Pastoral ponderings

by Hugh Donleavy

To be honest, one Lenten devotion that I’ve never really appreciated is the Stations of the Cross. I have vague memories of being taken to the Stations as a very young child, and not really knowing what was going on, but being a bit interested by the fact that we got to walk around church instead of just staying still.

Well, as an adult, I’ve always found it a bit of a necessary evil. But I’ve been trying to learn to appreciate it a bit more this Lent. I think this aversion is partly due to some experiences of long, and not particularly helpful, meditations on the Stations which I’ve endured on occasion. But I’m discovering that it doesn’t have to be a bad experience after all.

In any case, this month we finish Lent and move into Easter. If Lent is a time of preparation, then I think had a bit of a rough start, but it’s been going well since. Just one more final stretch. I’m looking forward to Easter this month, it seems a lot more joyful when you’ve prepared well in Lent.

Talking of preparations, it has been my privilege this year to help prepare one of the students at Liverpool Hope University for reception into the Church. We’ve been having weekly sessions since autumn, talking about the Catholic faith. It’s been nice to get to know him, and to hear how he arrived at the point of asking to become Catholic. He’s very keen to learn more, and to finally be able to receive the sacraments. Our talks have also helped me realise how much I’ve learned over the last few years - as well as a few things I need to keep reading up on. He will have just been received into the Church by the time you read this, so please keep him in your prayers as he begins this new chapter of his life. This year I’ve come across a lot of people with interesting questions, and who want to learn more about the Catholic faith, which is always very refreshing.

Wishing you all a prayerful Holy Week, and a very happy Easter.