Conversion.... Rebuilding

Today, January 25th is the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle. When I was saying Mass this morning and listening to the Liturgy of the word, I was reminded of how before his conversion, Saul was completely bent on destroying this new Christian Community. Saul featured heavily in the stoning of Stephen, the first martyr of the Church. His zeal to tear the church down was so powerful that in a sense, Jesus wanted to use him to be a champion for the church. So Jesus turned Paul's hatred for the Church into a passionate love for the Christian community. 

Later in the year, we see Paul sharing a feast day with Peter. Peter was known as the Rock. But it didn't begin like that. Peter was human, hot-headed, vulnerable, skeptical, and sometimes scared. But when Jesus called him 'Rock' -that is what he was to become. Full of the Holy Spirit, both men would become master-builders of the new Church alongside others after the challenge of Jesus Christ to go and teach all nations (Matt 28) 

Jesus Christ calls us today just like he called Peter and Paul. He is conscious of our sinfulness and our vulnerabilities yet he still calls so as to be part of  his continuing building programme. In Jesus, Simon became Peter, the Rock, and Saul became Paul.

Ger Brennan says time for young people to learn more about faith - Religious News & Affairs | The Irish Times - Mon, Jan 20, 2014

Ger Brennan says time for young people to learn more about faith - Religious News & Affairs | The Irish Times - Mon, Jan 20, 2014

Speak, Lord, your servant is listening...

1 Samuel 3:1-10 and Mark 1:29-39

You could argue saying like Samuel “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening” is taking a risk. The Holy Father, Pope Francis has said to young people, “Ask Jesus what he wants and be brave.” And there is a leap of faith required in opening our hearts and our wills to Jesus Christ. Because sometimes he might just ask us to be brave and to do something that might sting.

In my life, I seldom say “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” I’m more inclined to say “Listen, Lord, your servant is speaking.” I ask God, I tell God, but I don’t get out of the way and let God. To write the Lord a blank cheque can be a big risk humanly speaking yet this is what I need to do.

There are so many noises competing for our attention that the voice of the Lord can have a problem trying to be heard. Our world can drown out the still small voice and we can be distracted all day and all night. Distraction is safer than paying attention to the voice inside where God lives. The voice inside can be painful, it can be real, and it can be honest. Yet, the antidote to all the world’s ills is the voice of the Lord. After all, he says “Come to me, all you who labour and are heavily-burdened, and I will give you rest…” (Matt 11:28)

Jesus comes with his word, to up-build, to forgive, and to heal. In Mark’s Gospel today during Mass we see him going to the house of Simon Peter. His mother in law is in bed with a fever and “they” tell him. Jesus goes to her and lays his hands on her and she immediately waits on them, the perfect sign that she is restored to health. (Interesting that Simon Peter never says a word to Jesus about the mother-in-law’s illness – they do!)

So it is in surrendering to the voice of Jesus Christ that we will be healed. The trip to the doctor or the dentist might be daunting, and sometimes we’d prefer not to know but it is meant to help and to heal.

John the Baptist

I remember being at World Youth Day on Cologne, Germany, during the Summer of 2005. We Capuchins were involved with 'Cafe Cappuccino' a venture where the friars, all in habits, ran a downtown cafe for the week and served, coffee, tea, and soft drinks as well as biscuits and cake. It was a pastoral opportunity for people to encounter the friars in a novel way.

A short walk up the street took us to the square in front of the stunning Cathedral in Cologne. Thousands of young pilgrims gathered there all day and into the night, praying, singing, telling stories, exchanging e-mails and adding each other on Facebook. Across the square were two building-size banners; one saying 'Thank you John Paul II.' who had died earlier that year. The other was 'Welcome Benedict XVI.'

Then I heard a loud cry. I looked around but saw no one for a moment only throngs of people. I looked up a lamp - post. (a large out door light) and there on it was a crazy-looking man with a megaphone swinging on it shouting something in German. He was dressed in animal skins and wore long hair and a beard. As I looked and listened, it struck me that it must be street-theater.   As the scene went on, I said, this guy reminds me of John the Baptist. And as I stood there with hundreds of others near the banks of the Rhine, I imagined that this must have been what it was like on the banks of the Jordan river.

This weekend at our Masses we encounter John the Baptist. Here is a man full of the Holy Spirit, and we will see this as we draw closer to the liturgies around Christmas time. Even from his mother's womb he praises God in the presence of Jesus Christ. By his words and actions he calls on all of us to prepare the way of the Lord. His preaching is extremely high voltage and it filled people with enthusiasm, and as a result of this many went to him for baptism. Was he the one who was to come?  But he was not the light, only one who speaks for the light. "Someone is coming after me...." John the Baptist, through the power of the Holy Spirit knew the signs of the times and was ready.

I've said this before, but it is interesting in our northern hemisphere that the feast of John the Baptist falls around mid-summer and the light slowly begins to fade. "I must decrease..." And of course, Christmas falls on December 25th; mid-winter. "He must increase..." John the Baptist calls all of us to make the paths straight for the Lord when he comes so that all of humankind will see the saving power of God. The cry of the Baptist rings out in our time as we approach Christmas. We need to prepare the way of the Lord because God is coming to us - to all of us.

Christ the King

The message of Jesus Christ turns the message of our world upside-down.  Jesus teaches that it is better to give our extra coat to the one who has none.  Jesus’ message of the lowest place is a counter-witness in a world which glorifies power and control.  Jesus calls for us to turn the other cheek which challenges violence and warfare of which we see so much of today. Jesus encourages us to see the beauty of the person on the inside when our world would prefer to highlight outward beauty and strength. Was it Archbishop Fulton Sheen who once said “Virtue preserves youthfulness better than all the pomades on Elizabeth Arden?”

The disciples found it hard to understand why Jesus kept preaching that the Christ would have to suffer grievously and die. The established Church and its leaders at the time were horrified that Jesus would call God, the One whose name couldn’t be mentioned, Abba – Father, therefore equating himself to God. The Romans, who didn’t believe in God, were the only ones to actually call him ‘King’ – albeit in mockery.

And now we see Jesus dying in agony on the cross and while they shouted at him to come down as a price for their belief, he stayed up there because he loves the Father, and loves us all. And one of the most consoling scenes in the Gospel takes place between one of the criminals and Jesus. We can only imagine what he must have done to merit Roman Crucifixion. As children in school I remember we called him ‘The good thief. ’Thief he was not, Romans didn’t crucify people for stealing bread. Romans used crucifixion as a horrifying, agonising act of public disgrace.  The criminal who was crucified was to be seen as a non-person. He defends Jesus who is being mocked by all and now by one of his ‘fellow criminals.’  “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” While Jesus is dying to save the whole world, he is paying attention to this poor man’s confession. He doesn’t act like judge and jury as some of us remember confessions in the past. He asks no questions. He promises “This day, you will be with me in paradise.” He doesn’t just forgive him, he canonises him.

At the closing of the Year of Faith, we give thanks to God for the faith, passed on to us by our parents, our grandparents, teachers, priests and religious, those who support and at times challenge us along the way. We pray for the Holy Father, Pope Francis and the bishops as we go forward and we reaffirm as best we can, with the help of Mary our Mother, our belief in her Son, Jesus Christ, the Universal King. 

Doing my bit for the Gathering - Final set

 

BALTIMORE, Co. CORK

 

 

Trawler preparing for a night departure on the new pier...

 

 

The boat slip

 

 

Sherkin Island from the Beacon

 

 

The famous Beacon at Baltimore

 

 

Sunset over Sherkin Island

 

 

With the setting sun, a British Airways 777, bound for Heathrow over the West Cork coastline from the United States.

Let us pray...

Every time I read this gospel, I turn on RTE News or Sky News and see evidence of the prophesy of Jesus to all who listen to him in today’s gospel. When we turn the pages of the newspaper or click the mouse for the online news across the world, it seems that the words of Jesus Christ spoken two thousand years ago could apply as much today as then.

 “Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines here and there: there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven…”

You could be forgiven for just wanting to go back to bed! (Especially when I look out the window as I write I see the wind blowing the summer leaves from the trees on Church St and the rain on the dark glass) This gospel paints a pretty depressing picture already and we’re only just into winter…

Jesus Christ reminds us that despite the bad weather forecast or the bad news coming through the media that he is always with us. He is within us to fortify us and help us to speak when we don’t know how to or feel the weakness of sin. Look a little deeper and the sun will shine again and he will calm the storms outside and in. He gives generous people all over the world the words and eloquence to halt wars and for diplomacy to prevail. He inspires so many people, many of them young people, to go to developing countries with the NGO’s to help make a difference. He shows the way to our defence forces who are a shining light in the whole are of peace-keeping. At home, locally and nationally, we see such good will to help people all year (but at this time of year especially) in the many charitable organisations.

Jesus is telling his disciples that while the road ahead will be tough, together, good will triumph over evil and to all of us today; he calls us to unity and says ‘Do not be afraid.’

(This evening, the Filipino Community in Dublin gather with the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Diarmuid Martin to celebrate Mass in St. Mary's Pro Cathedral to pray in solidarity for all who have suffered as a result of the devastating Typhoon Haiyan. We pray for them and their families and fellow Filipinos through the intercession of Our Lady of Penafrancia)