Chaplain Pastoral
What in heaven’s name does the Chaplain do?
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t is quite clear what maths teachers do. They teach maths. The PE staff encourage students to keep up their physical fitness. The RE teacher brings in the God factor. Christian Service? It shows us how Jesus is present in all people. Campus Ministry arranges the Retreats, Masses, Liturgies, etc., but the Chaplain, that is a bit of worry. What does he do? Well I thought about this since Easter 2002 and I hope I have half an answer. It appears that it is all about linking up. Linking up with God in prayer. Linking up with Jesus through the scriptures. Linking up our individual lives, in the great patters of life with Jesus in the Eucharist. Discovering the rhythms of life experienced in the challenges faced by the early Church as reflected in the Gospels. Seeking to be present to staff and student as a person who can empathise with their struggles to comprehend that life presents many challenges, even to those with God in their heart. Parents and pupils alike expect and perhaps even demand that the products of a school such as Trinity College, should emerge as rounded, competent young men. They should be literate, they should acknowledge the dependence on our environment, be developed physically to participate in the sport of their choice and have a working knowledge of the world in which they live. They should perceive the inequality in our world and be willing to interact and assist those in need with their struggles. These are fine and noble expectations. But unless we all can discover a chart for our life then there
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is no unifying force to bind all these things together. The life of Jesus still guides and inspires people 2000 years down the track. All should demand that the Chaplain celebrates the sacraments of the Church of Jesus with reverence and in such a way that Jesus connects with people of the 21st century. That for me, is the challenge. This duty statement requires that I undertake serious work on myself in prayer, study and reflection. Then it is a matter of being open to and understanding everyone with whom I come into contact. The agenda in this contact is set by them not me. In particular I should seek out those who find life difficult. I am privileged to have this task at Trinity. Father Michael McMahon, SAC
