Week ending 26th January 2016
Once again the words of Mayo’s bestknown poet will ring true on the first day of next month, Saint Bridget’s Day, Lá Fhéil Bríd, the first of February, the traditional first day of spring: On that day five years ago then Taoiseach Brian Cowen completed his valedictory address to Dáil Éireann with the words of Raiftearaí:“Anois teacht an Earraigh, beidh an lá ag dul chun síneadh agua tar éis na Féile Bríde ardóidh mé mo sheol (Now with the coming of Spring, the days will be lengthening, and after Saint Bridget’s Day I will raise ny sail”) The then Leader of the Opposition, Enda Kenny completed the quotation for him and before very long it was he who was back “i lár Chontae Mhaigh Eo (in the middle of County Mayo”) as Taoiseach. The first of February may or may not be as dramatic a political day this year, but at least the evenings will be lengthening. The worst of winter will hopefully be over and we will be ready for growth and renewal.
Apart from the longer evenings and the sprouting shoots of new life I like Saint Bridget’s Day in particular for the revival in popularity of the Saint’s cross. It is not that it ever came close to disappearing, but its value seems to be recognised much more from year to year. Beautifully simple in its various designs, it was a religious symbol made from some of the most available of materials, straw, rushes or hazel. It did not cost anything which was a most important consideration in earlier times of hardship and penal laws. Hard times returned in recent years for many families, to the extent that there is hardly a cent to spare, but the materials for the Saint Bridget’s cross are still readily available. I hope they bring many blessings to those who make them and put them up in their homes.
Another blessing available in churches this week is the blessing of candles on Candlemas Day, the second of February. How quickly the forty days since Christmas have flown by. This fortieth day was the one on which Jesus was brought to the Temple according to Jewish custom to be presented to the Lord. It is called Presentation Day for that reason, as well as Candlemas. It was the day on which Mary was told that things were not going to be easy for her son, that a sword would pierce her soul too. Traditionally it has been the day on which candles used in churches are blessed as well as candles lit in homes at times of danger, death or wakes. In almost any shop you enter at this time of year you can see such long wax candles for sale, but there is no hard and fast rule that only wax candles can be blest on the day.
I have worn my ‘going to Blaises’ joke thin over the years, but that is what I and many others will be doing on February 3rd, the feast of Saint Blaise, the saint associated with the blessing of throats. This has become one of the most popular ceremonies of the year in many churches. In times of flu and various other illnesses this blessing is appreciated. It is one of the nearest things we have to the traditional healing method of the laying on of hands. I am not suggesting that you should ignore doctor’s orders and forget the flu vaccine or other medicines. The medicines and the blessings do not contradict but complement each other, as well as building up the self confidence needed to face what is left of winter. The first days of February are great times for such blessings. All of them are free, available and there for the taking. And when you get tired of the canvassers taking advantage of the daylight until six o’clock, you can gently advise them to “go to Blaises”, in case all the talking damages their windpipes or their (very) vocal chords.
Apart from the longer evenings and the sprouting shoots of new life I like Saint Bridget’s Day in particular for the revival in popularity of the Saint’s cross. It is not that it ever came close to disappearing, but its value seems to be recognised much more from year to year. Beautifully simple in its various designs, it was a religious symbol made from some of the most available of materials, straw, rushes or hazel. It did not cost anything which was a most important consideration in earlier times of hardship and penal laws. Hard times returned in recent years for many families, to the extent that there is hardly a cent to spare, but the materials for the Saint Bridget’s cross are still readily available. I hope they bring many blessings to those who make them and put them up in their homes.
Another blessing available in churches this week is the blessing of candles on Candlemas Day, the second of February. How quickly the forty days since Christmas have flown by. This fortieth day was the one on which Jesus was brought to the Temple according to Jewish custom to be presented to the Lord. It is called Presentation Day for that reason, as well as Candlemas. It was the day on which Mary was told that things were not going to be easy for her son, that a sword would pierce her soul too. Traditionally it has been the day on which candles used in churches are blessed as well as candles lit in homes at times of danger, death or wakes. In almost any shop you enter at this time of year you can see such long wax candles for sale, but there is no hard and fast rule that only wax candles can be blest on the day.
I have worn my ‘going to Blaises’ joke thin over the years, but that is what I and many others will be doing on February 3rd, the feast of Saint Blaise, the saint associated with the blessing of throats. This has become one of the most popular ceremonies of the year in many churches. In times of flu and various other illnesses this blessing is appreciated. It is one of the nearest things we have to the traditional healing method of the laying on of hands. I am not suggesting that you should ignore doctor’s orders and forget the flu vaccine or other medicines. The medicines and the blessings do not contradict but complement each other, as well as building up the self confidence needed to face what is left of winter. The first days of February are great times for such blessings. All of them are free, available and there for the taking. And when you get tired of the canvassers taking advantage of the daylight until six o’clock, you can gently advise them to “go to Blaises”, in case all the talking damages their windpipes or their (very) vocal chords.
Week ending 19th January 2016
On my Christmas visits to senior citizens of the parish, a woman of ninety-eight and a half told me she was looking forward to the General Election because of the excitement it would generate. An avid listener to the radio and to Radio na Gaeltachta in particular, she could tell me more than I knew, not just about Irish politics, but about Donald Trump, Hilary Clinton and the United States Presidential election. While politics bore some people, many love the cut and thrust, the arguments, the digs, the jokes, the passion, the enthusiasm, the hard work put in by so many people. For more than half of those involved it will end in disappointment, but at least there will be the satisfaction of having fought the good fight, as they see it. Cynicism is far less prevalent, as far as I can judge, than many in the media indicate. There is a lot of idealism and longing for a better future among people of all ages, as well as the consolation that politics as a sport is as good or better than the Olympics, the Euopean soccer championship, the rugby Six Nations and the hurling and football extravaganzas all put together.
My own fascination with politics came from watching fiery characters shouting loudly outside the gates of the church in Belcarra after mass on a Sunday morning. Just when I expected it would all end in a fight or that I would be crushed in a stampede, they would shake hands, have a laugh, light their cigarettes or pipes, and all would seem well with the world again. The fact that Clann na Talmhain was stronger in the area than Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael took the sting out of Civil War politics to some extent, less than thirty years after that bitter war had ended. As a people we were probably at the stage then that Northern Ireland is at now, thirty years after the Anglo Irish agreement, still walking on eggshells, but pleased that the bombing and the killing is over.
My own first vote was cast in Maynooth during the by-election that took place in 1970 after the death of prominent Fine Gael politician and former Minister, Gerard Sweetman. Students for the priesthood had been allowed out to vote for many years, but that was the first election in which political parties were allowed to canvass in the college. It would seem very unusual now that there were only three candidates in the running, Patrick Malone for Fine Gael, Eamon Kane for Fianna Fáil and Joe Bermingham for the Labour Party. Paddy Power came in to speak on behalf of Fianna Fáil. Professor James Dooge, later Minister for Foreign Affairs as a Senator in a Garret Fitzgerald led coalition with Labour, spoke for Fine Gael. That seemed to be that in what was more or less a two party system at the time.
A call was made to Labour Party headquarters and Dr Noel Browne answered that call. He spoke in little more than a whisper in Maynooth’s Loftus Hall, as he told his life-story, later published as “Against The tide.” He spoke, without rancour about his part in the mother and child controversy that had led to the fall of the first coalition Government about twenty years earlier. He didn’t mention Joe Bermingham, the Labour Party or the by-election, but legend has it that students voted three to one for Labour the following day. I continued to do so for a quarter of a century until alienated and verbally abused by one of their Ministers in the Rainbow coalition in 1995. As for the 2016 election: Bring it on. At least one person older than myself is looking forward to it.
My own fascination with politics came from watching fiery characters shouting loudly outside the gates of the church in Belcarra after mass on a Sunday morning. Just when I expected it would all end in a fight or that I would be crushed in a stampede, they would shake hands, have a laugh, light their cigarettes or pipes, and all would seem well with the world again. The fact that Clann na Talmhain was stronger in the area than Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael took the sting out of Civil War politics to some extent, less than thirty years after that bitter war had ended. As a people we were probably at the stage then that Northern Ireland is at now, thirty years after the Anglo Irish agreement, still walking on eggshells, but pleased that the bombing and the killing is over.
My own first vote was cast in Maynooth during the by-election that took place in 1970 after the death of prominent Fine Gael politician and former Minister, Gerard Sweetman. Students for the priesthood had been allowed out to vote for many years, but that was the first election in which political parties were allowed to canvass in the college. It would seem very unusual now that there were only three candidates in the running, Patrick Malone for Fine Gael, Eamon Kane for Fianna Fáil and Joe Bermingham for the Labour Party. Paddy Power came in to speak on behalf of Fianna Fáil. Professor James Dooge, later Minister for Foreign Affairs as a Senator in a Garret Fitzgerald led coalition with Labour, spoke for Fine Gael. That seemed to be that in what was more or less a two party system at the time.
A call was made to Labour Party headquarters and Dr Noel Browne answered that call. He spoke in little more than a whisper in Maynooth’s Loftus Hall, as he told his life-story, later published as “Against The tide.” He spoke, without rancour about his part in the mother and child controversy that had led to the fall of the first coalition Government about twenty years earlier. He didn’t mention Joe Bermingham, the Labour Party or the by-election, but legend has it that students voted three to one for Labour the following day. I continued to do so for a quarter of a century until alienated and verbally abused by one of their Ministers in the Rainbow coalition in 1995. As for the 2016 election: Bring it on. At least one person older than myself is looking forward to it.
Week ending 12th January 2016
We are often told that the mills of God grind slowly, but we know from experience that they eventually grind out results, none more so than in what we call ecumenism. As a young priest more than fortyfour years ago I decided to never let the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity go by without mentioning it in article or sermon, or prayers of the faithful, or all three. It was not that I was ever based in any area of sectarian or religious conflict, but history had made me aware of the divisiveness it caused. I remember the sea-change that came about in inter-church relations in the early sixties by what seemed like a subtle change in attitude by Pope John XX111. I know now that this process called the ecumenical movement had been going on for a long time at that stage but it was not really noticed until a Pope more or less told us we didn’t have to hate Protestants any more.
This came as a great relief to many Roman Catholic people. They could not understand why they were not permitted to enter a Protestant church for the funeral of a neighbour they held in great respect. Here was a Pope saying we should look more at what we have in common than what separates us. The same Pope’s attitude had probably been shaped somewhat by the time he, as Cardinal Roncalli, had spent in Instanbul or Constantinoble as a diplomat, a place which was a melting-pot of many different religions, Orthodox, Muslim, Catholic, Protestant and Jew, all of whom worshipped the same God in different ways and see Abraham as their father in faith. In the aftermath of the Paris attacks and calls from United States Presidential candidate, Donald Trump to ban Muslims from entering the US, it is important to understand that most people of that faith do not support terrorism.
I have often mentioned that I did not really understand the word ‘process’ until the peace process started in Northern Ireland. I knew what the word meant, but had never really teased out its implications. I know now that it is basically a slow burner, something that bubbles away at the back of the stove of life, virtually ignored until we wake up one day and realise that subtle changes have taken place in an age-old problem. I recall the many New Year’s Days we prayed for peace in Northern Ireland while basically thinking that our prayer didn’t have a hope in hell. Murder and mayhem seemed to go on and on. Thankfully it was not hell we were praying to. The process bubbled away for many years, two steps forward and one step backward or vice-versa. We eventually realise that all the efforts of politicians on all sides, North and South, Ireland, Britain, the United States and Europe have come to fruition. The process is still slow and painful in many ways, but to a great extent our hopes and prayers for peace have been answered, even though dissidents still lurk in the background and issues from the past have to be resolved.
The ecumenical movement, the inter-church movement is a similar process, a slow burner. I mentioned one Pope whose attitude virtually changed a world view. When history is written it will be seen that Pope John Paul 11 and Pope Benedict XVI did more than most to defuse anti-Muslim sentiment after the nine/eleven bombings which tended to tar all followers of the prophet Mahomed with the same brush. Pope Francis has followed in the same tradition. We knew from our own experience that neither all Catholics or all Protestants, nor many of either were terrorists during our own troubles, and that most Muslims want nothing to do with terrorism either. Popes reaching out the hand of friendship have helped to get that attitude across to the world. Thank God for slow burners, for processes.
This came as a great relief to many Roman Catholic people. They could not understand why they were not permitted to enter a Protestant church for the funeral of a neighbour they held in great respect. Here was a Pope saying we should look more at what we have in common than what separates us. The same Pope’s attitude had probably been shaped somewhat by the time he, as Cardinal Roncalli, had spent in Instanbul or Constantinoble as a diplomat, a place which was a melting-pot of many different religions, Orthodox, Muslim, Catholic, Protestant and Jew, all of whom worshipped the same God in different ways and see Abraham as their father in faith. In the aftermath of the Paris attacks and calls from United States Presidential candidate, Donald Trump to ban Muslims from entering the US, it is important to understand that most people of that faith do not support terrorism.
I have often mentioned that I did not really understand the word ‘process’ until the peace process started in Northern Ireland. I knew what the word meant, but had never really teased out its implications. I know now that it is basically a slow burner, something that bubbles away at the back of the stove of life, virtually ignored until we wake up one day and realise that subtle changes have taken place in an age-old problem. I recall the many New Year’s Days we prayed for peace in Northern Ireland while basically thinking that our prayer didn’t have a hope in hell. Murder and mayhem seemed to go on and on. Thankfully it was not hell we were praying to. The process bubbled away for many years, two steps forward and one step backward or vice-versa. We eventually realise that all the efforts of politicians on all sides, North and South, Ireland, Britain, the United States and Europe have come to fruition. The process is still slow and painful in many ways, but to a great extent our hopes and prayers for peace have been answered, even though dissidents still lurk in the background and issues from the past have to be resolved.
The ecumenical movement, the inter-church movement is a similar process, a slow burner. I mentioned one Pope whose attitude virtually changed a world view. When history is written it will be seen that Pope John Paul 11 and Pope Benedict XVI did more than most to defuse anti-Muslim sentiment after the nine/eleven bombings which tended to tar all followers of the prophet Mahomed with the same brush. Pope Francis has followed in the same tradition. We knew from our own experience that neither all Catholics or all Protestants, nor many of either were terrorists during our own troubles, and that most Muslims want nothing to do with terrorism either. Popes reaching out the hand of friendship have helped to get that attitude across to the world. Thank God for slow burners, for processes.
Week ending 5th January 2016
The Three Wise men are cameling towards Bethlehem today on the last leg of their journey to present gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to “the newborn king of the Jews.” The Feast of the Epiphany, the twelfth day of the festival is the last day of our Christmas, but for many Christians throughout the world it is the real Christmas. There are usually news items on our televisions on the 6th of January that show this feast being celebrated with gusto in parts of Eastern Europe and in other places throughout the world. The main significance of this feast is that it shows Jesus being visited and honoured by people who are not Jews, and who for the most part are not white-shinned. The Magi, Three King, or Three Wise Men, as depicted in our cribs, are of different skin colour, to show that Jesus is for everyone, not just the rich and privileged.
It comes as a surprise to me year after year how quickly we put Christmas behind us/ The tinsel, the tree, the lights are quickly attic-ed and we are ready to move on. Even churches, which might be tempted to milk the festival for all it is worth put it behind them very quickly. In our weekend scripture readings we tend to jump ahead thirty years in a matter of days. We have barely said goodbye to the Three Wise Men when we are on Jordan’s banks about thirty years later as Jesus is being baptised by his cousin John. In some ways it is a burning of boats, the crossing of a Rubicon as far as Jesus is concerned. He is about to leave the relatively comfortable life of Nazareth behind him to take to the highways and byways, preaching and teaching, spreading his word on behalf of “The Father.”
There is no turning back now, and the cross looms large on his horizon. The same cross had thrown its shadow across Christmas for the first time on the feast of the Epiphany as King Herod had tried might and main to take out this “newborn king” whom he saw as a threat to himself and his family dynasty. The Wise Men gave him the slip, but he had every boy under two years old murdered in his efforts to wipe out a potential enemy at birth. Those “Holy Innocents” are seen as the first martyrs of Christianity. Dealing with the harshness of life we call “the cross” was there from the beginning. It is not that people are encouraged to go looking for crosses, but if they come our way, to take them on and deal with them as best we can.
The 7th of January is for many people the real New Year’s Day. People are more likely to have a go at giving up the fags or other difficult resolutions on that day than on the first of the year while there is still an element of Christmas about. Children are back at school. There is a half-hour or more of extra light on a fine evening. A few daffodils are breaking ground in sheltered places. It is a time of hope and new life, a touch of: ”We never died of winter yet.” By then I hope the floods of December have all receded, but have not been replaced by frost and snow. And as a woman of ninety eight and a half pointed out to me on my Christmas communion visit, haven’t we the joys of an election to look forward to, with all those wise men and women knocking at our doors and telling us how important we are.
It comes as a surprise to me year after year how quickly we put Christmas behind us/ The tinsel, the tree, the lights are quickly attic-ed and we are ready to move on. Even churches, which might be tempted to milk the festival for all it is worth put it behind them very quickly. In our weekend scripture readings we tend to jump ahead thirty years in a matter of days. We have barely said goodbye to the Three Wise Men when we are on Jordan’s banks about thirty years later as Jesus is being baptised by his cousin John. In some ways it is a burning of boats, the crossing of a Rubicon as far as Jesus is concerned. He is about to leave the relatively comfortable life of Nazareth behind him to take to the highways and byways, preaching and teaching, spreading his word on behalf of “The Father.”
There is no turning back now, and the cross looms large on his horizon. The same cross had thrown its shadow across Christmas for the first time on the feast of the Epiphany as King Herod had tried might and main to take out this “newborn king” whom he saw as a threat to himself and his family dynasty. The Wise Men gave him the slip, but he had every boy under two years old murdered in his efforts to wipe out a potential enemy at birth. Those “Holy Innocents” are seen as the first martyrs of Christianity. Dealing with the harshness of life we call “the cross” was there from the beginning. It is not that people are encouraged to go looking for crosses, but if they come our way, to take them on and deal with them as best we can.
The 7th of January is for many people the real New Year’s Day. People are more likely to have a go at giving up the fags or other difficult resolutions on that day than on the first of the year while there is still an element of Christmas about. Children are back at school. There is a half-hour or more of extra light on a fine evening. A few daffodils are breaking ground in sheltered places. It is a time of hope and new life, a touch of: ”We never died of winter yet.” By then I hope the floods of December have all receded, but have not been replaced by frost and snow. And as a woman of ninety eight and a half pointed out to me on my Christmas communion visit, haven’t we the joys of an election to look forward to, with all those wise men and women knocking at our doors and telling us how important we are.