to arrive safely on the other side.

Jesus cures the man born blind. The Pharisees had problems with Jesus. He mixed with publicans and sinners, where he preached mercy and forgiveness and he healed on the Sabbath. They refused to believe that he had cured this man, whom the brow-beat with all kinds of allegations.

We are all born blind until our Baptism, when the life we receive gives us the power to bring Christ to everything we do and every person we meet. Jesus came to show us that He is the light of the world, but some of us either refuse or are unable to accept Him as “the Way, Truth and the Light”. This Lent let us listen to what the Lord wants of us and come out of the darkness.

“I am the light of the world, says the Lord

Anyone who follows me will have the light of life”. (Jn 8:12)

3rd Sunday of Lent

2011-03-23T11:06:00.001Z

THE SAMARITANS

The Samaritans were descendants of Jacob, like the Jews, but they inter-married with other tribes and adopted some of their pagan traditions. The Jews, God’s Chosen People, despised the Samaritans and would not associate with them.

No wonder the Samaritan woman was surprised when Jesus spoke to her at Jacob’s well. Jesus, having asked the woman for a drink of water, developed their conversation as He spoke of giving her “Living Water welling up to Eternal Life”. The woman recognised Jesus as a Prophet initially and confessed that she knew Messiah was coming. When Jesus told her “I am He” she ran to tell her family and friends. Then many Samaritans, who had heard the woman’s testimony, came to Jesus and persuaded Him to stay with them for two days. Having heard Him speak, many more believed and declared: “We have heard Him ourselves and we know that He really is the Saviour of the world”.

It is amazing that while His own people rejected Jesus, the Samaritans recognised Him as the Messiah we also know from the Acts of the Apostles, that the Samaritans were among the first people to accept the Good News of Salvation through the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Have we the faith to receive Christ as the woman and her people did?

2nd Sunday of Lent

2011-03-18T10:35:00.000Z

Listening to the voice of God.

I had one of the most remarkable experiences of my life lately! Now, for those of you live in the United States what happened may not be regarded as spectacular, however coming from Ireland, it ranks as one of the most eventful happenings that I have ever been party to. Recently, I was in St Louis, Missouri, as part of a preaching course I am involved in. Travelling all day from Ireland, by time I got to the residence in St Louis I was really tired. I greeted some of the other members of the course and promptly went to bed, grateful for the rest, and feel aspeep. All of a sudden I was woken by a sound I had never heard before. It was a siren and it was accompanied by a voice you expect to hear at a train station. So what is the most sensible thing to do when you hear a siren in the middle of the night? You guessed it, I went back to sleep! There must be a train coming, we were near a train line. After a few minutes, this siren went off again, this time accompanied by a knock on my door, my name being called by a colleague, with the message "You gotta get up. There's a tornado warning! He have to go to the basement!" Well, as you can imagine, having never experienced anything like this before, there was a mixture of terror and excitement. When I saw the worried faces of the locals, the excitement was moderated and the fear exacerbated. We proceeded to the shelter until the storm passed. Luckily, there was no funnel in our immediate area, but for a period of time the threat was real, and the potential for danger high. The moral of the story: when the voice comes you have to listen!

The Gospel today presents us with a dramatic encounter with Jesus. I can imagine the three apostles climbing up the slopes of Mt Tabor. No doubt some of them were complaining. Why do we have to go up this stupid mountain? Could he not just bring us out on the lake? Its so hot....etc etc. After the climb, after cooling down and taking in the view something extraordinary happened - they got a glimpse of heaven. A friend of mine and I were talking about the Transfiguration. He pointed out to me that one of the Fathers of the Church once stated that what the Apostles saw on the mountain was how Jesus looked all the time, only that on this occasion their eyes were opened. It was not as if Jesus was transfigured, they were changed. After all this big climb they were given the privilege of seeing Jesus, true God and true man in the company of some of the greatest figures from their history, and what were they talking about? What he was to do in Jerusalem. Already the stage was being set for the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets. Jesus was heading towards the Cross, by which humanity would be transfigured for ever.

When a tornado warning goes off in the middle of the night, you are best advised to take heed. Today we hear the voice from heaven saying "This is my beloved Son in which I am well pleased; listen to Him." As we journey through Lent we are given a chance to listen. The climb of Lent is often hard. The fasting, the prayer, the almsgiving can feel burdensome and difficult, but through them we have chance to get to know Jesus more and more. Through the discipline of Lent, everyone of us has the opportunity to allow Christ open our eyes, so that we can see Him as he really is, and allow ourselves the possibility of transformation and change.

Ss. Peter, James and John must have been terribly shaken by what they had seen and heard. They had been going around with this Jesus for a while now. They had seen the miracles, the healings. They had heard him speak and were moved to their depths, but now they had experienced Him in another way. Would they be ever able to relate to him in the same way again? And to top it all they couldn't even tell anyone. They were too were changed.

If we allow Him, God will give us the grace to listen to His Son. We will be able to see Him as he really is, to follow Him to the Cross and witness to the Resurrection. Lent gives us the space, time and opportunity to listen.

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I am reminded of the words of the Adoro Te, when St Thomas says something like, on the Cross the only thing that was hidden was your divinity, in the Eucharist the only thing that is hidden is your humanity.

And if you were wondering what a tornado siren, plus voice sounds like...!

1st Sunday of Lent

2011-03-13T20:47:00.000Z

Sorry!

Over the last few weeks I have been doing a bit of study in the preaching field as part of a D. Min program at the Aquinas Institute of Theology, St Louis, Missouri, USA. They offer the only catholic doctoral course in preaching in the world (as far as I know) We are a cohort of about 18 students from all kinds of back grounds, and from all over the USA, Canada and myself from Ireland. So apologies for not being up to speed.

A request for prayers:

Can you please pray for a priest of my own diocese who is ill. He is an eminent homiletician and teacher. He has been unwell in recent days.

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I don’t know why it has upset me this much. I have no personal connection with Japan. It is on the far side of the world, culturally and socially it is even further away. I have never been there, yet still the very thought of the tsunami and earthquake that occurred last Friday, upsets me to the depths of my being. Why? I suppose there are the obvious reasons. The carnage has been immense. A country that we associate with Toyota and Sony, with economic power, with strength, has been brought to its knees by the power of nature. The devastation is unspeakable. Even at this stage, there is no way of knowing how many people lost their lives; no doubt the human cost will be high.

They were not the reasons for my disquiet, howerver. I will tell you what it was. It was the wave. Not the blue wave out in the sea, but the terrible wave that broke on the shore and pushed its way so savagely far into the county side. The pictures on the television were horrendous. House, cars, boats, roads; taken away without as much as an exertion of force. Field after field engulfed; and it never stopped, on and on. There was one clip on a news report that showed some horses being swept away. You can only begin to imagine how many people were mangled in that wave of death.

It seemed almost unnatural. Waves should not be like that. They should be nice and blue and gentle. They should be by the coast on holidays, in the sunshine. If they are going to be rough, at least they should remember their place; out at sea, not among us. The land is for people and animals and trees; not the ocean. The Japanese tsunami last Friday was a like a monster, a demon, a devil; something from hell not heaven or earth. It was terrifying. We came face to face with evil; natural evil, but still evil. It is as if nature conspired against us. The beauty of God’s creation gone all wrong, so many people are now suffering the loss of homes, livelihood, loved ones, life itself. You cannot but be terrified in the face of it all.

The Gospel, on this the first Sunday of Lent, brings us face to face with evil. We are told that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He spent forty out there, fasting and praying, all by himself. Living here in a lush and green country it is hard to picture the desert, but we all can imagine it in our minds eye. It is dry, arid and lonely, cold at night, burning hot by night. He goes there alone. Normally you expect Jesus to be crowded by disciples and sick people, in the desert he is with no one, but God….and the devil.

We see that three times the devil tempts Jesus. “Who are you?” he seems to say. “You are not like the rest of them, who are you?” He asks the Lord to change stones into bread, he dares him to jump from the very highest point of the Temple in Jerusalem and offers to him the kingdoms of earth. Again and again he offers to Jesus what is expected to bring happiness and again and again He answers the devil back until he is either bored or sore, and walks away. Christ is then alone with the angels, who care for him. What were these temptations? It is almost bizarre to imagine Jesus being tempted to do something that was wrong. On the face of it, what the devil was asking Jesus to do does not seem that unreasonable. If he could feed five thousand men, to say nothing of women and children, I think it would be very easy for him to change a few stones into bread. If Jesus could change water into wine, he could change rocks into loves. Again, if he could go skipping across the Sea of Galilee, a fall from the Temple would be no issue. But there is clearly something deep going on here. The stones and kingdoms are incidental to story. The stakes are much higher.

So what was the devil doing? Jesus was about to being his ministry of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. He had just been baptized by John in the Jordon. He was on the verge of reveling himself to the whole world. He had heard the voice of the Father confirming what he had known for a long time – he was the Christ, the anointed one. Then the devil comes to him and puts him to the test. “If you are the Son of God….use your power. If you are the Son of God take control. Put yourself first.” He could have had, but he did not.

We are good by nature. We were made good. I am sure that even including the most vicious of people, no one is born bad. We are like the ocean that is full of energy and life. Sometimes we can be a bit choppy on the surface, but we all have incredible depths that only God can possibly understand. The storms of life can stir us up and we can hurl ourselves against the beach and cliffs, most of the time we stay within our limits. There are times, however, just like the tsunami, when we can be sources of great harm. When we give into the temptations of gospel, when we put ourselves first at the expense of others, we can be as bad and destructive as anything nature can throw at us.

I believe that there is only one sin. We call this sin by all kinds of names; theft, apostasy, murder, dishonesty, adultery; but at the very core of things there is only one sin. When we put ourselves first at the cost and expense of others – then we truly sin. Jesus could have listened to the tempter and with a click of his fingers he could have reveled himself once and for all. There would have been no cross, no pain, no rejection; all could have been dispensed with. In a few weeks we see him in the garden; “Father, let this cup pass me by.” He didn’t, and why? WHAT GOOD WOULD THAT HAVE BEEN TO US? Jesus did not put himself first, because he came for us, not himself. He carried the Cross and suffered temptation because we do. Don’t forget he is truly God and truly Human. Jesus did not come among us to take the cross away; he came to help us carry it. He did not come to remove our freedom, we can still sin, he came to forgive sin and give us all the strength to do everything we can to resist it. Sin brings pain. When I refuse to love, when I put myself first, when I do not listen to the Spirit, the beautiful ocean of my love gets stirred up. It becomes violent. It pushes in land and leaves in its wake a path of hurt, broken hearts, bitterness and disappointment. My personal tsunami can be as destructive as the waves that battered North East Japan.

So where do we go from here? Have I painted an awful picture? Well, you know, this season of Lent can be a great opportunity for each of us as we try to become what God wants us to be. Even the name Lent offers us great hope. In other languages like Latin and Italian, this season is named after the forty days: quadragesima or quaresima. In English Lent comes from an old English word for spring. The buds and flowers come to life when the light and heat of the sun increases. They don’t need to do anything, except to respond. In Lent we can do the same, we can put ourselves into the light God’s love, and we will grow. Fasting, self denial, prayer, almsgiving are the tools we use. The next few weeks give us a change to bloom and grow, to mend harm we may have done, to forgive and be forgiven.

God knows what the final result of the earthquake in Japan will be. Many will die, many more will have lost everything (Please God the nuclear power stations will be controlled.) In the aftermath we will also see great heroism and self-sacrifice as a nation and world will rally to assist. As we move through Lent we will see the story unfold. As we move through Lent we too will witness the drama of faith play out in our lives. Out of the darkness the light will shine. May this Lent give us a chance to come into the light, for our own good and the good of others, as we journey to Easter through the desert, Jerusalem and Calvary.

Eighth Sunday of the Ordinary Time, year A

2011-02-26T16:37:00.000Z

I regret that I am late in my preparation this week: I will post later.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’
or ‘What are we to drink?’or ‘What are we to wear?’
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

Thanks

2011-02-19T20:30:00.000Z

Thank you, one and all, for visiting this blog over the last few months. I hope some things have been of benefit. Please feel free to share any ideas or comments. As we share in the ministry of preaching, I would like to invite you to pray for all who are finding this ministry challenging. No one finds it effortless, and it can be easy to get discouraged.

I am reminded of a story of the Cure of Ars: Once, the great Dominican Lacordaire visited Ars. When we got back home he was asked what he thought of the simple curate. He replied that when he preached in Notre Dame or any other wonderful place, people would leave the place and say "How great is Lacordaire!" When people leave the chapel at Ars, after the Cure has been in the rickety old broken pulpit they say "How great is God!"

May Christ bless our hearts and mind so that we may proclaim his holy Gospel.

The Sermon on the Mount by Blessed (Fra) Angelico

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A

2011-02-16T18:32:00.001Z

An eye for an eye.

Dates often stick in our mind. There are certain calendar dates they strike a cord with us. If I were to say December 25th, in the Western Church we would automatically say 'Christmas'. In America July 4th or 9/11 will conger up all kinds of emotions and feelings. In Ireland we have a few of them as well. March 17th is St Patrick's Day when we celebrate the national apostle. Another such is July 12th.

July 12th celebrates the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne. Members of the Orange Order celebrate the victory of King William of Orange over King James II, an event that radically changed the history of Ireland. For all kinds of historical reasons, the commemoration of this date has not always been easy. For many, the date brings up bad communal memories and has seen tension between the traditions that have lead to violence and hatred. Thankfully, in a very changed Ireland, all sections of the community have moved along down the road of reconciliation.

July 12th also marks a little known feast day in the Catholic Church. It is the memorial of St John Gaulbert, priest and abbot.

The story of St John's conversion is impressive. He was son of a noble family in central Italy in the 12th century. In a fight one day his brother was murdered. The assailant fled, and St John made a vow that he would find the murderer and avenge the killing. Having searched and searched throughout the country side, one Good Friday he entered the gate of a certain town. At that moment he came face to face with his brother's murderer. He drew his sword, but as he did, the man fell to his knees, stretched out his hands in the form of the Cross and in the name of Jesus begged mercy. St John froze. All of a sudden he was faced with a choice; to exact revenge or to forgive. He dropped his weapon, helped the man up, embraced him and forgave him. Later that same Good Friday he prayed in the Church and promised to give his life to Christ; the Crucified One bowed His head in acceptance. St John went on to be a priest, a founder of a branch of the Benedictine Order - and a saint.

St John could have killed and the cycle of violence would have continued. His memory would have faded into the bloodstained history of humanity. He chose to forgive and his story is still being told.

In following Christ we have made a choice. No longer is it 'eye for eye'. The challenge is to love all people as ourselves, not just the ones we depend on, but all. As we celebrate the Eucharist, may we always remember the price that was paid for our salvation and do our best to make it known everywhere.
Just like St John, the choices we make can help build the Kingdom of God or hinder its growth.

The Merciful Knight by Edward Burne-Jones

(St John Gaulbert)

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A.

2011-02-10T11:11:00.001Z

No one is dragged into Heaven.

It is a stark warning "You will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven". Over the last few Sundays the Gospel has reflected on the reality of who we are as God's children - the blessedness of the Beatitudes, and the significance of discipleship. Our following of the Lord is salt to the earth and light to the world. This week there is a slight change of emphasis. No one is dragged into service of the Lord, and likewise no one is dragged into heaven.

"If your virtue does not exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven"

People often ask, how could a God who is love send people to Hell? In other words, is it possible for the Father of Light to allow any of his children enter into eternal death? God is Love, is He not? Well, the truth of the matter is, God sends no one anywhere.He invites us to follow him, to enter into His life and if we choose otherwise; we are free to do so.

I often reflect on the Love of God. It is eternal, accessible and never ending. It is so big we could never begin to understand it, still we treat it as something ordinary, almost banal. God loves me, so what?! A teacher told me once of an encounter she had with a student. It was Lent and she decided to bring her 14/15 year olds to the church to do the Stations of the Cross. She got to the third Station, Jesus falls the first time. The teacher explained that the Lord was so tired after all he had gone through the previous night, loosing so much blood being whipped, that he collapsed under the weight of the Holy Rood. A girl said to her, "That's stupid Miss, why didn't he just put it down?" The teacher explained that he couldn't and that he was carrying it for her and all the world. The girl quipped back, "He is wasting his time, I never asked him to carry it!"

It is the Cross that is a sign of God's love. That is the Love of God: the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. As soon as we forget that, as soon as we forget we are bought and paid for, our faith become ordinary and irrelevant.

Christ asks us to live in a way that reflects the mystery of our faith: dying you destroyed our death. He does not compel us to do anything. He invites us to be close to him, and by being close to him we will imitate him. Even though we are children, we are not dragged kicking and screaming into the Kingdom of Heaven. We have to chose. And that choice is lived out every moment of our lives, in every context we find ourselves in.

The philosophy of our age, echoing Paul, tells us to do what you want as you like. Christ points another way, HIS way, which is truth and life. The Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen asked once; Do you know the national anthem of hell, the song which the fallen angels and the damned are forced to sing???..........."I did it my way!"

Christ's way is the only way.

http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html (have a look at this!)

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time. Year A

2011-02-05T09:55:00.000Z

Salt and Light. Matt 5: 13-16

The ultimate accolade my late grandfather could give to someone was "they are the salt of the earth!". Some who proved themselves to be good and decent were so described. The Lord uses to very common things in the Gospel to refer to disciples; light and salt. Both were simple every day phenomena, both were essential for life.

There is a story of a king with three daughters. The kings wife had died and he knew he could not go on for ever. One day, in front of his court in a very King Lear style, he asked them how much they loved him. The one who showed she loved him most was to succeed him on the throne. The first gave a speech on gold and how her love was like the gold of the treasury. The second said her love was like the army-strong, faithful, never failing. The third, the youngest, shyly said her love was like salt. The King was furious. How could she love him as much as salt, that worthless thing. She was his favourite and he wanted her to be queen, but now, how could it be? He was shamed in front of his officials and the nobles of his kingdom. So he banished her to the highest tower of his castle, never to be seen again.
In her room she sat on the bed crying when an angel appeared to her. The angel asked what was wrong, and she duly explained. "Your father, despite all his power, is a stupid man"said the angel. "We will have to show him what you meant. Imagine all the salt of his kingdom was to disappear." And with that every grain of salt in the land 'lost its saltiness'. There was no salt for cooking. All the meat preserved in salt began to perish. The sea changed. Animals died. People got sick. The world was in chaos.
After a few days the king came to his senses. He realised he had been wrong and summoned his daughter. "I have been so wrong" he said. "I now know what your love means, forgive me." And the saltiness returned.

Salt and light. So simple, so common, so everyday. Without them we could not survive. As we listen to the Gospel, we should keep in mind that our Christian witness is the same; taken for granted, but vital. If we remove Christ from our lives and society, the void must be filled with something else. If not with light, then with darkness. Now more than ever we must (imperative!) be salt and light. With God's grace, we will remain faithful the scripture and the breaking of bread.

Forth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A.

2011-01-28T17:03:00.000Z

What's rare is wonderful.

It is very true that more familiar we are with something, no matter how wonderful or beautiful that thing happens to be, the less we appreciate it! This weeks Gospel is a prime example. The Beatitudes- a central part of the Sermon on the Mount- the best homily ever preached! We hear it so often - at funerals- at weddings- at penitential services. It is so familiar that we almost know it off by heart. Maybe here lies in the problem. Is it too familiar. Is it so much part of our Christian story, our liturgy, or experience it can be almost roll of the tongue or page as if they were any other words. The Beatitudes are most wonderful.
Blessed are you! (Even though the translation that is used in this part of world says 'happy') This Sunday when we hear them proclaimed, imagine this the the first time you have ever heard them or ever preached a sermon on them:

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The words of consolation that the Lord gives us are all we could possibly need in this world and the next. In the face of all kinds of difficulty the words of Christ remind us that God's ways are indeed not man's. No matter what life seems to throw at us, we can confidently wait in joyful hope for the coming of the Kingdom we are all part of.

And how does he conclude?:

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.

Let us rejoice and be glad this day, for we do not journey alone in life. God is with us.

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A

2011-01-22T19:23:00.000Z

JESUS CALLS: FOLLOW ME!

Jesus had obviously been watching the fishermen at work. He knew he would need others to help him in spreading the news of God’s Kingdom. He begins selecting his team. He calls two sets of brothers. Peter and Andrew were the first to be called. Then James and John. They all leave their fishing nets immediately and follow Jesus.

Jesus tells them they will be fishers of men. They now follow Jesus as he moves amongst the people proclaiming the Good News; healing the sick and helping all those in need. These four are doing their apprenticeship so that when Jesus is no longer on earth they will carry out his work.

We too, are called to follow Jesus. No matter what our circumstances, or what we do for a living, we must do our part in bringing the Good News to those we live with, work with, and meet each day. As St Theresa said: “Christ has no body now but yours; no hands, no feet but yours; yours are the eyes through which He looks with compassion on the world”.

So we each have a hand in spreading the news of God’s Kingdom. No one can replace me! So let us all play our part and not let the side down during 2011.
Lord, help me to respond in faith to your call.

I think this hymn has significant resonance this week:

Second Sunday of Ordinary time. Year A

2011-01-15T14:04:00.000Z

Being a witness

John the Baptist is the first Christian witness - the first person to lead others to Jesus, whom he identifies as the Messiah. John’s relationship with Jesus is beautifully put by St Augustine:

I listen: He is the one who speaks
I am enlightened: He is the Light
I am the ear: He is the Word.

Further on in the Gospels, Jesus tells the disciples that when they receive the Spirit of Truth, “you will be My witnesses”. That charge is given to each one of us. Through Baptism, we have received the Spirit; we have been called to witness to Jesus. We are asked to point away from ourselves to Jesus, to show others the way to Him. People may need help to come to Jesus and, indeed, none of us comes to Him alone.
Have we lost the courage to speak to each other about Jesus; about the things that matter most to us? Will anyone care? We must have the courage to speak about Jesus to each other, to share what we believe. We know what we believe because we love - and in the power of that love we chan share our belief with each other.

Last weeks feat and this weeks injunction to be witnesses gives us the courage to be what we are called to be, the courage to strive towards the goal of Heaven despite our weakness, and the faith to believe that "with God on our side who can be against us."

Baptism of the Lord

2011-01-08T15:10:00.002Z

"Is it your will that your child should be baptised in the faith of the Church which we have all professed with you? N. I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"

The significance of our baptism can easily become relativised. In a strong Christian culture, it can become a convention or norm to have a baby baptised in the first weeks or months of life. The ceremony itself is often done with a small group of people some random evening, or as part of a large collection of babies. Both circumstances can unfortunately create an atmosphere that does not reflect the majesty and greatness of what is taking place. Baptism involves the whole Church. As the Pope says in the little clip below, baptism is not the private possession if the family, or any group, it is a celebration of the entire family of God, united in Christ.

Today's commemoration of the Baptism of Our Lord in the Jordan provides an opportunity for reflection on the centrality and importance of baptism in the life of the Church and for ourselves as followers of Christ. It is the gateway to Eternal Life, the invitation to faith and the first of the sacraments of initiation. It is also the response of faith; personal faith of an adult and the faith of parents and guardians of little ones.

I remember hearing a disturbing interview on radio one day. I was personally shaken after it. A mother was very angry. She wished her child to go to a cetain school in her town and as the school was a Catholic school she was asked if her child was baptised. The child was not, as the mother "had no interest in that sort of superstitious rubbish" quote, unquote. She and the host of the radio interview began to pour scorn on the idea of baptism as requirment for admittance to a school. That is not the point I wish to bring up, however. The conversation ended with the mother being advised to go and get the kid baptised with the advise "you don't have to mean any of it". The mother concluded that is what she would do. Now, I have no idea how the story ended off air. But I remember sitting in the car, asking myself, did I really hear what I thought I heard. Did I just hear a radio producer reduce what I believe to be one of the most important events in the life of a person to that - an excuse to get into a school, a sham to endure? Alas the sacredness and uniqueness of the event seems to have become lost to a greater or lesser extent. Often baptism is a tool for access or a chance for a party.

Our baptism is the first sacramental encounter with God. We become immersed in the love of God and receive the gifts of grace. It brings us into the community of the Church, restores unity with God and gives us the promise of the new and everlasting life with all our sins forgiven. As we celebrate God's theophany may we remeber that in baptism we share the very life of God. In the Sacrament of Baptism we become part of Christ, sharing in his mission of priest, prophet and king. Baptism is not a social occasion with a religious aspect to mark the beginning of a new life. It is a sacred religious occasion in a social context that reminds us of what we are and what we become through water and the Holy Spirit.

Baptism is our sharing in the life of God, just as we witness God sharing in our life today. The psalm says "as the deer pants for running waters, so my soul thirst for you, my God" In baptism we receive the life of God which satisfies. We see the Heavens opened and hear the Voice. In the signs and symbols of the sacrament we see the dove and believe in Christ; the Father's beloved. Let us listen.

(From Rome Reports, January 2009)

"As the deer pants the running water, so my soul longs for you God"

January 6th Epiphany

2011-01-07T13:05:00.000Z

Second Sunday after Christmas. Year A

2011-01-01T13:20:00.002Z

John 1: 1-18

"When peaceful silence lay over all, and night had run half of her swift course, the all-powerful word leaped down from Heaven, from the royal throne."

The run up to Christmas is always marked with frantic activity. It is no wonder that when the 25th of December is past many people take down decorations, throw out trees and consign wrapping paper to the bin. For many Christmas can be a time of stress and panic, rather than peace and joy. Did you ever notice that once St Stephen's Day comes the sounds of Christmas disappear from the radio and television? We begin hearing the sleigh bells in September and as soon as Santa has put the reindeers back in their stable; the sounds of Christmas are gone!

Liturgically of course, this is not the case and today we celebrate the second Sunday of Christmas. In the coming week we observe Epiphany and right up until the Baptism of the Lord we are in the Christmas swing. There is a wonderful tradition in Italy not to take down the crib until the feast of the Presentation on February 2nd, and it can come as a surprise to see manger scenes decorating squares and churches until that date.

I think its important that we don't rush to close our celebration of Christmas. The date, in itself, is not important, the mystery is what we are about. The Gospel today - the opening verses of St John's Gospel- sum up the meaning of the Incarnation and what we celebrate and reflect on at this time. One priest I know described it as 'impenetrable'. But I wonder is that the case. True, it is packed with deep theology and insight. Much could never be unpacked in the context of the homily, but it is so rich that even a few words of it could give us mediation for a good long time. I am always drawn to the verse "and the Word was made flesh and lives among us, and we have seen his glory." We pray those words every time we say the Creed and twice a day in the Angelus. The only Son of God, full of grace and truth, has lived and lives among us, and we have seen His glory. The world might have have become bored of its Christmas whirl. As a season it might be declared officially over, but the Word is still flesh and still dwells among us - and he is going nowhere!

In these weeks after Christmas, wouldn't it be just lovely to sit with Mary and Joseph, in adoration and wonder at the greatness of God made man. The Shepherds are gone, the wise men have to come - but we are here; we can see His glory and share in His life.

The Word was made flesh and lived among us, Alleluia.

Hodie Christus natus est!

2010-12-24T11:43:00.000Z

Wishing all who have visited this blog over that last few months God's blessings this Christmas. I will remember you all at Mass in the coming days.

This is a frantic time of the year for all. For those of us in ministry there are many extra pressures. From school plays to, confessions, to sick calls; it is important to cover all bases. It is also a time of the year when we try to put the best foot forward when it comes to the preaching. At Christmas many people who rarely hear the preached Word come to Church. It is a time to preach Christ to a fresh audience almost. The Christmas story is so vivid, so powerful, so holy that it captures the imagination of young and old. If it were to remain in the realm of the fairly tale, however, it could lose some of its awesome power. I think the most important message to convey at Christmas is the fact that what we talk about is real. Matthew begins his account of the Nativity "This is how Jesus Christ came to be born". He is recounting something that happened; an event in time. In the Holy Mass we come face to face with the exact same Jesus that was born in Bethlehem. We adore the exact same Jesus who was to die and the Cross. We worship and love He who sits at the right hand of the Father in Glory - God with us - here and now.

The power of the Christian message is that we preach what we have seen with our own eyes and have experienced ourselves. This Christmas there is an opportunity to proclaim the greatness of God all over again. Our witness is the same as Christian witness has been since the beginning: Hodie Christus natus est pro nobis! Today Christ is born for us! We have seen His glory.

4th Sunday of Advent

2010-12-18T12:30:00.000Z

Mt 1:18-24

"Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary home as you wife."

St Joseph is a remarkable character. Not one word of his is uttered in the scriptures. After the first few chapters of Matthew and Luke we hear nothing more about him. Still he has managed to be a source of great devotion over the centuries. He is inextricably linked to the story of the Nativity. He is Mary's wife and the protector of the Holy Family. His life is thrown upside down at the Annunciation as much as Mary's is. Just like Mary he had to trust in the will of God; and after being reassured took Mary home as his wife.

St Joseph, I think, is a model for us at this moment in history. Here in Ireland, we have had a momentous year; and not always for positive reasons. There is a great sense of foreboding as we face the future. The world has not ended, and most people get on with their lives, but there is a general feeling of unease and disappointment in the ether. Of course this is not helped by the a constant bombardment of grave and serious news in the general media; 'it has never been as bad', 'it is going to get worse'.
What has this to do with St Joseph and the forth Sunday of Advent? Well, allot, it could be argued. Without any deep exegesis on the meaning of words, I would like to share with you my take on what is happening in the Gospel. St Joseph is terrified. All the social conventions and mores are clicking into place, because the woman he is hoping to spend the rest of his life with is pregnant; and all he knows is - he has nothing to do with it. Even if he is a man of honour he wants to run. The Angel in the dream reassures him and he stays.

If we as preachers believe in God-with-us, we have to reassure those to whom we speak that this is so. As we approach Christmas, every preacher at every Altar or in every pulpit must scream GOD IS WITH US! And no matter what should happen to us as individuals or as a community this does not change. The new and ever lasting covenant written in the blood of the Lamb is the guarantee of this. As we approach Christmas, this is what we celebrate. It is not a case of the Baby being born again, as if He is not here already. The Word as made flesh, and in that flesh we have become part of God's eternity. St Joseph had to believe that the plan of God unfolding in his life was blessed. He had to trust that what was happening to him was part of the plan God had for him too.

St Joseph was afraid. He was ready to skip town, but the voice of assurance that God was with him gave him strength and courage. May we who believe listen for the voice of the angel and reassure all with whom we share our journey know that the Virgin is with child - God is with us.

3rd Sunday of Advent

2010-12-10T17:13:00.000Z

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice!

This is Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete, meaning 'rejoice ye', comes from the first word of the opening antiphnon of the Mass. St Paul tells us to 'rejoice in the Lord always' and if that was not enough he says 'again I say rejoice!' There is almost a break in the waiting of Advent, so we can jump up an dance around at the thoughts of what we are about to celebrate; the longing is about to be fulfilled - Christ is near. It is fair to say that Christmas looms large on the horizon; not in the cheep commercial sense of 'buy, buy, buy', but the real sense of God is with us!

So what is there to rejoice about? We could ask that question of St John the Baptist in prison. The great Prophet, languishing in his cell, asks of Jesus 'are you the one, or have we to wait for another?' Instead of a straight yes or no, the Lord asks in return 'what have you seen?' and lists out the signs associated with believers. He points out that the blind see, the deaf hear, the poor have the Good News proclaimed to them.

The Kingdom is not just announced by rhetoric, the kingdom is proclaimed by the Word which is active. Christ's Kingdom proclaimed makes itself effective. When God created the world He said 'Let there be light!' and there was light. When the Kingdom is proclaimed it is made manifest in the action of believers. The Word also becomes flesh in the way we live.

As we rejoice in the fact that Christ is the one who has come, may our joy be infectious! May we proclaim what we believe in our hearts in the practice of our lives.

2nd Sunday of Advent

2010-12-02T19:57:00.000Z

In his recent post-synodal Apostolic Extortion Verbum Domini, the Holy Father advises and encourages preachers not to give abstract and generic sermons that give more questions than answers. It is an easy trap to fall into; one I find myself tottering into myself. How do we make our sermons concrete? By rooting them in the scriptures, in the context of the lives of the people. In Ireland, for example, there is huge confusion about the future. Politics is in turmoil. Economies seem to be imploding. Society is sick and tired of disappointment. And still, Sunday after Sunday, preachers ascend the mighty steps of the Word of God. May the Holy Spirit always give us the strength, faith, conviction and integrity to make God's mighty deeds know - in so doing grow in discipleship and encourage our brothers and sisters in the faith.

******************

Soon and very soon we are going to see the King!
One of the choirs in the parish sing a very appropriate Advent hymn with a very catchy refrain "Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King". Its one of those tunes that gets into the brain, like a mantra, and helps me remember what Advent is all about. In this part of Advent we remember that as Jesus came among us as a man in humility, one day, maybe soon, he will return to judge the living and the dead - and 'all eyes will behold his glory'. There should be nothing abstract about that. The mystery of faith "Christ will come again!"

A brief thought on the 1st reading: Such beautiful thoughts from the Prophet. The child putting its hand in the hole of the snake. The cow and the bear being neighbours. The lion eating straw like the ox. We cannot imagine Heaven, but we can almost imagine these things. Take the Lion, for example, eating straw. A remarkable image, of peace. Not only does the Lion not eat the Ox, he shares in the Ox's meal of straw. Peace, gentleness, kindness are all Heavenly. And the thing is they are all around us if we have the faith to see and the courage to live them.

On the Gospel: Prepare a way for the Lord. Make His paths straight. In order for us to let Christ our light enter into our hearts: what bends do we have to take out of the roads? In my part of the country the local council spends a lot of time and effort taking corners of roads to make them safe and to help the free flow of traffic. Some bends can be so big that large vehicles cannot get through. Imagine if the Lord's train could not get round the bends of our hearts; would he have to turn back? He is knocking. Do we let him in?

1st Sunday of Advent

2010-11-27T23:38:00.000Z

Well, you know how it goes! You find yourself without the internet and your world crashes down. Not exactly true of course, but it is remarkable how accustomed you can get to technology it is only when it is absent you realise how important it is. Definitely a homily in that one. I regret that I have not had time to prepare as well as I should this week. It happens, as you know. It is a pity that it should happen as Advent begins. So in the absence of profound and original insights, I would like to post the Holy Father's homily for the Ist Vespers of Advent in Rome. It was an impassioned appeal for respect for life. He notes "believing in Jesus also means a new outlook on man, a look of trust and hope" Trust and hope in Christ...that's the meaning of Advent.

With this evening's celebration, the Lord gives us the grace and joy of opening the new liturgical year beginning with its first stage: Advent, the period that commemorates the coming of God among us. Every beginning brings a special grace, because it is blessed by the Lord. In this Advent period we will once again experience the closeness of the One who created the world, who guides history and cared for us to the point of becoming a man. This great and fascinating mystery of God with us, moreover of God who becomes one of us, is what we celebrate in the coming weeks journeying towards holy Christmas. During the season of Advent we feel the Church that takes us by the hand and - in the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary - expresses her motherhood allowing us to experience the joyful expectation of the coming of the Lord, who embraces us all in his love that saves and consoles.

While our hearts reach out towards the annual celebration of the birth of Christ, the Church's liturgy directs our gaze to the final goal: our encounter with the Lord in the splendour of glory. This is why we, in every Eucharist, "announce his death, proclaim his resurrection until he comes again" we hold vigil in prayer. The liturgy does not cease to encourage and support us, putting on our lips, in the days of Advent, the cry with which the whole Bible concludes, the last page of the Revelation of Saint John: "Come, Lord Jesus "(22:20).

Dear brothers and sisters, our coming together this evening to begin the Advent journey is enriched by another important reason: with the entire Church, we want to solemnly celebrate a prayer vigil for unborn life. I wish to express my thanks to all who have taken up this invitation and those who are specifically dedicated to welcoming and safeguarding human life in different situations of fragility, especially in its early days and in its early stages. The beginning of the liturgical year helps us to relive the expectation of God made flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, God who makes himself small, He becomes a child, it speaks to us of the coming of a God who is near, who wanted to experience the life of man, from the very beginning, to save it completely, fully. And so the mystery of the Incarnation of the Lord and the beginning of human life are intimately connected and in harmony with each other within the one saving plan of God, the Lord of life of each and every one of us. The Incarnation reveals to us, with intense light and in an amazing way, that every human life has an incomparable, a most elevated dignity.

Man has an unmistakable originality compared to all other living beings that inhabit the earth. He presents himself as a unique and singular entity, endowed with intelligence and free will, as well as being composed of a material reality. He lives simultaneously and inseparably in the spiritual dimension and the corporal dimension. This is also suggested in the text of the First letter to the Thessalonians which was just proclaimed: "May the God of peace himself - St. Paul writes - make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ "(5:23). Therefore, we are spirit, soul and body. We are part of this world, tied to the possibilities and limits of our material condition, at the same time we are open to an infinite horizon, able to converse with God and to welcome Him in us. We operate in earthly realities and through them we can perceive the presence of God and seek Him, truth, goodness and absolute beauty. We savour fragments of life and happiness and we long for total fulfilment.

God loves us so deeply, totally, without distinction, He calls us to friendship with him, He makes us part of a reality beyond all imagination, thought and word; His own divine life. With emotion and gratitude we acknowledge the value of the incomparable dignity of every human person and the great responsibility we have toward all. " Christ, the final Adam, - says the Second Vatican Council - by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love, fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear.... by His incarnation the Son of God has united Himself in some fashion with every man. "(Gaudium et Spes, 22).

Believing in Jesus Christ also means having a new outlook on man, a look of trust and hope. Moreover, experience itself and reason show that the human being is a subject capable of discernment, self-conscious and free, unique and irreplaceable, the summit of all earthly things, that must be recognized in his innate value and always accepted with respect and love. He has the right not to be treated as an object of possession or something to manipulate at will, not to be reduced to a mere instrument for the benefit of others and their interests. The human person is a good in and of himself and his integral development should always be sought. Love for all, if it is sincere, naturally tends to become a preferential attention to the weakest and poorest. In this vein we find the Church's concern for the unborn, the most fragile, the most threatened by the selfishness of adults and the darkening of consciences. The Church continually reiterates what was declared by the Second Vatican Council against abortion and all violations of unborn life: "from the moment of its conception life must be guarded with the greatest care " (ibid., n. 51).

There are cultural tendencies that seek to anesthetize consciences with misleading motivations. With regard to the embryo in the womb, science itself highlights its autonomy capable of interaction with the mother, the coordination of biological processes, the continuity of development, the growing complexity of the organism. This is not an accumulation of biological material, but a new living being, dynamic and wonderfully ordered, a new unique human being. So was Jesus in Mary's womb, so it was for all of us in our mother's womb. With the ancient Christian writer Tertullian we can say: " he who will be a man is already one" (Apologeticum IX, 8), there is no reason not to consider him a person from conception.

Unfortunately, even after birth, the lives of children continue to be exposed to abandonment, hunger, poverty, disease, abuse, violence or exploitation. The many violations of their rights that are committed in the world sorely hurt the conscience of every man of good will. Before the sad landscape of the injustices committed against human life, before and after birth, I make mine Pope John Paul II's passionate appeal to the responsibility of each and every individual: " respect, protect, love and serve life, every human life! Only in this direction will you find justice, development, true freedom, peace and happiness!" (Evangelium vitae, 5). I urge the protagonists of politics, economic and social communications to do everything in their power to promote a culture which respects human life, to provide favorable conditions and support networks for the reception and development of life.

To the Virgin Mary, who welcomed the Son of God made man with faith, with her maternal womb, with loving care, with nurturing support and vibrant with love, we entrust our commitment and prayer in favour of unborn life . We do in the liturgy - which is the place where we live the truth and where truth lives with us - worshiping the divine Eucharist, we contemplate Christ's body, that body who took flesh from Mary by the Holy Spirit, and from her was born in Bethlehem for our salvation. Ave, verum Corpus, natum de Maria Virgine!

Thanks to http://communio.stblogs.org/2010/11/papal-vespers-2010.html

Solemnity of Christ the King

2010-11-18T12:42:00.002Z

Gospel Lk 23: 35-43

Hail Redeemer King divine,
Priest and lamb the throne is Thine,
King whose reign shall never cease
Prince of everlasting peace.

This hymn is embossed in my heart and mind since childhood. Growing up, it was a hymn that the local choir in Church sung with great gusto. I particularly associate it with Palm Sunday. All the children were given palm branches and were sent walking around the church to the strains of this hymn. And strangely enough, my memory is of everyone singing along - quiet an unusual thing in rural Ireland, may I add!

Hail Redeemer King Divine. Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the Universal King. The King of the Universe, the King of Heaven and Earth. Wonder-councillor, might God, everlasting Father and Prince of Peace - as Isiaih 9 would put it. When Pius XI instituted the feast in 1925 kings were not exactly highly valued. In the first quarter of the twentieth century many of the crowned heads of Europe had vanished. Within a few years many more would be gone. Still he took the image of King as a metaphor for Our Lord. Paul VI changed the title to Universal King in 1969.

Why is Christ a king? Well, in the traditional sense a King is an heir - a son. He is one who has inherited something in a dynasty. We know in human history many awful things were done to insure the an heir got the throne so a family could remain in power. A king was powerful, he had people at his beck and call. A king also gave definition to a state or people, a sort of visible point of unity for the ordering of society. Pomp, ceremony, power, deference; all these characteristics were associated with the King.

Does this sit well with our image of Jesus Christ? Not exactly the attributes of one 'who came to serve and not to be served'. Christ's kingdom is different. Behind the Altar of the Cathedral of my diocese, dedicated to Christ the King written in gold is REGNUM MEUM NON EST DE HOC MUNDO. His kingdom is not of this world. His throne is a cross, his courtiers St John, Mary the women and the centurion. His jewels are nails. His crown thorns. His banquet bread and wine. His law "Father forgive them"

Christ rules the world from the Cross, and in front of the Cross we can only be silent. In His love and suffering he wages the battle. All we have to do is turn up and take the spoils He has won for us. Christ is our King, in Him we are safe and secure. He defends us. He gives us our reference point. The King on Calvary helps us ascend our mountains of fear, pain and disappointment. And not only does He point the way, but he helps us carry the Cross - for this King is different - this King is least of all and servant of all.

Vexilla Regis - The Banner of the King

Vexilla regis prodeunt,

fulget crucis mysterium,

quo carne carnis conditor

suspensus est patibulo.

(The banners of the king issue forth,

doth flash the wonder of the cross,

where the preserver in flesh, of flesh

by the cross-bar is hung.)

O Crux Ave spes unica.

Homily for November 14, 2010: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

2010-11-14T21:40:00.000Z

The recent news of the death of so many Christians in the Cathedral of Our Lady of salvation in Baghdad came as a terrible, but not unprecedented shock. We pray for our brothers and sisters in that troubled part of the world. While we only hear of the revolutions and wars mentioned by Our Lord in the Gospel today, we remember so many who fulfil the Lord's prophesy of witnessing with their blood.

Our Lady of Salvation - pray for them, pray for us.

The following link comes from The Deacon's Bench blog

Homily for November 14, 2010: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time year C

2010-11-10T05:52:00.000Z

Why do you do what you ?

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, "All that you see here--
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

Why do you do this? Why have you logged on to this blog? Why am I writing this in the first place? Haven't we enough things going on on in our personal lives, why do we go to the rounds of preaching and preparing for a Sunday liturgy? Wouldn't be easier just to crawl into an obscure hole and let the 'storms of destruction' pass by? After all, are there not forces at work in this world larger than I, what possible contribution could I really make that would make a difference.

Well, there is only one answer to all this. I do these things, I pop my head above the parapet, I dare raise my voice because - I BELIEVE! That is the short and sweet of it, I believe.

I believe that no matter what happens in my life that God is present. I believe that I have been called into relationship with the He Who Is, and because of that all my weakness, all my sin, all my lacking is supplied for by He who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Ask yourself: if you were to walk away right now, would it make a difference to God? If you were to do the Pontius Pilate on it and wash your hands of Christ, would the whole plan of salvation grind to a halt, and the mission of Christ and His Church disappear from the record of human history. Of course not. If say, the whole of Ireland was to leave the Church en masse, would the Church cease to be? No, it would not. It would make headlines alright, it would create a but of a stir, but the world would keep turning and the Church would go on. We would be missed, but God's reign would not stop. But who would suffer? WE WOULD!

Our need for God is fundamental to our being. We need Him. As we need the care and affection of others, we need to be constantly open to the very source of our existence. So many forget that. In reality of fact, so few actually know it. We forget ourselves. We are so silly that we forget that without God, without the essence of our lives, we are hollow. We lack so much. And the funny thing about it we often don't even realise what we are missing. Ill give you an example: there is a story told about an old couple in Ireland in the 1950s. At the time there was plan to bring electricity to all homes in the countryside, and the local priest was very important in driving the plan in their area. They got wired up and had the electricity installed. A few weeks later the priest called to the house. It was a winters evening and very dark. To his surprise there was no light on. He knocked at the door and found the old pair sitting by candle light, as they would have done for years upon years. He asked them why they did not put on the light. The woman said to the priest: "Father, I never realised how dirty the house was. I can't bear to see it when the electric is on, so I leave it so."

I believe and it brings light. I believe and gives me hope. I believe and I know that I am not in control of everything that I want to be in control of. But because I believe I know that I am free in what is important. Maybe a stone will not be left upon a stone, maybe everything will be taken from me - but I still know that I am loved by God and that will never change. I believe and it makes me happy - and that's why I do what I do. If I can help one other person experience the pure joy of being a Christian on this earthly journey.....well, wouldn't that be a life worth living!

32nd Sunday of Ordinary time year C

2010-11-04T14:51:00.001Z

Luke 20: 27-38

"The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God, no torment shall every touch them." This is an old testament reading that is very popular at funerals. The Book of Wisdom offers great hope in the face of death. The scriptures are in fact laden with examples of life giving words in the face of the great leveller death. In this month of November the Church invites us to reflect on death as a mystery that faces us all. Nature seems to echo this invitation as the last of the leaves and flowers give way to the grey of winter. Throughout the month Masses and prayers are offered throughout the world for those who have gone before us maked with the sign of faith.

We face death all the time. In the pastoral ministry so much time and energy goes into the care of the dying and the consolation of the bereaved. Funerals take a huge amount of spiritual and emotional effort. For me, choosing the right words at the time of death can be the most challenging of all endeavours. I can write stuff on a blog all I like, but when it comes to a 'real live' event, the power of the spoken words can be a source of great consolation- or maybe not.

The Gospel today invites us to think of death. The Sadduchees, who deny the resurrection of the body, try to trap Jesus with the question of the woman and the seven brothers, and to whom does she belong in the next world. Jesus points out that when we enter into Eternity life we will be completely transformed, in ways we cannot even being to imagine.

Heaven! We spend so little time thinking about it, and even less preaching about it. But at the end of the day it is the only thing that matters; our eternal salvation in Jesus Christ!"Seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness and all else will be given to you". If Heaven is our goal, total and complete eternal union with God, then there is no fear that we will make the wrong decisions in this life that would forfeit such gift. And if we fall, we have the courage and strength to get back up and keep striving onward.

In this month of November, we should remember how short life is, and that Eternity is only a heartbeat away. We pray and do penance for all who are on their journey to Heaven in Purgatory. As we pray for them, let us also remember that on November 2nd next year, we are the ones who could be prayed for! We joyfully wait for "what no eye has seen and no ear has heard" the joys that wait for us in the Father's house.

May the angels lead you into Paradise.

May the martyrs come to greet you on the way.

May they lead you home to the holy city,

to the new and eternal Jerusalem.

May the choirs of angels come to welcome you.

May they take you to the arms of Abraham,

where Lazarus is poor no longer,

and there may you find rest, rest eternal.

November 1st. Feast of All Saints

2010-10-30T12:15:00.000+01:00

The Gospel for the Solemnity of All the Saints is the Beatitudes. We are called to be saints. With such a 'great crowd of witnesses' all around us, we a spurred on to our heavenly inheritance. We pray that as the saints in their heroic or hidden ways earned their eternal rest, we too will remain faithful to Christ. When we live the Beatitudes, by God's grace, the Kingdom of Heaven is present.

Zacchaeus was a greedy little man!

2010-10-28T18:42:00.000+01:00

If any of you, like myself, were schooled in the 'Children of God' series you may remember a little song on the Zacchaeus of the Gospel. It was a cute little song and painted a picture of who this tax collector was. It went: "Zacchaeus was a greedy little man, he cheated all the people in the land. If they said they wouldn't pay, he would take their farms away, and their furniture and anything they had....etc" I remember that song very well, and I am sure his role in the religion course has propelled him to fame. Nearly everyone knows Zacchaeus.
So who was he? A tax collector and a wealth man; a nasty bit of stuff it would seem. He collected the tax for the Romans and helped himself to whatever he wanted himself. At the time a tax collector had so much to collect, and whatever else he managed to take himself was fine. Not too many checks and balances there. He was also small; he had to climb a sycamore tree to get a view of the Lord as he passed by. He wanted to see Jesus; he was curious. He may not have been to interested in what Jesus had to say, but still he wanted to get a glimps of Him as he passed by. But did he expect to get the attention from Christ that he did? I expect not.
Zacchaeus climbed up a tree, he wanted to see the One everyone was talking about. He was aware, no doubt, that he was not a popular person - to understate it. But like everyone else, he was intrigued by Jesus and he wanted part of the action. Jesus saw him, called him down and told him not only did he want to see him, he wanted to dine with him. I am struck by one thing. Jesus had his mind made up. It wast a case of looking up and seeing a small man in a tree; he saw him as if he knew him already and wanted to go to his house. Zacchaeus was called and he had to come down and his life was changed.
Sometimes we prefer to live in the trees. Off up in the air, secure on our own. The Lord invites us to climb down to meet Him, to be close to Him, to dine with Him. Our smallness maybe sin. It may be regret, guilt, disappointment. It may be pride, when we think that we are just fine up in the tree.
Up in the tree there are only a few branches and leaves, maybe a bird or two. Its lonely up there, and there is little room to move. To be on the ground, with the Lord, opens up for us a whole new world.
Christ calls us close. When we meet him we change. Our stature is changed and we no longer fear. Jesus wants to dine with us, are we coming down or are we happy aloof by ourselves?

31st Sunday in Ordinary time year C

2010-10-26T19:11:00.000+01:00

Wis 11:22-12:2
2 Thes 1: 11-2:2
Lk 19:1-10

Salvation has come to this house. The story of Zacchaeus conversion reminds us that we are all in need of the salvation of God, and that no one is beyond the reach of God's forgiveness and mercy

30th Sunday in Ordinary time year C

2010-10-22T00:24:00.000+01:00

Going home at peace with God.

Never ending bad news! I don't know why I am so determined to get the news every night before I go to bed. Its a habit, I suppose. I just can't miss it, either on the telly or on the radio, I have to listen to the news headlines. But why? There is always bad news. If its not the economy, its a murder. If not a murder some other woe that seems to overwhelm us all. The weather is often the icing on the cake! No one seems to be at peace with each other, never mind with God.

The Gospel of the Pharisee and the tax-collector is one of my personal favorites. It is one of those special pericopes that gives me great hope. Sometimes I see myself as the Pharisee, other times as the tax collector. Which one would I rather be? If I was given a choice, if I could be one of the characters which would I choose? Say if I were the Pharisee; a good man, trying to do my best and seemingly succeeding well at it. I would be guilty of all the right things - fasting, praying, giving to the poor. Okay, maybe I am a bit arrogant, but so what?! I am arrogant about the proper things, right? Why would I want to be a tax-collector? After all these guys were not the cute little cartoon characters like Zaccheus in our school religion books- they were nasty, mean and most of all they were traitors. Who in their right minds would want to be one. But still, he was the one that went home at peace with God. And why? He realised that he didn't have it all together. He knew his need for forgiveness and mercy. He knew that he was not the master of the game.

When we forget that we need the Redeemer we become like the Pharisee. To forget that we are the ones that are in need of God and not the other way around, can only bring us emptiness and the opposite of fulfillment. I think one reason that we have found ourselves in the current economic and social turmoil is that we easily forget that we are bought and paid for. We arrogantly think that we are the only ones that matter and anything or anyone that reminds us of another reality is wrong. Peace of mind and heart is what we sacrifice if we get our real priorities wrong.

The tax collector went home at peace with God, the other did not, no matter how secure he felt in himself. The Gospel reminds us that we are the children and God is God.

30th Sunday of Ordinary Time year C

2010-10-18T12:06:00.000+01:00

Sir 35: 12-14,16-18

2Tm 4: 6-8,16-18

Lk 18: 9-14

The tax-collector dared not look up, but said "God, be merciful a sinner". In his humility he went home at peace with God.

Further thought for this Sunday

2010-10-16T14:34:00.001+01:00

Praying without getting weary; it was wonderful to see the safe rescue of the miners in Chile. I can only imagine what an ordeal they went through. There was alot of prayer asked and offered for the men, and thank God, there was a happy ending. Sometimes people closest to us are trapped in the mines of life; there are countless examples of this. Sometimes we are the ones trapped with no hope of escape. "Lord, save us for we are going down". God is our refuge and our strength, he guides us along. With Him we are not alone. Is that wishful thinking? Something to tell children and simple folk? It is not, it is the truth of our faith. His love and care surrounds us. Only in the next life will we understand fully.

Praying always without being weary.

2010-10-15T01:25:00.000+01:00

I had the good fortune of seeing a dramatised version of CS Lewis 'The Screwtape Letters'. I think there will be weeks of homilies in that one. Its amazing how different the storyline of a book can be when it is acted out. Of course, there is always a risk that a film version, or a stage production of a great work will not do justice to the original; and there a countless examples of that. The original is always so much better, particularly with a book. You can savor certain passages, mull over them and re-read them, letting your imagination create all kinds of images that are as unique as the ideas of the author. But this was different, is was almost a word for word dramatisation and it brought to life ideas and images in a way a reading might just miss. Often you have to listen carefully to the source to get real meaning.

Jesus encourages us to pray. Just think about that for a moment. Jesus encourages his disciples to pray always without getting weary. The image of the widow and the unjust judge of the Gospel paints a very vivid picture, but go back a step - pray without getting weary.

I get weary praying. I try, I really do, but I just can't manage to get the art as much as I desire to. The Divine Office, fine, the Rosary in this month, very powerful, adoration of the Eucharist and Mass- all part of life, but, I don't seem to be able to do what the Lord asks - pray without ceasing, without becoming weary. But that is the invitation, the Lord wishes us to pray without getting weary.
I am always struck about the image of St Patrick on the mountain when it comes to prayer - actually there were a number of mountains - but there are two I am thinking of. The first was when he was slave. I presume he was very young, a boy, or a teenager. He was taken slave and landed on a mountainside minding the animals. In his Confessions, he tells us that here he learned to pray up to a hundred times a day and night. He was 'cut off from the land of the living', and all he could depend on was God. And he tells us himself that before this time he did not know God. He prayed- he talked to God- and he found him and became a saint. The second mountain was when he was a missionary in Ireland. This time he spent forty days on the mountain we call Crough Patrick. This time he went himself into exile to pray and fast and find God in his prayer and his penance. The first mountain helped him find God, the second helped him keep him in contact with Him whom he had found.
Prayer can be wearysome - no voices, no visions, not revelations, often no comfort. But we keep doing it, we keep doing it, because we love the one we come in contact with. In our transitory world, if it does not 'feel' good, it is often disregarded as broken. If we do not get sensory feeling of pleasure or whatever we are looking for we dismiss it. Prayer does not always guarantee us a feeling of elation, but as long as we pray we are putting ourselves in the line of God's grace. He forms us, often in silence. Screwtape describes the road to hell as soft and steady, a gentle slope with not lights or signposts - prayer can often be the gentle and hidden - but it works.
This week, we are encouraged to pray without becoming weary. And if we are weary, all he have to do is look at Him whose arms are not held outstretched by two assistants, but by two nails.

28th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C

2010-10-08T12:58:00.000+01:00

This weeks post is later than planned, and I am sorry! I am away from base on a preaching course and some holidays, so structure has fallen down a bit. I am reminded of something Fulton J Sheen said about time. He was exhorting his priests to make a daily holy hour in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. He reminded them that the most difficult time to fulfill such a devotion was when one was on holiday; "When we have all the time, we have no time. We will always excuse ourselves "I can do it later". Later of course never comes and our time is gone." So, I spent a week saying I'll do it later!
An interesting aspect of the course was the concept of preaching by ear. You know the way a musical instrument can be played by ear, the music seems to come from within rather than simply playing the notes; preaching can be done in the same way. A good homily will always appear to come from the heart, when it is disengaged from the preacher, it certainly will not engage with the the people who are listening. A sermon or a homily is a living entity. It is for a specific time and a specific place. It is a moment of grace where the the Word of God can become alive and active as it says in Hebrews in a very visible way. That is, of course, not to say the Word of God is not alive and active outside of the sermon. The Word of God is what it is, but when it is shared and experienced as an oral event it becomes tangible; for it was spoken before it was written. There is lots more that can be said about that, which I hope to in time.

Anyway, this Sundays readings, what can be said? As I am not preaching this Sunday the normal preparation process as has gone out the window, so I cannot admit to have deeply engaged with the text, so I do not feel as if I can expound on the mysteries as I should. The thought that struck me about this gospel, however, is one of gratitude which leads to faith. The sick are healed in the 1st reading and in the Gospel. Naaman acknowledges the God of Israel, the foreign leper seeks out the Lord to thank him. When I experience God in my life, either in trauma or in more gentle and hidden ways, I become aware of the complete mystery of our life in Him. God made me! God, the creator of Heaven and Earth, of everything seen and unseen made me! Not only that, God become man and died so I could share His divine life. That should make us grateful, that in turn should make us joyful and awaken our desire to come close to him.
The characters in the readings had an experience of God in their lives that made them grateful. We should never stop giving thanks to God for all he has done for us. If only we were not so blind to see!

28th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C

2010-10-05T02:29:00.000+01:00

2 Kgs 5: 14-17
2 Tim 2: 8-13
Lk 17: 11-19

"Now I know that there is no God in all the earth,
except in Israel."

"Jesus Master, have pity on us!"

If you read the entire pericope of the first reading from the second Book of Kings, you will see Naaman fly into a fury because Elisha asked him to go and bathe in the waters seven times. His servant advised him that if the prophet had asked him to do something difficult he would not have hesitated to do it. So he goes, washes and is healed. Often we are not asked to huge and dramatic things in our faith; we are asked to have faith and trust. The Divine Mercy teaches trust. Can we say with faith "Jesus I trust in you"?

27th Sunday of Ordinary Time year C

2010-09-30T09:11:00.001+01:00

There have been some tremendous second readings in this cycle. A few weeks ago there was the celestial city in Hebrews remembering what we are all called to. And of late St Paul to Philemon and now to Timothy, constantly reminds us what we are about. What always strikes me about Paul is that he has faith. He constantly talks of Christ as someone he knows. It is the Risen Lord, after all, that Paul follows. The road to Damascus was post Resurrection. It is the same Christ we have come to know and love.

Over the last few days, we have had a Parish Mission here, preached by two Dominicans. The entire week was built around the presence of Jesus in the Sacraments and the Church. They both presented a God who saves and a God who is present in our midst. During one particular homily one of the preachers recounted a conversation he had with an old friend. This friend had been very successful in business, he was a real high flyer. And as things go, as he succeeded in his business life, he abandoned, or at least 'down graded' his spiritual life, and gave up on the Sacraments. One day the two friends were talking and religion came up. The priest's friend explained how he thought religion was a good idea, but that 'institutional' church was not something for him. He began to explain that he saw God as an energy, somewhere out there, a life force to be tapped into when you needed it. (A common enough idea, these days, by the way.) The learned Dominican retorted "How do you expect me to have a relationship with a battery?!"

The Gospel talks about faith; and all we need is the faith the size of a mustard seed. Our Christian faith is not a concept or a set of good ideas. Our faith is a relationship with God who is real and who has revealed himself completely in Jesus. Pope Benedict constantly refers to this in his writings. He talks of a profound and real friendship with Jesus Christ. We can have all the pastoral plans we want. We can devise the best schemes and attractions for people to come to the Church, but unless it is rooted in Jesus, it will not work. Simple as that; if it is not all about Jesus, it is a waste of time, money, effort and energy.

The Lord uses a mustard seed. I remember in school thinking this was the most awful thing in the world. The only person I knew who ate mustard was my grand father. I wanted to taste it one day and he put a spoonful on a piece of bread, and I, like a fool gobbled it up. My mouth was on fire for days! It is not mustard, English mustard in a jar that is, that the Gospel refers to. It is the seed. Mustard seeds are tiny, but produce a large bush type vegetation. They also have extensive root systems which make them very hard to up root. From something tiny comes something very enduring.

I am often like the disciples. "Lord, give me more faith." The Lord says, "You have me, you have enough." This Sunday let us really believe in God who saves us. Let us rejoice and be glad in the reality of our faith; friendship with Jesus Christ. He will look after the rest.

27th Sunday of Ordinary Time year C

2010-09-26T13:29:00.001+01:00

Hab 1: 2-3; 2: 2-4

2 Tim 1: 6-8, 13-14

Lk 17: 5-10

If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains.
Jesus came to serve and not to be served. He has given us an example to follow: faith is not only internal; it finds itself in the service of others.

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2010-09-23T23:58:00.001+01:00

Lazarus: Why did Jesus use the name Lazarus when he was telling the parable? Why for that matter did he name Lazarus at all? Many Gospel characters are not named and are simply called homo quidem - a certain man. If you ever read the Ireland's Own ( a popular folk magazine published in Ireland) you will notice toward the back of the publication a page called 'The lilt of Irish laughter'; it is a page full of short funny stories. The characters in these stories always have names like 'Mulcahy' or 'McMahon' - random surnames that name the protagonist of the joke. Was the Lord doing the same? Could "There was a poor man named Lazarus" have been "There was a poor man named Ben Shemal". Names have significance and meaning. Lazarus comes from Hebrew which means "My God helps." And throughout the story we are confronted with reality of the meaning of the name, God did indeed help him; bringing him to the bosom of Abraham. Often times we think only of the present reality and forget of the life that awaits us. We profess this in the Creed every Sunday after all - we believe in life of the world to come.

I was just looking at the opening scene from Gladiator, a great film. Hard to believe its 10 years old. Maximus (played by Russell Crowe) is preparing his cavalry for battle. He tells them to fight bravely and reminds them that "what we do in life echoes in eternity". That is not far off Christian thought. If the rich man (who is not named, curiously) had been a little kinder to the poor man he saw every day, what side of the great gulf could he have found himself?

The dogs used to come and lick Lazarus' sores. Because they were good little dogs? Dogs were unclean and for a dog to lick a man's wound, I presume, would have been as low as you could get. Still he is Lazarus: "My God helps". In hard times I think it is most appropriate to keep in mind that God is still on our side.

Et vitam venturi saeculi - and the life of the world to come.

26th Sunday in Ordinary time C

2010-09-20T17:20:00.001+01:00

Am 6: 1a, 4-7

1 Tim 6: 11-16

Lk 16:19-31

Where Lazarus is poor no longer.

The funeral liturgy has many beautiful prayers. Over the ages most haunting and moving music has been employed to high-light words that give so much hope in the face of the ancient enemy. One of the main characters in the Gospel is there in the enchanting In Paradisum "where Lazarus is poor no longer". When I read this Gospel the first thing that comes to mind is the complacency of the rich that Amos decries in the first reading. We see the rich man paying in eternity for his riches; or maybe for his lack of concern for the poor man at his very door step. But on a deeper reflection on the the reading, I am beginning to see something else. The dialogue between Abraham and the rich man is interesting. "Let me go and warn my brothers, so that they will not end up in this dreadful place". Abraham says if they do not listen to the Law and prophets they will not even listen to someone who comes back from the dead.

But that is who we listen to, the One who has come back from the dead; Jesus, who is our Lord and God.

There is much talk about boycotts this week in Ireland. There is a move next week, in some quarters, to boycott the Mass in protest over many issues; including the role of women in the Church. It would be tragic if people stayed at home when they had a chance to hear the words of the One who has come back from the dead. He tells us of the what is in store for us if we stay close to Him. He gives us the promise of a world made new, a world "where there is no more tears, no more sadness" because "we shall see [Him] as he really is' and become like Him. The only thing we should boycott is sin; but of course that is not headline stuff.

Paul to Timothy puts it very clearly: we are to remember who it is we give witness to; Jesus Christ. In him do our hearts find joy.

25th Sunday of the Ordinary Time C

2010-09-15T23:07:00.001+01:00

You cannot be a slave of two masters.

Its very easy to get down these days. It seems that at every hands turn there is bad news and depression. If it's not in politics, it's in the Church. If there is not a crisis in a bank somewhere, there is a strike somewhere else because workers are being forced to tighten their belts. It is if there is a gaseous tension in air; everyone appears to be worried and cross. There seems to be no green pastures where we can just sit and rest.

I remember preaching on the Gospel appointed for today the last time it came up. It was 2007 and even then there was a feeling that the 'good-old-days' of what we called the Celtic Tiger (a time of tremendous economic growth in the Irish Economy) were coming to an end. I do not believe anyone expected the fortunes of our country to go down the tubes so quickly. But I remember passionately decrying the fact that as a nation we seemed to have been all caught up in a frenzy of spending and ludicrous debt. I remember afterwards thinking to myself, what was I thinking? Wouldn't we always have have enough? Time has proven that an illusion of wealth had been created and when world economic forces turned, a whole society has been affected.

Now I am no economist. Nor am I a sociologist. But I am preacher, and the burning question is "what have we to say to our people, in the light of the Gospel, about the situation we find ourselves?"

The accusation is often made that there is no leadership in the country (Church and state). How can we provide leadership for a people that are at best disgruntled, at worst despairing? The bushel has been lowered, the shekel raised, and there seems to be no-one like the man in the Gospel to cancel the debts.

These times are hard, as the song says. Lord tell us what to tell your people..............

What are you going to say?

25th Sunday of the Ordinary Time C

2010-09-12T23:21:00.001+01:00

Father of the poor, defender of the widow.

Amos 8: 4-7
1 Tim 2: 1-8
Luke 16: 1-13

At a glance, next Sundays readings remind us of justice as response to faith. My Bishop often makes an interesting comment on what has been called the Church's 'option for the poor', a key part of her social teaching in recent decades. He points out that the Church's option should always be for Christ, which finds its expression in care for and solidarity with the poor. I think this is a good observation. All our out-reach, care, collections, charity must be rooted in Christ. Christians are not nice to people just for the sake of it 'tax collectors and sinners do the same, do they not.' We reach out to the poor, because we too were once poor, but have been made really rich, by our salvation in Christ.

"Gold and silver, I have not" said Peter to the lame beggar at gate of the Temple, "But what I have I give you, in the name of Jesus walk."

24th Ordinary Time

2010-09-10T00:05:00.003+01:00

Ex 32: 7-11, 13- 14

1 Tim 1: 12-17

Lk 15: 1-32 or 15: 1-10

Why did the woman get so excited about finding a drachma? I am no expert on the financial systems of the ancient world, but I cannot imagine that a drachma was worth so much as to call everyone you know to celebrate? Even if it were that same as a days wage, our culture of plenty and waste would not really encourage us to jump up and down. Likewise, its almost illogical that the shepherd would leave all the other sheep alone in the wilderness to find one sheep who had wondered off. But they celebrate.

Lost and found, hidden and uncovered, dark and light. A typical Christian life is lead between these contrasts. One minute we are fine, riding high on grace, with no troubles, doubts or difficulties. In an instant that can all change and we can find ourselves lost.

Like the prodigal son and the lost sheep life can bring us to places that we do not want to go. It is often said 'where would we be without faith?'. A good question. When I preach, do people see and hear a disciple, or are they confronted with Paul's gong booming or empty noise on the wind? Faith in Christ gives us an anchor in the storms of life. No wonder the early Christians used the anchor as a symbol in the Catacombs.

But what of the sheep who do not want to be found? What of the sons and daughters who stay away from the loving Father? Is it enough to hope that they will come back? The Gospel always has an urgency about it. It has to be preached here and now. The Kingdom is in our very midst and the day of salvation is now. When we preach we have to constantly remind ourselves of this. We may never have the chance to proclaim it or hear it again.

There is more rejoicing over the return of one lost sheep. Will the sheep be feed this Sunday, or will the fare of the wild and dangerous places be more alluring? 'O that TODAY you would listen to his voice.'

Post pilgimage

2010-09-06T18:53:00.000+01:00

I am back home after a very moving, if exerting, pilgrimage to some of the Shrines of France, culminating in Lourdes. I did not a chance to do much deep reflection, alas, on the readings for last Sunday, our Sunday Mass, however was notable for it beauty! It took place in the Poor Clare convent, across the bridge on the way to the town of Lourdes. There were about fifty of us. The Gospel spoke of leaving all to follow the Lord, which we had done, in a small way over the days of the pilgrimage, but I was struck by one thing in particular: those people who I was looking at have some faith!! It was an experience of the Catholic Church at its very best! Young and old, rich and poor, men and women, each with their own stories of joy and trouble, gathered as one with the priest to celebrate the wonders of God in Christ.

Preachers: encourage the brethren! Let them know that they are on to a good thing! I believe the fires of faith are far from extinguished, all that is needed is a little love to bandage the wounded and bring back the stray and a little energy help the weak. Christ is with us, he is all we need.

23rd Ordinary Time

2010-08-29T22:32:00.000+01:00

Wis 9:13-18b

Phmn 9-10, 12-17

Lk 14:25-33

I am always impressed about the story of St Anthony the Abbot. He heard a passage of the Gospel being read in the Church- and I am pretty sure its the one appointed for this Sunday- about giving away all possessions and following the Lord. He was so moved by it that's what he did.

The Gospel is a radical call, and a radical response is needed. Every age has its St Anthony's who point the other way; the way of Christ. If only there were a few more.

I am leading a pilgrimage to the Shrines of France this week, so reflections may be scant. I hope that you might be able to give a few ideas of your own on the Gospel. I often desperately need them!!

Saturday evening disaster!

2010-08-28T21:07:00.000+01:00

Did you ever have the experience of going to preach, and mid way you ask yourself "what in the name of God am I saying?" All you want to do say is "We stand for the Creed!!!" Such was mine this evening. To my credit, I suppose, I was in another parish supplying, so I was out of my natural habitat, but still and all, it was one of my most disappointing attempts at breaking the Word.

I suppose God can make good with what seems to be a disaster, and I hope the poor ones in the pew will get what they need. All I could think of, as the sweat rolled down my back..."Is this the best a guy who has set himself up as a preaching blogger can do"!

Anyway, self pity aside. I had intended to talk about Hebrews in a deeper way. I find that reading so magical. What we have come to! Not what we are going to to, but what we have come to. It reminds me of the office reading for St Augustine's feast....God has found us! And when we breath in his love we pant for his peace. (cf The Confessions)

Ven John Henry Newman on self-emptying.

2010-08-25T15:20:00.000+01:00

(John Henry Card. Newman, to be beatified next month by the Holy Father in Birmingham)

"There is a mysterious connexion between real advancement and self-abasement. If you minister to the humble and despised, if you feed the hungry, tend the sick, succour the distressed; if you bear with the froward, submit to insult, endure ingratitude, render good for evil, you are, as by a divine charm, getting power over the world and rising among the creatures. God has established this law. Thus He does His wonderful works. His instruments are poor and despised; the world hardly knows their names, or not at all. They are busied about what the world thinks petty actions, and no one minds them. They are apparently set on no great works; nothing is seen to come of what they do: they seem to fail. Nay, even as regards religious objects which they themselves profess to desire, there is no natural and visible connexion between their doings and sufferings and these desirable ends; but there is an unseen connexion in the kingdom of God. They rise by falling. Plainly so, for no condescension can be so great as that of our Lord Himself. Now the more they abase themselves the more like they are to Him; and the more like they are to Him, the greater must be their power with Him."

Taken from Fr Thomas Rosica, Biblical Reflections for Sundays www.saltandlighttv.org

22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time: The Battle of Lourdes

2010-08-23T22:23:00.000+01:00

Each year the Diocese of Meath, of which I am a priest, makes its annual pilgrimage to Lourdes. From the 12th to the 17th September, the Bishop with pilgrims and clergy in tow head to the Marian Shrine in France for five days of prayer and often refreshment. There are always thousands there at that time, as the pilgrimage season still has roughly another month and a half to go. Each year there is a peculiar event that never fails to amuse; something I call the battle of Lourdes. The lines are clear. There are the good guys: the pilgrims of Meath, with their storm-troopers; the blue clad brancardiers who look after the sick. There are the bad guys; everyone else, and in particular the Italian pilgrims that happen to be there at the time. With military precision, the boys in blue push there there way through the vast praying mob to insure Ecclesia Midensis gets to to the top of every queue, be it processions, the baths, or what ever else. Its very funny to hear our own lot complain about the 'Italians', how even the little old ladies seem to want to be first in line. The truth is, they want to have the audacity to do the same themselves! Even if when we are on pilgrimage to a site dedicated to the Mother of He who came to serve and not to be served, the rat race and the desire to be first wins out. This, it seems, cannot be left at St Michael's or St Joseph's gate.

There is a innate desire in us to the first. Its our primal impulse. Even the best Christian has to struggle with putting God and others first. It is harrowing to see sights from Pakistan at the moment, of people trampling each other to get food from distributors. In such circumstances it is hard to blame them. But even in less life threatening moments there is always the temptation to go in for the kill. In the hunt for a job maybe, or preferment, its easy to push yourself at the expense of others. Survival of the fittest, right?

Both this Sunday and last Sunday, the Lord shows us the other way. First is last, last first. Can you imagine the embarrassment of the man in the Gospel who had to give up his place in front of everyone? Christ in His life and in His Passion reveals that self emptying is the only sure way to self fulfilment. To put yourself in the second place for the sake of the other is true discipleship

What would be the consequences of always putting others first? By the standards of the world you would be on to a looser straight away; a prey for unscrupulous people, an object of fun, maybe even scorn. Think, however, if everyone did the same? Everyone putting everyone else first? It would be the biggest social revolution imaginable. And the funny thing is, as it says in second reading 'you have not approached what cannot be touched!' It can be done, not without struggle, but it can be done. Christ has given us the example we should follow. Listen to Him. For what we have been called to is Mt Zion, the New Jerusalem, where everyone is a first born son.

22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time: initial thoughts

2010-08-22T22:28:00.000+01:00

Following the Lord is not beyond us

Sir 3:17-18, 20, 28-29

Humility and gratitude.
Imagine, we are the children of the Most High!

Heb 12: 18-19, 22-24a

It is not in the drama the Lord comes to us.
Not far beyond us, everywhere . Christ: all in all!

Lk 14: 1, 7-14

Move higher friend.
Last week, first and last, last and first.

More thoughts for this Sunday

2010-08-21T05:44:00.000+01:00

I was reflecting on the narrow door. A lot of people say that they do not need to go to Mass; they can pray in their own way. That's all well and good; but what about God's way, the way he has asked us to go In Christ. If we cut ourselves off from the sacraments - either by sin or laziness- we are depriving ourselves of so much we cannot even begin to imagine. To say I don't need to go to Mass or confession to be close to God, is as foolish as saying I do not need to drink water or breath. The Sacraments give us life.

I have two hanging baskets. Both have done well this year; the good weather and care I give them are the main reasons why they look so good. I was away last week for two days, and I was sure they had enough water to keep fresh. When I got back I was devastated to see that they had almost perished. I watered them, gave them plant food and put them in shelter. To my surprise, in the space of a few hours, they were coming back to bloom. Alright, some of the flowers did fall off, but the green had come back to life, and new flowers will come.

The Church, in Ireland at any rate, seems to be wilting. She constantly needs the freshness of the Word and Sacraments to be poured on her. God gives the growth. Isn't it wonderful to be in a ministry that can channel that Water of Everlasting life. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in Christ."

Please read the last line of the second reading. My Dad has a phrase he repeats (even to my less than godly siblings!) 'Keep the faith!' Only our faith can give the life so many people are desperate to find. When we preach our hearers should be able to say; "That man has faith" and be spurred on. Many cynics, even in the clergy, would dismiss such as wishful thinking, but that is how it works. Inspiration, encouragement, challenge, love; all of these attributes help us, priests and people, as one to keep going on the road that is long and narrow - the road to life eternal.

Soli Deo gloria!!

21st Sunday of Ordinary Time: August 22, 2010

2010-08-15T22:50:00.001+01:00

("My thoughts are not your thoughts" please leave your own ideas in the comment box)

The Narrow Door -
Chosen by God, encouraged in our call, challenged by the Gospel

Is 66: 18-21

Faithfulness is not really prized in our world. Everything is up for grabs. Life long commitment to marriage, to ordained or consecrated service are no longer viewed as absolute or necessary by many. It is really sad when you come across a man or woman that you have journeyed with towards marriage to hear that not too long after the great day, they have separated from their spouse. I often think of the beauty of the celebration and the power of the words spoken before the Altar. Forever does not seem to exist, with all the personal tragedy that goes with it. The glory of the Lord is revealed in his faithfulness. As we celebrated in last weeks feast of the Assumption the faithfulness of God to his word, we should take heart that he has chosen us as his own. He brings us back rejoicing. We have been chosen and called.

The last line of the reading says "and some of them I will make priests and levites, says the Lord." Those of us who have been ordained for ministry; by our faithfulness are to give witness to faithfulness of God. Despite the challenges and criticisms, faithfulness 'will win you your life.' As the Liturgy says "for the joy that lay in the future, He willingly went to the Cross". God stands by his chosen ones. His chosen can only relay on his strength.

Heb 12: 5-7, 11-12

"Have you forgotten that encouraging text in which you are addressed as sons?" Forgotten! The truth is most of the regulars that will hear you preach will have never heard the Good News in their lives! A dramatic assertion? I am reminded of Chesterton being asked why has Christianity failed. He responded, that it has not failed, it had not even been tried yet. Often we are not on fire with our faith. The Word we proclaim, the life promised in the Sacraments, the wonder of being a child of God, not just a produce of nature is so spectacular it is always new. There will never be an earthly time when the Gospel will not speak to the depths of human reality. When we know, or begin to know this, everything should change. Obedience to God comes after he revels himself. The Law was given after the Exodus.

But what about suffering? Why do we have to always plough head on into suffering and accept it?People on the outside laugh at this. The Christian understanding of suffering is rooted in the fact that we live in a far from perfect word. Christ has redeemed us, by his own suffering; and the promise of a 'world made new.' Our faith is real world stuff. Cartoon book religion is fine when we are young; but as soon as the reality of life hits in it will be rejected. That is why we preach Christ, and Christ crucified.

The last line of the reading gives hope to us all: "So hold up your limp arms and steady your trembling knees and smooth out the path you tread; then the injured limb will not be wrenched, it will grow strong again.

Lk 13: 22-30

"Lord, open to us" "I do not know where you come from." "Will only a few be saved?" "The last shall be first and the first shall be last"

The Gospel does not beat around the bush. If we have set our hand to the plough and have taken up the challenge of following the Lord, then we cannot hope to escape the chalice He had to drink. The road is long and narrow.

Did you ever hear of Lough Derg? For those of you not familiar with the place it is an ancient centre of pilgrimage in Co Donegal in Ireland. The pilgrimage lasts three days, including fasting, walking around in your bear feet and countless prayers. [You really have to experience it for any word picture to do justice.] There is one part of the pilgrimage that is most challenging: the vigil. You literally keep vigil with the Lord , staying awake from 9.30 pm to 9.30 pm the following day. The night is long and often cold and wet, and even the interior of the Basilica where you spend the night in prayer, walking in your bare feet, trying to avoid the corners of oak pews and marble steps, lacks comfort. But the night passes, as every night passes, and the dawn and new day makes the vigil a little less difficult. The final goal is rest; and bed never feels as good as it does after a Lough Derg ordeal. Everything moves on; the hymn Immortal Invisible says: "We blossom and flourish like leaves on the tree, then wither and perish, but noth' changes thee." Thinking of these readings the theme of God's faithfulness and constancy keeps coming to mind. The road may be long and difficult, still we travel on through the winding paths of life. Sometimes we feel like giving up, but we are not alone. The People of God, the Church throughout the world, as one people of faith move on in faith towards the rest of the Father's house.

To be an authentic follower of Jesus Christ involves rejecting much of what the spirit of the world would have us accept. A Catholic cannot do what ever they feel like doing. Such a horrid suggestion! The world tells us that the yoke that is easy and the burden that is light is in fact a mill stone, drowning us is rules and out dated mores. "Lord to whom shall we go, you have the message of eternal life." True freedom of the children of God breaks the fetters of sin and selfishness. The broad and the wide leads to emptiness and nothing. The Way of Shepherd through the valley of darkness is the only sure way to green pastures. Anything else is a lie.

"The last will be first and the first last . " Be careful where you put yourself in the line!!

491 views in one week!

2010-08-14T22:57:00.000+01:00

I am very happy and surprised that there have been just under 500 visits to this blog since I started last Sunday. As I am only getting a feel for best way to organise the blog, I hope you will be patient with me. Each Sunday (DV) I will post some thoughts for the following Sunday. This site is for sharing, so I would be very happy if you could share with me some of your ideas.

I wish you a happy feast day of the Assumption!

St Maximilian Kolbe

2010-08-14T08:44:00.003+01:00

A friend of mine put the following on his Facebook page:

N. likes.... "In Soviet Russia" jokes ("In America you can always find a party; in Soviet Russia, the party finds YOU!" "In America you listen to man on radio; in Soviet Russia, man on radio listens to YOU!" "In America you assassinate the president; in Soviet Russia, president assassinates YOU!). So he can't help loving St Cyprian's praise for the 'white robed army': "You did not yield to torture, torture yielded to you!"

To die for the faith does not always mean to suffer the pains of torture and death. Few of us are given that grace. To die for the faith means often suffering family, friends, colleagues in their weaknesses and foibles. To be able to forgive and forget, bite the tongue instead of going to battle, to make allowances and giving the benefit of the doubt can be as painful spiritually as enduring the trials of martyrs.

"Lord, I'd happily suffer and die for you, but please, please, please don't ask me to share the cell with.....?"

Funeral removal

2010-08-13T20:09:00.001+01:00

I just received the remains of a young mother to the Church this evening. I nearly always choose the first part of St John's passion for the Gospel. I am always reminded that one of the last things Our Lord did on the Cross was to care for His mother; ecce mater tua. His death is our ransom from death.

Fulfilled in Your Hearing

2010-08-12T06:00:00.003+01:00

In 1982 , the bishops of the United States published a document called Fulfilled in Your Hearing , a reflection on the meaning of the homily in the Sunday Mass. The document has become a significant tool in the development of Catholic homiletics. The document, which is nearly 30 years old now, is now posted on the USCCB website. It is a useful point of departure in deepening understanding of the importance of preaching in the Liturgy. As with all liturgical matters, the homily must be treated with utmost respect and care.

Sunday's homily

2010-08-12T00:09:00.002+01:00

At this stage most preachers will be on the way to preparing next Sunday's homily. Some will have just begun to think about it. Some will not have even started! Everyone works at a different pace. If you have any good ideas to share, in order to help out the stuck, feel free to leave an idea.

Sunday's feast is beautiful in its meaning. It points toward heaven. I am reminded of the gate of a Cistercian monastery not to far from my parish. There are two beautiful eagles adorning the gate posts. The monks often point them out; their eyes fixed on the heavens, with their talons firmly on the ground. There is no point in using the beautiful words of faith, if that faith is not experienced day to day in life. Mary is Queen of Heaven, because she received the King of Heaven to earth, by the message of an angel.

Welcome to thepreachinglife.blogspot.com

2010-08-10T23:12:00.002+01:00

Welcome to the Preaching Life.

http://www.lib-art.com/imgpainting/3/5/18853-st-peter-preaching-in-the-presence-fra-angelico.jpg

The title of this blog was inspired by a number of publications in the area of homiletics over the past few years. Barbara Taylor and Michael Pasquarello have both written volumes with phrase in the name. As the title says, my hope for this site is to provide a 'thought service'! We all have endless insights garnered from experience of faith and ministry. What I post is the result of my own reflections. Yours may be very different.

Each Sunday, and week after week, we are challenged to provide the people in our care with genuine spiritual nourishment, rooted in the Scripture and tradition of the Church. It can be a challenge to constantly come up with new or fresh ideas. It has been said, I don't know by whom, that we preach out a pool of a few good ideas, and each time we go to the ambo, we produce a variation on a theme. I'm not a priest that long, and I am the first to admit to giving into temptation of using some very good canned thoughts; stuff that sounds acceptable; neither hot nor cold; grand; just all right. It is a place I do not want to get trapped in, but it can easily happen. The Word of God is alive and active, the best news imaginable; and its what we have the privilege of sharing in the midst of all kinds of joy and sadness.

I would be very interested in learning how others approach the readings in the Liturgy. It is not easy to preach! Even if you are the best communicator in the world, it is not always easy to find the words that will bring life both to you and the people that are listening. This blog will offer nothing except a chance to think a little more, and share the fruit of that thinking in the spirit of our vocation to preach Christ and Him crucified.

I hope this blog will be of help in some little way as we grow in the preaching life.

See thoughts for Sunday, August 15th below

August 15th - The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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Vigil Mass

1 Sm 15:3-4, 15-16; 16:1-2

God has pitched his tent among us. David brings the Ark into Jerusalem with great celebration. The Ark of the Covenant was a source of power and inspiration, containing the tablets of the Law written by God's own hand. The Ark gave the people of Israel assurance that God was with them. In Christ, God is with us - Emmanuel. Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant. Not of cedar wood or gold plate, but flesh and blood. Christ fulfills the law and the prophets. He is with us - we rejoice and are glad.

1 Cor 15:54b-57

It is an epic cry: Death where is your victory? Death where is your sting? Today's feast points to the fulfillment of the Resurrection. Where Christ is now, we hope to follow. Mary is the first of all disciples. Her entire life, from the moment of the Annunciation was centered on her Son. She said 'Yes' and kept her promise. If we try our best to be close to her Son, where she is now we will be.

Lk 11:27-28

Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it. The Word was made flesh in the womb of Mary. We hear her instruction at Cana; do whatever he tells you. We hear his word in the scriptures and in the Church. The hearing is the easy part, its the keeping that is difficult. Mary went through suffering in pain from the beginning: what young couple would want their baby born in a stable, an animal shed. But from there, through life to the Cross she stood by Christ, to the joy of Easter, Pentecost and Heaven.
The woman in the crowd was right: the womb that bore Him was blessed. But so are we, for we have become God's chosen in Christ.

Mass during the Day

Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab

Strange sights in the sky. Dragons, horns and heads. Not exactly bedtime story stuff. The woman clothed in the sun with the crown of stars and the moon at her feet has traditionally been associated with Mary. She is the woman who gave birth to the one who was to reign over all; with an iron rod. God cares for his people. He has given us the consolation of the truth in Christ. Even though the way is long and narrow, we are given all the strength we need to be faithful and keep following. The wind maybe high and the sea rough; but God is always faithful.

1 Cor 15:20-27

Assumption and Resurrection go hand in hand. Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven. Death was not allowed to claim her body in decay. Christ was 'flesh from her flesh, bone from her bone.' Who did Jesus physically look like? He had no earthly father, there was no sharing of genes. He is the perfect image of the Father; but must he have looked like Mary? In the case of Our Lord, not only did he grow to maturity under the care of His mother, but the mother became more and more like her Son; so much so that now she shares in his glory. To become more like Christ is the call of the Assumption: to become like Him and to share in His glory as "He humbled Himself to share in our humanity".

Lk 1:39-56 Gospel

Magnificat: He casts the mighty from their thrones and raises up the lowly. A call to revolution or a call to conversion? After the fall of Napoleon, there was request to remove this prayer from the Bible; it was just too dangerous. Along with "how can this come about for I am a Virgin", "Be done to me according to your word" and "do whatever He tells you", the text of the Gospel today records the only words of Our Lady written in the scripture. She is full of praise "my soul glorifies the Lord", humility and dignity. God saw all that he had made and it was good. In a world of pain and disappointment, in hard times in our country, when many many people are suffering because of the mistakes of others, we have to hold on to the promise of green pastures. Mary's Assumption points to the faithfulness of God. His Word is good. The New Covenant, in Christ, gives each of us the hope of the life of the world to come, and the protection of God in this world "to Abraham and his children forever".

Dedication to St Dominic

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The Preaching Life

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Welcome to the preachinglife!
This blog is being launched on August 8th 2010, the Feast of St Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers. The reason for this blog is to provide a place where preachers can share thoughts and ideas for their preaching life. Every Sunday thousands of homilies and sermons are shared with the people of God. Every preacher has thoughts, insights and inspirations that they have used in their vocation to preach. This blog will help preachers to share them. A thought may seem obvious to me, but may have never occurred to another - a sharing of ideas can help to develop our own preaching and bring life into this key part of the ministry.

So how does it work:

1. Each week the citations for the Sunday lectionary readings will be posted on the blog. Some feast days from the calendar will also be included. I use the New Jerusalem Bible text, so you might want to look at your own lectionary as well.

2. A short 'thought' will be posted. Not a full homily, as that would be too easy, and you might not preach the way I do.

3. You are welcome to post your own thoughts in the comment box, but these may be screened. Not that I would like to prevent debate, I just don't want to be responsible for odd things coming from pulpits!

4. This blog is for sharing thoughts and insights into the Word that will help preachers in their preparation for the Sunday liturgical homily. But if you would like to share ideas for other celebrations, please do.

5. We are a community of preachers! As a community we should share with each other the joy and burden of preaching Christ who is all and is in all.

So here we go!

Welcome to the preachinglife!!