The Isle of Inisfree has always been one of my favourite songs. I especially love the beginning of the closing verse where the man recalls his home and “the folks I love” gathered around the fireplace where “on bended knee their Rosary is told”. Not prayed, said, recited but “told”. I think it is such an accurate verb to take us to the heart of the Rosary for, at best, it is telling us the story – the Sacred Story – of Christ from the moment of Annunciation to Resurrection and Ascension. The story of our Faith is contained within the fifteen and now twenty mysteries of the Rosary
Last Sunday evening we had a lovely gathering in Kilmovee Church. It was a sort of last minute decision but one I’m glad was made. Placing chairs at the front of the Altar and creating something of “fireside” we invited some parishioners to take their place kneeling at the chair as would have been done in countless homes. Each took a turn in leading us through a “decade” of the Rosary.
“On bended knee, their rosary is told” (R Farrelly, Isle of Inisfree)
It truly was special. Meeting one of our older parishioners afterwards, he said: “that brought me back years”. I’m fairly sure there was a tear in his eye as he said these words. I believe he was brought back to a good place.
As we come towards the end of October may we do all in our power to keep “telling the story” and gathering around the fireside in prayer, friendship and memory.
“Our Lady of The Rosary. Pray for us”.
Isle of Innisfree
Author: words & music by Dick Farrelly
Copyright: Peter Maurice Music/EMI Music
These are the correct words given to me by Dick Farrelly’s son Gerard
I’ve met some folks who say that I’m a dreamer
And I’ve no doubt there’s truth in what they say
But sure a body’s bound to be a dreamer
When all the things he loves are far away.
And precious things are dreams onto an exile
They take him o’er the land across the sea
Especially when it happens he’s an exile
From that dear lovely Isle of Innisfree.
And when the moonlight peeps across the rooftops
Of this great city wondrous tho’ it be
I scarcely feel its wonder or its laughter
I’m once again back home in Innisfree.
I wander o’er green hills thro’ dreamy valleys
And find a peace no other land could know
I hear the birds make music fit for angels
And watch the rivers laughing as they flow.
And then into a humble shack I wander
My dear old home, and tenderly behold
The folks I love around the turf fire gathered
On bended knees their rosary is told.
But dreams don’t last
Tho’ dreams are not forgotten
And soon I’m back to stern reality
But tho’ they paved the footways here with gold dust
I still would choose the Isle of Innisfree.
Theme of the film “The Quiet Man”
It is the melody and not the words that feature in the film.
Earlier today, I spoke at the retreat in Kiltegan about Our Lady. I was trying to remember a poem given me by a priest a few years ago and talked about it, though I could not fully recall the details. A painting of The Annunciation was the backdrop to the piece and I couldn’t remember the artist either. I substituted with the name of an artist I could remember and said I was doing that. I remembered enough of the poem’s message to make the point I wanted to make. After the talk, one of the men said to me “I think it was Bellini”. I thanked him and hoped I’d remember to make note of that. After tea the same man slipped me a folded piece of paper. The poem was sourced! I appreciated the man taking the time to do this and thought, in honour of that kindness, that I might include the poem and picture here. It’s always good to clarify ….
and the poem, called IN THE KITCHEN, by Fr Killian McDonnell OSB.
IN THE KITCHEN (‘In the sixth month the angel Gabriel…’ Luke 1:26)
Bellini has it wrong, I was not kneeling on my satin cushion, in a beam of light, head slightly bent.
Painters always skew the scene, as though my life were wrapped in silks, in temple smells.
Actually, I had just come back from the well, placing the pitcher on the table I bumped against the edge, spilling water on the floor.
As I bent to wipe it up, there was a light against the kitchen wall, as though someone had opened the door to the sun.
Rag in hand, hair across my face, I turned to see who was entering, unannounced, unasked.
All I saw was light white against the timbers. A voice I’ve never heard greeted me,
said I was elected, would bear a son who’d reign forever. The spirit would overshadow me. I stood afraid.
Someone asked me the other day about attending a wedding Mass on August 15th. He was wondering if this would fulfill his “obligation” to attend Mass for the Feast of The Assumption. I told him I felt it would! I don’t know whether he was convinced or not. I said it would not be the Mass of the Holy Day but that he would be in church and at Mass on the Holy Day and that, in my opinion, was all that was asked of him.
It makes me think a bit about Holy Days. There aren’t too many left in the Church’s Calendar that we are asked to treat as Sunday – in other words, attend Mass. Most Holy Days have been moved to the nearest Sunday and only a handful of Holy Days of Obligation remain, e.g. Epiphany (January 6th) The Assumption (August 15th), All Saints’ (November 1st) Immaculate Conception (December 8th), Christmas Day …
So what are they about? Why have them? I suppose their purpose is to focus our minds and root our prayer on days set apart. Like the birthday or anniversary, days like these call us to a place of recognition, respect, reverence and renewal. They are days when we’re asked to give something back.
When I was growing up my father would close the garage at home on Holy Days. Only what absolutely could not be avoided, in terms of work, was done. We’d go to Mass on the day and, to all extents and purposes, it was as Sunday. In later years that changed a little and the garage would not close but the Faith dimension of the day would be honoured through attending Mass. Schools would be closed too and children would be at home.
For many now, it seems, the significance of the Holy Day has all but disappeared. There is no apparent connect, for some, between the day being celebrated and the call to join the community in prayer. Of course this is not just limited to the Holy Day but can also be the story of Sunday. Yet, the Church maintains these days and, in so doing, calls the Faithful to pray – to come to church and to mark the day as special; as Holy.
Today, for example, we celebrate the Feast of The Assumption. It is that day when Our Lady was drawn into the Heavens and into the presence of God whom she so faithfully served from that first “yes” during Gabriel’s visit through all the “yeses” that followed – up to and including Calvary and all it stole from her. It is surely right that we mark such a day, draw inspiration from it and seek to imitate the woman it celebrates.
So likewise, all our Holy Days. It was reassuring the man felt the need make contact to see if the wedding celebration would mark the day. I feel certain Our Lady will rejoice with the couple and all gathered on the day. Prayers will be said, time together shared and a major step taken on life’s journey. God blesses this occasion and all gathered. I believe Our Lady will take that as fitting recognition.
How will we mark the day? Will we let the day “mark” us?
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Someone asked me the other day about attending a wedding Mass on August 15th. He was wondering if this would fulfill his “obligation” to attend Mass for the Feast of The Assumption. I told him I felt it would! I don’t know whether he was convinced or not. I said it would not be the Mass of the Holy Day but that he would be in church and at Mass on the Holy Day and that, in my opinion, was all that was asked of him.
