Fr Tommie Mannion, R.I.P. 11th September 2011

Yesterday, I attended the funeral Mass of Fr Tommie Mannion, P.P., Claremorris.  I’d known him since the time I worked with Galway Regional Marriage Tribunal and have kept some contact with him through the years.  He was a kindly man who, in recent years, battled with illness.  He lost that battle on Sunday last but, God willing, he won the war!  One of the readings yesterday spoke of running the race and he certainly did.  May he rest in peace.

One of his nieces read a moving reflection after Holy Communion.  Her tone was excellent and her delivery precise.  Basically it spoke of hospitality and we’re told in Scripture that we should “make hospitality our special care”.  I looked up the piece last night and found the words.  I’d like to have a recording of her interpretation of them but we’ll have to settle for the words.  I suppose, it could be said, we put our own interpretation on them.

Celtic Rune of Hospitality

I saw a stranger yesterday;
I put food in the eating place,
drink in the drinking place,
music in the listening place;
and in the sacred name of the Triune God
he blessed myself and my house,
my cattle and my dear ones,
and the lark said in her song:
Oft, Oft, Oft,
goes Christ in the stranger’s guise.

And like the dog with a bone that I am ….. I just found this piece on YouTube.  Stick with it to the end.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qEDAT2wLHY]

and, put to music …..

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KazW686CtHk]

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