St Patrick’s Rock
Earlier today at Mass, I mentioned St Patrick’s Rock, near Templeronan Cemetery (Cloonloo) and that I might visit it today. Well, I did!
Second Sunday of Lent
I was asked to write some homily thoughts for Trócaire’s Lenten Campaign. I was happy to be asked and able to do this. Just going to include here the piece for this weekend.
Hope all is going well.
V
If there is a specific word presenting itself to us in today’s readings, I think it is the word “promise”.
It is a wonderful word that gives hope and helps us to cope with difficult situations in life. If we can believe the promise will be fulfilled, we can work our way through moments not of our choosing and challenges that are difficult.
Broken promises are heart-breaking. Something as simple as a service provider saying he or she will call you back, but the call does not come or that a job will begin on a given day, but nobody turns up. This leads us to feel frustrated, left down and disappointed. At its worst, the broken promise leads to anger and maybe even some form of retaliation.
In Trócaire’s Lenten Campaign 2020, we are face to face with people who know the meaning of broken promises. Their set-backs are more serious and life threatening than a plumber turning up on Wednesday evening rather than Monday morning. Their very lives and the lives of their families are at risk.
When Jesus takes Peter, James and John to the mountain top, they experience something wonderful and beyond expectation. They encounter the one they had known as friend in a way they had never seen before and he is truly revealed to them as the Son of the Father. Though they could not take it all in, they knew their lives could never be the same again. Transfixed as he was transfigured, they ask “Lord, can we build three tents?” It was as if they wanted to stay in this moment forever.
Gently, he points them towards ground level again. It is here they must live their lives, not forgetting what they had witnessed. It is here, at ground level, they must make a difference. They and all who followed them in his name and because of this moment, share in the fulfilment of the promise.
There are so many people at ground level, living under daily threat and in constant fear, looking to us today, seeking our help today that they too may know the promise kept.
Adam, where are you?
I watched a film (documentary) on Pope Francis last night. It was called “A Man of his word” and gave a great insight into the life and the passion of this man. He remains, in the core of his heart and soul, a decent man who really wants to bring centre stage the message of Christ. Some of the film was personally challenging and reminds me of how far I fall short, on occasions, not least in my awareness of those who find life difficult because of poverty and persecution.
There was one scene that I found especially impressive because of the words that accompanied it. He was visiting a Holocaust Memorial in May 2014. He spoke from the heart and from somewhere in God’s vocabulary to a world that can be so, so cruel and to a humanity that all too often forgets the basics and the need to be mindful of one another. I’m going to read these words at Masses this weekend. I can’t recall when I’ve quoted directly from the pope and certainly these words sank deep into me, in a way that surprised me but also made me glad that I can be moved by words ….
“Adam, where are you?” (cf. Gen 3:9). Where are you, o man? What have you come to? In this place, this memorial of the Shoah, we hear God’s question echo once more: “Adam, where are you?” This question is charged with all the sorrow of a Father who has lost his child. The Father knew the risk of freedom; he knew that his children could be lost… yet perhaps not even the Father could imagine so great a fall, so profound an abyss! Here, before the boundless tragedy of the Holocaust, That cry – “Where are you?” – echoes like a faint voice in an unfathomable abyss…
Adam, who are you? I no longer recognize you. Who are you, o man? What have you become? Of what horror have you been capable? What made you fall to such depths?
Certainly it is not the dust of the earth from which you were made. The dust of the earth is something good, the work of my hands. Certainly it is not the breath of life which I breathed into you. That breath comes from me, and it is something good (cf. Gen 2:7).
No, this abyss is not merely the work of your own hands, your own heart… Who corrupted you? Who disfigured you? Who led you to presume that you are the master of good and evil? Who convinced you that you were god? Not only did you torture and kill your brothers and sisters, but you sacrificed them to yourself, because you made yourself a god.
Today, in this place, we hear once more the voice of God: “Adam, where are you?”
From the ground there rises up a soft cry: “Have mercy on us, O Lord!” To you, O Lord our God, belongs righteousness; but to us confusion of face and shame (cf. Bar 1:15).
A great evil has befallen us, such as never happened under the heavens (cf. Bar 2:2). Now, Lord, hear our prayer, hear our plea, save us in your mercy. Save us from this horror.
Almighty Lord, a soul in anguish cries out to you. Hear, Lord, and have mercy! We have sinned against you. You reign for ever (cf. Bar 3:1-2). Remember us in your mercy. Grant us the grace to be ashamed of what we men have done, to be ashamed of this massive idolatry, of having despised and destroyed our own flesh which you formed from the earth, to which you gave life with your own breath of life. Never again, Lord, never again!
“Adam, where are you?” Here we are, Lord, shamed by what man, created in your own image and likeness, was capable of doing.
Remember us in your mercy.
I’m only saying!
Realised again that I have let a number of weeks pass without adding anything here. Alas, nobody seemed to notice:)
Truth is, I have nothing much to add today other than say hello and that I haven’t given up on this. I am always happy to meet people who tell me they check in here regularly and to occasionally receive a message about something I have posted. I’d like to think this little space in the vastness of cyber world is doing more good than harm and that, from time to time, it hits the spot.
Advent is into its second week now. I noticed a Tweet during the week from a man who said his local Parish Priest had asked people to pull a name from a box of some sort last weekend. The names were of characters associated with the Christmas Story and the idea, as I understand it, was to journey through Advent giving some thought to this character and his/her role. The man said that he had drawn “The Donkey” and was a bit amused by that. I replied to him saying the donkey was a key figure and without him the journey would not have been made – or certainly not as easily. The donkey was again there on Palm Sunday. Loyalty.
I liked the idea and am wondering how I might use it in the parish. We are going to have a small gathering on Friday evening and there may well be a box there – a box of names, donkey included!
I’m only saying!
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
Tomorrow, Sunday November 3rd, marks a first!
Just over fifty people from the parish of Kilmovee will travel to RTE Studios, Donnybrook, to celebrate Sunday Mass. Looking forward to it. So, if you are at a loose end around 11am, tune in to RTE 1 and join us.
In the meantime, say a little prayer that all will go well.
Thanks,
Vincent
It’s nice to be asked
Mount St Anne’s Retreat and Conference Centre, Killenard
In the past two weeks I’ve been involved in some Retreat Work – firstly with some priests from the Diocese of Cloyne in Glencomeragh House, Co. Waterford and, in recent days, with a group in Mount St Anne’s Retreat Centre, Killenard, Co. Laois. On both occasions I was helped by one of our priests who covered daily Mass in the parish for me. I am very grateful for this.
Retreat work is, I suppose, part of my ministry and I have been lucky enough to be involved in it through the years. I like the challenge in brings and the chance to share a few thoughts and stories with people from different places. Much of the work has involved retreats with priests and religious and, occasionally, parish missions or talks. The variety is good but it can sometimes be difficult to get away and the parish is always on my mind and the hope that nothing happens while I’m away that I’d really want to be there for. As it turned out, following the Cloyne Retreat, I returned to the parish to three funerals over the space of a weekend and a wedding that, of course, had been arranged.
I was at a funeral in Kiltegan on Wednesday – a neighbour from Monasteraden, Fr James Sharkey had died and his Funeral Mass took place there. James, a priest of St Patrick’s Missionary Society for sixty years, was a good and kind man. I met him often over the years and regarded him highly, may he rest in peace. Had I been in Kilmovee, I’d have tried to attend the Mass but, as it turned out I was in Killenard which is only about an hour from Kiltegan so I re-arranged things a bit with the group here and was glad to be able to attend. I met some of my neighbours from home and when I told one of them that I was in Killenard directing a retreat, he asked “Who would be at that?” and when I told him he said: “Isn’t that a bit like bringing coal to Newcastle?” I know what he meant. He wondered why priests or nuns would need to go on retreat. He’s not alone. The feeling might well exist that priests and nuns are people of faith and know what they are about spiritually and might often be called upon to help others spiritually so how then could they need spiritual help! NEWSFLASH!! We all need help!
So is that what I see myself doing? Helping? Being some sort of expert? A “guru” of sorts? While I’d like to think what I do might be a help, I certainly don’t see myself as guru or expert. Most of what I try to bring to retreats comes from my own experiences and attempts to live the life of ministry. That includes my many shortfalls and moments of confusion but includes too many of the wonderful experiences I have had along the way. I enjoy parish life and much of what I have to share comes from experiences lived in the various parishes. People and God’s relationship with me through them and mine with Him are my backdrop. Stories shared are stories that matter and made a difference to me. Songs too, form a fair part of all I try to do and the odd poetry verse. Scripture passages as well, and their place in my life and the experiences lived are important to me.
I always feel helped too! There are moments when someone says something to me, shares a story that stays with me. In particular, on many of the diocesan retreats I’ve been part of, I have enjoyed stories about priests and characters of the diocese, stories told with respect and in spirit of good humour and fellowship. I have also been deeply moved by some of the wonderful people I have encountered, through their amazing ability to give meaningful witness to their faith and vocation. I don’t believe I ever went to a retreat without feeling humbled and refreshed by decent people.
To be asked to lead or direct a retreat is no small thing since those going on retreat or those organising a retreat want to receive something from it. So when asked to do this work, there’s a belief that I can bring something to it and I appreciate that trust very much. I enjoy this aspect of my life and know that I won’t be at it forever but I am very thankful to people in the parish for their understanding and to those who help me in the parish for their support too. Without them and the goodwill of some of my priest friends and colleagues, I clearly could not be involved in this ministry.
