On Good Friday, I received this email – my life could be in for a major change!
Attn:Friend.
How are you?
I am Captain *******, a Briton and a soldier of the UN troop serving in the third infantry division Unit in Iraq and currently on duty.
I, secretly moved some abandoned cash from a mansion belonging to the former president, Late Saddam Hussein and the total cash US$45,000,000.00 (Forty Five Million United States Dollars),and in clean and crisp $100 dollar bills and the consignment is currently deposited with security Vault company agent.
As I write this letter to you, the box has been successfully moved to a well secured security company out of Iraq for safe keeping and our
attorney will formalize arrangement of meet you in order to transfer the ownership of the funds to you,once i receive your positive response.
Please keep this business totally secret/confidential. Apart from you and my attorney,nobody should know about it.
He will invite you next week to make arrangement to ship the box to your address in your country.
Please reply immediately through this confidential email i.d ( ****** ) so that I can give you his contact details and more light on the benefit packages for both of us.
Send to me your full name, address, your i.d copy and telephone number for immediate actions. Contact me as soon as you read this mail.
Yours in service,
Capt.******
______________
That’s rubbish!
The truth of this day – this GOOD FRIDAY ….. is that God wants us to do better by each other than try to hurt of mislead one another.
This piece is from The Stations of The Cross (published by Messenger) that traces the fourteen stations through the eyes of the woman at the centre of today’s Gospel Passage (John 8: 1-11)
I never forgot that moment. They may not have had the stones in their hands but they knew where to get them. They said I should be “stoned” – he didn’t seem to disagree but said “let anyone that hasn’t sinned throw the first stone”. I braced myself because I knew they were a holier than thou lot and felt sure the pelting would begin. It was amazing. Silence, then a bit of shuffling and I think I heard a few stones falling on the ground. I dared not look but, in time, had a sense of being on my own – well not fully, he was still there. Doodling on the ground. “Where are they?” He asked. “Have they all left? No stones, no condemnation!” “They’re all gone”, I said, daring not raise my voice above a whisper… that way, I thought he’d not hear the tears in my voice. “I don’t condemn you either, go away now and sin no more”. I never was too far away from him after that. I’m not sure he knows … but I saw the genuine article that day. He was different to anyone I’d ever met before or since. I was there on those last days near Calvary ….
Earlier today, Saturday April 6th, I had the pleasure of Confirming twenty-five young people from the parish. Since our diocese is currently without a bishop, it was decided that each parish priest would administer the sacrament in his parish. I was pleased to have this chance to celebrate with the boys and girls of our three schools – Kilmovee, Tavrane and Kilkelly and, though our numbers are small, they reflect the reality of life in a a rural parish and the day was as important to them – to all of us – as if there were hundreds involved. I want to share the few words I used by way of reflection today. I shared them from the perspective of a Sligo supporter who is also open to supporting the Connaught team that remains in the League or Championship when Sligo’s journey ceases! Sadly, this year that was quite early in the League!
When Ciaran Tracey scored the goal in the League Final – there was no denying the sense of spirit. Cameras left the pitch for seconds and the joy that ran through the Green and Red that dominated the stands was a joy to behold – “JOY” … recognise that today as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirt.
Andy Moran’s kicking the ball away from himself, only to reclaim and redirect it in Tracey’s direction was … yes, you’ve guessed “Right Judgement” … recognise that as one of the gifts
James Horan’s introduction of Moran in the final quarter of the game …. “Wisdom”
Collectively on the pitch there was “Courage”– and undoubtedly “Knowledge”of the game, the strengths of team mates and the support of the crowd.
And those green and red jerseys in the stand – colours that dominated Croke Park speak of “Reverence” for a team that has had its heart broken many times – and reverence/respect for players who have left everything they have on the pitch.
Somewhere during half time on Sunday last, in a dressing room in Croke Park, the team huddled, mistakes made were acknowledged and an energy was found to take to the pitch for the second half and the team played, united and inspired – to the blowing of the final whistle and the claiming of the cup. Clearly, there had been an “Understanding” of what had been said. Thankfully, we knew people in that room – Cathal Horan, here with us today I’m sure, and Brendan Harrison. What happened in the dressing room, might be linked today with the gathering of the disciples in the upper room on that first Pentecost. Their dreams lay in shatters – the leader they had looked to was gone and they wondered where to from here? Like our knowing Cathal and Brendan, we know some of the people that were in that room too, Peter, Andrew, James and John, Our Lady … we are all in this together. Into that room, boys and girls, came “The Holy Spirit” and they found the strength and the direction to leave the room and take to the pitch for the second half – the half we are still playing, right up to and beyond your Confirmation Day.
In the gifts I mentioned above – from last Sunday’s Game, were included:
The supporters’ REVERENCE
Andy Moran’s RIGHT JUDGEMENT
James Horan’s WISDOM
The Team’s COURAGE, KNOWLEDGE and UNDERSTANDING
One of the seven gifts we seek today is missing …. Anyone???
Yes, “WONDER AND AWE” in God’s presence.
That doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. I met a woman in Ballagh shortly before the game. She was listening to the radio build up but told me she would turn off the radio for the game because she found it too stressful to listen but that she would pray for the team. Doubtless many others did the same and I’ve no doubt faces were blessed in Croke Park when Tracey found the net and the ref blew the final whistle. We know, deep down, that God is behind all things – the Creator of all things and we need to “wonder” about that – to be in “awe” of this power.
So boys and girls, what am I saying to you? I’m saying the gifts “confirmed” in you today are all around you. You will encounter them on a daily basis but the one that maybe we all need to work on, from time to time, is that sense of “wonder and awe” in God’s presence and one of the places we encounter that presence is here in this church or a church like it during the celebration of Eucharist.
So men and women, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, what am I saying to you? To me? We need to gather in prayer, to huddle and be together in the upper room, so that we can find the strength and the desire to play the second half …..
To make a difference.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your spirit, and they shall be created and you will renew the face of the earth.
Today is Mothers’ Day. I looked earlier for a piece I’d written for this day and found it but also found another piece that I had written seventeen years ago for my mother. It is elsewhere on this blog but thought it might be worthwhile to share it again today.
Happy Mothers’ Day to any mother reading these lines today. May God bless and reward you for all you have done and continue to do for your children. May the greatest gift you receive today be rooted in an awareness in the family of all you do and do so well. May many blessings be yours, not least the blessing of happy memories.
Last night I went to see Blood Brothers in Castlebar. Amazing performance of a wonderful story that touches every emotion under the sun. So glad to have been there. Blood Brothers was my first ever introduction to theatre – a classmate in Maynooth brought me to see it in the Olympia sometime around 1986. It has remained a favourite. I think last night was about the fourth or maybe fifth time I’ve seen it through the years and I’d not rule out seeing it again. The actors are incredible. One of its most iconic songs has to be “Tell me it’s not true” – a mother wishing against all the odds that what is before her eyes is not true.
Thoughts with people who have to live with bad news and find a way forward. A prayer for strength.
This quick thought was shared with me – I liked it:
“Today …. spend more time with people who bring out the best in you, not the stress in you.”
Today’s gospel passage sees Jesus cast out a demon from a man. The man is unable to speak. When the demon is cast out the man finds his voice and begins to speak.
A few months ago, when reading a similar passage where Jesus cast out a demon that rendered a man unable to speak, I was struck by the thought that not to use our voices, when able to do so, to promote good and to speak well of people is a form of evil. It never occurred to me that silence when speech is an option – that silence that does not seek to bring something positive to a situation is not good and could easily be the work of evil.
A Lenten thought around this might be – how am I using my voice to further was is good?
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