Fr. John Ryan. C.C

 

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY

31st December 2006

2006 is coming to its end. No doubt there will be some looking back on the last twelve months and looking forward to the year to come. For some 2006 will be a year that they will remember as a special one. Happy occasions were to the fore for them -weddings, births, baptisms, first holy communions were celebrated. For others it will be a year that they will wish to forget - bereavements, sicknesses, suffering and disappointments were experienced.
Whatever 2006 brought we say farewell to it. We let it go and approach 2007 with hope. It is a new beginning. This time last year I listed twelve resolutions - some I managed to keep and others didn't go so well. This year only one resolution comes to mind. I resolve to be ever hopeful. It is easy to lose the hope which feels the heart on New Year's Eve. The first setback of the year often sees hope for growth dissipate and the willingness to move forward forgotten, allowing us to fall into the old routines.
In 2007 let us hope and remind ourselves regularly that hope will sustain the drive within us to improve; hope will fire the spirit within us leading us on to greater and better things; hope will help us to face any difficulties; hope will encourage us to become more participative in our community; hope will see our families grow in love and understanding; hope will give us strength to overcome our weaknesses. The great source of hope is the spirit of God and with the help of God we can recognise the possibilities open to us. Earthly hope does not point us towards the impossible - if we strive for the impossible we no longer hope but dream falsely, unrealistically and wildly.
Jurgen Moltmann, the great Protestant theologian, writes about earthly hope as follows:
"Hope alone is to be called 'realistic', because it alone takes seriously the possibilities with which all reality is fraught. It does not take things as they happen to stand or to lie, but as progressing, moving things with possibilities of change. Only as long as the world and the people in it are in a fragmented and experimental state which is not yet resolved, is there any sense in earthly hopes. The latter anticipate what is possible to reality, historic and moving as it is, and use their influence to decide the processes of history."
In hope we can decide the processes of history. It may be on a very personal level, or on the local level. With trust in God and an open heart, looking at the possibilities of change in our own lives and in the life of our community, we can launch ourselves into the future with hope in our hearts. 2007 can be a good year. Indeed, it can be a great year; but we must be open to the possibilities and actively enter into the process of change and progression. If we all sit back and leave it to others we won't make the progress possible but if we all find our place, our role, and unite our efforts then will progress be made and the year ahead become a great one. Let us place our hope in God and his spirit working in us.
Let us actively respond to that spirit and endeavour to make 2007 a truly great, holy and prosperous year.

 

 

 

 

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

24th December 2006

 

The Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve coincide. In some ways it makes it a little more difficult to focus on the Advent nature of the day. We are so focussed on Christmas itself at this point that there is a danger that we may simply float from one into the other. As we gather to celebrate today we must ensure that we remain in the preparation mode. Even though less than 24 hours may remain before the great feast of the Word made flesh we must still allow ourselves the space to reflect on our need for Christ, hopefully with a weekend lead in to Christmas Day people will find themselves with a little more time than usual on Christmas Eve to give to God asking him to enlighten the eyes of our minds so that we will recognise our saviour in the vulnerability of a child.
The readings today remind us of the physicality of Jesus. Phrases such as: out of you will be born for me the one who is to rule over Israel; you prepared a body for me; the offering of his body; the fruit of your womb; these 'incarnational phrases, are strong indicators of the reality that is Jesus of Nazareth. The are reminders to us that the Son of God really did become flesh and blood and lived among us and that the preparation we undergo is for the commemoration and celebration of a historical fact. Historical references, such as those of Tacitus, Pliny and Josephus, historians of Rome and all things imperial, bear testimony to the Jesus who lived in Nazareth and ministered throughout Galilee and Judaea. The one born out of the tribe of Benjamin, the descendant of David, foretold in the prophets, we believe is this Jesus. And as we prepare to acknowledge the historical reality of Jesus we reflect on the divine revelation of God in Jesus as Christ. The Jesus of history and the Christ of faith are one and the same person. The Son of God takes flesh in the womb of Mary and offers that body so that our bodies too may be transfigured in the sharing of the resurrection. Mary, the mother of the Lord, is the Advent figure par excellence. The sense of waiting and expectancy we experience in the lead up to Christmas was a real, human waiting and expectancy. Carrying Christ, the Son of God in her womb for nine months, she must have experienced so many emotions, tumbling over themselves in her mind. The emotions of impending childbirth, thoughts of the pains of labour, the expectancy of her child and the astounding knowledge of who she bore.
Mary, the expectant mother, would have experienced the kicking child in her womb, the stirrings of the unborn. We ask her top pray for us this day that we may feel the spiritual stirrings of Christ the core of our beings making us aware of the reality of our hope.

 

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

17th December 2006

Shout for joy, exult, rejoice, have no fear. These are phrases from today's first reading, bringing to mind the traditional name for this Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, Rejoicing Sunday. And we should rejoice, because the Holy One of Israel is in our midst. We cannot forget that. Irrespective of what the world surrounds us with, we place our hope in the presence of the Lord, who is, was and is to come.
The mores of today lead some to believe that there is no such thing as this Holy One. Indeed, one response to a discussion on the Tubridy Show on Thursday morning discussing the most influential individuals who have never lived suggested, Allah, Jehovah, or God as the most influential 'fictional character. My tendency in cases like this is to excuse. Anyone who feels that God is responsible for the ills of the world is confusing the activities of mankind with a fantastical view of a God who constantly intervenes. The Holy One of Israel has brought to us all the wisdom and grace to create a world in the image of his kingdom but it is the greed, intolerance, uncaring and unforgiving nature of people that leads to the gross injustices we continuously see and indeed at times experience ourselves.
John the Baptist points the way to the Holy One of Israel - 'someone is coming, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandal'. He speaks of Christ who enlightens us with his teaching, challenging us to put it into practice. There are times when we may feel that little practice of that word is visible around us. Such a feeling can very easily lead to a sense of despair if we forget to turn to the Holy One and ask him for the gift of hope. After all, that is the great strength we have, a strength received through the Gospel and fortified in the Sacraments.
Irrespective of the terrible things we hear and see, irrespective of the lack of faith prevalent in the western world today, irrespective of the lack of vocations in Ireland and the steady reduction of the numbers in priestly ministry, irrespective of the disregard for the message of Christ when it comes to decision-making in the higher echelons of society, I hope. I hope in the presence of the Holy One, who promised that he is with us to the end of time. I hope in the Christ-Child who reminds us of the vulnerability of the young people of today. I hope in the crucified Jesus who rises from the dead showing us that suffering can be overcome. I hope in the inherent goodness of humanity and the ability of people to come to the aid of those who are in need, thus showing that we can be the eyes and ears, the hands and feet, the mouth of the Lord. I hope in our young people and their wonderful sense of justice and their willingness to search. I hope in the grace of God who will answer the prayers of his people and whose Spirit will guide us on our way, maybe a new way, but nonetheless a way towards the kingdom.
We are a people of hope. And in our hope we rejoice at the presence of the Lord and shout for joy as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour.

 

 

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

10th December 2006

John the Baptist is one of the great figures of Advent. He is the last of the prophets, pointing towards Jesus, the fulfilment of the covenant. Unlike the Old Testament prophets, however, he is calling for us to see, not beyond the boundaries of time, but beyond the boundaries of space and recognise that this human being, Jesus, is more than just a special individual but divinity made flesh. He is the prophet who challenges us to address the present and see in it the signs of the eternal rather than a seer into the future. He is the countersign of the preoccupations of his time, pointing to a need to recognise what should be of most value as we travel on our pilgrim way. His ascetic lifestyle bears witness to the need for moderation and avoidance of indulgence.
Sean Kealy writes 'Since the culture known as modernity made progress an ideology and efficiency a catchword, austerity and abstinence have had negative associations.' Advent, by nature, is a season of austerity and abstinence. The time of preparation for Christmas, it calls for conversion and requires the application of the spiritual means for enabling conversion, in accepting John the Baptist as an Advent figure, we recognise his austere life as a sign of preparation, as a sign of spiritual searching, which should inspire us to delve into the depths of our own hearts in search of the God who lives within us. The sense of abstinence reflected in the Baptist's life can be an important aspect of the Advent season. Preparing for the feast of Christmas, Advent abstinence would help to heighten the celebratory nature of the Christmas season and also remind us that we are on a journey through life to the eternal banquet in the presence of God.
John's message is one of repentance. To repent entails two distinct yet connected ideas. We must first acknowledge that we have done wrong and secondly, express sorrow and intent to change. Repentance opens the way for the experience of true forgiveness, an active forgiveness offered by the one who forgives and accepted by the one forgiven. God always offers his forgiveness, however, we must be prepared in order to reap the benefits of that forgiveness -we need to be open to accepting the forgiveness offered. If we fail to repent, to acknowledge the need for forgiveness and to express our hope for change, then we do not provide the soil for the seed of forgiveness to thrive and sprout new life.
John the Baptist wants us to be ready - to have the soil of our souls prepared -so that the full grace of the Incarnation of the Word can be gained. As we continue the advent journey we must take stock of where we are at in relation to the Gospel and the mission entrusted to us to spread that Gospel and in total honesty recognise how we are failing to implement it and decide to change, to improve. With two weeks remaining to the night we welcome the Lord into the world, we need to be ready to welcome him into our hearts so that we can be re-inspired to live as he wants us to live and not merely survive in the chaotic world which becomes more chaotic as the days go by. True repentance will bring peace to our hearts and a serenity in keeping with the silence of that holy night in Bethlehem two thousand years ago.

 

 

 

FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

8th December 2006

"Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?" God poses the question. The answer should be quite simple - truth or lie, yes or no. But Adam doesn't take the simple option. He deflects from himself - It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit and I ate it. When Eve is asked to account for her part, she replies: The serpent tempted me and I ate. Instead of the simple yes Adam and Eve both pass the buck. It wasn't my fault. It was someone else's. Central to the story of the fall is the inability or unwillingness of the protagonists to accept responsibility for their own actions. Adam and Eve fail to accept the responsibility for their own actions. They fail to respond maturely to the situation in which they find themselves. Responsibility is a key word for all of us yet it is one which more and more is being neglected in real terms.
The emphasis today is on rights. We hear relatively little about responsibilities. And yet the two are of great importance. Rights bring responsibility. Roles accepted bring responsibility. If situations are bad or not up to scratch then the onus on the person responsible is to at least acknowledge that a problem exists and then try to address it honestly and expertly. If the problem cannot be addressed then it is better to say so instead of trying to place the blame on others.
Earlier this week the inadequacy of the mental health services for young people was highlighted on Prime Time. Such a vital service is in complete disarray with the needs of those who are suffering not being addressed yet the official response was a desperate attempt to evade responsibility and put the blame on others. Wouldn't it be so refreshing if our politicians could just say that the situation is terrible, we are sorry it is in such a mess, we have a lot to do and we are going to try to sort it out. At least, the needs of people would be acknowledged as existing, as urgent and a solution is vital and a priority. Instead we get an attempt to cast shadows over the situation. Responsibility is not accepted.
On the other hand, in the Gospel we encounter the person of Mary who accepts a role of great responsibility. I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me. In accepting God's plan for her, Mary accepts responsibility for the care of Jesus, the Son of God. Throughout the life of Jesus she is there, quietly supporting the one for whom she cared; quietly living out the"responsibility she accepted. She faced the cross, and the grief which came with it. She rejoiced in the resurrection as the salvific mission of her Son comes to tuition. Accepting responsibility brought suffering but ultimately joy.
We can take example from Mary. If we accept responsibility for our actions then we may sometimes suffer for the honesty displayed in the acceptance but the reward of honesty and being responsible is beyond telling. It allows us be seen as people of integrity and true grace-filled disciples of Jesus cut in the mould of the great disciple, Mary the Mother of Jesus and our Mother.

 

 

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

3rd December 2006

The journey of Advent has begun. We are called to prepare to welcome the Lord. The ancient prayer, Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus, sounds like a refrain throughout the Advent season imploring Jesus Christ to visit his people. Advent preparation has two dimensions. Firstly, we are called to take the eschatological view - look toward the end things, the Second Coming of the Lord, the last judgement; and secondly the immediate preparation of being spiritually ready to celebrate Christmas, to commemorate the First Coming, the Incarnation, the great festival of the Emmanuel, the God-is-with-us, God made man.
How do we prepare? In secular terms there is no doubt at all of what has to be done in preparing for Christmas. Indeed, for some that preparation is well underway. In spiritual terms we need to look at the Incarnation of the Son of God and place it into the context of our own lives. Our Advent response should be one of conversion, changing the habits which draw us away from the mission entrusted to us by the Lord himself.
Earlier this week Pope Benedict outlined some of the elements of our mission while visiting Turkey. In his address during the his meeting with Ali Bardakoglu, president of Turkey's Religious Affairs Directories, 28th November (Tuesday) Pope Benedict described the importance of dialogue as follows:
"When I had the joy of meeting members of the Muslim communities last year in Cologne, on the occasion of World Youth Day, I re-iterated the need to approach our interreligious and intercultural dialogue with optimism and hope. It cannot be reduced to an optional extra, on the contrary, it is a vital necessity, on which in large measure our future depends." The first ingredient in living our mission is to be a people of hope. The fulfilment of the hope seen in the Old Testament, we believe, is found in the Christ child. Are we optimistic and hopeful that this Christ continues to live with us? During Advent we have to remind ourselves that he is, and that he calls us to be optimistic, trusting in the grace of God even in the face of great adversity. The Holy Father continued: "Christians and Muslims, following their respective religions, point to the truth of the sacred character and dignity of the person. This is the basis of our mutual respect and esteem, this is the basis for cooperation in the service of peace between nations and peoples, the dearest wish of all believers and all people of good will."
The message of the angels to the shepherds of Bethlehem was 'Glory to God in the highest and peace to people of goodwill'. Peace, in all its guises, is the ultimate - the intricate nature of our relationship with God and humanity calls for a peace and unity founded on God's love for us. We need to rediscover this. We need to see it anew, giving it a fresh face. Our mission is peace and love, not violence and hatred. These elements find expression in our concern for different things. In his address to the diplomatic Corps in Ankara on Tuesday the Pope mentions some of these areas that we must hold dear in our continuing attempts to express the mission entrusted to us. He frames it in the context of the links between Christianity and Islam: This human and spiritual unity in our origins and our destiny impels us to seek a common path as we play our part in the quest for fundamental values so characteristic of the people of our time. As men and women of religion, we are challenged by the widespread longing for justice, development, solidarity, freedom, security, peace, defence of life, protection of the environment and of the resources of the earth.
This Advent let us renew ourselves and our commitment to the above in order to be truly prepared for the Coming of Christ the Lord.

 

 

THIRTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

19th November 2006

A diocese is a portion of the people of God which is entrusted for pastoral care to a bishop with the cooperation of the presbyterate so that, adhering to its pastor and gathered by him in the Holy Spirit through the gospel and the Eucharist, it constitutes a particular church in which the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Christ is truly present and operative.
This is the definition of a diocese in the 1983 Code of Canon Law. What is of major interest is the fact that a diocese is defined by virtue of people, not territory even though in a later canon it does state that usually a diocese has a particular territory assigned to it. The emphasis however, is on the people of God as diocese. The needs of God's people are at the centre of the diocesan life and the bishop and the priests of the diocese fulfil the role of minister according to their order by addressing the pastoral concerns of the people. With the bishop as its shepherd the people of a particular church manifest the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Christ - the universal Church is lived out by us on the diocesan level. This is something which we tend to overlook at the best of times. Obviously our focus is usually on parish and understandably so. After all, that is where we live. However the diocese is of major importance and we must constantly remind ourselves of the connection we have with the portion of the people of God which is the Diocese of Cloyne. This week, on the 24th, we celebrate the feast day of the patron saint of Cloyne, St. Colman. We should take this opportunity to pray for the diocese as a whole asking the Lord to bless the work which is ongoing in the diocese and in a special way to bless our Bishop in his ministry as the one who through the Gospel and the Eucharist is called to lead us on the way to the kingdom.
As well as the focus being on people rather than territory, it is good to see that in law the other elements highlighted are the Gospel and the Eucharist. Diocese is not about power in the secular sense but the power of Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life. A diocese which does not focus on the Gospel and the Sacraments is a diocese forgetting where its strength originates. And very quickly indeed, without that focus it becomes weak and in need of spiritual renewal on the deepest level. As we honour St. Colman this week we pray asking him to intercede for us with the Lord so that the Spirit of evangelisation and sacramental renewal will be given us all, bishop, priests, people as we continue to dedicate ourselves to the realisation of the Kingdom of God. We ask for a deeper understanding of Christ's teachings, a deeper love for his Sacraments and especially for the person of Christ in the Eucharist, and a true sense of Church, which is operative and not merely theoretical. May we be a diocese which is proactive rather than reactive - open to the possibilities of faith and hope, prophetic in our response to the world rather than trying to catch up with what the world throws at us. May we the parishioners of Milford, Freemount and Tullylease recognise our diocesan character and come to know the person of Christ through all the endeavours undertaken on parish and diocesan level.

 

 

 

THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

29th October 2006

 

See I will bring them back
From the land of the North
And gather them from the far ends of the earth,
All of them: the blind and the lame,
Women with child, women in labour:
A great company returning here.
These lines from the first reading outline God's plan. For God, irrespective of what has happened the focus is on reconciliation. The return to Jerusalem, Mount Zion, is the great symbol of universal reconciliation and indeed divine-human reconciliation, whereby humanity is called to become one with God in heart, mind, and spirit. This sense of completeness or universality is also seen in the Third Eucharistic Prayer when we pray, so that from east to west a perfect offering may be made. The individual call to holiness or perfection is also issued to us on a universal level. And it is this universality which brings faith outside the inner confines of our own selves. Faith, spirituality, religion is not just an individual pursuit - it is by its nature a universal, communal, shared experience and the ramifications of this are immense.
It means that we are to show concern for each other, especially those who are more vulnerable-look at those who are mentioned in the passage from Jeremiah, quoted above: the blind, the lame, women with child, women in labour-all are vulnerable due to their condition.
It means that we all have responsibility for one another. Fraternal correction is something Jesus proposes. If we see someone going 'off the rails' we have a responsibility as brothers and sisters of theirs in Jesus Christ to try to bring them on the right track again.
It means that we must recognise our need for Gods forgiveness and with contrite hearts seek that forgiveness. Contrition means the recognition of where we have gone wrong, what we have done wrong and a resolve to rectify those wrongs. We think of Jesus' comments to the woman caught in adultery: has any one condemned you? ...Neither do I. Go, sin no more. Forgiveness is granted and the imperative to leave the old ways behind is given.
It means that we place God first. The call to love becomes stronger than any other passion. Love is the key to Christian living. Responding to God's love for us, we in turn, love him and our neighbour. Love is to be real, definite, all-encompassing, deep-rooted. When it is so we can overcome the passions that drive us to anger, jealousy and pride. It allows us to be God-like, able to forgive the deepest hurts.
It means that our response to the world is one of care, concern and justice, with respect for all people a core principle. Some of the many repercussions of this would be a greater level of safety on our roads, less anti-social behaviour, more stable relationships and less relational breakdowns, example given to our young people who in turn will show respect for parents, teachers, gardai. It would result in children allowed to be children, adolescent allowed to be adolescent and the development of our youth into mature, responsible adults who will refrain from road madness, binge-drinking, experimentation with drugs and delving into promiscuity which inevitably leads to inability to foster stable, faithful relationships.
It means that we would be a well-balanced well-adjusted society. Remove God and humanity crumbles. Reconcile with God and the results are astounding.

 

 

 

TWENTY NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
MISSION SUNDAY

22nd October 2006

Mission - we are all called to be missionaries, carrying the Gospel with us wherever we go; wherever we are, being a living sermon speaking of Jesus Christ who alone can show us what God is really like.
Mission - the carrying of faith across the boundaries , not just of nations, but across the false barriers placed between the spiritual and the secular, between faith and reason, between private and public, between the Creator and creation.
Mission - to serve and to give life as a ransom for many. 'To give and not to count the cost' (St. Ignatius of Loyola); 'to give until it hurts' (St. Francis of Assisi); 'to give until it is gone' (Mother Teresa of Calcutta).
Mission - to recognize and welcome Jesus in times of happiness and sorrow; in times of joy and suffering; to exult in his resurrection and make our sufferings one with those of the Suffering Servant, knowing that after suffering comes the glory of the risen Jesus 'His soul's anguish over, he shall see the light and be content.'
We all have a mission - it is to spread the Gospel. The how, we must discover. John Henry Newman described it as follows: I am created to do something or to be something for which no one else is created. I have a place in God's counsels, in God's world which no one else has. Whether I be rich or poor, despised or esteemed by man, God knows me and calls me by name. God has created me to do him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. I have my mission -1 never may know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. Somehow I am necessary for his purposes. Therefore I will trust him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him, if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. My sickness or perplexity, or sorrow may be necessary cause of some great end which is quite beyond me. He does nothing in vain. He may prolong my life. He may shorten it; He knows what he is about. He may take away my friends, He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide the future from me - still He knows what He is about. I ask not to see -1 ask not to know -1 ask simply to be used.
In Cardinal Newman's meditation we encounter a believer in Jesus Christ who has truly embraced the freedom which has been won for him. As the ransom for many, Jesus frees us from all the constraints of life. Bound to him in faith we loosen the bonds of the human condition. Allowing ourselves to be used by God we become totally effective as free witnesses tot the good news of the Kingdom that is near.
Drinking from the chalice of mission we become consumed by the love of God and yet completed in that love as images of Christ, ready to empty ourselves so that the world may be enriched, barriers broken down, wounds healed, rifts mended and secular relativism overcome by the absolute nature of divine mercy and love. Let us embrace the mission of the Gospel.

 

TWENTY EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

15th October 2006

 

"Happiness is being rooted in love. Original happiness speaks to us of the beginning of man who emerged from love and initiated love. That happened in an irrevocable way, despite the subsequent sin and death." These words of John Paul II are taken from his address at the General Audience, given on January 30th, 1980 and were spoken in the context of his series of addresses dealing with the theology of the body. The nature of happiness and love are seen as interconnected. No matter what comes our way, John Paul said, even sin and death cannot destroy love and its consequences. The rich young man was well tuned in to the search for the kingdom - when Jesus outlines the commandments the rich man says that he has kept all these. He recognises Jesus as good master (even though Jesus doesn't explicitly acknowledge the truth of the statement), he is tuned in from that point of view. For eternal life we have to live by the great commandments; they are guidelines for true Christian actions and ensure by their nature that we do the right thing. But the living of the letter of the Law is not sufficient. For eternal life we must have an interior attitude which makes the difference. In the case of the rich young man Jesus sees that there is something lacking in this case.
"Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him." Even while recognising that lack Jesus continues to love the rich young man. Just because there is something missing love is not switched off or allowed to fade away. Indeed, it is in the midst of the lack that we are reminded of the necessity to love, the true importance of love. In Christ we encounter true love offered for all irrespective of the reaction he gets. The happiness which is eternal life is rooted in that unconditional love of God, which gave us our origin, our continuance and, in the death and resurrection of Jesus, our redemption and salvation. The eternal happiness of God is love-based and the rich young man encounters a loving gaze even in the midst of his disappointment.
"But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth." The sadness of the rich young man is a counter weight to the love Jesus shows for him. His sadness is rooted in the fact that the central object of his love is not the Lord but his wealth. He cannot let go of his possessions in order to focus on the Lord, the "good Master". Will he ever be truly happy? Will this sadness be his always? We cannot say. As far as we are aware there is no further encounter with the rich young man in the Gospel so we have nothing to indicate what his future brought. His experience of Jesus, however, is one which does have a present and a future. It is present to us today - we hear of it and we are called to see its relevance, its merit in the midst of our own search for eternal life and the means of inheriting it, and it can help us in the future as a reminder of where true happiness lies. Whenever we see ourselves getting caught up with the material side of life we should resurrect the image of the rich young man with his head lowered in sadness and ask if we wish to be in that state or the state of happiness which we say we are searching for. True happiness comes from placing Jesus first - recognizing his goodness, living his commandments of love and ensuring that nothing replaces our love of God as our first love.

 

 

TWENTY SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

8th October 2006.

"However, Jesus did not limit himself to reaffirming the law; he added grace to it. This means that Christian spouses not only have the duty to remain faithful until death; they also have the necessary aids to do so. From Christ's redeeming death comes a strength - the Holy Spirit - which permeates every aspect of the believer's life, including marriage. The latter is even raised to the dignity of a sacrament and of living image of the spousal union with the Church on the cross (Ephesians 5:31-32)."
These are the words of the Preacher to the Papal Household, Father Raniero Cantalamessa. He affirms that Jesus transforms the understanding of marriage. In the Mosaic law a husband could repudiate or divorce his wife and like in all legal systems there were different interpretations of the legal position. In today's Gospel Jesus is questioned about the law of repudiation. Instead of confirming any particular interpretation he lifts the nature of marriage from something resembling a mere social contract to a grace-filled experience of God. Christian marriage is more than a partnership - it is a lived experience of the love of God as the love of husband for wife and wife for husband is graced and mirrors the love of' God for his people. It is, therefore, truly sacramental: a sign of God's presence among us. The indissolubility of marriage mirrors the unconditional and total love that God pours out on us in the redeeming actions of Jesus Christ. Marriage is, of course, a sacrament of love but it is also a sacrament of hope. In the light of our imperfect humanity, the calling of Jesus Christ into the loving relationship of man and woman highlights the capacity of the couple to overcome any difficulties which may arise. Marriage is not just the mutual abandonment of the spouses to each other but should be their individual and united abandonment to God's grace which will support the couple on their shared journey towards the kingdom.
A marriage without Christ can very quickly become one where mutuality and reciprocity become alien terms. Without Christ, without prayer and the sacraments shared by the couple, a Christian marriage is in danger of becoming lifeless and sterile. The grace of Jesus is not just something which is given on the wedding day but is constantly poured out on the couple who embrace each other in love while allowing Jesus Christ to embrace them in his all-consuming love. Christ empowers the couple to become images of his own giving self. In this there is the potential to overcome life's difficulties together and to overcome the relational difficulties they may encounter as they follow Christ's example of self-sacrifice. If they walk the marriage journey with Christ by their side then they will see in Christ the model for their relationship and find inspiration enabling them to surmount the obstacles they encounter.
We pray for all married couples today, especially those who may be experiencing marital difficulties. May they turn to Jesus who graced their wedding day with his presence and call on the Spirit of God to give them strength to re-discover the love of God that inspires all human love.

 

 

TWENTY SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

1st October 2006

Over the last few days the news has been dominated by the financial affairs of the Taoiseach. It has reached the stage, as I write, of speculation on his political future. Will he survive this crisis? Will he give the right answers to questions posed by the opposition and indeed by his coalition partners? If he does, will he still have to pay a price, and if he does not, will it spell the end of a long political career? Due to my political naivety I wouldn't like to try and predict how things will turn out in the week ahead. Not knowing the full facts and not knowledgeable of the ethics codes which govern the reception of such payments I fill inadequate when it comes to saying whether what he did or didn't do was within the remit of a Minister for Finance Notwithstanding that, I can't help but reflect on what is being said, the posturing of the politicians and the near frenzy of the media.
Gifts from friends and a payment for giving a speech in Manchester have brought the Taoiseach to this point. I wonder, though, is the furore more of a power struggle rather than a hunger and thirst for what is right. Is it an easy way of wrestling power from a man who has held so much over the last ten years? It never ceases to amaze me how quickly money matters bring morality into political play. The same level of moralising or demand for ethical purity doesn't seem to raise its head in other situations.
When we look at the reactions to the reality of life in Ireland at the moment we could ask about the morality or the ethics of a number of things. What is the morality of the present health system? What is the morality, the ethical backdrop to the economic development that sees the rich getting richer while the number of people under the poverty line continues to grow? What is the morality behind the undermining of the family? What is the morality underpinning the Irish backing of embryonic stemcell research?
To bring it to another level we could ask what philosophical school forms the basis for understanding how to react to the present social situation in Ireland? The so-called liberal, post-Catholic agenda in this country strikes me as resting on a philosophy of power and not a philosophy of true freedom. And I feel that the level of frenzy over the last few days is symptomatic of the power struggle which is the dominant force in political life over the last thirty years. o At times, when I hear political commentators refer to the power the Church had in Ireland for such a long time I cannot help but smile. I have no problem saying that the Church was too involved in political matters in the past, but I do have problems with the sense that all is well now since the Church has been thrown to the wind. The intolerance of some liberals in the media and in politics to anything the Church has to offer in debate indicates that we have moved to the other extreme. It seems that anything goes now once it is non-Christian and once it furthers the personal agenda of the power hungry. Whatever happens over the next few days I pray that those who are involved in any decision making arising out of the circumstances will do so with the good of the people of Ireland in mind and not mere personal advancement.

 

TWENTY FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

24th September 2006

"What were you arguing about on the road?" Even in the small community of the twelve tensions could arise. They were not impervious to the distractions of the world even while Christ was with them. Who was the greatest of them? They didn't get the chance to answer that because Christ points out that such discussion is not the way of the Kingdom. True greatness comes from a life of service - it is a case of losing oneself in order to find oneself, losing oneself in the care of others, losing oneself in consideration of the vulnerable and thereby, becoming great in the welcoming of God through concern for the welfare of God's people. The small community of the apostles, who had just heard Christ tell them of his impending suffering, death and resurrection missed the point - they failed to recognize that Jesus was to fulfil the Suffering Servant passages from the prophet Isaiah. They failed to recognize that Jesus was to be the servant of all, becoming the least - a criminal on the cross -before attaining the glory of the resurrection and ascension.
Our own community is called to one and the same approach. We are asked to become the least if we wish to attain true greatness. In the early Church we find the community of Jerusalem "persevering in listening to the teaching of the Apostles, in fraternal union, in the breaking of the bread and in prayer, a welcoming and solidaristic community tot eh point that everything was held in common." This image was presented by Benedict XVI to members of the Pontifical Council for the Laity on Friday as the goal of all parish renewal. While acknowledging the importance of pastoral plans and organisation so that parish renewal can happen, he puts it into the context of the basic living of the Gospel. In a sense the perfect pastoral plan is to live the pastoral plan which Jesus puts in place. It does not see any member of the community being the greatest, but highlights the unity to which we are called by the Lord and the need for us all to place the good of the community before ourselves. It is an altruistic way of living - yet if we consider the effects of such an approach we would be able to see that we ourselves benefit as well. The major benefit would be the safe environment in which we would grow and develop. In such a solidaristic community every one would be looked after, the needs of all would be met by the caring community, the community nourished by the Suffering Servant and inspired by his self-giving. It would be a community with God at the centre - as we welcome the little child, the vulnerable we would welcome God and we would see in the faces of our neighbours the face of God himself.
The question for us is - do we fully understand and accept what Christ is putting before us? If we don't then we need to question what he means, explore the teaching of the Lord without being afraid to do so.

 

Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

17th September 2006

Peter acknowledges Jesus to be the Christ and shortly after is reprimanded with the words 'get behind me Satan'. In quick time he goes from the heights to the depths. Recognizing Jesus as 'the Christ' is seen as a gift from the Father - only through grace could Peter recognize Jesus for who he really is. Christ means the Anointed One, the Chosen One - the Messiah. Awaited by the people, the Messiah was considered the one who would come and liberate the people of Israel. The hopes of many rested on belief in the Messiah, a Messiah who would have a political role as well as a religious one. Seeing Jesus as the Messiah means Peter recognised in Jesus the fact that he was from God and destined to be the one who would change all things. However, for Jesus, this would not entail a political role but a spiritual one.
After Peter's profession Jesus speaks of his impending passion and death. Peter tries to deflect him from this but Jesus, knowing what he has to do for the redemption of humanity let's Peter know in no uncertain terms what he thinks of any attempt to veer away from the cross. 'Get behind me Satan' he says. The temptation to move away from the cross is so dangerous it receives the ultimate of castigations. Peter falls quickly from the one who professes to one who fails to see the essence of the Christ's mission.
He commanded them not to speak about him to anyone. Jesus was conscious of the need to educate the disciples - to bring them to a deeper understanding of his mission. They had to realise that his suffering and death was part of the mission. The immediate response of Peter is one which arises today as well. In our own time we see that one of the great stumbling blocks to faith is that of suffering. We don't want it -yet is a reality in our lives. Called to embrace the cross we tend to run away from it. We deflect the suffering. Jesus is recognised as many things in today's world just as he was in his time on earth. And the same responses occur - some see in him the Christ - the Chosen One of God - and embrace the fullness of his mission, including suffering and death, while others don't want to accept the passion and the cross.
When we hear people speak of the need to change some of the teachings of the Church are we really hearing people say - that is too hard for me to accept, it is too big a cross to carry? Understanding of what Christ asks for us means at times that we have to let go of things which might bring pleasure to our live but which ultimately are not in keeping with the spirit of Christ's mission of reconciliation of mankind with the Father. The teachings of the Church should not change because the change would make life easier - the only change which is good is if it implies a deeper understanding of the mind of Jesus Christ and leads to genuine progress on the road to the Kingdom.

 

 

 

 

Twenty third Sunday in Ordinary Time

10th September 2006

The account of the healing of the deaf man in today's Gospel can be looked at on a number of levels. It displays the healing power of Christ - the physicality of the miracle reflects the reality of the healing; the man was deaf, had a speech impediment and Christ's actions meant that 'his ears were opened and the ligament of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly'. The deaf man was graced with the blessing of the Lord and granted the ability to hear and speak fully.
Another way of looking at the reality of the miracle is to focus on what the ability to perform the miracle signifies. Irrespective of the details of the miracle the fact that Christ heals points out who he is. He is the Messiah who brings healing and fulfilment. Fulfilling the Covenant of God and establishing the New Covenant Jesus shows that in the presence of God all becomes new. It links with the passage from Isaiah which we read in the first reading: Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed, then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy. It is the sign of the presence of God.
Jesus restores the ability to speak and to hear. The miracle can also be seen metaphorically. Through the teaching and example of Jesus we are called to speak and hear. Hearing the Word of God we are called to repeat it - to speak it and act upon it. Spiritually we are called to speak correctly. The impediments to true Christian speaking are to be healed by the grace of Christ received in the relationship we have with him built on the sacramental life we live through, with and in him. One example of this correct speech is seen in the letter of James. The speech of standards is crucial to living the Christian message. If we reserve our kind words for the apparently privileged and neglect the poor, then we are impeding the spread of the Gospel - we have a spiritual speech impediment. Giving adherence to those who have standing in the eyes of the world and neglecting the forgotten or the socially silent is a reversal of the promises of the kingdom according to James. 'It was those who are poor according to the world that God chose, to be rich in faith and to be the heirs to the kingdom which he promised to those who love him. True, dedicated love of God is pure unspoiled religion - caring for the needy, the vulnerable, the socially-considered weak and the placement of faith and the kingdom of God before the call of the world and its glittering gold rings and designer clothing.
Overall, looking at today's readings we can say that the Messiah has come, is continuously calling us to hear him, incessantly asking us to speak on his behalf, empowering us to be miracle workers through the an active response to his Gospel firmly placed in the realm of empowering in faith, hope and love those who are often discarded by the standards of the world. We are called to be witnesses to the presence of the Messiah in the life of the Church.

 

 

 

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

3rd September 2006

All-Ireland Final Sunday is one of great excitement and expectation especially for the people of the two counties who will contest it. The real sporting enthusiast, while ever faithful to his or her team, will be able to acknowledge the skills of the opponent as well as the home player; it is a sure sign of the true connoisseur of skill when they acknowledge the effectiveness, the giftedness and brilliance of an opposing team's players. Sport is a celebration of the human person. Life, energy and ability are all applauded in the act of sportsmanship. Life, the great gift and miracle, given by God and brought into being through man and woman's participation in the creative process, is seen in a wondrous way when the energy, the commitment and the talent of the sportsman is on display. The vitality on the pitch mirrors the vitality of life itself. Body, mind and spirit - all are active, proving to be the one cohesive, well-balanced unit which is made in the image and likeness of God.
As well as shouting for our team we would do well to shout in thanksgiving for the gift of life and the inherent talents we see on display. Those who have been blessed with such talents should give thanks to God for them and use them in fairness and justice, bringing them to full development and sharing them with the community who will appreciate the wonder of their skills and maybe the wonder of the Creator who bestowed them.
To see the hurler in full flight one would feel that life is boundless. Yet it is so fragile. The human body experiences its knocks and its wear and tear. The gift of life is exactly that - a gift and one which is precious even more so because of its fragility. Not all can participate in sport - either due to physical restraints or lack of talent. In the light of that those who can should enter into the spirit of the game as freely and fully as possible. Those who can express the beauty of fitness should be grateful for the life they have been given when there are others who are unable to express life in such a vibrant way and some who are called from this world without ever getting the chance to do so. Fragility of life can bring pain and suffering into our lives - it should prove to be a reminder to all of us who are healthy and strong how lucky we are, how privileged we are, ho<v blessed we are to have the chance to live, to love,, to feel, to cry, to laugh, to relate, to give praise to God who has made us, who knew us before we were formed in the womb, who has redeemed us through his Son, Jesus Christ and who exalts in our good deeds and our energetic approach to the life he has given us. I came that you may have life and have it to the full, Jesus said. He wants us to have that life to the full here on earth within the confines of space and time and ultimately in the Kingdom where our energy will be boundless.
The All-Ireland winners will be glorified on Sunday evening - and will enter the history books. God wants us all to be glorified and enter into the book of salvation in the Kingdom, having fought the good fight and run the race to the end.

 

 

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

27th August 2006

"After hearing his doctrine many of the followers of Jesus said, 'This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it? ... After this, many of his disciples left him and stopped following him."
Reporting on the World Congress on Consecrated Life, in Religious Life Review, Bernadette Flanagan referred to Timothy Radcliffe's presentation - "How may we religious be signs of hope?...Vaclav Havel wrote that hope 'is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.' One way of living in hope is daring to embrace our uncertain future with joy...'the young will not be drawn to us unless they see that we are eager to accept the gift of their lives and use that gift imaginatively'.
The question, how can we be signs of hope, can be proposed to all believers in Jesus Christ not just to religious. Of course, the answer given will vary in detail depending on the vocational dimension of each believer. With different gifts and charisms the expression of hope will take on different formats and make different inroads into the maelstrom of modem living. All expressions of hope however will need the element to which the Czech president Havel refers. There is a certainty required.
In the Gospel today we see some of the followers of Jesus walk away. They cannot cope with his doctrine. They find it intolerable. The radical self-expression of Jesus does not sit comfortably with them and hence they find it impossible to embrace it. They cannot place their hope in some one who speaks of giving his flesh to eat and his blood to drink. Yet millions have done so through the ages. Hope in the person of Christ, seen in the light of his death and resurrection has appealed to so many and they embraced it and continued to present the doctrine which sat so uncomfortably with those who heard Jesus speak of it.
For those who believe in the Eucharist there is a certainty. It makes sense. The Last Supper and the mandate given by Jesus 'Do this in Memory of me', seen in the light of Good Friday and Easter Sunday, makes sense. The fulfilled promise of Jesus, that he would suffer at the hands of men, die and rise on the third day is the foundation of hope for those who believe in him. It also leads to embracing the uncertain future with joy. Our day to day future is uncertain. When we wake in the morning we never now what the day ahead will bring. But we are called to embrace the day with joy -a joy based on our relationship with the Lord. That joy should see us accept the gift of our lives and even in adversity live that gift to the full calling on Jesus for the strength we need in adversity. It also implies the acceptance the gift of other people's lives and the recognition that those we encounter are gifted and enabled by God. Such recognition builds up the People of God and allows the mission of Jesus to continue.
The giftedness of the Saviour was not recognised by those disciples who left him. Unable to embrace his doctrine they were unable to proceed in the hope Jesus offers them. Can we embrace his doctrine and see the joy it brings as we place all our hope in him?

 

 

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

20th August 2006

"Be very careful about the sort of lives you lead, like intelligent and not like senseless people. This may be a wicked age but your lives should redeem it." St Paul, writing to the Ephesians, exhorts them to be counter witnesses to a wicked age. The life of the Christian should transcend the wrongs of an age. Where we see difficulties and problems we are called to counteract them by our way of living. Just because particular ideas, which may be contrary to the Gospel, are accepted by a lot of people at any particular time does not mean the Christian has to accept them. In fact Paul is telling us that we must always remain steadfast to the values of the Gospel and by our witness to these values turn things around - redeem the wicked age. Intelligent people, for Paul, are those who are guided by the Spirit and cognisant of the values of the kingdom as espoused by Jesus Christ.
For us in the present age we must look at the decisions and actions of those who attempt to dictate the spirit of the age. Pope Benedict in addressing the moral status of modem society says, "The moral question has become more clearly than ever before the question of mankind's survival. In the homogenous, technical civilization which now encompasses the entire world, the old moral certainties that up to now have sustained the great individual cultures have been largely shattered. The technical view of the world is value-free. It asks not 'ought we..? but 'can we?'. Indeed, to many the question of the ought appears outdated, irreconcilable with the emancipation of man from all constraints. What one can do, one should do, many think today." For the Christian living in this homogenous, technical civilization the intelligent response is to look at the question ought we. Just because we can do something does not mean it is right.
One of the burning questions in the moral sphere in Ireland at the moment is the use of embryonic stem cell research. It is proposed by some as the gateway to discovery of major breakthroughs and development with regard to many medical problems. The research can be done in that we have the scientific knowledge and capability of isolating these cells. The burning question however is ought we to do it? And in this context we go beyond the mere capabilities of the scientists. If we look at the ought we must examine the Christian understanding of life , when it begins and from where it derives meaning. There is also the question of consequence. What are the ramifications of allowing embryonic stem cell research? How would it impact on our appreciation of the unborn? Where else would decisions to allow such research lead us? For example, was the recent statement at the Court of Human Rights stating that it is not certain whether the Irish Constitution protects the right to life of the 'defective' unborn a consequence of promotion of embryonic stem cell research? Does the statement walk hand in hand with the drive to promote this research? And what is meant by defective? This is just one area where the Christian must respond intelligently, guided by the values of the Gospel in how we react and not allow ourselves by caught up in the 'can we' mentality but look at life in a much deeper way recognising what is important, transcendent, and spiritual.

 

 

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

13th August 2006

In today's Gospel Jesus says "They will all be taught by God, and to hear the teaching of the Father and learn from it, is to come to me." It is an interesting distinction that Jesus makes. We must hear and we must learn. One doesn't necessarily lead to the other. The world has heard the teaching of God and yet there is so much contrary to it happening. Indeed, so many Christians who categorically consider themselves to be so haven't learned from it. If we had, we wouldn't find ourselves preaching the same message and bemoaning some of the problems the world faces. Right relationships, fidelity, loyalty, charity (both in word and deed), patience, courtesy, self-respect,' respect for others, dignity, recognition of the sacredness of life from conception to natural death, forgiveness, trustworthiness, justice, mercy, purity of mind, heart and body, peace, unity, and all these clothed in love, all feature in the teaching of God and we have heard it, indeed millions pf people have heard it but so many of us haven't listened properly to it. If we had then surely we would see it make a major difference to the way we all live.
Instead, we see secularism, materialism, relativism and individualism steadily making advances in all spheres of life leading to a de-sacralization of the human person and life. Happiness is being confused with pleasure or hedonism instead of seen as the fulfilment of the human condition in God. My heart shall not rest until it rest in thee -the heavenly goal of the human condition has been traded in for instantaneous gratification and momentary pleasures without thought of consequence or responsibility. The notion of sacrifice is fast becoming a dirty word and yet the Christian faith rests on the foundation of Christ's sacrifice. Indeed quality of life in the Christian order rests on the inner self, not on external trappings, and sacrifice is integral to the development of the spirit as seen through the eyes of Christ himself dependent on a true relationship with God and not on the passing 'teachings' of the world order based on the 'gospels' of the economists, politicians and espousers of pseudo-liberals with an 'anything goes' approach to life. The more the 'anything goes' attitude takes root the more everything of true value goes - goes out the window, leaving a shallow sense of what life means and distorted images of both humanity and God. In order to bring the values of God, the values of the Kingdom into the world, sacrifice is necessary. The Enlightenment's emphasis on the individual and autonomy has led to a glorification of self-centredness and selfishness, attitudes contrary to the altruistic nature of the kingdom. Jesus, the bread of life, came to serve not to be served and shows the fullness of love by laying down his life for his friends. If we truly listen to the teaching of God then we should place ourselves in the same frame of mind as Jesus - constantly ready to reach outwards and upwards towards our fellow men and women and the Father, acting in conformity with God's will which brings true liberation and peace of mind and heart.

 

 

The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

6th August 2006

"...the Eucharist is a process of transformations, drawing on God's power to transform hatred and violence, on his power to transform the world. We must therefore, pray that the Lord will help us to celebrate and to live the Eucharist in this way. We pray that he transform us, and together with us the world, into the new Jerusalem" (Pope Benedict XVI).
Jesus is transfigured, transformed in the sight of Peter, James and John. They see the glory which is his as God, the Beloved Son. To live as Christian is to constantly transform, to constantly want to be transfigured, allowing the face of Jesus to shine through us dazzlingly white. In the Eucharist we celebrate the realities and possibilities of transformation. The real transformation comes in the consecration when the Lord becomes really present. The possibility of transformation lies in our openness to the grace of God calling to us to listen to the Beloved Son, taking heed of his teaching, his message. The need to transform is urgent and its nature is radical. Urgent because the mission of Jesus, passed on to us in Baptism, is to preach the kingdom which is near at hand and radical because it demands of us a conversion of heart placing our trust in the spiritual not the material. We are called to transform our attitudes, our actions and our associations. The radical nature of the Christian calling is placed before us by Jesus in no uncertain terms in many places in the Gospels. If we come to the altar, he tells us, and we have a grievance with our brother, then we should leave our offering and go and be reconciled with our brother and then return to offer our gifts to the Lord. Reconciliation, peace and harmony pave the way of the Lord - the human response too often is to nurture hatred and respond with violence. Bearing grudges, being unwilling to forgive, are contrary to the message of the one who forgave his persecutors as he hung on the cross. We try to justify our resentments, our anger, our jealousies, our hatred and in the attempts to justify all we succeed in doing is prolonging the pain which all of these attitudes bring. We associate ourselves with reactions contrary to the Eucharistic sacrifice which brings forgiveness of sin. When Christ says "Do this in memory of me" it cannot be curtailed to the offering of the bread and wine but must also include the transformation of our very selves so that reconciliation becomes a feature of our lives and witnesses to the power of Christ alive in our hearts.' If the Eucharist is a process of transformations drawing on God's power to transform hatred and violence, then are we not failing to live the Eucharist, to live as Christian in a real and proper sense if we fail to forgive? Too often we lose sight of the missionary aspect of the Eucharist as expressed in the final dismissal - Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. We fail to serve the Lord if we fail to allow his power transform our hatred or bitterness. To say we truly celebrate the Eucharist we need to be transfigured, we need to firmly commit ourselves to search for holiness without justifying meagre efforts or stubbornness of heart.

 

 

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

30th July 2006

In today's second reading St. Paul offers a very clear and succinct account of what it means to be Christian. Our vocation is to follow Christ and live by his teaching. What do we need to do to fulfil this? Paul says that we must
1. Bear with one another charitably
2. Be selfless, gentle and patient
3. Preserve the unity of the Spirit
4. Hope
Putting this into practice would see us fulfil what we are called to be. When we look around at the problems in society we see that so much of them are resulting from a lack of one or more of the qualities that are listed here. Lack of charity (in word and action), selfishness, imposition of power, impatience and anger, hopelessness all lead to the collapse of a cohesive, balanced society where the vulnerable are protected and structures are secondary to people. The Christian life as Paul expresses it has one foundation - God. There is one Lord, one faith baptism, and one God who is Father of all, through all and within all. The source of charity, selflessness, gentleness and patience is God. These are all attributes of God himself and we, called to live in the light of God's love for us, are commissioned to live these virtues.
If God is the source then can we say that the root of the problems encountered today are due to a turning away from God and all he stands for? It is a question not just of an individualistic belief in a God or a Supreme Being but a deep belief in a God of relationship whereby every individual who believes is intimately linked also with other believers. The element of one faith - a shared understanding of who God is and the mutual realisation of the consequences of belief. Baptism is the connecting sacramental moment when the expression of the one faith is made and unity of the Spirit is initiated. Coming from this is the shared expression of faith, the common vocation expressed in the living out of God's wishes for us as his creatures, wishes revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Not only does Jesus reveal God's wishes but reveals God himself. Encountering Jesus we encounter God. If this revealed God, the source of unity, was to be re-introduced into the lives of the people of the 21s century then the problems which are so common place could be reduced. The true living of the Christian vocation would lead to a newness, a re-creation of the world around us. Indeed, some who haven't let God go would need to re-visit the vocational attributes and see how they are putting them into practice. It isn't all perfect in the Christian context either. We are all in need of conversion - it is a continuous experience fuelled by hope in the forgiveness of sin and the conquering of death.
This implies a sense of mission or evangelisation. Pope John Paul II wrote extensively on the need for evangelisation, the preaching of the Gospel. For him a crucial aspect was the re-evangelization of traditionally Christian peoples who had let God slip through the cracks of life. Pope Benedict continues to deal with subject when he speaks of the dangers of secularism and relativism in European culture. The rejection of Christianity and the Christian vocation is one which has brought problems and we need to address this rejection.

 

 

SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

23rd July 2006

Today's psalm is probably the most recognised of all the psalms. How often have we heard the lines, "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want." The sense of divine care is no doubt what draws us to this beautiful piece of scripture. Throughout the psalm we are presented with peaceful, calming images drawn from a variety of sources. We see the pasture, verdant and rich; the banqueting table, providing nourishment on a grand scale; the majesty of anointing; the protective walls of the Lord's hospitality. It is a wonderfully crafted tapestry of care, protection, provision, abundance and love. It reaches out to the basic needs and desires of the human spirit - the need for security and the desire for connection, bonding with one who loves. The image of the shepherd is prolific in scripture - God depicted as the one who looks out for his people as the shepherd cares for the sheep of his flock.
This psalm instils a sense of calm in the human spirit, a calm found in the relationship with God, who can provide, who does care for his people. There is also a sense of trust - the sheep trust the shepherd; we, trusting in God, find that our journey through life can be one of tranquillity of spirit. Even when times grow difficult we can be tranquil and assured. If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil would I fear. It brings to mind the line from St. Paul, with God at our side, who can be against us? Even if there are people against us it doesn't matter - with God there at our side, guiding us along the right path, nothing can shake us because guided by his crook and staff he gives us comfort.
There is also the recognition that trust in God results in a deep happiness - surely goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life. It seems impossible to the psalmist that the way of God can be anything except one of happiness. The two go hand in hand. In the history of philosophy the topic of happiness has been central for many thinkers. The Christian sense of happiness is that it can only be found in God, nothing else. True happiness is total bonding with God. This sense of happiness is the overall theme of this psalm, Psalm 22. If we can find happiness in God in this life we believe that such happiness will be ours for eternity - In the Lord's own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.
The psalm is focused on the personal relationship we have with God. Of course, the fact that we interact with each other means that the feelings expressed here and hopefully experienced by us, have ramifications in the world. The search for the shepherding Lord and the discovery of that true happiness found only in him has an enormous effect. When we experience the love of God it has an effect on us and this, due to the very nature of love itself, spills over and draws others to God who is both source and ultimate end of the search for happiness.

 

 

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

16th July 2006

 

"And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff- no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, 'Do not take a spare tunic.' As Jesus sent out the Twelve he exhorts them to be detached from everything. They can bring next to nothing with them and depend on the charity and hospitality of those they meet. In the service of the Lord the primary focus has to be preaching the word. All other things can distract from it and the more we have the more distracted we can become. This is valid not just for the preacher but also for those to whom the preacher preaches. And it is a clearly visible fact that in societies where socio-economic levels rise the expression of faith declines. The distraction of wealth and possessions is great. It doesn't make it impossible to believe but definitely does not make it easy. We become focussed on the things around us - on their use, their protection and adding to the hoard we already have, as if more is better.
Attitudes to life and attitudes to faith are related. If our attitude to life sees material progress as the most important thing then faith quickly loses its place. Yes, we do have material needs - that cannot be denied. But when the needs are met and the focus settles on material wants then the slippery slope is very close.
Detachment is a spiritual reality. Can we live with things while remaining apart from them? Can we see what we have as being means to an end and not an end in itself? The things we have are meant to aid us on the journey not become the reason for the journey. When the latter happens life itself becomes a pale shadow of what it is meant to be. The journey of life is one where the kingdom of God is the destination and the most important thing on the way is the living of right relationship with God and with his people. It isn't about accumulating wealth - after all, there are no pockets in a shroud, as the old saying goes. It isn't about attaining status - after all, when the reality of death arrives we all occupy similar patches of ground. The richest thing we can have is God's grace, and that isn't about wealth or status. The richness of God's grace which has been showered upon us in all wisdom and insight id the free gift of Jesus Christ.
It is through Christ that we attain the most important "possessions" - true freedom and forgiveness of sin. Material possessions do not give bestow such gifts on us. In fact they can do the opposite and tear us away from the experience of true freedom and sinlessness. We can become slaves to our possessions and the sin of greed can rear its ugly head very quickly.
Let us pray for the spirit of detachment and the ability to see that life's journey is one which should be animated by the spirit of God and the search for holiness, love of God and love of neighbour.

 

 

FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

9th July 2006

 

The passage from Paul's second letter to the Corinthians presented to us this weekend as the second reading is an extraordinary one when we view it in the modem context. At its centre is the idea of weakness something that is not lauded in the modem world
The virtue of weakness is not the weakness itself but how it is used and especially how it is used by God. "My grace is enough for you: my power is at its best in weakness." God works with the weak and through the weak. It is in the recognition of our weakness that we open the door for God to work through us. Paul sees this. He boasts in his weakness, not because the weakness is inherently a good thing, but because God's power can work through it. The humble servant of God acknowledges the need for God's presence and grace - the humble servant recognises his or her weakness and then invites God to enter and work through it. In accepting the weakness we can open the possibility of accepting God. Quite often the strong, or more precisely those who do not perceive any weakness in their own self find it difficult to profess faith in something beyond them, the reason being that they feel no need for an outside force of any description. The ironic 'thing is that, as Paul says, when we recognise the weakness in ourselves we actually are strong. The ability to pinpoint our weaknesses, accept them and then work with or through them and allow God enter into that area of our lives, eventually results in development of our own character and personality.
Recognising our own weaknesses augurs well also in our relationships. Realising that we have weaknesses ourselves makes it easier to live with the weaknesses of others. We can become more patient and accepting of others. We become more open to listening to God and what he has to say because we discover new ways in which to see ourselves and the world around us. We become less defiant and obstinate, to borrow a phrase from Ezekiel. Defiance and obstinacy with regard to God is often seen as a sign of strength in modem society. In reality it is a sign of delusion -thinking that we are able to deal with all things when in truth we are not. Far from it. We need God's grace; we need God's strength and we need to humbly place ourselves before him and ask for that grace and help.
The human spirit is one which constantly seeks to transcend. Without God there is an inevitable emptiness because the ultimate goal of transcendence is denied. The spirit seeks to transcend but the spirit is not allowed to arrive at its destination. As St. Augustine says, "My heart shall not rest until it rests in you". We strive to reach the perfection of God. In our weakness we reach out to the source of strength and when we do that source strengthens us and allows us to do things which we never imagined we could do.

 

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary

2nd July 2006

Time Are we afraid to let go the conventions of society and be counter witnesses in a world where power comes before faith?
Some people arrived from the house of the synagogue official to say, 'Your daughter is dead: why put the Master to any further trouble? But Jesus had overheard this remark of theirs and he said to the official, 'Do not be afraid; only have faith'.
Jesus says the very same thing to us. Do not be afraid; only have faith. With faith in him and an understanding of who he is and what his mission is, we can have the strength to be counter witnesses. Power takes on many forms and expresses itself in so many different ways. We are all familiar with the idea of power going to people's heads. When we find ourselves in positions of power there is a great temptation to let people know we have that power by inflicting our decisions or ideas on them just for the sake of letting them know we can. Power has to be at the service of others and not used as a way of dominating. True power is service, and finds its greatest expression in the suffering servant Jesus Christ who tells Pilate that he would have no power if it had not been given from above.
The forms of power that affect our society so adversely at the moment are those forms which see the greed of others impose on the welfare of others. One of the great scourges of modern society is the drug culture. Ever growing, it sees so many lives destroyed, rests on the greed of those who deal while so many vulnerable people are conned in some way or other into experimenting. From the teenager smoking cannabis in the local park or taking an ecstasy tablet in the local nightclub to the working professionals who throw cocaine parties the fact of the matter is that suppliers prey on their vulnerability. The teenager is vulnerable at a time when they are trying to establish their self-identity - the working professional is vulnerable as they try to keep up with the fast pace of modem life and feel the need for an escape from the pressures, stress and tension of the demanding lifestyle they have adopted. Both groups may feel that they are not vulnerable at all. The teenager sees no fear or danger, the working professionals see themselves as self-sufficient and in control. Yet behind the bravado of the first and self-assuredness of the second lies a deep need for something which transcends the ordinary, the mundane, the routine.
With Jesus Christ removed from the equation of life for many of them the gap left behind in self-understanding needs to be filled. And for many of them it seems to be easier to trust in a tablet or white powder than it is to trust in God. The problem is the effects of the tablet and the powder wear off very quickly unlike the constancy of God's love for us. To be counter witnesses to this type of power culture - where the greedy prey on the vulnerable we need to trust in God and show that God does make a difference. The cycle of greed and destruction can be broken but we cannot be afraid to act if we wish to break it

 

 

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

25th June 2006

The words of Jesus and the apostles after the calming of the storm are intriguing when we look at them closely. The disciples panicked, Jesus calmed the wind and the sea and then says to the apostles, "Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?" His concern at this point is an internal one, a spiritual one. Focussing on their reaction, he says something lacking within and he voices it, he puts words on it You have no faith - with faith comes trust, the ability to hand over to God and Jesus could see that the apostles were still lacking in this virtue. Their response highlights the shortcoming. "Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him." Even without the question 'Who can this be?' we would see that they are missing the point of Jesus from the focus on the obedience of the elements. They recognise his power his ability to perform wondrous deeds, but they fail to see that he has read their innermost thoughts and attitudes. For Jesus, the important thing is not power but spiritual development. Faith and trust is of more importance than any power but the apostles fail to see beyond the display of power. They fail to see the person of Jesus as Christ, the one in whom they should trust.
It is a lesson for us as well. There is a need for us to trust. Instead we try too much to rationalise and analyse what happens around us seeing things from our own narrow perspective and trying to understand God within the confines we make for him God's ways are not our ways. Trying to understand God solely from the human perspective means we end up limiting him. Instead of dwelling on his power to calm the storm we need to see the reality of our spiritual selves and see how Jesus tries to encourage us to trust, to place our faith in him. Our own personal relationship with the Lord, founded on God's love for us, depends on this trust to remain alive and active. From a trusting relationship grows the ability to act justly. As St. Paul says in today's second reading - From now onwards, therefore, we do not judge anyone by the standards of the flesh. Because we trust in God, because we trust in Jesus, we begin to see that it is God's criteria that are of value and importance not our own limited criteria. We need to try to see the world around us through God's eyes and interact with it from his perspective. For anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here. We are newly created in baptism and we are called to bring that new creation to bear in our understanding of the world and humanity. What holds us back? Are we frightened? Are we afraid to let go the conventions of society and be counter witnesses in a world where power comes before faith?

 

 

 

CORPUS CHRISTI

18th June 2006

In last week's reflection I wrote: The clearest sense of unity can be seen when Jesus prays for his disciples "that they may be one as you and I are one".
This level of unity is to be aspired to by all of us. When we look at the central sacramental and social realities we encounter two terms which highlight this call to unity. Then I went on to speak of one of those terms - Communion. The second term, the social reality, is community. Some may think that I should have reversed the discussion of the two terms, dealing with Communion today, the Solemnity of Corpus Christ!. However, I left Community until today because the real understanding of community for the Christian is a result of the Sacrament. When Christians speak of community it must always be a mirror of the unity of the Trinity. The perfect love of Father, Son and Spirit, should be the inspiration for living in community. Jesus, in his ministry, always reached out, in love and compassion, to those in need and therefore, the first duty of any Christian community is to reach out in a similar manner.
Every community should measure its success by looking firstly at how it reacts to the more vulnerable - the bereaved, the sick, the lonely, the young, the elderly, the addict, the depressed, the poor. Only when inroads are made in these situations, in creating relationships of support and trust, can a Christian community claim to be progressing. Results aren't simply measured in terms of finances, buildings and land, but in how the overall community is developing in love and unity. The Christian community, nourished by Christ in the Eucharist, is one which lifts the downtrodden, sets the captive free, brings sight to the blind, helps the lame to walk. Are we doing that? Or are we too concerned with the continual running of the rat race, concentrating on our own wants and desires? If we find that our lives are revolving on getting more for ourselves then we need to think about the meaning of today's celebration. Jesus gave his life for his friends and gives us himself every time we receive the Eucharist.
The celebration of the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ calls us to focus on Jesus sacrifice for us but becomes an empty celebration if we fail to see the intimate connection between Communion and Community. We cannot live isolated from those around us - we cannot live as true followers of Christ if we fail to be self-sacrificial people. The gifts and talents of all of us are given to us by God to help all people, not just to feather our own nests. In an age of individualism and hedonism the Christian is called to work in contradiction to the mores of the modern age. We are called to reach out rather than become self-absorbed; we are called to care for the needy in community rather than concentrate on self-containment and self-contentment. The true understanding of Eucharist has a double dimension - we are united with Christ and we are united with each other through Christ. It is the sacramental expression of the two great commandments -love God and love your neighbour as yourself.
We pray this day that we can be true community. We ask for the grace and strength to reach out to others all the time without condition.

 

 

TRINITY SUNDAY

11th June 2006

 

When we refer to God as Trinity we are acknowledging the relational aspect of God. The three Persons of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are in relationship with each other. In the Christian life this understanding of relationship is of vital importance. The beginning and end of our lives are marked by our intimate connection with God, Three in One. In Baptism we receive the sacrament in the pouring of water and the statement I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. As Christians we are bound to the three Persons. We become part of their relationship through the grace of the sacrament. Christian life begins with the Trinity and continues in the light of the Trinity. In our lives they continue to create, save and sustain us. Creativity in our lives is a sharing in the creative nature of God. Jesus, through his sacraments, brings his salvation into our lives and the Holy Spirit is the Advocate, the Consoler, the Guide given to us on Pentecost to lead us through life and to intercede for us, console us and guide us along the journey to the kingdom.
Our vulnerability was shared by the Trinity when Jesus took on human nature and experienced the joys and sufferings of humanity. He did so always in relationship with the other two Persons of the trinity. He came to do the will of the Father and in obedience to the Father gave his life for the forgiveness of sin. Guided by the Spirit he preached to and taught the people of Israel what it means to be in relationship with God. Throughout the Gospel of John we hear Jesus speak about his relationship with the Father and the depth of that loving relationship. The clearest sense of unity can be seen when Jesus prays for his disciples "that they may be one as you and I are one". This level of unity is to be aspired to by all of us. When we look at the central sacramental and social realities we encounter two terms which highlight this call to unity. The sacramental reality is Communion - the sacrament of the Eucharist is the great sacrament of unity and as well as being the real presence of Jesus Christ, it is the great sign of oneness in the Catholic faith. Gathered around the altar we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus and in receiving we express the unity to which we are called. It becomes a mirror of the Trinity - united in love - and we, united in Christ, reconciled with God receive the same mission as the first disciples, to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
The very last lines of the Sunday celebration are a reminder of the great mission entrusted to us - Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord. In accepting this mission we make active the baptismal reality. Baptised in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit we accept the mission of spreading the message of the loving God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The response Thanks be to God is the response of the willing disciple who is glad to spread the message and thankful for the gifts God has given so that the message can be shared with others.

 

 

 

 

 

PENTECOST

4th June 2006

 

In the first reading fifteen nationalities are mentioned - from the Parthians to the Judaeans to the Romans and the Arabs. Different languages were spoken by the people of these different nations. Mention of so many nationalities highlights for us the diversity of those present and brings to the fore the very core of the nature of the Holy Spirit's mission and role. The mission of the Spirit is universal - sent for all, sent to speak to all, whether in the quietness and stillness of our hearts, or through the prompting of prophets and apostles. The Spirit's mission is to ensure the continuation of the proclamation of God's unique message of salvation through Jesus Christ.
That message is for all times and seasons, for all cultures and nations - it transcends all boundaries, borders and divisions. Inspired by the Spirit, the apostles preached the marvels of God and those marvels, meant for all, were described for all, in ways that all present could understand. God, the source of all unity, goes beyond the differences of the world to unite all people in his mystery. While maintaining our diversity we are united in faith. Gender, race, language and culture are not wiped away - they remain and become the means of promoting or witnessing to the unity of God and his love for his creation. What is a great pity in this day and age is that so many people around the world are buying into a uniform way of presenting themselves, forgetting or letting go their own heritage, culture and traditions. More and more the world is becoming a bland, uniform, stereotype. Typical of such uniformity is the ever-present McDonalds and Starbucks franchises found all over the world. If such uniformity permeates into our way of life the great variety of expression becomes lost and the ability to tease out the work of the Spirit becomes more difficult. With imagery and symbolism gradually being lost the ability to speak of the Spirit becomes more trying and testing.
On the individual level, we are fast becoming one-dimensional. We are losing the ability to diversify - specialisation is becoming the norm. The problem here is that our potential for self-expression is not being fulfilled and we see ourselves as having something to offer in very confined ways.
In St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians we hear the great missionary say "There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose". The diverse personalities, characters we are allow the Lord to weave a tapestry of great colour. The diversity of colour in a tapestry comes together to form a unit - a wonderfully woven image. The vast array of gifts present in the world can be woven together to form the great tapestry of God's message made real and present in the world. Today we must acknowledge the fact that the Spirit has been given to us - and if so, then we have been blessed with a variety of gifts not just for our own benefit but for the benefit of all and especially for the benefit of God. St. Ignatius of Loyola chose the motto, For the greater glory of God, for the congregation he founded. We should all see it as a personal motto, allowing ourselves to fully express who we are in the giftedness of the Holy Spirit,' fulfilling the vocation we have in this world: proclaiming the message of God, that he loves us so much that he gave his only Son so that we may have salvation

 

 

 

FEAST OF THE ASCENSION

28th May 2006.

 

The Ascension of Christ means our own salvation as well; where the glorious Head has gone before, the body is called to follow in hope. Let us therefore exult, beloved, as is fitting, and let us rejoice in devout thanksgiving. For on this day not only have we been confirmed in our possession of paradise, but we have even entered heaven in the person of Christ; through his grace we have regained far more than we had lost through the devil's hatred. (St. Leo the Great, Sermon 73, 4)
In these words of St. Leo we find a powerful image of who we are as Christians. The Ascension, for St. Leo, is that moment when the great promises of salvation are raised to the heights of heaven, and, with Christ, so are we. The tendency we have to see distance between ourselves and God, or, between the world and the kingdom of heaven, is not in keeping with this hopeful image. We are called to follow in hope. Our following in hope is realised through our actions - through our fulfilment of the great commands of love. Every time we act in keeping with the example of Christ we follow him in the Ascension and come into contact with the living kingdom of God. In his person we are told, we enter heaven. Heaven and earth come together in the ascended Jesus Christ. Having risen body, soul and divinity, Christ brings his human nature into the presence of the Father. Humanity, through the person of Jesus, enters the kingdom. When we are united to Christ through grace we are present in that kingdom because our graced humanity is intimately linked to the source of grace. Due to our connection with Christ we receive the benefits of his actions. The onus however remains on us. Before Christ ascends he gives his disciples a mission - to 'Go out to the whole world; proclaim the gospel to all creation'.
The gospel is preached in word and action. It is not just words alone. In fact, the most effective preaching comes through action. The act of prayer is much more effective than talking about it. Acting with justice is better than any discussions on the nature of justice. Witness to Christ is, by its very nature, dynamic - go and preach - and it is only when we as Christians witness actively that the message of Christ is heard and the seeds of faith planted and nourished. A Christian who does not witness is not a Christian. How can we claim to be followers of Christ if we do not act as he does? How can we claim to enter the kingdom in hope through the Ascension of Jesus Christ if we do not hold that hope and live in the light of that hope. A cynical, dour Christianity is not a true Christianity. It is an aberration of the gospel. Failure to recognise what we have gained through Christ is to miss the point of his ministry, death and resurrection.
We are to see ourselves as redeemed; we should be thankful for that redemption; we are to rejoice that we have been redeemed; and our joy should be infectious, drawing others to explore that joy. Nothing in the gospel should be too daunting knowing that the grace of Christ, glorified in his Ascension is poured out on us. May we commit ourselves anew today and make the words of the dismissal at the end of our Eucharistic celebration - go in peace to love and serve the Lord - a lived reality in our lives and the life of our parish.

 

 

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

21st May 2006.

Love is the keyword today. Jesus speaks of love and in the second reading St John continues to reflect on it telling us that God is love. The depth of John's understanding is centred on this fact. God is not just loving but is love itself His love for us is dynamic and active, revealed "when God sent into the world his only Son so that we could have life through him". It is active in the sacrificial offering of the Son and this continues in the continual sacramental giving of the Son to us. The dynamism of God's love for us is also an example for us. Jesus tells us of the reciprocal nature of the Father's love for him and his for the Father and how that love spills out to us. Jesus loves us as the Father loves him and we are asked to remain in that love - to receive the love Jesus offers and live in it. The commandments often viewed by us as obligations, are signs of love and keeping them should be an expression of love, not just a recognition of duty. Doing something out of love is much easier than doing out of duty. Our actions become focused in a positive way rather than having a restrictive character.
Duty, of course, has its value. Having a sense of duty is important. But duty without love can lack passion and Jesus is placing the call to live the commandments into a passionate setting: If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love. He then goes on to make love a commandment. "This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you. The example of his love becomes the compelling force for the fulfilment of the new commandment of love. Failure to love is failure to recognise God's love. Failure to love is tantamount to denial of Jesus. Belief in Jesus Christ and living in love go hand in hand. Belief and love are intimately bound together. As John tells us in the second reading, "Anyone who fails to love can never have known God". The unloving person, the person who hates, has blocked out all contact with the God who is love.
All forms of prejudice, intolerance and bullying come under the heading of hate. The Christian who expresses any of these is blind to the all-inclusive love of God. The prejudiced, intolerant, bullying Christian sins against the commandment of love In the first reading Peter says, "The truth I have now come to realise is that God does not have favourites". And neither should we. Prejudice, intolerance and bullying declare in themselves that there are favourites and undesirables. Such categorisation divides God's creation, while Christ's mission was to reconcile all of creation with the Father We are called to unity in diversity. The world is made up of difference - and it is love which allows the differences to interweave giving us the wonderful, varied world we live in. Some of the variety may not be to our taste but we are still called to love. Love overcomes all tensions and difficulty.

 

 

 

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

14th May 2006

Take this all of you and eat it, this is my body which will be given up for you. Take this all of you and drink from it. This is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me.
The Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the world. At the Last Supper Jesus took bread and wine, offered them to the Father blessed them and distributed them saying that it was his body and blood - his body given for us, and his blood shed for us. He pointed towards the sacrifice of Calvary and in a sense the Last Supper and the Crucifixion are two dimensions of one action. Christ's giving of himself is the ultimate expression of love. 'No greater love can a man have than that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.' In the words of consecration we recall a command of Jesus - Do this in memory of me. And that is what we do. Every time we gather to celebrate the Eucharist we remember Christ's actions. They are repeated in the offering of the bread and wine to the Father. They are repeated in the blessing and in the distribution at Communion time. Every time we celebrate the Eucharist we go back to the Upper Room and join Jesus and the apostles. We become one with them in that initial giving. Every time we celebrate the Eucharist we go to Calvary and become one with the crucified Jesus whose body is broken for us and whose blood is shed for us. The Eucharist we celebrate is one and the same sacrifice offered by Jesus. It is the continuation of his unique sacrifice, offered once and for all. The union between us gathered around the altar and Jesus gathered with his apostles in the Upper Room is the ultimate union.
This union with Jesus is fundamental to our faith. It highlights the prayer of Christ 'that they may be one as you Father and I are one'. In receiving the body and blood of Christ we realise that union. Receiving the Eucharist is the great sign of our incorporation into the Body of Christ. That is why there is so much emphasis on it. It is the great source of grace and Christian strength. It is the great link between us and the divine. Christ is really present with us.
First Holy Communion is the initial experience of this complete union with God. It is a sacred moment (as indeed each time we receive is a sacred moment). Today we celebrate First Holy Communion in the three Churches in the parish. Twenty two children will receive the Body of Christ for the first time. It is a sacred time for the parish as well as the children who will receive. We welcome them into full communion in the Church. We pray that they and their families will recognise the sacredness of what they celebrate and we pray for ourselves that we will support them in faith and continue