MESSENGER The Sacred Heart
February 2024 €2.00/£1.85
A modern message in a much-loved tradition
Spiritual Spring Clean Andrea Hayes The Leaky Bucket Anne Marie Lee Knock Shrine: Creation Walk Brian Grogan SJ
Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network
Apostleship of Prayer Morning Prayer
You have made this day, O Lord; may I spend it well in your service: praying at all times, serving your people, who I meet this day with love and care. I pray for the intentions of Pope Francis in union with people throughout the world: that the sick who are in the final stages of life, and their families, receive the necessary medical and human care and accompaniment. I make this prayer with Mary Our Lady and through Christ our Lord. Amen. Evening Prayer
Father, as I prepare for sleep tonight, let me know the warmth of your love. In your mercy, soothe my pain, whether in my body, mind or soul. Grant me a restful night of sleep so that when I awake, I'm strengthened to do your will. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Sacred Heart
MESSENGER
Incorporating the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer)
Address: Messenger Publications 37 Leeson Place, Dublin D02 E5V0, Ireland Phone: 01 676 7491 or 087 654 0408 2
From Pope Francis:
Dear sister, dear brother, if your sins frighten you, if your past worries you, if your wounds do not heal, if your constant failings dishearten you and you seem to have lost hope, do not be afraid. God knows your weaknesses and is greater than your mistakes. He asks of you only one thing: that you not hold your frailties and sufferings inside. Bring them to him, lay them before him and, from being reasons for despair, they will become opportunities for resurrection. Do not be afraid! Yet human reassurance is not enough. We need the closeness of God and the certainty of his forgiveness, which alone eliminates evil, disarms resentment and restores peace to our hearts. Let us return to God and to his forgiveness. November 2023
Email: sales@messenger.ie Website: www.messenger.ie Cheques payable to: Messenger Publications Editor: Donal Neary SJ Design: Brendan McCarthy Images: Shutterstock.com unless otherwise stated Nihil Obstat: Noel Barber SJ, Censor Deputatus
Imprimi Potest: † Dermot, Archbishop of Dublin
Prices for 2024 Prices are on page 54 You can renew your subscription at: www.messenger.ie Telephone 01 676 7491 or 087 654 0408 © All rights reserved
February 2024
Contents 04 From the Editor House and Home
24
Donal Neary SJ
05 Pope's Intention Saying Goodbye
Fr Tom Cox
22 Spiritual Spring
08 The Story of
Andrea Hayes
St Brigid
10 Reflections Terence Harrington OFM Cap
12 Scripture
Martha of Bethany
David Breen
14 Knock Shrine: Creation Walk
Buttery Chilli Prawns /Chocolate Mousse
Seamus Buckley
Patrick Carberry SJ
06 A Pervasive Growth
38 Cookery
Clean
24 Bl. Rupert Mayer:
Apostle of Munich
27 Re-Link
The Contribution of Christianity to Ireland Jacqueline Flattery
31 Laudate Deum:
Churches Together
Dominic Robinson SJ
40 Children’s Pages 42 Crosswords 44 Visiting Older People
Mary Threadgold RSC
46 Bl. John Sullivan:
An Extraordinary Life
48 Reflections on the
Synodal Experience
Pat Murray IBVM
50 Exploring Ignatian Spirituality
32 ‘His Own People Did 52 Lenten Poetry Not Accept Him ... ’ 16 The Leaky Bucket 54 Subscription Fr John Cullen Anne Marie Sweeney 34 Lent: Getting it Right 55 Calendar 18 Under One Roof Fr Gerard Condon Fr Vincent Sherlock 56 Photo Reflection Liam O’Connell SJ 20 Illness: The Hope 36 The House Was Filled Brian Grogan SJ
amid the Pain
Margaret Naughton
with Fragrance
Fr John Cullen
Cover: Apricot tree branch covered with flowers in spring.
3
From the Editor
House and Home
After my brother’s death, I went on a last visit to the family home. We first moved there in 1962, and my brother had lived there since. There was luck in getting the house and that the sale of the pub meant we could afford it. Saying goodbye to a house is often a wrenching experience. I hadn’t lived there long, so it wasn’t as difficult as it might have been. On that last visit, I realised that I was saying goodbye to the house not the home. The home made in that house will always be a lively part of my life, with its memories and links to those gone before. Some items in particular brought back the memories: a photo from the wall, an icon I gave my family, the last family photo we took, some other souvenirs brought to my parents when as children we started travelling, and the Sacred Heart picture. What builds a home? Home is where a room was always there for 4
us. It is a centre of warmth and upbringing and much more. It remains in the heart and thus does not always need a house, even though it began in a house. It is the focus of much reminiscence in the family. It is the centre from which we made friends among neighbours, some of whom we shared the avenue with for a long time. The people of our home and many neighbours live in our heart and memory forever. With thanks I remembered that I grew up in the days before a mortgage, and a legacy from my grandfather to my father bought a good house then for €1000. In 1962 a move got us a lovely house for €4000. I grew up in the time when a house and its debt wasn’t so much of a worry. Do we not owe it to our new generation that they can buy a house? Donal Neary SJ
Pope’s Intention
Saying Goodbye
Pope’s Intention: We pray that those with a terminal illness, and their families, receive the necessary physical and spiritual care and accompaniment.
expected. He smiled, reached out his hand for mine and gently squeezed it. In response to my question, he told me that he felt sleepy but was free of pain. As he closed his eyes, I barely managed to blurt out, ‘Thanks for everything, Joe’, and that was all. I was incapable of saying more. Words seemed irrelevant anyway. Being there, holding his hand and wordlessly placing him in God’s care seemed to be enough. People with a terminal illness deserve to receive all the specialist care that is available to them. Particularly through the hospice movement, medical expertise is capable of controlling pain, nursing care can relieve discomfort, and chaplaincy services bring consolation. Visits from family and friends are also important, of course. A familiar face brings with it the reassurance of love, and can lift a person out of the sense of isolation that can take hold at this time. Sometimes, when the patient is alert, a lively conversation is appropriate. At other times, as on my final visit with Joe, it may be enough simply to be present and to caress a hand. And to say a silent prayer. Portrait by Shawky1993, commons.wikimedia.org
Some years ago, I went to visit a Jesuit friend of mine who was close to death. Joe was more than a friend to me: he was a mentor, a model, a wise companion and a kindly superior. As I made my way to the hospital, I spent some time rehearsing what I might say to him. I would thank him for his long years of friendship. I would express my admiration for him, and let him know how he had inspired me at times when I had felt like giving up. I would thank him for the gentle way he had of listening and the quiet words of wisdom he would speak in response. I would tell him how I admired his serenity as his health gradually failed and his pain became more persistent. Yes, I was going to say so much on that visit, but it didn’t happen like that. When I arrived at his bedside, Joe was much weaker than I had
Taken from, Living Prayer 2024 by Patrick Carberry SJ, Messenger Publications, 2023. 5
A Pervasive Growth Fr Tom Cox is parish priest of Shannonbridge. In many gospel extracts, Jesus makes the point about the almost unseen ways in which the kingdom of God is growing. One of the barriers to the growth of the kingdom of God is our fear of change. Back in October when the ‘Synod on Synodality’ took place, one participant summed it up as follows: she had gone fearing nothing would change, while others feared that everything would change. Moving back to the Gospel, if you think about our well-organized lives and Churches, who in their right mind
Trappist Monk Thomas Merton said something quite helpful one time about change. ‘You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognise the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith, and hope.’ 6
would want that disrupted by some crazy mustard seed of a new way of thinking and doing things? Change is not something we readily understand. Why does God do what he does? Why are things so hard in my life? This is all too much at times. But God is never part time or a temporary tenant. If you dare to let God into your life, be prepared for God’s kingdom to take over. This is not a weekend commitment. Trappist Monk Thomas Merton said something quite helpful one time about change. ‘You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognise the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith, and hope.’ Everybody wants change … somewhere else. But it could be our own fear of disruption that can prevent the growth of the kingdom of God among us. It is something to think about as we see our reflection in a mirror. Am I a spur or a barrier to God’s kingdom? Calm in the Tempest
You’ve probably heard the story of the new farmhand. His new employer was puzzled by the reference supplied by his previous employer. It stated, ‘This man can sleep when the storm blows.’ Anyway, he took a chance on this new farmhand, and all
was well. Several weeks passed, and then one night there was a terrible storm. The farmer woke up. He went down the hall to his helper’s room but found him asleep. He raced out angrily to check on things. The security gates were locked. The barn doors were secure. The animals were bedded down. Seeing these things, he recalled the reference: ‘He can sleep when the wind blows.’ We might get annoyed when someone doesn’t take a situation as seriously as we do. It does no good to have others worried about us, but there is a certain solidarity when somebody is worrying with us! It happened to the disciples. When they were caught up in a storm, they were exasperated that Jesus was asleep, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ (Mk 4:38). Mind you, they were experienced fishermen; this was not their first storm. It must have been particularly severe. So many people are in storms in their lives. Affliction and sorrow
abound. You are either headed into a storm, in the middle of a storm or coming out of one it seems. It’s amazing to see that God ‘gave Job his answer’ from the ‘heart of the tempest’ (Job 38). Job is acknowledged and recognised by God. Sadly many centuries later and with better technology, we have managed to take humanity out of it. People are made feel invisible, not even noticed. Worse when it comes to contacting agencies and institutions – a hedge of technology abounds between us and help. ‘Your call is important to us – please hold’ rings teasingly in our ears. Sometimes we are not even answered. Learn from your storms. God is teaching you something about himself, about you, and about the storms of life. I read once that we cannot always calm the storms that come our way, that sometimes God calms the storm, and sometimes God lets the storm rage and calms his child. There is a learning in everything. 7
The Story of St Brigid Celebrating the 1500th anniversary of the death of St Brigid St Brigid was born in AD 450 in Faughart, near Dundalk in County Louth. Her father, Dubhthach, was a pagan chieftain of Leinster, and her mother, Broicsech, was a Christian. It was thought that Brigid’s mother was born in Portugal but was kidnapped by Irish pirates and brought to Ireland to work as a slave, just like St Patrick was. Brigid’s father named her after one of the most powerful goddesses of the pagan religion – the goddess of fire, whose manifestations were song, craftsmanship, and poetry. He kept Brigid and her mother as slaves even though he was a wealthy man. Brigid spent her earlier life cooking, cleaning, washing and feeding the animals on her father’s farm. She lived during the time of Patrick and was inspired by his preachings to become a Christian. When Brigid turned eighteen, she stopped working for her father. Brigid’s father wanted her to find a husband, but Brigid had decided that she would spend her life working for God by looking after poor, sick and elderly people. Legend says that she prayed that her beauty would be taken away from 8
St Brigid's Cathedral, completed in 1896, incorporates elements of a thirteenth-century Norman cathedral and is built on the site of St Brigid's fifth-century abbey
her so no one would seek her hand in marriage; her prayer was granted. Brigid’s charity angered her father because he thought she was being too generous to the poor. When she finally gave away his jewel-encrusted sword to a leper, her father realised that she would be best suited to the religious life. Brigid finally entered the convent. She received her veil from St Macaille. Legend also says that Brigid regained her beauty after making her vows and that God made her more beautiful than ever. News of Brigid’s good works spread and soon many young girls from all over the
By Markiemcg1, Wikimediacommons.com
country joined her in the convent. Brigid founded many convents all over Ireland; the most famous one was in County Kildare. It is said that this convent was built beside an oak tree where the town of Kildare now stands. Around 470 she also founded a double monastery, for nuns and monks, in Kildare. She also founded a school of art, including metal work and illumination, and thus the famous illuminated manuscript Book of Kildare was created. St Brigid's Cross
Making a St Brigid’s Cross is one of the traditional rituals in Ireland to cel-
ebrate the beginning of early spring, 1 February. The crosses are made of rushes that are pulled rather than cut. They are hung by the door and in the rafters to protect the house from fire and evil. According to tradition the old cross is burned to keep fire from the house. Brigid and her cross are linked together by the story that she wove this form of cross at the deathbed of either her father or a pagan lord, who upon hearing what the cross meant, asked to be baptised. Brigid died in AD 524. After some time, her remains were exhumed and transferred to Downpatrick to rest with the two other patron saints of Ireland, Patrick and St Columcille. Her skull was brought to Lisbon, where it remains to this day. Brigid is the female patron saint of Ireland. She is also known as Muire na nGael or Mary of the Gael which means ‘Our Lady of the Irish’. From the website of St Brigid's GNS, Glasnevin, Dublin 11. Email: stbrigid. glasnevin@gmail.com 9
Reflections Capuchin priest Terence Harrington works at Knock Shrine.
Forgiveness
We are all human. We can be guilty of careless words, angry outbursts, thoughtless actions, selfishness and sin. We sometimes inflict pain on one another and this can lead to bitterness, the holding of grudges and resentment. This requires forgiveness. A person’s Christianity can be measured by the degree to which they are prepared to forgive. Forgiveness is one of the deepest expressions of charity. Forgiveness leads to healing. We carry around with us a lot of baggage. We carry the baggage in an invisible sack, and it can weigh us down and tire us. There is no inner peace. We carry wounds, scars, bruises, and hurts from the past, resentment, anger, and bitterness. A key to healing of this kind is forgiveness. Forgive and the baggage melts away. Let go of the chains that bind us. The chains around us have no lock, just our own grip. Let go, forgive and they will fall away. An unforgiving attitude, bitterness and a desire for vengeance poison the soul and increase anxiety and feelings of depression, whereas for10
giveness heals and frees. It is healthy and wholesome, and it brings peace. Who is the person whose hand you will not shake? If you have hatred in your heart for anyone, try to root it out. Easier said than done. The important thing is to try. To try and to keep on trying is to be a saint. We may climb Croagh Patrick, do the Lough Derg pilgrimage and visit Medjugorje, but if we refuse to forgive all this is in vain. It is false religion. Never are we more like God than when we forgive. Unique
You are unique. The human being is the clearest reflection of God’s presence in the world. God doesn’t create inferior human beings. In every human being there is the imprint of God. No one’s life is insignificant in God’s eyes. We are not ordinary people; we are not mere mortals; we are created in the image of God. Instead of you God could have created an archangel, but he didn’t. He created you. You are a sacred person, very special, unique. You are chosen.
Books for Lent Christ’s Seven Words from the Cross John Mann
112pp €11.95 Contemplating the words Jesus spoke while nailed to the cross can help us meditate on the themes of the passion and resurrection of Christ and be filled with our own prayerful reflections.
A Calvary Covenant Stations of the Cross John Cullen 64pp €5.95
Our Wounded God
‘John Cullen’s reflections on each Station of the Cross are fresh and provide much food for thought.’ The Furrow
Beyond, Beside & Within Us John Cullen 40pp €7.95
Journeying in Joy and Gladness Lent & Holy Week with Gaudete et Exsultate Kevin O’Gorman 56pp €5.95
‘...a novel and very worthwhile approach to what is the central mystery of Christianity.’ The Irish Catholic
J
‘This booklet helps people to discover the significance of the cross as a response to the suffering that sears many lives today’ Jesuits in Ireland
Messenger M P Publications www.messenger.ie
Available from all good bookshops or directly from our website, www.messenger.ie, or phone 01-6767491
Scripture
Martha of Bethany David Breen continues his series on people in the Gospel.
The Resurrection of Lazarus by Francesco Pittoni (1710) in San Nicolo Church, Treviso, Italy
We first meet Martha of Bethany in Luke 10:38–42, when Jesus came to her village. She may have heard him and even witnessed some of his deeds, or she may just have known him by reputation. In any case, when he arrived in her village Martha welcomed him into her home (v. 38), which indicates that Martha’s heart as well as her home was open to the Lord. It is obvious from the story that Jesus was teaching, and Mary, her sister, had adopted the position of a rabbi’s disciple – sitting at his feet – listening to him (v. 39). Martha, in contrast, was ‘distracted with much serving’ (v. 40). The word 12
translated as ‘distracted’ means to be pulled away from something. Martha felt cultural obligations as a hostess in a hospitality, and honour/shame culture pulled her away from what she really wanted in this situation. If her primary desire was to serve her guests, she would have done so happily without complaint. In this instance her heart’s desire was for what her sense of obligation was pulling her away from. She wanted to listen to Jesus too. The frustration of not being able to fully benefit from Jesus’ presence in her home defeated the purpose of her invitation to him, and she explod-
ed (v. 40), even blaming the Lord for not caring about her predicament. The gentle rebuke she received from the Lord was to help her readjust her priorities in the face of distracting cultural expectations. Martha needed to learn that Jesus ‘did not come to be served but to serve’ (Mk 10:45). The ‘one thing needed’ and ‘better part’ that Mary had chosen (v. 42) was to learn from Jesus. Learning and serving are two sides of discipleship. Those who sit at Jesus’ feet and learn will not serve him less, but they will serve him with a freshness that will make itself felt wherever they are. We next meet Martha in John 11. Her brother Lazarus had died. She and her sister Mary had sent word to Jesus when he was ill, and the messengers returned with Jesus’ promise that the ‘illness would not end in death but in the glory of God’ (v. 4). Unfortunately, by the time the messengers returned, Lazarus was already dead. He was four days in the tomb when Jesus arrived. On Jesus’ arrival a series of contrasts involving Martha, Mary and the mourners appears. Mary and the mourners are weeping (v. 33), but Martha is not. Martha goes out to meet Jesus, but Mary stays in the house (v. 20). On the surface the responses of Martha, Mary and the mourners are identical. They all expressed the belief that if Jesus had been there Lazarus would not have died (vv. 21, 32, 37). But Martha didn’t stop at that. Perhaps holding on to the word of Jesus that Lazarus’ illness would not end in death but in God’s glory, she expressed her faith in Jesus, ‘but even now I know that whatever you ask of God he will
Unfortunately, by the time the messengers returned, Lazarus was already dead. He was four days in the tomb when Jesus arrived. On Jesus’ arrival a series of contrasts involving Martha, Mary and the mourners appears.
give you’. Jesus’ response was an ambiguous promise that her brother would rise again (v. 23) and Martha’s rejoinder that she knew he would rise on the last day (v. 24) can be taken as a request for clarity. This interaction ends with a perfect expression of Martha’s faith: ‘I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who comes into the world’ (v. 27). Martha’s subsequent caution at the tomb about the stench from the dead body (v. 39) need not be taken as it usually is, as a lack of faith. It is more an understandable moment of hesitation at the crucial juncture of facing the impossible. Jesus’ response reminds her of the word he sent when he learned of Lazarus illness on which she had pinned her faith, ‘Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?’ (v. 40. cf. v. 4). And see it she did. Martha, woman of faith, is a model to be emulated. Having received a promise from the Lord she held faith when the promise appeared to fail and received faith’s reward with the raising of her brother. 13
Knock Shrine: Creation Walk Jesuit Brian Grogan is a spiritual director and is author of numerous Messenger books. The Dublin Georgian house that I live in and dearly love was built in 1833. We know the year because a plasterer left his signature and date on the fourth floor landing: D. Mulloy, August 1833. How marvellous that, 190 years on, D. Mulloy is now known to the readers of The Messenger, and all because instead of painting over his signature, the first owners of the building decided to put a frame around his inscription, making it an item of interest to the Jesuits who began to live here in 1910. We can draw a parallel between this snippet of history and the story of creation, in terms of the signature left behind. Pope Francis speaks of nature as ‘a precious book’ containing God’s first self-revelation. Later, 13.8 billion years later in fact, came the second and even more precious book, the Bible, which began to be written about 2,600 years ago. Not surprisingly the later book largely eclipsed the first. But Pope Francis wants us to read the first book deeply: there, in every detail, we can find God. God’s ‘First Book of Revelation’ is one which everyone can read: it needs no translation, no knowledge of ancient languages: you don’t have 14
to buy a copy. Everyone who has ever existed has had it to hand, just by looking at nature. This book reveals God as supreme artist: St Paul says that what can be known about God is plain since God shows it to us: ‘Ever since the creation of the world God’s eternal power and divine nature can be seen through the things God has made’ (Rom 1:20). Laudato Si’ states that every creature manifests God; nature is a constant source of wonder and awe, a continuing revelation of the divine (LS, 85). In other words, just as D. Mulloy put his name on the wall of our house in 1833, the divine signature is written on every atom of creation. God wants to meet us in everything around us, and for us to recognise that the entire material universe is pulsating with boundless divine affection. Every living thing is ‘a caress of God’. Awareness of this can bring joy and transform how we see and treat God’s work of art! Creation Walks are being developed in Ireland and convey in local settings the long journey of the universe from its beginning. Thanks to astro-physics we are now learning for the first time to read the early chapters. We don’t know anything like
the full story, but it’s embedded and coded in the material world around us, and every new scientific discovery turns a thrilling new page for us to read and to experience the divine presence, as if God were whispering, ‘I made that! See my signature!’ The Creation Walk nearing completion at Knock Shrine, County Mayo, winds discreetly round the beautiful grounds of the shrine. It marks thirty stages of the cosmic journey: it is not a walk to rush through or ‘to do’ but to ponder and contemplate. Each stage gives a brief account of what was going on in a particular period of geological time and inspires wonder and appreciation of what our common home was like in the past and whose signature it carries. A suitable
response might be: ‘Wow! Thanks!’ Each pause on the walk gives us a chance to realise that the natural world is silently pleading with the one million annual pilgrims to the shrine to play their part in protecting, conserving, and beautifying our common home. Nature is entrusting itself to our sensitive care. It is a place to fall more deeply in love with our God who caresses us with leaf and tree and bird and cloud and stone and sunbeam. We protect only what we fall in love with! A companion booklet to the Knock walk: Creation Walk: The Amazing Story of a Small Blue Planet by Brian Grogan SJ, is available from Messenger Publications or at www.messenger.ie/bookshop 15
The Leaky Bucket Anne Marie Sweeney, a Dubliner, links a good story with her nursing background. Don’t write someone off because they don’t come up to the mark in your eyes. They have value in the eyes of God, ‘for everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving’ (1 Tim 4:4). There is a story in Chinese culture about a man with a leaky bucket. It goes like this. There was a man who carried two buckets, one on either side of him, balanced on a pole over his shoulders. Every day he went to the well and filled the two buckets with fresh water. On his arrival home one bucket was full and the other bucket was half full. The full bucket was smug and proud of itself. The half full bucket was anxiously apologising because it was leaking. ‘Don’t worry,
Don’t be afraid or shy to approach the person with a disability whether intellectual or physical. They have as much to offer to you as you have to offer them. 16
don’t worry’, said the man. ‘Have you not noticed the beautiful wild flowers growing on your side of the road as we walk back home? You have been watering them every day as the water leaked from your bucket.’ Recently those with a disability are speaking out about how they are not given equal treatment in Irish society. Many need a personal assistant to help them lead as normal a life as possible but many are denied this service, or receive such limited assistance that it makes little difference. There is an access problem in many premises, such that a person with a physical disability must phone
in advance to ask if they can enter using a wheelchair or rollator walker. Many of these people feel invisible, feel society has written them off. Everyone has value in the eyes of God and must be valued by us also. Everybody contributes to life on this earth regardless of their abilities or circumstances. When we wake up and take time to observe, those with intellectual or physical disability have a lot to teach us – to be helpful, kind, and compassionate. One day I was walking into the Stephens Green Shopping Centre when I heard my name called. I turned around to see a young man in
a wheelchair with a big smile on his face for me. It was a lovely surprise as I hadn’t seen him for a number of years. We hugged and chatted for a while, and I felt emotionally and spiritually lifted for the rest of the day. His personal assistant, who was pushing the wheelchair, had a surprised look on his face. I had formed a special relationship with this young man while nursing him back to health. The transformative experience of relationship with a disabled person can be one of the surprises of God, which may in Seamus Heaney's words ‘catch the heart off-guard and blow it open’. Don’t be afraid or shy to approach the person with a disability whether intellectual or physical. They have as much to offer to you as you have to offer them. Speak up with them when you see they are being neglected, ignored or disrespected. Where you see access is difficult or impossible for the disabled person speak up, when you notice a person parking their car illegally in a disabled parking space, challenge them, or if you think that is not appropriate take their number and report them to the appropriate authority. With a disabled person in my car and displaying a disabled parking permit, I had to park a distance from the premises we needed to visit because the three disabled parking spaces nearby were occupied by cars with no disabled permit displayed. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God –what is good and acceptable and perfect (Rom 12:2). 17
Under One Roof Fr Vincent Sherlock is parish priest of Tubbercurry, County Sligo. Many years ago a little boy came home from school and told his mother that she could never wash his hair again. When she asked, ‘Why?’, he told her that a man had met him in the porch of the church and patted him on the head, saying, ‘You are a great boy.’ Later that man had died suddenly. The boy, realising that he would never meet the man in the porch of the church again, felt that he could preserve the touch and blessing of the man, if he never washed his hair again. Sometimes I think of this and wonder did that man know how much it meant to the young boy to be recognised, acknowledged and praised? Did he realise, even for a second, that he had blessed the young neighbour in the porch of the church, just as the priest had done from the altar? ‘Go in peace’ from the priest and the personal word of recognition from the man. Blessed at both ends of the church. A great way to start the week. I believe it is one of the wonderful and perhaps unsung virtues of our churches that they are a place where the generations meet together under one roof. Where else in the parish do you find this? There are groups for toddlers, school children, youth clubs, social dancing, active retirement, 18
bereavement support and a plethora of places and occasions where people meet with their own peers but, in church, all are together – from the baby just days old to the centenarian and beyond. Truly, the church is a place of meeting and togetherness where, as mentioned in the Knock Hymn, ‘There were people of all ages gathered ‘round the gable wall.’ It is in this setting of togetherness that the young couple brings the child Jesus to give honour to their tradition and present the first born. It is in this setting that an old man called Simeon and the long-time widow Anna encounter the young family and share the moment with them. Youth meets wisdom, faith encounters faith
Become even more aware of the diversity of people that are under that one roof, at one time and be thankful that this is happening.
and openness and trust have their moment. The young couple, in this meeting, come to a realisation that the young child is to have a major impact on the world. An old man that they never met before, says he had spent his life waiting for this moment. He could just as easily have said, ‘You are a great boy’, and taking the child in his arms, he gives thanks for the moment and declares himself ready to die because this moment has come. Likewise the elderly Anna looks to the mother in Mary and reassures her. Poignantly she tells her that a sword will pierce her heart and how strange that must have seemed to the young mother, but she was able to hear it
because the words were spoken in a place of faith and togetherness. No doubt Mary recalled this moment at Calvary’s hill, when darkness had its say and the veil of the Temple was divided in two. So the next time you are in church, take a look around. Notice the young couple there and the child or children in the seat with them. Are the children restless? Maybe even distracting? Be happy that they are there. Notice the man or woman sitting alone – was there someone with them a few months ago? Where is that person now? Maybe there was a bereavement. Notice the couple, maybe they are recently married or preparing for marriage or trying to make a decision about the future. Take heed of the readers, the choir, the collectors and altar servers. Remember the priest. Become even more aware of the diversity of people that are under that one roof, at one time and be thankful that this is happening. There are others that could and should be there but give thanks for those who are and give thanks that you are one of them. 2 February: Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. What have I to present? A kind word, a nod, a smile and a prayer. 19
Illness: The Hope amid the Pain Margaret Naughton is Healthcare Chaplain and CPE Supervisor in University Hospital, Kerry. new reality and often faced with more I often think that when we reflect on questions than answers, more doubt complex and enigmatic issues like illness, we are looking deeply into the than certainty, more darkness than light. I have witnessed the unfairness heart and soul of the human condiof it all, the disproportionate suffertion. We are trying to make sense of ing that sometimes seems to endure suffering, of loss, of pain, of grief, of while others appear to fare so much struggle, of vulnerability. There is no better. I have held the deeply complex denying that illness can come like a thief in the night and challenge all our questions within my heart and soul for hitherto held beliefs. It can rock us to days when I have been more chalthe core and challenge us to dig deep lenged than empowered by pastoral in a myriad of ways. It is like an unwel- accompaniment. I have also supported students on come intruder in our lives, especially their journey through formation for if life is good and full of colour and pastoral care who find themselves possibility. I have worked as a chaplain for the confronted with very real questions last thirteen years and not only have around illness, pain and suffering. While we can debate, challenge and I reflected theologically myself on discuss, the reality is that illness is a some of the theological issues menpart of life; there are no answers, no tioned already, I have helped others conclusions, no neatly crafted formula to do likewise. I have sat at the bedside of those who are pained by their to explain away the cruelty of life, the agony that besets so many people every day. That said, we cannot simply leave it at that. Happy to accept the inevof not having answers, of For me, I feel that in relation to itability not understanding illness, of fearing illness, I have found my middle to question what can at times seem unquestionable. As a Christian and a ground. In Matthew 14:14 we pastoral practitioner, I sense especially that these are important faith conread that Jesus was moved versations to have. It is also important with compassion and healed to come to some sort of happy medium, not blind faith but rather a middle the sick. 20
Fourteenth-century mosaic depicting Christ the Great Physician healing the sick and afflicted, Chora Church, Istanbul
ground that supports an authentic conversation around such important and complex topics. For me, I feel that in relation to illness, I have found my middle ground. In Matthew 14:14 we read that Jesus was moved with compassion and healed the sick. Indeed all through Scripture we read of the many signs and miracles that Jesus worked to show us that we are not alone in our time of suffering. And while so many will unfortunately not be healed, they will be supported and encouraged and empowered by the people around them. Therefore my stance now is not to overly focus on the why questions, which I cannot really answer anyway, but rather on the how. How as a child of God can I support the sick and the dying? How can I mirror Christ’s love and compassion to
them and offer hope and consolation? How can I demonstrate that those who are sick and dying are not alone? I can do this by living up to my baptismal calling in a very real and tangible way; I can do so by being an authentic conduit of God’s love, kindness and compassion. My call as a baptised Christian is to offer hope and solace to the sick and the dying. It is to show that those who are visited by illness have someone to hear them, to support them, to craft a space for tears, for pain, for sorrow, for joy and for a moment or two of laughter. I can show it through simply showing up and caring. Being moved with compassion offers hope amid the pain; it speaks volumes often without uttering a word. Begin with compassion each and every time and God will do the rest. 21
Spiritual Spring Clean Andrea Hayes is involved in formation of prayer guides and spiritual directors. Change is all around us. Every new season is a revelation, the start of a new cycle, and, often, we find a similar process takes place within ourselves. Have you ever heard the expression ‘This is the best season of your life’? By meeting change from the right place within yourself, it can become your own personal spring season. As the sun warms the earth and nature awakens from its long winter slumber, we too can enter a similar awakening from within. The seasons offer great wisdom; re-emergence from a period of retreat to one of re-animation is an opportunity for great spiritual growth. As spring ushers in the rousing of nature, we feel called to fall into a different rhythm with the universe. We might feel called to spring clean and declutter not just our homes but our busy minds. It’s an invitation to slow down, find our rhythm, visit our inner sanctuary where true belonging rests. For me, this captures the idea of deep intimacy, of being attuned to the ultimate source of the Divine. This homecoming is like a spiritual spring clean, emptying the mind and allowing our level of consciousness to reach its highest potential, enabling more light to enter the dark 22
edges of our soul. This capacity to purify oneself is like an inner cleaning, exploring the capacity to understand the reflection of one’s projections. It’s an inner awareness or presence that generates a pure level of consciousness, transmuting all lower forms and co-creating from a higher place of pure love. When we harmonize and spring clean the heart, we become attuned to a divine, loving frequency. This level of connection can re-balance and transmute all our personal winters and move darkness into light, inviting peace and perfect order into each moment. Only then – in this pure empty place – can we co-create with God, developing a more expansive and interconnected sense of self and, in so doing, becoming part of the collective unity consciousness.
Spring is a time full of life and new possibilities. As this awakening process unfolds and the clearing begins, it’s an opportunity to make the inner chambers of your heart shine in new splendour with the light of God.
Human awareness can hold all the seasons of our life because of our capacity to gain more wisdom and grow closer to the Divine with each passing day. We only ever have this present moment, right now. Tomorrow is not a guarantee. Just for today, can you enter into a spiritual spring clean of your heart? Letting go of the negative things in your life, making space for beauty, truth, peace, hope and love. When we make space within our heart, the greatest powers of the soul can reside in a place of deep knowing and intuitive attunement. Entering into a spiritual spring clean can be a great time for rebirth and growth if you allow it to be. What form will your spiritual spring clean take? Only you can decide. But here’s a place where you can start:
make it your intention to slow down and come into rhythm with your heart – a time to discover the Divine in a whole new way. This can be a wonderful time to step out of your comfort zone by trying new things, maybe a new spiritual practice. A soulful spring clean is a great time to surrender to God, releasing the patterns or beliefs that no longer serve you. Create space to let new things come into your life, a new intimate way to grow spiritually. Spring is a time full of life and new possibilities. As this awakening process unfolds and the clearing begins, it’s an opportunity to make the inner chambers of your heart shine in new splendour with the light of God. Releasing all entanglements within and entering into the world anew with an emerging fullness of spirit, this is the homecoming of your unfolding life, where you can truly receive the fullness of God. This unmovable, infinite and unchanging state of consciousness, a level beyond thought forms, provides deeper knowing and intimacy with all of creation and from this space, we can direct our divine destiny and the unfoldment of the highest vision for the world. 23
Bl. Rupert Mayer: Apostle of Munich Rupert Mayer was born on 23 January 1876 in Stuttgart, Germany. On completing his secondary education he told his father he wanted to be a Jesuit. His father suggested he get ordained first and enter the Jesuits later, if that was still his wish. Rupert took this advice and did philosophy studies at Fribourg in Switzerland and Munich. He then studied theology at Tubingen for three years before completing his final year at the seminary in Rottenburg. He was ordained priest on 2 May 1899 and celebrated his first Mass two days later. He served for a year as a curate in Spaichingen, before entering the Jesuit novitiate at Feldkirch in Austria on 1 Oct 1900. Following his novitiate, he went to the Netherlands for further studies between 1906 and 1911. He then travelled through Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, preaching missions in many parishes. Rupert’s real apostolate began when he was transferred to Munich in 1912. There he devoted the next thirty-one years to migrants who came
His courage was infectious and gave hope to his men in appalling conditions. In December 1915 he was awarded the Iron Cross for bravery, a rare honour for a chaplain. 24
to the city from farms and small towns looking for a job and a place to stay. He was totally committed to their needs, collecting food and clothing, looking for jobs and places for them to live. He also helped them preserve their Christian faith in a city that was rapidly becoming secular. With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Rupert at first offered his services to a camp hospital. But later he was made field captain and travelled together with his men to France, Poland and Romania, which brought him to the front line of battle. His courage and solidarity with his men became legendary. He was with them in the trenches and stayed with the dying to the very end. His courage was infectious and gave hope to his men in appalling conditions. In December 1915 he was awarded the Iron Cross for bravery, a rare honour for a chaplain. In 1916 his army career ended abruptly when a badly broken leg had to be amputated. By the time he had fully recovered the war was over (1918) and Rupert returned to Munich and did all he could to help people get back to a normal life. In November 1921 he became director of a Marian Congregation (Sodality of Our Lady) for men and within nine years its membership had grown to 7,000, coming from 53 different parishes. This meant that Rupert had to give up to 70 talks a month to reach all of them. For the convenience of travellers, he introduced Sunday
The Sachsenhausen concentration camp, Oranienburg, Germany
Masses in 1925 at the main railway station. He himself would celebrate the earliest Masses, beginning at 3.10 in the morning. In time, it could be said that the whole city of Munich had become his parish. With huge social problems developing in Germany after the First World War, Munich saw the rise of Communism and other social movements. Rupert took a close interest in these. He attended their meetings and even addressed them. His aim was to highlight Christian principles and to point out the fallacies in other speakers’ ideas that could mislead people. He was one of the first to recognise the dangers of Adolf Hitler and Nazism and again challenged Nazi policy with Christian principles. It was inevitable that he would come in conflict with the
Nazi movement. When Hitler became chancellor in 1933, he began to shut down church-affiliated schools and began a campaign to discredit the religious orders. Preaching in St Michael’s Church in downtown Munich, Rupert denounced these moves. As a very influential voice in the city, the Nazis could not allow him to continue his attacks on them. On 16 May 1937, the Gestapo ordered Fr Mayer to stop speaking in public places. This he did but continued to preach in church. Two weeks later he was arrested and put in prison for six weeks. At his trial he was found guilty but given a suspended sentence. He then obeyed his superiors’ orders to remain silent, but the Nazis took advantage of this to defame him in public. His superiors then allowed 25
Before the Sondergericht – one of Hitler's ‘special courts’ – he declared, ‘Despite the speaking ban imposed on me, I shall preach further, even if the state authorities deem my pulpit speeches to be punishable acts and a misuse of the pulpit’. him to preach again in order to defend himself against the Nazis’ slanderous attacks. He was arrested six months later and served his formerly suspended sentence in Landsberg prison for five months. Then a general amnesty made it possible for him to return to Munich and work quietly in small discussion groups. Fr Rupert Mayer resolutely spoke out against the Nazi regime’s evil in his lectures and sermons. Before the Sondergericht – one of Hitler’s ‘special courts’ – he declared, ‘Despite the speaking ban imposed on me, I shall preach further, even if the state authorities deem my pulpit speeches to be punishable acts and a misuse of the pulpit.’ His time in prison and the concentration camp had taken its toll, as had the enforced inactivity while under house arrest at Ettal. However he was still seen as a threat and so was arrested again in November 1940 on the pretext that he had cooperated in a royalist movement. Now sixty-three years old, Rupert was sent to the notorious Oranienburg-Sachsenhausen concentration camp near Berlin. After a few 26
months, his health had deteriorated so badly that it was feared he might die in the camp and be seen as a martyr. So he was sent to stay in the Benedictine abbey in Ettal, in the Bavarian Alps. Fr Mayer spent his time there in prayer, leaving his future in the Lord’s hands. He remained in the abbey for almost six years until freed by American forces in May 1945. He at once returned to Munich, where he received a hero’s welcome, and took up again his pastoral work at St Michael’s. However the years in prison and the camp had undermined his health. On 1 Nov 1945 Rupert was celebrant at the 8 a.m. Mass on the Feast of All Saints in St Michael’s. He had just read the gospel and begun preaching on the Christian’s duty to imitate the saints, when he had a stroke and collapsed. Facing the congregation, ‘The Lord … the Lord … the Lord…’ were his last words. He died shortly afterwards. He was sixty-nine years old. He was buried in the Jesuit cemetery at the Jesuit house of studies in Pullach, outside Munich, but his remains were later brought back to the city and interred in the crypt of the Burgersaal, the church next to St Michael’s, where the men’s sodality regularly met. Rupert Mayer was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Munich on 3 May 1987. His grave was visited by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, whose parents had venerated him. He is remembered for his staunch opposition to Nazi inhumanity and for his selfless dedication in helping the poor. This account was first published on Sacred Space, the website of the Irish Jesuits.
February 2024 relink.messenger.ie
Re:Link
The Resource for Junior Certificate Religion Studies by Jacqueline Flattery
The Contribution of Christianity to Ireland
27
Re:Link
St Fionan’s monastery, Skellig Michael, one of the earliest monastic settlements in the country
St Brigid is Ireland’s only female patron saint, and her feast day on 1 February marks the beginning of spring. Christianity has been a huge part of Irish life and culture since St Patrick brought the religion here in the fifth century. Before this, Ireland was a pagan country with many important religious beliefs and practices. Paganism refers to a non-Christian or, more specifically, a pre-Christian religion. Some well-known pagan celebrations that were part of Irish culture include the festivals of Samhain and Bealtaine. Inculturation
The missionaries who brought Christianity to Ireland used a process called inculturation to adapt pagan beliefs and practices into Christian ones. For example, in fifth-century Ireland, 28
people worshipped rivers and believed that water could have healing powers. The missionaries used that belief to help them to understand the importance of water in Christian baptism. Sacred springs were re-dedicated to Christian saints and became holy wells, many of which are still seen today. Some of these include Tobar Phádraig (St Patrick’s Well) in County Meath, and St Brigid’s Well in County Kildare. There are over 3,000 holy wells in Ireland, far more than any other country in the world. These wells offer visitors a peaceful place for prayer and healing and have an important role in Ireland’s cultural heritage and religious tradition. Several other places of pilgrimage in Ireland date back to pre-Christian times. Probably the best known example is Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s Holy
Re:Link
Glendalough, this Christian monastic settlement was founded by St Kevin in the sixth century
Mountain. You may know that Patrick is said to have spent forty days on the summit fasting and praying, but it is thought that Croagh Patrick has been a site of pilgrimage for over 3000 years. It was previously known as Cruachán Aigle and this name is believed to be connected to a pagan harvest deity, Crom Dubh. People climbed the mountain on the festival of Lughnasa, the start of the harvest season. No coincidence that the annual day of pilgrimage for climbing Croagh Patrick today is the last Sunday in July, known as Garland Sunday or Reek Sunday. Irish Monasticism – Art and Architecture
Monasticism is a religious way of life where a group of people choose to live and pray together and dedicate themselves to God. Early Irish mon-
asteries were important places of learning and creativity and began to appear in the sixth and seventh centuries. The nuns and monks who lived there taught local people how to read and write, and also cared for those who were sick. Christianity continues to play a key role in education and healthcare in Ireland today. This monastic period gave Ireland some very significant pieces of art and architecture and had a big impact on Irish heritage. The Book of Kells is one of the country’s greatest treasures. It is a handwritten manuscript of the four Gospels and is particularly special due to its beautiful illustrations. The Book of Kells (named after the monastery where it was created) is on display in Trinity College Library and is one of Ireland’s biggest tourist attractions – it’s visited by approxi29
Re:Link mately one million people each year! The Tara Brooch and the Ardagh Chalice are two other examples of iconic artwork from this period. The monasteries themselves were amazing feats of architecture and were made almost entirely of stone. Many were destroyed by fires, but several are still well-preserved today, including Glendalough in County Wicklow, Clonmacnoise in County Offaly and Skellig Michael in County Kerry. Monastic monks also showed great craftsmanship by carving images into high crosses as part of their prayer life. These works of art depicted scenes from the Bible and are an important part of Irish heritage. These high crosses were a special way for the monks to express their Christian beliefs and share their faith with others. A famous example is the Cross of the Scriptures in Clonmacnoise. It dates back to the year 900 AD. Christianity and Ireland
Many of the greetings used in Irish have Christian messages and further illustrate the influence that Christianity had on the everyday life of the people of Ireland. For example: • Dia Dhuit – ‘hello’, translates as ‘God be with you’ • Le cúnamh Dé – ‘With the help of God’ • Beannacht Dé leat – ‘goodbye’, translates as ‘God’s blessing be with you’ Lots of place names in Ireland are linked with Christianity. Think about the places, schools, hospitals and football clubs in your local area that are named after saints. Patrick in particular is associated with hundreds of 30
places around Ireland, from towns and hills, to street names and buildings. Teagasc have created an interactive map which details many of these locations – Search ‘Saint Patrick Names and Places’ on www.teagasc.ie. As we see from the examples above, after Christianity was introduced to Ireland, the religion developed quickly and has contributed hugely to Irish heritage and culture. Want to find out more?
Heritage Ireland is an organisation that cares for many of the places and artefacts discussed in this piece. If you’d like to learn more about Ireland’s rich heritage and culture, this would be an interesting place to start. www.heritageireland.ie. Sources:
Soul Seekers by Tom Gunning Beliefs in Our World by Gary Carley and Paula Finnegan Inspire by Michael Purcell and Ailis Travers Holy Wells of Ireland www.heritagecouncil.ie Learning Outcomes Associated with this Topic:
1.4 Investigate how Christianity has contributed to Irish culture and heritage 1.6 Examine and appreciate how people give expression to religious belief in religious rituals, in formal places of worship and other sacred spaces.
Laudate Deum: Churches Together Fr Dominic Robinson is the parish priest in the Jesuit Church, Farm St, London Pope Francis has released Laudate Deum, ‘Praise God’, to ‘clarify and complete’ what he started in 2015 with his letter Laudato Si’ on how we care for our common home. This is not just a papal document for Catholics but a heartfelt letter with an urgent message addressed to all people of good will, of whatever Christian denomination, of whatever faith or none. The letter was released on the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, the great medieval reformer whose spirituality saw our relationship with God in the simplicity and poverty of our harmony with wider creation. This return to seeing ourselves in our nothingness in a vast universe with all its intricate connections seems to be at the heart of Pope Francis' call to us today. As Churches together this is an important message to hear. We share a common belief in the goodness of all creation and of human beings, and we have a common belief that when we turn away from the good, become out of harmony with creation and with the creator, then we need to experience God’s mercy, a call to conversion, and a call to fulfilment as God’s image on earth. However we understand sin, grace, justification and sanctification, we all hear the call
to be the faithful stewards of God’s creation. So Pope Francis’s call invites us to action together as Churches. He asks each of us to contribute by efforts ‘to reduce pollution and waste, to consume with prudence’ and thereby help ‘to create a new culture … for when human beings claim to take God’s place, they become their own worst enemies’. The climate crisis is indeed a ‘global societal issue’, where the impact and consequences are often felt by the world’s poorest people. As such we are called as Christians together to educate ourselves and our children on what it means to be a good steward of creation, of the goods God has given us. This is not an optional extra but an integral part of our faith and of how we understand and worship our Creator God. It is an integral part too of the mission of the Christian disciple. It is an integral part of our understanding of the nature of sin and Christian ethics. It is an integral part of our understanding of how the Church in the midst of the world plays a part in global, national and local action and advocacy for the poorest, for the common good, for the future of God’s creation. 31
‘His Own People Did Not Accept Him ... ’ Fr John Cullen’s reflection keeps the Christmas message in mind as we are moving into 2024. We need to change the perception that being a migrant as well as being homeless is something unusual and unnatural. The Gospels show us that Jesus is a displaced person in three senses: he is the heavenly one who came down to earth and was not accepted; he is a refugee on the run in Egypt, fleeing Herod’s threatened persecution of all male children under the age of two years; he spends his life as a mobile preacher and healer, with ‘nowhere to lay his head’ (Lk 9:58). The entire Bible is a story of people in search of a home: Adam and Eve leave the garden; Noah and his family sail away from destruction; Abraham and Sarah follow God’s call; Joseph and his band of brothers head to Egypt; Moses wandered through the desert; Judah is exiled in Babylon. None of these people were going on a package holiday! They were homeless refugees, asylum seekers or possibly trafficked persons. Being displaced in exile and in the wilderness is part of the story of the Bible. It is an inherent part of belonging to God’s people. For us, to be a Christian is to be en route, on the way, on a pilgrimage to a citizenship that is not situated right here. The story of Ruth is made up of many dialogues and it epitomises the journey of migration and homeless32
ness even for us today. Several times we are told that Ruth is a foreigner, who was part of the Moabites. These were sworn enemies of Israel because they were seen as having questionable and flawed birth rights, and they also refused to help Moses and his people when they were strangers in the wilderness. Ruth is viewed with suspicion for her foreign ways, religion, language and customs, just like many migrants today. Ruth knows all about isolation as a foreign widow who wanders into a place of famine. She is vulnerable to being molested in the barley field and possibly could face humiliation and death. Ruth faces a terrible crisis. She pledges her loyalty to Naomi and matches her lowly impoverishment when she meets Boaz, who shapes his life to redeem her and in doing so he finds a blessing. Together Ruth and Boaz portray for us the faithfulness of God. This is how God works with steadfast love, at personal cost, facing adversity, never letting us go, disarming us with goodness and constantly pointing us to a purpose beyond what we can yet see. What Ruth’s story shows us is that a foreigner who appears to be nothing more than a bundle of trouble turns out to become the harbinger of renewal and hope for an adrift nation
The neo-gothic fresco of the scene of Boaz and Ruth's wedding by Leopold Bruckne, Slovakia
with no vision or horizon for its future. Ruth evokes in Boaz an awareness of his own scarcity, as she inspires him to bring deliverance to his people at great cost to himself. Both Ruth and Boaz typify the figure of Jesus who goes into a far country to become one like us and bring about our salvation through a life of sacrifice and service. There is no Old Testament without homeless migration. In the New Testament, the Acts of the Apostles and the ministry of Paul are all about journeys. The Book of Revelation tells us that we are all in exile from our true and final abode in heaven. Border controls and quota policies
are part of the political agenda to sort out the issue of homeless migration. But it is not the only framework for this conversation. Migrants and homeless people should not be seen as fundamentally a threat and a danger. They are first and foremost a challenge to our Church to recover its true identity, which is to love the stranger and care for the alien. To turn our backs on migrants and homeless people is to forget our original identity, inhibit our Synodal renewal and deny our true destiny. Christmas reminded us that Jesus was a homeless migrant. To forget that is to forget who we are and also to forget who God is. 33
Lent: Getting It Right Fr Gerard Condon is the Parish Priest of Killavullen and Director of Mission and Ministry for the Diocese of Cloyne. The auditorium of the original Cork Opera House (destroyed by fire in 1955) was said to boast a wonderful acoustic. Over the century of its existence, Corkonians developed an ear finely attuned to good music. Visiting opera companies, too, were impressed, although they generally listed Cork as a ‘provincial’ venue. One night, a pretentious Italian tenor was flattered by the cries of “encore, encore’ from his audience. He sang a particular aria four times and still they wanted more. The singer made as if to leave the stage, but a man from the upper balcony shouted, ‘Stay where you are boy. You’ll sing it again, until you get it right!’ Lent is an opportunity to try, once again, to get our living of the Gospel right. In the early Church, the season
The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 6, the text used at Mass for Ash Wednesday, points to the inner meaning of those practices. They should be directed to the glory of God and a desire to help others, not ourselves. 34
was dedicated to the catechumens, those adults preparing for baptism at Easter. However, over time, it was recognised that holiness was a lifelong task, a work in progress. Lent became an occasion for those already baptised to renew their faith, to meet Jesus again, as if for the first time. For some, that involved repentance, for others, new insight into the faith they already possessed. For their Lenten pilgrimage, those early Christians adopted the three pillars of Jewish spirituality: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 6, the text used at Mass for Ash Wednesday, points to the inner meaning of those practices. They should be directed to the glory of God and a desire to help others, not ourselves. In other words, spending time in prayer is not so much about our personal wellbeing. Unlike going to the gym or reading a good novel, we may not feel like we are getting a whole lot back in return. On the other hand, I have always found that time given to God ‘in your secret room’ (Mt 6:6–7), is time well spent. In the morning, it gives focus to the day ahead. In the evening, it hands the day over to God. Fasting, can be a type of prayer, when it reminds us that our appetites are ultimately satisfied only by God. In our society, physical nourishment is
both idolised (by celebrity chefs) and trivialised (by the junk-food industry). The practice of moderate fasting makes for a better relationship with food and drink. Fasting can also be applied to many other aspects of modern living, which become harmful when they begin to dominate. Our ancestors rested better without the ‘ping’ of their phones at night! Your body and mind, as well as your spirit, will thank you if you decide to go ‘off-the-grid’, for a time each day and make your bedroom a technology free zone, a desert of sorts in our internet driven world. There are also new forms of almsgiving. In our society, time has become as valuable a commodity as money. A decision to be truly present to another / others is a great gift to give in our individualistic culture. Last
year, a report of the Surgeon General declared an ‘epidemic of loneliness’ in the United States. Visiting with others, this Lent, walking with them as a companion or a friend, creates the kind of connections that reflect God’s kingdom. Behavioural psychologists tell us that personal change comes about, not through good ideas, but good actions. We act our way into a new way of thinking. They also say that it takes about five weeks for a new personal behaviour to become a personal habit. Coincidentally, that is about the span of Lent. In the Bible, forty days (or years), refers to a time of testing, trial, endurance and finally triumph. Lent is such a ‘favourable time … a day of salvation’ (2 Cor 6:2), when the grace of God comes to the aid of our noble aspirations.
35
The House Was Filled with Fragrance Fr John Cullen works with the homeless in London and is a priest of the Elphin Diocese.
Orthodox painting of Jesus, Martha and Mary, Ukraine
Jesus is sitting down to dinner in Bethany with Lazarus, who is among the guests, ‘at which Martha served’ (Jn 12:2). Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, takes a pound of perfume and pours it over the feet of Jesus. I don’t know much about perfume to be honest, apart from the fact that perfume is expensive and it comes in bottles that are exotic! In the gospel story, Judas is lurking 36
around and he protests at the cost. He asks, ‘Could not this have been sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ (Jn 12:5). A denarius was the average pay for one day’s work. It seems an outrageous amount. This incident would have jammed WhatsApp groups, as it unfolded! Where did she get the money? Was it the family legacy of Lazarus, who had died,
but was raised to life? I’d say that nobody knew where to look as Mary expressed her tenderness. In the then culture, women did not touch men. It would have been deemed a disgraceful performance. Wiping the feet of Jesus with her hair was a calculated, flagrant indecency. What on earth does she think she is doing? Judas has all the vocabulary that makes our lives function: common sense, public order, boundaries between men and women, stewardship, building the common fund for the poor, bylaws and strategic plans. But, Judas cannot see the one thing that Mary alone can see: that Jesus is going to die in a week’s time. It was just ‘six days before the Passover festival’ (Jn 12:1). There may have been good reasons why Judas was not prepared to see that as he will have a hand in the betrayal of Jesus. But, then, besides Mary, no one else is seeing the full meaning of her actions either. Jesus says, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial’ (Jn 7). In other words, Mary typifies Jesus as she poured out herself – physical, spiritual and emotional to gain attention by a gesture of sheer beauty. Jesus is the extravagance of God, who, like Mary of Bethany, is not even noticed. Jesus is God, desperate to stir our attention away from the shallow – by wasting the most precious and beautiful things to show utter love to us. I met a woman recently in a London food outlet. She is in her late-fifties and is for the first time learning to read. She had grown up in a children’s home and the good things of life came late to her. She worked in the local hospital, taking meals
Jesus is the extravagance of God, who, like Mary of Bethany, is not even noticed. Jesus is God, desperate to stir our attention away from the shallow - by wasting the most precious and beautiful things to show utter love to us. around to the residents. At forty, she married a good man and her motherin-law became the mother she never had. So her mother-in-law’s death was a terrible shock. She told me, ‘I spoke to my supervisor and explained my situation and I asked for a few weeks passionate leave.’ She meant to say compassionate leave. I looked at her and I did not know whether to laugh or cry. Yes, she needed passionate leave, in the truest sense of that word, to recognise all the love that she had poured out for the mother she never had. We all need a time of passionate leave to reflect on the Judas question: what is the one thing that I am desperately trying with all my busyness and professionalism not to see? And also to reflect on the Mary question: what is the beautiful thing that I am called on to do – embarrassing or extravagant as it may be? You never forget your extravagances! Neither does God. For God’s extravagance is – you. God never regrets pouring out and wasting everything on you.
37
Cookery
Buttery Chilli Prawns Heat up your February with trained chef Seamus Buckley’s buttery chili prawns. He also recommends a firm favourite with all – chocolate mousse. My first recipe is for buttery chili prawns in their shells – unpeeled adds more flavour to the meal and protects it from quickly overcooking. This recipe is very communal, sitting around a table peeling, eating shrimp and breaking bread with friends is a party!
• ½ small bunch parsley roughly chopped • small loaf crusty bread, warmed to serve Method
• Melt the butter and oil together in a frying pan. Add the garlic, chilli and paprika, then fry for 1–2 mins until Ingredients starting to turn golden. Turn up the • 50 g butter heat, throw in the prawns and fry • 2 tbsp olive oil for a few mins, stirring, until all the • 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped prawns turn pink. Take off the heat, • 1 red chilli, seeds left in and finely season and stir in the lemon juice chopped and parsley. • ½ tsp sweet paprika • Add some lemon slices to a finger • 16-20 large raw king prawns, peeled bowl of warm water, grab a bowl for • Juice 1 lemon and a slice or two for a the shells, then dig straight in with finger bowl. your fingers and hunks of crusty bread.
38
Cookery
Chocolate Mousse Chocolate mousse is always a favourite for young and old. This recipe is for a simple chocolate mousse – no frills. It can be made in glasses or ramekins. The mousse can be made up to a day ahead. It also freezes well for up to a month. Serves 6–8. Ingredients
• 50 g Butter • 225 g plain chocolate such as Bournville, broken into small pieces • 30 g of butter • 1 tbsp brandy, optional • 3 large eggs, separated • 150 ml double cream, lightly whipped
Method
• Measure the chocolate into a bowl and sit it over a pan of simmering water. Melt slowly and do not allow the chocolate to become too hot. • Stir in the butter, brandy and egg yolks one at a time and mix until combined and smooth. Set aside to cool a little. • Whip the egg whites until just stiff. Fold into the chocolate mixture with the whipped cream. Fold to combine. • Spoon into six stemmed glasses or ramekins. Transfer to the fridge to set. • Dust with icing sugar and serve with crème fraîche.
39
Childrens Pages
Spot 12 differences, follow the maze and colour in the pictures!
40
41
_________________________________________________ Send to: Adult Crossword 2, Messenger Publications, 37 Leeson Place, Dublin, D02 E5V0, Ireland, by 24th of the month.
Address: _________________________________________
Name: ___________________________________________
ADULT CROSSWORD WIN A €30 1
2
3
VOUCHER! 4
5
6
7
8 9
10
11
12 14
13 15
16
17
18 21 24
Across 1 Boy, during the month, had an illness (6) 4 Indicator of rain (6) 9 Now I’ll get another absorbent cloth (9) 10 Took it easy for a day (3) 11 Go back in very posh surroundings, his design is stylish (7) 13 Lover having a rum cocktail with nothing inside! (5) 14 Fans cheerin’ outrageously, give them the vote (11) 18 Shakespearean not back to give greeting (5) 19 Old charioteer lost during hostilities (7) 21 Daylight (3) 22 Speculator nodded when site was levelled (9) 24 Is, during the interval, to oppose (6) 25 In Derby go near part that is antiquated (6)
19
20
22
23 25
Down 1 Reason to go about half-time (6) 2 Behold western base (3) 3 Led him endlessly out of Indian city (5) 5 Pigswill? Nonsense (7) 6 Gain one’s tricks in Midwest state (9) 7 Profit from unsold newspaper perhaps (6) 8 Hoping to have good health when money is put into here (7,4) 12 Throw traps round drinks (3-6) 15 Right house-doctor giving us lozenge-shaped item (7) 16 Hunter’s drink (6) 17 Curb placed on horse’s harness (6) 20 This goat is suffering from vertigo (5) 23 Some protozoons found in animal park (3)
A €30 voucher for each of the first two correct adult solutions opened and a €20 voucher for each of the first two correct children's solution opened. Judge’s decision is final. Entries must reach us by the 24th of the month.
42
CHILDREN’S CROSSWORD WIN A €20 VOUCHER!
Name: ______________________________
Age:___________________________________
Address: _______________________________
______________________________________ Send to: February Children’s Crossword, Messenger Publications, 37 Leeson Place, Dublin, D02 E5V0, Ireland, by 24th of the month.
Across 1 Emerged from an accident (8) 4 Container for water (4) 5 Payment (4) 8 People older than 12 but younger than 20 (9) 9 Person in charge (4) 10 Takes an exam (4) 12 North of England (8)
Down 1 Tennis player aims to win at least one (3) 2 Competitors in a race (7) 3 Birds that cluck (4) 6 The A in USA (7) 7 Seriously bad conflict between two or more nations (3) 8 Cylinder (4) 11 Not in good spirits (3)
November 2023 Crossword: Solutions and Winners Adult Crossword November: Across: 1 Copra; 4 Modicum; 8 Impersonation; 9 Deriving; 10 Snag; 12 Lassie; 13 Drover; 16 Carp; 18 Ginger up; 21 Jog one’s memory; 22 Wrestle; 23 Theme. Down: 1 Child; 2 Papyrus; 3 Au revoir; 4 Mooing; 5 Dray; 6 Cairn; 7 Manager; 11 Fragment; 12 Lockjaw; 14 Verbose; 15 Tissue; 17 Rogue; 19 Payee; 20 Knit. Children’s Crossword November: Across: 1 Asking, 5 Arc, 7 Lasts, 10 Roll, 11 Solid, 13 Rice, 14 Bends, 15 She, 16 Discos. Down: 2 Sells, 3 Gas, 4 Streets, 6 Correct, 8 Alone, 9 Third, 12 Disco, 14 Bed. Adult’s Crossword Winner November: M McFall, Co Antrim; Murt Hunt, Co Mayo Children’s Crossword Winner November: Jack Moloney, Co Mayo; Jacinta Johnson, Co Offaly 43
Visiting Older People Sr Mary Threadgold RSC is a well-known author on issues for the elderly. As we grow older we like to reminisce. We especially like to share reminiscences with people of our age group. One of my family memories is the fact that my father was always late for tea on Fridays. This was due to the fact that it was his day to visit a resident at the ‘Incurables’ in Donnybrook, as it was known then. He did this on his way home from work as an active member of the St Vincent de Paul Society. The elderly lady he visited took an interest in the rest of his family and we felt that we knew her, even at a distance. I’m sure it’s true that we are influenced by what is going on around us. It includes this example of my father when I was a child in the 1940s as well as the fact that he took me with him on a few occasions when visiting nursing homes. This experience must have stayed with me and then more than half a century later, I found myself for seven years visiting my broth-
Described as guidelines and resources, this is a practical booklet for the benefit of those visiting older people on a longterm basis either in nursing homes or in their own homes. 44
er in his nursing home. He was living with dementia. I was later a volunteer visitor at our local Nursing Home for three years until Covid came along, and then I decided to write up what I had learned for the benefit of others who had a relative or friend in long term care or housebound. The result is the booklet Lift Up Their Hearts – Visiting Older People which is now available through Messenger Publications. Described as guidelines and resources, this is a practical booklet for the benefit of those visiting older people on a long-term basis either in nursing homes or in their own homes. They could be family members, other relatives, friends or volunteers attached to various local organisations. For volunteer visitors, offering friendship is very meaningful for the lonely person who seldom sees a visitor. What Difference Does It Make?
First of all it is the joy of being remembered and not forgotten. We all need to belong somewhere or to someone and even if this is only experienced from time to time it makes a difference. During the visit itself, the joy of reminiscing can make all the difference when the visitor is able to share experiences from long-term or short-term memory. The difference it makes to the relative who hasn’t kept in touch is that they feel less guilty about their absence and can
renew their good intentions. If a visit is spontaneous it adds to the pleasant surprise. But if it is planned and arranged the person being visited has something to look forward to which adds to their enjoyment and awareness that they haven’t been forgotten. Become a Volunteer Visitor
Others may consider becoming volunteer visitors and for those with time on their hands, this can be a very rewarding experience. In that respect it is often said that the visitor gains as much as the person being visited. There are a number of organisations that welcome enquiries including ‘Alone’. Many parishes (Catholic and otherwise) have visiting groups as do organisations like the St Vincent de Paul Society and Legion of Mary.
Guidelines and Resources
Many people can limit their visits because they have difficulty maintaining conversation throughout the visit, or perhaps the person being visited has specific difficulties in communicating such as dementia. A time of restricted visiting like the experience of many during the Covid pandemic also poses extra problems. Then some of the older people needing a visit are approaching the end of life and others would like you to pray with them. In the second part of this article next month you will get a lot more practical information that you can look up either in preparation for visiting or when difficulties arise. Lift Up Their Hearts – Visiting Older People (€6.95) is available from Messenger Publications.
Petitions First Friday 2nd February 2024 .......................................................................
All who send in petitions are remembered at prayer and Mass here at The Messenger.
....................................................................... ....................................................................... ....................................................................... ....................................................................... .......................................................................
Send to: Fr Donal Neary SJ, Editor, Sacred Heart Messenger, 37 Leeson Place, Dublin, D02 E5V0, Ireland.
45
Bl. John Sullivan: An Extraordinary Life Bl. John Sullivan is remembered on 23 February, the ninety-first anniversary of his death. In the college where Bl. John Sullivan lived and worked, in the area where he visited the sick, Br Charley Connor (Chah) has a special apostolate to people coming to Clongowes for a blessing with the Blessed John Sullivan SJ cross. Everyone who comes receives an extraordinary welcome no matter what time of the day or night – and no one goes away without feeling consoled and uplifted by this welcome. Coming from a farming background in County Laois, Br Charley has had an extraordinarily active and fulfilling life undertaking many tasks. He spent over twenty years from his mid-twenties in the Jesuit mission in Chikuni, Zambia, where he managed an 8,000-acre farm. In 1978 he returned to Ireland and has spent all his subsequent life in Clongowes. Much of his time is spent with the people who come for the Bl. John Sullivan blessing, usually asking for him. From 1913 to his death in 1933, Bl. John lived in Clongowes apart from a time as superior of a Jesuit community at Rathfarnham Castle. 46
Since his father was Lord Lieutenant then, many felt that Rathfarnham would be safe with Bl. John there. He never let on that many on a rebellious course to Dublin might stay there. In the school, he was spiritual father to the boys. A poor teacher, he was best known for his availability to the boys and for his prayer. One boy wrote home: ‘Mother it is great to say we are being taught by a saint!’, but he was better known for his care of the sick in the area around the school and sometimes cycling to Dublin to visit the sick. Br Chah continues to keep alive the memory and ministry of Bl. John now. Initially Br Chah was responsible for transport and maintenance in the college, but his work took on a new and extended role when he succeeded Fr Brian Cullen, founder of the Society for the Relief of the Poor and Aged. During this period Br Chah became a well-known figure in the area around Clongowes, bringing food to people in need. In 2019 Bishop Denis Nulty of
munity, described him as a ‘one-man meals-on-wheels’. Br Charley also gives a lot of his time in service to the People’s Church in the college and in ministry to those who attend daily and Sunday Mass there. People’s Church, Clongowes
Kildare and Leighlin, when conferring on Br Charley the papal Benemerenti medal for his work in the local com-
The People’s Church was constructed between 1819 and 1821. The first Mass was celebrated here on the 1 November 1822 – the Feast of All Saints. It was the Boys’ Chapel until 1907, when the present Boys’ Chapel was built. Since 1907 it has been known as the People’s Church and serves the local people of the surrounding area and is much loved by them. The college itself was acquired in 1814 and was one of the first Jesuit houses opened after the restoration of the Society in that year. Mass is held daily in the People’s Church at 8.00 am on weekdays and at 11.00am on Sundays.
D ON AT I ON S G R AT E F U L LY R E C E I V E D for the spread of devotion to the love of God in the Heart of Jesus and for the promotion of the Sacred Heart Messenger For St Joseph’s Penny Dinners, c/o Fr Fergus O'Donoghue SJ, St Francis Xavier’s, 54 Gardiner Street Upper, Dublin 01 TX 23, funding food for the hungry in Ireland and abroad. Thank you for your support.
J
Messenger M P Publications www.messenger.ie
47
Reflections on the Synodal Experience Loreto Sister Pat Murray works on the General Staff of Loreto in Rome. She was invited by Pope Francis as a member of the Synod. Walking into the synod hall each day I was continually struck by the immense variety of participants. On the eve of the Synod we had participated in an Ecumenical Prayer Vigil ‘Together’ in St Peter’s Square, led by the Brothers from the Taizé community and a group of young people. There Pope Francis reminded us that we were brothers and sisters ‘from every nation, from all tribes, peoples and languages’ (Rev 7:9). We were daughters and sons, inspired by the Spirit received in Baptism and called to the same hope. (Eph 4:4–5) This diversity of cultures, ages, roles, experiences, perspectives and expectations were clearly present across the 365 synod participants which included for the first time 54 women with the right to vote. This enormous variety at every level was the abiding sense that I had throughout the whole synodal experience. Sitting at round tables of twelve, we listened to different insights and perspectives, having first prayed about the particular topics from the Working Document. Each person shared for four minutes what he or she had carefully prepared. Whether cardinal or lay woman, archbishop or religious sister or brother, layman or bishop or priest, the words of each 48
person were important as we listened and discerned where the Spirit is leading the Church at this time in history. The method used is called Conversation in the Spirit. There are three rounds of contemplative listening – with a prayerful pause after each contribution – before the final task of deciding together what to include in the final table report. This report noted points of agreement and of divergence. All the table reports from the weeks of conversation shaped the final document which was voted on, section by section on the final day. This type of deep listening calls for freedom and openness and many participants shared how they found themselves being able to welcome and hold the diversity of views in a new way. The practice of discernment takes time and that is why there will be a second session in October 2024 with the time beforehand being used for study and reflection on the Synod Synthesis Report at different levels within the Church. What stays with me from the experience is I have a new understanding and appreciation of both the meaning and process of synodality. Pope Francis reminds us that synodality ‘is not a chapter in an ecclesiastical textbook,
Irish representatives at the Synod, Bishop Brendan Leahy and Bishop Alan McGuckian
much less a fad or a slogan to be bandied about; but is an expression of the Church’s nature, style and mission.’ The word ‘synodality’ which comes from the Greek words syn (together) and hodos (road, path) reminds us that the common dignity of baptism makes us all brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing the one Spirit and sent to fulfil a common mission at a critical time in the Church and in the world. While synodality brings with it a certain novelty and freshness, it also expresses a deep desire for radical inclusion. Many have felt alienated or excluded from the Church and we all have a part to play in creating a Church of welcome and inclusion. In the synodal conversations you could sense the deep desire to experience Church as a faith community where everyone is involved and where people get to know each other
and are in dialogue with each other; where they support one another and seek to shape their lives and their environment in the spirit of Jesus. At the Synod we could speak openly about complex topics – e.g. creating new lay ministries, women deacons, communion for the divorced and remarried, the LGBT communities, abuses of authority and power– naming these and other areas as needing deeper study, prayer and reflection. Finally synodality is not only a theology but it is also a spiritual practice; a way of life which has to be cultivated and lived. The three interrelated pillars of the synodal Church: communion, participation and mission invite us to discern together what new vision and pastoral approaches the Spirit is asking of the Church for its mission today and how we are being called to contribute. 49
Exploring Ignatian Spirituality Marina Berzins McCoy writes on Ignatian Spirituality and is a professor at Boston College, where she teaches philosophy. Author Jim Maher SJ has written Pathways to a Decision with Ignatius of Loyola, Messenger Publications, 2020.
Mercy
Mercy is wider than forgiveness, for mercy includes actions such as the corporal and spiritual works of mercy: feeding the hungry, visiting those who are in prison, bearing patiently with the faults of others, for example. An essential part of mercy includes forgiveness, but mercy does not end there. The process of forgiveness is one that can lead us to our own conversion of heart, turning our ‘heart[s] of stone’ into ‘heart[s] of flesh’ (Ezek 36:26). Our stony hearts get broken up and softened in part through encountering the suffering and difficulties of others and placing ourselves in solidarity with them. If Tom serves by tutoring in a school for children who lack sufficient educational resources, he may come to feel genuine heartbreak if he learns that some of the students are hungry as a result of poverty. This may motivate him not only to serve but also 50
to seek ways to address childhood hunger more widely in his community. Mercy includes coming to know and to build relationships with those who are in need; when we enter these kinds of situations, we bring our life experiences with us. Our encounter with mercy in the form of forgiving and being forgiven can also inform how we practice mercy in its wider ways. Pope Francis says in Gaudete et Exsultate, ‘Giving and forgiving means reproducing in our lives some small measure of God’s perfection, which gives and forgives superabundantly.’ How do we become people of mercy? Ignatius encourages us to look to the life of Jesus as a model to imitate. Where do we see Jesus act with mercy? Mercy informs nearly every action that Jesus undertakes in his ministry. For example, we see Jesus
approach the woman who was about to be stoned for adultery. Instead of condemning her or stoning her, he encourages those who are about to throw stones to be merciful. His entryway into their mercy is to say, ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her’ (Jn 8:7). No one throws any stones, and the woman is free to walk away. Taken from Marina McCoy, The Ignatian Guide to Forgiveness, Messenger Publications, 2022. Climate Justice
Christianity has been at the forefront of influencing attitudes to climate change. Respecting the planet is another way of respecting one another and praising God. Saint Ignatius writes in a meditation, ‘Think of God energizing,
as though He were actually at work, in every created reality, in the sky, in matter, plants and fruits, herds and the like: it is He who creates them and keeps them in being, He who confers life or consciousness, and so on’ (SE, 236). This optimistic attitude is consistent with the purposefulness and goodness of creation as described in the first book of the Bible. The reverence Ignatius has for the planet is evident here. It is sacred space where God lives and where the grandeur of God is glimpsed and, therefore, deserving of reverence and respect. It’s not a place to be pillaged, abused, or destroyed causing untold damage to nature and people. After all it’s Mother Nature. Who would think of deliberately hurting their mother? Unfortunately, it’s big corporate multinational enterprises and governments who do most of the polluting, pillaging and fracking. Individuals can play a part but it’s small in contrast to the faceless multinational giants and distant politicians. Nonetheless, we can all play a part by informing ourselves and following local guidelines and other advice on how to arrest the destruction of our own country and the planet. Doing religion, contrary to popular perception, includes looking after ourselves and our planet in a responsible and sensible way while also promoting the wellbeing of others. ‘Love is expressed in doing’ (SE, 230) Advancing the cause of social and climate justice is an expression of that love and a concrete step in contributing to a hope filled future for our young people. Taken from Jim Maher SJ, Reimagining Religion, Messenger Publications, 2023. 51
Lenten Poetry ‘To Keep a True Lent’ by Robert Herrick and an excerpt from The Golden Echo by Gerard Manley Hopkins Is this a fast, to keep The larder lean? And clean From fat of veals and sheep? Is it to quit the dish Of flesh, yet still To fill The platter high with fish? Is it to fast an hour, Or ragg’d to go, Or show A downcast look and sour ? No; ‘tis a fast to dole Thy sheaf of wheat, And meat, Unto the hungry soul. It is to fast from strife, From old debate And hate; To circumcise thy life. To show a heart grief-rent; To starve thy sin, Not bin; And that’s to keep thy Lent. Robert Herrick (1591–1674)
52
Give beauty back, beauty, beauty, beauty, back to God, beauty’s self and beauty’s giver. See; not a hair is, not an eyelash, not the least lash lost; every hair Is, hair of the head, numbered. Nay, what we had lighthanded left in surly the mere mould Will have waked and have waxed and have walked with the wind what while we slept, This side, that side hurling a heavyheaded hundredfold What while we, while we slumbered. O then, weary then why When the thing we freely fórfeit is kept with fonder a care, Fonder a care kept than we could have kept it, kept Far with fonder a care (and we, we should have lost it) finer, fonder A care kept. — Where kept? Do but tell us where kept, where. — Yonder. — What high as that! We follow, now we follow. — Yonder, yes yonder, yonder, Yonder. Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–1889)
Ignatian Innovation The Great Dreamer
The Life and Mission of St Francis Xavier Brendan Comerford SJ 112pp €12.95
One of the most courageous and adventurous of saints, St Francis was central to the formation of the Society of Jesus. This accessible biography paints a vivid picture of his missionary life, as we learn about his personality, his interactions with the poor and with priests, bishops and kings.
Communal Discernment
A Lamp for our Synodal Journey
Michel Bacq & ESDAC Team Edited and with an introduction by Brian Grogan SJ. Foreword by Arturo Sosa SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus 240pp €14.95
This book is aimed at groups – communities, parishes, institutions, teams – who wish to grow in communion and make decisions together. It is based on the wisdom and practices of ESDAC, a Christian, Ignatian, international association that puts Ignatian spirituality at the service of groups. Includes examples and a toolbox to assist programme implementation.
J
Messenger M P Publications www.messenger.ie
Available from all good bookshops or directly from our website, www.messenger.ie, or phone 01-6767491
53
Subscribe to The Sacred Heart Messenger 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION COUNTRY
1 YEAR
Republic of Ireland (incl VAT) Northern Ireland (incl VAT) Europe (incl VAT) Rest of World (exc VAT)
€36 £34 €44 €48
DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION
€15
2 YEAR 10% OFF SUBSCRIPTION: COUNTRY
2 YEARS
Republic of Ireland (incl VAT) Northern Ireland (incl VAT) Europe (incl VAT) Rest of World (exc VAT)
€65 £62 €80 €86
3 YEAR 20% OFF SUBSCRIPTION: COUNTRY 3 YEARS Republic of Ireland (incl VAT) €87 Northern Ireland (incl VAT) £82 Europe (incl VAT) €106 Rest of World (exc VAT) €116
CUSTOMERS IN BRITAIN Redemptorist Publications now distribute The Messenger in England, Scotland and Wales. They will contact all promoters and subscribers when renewals are due. To take out a new subscription, please contact: E: customercare@rpbooks.co.uk or T: 01420 88222. Any queries, contact Frances on 00 353 876 540 408
SUBSCRIPTION FORM:
If you would like to take out a subscription please complete the form below: Your Name: (Please Print) Your Address: Tel:
PRINT SUBSCRIPTION (1 YR) q (2 YR) q (3 YR) q DIGITAL (1 YR) q If this is a gift subscription, please put name and address of person to whom we should send your gift of The Sacred Heart Messenger Gift Recipient’s Name: (Please Print) Their Address: Please make cheque/postal orders payable to ‘Messenger Publications’ Post completed form to: The Sacred Heart Messenger, 37 Leeson Place, Dublin, D02 E5V0, Ireland. For Credit Card Payments: Phone 01-6767491 Email sales@messenger.ie www.messenger.ie FEBRUARY 2024
10
27
26
25
It is wonderful to be here Mk 9:2-10
2nd SUNDAY OF LENT
Be compassionate Lk 6: 36-38
This is a wicked generation Blessed are you Simon Mt 16: 13-19 Lk 11: 29-32
Pray in simple words Mt 6: 7-15
You made me welcome Mt 25: 31-46
Jesus was tempted Mk 1: 12-15
1st SUNDAY OF LENT
Do not be guided by what they do Mt 23: 1-12
St Gregory
24 23 22
21
20
19
18
29 The rich ignored the poor Lk 16: 19-31
28 Greatness is in service Mt 20: 17-28
St Peter Damian
Chair of St Peter
The sick need a doctor Lk 5: 27-32 The time to fast will come Mt 9: 14-15 Take up your cross Lk 9: 22-25
Do not parade your good deeds Mt 6: 1-6.16-18
Reconcile before you offer Mt 5: 20-26
St Polycarp
Love your enemy Mt 5: 43-48
St Fintan
Are your minds closed? Mk 8: 14-21
17
They demanded a sign Mk 8: 11-13
Seven Founders of the Order of Servites
You can cure me Mk 1: 40-45
16
15
Ash Wednesday
14
13
12
11
6th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
She begged him Mk 7: 24-30
From men’s hearts evil emerges Mk 7: 14-23
Their hearts are far from me Mk 7: 1-13
All he touched were cured Mk 6: 53-56
I feel sorry for He has done all things well these people Mk 8: 1-10 Mk 7: 31-37
S. Scholastica
9
St Blaise
8
3
He took pity on them Mk 6: 30-34
2
Saturday
Jesus our light Lk 2: 22-40
St Brigid
Friday
Jesus toured the villages Mk 6: 7-13
1
Thursday
He cured many Mk 1: 29-39
St Mel
7
6
Ss Paul Miki 5 & Comps.
5
4
5th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME St Agatha
Wednesday
Tuesday
Monday
Sunday
Calendar
February 2024
Photograph by Liam O’Connell SJ
Look, I make all things new. Revelation 21:5
ISSN 1649-4450
Deliver to: