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Roscommon People Friday 14 January 2022
NewsPeople Gospel Reflection
PICTURED AT A CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR IN BALLYMOE COMMUNITY CENTRE. Pictures: Mick McCormack
Sunday, January 16th Think of these first weeks after Christmas as a season of “epiphanies”. The liturgy is showing us who Jesus is and what He has revealed about our relationship with God. Last week and the week before, the imagery was royal and filial – Jesus is the new-born king of the Jews who makes us coheirs of Israel’s promise, beloved children of God. Last week in the liturgy we went to a baptism. This week, we’re at a wedding. We’re being shown another dimension of our relationship with God. If we’re sons and daughters of God, it’s because we’ve married into the family. Have you ever wondered why the Bible begins and ends with a wedding – Adam and Eve’s in the garden and the marriage supper of the Lamb (compare Genesis 2:23–24 and Revelation 19:9; 21:9; 22:17)? Throughout the Bible, marriage is the symbol of the covenant relationship God desires with His chosen people. He is the groom, humanity His beloved and sought after bride. We see this reflected beautifully in today’s First Reading. When Israel breaks the covenant, she is compared to an unfaithful spouse (see Jeremiah 2:20–36; 3:1–13). But God promises to take her back, to “espouse” her to Him forever in an everlasting covenant (see Hosea 2:18–22). That’s why in today’s Gospel Jesus performs His first public “sign” at a wedding feast. Jesus is the divine bridegroom (see John 3:29), calling us to His royal wedding feast (see Matthew 22:1–14). By His New Covenant, He will become “one flesh” with all humanity in the Church (see Ephesians 5:21–33). By our baptism, each of us has been betrothed to Christ as a bride to a husband (see 2 Corinthians 11:2). The new wine that Jesus pours out at today’s feast is the gift of the Holy Spirit given to His bride and body, as today’s Epistle says. This is the “salvation” announced to the “families of nations” in today’s Psalm. -Scott Hahn PhD, salvationhistory.com (courtesy of Sacred Heart Church)
THIS WEEK...On The Political Beat This week, local public representatives highlight rising inflation, hit back at holiday claims, criticise disability supports, and pay tribute to the Air Ambulance Service…
Rising inflation impacts on workers
Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane has this week warned that rising inflation is having a major impact on workers and their families. Deputy Kerrane was speaking following the release of figures, which showed inflation across the euro area had risen to 5 per cent in December. “Rising inflation at record levels is having a major impact on workers and families. Many households have also seen their income drop due to Covid-19 while outgoings remained the same. This is putting huge pressure on people’s finances,” she said. “Sinn Féin published a range of proposals on how this could be done last November. This included banning rent increases for three years, the introduction of the living wage, a discretionary fund to assist those struggling with energy costs, reducing the cost of education, including childcare, and reducing the cost of insurance. “Government inaction is not good enough. It’s time to deliver the change that ordinary workers and families need to get a break from spiralling costs”.
Murphy hits back at ‘holidays’ claim
Fianna Fáil Senator Eugene Murphy has hit
back over claims that public representatives took extended holidays over the Christmas period. Reacting to recent comment, Senator Murphy said he had returned to his office on Tuesday, January 3rd. “I know that many of my political colleagues across the political divide are back at work but I do accept the Houses of the Oireachtas are not returning until early next week,” he said. “Let me be quite clear: if the business committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas decide we should return on January 1st each year then I am more than happy to do so. “However, we must have meaningful legislation to deal with or else there would be little point in returning that early. “I continue to give a seven-day service to local authority members and to the public including voluntary groups and it is my intention to continue this work”.
“We are told that a review of transport services for people with a disability commenced in March 2020 under the auspices of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy, but we’ve no idea how long it will take to complete or if Government will even act on the recommendations that come from the review. “In the meantime, people with a disability are unable to take up employment or even engage within their own local community due to the lack of very basic independence”. Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane expressed her “grave concerns” following the recent resignation of the entire Disabled Drivers Medical Scheme Appeals Board. She said: “An immediate review of this scheme and its criteria needs to take place with input from disabled persons’ organisations and other relevant stakeholders and must include detailed actions to widen eligibility to the scheme and improve its administration”.
Naughten and Kerrane critical of disability Feighan pays tribute to supports Air Ambulance Service Independent TD Denis Naughten has said last year’s blanket resignation of the appeals board for primary medical certificates for disabled drivers and passengers effectively means the “vast majority of people with a disability are now marooned in their home homes”. “When a disabled person eventually secures a primary medical certificate, it allows them to receive a reduction in VRT and VAT when purchasing or adapting a vehicle. It also exempts them from motor tax and tolls and offers a fuel grant,” he said. “For many disabled people who have no access to public transport, this was the only assistance available to them.
Local Minister of State Frank Feighan has paid tribute to the Air Ambulance service this week as it marked 6,000 completed missions since its foundation in June 2012. Ahead of the service’s tenth anniversary later this year, Deputy Feighan said: “While decisions around the A&E in Roscommon in 2011 were very difficult, one of the positives that has come from that was the setting up of the Air Ambulance. “I would like to pay tribute to the Irish Air Corps and the advanced paramedics at the national ambulance service who have performed their duties with diligence and professionalism on behalf of the people of
Claire Kerrane
Roscommon and surrounding counties”. The Fine Gael Minister of State added that he believed the new configuration at Roscommon University Hospital and the Air Ambulance had ensured that “a lot of lives have been saved” and that the people of the region now have “better and safer emergency services”.