23rd Ordinary Time

Wis 9:13-18b

Phmn 9-10, 12-17


Lk 14:25-33


I am always impressed about the story of St Anthony the Abbot. He heard a passage of the Gospel being read in the Church-  and I am pretty sure its the one appointed for this Sunday- about giving away all possessions and following the Lord. He was so moved by it that's what he did. 

The Gospel is a radical call, and a radical response is needed. Every age has its St Anthony's who point the other way; the way of Christ. If only there were a few more. 


I am leading a pilgrimage to the Shrines of France this week, so reflections may be scant. I hope that you might be able to give a few ideas of your own on the Gospel. I often desperately need them!!

Saturday evening disaster!

Did you ever have the experience of going to preach, and mid way you ask yourself "what in the name of God am I saying?" All you want to do say is "We stand for the Creed!!!" Such was mine this evening. To my credit, I suppose, I was in another parish supplying, so I was out of my natural habitat, but still and all, it was one of my most disappointing attempts at breaking the Word.

I suppose God can make good with what seems to be a disaster, and I hope the poor ones in the pew will get what they need. All I could think of, as the sweat rolled down my back..."Is this the best a guy who has set himself up as a preaching blogger can do"!

Anyway, self pity aside.  I had intended to talk about Hebrews in a deeper way. I find that reading so magical. What we have come to! Not what we are going to to, but what we have come to. It reminds me of the office reading for St Augustine's  feast....God has found us! And when we breath in his love we pant for his peace. (cf The Confessions)

Ven John Henry Newman on self-emptying.

(John Henry  Card. Newman, to be beatified next month by the Holy Father in Birmingham)

"There is a mysterious connexion between real advancement and self-abasement. If you minister to the humble and despised, if you feed the hungry, tend the sick, succour the distressed; if you bear with the froward, submit to insult, endure ingratitude, render good for evil, you are, as by a divine charm, getting power over the world and rising among the creatures. God has established this law. Thus He does His wonderful works. His instruments are poor and despised; the world hardly knows their names, or not at all. They are busied about what the world thinks petty actions, and no one minds them. They are apparently set on no great works; nothing is seen to come of what they do: they seem to fail. Nay, even as regards religious objects which they themselves profess to desire, there is no natural and visible connexion between their doings and sufferings and these desirable ends; but there is an unseen connexion in the kingdom of God. They rise by falling. Plainly so, for no condescension can be so great as that of our Lord Himself. Now the more they abase themselves the more like they are to Him; and the more like they are to Him, the greater must be their power with Him."


Taken from Fr Thomas Rosica, Biblical Reflections for Sundays www.saltandlighttv.org

22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time: The Battle of Lourdes

Each year the Diocese of Meath, of which I am a priest, makes its annual pilgrimage to Lourdes. From the 12th to the 17th September, the Bishop with pilgrims and clergy in tow head to the Marian Shrine in France for five days of prayer and often refreshment. There are always thousands there at that time, as the pilgrimage season still has roughly another month and a half to go. Each year there is a peculiar event that never fails to amuse; something I call the battle of Lourdes. The lines are clear. There are the good guys: the pilgrims of Meath, with their storm-troopers; the blue clad brancardiers who look after the sick. There are the bad guys; everyone else, and in particular the Italian pilgrims that happen to be there at the time. With military precision, the boys in blue push there there way through the vast praying mob to insure Ecclesia Midensis gets to to the top of every queue, be it processions, the baths, or what ever else. Its very funny to hear our own lot complain about the 'Italians', how even the little old ladies seem to want to be first in line. The truth is, they want to have the audacity to do the same themselves!  Even if when we are on pilgrimage to a site dedicated to the Mother of He who came to serve and not to be served, the rat race and the desire to be first wins out. This, it seems, cannot be left at St Michael's or St Joseph's gate.

There is a innate desire in us to the first. Its our primal impulse. Even the best Christian has to struggle with putting God and others first. It is harrowing to see sights from Pakistan at the moment, of people trampling each other to get food from distributors. In such circumstances it is hard to blame them. But even in less life threatening moments there is always the temptation to go in for the kill. In the hunt for a job maybe, or preferment, its easy to push yourself at the expense of others. Survival of the fittest, right?

Both this Sunday and last Sunday, the Lord shows us the other way. First is last, last first. Can you imagine the embarrassment of the man in the Gospel who had to give up his place in front of everyone? Christ in His life and in His Passion reveals that self emptying is the only sure way to self fulfilment. To put yourself in the second place for the sake of the other is true discipleship

What would be the consequences of always putting others first? By the standards of the world you would be on to a looser straight away; a prey for unscrupulous people, an object of fun, maybe even scorn. Think, however, if everyone did the same? Everyone putting everyone else first? It would be the biggest social revolution imaginable. And the funny thing is, as it says in second reading 'you have not approached what cannot be touched!' It can be done, not without struggle, but it can be done.  Christ has given us the example we should follow. Listen to Him.  For what we have been called to is Mt Zion, the New Jerusalem, where everyone is a first born son.

22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time: initial thoughts

Following the Lord is not beyond us 

Sir 3:17-18, 20, 28-29


Humility and gratitude. 
Imagine, we are the children of the Most High!


Heb 12: 18-19, 22-24a


It is not in the drama the Lord comes to us.
 Not far beyond us, everywhere . Christ: all in all!


Lk 14: 1, 7-14


Move higher friend.
Last week, first and last, last and first. 

More thoughts for this Sunday

I was reflecting on the narrow door. A lot of people say that they do not need to go to Mass; they can pray in their own way. That's all well and good; but what about God's way, the way he has asked us to go In Christ.  If we cut ourselves off from the sacraments - either by sin or laziness- we are depriving ourselves of so much we cannot even begin to imagine. To say I don't need to go to Mass or confession to be close to God, is as foolish as saying I do not need to drink water or breath. The Sacraments give us life.

I have two hanging baskets. Both have done well this year; the good weather and  care I give them are the main reasons why they look so good. I was away last week for two days, and I was sure they had enough water to keep fresh. When I got back I was devastated to see that they had almost perished. I watered them, gave them plant food and put them in shelter. To my surprise, in the space of a few hours, they were coming back to bloom. Alright, some of the flowers did fall off, but the green had come back to life, and new flowers will come.

The Church, in Ireland at any rate, seems to be wilting. She constantly needs the freshness of the Word and Sacraments to be poured on her. God gives the growth. Isn't it wonderful to be in a ministry that can channel that Water of Everlasting life. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in Christ."

Please read the last line of the second reading. My Dad has a phrase he repeats (even to my less than godly siblings!) 'Keep the faith!' Only our faith can give the life so many people are desperate to find. When we preach our hearers should be able to say; "That man has faith" and be spurred on. Many cynics, even in the clergy, would dismiss such as wishful thinking, but that is how it works. Inspiration, encouragement, challenge, love; all of these attributes help us, priests and people, as one to keep going on the road that is long and narrow - the road to life eternal.

Soli Deo gloria!!

21st Sunday of Ordinary Time: August 22, 2010

("My thoughts are not your thoughts" please leave your own ideas in the comment box)


The Narrow Door -
Chosen by God, encouraged in our call, challenged by the Gospel

 Is 66: 18-21


Faithfulness is not really prized in our world. Everything is up for grabs. Life long commitment to marriage, to ordained or consecrated service are no longer viewed as absolute or necessary by many. It is really sad when you come across a man or woman that you have journeyed with towards marriage to hear that not too long after the great day, they have separated from their spouse. I often think of the beauty of the celebration and the power of the words  spoken before the Altar. Forever does not seem to exist, with all the personal tragedy that goes with it.    The glory of the Lord is revealed in his faithfulness. As we celebrated in last weeks feast of the Assumption the faithfulness of God to his word, we should take heart that he has chosen us as his own. He brings us back rejoicing.  We have been chosen and called. 


The last line of the reading says "and some of them I will make priests and levites, says the Lord." Those of us who have been ordained for ministry; by our faithfulness are to give witness to faithfulness of God. Despite the challenges and criticisms, faithfulness 'will win you your life.'  As the Liturgy says "for the joy that lay in the future, He willingly went to the Cross". God stands by his chosen ones. His chosen can only relay on his strength.

Heb 12: 5-7, 11-12


"Have you forgotten that encouraging text in which you are addressed as sons?" Forgotten! The truth is most of the regulars that will hear you preach will have never heard the Good News in their lives! A dramatic assertion? I am reminded of Chesterton being asked why has Christianity failed. He responded, that it has not failed, it had not even been tried yet. Often we are not on fire with our faith.  The Word we proclaim, the life promised in the Sacraments, the wonder of being a child of God, not just a produce of nature is so spectacular it is always new. There will never be an earthly time when the Gospel will not speak to the depths of human reality.  When we know, or begin to know  this, everything should change. Obedience to God comes after he revels himself. The Law was given after the Exodus.


But what about suffering? Why do we have to always plough head on into suffering and accept it?People on the outside laugh at this. The Christian understanding of suffering is rooted in the fact that we live in a far from perfect word. Christ has redeemed us, by his own suffering; and the promise of a 'world made new.' Our faith is real world stuff. Cartoon book religion is fine when we are young; but as soon as the reality of life hits in it will be rejected. That is why we preach Christ, and Christ crucified. 


The last line of the reading gives hope to us all: "So hold up your limp arms and steady your trembling knees and smooth out the path you tread; then the injured limb will not be wrenched, it will grow strong again. 


Lk 13: 22-30


"Lord, open to us" "I do not know where you come from." "Will only a few be saved?"  "The last shall be first and the first shall be last"


The Gospel does not beat around the bush. If we have set our hand to the plough and have taken up the challenge of following the Lord, then we cannot hope to escape the chalice He had to drink. The road is long and narrow. 


Did you ever hear of Lough Derg? For those of you not familiar with the place it is an ancient centre of pilgrimage in Co Donegal in Ireland. The pilgrimage lasts three days, including fasting, walking around in your bear feet and countless prayers. [You really have to experience it for any word picture to do justice.] There is one part of the pilgrimage that is most challenging: the vigil. You literally keep vigil with the Lord , staying awake from 9.30 pm to 9.30 pm the following day. The night is long and often cold and wet, and even the interior of the Basilica where you spend the night in prayer, walking in your bare feet, trying to avoid the corners of oak pews and marble steps, lacks comfort. But the night passes, as every night passes, and the dawn and new day makes the vigil a little less difficult. The final goal is rest; and bed never feels as good as it does after a Lough Derg ordeal. Everything moves on; the hymn Immortal Invisible says: "We blossom and flourish like leaves on the tree, then wither and perish, but noth' changes thee."  Thinking of these readings the theme of God's faithfulness and constancy keeps coming to mind. The road may be long and difficult, still we travel on through the winding paths of life. Sometimes we feel like giving up, but we are not alone. The People of God, the Church throughout the world, as one people of faith move on in faith towards the rest of the Father's house. 


To be an authentic follower of Jesus Christ involves rejecting much of what the spirit of the world would have us accept. A Catholic cannot do what ever they feel like doing. Such a horrid suggestion! The world tells us that the yoke that is easy and the burden that is light is in fact a mill stone, drowning us is rules and out dated mores. "Lord to whom shall we go, you have the message of eternal life."  True freedom of the children of God breaks the fetters of sin and selfishness. The broad and the wide leads to emptiness and nothing. The Way of Shepherd through the valley of darkness is the only sure way to green pastures. Anything else is a lie. 


"The last will be first and the first last . " Be careful where you put yourself in the line!!