My Jimdo Geocities Lifeboat
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A little girl’s first hero will be her dad, and no matter how old she grows, a darling daughter will forever be her father’s princess. Whether you are a father looking for a special message about your daughter, or a daughter seeking to share some lovely words to let your dad know how much he means to you, there are plenty of daddy-daughter quotes that you can choose from to express your love. From sentimental song lyrics to funny things celebrity dads have said about their daughters, this selection of father-daughter quotes perfectly puts into words just how special the bond between a man and his female child can be.
https://parade.com/1333841/michelle-parkerton/father-daughter-quotes/
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HISTORY: In 1831 Boyd bought a ship and set sail for Malaga, along the Costa del Sol, with Torrijos and some 60 followers. They were forced ashore by Spanish ships near Malaga and hid in the hills but were soon rounded up by troops and sentenced to execution. Robert wrote a last letter to his brother William, stating he would ‘die like a gentleman and a soldier.’ Boyd was marched to the beach with 48 of his fellow prisoners on 11 December and executed by firing squad.
His grave in the English Cemetery in Malaga is marked by a gothic obelisk with the inscription: ‘To the memory of Robert Boyd, Esquire of Londonderry, Ireland.
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The Archive was set up in the early 1920s by Col M J Costello and Thomas Galvin with the purpose of not only meeting the immediate needs of the new Military but as a ‘national memory’ and as a resource for historians. The Archive was purpose-built at Cathal Brugha Barracks. The early material includes documentation from the Civil War Intelligence Department, Kilmainham (19th century), and Dublin Castle’s War Office. It has sources for the Island of Ireland. However, some early material was destroyed before archiving.
https://irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/news/military-archives-and-how-search-them
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Reflection for Good Friday
Why do we call this Friday ‘Good’ when so many bad things happened ?
It is a day of contrasts and of paradox, a day of contradictions.
It is a day of unparalleled evil but we strangely call it ‘Good’.
God came to earth so that we may go to heaven.
God became human so that we might become divine.
The Son of God became a slave so that we could be set free.
Jesus was rejected so that we might be accepted.
Jesus forgave so that we would forgive.
Jesus was convicted so that we might have conviction.
Jesus was sold so that we could be redeemed.
Jesus was hurt so that we could be healed.
Jesus was scourged – we were purged.
Jesus descended into hell so that we might ascend to heaven.
Jesus was crowned with thorns so that we might have the crown of eternal life.
The sky went dark so that we might see the light.
The earth shook so that we might be calm.
Jesus was condemned as guilty so that we might be found innocent.
Jesus carried his cross so that Satan’s plan would be crossed out.
Jesus heart was opened by a spear so that our hearts might be opened by love.
Jesus laid in a borrowed tomb for only three days.
This is a day of supreme contrasts, paradox and even contradiction.
Jesus suffered all those bad things, so that we might call This Friday ‘Good’.
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St Patrick’s Day - World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2024
We often forget that Patrick was an immigrant – in modern terms we
might call him an undocumented migrant or a slave. In his Confession
he described himself as a refugee: ‘I am first of all a simple country
person, a refugee and unlearned. I do not know how to provide for the
future.’ But through the grace of God, Patrick’s fortunes were turned
around and he embarked on a mission in his adopted homeland that
would earn him the title ‘Apostle of Ireland’.
Today we remember all migrants. In his message for the World Day of
Migrants and Refugees Pope Francis said: ‘Every stranger who knocks
at our door is an opportunity for an encounter with Jesus Christ, who
identifies with the welcomed and rejected strangers of every age.’
May St Patrick guide us to be true disciples, with the courage to
welcome every stranger as Christ in our midst.
St Patrick’s Day Prayer for Those Away from Home
Loving God,
we pray for those whom we love,
but who are absent from us.
Keep them safe from all harm, evil and danger.
Bless them with peace, laughter,
wisdom, love and joy.
Grant that we may be reunited in the fullness of love;
in Christ’s name we pray. Amen
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A Reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Lent
Some of us become overwhelmed by life’s contradictions. The pain and injustice
that they see on every side causes them to lose all faith in God and in life. That
could have happened to Jesus. If ever there was a person who had the right to doubt
God, and to despair of the human race, and to become cynical about life, that person
was Jesus. But through all of His injustice and all of the pain, His faith did not fail.
He kept on believing in God, unlike many of us, He kept on believing in people,
He kept believing in life. At Calvary, faith won.
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Svalbard: Seeds of Hope
The Arctic archipelago is a bellwether for global climate change, but it also offers a safety net in a planetary disaster scenario.
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Lenten Scripture Reflection: A Journey through the Bible – Every Wednesday (during lent) until Mar 27th in the Library, Athea from 7.30pm-8.30pm. Followed by a cuppa and chat.
https://www.athea.ie/category/news/
Simple Acts of Compassion
The sixth station of the cross tells of a woman named Veronica from Jerusalem
who is so moved with sympathy upon seeing Jesus on route to his crucifixion
that she offers Jesus her veil to wipe his face. His face caked with blood, sweat,
and dirt, Jesus uses the veil to wipe his weary face, then hands it back to
Veronica with his image imprinted upon the piece of cloth. While there is no explicit reference to Veronica in the Gospels, her gracious act on the Via Dolorosa has lived on in legend for centuries. Veronica had the courage to reach out to the Lord in his suffering. May we
never fail to feel the sufferings of others and seek to lighten their burden. For whenever out of love we minister to the needy, the homeless, the refugee we receive an increase in grace and the image and likeness of Christ grows in our souls. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus states clearly that our Final Judgment will be based on whether we saw the hungry, the thirsty, the imprisoned, and the naked and acted with compassion. It is this compassion that Veronica is compelled by when she moves to wipe Jesus’ face.
Questions for us to reflect on as we journey through Lent. –
Where have I received a moment of compassion from someone in this community? What was a moment that I acted with compassion for someone else in this community? What was an opportunity to act with compassion that I may have missed? What is one act of compassion that I can commit to doing regularly beyond this season of Lent?
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The Way I See It
By Domhnall de Barra
There was a woman on the radio the other day commenting on the fact that nightclubs were closing at an alarming rate. She was saying what a pity it was because people needed a place to dance, even if there was no alcohol involved. Pubs are also closing every day because business has fallen off, especially since the Covid lock down. The simple fact is; alcohol in pubs and nightclubs is too expensive. This was realised by consumers when the pubs were closed and they had to buy there bottles and cans from off-licences and supermarkets. It was costing a lot less money and they got into the habit of having a drink in the comfort of their own homes. To take an example: if two couples went out together on a Saturday night and had four drinks each it would cost each couple about €70 give or take depending on what part of the country they were from. Add in a taxi and probably a babysitter and the total comes to well over €100. The same amount of drink for that couple at home would come to less than €25 so it is a no brainer. There is also the fact that, particularly younger people, are no longer depending on alcohol for their “buzz’’, they have alternative stimulants which are more than likely far more harmful. Anyhow, a way of life we used to know where people went out at weekends to have a couple of drinks and socialise is almost at an end. Part of that socialising included dancing, a practise that has been there sine the dawn of creation. We love to dance, or should I say react to rhythm. The earliest of tribes had drums made from the hides of animals and danced to the beat created on those instruments. Our own bodhran is not too different to those of old but there are variations all over the world. Western movies show us the Red Indians dancing around to the beat of drums just as movies about Africa show us different types of drums with the natives reacting to the beat in the same way. In years gone by, babies in Ireland were jogged up and down on their mother’s or grandmother’s knee keeping time to some catchy little song. They had simple rhymes like “throw him up and up, throw him up on high, throw him up and up and he’ll come down bye and bye”. Many of our polkas and slides were taken from the airs of these little songs and last to this day. They were great for keeping children amused and happy and I’m sure they instilled in them a love of movement to music. Dancing has taken many forms over the years from the primitive movement to drums to the most intricate steps of ballroom dancing, ballet, hip-hop and choreographed troops. Our local dances, polkas, slides , jigs and reels, are thought to be Irish but in fact, in bygone days, they could be found all over Europe. Many of them were brought to us by invaders, some of whom settled here, but we made our own of them and have kept them alive long after they have disappeared in other countries. Before the advent of radio and TV it was common to have dances in houses throughout the country. These were known as rambling houses or ceilí houses which is where “ceili bands” came from. Polkas and reel sets were the most popular with the odd waltz thrown in to slow it down a bit. The dance hall took over from the ceili house and by then the radio was bringing new music that also had new dancing. We now had to learn ballroom steps such as; quicksteps, foxtrots, sambas, rumbas, military two steps etc. We might not have been great but we muddled through with enough grace not to stand on a girls toes. Dancing was also a great opportunity to get your hands around a girl’s waist and hold her near, especially in slow dances, which was very exciting indeed ! Dances were usually in couples or sets of four couples until some new dances came along that did not require couples to have physical contact with each other. The first of these was the “Twist” which, thankfully, did not last too long but it opened the door to people dancing on their own without a partner. This became the norm in new dancing venues such as Discos which took over from the dancehalls and it continues to this day. Then there was the solo dancing. In Ireland this can be traced to Sean Nós dancing which was a spontaneous reaction to fast music like reels and jigs. Steps were not pre-planned and no two dancers were the same. In the early part of the last century, Conradh na Gaeilge set up a committee to put rules to the dancing. They decreed that they would be no movement of the body from above the waist with the hands held rigidly down by the sides. This is the Irish step dancing we know today and it seemed to take all the fun out of the performance. The advent of River Dance changed that with more body movement and expression so we are heading in the right direction. Sean Nós dancing has become very popular due to the annual competitions at the Oireachtas which is broadcast on TG4. It is not the same as the old method because now all the steps are planned but it still gives great scope to the performer to express themselves. So, dancing is , and always has been, an important part of out lives and something we need outlets for. There is something within us that makes us tap our feet to a rhythmic beat or get up and move to the music. It is hard to imagine any party, anniversary do, wedding or other celebrations without a band or DJ to provide music for dancing. Apart from the enjoyment we get from it, it is also great exercise and will help to keep the waistline within manageable proportions. I enjoyed dancing when I was young but then I started to play music and the dancing stopped because I was always the one on the stage. I took up set dancing in my late sixties at the classes run by Josephine O’Connor in the GAA clubhouse in Abbeyfeale. I really enjoyed the dancing and the craic we had but then Covid came and put an end to all that. I am trying to coax myself to go back again but maybe I am too old now. You’d never know – Timmy Woulfe is older than me and he is dancing like a teenager all the time!
https://www.athea.ie/category/news/
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Trócaire was created as a response to the widening gap between rich and
poor and our collective duty to reduce it. Trócaire is rooted in the principles
of Catholic social teaching, which are based on the belief that God has a
plan for creation, a plan to build his kingdom of peace, love and justice. In
the words of Trócaire’s founding document, in which the bishops of Ireland
gave the organisation a strong and clear mandate, ‘We know that we cannot
claim to love God if we do not love our fellow men and women.’ Trócaire
has worked through local partner organisations since its foundation.
Partnership is at the heart of how Trócaire works.
Trócaire works with local faith-and non-faith-based organisations who
share our values and who are working on any, or all, of our core programme
areas of women’s empowerment, resource rights and humanitarian
preparedness and response. These organisations understand the needs of
their communities and are best placed to work with communities to deliver
sustainable long-term change. This Lent you are invited to support the work
of Trócaire by making sure to have a Trócaire Box in your home and to
generously support the work of Trócaire by contributing to the
Lenten Campaign.
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Second Sunday of Lent A Thought for the Day
Jesus was ‘able to invite others to be attentive to the beauty that there
is in the world because he himself was in constant touch with nature,
lending it an attraction full of fondness and wonder. As he made his
way throughout the land, he often stopped to contemplate the beauty
sown by his Father and invited his disciples to perceive a divine
message in things.’ The very flowers of the field and the birds which
his human eyes contemplated and admired are now imbued with his
radiant presence.’ If ‘the universe unfolds in God, who fills it
completely… there is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a
mountain trail, in a dewdrop, in a poor person’s face.’
The world sings of an infinite Love: how can we fail to care for it?
Laudate Deum 64-65, Pope Francis
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Stations of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross is a traditional way of praying during Lent.
We pray this familiar prayer to be with Jesus Christ as he travels his final
journey from condemnation to crucifixion along the Via Dolorosa out of
love for and commitment to us and all of God’s creation. We pray and
reflect on the Stations of the Cross because we wish to become close to
Jesus, who loves each of us so deeply. We walk this journey to get a
glimpse at the heart and mind of Jesus Christ, who is alive today and
experiencing the Journey of the Cross wherever our sisters and brothers are
suffering throughout the world. We give thanks as we walk this journey.
The Way of the Cross has brought hope and the possibility of new life into
the dark places of our lives. Journeying with Jesus Christ allows us to
become aware of where God is walking with us in our lives, and where we
are called to be with others on their journey
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PRAYER FOR RACIAL HEALING
God of justice, in your wisdom you create all people in your image, without
exception. Through your goodness, open our eyes to see the dignity, beauty,
and worth of every human being. Open our minds to understand that all your
children are brothers and sisters in the same human family. Open our hearts to
repent of racist attitudes, behaviours, and speech which demean others. Open
our ears to hear the cries of those wounded by racial discrimination, and their
passionate appeals for change.
Strengthen our resolve to make amends for past injustices and to right the
wrongs of history.
And fill us with courage that we might seek to heal wounds, build bridges,
forgive and be forgiven, and establish peace and equality for all in our
communities.
We make this prayer through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen
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CANCER: On Jan. 24, 2015, Gianluca Firetti was admitted to the hospital. Despite the pain, he had time for visits and listened to the people who took turns in his room. It went from being a place of suffering and death to a place of meeting and prayer.
To each of his friends, he repeated: "I beg you, do not waste your life, be good, study, because I would change and study 500 pages instead of suffering."
Gianluca died on Jan. 30, 2015, at the age of 20. His friend Valentina recalled in the book:
"Gian was truly a special young man. A believer. The more the illness consumed him, the more his soul shone."
https://www.churchpop.com/the-story-of-a-20-year-old-cancer-fighting-catholic-who-inspired-others-to-live-for-christ/?utm_campaign=ChurchPop&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=292162190&utm_content=292162190&utm_source=hs_email
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The Way I See It February 2024
By Domhnall de Barra
It== is good to see the Northern Ireland Assembly up and running again because it was the people of the North, republican and loyalist alike, w--ho were suffering from lack of funding held up by the British government since they last sat. The DUP huffed and puffed and finally agreed to go back, putting a great spin on what they had achieved which was nowhere near what they had originally laid out as “red lines”. They got as much as they could and I sincerely hope they accept the fact that they are no longer in the majority and that they respect people with a different view to their own. Likewise I hope that Sinn Féin do not become triumphal and sour relations by talking too much about a united Ireland in the near future. Yes, it is their goal and something I hope I live to see but the reality is that the time is not right yet for such a move, not because it would be opposed by Unionists but rather by a majority of Nationalists who would suffer financially by such a move. The standard of living in the North is far better that down here and the cost of living is much lower. They are now also in the position of having the best of both worlds, having access to both the UK and Europe. I know that if I was living there I would wait until the situation improved down here before opting to join up. It will eventually come because it makes no sense to have one corner of a small island controlled by a foreign power and anyway, the British public don’t really care about the North at all and would be glad to see it under Irish control. In the meantime there is now an opportunity for elected representatives to do their jobs on behalf of all the people of the North, regardless of what persuasion.
Why are goods so much cheaper in the North than down here? I met a man lately who regularly goes up there, fills his van with booze, brings it down and sells it in his off-licence. Isn’t there something wrong when it is cheaper to buy retail in one part of a small island than to buy wholesale in another?. It doesn’t stop at the price of drink, the cost of groceries and other household essentials is much cheaper in stores like Tesco’s that operate in both jurisdictions. There is no justification for it and we are taking the hit down here without making much of a fuss. No wonder the multi-nationals call us “treasure island”.
We live in a world where we depend on medical help more than ever before. The very minute we get a sniffle we are at the doctor’s clinic and we are prescribed pills or bottles to cure us. No wonder the doctors of the country are overstretched catering for the many cases that could easily be treated at home if we had remembered the cures the people who went before us had. Many of theses cures of course are steeped in superstition and religion and have to be taken with a pinch of salt but, if people really believed they were being cured, it was half the battle. Some of them are funny as well. There was a cure for colds and flu that involved making a version of hot whiskey which included Jameson whiskey, 1 spoon of sugar or honey, 1 lemon and 6 cloves. The idea was, even if it didn’t cure you it would make you feel very good for a while anyway. There was a cure for a broken heart which involved making up your own prayer describing where you are and where you would like to be. Light two votive candles, one representing your heartache and the other your heart healing, and let them burn down together while you recite your prayer. I have never tried it so I have no idea if it works but people did use it in the past. The old people believed that nettle juice – yes, from the stinging plant – that’s harvested on May Day will keep arthritis away. Nettles also make a terrific soup for people who are judged to be too pale or suffering from iron deficiencies. My neighbour, Johanna Woulfe of the Glen, had a shop we used to visit when I was small and I often saw her boiling nettles. Sometimes she made soup by adding the giblets of a goose to the nettle water and people thought it was a great cure for colds. Why have we stopped doing this. Nettles are plentiful and it would be easier to sweeten the taste with all the herbs and spices available nowadays. There are, of course, a whole lot more old cures and remedies but I would need a whole book to go through them all. It would be no harm to do research and ask “Dr. Google” for a bit of help. We may all benefit from his wisdom.
The death toll on our roads is rising fast already this year even though we are only at the start of February. There are many reasons for this and it is difficult to see how we can change anything. Some will advocate reducing speed limits but those who regularly break limits will do so whatever number is on the signs. Not so long ago drink driving was one of the main reasons for crashes but that has dropped in recent years due to a change in culture where it is not now socially acceptable and frowned upon by friends. Drugs are now far more likely to be the cause of erratic driving and the Gardaí are only now getting to grips with it. When I say drugs, I am not just referring to the likes of cocaine and cannabis, a woman was driving along a country road lately and veered off into the ditch thankfully only causing damage to her own car and a couple of bruises on herself. She had taken Valium before driving and it had affected her judgement. When we get medicine from the chemist, there will be a leaflet attached telling us of the possible side effects we might experience which sometimes includes phrases like, “do not drive or operate machinery after taking this medicine”. Do we take any notice? More often than not we don’t even read the leaflet. There is also the fact that the standard of driving out there is very bad. I had a near miss the other day when a young man almost hit me on the roundabout going in to Tesco’s in Abbeyfeale. I was coming out, turning right, and he was coming from my left. I had the right of way but that didn’t bother him. He came straight through and if I didn’t have good reflexes and better brakes there would have been a smash. He proceeded to berate me and when I told him the rules of the road for roundabouts he told me to F—- off.
https://www.athea.ie/category/news/
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Daniel Payne/CNA Nation
January 31, 2024
Half a dozen pro-life activists on Tuesday were found guilty of violating a federal law that forbids protesters from blocking the entrances to abortion clinics.
The U.S. Department of Justice said in a press release that the six defendants in the Nashville, Tennessee, federal trial were “each convicted of a felony conspiracy against rights and a Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act offense.”
The federal FACE Act prohibits “violent, threatening, damaging, and obstructive conduct intended to injure, intimidate, or interfere with the right to seek, obtain, or provide reproductive health services.” It was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994.
The defendants had been charged with a blockade that occurred at the Carafem Health Center Clinic in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, in 2021.
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A Rift in the Earth
By James Reston Jr.
When an architecture student won a design competition to memorialize those who lost their lives in the Vietnam War, the backlash resulted in a five-year conflict involving politics, historical memory, and racism. This account is “superb and unexpectedly affecting” (The New York Times Book Review).
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Three-quarters of contractors paid for $53 million ArriveCan app didn’t do any work
By Quinn Patrick - January 30, 2024
The contentious ArriveCan app that was brought in to track citizens during the pandemic has become the subject of controversy once again, following an investigation revealing that three-quarters of the contractors who received money to build the $54-million dollar app didn’t actually have any involvement in its creation.
The revelation came in a report by the federal government’s procurement ombudsman.
“In roughly 76% of applicable contracts, resources proposed in the winning bid did not perform any work on the contract,” the report found.
The finding was condemned by Conservative members of Parliament Kelly Block and Pierre Paul-Hus.
“A damning watchdog report has revealed that federal officials in the Trudeau government rigged the ArriveCan contract so it would end up with the well-connected, two-person consulting firm, GC Strategies,” reads a joint statement from the two released Monday.
“In total, these two individuals did not work on the app, yet received $11 million dollars from taxpayers. Multiple investigations into ArriveCan have revealed millions in taxpayer dollars sent to connected insiders and consultants,” the statement continued.
Canadians were initially told that the ArriveCan app would cost $80,000 to implement, however that number quickly ballooned to costing over $54 million, a bill that was laid at the feet of the taxpayer, which the Conservatives took aim at in their statement.
https://tnc.news/2024/01/30/contractors-53-million-arrivecan-didnt-work/
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1832 Bianconi married Eliza Hayes, the daughter of a wealthy Dublin stockbroker. They had three children - Charles Thomas Bianconi, Catherine Henrietta Bianconi and Mary Anne Bianconi[8] the wife of Morgan John O'Connell and mother of John O'Connell Bianconi. Mary Anne published a biography of her father in 1878 which featured contributions by the artist Michael Angelo Haynes and the writer Anthony Trollope, who both knew him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bianconi
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The climate of Ireland is mild, humid and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes. Ireland's climate is defined as a temperate oceanic climate, or Cfb on the Köppen climate classification system, a classification it shares with most of northwest Europe.[1][2] The island receives generally warm summers and cool winters.
As Ireland is downwind of a large ocean, it is considerably milder in winter than other locations at the same latitude, for example Newfoundland in Canada or Sakhalin in Russia. The Atlantic overturning circulation, which includes ocean currents such as the North Atlantic Current and Gulf Stream, releases additional heat over the Atlantic, which is then carried by the prevailing winds towards Ireland giving, for example, Dublin a milder winter climate than other temperate oceanic climates in similar locations.[3]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Ireland
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Solar Farm: If you haven’t heard of vertical agrivoltaics systems, that’s probably because it’s such a new technology that many countries, including the United States, don’t have any farms using it yet. That’s set to change, at least for the U.S., however, as the first-ever vertical agrivoltaics system is about to be built in Vermont.
An agrivoltaics system uses solar panels installed on farmland so the land can be simultaneously used to grow crops and generate clean, renewable energy. Vertical agrivoltaics is where the panels are installed vertically, leaving more space for growing.
The Vermont project is being developed by U.S. solar energy company iSun and German agrivoltaics company Next2Sun. The latter company has already built similar projects in Germany. Their U.S. client has not been revealed, but Electrek speculates that “it’s pretty obvious that it’s a small- to medium-sized farm because it’s in Vermont.”
https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/vertical-agrivoltaics-vermont-solar-farm/
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Homeowner warned against swapping grass for popular landscaping trend: ‘It’s terrible’
L’Occitane is offering a new perk for customers who want to recycle their old beauty products
https://www.thecooldown.com/?s=ireland
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FUN: Reflect on something for a second: when was the last time you had fun? Are you having trouble remembering, and if you think about it, is it actually kind of hard to even describe what fun is?
Don’t worry, if you feel like fun’s gone missing from your life, and are feeling a little dead inside as a result, Catherine Price and I are here to offer you a fun-tervention.
Catherine is the author of The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again, and today on the show, we discuss the three elements of true fun and how it differs from fake fun, how to conduct a fun audit so you can identify your personal fun magnets, how to get a greater kick out of your life, and why you really need to have a Ferris Bueller day.
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Join us for the
National March For Life
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A "lost" 4,000-year-old tomb has been rediscovered on the Dingle Peninsula in Co Kerry.
The megalithic tomb known locally as Altóir na Gréine (the sun altar) was believed to have been completely destroyed in the 1840s, with its stones broken and carried away for use as building material.
https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2024/0118/1427170-lost-tomb-kerry/
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Dublin Airport arrivals without passports
Michael McNamara
Jan 18, 2024
3,285 people arrived to Dublin Airport without a valid identity document in 2023, down from 4,968 people in 2022.
It is an offence under the Immigration Act 2004 for a non-national over 16 to land in the State without a valid travel document*
I asked why no prosecutions were taken. Offences are punishable by up to 12 months in prison or a €3,000 fine.
The law applies to all non nationals except those from the UK and those arriving from the UK.
https://youtu.be/gWY_wVxOeJk?si=n9o7dU4vvbK2kH42
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CommunityLifestyleLocal NewsNews
Wheeling into Christmas 2023
23rd November 2023
492
Pictured L-R: Darragh Sheahan, Dylan O’ Connor, Patrick Scanlon, Pauric Scanlon, Laura Scanlon, Pat Sheahan, Caroline Murphy and Bridget Mulvihill
Did you enjoy witnessing the Estuary Rollers spectacle in the dark of night, when the massive tractor run took place last year? Well, good news!
They’re gearing up once again to roll through North Kerry and West Limerick and all for very worthy charities. This is a fun event that brings wonderful colour and fantastic goodwill. This year the committee at Estuary Rollers have selected Nano Nagle Listowel and Milford Hospice Limerick as their chosen charities.
Vintage tractors are going to get a huge welcome this year for the first time and there is a prize for the best dressed vintage tractor. In our modern section we have prizes for the best dressed tractor, best dressed fleet and best dressed tractor combo.
This is the fourth year when this amazing tractor run happens and it’s just in time to get the seasonal spirit up and running for everyone in North Kerry and West Limerick. Setting out in 2019, the Estuary Rollers committee wanted to raise funds for worthy charities and this year will be no different.
The beneficiaries of Nano Nagle and Milford Hospice will be delighted to receive the funds and will be able to use it for the benefit for all concerned.
If you wish to contribute to this fundraising drive, the details are below. All donations, no matter how small, are hugely appreciated by the organising committee.
On Sunday afternoon, December 3, 2023, beginning at 4pm at the Listowel Mart, the parade of tractors, bedecked in Christmas lights and tinsel, will begin the journey. They will travel then through the town of Listowel and continue to Knockanure. Then the cavalcade of tractors will proceed to the village of Moyvane. From there the wonderful entourage will head for the village of Tarbert and then onwards to the village of Glin. The bedecked and beautifully prepared tractors will then move to the Knockdown Arms where the event concludes.
To date, this event has raised €32,915 and last year the committee raised €14,200 for the Kerry Hospice and the Neonatal Unit, Limerick Maternity Hospital.
In 2021 one hundred and eighty-seven tractors took part and in 2022 two hundred and two tractors participated. Who knows how many there will be this year!
To participate, each tractor pays €25. D & N Catering will be on hand at Listowel Mart and each participant tractor driver will be treated to a burger, chip and drink to get them off to a good start on their charity journey.
Guess who will lead the tractor cavalcade? You guessed right! It is the man in the red coat – Santa Claus himself. What child will not be thrilled to see Santa on a brightly lit sleigh and tractor? Make sure that the little ones and the children in your life don’t miss this amazing sight as the tractor run drives through the towns and villages of North Kerry and West Limerick.
So put the date in your diary – Sunday December 3rd 2023.
You’re guaranteed to see amazing displays. Drivers and their families decorate the tractors and don’t ever spare the work, resources or effort. Every inch of the tractor is bright and glistening.
In advance, the committee want to say a really big thank you to all the tractor drivers who have made such an effort to make this Christmas tractor run such a success for Estuary Rollers.
Thank you to the hundreds and hundreds of people in all the villages, towns, crossroads and doorways who come out to great us and who contribute to our collectors all along the route.’
Don’t miss what promises to be a dazzling pageant.
So make sure you check us out on social media platforms: Estuary Rollers
GoFundMe: http://gofund.me/5d390135
https://theadvertiser.ie/wheeling-into-christmas-2023/
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Ireland old and new
A George Bernard Shaw quote before I tell you something related to his writing that I hope you find interesting.
"Take care to get what you like or you will be forced to like what you get" - George Bernard Shaw(1856-1950)
Attached is a picture of Shaw standing outside his shed. Nothing remarkable about that perhaps until you know that he had it built on a turntable. This was a great aid to his writing as when he was writing throughout the day he was able to rotate the shed itself easily and follow the sun and consequently attain as much light as possible.
The house that the shed was part of was where he lived with his wife Charlotte for over 40 years, and in that time they entertained quite a high profile set of guests which included Albert Einstein, Gandhi and Charlie Chaplin. Oh to travel back in time and be a fly on the wall for those conversations. The house in Welwyn Hertfordshire became known simply as "Shaw's Corner”
=------------------------------------------------
2023 was not very kind to Moyvane. We said goodbye to too many people who should be with us for many years to come but unfortunately life is not like that. October saw John Lynch leave this world following a motor cycle accident. John was a hard working young man, very popular with all age groups and is sadly missed by his parents, Noreen & Joseph, his brother, Jody and sisters Siobhan & Marie. In November Mai Carr joined her husband Mick who had predeceased her by something like forty years. Mai was a great lady who loved to play cards and is survived by her daughter, Breda and son Michael and their families. John Sheehy of Clounmacon, Listowel died suddenly on November 16. He may have had a Listowel address but he was Moyvane through and through. He is a huge loss to the farming community. He was one of the few available to do tractor work, silage, bales, slurry, you name it John did it. He will be missed by his sisters Mary, Helen, Kathleen & Bernie, brothers Bobby, Pat, Dick, Joe & Mike and extended family. Martha (Mangan) Enright opted to come back to Moyvane to join her late husband, Jackie in Ahavoher. She spent most of her adult life in Leeds but enjoyed the best of both worlds. She spent her Summers in her family home down the “new road”, she bought a car and learned to drive after Jackie passed away. She was independent, very sociable and good friends with her neighbours. She was a regular at the Irish Centre in Leeds, loved dancing and playing cards. Martha is survived by her daughters, Margaret & Yvonne, son John and their families. Just before Christmas the parish was more than shocked at the passing of Teddy Keane. Teddy was an active and trusted member of the local community being involved with several organisations over many years. He played football as a young man and later was an officer with Moyvane GAA club holding many different positions. He was always available to help at Moyvane Bingo and was well liked by the people who played Bingo every week. He is missed and talked about every Thursday night. It is hard to believe that he is no longer with us but his family will miss him more than anyone. He was a wonderful husband to Olive, Dad to Yvonne, Jennifer, Brian, Suzanne & Dermot and their families. Micky Flaherty of Keylod was last to leave this world in 2023. He had been unwell for quite some time but had been well enough to attend a football the day before he died. He is survived by his partner Helen, father Mickey, sisters Mary, Helen, Kate, Angela and Liz, brother Tadhg and extended family. That finishes 2023. Hopefully 2024 will be better. Good health to all of you and your families. (Taken from Moyvane Notes January 2024)
https://moyvane.com/moyvane-notes-19/
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Our Lady
The image is taken to represent Mary’s role in protecting the flock of her Son from the evil one. “Divine” is taken in the sense of “most excellent.”
This year’s procession began early with the traditional Divine Shepherdess Devotional Race. Approximately 44,000 runners ran the six-mile course, which went past the most iconic places in the city until reaching St. Rose Church, the starting point of the procession.
The image of the Virgin was processed more than four miles throughout the day, from St. Rose Church to the metropolitan cathedral of Barquisimeto, where the archbishop emeritus of Coro, Mariano Parra, celebrated the Mass for the reception of the image.
“It’s no coincidence that this procession has been held 166 times, and every [time] the number of people accompanying the Divine Shepherdess increases, thus becoming one of the largest manifestations [of Marian devotion] in the world,” Parra said in his homily.
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When the researcher Daniel Chambliss decided to study a group of elite swimmers to figure out what led to excellence, he was surprised to find just how much the top swimmers enjoyed the aspects of training — participating in early-morning practices; swimming back and forth along a black line for hours on end — that most people would find miserable.
Chambliss observed: “It is incorrect to believe that top athletes suffer great sacrifices to achieve their goals. Often, they don’t see what they do as sacrificial at all. They like it.”
Discipline is typically seen as the central key to success.
The idea is that achieving anything worthwhile involves doing hard things; hard things are unpleasant; therefore, success requires the white-knuckle willpower to push through those contrary feelings.
Yet this perspective draws on a very limited, binary conception of human emotions.
There are things that are difficult and enjoyable, challenging but satisfying, utterly compelling despite the pain.
It is a mistake to think that an individual who runs 10 miles each day does so because of discipline; that run is likely his favorite part of the day.
The savant who practices guitar for hours in his bedroom doesn’t make himself do it; he wants to do it.
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Jim Caviezel became the world famous actor with leading role in Mel Gibson’s movie “Passion”. Who is that actor that has so impressively become one with character of Jesus? Personally, he claims that if it wasn’t for Medjugorje, he wouldn’t have ever even accepted that role. Namely, in Medjugorje he had experienced certain dimension of faith that was unknown to him up to that point. In February he came to Medjugorje for the sixth time as pilgrim, and he visited Vienna after that trip.
https://www.medjugorje.ws/index.php?sec=updates&mod=ar&enc=UTF-8&lan=en&count=30&run=view&first=-1&findmode=af&highlight=1&find=medjugorje+Magazine+Ireland&action=OK
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Edward Pentin Features
December 27, 2023
LITTLE WALSINGHAM, England — Since medieval times, England’s national shrine, set deep in the beautiful north Norfolk countryside, has been regarded as a great center of Catholic faith, a beacon of light and hope through the nation’s long and tumultuous history.
That is no less the case today. As the country becomes ever more secular and “post-Christian,” so the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham is drawing individuals and families to the town to live out their faith and devotion to the Blessed Mother.
========================
Weekly Newsletter
Vigil of Christmas
24th December 2023
Dear Friends of Sacred Heart Church,
On this Vigil of Christmas, our hearts are filled with anticipation and joy.
Tonight, join us for this sacred night!
The Christmas Carols will be starting at 11 pm, followed by the Midnight Mass. We eagerly await your presence and encourage you to extend the invitation to at least one friend!
We hope your Advent was filled, not only with resolutions, but also with abundant blessings as you prepared for this joyous occasion.
This year holds particular significance as we celebrate our first Christmas without any scaffolding in the church. The removal of scaffolding last week revealed the beauty of the left transept, nearly completed. While the painters diligently work on the lower parts, visible without scaffolding, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for your generosity towards this project.
Your support is making our dear Sacred Heart Church a haven of beauty in Limerick!
Starting tomorrow, I will begin a Novena of Masses in honour of the Child Jesus, in thanksgiving for all donations received this year, especially for your Christmas dues.
As we approach the end of the year, our financial situation is challenging. We managed to postpone some loan reimbursements, and we thank you again sincerely for your continued financial support.
Today is also a day of joy for our dedicated altar boys and young choir members. A bag of chocolates, treats and surprises will await them after Midnight Mass!
Please review the Christmas Week schedule included in this newsletter. Confessions will resume this Saturday.
We are also pleased to welcome an Institute candidate, Adriano, who is discerning his vocation in our community in Belfast. He will be with us for his Christmas break until January 8th.
We also extend our warm wishes to Abbe Baxter, who deserves a well-earned Christmas break after months of intense commitment to the Sacred Heart Church. We express our special gratitude for his dedication to the choir and his skilful organ playing.
During this Christmas season, take a moment to pray beside the crib. Remember the poignant words of the Infant of Prague: ‘‘The more you honour me, the more I bless you.”
Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed and joyous Christmas!
Canon Lebocq
Prior of Sacred Heart Church
Live stream from the Sacred Heart Church
==================================
Irish in England Part 1 (1983)
202,250 views 11 May 2018
The ‘Irish in England’ is a 2-part series first shown on Channel 4 in 1983. The programmes tell the story of the generation of Irish men and women who came to England in the 1950’s and 60’s. Using in-depth interviews, they explore the economic, social and cultural factors affecting their and their children’s lives as they settled here.
Programme 1 explores the ‘push and pull’ forces which saw thousands of Irish people forced to leave Ireland because of a
stagnating economy, to seek work in the post war reconstruction in England. Participants, including Mary Allen, Donal MacAmhlaigh, and Doris Daly, relate their personal stories, building a picture of a community that was valued for its skill and labour, but was not always made to feel welcome. They talk about the importance of music and the church in maintaining links with their culture, and ponder the question of where is ‘home’.
An Irish Video project Production.LCVA Website URL: http://www.the-lcva.co.uk/videos/594a...
Key moments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYgdQG_orwk
============================
By Emma Silvestri
Frankfurt, Germany, Dec 31, 2023 / 07:00 am
For over half a century, every year in Germany — as well as in Switzerland and Austria — hundreds of thousands of children go from door to door dressed as the three Wise Men to bring the blessing of Christ around the turn of the year.
Singing Christmas carols, the “Sternsinger” (the “Star Singers”) brighten up the streets of towns and villages with their pretty voices and raise funds for children in need around the world.
============================
MOYVANE GAA Tribute; It is with heavy hearts that we share of the passing of our valued clubman and friend Teddy Keane. Teddy had a long playing career with Moyvane during in which time he won a County Junior Championship in 1982 along with a Senior North Kerry Championship medal in 1983. Teddy was also our club referee, a role which he performed with great distinction. His greatest accolade was in administration. He served in many roles over the years including chairman, secretary, treasurer and pro of our club. He was also the first pro of the Northkerryfootball Board.
To the present day Teddy continued to be an active fundraiser for the club and overall an outstanding clubman who was always available to help out his club in any capacity.
We offer our sincerest sympathies to Olive, Brian, Dermot, Yvonne, Jennifer, Suzanne and the extended Keane family. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
-----------------------------------------
Reflect
I am thankful for nights that turn into mornings; strangers that turned into friends; challenges that turned into achievements; dreams that turned into reality.
REVIEW YOUR DESTINATION REGULARLY TO ENSURE YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK !!
We come this way but once. We can either tiptoe through life & hope we get
to death without being badly bruised or we can live a full, complete life achieving our goals and realizing our wildest dreams.
In the coming week May God fill - Your family with unity and joy,
Your friends with loyalty & trust, Your heart with love and peace,
Your soul with praise & thanksgiving, Your mind with wisdom & discernment, Your body with vibrant health, Your days with
wonderful memories, and Your life with purpose. Amen.
LAST WORD: Getting a second chance can be very powerful
as now you know what is at stake.
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Prayer for Blessing a Christmas Tree
Lord God, amidst signs and wonders Christ Jesus was born in
Bethlehem of Judea: his birth brings joy to our hearts and
enlightenment to our minds.
Let your blessing come upon us as we illumine this tree.
May the light and cheer it gives
be a sign of the joy that fills our hearts.
With this tree, decorated and adorned, may we welcome Christ among us;
may its lights guide us to the perfect light.
May all who delight in this tree
come to the knowledge and joy of salvation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/. Amen.
The Meaning and Importance of the Crib
The presence of the poor and the lowly in the nativity scene remind us that God
became man for the sake of those who feel most in need of his love and who ask
him to draw near to them. Jesus, ‘gentle and humble in heart’ (Mt 11:29), was
born in poverty and led a simple life in order to teach us to recognise what is
essential and to act accordingly. The nativity scene clearly teaches that we cannot
let ourselves be fooled by wealth and fleeting promises of happiness. From the
manger, Jesus proclaims, in a meek yet powerful way, the need for sharing with
the poor as the path to a more human and fraternal world in which no one is
excluded or
marginalised. Pope Francis, Admirabile Signum
-------------------------------
Scoil Mháthair Dé will perform their Christmas Cantata,
"Nativity Story" in the Church of the Assumption on Thursday
14th December at 7.00 p.m. All Welcome.
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Ita’s Hall - Update on Renovation Work
The renovation work on the hall began in the second week of September and it is
hoped to have all the work completed by early Spring 2023. The project is being
funded by grant aid from the Community Centre Investment Fund, provided by the
Department of Rural and Community Development and by funds raised locally.
We have a target of fundraising up to €100,000 locally and we are almost halfway
towards achieving that goal.
St Ita’s Hall has been a community space for almost 100 years. It was officially
opened on New Year’s Night 1928. St Ita’s Hall is the only true multipurpose
building in the town, available to a diverse range of activities, groups and services.
The newly restored building will include a variety of spaces for meetings,
counselling facilities, full disability access facilities on both floor levels, with the
provision of a lift to the first floor. The newly refurbished building will include a
fully equipped sensory room, which will offer space for children and young people
with autism and other special needs.
The hall will continue to provide a meeting space for all the groups who used the
hall before the renovation works began. The new layout of St Ita’s Hall will also
provide a hot desk space which will be available to rent for minimum charges.
It will have the most up to date broadband speeds along with all the required IT
and technical infrastructure. At this stage 70% of the work has been completed.
We want to thank all the various groups and individuals who have fundraised or
made individual donations towards the project, so far. We will continue the
fundraising campaign into the new year until our goal is achieved.
We look forward to meeting you at the Celtic Brothers Fundraising Concert on
Friday night. Fr Tony, Fr Willie
http://www.abbeyfealeparish.ie/publications/newsletter/10_12_2023[2023-12-10].pdf
======================
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Our lives are temporary
Patty Griffin captures that feeling of remorse in her rueful song, “Long Ride Home,” about a widow who laments her failure to have better-loved her just-deceased husband.
Forty years go by with someone laying in your bed
Forty years of things you wish you’d never said
How hard would it have been to say some kinder words instead
I wonder as I stare up at the sky turning red
As she arrives home from the cemetery, she realizes the finality of her failure.
Headlights searching down the driveway
The house is dark as it can be
I go inside and all is silent
And seems as empty as the inside of me
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LET THE EARTH ACCLAIM CHRIST JESUS
Hymn Text by Kathleen Pluth
Meter: 87 87 D
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https://youtu.be/hDNZeBtCjjc?feature=shared
Purpose, connection, peace—these desires are written on our hearts for a reason. The answer lies at the very centre of our faith: the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist
--------------------------
Winning hymn of the USCCB Eucharistic Theme Song Competition
Text copyright © 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. All rights reserved.
1. Let the earth acclaim Christ Jesus, God the Father’s equal Son,
in the Virgin’s womb incarnate when the course of time had run.
He became for us a servant, bore the cross and crushed the grave,
and remains, a living Presence, to complete his plan to save.
2. For the same divine Lord Jesus, by our gracious Father sent,
comes to us upon the altar in the Blessed Sacrament.
Here he stands and knocks for entry. See, the King of glory waits!
Open wide the door in welcome. Lift up high the ancient gates!
3. Jesus rose upon the third day as the Holy Spirit willed,
like a seed once dead and buried till the times had been fulfilled;
and his glorious Resurrection raises not the Lord alone:
those who eat and drink his Supper stay in him, become his own.
4. God, pure goodness ever-living, source of everlasting days,
gives this pledge of life eternal to the Church he works to raise:
by this foretaste of the Kingdom weakened souls begin to thrive,
darkened minds are filled with wisdom, stony hearts and wills revive.
5. In this festival of gladness may we be transformed, O Lord,
Sacrifice, O Source and Summit, Jesus, Eucharist adored.
Jesus, Sacrament most holy, Jesus, Sacrament divine,
may all praise and all thanksgiving be at every moment thine.
-----------------------------
Author’s Notes: Explanation of the Hymn
Kathleen Pluth
This hymn celebrates the saving action of the Lord Jesus Christ, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Each of the first four stanzas focuses on one aspect of this fathomless mystery of our faith.
Stanza 1 reflects upon the basic story of the kerygma, the apostolic proclamation told in many ways in
the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and throughout the New Testament. Jesus Christ, the Word, the
Second Person of the Most Blessed Trinity, emptied himself and became for us a servant (see
Philippians 2:6–11). He lived, died, and rose in obedience to the Father in order to save us. His
Incarnation occurred at a particular point in human history (John 1:14; Galatians 4:4; Hebrews 1:2; 1
John 1:2), “when the course of time had run” according to God’s plan, and yet has lasting effects that
change our lives here and now.
In Stanza 2, we sing gratefully for one of the most sublime ongoing gifts of Jesus: the Blessed
Sacrament. Even after his Ascension into heaven, where he lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews
7:25), he has made a way for us to stay united with him, in Holy Communion. The second half of the
verse weaves together Psalm 24 and a famous verse from the Book of Revelation to say that the King
of Glory (Psalm 24:7, 9) is knocking at the door (Revelation 3:20) of each one of our hearts, asking for
entry. Will we accept him? (John 1:12–13) This is the question that frames the drama of the Christian
life. In John 6, the Bread of Life discourse, many decided they would not accept him and walked away.
Will we be like them? Or will we be like St. Peter, who said, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the
words of eternal life” (John 6:68).
This question of eternal life is uppermost in Stanza 3, which was inspired by John 6, the Bread of Life
Discourse. Jesus strongly links eating his flesh and drinking his blood with eternal life. “Amen, amen,
I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within
you” (John 6:53). We also know from 1 Corinthians 15 that we are so joined to Jesus that his
Resurrection is communicated to us. How does this happen? By our sharing in the Paschal Mystery.
Sacramentally, this happens in the Eucharist (see Summa Theologiae, III.79.2).
Stanza 4 explores some of the ways in which even now we begin to taste the heavenly banquet because
of the Eucharist (see CCC 1402–1405). The stanza begins with praising God, who overflows with life
and so can share it with us. Then we sing about some of the demands of the Kingdom. We have to
begin to live a new life, thinking and willing differently. The Eucharist helps us to be transformed in
order to accept the elevation that God wills for us.
All of this is such wonderfully good news that Stanza 5 simply rejoices in praise. It resembles a litany,
of which the most important word is “Jesus.” This brings us back to where we started, with
Philippians 2:6–11, which ends “At the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and
on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God
the Father.” In this stanza, Jesus Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament is addressed directly, as Lord,
Sacrifice, Source and Summit, Eucharist, and Sacrament. The stanza concludes by recalling the
familiar prayer:
O Sacrament most holy,
O Sacrament divine,
all praise and all thanksgiving
be every moment thine.
======================================
ABORTIONS: The research project, led by the Society of Family Planning, offers the most robust look yet at how abortion access has changed since Dobbs. Researchers analyzed the average monthly number of abortions between April 2022 — establishing a baseline prior to the fall of Roe — and June 2023 based on data reported by 83 percent of the nation’s abortion providers. (The project does not track self-managed abortions, so the figures undercount how many pregnancies have been terminated over the past year.) The report found states that outlawed the procedure after June 2022 performed 114,590 fewer abortions than they would have if the Court had preserved the constitutional right to abortion. In 33 states and D.C., where abortion remains legal, there were 116,790 more abortions than expected. That makes for 2,200 more cumulative abortions nationwide.
https://www.thecut.com/2023/10/abortion-rates-one-year-after-dobbs.html
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In a remarkable milestone, Albania is building not one, but two Jewish museums. The Marxist regime that ruled Albania from 1946 to 1991 outlawed all religions in 1967 — including Judaism — and at one point reviled Israel as the “little devil” of the United States.
But these days, Albania touts its history of saving Jews during World War II (it’s the only country that ended the war with more Jews than it started with) and has cultivated ties with Israel since the fall of communism. They cite their nation’s culture of “besa” — Albania’s medieval code of honor, which requires people to welcome any guests, including foreigners, as their own.
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Reflect
Miraculous Healing at Eucharistic Adoration, Spiritual Dispositions for Holy Communion, Who Was Called the Miracle Monk of Lebanon, and More Great Links!
The Best In Catholic Blogging
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Why You Get Injured When You Sprint
If you’ve tried sprinting as an adult after a long hiatus away from it, you may have experienced an injury like I did. While you might think it’s due primarily to age, injuries from sprinting occur frequently, even among elite athletes.
Sprinting is a high-impact, high-strain activity. You’re contracting your leg muscles repeatedly with a lot of force during the sprint. If the muscles and tendons in your legs haven’t been strengthened to handle those forceful, repeated contractions, you’re setting yourself up for a muscle strain or tendon injury.
“Think of a sprint as a one-rep max on a deadlift,” Matt told me. “You wouldn’t try deadlifting 405 pounds unless you progressively trained your way to lift that much. You’d just injure yourself if you tried deadlifting 405 pounds without training. The same thing goes with sprinting.”
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Pope Francis’ Daily Prayer to Saint Joseph
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage and defend us from every evil. Amen.
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The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary: 7th October
The tradition of blessing roses on this day is an old one. Fr Pat will bless roses at all
Masses this weekend – please bring roses for blessing with you to Mass. It is
recorded in the Annals of the Rosary that many favours have been obtained, both
spiritual and temporal, through the virtue of these blessed roses. Indeed, we are
told that thousands of sick persons have been cured by using them devoutly.
This feast was established by Pope Saint Pius V to commemorate the victory of the
Christian naval fleet of the Holy League, which contained the Papal States, against
the Muslim Turks of the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Lepanto off the coast of
Turkey on 7th October 1571. The Christian fleet was commanded by Don Juan of
Austria. The Christian victory in that sea battle was a hugely significant one for the
future of Christianity in Europe, in that if the Christians had lost that battle, much of
Europe would probably be Muslim today. Saint Pius V, who was a Dominican and
Pope from 1566 until 1572, credited Our Lady with the victory since on the eve of the
battle he had recited the Rosary as he led a Rosary Procession, praying for success
the following day. The Rosary was revealed to Saint Dominic (1170 – 1221) by the
Blessed Mother about the beginning of the thirteenth century and is one of the most
beautiful of all devotions. After the victory Pope Saint Pius V declared that “The
Feast of Our Lady of Victory” would be celebrated on 7th October the following year
(1572). He himself died earlier that year on 1st May 1572. His successor, Pope
Gregory XIII, changed the title of the feast to “The Feast of the Holy Rosary”. In 1960
Saint Pope John XXIII changed the title to “The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary”. The
feast is a celebration of the great prayer which the Rosary is, as we meditate on key
events or moments in the lives of Jesus and his mother Mary.=
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Hope looks for the good in people instead of harping on the worst.
Hope opens doors where despair closes them.
Hope discovers what can be done instead of grumbling about what cannot.
Hope regards problems, small and large, as opportunities.
Hope pushes ahead when it would be easy to quit.
Hope lights a candle instead of “cursing the darkness.”
Hope draws its power from a deep trust in God & the basic goodness of mankind.
Hope is a good loser because it has the divine assurance of final victory.
NO PERSON IS RICH ENOUGH TO BUY BACK THEIR PAST!!
Our wish for you---
Comfort on difficult days. Smiles when sadness intrudes. Rainbows
to follow the clouds. Laughter to kiss your lips.
Sunsets to warm your heart. Hugs when spirits sag. Beauty for your
eyes to see. Friendships to brighten your being. Faith so that you can believe. Confidence for when you doubt. Courage to know yourself. Patience to accept the truth. Love to complete your life.
FORGIVING OTHERS IS A GIFT YOU GIVE TO YOURSELF.
LAST WORD: Cherish each hour of each day as it can never return
=======================
NOTE FROM FR. JIM Lenihan ......
During the week we had our 2nd Rescue project program where we were reminded that our Biblical story can be summed up in four words. Created - Captured - Rescued- Response. On Tuesday we focused on how God ‘Created’ everything good but most especially - YOU!! Fr. John Ricardo recalled a television anchor reporting on the 9/11 atrocities live. When he just got a report that one of the planes captured by the terrorist was a plane flying from Boston to LA. And his first response was - ‘I bet that there was some important people on that plane!’ Fr. John asked were they not all important?!! As our society moves further and further away from God we become more materialistic. We begin to view our world through a different lens. Where our and other people’s importance is determined by our achievements or our notoriety or what we possess. The biblical lens tells us a much different story. It tells us that we are called into a special relationship with the God of creation, where He adopts us as a member of his own family. He wants us to be divinised for all eternity. Of all the amazing things that God spoke into existence including the universe, ‘You’
are His greatest creation. The dignity you possess is beyond human words. He gazes upon you with a love that is beyond all telling. Science can answer the how but not the why. The biblical answer is - God created everything because of love. He Loved You into existence.
This week let us ponder: 1 John 3 ‘How great is the love the Father has lavished
on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The
reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now
we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we
know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
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PRAYER FOR THE SYNOD IN ROME
Holy Spirit, breath of Pentecost,
you send us to proclaim Christ
and to welcome into our communities
those who do not yet know him.
Come down, we pray, upon the participants of the
Synod and upon all who are present in this church,
filling them with your wisdom and courage
in order to be servants of communion
and bold witnesses of your
forgiveness in today’s world!
We make this prayer through
Christ our Lord,
Amen.
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The Way I See It
By Domhnall de Barra
I was in Tralee the other day and, as I walked through a shopping centre, a family of two adults and two children passed me by. I am assuming that they were a family but it was the fact that they were very different caught my attention. The man looked like he was of Middle-Eastern extraction from his clothes, head gear and the full beard. He was in the lead with the children next and the woman bringing up the rear. She was dressed from head to toe in black with just a slit in the head covering for her eyes to see through. They were obviously devout Muslims following the Koran to the letter of the law. I have lived in Libya for a while and the sight of women in that attire was commonplace but it looked so out of place in a rural town in Ireland. I respect people’s decision to follow whatever religion they choose but I want nothing to do one that treats women so abominably. Their belief is that women are only there to bear children and are subservient to their husbands. That is why the woman in Tralee was walking at least five paces behind her husband. Her body is to be hidden from sight in case it arouses passion in other males. They also believe that girls should not be educated or hold any position in society. We can see what is happening in Afghanistan where girls schools are being closed and female workers are being replaced my males. It might seem very strange to us but it isn’t that long ago that women were discriminated against in this country. Some of my father’s generation, himself amongst them, thought a woman’s place was in the home and that she wasn’t fit for any position of authority. Thankfully we have left that age behind and we now have women prominent in all walks of life This is only right and proper because I firmly believe that women in general are far more capable than men in many walks of life. There is no reason for a mother, or indeed a father, to be in the home 24/7. Once children go to school they are far more influenced by their classmates and teachers than by anything that happens at home and of course once they start secondary level, their parents no nothing anymore and their only aim is to stop the teens enjoying themselves. So, it is more than possible for a woman to be a good mother and also have a successful career. There is still an imbalance of women v men in certain professions and some people have put forward the idea of a compulsory gender balance in boardrooms and politics. I have a problem with this concept and I think it is flawed. The best people for available positions should get them regardless of gender. I don’t care if it is 100% men or women as long as they are the most suitable for the job. The idea that a good candidate will not be chosen just because the gender quota has to be filled goes against all logic and is unfair to those who are not chosen whether a he or a she. I say he or she because , in my opinion, there are only two genders, male and female. I can’t be dealing with “them or “they”. I appreciate that some people born a certain gender feel they do not belong and want to change. I have no problem with that but until medically certified otherwise they should be referred to as “he” or “she”. In the meantime they should get all the help they need to be comfortable in their own bodies.
I just heard on the news that the proposed gas terminal in Ballylongford has been turned down by An Bord Pleannala. The board said it was going along with government policy and it just goes to show how little commonsense exists in the corridors of power. We are going to need supplies of gas for the foreseeable future and it seems we have learned nothing from the war in Ukraine that left us with an energy crisis. Other countries in Europe are building gas terminals so that they will be independent into the future but not Ireland, no, we are too busy bowing to the Green agenda that we cannot do the sensible thing. This is the same government that closed down the peat burning stations and put an end to peat harvesting by Bord na Mona putting hundreds out of work. We are now importing peat briquettes from Europe and we do not have the back-up of the power stations in the midlands. It just simply does not make sense and we will live to regret it. It is time for our politicians to take their heads out of the clouds and make some practical decisions that will benefit the people they represent, not just follow a fashionable agenda. Green energy is the way into the future but we are a long way from being able to rely 100% on that.
I had great plans for last weekend with golf on Saturday and Sunday, a big birthday party session on Friday night and a wedding after-session on Sunday. Alas all my plans came to nought due to a back injury sustained while emptying out a water trough on Thursday. The pump takes out most of the water but there is about six inches at the bottom that has to be done by hand. It takes about half an hour of filling and lifting buckets over the edge to complete the operation and as I was doing it I began to get a pain in the back from all the bending and lifting. I finished the job but I had huge problems getting out of the trough and managed to dislocate my hip in the process so I have been in agony for a few days and even though I am in the office at the moment I am far from all right. It just goes to show how fragile our bodies are and how easily we can be laid low. I hope to be back in action again soon.
The link below is for anybody who would like to join our weekly lottery. Proceeds from this lottery help to fund local projects in Athea such as the Footbridge, graveyard and street maintenance, stone walls, townland signs and the local Community Employment scheme. If you would like tom be involved please fill in the form and send it to me: Domhnall de Barra, Athea Community Council Ltd., Con Colbert Street, Athea, Co. Limerick
https://www.athea.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Lotto-form.pdf
https://www.athea.ie/2023/09/news-19-9-23/
This combination of photos provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows packaging for Banquet Brand Frozen Chicken Strips which was recalled by ConAgra Brands on Sept. 2, 2023, due to possible foreign matter contamination. In recent weeks, U.S. consumers have seen high-profile headlines about foods recalled for contamination with foreign objects. (USDA via AP)
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By: James MacDonald- April 6, 2017
The icon indicates free access to the linked research on JSTOR.
Remember those weird vibrating belly belts? (They were called Battle Creek Health Builders, in case you’ve forgotten.) In decades past those were all the rage for weight loss, allegedly a ticket to a firm stomach without actually doing any exercise. The promise of these bizarre machines was oversold, and they soon fell out of favor. But maybe they were on to something after all. Something called Whole body vibration (WBV) is making a comeback as a substitute for exercise.
https://daily.jstor.org/whole-body-vibration-isnt-quite-as-crazy-as-it-sounds/
DRUG Price; America’s pharmaceutical giants are now suing to block the federal government’s first effort at drug price regulation. Last year’s Inflation Reduction Act included what on its face seems a modest proposal: The federal government would for the first time be empowered to negotiate prices Medicare pays for drugs — but only for 10 very expensive medicines beginning in 2026 (an additional 15 in 2027 and 2028, with more added in later years). Another provision would require manufacturers to pay rebates to Medicare for drug prices that increased faster than inflation.
Those provisions alone could reduce the federal deficit by $237 billion over 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office has calculated. Those savings would come from tamping down on drug prices, which are costing an average of 3.44 times (sometimes 10 times as much) as what the same brand-name drugs cost in other developed countries, where governments already negotiate prices.
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The bitterness of broccoli can be as delicious as the sweetness of a pear. A song played in minor key can be as soul-stirring as one played in major. A walk through the bleakness of winter can be as sublime as a warm summer’s stroll.
In the same way, feelings are not better or worse, but simply different. Each adds a distinct flavor, music, and dimension to our lives. Each can be embraced, relished, and even enjoyed.
The satisfactions of heavier feelings derive from the same source as the paradoxically pleasurable pain of exercise: in the growth and reaching they point to.
Anxiety signals that you’ve resisted inertia — that you’re taking a risk and putting something on the line.
https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/advice/sunday-firesides-no-bad-feelings/?mc_cid=dd840dda9d
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Hans Zimmer's Gladiator performed by the Massed Bands of HM Royal Marines on Horse Guards Parade, London.
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Mind Yourself Series provides insight into the physical challenges farmers face and offers advice on how best to manage and improve orthopaedic health — all so that farmers can improve their mobility, function, and overall well-being.
https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/agriland-and-upmc-present-video-series-on-orthopaedic-health/
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By: Imogen Lepere
August 21, 2023
It’s 1976, and a Polynesian voyaging canoe christened Hōkūleʻa is slicing through the ocean somewhere between Hawaiʻi and Tahiti. A Micronesian man named Pius “Mau” Piailug—usually referred to as Mau—sits at the back of the boat, studying the rhythm of the waves and giving commands. This journey of 6,000 nautical miles will take thirty-four days to complete, but Mau will never rest for more than a few hours at a time. Of the fifteen-strong crew (made up of both Polynesian and Micronesian sailors), he’s the only one who possesses the ancient knowledge of wayfinding—using his memory, the stars, and the swell to navigate the open ocean rather than modern instruments.
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Research on jet lag is limited, and most of it is on athletes, who — much like NPR's journalists — are expected to jet across time zones and perform at their best. A recent consensus statement to help athletes manage jet lag and travel fatigue in the journal Sports Medicine, offers few guiding principles.
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India’s Bishops Elated After Successful Moon Landing
The solar-powered lunar rover will now spend two weeks exploring the vicinity of the landing site, studying the chemical composition of moon dust and gravel, Space.com reported.
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Feminism Is Dead: New Book by Carrie Gress Unearths Shocking Facts
COMMENTARY: ‘The End of Woman: How Smashing the Patriarchy Has Destroyed Us,’ out this week, offers critical history as well as hope for the ‘future of our civilization.’
‘The End of Woman’
‘The End of Woman’ (photo: Regnery Publishing)
Sue Ellen Browder Books
August 18, 2023
Several years ago, Carrie Gress and I had a brief but memorable conversation about feminism. She was working at that time on her book The Anti-Mary Exposed: Rescuing the Culture From Toxic Femininity. I was writing a book (Sex and the Catholic Feminist) in which I hoped to spread the truth about how the “abortion right” got inserted into the women’s movement. I told her I thought that to get the pro-life message into the mainstream media, we as Catholics needed reclaim the “F-word”: feminism. As kindly as she could, Gress replied, “It can’t be done.”
Now that I have read Gress’ profoundly thoughtful new book, The End of Woman: How Smashing the Patriarchy Has Destroyed Us, I’m here to report she was right and I was wrong. Feminism (which has become an all-embracing, self-worshipping religion with Satanic overtones) is so rotten at its foundations that anyone who hopes to promote justice for women, save the family, and renew Christian worship must have nothing more to do with it.
In a sweeping overview of history, from the French Enlightenment in the 1700s to our modern world in America today, Gress points out the intellectual and spiritual chaos we witness all around us — from free sex and occult practices to transgenderism — has been centuries in the making.
Pointing out that the French Revolution represented an even more dramatic shift in culture than the American Revolution, Gress writes:
“America’s revolution was against British rule for the sake of freedom, but the French Revolution was an effort to recreate and reshape society in a world without God. It was an effort to erase the sacred from society and to hoist man and the state as the solution to all of humanity’s problems.”
Gress shows us how the fallen world’s unholy trinity of feminism, the occult and unrestrained sex have long gone hand in hand.
Further, Gress points out, “Today there is scarcely an institution left that hasn’t absorbed the feminist narrative in its entirety. Hollywood, politics, the fashion industry, book publishing, daytime television, magazines, academia, public schools, and now even Disney.” Even our elected Catholic representatives in the White House and Congress have been suckered in.
Gress carefully chronicles the stories of those she calls the “lost girls.” She shows that nearly all the leading feminists, from Mary Wollstonecraft (who published A Vindication of the Rights of Women in 1792) through Betty Friedan, Kate Millett, Shulamuth Firestone and Phyllis Chesler, were “broken” or wounded in some way — “broken either by parental abuse, sexual trauma, drug use and abuse or mental illness. So it’s not difficult to find the motivation for their thought.” Further, she adds, “Many of these women were surrounded by a remarkable number of awful men.” Among the brutes and cads in the leading feminists of their days’ lives were: poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron, Jean-Paul Sartre and Hugh Hefner.
Linking feminism with the current transgender movement, Gress points out that feminist thought has frequently focused on freeing women not for more beautiful marriages and more loving relationships, but from our human nature.
Citing feminist Simone de Beauvoir’s most famous line — “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” — Gress observes, “This separation of body and soul was the first step in opening the door to transgender theory” and led to “the feminist theory that male and female are simply social constructs,” not biological gifts from God.
The rapidly expanding transgender movement is now using technology coupled with highly emotional public-relations campaigns to erase all differences between women and men.
The new message of true freedom that women need to proclaim is that men and women are different, and only women can be mothers and only men can be fathers.
One of Gress’ most shocking revelations is that the word “patriarchy” (in the negative sense it’s so often used today) was coined by Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx’s closest friend and collaborator.
Gress writes:
“The patriarchy, according to Engels, brought about ‘the world-historical defeat of the female sex. The man took command in the home also; the woman was degraded and reduced to servitude; she became the slave of his lust and a mere instrument for the production of children.’”
Engels’ attacks on fatherhood and monogamy greatly influenced Betty Friedan (who belonged to a communist organization in her youth and launched the 1960s feminist movement with her book The Feminist Mystique).
As a mother of three and a grandmother of six, Friedan never set herself against the family. In fact, she frequently declared that it was far more important for feminists to rally around saving the family than around abortion. She and a few of her feminist colleagues even considered enlarging the definition of “choice” to include “the choice to have children.” Nevertheless, Friedan’s widely promoted solution to women’s problems — work will set you free — definitely had a communist ring and smacked of Engels’ philosophy.
Another Engels devotee and Marxist was Kate Millett, the Catholic-turned-atheist who wrote Sexual Politics. Millett, who became a lesbian and attempted suicide three times, made ample use of Engels’ understanding of the word “patriarchy” to vilify all men. When she appeared on its cover in 1970, Time magazine proclaimed Millett “The Mao Tse-tung of Women’s Liberation.”
Despite its thought-provoking content, the subtitle of Gress’ book, How Smashing the Patriarchy Has Destroyed Us, seems somewhat misleading. Although Gress doesn’t explicitly state this, her book makes it clear that our culture contains not one patriarchy, but two: the authentic and eternal patriarchy of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who gives us peace, love and joy beyond all understanding vs. the “patriarchy” of hate, brutality and violence that feminism’s “lost girls” have been angrily fighting against and protesting for more than 200 years. This deceitful second patriarchy, constructed by the father of lies, is the one that needs to be smashed.
In the end, Gress asks, “How do we rebuild and restore what was lost?” Answering her own question, she replies, “What will restore what is lost is doing the opposite of what was done to tear us down.” In short, we need to restore monogamy, the family, the patriarchy, the home. We need to restore children to their parents and faith in one God.
Gress quotes sociologist Philip Rieff, author of My Life Among the Deathworks, who said that “the death of a culture begins when its normative institutions fail to communicate ideals in ways that remain inwardly compelling.”
Gress then adds, “This perhaps, more than anything discussed so far, is the solution to a collapsing culture — to do the hard work and to explain within our institutions why these ideals are compelling, finding new and fresh language to show that these institutions don’t exist for their own sake but for ours, and for the future of our civilization.”
That said, an old proverb goes, “A wise man changes his mind; a fool never does.” The positive things Judeo-Christian feminists fought for in the 20th century (the right to vote, access to higher education and better jobs, the right to serve on a jury) have long been achieved. The peace, joy and freedom God gives us is infinitely far above and beyond anything our humble human efforts can attain.
When we trust in God, we certainly don’t need a flawed human construct like feminism to set us free.
It’s time to move on.
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I’m not sure about anyone else, but I enjoy reading census data and learning how things have changed over time. Ireland’s history is highlighted in its census data, as I think you will see in the items I have included below. Although most of the information is from the census in the Republic of Ireland, I have included data from Northern Ireland as well. I hope you enjoy reading about it.
History: An Irish census was first taken in 1821, but the data was destroyed. A census was then taken every 10 years through 1911, with none being conducted in 1921 due to the Irish War of Independence. The total population of Ireland in 1911 was 4,390,219 and the most populous county was Antrim. (Today, of course, it is Dublin, which is more than twice that of Co. Antrim.) In 1926, the first census of the Irish Free State was taken. The civil registration of births had begun in 1864. The early census was conducted in two ways, selfreporting by heads of household according to townland and street, and the rest by an enumerator. Categories included names, gender, age, relation to head of household, religion, occupation, marital status, county or country of birth, literacy, language spoken, and physical/mental conditions (deaf, dumb, blind, idiot, imbecile, lunatic). I would love to see a definition of these last three terms and how you tell them apart (maybe that’s just
Irish Times AUG 2023
me). Women responding to the census were asked how long they had been married, the number of children born alive, and the number still living.
The 2022 Irish Census revealed that the population had exceeded 5 million for the first time since 1851; the total was 5,149,139 people, an increase of 8% from 2016. I found that interesting, as the 1851 population would have included the six counties of Northern Ireland and was pre-famine. According to the NI Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra), the population of Northern Ireland is 1,903,100. When that population is included in the total, the population for the whole island comes to 7,052,239! The Central Statistics Office (CSO) reports that the average age is 38.8, up from 37.4 in 2016 and 36.1 in 2011. This follows the trend also seen in the USA
of an aging population. All counties showed population growth, with the most change found in counties Longford (14%), Meath (13%), Fingal and Kildare (11% each).
The largest age group change was for people aged 70 and above, which increased by 26%. Those aged 25-39 decreased by 4%. People aged 50-59 are most frequently serving as unpaid caregivers, a category which has increased by 53% since the last census!
Single people over 15 years of age make up 43% of the population, an increase of 2%. 46% are married, including same-sex and remarried couples. One in three children under age five are in childcare, either paid or relative provided. Home ownership is down nearly 70% in 11 years to 66% of families. About 1/3 of workers work from home either part or full time, and four out of five businesses report using home workers. 7% even cycle to work, but 4% more people are driving rather than taking the train. Retirees are up 21% since 2016 as well.
Religion: The number of those identifying as Catholic is down by 10% at 69% nationwide, and 53% in Dublin.
Between 1881 and 1911, the percentage of Catholics was said to average almost 90% and peaked at 94.9% in
1961. In 2011, the figure was 84.2%; in 2016 it was 79%. The number of those identifying as “No Religion” has doubled since the last census, from 9.8% and only 5.9% in 2011. Combining those reporting No Religion with Atheists and Agnostics, the category has increased 73.6%. Church of Ireland membership remains the same at
2%. The divorce rate among Catholics has gone from 3.6% in 2011 to 4.1% in 2016, and the current rate for all Irish is currently 4.7%. Rapidly growing categories are Orthodox Christians and Muslims.
Interestingly, the number of Catholics in Northern Ireland (NI, 46%) has surpassed the number of Protestants for the first time, and based on interviews, the citizenry today are more accepting of others regardless of religious affiliation. There was a majority among all age groups except those over 60. Unfortunately, the numbers may be decreasing again, as some Catholics have left due to threats against them in the last year, probably down to issues with Brexit as more people in NI now have Irish passports and dual citizenship status is up 63%.
Some interesting facts: The number of individuals who speak Irish Gaelic has increased by 6% between 2016 and 2022, with about 1/3 using it daily, and almost 80% of households have broadband internet service, up from 71% in 2016 and 64% in 2011. Additionally, more people are remaining in school, with only half as many leaving school at age 15. Almost twice as many reported (48%) staying in school full-time until age 25.
I hope you found the information interesting and learned something you didn’t already know about Eire.
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Mat Burkepile
July 7, 2023 —
catholic choir, catholic musician, organ, organist, catholic organist
Saint Cecilia Sister on the Organ / Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P., Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Working in a church is an amazing gift. I see things that the average parishioner does not see.
As a music director, I spend time with great volunteers, young and old.
If you ever want to see a person who gives their time, talent, and treasure, look up to the choir loft.
I know I am partial to musicians. I also know there are many types of volunteers, and am grateful for them all.
Below are a few of my choir loft stories for your enjoyment.
At a church I previously worked for, a group of women with the Ladies Auxiliary called themselves the "Dead Choir." Hearing them sing "How Great Thou Art" would thrill you.
Singing isn't the most endearing thing about these women. Most of them are retired and the stairwell does not shorten with age. It had two landings in the middle of all the stairs.
I stood at the top of the stairs in amazement.
The oldest members slowly climbed the stairs to sing for their lost friends. They breathlessly stopped on each landing. I asked them if they were sure they wanted to risk the stairs. There was no other place these women would rather be. You could not stop them.
We use the word sacrifice a lot these days.
These women don't even see it as a sacrifice. They see service. And I see the same footsteps Christ took on the Way of the Cross.
My children's choir recently made me just as proud.
We went to a nursing home for Christmas caroling. We sang in the dining room, we walked down the halls, and we sang for the staff in the lobby.
When we finished, one of the kids said, "Let's sing for them again."
Another said, "Let's go to Walmart and sing."
Another said, "Let's just walk home and sing to every house along the way." That's ten miles of homes or more!
It reminded me of this bible verse:
"And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matt. 25:40)
They really wanted to do God's work.
Now that we are in Ordinary Time, musicians everywhere are decompressing from Easter and beyond.
With Easter Vigil Masses to Corpus Christi processions, Easter is hard on a church choir. They give up so much quality time with their families.
I ask you all to do me a favor.
As a church employee, I usually ask for volunteers.
This time, I ask you to thank a choir member. Find one. Any or all of them. Thank them for the time they give you and God.
They work very hard to give you that gift. I also know they will appreciate it.
As for me, I thank all musicians, young and old. The church misses you when you go on vacation, and you make our time with God more enjoyable. You are truly a glorious addition to our communities.
Thank you.
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Reflect
Give Compliments today. Compliment and encourage everyone you meet today. Make a point of recognizing all the qualities, strengths and characteristics you aspire to in every person you meet. That is the key to self-realization.
PRAYER is a state of mind where an amazing exchange happens. We hand over our worries to God and He hands over His blessings to us.
Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilised by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have – life itself.
Given that each day begins full to the brim with possibilities, we cannot deny that each new one might be a better day than any we have seen so far, if only
we will help to make it so. When looking for better days, don’t look backwards with a sigh, look forward with a smile and determination in your heart.
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THE WORLD has enough mountains and meadows, spectacular
skies and serene lakes. It has enough lush forests, flowered fields and sandy beaches. It has plenty of stars and the promise of a new sunrise and sunset every day. What the world needs more of it is people to appreciate and enjoy it !!
We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There
is good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies. Martin L. King.
LAST WORD: The person who does nothing for others does nothing for themselves !!
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JUST A THOUGHT
A fable called ‘Never Give Up’
‘One day a farmer’s donkey fell into a well. There was no way out for the poor donkey. Finally, the farmer decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway. The farmer along with his neighbours all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something the farmer had never thought possible. The donkey would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off! Life is also going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. No matter how deep the well, there is a way out. The best solution is to never give up. That is why Jesus beautifully extends such a beautiful invitation: “Come to me all you who labour and overburden and I will give you rest.” The heart of the message is that there is always a way out of our troubles. There are always stepping stones. Jesus doesn’t say I might give you rest, or I could give you rest. He says I will give you rest. So, no matter what is going on for you right now we have those beautiful words of Jesus to comfort us and give us light and hope when life gets difficult’. James McSweeney
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The Surrender Novena is now available on Amen
The Surrender Novena on Amen
Join us on a nine-day journey to find deeper faith and rest in your life. The Surrender Novena provides a brief prayer to guide your response to God's invitation to give him every worry, desire, hope, fear, and suffering.
PRAY WITH US
"O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!" The words Christ gave to Servant of God Don Dolindo Ruotolo offer comfort and solace to Catholics worldwide. The Surrender Novena extends the peace of Christ amid confusion and chaos as each day encourages a greater "letting go" to the Lord. Amen invites you to entrust your concerns to the Lord with complete confidence in his goodness.
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The God Who Knows
As the Good Shepherd knows his sheep by name, the God of the universe knows you personally. Moreover, the Lord promises not just to know you but to be with you always.
A Greater Good
God allows suffering to happen for a greater good to take place. In today's readings, this is visible in the story of Joseph, whose trials allow for much good to occur. God can make suffering bear fruit in his kingdom.
God's Kingdom
By calling twelve apostles, Jesus is reconstituting the kingdom of God around himself. Through this, the Church is apostolic and can trace its roots to the apostles and Christ himself.
How did Walter Dirr, born to a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, come to be drafted into Hitler’s army? Clues from a family archive
Janne Moehring
03.07.2023
https://blog.nli.org.il/en/shlomo-molchos-fascinating-life/
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Camino Challenge 2023
I have signed up to take part in the Irish Hospice Foundation’s Camino Challenge 2023. Along with 30 others from Ireland, we will take on a challenging 114km walk over five days along the First Stage of French Camino – crossing the challenging Pyrenees in September. Each participant funds their own expenses, with a target set for fundraising €1,200, which will go directly towards furthering the work of the Irish Hospice Foundation, striving for best care at end of life for all. This charity rely on voluntary fundraising to support and maintain this work.
I would be most grateful for any support you could give by way of donation by contacting me on 0879042477.
Tugaim buíochas leat roimh ré as do chabhair.
Damien
https://www.athea.ie/category/news/
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The Way I See It
By Domhnall de Barra
The airwaves, over the past week or so, have been dominated by the RTE failure to disclose payments made to presenter Ryan Tubridy. There is no need for me to go into the ins and outs of the case because they have been well aired but there are a few observations I would like to make. I am surprised at the vilification of Mr. Tubridy who has done no wrong. Yes, there is a lot of begrudgery and he was paid far too much but which one of us would turn down a good salary if it was on offer? His agent, doing his job, negotiated the finances with the powers that be in RTE and got the best deal he could for his client. That is how business works and, though we may not like it, he has nothing to feel guilty about. It was not his business to correct the figures that RTE supplied and he had no hand or part in organising the “slush fund” from which it was paid. He will however pay the price and it is difficult to see him presenting a programme on RTE again. The problem lies with the treatment of certain employees in RTE as individual contractors who use agents to negotiate their wages. This did not start with Ryan Tubridy and has been going on since the days of Gay Byrne. Agents will give ultimatums to the station that, if they are not prepared to pay exorbitant wages, they will take their clients to other stations who are willing to pay what is asked. RTE has caved in to theses demands and in doing so have paid well over the odds for the services of what they refer to as the “top talent”. This might not be so bad if they were not treating other members of staff in a miserly way, telling them there was no money for any increases and using every excuse to cut costs. RTE 1 is a great radio station. It has been acclaimed internationally and only recently was voted the best public service broadcaster. This is not down to the “top talent” but to the many reporters, producers, actors, continuity announcers and all the loyal staff who give us such great service day by day. They are the ones that have been let down by their bosses and unfortunately will take the brunt of the fallout from this debacle. There will have to be a complete clean out at the top if the station is to survive and a change of culture which will see an end of a two tier employment system that makes some people more equal than others. There should also be a cap on wages. If some presenters feel they can do better elsewhere, let them go. There is plenty of real talent to fall back on and they will not let us down. In the meantime we wait for the result of an enquiry that will, hopefully, hold certain individuals to account for the way the distorted the truth and sought to treat us and the government as fools. Make no mistake about it, heads will have to roll if we are ever again to have any confidence in those who govern RTE.
The shooting dead of a young man in France at a police checkpoint has resulted in night after night of serious protests. On the face of it, it looks like a policeman got trigger happy and unnecessarily took the life of the teenager as he sought to drive away. It was inevitable that people were going to protest and rightly so. The problem is that there are people with a different agenda who attach themselves to protests like this, not for the support of those protesting, but to take the advantage to loot, burn and pillage. Shop windows are broken, cars set on fire and police are attacked by youths throwing stones and any other weapons they can get their hands on. The right to protest is a good thing and is part of our democratic system but these thugs who just want to cause mayhem and destruction are in danger of forcing governments to ban protests altogether. Most of the people protesting in France are teenagers and are part of a generation who have grown up not knowing what the word “no” meant. Corporal punishment is long gone and, let’s face it, it was overdone in the past, but if you grow up with no limits as to what you can do, how are you expected to react when life hits you between the eyes?. There was nothing wrong with a slap on the bum to make kids realise that there are consequences to their actions. The world is not a nice cosy place and, as you get older, will present problems that we all need to be equipped for. I am not advocating a return to the type of punishment that we grew up with but I do believe that we all need boundaries which should be respected and we have to find a way to educate our young people with that in mind. My sympathy is with the shop owners, car owners and all the others who find themselves targets of looting burning and pillaging gangs who are nothing less than common criminals
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Reflect
The Presbytery, Abbeydorney. (066 7135146; 087 6807197)
abbeydorney@dioceseofkerry.ie
11th June, 2023, Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ.
Dear Parishioner,
There are times when a newspaper headline touches me
in a very particular way. This happened, during the past week, when the
headline (under a very serious-faced photograph of a woman) was:
“Sentenced to 31 years in prison, and 154 lashes, for fighting the system
in Iran.” The woman is Narges Mohammadi, aged 51, and Iran’s most
prominent human rights and women’s rights activist. She is now serving a
ten-year jail sentence in Tehrans’s notorious Evin prison for “spreading
anti-state propaganda”. The article about this very brave woman goes on
to describe what has happened to her because of her opposition to the
political establishment in Iran. “During the past 30 years, Iran’s
government has penalised her, over and over, for her activism and her
writing, depriving her of most of what she holds dear – her career as an
engineer, her health, time with her parents, husband and children and
liberty. The last time Mohammadi heard the voices of her 16-year old
twins, Ali and Kiana, was more than a year ago. The last time she held her
son and daughter in her arms was eight years ago.
Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, also a writer and a prominent activist, who
was jailed for fourteen years in Iran, lives in exile in France with the twins.
The suffering and loss, she has endured, have not dimmed her
determination to keep pushing for change………….Mohammadi grew up in
the central Iranian city of Zanjan, in a middle-class family. Her father was a
cook and a farmer. Her mother’s family was political, and, after the Islamic
revolution in 1979 toppled the monarchy, an activist uncle and two cousins
were arrested. Two childhood memories, she said, set her on the path to
activism: her mother stuffing a red plastic shopping basket with fruit,
every week, for prison visits with her brother, and her mother sitting on
the floor near the TV, to hear the names of prisoners excavated each day.
One afternoon, the newscaster announced her nephew’s name. Her
mother’s piercing wails and the way her body crumpled in grief on the
carpet, left a lasting mark on the nine-year old girl and became a driving
force for her life-long opposition to executions. Their family of four has not
been together as a unit, when one parent was not in jail or exiled, since the
twins were toddlers. (Contd. on back page).
--------------------------------
The Miracle: Paddy O’Connor (Africa May/June 2023)
St Anthony’s Feast Day 13th June
I was never a great one for praying to the saints to rescue me from difficult
situations: on one particular occasion when I did so, however, it worked
like a dream. We were on holidays in Malta – the blue sea reflecting the
sparkling sunlight, the warmth of the sun on our winter-battered bodies,
the varied and delicious food. During the day we spent all our time
outdoors. We walked, we swam, we enjoyed picnics together. We
travelled on the Maltese buses and were fascinated by the statues and
the miniature altars beside the drivers (I have never been able to work this
one out), I have rarely seen such aggressive driving. Most days we walked
along the coast to a simple pier and slipway from which we swam. We had
snorkels and goggles and we spent hours in the warm water admiring the
multi-coloured fish. For us, accustomed as we were to the colder waters
around Ireland’s coast, this was bliss, like swimming in a vast warm bath.
All went well until one evening we arrived back at our hotel to find we
had inadvertently locked the room key in the room. Now this should not
have been a problem, all we needed was someone to open the door with
the pass key. However, it very nearly became an international incident.
The manager was sent for and duly appeared – a small, roundy, red-faced
man full of bluster and self-importance. He began by berating us loudly for
our carelessness, he demanded to know if we were sure the key was not
lost; this, we were led to believe would be akin to the end of the world.
Finally, having ranted at us aggressively for a good seven or eight
minutes, he gruffly ordered a staff member to open the door and to make
sure that the sacred key was, indeed, within.
Imagine our horror, then, when we arrived back at the hotel one evening
to find that the key to the safe in our room was missing. I had,
thoughtlessly, put it in the pocket of my swimming togs and we had spent
the day swimming and snorkelling, often well offshore. I would gladly have
paid whatever it cost for a replacement key but none of us could bear to
face the unpleasant antics of the manager again. All our documents,
money and passports were in the safe, so something had to be done – but
what? So I prayed; I decided that St. Anthony and St. Jude might be the
best bets. St. Anthony was supposed to be very good at finding lost items
and St. Jude is the patron saint of hopeless causes, so I reasoned that,
together, they
might make a good team. I pulled on my swimming togs, grabbed goggles
and snorkel board and began to run towards our swimming place. I raced
along, my wife and son trailing behind, shouting at me to be careful.
Once I reached the pier, I dived quickly into the water and swam out to the
area, where I thought we had spent most time. I swam up and down,
trying to examine the seabed in some kind of methodical fashion. Luckily,
the water was clear, though, I had no idea how deep it was. I swam and
prayed and prayed and swam. Suddenly, I thought I saw something
glittering on the ocean floor. I took a deep breath and dived. About ten
seconds later I surfaced with the key clutched in my hand. The relief was
almost overwhelming. I don’t know if you believe in miracles – I do!
(Paddy and Maria O’Connor taught in Ibenga Secondary School near
Luanshya in Zambia from 1972 to 1975.
They now live in Castletownbere, Co. Cork.)
Seeing your Life through the Lens of the Gospel
John Byrne OSA, Intercom June 2023
1. Jesus tells us that, to have life, we need more than physical
nourishment. How have you been aware of deeper hungers? What
has met that deeper longing in you?
2. Jesus tells us that it is not just something he gives us which will give
us life, but himself in his life, death and resurrection.
How has your faith in the person of Jesus fed you?
3. Jesus speaks about ‘drawing life’ from him.
In day to day living what are the practices which support your
faith and help you to draw life from Jesus?
4. The Eucharist is one of the ways in which we draw life from Jesus.
Recall with gratitude how the Eucharist has been a source of
nourishment and life for you.
5. Perhaps you can also think of human examples of people drawing
life from one another.
From whom have you drawn life?
Who has been able to draw life from you?
Points to Ponder
“I would like to say Mass”. Dominic Tang, the courageous Chinese
archbishop, was imprisoned for twenty-one years for nothing more than
his loyalty to Jesus Christ and his one true Church. After he had spent five
years of solitary confinement in a windowless, damp cell, he was told by his
jailers that he could leave it for a few hours to do whatever he wanted.
Five years of solitary confinement and he had five hours to do what he
wanted! What would it be? A hot shower? A change of clothes? Certainly,
a long walk outside? A chance to call or write to family? What would it be,
the jailer asked him. “I would like to say Mass”. replied Archbishop Tang.
(Mgr. Timothy M. Dolan, Priests of the Third Millenium – 2000 - p. 216)
The Vietnamese Jesuit, Joseph Nguyen-Cong Doan, who spent nine years in
labour camps in Vietnam, relates how he was finally able to say Mass,
when a fellow prisoner shared some of his own smuggled supplies. “That
night, when the other prisoners were asleep, lying on the floor of my cell, I
celebrated Mass with tears of joy. My altar was my blanket, my prison
clothes my vestments, but I felt myself at the heart of humanity and of the
whole of creation.” (Ibid p. 224) Today’s feast of the Most Holy Body and
Blood of Jesus calls us beyond ourselves to sacrificial love for others. To
die, by becoming one with each other and to die by sharing ourselves are
at the heart of the Eucharist. If those elements are missing, our rubrics and
actions are meaningless. (Fr. Antony Kadavil, in Intercom, June 2023)
Norges Mohammadi (Continued from front page) “This separation has
been forced on us. It’s very difficult. As a husband and father, I want
Norges living with us and, as her partner in activism, I am obliged to
support and encourage her work and elevate her voice”, Rahmani said, in
an interview in New York, when he came to receive the Pen Award on her
behalf……………….
Mohammadi has always treated prison as a platform for activism and a tool
for scholarly research. During the uprising, she organised three protests
and sit-ins and delivered speeches in the prison yard. The women sang,
chanted and painted the walls with slogans, promptly erased by the
guards. For as long as she has been jailed, she has led weekly workshops
for women inmates, teaching them about civil rights. “When prison drags
on for many years, you have to give life meaning within confinement and
keep love alive. I have to keep my eyes on the horizon and on the future,
even though the prison walls are tall and near and blocking my view.” (Fr.
Denis O’Mahony
========================================
A NOTE FROM FR. JIM Lenihan .....
In my homily last weekend I spoke about Eucharistic miracles. I mentioned how in
these rare cases when the transubstantiation is made physically visible, the
Church allows the host to be taken for analysis by scientists and forensic experts.
In many of those cases they discovered that the Communion host has been
transformed into human heart tissue actually the left ventricle of the human
heart. The muscle which gives life to the body by pumping blood all over the body.
And ever since I heard that I celebrate mass differently because when I hold up
the host at the Concluding Doxology, (Through him, and with him, and in him, ……).
I imagine I’m holding the Sacred Heart of Jesus in my hands. I imagine it is
throbbing with love for all the people present and the whole world. It’s an image
that is very personal and something over the years I’ve kept to myself. Until one
evening while celebrating a house mass for a young women in her sick bed, (a
woman with many spiritual gifts) shared with me that she saw the heart of Jesus
in my hand throbbing with love. I just felt it was confirmation for myself.
As we’ve just completed our Sacred Heart Novena in our parish let us all at every
Mass have the eyes of faith to see Jesus inviting us into the abode of His Sacred
loving heart torn open for us out of love to shelter us from the evils of this world.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place all our trust in you
=================================
Producing hourly forecasts was a routine part of the Maureen’s duties in the post office, but the one that issued at 1am on June 3, 1944, changed the course of history.
Maureen, who had just turned 21 that day, issued the fateful forecast predicting an impending Atlantic storm. The dispatch prompted General Dwight D Eisenhower to delay the planned invasion of Normandy.
Maureen’s role was marked after a long process that began with a chance meeting in Mountshannon.
Holidaying in Mountshannon, John J Kelly, an Irish-American, who led the design and production of modern lunar landing craft, struck up a friendship with Scariff’s Eoin O’Hagan.
“I had seen a documentary, made by RTÉ, about the role of the Sweeney family in World War II,” he said.
“On one of his visits to Mountshannon, I told John about Maureen and he was fascinated with her role, because that forecast saved many thousands of lives. If the invasion of Normandy had gone ahead on the date originally planned, we would now be living in a very different world.
https://clarechampion.ie/clare-link-to-honour-for-wwii-fateful-forecaster/
---------------------
Frank Pavone
Join me for the this weeks episode of ProLife Primetime News. In this episode, we discuss a range of topics including a horrific attack on two elderly pro-lifers outside of Baltimore Planned Parenthood, the ruling of Oklahoma's state Supreme Court on two laws restricting abortion, and the announcement of Rhonda Santos running for president. We also feature a special interview with Emily Burning, whose organization 'Let Them Live' provides assistance to mothers so they don't have to choose between paying bills and their babies' lives. Join me as we delve into these significant issues and continue our commitment to uphold the sanctity of life.
https://www.youtube.com/live/_YQIrR68XD8?feature=share
========================
The Way I See It
By Domhnall de Barra
We are in Holy Week, the last week of Lent and the lead-up to the biggest festival in the Roman Catholic year – Easter. There isn’t the same fuss about Easter as there is at Christmas but it is nevertheless the cornerstone of the belief that Jesus died, rose again from the dead and ascended into Heaven. It is a week that covers all the emotions from the suffering leading up to the crucifixion to the joyous resurrection. I remember going through the whole story at school and there was a belief that the sky would darken at 3pm on Good Friday, the time Jesus was supposed to have died. It was a very sombre time long ago when everyone attended the services throughout the week. People would do the Stations of the Cross many times during that time and there would be no unnecessary work done or shops open on the Friday. I have an early memory of walking to Mass with my grandmother on a misty Holy Thursday morning. The church was full with the women on one side and the men on the other. All the mature women wore shawls in those days and the men wore their suits. The suits were mainly two colours, brown and navy blue and the shawls were mostly black. Later on in life I began to wonder about the sky darkening on Good Friday or the sun dancing on Easter Sunday when they were on a different date every year. Maybe Easter would be a far bigger festival if it was a fixed date each year and people could plan ahead. It would make it easier for everybody especially if people needed to travel. Is there any real reason why it couldn’t be a fixed date? I don’t think so. Anyway, the churches won’t be so crowded this year as there is a big fall-off in those attending, especially since the pandemic. Life is changing and younger people are not the same believers as those that came before them. Along with the lack of attendees there is also a shortage of priests. There are very few vocations nowadays and as priests retire there is no one to take their place. Because of all these changes many churches will close their doors for good in the near future. It, simply, will not be viable to keep them open so more and more believers are going to depend on the live webcams for their services. It is a pity to see things changing so fast but that’s the world we live in today and I’m not really convinced we are in a better place.
This week will also see the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement that ended the troubles in the North and saw the establishment of the power-sharing executive that runs Northern affairs. Anybody old enough to remember that time will know what a great achievement that was and the amount of work done to make it happen. It was not universally accepted by all with factions on the right of both sides of the political and religious divide rejecting it, some even to this day. Yes we have peace but there are still disturbing signs that it wouldn’t take a whole lot to start the bombings and killings again. I had first had experience of life in the north during the troubles as I worked there every week for a long while. I was living in Coventry at the time and delivered automatic telephone equipment from G.E.C. to all parts of the North. I would get the ferry on Sunday night and go from exchange to exchange dropping off equipment and return on Thursday night. In those days we had a little book with lists of places we could stay so I would ring up in advance to book a bed for the night. You had to be careful because you never knew whether it was a Catholic or Protestant house you were entering. I soon got used to reading the signs, looking up at the walls on entering to see what pictures were hanging. If they were of John F. Kennedy or the Pope I could relax but is it was King Billy and the Queen it was wise to keep a very low profile. I had a few brushes with roadblocks etc. and I saw a couple of shootings and a group of IRA lads once tried to take my truck for a road block but I suppose I was lucky because they were scared off by the sudden appearance of a British army Saracen car and they fled. There was always tension in the air, especially in Belfast when you never knew when the next bomb might go off. Social life was very limited so it was a great relief when John Hume and David Trimble shook hands on the agreement. Brexit hasn’t helped matters but there is hope that the protocol will work in everyone’s favour and things may get back to normal. We must never take peace for granted and nobody should plunge us back into the dark old days, a period in our history better forgotten.
Is it my imagination or is there a scarcity of the common fly? I haven’t seen one for ages and it is strange because the house used to always be full of them. I remember the old sticky roll, the fly catcher, that hung from the ceiling or the bottom of the “Tilly” lamp. It would be plastered with flies that landed on it and got stuck. Is it because there are so many spiders? I didn’t realise how many were in my back garden until one morning recently when there was a misty air and all the webs could be plainly seen with the drops glistening. They were on every available branch, leaf and twig, must be thousands of them. Another absentee is the honey bee. There would be hundreds flying from wild flower to wild flower long ago but now, along with the flowers they have become very scarce indeed. Will they go the way of the Corncrake, snipe and so many other species that have fallen to what we call progress. I hope it is not too late for us to try and provide the proper environment for all these creatures to survive. They all play a vital part in our world and it would be a poorer place without them
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Weekly Newsletter
Third Sunday of Lent
12th March 2023
Dear Friends of Sacred Heart Church,
On the first Sunday in Lent, the Church showed us Jesus in His struggle with the devil, but while she presented Him to us then in an attitude of humble defense before the devil's temptations, today we see Him in an attitude of attack which culminates in a glorious victory.
Today's Gospel tells us that there was a poor man possessed by the devil and he was dumb. By a single act of His divine power Jesus cast out the devil, and when he went out, the dumb spoke, and the multitudes were in admiration at it. But the enemy, as if to avenge his defeat, accused Him of being possessed by the devil and of having received from the devil power to free the possessed man. Our Lord, however, wills to completely unmask the enemy and with clear logic replies that Satan cannot give Him such power, because thereby Satan himself would be helping to destroy his own kingdom.
If in these days God still permits the devil to carry on his evil work against individuals and society, Jesus by His death on the Cross has already paid the price of our victory. This treasure is at our disposal. Through the virtue and grace of Christ, every Christian has the power to overcome the enemy's attacks. The triumph of evil should not disturb us, for it is only an apparent victory. The might of Jesus is stronger and He is the one and only victor.
Saint Patrick’s Day falls on this Friday. Please remember that it is a Feast of obligation in Ireland—as such, there will be Masses at 8 am and 10:30 am Mass. Exceptionally, there will neither be Mass at 6 pm nor the Stations of the Cross.
We would like to thank you for your prayers for the soul of Canon Fragelli. His mother is consoled by the number of Masses celebrated for her dear son. The funeral will be this Wednesday at St. Vincent de Paul Church in McSherrystown, Pennsylvania, USA. Mgsr Schmitz will be representing the Prior General and the Institute as Mgsr Wach has already committed to confering the Sacrament of Confirmation in England.
We will be graced by the visit and voices of our Sister Adorers the following Sunday (Lætare Sunday) at the 10:30am Mass. There will be a special annual collection to benefit their noviciate in Naples, Italy. Fun fact: Do you know that currently, over 40 young sisters receive their formation to religious life there? and that among them are 3 Irish novices? and the novice master also hails from Mallow, Co. Cork? Please be generous! On 25th March, 7 novices will pronounce their first vows and receive the black veil.
Lastly, we have received 32 additional pews last Tuesday from the Reparation convent in Limerick—this means an additional 120 seats!!! These pews have arrived at the perfect timing as we notice many new faces... so much so that Sacred Heart Church almost packed on Sundays. You have noticed the new statue of Our Lady at the entrance of the church. Do say a pray for these sisters to Our Lady.
Canon Lebocq
Prior of Sacred Heart Church
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Germany; Eighty years ago, on February 18, 1943, Hans Scholl and his sister Sophie were caught distributing anti-Nazi leaflets in Munich University. Five days later they were tried and executed for high treason on Hitler’s direct orders. The Scholls belonged to a group of students who, using the nom de guerre of the White Rose, spoke out against National Socialism and circulated thousands of leaflets telling Germans of their moral duty to resist Hitler and his “atheistic war machine”. They also condemned the persecution of Jews in the year when Hitler began to implement the Final Solution – and were among the few to speak publicly of the Holocaust while it was taking place.
---------------------------------
But first some context. The St. Patrick’s Festival of 2022 lasted four days and was billed as a global celebration of Irish arts, culture, and heritage. A “Festival Quarter” was established in the historic Collins Barracks. The official website for the celebration promised that the grounds would be transformed into “a magical day-to-night urban Festival for all, in the heart of Dublin.” The principal funder was the government of Ireland: The department of tourism and culture alone contributed over €900,000 (i.e., close to a million dollars).
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On the other days, we tested a number of different strategies to break up a person's sitting with light walking. For example, on one day, participants walked for 1 minute every half-hour. On another day, they walked for 5 minutes every hour.
Our goal was to find the least amount of walking one could do to offset the harmful health effects of sitting.
========================
"Our genomes, the DNA found in every one of our cells, offer a kind of manuscript of human evolutionary history.
"The findings from our genetic analysis confirm some things we knew from other sources, but also offer a richer understanding of the demography of ancient humans."
https://www.sciencealert.com/fathers-have-been-older-than-mothers-for-250000-years-study-finds
--------------------------------------------------
Reflection
When storms come your way, just remember you know the Master of the Wind.
When sickness finds you, just remind yourself you know the Great Physician,
When your heart gets broken, just say I know the Potter.
It doesn’t matter what we face or go through - Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
He is everything we need.
Happy are those who take life one day at a time, complain very little and are thankful for the little things in life.
Time is non-refundable - Use it with intention.
------------------
7 Happiness Tips
Don’t listen to gossips.
Ignore what people say about you.
Design your own life.
Look for the good in every situation.
Develop an attitude of gratitude.
Laugh more.
Once it’s past – Let it go.
WORD: Sometimes, the advice you offer to other people is the advice
you need to follow yourself.
------------------------------------------
From Fr Jim Lenihan
A NOTE FROM FR.JIM.
The Sunday of the Word of God in the Catholic Church takes place this Sunday
and every Third Sunday of Ordinary time since Pope Francis' Apostolic Letter,
issued motu proprio published on 30th September 2019. This Sunday is devoted to
the celebration, study and sharing of the Word of God. A day we ask ourselves
how important is the Bible in our lives. The old adage is so true. We become what
we read. Matthew Kelly from Dynamic Catholic said once, ‘Show me the books and
magazines you will read in the next 12 months and I’ll tell you your attitudes and
behaviours'. Our eyes and ears are the windows of our soul. Depending on what we
read and watch and listen to we’re either filling our hearts with light or darkness.
Scripture is a divine love letter from the Father to you His child. The more we
ponder scripture the more we ponder God's love for us. Let's celebrate and
ponder some of His love letters to us personally.
You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1 Even the very
hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31 For you were made in my
image. Genesis 1:27. For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28 I knew you even before
you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5 I chose you when I planned
creation. Ephesians 1:11-12 You were not a mistake, for all your days are written
in my book. Psalm 139:15-16 I determined the exact time of your birth and where
you would live. Acts 17:26 You are fearfully and wonderfully made Psalm 139:14 I
knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13 And brought you forth on
the day you were born. Psalm 71:6 I am not distant and angry, but am the complete
expression of love. 1 John 4:16 For you are my treasured possession. Exodus 19:5
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Deuteronomy 4:29 Delight in
me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 For it is I who gave
you those desires. Philippians 2:13 I am able to do more for you than you could
possibly imagine. Ephesians 3:20 I am also the Father who comforts you in all your
troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 When you are broken-hearted, I am close to you.
Psalm 34:18 As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart.
Isaiah 40:11 One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Revelation 21:3-
4 And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3:1 I will never stop doing
good to you. Jeremiah 32:40 Love, Your Dad, Almighty God
===========================
The Way I See It
By Domhnall de Barra
Happy new year to you all. For me, the greatest thing about Christmas was St. Stephen’s Day for two reasons; the wrenboys and the fact that I didn’t have to listen to one more Christmas song. Don’t get me wrong, it is not that I don’t like them but when you have listened to “O Holy Night “ for the 500th time since early in November it starts to grate on the nerves. The build up to the festive season starts so early now that when it does come it is almost an anti-climax. It seems to start earlier and earlier each year and I think it actually takes away from what should be a great family celebration. We seem to have lost what it is all about because of all the commercialism and the needless spending on presents and food that will end up in the bin in the New Year. In days gone by decorations were put up on Christmas Eve and the twelve days were observed ending up on Little Christmas Day or Nollaig na mBan as they call it in Kerry. The three big days were Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Little Christmas Day. On these occasions the family feasted on turkey or goose with all the trimmings and there were holidays of obligation meaning Mass had to be attended. Now, even though we start many weeks in advance, there seems to be a rush to end the festive season as soon as possible. Christmas Day is the only day Mass is obligatory and everyone is back to work and some schools open after New Year’s Day. Little Christmas Day is just another work day except for the fact that some women like to go out for a meal or a few drinks, a practice again fuelled by commercialism. January is a month that hasn’t a whole pile to recommend it. The weather is usually cold and wet and some of us fear the statement from the bank letting us know how much overdrawn we are after all the spending. It does however start a new year and gives us a chance to take stock and decide to do better in future. Yes, we all make resolutions, most of them will be broken by February but it is no harm to try. Perhaps it would be better if we set ourselves attainable goals like how we treat each other and being more kind and considerate rather than giving up the drink, fags and trying to lose weight. If we could harness the good will that exists at Christmas time and bring it forward to the new year we would all be in a better place. My own resolution for this year is to think more before I act or open my mouth. Things done and said on impulse can be embarrassing on reflection so, fingers crossed. Let’s hope 2023 will bring an end to the war in Ukraine and an improvement in the homelessness, lack of hospital beds and road accidents in our own country.
2022 was the year we got back to something like normal living after being held hostage by Covid for a couple of years. People started to go out again attending matches, concerts and other events and the airlines were busy taking people on holidays abroad once again. Unfortunately it was also a year that got turned on its head when Putin decided to invade Ukraine. Suddenly the cost of gas and electricity went sky high and filling up the car with diesel or petrol was almost double what it was a year before. Seems like everything on the shop shelves increased making it very difficult for some people to make ends meet. Lack of affordable housing reached crisis level and our hospitals couldn’t cope with the amount of people trying to gain admission. On the plus side we have full employment in the country with vacancies in many professions. No longer do people have to emigrate, they do so by choice. A few highlights for me were the three in a row by Limerick hurlers, the County Fleadh in Athea, the retirement party for Dr. Murphy and the celebration of 50 years by Athea Comhaltas branch. I am looking forward to taking it a bit easier in 2023 creating more time for other activities that are on the bucket list. I am still going to do some work but on a smaller scale and, if God spares me, I will spend more time on the golf course. Golf is great exercise for the mind and body. You are out on the course for over four hours at a time getting fresh air and exercising every part of the body which is very important when you get to my age when “use it or lose it” comes into play. “Go mbeimíd beo ar an am seo arís”.
The recent demonstrations outside a hotel that is used to house refugees shows the dark side of our nature and the sectarianism that exists in our community. It is only a small minority but they make a lot of noise and they get themselves heard and, no doubt, people all over the world will see the headlines and get the impression that we are all like that. We Irish should be the last in the world to reject people looking for sanctuary or a better life for themselves. For decades our people were forced, through oppression, poverty and famine, to leave our shores and seek shelter in foreign lands. It wasn’t always easy and I remember myself seeing signs in the windows of lodging houses in England reading: “no blacks, no dogs, no Irish”. We were labelled as “the drunken Irish” and “the fighting Irish” but gradually we established ourselves in our adopted communities and eventually became leaders and one of the most respected nations in the world. We have nothing to fear from people who are less fortunate than ourselves, especially those who are fleeing the murderous deeds of the likes of Putin in Ukraine. Like it or not, the world is now multicultural and we should embrace it and celebrate the different cultures and traditions that will enrich and add colour to our society. Remember, it is only by accident of birth that we live where we live.
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The Catholic Composer Who Gave Us More Than Music
COMMENTARY: Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904), in addition to leaving his musical gift to posterity, also provides an example of unwavering Catholic faith in times of difficulty.
St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Spillville, Iowa, which dates to 1860, is the oldest Czech Catholic church in the United States. Inset: Antonín Dvořák in 1882.
St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Spillville, Iowa, which dates to 1860, is the oldest Czech Catholic church in the United States. Inset: Antonín Dvořák in 1882. (photo: Carol M. Highsmith / Church, courtesy of the Library of Congress; inset, public domain)
Donald DeMarco World
December 6, 2022
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was born on Sept. 8, 1841, in the village of Nelahozeves, near Prague. He was the first of 14 children and was baptized in the village church of St. Andrew. His Catholic faith remained strong throughout his life and was a continual inspiration for his music.
Few composers have a been so richly endowed with musical ability as Dvořák. He claimed that he studied “with the birds, flowers, trees, God and myself.” His music was recognized for its “heavenly naturalness.” The distinguished conductor, Hans Richter, referred to him as “a composer by the grace of God.”
Despite his impoverished circumstances (he did not own a piano until he married in 1873), Dvořák did receive some formal education in music. But his love for the lively folk music and simple church songs that marked his youth never left him. He won several prestigious prizes for his compositions and was championed by Johannes Brahms who was deeply impressed by them.
Dvořák’s fame began to spread, and in 1892 he was invited to serve as the director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York City. He had come a long way from being a peasant who apprenticed as a butcher. The conservatory was founded by a wealthy philanthropist who wanted to make an advanced music education available to women and Blacks, an idea that was unusual for the times. Dvořák strongly supported the concept of African American and Native American music being the foundation for the growth of American music.
In 1893, the New York Philharmonic commissioned him to write his Ninth Symphony. Its first performance was met with tumultuous applause. This monumental work, also referred to as the “New World Symphony,” was immediately seized upon by conductors and orchestras throughout the world. It is interesting to note that Neil Armstrong took a recording of this symphony to the moon during the Apollo 11 Mission in 1969.
At the persuasion of his secretary, Dvořák, together with his entire family, spent the summer of 1893 in Spillville, Iowa — a largely Czech-speaking community of approximately 350 people, situated just below the southern border of Minnesota.
Dvořák’s summer in Spillville was both happy and musically productive. He went to daily Mass at St. Wenceslaus Church where he played the organ, much to the delight of the other churchgoers. In a letter he wrote to his friends back home, the celebrated composer expressed the joy he felt during his stay:
“I liked to be among these people and they all liked me as well, especially the elderly citizens, who were pleased when I played, ‘O God, we bow before Thee,’ or ‘A thousand times we greet Thee.’”
Dvořák established a legacy in Spillville, where he provided a stimulus to music that has become an ongoing tradition. His name is remembered and revered.
His list of musical compositions is staggering: 13 operas, nine symphonies, five symphonic poems, 36 chamber works, 68 songs, choral works including Stabat Mater (which was inspired by the death of his daughter, Josefa, who died in infancy), Te Deum, his Mass in D Major, 10 biblical songs, two sets of Slavonic dances and many other works. Dvořák was hard on himself and burned several works that did not satisfy him. Few, if any, composers rival him in his natural feeling for melody, song and dance.
In addition to his musical gift to posterity, he also provides a personal example that should also be an inspiration: his unwavering Catholic faith in times of difficulty (his first three children died in infancy), his love and dedication to his wife and their nine children, his hard work, his love of nature and, despite his worldwide fame, his unfailing love for simplicity. (His favorite workplace, he tells us, was the kitchen, amid the domestic clatter of his large family.)
Antonin Dvořák died at 62 years of age in the year 1904. He left behind many unfinished works. The music he did finish, however, establishes him as one of the truly great composers in the Western tradition. But he has also bequeathed to the world an example of an extraordinary human being.
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John Grondelski Commentaries
December 7, 2022
December’s full moon falls Dec. 7. (For those who look forward to a bright moon on Christmas Eve, sorry — at best, it’ll be the sliver of a waxing crescent.)
Dec. 7 is also the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 17, the last manned space mission to the moon. Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt were the last human beings to walk on the moon. Of the 12 men who strolled the moon, only four are still alive, including Schmitt.
As a child growing up in that era, I remember the heady excitement Americans felt as, spurred by the words of President John F. Kennedy, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
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This famous Parisian cemetery, also called East Cemetery, is named after Father (Père) François d’Aix de la Chaize (1624–1709), who was King Louis XVI’s confessor. In fact, his personal residence was on the grounds of the cemetery, which is now home to over one million graves.
The cemetery has triggered passions, inspired legends, and evoked mysterious tales of the many celebrities who have chosen it as their final resting place.
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The Presbytery, Abbeydorney (066 7135146; 087 6807197)
abbeydorney@dioceseofkerry.ie
27th November, 2022, 1st Sunday of Advent.
Dear Parishioner,
When I mention the name – Joanne O’Riordan – you may
say, ‘I have heard that name a few times but I cannot recall who she is.’ I
decided to see what a ‘Google search’ would bring up. One can look at a
number of photographs of her and read the following. ‘Joanne O’Riordan
is an Irish activist and sports journalist, who writes a column in the Irish
Times. Born on 24th April, 1996, she is a native of Millstreet, Co. Cork. She
is one of seven currently-living people born with the condition ‘Tetramelia
Syndrome’. (She was born without all four limbs – arms and legs.)
Joanne’s sports column, normally in the Thursday edition of the Irish Times
was included in last Monday’s edition. It was an ‘Open Letter’ to a man
called Gianni Infantino, who is FIFA president and in the news because of
the World Cup in Qatar. The following heading is given to the newspaper
column, ‘Dear Gianni, I too feel disabled – because I actually have a
disability.’ Joanne picked up on the speech given at the opening of the
World Cup, when he said ‘Today, I have very strong feelings; Today, I feel
Qatari...............Today, I feel disabled; Today, I feel a migrant worker.’
“Dear Gianni,
Forgive me for writing a letter to you, when you are in the
middle of organising a World Cup so controversial that it has forced
football fans into a battle between morals and passion. I too, feel disabled
but that is because I have a disability. So, naturally, when you stood up
and declared you felt and identified with every minority’s struggle because
you were ginger, I felt confused and quite annoyed. I feel annoyed
because, the day before you identified with my own struggle, I was
informed when I picked up my new wheelchair that, due to HSE cutbacks, I
no longer have a sitting clinic in my home county. I, along with other
countless people with disabilities, now have to travel and battle with
others for appointments.
Joanne’s article is about 1,000 words, with twelve paragraphs beginning
with ‘I feel’. We read the following phrases, ‘I feel annoyed....,’ ‘I feel
frustrated’, ‘I feel upset’, ‘I feel scared’.........She concludes her open letter, ‘I
know you won’t read this because you don’t consume media, but I’m
available any time to invite you into my world. Maybe then, you can
identify with my struggle and realise how powerful those ‘petrodollars’
actually are.”
Yours in sport, Joanne O’Riordan. (Fr. Denis O’Mahony
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Don’t Suffer In Silence
Something needs to change when you are unhappy and not at peace.
Over the last three years, many of us experienced life events we were not
prepared for, would never have chosen, and could not have predicted. Yet
we suffered through the bad times, and somehow we survived. How
people cope when faced with unprecedented challenges says a lot about
resilience. Parents who had to home-school and hold down full-time jobs
had no choice but to keep going. They had to find the energy to double
job, even if it sometimes meant working until midnight. Despite all the
stress, challenges, ups and downs, most learned to find routines that
worked. Grandparents, who helped with child minding, school collections,
and babysitting, had their daily routines disrupted. Some missed the
regular interaction with their grandchildren and suffered huge loneliness.
Others, who looked on unpaid childminding as mostly a burden, had a
more positive reaction. Not having demands made on their time offered
a better quality of life.
Low Resilience: For some, childcare had taken over a large part of their
lives and could take over the future. Sometimes people discover that, after
doing something they love for an extended period, they don’t want to go
on doing what they had been doing. There can often be an extended
period between when a person decides to make a change and taking the
first steps to implement the change. In an experiment, psychologist
Christian Waugh demonstrated that change is more difficult for people
with low resilience. Participants in the study who anticipated and worried
about what might happen were slower to recover from the negative
experience they dreaded even though it did not occur. Grandparents, who
find it exhausting to look after young children, need to talk about this,
but it may be hard to start that conversation. Adult children, who
recognise that their parents are no longer as fit and active as they used to
be, may see that changes to childcare need to be made. Afraid of causing
upset, they feel they must wait for the right time to have the conversation
about making different childcare arrangements. Something in the Irish
psyche makes us reluctant to bring up a topic that might cause upset or
lead to conflict. People can suffer agony when they are worried and
anxious about what the future holds and convinced of the need for
change. Yet reluctant to have that difficult conversation, they
procrastinate (postpone).
To pray for a miracle and live in the hope that all will be well is sometimes
seen as a sign of good faith. The great spiritual master, Anthony de Mello
S.J., warned about attributing so much value to divine intervention that
one avoided taking action. He said God can’t be bothered doing for you,
what you can do for yourself.
Needless Suffering The upset people go through, when they are trying to
figure out how to have a difficult conversation, generates meaningless
suffering. Even when it is difficult to know how to start, people with
resilience are more likely to want to escape their misery. Resilient people
have the capacity to think of new ways to handle situations because they
are aware of their own emotional reactions and the behaviour of those
around them.
Genuine fears are an obstacle to initiating the difficult conversation. Some
of the reasons why people wait are;
• Reluctance to let others down
• Worry that the grandchildren may be disappointed
• Their parents will feel angry
• The family will judge them
• Making other arrangements will cause problems.
There are genuine reasons why caring people fail to talk about what is
important. Reluctant to let others down, they feel inhibited and would
rather suffer in silence than discuss making the necessary changes. People
can suffer through agonies of indecision, when they cannot figure out what
is the right thing to do. Suffering robs us of a sense of control over our
lives. People of faith can see suffering through difficult and painful life
events as an opportunity for spiritual growth. If you are not at peace at
where you are in life right now, if you are suffering from emotional or
physical pain, it is time to take stock. A person who realises that she is not
happy, that something is not right, that he cannot continue to do what he
has been doing, is undeniably in emotional pain. The prophet Kahlil Gibran
said, “Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your
understanding.” Something needs to change when you are unhappy and
not at peace. A reality to explore is that not everything that is faced up to
can be changed but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
(Carmel Wynne in Reality, November 2022)
Seeing Your Life Through The Lens of The Gospel John Byrne OSA
1. The ‘coming of the Son of Man’ can be applied to the end of the
world, to the moment of death, or to any moment of grace. We are
not given advance notice as to when any of these will happen, so
the message is to be alert and ready. When have you found that
your alertness meant that you were able to receive an unexpected
grace? (e.g. take an opportunity which presented itself, or respond
to a hint from another person that you might easily have missed,
etc.)
2. One of the enemies of alert living is constant busyness. Have you
ever found that being caught up in your own agenda makes you less
sensitive to what is happening around you? Recall times when you
paused in your relentless busyness and were rewarded by a
significant interchange with another person, a moment of grace.
3. You probably know the difference between being ready for a visitor
and the unannounced caller who catches you unprepared. Let the
memory of the discomfort, of being caught off guard, spur you on
to a constant readiness for the coming of the Lord.
Points to Ponder. God is always close to us, but we retain the freedom to
pretend not to notice. Even St. Augustine in his Confessions admits that
much to God: ‘You were with me but I was not with you.’ This gigantic step
of closeness to us, taken by God at the Incarnation, remains always
operative on God’s side. There is a story (probably apocryphal or made
up) that is pertinent in this context. ‘An elderly couple had, for many
years, used Sunday afternoon to car for a drive in their car in the
countryside. The wife had never obtained a driver’s license, so the
husband always did the driving. One Sunday, a pick-up truck pulled in
ahead of them from a side-road and, as the truck lined up in front of them,
they could see a young couple sitting cosily together, with plenty of space
between the girl and the passenger door. The wife remarked: ‘Oh,
remember when we were young, how we used to sit together like that! The
husband did not blink but kept on driving and he said: ‘I have not moved.’
Perhaps funny as a story but it can speak to us more deeply than just that.
At those times, when we perceive God as distant, if we listen honestly, we
can hear God say: ‘I have not moved.’ Because in our present life-setting –
especially in our digital environment – our attention is drawn in many
directions, we need to remain aware of God’s closeness to us. Seeking
God in all things is what we can do on our part. Finding God in all things
is gift. (Louis Rodriguez S.J. in Intercom, Nov 2022.
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Death is Like Harvest Time. In fact, it is the Harvest Time of the Spirit. At an ordinary Harvest, one thing alone matters, namely the Grain.
At the Harvest of the Spirit, one thing alone matters, namely the Goodness of Life. At death, we reap the fruits of the good we have done during life.
The Harvest Time has come for our dead brothers and sisters. As we remember them, especially during November, let us also reflect and look into the field of our lives to see what is ripening there.
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RADIO MARIA SAORVIEW 210. Tune in next Monday, 5th Dec. from 7.00pm. Deacon Thady O’Connor will be presenting a programme on the healing power of Sacred Music and how it helped with his recovery from Covid 19. Also listen live on the web. – Google Radio Maria. Radio Maria - Your catholic voice for Good News
It is easy to get caught up in the hectic pace of life. Pressure to do more and be more, buy more and see more, comes from all sides. Father, give me the serenity, and help to hear Your voice above the noise. You are my rock, Father, and when I remember that everything else falls into place. Amen
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There are only two days in the year in which nothing can be done – one is called yesterday and the other tomorrow. Today is the day to do things.
It is not what life gives you. It is about what you make of what life gives you
LAST WORD: The words we use cost nothing, but they can be expensive if used carelessly!
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A NOTE FROM FR. JIM Lenihan ......
If you want to have a deeper understanding of your baptism and faith, you can join
our parish catechism classes online. Links available every Wednesday on the
Glenflesk parish Facebook page. Also there will a prayer meeting for men starting
on the 9th of January 2023. The program is called Exodus 90. It’s a 90 days
challenge. YouTube link on Glenflesk parish Facebook page explains it very well.
If you’re interested contact me on the parish mobile 087 108 1588. I did it earlier
this year with 25 men from the Killarney parish and it was a massive blessing for
all who took part.
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Advent Prayer Advent is a time of expectation and hope. “Advent” means
“arrival” or “coming,” and it prompts us to pause each day in December and
remember why Jesus came at Christmas. Traditions vary by country, but
common ways of commemorating Jesus’ birth are through Advent calendars,
wreaths, and candles. Ideally, any Advent tradition should involve families in
a fun activity each day of December, helping them remember why we
celebrate Christmas.
Advent Prayer
Hail and Blessed be the hour and moment
in which the son of God was born of the pure
Virgin Mary, at mid-night in a stable in
Bethlehem in the piercing cold.
At the same hour vouch safe
O My God, hear my prayer and grant my petition.
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As the ship sailed the Gironde River en route to the open seas, a 24-year-old US Army private noticed the outlines of two people on the otherwise cold, empty deck. The silhouetted capes identified the pair as Red Cross volunteers. The two moved toward the railing. One took a step up. And then over. A splash. Then silence. The private froze in shock. Then the other figure broke into a run. She screamed as she plummeted. There was no possibility of turning the hulking vessel around quickly enough for a rescue, and the rushing waters would have rendered any such attempts futile. Approximately 40 million people perished in World War I. Two more had now joined them. This is their story.
Identical twins, Dorothea Katherine and Gladys Louise Husted Cromwell were born in Brooklyn in 1886,
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By CNA Staff
Denver Newsroom, Oct 13, 2022 / 13:13 pm
After being suspended for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pilgrimage of the Virgin of Zapopan in Mexico's Jalisco state drew 2.4 million devotees.
The figure was confirmed by state governor Enrique Alfaro, who announced on Twitter that “in its 288 years of tradition, the record of participants was broken.”
The Pilgrimage of the Virgin of Zapopan has been considered an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2018 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.
Every year the image of Our Lady of Zapopan is returned from the Cathedral of Guadalajara to the Basilica of Zapopan.
On Sept. 15, 1821, this image of Our Lady was given the honorary title of “General” of the Trigarante Army, which went on to win Mexico’s independence from Spain less than a week later.
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The Way I See It
5 Oct 2022
By Domhnall de Barra
There were at least four people who were respected (or feared) in every parish like Athea in the days gone by. They were the priest, the school master, the guard and the doctor. They were all men at the time which seems as if it was way back in the dark ages but no, this was in my lifetime and very recent in the grand scheme of things. Why were they all men? – the answer is that history is not good to women who were treated very much as second class citizens. Some of this had its roots in religion. At school we were taught the Bible and one of the stories there was how God felt that it was not good for Adam to be alone in the Garden of Eden so he made a companion for him out of an old spare rib he had no use for. How we ever swallowed such a ridiculous theory is beyond me but it set the grounds for the woman’s place in the religious world. She was not an equal to a man but was there to support and obey him in every way. This was plain to be seen in the wedding vows where she had to promise to “love, honour and obey”. There were strict lines drawn between women’s and men’s work, the man’s being considered more important. I remember my own mother and her sisters would always feed the husbands first when they were home on holidays and the men never washed a cup or took a towel in their hands to dry it. Married women stayed in the home and had no income of their own, depending on the husband for money for shopping and the necessities. Now, most husbands were very good but there were some who were mean and did not treat their wives as well as they should have. The women just had to grin and bear it. When Ireland got its independence, a woman who worked for the government had to give up her position as soon as she got married. The thought behind was that one income was enough for any household and the woman’s job could go to somebody else who needed it. It was unthinkable at the time to consider a woman for the post of school principal just as it was to consider her for a job in the Gardaí. Being a guard was a job for a big strong man and we had plenty of them back in the day. Most small villages had a sergeant and one or two guards who had little to do but look for dog licenses and take farmers to court for having noxious weeds on the land. Even when women were allowed they weren’t referred to as Gardaí; they were called “Ban Gardaí” and for a long time were restricted to desk jobs and not considered good enough for proper policing duties. It also took years for women to get ahead in the medical world. I wasn’t a child anymore when I encountered my first female doctor but now, thank God, things have changed and the gender balance may even be swinging towards the women. This is certainly true in teaching where there are far more females than males. We also have females in the top jobs in the Gardaí who are doing a fantastic job but I’m afraid the story is not the same in the church. Despite the fact that there is a scarcity of vocations and there aren’t enough priests to go around, the aged men who rule the Vatican refuse to consider ordaining women. They are a bit like Ostriches with their heads firmly buried in the sand but one day soon they will, too late, realise that the world has passed them by and they have no more relevance or influence. If women can be top surgeons, police inspectors, Heads of State and leaders of the world, why can they not be trusted to look after, and administer to, the faithful in a parish. I personally think they would do a far better job than most of the priests I know as they have shown in other Christian churches. Today, we live in a more enlightened society where everybody has equal opportunity except for the Catholic Church so it is time that they changed their ways before more church doors are closed for good.
Last week I wrote about the gramophone and how it had to be wound up to operate the turntable that held the record. It got me thinking of other devices that used the same method of power, a coiled spring, to operate them. One of these devices that had great precision was the clock. Every house had at least one clock that had to wound up by hand once a day. These clocks came in various shapes and sizes, the biggest being a “grandfather clock”, that usually stood in a hallway of a big house. This had a winding mechanism but also used swinging pendulums to regulate the movements. Ordinary houses had much smaller time pieces, even some funny ones. In one of our class rooms at school there was a “cuckoo clock”. Every hour, on the hour, a wooden cuckoo poked his head out of a little house and gave a loud cuckoo sound instead of the bell sound that came from normal clocks. As kids we were fascinated at first by this and waited patiently for the hour to come but after a while it became normal. There was another type of clock that had a little house on top and, depending on the weather, a man or a woman would be sent outside. If it was raining, the man was outside and, if it was fine, the woman took his place. Don’t ask me how it worked but it was pretty accurate. As time went on the “eight day clock” was invented. This had to be wound up just once a week and usually kept very accurate time. Men carried a pocket watch, about two inches in diameter, which was attached to a chain that could be affixed to the lapel of a jacket while the watch itself went into an inside pocket or the pocket of a waistcoat. There was great pride in having a good one of these. When the radio was introduced to rural Ireland, an Abbeyfeale man bought one for the family. On the first evening, The Angelus came on at six o’clock. The man took his watch from his pocket, looked at it and declared, “that little radio is a good timekeeper”.
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THOUGHT: Oliver Burkeman argues that if you want to reduce the stress you feel about your to-do list, you need to change the analogy with which you frame it, from a bucket, to a river.
When you go backpacking and stop at a river to fill up your hydration pack, you never think, “I need to capture ALL of this water that’s flowing by me.” That would be 1) impossible, and 2) silly.
Instead, you take what you need and then move on with your hike, not thinking twice about all the water you left behind. You should treat life’s tasks and chores the very same way.
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The ban on sliced bread was just one of many resource-conserving campaigns during World War II. In May 1942, Americans received their first ration booklets and, within the year, commodities ranging from rubber tires to sugar were in short supply. Housewives, many of whom were also holding down demanding jobs to keep the labor force from collapsing, had to get creative. When the government rationed nylon, women resorted to drawing faux-nylon stockings using eyebrow pencils and when sugar and butter became scarce, they baked “victory cakes” sweetened with boiled raisins or whatever else was available.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/america-banned-sliced-bread
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1787 Clonakilty Memorial Signed by 19 Good Law Abiding Citizens. To suppress Riotous and Illegal Meetings and Combinations
John T. Collins Extraction of Cork Newspaper Extracts 1753-1784.
https://durrushistory.com/2018/08/08/john-t-collins-extraction-of-cork-newspaper-extracts-1753-1784/
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“…while, from a very small piece of ground, a large part of the food of a considerable family may be raised, the very act of raising it will be the best possible foundation of education of the children of the laborer.”
William Cobbett, Cottage Economy (1824)
https://life-craft.org/growing-food-as-education-for-life/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=catholic_news_german_synodal_way_to_press_on_with_vote_to_create_powerful_permanent_synodal_council&utm_term=2022-08-24
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Site logo image West Cork History
1942. In the Middle of the War /Emergency, Clonakilty Show. Flax Exhibitors. Irish Country Women’s Association
Durrushistory Aug 16 2022
1942. In the Middle of the War /Emergency, Clonakilty Show. Flax Exhibitors. Irish Country Women's Association.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_706-EQjQBC6wBWxyDrUWWx7auC9e6f11YtKFkz9Rt0/edit
1843-1970 West Cork Agricultural Societies and Shows, 4th August 2022
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yoNjmDNQKT_pk3nvlCsT72YWYoDENcs--uaJxh2ber8/edit
Flax/Linen
Updated Clothiers, Flax, Linen, Textiles, Weaving, West Cork,
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u0vIz1nxG34pJua7qC7jtTCKWLjwVY81jSl0usPdojk/edit
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Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe – Feast Day: 14 August
Raymund Kolbe was born on 8 January 1894 in Zdunska Wola in Poland. His father
Julius was a weaver and his mother Maria a midwife. Raymund had a great love for
the Virgin Mary as a child and especially after having a vision of her at the age of
twelve in 1906. The following year 1907 he and his older brother Francis joined the
Franciscans. Raymund took the religious name Maximilian Maria and finished his
studies for the priesthood in Rome where he was ordained a priest in 1918 at the
age of 24. He returned to Poland the following year and taught for three years at
the Kraków Seminary. Following that, he operated a publishing house and
distributed literature promoting the faith and particularly devotion to Our Lady.
Between 1930 and 1936 he undertook missionary work in Asia, doing his best to
spread the faith in China, Japan and India. He returned to Poland in 1936, three
years before the outbreak of the Second World War. In 1938 he started a radio
station.
His monastery was shut down on 17 February 1941 by the Germans and Fr
Maximilian and some other friars were put in prison. He was transferred to
Auschwitz three months later on 28 May 1941. At the end of July that same year a
prisoner escaped from that concentration camp and the German authorities reacted
angrily saying that ten prisoners would die in place of the one who escaped. They
randomly picked out ten prisoners one of whom was a Polish Jew, Franciszek
Gajowniczek, the father of a family, who had lost his faith amid the horrors of
Auschwitz and used to taunt Fr Maximilian about his faith. When this man freaked
out and cried out “ My wife! My children!” Fr Maximilian most courageously and to
the astonishment of all volunteered to take his place in the bunker where the ten
prisoners were sentenced to die by starvation. Fr Maximilian outlived the other
nine prisoners and after two weeks he was put to death by lethal injection on 14
August 1941.
Saint Pope Paul VI beatified him on 17 October 1971 and Saint Pope John Paul II
canonised him on 10 October 1982. Franciszek Gajowniczek, whose life he had
saved, was present at both ceremonies. This man, who was born on 15 November
1901 and who passed away at the age of 93 on 13 March 1995, went on to witness
throughout the world to Saint Maximilian’s heroism and sanctity and gave testimony
at Knock in County Mayo just over 30 years ago, a few short years before his own
passing from this world to the next. He was eternally grateful to Maximilian for
saving his life.
Saint Maximilian Kolbe, please pray for us!
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The Gift of Your Body
I started using the Peloton app this year after we invested in a bike. The workouts are great — variety, challenging, not just spin! — but that’s not why I keep coming back to the app. One particular instructor, Jess Sims, has helped me change my perspective about my body … and yours, even if that sounds strange. Sims’s catchphrase is “You Get To” — you have the privilege of working out that day. You have the privilege of time with your body. No matter what you look like, no matter your ability or what you think you’re capable of, you get to. No one else has the gift of your body, just you. That way of thinking goes beyond exercise and fits into every aspect of life.
This month, we’re focusing on radical love and acceptance of your body. For a lot of us, that’s a daily battle. Time passes, bodies change, and that’s part of the wonder and awe that comes with them. At different points, your body can feel like a burden, not a gift. The challenge lies in changing your mindset and cultivating a diverse perspective on what a body can be. The ideal body is a myth. Looking at each other as pieces of art, commissioned by God, can help us see the beauty that is all around us. There are no flaws or errors — we are wonderfully made.
So join us for stories from former athletes turned yogis, disability activists, therapists, and missionaries that showcase the power of loving your body and every type of body you encounter. We hope they remind you that you get to, and every part of you is a work of art.
— Liz Colleran
Assignment Desk & Event Program Manager
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Search word Ireland
https://www.livescience.com/search?searchTerm=ireland
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How Eating Fast Food May Make It Harder to Get Pregnant
By Tereza Pultarova published May 03, 2018
https://www.livescience.com/62476-fast-food-diet-infertility.html
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Feeding Operations and factory farms and we feed them a grain of – diet of primarily grain that doesn’t match their systems, they release nearly twice as much methane as they would if they were eating, you know, diets that are consistent with their system: grazing and eating grass.
https://www.kpbs.org/news/environment/2009/11/10/how-does-our-food-system-contribute-global-warming
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The Fascinating Science Behind Freckles
Nobody is born with freckles. So why do some people get them — and how? Julia Guerra, longtime freckle owner, goes on a mission to find out.
By Julia Guerra- July 18, 2022
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Welcome to the "Botox Capital of the World, Westport, an Irish town with a population of just 5,543.
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More than 1,200 people work at a plant on the edge of town. It’s owned by the drug company Allergan, and since 1994 it has produced all the Botox. “Whether you’re in Hollywood or acting in London’s West End, your Botox is 100 percent guaranteed Irish,” boasts longtime Westporter Simon Wall
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Topic: A Great Example of how Women can Take Control of Males! (Read 761 times)
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The worst part of being manipulation in relationships is that, quite often, you don’t even notice it's happening.
https://www.yourtango.com/if-your-man-does-these-five-things-youre-being-manipulated
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Prayer
Lord God,
whose days are without end
and whose mercies beyond counting,
keep us mindful
that life is short and the hour of death unknown.
Let your Spirit guide our days on earth
in the ways of holiness and justice,
that we may serve you
in union with the whole Church,
sure in faith, strong in hope, perfect in love.
And when our earthly journey is ended,
lead us rejoicing into your kingdom,
where you live for ever and ever. Amen.
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Reflection
There are so many amazing things to discover as we go through life and
with each new day we are given the opportunity to become a little wiser. Here are a few points to ponder:
Frame mishaps with these words – In five years time - will this matter?
Over Prepare – Then go with the flow.
Don’t take yourself too seriously – No one else does.
LAST WORD: “I can’t do it” never accomplished anything but “I can try” has worked wonders.
Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. When you say “I’m sorry” look the person in the eye. Love deeply and compassionately. You might get hurt but it is the only way to live completely. Talk slowly but think quickly. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship. When you have realised you have made a mistake take immediate steps to correct it. Smile when picking up the phone – the caller will hear it in your voice.
DON’T WORK FOR RECOGNITION – BUT DO WORK WORTHY OF RECOGNITION
When the one Great Scorer comes, to write against your name,
He marks - not that you have won or lost, but how you played the game!
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Basque child refugees: untold stories from the archives
2,527 views 14 Jun 2021 “Don’t worry, it will only be three months”.
These were the last words that Loli Gomez ever heard from her father as he said goodbye to her at Bilbao port in May 1937. Just under 4,000 children sailed from the Basque region to Southampton, fleeing the Spanish Civil War, most without their families. This was the largest single group of refugees to arrive in Britain. They were first housed in a swiftly constructed camp called North Stoneham, with rows of white tents. Quickly conditions deteriorated and children were sent to different homes around the country, from stately mansions to hostels. Discover these children’s stories through The National Archives documents and the fascinating personal collection of Teresa Gautrey, whose parents Loli and Marcelo, met at the home Baydon Hole Farm.
Additional images supplied by Teresa Gautrey and Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick.
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“Alive in Christ: Young, Diverse, Prophetic Voices Journeying Together” is the first in-person gathering for the “Journeying Together” initiative that was launched in July 2020. The goal from the start has been to speak and listen to culturally diverse young Catholic adults in the U.S. on the challenges they face and their perspectives on how the church and society can become more inclusive and just.
The U.S. Bishops’ Conference Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church leads the initiative.
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The rich are primarily to blame for the global climate crisis, a study by the University of Leeds of 86 countries claims.
The wealthiest tenth of people consume about 20 times more energy overall than the bottom ten, wherever they live.
The gulf is greatest in transport, where the top tenth gobble 187 times more fuel than the poorest tenth, the research says.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51906530
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By David Robson- 30th May 2022
Self-deception can fool us into believing our own lies – and even make us more convincing.
The media today is full of people who have lived a lie.
There’s Elizabeth Holmes, the biotech entrepreneur, who in 2015 was declared the youngest and richest self-made female billionaire. She now faces 20 years in prison for fraud. Then there’s Anna Sorokin – aka Anna Delvey, who pretended to be a German heiress, and subsequently fleeced New York’s high society of hundreds of thousands of dollars. And Shimon Hayut, aka Simon Leviev – the so-called Tinder Swindler.
What marks all of these people is not just the lies they told others – but the lies they must have told themselves. They each believed their actions were somehow justifiable, and – against all odds – believed they would never be found out. Time and again, they personally seemed to deny reality – and dragged others into their scams.
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220525-how-self-deception-allows-people-to-lie
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1857, Funeral of Dr. Jeremiah (Jerrie) Crowley, Apothecary Hero of the Famine in Skibbereen
Durrushistory- Jun 10 1857, Funeral of Dr. Jeremiah (Jerrie) Crowley, Apothecary Hero of the Famine in Skibbereen
From extracts of the Recollections of Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa, 19165 Skibbereen Eagle,
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Australia; From the Papers and What’s On
https://tintean.org.au/category/whats-on/
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Paying Moms to Breastfeed in Medieval Europe
The idea of offering remuneration to women for breastfeeding—even their own children—wasn’t unusual in late medieval and early modern Europe.
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Kissane, Edward Joseph (1886–1959), priest and biblical scholar, was born 14 May 1886 in Lisselton, Ballybunion, Co. Kerry. He was educated at St Michael's College, Listowel, and St Brendan's Seminary, Killarney. In September 1903 he entered St Patrick's College, Maynooth, where…...
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Kitchener, Horatio Herbert (1850–1916), 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum and Broome in Kent, field-marshal, was born 24 June 1850 at Gunsborough Villa, north of Listowel, Co. Kerry, second son of Lt-col. Horatio Herbert Kitchener and his first wife, Anne Frances (née Chevallier).…...
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Lawlor, Thomas (1842–1916), parish priest, was born 18 August 1842 at Irribeg, Lixnaw, Co. Kerry. Educated locally, he studied for the priesthood at the Irish College in Paris, where he was ordained in December 1866. On his return to Kerry he served as curate at Abbeydorney,…...
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MacGreevy, Thomas (1893–1967), poet, art and literary critic, and director of the National Gallery of Ireland, was born 26 October 1893 in Tarbert, Co. Kerry, sixth among eight children of Thomas McGreevy (1858–1930) of Crossmolina, Co. Mayo, a former member of the…...
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MacMahon, Bryan Michael (1909–98), writer and teacher, was born 29 September 1909 in Listowel, Co. Kerry, one of four children of Patrick MacMahon, clerk in a law office and later a butter-buyer and exporter, and Joanna MacMahon (née Caughlin), schoolteacher. From an early age…...
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Mahony, Pierce (1792–1853), solicitor, was born 19 December 1792, probably in Co. Kerry, son of Pierce Mahony (1750–1819), landowner and JP of Co. Kerry and Co. Limerick, and his second wife, Anna Maria, daughter of John Maunsell of…...
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Martin, Francis Xavier (1922–2000), historian, was born 2 October 1922 in Ballylongford, Co. Kerry, youngest son among five sons and five daughters of Conor Martin, medical practitioner, and Katherine Martin (née Fitzmaurice). Three of his four brothers also became priests,…...
https://www.dib.ie/biography/martin-francis-xavier-a5474
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Martin, Malachi Brendan (1921–99), priest and writer, was born 23 July 1921 at Ballylongford, Co. Kerry, the fourth of ten children of Conor John Martin, gynaecologist, and his wife Katherine (née Fitzmaurice). Three of his four brothers became priests, including…...
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Minchin, George Minchin (1845–1914), physicist, was born 25 May 1845 on Valentia Island, Co. Kerry, where his father owned an estate. He was one of three children of George Minchin Smith, a solicitor from Donnybrook, Dublin, and Alice Minchin (née Hyland). After his mother died (…...
https://www.dib.ie/biography/minchin-george-minchin-a5830
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Moriarty, David (1814–77), catholic bishop, was born 18 August 1814 at Derryvrin, Lixnaw, Co. Kerry, second eldest of three sons and two daughters of David Moriarty, farmer, and Bridget Moriarty (née Stokes), both of Kerry. As he grew up he came under the influence of a number of…...
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Moriarty, John Stephen (1938–2007), philosopher and shaman, was born 2 February 1938 at Moyvane, near Listowel, Co. Kerry, fourth of six children (two sons and four daughters) of James Moriarty, smallholder and native speaker of Irish (with eleven cows and 'thirty-two acres of bad,…...
https://www.dib.ie/biography/moriarty-john-stephen-a9521
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Musa, Jennifer ('Mummy'; Jennifer Jehanzeba Qazi Musa) (1917–2008), politician, tribal elder and nurse, was born Bridget Wren on 11 November 1917 in Tarmons, Tarbert, Co. Kerry, one of five daughters and two sons of John Wren, a small-holding farmer, and his wife Johanna (née…...
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O'Connor, Fergal (1926–2005), priest and philosopher, was born Thomas Francis O'Connor on 6 December 1926 in Rathmorrel, Causeway, Co. Kerry, third of seven children of Henry O'Connor, national school teacher, and his wife Nora (née Egan). O'Connor's grandfather had also been a…...
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O'Daly, Daniel (Dominic; Domingos do Rosario) (1595–1662), Dominican priest, diplomat, and historian, was born in Kilsarkan near Castleisland, Co. Kerry. He came from a family of poets, the Ó Dálaigh; his grandfather, Maoilseachlainn na Scoile, his uncle Cuchonnacht, and his…...
https://www.dib.ie/biography/odaly-daniel-dominic-domingos-do-rosario-a6665
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Flour Bags, Updated With Contributions From Irish America.
Apr 9, 2022
Flour Bags- The latest fashion recycling brings back memories of how resourceful our ancestors were. Everything was used
Flour bags were made from white cotton, a durable material which generally had the millers logo front and back.
They were universally used for bedding and clothing for women.
The procedure to try and eliminate the logs was repeated washing and bleaching outdoors
The bags were dyed using materials such as old tree leaves of beetroot juice. In particular this made colourful dresses for girls.
People became somewhat better off and the practice was abandoned and replaced with bed clothes bought from shops.
The story was told probably in the late 1920s an elderly lady west Of Kilcrohane was attended by Dr. Michael McCarthy was a bit of a character with a ready wit.
She was in bed wearing a shift made with flour bags but the emblem was not washed out. In this case it Read Chastity Mills’ He was asked how she was doing, ‘Well’ he said ‘she had chastity on her back and belly…’
Dr. McCarthy:
1876-1937 Dr. Michael John McCarthy, LRCP, Edinburgh, 1903 Doctor Durrus Dispensary, previously 1906 Co.Offaly “Dr. Michael McCarthy was appointed in 1918 and died in 1937 after 20 years service. He was from Bredagh, Drimoleague, his father a builder mother Anne Crowley, assistant teacher, Drimoleague, 1901 he and his family have Irish. Married Cork 1906 his wife Margaret Dineen from Cllonakilty. The salary for his replacement was advertised at £250-350, with £40 for additional health duties. The position of midwife was advertised for Durrus/Kilcrohane in 1938 at a salary of 340-2-£60 per annum. He was active in Fianna Fail and chairman of the old IRA branch.
1935 funeral of Dr. Edward Shipsey, Schull. He also speaks of Dr. McCarthy the Dispensary Doctor of Durrus. He had been a doctor with the British Army but was then the medical advisor to the local IRA and an intelligence officer. It is believed that in the IRA raid of Durrus RIC barracks he managed the explosives. Dr McCarthy of Durrus was prominently involved with Fianna Fail over these elections in 1932 the election speeches referred to the annuities and the general depression.The Durrus Fianna Fail cumann in 1935 comprised Dr.McCarthy Chairman J. A. Moynihan, Vice Chairman, T. Ross, Treasurer, J. McCarthy, Secretary. The Cumann were in 1935 calling for the commencement of the Ballycommane Forestry Scheme.
The late Joe O’Boyle was a ship broker based in Dingle and was often in Vigo in Spain. Some years ago he was with Juan Ferra the founder of a major international machinery company. In his young days (he is now in his 90s) he was a deckhand and later skipper of one of the trawlers which used to call to Bantry. The fishermen bartered ling for flour which given the poverty of Spain at the time was prized. Of more interest were the flour bags which were used as bedding and dyed and made into trousers. See also Michael Carroll’s book ‘the Second Armada’
From Irish America:
I remember sheets being made of flour bags, but not clothes. ..
I had dresses made from flour sacks.
I am the little dark haired little girl in my dress my grandma made for me.
During the great depression in America the flour bags were printed with cheerful patterns great for kid clothes and colourful quilts.
I had no idea of any of this! How very interesting! So, is this also what was used for quilting blankets?..Quilts made of flours bags. Love to find sheets.. Quilts made of flours bags. Love to find sheets.
From West Cork:
My Granny used also use the flour bags as tea towels , I never remember any other sort of tea towel being used other than those, also she used the flour bags to strain the warm fresh milk from the bucket to the churn.
Sheets were made in our house , and they used to be cut in squares for straining milk straight from the cow.
https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/26900856/posts/3941810075
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Regular readers will be aware that over the past couple of years, the Irish Aesthete has devoted much time and attention to the subject of the Irish country house garden and its evolution since the early 17th century. This study has taken a number of forms, including an exhibition of paintings of walled gardens (which show, incidentally, can at present be seen in Kylemore Abbey, County Galway, which has its own restored walled garden), a two-part television documentary, and a conference on the subject. The last of these, held last autumn, has now spawned a book, Digging New Ground: The Irish Country House Garden 1650-1900. Co-edited by Professor Finola O’Kane, the publication contains essays from a wide variety of knowledgeable experts in this field of study, all of whom offer fresh insights into their chosen topic.
https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/39169848/posts/19500
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es, you do have 15 minutes
If you are stressed and overwhelmed, carving out 15 minutes in your morning for relaxation sounds like just another hurdle on your to-do list. That addition, however, will make the rest of the list easier to get through, Sawyer said.
"It's not about I don't have time, you have time for a lot of things," he said. "If we really can (practice mindfulness) throughout the day, then our mental health needs less of our energy, less of our juice."
Taking time to reset your mental space at the start means that the stressors of the day aren't piling on top of an already overwhelmed system.
Routines don't have to be boring. Daily tasks can add spice to life
Routines don't have to be boring. Daily tasks can add spice to life
And if you start the day stressed, that is often the baseline you come back to the rest of the day, Sawyer said. When you start with a clear, relaxed mind, you have a calm reference point to which you can return.
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This background prepared me to think about how environmental concerns were embedded in my heritage. For example, every year during Passover we tell the story of our exodus from Egypt, and I have a cousin who would connect this story with the environment in great ways, like with the Red Sea and the Jews wandering in the desert for 40 years.
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Reflection
The Beloved Is Betrayed
The story of Joseph from Genesis points to Christ. Both are beloved sons, and both are victims of envy and betrayal. In fact, in his parable of the wicked tenants, Christ prophesied that he would face this injustice. Today, with this connection in mind, let us consider the consequences of envy.
A Humble Example
Happy Solemnity of St. Joseph! During this penitential season of Lent, we are invited by the Church to rejoice and feast as we celebrate the earthly father of Jesus. Today’s readings depict Joseph as a man of great humility. A great model to strive after during Lent, seek to be humble like St. Joseph today.
Old School
If you have someone in your house who felt frozen to death during the Covid restrictions, show them this from the schools’ folklore collection of the 1930s. Sitting beside an open window and wearing a mask is small hardship by comparison with what our ancestors endured in schools like Derrindaff.
About sixty years ago there was an old school in Meenganare. It had a thatched roof and only one small window to let in light. The floor was an earthen one. In wet weather the roof let in the rain and it formed into pools under the children’s feet. The seating accommodation consisted of long planks placed on two blocks of wood. There was only one teacher in this school Mr Purcell, a native of Cork. He lodged near the school. He was paid every Friday evening.
Irish and English were the only subjects taught, Irish was spoken by master and pupils. The teacher wrote on a large stone flag placed against a wall : the pupils wrote on slates.
Mr Purcell taught in that school from 1844 to 1879 .
Told by Mrs Quill of Derrindaff. In 1930’s
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Women in the Second World War: Military service in East Africa
Tuesday 8 March 2022 | Charlotte Marchant | Records and research | Comment
On International Women’s Day 2022, what better time to reflect on some of the often-overlooked contributions of women throughout history?
Using various records from The National Archives, this blog will focus on women in the Second World War. Specifically the hundreds who served with the British Army in East Africa, and whose role in the conflict goes largely untold.
The four distinct women’s services auxiliary to the British Army in East Africa were the East African Military Nursing Service, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service, the Auxiliary Territorial Service, and the Women’s Territorial Service.
East African Military Nursing Service (EAMNS)
Under the British Army’s East African Command, the EAMNS was officially formed on 1 July 1940 as a temporary colonial force. Unless discharged early, women enlisted for the duration of war and were liable for service in any part of Africa and overseas. With local recruitment at its core, the EAMNS played a vital role in fulfilling the immediate demand for nursing staff in the region, ‘essential for the expanding hospitals in East Africa’ (CO 820/44/19). EAMNS nurses also provided significant training to local African orderlies.
Proposal for forming EAMNS June 1940. Catalogue ref: CO 820-44-19
At the outset, the Service recruited for one matron and 80 Staff Nurses/Nursing Sisters. Initially drawn from East Africa’s private and civil nursing sector, women enlisted in the EAMNS were locally recruited, highly experienced state registered nurses, often with specialist training in tropical conditions. Some had First World War service. Although most women in the EAMNS were British, there was also a significant number of non-British nurses who undertook their training in the UK before the war, or were citizens of countries where state registration was reciprocal (typically British dominions).
A third of EAMNS positions were also filled by locally employed Nursing Auxiliaries/Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurses. Although these paid roles did not require formal qualifications, many had received Red Cross and/or St John’s First Aid training prior to enlistment.
Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS)
Established under a Royal Warrant in March 1902, the QAIMNS was formed to provide professional nursing services to the British Army wherever it was stationed in the world. In 1908, the QAIMNS Reserve and its sister service, the Territorial Force Nursing Service (TFNS), were also formed, ready for mobilisation should the need arise. All three services were active during the First World War.
The text on this recruitment pamphlet reads Nursing on Active Service with the Army.
Second World War QAIMNS recruitment pamphlet. Catalogue ref: INF 13-43-6
On the outbreak of the Second World War, the Territorial Army Nursing Service (TANS, previously TFNS), and QAIMNS Reserve were once again mobilised and integrated administratively into the QAIMNS. From Norway and Greece, to Ceylon and Singapore, QAs posted from Britain found themselves stationed all over the globe.
It is unclear when the first QAs arrived in East Africa. Though part of the reasoning given for forming an EAMNS in July 1940 was that it was deemed to be ‘impracticable, under present conditions to send any QAIMNS nurses to that place in time for them to meet the demand which may arise almost immediately’ (CO 820/44/19). By August 1942, there were reportedly 35 QAIMNS nurses serving alongside the EAMNS in numerous East African hospitals (WO177/2544).
The pages of this pamphlet include sections on How to Enrol, Kit Allowance, and the Scales of Pay.
Second World War QAIMNS recruitment pamphlet. Catalogue ref: INF 13-43-6
Since its inception, the QAIMNS had very strict rules in place for those wishing to enlist. By the Second World War, women joining the Service had to be state registered, possessing a certificate of not less than three to four years training as required. Women were also expected to be under 55, or employed in a senior/specialist nursing position. All QAs were recruited in Britain and held an officer rank.
By the end of the war, around 12,000 nurses were serving in the QAIMNS (mostly in the TANS or Reserve). The QAIMNS was later made a corps in the British Army and renamed the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps (QARANC) in 1949.
Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS)
Formally established as the women’s branch of the British Army in September 1938, the role of the ATS during the Second World War was clear:
‘This is a call to service in the plainest terms. Every available woman must enrol now in the ATS. Very large numbers of women are wanted to take over from the men as many duties as possible, so that men may be freed for work women cannot do.’
Catalogue ref: INF 13/43/1
From telephonists and clerks, to drivers, photographic developers and electricians; for many women, the Service afforded new opportunities to take up work in fields previously inaccessible to them. By the end of the Second World War, up to 250,000 women had enlisted in the ATS, most of whom carried out their service on home soil.
War Cabinet memo for making ATS overseas service compulsory November 1944. Catalogue ref: CAB 66-57-9
In order to meet overseas demands, and given the fact that recruitment of non-British personnel was not permitted in any region outside of the Palestinian ATS, a small number of women were posted outside of the UK. This remained on a voluntary basis until April 1945 when, due to a severe and ongoing shortage of volunteers, it was deemed necessary to make overseas service compulsory wherever and whenever the need arose.
In East Africa, the first party of ATS personnel, comprising of between 150 and 200 women, arrived in Nairobi on 12 March 1943, forming the nucleus of No. 1 ATS Clerical Company. Following a further influx of new recruits later that year, No. 2 ATS Clerical Company and an East Africa ATS Group were formed in December 1943. Women posted to East Africa were employed almost entirely as clerks. A small number found themselves on switchboards or in the Army Post Office (WO 169/18555).
Schedule for East Africa ATS birthday sports event September 1944. Catalogue ref: WO 169-18555
There were up to 500 women serving in the East Africa ATS at its peak in March 1944. Once discharged, with the exception of those who married an East African resident, women were typically repatriated back to the UK. The ATS was disbanded in 1949, when the remainder of its troops transferred to the Women’s Royal Army Corps.
Women’s Territorial Service (WTS)
Formally recognised as a British Army colonial force in September 1941, the history of the WTS actually dates back at least a decade prior. Operating as an East African branch of the British First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY), the unit was first formed during the early 1930s.
War Office confirms formation of East African WTS September 1941. Catalogue ref: CO 968-39-7
Also referred to as the Women’s Transport Service, the FANY established itself as a British independent women’s voluntary organisation in 1907, and is still a registered charity to this day. Renowned for providing transportation and driving assistance to the British military, the FANY has long been affiliated to, but never officially a part of, the Armed forces.
The FANY established its first overseas branch in Kenya between 1931 and 1932. In the ensuing decade, more than 400 women joined the East African unit. Women included British, South African, New Zealand, Canadian, Cypriot and Australian subjects, most of whom were residing in and around the region at the time. Unlike the QAIMNS and ATS, very few women in the WTS were posted from the UK.
WTS Defence Regulations September 1941. Catalogue ref: CO 968-74-11
On its transition to becoming the British Army’s Women’s Territorial Service (WTS) in September 1941, aside from keeping its Women’s Transport Service acronym and the sobriquet of FANY, the WTS was to sever all official ties with the British voluntary organisation. With the exception of a few ambulances, women were moved over from mainly transportation and driving roles, to clerical and signals duties (WO 169/18555). The WTS worked alongside the ATS, as well as with a significant number of locally recruited female civilian employees employed in various British military branches.
So, next time you think of women in the Second World War, do spare a thought for the thousands who served not only in East Africa, but across the globe as part of the British Army!
https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/women-in-the-second-world-war-military-service-in-east-africa/?utm_source=emailmarketing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_mailer_10_mar_22&utm_content=2022-03-10
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Loving the Lord
As we continue to hear from Isaiah 58, we are reminded that love of the Lord is at the heart of life itself. This means that our Lenten practices should not simply be external acts. They should be rooted in an effort to follow God's will and become fully conformed to Christ Jesus.
He Knows, He Loves
Prayer is about calling out to the Lord from our hearts. It is about entering into a relationship of intimate, personal love with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In other words, prayer is not the invocation of a distant deity. It is a life-giving dialogue that is buoyed by hope and trust.
The Lord's Generosity
Our Sabbath readings emphasize that we have nothing apart from the gifts of God. It is only because of the Lord's generosity that we are capable of having abundant life. Moreover, the readings teach us to call upon the word of God often—in times of praise and in times of temptation!
Inheriting the Kingdom
The readings today are all about going back to the basics. In particular, we are reminded that a follower of God should not only be motivated by justice. Rather, as Jesus emphasizes, the believer should be motivated by love. As the Gospel teaches us, living in God's love allows us to become heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven!
Restoring Relationships
Sin causes division; it hurts friendships and creates enemies. The great invitation of today's readings is to try to heal those wounds and reconcile with others. In settling accounts with our brothers and sisters, we embody the charity that Christs asks of each and every one of us!
The Measure You Give
When Christ gives his disciples the Our Father prayer, he emphasizes the need to forgive others. Forgiveness opens our hearts to love others, even those who have hurt us. If you are struggling to perform this act of mercy, keep praying for an outpouring of grace. God wants to help us!
His Drama
Today, Dr. Gray reminds us that repentance involves turning our wills toward the will of God. It is about prioritizing the "theo-drama" over the "ego-drama." Moreover, repentance means lamenting our sins and asking for divine mercy. With these explanations in mind, let us heed the call to repent!
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The Way I See It
By Domhnall de Barra
I often wonder about life after death, more so now since I am in my twilight years and somehow the future doesn’t seem to stretch that far ahead. It was simple long ago when we got our religious education at home and at school. There was heaven, purgatory and hell. Heaven was never really explained except that it was “up” and we would be happy there for eternity. Purgatory, or limbo, was a place where those who had to do penance for their sins waited for the all clear to be called into heaven. Nobody knew where it was. Hell, on the other hand, had a much more vivid description; it was a place “down” there somewhere reserved for people who had the misfortune to die in mortal sin where they were cast into raging fires to burn forever. Can you imagine what effect that information had on a five year old. It certainly frightened the living daylights out of me and I lived in fear of dying in mortal sin for years. This is just one religion’s version of the afterlife and they all have the concept of reward and punishment to look forward to. Some believe in reincarnation where we die but come back again in a different body. I have thought about this and my idea of hell is to be reincarnated as a woman. This is not because I do not like women, on the contrary, I have every respect for them but I think they have been treated abominably by society and religious organisations since the dawn of time. They weren’t just treated as second class citizens; they were ignored as citizens and had no rights at all. Even the Bible tells us that God created woman as an afterthought and made her from one of Adam’s spare ribs because he thought it wasn’t good “for man to be alone”. Wives were the property of their husbands, to do with as they wished and that was enshrined in law up to the latter part of the last century. The wedding vows told her to “love, honour and obey” and if the husband did not like what she was doing he had a legal right to “chastise” her. That meant a man could beat his wife with the blessing of the church and state!
It is not that long ago since matches were made for women to marry into farms. Can you imagine the scenario. A young innocent woman is married to a complete stranger who usually was a good few years older than her because he had to wait to inherit the farm before bringing in a woman. Both are without any form of sex education, except what they have seen farm animals do, and are expected to share a bed from the word go. I know some of these matches worked out ok but many did not and the women lived in misery for the rest of their lives. They were there to produce children, run the house, prepare meals as well as helping out on the farm and always be willing to afford the husband his conjugal rights. They were nothing more than slaves and most of them never had money of their own. Those who were not “lucky” enough to be married into farms could choose their own partners, This did not always work out well either and company keeping had its own pitfalls. The worst thing that could happen to a woman was to get pregnant. This would bring shame on the family so, more often than not, they were sent into a mother and baby home and we all know now what went on there. The unmarried mother was looked down on but the unmarried father wasn’t. He was just “one of the lads” sowing his wild oats and was almost lauded for it. Even in modern times women who had sex outside marriage were called sluts, jezebels, easy and many other names that I cannot put into print while the “lady’s man” was looked up to. During my own time going to the dance, the main place where boy met girl, it was left up to the woman to stop the man from having sex with her. Most of the men took the hint but others did not and many women were sexually assaulted on a regular basis. Indeed many were raped but would not report it through being ashamed and risking the accusation of somehow leading the man on. This was thought to be “normal” behaviour and again highlights the position of the female in society.
Not that long ago women were not allowed to vote and it took years of campaigning to force the male dominated political world to accept them as equals. In this country, up to the middle of the last century, a woman who worked for the government as a clerical officer, nurse, teacher etc, had to give up her job when she got married. A woman’s place was in the home, bearing and minding children and pandering to her husband’s needs and wishes. The church’s view on women does not help either. They will not allow priests to marry because the woman might be a bad influence and would distract them from their duties and they refuse to countenance the ordination of women to the priesthood. In my humble opinion, a married priest might have a far more rounded view of life and have more understanding of his parishioners problems and I also think women would make far better ministers than men.
Over 25 years ago I was in Lourdes with Noreen for our 25th anniversary. At one of the Masses a priest, a friend and musical colleague of Fr. Tony Mullins, gave a sermon advocating the ordination of women to the priesthood. He pointed out that women are more caring and understanding than men and he asked a question; “when you were young and had a fall, who did you run to for comfort, your father or your mother?” Think about it. That was 25 years ago and things have not progressed a lot since then.
This maltreatment of females was brought to my mind by the savage murder in Tullamore of Aislling Murphy. If you were asked to design the perfect Irish woman, you couldn’t improve on Aisling. She was beautiful, intelligent, a much loved teacher, traditional musician and a member of her local GAA club since she was old enough to handle a camán. That she could be attacked in broad daylight highlights the fear that women have to live with every day. This is so unfair and it is an indictment of my own gender and the attitudes we hold. Men think it is ok to pass lurid sexual comments and, unfortunately that view is shared by too many. I was once in the company of a few lads when one of them passed a comment as to what he would like to do to a young lady who was serving behind the bar. I asked him if he would like to hear that remark passed about his sister or mother and he told me to relax, that he was only joking. Well it is no joke to the recipient of those obscene remarks and should be called out on every occasion. Young people nowadays are far more knowledgeable about sexual relations than we were in our day but both parents and schools are still not doing enough. Most young men get their views on sex from pornographic sites which are freely available on smart phones and tablets. They depict women as mere sex objects that deserve no respect and have nothing to do with a loving, giving relationship.
This has to change. Women should not be afraid to walk on their own, but they are. Sometimes the way they dress is given as an excuse for a sexual assault. This is mere rubbish. A woman should have the right to walk stark naked if she likes without attracting unwanted attention. We, men, are the problem. I am not saying that all women are saints, far from it. There are some vicious females out there as well but nearly all sexual crimes are performed by men on women. Things have to change and it is up to us all to play our part. Don’t tolerate any comments that are degrading even if meant as a joke. Start sexual education at a young age and impress upon young boys the necessity to show respect for the opposite sex. What happened to poor Aisling is a wake up call but if somehow, through her horrific ordeal, the plight of women will be improved, some good will have come of it and maybe I might not fear coming back as a woman after all.
https://www.athea.ie/category/news/
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Smile. Why? Because it makes you attractive. It relieves stress, and it changes your mood. And that changes the mood of those around you Be the leader.
Be bold. Be the first to smile !!
Given that each day begins full to the brim with possibilities, we cannot deny that each new one might be a better day that any we have seen so far. If only we will help make it so. When looking for better days, don’t look backwards
with a sigh – look forward with a smile and determination in your heart
Every gift we give or receive will have more to it than its face value. Look beyond the gift to the time, effort, love and consideration it took to bring it
to you – and put something of yourself into every gift you give !
No one likes getting things wrong but one thing’s for certain - There is no more effective teacher than a mistake and no more certain route to success than learning from it
Reflection
May your gentleness, O Lord, exude from every heart.
May this New Year be a year of many blessings,
where new vision will transform the dark places of lonely hearts.
May we discover the hidden beauty of each soul,
If we meet with sorrow, may we find inner light.
May this light guide us to a brighter place,
in the company of friends and family,
in the company of love.
May each moment of every day unveil your abiding presence,
In beautiful surprises, reawakening the child within each of us.
(Liam Lawton, The Hope Prayer
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St Brendan’s Church Tralee 2022
STAINED GLASS REPAIR: The modern style of the
stained glass windows are a striking feature of our
Church. Unfortunately, over the years they have
deteriorated. The glass has buckled in many
places, partly due to the difference in air pressure
inside and outside. Some panels are subject to
leaking when there is driving rain.
A programme of repair began in 2020, but this
process did not continue due to Covid restrictions.
The repairs involve the removal of a few panels at a
time which are taken away for repair and
restoration.
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St. Johns' Church - Tralee - Window of Reconciliation
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Thought or the day: The (extra)ordinary
experience of “everyday” love is itself a
sacrament. As such, it mediates the love of
God and gives us both an experience and a
language by which we make speak of God,
God who is love itself. Prayer: Open our
eyes to recognise you at the heart of the
“everyday” love which sustains and inspires
us: whoever lives in love, lives in God and
God in them!
==============================
POPE Francis – Tweet: The prophet
Jeremiah tells us that God has “plans for our
welfare and not for evil, to give us a future
and a hope” (29:11). We should be unafraid,
then, to make room for peace in our lives by
cultivating dialogue and fraternity among one
another. The prophet Jeremiah tells us that
God has “plans for our welfare and not for
evil, to give us a future and a hope” (29:11).
We should be unafraid, then, to make room
for peace in our lives by cultivating dialogue
and fraternity among one another.
================
=========================
Reflection
Gary Cooper, Ernest Hemingway and Our Lady of Fatima
“In the designs of Providence, there are no mere coincidences” — Pope St. John Paul II
K.V. Turley Blogs
January 6, 2022
On May 13, 1981, in St. Peter’s Square, an assassin’s bullet aimed at the heart of Pope John Paul II was mysteriously diverted. The Pope would later note of this moment and the connection he perceived with the apparitions at Fatima: “In the designs of Providence, there are no mere coincidences.”
On May 13, 1961, 50 years after the first Fatima apparition, Catholic convert Gary Cooper was about to die. Pope Pius XII, known as “the Pope of Fatima,” played a part in the American movie star’s conversion to Catholicism. It was in June 1953 while visiting Rome to promote the film High Noon that the Cooper family was granted an audience with the Pope. At that time Cooper was not religious, never mind Catholic; but his wife, Veronica “Rocky” Balfe, was a devout Catholic.
Perhaps it was because of Veronica’s faith that the couple’s marriage had endured so long, despite Cooper’s many, and at times public, infidelities. One of these affairs nearly destroyed their marriage. When Cooper had finished working on The Fountainhead (1949), he seriously considered leaving his wife for his then co-star, Patricia Neal.
Undecided, he sought advice from an old friend, Ernest Hemingway. Cooper was surprised when the many-times-married-and-divorced writer withheld his blessing. Soon after, Neal and Cooper ceased their affair.
The years that followed the Neal affair were difficult ones for Cooper. The papal audience in 1953, however, proved a turning point, if not quite the end of the actor’s difficulties. The meeting with the Supreme Pontiff greatly impressed the movie star. Eventually, Cooper met a priest who equally impressed him and under his influence the actor found faith.
In 1961, he needed that faith for it was in that year, aged 60, that Cooper was diagnosed with cancer.
According to Hemingway’s biographer A.E. Hotchner, as Cooper lay dying he reached over and picked up the crucifix upon his bedside table. As he did so, he said, “Please give Papa [Hemingway] a message. It’s important and you mustn’t forget because I’ll not be talking to him again. Tell him … that time I wondered if I made the right decision [speaking of his conversion to the faith],” the actor moved the crucifix closer to his cheek, “tell him it was the best thing I ever did.”
Hemingway had become interested in the Catholic faith following a period of convalescence after being wounded in Italy during World War I. His second marriage, in Paris on May 10, 1927, was to a Catholic, Pauline Pfeiffer. At that time the writer embraced his wife’s faith.
On July 2, 1961, Hemingway shot himself, just a few months after his friend Cooper.
The circumstances of Hemingway’s death — whether his shooting was accidental or deliberate — remain the subject of debate. What we do know, however, is that, like Cooper, Hemingway was buried according to the rites of the Catholic Church, which he had been received into decades earlier.
What is less well known, perhaps, is that Hemingway’s conversion to Catholicism was in part due to the apparitions at Fatima. The events in the Portuguese village had occurred shortly after the American writer’s arrival in Europe. Hemingway considered the apparitions as incontrovertible evidence of the truth of the Catholic faith.
Hemingway’s friend George Herter was to say that the writer’s Catholicism “came mainly from the apparitions of the Virgin Mary.” He recalled how Hemingway had told him “several times that if there were no Bible, no man-made church laws, the apparitions proved beyond any doubt that the Catholic Church was the true Church.”
Hemingway, like Cooper, is also said also to have had a great affection for Pius XII. Mary, Hemingway’s daughter remembers how, when in 1958 there would be frequent radio bulletins giving updates on the health of the dying pope, her father, following each bulletin, would make the Sign of the Cross.
Patricia Neal, whose affair with Cooper Hemingway had disapproved of, suffered much in her private life. She was gifted, however, by an unlikely friendship with Cooper’s daughter, Maria. It was Maria who suggested Neal seek counsel in her difficulties from a former actress-friend who had chosen a very different path than Neal. The former Hollywood actress in question was Dolores Hart. She was by then a Benedictine nun at the Abbey of Regina Laudis (Queen of Praise) in Connecticut, where she remains today.
While working in motion pictures Dolores Hart had befriended the Cooper family and had attended Cooper’s funeral in May 1961. Throughout the requiem Mass, she held a relic of St. Thérèse of Lisieux that had belonged to Cooper and that had been given to her by the late actor’s wife, Veronica. A year later, Hart would shock Hollywood by leaving movie stardom for a cloistered life.
In March 2010, with the help of Maria Cooper Janis and Dolores Hart, now Mother Dolores, Neal was received into the Church. A few months later she died. She is buried at the Benedictine monastery of Regina Laudis, where she had come many years earlier seeking counsel and peace.
Pope St. John Paul was right, of course. There are no coincidences in the spiritual life.
K.V. Turley
K.V. Turley K.V. Turley is the Register’s U.K. correspondent. He writes from London.
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10 heroic Catholic stories from 2021
Afghan Christian’s plea to CNA: ‘You are my last hope’
Kareem* first contacted CNA on Aug. 24, amid the exodus of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. By that time, he had bid a painful goodbye to his family and joined throngs of other Afghan civilians at the gates to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, the Afghan capital. The Taliban had killed his father and brother because both men, who were Muslim, had worked with allied forces during the war. In the frenzy leading up to the Biden administration’s Aug. 31 exit deadline, Afghan civilians—like Kareem—and their advocates turned to aid groups, well-connected insiders, and anyone else they could think of asking for help, before it was too late.
Myanmar Catholic nun says Eucharistic adoration gave her strength to kneel before police
On March 8, Sr. Ann Rose Nu Tawng captured the world’s attention when she knelt before police in the city of Myitkyina, urging them not to use violence against protesters after Burma’s military coup. The religious sister said that the Holy Spirit prompted her to kneel between the police and protesters and that she drew her strength from prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, has experienced some of the worst violence as security forces continue to crack down on protesters of the Feb. 1 military coup.
Eric Talley funeral: Catholic father of seven ‘died a hero’
Police officer Eric Talley, 51, was reportedly the first on the scene in response to a gunman opening fire at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, on March 22. Talley, a Catholic father of seven, was one of 10 people killed during the shooting. Talley gave his life to save others, said Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila during the funeral Mass, which was held at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Denver.
Dan Lipinski calls for protection of 'most vulnerable' as he leaves US Congress
Dan Lipinksi, an eight-term Catholic House Democrat, said farewell to Congress in January after serving eight terms. Lipinski lost his March 2020 primary to new Congresswoman Marie Newman by fewer than 3,000 votes. He was known for being a reliable pro-life vote and one of the last remaining pro-life Democrats in the House, with a "B" rating from the Susan B. Anthony List and one of only two sitting House Democrats endorsed by Democrats for Life of America in 2020.
Pope Francis greets Colombian nun freed 4 years after kidnapping by Islamists in Mali
Sr. Gloria Cecilia Narváez Argoti, a nun from Columbia, was freed four years after being kidnapped by Islamists in Mali. Sr. Gloria, a member of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Mary Immaculate, was kidnapped in Karangasso, about 90 miles south of San, near the border with Burkina Faso, on Feb. 7, 2017. The kidnappers were going to take the youngest nun, but Sr. Gloria, who served 12 years before the kidnapping, reportedly volunteered to take her place. In October, after she was released, she received a blessing from Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Murdered British lawmaker was Catholic, pro-life
British lawmaker Sir David Amess died Oct. 15 after suffering multiple stab wounds at a Methodist church in southeast England. Amess, 69, was a Member of Parliament since 1983 and a member of the Conservative party. He was Catholic, pro-life, and reportedly a strong supporter of Catholic education and animal welfare. Amess was holding a meeting with his constituents at Belfairs Methodist Church when the attack took place.
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The Grandmother
May 14, 2021
Poetrypoetry bloggerspoetry blogYouTube videopoets of Wordpress
The Grandmother - featured image
A narrative reflection I wrote, on the Wise Old Woman within. May she forever be honoured and held close to our hearts.
The Grandmother
‘Why the long face?’
The children laughed
As they crowded into the lonely man’s cave.
He stared at them with baleful, bleary eyes
That had long been deprived of the sun.
How did they find him?
Here,
In his isolation
His despair
His grief?
He took care to shield himself, long ago,
From the questioning eyes of others.
He turned away from their thoughts and their words,
Whether they were gentle or coarse,
Bitter or well-meaning.
He didn’t want to face
Their hurt
Their guilt
Or their pity.
He didn’t want to face the sun.
And yet …
Now he is surrounded by laughing faces
And bright eyes
As children call out his name,
Exhorting him to rise.
One child grabs his hand,
And the rest, as one, giggle and cajole,
Leading him away from his gloomy cave
And down to a sunlit beach nearby.
‘Sit by the fire and draw a cup,’ one child tells him.
‘Our grandmother
Has been soaking juniper leaves for hours
And the brew is fine.’
They run off to shout and play,
Leaving the lonely man to nurse his juniper brew
His confused mind
And his weary heart.
The grandmother shuffles forward.
Her gait is steady
Her breath is measured
And her eyes are wise.
‘Why the long face?’
Her voice is gentle as she soothes his brow.
‘Can you allow the pain to fall away?
Here,
Where the sea ebbs and flows,
In its eternal dance
And my children play by the shore.’
He tells her of the fear that gripped him
Long ago.
He tells her of the great uprising,
The battlefields,
And the pain that seared his heart to the core.
He tells her of the love he lost
The friends he betrayed
And the ones who left him when he needed them most.
She beckons him closer and pulls him to her heart
– an embrace he has not known for many years.
After some moments, she says,
‘I have waited, through a vast expanse of time.
And I sent my children to find you
For I knew they would cheer your heart.
Never fear that I could forget you,
Or that we could long be kept apart.’
The juniper brew warms the lonely man from head to toe
And he finds, for the first time in years, that he can lift his head once again:
Ready to turn his face to the sunlight before him.
Ready to find peace on this ancient shore.
https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/80647854
Aisling Maria Cronin
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What's the scam?
You receive an unsolicited call from someone claiming that they have kindly detected an error or security risk on your computer they would like to help you fix. The scammer then asks for permission to remote into your computer. They may ask you to download special software to enable this, first.
Next, they may show you "log files", which are normal but claim these are bugs that need fixing. They will then ask for credit card details to charge you to fix them - or convince you to subscribe to a service that supports you.
How to avoid delivery scams?
Microsoft will never reach out to you in this way, so you should ignore any calls.
However, if someone calls you and you're not expecting it, you can hang up. Instead, find the official number online and call back. A genuine person won't mind. Don't be duped into calling back a number that the caller gives you.
---------------------------
What's the scam?
You'll receive a message via Facebook offering a bonus or special discount in time for Christmas. The message comes from a cloned Facebook profile, which appears to be from a friend or relative. It may ask you to send personal information to qualify for the bonus or gift.
How to avoid delivery scams?
The best way to deal with this is to ignore it. Do not respond to the message, and don't forward it putting other friends at risk.
------------------------------
============================
Priests for Life <FrFrankPavone@priestsforlife.org> Unsubscribe
December 6, 2021
On Wednesday, December 1st, it was my privilege to speak on the plaza of the Supreme Court and to pray in thanksgiving for all your efforts on behalf of the unborn as the Justices of the Court discussed whether Roe vs. Wade and Planned Parenthood vs. Casey should be overturned.
On that day and the previous day I helped lead or participate in about a dozen events, and you can see some photos of them here.
On the 29th, the Washington Times published one of my op-eds about the case, both online and in print, and the next day, the National Catholic Register published commentary by our Executive Janet Morana on one of the key arguments in the case.
The Washington Examiner was also among numerous other outlets who interviewed me about the case.
One of the aspects of the oral arguments that it’s important to note is that the State of Mississippi and the Jackson abortion mill were not the only parties arguing. Someone else had requested – and was granted – time to argue before the Court for baby-killing and against Mississippi’s pro-life law.
It was the Biden Administration.
He sent his Solicitor General to argue that we should continue killing the unborn. Presidential Administrations can request time from the Court to argue on one side or another of these cases. President Trump, in fact, took advantage of that opportunity during his Administration to argue in front of the Court on the pro-life side.
In the case of Biden’s Solicitor General, I noticed that she called the so-called right to abortion “fundamental” more than once. But in that she got it wrong. The Court actually does not consider this right “fundamental” anymore. That was one of the ways in which Planned Parenthood vs. Casey modified Roe, by taking the abortion “right” down a notch, and expanding the ways that a state could regulate it.
The Biden Administration obviously has no regard for the people’s rights to craft policy on abortion, because one of the key problems this case points to is how the federal district court in Mississippi treated the Gestational Age Act which is under review here: they didn’t even consider, much less decide on, the weighty arguments the state made, with much evidence to accompany them, about the reasons for passing this law: the new knowledge we have about the humanity of the unborn, and about the harm abortion does to the health of woman and to the integrity of the medical profession.
They didn’t consider these things because of the special constitutional status abortion has. Biden’s Solicitor General argued that it should continue to have that special status. Meanwhile, the State of Mississippi, as well as hundreds of state and federal legislators who weighed in with the Court on Mississippi’s side, believe that the people should be able to craft policy on abortion through their elected representatives.
There’s much more to digest here.
Please read and study more about the arguments at www.SupremeCourtVictory.com, take part in our prayer campaign about it, and spread the word!
We’ll be back with much more analysis.
Thanks,
Fr. Frank Pavone
----------------------------------
Priests for Life <FrFrankPavone@priestsforlife.org> Unsubscribe
December 3, 2021
As so many others are doing, I am studying and digesting the oral arguments that took place Wednesday at the US Supreme Court in the Dobbs abortion case, the most significant abortion case the Court has heard in decades. I am privileged to talk regularly with the top pro-life legal experts in the country, and have studied all the briefs in this case and discussed many of them with the attorneys who wrote them. I was able to listen to the oral arguments as they took place on Wednesday, and to study the transcript of them afterwards.
As many others agree, I am very confident that the Court will give us a victory here. I was encouraged by the oral arguments, and by the questions the Justices (including Roberts) were asking. I was able to be with MS Solicitor General Scott Stewart, and Attorney General Lynn Fitch on Wednesday night, at a dinner celebration of the day’s events, and they too were very encouraged.
The abortion-supporting Justices (Breyer, Kagan, and Sotomayor) had nothing new to add to the tired, time-worn assertions of Roe and Casey. They did not demonstrate that anything about our current abortion policy is rooted in the Constitution or in the history, traditions, or legal practices of our country.
And they utterly failed to refute the powerful arguments from the State of Mississippi and the record number of pro-life briefs submitted in support of them.
Now today, the Justices met to discuss and vote on this case. An initial decision has been made. They are not going to reveal that decision to the public until they write their opinions, and technically, they can change their minds as they go back and forth among themselves in the process of writing those opinions.
But again, I am confident, and have been from the beginning, that – to put it simply – the Supreme Court is going to give much more leeway to the states to not just regulate but actually prohibit abortion.
Exactly how much leeway, and on what Constitutional basis, is the question.
And I want to break that down for you in the weeks ahead.
So very simply, I want to urge you to
Learn the arguments in this case. Go to www.SupremeCourtVictory.com and see the “Arguments” tab for all the detail you need.
Watch my program from the other night in which I share a bit more of my observations about the oral arguments. You can see it here: https://youtu.be/3raviq1AOO4
Keep praying! At www.SupremeCourtVictory.com, go to the “Prayer Campaign” tab, use the prayer, and spread it to others.
And stay tuned to your email inbox for further analysis from me about the direction this case can take.
Blessings, and onward to victory!
Fr. Frank Pavone
Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life
=======================================
— Congressman Jamaal Bowman (@RepBowman) December 7, 2021
Lawmakers pointed to the progression of comprehensive legislation to legalise or decriminalise and regulate cannabis at the federal level, which has drawn support from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, but added that Mr Biden has “the power to take decisive action to begin this necessary work.”
“While this bill would make considerable progress towards overhauling American cannabis policies, you maintain the unilateral power to take transformative important action by issuing a blanket pardon of all nonviolent federal cannabis offenses,” they wrote.
Criminal justice reform advocates have suggested as many as 40,000 people are currently in jail for cannabis-related convictions, a figure that relies on nearly 20-year-old data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and inadequate federal data and complex convictions that include other offences can paint a murky picture of the state of incarceration for drug crimes.
In 2019, the federal government was involved in only a fraction of the 545,000 cannabis offences charged in the US that year, according to lawmakers; the FBI charged only 5,350 people with a top-line charge for any drug offence, not just cannabis, that year.
An overwhelming majority of the more than 350,000 Americans arrested by state and local law enforcement for weed-related crimes in 2020 were charged with simple possession, according to FBI crime reports.
The president does not have authority to intervene with state and local convictions. But proposed legislation from a bipartisan group of congressmembers led by Republican Rep Dave Joyce and Democratic Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would help states begin to expunge criminal records for such crimes.
The latest measures follow several congressional measures seizing on dramatically shifting national public opinion and bipartisan support towards ending the War on Drugs.
A recent Pew Research poll found that as many as 91 per cent of Americans support marijuana legalisation, with 60 per cent believing it should be legal to use recreationally, and 31 per cent believing it should be allowed only for medicinal use.
Cannabis remains illegal under current federal drug scheduling, though 36 states have allowed it for medical use, and 18 states and Washington DC have introduced measures to regulate its nonmedical use.
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My objective here is not to analyze the details of that terrible night, but rather, to focus on what many reporters have refused to address: Scott’s music is vile, violent and despairing. Sadly, he is not alone in that. Such nihilistic music has become mainstream, and it is crucial that parents understand that fact.
While I would normally illustrate such a claim by quoting a few lyrics, I cannot possibly reproduce them here to a Catholic audience. Those interested can find online that Scott’s lyrics are chock full of explicit sex, sadism, racism, violence, brutality, misogyny, the celebration of drug use and pornography, blasphemy — all with heavy doses of despair.
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All in all, the fashion industry is responsible for 20% of all industrial water pollution worldwide.
A boy swims in the polluted waters of the Buriganga river in Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 14, 2009. REUTERS/Andrew Biraj (Bangladesh Environment Society)
A fifth of water pollution comes from the fashion industry.
Image: REUTERS/Andrew Biraj (Bangladesh Environment Society)
Some apparel companies are starting to buck these trends by joining initiatives to cut back on textile pollution and grow cotton more sustainably. In March, the UN launched the Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, which will coordinate efforts across agencies to make the industry less harmful.
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License and Republishing
World Economic Forum Type may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.
Written by
Morgan McFall-Johnsen, Junior Reporter, Science, Business Insider
En collaboration avec
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/fashion-industry-carbon-unsustainable-environment-pollution/
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Future of the Environment. Several articles.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/archive/environment-and-natural-resource-security
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They are not gone from us but gone before us.
Ní imithe uainn atá siad, ach imithe romhainn.
November is a time for remembering and praying for our loved ones who have gone before us and
whose loss we feel. It is a time when we are particularly conscious of those in our parishes who are
grieving and all those families who have lost loved ones in the past year. We mark this time of year
in our parishes with events like the blessing of the graves, the celebration of remembrance services
as well as commemorating All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day.
Belief in the resurrection of the dead is an essential part of Christian faith. It implies a particular
understanding of the unescapable mystery of death. Death is the end of our earthly life, but ‘not of
our existence’ (St Ambrose) since the soul is immortal. Our lives are measured by time, in the course
of which we change, grow old and, as with all living beings on earth, death seems like the normal
end of life. For all Christians, death is the passage to the fullness of true life. During the celebration
of a funeral Mass we hear these words from the Preface of the Mass ‘For your faithful, O Lord,
life has changed not ended; while our earthly dwelling is destroyed, a new and eternal dwelling is
prepared for us in Heaven’.
1 November – All Saints Day
All Saints’ Day, also known as the Feast or Solemnity of All Saints, is celebrated every year on
1 November. On this day, which is a Holy Day of Obligation, we honour all of the Saints and ask
them to pray for us. Mass on All Saints Day (Mon 1st Nov) 10.00am and 7.00pm
2 November – All Souls’ Day
All Souls’ Day or more formally ‘the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed’ is a solemn
celebration commemorating all of those who have died and is observed on Tuesday 2 November.
Mass on All Souls Day at 10.00am and 7.00pm.
A Prayer of Remembrance
God, thank you for the special people in our lives whom we are remembering in a special way
during the month of November. We thank you for being a compassionate God who walks with us
in our dark moments of grief and loneliness. We are thankful for all who continue to love and
support us through our grief. Lord, continue to be a light for us, giving us hope, direction and
courage. May we now live our lives treasuring the memories of those special people we have
known and loved and help us to bring light and hope to others. We make this prayer through Christ
our Lord, Amen.
Prayers in the Graveyard
Prayers for all who are buried in our parish graveyards will take place on Sunday 7th of November
beginning at St Mary’s graveyard at 2.00pm, the Old Graveyard at 2.20pm and Reilig Íde Naofa
at 3.00pm. Even through the prayer ceremonies are outdoors, parishioners attending are advised to
maintain a safe distance from one another and for additional safety are encouraged to wear a face
mask.
Abbeyfeale Church Newsletter 30 10 2021
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From: Sean Sheehy <frlistowel@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2021, 12:20
Subject: 26th Sunday B
To:
Is there a Hell?
In today’s world hell is rarely mentioned by the Church’s preachers. We hear it when people yell, “Give
‘em hell!” urging on a team or an individual to conquer the opposition. The word ‘hell’ means “the place of torment for the wicked after death.” In the Bible ‘Gehenna’ is used to describe Hell as the abode of the damned. When I was growing up most of the sermons in Church were labelled as “hellfire and brimstone.” But since Vatican II the focus has been on God’s love rather than on fear of spending eternity in hell. But we need to realize that God’s love doesn’t preclude the possibility of ending up in hell. The fact that we can say “Yes” to God’s love doesn’t preclude the fact that we can also say “No” to what He offers us. This abuse of human freedom to reject God’s love by disobeying His Commandments became a reality when Adam and Eve freely chose to follow Satan, thus dooming the human race to a painful eternity.
God is love (1 Jn 4:8) and so He continues to love. That love became visible when His Word took on human flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ, God-become-man, conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Jesus began His public ministry proclaiming to the world: “This is the time of fulfilment. The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the Gospel.” (Mk 1:15)He came, as He said Himself, “to call sinners, not the self-righteous, to repentance.” (Mk 2:17) Jesus’ mission extended God’s love to every man and woman by calling them to avail of His mercy through repenting of their sins and seeking His forgiveness. He didn’t call the self-righteous because they believed they hadn’t sinned and didn’t need to seek forgiveness. Why did Jesus come to call sinners? Because He didn’t want anyone to go to Hell and be separated from God for all eternity. Jesus also knew that sin is the cause of all human miseries. God created everyone out of love for love and to love. He doesn’t want anyone to be lost to Him. This is why Jesus is the Shepherd who seeks out the lost sheep. This is why He founded His Church so He could continue to seek out the lost sheep through her ordained leaders and lay members.
Hell matters to Jesus. It’s one of His central teachings which He handed on to His Apostles and through them to His Church under the leadership of her duly ordained bishops and priests. Hell mattered so much to Jesus that He advises us in the Gospel for this Sunday (Mk 9:47-48) to get rid of anything that might prevent us from entering Heaven. He stresses that whoever causes a believer to sin would be better off with “a great millstone tied around his neck and thrown into the sea.” (Mk 9:42) To further emphasize that Hell matters, Jesus advised: if your hand, foot, or eye is causing you to sin it is better to get rid of it than “be thrown into Gehenna where the worm dies not and the fire is never extinguished.” (Mk 9:48) He stressed that it’s better to enter God’s Kingdom maimed than to enter Hell with all your limbs.
Jesus shows that Hell is real. What’s hell about Hell is the pain of separation from God and all those who love us. The pain of separation from God is like the pain a child experiences when a mother or father dies. It never goes away. Unlike the child’s pain, those in Hell caused their own pain. God gave them every opportunity in this world to repent and be forgiven but they refused to admit their sin, repent, and amend their lives. Heaven is filled with love and all that’s beautiful because of God’s presence. Hell is filled with hate and everything that’s ugly because Satan is present there. There’s no friendship, community, companionship, joy, or happiness in hell. This is why the Psalmist prayed so urgently: “From wanton sin especially, restrain your servant; let it not rule over me. Then shall I be blameless and innocent of serious sin.” (Ps 19:14)
The greatest gift, next to Himself in the Holy Mass, is the gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation which Jesus bestowed on His Church to be administered by her bishops and priests. Here God expresses His love in the form of mercy extended to all who repent and seek forgiveness. This is why Jesus said following His parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin: “I tell you there will be the same kind of joy before the angels of God over one repentant sinner.” (Lk 15:10) Sadly, today, fewer and fewer people who call themselves Christian benefit from this Sacrament. Why? Because they think they have no sin, even though the Holy Spirit warns us that, “If we say, ‘We are free of the guilt of sin,’ we deceive ourselves; the truth is not to be found in us. But if we acknowledge our sins, He who is just can be trusted to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from every wrong. If we say, ‘We have never sinned,’ we make Him a liar, and His word finds no place in us.” (1 Jn 1:8-10) Perhaps the main reason why so few people today participate in Jesus Church is because they believe they have no sin. If they think they haven’t sinned then they don’t need a divine Saviour with the power of forgiveness. If they don’t need a Saviour, they have no interest in Jesus’s presence in His Church and so see no need to thank and worship Him, especially on Sunday. The more people recognize their sinfulness and the reality of Hell the more they’ll embrace Jesus in His Church because only He can save them by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Bishops, priests and deacons need to take a leaf out of Jesus’ book and start proclaiming the necessity for everyone to “reform your lives, and believe in the Gospel.” Jesus warned us that, “The gate that leads to damnation is wide, the road is clear, and many choose to travel it. But how narrow is the gate that leads to life, how rough the road, and how few there are who find it.” (Mt 7:13-14) Jesus, present in His Church, is that narrow gate. We reform our lives by recognizing how prone we are to sinning; how we need to repent in order to be forgiven and receive absolution in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. If we don't, we doom ourselves to Hell and the everlasting pain of a loveless existence through our own fault. Yes, Virginia, there is a Hell! (frsos)
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An old Irish proverb says, “It is in the shelter of each other that
the people live.” Indeed, we are created to depend upon one another
and walk together in suffering. But when family members or friends
approach life’s end, we may not know how best to “shelter” them.
Here are some concrete ways we can compassionately care for them.
https://www.usccb.org/resources/rlp-18-caring-for-loved-ones-at-lifes-end-english-grayscale.pdf
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Moyvane Fair
https://www.facebook.com/111342715594958/videos/1257083771020841
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THE PUNTER: Tom Scanlon, better known as the Punter, also known as Tommy Bernard by his neighbours passed away on Wednesday, August 11 2021 after a short illness. Tom was born to Jack Scanlon and Han Walshe in 1943 in Leitrim Middle. He was an only child and lived in Leitrim Middle until about ten years ago when he moved to Woodgrove. He was a character in the true sense of the word, and indeed there are not many such people left any more. He loved all sports, player one choice and he loved going to Galway every year and the Curragh and of course the loced a bit of football when he was young and had friends all over the world. Racing was his numbal meetings in Listowel. He was well acquainted with trainers such as Tommy Stack, Jessica Harrington and many others. Tom wrote a bit of poetry and attended Writer’s Week in Listowel. This is one of his poems about the area where he lived called
“MEMORIES”
As my mind rolls back o’er memories track
To the days when we were young
Not a care had we, only wild and free
And many a song was sung.
We’d fish along the riverbank
As the sun was blazing down
And gather round the old big stone
That stood there large and brown.
We’d rest a while and spend an hour
Beneath the Russian’s bridge.
The McGraths, the Moriartys, the Walshes from the hill
Would come down there in the warm air
To laugh and sport their fill.
To Molly Donovan’s we would retire
To pass away the night
With the old gramophone and a game of cards
And many a dacent fight
They are scattered now throughout the land
And some are in their graves
Others are gone far and wide
Across the Atlantic waves.
But where e’re they are gone
Or what e’re they’ve done
They will always remember back
To their boyhood days
And their happy ways
Around the Mail Road Cross.
REST IN PEACE TOM
SINCERE SYMPATHY to Brendan Galvin, Leitrim East and the Galvin family on the tragic loss of his beautiful partner, Amanda Kinsella, Bennekerry, Carlow who lost her life in a bus accident in Donegal. Brendan is a wonderful young man who has been working abroad for a number of years and himself and Amanda were due to go back to Bahrain last week. Moyvane is shocked at what has happened and is thinking of you and Amanda’s family. You are in everyone’s prayers.
(Tribute from Moyvane Notes August 2021)
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Most of you know our pastoral associate Evangelist Alveda King. She has been a friend since 1999 and a fulltime associate on the Priests for Life team since 2005. She is also a member of our “Silent No More Awareness Campaign” (a joint project of Priests for Life and Anglicans for Life), because she had two abortions, and speaks publicly about her repentance and healing.
She heads up our Civil Rights for the Unborn outreach and does a lot of media, traveling, speaking, and writing for our ministry.
Please check out the joint op-ed that she and I had published on July 28th in the Washington Times, www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/jul/28/roe-v-wade-tears-apart-the-fabric-of-our-nation/.
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REFLECTION
Dear God,
Thank You for the gift of education in every form.
As our children prepare to start a new year,
May confidence be their foundation,
May grace be their guide,
and may hope be their compass toward a bright future.
I pray they would have eyes to see the needs of those around them and a heart to love well.
May they face each day with positivity knowing
that no matter what comes their way,
they don’t have to face it alone.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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FIRES: In our federal government, there are a variety of agencies that have a stake in it, but no one really controls fire. There’s been a lot of activity in the private sector in terms of bringing new tools and trying new things. But now we’re drowning in new tools, each of which has promised to be innovative and solve the fire problem. There’s a lot of money flying around, and it’s a very interesting, chaotic time. It seems to me it’s obviously a weather problem and a physics problem—but a lot of the policies are made using antiquated models. With the tools we have, we should be able to make better predictions about, for example, prescribed fires. Many people will say the problem isn’t a lack of technology, but that it comes down to other factors, like policy and regulation. And the culture of politics is much more challenging than the technology.
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Instead of letting some naturally caused small blazes burn, the agency's priorities will shift this year, U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore indicated to the staff in a letter Monday. The focus, he said, will be on firefighter and public safety.
Moore, who took over as head of the agency last month, wrote that the 2021 fire season is "different from any before" and posed a "national crisis" that required the U.S. Forest Service to put on hold its mission to groom forest lands — at times by letting wildfire clear them — to make them more resilient to fires. Instead, he said, the agency will use its strained resources to protect lives and homes as more than 70 large fires burn across the United States, requiring more than 22,000 fire personnel to battle.
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All told, as 2020 came to a close, Philadelphia climbed toward an unimaginable figure: 500 homicides. It had reached that figure only once, in 1990, in the midst of the crack epidemic.
As stunning as that historical comparison was, it was hardly more disturbing than numbers for 2020 from elsewhere around the country. Some types of crime declined. It was, after all, harder to burgle houses when more people were at home. But homicides rose 30% on average across a sample of 34 of the nation’s largest cities by the Council on Criminal Justice.
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Future developments in Irish education and reflections on the past
by Eithne Woulfe SSL
In the Irish Region, we are in the process of transferring both our ownership and trusteeship of schools to Le Cheile Catholic Schools Trust, a lay Trust canonically recognised by the Irish Episcopal Conference, and the St MacNissi’s Trust of the Diocese of Down and Connor. This means that we are entrusting to them the stewardship they represent of the labours and commitment of our sisters and colleagues through many decades as Catholic educators.
Like all SSL schools, they are not centres for commercial gain, but centres that seek to ‘share a Christian vision of reality’, what Bautain called, ‘the saving wisdom of Christianity’, and so ‘to inspire all to become agents of change in the spirit of the Gospel’, where example and engagement, and not moral constraint, are guiding principles. Elsewhere, SSLs were exhorted to be ‘the guardian angels of the pupils entrusted to their care’.
These reflections surfaced for me recently as I perused documents in preparation for the transfer of trusteeship/ownership, and noted the gradual acquisition of lands and buildings in Ballymena and Kilkeel from 1922 to 63, and from 1923 to 1956 respectively, for fee paying, Boarding or Day Secondary schools, where classes initially took place in the Convent itself. Here, as elsewhere, sisters worked too in local Parish Primary schools, which were State funded from 1831.
The local community seems to have assumed primary responsibility for the costs of growing these Secondary schools. The sisters’ lifestyle was simple, ascetical, and busy with a semi-monastic rhythm of work, prayer and silence. They were business people for mission, stewards, trustees too.
Thus in 1952, Mother Claude, the Local Superior in Kilkeel, writing to the Local Bishop, asked for a loan of some £2,100 (today c. £100k) to redeem a mortgage outstanding for a new school extension from the 1930s. Then, as now, Grammar Secondary schools had a privileged funding status in Northern Ireland. Mother Claude wrote, “Everyone thinks we SSLs are rich, but it is not so….” The loan was tendered at a modest interest rate.
And her situation was not unique. Somehow or other, Dun Lughaidh was opened in 1951, and in the same decade Monaghan, Rathmines, Balla, Kiltimagh, and Carrickmacross all boasted new extensions, totally funded by the Sisters of St Louis, with the two Northern schools getting proper new schools too.
These are but a few of the stories of stewardship and trusteeship for mission that I came across, amid new horizons opening up in Juilly, the U.S.A. and West Africa, with much the same pattern being replicated in SSL Africa today.
More anon!
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The following is an extract from an interview Lisa Daly of Dromagarraun did with RollerCoaster.ie recently about her new business which she has started from her home.
“It was the memories from my childhood that inspired me to create the 21st birthday memory journal,’ says Lisa Daly, founder of This Is You.
The mum-of-five spends her time looking after her children and running a business that helps families keep their memories alive, something that is very important to her.
The idea for the mum’s first product, a Lifetime Memory Journal in which parents can record everything about their child and is intended to be gifted to them on their 21st birthday, was inspired by all of her childhood memories.
She told RollerCoaster that she comes from a hard-working family which has inspired her in her career and her drive for success. ‘My dad was always busy whether it was on the farm or helping out a neighbour with some project,’ the mumpreneur shared.
‘My mam was a stay at home mother while we were young but went back to work once we were old enough and enjoyed the challenge of it.
‘It was the memories from my childhood that inspired me to create the memory journal as well as the journals I have been keeping for my own children since they were born,’ Lisa added.
Influenced by her own Mum, she is always home with her children. She has multiple school runs to do as well as a baby who is home with her all year round.
With all this on her plate, it’s hard to believe she balances it all with a business but she has mastered the art. The multitasking Mama dips in and out of emails throughout the day, ‘when I get a spare minute,’ or when her youngest goes for a nap.
Her philosophy is that her children experiencing her working and succeeding like she saw her own mother do. She believes this will shape them for the future.
‘It is good for the children to see the business in action and to see their Mom as a business person. I try to include them as much as possible.’
Being her own boss allows her to tailor her schedule to her family’s needs, which has been a godsend after the events of the last year.
‘Of course Covid is not our friend here and it has been very tough on us all. So trying to juggle that and kids and a new business on top of everyday life has been interesting to say the least!’
She says that her biggest challenge being a mum is ‘having to be on call 24/7,’ even though she loves being at home with her children.
‘Adding a new business into the mix adds a whole new level to it. It is not easy juggling it all and I always feel guilty if one of the kids even mentions the phone in my hand or Instagram etc (as that is where I do most of my business). That’s hard,’ she shared.
Business challenges are another issue and Covid and Brexit have created their fair share for this Mama, causing a huge delay on orders and consequently the launch of her business.
‘Time is also a challenge as I mentioned already. Juggling 5 children and their needs, as well as the business, does take organisation but I have a routine now that is working for me,’ she explained to RollerCoaster.
With ups and downs, Lisa has rolled with the punches and says that the main ‘high’ of her business is the ‘great feedback’ that she receives. Another positive for her is the idea that she is being a good role model for her five children.
‘The low is the time it takes away from the kids but I try not to let it impact on them too much,’ she added.
When asked about the advice she would give people who are hoping to start their own business although she is only finding her feet in the new world of business at the moment,’ I have found that it helps is having a routine in place and to set aside time each day for both kids and business. It may not always work but it does for the most part!’
Well done to Lisa on having the courage to follow her dream. She can be found on Instagram @thisisyou_x . Her website is www.thisisyou.ie . She has recently launched her second journal called This is you and Your home. Check it out for yourselves.
From Athea news By Peg Prendeville
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Marriage
Now, as many couples plunge back into the hum of life, is a perfect opportunity for a relationship reset — to learn from our time hunkering down together and look toward the future.
Here is a seven-point plan to get started.
Do a relationship review.
First, have a sit-down together to assess what worked about your relationship — and didn’t — during quarantine, said Christiana Ibilola Awosan, a therapist in New York City. In order to make positive changes going forward, start by sharing with your partner what you learned about yourself during the pandemic, she recommended.
Then, Dr. Awosan said, consider using these prompts to continue the conversation: What did the pandemic show us about our relationship? What do we want to keep going forward? What do we want to discard? What has surprised you about me during this pandemic?
“Sometimes we tend to focus on what annoyed us about our partner, but there might be some good things that surprised you, like a strength you didn’t realize they had,” she said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/16/well/family/relationship-reset.html?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB
Voice your appreciation.
Perhaps over the past year, you haven’t felt like giving compliments to your partner — but positive feedback is important, according to a nearly three-decade study of marriage and divorce by Terri Orbuch, a research professor at the University of Michigan and a sociology professor at Oakland University. One of her divorced subjects’ biggest regrets was that they had not given their mate more “affective affirmation,” or encouragement and support in the form of words or thoughtful gestures. That includes compliments like: “You’re a great parent.” Dr. Orbuch has called the neglect of these simple acts “an overlooked relationship-killer.”
You know that fleeting moment when a burst of affection or attraction for your partner flits through your mind? “Don’t just think it,” said Don Cole, a licensed marriage therapist and clinical director of the Gottman Institute in Seattle. “It should not ‘go without saying.’”
“Many of us believe our partners should know that we love them, especially after being together for years,” he said. But research at the Gottman Institute, the renowned laboratory for the study of relationships, found that the most successful couples regularly “opened their mouths and actually spoke their words of love and respect and admiration.”
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Those words are even more meaningful, Dr. Cole said, when you are specific. “My wife’s a trained soprano and I told her, ‘Yesterday you were walking around straightening up the house and singing, and I got a thrill down my back when I heard it,’” he said.
Why does specificity matter? Saying “you’re thoughtful” is nice, Dr. Cole said, “but when your partner tells a positive story where you demonstrated your thoughtfulness, that makes you more likely to hold that, to cherish it, to make you feel good about it.”
Build in time apart.
Make sure that each partner builds some alone time into their day, even if it’s a short walk. Liad Uziel, a senior lecturer in the psychology department at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, said that solo time and being with others “both shape our character from different perspectives.”
When we’re alone, Dr. Uziel said, “external pressure is reduced, we are often more in control of events and we can manage our time more freely.” Alone time, he said, is also important for what is called “identity consolidation,” in which one thinks of the past to process events, and the future to set goals.
In our relationships, taking time alone “offers a greater opportunity for each partner to develop their personal identity independently, which they can then bring to their relationship and strengthen it,” Dr. Uziel said.
Take time to connect.
Having less sex these days? It’s not just you. A recent online survey of 1,559 adults about their intimate lives by the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University revealed that over 43 percent of participants reported a decline in the quality of their sex lives since the pandemic began.
A sexual dry spell is no surprise, given that the pandemic’s stress and uncertainty were “libido killers,” said Shannon Chavez, a therapist in Los Angeles. If you need a nudge to get back in the game, she said, think of sexual connection “as a form of self-care, which is anything you do to take care of your overall health and wellbeing.” Prioritizing sex as health, she added, makes it easier to make time for intimacy.
That includes putting it on the schedule. “Scheduling sex can be better for your sex life than it sounds,” Dr. Chavez said. “People fear it takes the excitement out of it, but if anything, it adds anticipation by planning, and isn’t rushed or put on the back burner.”
Why not aim for sex once a week? Not only is this an achievable goal, but according to one study of over 25,000 adults, it’s actually optimal. Research published in 2016 in the journal Social Psychology and Personality Science found that weekly sex was ideal for maximum wellbeing. If the respondents, who ranged from 18 to 89, had more than that, their self-reported happiness actually leveled off — and that finding held true for both men and women, and was consistent no matter how long they had been together.
Go to a party.
While we’ve seen plenty of our partners during the past year, what’s been missing, said Kendra Knight, an assistant professor of communication studies at DePaul University, is social gatherings in which you view your partner through the eyes of others. She said that seeing your significant other at an event — dressed up, being witty perhaps — can renew your own attraction.
Our estimation of our partner’s attractiveness, sometimes referred to as “mate value,” she said, “is partially a function of others’ appraisals.” That can range, Dr. Knight said, from physical attractiveness to social attractiveness (if, say, they’re the life of the party) to so-called “task attractiveness” — for example, making a batch of their famous margaritas or crushing a backyard horseshoe game.
Of course, if you or your mate is not ready for big events, or never liked neighborhood block parties in the first place, you might just shoot for dinner with close friends or family. Each of us has our own comfort level about heading out into the wider world after so much isolation. “Check in with each other regularly and share how you feel about stepping out,” Dr. Awosan said. “And work on being kind and patient wherever your partner is at.”
Rediscover your playful side.
The past year and half has been heavy. Now that we’re heading into a summer with far fewer restrictions than the last one, it’s OK to think about bringing some levity back. Being more playful in your relationship can revive that sparkle, according to a review from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in Germany.
The study’s lead author, Kay Brauer, a researcher in the psychology department, found that people who scored high in “other-directed playfulness,” or goofing around with others, “might be particularly important for reviving relationships after the long stretches of monotony during quarantine.”
Playful people, he said, tend to share inside jokes, surprise their partner, give them affectionate nicknames or re-enact joint experiences, like your first date or that disastrous time you tried karaoke. Look for opportunities to create inside jokes or act silly, like having your next date at an amusement park. “If there was ever a time to surprise ourselves and our partner with the new and unexpected, it’s now,” Brauer said.
Make plans.
Making plans together, such as for a vacation, a home renovation project, or even just swinging by a new restaurant, activates our brain’s craving for novel experiences, said Dr. Knight, “which in turn can amplify attraction to and interest in our partner.”
It also reinforces your bond, Dr. Awosan said: “Research has shown that when couples work together as a team, their relationship satisfaction and quality increases.”
In the past year and half, “people have lost jobs, lost loved ones, a sense of self,” Dr. Awosan said. “We’ve all lost something.” Planning something to look forward to, together, symbolizes hopefulness and optimism.
“It’s about the future,” she said. “It says, ‘We are moving forward.’”
Jancee Dunn is the author of “How Not To Hate Your Husband After Kids.”
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Daniel P. DeGreve is an architect with David B. Meleca Architects LLC in Columbus, Ohio. He has contributed articles to both The Adoremus Bulletin and Sacred Architecture Journal. Specializing in traditional ecclesiastical architecture and furnishings in addition to urbanism, Daniel has led the design for several church restoration and renovation projects, including that of his native parish in Ohio. He is presently involved in the design of additions and improvements to an 1837 Greek Revival church, which will incorporate a new clergy sedilia inspired by the patterns of Asher Benjamin. Daniel holds a Master of Architectural Design & Urbanism from the University of Notre Dame (2009), and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Cincinnati (2002).
https://adoremus.org/2014/08/clergy-seating-through-the-centuries/
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CLT Reflection
“May this be a graced moment for us.”
- General Chapter Prayer
For centuries the church has set aside the month of May to celebrate Mary, the one we refer to as ‘full of grace’. Altars are created, special prayers said and people gather to honor her. Perhaps, when we pray that this Chapter ‘be a graced moment for us’ Mary might guide and support us in understanding for what we are actually asking.
Let’s begin by remembering what grace is. Grace is a free, undeserved favor or gift God offers us so that we might respond to his call. It is a sharing in God’s own life; both the assistance we receive from God and assistance we give to others. Grace has no strings attached and requires nothing from us. The unfolding of our lives become opportunities to see God’s goodness and to accept that we will be changed if we are open to grace’s influence.
Living a life of grace as Mary did challenges us to choose between a future that revolves around what we want or what God wants. As Einstein says, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is.” Will we trust more in our own power or the guidance of the Spirit in the plans God has for us as individuals and as an Institute? Can we consider that this pandemic has been a grace because through it, God is trying to tell us something? Will we allow our experiences since March 2020 transform us or will we hanker after the ‘good old days’? Can we move from the peripheral distractions of our lives to the center where grace attracts and guides us? As Rachel Held Evans once wrote, “Grace is just a doctrine when we withhold it from ourselves.” Grace must be lived and breathed, and nudges us to be so much more than we ever imagined we could be. We are invited to live into the grace offered to us by God as individuals and as an Institute.
A moment in Mary’s life that may help us to deepen our understanding of why she is referred to as ‘full of grace’ is the annunciation. In this familiar story Mary is told by an angel that she has found favor with God and she courageously says ‘yes’ to an unthinkable invitation to be the mother of God. Mary realizes she doesn’t deserve God’s favor, yet allows herself to be influenced and give freely all she can to respond to God’s call.
In Denise Levertov’s words:
She did not quail, only asked a simple,
‘How can this be?’
and gravely, courteously took to heart the angel’s reply,
the astounding ministry she was offered…
This was the moment no one speaks of
when she could still refuse.
A breath unbreathed,
Spirit
suspended
waiting…
Consent,
courage unparalleled,
opened her utterly.
This Chapter will be a graced moment for us when we acknowledge the free, undeserved gift God is to us and when we respond to God’s invitation, whatever that might be, as we enter into communal discernment with one another.
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Marathon of Prayer this Month of May: Pope Francis has asked Catholics throughout the world to take part in a Marathon of Prayer this month of May, praying in particular to Our Lady for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic. He recommends in particular the praying of the Rosary for this and other intentions. Our Holy Father inaugurated the Marathon of Prayer last Saturday (1stMay) by leading the faithful in the Holy Rosary from Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Pope Francis promises that each day of this month “the many people who have been affected by the virus and who continue to suffer the consequences of the pandemic will be entrusted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy. ”Thirty different Marian Shrines around the world along with the Vatican are involved in this Marathon of Prayer. Each Shrine has a different day in the month assigned to it, beginning with Walsingham in England last Saturday (1stMay) and finishing with the Vatican Gardens on the last day of the month (31stMay).This Sunday (9thMay) the Shrine leading the prayer is the Holy House of Loreto in Italy. On Monday, 10thMay, the Shrine is our own Marian Shrine in Knock, Co Mayo. On Thursday, 13thMay, the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, fittingly the Marian Shrine of Fatima in Portugal will lead the prayer. On Tuesday, 18thMay, the great Marian Shrine of Lourdes in France will do so. The highlight of each day’s prayer is the Recitation of the Rosary at 5.00 pm Irish time (6.00 pm Italian time). This Rosary is being broadcast by Vatican Media on their Vatican News web portal (www.vaticannews.va),Facebook and YouTube channels. Our Lady, Health of the Sick, please pray for us
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Thought; Remember your silence and your smile are two of your most powerful tools. Your smile is the way to solve many problems. Your silence is the way to avoid many problems. Amen
Life and time are the world’s teachers. Life teaches us to make good use of time, while time teaches us the value of life.
LAST WORD: Life is a balance of holding on, letting go, and knowing when to do which of the two.
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Diocesan News
Beloved Long Island Nun Celebrates 108th Birthday
April 23, 2021
Sister Francis Piscatella, OP, celebrates her 108th birthday and 90th year with the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville in 2021. (Photo: Courtesy of the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville)
AMITYVILLE, L.I. — Sister Francis Piscatella, OP, a member of the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville for 90 years, turned 108 years old on April 20. She is loved by her fellow sisters and former students, having fostered the faith of so many women and displaying fierce determination in overcoming obstacles and following God’s path.
After Sister Francis took her vows at the age of 18, other Dominican sisters were sent out to “the missions” to begin teaching. Sister Francis, however, was kept back due to a perceived disability — her arm had been amputated when she was a child. Although her teaching skills were proven to be exemplary, she had taught her fellow sisters at the Motherhouse Complex to help them earn their high school degrees.
https://thetablet.org/beloved-long-island-nun-celebrates-108th-birthday/?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=123088173&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--vsZyWBRt2kBL3RGSKnak68WePaSfPT2DcQr1GKIki7NZdJxLWtdlgCbqvcgp5k_oytBEhD38omRflhOzvl5zOGlVvYQ&utm_content=123088173&utm_source=hs_email
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Another Year
By Domhnall de Barra
Easter has arrived again and there is a sense of “groundhog day” about it. Little did we think, twelve months ago, that we would be in the same position a year on but, here we are. The only problem is that there are far more cases of Covid in the parish now than were there last year. This time it is mainly young people who have contracted the virus through gathering in houses for parties, especially around St. Patrick’s Day. It would be easy to start apportioning blame but that would not change the situation. It is understandable that young people are fed up with no social activity or outdoor pursuits to help them live a normal kind of life. We were all young one time and thought we were invincible. We could see no danger and tried to do things that would frighten us now. It is natural for them to think it doesn’t apply to them but what about the parents? Do you know where your teenage offspring are when they leave the house? Parties and gatherings are going on wholesale and unfortunately it is not confined to young people. There are those who are older, and should be wiser, bragging about the amount of pints they had in various sheebeens around the locality. We had a chance to bring down the numbers and get back to some semblance of normality but the actions of these people have scuppered that and in the process put the health and livelihood of all of us at risk. Yes, we are all fed up of restrictions but if some are going to ignore the warnings by selfish acts of indulgence we are in for a more prolonged period of isolation. We had two e-mails, through the online version, on this topic. Both of them complained about somebody who was continuing doing business and mixing with the public and staff despite the fact that a family member has Covid. I can’t reproduce them here because they mention names and there are libel laws to think about but I agree with the sentiments expressed. I have appealed before in this newsletter for people to cop on but I’m afraid it has fallen on deaf ears, however, I make one final plea to all of you out there to pull together, just for a limited time until more people are vaccinated and we can mingle in safety.
The movable feast that is Easter has always bothered me. Does it really have to follow the times of the Pagan festival it replaced by having a different date every year? Is there any logical reason why it could not be a fixed date. On Good Friday we commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus but it is a different date every year. It would be much easier if it was the same every year and people could plan ahead with holidays etc. It would also avoid the occasions when bank holidays come very close together and it causes problems for employers and their staffs. If Easter Sunday was fixed for, say, the first Sunday in April, it would be a month before the May bank holiday. I won’t hold my breath waiting for it to happen but I think it makes a lot of sense.
Hats off to Athea Drama Group who have succeeded in making most of the plays done by the group available on U Tube. I had a look at the first one we did, “Many Young Men of Twenty” and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the old recording. I was able to watch on the TV screen and seeing myself as “Danger Mullally” brought back great memories. I couldn’t believe how fat I was in those days. I was like a small bull on the stage – no wonder I ended up with Diabetes ! It was nice to see some of the characters in the play who have since passed on and I think it is a fitting way to remember them. What was most pleasing to me was the reaction of the crowd. Athea had been starved of drama for many years and this was the first production by the new group The laughter was infectious and it was obvious that they were thoroughly enjoying the performance. I am looking forward to going through the plays, one by one, and it will compensate in some way for the lack of live performances we have to endure at the moment. Anyway well done to all concerned. As a founder member of the group I am filled with pride!.
There is a lot of negativity about at the moment so I want to share with you the following piece I got from a pamphlet by the Divine Word Missionaries. It is called
“Today I Can”
Today I can complain about my health,
or I can celebrate being alive,
Today I can moan that it is raining,
or be joyful at all that grows from rain.
Today I can regret all I don’t have,
or rejoice in everything I do.
Today I can mourn everything I have lost,
or eagerly anticipate what’s to come.
Today I can complain that I have to work,
or celebrate having a job to go to.
Today I can resent the mess kids make,
or give thanks that I have a family.
Today I can whine about the housework,
or celebrate having a home.
Today I can cry over the people who don’t care for me, or be happy loving and being loved by those who do.
I choose to have a good day today.
Easter is a very special time for Christians and it is such a pity that people are not allowed to attend the many ceremonies over the week. A few years ago it would have been a big blow for the Church but today, thanks to modern technology, we can all tune in on line and have a front row seat in the Church. I think there are now more people attending Mass remotely than ever did physically. Great credit is due to our local clergy for looking after their flock like they do.
I take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and holy Easter.
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Vatican Lays Out 20 Points for ‘Universal & Fair Destination of Vaccines’
A Joint Venture of Vatican’s COVID-19 Commission & Pontifical Academy for Life (FULL TEXT)
December 29, 2020 12:36Deborah Castellano LubovPope Francis
‘Vaccine for all. 20 points for a fairer and healthier world’
This is the title, or rather vehement exhortation, of a joint document published today, Dec. 29, by both the Vatican’s COVID-19 Commission and the Pontifical Academy for Life.
The text, published by the Holy See Press Office and accompanied by a press release, “reiterates the critical role of vaccines to defeat the pandemic, not just for individual personal health but to protect the health of all.”
“The Vatican Commission and the Pontifical Academy of Life remind world leaders that vaccines must be provided to all fairly and equitably, prioritizing those most in need,” it says.
Moreover, the document explores the issues and priorities arising at the various stages of vaccine journey, from research and development to patents and commercial exploitation, including approval, distribution and administration.
Echoing Pope Francis’ recent Urbi et Orbi Christmas Message, “it calls on world leaders to resist the temptation to participate in “vaccine nationalism”, urging nations and companies to cooperate – not compete – with each other.”
Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Cardinal Peter Turkson, who also leads the specialized Commission expressed his gratitude to the scientific community for developing the vaccine in record time.
“It is now up to us,” the Vatican prefect underscores, “to ensure that it is available to all, especially the most vulnerable. It is a matter of justice. This is the time to show we are one human family.”
Similarly, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, stresses “The interconnectedness that binds humanity has been revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Together with the Commission,” he highlights, “we are working with many partners to point out lessons the human family can learn and to develop an ethics of risk and solidarity to protect the most vulnerable in society.”
Moreover, the Secretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Mons. Bruno Marie Duffé, points out: “We are at a turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic and have an opportunity to start to define the world we want to see post-pandemic.”
Father Augusto Zampini, Adjunct Secretary of the same dicastery with an important role on the Commission also observes: “The way in which vaccines are deployed – where, to whom, and for how much – is the first step for global leaders to take in committing to fairness and justice as the principles for building a better post-COVID world.”
Below is the Vatican-provided English text of the document:
***
Vaccine for all. 20 points for a fairer and healthier world
Vatican Covid-19 Commission in collaboration with the Pontifical Academy for Life
This Note consists of three parts:
A. Context
B. On vaccines
C. Guidelines for the Vatican Covid-19 Commission
A. Context
Covid-19 is exacerbating a triple threat of simultaneous and interconnected health, economic and socio-ecological crises that are disproportionately impacting the poor and vulnerable. As we move towards a just recovery, we must ensure that immediate cures for the crises become stepping-stones to a more just society, with an inclusive and interdependent set of systems. Taking immediate actions to respond to the pandemic, keeping in mind its long-term effects, is essential for a global and regenerative “healing.” If responses are limited solely to the organizational and operational level, without the re-examination of the causes of the current difficulties that can dispose us towards a real conversion, we will never have those societal and planetary transformations that we so urgently need (cf. Fratelli Tutti, 7). The various interventions of the Vatican Covid-19 Commission (“Commission”), established by Pope Francis as a qualified and rapid response to the pandemic, are inspired by this logic, and so is this Note, which deals specifically with the issue of Covid-19 vaccines.
B. On vaccines
Fundamental principles and values
1. On several occasions, Pope Francis has affirmed the need to make the now imminent Covid-19 vaccines available and accessible to all, avoiding “pharmaceutical marginality”: “if there is the possibility of treating a disease with a drug, this should be available to everyone, otherwise an injustice is created”.[1] In his recent Urbi et Orbi Christmas message,[2] the Pope stated that vaccines, if they are “to illuminate and bring hope to all, need to be available to all… especially for the most vulnerable and needy of all regions of the planet”. These principles of justice, solidarity and inclusiveness, must be the basis of any specific and concrete intervention in response to the pandemic. The Pope even talked about it in the Catechesis during the General Audience of 19 August 2020, offering some criteria “for choosing which industries to be helped: those which contribute to the inclusion of the excluded, to the promotion of the least, to the common good and care for creation”. Here we have a broad horizon that evokes the principles of the Church’s Social Doctrine,[3] such as human dignity and the preferential option for the poor, solidarity and subsidiarity, the common good and the care of our common home, justice and the universal destination of goods.[4] This also recalls the values that in the language of public health constitute the shared values in health emergencies: equal respect for people (human dignity and fundamental rights), reduction of suffering (solidarity towards those in need or sick), correctness or fairness (no discrimination, and fair distribution of benefits and burdens).[5]
2. See more at
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Driver
A faded photograph hangs on the wall,
My mother beaming proud as any peacock
By a gleaming new Ford Anglia.
When times were tough, and love was not enough
Her trips to Cobh and Shannon kept us fed.
My father wouldn’t eat ‘til she got home.
She’d learned to drive a milk float in the war.
Her eyes still danced and sparkled at the telling,
How the farm boys whistled, and policemen smiled.
An extra pint for Irish girls abandoned,
Tied to their children when their men went home
Reluctant for a fight that wasn’t theirs.
Once a year she took us to the seaside
Boot piled high with sandwiches and cake.
Hot water from a woman near the coast.
Her car sits silent in the shed now,
Dust-covered, cobweb-shrouded.
A blanket on the bonnet to keep out the cold.
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Happenings
By Domhnall de Barra- Feb 2021
It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Joe Burke over the weekend. Joe, from Athenry in East Galway, was one of the greatest and best known traditional musicians of all time. Paddy O’Brien is credited with devising the B/C method of playing the two row accordion but it was Joe that perfected it. Back in the middle of the last century, it was he who set the standard for all of us who were learning at the time. Sadly, try though we did, we never reached that plateau on which he reigned supreme. I first met him when he adjudicated me at the All-Britain Fleadh Cheoil in Glasgow in the early ‘sixties. We met afterwards for a pint and a chat and we have been friends ever since. The well worn cliché “larger than life” has been attributed to many people but Joe did indeed fit that description. He had a tall, stately bearing with that distinctive beard of latter years and a smile that endeared him to all in a room when he made an entrance. He spoke in his beautiful, soft East Galway accent and though he never raised his voice, when he said something he commanded attention. He had a ready wit and was a great story teller. I remember one time, in the early ’seventies, when there was an All-Ireland in Listowel and Joe was due to perform at a concert there. I was living near Listowel at the time, on the Tarbert Road not too far from where Lyons’ Funeral Home is situated now.
A couple of days before the fleadh a knock came to the door and there stood Joe with his accordion in his hand. He had been making his way from Galway and as he drove along he noticed a noise, or as he said “a growl” coming from the back axel. As he put it “ the growl got worse but the car was going fine until I came off the ferry and was heading towards Listowel. All of a sudden the growl stopped and I was delighted until I realised the car had stopped too.” He hitched a lift to my house and we soon got the rest of his belongings, he wouldn’t leave the accordion, and got the car to a garage to be ready for when he wanted to go home which could be any day of the following week depending on how well the fleadh was going. We soldiered together through many a fleadh cheoil and shared the stage on numerous tours of America, Ireland and Britain. In recent years we haven’t met up so much but I have great memories of the nights we spent together, drinking and telling yarns with the odd tune thrown in.
It is a pity, due to the pandemic, that we aren’t allowed to give him the send off that he truly deserves but it may be a blessing in disguise because it would be a huge ordeal for his wife Ann and their relations to try and deal with the thousands of people who would flock to pay their respects. We are left with great memories of a mighty man and musician who will always be remembered whenever the subject of traditional music is raised. We owe him a great debt for the wealth of music he has left us and the joy he gave us over the years. I will never again hear “the Bucks of Oranmore” played without shedding a silent tear. Farewell Joe, you left a huge footprint on the traditional scene and we will not see your likes again. May you rest in peace.
I am always encouraging people to contribute to this newsletter and I will publish any letter or email received as long as the author attached his/her name and address. If the writer does not want to have the name published we will respect that wish and just say “name and address supplied”. If however there is no name attached, it is our policy, and a long established journalistic principle, not to publish the letter. It is a pity therefore that I cannot include a very good letter I got last week in reply to my article “into the future” which asked the question about the future for Athea. The write agrees with a lot of what I had to say and makes a few suggestions and while I will not include all the letter I would like to share the following excerpt
“The main issue here is the lack of housing in Athea. Upon conversing with a local Estate Agent recently, I have been reliably informed that they have in fact six families on their waiting lists seeking a home in Athea, mostly made up of young families with the required mortgage approval in place. This is direct evidence of the current attraction towards living in Athea. I’m sure other agents have experienced similar demand.
I invite your readers to take a walk down Con Colbert Street at their next opportunity – observe how many buildings and overhead living spaces remain vacant? One must ask themselves the question – is this fair on our youth who are so desperately seeking to be part of our community. Having these buildings occupied would result in a vibrant village centre injecting life into the village. I would plead with the owners of these buildings to consider selling, renting or renovating these spaces to make them into liveable spaces. The local authority also need to step up here with regard to enforcing the Derelict Housing Act, the neglect of owners of these properties has gone on long enough.
Similarly, many of the housing stock in the countryside is under occupied. If provided with the opportunity I am sure there are many elderly living in the countryside (myself included) who would be more than willing to sell their house in return for a small suitable house near all the services in our village, reducing the feeling of isolation.”
Food for thought there and many thanks to the writer of that letter for giving us the benefit of his/her observations. Please keep sending in correspondence but remember to include name and address. We will respect your privacy if you so wish.
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grew up to the singing of “The Old Bog Road” song, and during my lifetime have spent many hard but enjoyable days harvesting turf for the home fire. Following Bord Na Móna’s recent decision to end industrialised peat extraction after more than 80 years, calls have been made for a complete ban on all turf cutting for environmental and health reasons. Rural dwellers have a deep emotional and cultural attachment to their bogs and look after them well. When the years supply is cut the swart is filled in from the top foot or so that has been taken off before meeting the turf for cutting. This way only the height of the bog is reduced and the new ground continues year on year, to attract wildlife as nature intended.
Following research our learned professors, and scientists, claim that burning turf causes more air pollution than coal. I and many others have a different view on the matter, and regard being able to cut our bog as a historic right. Our ancestors survived by cutting turf and harvesting it for home use and for sale, during the darkest days of our history. When our learned friends convince me that it is okay to continue with air pollution from air and road traffic, factories etc, in built up areas, compared to the few chimneys of isolated rural dwellers burning turf, I will listen to them. How many of them have stood on the open spaces of a bog and inhaled a lungful of the fresh heather air? Not too many I guess, preferring making decisions, from their air conditioned offices. The person on the ground (bog) is the keeper of the land and best placed to decide how to take care of their bog, as they have been doing for countless generations. I will rest my case with a few lines from another old song:
Put more turf on the fire, Mary Anne,
For the weather it is dreary and cold,
Throw on a big sod, Mary Anne,
For we’re growing both weary and old.
By Carrig Side-02/02/2021
-By Tom Aherne
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January 2021
This oh so stylish young lady was the big star of Joe Biden's inauguration. I hope I am not breaking any copyright laws by printing her moving poem. She delivered it beautifully and her delivery is part of the package. It's good to read the words too.
The Hill We Climb
by Amanda Gorman.
When day comes we ask ourselves,
where can we find light in this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry,
a sea we must wade
We've braved the belly of the beast
We've learned that quiet isn't always peace
And the norms and notions
of what just is
Isn’t always just-ice
And yet the dawn is ours
before we knew it
Somehow we do it
Somehow we've weathered and witnessed
a nation that isn’t broken
but simply unfinished
We the successors of a country and a time
Where a skinny Black girl
descended from slaves and raised by a single mother
can dream of becoming president
only to find herself reciting for one
And yes we are far from polished
far from pristine
but that doesn’t mean we are
striving to form a union that is perfect
We are striving to forge a union with purpose
To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and
conditions of man
And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us
but what stands before us
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,
we must first put our differences aside
We lay down our arms
so we can reach out our arms
to one another
We seek harm to none and harmony for all
Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
That even as we grieved, we grew
That even as we hurt, we hoped
That even as we tired, we tried
That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious
Not because we will never again know defeat
but because we will never again sow division
Scripture tells us to envision
that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree
And no one shall make them afraid
If we’re to live up to our own time
Then victory won’t lie in the blade
But in all the bridges we’ve made
That is the promise to glade
The hill we climb
If only we dare
It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit,
it’s the past we step into
and how we repair it
We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation
rather than share it
Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy
And this effort very nearly succeeded
But while democracy can be periodically delayed
it can never be permanently defeated
In this truth
in this faith we trust
For while we have our eyes on the future
history has its eyes on us
This is the era of just redemption
We feared at its inception
We did not feel prepared to be the heirs
of such a terrifying hour
but within it we found the power
to author a new chapter
To offer hope and laughter to ourselves
So while we once we asked,
how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?
Now we assert
How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?
We will not march back to what was
but move to what shall be
A country that is bruised but whole,
benevolent but bold,
fierce and free
We will not be turned around
or interrupted by intimidation
because we know our inaction and inertia
will be the inheritance of the next generation
Our blunders become their burdens
But one thing is certain:
If we merge mercy with might,
and might with right,
then love becomes our legacy
and change our children’s birthright
So let us leave behind a country
better than the one we were left with
Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,
we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one
We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west,
we will rise from the windswept northeast
where our forefathers first realized revolution
We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states,
we will rise from the sunbaked south
We will rebuild, reconcile and recover
and every known nook of our nation and
every corner called our country,
our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,
battered and beautiful
When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it
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In the last days of President Donald Trump’s time in office, he issued a proclamation, declaring January 22, 2021, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day, echoing the actions of numerous pro-life presidents before him. The date was chosen specifically, in remembrance of the Roe v. Wade decision on January 22, 1973.
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by Sr. Joyce Rupp.
Be a source of serenity for me when struggles and difficulties threaten to overwhelm me. God of Hope,
Assure me of your unconditional love when I doubt myself or question the worth of my life. Truth-bringing God,
Encourage me to embrace you during those times when I get lost in lies of weakness. Compassionate God,
Hold me to your heart when I feel helpless in the face of the world’s pain. Light-filled God,
Keep me ever close to you during those moments when bleakness surrounds my life. Comforting God,
Shelter me under your wings when I am engulfed in sadness and overcome with distress. God of Peace,
You are the centre of my life, a strong refuge of peace in the whirlwind of my pain. I look to you for strength and a constant assurance of peace.
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The following rhyme: No grumbling, no sulking, no feuding, no fighting, But looking and looking for things to delight in! Not hating the state of the world every minute, But seeking and finding the beauty that’s in it.
No worrying and letting your troubles confound you,
But laughing and liking the great people around you,
So don’t be down and blue, rather think of Him who cares for you.
Be true to Jesus – and you know who? Yes be true to you.
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December 17, 2020
"...Behind these protests, behind these people screaming in the street, is a deep suffering that has been brought on by a crisis of paternity. This is not only about literal fatherlessness — although when 40 percent of kids are being raised without a dad at home, it's certainly partly about that. But in the article I try to make the connection to other forms of the father, beginning with the Father in heaven," said Mary Eberstadt, senior fellow at the Faith & Reason Institute, author of many books and of the recent article, "The Fury of the Fatherless" in First Things. Follow her at https://maryeberstadt.com.
https://respectliferadio.podbean.com/e/mary-eberstadt/
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The Importance of the Common Bike
By Domhnall de Barra
I mentioned last week that I went to secondary school in Abbeyeale on an old girl’s bicycle, probably left behind by one of my aunts when she left Cratloe. It got me thinking about the bicycle and the important role it played in the development of this country. At that time there was very little transport in rural Ireland. After the second world war you might find a few motor cars in any parish, usually owned by the local doctor, parish priest or teacher. The average family couldn’t dream of affording one at the time as poverty was widespread and employment was scarce. Roads, apart from the main thoroughfares, were not tarred as they are today and the going, to say the least, was rough. People walked to the nearest towns and villages to do shopping or attend religious services. The better off used horse and donkey cars (we never used the term “cart”) . The advent of the bicycle brought a kind of freedom to the ordinary public. There were two main bicycle manufacturers, Raleigh and Rudge, and they came in two different frames, one suitable for women and the other for men. Apart from size, the main difference between them was a cross bar on the man’s bike while the women’s variety made it easier to mount the bike without having to lift the leg too high! At first they were very basic but gradually they came with accessories such as; carriers over the back wheel or a basket on the front and a light. The normal light was the “flash lamp” which was operated by a battery that had to be replaced every so often but there was also a light powered by a dynamo that was attached to the back of the bike near the tyre. The top of the dynamo had a little wheel that turned when it was touching the tyre on the moving wheel and the light was very powerful when going fast. The problem was that there was no light when the bike wasn’t moving. It was great to get any kind of a bike but even if we couldn’t afford one, our friends would give us a lift on the cross bar or on the carrier. It wasn’t uncommon to see a cyclist with two passengers, one on the crossbar and one on the carrier. The bike brought great scope for travel. It was now possible to attend a football or hurling match in the next parish or cycle a few miles to meet a girlfriend or boyfriend. Cinemas and dance halls would have rows of bikes along the walls outside and there was great fun on the way home late at night. Postmen had special bikes with large carriers to bring the parcels from America and the letters from all those who had to emigrate at the time. In the cities, delivery boys also had a specially designed bike to accommodate all the goods they needed to carry. The bike enabled students to attend secondary schools around the country. As I outlined last week, many travelled well over 10 miles each way. It would not have been possible without the bike. Because the roads were so rough at the time it was necessary to have a good pump and a puncture repair kit at the ready as punctures happened fairly frequently. Every bike owner had to learn to fix a puncture with the minimum of equipment. Two forks were necessary to lift the tyre off the rim, using the handles as levers, so that the inner tube could be pulled out and examined for holes. At times it was necessary to dip the tube in water where a small hole could be detected by air bubbles. Once located, the area around the puncture was cleaned, dried and a patch put over it with the help of a solution that set quickly. As time went on we advanced to the “ 3 speed gear” which made it easier to cycle up steep hills. At that time, cycling clubs from England would come to Ireland and cycle around the country in the summertime. For some reason we referred to them as “hikers”, maybe it was a variation of the word “bikers” but they stood out for two reasons; their clothes and the type of bicycles they had. They had cycling costumes that seemed skimpy to us and their bikes were totally different. They were much slimmer with gears on the back wheels, narrow saddles and the handlebars were turned down. We all wanted to get a “hiker’s bike” but, even if they were available locally, we couldn’t have afforded them. I eventually got one when I went to England. I was working in an electro-plating plant, at the other side of the city from where I lived, that took two bus rides to reach, one into the centre of town and the other out to the job.. By getting the bike I was able to cut across, avoiding the city centre, and get to work in half the time. I’ll never forget the feeling of riding that bike for the first time, I thought I was on top of the world. I forget what it cost exactly but it was so expensive that I had to pay for it in instalments. When I was buying it, the salesman asked me if I wanted to insure the payments for an extra six pence an instalment and though I thought it a bit much, I took him up on the offer. Little did I know how wise that decision was because, not long after, I ended up in hospital for six months. The insurance kicked in and by the time I got out, my bike was paid for. Alas, it was stolen in the city centre about twelve months later but I will never forget it. Yes, the bike opened up our small world, helped us get an education, go to work and attend matches and dances. For a while with the advent and affordability of the motor car, the use of the bike went into decline but in recent years it has made a big comeback. There is a huge difference between the machines of today and the boneshakers we had and riders are now wearing proper dress and protective gear. It is great to see groups of them cycling through the countryside on Sunday mornings, enjoying the fresh air and keeping fit at the same time. I would like to see more of the younger children cycling to school instead of using cars and buses as it would greatly improve their health and fitness. I know that roads are dangerous but, with the right training, children can be taught to cycle in safety and motorists can be extra vigilant at school times. We all need more exercise.
An Island Prayer
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The Prayer of Light God’s Blessing Attend you, Prayer of Light God and Mary’s blessing to you Where did you rest last night By the feet of the Son of God Where will you rest tonight By the feet of the poor Where will you rest tomorrow? By the feet of St. Patrick. |
[Extract from Island prayer, translated by Muiris Mac Conghail.]
(Muiris Mac Conghail.]
Further Reading:
Island Funeral, Bill Doyle and Muiris Mac Conghail, Veritas 2000.
http://discoverinisoirr.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/AE-Stitches-A5-Jul11-v5.pdf
https://irishwaterwayshistory.com/.../death-of-brian-j.../
Brian specialised in the heyday of the canals between 1825 and 1850,
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Spanish flu vs COVID-19: An Australian perspective of a pandemic | Australian Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YmOnJim5wU
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Coronavirus Pandemic 'Could Have Been Prevented' If China Didn't 'Obfuscate Data', House Report Says
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Knockanure National School
We’ve 3 very famous children in Scoil Chorp Chríost
We are delighted to see the Stacks appearing in the new Dairygold ad in Germany. They had a busy day filming during the summer https://dairygoldireland.de/
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Soft Totalitarianism’
Live Not by Lies doesn’t suggest our political system is headed on precisely the same path as Soviet-style “hard totalitarianism.”
But polls have registered growing support for socialism among the young, and Dreher’s research confirms the impact of left-wing ideology on the media, Big Tech, the academy and even corporate America.
Indeed, the social tumult sparked by the coronavirus pandemic, the racial reckoning that followed the death of George Floyd, and the 2020 presidential election have brought the problems discussed in this book into the forefront of our national conversation, making them more relevant and urgent. So whether or not we find Dreher’s grim forecast persuasive, the insights and solutions presented here are well worth our time.
https://www.ncregister.com/features/totalitarianism-s-toll-as-told-by-the-people-who-lived-it
Father Frank's Alerts Unsubscribe
Sep 25, 2020, 9:38 PM (2 days ago)
to me
September 25, 2020
J G,
As you know, the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has given President Trump the opportunity to select a third nominee for our nation’s High Court.
On Saturday, Sept. 26th at 5pm ET at the White House, he will announce his nominee. We will broadcast the announcement. Please be sure to watch. We know the candidate will be extremely qualified, will be pro-life, and will apply the Constitution as written.
The President has also indicated he will choose a woman.
Because this shifts the Court to a 6-3 conservative majority (and this always varies depending on the case), the Democrats are already going crazy. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he will advocate packing the Court with liberal justices – something FDR tried to do when he was president. It was a bad idea then; it’s a bad idea now.
And we all remember the hysteria that surrounded the nomination and ultimate confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Senate Democrats threw all respect out the window – respect for the judge and his family, respect for due process and the presumption of innocence, and respect for Senate proceedings and their Senate colleagues.
And it was all about abortion. It still is, and we can expect the Democrats to come up with new tricks to distort and delay the process.
So the second thing I’m asking you to do is pray! Pray for our nation. Pray that our senators, from both parties, will do their jobs with wisdom and an understanding of what’s best for the American people. Pray for the president, who is under constant attack from his enemies.
To help in this effort, I have written a prayer especially for this momentous occasion.
Also, on Sunday night September 27th, at 9 p.m. ET, I will lead a prayer service on our streaming platforms. I hope you will join me as we pray that God will help us bring about the day when every American – including those in the womb – enjoys the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness promised to all of us.
Finally, I am asking you to contact both of your U.S. Senators – Republican or Democrat – and tell them you expect them to vote yes on the president’s nominee. If your senator is one of those running for re-election, tell them your vote hinges on his or her vote.
Now that President Trump has this opportunity to seat a third Supreme Court justice, let’s do everything we can to see that he is successful!
Please click here to find out how to take these various action steps.
Please act today, and please pass along this email to as many others you know who may be interested.
Thank you for being part of the Priests for Life Family!
Sincerely,
Fr. Frank Pavone
Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life
Priests for Life
PO Box 236695
Cocoa, FL 32923
Phone: 321-500-1000
Toll Free: 888-735-3448
Email: mail@priestsforlife.org
President Trump nominate an eminently qualified, pro-life judge, Amy Coney Barrett, to the US Supreme Court!
Dear sisters and brothers,
I invite you to join with families all over Ireland each day this October in praying together the Rosary, or even a decade of the Rosary, in your homes for God’s protection during this time of coronavirus. These past six months have reminded us of the importance of the “domestic Church” –the Church of the sitting room and kitchen –the Church that meets every time members of a family stands, sits down or kneels to pray together! Parents are the first teachers and leaders in faith and prayer in the home. Pray the Rosary, or even one decade, each day during the month of October. Rosary resources available at www.catholicbishops.ie •Pray that all will give good cooperation and thus keep the virus at a low level in Ireland. •Pray for your own family and loved ones and for all those whose health or livelihood is being seriously impacted by the coronavirus crisis. •Pray that we will be good neighbours to the housebound and those who live alone. •Pray for deep trust in God, that in dark difficult moments Christ will be our light. Let us have a Family Rosary Crusade, and faith hope and love will be a strength and comfort to all of us as we cope with the virus through the winter months. Spread the word online using the #FamilyRosaryCrusade or #OctoberFamilyRosary. Using this hashtag feel free to send in a picture or a short sound clip of your family saying a “Hail Mary”, “Our Father” or “Glory Be”! Wednesday 7thOctober is the Feast Day of Our Lady of the Rosary. God bless you all.
+Ray Browne October 2020
Lost demesne and historic gardens of Ballintubber near Ballinhassig, Co. Cork built by Lt-Colonel William Meade c 1650 and home of Samuel Thomas Heard creator of Rossdohan Gardens.
Gumbelton Estates including areas of Kilcrohane and Durrus West Cork, William Edward Gumbleton (1840-1911) garden at Belgrove, Great Island, Cobh, Co. Cork and donation of Botanic library to Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin.
https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/durrushistory.com/17499
Samuel Thomas Heard (1835-1921), of Ballintubber, (late 17th century formal gardens), Kinsale, Co. Cork, East Indian Army Surgeon Major, inspired by Madras Horticultural Gardens he created Rossdohan gardens in Kenmare, Co. Kerry in 1873 utilising Furze as sea shelter emulating Lord Carbery at Castle Freke and son's plant collecting in Abyssinia.
https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/durrushistory.com/17490
Inventory of plants grown by Gaelic Irish 1620 prepared by Philip O'Sullivan Bere, and early 19th century cultivation of grapes and pineapples by Timothy O'Donovan Magistrate of O'Donovan's Cove, Durrus, West Cork.
https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/durrushistory.com/6139
Present by Daniel Sullivan, Berehaven, West Cork, to Richard Boyle, The Great Earl of Cork, c 1636 of Harvey Apples, Bon Chretien and Bergamotte pears, Arbutus for his new garden at Stalbridge Park, Dorset and Ireland's first horticultural export The Strawberry Tree' (Arbutus unedo) from 1580s.
https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/durrushistory.com/6139
Benjamin Franklin rose from 17-year-old runaway to successful printer, newspaperman, author, inventor, diplomat, and statesman. His great success came from living the virtues of frugality and industry, and his life offers us many personal finance lessons that apply to modern men just as much as they did to those living in colonial America. So without further ado, let’s dive right into uncovering some of Ben’s timeless wisdom:
Saint Catherine’s Monastery, a sacred Christian site nestled in the shadow of Mount Sinai, is home to one of the world’s oldest continuously used libraries. Thousands of manuscripts and books are kept there—some of which contain hidden treasures.
The story of minorities in Iraq is the story of some two million Iraqis who found themselves on the run for their lives,” he added. “Thousands were killed, other thousands were enslaved, and hundreds of thousands lost their homes, churches, temples, and everything they ever owned — if all that is not worth being a part of Iraq’s story, I don’t think there is a story to be told at all.”
Sister Deirdre “Dede” Byrne, POSC, an MD, made remarkable statements in support of life during her address, about when life begins, how the unborn are marginalized, and the need to stand up for life despite the political correctness of today. She also made the crucial point that life is not just about living on this earth.
REMEMBERING ALL WHO HAVE DIEDIN THE PAST FIVE MONTHS. Today the Virgin Mother of God was assumed into heaven As a sign of sure hope and comfort to your pilgrim people. The weekend of the Feast of the Assumption (Saturday 15th) I invite parishes throughout the diocese to remember all who died since the advent of the corona virus restrictions five months ago. The restrictions have truly impacted on our funeral traditions. •No loved ones at the hospital bedside• No sympathising in funeral homes •No shaking hands No gathering after the burial for light refreshments or lunch Initially just ten at the funeral Mass It has not been all negative. Many have found the guard of honour of neighbours along the route to church or cemetery very moving and supportive. Confined to home and with time on their hands people have had time and space to remember and grieve. Some have found the simple low-key funeral very intimate and personal. Christ Jesus always finds ways to console and strengthen. This weekend of the Feast of the Assumption we remember all who have died since mid-March. whether their deaths were linked to the corona virus or not whether sudden or after a prolonged illness, tragic or peaceful some were a great age others quite young. Together we pray for and honour all the deceased, and we offer our support to their loved ones who mourn them. Amid the heartbreak of their going from us, there is the hope and consolation that they are gone to God. We entrust them to God’s mercy. Our Lady who witnessed Jesus death on the Cross knows the anguish of those who mourn. Our Lady who was present when the Risen Christ appeared to his disciples has full faith in Christ’s offer of eternal life to all of us. The Feast of the Assumption gives us confidence that our loved ones who have died are alive with God. God our Father, you crowned the Blessed Virgin Mary on the day of her Assumption with a glory beyond compare. Grant that by her prayers, we may be saved by the mystery of your redemption, and share with her in the glory of eternal life. the new beginnings. Bishop Ray Browne
Kathy Farsaci
7h ·
July 17, 2020
Time is Running Out for Coronavirus Course Correction
By William Tom Sullivan
Let's begin with a fact that undoubtedly contradicts the hysterics that you've routinely heard about the viral pandemic of 2020 — COVID-19 is anything but an indiscriminate killer of those infected by it.
A new study, released by the CDC on July 10, finds that the median age of death where COVID-19 is involved is 78. Mathematically, what this means is that half of the people who have died with COVID-19 were over the age of 78, while the other half who have died were younger than 78.
That might sound normal, given that 78 is the statistical life expectancy for Americans. But we can glean vital information about the actual threat of COVID-19 from that statistic alone. Data show that there are around 22 million Americans who are 75 or older living in America. This means that roughly seven percent of our population (of ~328 million) is over the age of 75, and this logically yields an assumption that the other 93 percent is south of that age.
Here's the first of a few inconvenient yet undeniable truths. Half of the deaths attributed to COVID-19 have occurred among less than seven percent of the population, and the other half occurred among the other 93 percent of the population. Already, we have a pretty good idea as to who is most at risk when it comes to the risks of infection.
But we can actually demographically narrow down COVID-19 victims much more closely than that. Not only are those dying with COVID-19 often quite old, but they're usually very unhealthy as well. According to this same CDC study, over 75 percent of those who've died with COVID-19 had one or more "underlying medical conditions," and over half of them had two or more such conditions, defined in the study's footnotes as "cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease (including end-stage renal disease), neurologic conditions, immunosuppression, chronic liver conditions, or obesity." All of these, it should be noted, can be life-threatening conditions, even without the introduction of a novel coronavirus.
This is all critical information that's often been left out of the media's breathless reporting throughout the spring and summer about how everyone might die if young or healthy people are allowed to visit bars or restaurants.
Here's another crucial bit of information that you won't often hear. According to the New York Times, 42 percent of all COVID-19 deaths occurred among those who were "at some 14,000" nursing homes in America. Separate data from the CDC show that, in 2016, only 1.3 million Americans lived in America's 15,600 nursing homes.
Let's recap what the available data have shown us so far. Those dying of COVID-19 are overwhelmingly very old and most often very unhealthy, and nearly half of them lived in nursing homes, where less than one-half of one percent of our country's population lives. Though the media seem uninterested in reporting any of that, we know well, and as near to precision as we might expect in a viral pandemic, whom COVID-19 actually kills.
Equally well, the data show us whom it does not kill.
Provisional data on COVID-19 deaths can be downloaded at the CDC, and my recent observations in perusing that data are worth noting in today's environment, where there are widespread suggestions not to open our children's schools for classes in the fall.
Consider the below data, the most recent on the CDC website:
Age Demographic
Sum of COVID-19 Deaths (2/1/20 through 7/8/20)
Under 1 year 9
1–4 years 7
5–14 years 14
15–24 years 149
25–34 years 795
35–44 years 2,026
45–54 years 5,650
55–64 years 13,808
65–74 years 23,866
75–84 years 30,369
85 years and over 38,048
Total COVID-19 Deaths 114,741
We notice that roughly four in five deaths occur over the age of 65. That's consistent with, say, influenza deaths in 2017–18. But a quick look at the other side of the spectrum yields what may be surprising conclusions that contradict the media narrative that your friends and neighbors may have imbibed wholesale.
Between the ages of zero and 24, we find that there has been a sum of 179 provisional COVID-19 deaths. None of this is meant to diminish the tragedy of these deaths, I want to be clear. But despite the much higher number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in 2020 than we'd find in an example of a bad flu season like 2017–2018, we find that this number of deaths among youth demographics is strikingly low by comparison.
The CDC's age demographic breakdown of 2017–18 flu season deaths is not identical to the COVID-19 data, but it's informative. In that flu season, influenza is estimated to have killed 643 children between the ages of zero and 17.
Age Demographic
Estimated Number of Influenza Deaths (2017-18)
0–4 years 115
5–17 years 528
18–49 years 2,803
50–64 years 6,751
65 years and older 50,903
Total Influenza Deaths 61,100
This comparison excludes the 18–24 age demographic for tallying estimated influenza deaths, yet despite the generous comparison, more than three times as many children aged zero to 17 are estimated to have died of influenza in 2017–18 than have died with COVID-19 in the child/young adult statistical age category of zero to 24 so far in 2020.
What this all tells us isn't the answer to some mystery. We know, specifically, who is statistically at risk and who is not statistically at risk. If you're older, or have serious underlying medical conditions, or live in a nursing home, you're far more likely to die from COVID-19 infection than a healthy person visiting a bar or restaurant or a child going to school.
In an article that I've referenced several times, I noted epidemiologist Dr. David Katz didn't need to see all these data I've referenced to give America the prescription we needed back on March 20 in the New York Times. Using only very early American data and foreign data (the best of which came from South Korea), he concluded that our data were "entirely aligned with data from other countries." He continued:
The deaths have been mainly clustered among the elderly, those with significant chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease, and those in both groups.
This is not true of infectious scourges such as influenza. The flu hits the elderly and chronically ill hard, too, but it also kills children[.] ...
The clustering of complications and death from Covid-19 among the elderly and chronically ill, but not children (there have been only very rare deaths in children), suggests that we could achieve the crucial goals of social distancing — saving lives and not overwhelming our medical system — by preferentially protecting the medically frail and those over age 60, and in particular those over 70 and 80, from exposure.
He suggests that we should not shut down schools or the economy, favoring a more "surgical" approach of protecting those most at risk. In an incident of pure prescience, he writes:
There is another and much overlooked liability in this [social and economic lockdown] approach. If we succeed in slowing the spread of coronavirus from torrent to trickle, then when does the society-wide disruption end? When will it be safe for healthy children and younger teachers to return to school, much less older teachers and teachers with chronic illnesses? When will it be safe for the work force to repopulate the workplace, given that some are in the at-risk group for severe infection?
When would it be safe to visit loved ones in nursing homes or hospitals? When once again might grandparents pick up their grandchildren?
There are many possible answers, but the most likely one is: We just don't know. We could wait until there's an effective treatment, a vaccine or transmission rates fall to undetectable levels. But what if those are a year or more away? Then we suffer the full extent of societal disruption the virus might cause for all those months. The costs, not just in money, are staggering to contemplate.
So what is the alternative? Well, we could focus our resources on testing and protecting, in every way possible, all those people the data indicate are especially vulnerable to severe infection: the elderly, people with chronic diseases and the immunologically compromised.
We failed to heed this advice back in March. It's too late now to avoid many of the "staggering costs" of this calamitous policy failure that Americans will lament for decades to come. Fairly or unfairly, it will be President Trump whom future generations will associate with this epic calamity. There's little that can be done about any of that now. But all of the observed data available today only strengthen Dr. Katz's assertions and early policy prescriptions. For the sake of our parents, our children, and countrymen who are suffering from this unprecedented "societal disruption," we need to wake up from the media's trance, observe the reality in front of our eyes, and act upon his sage advice immediately.
If Trump is wise, he'll sideline Dr. Fauci, who's been wrong about virtually everything, and follow the advice of Dr. Katz, who appears to have been wrong about nothing so far.
June 2020
A Time of Reflection and Prayer
Juneteenth marks a time in history that has remained largely unknown within the white
community. It has long been celebrated among the African American community. The brutal history of slavery and segregation continues to inflict pain on our society, and Juneteenth offers a light of hope on the fight for freedom and justice. As noted by the National Museum of African American History & Culture, Juneteenth is a time to celebrate, to gather as a family, to reflect on the past and look to the future.
Within the African American community, Juneteenth is known as our second “Independence Day”. It is a holiday that commemorates the June 19, 1865 announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas, and more generally the emancipation of African American slaves throughout the Confederate South. Emancipation did not finally come until General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas and issued General Order No. 3, on June 19, almost two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Celebrated on June 19, the word is a portmanteau of “June” and “nineteenth”.
The Office of Black Catholics invites all of us in the Archdiocese of Baltimore to celebrate this day as a reminder of the transformative power of human liberation. We encourage all to spend time with our families, reflecting on the meaning of the day by using this as a day of education about our collective history, and taking the time to pray for real change. We pray, O Lord, for change.
Jesus you revealed God through your wise words and loving deeds,
and we encounter you still today in the faces of those whom society has pushed to the margins.
Guide us, through the love you revealed,
to establish the justice you proclaimed,
that all peoples might dwell in harmony and peace,
united by that one love that binds us to each other, and to you.
And most of all, Lord, change our routine worship and work into genuine encounter with you and our better selves so that our lives will be changed for the good of all.
Amen
Prayer adapted from Racial Healing and Liturgical Resources.
Paddy Waldron
7 May 2020
The Irish airwaves have been dominated this week by discussion of the problem of how to assign places in third-level courses to students leaving secondary education.
This problem has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 emergency, which threatens the principal tool traditional used to solve this problem, the Leaving Certificate examination originally scheduled for June.
In the 39 years since I sat the Leaving Certificate, including the ten years which I spent working in third-level education, the problem of matching supply and demand for university places has changed very little.
In an ideal world, any student meeting the standard subject-specific minimum entry requirements for a third-level course should be admitted to that course.
The Central Applications Office (CAO) system could and should be used as a long-term measure in order to reallocate _resources_ in order to match supply to demand. Instead, it continues to be used as a short-term measure to reallocate _students_ in order to match demand to supply.
Traditionally, the resources needed to deliver third-level courses have been viewed as fixed, like other government resources: the vast majority of academic staff were generally on permanent life-time contracts in specialist disciplines, and the buildings in which third-level courses were delivered had fixed and limited capacity.
Since I sat my Leaving Certificate, and especially since the COVID-19 emergency began, these constraints have changed. Our caretaker government has recently shown its ability to reallocate huge quantities of resources quickly and dramatically. More and more third-level courses have been delivered in recent years by temporary academic staff on precarious short-term contracts. Interdisciplinary research and teaching in our universities has been encouraged and funded by national and European authorities. Recently, delivery of all education has moved from face-to-face physical contact in confined spaces to online contact without physical constraints.
This seems like the ideal time to switch from the supply-driven rationing of third-level places which has prevailed for far too many decades to a demand-driven rationing of third-level places.
In this ideal world, the function of the Leaving Certificate examination would no longer be the stress-inducing ranking of students, but merely confirmation that students had met the relevant minimum entry requirements for their chosen courses.
The normal closing date for applications to the CAO was 1 February last. Teaching in the 2020-21 academic year is not due to begin until around 7 September. That gives the authorities four months to sort out the situation, by adjusting the supply of places to match the already known demand for places. Thinking back to where we were four months ago, that sounds like a very long time.
I could give many examples of problems caused by the failure of many governments over the decades to use the CAO system to match supply and demand, but will mention just a couple.
For many decades now, the greatest excess demand has been for places in medical courses. Failing to train enough doctors for decades has produced a situation where parts of Ireland now have no general practitioners.
For many decades also, the system has been used to reinforce rather than to reverse the imbalance between supply and demand. Students are probably still asked, as I was back in 1981, why they "waste" their high CAO points by choosing a course with excess supply of places and a low points requirement, rather than a course with excess demand for places and a high points requirement. Students are encouraged to apply, not for the courses in which they are interested or to which they are suited, but for high-points courses which are in excess demand.
The opposite side of this coin is that universities anxious to attract good students have set up increasingly specialised courses with very small quotas, guaranteed to create excess demand and to require high points for entry.
The students in these small-quota high-points courses end up sitting in the same lecture halls for many of their modules with students from large-quota low-points courses. The quotas are so inflexible that, for example, there is no way of re-allocating places between single-honors and joint-honors courses in the same subject in order to match supply and demand.
Can we hope that our elected (and re-elected and un-elected) leaders will show the same initiative in this area as they have shown in recent months in other aspects of the present crisis?
Please share with your elected representatives!
Reflection by Fr Michael Murphy Archdiocese of Tuam
The following reflection is by Fr Michael Murphy, Parish Priest of Hollymount, Co. Mayo. We have his permission to use it today. Fr Michael begins his reflection on the current situation. “We have been condemned not by Pontius Pilate, but by the coronavirus. We have been handed our cross and it is not too much different from Jesus’ cross. The cross of fear and doubt, isolation and illness, pain and possibly bereavement and loss. No doubt there will be times when we will fall, at least three times, please God we will get up again and carry on, no matter how hard it will be. And if we are to believe what we are being told by the experts, there will be sorrowful moments as well, like when Jesus met his mother Mary. We too worry for our parents and our grandparents and for all vulnerable people. And then in our community we are blessed to have people like Veronica who wiped the face of Jesus. Like our community nurses, our doctors. All the wonderful home help people we have in our community. And all the wonderful people who look in on their neighbours. As well as these people who go to work in our hospitals, medical centre and other places. People who give of themselves so generously to others, while often sacrificing their family time, putting their own health at risk. Then there are people like Simon of Cyrene, people who are asking how can we help? We’re here and we want to help. Like the soldiers who accompanied Jesus to Calvary, we need to figure out how to help those who carry crosses of fear, doubt and self-isolation and vulnerability and illness, suffering and bereavement. There are other Simon’s too, who keep the emergency services going, serving in our shops, minding our children and who keep the economy going, and so on, often at risk to their own health too. Then there are people like the women of Jerusalem, people who are there to support and comfort, people who will pick up the phone and listen to people’s worries, and even cry with those who are carrying their Cross, but above all to pray with everybody as we need the strength of prayer to carry us through. Then we remember that Jesus was stripped of his dignity and nailed to the Cross. We need to be there as well for those who feel naked and hurt, naked because they will feel ashamed that they picked up the virus. Hurt because people may nail them to a cross by blaming them for passing it on, even if they didn’t intend to do so. There is sure to be a lot of anger around, as people come to terms with the changes in their lives and we will need to be there for those people too. There will be good thieves and bad thieves. Good thieves who realise the error of their ways and ask for forgiveness and bad thieves who even in the midst of a pandemic and the biggest crises to hit our world in years, in the midst of great illness, isolation and death, will still only be able to think of themselves, even look for selfish gain out of a desperate situation. And then there is death. Great darkness, sadness, gloom, even despair, and who will take them down from the cross? Who will bury them? Will we be able to have a funeral. Will we be even allowed to hold each other? Or will we be in too much danger of picking the virus up ourselves. So many questions, so much confusion and so few answers. Yet the only answer that is important is the message of Easter. For years we have been celebrating it in our churches. Maybe we didn’t fully understand the meaning of it. Light will overcome the darkness. Hope will overcome despair. Life will overcome death. Community will bring us all together and bring us all through it. The love of God our Father, the sacrifice of Jesus our brother and the living breath of the Holy Spirit within us will bring us all through it. Just like the generations before us, who came through famine, plagues, pillage, penal laws and wars, so will we. We won’t know the strength of our community, until we are put to the test. Irish people have never been found wanting when it comes to generosity and self – sacrifice and loyalty and care and toughness and love, it’s in our DNA, it’s in our bones. It comes down through the generations, I think of the Patrick’s and the Bridget’s, right down to today. This Holy Week, this Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday. We won’t be acting it out in a ceremony, no! Instead we will be living it out. It’s ironic that we are not in our churches this Holy Week and Easter, like in penal times, but for different reasons, but it won’t change our spirit. So on this Good Friday, we ask God for the courage and the strength, for the generosity and the love, to be a truly Christlike Christian Community in action this Holy Week, this Easter time. We are being put to the test; we are living the passion of Christ.”
St. Michael’s Church, Lixnaw
Readers of last week’s blog on St John’s Church, Tralee, have requested a background or history of a number of other Kerry churches. So today it is St. Michael’s Church, Lixnaw. I am quoting directly here from the 2005 publication The Diocese of Kerry formerly Ardfert: Working in the Fields of God, edited by Fr. Kieran O’Shea:
‘The Catholic parish of Lixnaw, in the deanery of Listowel, is bounded by the rivers Feale, Brick and Smearla. It is typographically divided between the limestone fertile land of the western end and the upland blanket bog at the eastern end. Traditionally the people of the western side have gravitated towards the town of Tralee for commercial purposes and the eastern side have been served by the market town of Listowel..
EarlyChristianIreland.net
The richness of its ecclesiastical history is illustrated by the presence of ruins that point to a varied and interesting past, the oldest, Kilshenane, reputedly founded by St. Senan of Scattery after spending a Lenten observance there. Other ancient sites include Kilfeighney (an eighth-century monastery that cared for leprosy victims). Dysert d’tralaight (linked by the ancient road to the monastery at Rattoo) and Kiltomy (containing the remains of a ruined church that was liable to flooding).
There is a strong devotion in the parish to the two holy wells. St. Michael’s well near Lixnaw village points to the devotion to St. Michael that the Norman settlers brought to the area. The Pattern Day held there on St. Michael’s Day is very well attended and was one of the largest gatherings of pilgrims in north Kerry in the late nineteenth century. St Senan’s holy well is accepted as having curative properties in its water for eyes and skin and is visited throughout the year. In Pena times local people attended Mass at Mass rocks – one of which is still to be seen at the townland of Gortacloghane.
To-day the worshipping communities of the parish are served by three well-maintained churches. Over a hundred years ago a handsome church was built in Rathea, dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption. The present Church of Our Lady and St.Senan at Irremore was renovated in the 1960s to accommodate six hundred people, and it replaced the first thatched church built in the 1830s. In the 1860s the Church of St. Michael was opened in Lixnaw village. It was designed by J.J. McCarthy and is one of the finest examples of his work. Local limestone was used and its fine style is labelled ’round arched style’. The church was opened by Bishop David Moriarty, who was from the parish and who also invited the Presentation Sisters to the parish. Happily, they still contribute to the life and well-being of the parish from their convent next to the church.
There are three Primary Schools in the parish with almost three hundred pupils in attendance in 2005.
Today it is one of the few parishes in Ireland that can boast of two hurling clubs, two football clubs and two drama clubs.’
Kieran O’Shea, The Diocese of Kerry Formerly Ardfert: Working in the Fields of God, (Strasbourg, 2005), pps. 112-113.
https://mykerryancestors.com/st-michaels-church-lixnaw/
Mka Blog – St Michael Church, Lixnaw – Interior
MKA Blog – Lixnaw St Michaels Church
PRAYER FOR HEALING AND HOPE IN THE FACE OF THE CORONAVIRUS. Jesus, you travelled through towns and villages “curing every disease and illness”. At your command, the sick were made well. Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus, that we may experience your healing love. Heal those who are sick with the virus. May they regain their strength and health through quality medical care. Heal us from our fear, which prevents nations from working together and neighbours from helping one another. Heal us from our pride, which can make us claim invulnerability to a disease that knows no borders.Jesus healer of all, stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow. Be with the families of those who are sick or have died. As they worry and grieve, defend them from illness and despair. May they know your peace. Be with the doctors, nurses, researchers and all medical professionals who seek to heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process. May they know your protection and peace. Jesus, stay with us as we endure and mourn, persist and prepare. In place of anxiety, give us your peace. Jesus heal us.
From Samuel Pepys’ diary of 16 August, 1665, the year of the Great Plague:
Thence to the [Royal] Exchange, which I have not been [to in] a great while. But Lord, how sad a sight it is to see the streets empty of people, and very few upon the Change – jealous of every door that one sees shut up, lest it should be the plague – and about us, two shops in three, if not more, generally shut up
another excerpt from the great Samuel, 3 September 1660:
Up, and put on my coloured silk suit, very fine, and my new periwigg, bought a good while since, but darst not wear it because the plague was in Westminster when I bought it. And it is a wonder what will be the fashion after the plague is done as to periwiggs, for nobody will dare to buy any haire for fear of the infection – that it had been cut off the heads of people dead of the plague.
News – 09/04/2020
by Domhnall De Barra under News
New Ways of Living
by Domhnall de Barra
Another week getting used to this new way of living and it has taught me one good lesson; I never want to go to jail!! In comparison to what that is like, we have it easy and it is all for the greater good. I wasn’t surprised to hear this morning that some people have already gone to holiday homes in popular holiday resorts for Easter. Why was I not surprised?, because there is a percentage of the population who think the law does not apply to them, without any virus problem. This crisis has brought out the best in many of our fellow countrymen and women who are willing to put themselves in the firing line to help others but the mindless people who want to be on holiday for the Easter period are only thinking of themselves. There is no use appealing to their better nature because they do not have one. With that in mind I was glad to hear that the Gardaí now have powers to deal with the selfish few in a way they will understand; arrest and hefty fines. We have an opportunity to save many lives so it is up to all of us to knuckle down and take the advice of the experts. This is not the first time Irish people have faced trying times. The famine is well documented. During and immediately after the 2nd World War there was a big scarcity of goods, including food (which was rationed) in the country. One man told me of a time when there was no flour to be had and his family’s provisions were very low. He heard that there was bread at Brandon’s shop in Kilmorna so he walked across the mountain to find out , when he got there, that it was all gone. He hit for Duagh only to find the shelves empty there as well. He did not give up the quest and turned his eyes to Abbeyfeale where, at last, he succeeded in buying two loaves of bread. He arrived home after nearly 7 hours walking to a rapturous welcome from the children who were looking forward to the bread all day. We don’t have any such problems now. There was also the troubles in the North when people from both sides of the community were afraid to leave their homes, not knowing where the next bomb was going to go off or when a sniper would target them. Thankfully those days came to an end and so will this period of anxiety.
Normally, at this time of the year, the bogs would be full of people cutting turf after the spuds being sat. In recent years the turf machine has taken over from the sleán and, while it took away the manual labour, the bogs are not in the better of it. Our forefathers were very careful with the environment, The stripping sods were laid in the bog hole, like pieces of a jigsaw, to preserve the flora of the mountainside. When the bog had been finally cut away the surface was left as it was before. Now, big diggers leave a landscape akin to what one would expect after a nuclear war. There are holes filled with water everywhere in a terrain that is impossible to travel. It is a crying shame and one we will regret in years to come.
A bi-product of the Corona virus restrictions is a renewed interest in gardening and painting. People, like myself, who up to now had little interest in these domestic pursuits, have taken up the brush and the spade again. I must admit that, in the beginning, I hated the thought of it and only did it to give Noreen a hand, but now I am actually looking forward to the daily toil. We will have the best kept households in history. It’s an ill wind etc.
The Benefits of Holy Water
There is a most interesting and edifying notice on Holy Water in the porch of Castleisland Church, just above a Holy Water font. It reads as follows:
“Untold spiritual wealth is concentrated in a tiny drop of blessed water… and we give it so little thought!
Did we realise now, as we shall realise after death, the many benefits which may be derived from holy water, we would use it far more frequently, and with greater faith and reverence.
Holy water has its great power and efficacy from the prayers of the Church, which its Divine Founder always accepts with complacency.
FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE PETITIONS THE PRIEST MAKES TO GOD WHEN HE BLESSES WATER.
“O God… grant that this creature of Thine (water) may be endowed with devine (sic) grace to drive away devils and to cast out our diseases , that whatever in the houses or possessions of the faithful may be sprinkled by this water , may be freed from everything unclean, and delivered from what is hurtful… Let everything that threatens the safety or peace of the dwellers therein be banished by the sprinkling of this water, so that the health which they seek by calling upon Thy Holy Name may be guarded from all assault.”
PRAYERS EFFECTIVE.
These prayers ascend to Heaven each time you take holy water and sprinkle a drop either for yourself or for another, whether he be present or absent; and God’s blessings descend for soul and body.
DISPEL THE DEVIL.
The devil hates holy water because of its power over him. He cannot long abide in a place or near a person that is often sprinkled with this blesses (sic) water.
Do Your Dear Ones Live at a Distance?
Holy water, sprinkled with faith and piety, can move the Scared Heart to bless your loved ones and protect them from all harm of soul and body. When worry and fear take possession of your heart, hasten to your holy water font, and give your dear ones the benefit of the Church’s prayers.
The Holy Souls long for it.
Only in Purgatory can one understand how ardently a poor soul longs for holy water. If we desire to make a host of intercessions for ourselves, let us try to realise now some of their yearnings, and never forget them at the holy water font. The holy souls nearest to Heaven may need the sprinkling of only one drop to relieve their pining souls.
Remits Venial Sins.
Because holy water is one of the Church’s sacramental, it remits venial sin. Keep your soul beautifully pure in God’s sight by making the Sign of The Cross carefully while saying, “By this holy water and by Thy Precious Blood wash away all my sins, O Lord.”
PRAYER FOR A PANDEMIC
May we, who are merely inconvenienced,
remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we, who have no risk factors,
remember those most vulnerable.
May we, who have the luxury of working from home,
remember those who must choose between preserving their own health,
or work for the health of others.
May we, who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close,
remember those who do not have that option.
May we, who have to cancel our trips,
remember those that have no safe place to go.
May we, who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market,
remember those with no margin at all.
May we, who settle in for a quarantine at home,
remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country, let us choose love.
During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other,
let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God
to our neighbours.
AMEN.
We will ring the Church bell at 11am on Sunday morning.
We who hear it will be reminded that we are never alone,
Christ is with us, our strength and guide.
It is a call to us to all to pause and spend some time with God in prayer.
Reflection God Our Father, Creator of the world, almighty and merciful, out of love for us You sent your son into the world as the doctor of our souls and bodies, look upon your children who, in this difficult time of confusion and dismay in many regions of Europe and the world, turn to you seeking strength, salvation and relief, deliver us from illness and fear, heal our sick, comfort their families, give wisdom to our rulers, energy and reward to our doctors, nurses and volunteers, eternal life to the dead. Do not abandon us in the moment of trial but deliver us from all evil. We ask this of Thee, who with the Son and the Holy Spirit, live and reign for ever and ever. Amen Mary, mother of health and hope, pray for us!
Difficult Times
By Domhnall de Barra
Hard to know where to start this week with the times that are in it. Difficult to believe that the human race is almost on its knees due to one virus but that is the situation. I keep thinking it is a nightmare and I am going to wake up at any moment to life as I knew it but no, we are in a bad situation. The biggest problem with this virus is the lack of knowledge on how to deal with it. Medical experts are doing their best but there is conflicting advice which is most evident in the difference between the approach of the government here and the assembly in the North. Schools closed here last Thursday but remain open across the border. They say the schools will close eventually but not yet. What are they waiting for? Surely it is logical that the sooner action is taken the better the chance of containing the spread. Children are very active beings with boundless energy and they get into all sorts of places. They are also very physical in the way they deal with each other and are always in groups. This is ideal for passing on the virus even if they don’t know they have it. There may be no visible signs but a child can infect a whole household who in turn may pass it on to other members of the community they come into contact with. It makes sense therefore to close schools and all places where people gather in the hope that the virus will have the least possible impact on all of us. It is difficult also to know how the government is going to keep going if it lasts for any great length of time. Hundreds of thousands will be on social welfare but there is only so much money in the kitty and that will dwindle further with the fall in revenue from income tax and other taxes on goods such as alcohol now that the pubs are shut. What about repayments on cars and mortgages on houses? There won’t be enough money to meet them if the weekly wage is gone. In these circumstances it is time for banks, credit unions and other lending institutions to step up to the plate in the national interest. There is a case to be made for freezing loans that are in trouble until the virus scare has passed. I know it is a lose, lose situation but everybody is going to be adversely affected be this in some way or other.
Did we ever think we would see a time when St. Patrick’s Day would not be celebrated on this Island/? It is the only national holiday that I know of that is celebrated world wide as well. Millions of Euro will be lost by the hospitality sector while airlines, who normally are full to capacity at this time of year, are flying almost empty or grounded. All this will have a knock-on effect that some may not ever recover from.
In the meantime what can we do? For a start we can do what we are told, not something most of us like. Last weekend some pubs and clubs were packed to capacity despite the advice given to us about spacing etc. This was mindless behaviour by those who put their own profits ahead of the nation’s health. We all have to obey the basic rules about hygiene and socialising. We also need to ignore some of the fake news that is spreading on social media. Some people get a kick out of scaremongering so we should listen to the advice of the government and the HSE who have daily briefings. It is also time to stop the videos that are funny alright but it is now gone past that stage and is no laughing matter. I hope that the best brains in the world, who are working on a vaccination, will have success in the near future. That is the way to put an end to all this.
In the meantime let us all be careful and look out for each other. If you are a healthy active person maybe you could help some elderly neighbours with shopping or other chores. Be aware of those who are more vulnerable than ourselves. There is an old saying in Irish “people survive in each others shadow” and that is how we will be able to deal with this.
On another depressing note, what has happened our weather? Some will say it is global warming, but they will say that anyway whether it is too hot or too cold. I can never remember a time when we got so much rain and so many storms in quick succession. It is raining since the end of July last and got really nasty in the past couple of months. Grass is growing at the moment but the cattle cannot be left out because the ground is so wet. There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel from Thursday on with a bit of high pressure approaching. It will be more than welcome and we look forward to more seasonal weather. We could do with something to cheer ourselves up.
O THAT TODAY YOU WOULD LISTEN TO HIS VOICE : HARDEN NOT YOUR HEART
May the Church be a place of security and of assurance,
of life and of forgiveness.
May the Church be the space for finding the living water of Jesus.
A space through which love and affection flows,
a space of relaxation in a busy world,
a space of wholeness in a world which sets sights on partial goals.
May the Church be the community of joy, prayer and justice,
where in community we can discover who we really are:
Children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.
The Church will be all that, if we are all that.
Lord, give joy and life a place to flow among all of us. AMEN
Saint Maximilian
Saint of the Day for March 14
(274 – March 12, 295)
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODMar14.mp3
Saint Maximilian’s Story
We have an early, almost unembellished account of the martyrdom of Saint Maximilian in modern-day Algeria.
Brought before the proconsul Dion, Maximilian refused enlistment in the Roman army saying, “I cannot serve, I cannot do evil. I am a Christian.”
Dion replied: “You must serve or die.”
Maximilian: “I will never serve. You can cut off my head, but I will not be a soldier of this world, for I am a soldier of Christ. My army is the army of God, and I cannot fight for this world. I tell you I am a Christian.”
Dion: “There are Christian soldiers serving our rulers Diocletian and Maximian, Constantius and Galerius.”
Maximilian: “That is their business. I also am a Christian, and I cannot serve.”
Dion: “But what harm do soldiers do?”
Maximilian: “You know well enough.”
Dion: “If you will not do your service I shall condemn you to death for contempt of the army.”
Maximilian: “I shall not die. If I go from this earth, my soul will live with Christ my Lord.”
Maximilian was 21 years old when he gladly offered his life to God. His father went home from the execution site joyful, thanking God that he had been able to offer heaven such a gift.
Marian Apparitions
Lastly, Msgr. Cifres highlighted documents from the archives pertaining to Marian apparitions, visions, stigmatizations and cases of false mysticism. He said “particularly noteworthy” was that the “alleged Marian apparitions” were “very high in number,” numbering “almost 40 during the pontificate, an average of two per year.”
Italy had the most, with 16 cases, followed by six in Germany, two in the United States, two in France, three in Belgium, two in Czechoslovakia and one each in Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal and Romania.
“Curiously enough, there were no cases from Spain or Ibero-American countries,” he said. In most cases, the Holy Office simply “took note” of the alleged apparitions.
He said plenty of documentation exists concerning the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which Pius XII promulgated as a dogma in 1950, but that it is “very disorderly” and still requires some reordering, although most can be consulted. Half the documentation, he said, contains “petitions from all over the world in favor of the dogma’s promulgation,” but it had been collected “without homogeneity” and consists of “folders, bound volumes and loose sheets.”
https://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/pius-xii-archives-offer-more-than-the-pontificates-war-record
Prayer For Lent
Bless me heavenly Father
forgive my erring ways.
Grant me the strength to serve Thee
put purpose in my days.
Give me understanding
enough to make me kind.
So I may judge all people
with my heart and not my mind.
Teach me to be patient
in everything I do.
Content to trust your wisdom
and to follow after You.
Help me when I falter
and hear me when I pray
and receive me in Thy kingdom
to dwell with Thee someday.
Eventful Time
By Domhnall de Barra
It was an eventful end of the week for me, in more ways than one. On Friday we had the funeral of one of my four remaining aunts, Margaret Barry from Brosna, who was almost 96 years old. There is now only one member of my father’s family living, Mary O’Keeffe, who used to live in Seanafona, not far from Abbeyfeale. She is the last of five sisters and four brothers, two of whom, my father Danjoe and Eily (who married John Joe O’Connor), ended up in Athea. On my mother’s side there are two aunts still with us and I hope will be for a while yet. Funerals are a great opportunity for catching up with family members we might rarely meet otherwise. You can see great changes in people you have not met for a couple of years and of course you have to realise that they also see changes in you. We are all getting older as time moves on and, on some of us, it is beginning to show. When I was young I thought old age was a long, long way into the future but that only seems like yesterday. “Life is short” they say and there was never a truer saying because it is gone in the blink of an eye. Noreen and myself got married in Coventry on February 28th 1970 and it seems like only last year. There have been some big changes since then. Our wedding Mass took place at 7.30 in the morning, as was the custom at the time. We had the wedding breakfast in a club in Coventry and then a bit of dancing. The whole thing was done and dusted by 6pm. Wedding presents were not as lavish then as they are now. We got several sets of bedclothes, clocks, cutlery and crockery and were delighted with it. Money was also scarce. I remember, as it came towards the end of the evening, I wanted to buy a last drink but was afraid the finances would not stretch that far. I consulted Noreen and we opened a few cards. We got £2 and 10 shillings, enough to buy the drink with a bit left over. That evening we hit the road for Liverpool, where I was starting a new job, in our Hillman Imp, nearly broke but happy with our lot. The cold of that day came back to me on the 28th as we stood, at Margaret’s burial, in the graveyard in Brosna, amidst the storm winds and rain. I thought of how important families are and how lucky I am to have one. One of the advantages of growing older is becoming a grandparent. It is a very special feeling and I look forward to seeing my own grandchildren as often as possible. Some of them are adults now but we had a great time spoiling them rotten while we could. I never really knew my grandfathers as both of them died at relatively young ages. Gareth Barry died at 65 and Dan Harnett was in his mid-thirties when he was taken so I value the time I have with my own. One great thing about being grandparents is the fact that you can be there for them, whatever the problem. Every day is precious and should be lived to the full. We should also try and keep in touch with the extended family outside of weddings and funerals. The people who came before us would always visit the cousins at least once a year and this was at a time when the main mode of transport was the pony and trap. Relations were important to them and so they should be to us.
I took a walk along the old railway line in Abbeyfeale the other day and as I was walking I thought about all the trains that had passed along that way over the years and the people who had travelled on them. It was the first leg of what was then the long journey to England and I wondered what was going through the minds of those who were leaving home for the first time. Some of those had never been farther than Listowel Races and now they were going into big cities where they knew nobody. The first ones to go blazed a trail for others to follow and many had accommodation with relatives and a job secured before they left home. I have great admiration for the ones who arrived in England knowing nobody and had to find a job and somewhere to stay, hampered by poor education. They did not all succeed but those who did paved the way for the rest of us. It must have been heart wrenching, saying goodbye to mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters but there was nothing here for them and they had to go. The good thing about the train was that it ran both ways and brought the emigrants back on holidays every year at summer and Christmas. They were the happy times when families were reunited, even if only for a couple of weeks. There would be great excitement on the platform as the sound of the train could be heard from as far away as Devon Road, if the wind was blowing in the right direction, until eventually it pulled up in a cloud of steam and coal smoke to let off the weary travellers. So the railway line has sad and happy memories in equal proportions. It is a lovely walk that I would recommend to anyone as it is free of all traffic and almost level. It also has an abundance of trees, bushes and wild flowers along the way with plenty of wildlife to be seen. There is a line in a prayer I say every morning that goes “this day is full of beauty and adventure; make me fully alive to it all”. I think of that on my rambles.
The weather remains bad but we are not getting the worst of it in our area. The cold spell came at a bad time for me as I ran out of gas on Saturday at a time when we had visitors due to anniversary celebrations and the funeral. We are totally dependant on gas for heating and cooking and I wouldn’t mind but I had ordered a refill on February 17th. I have been trying to get some sense out of Flogas since Saturday but up to the time of writing have not succeeded. More blankets I suppose!!
9 3 2012 Listowel Connection
I got an email from Willie Keane telling me about his father's 100th birthday.
"We had a memorable day last Sat 3rd for my Dad's 100th birthday . We had mass at 5.30 pm at our family home 76 Church St., Listowel where my father is looked after with such love & care by my sister Norita and her husband Christy.. It was a great day for our family of three girls Mary, Josephine , Norita & six boys, Paddy , John , Willie, Michael., Donal ( deceased 1952, killed on the road outside our home) & James our baby brother now retired. Also present were a host of his grandchildren & great grandchildren. My son Bill with his son Liam, my Dad & myself made up four generations of Williams celebrating his 100th birthday. On the day I reflected on my great/ great Grandfather who was a child in the late 1840. My Dad would have known him.
All I can say about my Dad is told in one line from the Village Schoolmaster “ that one small head could carry all he knew”
My Dad is a very humble gentlemen."
Willie Keane, Jr. is the same Willie who is organizing this:
XLChallenge 2012
This exciting event will take place on the weekend of April 27th-29th 2012. Participants will climb Ireland’s four highest mountains in just 3 days. The Challenge involves climbing
• Mount Brandon, Co Kerry – 3,117ft
• Carrauntoohil, Co Kerry – 3,414 ft
• Galteemore, Co Tipperary/Limerick – 3,015 ft
• Lugnaquilla, Co Wicklow – 3,039 ft
While this is a serious challenge, it is within the reach of any reasonably fit person. There will be a number of training events, including a climb of Purple Mountain in Kerry on March 10th. Participants will pay their own expenses over the weekend. They are also asked to raise funds to build a new school in Tanzania, East Africa.
Willie Keane is a native of Listowel, Co Kerry now living in Nenagh, Co Tipperary. He is the main organiser of the challenge. Willie has successfully organised two previous challenges. In 2007 he led a 10 day, 200km hike around Lough Derg. The following year he organised the Munster Challenge which involved climbing to the highest point in each Munster county over one weekend. Through these events Willie raised over €100,000 which paid for a new Hospital Building “Ma Wa Hurma” (Our Lady of Mercy) in Tanzania.
There are still a number of places left on the challenge. Full details are available on the website
www.XLChallenge.ie.
JERUSALEM —Leaders from almost 50 countries condemned anti-Semitism old and new here Thursday, using the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp to mount a united stand against the resurgence of anti-Jewish sentiment around the world.
REFLECTION
Baptism was not over and done with
the day we were taken to the font.
We are baptised by all that happens to us in life.
We are baptised by hardship : in its turbulent waters
we are purified of all that is false and useless.
We are baptised by suffering : in its murky waters
we grow in humility and compassion.
We are baptised by joy : in its gurgling waters
we experience the goodness of life.
We are baptised by love : in its singing waters
we blossom like flowers in the sun.
Baptism is like the planting of a seed.
It will take a lifetime for this seed to grow and ripen.
BLESSING
May the Lord confirm your hearts in holiness and keep you blameless
in his sight.
May the Lord keep you steadfast in faith and courageous in witnessing
to the Gospel.
May the Lord who has called us to eternal glory in Christ strengthen
and support you with his grace.
Jan 2020
PLEASE BE FAIR – IT’S NO SOLUTION TO SAY “FR. KEVIN GET OVER IT”
I was richly blessed to have ministered in ‘Beauty’s Home’ – Killarney Parish for nine years. During that time I developed a very fine relationship with popular and exceptionally fine journalist John O’Mahony. During my time John was a great editor of a very popular and excellent publication ‘The Kingdom’. After its closure due to financial difficulties, the talented John branched into a new and very exciting Media venture. He set up ‘Killarney Today.com’ It is the 24/7 online news service provided by O’Mahony Media. John always looked in on what I wrote and what I said. He was very encouraging with his support and at times criticism – always positive and Christian. I appreciated that and to be honest, I never thanked him for it. He approached me to put a book together; he would help, guide and direct me. I’m so sorry now I turned him down! John thank you for all your incredible and continued support, but above all for putting our Moyvane Parish Newsletter into the National Media since my arrival here four years ago. Also, thank you John for getting such a quick response to last week’s article in this Newsletter. A spokesperson from RTÉ (nameless as usual) said “The station’s Christmas coverage included Midnight Mass and the celebration of the birth of Jesus with reading and carols” That was Christmas Eve! That response is simply awful. Christmas Day – the Pope’s blessing, his Christmas message, our own Church leaders, no recognition. Imagine in GAA term watching ‘Up for the Match’ on
Saturday night (Christmas Eve) and then on All Ireland Sunday (Christmas Day) no match coverage – no mention of a match on RTÉ News. RTÉ contacted reply – “We had ‘Up for the Match’ last night – we had so many GAA stars from both counties – we had the cup on display”. I still would like to know who made the decision not to have a mention, coverage or comment on Christmas Day. The Christmas Swim is more important than the Christmas message from the Pope and Christian leaders! My last encounter with RTÉ was a farce. They didn’t listen to me. They were not friendly anytime I contacted them. I found it impossible to speak to people in charge. The people’s programme ‘Live Line’ contacted me to come on their programme. They asked me to refrain from going on any other programmes either National or Local. I agreed. They would have me on at 1.45pm after RT É One News. I was phoned by ‘Live Line’ at 1.42pm. I waited for 40 minutes with a researcher saying every 10 minutes “Fr. Kevin, thanks for holding, we will be with you shortly”. Then I was told “Fr. Kevin, sorry but we will return to this story another day”. I am still waiting! I feel quite strongly that so many who have Christian faith like me are seriously offended by no Christian coverage on Christmas Day on RTÉ News. Some will say “Fr. Kevin, get over it”, but will such people do likewise when their views and beliefs are offended?
TEN SECOND SERMON
Those who are quick to promise are generally slow to perform.
The Cross is a ladder to Heaven.
If you are bitter in the heart, sugar in the mouth will not help you.
Life is made up of getting and giving and forgetting and forgiving.
This Russian family went 40 years without ever seeing another human,
http://blog.newadvent.org/2019/12/this-russian-family-went-40-years.html
St. Juan Diego (1474–1548) was a poor and humble peasant of the lowest class of Aztec Indians living in what is today Mexico. His native name was Cuauhtlatoatzin, meaning, "eagle that talks." He was baptized at the age of fifty by a Franciscan missionary priest and received the Christian name of Juan Diego. It was he to whom Our Lady appeared as a pregnant Aztec princess on December 9, 1531—at that time the feast of the Immaculate Conception—on the hill of Tepeyac, in present-day Mexico City, as he was on his way to Mass. To help Juan Diego prove to the bishop that she had truly appeared, the Virgin Mary miraculously left her image on his tilma. This image is now famously known as Our Lady of Guadalupe. St. Juan Diego's tilma still bears the image of Our Lady (miraculously, as the plant fibers normally disintegrate in 15-20 years) and it hangs in one of the most famous Catholic pilgrimage sites of the world, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Juan Diego was canonized in 2002 by Pope St. John Paul II as the first indigenous saint from the Americas. His feast day is December 9th.
STUDIES: When highly developed cultures undergo sexual revolution and license they collapse with monotonous regularity within three generations
Posted on 9 December 2019 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
Friendship is arguably the most unique type of relationship in our lives. Friendships aren’t driven by sexual attraction or by a sense of duty, as in romantic and familial relationships, but instead are entirely freely chosen.
World War II Service of 43295 Private JOHN ALPHONSUS STUART McKENNA
John (Johnny) Alphonsus Stuart McKenna was born in Patea, Taranaki, New Zealand on 25 October 1909 to Irish-born mother Bridget Reynolds from Kilmacshalgan, Dromore West, Co Sligo, and Irish-born father Edward McKenna from Ogonnelloe, Co Clare.
Ramblings
By Domhnall de Barra
It is getting increasingly more difficult to be PC as time goes by. One has to be very careful when referring to race, creed, colour etc. to such an extent that it is almost impossible to call a spade a spade. Ethnic minorities deserve to be defended and respected but not everybody is perfect and every race is a mixture of the good, the bad and the in between. Unfortunately we often tar them all with the same brush when the bad ones belong to a certain country or ethnic minority. We, in Ireland, are culpable in this regard. There are comments frequently aired describing all immigrants and asylum seekers as “spongers” and a burden on society. This invokes a fear in people’s minds and we see this manifested in the meetings whenever a town is earmarked for a direct provision centre. The worst offender though is Donald Trump. He described Mexicans as rapists and criminals and the sad thing is, this went down well with some of his backers in America. It is difficult to see how he could get away with such language but he seems to be able to say and do what he likes with impunity. Ordinary decent Americans must be cringing and I have no doubt that some of the Republican Party secretly wish he would vanish off the political landscape. At least he did not manage to get the wall built.
How can we blame others when the most powerful politician in the free world is capable of such vile comment? Is it indicative of what the world is like at the moment? There has been an alarming rise in far right and far left parties through the democratic world which shows that there is support out there for extremist views. Politicians have to take a big part of the blame for this. Through housing and education policies they have left huge areas disenfranchised and ripe ground for anti–establishment agitators. We see this in the major cities where people have been removed from the centres and placed in large housing estates on the outskirts. These areas have very few facilities and are not properly serviced by public transport. Add to this the fact that there is little employment so you have a recipe for disaster. They have been let down by the establishment and resentment leads to anti-social sentiment. Young people grow up without any great hope and there is a tendency to become involved in petty criminality from an early age. This sometimes leads on to more major criminality, especially in the illegal drugs trade. The damage is done in some places but our housing policies do not give us any great hope for the future. It is time to get away from the idea of housing as many people as possible in urban areas. This only leads to traffic congestion and a concentration of people with few facilities or amenities. How did we get to this point? At one time, not so long ago when there was far less money in the country than now, local authorities around the country built social houses for people in the country known as “cottages”. They were intended, at the time, for people who had no land and mainly worked for local farmers. More often than not, the farmer donated the acre to an employee and the county council built the house on the property. They were well built and structurally sound and many is the big family was reared in them even though they consisted of a living area, two bedrooms and an attic. There was also a little larder called “the scullery”. This was so small you could not swing the proverbial cat in it but the houses were good as I can attest to having been born and raised in one myself.
At some stage, a decision was made to stop building one-off housing as it would be easier to service dwellings in towns and cities. There was also opposition to applications for building permission by people in organisations like An Taisce who consider any building in rural Ireland as a blight on the landscape. They seem to think that we would be better off leaving the countryside to the wild animals. The galling thing was that somebody from far away, who had no knowledge of the area concerned, could lodge an objection and be taken seriously. Along with this folly, the powers that be decided that the best way forward was to entrust the provision of housing to private enterprise. Now, it goes without saying, building contractors are there to make money and some housing estates left a lot to be desired due to shoddy work and corner cutting. Regulations, and their enforcement, have vastly improved since then but it is time we returned to the idea of building one-off houses in rural Ireland and avoid the congestion and social deprivation of sprawling housing estates in cities and towns.
Áras an Uachtaráin
On Wednesday 25 September 2019, President Higgins addressed the United Nations General Assembly. As leader of the Irish delegation to the United Nations, President Higgins delivered Ireland’s National Statement to the UN. In his address, President Higgins built on the themes from his speech at New York University earlier in the week, making the case for multilateralism, in particular with regard to addressing the global challenge of climate change.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ-YRw2GKtg
Reflection
Everyone wants greater freedom, right? But what kind of freedom: to dominate and impose one’s will, to crush anyone who doesn’t see things my way? Or freedom to see the interconnections of all creation, especially the people made in the image and likeness of God?
Bryan Stevenson
FOUNDER & CEO- EJI- Equal Justice Initiative
EJI is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. EJI is a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Montgomery, Alabama.
Bryan Stevenson is the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative. A widely acclaimed public interest lawyer who has dedicated his career to helping the poor, the incarcerated, and the condemned, he has won numerous awards, including the prestigious MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Prize and the ACLU’s National Medal of Liberty.
The Bottle Bank
by Philomena Daly
I enjoy going to the bottle bank and smashing bottles into the bottle bin. Ironically I like hearing them smash and clatter into each other. A great stress buster. I say ironically as I appreciate different shaped bottles and all their varying colours. I know my love of bottles and jars of all types comes from wandering around the “bottle Graveyard” in the haggard at my aunt’s mother’s house.
As there were no bottle bins back in the sixties, and quite possibly no need for them as mostly everything was recycled. But there was a little corner of the haggard reserved for the safe storage/disposal of old jars and bottles. I loved this corner!
What attracted my attention to it was the glistening of the sun on the glass, as if inviting me over to join in the merriment, as the sun’s rays on the different coloured jars danced in the summer sunshine. The haggard being a suntrap itself.
There were the ubiquitous jam jars- different from the jam jars of today, as the old ones didn’t have a screw cap, but rather a rounded lip – I know this as I still have one. There used to be two different sizes too: a one lb jar and a 2lb jar. The bigger jar was only bought around Christmas time.
There was the lovely blue of the Milk of Magnesia bottle. Vick’s medicine was also sold in blue jars. There were some green medicine bottles too. The little brown ridged iodine bottles. I loved the little bottles of all shapes and sizes. It was an added bonus if the lid was still intact. Then there were the square Chef brown sauce bottles, with the picture of the chef with his big hat and the white “smeg” on him.
There were big brown round bottles too, with shoulders on them and then a straight narrow neck. I think these used to have some animal medicine in them, or else were used to “dose” cattle with medicine. (I used to feel sorry for the cow or calf that was “bottled” as they always looked so scared, with their eyes wide open, as if pleading for understanding as to why they had to drink from such a bottle
It was fun to take out a selection of these bottles and jars and wash them. We borrowed the basin and its medal stand from the back kitchen. My aunt also had one of those metal stands.
It was three legged and tapered into a slim waist, where a circular ring kept it together, before expanding again, where another circle of metal held it in place at the tip – into this circle the basin fitted and the little bowl half way done held the soap.
I can smell the red Lifebuoy carbolic soap just thinking of it. There was also an extra metal band attached half way around the top ring, to hold the towel.
After we washed them all, my sister and I would set up shop with them. The haggard was slightly to the left from the back of my grand aunt’s house – so we were away in our own world, but also within the security net of hearing the banter and chat as my aunt, her mother, and other neighbours chatted happily in the kitchen!
A real gem to discover would be Nash’s Mineral Water bottle as we could take these over to the local shop and get money for them. That was a real treat! But it was unusual to find one as all would be returned before we got to them. Going to Mullanes with the bottles was a big event as we had to walk the mile over to the shop and we felt we really earned the money we got for them.
An added bonus was that we could then buy some more red lemonade with the money we got and this in turn let to another excursion of the shop “by and by”. But it wasn’t all fun and games: there were rows and arguments. I’ll always remember the time my sister annoyed me and I slapped her B-O-T-tom, as my aunt used to say, with the full bottle of lemonade.
The reason I remember is because the bottle broke and I lost both the longed for lemonade and the money I would have got for returning the bottle. It was Karma, I suppose, and we were both laughing and crying at the same time.
Still and all I still harbour a love of quaint shaped bottles and one of the nicest Christmas presents my sister gave me a few years ago was a beautiful bottle in a lovely presentation box. She obviously remembered my love of bottles – I wonder does she remember that fateful day too. Best not to remind her I think!
Perhaps that is why I like smashing bottles into the bottle bank – trying to erase the frustration of losing the deposit and the bottle of Nash’s red lemonade on her ‘B-O-T –tom’ that summer day long ago.
REFLECTION
The Stream of Life
Life could be compared to a stream.
In its journey to the sea
a stream cannot always advance by the shortest route,
but has to twist and turn,
and pause a while here and there,
without ever coming to a complete stop.
And yet in spite of all this dallying,
in spite of all these detours,
how quickly life’s stream runs down to the sea.
Lord, may your gentle hand guide us,
so that in spite of doubts, difficulties and dangers,
we may keep the stream of our lives
flowing towards your kingdom.
For over 1500 years pilgrims are coming to Lough Derg.
The Island continues to hold its appeal for young and old alike. 1100 – Lough Derg in possession of two islands with religious associations, a larger called Oileán na Naomh (Saints Island), and a smaller known as Station Island. Station Island had the great attraction of a cave, said to have been where Saint Patrick spent time in prayer.
1135 – Augustinian Canons in charge of Lough Derg
1153 – Knight Owein’s Pilgrimage
1186 – Henry of Saltry in Huntingdonshire writes of Knight Owein’s Pilgrimage and Purgatory – 150 copies of this text still survive in libraries across Europe
Caxton- Mirror of the World (1480)
In reference to the extraordinary tales from the pilgrimage
‘an high Canon of Waterford, which told me, hath been therin 5 or 6 times. And he saw nor suffered no such things. He saith that with procession, the religious men that be there bring him into the Hole and shut the door after him….And there he was all night in contemplation and prayer and also slept there; and on the morn he came out again…And other thing he saw not’
https://www.loughderg.org/heritage/historical-chronology/
Patrick Kavanagh
Lough Derg, St. Patrick’s Purgatory in Donegal,
Christendom’s purge. Heretical
Around the edges: the centre’s hard
As the commonplace of a flamboyant bard.
The twentieth century blows across it now
But deeply it has kept an ancient vow.
The Best John Adams Quotes
By Jeremy Anderberg on Jul 02, 2019 12:53 pm
While figures like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington may come more readily to mind when we think of America’s revolutionary period and founding, the foremost proponent of the cause of independence was truly John Adams. Nobody made more speeches with more vigor for the side of liberty. Because of this, he was put on a five-man committee to draw up a Declaration of Independence, and became that document’s most ardent advocate.
Adams continued his independent streak as the country’s second president. He refused to accept bribes of any sort, didn’t play into the political system of patronage and favors, and absolutely abhorred the budding “parties” which were forming. While those traits didn’t lend themselves to securing Adams a second term, they did cement his place in American history as a man remembered best for his integrity and honesty. He was never afraid to speak up and speak out.
Because of his avid use of rhetoric, Adams left his mark not only in the way he shaped the birth of this country, but in his words that remain with us today. Throughout his long life — which poetically ended on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration — Adams was a prodigious speaker and letter writer who never minced words. This output has left us with a treasure trove of wisdom on everything from the cause of independence, to friendship, to reading, and more.
Below we’ve curated dozens of Adams’ pithiest and sagest quotes for your enjoyment and edification.
“Public business, my son, must always be done by somebody. It will be done by somebody or other. If wise men decline it, others will not; if honest men refuse it, others will not.”
“Let frugality and industry be our virtues. Fire (our children) with ambition to be useful.”
In a letter to Abigail
“If conscience disapproves, the loudest applauses of the world are of little value.”
“Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.”
“I read my eyes out and can’t read half enough neither. The more one reads the more one sees we have to read.”
“I fear that in every elected office, members will obtain an influence by noise not sense. By meanness, not greatness. By ignorance, not learning. By contracted hearts, not large souls . . . There must be decency and respect.”
“Human passions unbridled by morality and religion . . . would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net.”
“Go on and improve in everything worthy.”
In a letter to a grandson
“The longer I live, the more I read, the more patiently I think, and the more anxiously I inquire, the less I seem to know. . . . Do justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly. This is enough.”
In a letter to a granddaughter
“Defeat appears to me preferable to total inaction.”
“Because power corrupts, society’s demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.”
“I will rouse up my mind and fix my attention. I will stand collected within myself and think upon what I read and what I see. I will strive with all my soul to be something more than persons who have had less advantages than myself.”
From his journal, as a young twentysomething
“The true source of our suffering has been our timidity. We have been afraid to think. . . . Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.”
“Move or die is the language of our Maker in the constitution of our bodies.”
In a letter to his son Charles
“The smell of the midnight lamp is very unwholesome. Never defraud yourself of sleep, nor your walk.”
In a letter to his son John Quincy
“Friendship is one of the distinguishing glorys of man. . . . From this I expect to receive the chief happiness of my future life.”
“Above all, except the wife and children, I want to see my books.”
While on circuit as a lawyer and away from his home for an extended period
“You will ever remember that all the end of study is to make you a good man and a useful citizen. This will ever be the sum total of the advice of your affectionate father.”
In a letter to his son John Quincy
“To be good, and to do good, is all we have to do.”
“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
“Virtue is not always amiable.”
“Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives. We ought to do all we can.”
“The prospect now before us in America ought . . . to engage the attention of every man of learning to matters of power and right, that we may be neither led nor driven blindfolded to irretrievable destruction.”
“Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present Generation to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the Pains to preserve it.”
“Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people.”
“You will never be alone with a poet in your pocket.”
“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.”
“No man is entirely free from weakness and imperfection in this life.”
“Liberty must at all hazards be supported. We have a right to it, derived from our Maker. But if we had not, our fathers have earned and bought it for us, at the expense of their ease, their estates, their pleasure, and their blood.”
“As much as I converse with sages and heroes, they have very little of my love or admiration. I should prefer the delights of a garden to the dominion of a world.”
“The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our people in a greater measure than they have it now, they may change their rulers and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty. They will only exchange tyrants and tyrannies.”
“I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.”
“What do we mean by the Revolution? The war? That was no part of the revolution; it was only an effect and consequence of it. The revolution was in the minds of the people.”
“Abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society.”
“To believe all men honest is folly. To believe none is something worse.”
“Tyranny can scarcely be practiced upon a virtuous and wise people.”
“Human nature with all its infirmities and depravation is still capable of great things. It should be your care, therefore, and mine, to elevate the minds of our children and exalt their courage; to accelerate and animate their industry and activity; to excite in them an habitual contempt of meanness, abhorrence of injustice and inhumanity, and an ambition to a excel in every capacity, faculty, and virtue. . . . But their bodies must be hardened, as well as their souls exalted. Without strength and activity and vigor of body, the brightest mental excellencies will be eclipsed and obscured.”
In a letter to Abigail
By Courtney Grogan
Bucharest, Romania, May 31, 2019 / 09:00 am (CNA).- Pope Francis said Friday that Catholics and Orthodox are bonded by a “shared inheritance” of suffering for Christ from the apostles to modern martyrs.
Gabriel Fitzmaurice Farewell to Poetry
Publishing Talk at Listowel 31st May 2019
Walk Around Listowel
Your video will be live at: https://youtu.be/UKaEGMVhVO4
Tallon was interested in art as a boy and began his career with the Office of Public Works, before joining the practice that would become Scott Tallon Walker in 1956. He was soon playing a leading role in building the new Ireland of the Lemass era.
His flat-roofed glass church at Knockanure in Co Kerry was the country's first completely modern church. Other significant buildings included the Carroll's factory in Dundalk, the Bank of Ireland headquarters in Dublin, the Lisney offices on St Stephen's Green, and the RTE campus at Donnybrook.
The Cost of “Progress”
by Domhnall de Barra
There has been a dramatic change in the way we produce food and do our shopping in recent years. Not that long ago everybody who had a patch of ground made a garden to supply the home with potatoes, cabbage, carrots, parsnips, turnips etc. Those with larger pieces of ground also had mangolds for the cows and oats for the horses. It was fairly common for a farmer to give a piece of ground to a neighbour who didn’t have any land of his own so that he might cultivate it. There were very few, if any, chemicals used except maybe a spray to prevent blight or a few pellets to keep the slugs away from the cabbage. Farmyard manure was the driving force and the vegetables, when ready, were taken from the ground and straight onto the table. There is no better taste than fresh vegetables, especially those grown on your own land. People in large towns and cities did not have this luxury but, in some cases, they were able to rent allotments that were owned by the local authorities to make their gardens. I remember years ago in Coventry when my uncle-in-law, Pat O’Sullivan who came originally from Caolchill in West Cork, had such an allotment. I was a young fellow of 16 at the time and had no appreciation of the art of gardening; hurling and football were more important, so I was never too pleased when Pat announced that we would go to the allotment. After a while though I began to like it, especially when it came to the harvest time and we would arrive home with buckets of fresh produce. The arrival of the supermarkets with relatively cheap food changed everything. Now it was cheaper to buy vegetables than to set them. As time went on they became cheaper and cheaper with rival supermarket chains trying to outdo each other. With the small gardens gone the big market gardeners were the only suppliers but now the supermarkets began to put the squeeze on them. They had the buying power and dictated the price. The producer had no place else to go so it was take it or leave it. They took it for a while but nearly half of them have gone out of business in the last few years. This is a worrying trend because we knew where the vegetables came from and were assured quality by the Irish system. The supermarkets will source food wherever it can get it but there is no guarantee that it will be anywhere near the quality we had before. It is likely that these vegetables will be artificially forced to mature as quickly as possible and will be sprayed with chemicals to extend their shelf life. Just look at fruit. Take an apple from a tree an leave it for two days and it will start to go off. The same type of apple will sit for a week on a supermarket shelf and will look as fresh as a daisy. Is it any wonder that we are so unhealthy? I am no expert but you don’t need a degree to work out that spraying with chemicals has a knock on effect that does not do us any good. The more I think about supermarkets the angrier I become. Their only motivation is profit and they don’t mind how many people they put out of business in the process. Look at all the shops and traders that have closed down because they could not even buy products at the price they sell for in the supermarkets. Greengrocers, butchers, bakers and many others are disappearing from our towns and villages. The counter argument is that they are giving employment locally. True but what kind of employment is it? Many workers are on what is known as “zero hours contracts” . They do not know when they are working or for how long. Because of that insecurity they have no hope of getting a mortgage for a house or indeed just making short-term plans for the future. Yes, it is all very well to be getting food for half nothing but what is the real cost and where is this race to the bottom going to end. People were never more conscious of what they eat and every second program on the TV is telling us what is not good for us. If we want quality we will have to pay a little more for it or we will have no producers left. What about the price of a litre of milk? It is cheaper by far than water when you look at €2.50 for a 30ml bottle. There is no comparison to the price the farmer gets to the shelf price. This forces more intense dairy farming with every inch of grazing land being used up to maximise the herd numbers. Herds are getting bigger every year and if the trend continues there will only be a handful of very big ranches in each county. Milk is a vital commodity that we use every day and, let’s be honest , we could afford to pay a little more for it but if the supermarkets continue to sell their own labels at ridiculously low prices the future of dairy farming in this country is not looking too good. There is no way of turning back the clock so we have to find a way forward that will ensure we have an available food at prices that will give a living to the producers or we will be consuming produce from the other side of the world, probably created by slave labour.
I’m glad I am not young again!
Having Talks in Kerry Diocese Lent 2019.
Fr. Eamonn Fitzgibbon is currently the Director of The Irish Institute for Pastoral Studies, based in the Thurles Campus of Mary Immaculate College, and is also Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Planning in his home diocese of Limerick, and Director of the recent Limerick Diocesan Synod (2016).
Olive Foley is the wife of the late Anthony Foley, an Irish and Munster rugby playing legend. His untimely death on October 16th, 2016 led to a national and international outpouring of sadness over his sudden death, but also support for Olive and her young family. Through her difficulties she has seen family at its best and she has placed her trust in God. Olive is a former banker but is now working closely with Sr. Helen Culhane and The Children’s Grief Centre, Limerick in her role as ambassador.
Dr. Lorna Gold is a Scottish-Irish climate campaigner, academic and mother of two boys. She has worked in Ireland for the past two decades, leading Trócaire’s Policy and Advocacy work and climate justice. Her most recent book, Climate Generation (Veritas, 2018) tells one mother’s story of waking up to her children’s future in a climate changed world.
Gerry Hussey has prepared and led teams for success at Olympic Games, Heineken cups, World cups and All Ireland Championships, working across many elite teams including Professional Rugby, Olympic Sailing, Athletics, Olympic Boxing, Track Cycling and GAA. He has developed a series of wellness and performance programmes where he enables people to reconnect with the very best version of themselves.
Br. Pádraig McIntyre is a baker, singer, and monk of Glenstal Abbey, Co Limerick since 2009 where he heads the Hospitality team. A native of Kenmare, he worked as Director of Liturgical Music in this diocese for a number of years. He has an MA in ritual chant and song from the University of Limerick, taking electives in dance and religious song from the Irish Tradition.Fr. Peter McVerry SJ is a Jesuit priest, has worked with homeless young men for nearly 40 years and is the founder of the Peter McVerry Trust. He is the author of Jesus: Social Revolutionary; The God of Mercy, The God of the Gospels and The Meaning is in the Shadows .
Philip Mulryne O.P Previous to entering the Dominican Order he spent 13 years as a professional footballer in England. He left home in Belfast, in 1994 and spent six years playing for Manchester United. After six years at Norwich City football club, he decided to take a year out of football and returned home to Belfast. I t was in that year that he rediscovered his faith and the vocation to religious life and priesthood. At present he is Chaplain to Newbridge College, Co. Kildare.
Fr. Donal O’Connor is a poet and a priest of the Diocese of Kerry, presently ministering as Chaplain to IT Tralee. He has also worked as chaplain to Beara Community School, as a curate in Listowel and as parish priest in Beaufort. He presentson the diocesan Course in Pastoral Ministry.
Martina Lehane Sheehan is an accredited psychotherapist and spiritual director, regularly facilitates retreats and workshops on matters of spirituality and personal development. She is a very popular author and has written widely on prayer and spirituality, as well as Christian mindfulness: Seeing Anew, Whispers in the stillness, and Waiting in Mindful Hope.
PRO-LIFE PRAYER: All powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with your tenderness all that exists. We praise and thank you for your love and care for the human family. You love each one of us from the day of our conception to the day each of us returns to you in death. Now that new laws are in place in our country, give us the grace to continue to promote the right to life of the unborn child in the womb. Bless parents and children everywhere. Pour out upon us the power of your love that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as sisters and brothers harming no one. Amen. (Adapted from prayer of Pope Francis)
Lent: Week 5 – Reflection
Is Jesus here the God of surprises? Some men had brought a sinful woman to him. Would he condemn, and approve of death by stoning? They wondered what he might say about the law. They had come to punish her. His actions were different.
No condemnation of the woman and no condemnation of them either, just a very challenging question about the way we condemn people – ‘if you have no sin, cast the first stone.’ No words about law – just a writing in the sand and we don’t know what he wrote.
A surprising Rabbi, a surprising God.
Whatever way he acted, they did not argue. Maybe they saw some truth. They just quietly left. Maybe they got some message that love, like his for the woman, was more important than such a violent law, to stone someone to death.
A surprise for the woman also. She was so used to being condemned, with no mention of the partner in adultery. She realised that because of Jesus now, nobody condemned her. Because of Jesus she no longer condemned herself. Because of this love and acceptance, she had strength not to sin again which was the challenge given to her by Jesus ‘go and sin no more.’
Lord by your cross and resurrection, you have set us free. You are the saviour of the world.
Dame Dehra Parker, Stormont Castle, Belfast, Dehra Parker was one of the most prominent female political activists and politicians in early twentieth-century Ulster. She was a member of both the Ulster Women’s Unionist Council and the Ulster Volunteer Force. During the home rule crisis, she was involved in gun-running for the volunteers. Later, during the first world war, she organised nurses’ units, assisted soldiers' and sailors’ families and worked in the war pensions department.
(Break)
Nora ConnollyGlenalina Terrace, Falls Road, BelfastNora Connolly was the second-oldest child of James and Lillie Connolly. As a child she was immersed in the socialist and political activities of her parents, particularly her father. The family travelled during her youth, living in Scotland, Dublin and America before settling in Belfast in 1911.
http://www.ul.ie/wic/sites/default/files/Belfast%20text%20for%20Resources2.pdf
Limerick 1912-1922The impact of women on public life in Limerick during the seminal decade of 1912-22 was probably most pronounced in the political and military actions of the republican organisation Cumann na mBan. While the influence of the organisation on the national stage may remain debatable, in Limerick at least, Cumann na mBan was a revolutionary organisation, prepared to offer continual resistance to British rule.
http://www.ul.ie/wic/sites/default/files/Limerick%20for%20Resources2.pdf
400 Republican women were imprisoned as Ferriter states, ‘It was a far cry from the domestic chores that many male nationalists had envisaged for Cumann na mBan’.23It is evident that women were extensively involved in many aspects of the key political events, movements and organisations between 1912-1922.
http://www.ul.ie/wic/sites/default/files/Women%20and%20%20History%201912-22.pdf
Sean Sheehy
Wed, Jan 23, 2:03 PM
to me
Fidelity to God’s Word
Some people call themselves “Bible believers” but aren’t united in Jesus’ one Church. A “Bible believer” is a person who presumably believes in God’s written word. That means believing in Jesus since He is God’s Word-made-flesh. We can’t believe in Him except through the power of the Holy Spirit, who is a Spirit of unity. Faith in Jesus and division amongst believers is a contradiction. Unity is an essential characteristic of Jesus’ Church. “I plead with you …to live a life worthy of the calling you have received, with perfect humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another lovingly. Make every effort to preserve the unity with the Spirit as its origin and peace as its binding force. There is but one body and one Spirit, just as there is but one hope given all of you by your call. There is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all, and works through all, and is in all.” (Eph 4:1-6) Fidelity to God’s word is visible through participation in Jesus’ Church.
Jesus prayed to His Father for His Apostles: “Consecrate them by means of the truth – Your word is truth…. I consecrate myself for their sakes now, that they may be consecrated in truth.” (Jn 17:17, 19) Truth always unites since reason has to accept it. It’s unreasonable to reject truth. Jesus prayed, “I do not pray for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their word, that all may be one as You, Father, are in me, and I in You; I pray that they may be one in us, that the world may believe that You sent me.” (Jn 17:20-21) Christians are those who are baptized in the Name of the Holy Trinity. Since the Three Divine Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – are completely united, how can those baptized in their Name reject unity? Those who call themselves Christian but aren’t united contradict God’s Word. True Bible believers are united in the Church Jesus founded on Peter and continues under the leadership of his successors guided by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is God in human form and came to save man and woman from their internal and communal disunity due to their sin. He is the fulfilment of God’s word identifying the Messiah uttered by Isaiah700 years previously. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind and release to prisoners, to announce a year of favour from the Lord.” After reading this, He stated: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Lk 4:18, 21) Jesus came to unite people in hope, freedom from sin, healing, and blessing in His company. To be sure we’re in His company we must be united in His Church where He is present until the end of time. There’s only one Jesus who is the head of His one Church in which He “reconcile(s) everything in His Person, both on earth and in the heavens, making peace through the blood of His Cross.” (Col1 1:18-20)
Jesus wept when He saw the crowds who “were …like sheep without a shepherd.” (Mt 9:36) Jesus lamented the disunity He saw in Jerusalem. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… How often I wanted to gather your children together as a mother bird collects her young under her wings, and you refused me.” (Lk 13:34) Sadly, Jesus would say the same today, “O Christians, Christians, How often have I wanted to gather you together in my Church, but you refused me!” Jesus founded His Church on Peter to provide a visible shepherd in His Name as the principle of unity among all His followers until the end of time. For this reason He told the Apostles and the 72 disciples with Peter as their leader, “He who hears you, hears me. He who rejects you, rejects me. And he who rejects me, rejects Him who sent me.” (Lk 10:16) Jesus’ Church has only one supreme leader on earth who has the authority to authentically interpret and teach God’s word in His Name.
Fidelity to God’s word implies and necessitates a commitment to promoting the unity of all Christians. St. Paul compared the members of Jesus’ Church to the organs of the human body. Like a bodily organ, each member of the Church has a specific gift and mission, but all work together for the unity and health of the whole body. “The body is one and has many members, but all the members, many though they are, are one body; and so it is with Christ. It was in one Spirit that all of us, whether Jew or Greek, slave or free, were baptized into one body.” (1 Cor 12:12-13) Earlier he told the Corinthians, “There are different gifts but the same Spirit … To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (1 Cor 12:4,7) Unity in the community must be the goal of every Christian. Satan, as St. Augustine said about the world, “flatters to deceive, and frightens to intimidate” trying to cause division in the body of Christ. We cannot believe in the Bible and not be united in Jesus’ Church using the Spirit’s gifts in the cause of unifying His visible body on earth. We can’t be faithful to God’s word without being faithful members of Jesus’ One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. (frsos)
Sean Sheehy
Wed, Jan 30, 2:35 PM (13 days ago)
to me
The Importance of Knowing that You Don’t Know
The problem with many non-Churchgoers is that they don’t know that they don’t know what they’re missing. There a saying that what you don’t know won’t bother you. Is that true? Won’t an undiscovered disease bother you in the long run? Ignorance isn’t bliss. Ignorance of Christianity keeps us ignorant of what is necessary to be fully human and leaves us unprepared to face God’s judgment. Ignorance is vincible when we could find the truth but were two lazy or busy to search. It is invincible ignorance when we tried but couldn’t find the truth or were led astray. If we lack knowledge, the reasonable thing to do is seek it. The big obstacle is when we think we know but actually don’t know. Then we’ve no incentive to seek the pertinent information. If people don’t know that they don’t know God they won’t ever come to know Him because they think they know Him, but they don’t. What they’ve done is create a god in their own image and likeness – a false god whom they idolize making themselves idolaters.
Albert Einstein wrote that, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvellous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day.” (“An Old Man’s Advice to Youth: ‘Never Lose a Holy Curiosity.’” Life Magazine, May 1955) There’s a saying that “Curiosity killed the cat, but information brought him back.” The most important information we need is about the mystery of God, our self, our purpose, and our destiny. We need, in Einstein’s words, “to comprehend a little of this mystery each day.” We need to know the truth about who God is, who we truly are, what is our real purpose, our true destiny and how to reach it.
Truth is that which stands on its own and squares with the facts, withstanding the test of time. God is the ultimate Truth. Jesus, God-made-man, identified Himself as the “Truth”. (Jn 14:6) So “truth” is no longer an abstract concept but a Person. Jesus informed His listeners, “If you live according to my teaching, you are truly my disciples; then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jn 8:31-32) Freedom is about achieving all God created us to be, namely His images and likenesses. Jesus is the truth who sets us free because He shows us how to be God’s image and likeness. He gives us the grace to repent and seek forgiveness for the sins that taint us as God’s images and makes us unlike Him.
In our quest for truth the first essential question is: “Who is God?” Jesus tells us, therefore we need to listen to Him in the Bible and His Church’s Catechism. He answers my question: “Who am I?” by telling me, “You are God’s gifted child whom He has adopted out of love, to love, and for love.” My true identity is essential for a healthy relationship with anyone. He tells me my true purpose, destiny, and the source of my power so I can live a productive and fulfilling life. The apparent cultural acceptance of abortion, euthanasia, and the “transgender” phenomenon are examples of people not knowing that they don’t know who they are as human beings. By default they decide themselves what’s male or female, human or non-human even when biology and nature contradicts them. Only the Creator can give the creature its true identity. God tells us, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you a prophet to the nations I appointed you…” (Jer 1:5) What God revealed to Jeremiah applies to every human being, namely that He created every person from the moment of conception with a specific gender equipped with gifts to enrich His people and save the world from destruction. He tells us that we’re here with a purpose, namely to discover, develop, and use His gifts in loving God and our neighbour.
Knowing the source of our true identity, purpose, destination, and power enables us to pray, “In You, O Lord, I take refuge …In Your justice rescue me and deliver me; incline Your ear to me and save me… For You are my hope, O Lord; my trust, O God, from my youth. On You I depend from birth; from my mother’s womb You are my strength; constant has been my hope in You” (Ps 71:1-6)
The truth often hurts but it always sets us free to face reality rather than flee from it or pretend it doesn’t exist. When we ignore the truth we act irrationally. The people of Nazareth rejected Jesus because He exposed them to the truth about themselves and they didn’t like it so they tried to kill Him. (Lk 4:21-30) They didn’t know that they didn’t know what was good for them. They preferred their own “truth” which was false. Truth is essential for love. We can’t love what isn’t true. Unless we know the truth about our real identity, purpose, destination, and power we’re doomed to isolation, alienation, frustration, and failure. We know that we know when admit that our identity, purpose, destination, and power come from God, not ourselves. Hence the great need to know God by following Jesus in His Church. Knowing Jesus, who I am, why I’m here, where I’m going, and the source of my power is the greatest knowledge and blessing I could ever wish for. We must avoid being doomed by thinking we know what we don’t know. (frsos)
Sean Sheehy
Wed, Feb 6, 12:30 PM (6 days ago)
to me
God Exposes and Recomposes
Thomas a Kempis wrote in his “Imitation of Christ” that “…man proposes, but God disposes; neither is the way of man in his own hands”. Regardless of what we plan in life or how much effort we put into its pursuit, we’re not in control of the end result. Someone said that “if you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.” If our success isn’t fully in our hands, then it must be in God’s hands. Does that mean God controls us like robots? No. We have free will to make our own decisions. The reality is that more often than not our decisions take us beyond our natural capabilities and we can’t achieve our goals. As a child needs the parents’ assistance, so we need God.
How does God help us and at the same time honour our free will? He exposes us to our self in terms of our limitations and our need for supernatural help. God reveals the good and evil of which we’re capable. He achieves this through Jesus Christ present in His Church who demonstrates what God originally created man and woman to be, namely His image and likeness. Through Jesus God exposes us to who we are as sinners and offers to recompose us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the model of what it means to be fully human. God recomposes us by restoring in us a state or feeling of well-being and control over our self. The Greek Philosopher, Plato, wrote that, “The first and best victory is to conquer ego. To be conquered by ego is, of all things, the most shameful and vile.” Self-control, a gift of the Holy Spirit, enables us to achieve our full potential. Since only our Creator knows our full potential we need God to tell us what it is and how to achieve it.
God revealed in the Old Testament His mission to expose and recompose man and woman to their original composure. He first exposed them to their sin by removing them from the Garden of Eden. Sin is our downfall as human beings. Exposing us to our sin is the first step to being restored to what God created us to be. God does this through His presence. The more we know and experience God’s presence the more conscious we become of our tendency to sin. But God doesn’t do this to condemn us but rather to let us see what we need to eliminate in order to be His image and likeness. The more we image God and are like Him the more we’re in control of our ego and the happier we are. Jesus is God’s perfect image and likeness so He is our standard against Whom we measure our progress in our self-awareness and composure.
When we ignore God or push Him out of our life we lose our sense of sin. That translates into a loss of control of our ego and its selfish desires. Thus we create a society whose members become disconnected, each looking out for his or her own pleasure. It also leads to pride which is so easily offended and quickly uses violent retaliation to resolve conflicts. Exposure to sin is essential for our well-being as men and women. The more we’re exposed to our sin the more we’re motivated to look for ways and means to eliminate it and be graceful people. This is where Jesus’ Church becomes necessary as the visible means that God has set in place where He can expose us to our sins and recompose our self so that we will love without counting the cost.
Isaiah experienced exposure to his sin when God called Him to be His prophet. He reacted, “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips…” (Is 6:5) God recomposed him by cleansing him from his sinfulness. “Your wickedness is removed, your sin is purged.” (Is 6:7) As a recomposed person Isiah was able to respond in love, “Here I am, send me.” (Is 6:8) Jesus exposed Paul to His sin and then recomposed him through forgiveness making him His Apostle to the Gentiles. Jesus exposed Peter to his sin and then recomposed him through forgiveness designating him as the leader of His Apostles and head of His Church. Paul witnessed Jesus’ Good News to the world that sin can be forgiven if repented. “For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Cor 15:1-11) God exposed Peter to his sinfulness when he reluctantly cast his net again at Jesus’ bidding. After hauling a great catch of fish, “Peter fell at the knees of Jesus saying, ‘Leave me, Lord. I am a sinful man.’” (Lk 5:8) Jesus recomposed him when He forgave him and said, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will be catching men.” (Lk 5:10)
Through Jesus’ Church God exposes and recomposes us through the peaching of His word and the celebration of the Sacraments. We mustn’t be afraid of being exposed to our sinfulness because that’s the only way God can recompose us. Then we’re able to say with confidence, “The Lord will complete what He has done for me; Your kindness, O Lord, endures forever; forsake not the work of Your hands.” (Ps 138:7-8) Keep God in your plans. (frsos)
HEALING THE WOUNDS OF THE HEART
All of us are wounded by sin.
The part of us which is most deeply damaged by sin is the heart.
The heart is so beautiful, so innocent,
but it can be betrayed, scorned and broken.
Darkness of the heart is the blackest night of all.
Emptiness of the heart is the greatest poverty of all.
A heavy heart is the most wearisome burden of all.
A broken heart is the most painful wound of all.
Only love can heal the wounds of the heart.
Lord, send your Holy Spirit to us,
to heal the wounds of our hearts,
so that we may produce the fruits of love.
Message From Bishop Ray Browne
Catholic Schools Week 2019
“Celebrating the Work of our own Catholic School”.
I am delighted to launch Catholic Schools Week 2019, which begins on Sunday 27th
January and continues until the following Sunday. This year’s theme is “Celebrating the Work of our own Catholic School”.It is a theme that encourages us to recall the history and traditions of our own school and to appreciate them. There is always a danger that familiarity can lead to taking things for granted. You have much to celebrate. A key strength of our schools is that they are local. The whole school staff know the local people and know and respect their vision for their children. For many years now the members of each school Board of Management are local people.
Three characteristics of every school are 1) welcoming diversity, 2) serving the local community and 3) supporting faith. These are very important amid all the changes in Irish society today.
The key to a Catholic School is faith and confidence in God. Our faith tells us that God created the world and at its heart placed the human family, ‘female and male he created them’. The Bible gives us six very important small words, ‘God saw that it was good’. Our faith and confidence is in a caring, loving God. Values are central to a Catholic school. All our values have as their foundation the words of Jesus, ‘Love one another, as I have loved you’. Care for one another, the dignity of every person, respect, mercy, fairness, and justice, -all values have their origins in God’s love.This year each community is asked to focus on their own local school. In celebrating Catholic Schools
Week enjoy remembering the past, honouring the present, and committing to give of your best in the future. Google ‘Catholic Schools Week 2019’ and you will get full resources in both English and Irish. God bless every school community, staff, pupils and their families.
Bishop Ray Browne 18 January 2019
BIODIVERSITY: The National Biodiversity Data Centre is a national centre that collates, manages, analyses and disseminates data on Ireland’s biodiversity. It manages a large work programme of biodiversity data management and associated thematic projects that bring added value to the data management role. One of these thematic projects is the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan was published in September 2015, making Ireland one of the first countries in Europe with an approach to address the problem of pollinator declines. It is supported by more than 90 governmental and non-governmental organisations and it has identified 81 actions to make Ireland, North and South, more pollinator-friendly. A 16-member steering group provide oversight of the Plan with implementation coordinated by the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
http://www.biodiversityireland.ie/the-data-centre-is-employing-2/
Wisdom from the Desert
"Sr. Joan Chittister has done it again. She touches your soul. She places you beyond your human self."—an Amazon review
The Desert Monastics, thousands of monks and nuns who lived in the Egyptian wastelands between the third and fifth centuries, have come to be seen as the Olympians of the spiritual life. Renowned spiritual writer Joan Chittister explores the sayings of the Desert Mothers and Fathers, finding wisdom from that ancient tradition that speaks to your life today. In God's Holy Light is a powerful source of Christian wisdom can be a companion to your own spiritual journey.
A Tale of Abba Anthony
A hunter in the desert saw Abba Anthony enjoying himself with the brethren and he was shocked. Wanting to show him that it was necessary sometimes to meet the needs of the brethren, the old man said to him, ”Put an arrow in your bow and shoot it.”
So he did. The old man then said, “Shoot another,” and he did so.
Then the old man said, ”Shoot yet again,” and the hunter replied, “If I bend my bow so much I will break it.”
Then the old man said to him, “It is the same with the work of God. If we stretch the brethren beyond measure they will soon break. Sometimes it is necessary to come down to meet their needs.”
When he heard these words the hunter was pierced by compunction and, greatly edified by the old man, he went away. As for the brethren, they went home strengthened.
—from The Sayings of the Desert Fathers
WORLD YOUTH PRAYER 2019
Merciful Father,
You call us to live our lives as a way of salvation.
Help us to recall the past with gratitude,
to embrace the present with courage
and to build the future with hope.
Lord Jesus, our friend and brother,
thank you for looking upon us with love.
Let us listen to your voice as it resonates in the hearts
of each one with the strength and light of the Holy Spirit.
Grant us the grace of being a Church that goes forth with vibrant faith
and a youthful face to communicate the joy of the Gospel.
May we help to build up the kind of society we long for,
one where there is fairness and fellowship.
We pray for the Pope and the bishops;
for young people; for all those who will take part in World Youth Day in Panama
and for those who are preparing to welcome them.
Our Lady of Antigua, Patroness of Panama,
help us to pray and live with generosity like yours:
“I am the servant of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).
Amen
Prayer for the New Year
On New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, the household gathers at the table or at the Christmas tree or manger scene. Many people make New Year’s Day a day of prayer for peace.
All make the sign of the cross. The leader begins:
Let us praise the Lord of days and seasons and years, saying:
Glory to God in the highest!
R/. And peace to his people on earth!
The leader may use these or similar words to introduce the blessing:
Our lives are made of days and nights, of seasons and years,
for we are part of a universe of suns and moons and planets.
We mark ends and we make beginnings and, in all, we
praise God for the grace and mercy that fill our days.
Then the Scripture is read, Book of Genesis 1:14-19:
Listen to the words of the Book of Genesis:
God said: “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years, and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth.” And so it happened: God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night; and he made the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw how good it was. Evening came, and morning followed—the fourth day.
(The family’s Bible may be used for an alternate reading such as Psalm 90:1-4.)
Reader: The Word of the Lord.
R/. Thanks be to God.
After a time of silence, members of the household offer prayers of thanksgiving for the past year, and of intercession for the year to come. On January 1, it may be appropriate to conclude these prayers with the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (in Part VII: Litanies) since this is the solemn feast of Mary, Mother of God. In conclusion, all join hands for the Lord’s Prayer. Then the leader continues:
Let us now pray for God’s blessing in the new year.
After a short silence, parents may place their hands on their children in blessing as the leader says:
Remember us, O God;
from age to age be our comforter.
You have given us the wonder of time,
blessings in days and nights, seasons and years.
Bless your children at the turning of the year
and fill the months ahead with the bright hope
that is ours in the coming of Christ.
You are our God, living and reigning, forever and ever.
R/. Amen.
Another prayer for peace may be said:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
R/. Amen.
—Attributed to St. Francis of Assisi
The leader says:
Let us bless the Lord.
All respond, making the sign of the cross:
Thanks be to God.
The prayer may conclude with the singing of a Christmas carol.
—From Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers
http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/prayers/prayer-for-the-new-year.cfm
That’s a snapshot of the wide range of Priests for Life’s work and influence.
But all of that work needs constant funding if it’s to prosper and prove fruitful.
(Break) Nov 2018.
The newly elected members of the U.S. House of Representatives are getting a lot of media these days but it’s the returning incumbent members who need your attention.
In January 2018, 183 members of the House – all Democrats –
voted against a bill that would have protected newborns who survive an abortion!
Of that total, 165 were re-elected to Congress. Most Americans probably don’t know about the vote on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act or they wouldn’t have voted these lawmakers back into office.
Think for a minute what we’re talking about. A child survives an abortionist’s best efforts to kill her. The child is alive and breathing outside of the mother’s body.
What happens next says a lot about who we are as a society. The child can be taken to a hospital, like this bill would require, and given life-saving care or he can be abandoned, alone and cold, to wait for death – or be deliberately suffocated. Dec 2018.
Donnie Mula
July 24 ·
Take a knee...
I don't think I've ever read anything more powerful than this piece.
It was written by
Ted Nugent
Take a little trip to Valley Forge in January. Hold a musket ball in your
Fingers and imagine it piercing your flesh and breaking a bone or two.
There won't be a doctor or trainer to assist you until after the battle, so
Just wait your turn. Take your cleats and socks off to get a real
Experience.
Then, take a knee on the beach in Normandy where man after American man
Stormed the beach, even as the one in front of him was shot to pieces, the
Very sea stained with American blood. The only blockers most had were the
Dead bodies in front of them, riddled with bullets from enemy fire.
Take a knee in the sweat soaked jungles of Vietnam. From Khe Sanh to
Saigon, anywhere will do. Americans died in all those jungles. There was no
Playbook that told them what was next, but they knew what flag they
Represented. When they came home, they were protested as well, and spit on
For reasons only cowards know.
Take another knee in the blood drenched sands of Fallujah in 110 degree
Heat. Wear your Kevlar helmet and battle dress. Your number won't be
Printed on it unless your number is up! You'll need to stay hydrated but
There won't be anyone to squirt Gatorade into your mouth. You're on your
Own.
There are a lot of places to take a knee where Americans have given their
Lives all over the world. When you use the banner under which they fought
As a source for your displeasure, you dishonor the memories of those who
Bled for the very freedoms you have. That's what the red stripes mean. It
Represents the blood of those who spilled a sea of it defending your
Liberty.
While you're on your knee, pray for those that came before you, not on a
Manicured lawn striped and printed with numbers to announce every inch of
Ground taken, but on nameless hills and bloodied beaches and sweltering
Forests and bitter cold mountains, every inch marked by an American life
Lost serving that flag you protest.
No cheerleaders, no announcers, no coaches, no fans, just American men and
Women, delivering the real fight against those who chose to harm us,
Blazing a path so you would have the right to "take a knee." You haven't
Any inkling of what it took to get you where you are, but your "protest" is
Duly noted. Not only is it disgraceful to a nation of real heroes, it
Serves the purpose of pointing to your ingratitude for those who chose to
Defend you under that banner that will still wave long after your jersey is
Retired.
If you really feel the need to take a knee, come with me to church on
Sunday and we'll both kneel before Almighty God. We'll thank Him for
Preserving this country for as long as He has. We'll beg forgiveness for our
Ingratitude for all He has provided us. We'll appeal to Him for
Understanding and wisdom. We'll pray for liberty and justice for all,
Because He is the one who provides those things. But there will be no
Protest. There will only be gratitude for His provision and a plea for His
Continued grace and mercy on the land of the free and the home of the
Brave. It goes like this, GOD BLESS AMERICA
BEIRUIT
September 3rd 2018 marked the launch of a partnership between the Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences (GCHERA) and the American University of Beirut (AUB) in a project funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF). The launch ceremony held on the Beirut campus of AUB highlighted experiential learning and community engagement as central elements of the project, which will extend the EARTH University model to institutions in Mexico and Haiti.
La June Montgomery Tabron, President & CEO, W.K. Kellogg Foundation spoke via video link. Ms. Tabron welcomed the partnership with AUB and GCHERA and stated, “we know that what you will create from this endeavour will be outstanding leaders across the globe, leaders who will go back to their own communities and improve the lives of the families and children of those places. As a founding funder of EARTH University, we have a long history with EARTH and the mission of preparing visionary leaders for service in their home countries. Our founder, Will Keith Kellogg, believed in the capacity of people to change the world around them. EARTH’s spirit and purpose is a part of Mr. Kellogg’s legacy. This new project to bring EARTH’s service learning model to students in many more countries will only widen the circle of this important work.”
The President of AUB, Dr. Fadlo R Khuri noted that “for hundreds of years, universities have advanced science and knowledge but we have not done enough student-centric learning. Young people have a strong desire to change the world. We are looking at a new model to transform university education by working formally to develop future leaders and change agents using the EARTH University model.” He went on to say, “as the first four institutions demonstrate the success of the model, others will follow, bringing changes to many GCHERA universities.”
Dr. José Zaglul, President Emeritus of EARTH University, spoke about the importance of values and ethics, and the role that academic institutions can play in resolving conflict and helping ensure the sustainability of the planet that we call home. Dr. Zaglul stressed that “academic institutions can change the world and very quickly because most of the leaders from the private and public sectors, government and politicians are university graduates. It is a dream, and we have to dream if we want to make a change. If we work together, we can change the world.”
STROKE
To summarize, there’s no evidence that performing the Valsalva maneuver while lifting will increase the chances of having a stroke, an aneurysm, or chronic high blood pressure.
Now for the subtleties: If you have an intracranial aneurysm, you probably don’t know you do, and you won’t know until it bursts. Can doing the Valsalva maneuver while lifting weights cause it to burst? Maybe, but one study found that an aneurysm is more likely to rupture from straining to poop, having sex, or blowing your nose; i.e., just doing regular life things is more likely to burst an aneurysm than lifting weights with the Valsalva maneuver. If you have a family history of aneurysms or suspect you have an intracranial aneurysm, you probably shouldn’t be lifting at all unless cleared by your doctor.
REFLECTION
“The greatest evil in the world today
is the terrible indifference towards one’s neighbour,
which is so widespread.”
Lord, save us from the scourge of indifference.
Open our hearts when they are closed,
soften them when they are hard,
and warm them when they are cold,
so that we may listen to the cries of the needy,
and bear the fruits of love.
St. Teresa of Calcutta.
Use it or Lose it
By Domhnall de Barra
The slogan “lose it or use it” is very apt in the current climate with the possibility of no post office in many rural villages, Athea amongst them. With the advent of modern technology people are being encouraged to do most of their business on line. It is easy to get your car taxed, pay your utility bills, dog licences, TV licenses etc from the comfort of your own home without the hassle of having to drive to the nearest post office or tax office. Pensions can be paid into bank accounts so all you need is a convenient ATM to get your money. I must admit to taking advantage of the online system for most of my transactions without ever thinking of the consequences for our post office. I’m sure there are many more of you out there who do the same. Had we all used the post office instead we wouldn’t be facing the predicament that we now do. The sub-title on the bottom of this newsletter reads “Support Local Enterprise”. Well, some of us are guilty of not doing so. At one stage there were five sets of petrol pumps in the parish. Gradually that number was reduced until there was only one in the village which has now sadly closed as well. The reason it closed is because it was not viable for the owner to keep it open. I was talking to a motorist from the parish one day who told me that he would not buy his petrol in Athea because it was 1c a litre cheaper in Newcastle West. I am sure there were more like him but now that the pumps have closed they will have to do a minimum round trip of 14 miles if they need a gallon of petrol for their lawn mower – false economy in the long run.
We are down to one shop in the village. I remember a time when every second house in the street was a business of some kind. Of course those were the days before the Lidl’s and Aldi’s of this world came to our shores along with the Tesco’s and our own Irish supermarkets. Of course people will do the big shop where the best bargains are but unless it is a big shop the savings can be minimal if you take into consideration the cost of travel and the fact that supermarket aisles are laid out to tempt us into buying goods we don’t really need. “Buy one, get another for half price” sounds like a good deal but, nine times out of ten the second item is chucked out of the fridge the following week. The local shop is there for our convenience so, if we want to keep it, we have to support it. Can you imagine a time when you get up in the morning, find the milk sour, and have to travel to Abbeyfeale or Listowel to buy a pint! That is the reality in villages like Mountcollins and Tournafulla, villages that were once vibrant. In this day and age it is difficult to keep villages alive but we have a better chance than most here in Athea.
The doctor’s surgery brings people to the village on a daily basis. Many of those will come down the village to get their prescriptions filled at the chemist’s and while in town may visit the shop or the butchers because it is convenient. This is why the creamery was so important and why its closure was such a big blow to the businesses of the area.
If we want to keep what services we have left we have to support them. I know what it is like to try and keep going in a small village. Printing has changed a lot over the years but business has continued to decline year by year as there are more and more paperless transactions. One time I was doing hundreds of invoice books. Now, firms send an email to their customers with the invoice as an attachment that they themselves have to download and print out. Very little expense involved there. I am now semi-retired so it does not really affect me but I have to say the support I get from local organisations is disappointing. Some get their printing done outside the parish. Now they have every right to do this and maybe they are getting a better price but, my point is, when I am finished there will not be enough business for anybody else to carry on and another door will close. This will mean the end of the weekly newsletter and the annual journal because the printing has been supplementing those two for the past few years. I do it because I love doing it but it would not pay anybody else to take it on.
This is what happens when we do not support our local businesses and we will eventually end up with a village that will resemble a big housing estate. If we want to stay alive our first task is to fight for our post office/ We have two businesses who are interested in maintaining the services if An Post are willing to reverse their decision to close. Please put as much pressure as possible on your local TDs and councillors to lobby on our behalf. It is up to all of us to try our best. We may not succeed but we will not go down without a fight. Everything should not be about economy and ensuring every government service makes a profit. People who live in isolated rural areas deserve the same services as those living in Dublin 4. This is what our democracy is built on and what our forefathers fought and died for. In the grand scheme of things, the cost of keeping post offices open in smaller villages is but a pittance but the social cost of closing them is vast. Ladies and gentlemen, it is up to you!!!
September Memories
by Domhnall de Barra
The dawning of September, long ago, meant that school holidays were over and the Summer was gone all too soon. On the first morning back we trudged our way to the schoolhouse in Cratloe with no great enthusiasm for the treatment we knew we were facing from the teachers for the next few months until Christmas. In those days they made sure they did not “spare the rod and spoil the child” so we braved the elements and went like the condemned to their doom.
There was, however, light at the end of the tunnel as September was the month for the All-Ireland finals and the Listowel races. The hurling final was held on the first Sunday in September and the football was on the third. On the following week the races were on for three days in Listowel. As youngsters we were mad about Gaelic games and spent most of our leisure time kicking a football or playing hurling with rough imitations of camáns. Money was very scarce in those days so actually buying a hurley was out of the question but that did not stop us fashioning our own weapons out of old boards that we found lying around or furze roots. We didn’t have a proper sliotar either but used a rubber “sponge” ball that could be bought for 6d in local shops. Getting a football was even more difficult so we saved up and pooled our money to buy one. I well remember the excitement when we, having honed our skills on a rubber ball, at last had the required amount of cash and we purchased a brand new O’Neill’s football. It was made of leather with a rubber bladder inside that had to be blown up through a jowl that emerged from a slit in the leather casing that had to be laced up and tied afterwards. We felt like inter-county superstars when we got to play with a proper ball for the first time. On final day we all assembled at Dave Connors’ house in Knocknaboul to listen to the commentary of the great Micheál O Hehir. He could make the game come alive as he described every movement in graphic detail. We were “watching” the game with our ears. Afterward we would go out to the field and pretend we were the greats of the game we had just heard on the radio. Once the hurling was over we looked forward to the football final and the same scenario would be repeated. The players of those days seemed like giants to us and it came as a bit of a shock when we actually saw they in the flesh in later years and realised they were ordinary mortals. Great memories!
The week after the football final meant we would get a day off school to go to the races. At that time, race week was one of the most important weeks in the local calendar. By this time all the work was completed: hay and turf home and the spuds dug so it was a time for relaxation and celebration. Most of the parish went to the races although “the races” might be a misnomer. Many went to Listowel and had a great time without ever going on the course or even seeing a horse. I knew one man from Kilmorna who used to get the train to the races, go to the nearest pub to the station, which was known as Mike the Pie’s, and enjoy a few pints and a chat with like minded people until it was time to go home again. Others went to the Market Yard where the amusements were in full swing. In those days the three main amusements were the bumpers, the chair-o-planes and the swinging boats. It was not uncommon to see two fit healthy youths straining with all their might, pulling on the rope, to make the swinging boat go higher and higher with their ties streaming in the wind over their shoulders. Everyone wore a collar and tie going to “the races” in those days. There were all kinds of side shows with three-card– trick men plying their trade with one eye out for the guards and stalls selling raffle tickets for gaudy prizes. The racing enthusiasts went over the bridge to the island for the actual races which were on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. What struck me, the first time I went, was the great array of colour on display when the jockeys emerged from the weighing room to mount their horses. There was great excitement as the horses flashed by the stands and even more as they approached the winning post as punters cheered on their favourites. After the last race of the day people streamed out of the course and the pubs did a roaring trade. All the shops in the town made a great effort dressing up their windows for the races . On one occasion I remember staring at a cowboy suit, complete with holsters and guns, in a shop window in William Street. I would have given my right arm if I could have brought it home with me but alas it was way beyond my meagre budget so only the memory remains! On the Friday there were more horses but this time it was on the street for the horse fair and on Friday night the festival ended with the Wren Boy competition in the Square. This drew huge crowds and was quite a spectacle as the batches marched down the town with pikes of blazing sods held aloft to the marching music and the unique sound of the bodhráns. In those days all the batches were from local townlands and there was great rivalry between them. Afterwards there were great sessions in the local bars into the small hours. Yes, September had a lot to offer us and we grabbed it with both hands.
July 2018
The full text of the meme reads:
Reasons I never go to Mass shower
1) I was forced to shower as a child.
2) People who shower are hypocrites. They think they are cleaner than everyone else.
3) There are so many different kinds of soap, I could never decide which one was right.
4) I used to shower, but it got boring so I stopped.
5) I shower only on special occasions, like Easter and Christmas.
6) None of my friends shower.
7) I’m still young. When I’m older and have gotten a bit dirtier, I might start showering.
8) I really don’t have time to shower.
9) The bathroom is never warm enough in the winter or cool enough in the summer.
10) People who make soap are only after your money.
(There’s more)
– I get along very well without showering.
– I work hard all week and am too tired to take a shower on the weekend.
– The first bar of soap I ever used gave me a rash, so I haven’t gone near soap since.
Mary Fagan produces and presents Horizons with the help of a strong team including Outreach Interviewers, Sylvia Thompson, Judy O Mahony, Pat Kavanagh and Mary B. Murphy. Regular contributors: Mick Joyce, Fr. Brendan Walsh, Deacon Connor Bradley, Fr. Francis Nolan and Fr Kevin Sullivan, Anne Alcock, Fr George Hayes and technological support from Paul Haywood.
http://www.dioceseofkerry.ie/our-diocese/communications/horizons-radio/
Reconciliation Window Stained Glass Windows in St. John’s Church
John Griffin
Stained glass is often referred to as the poor man’s Bible as it was used from the Early Middle Ages to illustrate scriptural stories and the lives of the saints to largely uneducated congregations. Interestingly, at least sixty-five fragments of glass, including some painted medieval pieces, were found during the excavations in Ardfert Cathedral in the 1990s. In more recent times, stained glass is viewed as a spectacular art form to enlighten, inspire, console and instruct those who look upon them. http://www.stjohns.ie/index.php/history/509-reconciliation-window
SIN by Fr Sean
It’s rare today to hear about sin except in reference to a rich dessert termed “sinful.” What is sin? The root word for sin in Hebrew means forgetfulness – forgetting who we are, how we are, why we are, where we are, and where we’re going as God’s creation. Sin is any thought, word, or action that endangers and undermines our relationship with God, our personal integrity, and our love for our neighbour. Sin is either venial or mortal; something either not seriously wrong or deadly, in terms of our relationship with God, neighbour, and our self.
Where did sin originate? Ultimately it comes from Satan, the “father of lies.” (Jn 8:44) God revealed this in the Genesis story of man and woman’s fall from His grace. Satan tempted Eve to think she and Adam could be independent of God. Later, when God confronted them about their sin of disobedience, Adam blamed Eve who in turn blamed the devil. God asked her, “Why did you do such a thing? The woman answered, ‘The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.’” (Gn 3:13) Sin is the result of Satan’s tricking us into thinking that we can make our self free and happy without having to obey God’s will. Sin doesn’t come from God but from man and woman freely choosing to satisfy their selfish desires. This is why sin is delusional. It’s the false belief that we can satisfy our needs independently of God and be happy.
The world today is riddled with sin which generates a culture of death through abortion, euthanasia, sexual trafficking and perversion, pornography, dishonesty, assisted suicide, hopelessness, and a horrible disrespect for the dignity of the human person. This is why the world desperately needs Jesus Christ. The Psalmist wrote, “If You, O Lord, mark our evildoing, Lord who can stand? But with You is forgiveness, that You may be revered.” (Ps 130:3-4) Jesus revealed, “I have come to call sinners to repentance, not the self-righteous.” (Lk 5:32) This is what gives us the hope that St. Paul wrote about. “We have that spirit of faith of which the Scripture says, ‘Because I believed, I spoke out.’ We believe and so we speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up along with Jesus and place both us and you in His presence … We do not lose heart, because our inner being is renewed each day even though our body is being destroyed at the same time.” (2 Cor 4:13-14, 16) The outer life of our body is daily ebbing away but our soul’s life is renewed daily through the Holy Spirit purifying and leading our spirit to repentance, forgiveness, and restitution for the damage caused by sin.
How do we renew our soul? By making sure, in Padre Pio’s words, that it’s “a nest of love” for the Lord to reside in. To welcome Jesus as the most important Guest of our soul we must admit that we’re sinners in need of salvation. Since Jesus came to call sinners, only those who recognize their sinfulness or tendency to sin see their need for Him and show gratitude for His merciful presence. Recognizing ourselves as sinners keeps us aware that our spirit needs the Holy Spirit to keep it clean and directed toward God, Heaven, freedom, and happiness. Since sin damages the humanity of the sinner and those sinned against we must first repent, then seek forgiveness, and finally make restitution for the damage we caused. Self-righteous people think they have no sin and so feel no need for Jesus. They shut out God’s Spirit and follow their delusional thoughts ignoring or rejecting God’s existence as essential for human fulfilment.
Our spirit reflects who we are, what we believe, and determines our relationships. Relationships are encounters between individual spirits. My spirit reflects what’s in my heart, which is the door to my soul. It reflects either an open or a closed heart. When God meets us it’s an encounter between spirits. The Holy Spirit encounters our spirit and vice versa. Since we can’t meet God unless He reveals Himself to us, our spirit must be receptive to His. If it isn’t then the Holy Spirit can’t touch our heart and renew our soul. This is why Jesus teaches us that the only unforgiveable sin is that against the Holy Spirit. “I give you my word, every sin will be forgiven mankind and all the blasphemies men utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. He carries the guilt of his sin without end.” (Mk 3:28-29)
If a person’s spirit rejects your spirit a relationship is impossible and you can’t help or influence him or her. Similarly if my spirit is closed to God’s Spirit He can’t help me. Self-righteous people sin against the Holy Spirit by refusing to admit their sin. It’s not that God won’t forgive them as much as He can’t because they remain unreceptive to His mercy. God created us to love and be like Him. But consciousness of our tendency to sin makes us aware of our need for the Holy Spirit to purify our spirit and lead us to repentance, forgiveness, and restitution. Thus we are grateful to Jesus for saving us through His Church from our fallen nature making us truly free and joyful. (frsos)
Reconciliation Window, Stained Glass Windows in St. John’s Church
By John Griffin
Stained glass is often referred to as the poor man’s Bible as it was used from the Early Middle Ages to illustrate scriptural stories and the lives of the saints to largely uneducated congregations. Interestingly, at least sixty-five fragments of glass, including some painted medieval pieces, were found during the excavations in Ardfert Cathedral in the 1990s. In more recent times, stained glass is viewed as a spectacular art form to enlighten, inspire, console and instruct those who look upon them.
St. John’s Church is famous for its stained glass which, with the new Reconciliation Window by Tom Denny, will extend over three centuries. The Great Sanctuary Window by Michael O’Connor, completed in 1861, dominates the interior. There are seven principal lights or panels in the lower section which contain the figures of Christ the King, St. John the Baptist and the Twelve Apostles in order of their selection by Jesus in St. Matthew’s Gospel (10.2-4). The upper traceried portion has representations of The Annunciation, Nine Choirs of Angels, the Holy Spirit and various other emblematic forms.
http://www.stjohns.ie/index.php/history/509-reconciliation-window
PARISH BREAK DOWN OF VOTING FROM THE RECENT REFERENDUM May 2018
There was four Voting Booths to facilitate parishioners. Two were based in Murhur N.S. Moyvane, one in Scoil Chorp Chríost, Knockanure and Booth 1 in Duagh N.S. facilitated a number of parishioners as well.
Here is a breakdown of the results of the aforementioned Booths.
MURHUR N.S. MOYVANE BOOTH 1:
574 citizens had the right to vote - 354 voted while 220 did not use their vote
YES 198 NO 156
BOOTH 2:
597 citizens had the right to vote - 332 voted while 265 did not use their vote YES 172 NO 160
SCOIL CHORP CHRÍOST, KNOCKANURE BOOTH 1:
337 citizens had the right to vote - 195 voted while 142 did not use their vote YES 110 NO 85
DUAGH N.S BOOTH 1:
553 citizens had the right to vote – 338 voted while 215 did not use their vote
YES 170 NO 168
A PASTORAL MESSAGE IN THE LIGHT OF THE REFERENDUM RESULT. As the result of the Referendum on Friday May 25th sinks in there is great disappointment among pro-life people. Our Irish Constitution now goes silent regarding the unborn and their human right to life. Those who campaigned for the right to life of the unborn left no stone unturned. We owe them a debt of gratitude. We think especially of those from our own communities. There is need for all to reflect for a time on the campaign and the results. There is a need also for emotions to settle and heal. The past two months have been very difficult for those campaigning and for the country as a whole.
The pro-life task of the Church in Ireland is to continue to lead hearts and minds to always choose and cherish life. In the words of Pope Francis: “Human life must always be defended from its beginning in the womb and must be recognised as a gift of God that guarantees the future of humanity.” (Letter to Brazilian families for National Family Week, August 6, 2013) His words remind us that this is already the position of both the Church and pro-life people in so many nations worldwide. We are most familiar with this in England and the U.S.
We are called to bear witness to the rights of both the pregnant woman and the unborn child with both compassion and mercy. In our prayers let us remember mothers and fathers and families everywhere and in all circumstances. Remember especially all coping with difficult pregnancies. Our hope is in Christ our Saviour. His Way is always the way of love. Amid all difficulties may love give strength and courage, and may love prevail. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.
Remain in my love. This is my commandment, love one another, as I have loved you. Jn 15:9-13.
Bishop Ray Browne, Diocese of Kerry, Corpus Christi 2018
KERRY DIOCESE HELPING FINANCE WMF 2018 The final collection to help finance the World Meeting of Families will be taken up at all Masses on the weekend of Sunday June 17th. I thank you for your generous contribution to the previous collections. I ask you to consider being especially generous to this collection. With the visit of Pope Francis and the need to plan to accommodate over half a million at the final Mass (hopefully huge numbers from our diocese will be present), costs are enormous. A figure of twenty million Euro is being mentioned. It is vital that each diocese makes a significant contribution. You can donate via the Masses on that weekend or you might consider putting your contribution in an envelope and marking it WMF 2018and bringing it with you to church any weekend. This collection deserves a special effort on all our parts. In hosting WMF 2018 Ireland is doing a great service for the whole Church and the world, reminding us all in the words of Pope Saint John Paul: “The future of humanity passes by way of marriage and the family”. Bishop Ray
Sean Sheehy
Apr 18
to me
One Saviour, One Church
One of the greatest illusions is the belief that we can save ourselves and make ourselves happy. It’s similar to the notions that “I can be anything I want to be!” Every illusion ends in disillusionment. We can neither save our self from selfishness and sin, nor make our self permanently happy. If I’m five feet tall and want to be seven I can’t do it, unless I walk on stilts and then my movement is severely limited. If I could save myself I certainly wouldn’t suffer let alone die. Why, as supposedly intelligent creatures, do we think and behave so unintelligently? Jesus is the only person in history who conquered death through His Resurrection. Therefore, He’s the only one who can save us from sin, suffering, and death. He alone shows us the only path to joy, peace, and a happiness that lasts forever. Peter, the head of the Apostles, “filled with the Holy Spirit”, reminds us that, “There is no salvation in anyone else, nor is there any name under Heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” (Acts 4:10-12) He was simply confirming what Jesus revealed when He proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” (Jn 14:6) Knowing that He was the only means of entry into Heaven, Jesus commissioned and commanded His Apostles just before His Ascension: “Full authority has been given to me both in Heaven and on earth; go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations. Baptize them ‘in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’ Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you. And know that I am with you always, until the end of the world!” (Mt 28:18-20)
How does Jesus save us? Through His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. He prayed for unity in His Church’s leadership and membership. “I do not pray for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their word, that all may be one as You, Father, are in me, and I in You; I pray that they may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent me.” (Jn 17:20-21) Jesus saves us by making us His adopted brothers and sisters in His Church where He’s present to each member in the preaching of His Word, His healing, forgiving, and grace in the Sacraments, and His intimate nourishing of our soul by giving us the gift of Himself in the Holy Mass. There we’re privileged to “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called children of God. Yet so we are … we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 Jn 3:1-2)
If love is the essence of Christianity, the glue of togetherness, why are there divisions among those who call themselves Christian? How can we love God if we don’t love one another? We can’t. Jesus identified Himself as the “Good Shepherd …I know my sheep, and mine know me in the same way that the Father knows me and I know the Father. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must lead them too, and they shall hear my voice. There shall be one flock then, one shepherd.” (Jn 10:16) Jesus shows clearly that there can only be “one fold,” one universal Church, led by “one shepherd,” the Vicar of Christ, Peter and his successors. This is Jesus’ visible community to which those outside it are invited to join. Jesus’ Church, under the leadership of the Apostles successors, re-sounds His voice calling all people to be saved through entering and participating in His “one fold” as His “one flock” shepherded by Him until the end of time. Anybody who tries to build a fold and collect a flock outside of the Church founded by Jesus on Peter causes division. Division is always a sign of Satan’s activity generating confusion and dissension. As Christians we need to keep our eyes on Jesus and pray daily with the Psalmist: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endures forever. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” (Ps 118:1)
Division among Christians weakens the Church’s effectiveness as Jesus’ visible sign of His saving presence in the world. It’s an absurdity for Christians not to be united in one family. To heal division and restore unity Jesus empowered His Church to administer the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that her members may repent of their sins, be forgiven, and reconciled to God and to one another in order to witness His mission of supernatural unconditional love. The human love with which we naturally love must be nourished with God’s supernatural love if we’re to mirror Jesus’ love, truthfully, mercifully, and justly. God’s spirit of love - the Holy Spirit - decries division since He leads everyone into the loving union enjoyed by Jesus and His Father. There’s only on Saviour and only one Church. This is God’s will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. (frsos)
Sean Sheehy
Apr 25
to me
The Key to Effectiveness
Bishop Fulton Sheen noted that the greatest insult you could heap on someone is to say he or she was useless. No one is useless. God gives everyone at the moment of conception the capacity to make a positive difference in the world. I read a story about a reporter who asked a businessman how he got to be so wealthy. He said that when he and his wife married they had only five cents between them. “I bought an apple, polished it and sold it for ten cents. Then I bought two apples for ten cents and sold them for twenty.” The reporter asked, “Then what?” The man smiled, “My father-in-law died and left us twenty million!” Good connections make all the difference. To be successful in life we must have good connections. It’s not what we know but who we know that determines what we accomplish in the world.
In the late 80s Stephen Covey’s book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, identified what enabled people to be successful. He demonstrated that effective people are proactive instead of being reactive; they begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek to understand before being understood, synergize, and continue improving themselves. Identifying and advocating these habits of highly effective people made him highly successful. Habits are actions that we do repeatedly until they become embedded in our consciousness so that we do them unconsciously. We need to realize that our actions flow from our intellect and will, both of which are faculties of our soul. To develop good habits we need a well-nourished soul.
Our soul - our self - is created by God. Therefore we need God to nourish it so that we can think truthfully and choose what’s good, if we’re going to be effective men and women. How do we connect with God? We don’t. It’s God who connects with us. “It was not you who chose me, it was I who chose you to go forth and bear fruit.” (Jn 15:16) How does God choose us? Through Jesus’ presence in His Church in the Sacrament of Baptism. There He gives us a new identity, a new nature, and a new destiny as His adopted brother or sister. In Baptism Jesus enables us to “put on the new nature created in God’s image, whose justice and holiness are born of truth.” (Eph 4:24) We can’t be fruitful if our sinful nature isn’t replaced by a new loving, life-respecting nature. The highly effective person, as is evidenced in the saints, is the man or woman who thinks and acts justly, mercifully, gracefully, and truthfully. These are the habits of an effective Christian.
To display that effective new nature we need to be continually connected to Jesus present in His Church. He is the source of our fruitfulness. “I am the true vine and my Father is the vine-grower … Live on in me, as I do in you… I am the vine, you are the branches. He who lives in me and I in him, will produce abundantly, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (Jn 15:4-5) We can’t be effective without Jesus since He alone shows us how to achieve our God-given potential.
How does Jesus make us effective human beings? Through His Church’s Sacraments, especially in the Holy Mass where we hear His Word, celebrate His real Presence in the Holy Eucharist and receive Him in Holy Communion. In that action of His, through the ordained priest, Jesus visibly joins Himself to us and energizes our soul so that we can go out and effectively promote life and love in a world wallowing in death, hate, and apathy. This is a real connection with Jesus, not a symbolic gesture, as He Himself revealed. “Let me solemnly assure you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. He who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (Jn 6:53-54) Jesus isn’t speaking symbolically but concretely. He makes the reception of Him in Holy Communion the essential and effective nourishment for our soul: “For my flesh is real food and my blood real drink. The man who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in Him.” (Jn 6:56) Thus Jesus guarantees a continual communion with Him since we need on-going spiritual nourishment to be effective witnesses to what is good. This is why he commanded His Apostles on Holy Thursday when He instituted the Holy Eucharist and ordained the Apostles to the priesthood to “Do this in memory of me!” (Lk 22:19)
Jesus is the best connection we can ever have since He is the only one who has risen from the dead. He alone enables us to “love not in word and speech but in deed and truth …and love one another just as He commanded us.” (1 Jn 3:18-24) He empowers us, in the words of the Psalmist, to “let the coming generations be told of the Lord that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born the justice he has shown.” (Ps 22:32) Only Jesus can make you and me effective persons in a fallen world. (frsos)
Sean Sheehy
May 2 (13 days ago)
to me
Two Kinds of Love – Two Kinds of Life
Love and life go hand-in-hand. Life flows from love. A life without love is miserable. A person who feels unloved finds it well-nigh impossible to love. Every human being needs to love and be loved in order to function fully and joyfully. Without love we die internally. This is why everyone needs to know God loves him or her.
Jesus calls us to a selfless love and here is where we balk as Christians. Just as every individual deserves to be respected as a human being, so does everyone deserve to be loved, even though their actions may be evil. Jesus commands us: “My command to you is: love your enemies, pray for your persecutors. This will prove that you are children of your Heavenly Father, for His sun rises on the bad and to good, He rains on the just and the unjust.” (Mt 5:43-45) Loving like Jesus is impartial. “If you love those who love you, what merit is there in that? … Do not pagans do as much? In a word, you must be made perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt 5:46-47) As human beings born with a fallen nature we’re basically self-centred and view love from a purely selfish perspective. Yet we crave to be loved unselfishly.
There are two kinds of love that generate two kinds of life, egotistical love and sacrificial love. In egotistical love we love those who love us and give us what we want. When they stop loving us or refuse to satisfy our wants we stop loving. “I’ll love you if you love me!” “If you love me, do this for me or give me what I want!” This kind of love views others as objects to be used for one’s own satisfaction. Sacrificial or self-less love, on the other hand, creates an other-centred life that focuses on opportunities to make a gift of oneself to others. Sacrificial love purifies selfish love and makes the person live a life that enriches all those whose paths he or she crosses. Real love always focuses on what’s good for the other person.
Jesus epitomised selfless or sacrificial love in His passion and death and Resurrection. He acted lived His own words: “There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn 15:13) He freely sacrificed His life so everyone might have life. His love gave eternal life to the repentant thief beside Him as He hung upon the cross. Jesus’ love doesn’t have favourites. “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather in ever nation whoever fears Him and acts uprightly is acceptable to Him.” (Acts 10: 34) Here we see the great difference between our notion of love and Jesus’ love. Our love shows partiality while Jesus’ love doesn’t. We show partiality by loving those we like and rejecting or ignoring those we don’t like. Our love is more often based on feeling than on choice. Just as feelings change so does our love. That’s not Jesus ‘way.
Jesus calls for a love that’s based on obedience, not on feeling. “This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you.” (Jn 15:12) His love for us is the standard for the love from which the Christian life flows. We must choose to love whether or not we feel like it if we want our life to be productive. We must love unselfishly if we want to achieve our potential. Sacrificial love brings joy; it’s giving without expecting a reward. Egotistical love brings misery when unrequited.
The Psalmist reminds us that, “The Lord has made His salvation known; in the sight of the nations He has revealed His justice.” (Ps 98: 2) Jesus brought salvation and justice to the world. Justice promotes God’s love by making us right with Him and our neighbour making us friends. Jesus reveals, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (Jn 15:14) What He commands is to love one another. If we want to be Jesus’ friends, we have no option but to love our neighbour as our self, however difficult that might be. He chose us “to go forth and bear fruit.” (Jn 15:16) Sacrificial love is always fruitful, both for the one who loves as well as the beloved.
Sacrificial love is difficult for us because we tend to be selfish and ruled by our feelings. To love as Jesus commands us we must rise above our ego. That requires the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit to “de-egotize” our spirit so we can focus on giving rather than on getting. There’s a huge difference between a life lived selfishly and a life energized by a spirit of generosity. It’s a life marked by engagement rather than disengagement. It’s the difference between a tree that has only roots and a trunk and one that also has branches and leaves. The first tree won’t live long. It takes in moisture and nutrients from the soil, but lacking branches and leaves that spread and catch the sun’s rays, it has no energy to turn that moisture and nutrients into growth and fruitfulness. So is the difference between the two kinds of love and the two kinds of life they generate. Love like Jesus and live joyfully. (frsos)
Sean Sheehy
May 9 (6 days ago)
to me
Jesus’ Ascension: He Will Return
St. Luke records that Jesus ascended into Heaven forty days after His Resurrection. He promised to send the Holy Spirit to the Apostles to guide and inspire them as His “witnesses to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Luke tells us, “When He had said this, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him from their sight. While they were gazing at the sky as He was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee … This Jesus who has been taken up from you into Heaven will return in the same way as you have seen Him going into Heaven.’” (Acts 1:10-11) Jesus’ Church professes her faith in His return in the Holy Mass’ Eucharistic Prayers, “We proclaim Your death, O Lord, and profess Your Resurrection until You come again.” Jesus’ life, passion, death, Resurrection, His fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies, His claim to be God the Son, founding His Church on Peter, and His promise to be with her until the end of the world when He will return as Judge of the living and the dead, is what separates Christianity from all other religions. Jesus will judge everyone according to his or her conduct. He said Himself, “The Father Himself judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son.” (Jn 5:22)
There are two judgments, a particular judgment of each of us when we die and a general judgment at the end of the world. Jesus’ ascension into Heaven brings us down to earth as we ask whether we’ll be ready when He returns. He promised, “I am indeed going to prepare a place for you, and then I shall come back to take you with me, that where I am you may be too.” (Jn 14:3) Will we be ready to go with Him? He warns us to “Keep your eyes open, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” (Mt 25:13) A poem, “If Jesus Came to Your House,” calls for reflection. Here are some lines: “If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two/If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you’d do./…But when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door/With arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly Visitor?/Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in?/Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they’d been?/Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn’t heard?/And wish you hadn’t uttered that last, loud, nasty word?/…And I wonder if the Saviour spent a day or two with you,/Would you go right on doing the things you always do?/Would you go right on saying the things you always say?/Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?/… Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on?/Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?/It might be interesting to know the things that you would do?/If Jesus Christ in person came to spend some time with you.” Face it, He’s coming! There’s no escape.
How do we prepare for Jesus’ return? We begin with Baptism. He told His Apostles before His ascension, “John baptized you with water, but within a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:5) He commissioned His Apostles, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. The man who believes in it and accepts Baptism will be saved; the man who refuses to believe in it will be condemned.” (Mk 16:15-16)
The Gospel is all about what we need to do in order to unite with Jesus who revealed that, “No one comes to the Father but through me.” (Jn 14:6) Through His Church Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to each of us in the Sacrament of Baptism giving us the gifts we need to live the Christian life and be ready when He returns as our Judge.
What gifts do we need? Wisdom to act on the truth, namely follow Jesus who is the truth. Understanding to recognize that we need Jesus to free us from our sinfulness. Counsel to choose the things of Heaven rather than earthly things. Knowledge to see Jesus’ presence in His Word and His Church’s Sacraments. Piety to be prayerful. Fortitude to persevere as faithful Christians despite life’s obstacles. Fear of the Lord to recognize that Jesus is our most precious Saviour, Companion, and Friend. To reinforce these gifts and perfect them Jesus sends the Holy Spirit again in His Church’s Sacrament of Confirmation so we can witness publicly to our faith in and love for Jesus. Thus we help others prepare for Jesus’ return.
Whatever Jesus expects of us He gives us the wherewithal to accomplish. It’s up to us, as creatures with free will, to do what He tells us and receive what He offers us. His Mother’s advice at the wedding feast at Cana was “Do whatever He tells you!” (Jn 2:5) By doing what Jesus told them their water was changed into wine. When we do what Jesus tells us we’re changed into a people joyfully awaiting His return. Be ready! He’s returning! (frsos)
BISHOP RAY SAYS THANKS TO YOU ALL:May 2018
The right to life of the unborn child ‘I thank the people and parishes of our diocese for the positive response I received to my Pastoral Message released two weeks ago. I am full of admiration for all who are involved in campaigning for the right to life of the unborn child. Also thanks to everyone for debating and discussing the issue gently, respectfully and sensitively. In recent weeks my thoughts have returned again and again to what “Doctors for Life” are saying. I believe it contains the key to this Referendum: “In every case I am dealing with two patients, the pregnant woman and the unborn child. Both are my patients. I cannot be involved in the death of one of them. Termination of pregnancy is not health care. ”If the Referendum is passed the government’s proposed legislation is extreme. I believe it will introduce a system similar to Britain where many claim that 90% of babies aborted are healthy babies. I am voting ‘NO’ next Friday. I encourage, you to do the same. Please pray that the people of our country will choose to vote ‘NO’, thus honouring and defending the life of every unborn child. I conclude with the words of Pope Francis: “no alleged right to one’s own body can justify a decision to terminate the life of an innocent child growing in the mother’s womb”.
Bishop Ray Browne Diocese of Kerry- Pentecost Sunday 2018
YOUTH PILGRIMAGE TO TAIZÉ: The pilgrimage will take place from Sunday, July 1st to Sunday, July 8th 2018. Application forms are available from your parish priest or parish office. Contact Tomás Kenny on 086 3683778 or email tomaskenny@dioceseofkerry.ie for more information.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Gardener of life, form us …
Vine of life,
in Your branches we are nestled taking shelter and sustenance in the shade of Your strength.
With thanksgiving we celebrate the growth and hope we have found in placing our roots in You,
for in life You nourish us and Your Holy Spirit encourages us
to reach our full potential in the gifts we have been given
that others may know of Your love.
Lord, make us more than sour grapes and unripe olives.
In the hardships of the world
may we look beyond the bitter politics and divisions to find Your love
at the core of our relationships.
There may all people work with what we have in common
that we might grow to be a people of respect and trust.
May our branches bow with the weight of the fruit you have bestowed.
Help us to look beyond our own needs, to recognise those
who are hungry for food, love and justice.
May we offer others the shelter needed under the weight of Your branches
so they find a rest from the cold and darkness,
the hatred and loneliness of this world.
Instead may Your Spirit enable us to value the gifts and talents of all.
May our leaves soak up Your light.
When we meet those who are worn down with illness, loneliness, grief and abandonment,
may the light of Your presence shine in the encounters they have with others
that all might know Your compassion.
Gardener of all life, as You trim and shape us for Your purpose
may we place our prayers into Your hands and trust that new seeds may grow
from tired and empty thoughts.
Amen.
Sean Sheehy
1:02 PM (7 hours ago)
to me
Why Are You Troubled?
The word ‘trouble’ comes from French and means emotional turmoil, disturbance, or mental agitation. Two of Jesus’ disciples, on their way home to Emmaus from Jerusalem, their hearts heavy with grief over their Messiah’s crucifixion, were startled by the risen Jesus’ sudden appearance, greeting them with, “Peace be with you.” (Lk 24:36) Frightened, “they thought they were seeing a ghost.” (Lk 24:37) Jesus asked them, “Why are you troubled?” (Lk 24:38) To calm their fears Jesus assured them, “Look at my hands and my feet; it is really I. Touch me, and see that a ghost does not have flesh and bones as I do.” (Lk 24:39) Try and imagine what would go through mind if you’d been there! They were “were still incredulous for sheer joy and wonder.” (Lk 24: 41) Jesus further assured them he was real by asking them, “Have you anything here to eat?” (Lk 24:41) Then He opened “their mind to the understanding of the Scriptures” (Lk 24:45) showing He had fulfilled their teaching.
What troubles you? What disturbs you most in life? Too often we look for the cause of our emotional pain in the outer world of people and things and blame them for our problems. But actually most of our miseries are caused from within, what we put in our mind and keep in our heart. Jesus teaches that, “It’s not what goes into a man’s mouth that makes him unclean; it’s what comes out of his mouth… what comes out of the mouth originates in the mind.” (Mt 15:11-18) Most of our turmoil comes from our distorted thinking. Our mind is the seed ground producing our feelings that motivate our actions. Positive, hopeful thinking will generate positive feelings leading to right actions. Negative thinking leads to selfish feelings and evil or unhealthy behaviour.
It’s interesting that Jesus didn’t mention love in His final words to His Apostles before His crucifixion, even though love was a central tenet of His teaching. Preparing for what he would undergo, Jesus told the Apostles what He wanted them to do: “Thus it is written that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. In His Name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins is to be preached to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of this.” (Lk 24:46-48) His final words expressed why He came and what His Church’s task would be, namely to call sinners to repentance and receive forgiveness. Forgiveness of sin and experiencing of salvation are synonymous. Speaking of John, Zechariah proclaimed, “…for you shall go before the Lord and prepare paths for Him, giving His people a knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.” (Lk 2:76ff)
Jesus came to call sinners to salvation. (Lk 5:32) He is “a sacrifice for our sins, and not for our sins only, but for those of the whole world.” (1 Jn 1:2) Sin is the result of a mind that’s fed with selfish notions. We fill our mind with thoughts of self-importance and entitlements, convincing our self that we deserve this or that pleasure while ignoring the fact that it makes us ego-centred rather than God-centred. We stifle our conscience by listening to the voice of our ego instead of heeding God’s voice. Satan uses all kinds of ploys to please ourselves in ways that causes us to shut out Jesus’ teaching. This is why we need to examine our conscience and ask our self, “Do I really love Jesus Christ present in His Church?” “Am I giving scandal or bad example by what I’m doing?” St. John reminds us, “Those who say, ‘I know Him’, but do not keep His Commandments are liars and the truth is not in them.” (1 Jn 2:1-5)
The truth is that only Jesus can free us from sin by purifying our mind and cleaning our heart. (Jn 14:27) Keeping God’s Commandments assures a clean mind, which eliminates emotional turmoil because it opens us to the peace that only Jesus can give and the world can’t. A selfish mentality makes us joyless and empty. We experience God’s unconditional love especially when we admit our proneness to sin and our need for repentance. The unrepentant can’t experience God’s love. Thus, St. Peter, Jesus’ designated head of His Church on earth, Keeper of the Keys to God’s Kingdom, preached to the people, “I know you acted out of ignorance … Repent, therefore, that your sins may be wiped away.” (Acts 3:17-19) The main task of Jesus’ Church is to emphasize God’s unconditional love by preaching the necessity for all of us to repent and seek His forgiveness. Jesus made this possible through His Church’s Sacrament of Reconciliation. Hence we need to pray daily with the Psalmist, “O Lord, let the light of Your Face shine on us! You put gladness in my heart. As soon as I lie down I fall peacefully asleep, for You, O Lord, bring security to my dwelling.” (Ps 4:7-9) Most of our troubles would be eliminated if we regularly repented of our sins, confessed them, and received absolution. Then we’ll benefit from the Irish Blessing: “May your days be many and your troubles be few. /May all God’s blessings descend upon you./ May peace be within you, may your heart be strong./May you find what you’re seeking wherever you roam.” (frsos)
Sean Sheehy
Apr 4 (7 days ago)
to me
Jesus’ Peace
Every human being is, consciously or unconsciously, seeking peace - peace of mind, heart, and soul - one way or another. Peace is essential because without it we can’t have harmony, order, and joy in our life, either personally or communally. Joy has been defined as being at peace with who we are, why we are, and how we are. This is why the Catholic Church prays for peace at every Mass: “Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from ever evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of Your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.” Without inner peace our ability to be creative and productive is stunted. People seek this peace in all kinds of rituals, exercises, etc., but at best it’s only temporary because it’s man-made. It’s like looking for love in all the wrong places. The peace we yearn for and need in order to be fully functioning persons and communities is found only in Jesus. Why? Peace flows from justice, which is being right with God, and only Jesus can do that for us.
Jesus’ Resurrection was the most momentous event in the history of the world since God first created the universe. It offered mankind the hope of a future beyond death. It isn’t accidental that Jesus’ first words to His Apostles, upon rising from the dead, were, “Peace be with you!” (Jn 20:19) In His last discourse Jesus spoke of peace as His farewell gift. “Peace is my farewell to you, my peace is my gift to you; I do not give it to you as the world gives peace. Do not be distressed or fearful.” (Jn 14:27) Despite Jesus’ promised gift of peace, they were distressed and fearful after His crucifixion. “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst.” (Jn 20:19) After He bestowed His peace on them they became filled with joy. Now, the Apostles were able to be at peace with who they were, why they were, and how they were, no longer anxious or afraid.
The Apostle Thomas wasn’t present at Jesus’ first appearance. Just as the Apostles didn’t believe Mary Magdalene’s news that the tomb was empty, so Thomas didn’t believe the Apostles’ news that Jesus had risen and spoken to them. It wasn’t until Thomas was present when Jesus appeared again and received His peace that, seeing the marks of crucifixion, he expressed his faith exclaiming, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28) Faith and God’s peace go hand-in-hand. Jesus crucifixion shattered the harmony and order He had brought to their lives. Only His divine peace could restore that order and harmony. It was Jesus’ unique peace that energized and solidified His Church’s fledgling community. “The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common … there was no needy person among them.” (Acts 4:32-35) Individually and communally they were able to say with the Psalmist, “I was hard-pressed and was falling but the Lord helped me. My strength and my courage is the Lord, and He has been my Saviour.” (Ps 118:13-14) He was the source of their peacefulness, strength, courage, and salvation.
Jesus came “to call sinners, not the self-righteous.” (Mk 2:17) Through sin we alienate our self from God, cause division in His Church, and rob our self of the peace we crave. Knowing our proneness to sin and our need for His peace, Jesus empowered the leaders of His Church and their successors to forgive sin, bring about reconciliation, and restore the divine peace in us as individuals and as a community. So through His Church, led by the Apostles’ ordained successors, Jesus makes His forgiveness, justice, and mercy available to the repentant through the power of the Holy Spirit. “As the Father sent me, so am I sending you…. Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.” (Jn 20:21-23)
If we want Jesus’ peace, we must first repent and seek God’s forgiveness. Since only God can forgive, Jesus empowered His Apostles to forgive in His Name through His Church’s’ Sacrament of Reconciliation. When we look at the unity and vibrancy of the young Church community after Jesus’ resurrection, and compare it to the disunity that has happened over the centuries, we can’t help but recognize Satan’s divisive influence. God’s Spirit is a spirit of unity, not division. Jesus founded only one Church under Peter’s leadership guided by the Holy Spirit. The division among Christians today displays a rejection of the Holy Spirit who calls all Jesus’ followers to be “of one mind and one heart” led by the successors of the Apostles. It also reflects the lack of humble admission that we’re all sinners in need of constant repentance and forgiveness. Only then can we be the recipients of Jesus’ peace, individually and communally, which enables us to be one family of God bringing His saving grace to the world. May Jesus’ peace be with you! (frsos)
Sean Sheehy
Mar 28
to me
The Cross: Your Highway to Heaven
There’s a saying that “Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to die!” God created us for life, not death. However, Adam and Eve, by rejecting God, the Source of Life, doomed mankind to eternal death. But God, in His unconditional love, sent His Word – Jesus - to become human and show mankind how to conquer sin and overcome suffering and death. Jesus didn’t want to die but He chose to enter it in order to conquer it, thereby making possible the hope of a happy life beyond the grave. Facing His death He prayed, “My soul is troubled now, yet what should I say – Father, save me from this hour? But it was for this that I came to this hour.” (Jn 12:27) Death is the greatest obstacle to human happiness. Jesus cleared the highway to Heaven when by His holy Cross He redeemed the world.
Easter celebrates the victory of life over death. However, it must never be separated from the Cross. Why? The Cross is the prelude to the Resurrection. There’s no resurrection without a crucifixion. The Cross is only way to Heaven. Jesus tells us, “The reason I was born, the reason I came into the world, is to testify to the truth. Anyone committed to the truth hears my voice.” (Jn 12:37) What is the truth? It’s the fact that the sin of Adam and Eve has stained human nature and made every human being, except the Mother of Jesus, prone to selfishness and sinfulness from which we can’t free our self. Only the creator knows how to restore the creature’s integrity. So it is with God and us. God alone, in His unconditional love, has the power to lift us up and save us from our sinfulness by giving us a new self. The Holy Spirit revealed, “You must put on the new self created in God’s image, whose justice and holiness are born of truth.” (Eph 4:24) God gave us that “new self” the day we were baptized into His Church and became a “new creation” as His adopted son or daughter, and Jesus’ adopted brother or sister. The task then was for each of us to enable our new self – Christian self - to grow and mature by faithful living the Christian life as a member of Jesus’ Church healed and nourished by Him in her Sacraments.
The life which Easter celebrates comes only after suffering and death. Even nature herself attests to this reality. Just as spring’s new life encourages us through winter, so Easter makes suffering and dying bearable. It assures us that the best is still ahead. While we don’t choose to die physically, there’s another death that we must choose if we want to mature, namely the dying to our selfish and sinful nature. This involves the Cross which Jesus, through His Church, first imprints on us at our Baptism and lastly on our dead body before burial. Signing our self with the Sign of the Cross reminds us that the Way of the Cross is Jesus’ way to Heaven. This is why Jesus tells us, “If a man wishes to come after me, he must deny His ego, take up his cross, and begin to follow in my footsteps. Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 16:24-25)
Shakespeare’s Hamlet queried, “To be or not to be - that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to rake up arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them.” The Cross isn’t the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” that may befall us in life like disease or failure. Rather, the Cross is being faithful to God’s will in the midst of and despite what happens to us whether it’s good, bad, or ugly. Thus the Cross calls for the death of our ego, our greed, lust, sloth, hostility, envy, jealousy, pride, lack of justice and mercy, and an obtuse spirit. Dying to these has to be a personal choice if we’re to be freed from their spiritually death-dealing effects on our soul and spirit. This dying – our Cross - has to be a daily occurrence since our ego and our proneness to sin constantly want to influence our decisions. This means we must shoulder the Cross of trusting in Jesus every moment of our life on earth. Jesus guaranteed each of us of His help when He assured Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life: whoever believes in me, though he should die, will come to life; and whoever is alive and believes in me will never die.” (Jn 11:26)
The Cross is about making Jesus the centre of our life, no matter what. How? By being a faithful member of His Church discerning, developing and deploying our gifts for the glory of God and the enrichment of others. It’s this Faith that makes physical death bearable, consoles the bereaved, and conquers our ego. We’re assure by the Holy Spirit that, “If we have died with Christ, we believe that we are also to live with Him.” (Rom 6:8) Take up the Cross – it’s your highway to Heaven and Easter joy. Happy Easter to you! (frsos)
Sean Sheehy
Mar 14
to me
Lent: Clean Your Heart
Traditionally the heart is seen as a symbol of love and compassion. In Biblical times, the heart symbolized the core of a person; the centre of his or her caring on all levels. It indicated a person’s emotional, spiritual, and moral substance. A heart with an arrow going through it symbolized failed relationships or betrayed love. We’re all familiar with the terms ‘broken heart,’ ‘sweetheart’ ‘lonely heart,’ ‘hard heart,’ ‘heartless,’ ‘brave heart,’ ‘heartily,’ ‘heartfelt.’ Jesus described those who rejected Him as “Sluggish indeed is this people’s heart.” (Mt 13:15
)
The heart has been identified as the door to the soul. A loving heart opens the door to the soul so it can breathe in the fresh air of God’s grace. An unloving heart closes off the soul depriving it from being graced by Holy Spirit. What happens to our soul – our self – effects our thinking and our choosing which are reflected in our spirit. Lent is a time when we need to examine our heart to purify it. Why? Because God tells us through His prophet, “I, the Lord, probe the mind and test the heart, to reward everyone according to his/her ways, according to the merits of his/her deeds.” (Jer 17:10) What we put in our mind determines the contents of our heart. God urgently calls us to, “Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God. For gracious and merciful is He, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment.” (Joel 2:13)
Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of the Pharisees when He said about them, “This people pays me lip service but their heart is far from me.” (Mt 15:8) Since we’re all prone to hypocrisy because of our sinfulness, we need to pray with the Psalmist to our Heavenly Father, “A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out of Your presence, and Your Holy Spirit take not from me.” (Ps 51:12-13) To clean our heart we must face the fact that we are sinners, even the best of us is in need of reconciliation. “If we say ‘we have no sin,’ we deceive ourselves; the truth is not to be found in us.” (1 Jn 1:8) Again in the words of the Psalmist, we must pray from our heart, “Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness; in the greatness of Your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.” (Ps 51:3-4) Sin hardens our heart. We see that in those who support abortion, euthanasia, and like the rich man in the Gospel, ignore the plight of the poor and the voiceless in our society. But God is ever merciful to those who repent, seek forgiveness, and strive to amend their ways. He promises the repentant, “I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your hearts of stone and give you a heart of flesh instead. I shall put my Spirit in you, and make you keep my laws and sincerely respect my observances.” (Ezek 36:26-27) Since God has written His law upon the heart of everyone it’s essential to free the heart from everything that might obscure our consciousness of that law. (Jer 31:33)
Jesus offers us the grace to cleanse our heart especially during this season of Lent. We experience the fulfilment of God’s promise of a clean heart in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There we experience healing from the wounds of our sinfulness through Jesus who “became the source of eternal life for all who obey Him.” (Heb 7:9)
What does it mean to have a clean heart? A clean heart joins the Sacred Heart of Jesus and displays a spirit of heartfelt generosity. In union with Jesus we’ll follow His lead inspired by the Holy Spirit in the bosom of His Church. Where does Jesus lead us? He tells us, “Whoever serves me will follow me, and wherever I am, there will my servant be.” (Jn 12:26) Where is Jesus? He is with His Church. (Mt 28:20) present in her Sacraments praising God and praying, doing the spiritual and corporal works of mercy by ministering to the physically and spiritually hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, imprisoned, and sick. (Mt 25:32ff) He’s where self-less acts for the betterment of everyone are being carried out through respecting the preciousness of human life by sheltering the homeless, feeding the hungry, clotting the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, burying the dead, giving alms to the poor, teaching the Gospel, counselling the doubtful, consoling the sorrowful, comforting the afflicted, forgiving hurts, bearing wrongs patiently.
A clean heart expresses itself in charity and, above all, in a spirit of joy that springs from a healthy soul that’s able to breathe in the pure air of God’s love, justice, peace, and freedom. If you have to make a choice, it’s far better to have a clean heart and dirty clothes than to have clean clothes and a dirty heart. When our heart is clean our emotions, affection, compassion, sense of justice, inner peace, and charity are true and genuine. Take advantage of Jesus’ heart-cleansing power when you repent of your sin, confess them, and be absolved by a priest in Jesus’ Church. Try it; you’ll feel light-hearted. (frsos)
Fr Pat Moore
Blessed are you, spring,bright season of life awakening.
You gladden our hearts with opening buds and returning leaves as you put on your robes of splendour.
For in your life no death can survive as you exchange places with winter.
You harbour no unforgiving spirit for broken tree limbs and frozen buds.
Season of hope and renewal.
Wordless poem about all within us that cannot die.
Each year you amaze us with the miracle of returning life.
RALLY: Ireland Rally for Life. Now in its 11th Year, the All-Ireland Rally for Life is a
National yearly event. It’s a family-friendly rally that is a celebration of the pro-life message. The day begins with music, song and inspiring talks, and face-painting! This is then followed by the Rally which ends with speeches and music. It is an organised walk through the busy city centre of Dublin or Belfast (and more recently Cork City), witnessing to shoppers and members of the general public. We need you to be involved! The March to Save the 8th is taking place especially this year as our 8th amendment is under attack; its on the 10th March in Dublin City Centre, be there! The Aims of the Rally is to CELEBRATE life and the message of life. To RAISE AWARENESS of the hurt and damage that abortion causes to women, families and society. To UNITE all the pro-life groups and individuals working in Ireland so we can become one voice, as together we are stronger. For further information link on to https://rallyforlife.net/
For the latest Choose Life Newsletter link on to
https://www.catholicbishops.ie/2018/02/07/choose-life-2018-newsletter
THOUGHT: Why do we want to live forever? Because we hope that tomorrow will bring us someone we can love. Because we want to live another day with the person we love beside us. Because we want to find someone who deserves our Love and who, in turn, will know how to love us as we deserve to be loved. That is why, when a man has no one to love him, he feels a great desire to die. As long as he has friends, people who love him and whom he loves too, he will live. Because to live is to love. --Henry Drummond.
GIVE YOUR BEST! Bishop Abel Muzqrewa once spoke the following words to a large group of Priests who were sad and disheartened that they were making no headway in preaching the Gospel.
“PEOPLE ARE UNREASONABLE, ILLOGICAL AND SELF-CENTRED – love them anyway!
HONESTY AND FRANKNESS MAKE YOU VULNERABLE – Be honest and frank anyway!
THE BIGGEST PEOPLE WITH THE BIGGEST IDEAS CAN BE SHOT DOWN BY THE SMALLEST PEOPLE WITH THE SMALLEST IDEAS – Think big anyway!
WHAT YOU SPEND YEARS BUILDING MAY BE DESTROYED OVERNIGHT – Build anyway!
ALTHOUGH YOU GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU HAVE YOU MAY STILL BE KICKED IN THE TEETH
– Give your best anyway!”
Sean Sheehy
12/27/17 (9 days ago)
to me
Passing Faith’s Test
You and I have two psychological functions for collecting information about ourselves and our world, namely sensing and intuition. We gather information through hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and touching. We can also collect truth through direct perception independent of our senses or logical processes. Each of us is capable of using our senses and intuition but we have a clear preference for one or the other. Our preferred information-collecting function depends on our personality and its dominant preference. Some of us prefer sensing while others prefer intuition. Faith comes easier to intuitive people. Why? Sensing people tend to focus on what can be heard, seen, touched, tasted, or smelled. Intuition has the capacity to go beyond what’s observed by the senses. The Apostle Thomas exemplifies someone who only accepts what can be observed by the senses when he observed the Apostles’ news that Jesus has risen from the dead, “I will never believe it without probing the nailprints in His hands, without putting my finger in the nailmarks and my hand into His side.” (Jn 20:25) He believed only when Jesus appeared in his presence and responded, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28) Jesus replied, “You became a believer because you saw me. Blessed are they who have not seen me and believed.” (Jn 20:29)
As Christians, unlike Thomas, we aren’t privileged to see Jesus in the flesh. But He made it possible to meet and unite with Him in His Church, which He founded His Church on Peter, aided and abetted by the other Apostles, assuring them, “Know that I am with you always, until the end of the world!” (Mt 28:20) St. Paul reminds us that having faith in Jesus’s presence in His Church mustn’t depend on what we see with our senses. The Holy Spirit, through Paul, informs us that in our journey with Jesus, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Cor 5:7) This is why faith is constantly tested. Why? We prefer walking by sight rather than faith. It makes us feel more independent and self-sufficient. Walking by faith, on the other hand, requires us to rely on someone else to show us the way. It makes us feel dependent which we don’t like because we want to be in charge ourselves. Our human tendencies move us to pay more attention to our will and our way than to God’s will and His way. Even as adults we’re like rebellious children wanting to do things our way. This is why faith requires humility, which is the realization and admission that we don’t know what’s best for us in the long term, and we don’t know the true way to live and achieve happiness, and therefore we need someone to guide us, like a seeing-eye dog guiding a physically blind person. The person has to trust the dog’s movements and put aside his or her own ideas.
God began the formation of His people by calling Abraham as their first leader. He was a man who responded to God’s call by faith, not by sight. “Abraham put his faith in the Lord, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.” (Gen 15:6) The author of Hebrews explains, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go … ” (Heb 11:8) He trusted in God to lead him. Mary walked by faith and not by sight when she accepted the angel Gabriel’s message from God that she was to be the Mother of Jesus while still a virgin. Her response, “Let it be done to me as you have said” (Lk 1:38) reflects her faith not her sight. She acted on faith and not on what she could see and understand. Her faith was tested many times by the way Jesus, her Son, was treated and humiliated. But she passed her faith’s test which helped her see beyond her senses.
Faith brings us so much more than our senses. Why? It connects us to God while our senses connect us to earth. This is why the Psalmist proclaimed, “Glory in God’s holy Name; Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord! Look to the Lord in His strength; constantly seek His face.” (Ps 105:3) Joseph’s faith in Mary was tested when she conceived God’s Son. But his faith overrode his senses. Mary and Joseph’s faith was tested when they presented Jesus for consecration in the Temple and Simeon declared, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted – and you yourself a sword shall pierce ...” (Lk 2:34-35) Jesus’ faith was tested when He cried out on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Mt 27:46)
Genuine faith is always tested because we rely so much on our senses. The same is true of our faith in one another. If we don’t see beyond what we observe we miss the bigger picture and the riches it contains. This is why people of faith are so resilient, hopeful, and loving. It’s faith that enables us to see Jesus in His Church’s Sacraments, and in special and most loving way in the Holy Mass. It’s walking by faith in Jesus and not by what we sense on earth that will get you to Heaven. I pray that you pass faith’s test during 2018. (frsos)
Sean Sheehy
Jan 3 (2 days ago)
to me
Who Are You?
Entering a new year is a good time for us to reflect on our identity. Why? Because how we live, what we expect, and what we need flow from how we identify our self. Identity clarification is essential in order to determine why we’re here. Who I say I am is why I’m here. My mission in life is to reach the fullness of who I am, to be all I can be. My answer to “Who am I?” determines what I can and need to do. Knowing who I truly am is essential in order to know my true mission or purpose in the world.
We first get our identity from our parents who give us a name and a community in which to mature. In the teen years we struggle to identify our self independently of our family and others. Clarifying and owning our true identity in adolescence is essential to enter the next step of maturity, namely intimacy and the ability to make commitments. But how we see our self or how others see us is always limited. Since we grow in stages our self-knowledge and experience are limited so we can’t have full knowledge of who we truly are at any given time. Therefore we need someone who completely knows us and our potential to tell us who we really are and why we’re here. That “someone” is God. Only the Creator can correctly identify what He’s created and give it its true purpose. Since God has created you and me, He alone is qualified to gives us our true identity and the mission that flows from it.
When and where does God give us our identity? In Baptism. Just as God identified Jesus as His Son in Baptism, so in Baptism He identifies us as His adopted children. “You are my believed Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Mk 1:7-11) Not only does God give us our personal identity in Baptism, He also gives us our gender identity through our DNA that states clearly whether we’re male or female. We don’t decide our gender. It’s already decided for us by our God-given nature and can’t be changed. Therefore God gives us our identity through His Church and through nature. Jesus’ Church teaches us that the Sacrament of Baptism leaves an indelible mark on our soul that can’t be erased. What God proclaimed at Jesus’ baptism He proclaimed when you and I were baptized, namely “You are my beloved son/daughter!”
Who am I? Who are you? We’re God’s children. He is our Father, Jesus is our Brother/Saviour, and the Holy Spirit is our Advocate and Truth-Sayer in our life. He’s made us heirs to His Kingdom. “We are heirs of God, heirs with Christ …” (Rom 8:17) As Christians we’re privileged to definitely know who we are and why we’re here. Pope St. John Paul II was inspired to write, “Only in Christ can men and women find answers to the ultimate questions that trouble them. Only in Christ can they fully understand their dignity as persons created and loved by God." Knowing that we are God’s children gives us an identity and a mission that enables us to cope with all the ups and down of life on earth. An anonymous poet summed it up as follows: “I may be young; I may be old, but I am somebody, for I am God’s Child. I may be educated; I may be unlettered, but I am somebody, for I am God’s Child. I may be black; I may be white, but I am somebody, for I am God’s Child. I may be rich; I may be poor, but I am somebody, for I am God’s Child. I may be fat; I may be thin, but I am somebody, for I am God’s Child. I may be married; I may be single or divorced, but I am somebody, for I am God’s Child. I may be successful; I may be a failure, but I am somebody, for I am God’s Child. I may be a sinner; I may be a saint, but I am somebody, for Jesus is my Saviour, I am God’s Child.”
Knowing that we’re God’s children gives us a strength and an assurance that we couldn’t find anywhere. We’re able to say with Isaiah, “God indeed is my Saviour … my strength and my courage.” (Is 12:2-3) As our Father, God encourages us through Isaiah to, “Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life … Seek the Lord while He may be found, call Him while He is near .. . Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked man his thoughts; let him turn to the Lord for mercy; to our God who is generous in forgiving.” (Is 55:1-11)
As God’s children, calling Him “Our Father,” you and I trust in Him because He loves us completely. His Commandments identify us as His loving children. Instead of limiting our freedom the Commandments free us to love, live, hope and grow in faith. Being God’s child gives you and me an identity that enables us to see our self in all situations as somebody unique, for we’re God’s Child. As you enter 2018, when someone asks, “Who are you?”,respond by saying, “I am God’s Child!” (frsos)
OBAMA 2009
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Barack Obama vs. Universities, Food Banks, Churches, the Arts, and Housing
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by Patrick Ruffini | February 27, 2009 at 8:11 AM
There's a reason people like me argue that elections have consequences, and it's because of Barack Obama's tax and spending proposals announced yesterday. Obama's massive $315 billion tax increase that violates a basic fairness principle in our tax code: that no matter who you are, we don't count a dollar of income for taxable purposes once deductions for things like charitable donations and mortgage interest are taken into account. Contrary to the White House's smarmy insinuations, the poor and the rich are treated exactly the same under current law.
The White House proposal would reach into these deductions and effectively levy an additional tax of 7% on charitable contributions and mortgage interest (and up to 11.6% if Obama's tax increases go into effect) for those in the highest tax bracket -- in other words, those with the most ability to support America's charities.
President Trump; When you consider all we’ve accomplished together in 2017, I think you’ll agree that you got a lot out of the pro-life dollars you invested in Priests for Life this year. And while there’s still a lot of work to do, it’s good to pause and look at all we’ve achieved together these past eleven months:
Neil Gorsuch confirmed to the Supreme Court.
Almost a dozen pro-life “originalist” judges confirmed to appeals courts.
Banning tax dollars from funding international abortion agencies.
“Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act” passed in the House.
Ending the HHS abortion mandate that Priests for Life battled all the way to the Supreme Court.
Getting a ban on dismemberment abortions introduced in Congress.
Exposing the criminal practices of Planned Parenthood and convincing more lawmakers to cut all federal funding to this abortion monster.
Granting states the right to defund Planned Parenthood.
Helping close roughly two dozen Planned Parenthood abortion clinics.
Assisting state legislatures as they passed THIRTY laws protecting mothers and babies from abortionists.
Advancing the drive to repeal the Johnson Amendment and allowing churches the freedom to involve themselves in the political process
In all, John F. Kennedy and Eugenio Pacelli met several times, often privately and meaningfully.
Alas, among those meetings, Kennedy and Pacelli surely spent some time discussing the great international menace of the time: atheistic communism. This is the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, and Our Lady of Fatima’s prophetic warnings of the crimes and errors that would be spread by communism in the 20th century were dire. One of those crimes and errors would be the vicious smearing of a saintly man, Pope Pius XII, as “Hitler’s Pope,” a malicious disinformation campaign launched by the communists. And another would be the murder 54 years ago of America’s first and only Catholic president, John F. Kennedy, by a man named Lee Harvey Oswald, who many believe pulled that trigger out of profession and passion for the international communism to which he gave himself and his service.
In that way, too, Pius XII and John F. Kennedy stand united in history, and in tragedy.
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/united-in-history-and-tragedy-jfk-and-pope-pius-xii
Oct 2017
No Justice
Domhnall de Barra
Isn’t amazing how, all of a sudden, nearly all our politicians are on one voice demanding action from the banks in relation to the tracker mortgage scandal. Of course they are absolutely right but where have they been for the past few years while people’s lives were ruined by the ruthlessness and greed of the banking industry. If it happened in America there would be not just an outcry but swift action and those who made the decisions to defraud their customers would find themselves in jail. There is a reluctance in this country to deal with white collar crime. A poor woman may be sentenced to months in jail for stealing a loaf of bread but our financial institutions seem to be able to act with impunity, taking money illegally out of peoples pockets. Our answer to every crisis here is to have a tribunal. This will cost millions and line the pockets of the legal eagles and at the end of a lengthy charade nobody will be held accountable. We should have learned from the beef tribunal where the only ones to be punished were two ordinary factory workers in Rathkeale who were only doing their job. Those who caused the problem were fined but, after a while, the money was given back to them because we needed the exports. It is quite plain to anyone with half a brain that the financial institutions colluded with each other to defraud their customers. Someone at the top had to give the instructions to their staff to take people off the tracker mortgages they were on because it was costing the banks money. Why has it taken so long to force them to give back the money they stole? Why didn’t the Central Bank act earlier and nip it in the bud? There seems to be a small circle of people who control everything in this country. It is not a healthy state and one we would do well to tackle head on. Compensation is the first step, not just the money that was taken but proper compensation for the hardship and heartache that some families suffered. Some people who actually lost their homes can never be properly compensated. The banks should be there to serve their customers but the truth is they don’t give a damn about them. Their only aim is to maximise profits for the shareholders and put more money into the already swollen pockets of the CEOs. Look at the way they are treating day to day customers at local level. In Abbeyfeale you have to deal with a machine if you want to do business. You can’t deposit change or get your own money out anymore, you have to go to Listowel or Newcastle. It shows a contempt for customers who have been with the bank for years. Thank God we still have our local Credit Union. Let us hope that they will be able to for us in the future what the banks used to do.
It isn’t only the banks that are capable of taking us for a ride. Our own government is continuing to treat some of us who have paid, over the years, for our contributory old age pension. The regulations state that a minimum amount of contributions are required to claim the full pension. That is only right and proper but they then calculate from the first contribution date to the last spread over that period so the average contribution may fall short and the pension is reduced. One person can start work at the age of fifty five, make ten years contributions and claim a full pension at the age of 65/66. The person next door started work on the same day and put up the same amount of contributions but, because that person did a couple of weeks holiday work when going to college, the total contributions are calculated over the whole period and the pension id reduced so even though the second person has actually more contributions than the first, the pension granted is less. It makes no sense and should be remedied straight away. I am a victim of the system myself and so is my wife Noreen. We both had plenty of “stamps” up but because I worked in Ireland for a while in 1966 and Noreen worked in the early sixties as well, we are both on reduced pensions. Some politicians are making a bit of noise about it but I am not holding my breath at the moment. You would have to wonder though as to what bright spark thought up the system in the first place and what was the motivation if it was not just to save money for the government. This is not the government’s money, it is our money that we paid in over the years as an insurance to be there when retirement loomed. We often don’t think about that situation until late in the day but it is very important that people are treated fairly and that there is an even playing pitch. We live in hope.
Difference of Opinion
Domhnall de Barra
There is a saying that goes “doctors differ and patients die” which is not meant to be taken literally as it may be used in a light-hearted manner when different opinions are not easily reconciled. Down through the years we have been given varying medical advice as to what we should and should not eat to maintain a healthy lifestyle. While I would be loath to cast doubt on them I would advise that some should be taken with a pinch of salt – oh sorry, salt is one of those on the avoid list. For decades, young Americans were practically force fed spinach because their parents were told that it contained very beneficial ingredients such as iron, a vital component in the development of young bodies. They even invented a cartoon character to perpetuate the myth; Popeye. Those of you old enough to remember that character will know that he constantly devoured spinach to develop huge biceps that helped him with his super-hero efforts. Of course all the young boys wanted to be like him so they swallowed their daily dose of the green stuff even though most of them hated the taste of it. Some years ago there was a bit of research done into the nutritional value of spinach to discover that, contrary to what had previously been thought, it is a very ordinary plant with very little good in it at all. Remember the campaign against eggs? We were told that they were a prime cause of cholesterol which leads to heart attacks. It scared some people off eating eggs for life. We now know that eggs are not harmful, if taken sensibly. The same goes for dairy products. Milk, cheese, butter, yogurt etc. all bad for us and the first to be shunned by dieticians. Again, with the benefit of modern research, we know that they are not so harmful after all. People, scared by the advertising, stopped eating whole butter and turned instead to low fat alternatives. Latest opinions are that these “low low” products have far more dangerous ingredients that the whole fat alternative. Sugar is the latest enemy. Day after day we are being told that young people are at risk of developing diabetes from the amount of sugar they get from fizzy drinks. The government are getting in on the act by proposing a sugar tax in the budget. Now, when I say sugar tax it can be a bit misleading because not all sugar products are being taxed but the ones that come in bottles and cans and are sold in most shops. Making things more expensive so that people will no longer buy them simply does not work. If you want to be cynical you might say that these types of taxes are more about extra revenue for the government than a genuine attempt to reduce sugar consumption. Is sugar really that dangerous? I remember, when I was growing up, that most people drank several mugs of tea per day. The vast majority put at least two spoons of sugar in every mug or cup and sometimes three or four. I don’t remember them dropping like flies. Perhaps it is not the sugar content that is the problem but the fact that most young people today do not get enough exercise. We walked a mile and a half to school and back every day and we were never indoors when the weather was fine. Nowadays young people are driven everywhere and spend most of their leisure time on social media. They simply do not get enough exercise. Of course the amount of fizzy drinks they consume should be limited; that is only common sense but everything has to be balanced. A huge industry has grown around dieting. We are constantly under pressure to all be like stick insects and there is no shortage of organisations to advise us – at a price of course. To be a little overweight is almost a crime, especially for women. This is very unfair as there is not a “one size fits all” answer. The supermodels haven’t a pick on them but as women they are a bit of a turn off. They look like they are made of hard plastic and are about as sexy as tin whistles. The well rounded woman, on the other hand, has a far warmer appeal and, even if a little overweight, looks healthy and attractive. There is no formula for a long life. Those who follow stringent diets and do regular exercise die as well. There is no point in making your life a misery in the hope that you will be the oldest patient in the nursing home. I am no medical expert but I firmly believe in the maxim “a little of what you fancy does you good” . The great heart surgeon, Maurice Nelligan from Devon Road, put it best of all when he said “everything in moderation, including moderation itself on occasions” . Like with everything else in life, a bit of common sense goes a long way. No two people are alike. What will cure you may kill me so we all have to develop our own individual plan. In the meantime, risk it and take much of the advice from those with a vested interest with that pinch of salt!.
from the Clifden heritage organisation:
The Famine years were particularly harsh all over the west of Ireland, and especially in the Connemara region whose population of tenant farmers and labourers depended almost entirely on the lumper potato. Thousands died when the potato crop failed in the summer of 1845 and failed again over the following three years. Those who managed to survive were weakened by years of hunger and disease and found it difficult to restart their lives as their work tools, farm implements and furniture had been sold to raise money for food. This was the environment into which the Irish Church Missions stepped when it began its proselytising work in Clifden in early 1848. Its arrival, with plentiful supplies of food and clothes, must have seemed like a godsend to the starving poor of Connemara.
The Irish Church Missions was established by Revd Alexander Dallas, the Church of England rector of Wonston in Hampshire and had been active at Castlekerke, near Oughterard since 1846. Its ambition was to convert the Roman Catholic population of Ireland to scriptural Protestantism and it was handsomely funded by the Protestant population of Great Britain. The Irish poor who attended the Irish Church Missions schools and churches of received clothes and food in addition to educational and religious services and, with the west of Ireland in the midst of a dreadful famine, it is unsurprising that the poor of Connemara eagerly flocked to the Protestant Irish Church Missions. Within a short time the mission could correct claim a very large number of converts or ‘jumpers’ as they were known. [It is thought that the term Jumpers comes from the Irish expression d’iompaigh siad – they turned.]
They Made a Difference
Domhnall de Barra
I started to fill this part of the newsletter when Pat Brosnan, R..I.P., passed away. Pat had been with us from the time the first issue was published and he never failed to have his hand-written copy with us well before the deadline. In his “corner” he covered many different topics from rural affairs to politics and the local news. Pat was not just a writer but a poet and a great composer. He wrote songs and poems about local places, events and kept us abreast of all the changes with songs like “The New Turf Machine”.
They say you never miss the water ‘till the well runs dry and there is no truer saying. But it isn’t just Pat we are missing. Most of the local poets, playwrights, songwriters and other wordsmiths who have passed on are not being replaced. There aren’t any young people following in their footsteps and I am fearful that there never will be.
The beauty of language is most evident in poetic form and this part of the country was blessed with a variety of poets, ballad-makers and rhymers. Dan Keane, from just over the Kerry border, also passed away in the last few years. Dan had the ability to compose verse at will. He was very fond of Athea and spent many years going around the parish collecting insurance. Dan could come into a house, have a cup of tea and a bite to eat and then fall asleep in the chair for a while. On waking he might take out his pen and write a couple of verses in praise of the food he had received or some member of the household. He was very witty and has left us some wonderful books to remember him by. But he wasn’t just a poet, he also produced two very scholarly works, one called “Around Athea” in which he named all the townlands and gave the Irish versions of the titles and their meaning. One might think this was a huge task but he did the same for all North Kerry. These should be studied by children in all the local schools.
Paddy Faley has also gone to his eternal reward. Paddy kept us entertained for years with his poems and recitations. No local variety concert was complete without a turn from Paddy. His verses are most important as they represent his own area at a particular time in history. His ability to make us laugh will always be remembered. His daughter, Peg Prendeville, is keeping up the writing tradition and we are lucky that she does a column in this newsletter every week bringing us all the latest in the Knockdown area.
Sean Sheehy
Jun 14 2017
Food for the Journey
In the Roman Catholic Church when a member is dying Jesus gives Himself to him or her in Holy Communion. This is called ‘viaticum,’ which means ‘provisions for the journey’. The Church assures the dying person that he or she isn’t dying alone but in the company of Jesus who promises him or her eternal life after death. This is done with or outside of the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. The Holy Eucharist is the proper food for the soul that strengthens the dying person as he or she travels from this world to the next. This Sunday Church calls the world to reflect on “Corpus Christi,” the Body of Christ in which Jesus gives us the gift of Himself as nourishment for our soul here on earth. Just our body needs proper food for physical health so our soul needs food for spiritual health. Without proper food our body deteriorates and our soul withers. Withering souls are the root cause of most of our problems that can’t be healed medically or psychologically.
As God freed His people from Egyptian slavery Moses reminded them, “He let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to you and your fathers, in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Deut 8:3) The Psalmist, aware of God’s providence, proclaimed, “Praise the Lord, He has granted peace in your borders; with the best of wheat he fills you.” (Ps 147:14) But physical food isn’t sufficient in itself for life’s fulfilment. If it were, all well-fed people would be happy. Because God created our soul it hungers for Him since only He can nourish it. The Psalmist reminds us, “As a deer longs for running waters, so my soul longs for You, my God. Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.” (Ps 42:2-3) It’s God’s Word that creates, sustains, loves, and promises us a joyful and peaceful eternal life. It’s the Word from God’s mouth that keeps us in existence, fulfils us, makes us whole, and enables us to achieve the fullness of our potential, namely to be like Him and happily live with Him forever. But how does God’s Word keep us alive? What do we need in order to get it? Jesus gives us the answer.
In Jesus God’s Word became flesh. He’s God-become-man, born of the Virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit. He’s Immanuel, God-with-us. But Jesus wasn’t satisfied by being God-with-us, He wanted to be God-in-us. He revealed, “I myself am the bread of life …I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died. This is the bread that comes down from Heaven for a man to eat and never die … If anyone eats this bread he shall live forever; the bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (Jn 6:35, 48-51) While celebrating the Passover with His Apostles on Holy Thursday evening Jesus made clear how He was to keep us alive by being the bread that nourishes the soul so we can happily live forever. “During the meal Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples. ‘Take this and eat it,’ he said, ‘this is my body.’ Then he took a chalice, gave thanks, and gave it to them. ‘All of you must drink from it,’ he said, ‘for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, to be poured in behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mt 26:26-28) In this action God’s Word-in-the-flesh, Jesus Christ, made Himself the “bread of life” to nourish our soul and prepare our spirit for eternal life. To make sure that He didn’t mean the bread and wine as mere symbols of His body and blood, He stated, “For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. The man who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”
Jesus changed the unleavened bread into His body and the wine into His blood to be physically eaten and drunk as both the greatest sign of unity with Him and as the only true food for the human soul. He bestowed this power on His Apostles when He commanded them to “Do this in memory of me.” (Lk 22:19) Jesus’ Church, faithful to the Apostolic Tradition, has continued in His Name to enable Jesus’ Eucharistic presence in the consecrated bread – His Body – and in the consecrated wine – His blood. Thus through the ordained priesthood in His Church Jesus makes it possible for believers to receive Him, body, soul, and divinity physically and spiritually in Holy Communion. Jesus’ Church makes Sunday Mass obligatory for all believers because Jesus warns, “Let me solemnly assure you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man ad drink His blood, you have no life in you.” (Jn 6:53) So if we want to have a life that’s spiritually healthy and one that will joyfully last forever we must physically and spiritually feed our soul with Jesus who is the “Bread of Life.” (frsos)
BALLYBUNION From Domhnall de Barra.
The other morning I was listening to the Ryan Tubridy show on Radio 1. It was the week of his trip along the Wild Atlantic Way and on this occasion he was broadcasting from Ballybunion. It brought back great memories to me of days long ago when Ballybunion was a magical place for us and a real treat for us when we were taken there on a fine summer Sunday. My father had a lorry and , after Mass he might say “we’ll go to Bally for the day”.
That was the start of the excitement as we searched for swimming togs, buckets and spades. My mother made heaps of sandwiches and put them in a basket. At last we were ready for the road. The younger children rode in the front of the truck with my father while the older ones, including myself, climbed over the rails into the back. We were dressed in our Sunday best; collar and tie, suit and white socks up to the knees. More often than not there would be turf dust from a load delivered the previous day and as the truck gained speed, this dust began to swirl around and would end up sticking to our clothes and even up our noses. We must have been a sight getting out in Ballybunion but we didn’t care. Along the road to Listowel, the truck would stop and people would climb into the back with us. There was great craic on the way. I remember the sound of the wheels on the road and how the sound changed when we crossed the border from Limerick into Kerry. In those days the roads in Kerry were much better than those in Limerick and the smoother surface made a different sound. When we got to Listowel a few more “passengers” would climb in and we often had ten to fifteen, mostly young men, in the back.
On to Lisselton and we could get the smell of the salt sea air on the wind. Between Lisselton and Ballybunion there was sharp humpbacked bridge which wasn’t as smooth as it is today. When the truck hit it we would be thrown up in the air. We soon got to anticipate the approach to the bridge and were ready for the bump. It caused great hilarity when someone was taken unawares and dumped on the seat of their pants. Now we were getting near and then we could see the sea in the distance. The heart beat a little faster as we entered the town and took the right fork up by the church where we normally parked. We couldn’t wait to get down to the beach and immediately into the water. Towels were wrapped around us as we changed into our togs and then, having been cautioned to keep near the shore, we raced towards the water. The run came to a sudden halt when we stepped into the water that seemed to be ice cold. It took ages to get fully immersed but once that was achieved the feeling was wonderful. We wanted to stay there all day but eventually we were called ashore to be towelled dry as we shivered in the air that was actually colder than the water. Despite our best efforts the sand got in everywhere especially between the toes but we didn’t mind.
By this time my father would have gone up town to meet the other lads in one of the local pubs so I, as the eldest would be dispatched to Lyons’ tea house for a big pot of tea. The sandwiches were produced and we tucked in with gusto. There is something about eating sandwiches and drinking tea at the seaside. It has a special flavour that is impossible to get elsewhere. After dining we would play games on the strand with buckets and spades and rubber balls until it was time to gather up the wet clothes and the blankets and head back to the lorry. No sign of my father yet so we were allowed to go down town to spend our meagre few bob in the penny arcades. We kept some money back to buy an ice cream or a lolly and sometimes we bought a plastic “windmill” to play with on the way home.
Back to the lorry where my mother had found our driver and we piled in for the journey home. I can remember those days as if they were yesterday. Ballybunion certainly was a magical place and we went home jaded from our exertions but already looking forward to the next fine Sunday and all this without a mobile phone, tablet, iPad or transistor! Happy days.
Domhnall de Barra
Things My Mother Taught Me”, I’m sure we can all identify with many aspects shared in this reflection.
Taught me to appreciate a job well done:
“If you are going to kill each other –do it outside, I’ve just finished cleaning”
My mother taught me religion: “You’d better pray that will come out of the carpet”
My mother taught me about time travel: “If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week”
My mother taught me reason: “Because I said so, that’s why!”
My mother taught me logic: “If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you are not going shopping with me”
My mother taught me foresight: “Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident”
My mother taught me irony: “Keep crying and I’ll give you something to cry about”
My mother taught me about science of osmosis: “Shut your mouth and eat your breakfast”
My mother taught me about contortionism: “Will you look at the dirt on the back of your neck?”
My mother taught me about stamina: “You’ll sit there until all that dinner is finished.
April 2017
Domhnall de Barra
In days gone by there was a rambling house in every locality. This was the meeting place where people from the locality gathered at night to talk, play cards, sing songs, play music, dance etc. There was always a story teller or two in the company who had the knack of holding the audience spellbound with their delivery. Many of these stories were about the supernatural with ghosts and appearances by the devil himself very prominent. After hearing these stories we, as youngsters, made our way home in the dark afraid of our shadows. The slightest sound chilled us to the bone and we ran the rest of the way at full speed eager to get to the safety of the light in the kitchen.
Through the years I spent many hours in the darkness at night time and apart from two occasions I never saw or heard anything out of the ordinary. The first of these episodes took place when I was about 11 years of age. I was learning how to play the accordion from Liam Moloney of Devon Road. I use to cycle over the hill through Ballaugh on Saturday nights, a journey of about five miles usually in darkness during the winter months especially on the way home. One night I was cycling home without a light on the bike in the pitch darkness. I knew the road well and was doing fine until I reached the steep hill and had to come off the bike to walk. As I stepped on the road and stopped to catch my breath for a moment I heard breathing over my left shoulder. It was very heavy and I was rooted to the spot with the hairs standing on the back of my neck. After what seemed like an age I plucked up enough courage to turn my head and take a look. I could barely make out two big eyes staring at me and then, just before panic set in, the moon came out and I saw the outline of the head of an ass! I felt the blood rushing to my body with relief and I left the poor ass to get on with his grazing on the “long acre”. Nothing supernatural there but had the moon not made an appearance and I managed to get away, what kind of a story would I be telling?.
The second event happened some years later when I was often out late at night meeting girls!. It was about 2.30 am on a fairly bright night when I had to dismount from the bike again coming up the height near home. As I dismounted, a woman dressed all in black jumped out over the ditch on my left hand side, said “good night Dannyboy”, crossed the road and jumped in over the other ditch. It all happened so fast that I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. It was quite a while before I could move and I kept asking myself where she was coming from at that time of night and what on earth she could be doing. The fact that she knew me and called me by my name meant that she was a local but I am sure she was flesh and bone and nobody from the “other side”
Those events made me as nervous as the story tellers of old did. Alas it is a dying profession and they are getting very scarce nowadays. We still have a couple in the area; Daisy Kearney and John Collins. Daisy is one of the Fitzgerald family from Knocknasna, a sister to the late Mary Browne and Nora Ita Hunt. She is now world famous after performing all, over the world with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann tour groups.. She has a wealth of stories and recitations, many of them of local origin. She also has some that were made famous by the late Eamon Kelly on the radio. John Collins is a farmer in Dromin beesm near Killoughteen in Newcastle West. His people came from across the river from me in Tullig. John, like Daisy, has toured extensively with Comhaltas and is a regular performer with the ‘Glantine Seisiún group that performs at the Devon Inn throughout the summer months. He also does a fine brush dance to jig time, one of the few who doesn’t do it to reels. We are lucky to have these two with us as, sadly, no young people in the area are carrying on the tradition. Comhaltas are trying to encourage story telling by adding a new competition to the Fleadhs. This might encourage more young people to do a little research and learn a story or two. We don’t want it to be a dying art, especially in these days of social media where most communications are not done orally. I hope the competition takes off and we can once again enjoy the telling of stories old and new.
While I am at it I would also like to appeal to people to get involved in all types of writing; poetry, prose etc. Not long ago we had Dan Keane, Pat Brosnan, and Paddy Faley, all prolific with the pen. Alas they have all passed on, God be good to them, and, as yet, there are no replacements for them.
I would be open to any ideas of how we can encourage budding writers and composers so, if you have an idea, please contact me. In the meantime watch how you go, especially late at night!
2017
LADY OF FATIMA CENTENNIAL STATUE FOR
EUROPE: will visit the Diocese of Kerry on Saturday 25th March.The Alliance of the Two
Hearts commissioned six of these Statues which were blessed by Pope Francis in January, one for
each continent. 9.30am St. John’s Church, Tralee. 3.00pm St. Kentigern’s Church, Eyeries.
7.00pm Church of the Resurrection, Killarney.
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TRAFFICKING GIFT BOX: Human Trafficking is happening in Ireland today. This large walk-in street sculpture invites you inside with promises and offers, but once inside you are presented with Retail Park, Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st March from 10am—7pm.
KERRY CHORAL UNION: with their Junior Choir and guest soloists present a St. Patrick’s Weekend
Concert in Our Lady and St. Brendan’s Church on Sunday March 19th at 7.30pm, proceeds in aid of Recovery Haven, Kerry Cancer Support House. Tickets from 086 3612912, 087 9209662, Recovery Haven 066 7192122 or Our Lady and St. Brendan’s Pastoral Centre.
Throughout the pre-war years, von Galen strove to keep a place for Christianity in Germany, while the government constantly worked to undermine the Church. Public outcry successfully defeated an attempt to have the crucifixes removed from Catholic schools. But before long the Catholic schools themselves were closed. Von Galen was convinced that the government was seeking to destroy the Catholic Church in Germany.
https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2017/03/the-bishop-and-the-nazis
ISIS Inadvertently Proves Bible Historically Accurate
Norma McCorvey
You can see the Facebook Live video I made shortly after I heard of her passing -- https://www.facebook.com/fatherfrankpavone/videos/10154072760790670/ -- and can see our press release as well as a lot of articles and interviews with Norma at www.PriestsForLife.org/Norma.
Statement of Norma McCorvey's Family
Losing a loved one is always a difficult time for a family. Losing a loved one who was also a public figure at the center of a national controversy brings additional challenges. It also brings additional consolations.
We are, therefore, grateful to so many people across America and around the world who, in these days, are expressing their condolences, their prayers, and their gratitude for the example Mom gave them in standing up for life and truth. Though she was the Jane Roe of Roe vs. Wade, she worked hard for the day when that decision would be reversed.
We are also grateful for the respect shown to our privacy at this time of grieving. Mom suffered much during her life, but we are grateful to God that she took his hand, found his peace, and now has that peace in its fullness.
As we adjust in our private lives to the loss of Mom, we know that her story will live on in the public and pray that it will bless many people.
Funeral services will be held this weekend but are closed to the media. We ask that media inquiries be directed to the Communications Office of Priests for Life, at media@priestsforlife.org.
In the coming months, memorial masses and other services in various regions of the country will be organized by Priests for Life to give more people an opportunity to remember Mom's life and work.
Fr Pat Moore in Lixnaw Jan 2017
On Tuesday night the 17th of January 2017 I was invited to attend the St. Pio Mass that is held in St. Michaels Church Lixnaw on the 3rd Tuesday of every month. Fr. Mossie Brick and the team invited me to witness to the healing power of our faith in our lives and this is what I said…….
“You’re not just what you eat Or do Or think. You are what you believe”
20 years ago, a friend, home for Christmas from England got a heart attack and ended up in hospital in Cork city. He knew his records were back in London and he wanted to get back there. He got advice from a Pakistani doctor whom he asked “am I good enough to go back to London for treatment?”, the doctor wisely said to him “if you are used to driving a Mercedes car and you are suddenly required to drive a Mini car, you can’t drive the Mini like you were driving the Merc.”
It’s the same with your body, take it – but take it easy.
The same man told me, whatever you are going through, whether it’s sadness, guilt, sickness, anxiety or whatever, use your imagination to keep your attention on THE HORIZON OF HEALING. Focus on the day you will be better or more accepting, not just on how sick you are now. Look to the horizon. Between you and that horizon there might be bog holes, rough terrain, confusion, potholes, suffering and tears but hang in there, follow the light.
For me – you know my story, I went down the treatment road when I got a diagnosis of oesophageal cancer. Looking back now I can see I choose not to talk against myself. I didn’t use the language of BATTLE against CANCER. We always have to believe, no matter what is on the plate in front of us, that in our nature we are bigger than any event that can happen to us. It comes back to who we are and it’s to find the light within. The light of kindness, understanding, intelligence, empathy – the light of love that Jesus speaks about. That I learnt growing up, for it’s not what people say it’s the type of person you are when you are saying it, when somebody shares a bit of earnestness and deep goodness that can be with you for the rest of your life.
There is a lot of work going on science laboratories right now to find “the science of healing”. Science and Faith aren’t at each other’s throats. This struck me when I went in for an 8-hour operation in Cork and I realised that I was in an “operating theatre”. It’s like being at a play. I had to rely on everyone doing their part, the nurses, the doctors, the equipment……… Like the actors and the props in a play that I would go to in a theatre. In a theatre, you put away your disbelief you give yourself over to the production, I gave myself over so that these people could play their part in my healing.
When I’m inside myself I believe I’m moving towards the horizon of healing but I’m not waiting, not holding back until I get to the horizon. For you never get to the horizon, it’s a fool’s game because when you get to one horizon there’s always another ahead to move towards. You live in the present moment, even if it’s a bog hole there’s a future calling me out of that bog hole. When I was inside in a machine getting a CT Scan or a PET Scan or even getting an injection (on one day I got 13 injections), I, in my mind’s eye saw an image of Jesus, Mary, Padre Pio, the strand in Ballybunion, people praying for me here at mass and that image carried me for that part of the journey.
There’s several things that have been proven by scientists in labs right now that echo this:
1. There’s the subconscious – the things our logical mind doesn’t know about and that plays a part in our lives.
2. There’s the way we’re wired within, whether we’re in touch with a divine light within.
3. The imagination that allows me to link up with the people that are praying with/for me and wishing me well. This can be the most powerful of all, for when we pray we broadcast our goodness and I can tune into that goodness like I can tune into a radio station.
Nothing is either good nor bad but thinking makes it so according to Shakespeare. Sending a prayer or a good wish towards someone travels in an invisible space where that person can tune into it.
What is going on here, on the Tuesday night when you gather once a month is an act of the healing imagination. We are broadcasting the goodness of Padre Pio and tuning into the hope his life makes available to us in that invisible place.
So, Everyone is here tonight for their own reason but we’re all here for each other just as much.
We are living IN the moment, not FOR the moment.
Here, there can be a different way of thinking – prayer can work.
(Then for a short while we each placed our hand on our heart and went into the heart space, got in touch with the light within and around us and prayed that that healing light would go forth from where we were.)
Summer Time 26 March 2016
A month after an election, no government yet but the main issue of poor local roads is being addressed in downtown Asdee! The daylight saving time change has moved an hour of daylight from morning to the evening, giving us those long summer nights. Losing an hour in Spring is harder than gaining an hour in the autumn. It’s like going east on a plane to America.
Yesterday brought two welcome visitors. Fr. Tom McMahon from Knockanure was joined later in the evening by Fr. Joe Nolan of Farnastack, two men with the higher view of things. Globally we discussed how the combination of liberalism and democracy seems to have run its course when we saw what was happening in Eastern Europe and America. Then we turned into talking about the way the use of language has changed here in Kerry in our lifetime.
The March of the gadgets, while not total, has made things we regarded as eye contact, the study of a fellow human beings body language, tone and vivid oral images in dialogue less valued. A mobile phone on the table can change what we talk about and the degree of connection we feel. Fr. Joe pointed out that local dialogue was always studied. It was less spontaneous, less playful and masked any vulnerability. People often spent their solitary time sharpening their tongues. ” How much did you make at the market for your cattle?” asked the local farmer, known for his directness. He asked his neighbour, known for his privacy who replied, “more than I thought but not as much as I expected.” The tongue can be used to conceal the truth rather than to reveal the truth. We talked of the rich liturgical language of The Blasket Islands and Peig Sayers. When a neighbour visited a house at evening, as they darkened their door, they said, ‘ the blessings of God be inside this house before us!” Now, if a neighbour visits, they ring the door bell and say ‘Hi.’
No conversation with Fr. Tom is complete without he bringing up Horace. ” Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori,” it is sweet and glorious to die for ones country. We talked of 1916 and the Easter Rising. We talked of Wilfred Owen, the English poet of WWI, who died in action a week before the war ended. He referred to the quote as “the old lie.” These issues were washed down with tea and porter cake. Now that the evening is lengthening, the sun is out and the sap is rising as the roots dig down into the soil, ‘pactum serva, as Horace said, keep the faith.
From Father Sean.
to me
How God Serves Us
Someone suggested that the two most important days in our life are the day we’re born and the day we discover our true purpose. Obviously the day we’re born is a special day not only for us but also for family, relatives, and, indeed, the whole world, since we bring new gifts and hope with us from God. The day we discover our purpose is equally important since it’s the day when we realize why we’re here and what we’re meant to accomplish with our life. Without knowing our ultimate purpose life becomes a hit and miss affair, with more misses than hits. God serves us by revealing our purpose, which motivates and guides us in the use of our resources and efforts. Knowing our purpose tells us what fulfils us and makes us happy. It’s our dot on the horizon that keeps us on track and gives meaning to our life. God’s purpose for us is to do His will. What’s God’s will for us?
God revealed to Abraham that we’re to bring His blessing to others. “All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.” (Gen 12:3) He revealed through Isaiah, “You are my servant … through whom I show my glory …I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” (Is 49: 3)God wills that we give visibility to His presence in and among us, bring His light into people’s darkness, and demonstrate His saving presence to every man, woman, and child. This is the God-given purpose that brings fulfilment and happiness to all who embrace it. Thus the Psalmist proclaims, “To do Your will, O my God, is my delight, and Your law is written on my heart.” (Ps 40:9) God’s purpose serves us by giving us an identity, meaning, power, value, vision, and a mission to bring creation back to the Creator.
God doesn’t expect us to achieve His purpose for us on our own or figure out by ourselves. He never asks anything of us without giving us the wherewithal to accomplish it. He gave us a model that serves to show us how to achieve our purpose. That model is Jesus Christ, God-with-us in the flesh. Jesus not only demonstrated God’s service to everyone, and His purpose for everyone in His own life, but also equipped everyone to serve and be purposeful. He requested His Father to “protect them with Your Name which You have given me that they may be one even as we are one.” (Jn 17:11) The purpose for which God created us orients us not to this world but to the next world, for it’s there that purpose will be permanently fulfilled. Jesus prays for His followers, “They are not of this world, any more than I belong to this world. Consecrate them by means of truth – Your word is truth… I consecrate myself for their sakes now, that they may be consecrated in truth.” (Jn 17:16-19) Jesus serves us and helps us to serve and achieve our purpose by consecrating us in truth through uniting us with Himself in Baptism when we became a, “… holy people consecrated in Christ Jesus ….” (1 Cor 1:2) He reassures us in Confirmation by sending us the Holy Spirit with His gifts.
Our purpose on earth is to let God serve us by doing will. By letting God serve us He gives us the grace to serve Him and one another, which makes us a blessing to others. God serves us especially through His gift of Reconciliation, which Jesus made possible. John the Baptizer recognized Jesus as “the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (Jn 1:29) Jesus’ Church immortalizes John’s words every time Christ’s Mass is celebrated. Just before Holy Communion, the priest breaks a small piece of the Sacred Host and places it in the Chalice with the accompanying triple petition, “Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us … grant us peace.” Then he holds us up the consecrated bread and wine, Jesus body and blood, proclaiming to the congregation, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.” Jesus is the Lamb of God who sacrificed Himself to save us from our sins. God serves us through giving us the gift of His Son. Our greatest service to others is the gift of our presence to them. This is what God does through, with, and in Jesus who continues to make a gift of Himself to us through His Church in her Sacraments, and especially in the Holy Mass. Just as we can’t serve another if he or she refuses our service, so also God can’t serve us if we don’t let Him. This is why we continually need to invite the Holy Spirit, who came to us in Baptism and Confirmation, to guide our spirit in all our decisions through the use of His gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, prayerfulness, perseverance, and the fear of the Lord. God serves us with these gifts so that we can serve others in achieving our purpose and fulfilment. (frsos)
Night time in the wilderness
Posted on August 18, 2015 By helenacodyre
1 Comment
There are many things I enjoy about Africa but I am both terrified of and thrilled by night time. Terrified because there are all kinds of nasties that come to life at night time; scorpions, mosquitoes, snakes, big hairy spiders. But I am thrilled by it because it is beautiful. It’s so dark that sometimes I’m not sure whether my eyes are open or closed. Sometimes the moon shines so brightly casting a glow on the world that makes it feel as though it has been snowing. The sky is so full of stars. More stars than I have ever seen. And the Milky Way!! It’s almost as if the universe is rewarding your courage for being outside after the sun sets with the most spectacular show.
And the sun sets! Gosh, each one seems to be more beautiful than the last. Again, the universe rewards your fortitude in getting through a day of punishing heat by putting on a light show which can’t be compared to anything man is capable of producing with fireworks and gunpowder. That burning orange casts a glow on the world and turns trees and anthills into silhouettes.
One of the things that I am enjoying most about this trip is the nighttime visits to the villages for prayers or mass.
This was something we did not do in Narus. The villages are all very long drives from the main town of Narus so it was not practical to go out there at night time. Here in Riwoto, we are in the heart of Toposaland and the villages are accessible.
Night time too is a good time to get people. The villagers have finished their work for the day. The men have been tending their animals. The women have been cultivating their crops of sourghum, caring for the children, bringing water from the borehole, cooking, cutting wood or making charcoal or brewing beer to sell in the villages. Now that the work is done they have time to come and pray in the darkness.
We drive out after dinner, sometimes the village is over an hours drive away. We are always joined by some of the Toposa speaking teachers. Tim goes armed with his iPad and portable projector. He shows pictures of that weeks Gospel story and speaks about it in their native Toposa language. While I still don’t understand the language I am now able to pick out words and phrases. It always makes me smile when I hear Fr. Tim speak Toposa with a thick Kerry accent!
The meetings take place just outside the boundary wall of the village. Each village has a meeting place which is essentially some logs arranged in a circle. Sometimes the people bring firewood and light a fire. Although, I’m not convinced it’s needed…at nighttime it’s still warm here.
We are often joined by over 200 villagers. I suppose we’re the only show in town. We always have teachers from our school too who speak to the people about why it is so important to send their children to school. Most Toposa cannot read or write and very few pursue and education. Part of the challenge here is to express just how important that education is.
On one night, there may have been almost 300 people. We talked about education and not one single person in the group was now going or had gone to school. I found this particularly hard to deal with but it was made worse when one man said “if we send our children to school who will take care of the cattle”.
If I had known what was going on at the time I would have retorted with questions about what would happen if the cattle became diseased or if trouble broke out and their cattle were stolen or killed. Inshallah.
Seize the Day
The festive season has come and gone once more and we are back to normal, whatever passes for that in our lives. Christmas brings out the best in people who wish each other well both for Christmas and the New Year. The word “happy” is used quite a lot. “Happy Christmas” is the normal greeting for a while leading up to the big day. I was thinking about this lately and it got me wondering about happiness and how we perceive it. Truth be told happiness is best seen retrospectively. We can look back and say “we were happy in those days” but when we were actually living through them did we really feel the happiness ? We may have in a small way but other thoughts and problems took up our attention and we missed out. Happiness is relative. If you have a bad toothache you imagine you would be happy if you didn’t have it but for most of our lives we don’t have toothache and are we happy? Of course not. The man who has little money thinks he would be happy if he won the lottery. Money would cure all his ills but it does not. It can bring far more problems than benefits. Millionaires and billionaires have their worries and troubles as well. We think getting bigger and better things is he answer.
When I was young and walking to school I thought I would be on the pigs back if I had a bicycle. When I eventually got the bike I wanted one with a three speed gear (younger readers ask your grandparents about that!). When I had achieved that I wanted a motorbike. In the fullness of time that arrived and of course I wanted a bigger and faster one. I got that and it nearly killed me. I came off it in an accident at high speed on the M1 in England and was lucky to roll along the grass verge and suffer no more than cuts and bruises. Not much happiness there. That was the end of the motorbike and I progressed to cars. The same pattern repeated itself. Bigger cars, flashier cars, faster cars and in the end brand new cars. They brought happiness for a little while especially when driving a new car and I imagined everyone was looking at me with envy. Of course they were not and after a very short time, the shiny new car had lost its magic and was only a means of transport from A to B
When I went to school I was only just four years old. Most of the others in my class were five and many six. Added to that the fact that I was physically small anyway left me as the smallest and weakest. This had a profound effect on me and I began to wish I was older. I clearly remember walking from school on my own one day, at the age of seven, and thinking that “seven” sounded very soft. Eight had much more of a bite to it, nine was even better and ten. Oh ten was really a target to achieve; double figures. Of course when I reached ten I wanted to be a teenager and that brought all the troubles of growing up and understanding the changes of puberty and the accompanying self doubt which made me want to be out of the teens and a “man of the world” Then I wanted to get married. I always wanted to be older thinking I would be happy when that happened. We sometimes do it with our children, We are delighted when they are born but then we start to wish they were able to walk and talk. Then we want them out of nappies and going to school. We can’t wait for them to be old enough to play ball with us or some other adventure we can share. Before we know it they have grown up and formed their own friendships and we are no longer that important in their lives. We have wished their lives away instead of enjoying every day as it came.
We miss so many opportunities to be happy by trying to attain some mythical goal on the future. It is the simple things make us really happy. A smile from the right person, a hug from a young child, kisses from someone we love or even being told we matter are things that cost nothing but they have the ability to give us that elusive thing called happiness. So, let us not waste our time looking into the future and what it might bring, it may never come. All we have is today and we should seize it with all our energy and enjoy it. If you love somebody, tell them that today. How many times have we listened to eulogies extolling the virtues of someone who has just died. Wouldn’t it have been much better if we told them that when they were alive and could have made them happy? Yesterday is gone; we can’t change anything about it Tomorrow is not here yet and may never come so we can’t change that but we do have today.
There will be times and things that happen that will bring us happiness today. Grab them with both hands and each day will bring its own share of “happiness” I will be happy when I have this finished!!
Domhnall de Barra
Goodbye to ‘16
As years go it wasn’t a bad one, depending on your personal situation. There seems to be a lot more work around, especially in the construction sector. For years the village was very quiet in the mornings but the vans are passing again. It is hard to get a tradesman to do a small job at the moment; they are all too busy. That is a good sign and will boost the local economy. More money in people’s pockets means more goods bought and the pubs have picked up a bit as well. We will never see a return to the heady days of the last century when the pubs were full every weekend and some of them throughout the week as well. In truth, there was too much drinking in those days but it would be nice to see people socialising on a Saturday night instead of sitting in front of the television drinking far more alcohol than if they were in the pub.
It wasn’t a great Summer but a couple of weeks came in June at the right time and the harvest was secured. The fall of the year was as good as I ever remember. We had better weather than we had in the summer. Two weeks ago we were playing golf in our shirt sleeves in December!. Swings and roundabouts.
It was a good year for sport. Who will forget the exploits of the O’Donovan brothers from Cork at the Olympics. They brought a breath of fresh air to the sport with their honesty, natural wit and not a little talent. Annaliese Murphy also did the nation proud in the yachting section and our boxers were robbed. I watched Michael Conlon’s fight and, though I am not a judge, I will never understand how he was not awarded that fight. The same with Katie Taylor. There is something rotten in the state of amateur boxing and if it is not rectified the sport will die. Connaught made history with an emotional win in the Pro 12 series. It is up there with Leicester’s win in the Premiership across the water as a fairy tale rags to riches story. The Irish rugby team did us proud as well. They notched up some remarkable victories but none as sweet as their first ever win over the mighty All Blacks. The future looks good for the team so roll on the six nations..
1916 celebrations were held all over the country and in general they were very well done. We weren’t found wanting here in Athea. The Con Colbert Memorial festival weekend in September, including the unveiling of the bust, was well attended and showed Athea in a wonderful light. It was filmed on Irish TV and can be found on U Tube.
The year had its down side as well. It is an absolute disgrace that, in this time of relevant affluence, thousands of people are without homes or any kind of shelter. You did not have to be a genius to see this coming. No houses were built for a few years so there was going to be a shortage anyway. Add to this the fact that people who could not afford to pay their mortgages, through no fault of their own, found themselves without the basic necessity of any family, a home. The story gets worse day by day and the government seem to have the longest fingers in the world. What is stopping them building houses straight away? Cut through the red tape. The land is there and there are hundreds of boarded up properties all over the country. If landowners are sitting on land zoned for building, waiting to make a killing, get compulsory purchase orders and take it off them. This is an emergency and should take precedence over all other forms of expenditure. If we can borrow billions to bail out bankers and well heeled speculators, we can surely put a fraction of that cost into providing adequate housing for anyone who needs it. Come on ministers; get a move on.
Sex abuse of young and old vulnerable people continues to shock us with more and more revelations. A country that cannot protect its weakest citizens from abuse needs to change. We heard a lot about new politics but little has yet been seen. We need to put the safeguards in place and step up the inspections.
It was a bad year for people who had to go to hospital through A&E. The number of patients who spend hours and days on trolleys continues to rise with staff worked off their feet. Something has to be done. After all, if you can afford to go private there is no problem and waiting lists don’t apply. The HSE is overloaded with managers and people who push pens and doesn’t have enough doctors and nurses on the ground to deal with the overcrowding. I hope somebody comes up with a proper plan once and for all.
It was the year of Brexit and the election of Donald Trump. All the pundits and pollsters got it wrong. I fear the worst.
It was the year two when Anthony Foley’s death rocked, not only Limerick and Munster but the whole sporting world. We also said farewell to arguably the greatest sportsman and showman of them all, Mohamed Ali. Each year brings its quota of mixed emotions and we all have our own memories, good and bad. In the meantime let us look forward to 2017 and a vast improvement on 2016. I am hopeful but not expectant.
Domhnall de Barra
Coming Home for Christmas
I took a walk along the old railway line in Abbeyfeale lately and as I walked upon the track I couldn’t help thinking about all the people who had travelled on the same line in the days when the steam train chugged its way to Limerick and back. I remembered my own journeys on that train, going to and coming from England. There was something special about steam trains. You could hear them coming for miles and then the beats of the engine became less frequent until the train pulled up in a cloud of steam and smoke. The smoke had a really strong, but not unpleasant, smell and it enveloped the whole station. One of the best times was coming home for Christmas. Back in the middle of the last century almost every home in the parish had a family member or more working in England. Most of them came home once a year, the married ones in the summer time but the single ones usually opted for Christmas. The Christmas mood started about the end of October when minds were made up to go home for Christmas. The lads who frequented the pubs every night gave up the beer on the first of November to put a bit of money together. You couldn’t arrive home if you hadn’t a wad of money to spend. It was vital to give the impression that you were doing well. New clothes, in the latest fashion, were purchased and shoes with a shine that could blind. As soon as work broke up, a couple of days before Christmas people could be seen, in all the major towns in Britain, heading for the train station with brown suitcases in their hands. There was no such thing as fancy luggage in those days. The brown case was the only one available. Some of them were a bit the worse for wear and had to be held together with a piece of rope or a leather strap. Anyway, they did the job and carried the essentials for the travellers. I used to leave from Coventry station and take the train to Rugby where we had to wait for an hour or so to catch the northern train from London. This took us to Crewe where we boarded the boat train to Hollyhead. The train pulled right up to the ship for Dunlaoghaire so it was just a matter of walking up the gangway and finding a place to sit. This was no luxury liner. It was used mainly for transporting cattle so the accommodation was very primitive. There was a bar though and as the Christmas spirit kicked in it did a lively trade. That was great for a while but when the seas were choppy, drinking wasn’t a very good idea. It was not uncommon to see people getting sick all over the place. God, I hated that boat and couldn’t wait to arrive in Ireland to get the train to Kingsbridge (now called Heuston) station. The Cork train was boarded which took us to Ballybrophy or Limerick Junction where we changed for Limerick. Then came the last leg of the journey, the train to Abbeyfeale. By this time we would have been travelling for almost 24 hours, some with hangovers and others recovering from the sea sickness but the nearer we got to home the better we felt. As the train struggled to climb Barna hill, a sense of anticipation took over and everybody perked up. Having crawled over the top of the hill, through the tunnel, the train began to gather speed and flew along to Devon Road. This was the last stop so we gathered our belongings and were waiting at the doors as the train chugged into Abbeyfeale. The platform was usually full of people eagerly waiting to welcome sons, daughters, husbands, fathers they hadn’t seen for at least a year. There was a lot of tears and fond embraces but it was a most joyous scene. It was the custom at the time to have a drink at the Railway Bar before heading for home. Sean Sullivan might be playing a few tunes on the melodeon and when we had our first sip from a frothy pint of real Guinness it was like heaven. The road home brought back memories of the people who lived in the houses and the days passing them on the way to school. It was a great feeling to be back in Ireland and at home. There was a great welcome from the family and the eyes of the little ones lit up when the old suitcase was opened and the presents were given out. For a while at least the world was a nice place to live in as peace and goodwill prevailed. Before too long it was time for midnight Mass where everyone met outside the door and wished each other a merry Christmas. It was all over too soon and we had to take the train back again feeling very empty and lonely at the thought of being away for another year. But we had our memories and they kept us going in the factories, tunnels and building sites. Roll on next Christmas when we will take that train again
Domhnall de Barra
STORY: From An Tinteán, which is a magazine published monthly in Melbourne, Australia. It is an excerpt from a book by Muiris O'Bric Spotsholas na nDaoine, published in 1995.
The Birthing by Maurice Brick
On our little farm in Gorta Dubha we had for the most times, seven cows. The cows were well respected.
They each had a name and a particular stall in the cowshed. We had Bó Dave which we bought from Dave a’Gabha (blacksmith), Bó Danny we bought from Danny Sheehy and Bó Ghorm (Blue) the senior cow in the herd. (Bó = Cow). It was the bellowing of the Bó Ghorm that awakened Mam late one night and she woke Dad to find the cause. Of course I was awake too so unbeknownst to Dad I followed him to the cowshed.
He had a kerosene lamp and it gave a good enough light and he was startled when he spotted my shadow a little behind him. Sure enough, one of the other cows was in the throes of giving birth and Dad knew there was a problem. The cow was in difficulty and Dad told me to go up the Village for the Gréasaí. The Gréasaí (shoemaker) was a nickname for he was no more a Gréasaí than I. But Dad knew he had a way with cows in such difficulty.
Off with me, ecstatic at having such an important responsibility. In my excitement, I jumped over a stone fence by the Gréasaí’s house and landed full length in a lug of water, which by the stench of it must’ve been the last remnant of the Great Flood.
But my mission was too great and I was knocking on the Gréasaí’s in short order. He came to the door in his off white Long Johns and his first words were, ‘Tanaman diabhal cad d’imigh ort a dhuine bhocht?’ (My soul from the devil what happened you, you poor person?) I ignored the question and proceeded to tell him we had a cow in difficulty and to come right away. He was dressed and with me in a jiffy. On our way we passed the lug and he gave a slight but audible cough.
I ran ahead and told Dad the Gréasaí was a few paces behind and Dad said, ‘Cad d’imigh ort?’ (What happened to you?). I ignored that stating I had the Gréasaí, and in he walked before Dad could go any further.
The cow was lying on her belly and obviously agitated and at times trembling. My own troubles were minute compared to the poor cow’s. The Gréasaí determined the calf had turned on its way to birth and he began working his magic to set things right.
All the other cows were resting, lying on their bellies except for the Bó Ghorm which stood for the whole time. Dad was at the head of the birthing cow, gently caressing her neck and head to calm her. And he did. I was standing by the gable end avoiding attention but taking it all in.
The Gréasaí finally freed the calf from its mysterious constraints and there it was staggering about trying desperately to stand. I couldn’t help giving a skitter of a laugh and Dad threw me the eye but we were all happy and the Gréasaí, poor man, was dripping in sweat.
mka-blog-potcheenDad told me to go to the house and ask Mam for the bottle from the cabinet in the room below for they wanted to wet the newborn calf. Off I went on another important mission and as soon as Mam saw me she said, ‘Cad d’imigh ort a chroí deóil?’ (What happened to you, my dear heart?) I avoided it. I told her the calf came with difficulty but that the Gréasaí managed to right everything and the calf was fine and now they wanted to wet the calf with the bottle from the press in the room below.
She gave it to me and off with me and I gave it to Dad who gave it to the Gréasaí and he took an almighty slug and handed it to Dad who did likewise. They both grimaced as if they disliked it but despite that they did it twice more and they seemed happier then. But nary a drop on the calf. I found that odd but I didn’t say a word for fear of unwanted attention.
Back in the house, Mam said I had to change all my clothes and she had the kettle boiling for hot water to clean myself. The following day was a Saturday and I had to wear a rainbow colored shirt and a light blue short pants we got in a parcel from my Auntie Salmon in America and though my brothers and sister had some laughs at my expense I had the memory of a hectic night seeing the cow calf.
And I still do.
Muiris O Bric’s first exposure to English was when he attended a Dublin hospital at the age of ten. After emigrating to America, he worked in finance and land development and is now retired in New Rochelle, NY. His stories of growing up in the West Kerry Gaeltacht were published in his 1995 book Spotsholas na nDaoine.
From Fr Kevin McNamara
THE GOOD NOT REMEMBERED
Who was Scrooge? Ask almost anyone and they will tell you he was a miser, a miserable tight fisted old man. Yet in a way, to say that, is to miss the whole point of Dicken’s story, for by the end of ‘The Christmas Carol’, he is a generous and kindly man. Sadly, no-one ever seems to remember this when they talk about him – he’s still the miserly old scrooge they met at the beginning of the story! Poor old scrooge – he doesn’t get the credit he deserves. It’s so very easy to condemn, remembering the worst in people. I think we all have one or two Scrooges in our lives – people we see only in bad light. Perhaps they made a mistake once. Let’s not keep it up against them. It’s the scrooge at the END of the book that matters, not the one at the beginning. Let the beautiful season of Advent help all of us in giving family and parishioners another chance.
ATHEA NOTES
Different but the same
Every generation wants to do things different to the one that went before. They think that their parents and grandparents have made a mess of the world and they are going to put it all right. That is only natural and really a good way for the world to move forward. On the other hand, older generations sometimes think the younger ones are irresponsible, binge drinking, drug taking nutters who have low moral standards and should act a bit more like their parents did. It is just the way of the world and today’s teenagers are tomorrow’s parents and they will perpetuate the circle all over again. But are we all that different?
What are the young people doing today that we didn’t do in our time? Young men in particular drive fast cars and like to do “doughnuts” in the road. The only reason we did not do that is because we did not have either the cars or the money to run them. If we had we would, I’m sure, do exactly as they are doing today. “Binge drinking” is a term that is frequently used, especially with reference to the way young people “do” bars and night clubs. I would wager that, if it was properly researched, our generation drank far more than the young people of today. They only go out once or twice a week but, in years gone by, some people were known to drink all day. Many a man went to the creamery in the morning and had his first pint before most of the parish had their breakfast. You might meet someone coming from the creamery at three or four o’clock in the day. Bars were well frequented each night , not to mention at the weekends and a good time was had by all. Not so different. The notion that we did not experiment with drugs is a myth. I already have mentioned one drug; alcohol.
The other one we succumbed to was tobacco. The other night, at a set dancing class, a birthday cake was produced to honour one of the members. Unfortunately the candles on the cake weren’t lit because nobody in the room, and it was well crowded, had a match or lighter. In my day over 90% of the people would have been smokers. The reason we smoked at all is fairly obvious; it was the cool and manly thing to do. Hard to understand today but back then there were ads for cigarettes on the radio every day. Smoking was good for you. It relaxed you after a hard days work and made you happy. All the stars of the silver screen smoked. The way they held the cigarettes was mimicked by the rest of us. Sometimes the ladies used cigarette holders, the longer the better. Ingenious devises were created to hold cigarettes. There was one that shot a cigarette from the box at the touch of a button. There were different styles of holding the cigarette and blowing out the smoke. Some smokers became quite artistic and could blow smoke rings of various sizes. Yes we thought we were great and there wasn’t a word about the harmful effects of filling our lungs with dangerous substances that would bother us in later life. At least today, people are aware of the dangers of all types of drugs and the vast majority experiment for a little while and then give up. Of course there are some who end up on heroin or worse just the same as some drinkers are alcoholics. My point is; we are not so different after all. If the drugs that are there today were available long ago, we would have used them as well.
We all have to live with the temptations that surround us on a daily basis. The names may change over the years but the challenges are the same. That is why I do not like to hear people decrying the younger generations. I have the utmost respect for them. They are, in general, a well educated, good natured, caring group who are a credit to their parents and their country. In the city slums things are different but they have always been different there. No fault of the young people who live there. They have little choice but to fall into the trap created by society, a society that has abandoned them.
I was in Cork recently at the graduation ceremony for my grandson. I felt a great pride in all the young people who were about to reap the rewards of their hard work at college and I looked around at the parents and grandparents who had made sacrifices so that this day could have become a reality. With such a talented population, surely our future is looking bright. Our schools and colleges are doing a good job but it all begins in the home and in national school. We are extremely lucky to have such a good school in Athea. Our young people are well looked after by the school and by the sporting and artistic organisations in the parish. Let us celebrate them and realise that we would have been like them if we had the same opportunities. We are not so different; we only think we are.
Domhnall de Barra
West Limerick
More Changes
Continuing the theme of last week’s ramblings, I couldn’t leave the subject without mention of a couple of more items that have almost, if not completely, disappeared. The bicycle was a great invention and, because it was relatively inexpensive, provided a much needed mode of transport to the general public. Bikes were heavy and sturdy in those days, not a bit like the streamlined, lightweight models of today. The basic ones didn’t have any gear changes or covering for the chain. This was a problem for men whose trouser legs at the time were quite wide and could get dirty or, worse still, get got up in the chain causing the bike to stall and the rider to take a tumble. A device was created called the “bicycle clip”. There were two main types; one which was a bit like a clothes peg and the other a round clip that fitted around the ankle with the trouser leg folded inside it. The clothes peg type trapped the trouser leg when it was pulled outwards leaving a good bit of cloth on the outside flapping away in the breeze but safe from the workings of the machine. Unlike today, when there is a uniform for everything and cycling clothes are tailor made for the job, people had only two sets of clothing; the working clothes and the Sunday clothes. The working clothes were often once the Sunday clothes that had passed their best.
Ladies also had a problem with their clothing on bicycles but it hadn’t anything to do with trousers. If they were wearing their good overcoats there was a danger, because they were long, that the tail of the coat would get dirty with the spray from the back wheel of the bicycle so they turned up the hem of the coat and pinned it around the waist. It saved the overcoat but, on a windy day, there could be more exposure of thighs than they wanted, much to the amusement of the young bucks around the place..
It was also necessary to have a means of lighting during the dark hours. The “flash lamp” was the most popular before the invention of the dynamo that worked through contact with the rotating wheel. The flash lamp was especially designed for the bicycle and fitted on the front of the bike. It was powered by a battery that had to be changed every so often. You wouldn’t see many flash lamps now.
There is a line in one of John B. Keane’s plays, The Buds of Ballybunion, where country women are on their annual holidays at the beach which goes: “Oh, the merciful release of a loosened corset”. Up to the ‘sixties all women wore corsets. When a young girl reached a certain age she was harnessed into one and condemned to suffer it for the rest of her life, except when she got pregnant of course. I remember my mother’s one well. They were hideous instruments of torture; cloth wrapped around the body from the buttocks to the breasts reinforced with strips of whale bone and laced tightly up the back. I suppose they were designed to give ladies an “hour glass” figure but they must have been most uncomfortable to wear. The only corset you will see now is in the sexy underwear department of a dress shop but they bear no resemblance to the monstrosities that went before. Women’s lib got that one right!.
Another item that has gone by the wayside is the “tea chest”. Tea did not always come in a packet as it is today. Like many other commodities like sugar, it came in bulk to the shop and had to be weighed for the customer in pounds or half pounds. The tea came in a box about two and a half feet square and three feet high (a guess!). It was made of a light wood frame with hardboard sides lined with silver paper. It was put to many uses in the kitchens of old but was mostly used as the play pen for small children. Mothers lived a very busy life and there was much work to be done around the house and the farm. The child in the tea chest was safe from harm and could be left for a while on its own. There was a slight problem with tiny tots who were teething. They would bite at the wood around the top and there was a danger that they could bite off a splinter that could do them great harm. The problem was solved by fixing an old bicycle tyre around the rim of the tea chest. Now the baby could chew away to its heart’s content. The hard rubber would not tear and was very good at breaking down resistance in the gums making way for new teeth. We all saw a term in the tea chest and it didn’t do us any harm.
Another useful item was the “butter box”. This box came from the creamery and was used to hold 56 pounds of butter. When empty it could be put to many uses including a receptacle for turf by the fire. It was also very handy for conversion into a small chair for a child. All that needed to be done was remove half of one side and make a seat of it. The rest of the box could be left as it was.
There are many other things and customs that were commonplace when I was young that are now either gone completely or are very scarce. It just shows how quickly the world is changing. Will we be able to keep up with the pace?
Domhnall de Barra
Different Strokes for Different Folks
Pat and John (not their real names) grew up next door to each other. They were born within a month of each other so they were good company for each other as they went fishing, played football, robbed orchards and got into all the kinds of mischief that young lads get into. They sat beside each other at the local school and though both were blessed with good intellects, Pat was a good worker and studied diligently while John had no interest in learning and, despite the best efforts of the teachers who tried everything from coaxing to beatings, he managed to get through the classes with the minimum amount of effort. Pat’s father was not a rich man but he valued education, something he never had himself, and enrolled him in the secondary school in the next town. In those days secondary education was not free but somehow they managed to scrape enough money together and, when he got a little older, Pat worked during the holidays to help out. He applied himself to his homework and it paid off when he finally sat the Leaving Cert and got a very good result. He got a job with a financial institution and gradually worked himself up the ladder until he was manager of the branch he worked at. He had an ambition to be his own boss so, when an opportunity arose he invested all his money and a sizeable amount of borrowings and started his own investment company. He married a girl from the city and they bought a fine house in the suburbs with a hefty mortgage from the bank. Work was so demanding that he was seldom at home and often worked up to 20 hours a day but the financial rewards were good and he was more than able to keep up the repayments and have a bit left over. He invested in a private pension plan that would see him ok in his retirement and looked forward to the future
In the meantime John left school at 14 and was content to hang around with the locals and stay at home until he became old enough to draw the dole. The dole money was handy for the cigarettes, the few pints with the lads and a few bob on the odd horse. He hadn’t a care in the world and was happy with his lot. Eventually he fell in love with a local girl and, despite having no prospects they got married and applied for a council house. There was no waiting list in those days so they got the house almost immediately in a new estate that was being built near his parents’ house at the princely some of 10 shillings a week to rent. John’s wife was a good worker and got part-time jobs in local shops and pubs and bits of cleaning in houses during the day. Between the money she was bringing in and the dole they had a very comfortable life and enjoyed regular visits to the local hostelries and the odd holiday to the Costa del Sol. As time went on the council fitted double glazing and a state of the art heating system to their house. They had four children and they all lived very happily. Medical bills were not a problem as they had the medical card and got the best of care whenever it was needed.
Years flew by and both of the lads were getting close to retirement when the financial crash of the ‘noughties’ came and Pat’s world was turned upside down overnight. His business went to the wall and the money he had invested himself disappeared into thin air. Nobody wanted to invest anymore so there was no money coming in. One of his kids had a medical problem and had to see a specialist every so often. He used to have private health insurance but he couldn’t afford to keep up the payments and it had lapsed so he went to his local employment exchange to see how they could help him. To his dismay he found out that, because he was self-employed he wasn’t entitled to any money. This was despite the fact that, through his hard work, he had created jobs for over 100 people when things were going well, he eventually lost his house and was lucky that his parents had left their small house to him so he moved back to where he started from. He was almost at pension age but when he checked up on his pension he discovered that most of it had been lost in the crash and the projected pension of €400 a week was now worth €180 a month. He had no option but to declare bankruptcy and had to wait until everything was sorted before he could apply for the non-contributory old age pension. John, on the other hand hardly noticed any change in his circumstances during the lean years following the crash and, when he reached 65, qualified automatically for the old age pension.
This is the true story of two men and describes the different way in which our government treats its citizens. On the face of it, it seems that one is penalised for trying to make a success of his business while the other is rewarded for doing nothing throughout his life. Is this fair and equitable? I leave that up to you to decide but there is something wrong when somebody who has paid his taxes over the years and created employment for his fellow citizens is left on the scrapheap when, through no fault of his own he is no longer able to cope. We need to have a fair and just society.
Domhnall de Barra
Unraveling Life's Knots
by Friar Jeremy Harrington, OFM
In 1612, German nobles Wolfgang and Sophie Imoff, after some years of marriage, were on the verge of a divorce. Four times, Wolfgang went to a nearby town to implore the help of a saintly Jesuit, Father Jakob Rem. Each time, they prayed together and asked for help from the Blessed Mother. On the last visit, Wolfgang handed the priest the couple’s wedding ribbon, which was used to bind the arms of the bride and groom as a symbol of their union until death. The ribbons were traditionally multicolour and knotted tightly. Before an image of Mary, Father Rem held up the ribbon and, one by one, untied the knots. When he smoothed it out, it became bright white. They were astounded by what they saw. Sophie and Wolfgang were reconciled.
From Fr. Pat. 2016
Last Monday week (30th of May) I started chemo treatment in Cork. I will get five intra-venous treatments every three weeks and oral treatment for 14 consecutive days. I have no side effects, am feeling an overall improvement already; swallow improved, no tiredness, although the treatment is cumulative. I have also had other more detailed scans to see if radium is possible. Today I found out it is and I will have five weeks of radium starting in three weeks. The presence, expertise and awareness of the medical team inspire me. I feel I am in a strong place within and ready and able for this treatment. I am singularly blessed with the practical love and support of the people round me and I am again in a space of healing inspired by the confidence faith gives me. The cancer is in one place, a delicate place, but accessible to radium. This time there is no waiting around, everything is happening very smoothly. And God is very near.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK. The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity.
The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation -- either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Friar Jeremy Harrington, O.F.M.
On February 8, we celebrated the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, whose life was burdened with many wrongs. She was kidnapped when she was 7, sold into slavery, and resold several times, bearing a lot of abuse along the way. In 1883, Callisto Legnani, Italian consul in Khartoum, Sudan, bought her and, two years later, took her to Italy and gave her to a friend and his family. Eventually, she learned about the Catholic faith, was baptized, got her freedom, and became a well-loved sister.
A willingness to forgive and show mercy were highlights of her life and sainthood. She was once asked, “What would you do if you were to meet your captors?” Her response: “I would kneel and kiss their hands. For if those things had not happened, I would not have been a Christian and a religious today.”
THOUGHT: The Bible tells us that the Wise Men didn’t give Jesus their leftovers when they visited him on the first Christmas but instead gave three very significant and valuable gifts: “They bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their gifts and gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11).
As you give Jesus your trust, make him first in your life, give what you value to his work, and bring other people to him, you’re giving him gifts far more valuable than the ones the Wise Men brought.
Rick Warren
THOUGHT: What is prayer? Prayer is a certain warmth of love. ah but much more. Prayer is a melting! Prayer is a dissolving and an uplifting of the soul. This warmth of love, this melting, this dissolving, this uplifting causes the soul to ascend to God. As the soul is melted, sweet fragrance begins to rise from it. these fragrances pour forth from a consuming fire of love... and that love is in you. It is a consuming fire of love in your innermost being, a fire of love for God.
Madame Jeanne Guyon
BOOK LAUNCH –“ A Commentary on the
Apocalypse of John” by Dan O Connor at Tarbert Community Centre on Saturday 29th November immediately after Mass. 50% of the proceeds are going to charity.
THOUGHT
I have wept in the night
For the absence of sight
That made me to others' needs blind
But I never once yet
Felt a pang of regret
For being a little too kind.
THOUGHT: Early African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in private devotions. Each one reportedly had a separate spot in the thicket where he would pour out his heart to God. Over time the paths to these places became well worn. As a result, if one of these believers began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to the others. They would kindly remind the negligent one, "Brother, the grass grows on your path."Author Unknown
This talk focuses on how the poor and vulnerable were treated after the closure of the workhouses in Co Clare in 1922. It will use Kilrush as a case study and look at County Clare Nursery, the boarding-out scheme and the home assistance programme. Sources include the Kilrush UDC minute books, Board of Guardian minute books and newspaper reports.
This was the focus of Rita's MA studies in University of Limerick where she went on to undertake a PhD researching women's emigration from Ireland between 1939 and 1970.
Rita has also produced and presented a radio documentary on the 1935 Dance Hall Act and its impact on the social life of west Clare.
https://www.mixcloud.com/waldronp/rita-mccarthys-lecture-to-kilrush-district-historical-society/
FR MOORE
.
With my friend Mike Fahy I have been consciously walking Littor Strand
allowing my breathing and life giving oxygen to go to every part of my body
including the tumour and physically I have found that there has been a great
opening up in my upper body as my lungs expand and I feel that it's opening me
up to the necessary treatment that is ahead of me.
3. Lent has always been a time for me that I have consciously done the Stations
of the Cross. Yesterday my friend Maura O'Leary drew my attention to Timothy
Radcliffe's article in the tablet on the 28/2/2015. In it he says: "each station re-
calls a moment when Jesus stopped. A station means simply a place of stopping,
as trains stop in railway stations. He stops to talk to people in compassion; he
stops when he falls to the ground out of exhaustion, unable to carry on; he stops at
Golgotha because that is the end of the road. Jesus is close to us when we are
stopped in our tracks and wonder whether we can carry on anymore. We may be
halted by illness or failure, by grief or despair. But Jesus carries on making his
slow way to the Cross and to the Resurrection, and brings us with him in hope.
Maura drew attention to "stopped in our tracks like Jesus".
www.caringbridge.org/visit/frpatmoore/journa
DRINKING: Courtesy: Irish Jesuit News
“Legislation is more effective than education in tackling alcohol abuse,” Professor Frank Murray told members of the Pioneer Association at their recent conference in All Hallows College in Dublin.
In his talk entitled ‘Dying for a Drink’, Professor Murray said that in Ireland, over the past number of years, cases of cirrhosis of the liver had spiralled in comparison to most other diseases.
Alcohol consumption had also increased and studies have shown that education was not the only response necessary to tackle this growth in alcohol abuse and the illnesses associated with it.
Professor Murray, a gastroenterologist specialising in liver disease, said studies show that when cheap drink is made more expensive and less available, then drinking levels decrease.
Legislation in this regard is more effective that educational measures, he said.
Speaking at the same conference Denis Bradley, founder of the Northlands Addiction Treatment Centre in Derry, remembered his father telling him how he remembered as a fifteen year old boy, being sent to the bog to carry very drunk and broken men home to their families.
They would have spent most days making poitin and drinking it as it came from the still.
This was some short years after Fr Cullen had established the Pioneers. “Our history of bad and addictive drinking is long and sad.”
In the 1980s and up until 1990, the average age for young people to start drinking was 15 and now it’s 14.
He said that in the Republic of Ireland, 19% of the adult population are non-drinkers compared to 25% in the North.
Statistics and information about addiction is well known but poorly used, he commented, remarking that in 2002 an important report by the National Substance Abuse Strategy task force was simply ‘noted’ by the then Cabinet.
A Prayer of Confession
(based on John 2: 14-21)
Jesus, cleanser of temples and souls,
at this mid point in the Lenten journey,
look deep within our hearts and our lives,
and clear away all that holds us back.
May our minds, spirits and bodies
be a Temple that is open to Your presence:
and may our words and our actions
be transparent to Your love and truth.
We pray that this church community,
will be purified in its life and mission,
so that all that we do in and from here
may reveal Your Gospel to others.
In a moment of silence we sit before You,
and name those things for which
we seek Your cleansing and healing,
so that we may be more faithful disciples.
Silence
Words of assurance
Friends of Jesus, we are made clean
by the words he has spoken to us.
There is room in our lives and in our community
for the Holy One to dwell. Thanks be to God.
Amen.
written by Ann Siddall, Stillpoint Spirituality Centre and Faith Community. Posted on the Uniting Church SA website.
Once when I was wandering about in the Himalayas, in the region of eternal snow and ice, I came upon some hot springs, and I told a friend about them. He would not believe it. 'How can there be hot springs in the midst of ice and snow?' I said: 'Come and dip your hands in the water, and you will see that I am right.' He came, dipped his hands in the water, felt the heat and believed. Then he said: 'There must be a fire in the mountain. So after he had been convinced by experience his brain began to help him to understand the matter. Faith and experience must come first, and understanding will follow. We cannot understand until we have some spiritual experience, and that comes through prayer. As we practise prayer we shall come to know who the Father is and the Son, we shall become certain that Christ is everything to us and that nothing can separate us from Him and from His Love. From Sadhu Sundar Singh.
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THOUGHT: A good sermon helps people to two ways: Some rise from it greatly strengthened; others wake from it greatly refreshed. E. C. McKenzie.
Know the ways of Jesus and follow him
This is it, and this is it, and this is it
There will be no future point when you will be good enough, rich enough, wise enough, happy enough. Living only in the future, makes us anxious.
There is no perfect past, no secret to hide, no unforgiveable time. Living only in the past, is depressing.
There is only now.
Jesus invites you to choose Jesus now.
Yes, I know its an inconvenient time - but now is when he invites you. Yes, i agree, you are not ready, but he invites you now. Yes, it seems impossible to respond, but you can, he invites you to respond, now.
Let go of the old stories about not being good enough,
let go of the half made promises to start tomorrow.
Choose love now.
Follow love now.
Be love now.
Greet people by their name. – Because that is who they are.
Speak Kindly – People have their own troubles, and will welcome your kind words.
Smile – Enjoy the moment and exercise your facial muscles at the same time.
Be Friendly – B1 is the perfect vitamin for feeling good
Be Respectful – Everyone deserves respect
Cultivate the habit of speaking aloud to God. Not perhaps always, because our desires are often too sacred or deep to be put into words. But it is well to acquire the habit of speaking to God as to a present friend while sitting in the house or walking by the way. Seek the habit of talking things over with God -- your letters, your plans, your hopes, your mistakes, your sorrows and sins. Things look very differently when brought into the calm light of His presence. One cannot talk long with God aloud without feeling that He is near.
Says Frederick Brotherton ( F. B. ) Meyer
Happiness is an Inside Job – As Seen in the Story of Paul and Silas
By: Msgr. Charles Pope
http://blog.adw.org/2014/05/happiness-is-an-inside-job-as-seen-in-the-story-of-paul-and-silas/
Here’s some good advice form an old Spiritual, rooted in the story of Paul and Silas:
Paul and Silas bound in jail
Had no money for to go their bail
Keep your Hand on the Plow and Hold on!
And they wore three lengths of Chain
Every link was in my Jesus’ name.
Keep your Hand on the Plow and Hold on!
When the storms are raging High
You suffer and you can’t tell why
Keep your Hand on the Plow and Hold on!
Keep on plowing don’t you tire
Every Round goes higher, higher.
Keep your Hand on the Plow and Hold on!
I told you once, and I’ll tell you again
You can’t get to heaven if your stayed on sin
Keep your Hand on the Plow and Hold on!
I you wanna get to heaven let me tell you
Keep your hand on the gospel plow
Keep your Hand on the Plow and Hold on!
B 4:
By William Arthur Ward.
Before you speak, listen
Before you write, think
Before you spend, earn
Before you invest, investigate
Before you criticize, wait
Before you pray, forgive.
Before you quit, try.
Before you retire, save.
Before you die, give.
http://liveactionnews.org/iowa-legislator-we-need-abortion-because-babies-have-colic/
THOUGHT: Hurt people hurt people. That’s how pain patterns get passed on,
generation after generation after generation. Break the chain today.
Meet anger with sympathy, contempt with compassion, cruelty with
kindness. Greet grimaces with smiles. Forgive and forget about finding
fault. Love is the weapon of the future.” Yehuda Berg.
THOUGHT: There's only one condition a man must meet to receive God's choicest blessings. Man must admit his need. And the only thing in the world that keeps a man from doing this is pride. Richard C. Halverson
All word and no spirit, we dry up; all Spirit and no Word, we blow up; both Word and Spirit, we grow up.
David Watson
The Power of Love
by Friar Jim Van Vurst, OFM
I discovered an amazing thing the other day. In the current Merriam-Webster Dictionary, there are over 400,000 words in the English language. If we add the new words coming from computer science, medicine, and other sciences, the number grows to over 900,000 words! Whatever happened to that little dictionary I used to carry in my school bag?
If I asked what the most important word is and gave you a chance to think about it, I suspect that, like me, you would choose the word love. It’s only four letters, but is there another word we would miss more? I think popular music would come to a grinding halt. If you think about it, isn’t it true that the reason you and I are here is because, years ago, our moms and dads said to each other, “I love you”? Love means life.
Boundless Love
Imagine this scene: a young boy is sitting at the dining room table concentrating on his homework. His mom peeks out from the kitchen, gazes at him, and experiences a tender love for him. She smiles and says, “Johnny, I love you.” Her son looks back with a wave and says, “I love you, too,” and goes back to work.
But Mom continues to gaze at him and, a moment later, she can’t hold back and says, “Johnny, I love.” Once again, Johnny turns to his mom and replies happily, “Yeah, I know. I love you too.” But, one more time, mom says to him softly and in a tone that comes from deep within her heart, “Johnny, I love you.” And Johnny turns to her and is a little concerned because, at his age, he cannot understand fully what his mom is actually saying to him. Someday he will, but at that moment he can’t catch her full meaning.
Moms who are reading this know exactly her meaning. At the moment when love fills her heart, she is saying to her son, “Johnny, I love so you much and so deeply that I would gladly give up my life so that you might have life.”
So That We May Live
And now we understand what power the word love can have even over life and death. When we tell each other most sincerely and with great feeling, “I love you,” it is truly something marvelous.
Jesus spoke these very words at the Last Supper. “I love you”: that’s God speaking. And, in fact, he did love us so much he died that we might live.
Subhuman; http://www.aleteia.org/en/op-ed/news/the-wests-new-philosophy-subhumanism-2755001
– most Western men and women, including many who consider themselves conventionally religious, treat human beings as subhuman. They accept without reflection theories of human life that reduce us to brainy animals, or let us play at being gods. These theories render suffering meaningless and train us to live as cowards; they teach us to despise the weak but train us in habits of laziness and avoidance; they speak the language of progress while in fact encouraging the lowest of human instincts; they claim to have surpassed Judeo-Christian ethics, but really they have slumped below the standard of most pagan or animist cultures.
37 Conversation Rules for Gentleman from 1875
By Brett & Kate McKay
Editor’s note: The excerpt below comes from a book published in 1875: A Gentleman’s Guide to Etiquette by Cecil B. Hartley. Hartley’s rules may be over 100 years old, but they’re just as true today as they ever were. There are some real gems here — some of which truly gave me a chuckle.
1. Even if convinced that your opponent is utterly wrong, yield gracefully, decline further discussion, or dexterously turn the conversation, but do not obstinately defend your own opinion until you become angry…Many there are who, giving their opinion, not as an opinion but as a law, will defend their position by such phrases, as: “Well, if I were president, or governor, I would,” — and while by the warmth of their argument they prove that they are utterly unable to govern their own temper, they will endeavor to persuade you that they are perfectly competent to take charge of the government of the nation.
2. Retain, if you will, a fixed political opinion, yet do not parade it upon all occasions, and, above all, do not endeavor to force others to agree with you. Listen calmly to their ideas upon the same subjects, and if you cannot agree, differ politely, and while your opponent may set you down as a bad politician, let him be obliged to admit that you are a gentleman.
3. Never interrupt anyone who is speaking; it is quite rude to officiously supply a name or date about which another hesitates, unless you are asked to do so. Another gross breach of etiquette is to anticipate the point of a story which another person is reciting, or to take it from his lips to finish it in your own language. Some persons plead as an excuse for this breach of etiquette, that the reciter was spoiling a good story by a bad manner, but this does not mend the matter. It is surely rude to give a man to understand that you do not consider him capable of finishing an anecdote that he has commenced.
4. It is ill-bred to put on an air of weariness during a long speech from another person, and quite as rude to look at a watch, read a letter, flirt the leaves of a book, or in any other action show that you are tired of the speaker or his subject.
5. In a general conversation, never speak when another person is speaking, and never try by raising your own voice to drown that of another. Never assume an air of haughtiness, or speak in a dictatorial manner; let your conversation be always amiable and frank, free from every affectation.
6. Never, unless you are requested to do so, speak of your own business or profession in society; to confine your conversation entirely to the subject or pursuit which is your own specialty is low-bred and vulgar. Make the subject for conversation suit the company in which you are placed. Joyous, light conversation will be at times as much out of place as a sermon would be at a dancing party. Let your conversation be grave or gay as suits the time or place.
7. In a dispute, if you cannot reconcile the parties, withdraw from them. You will surely make one enemy, perhaps two, by taking either side, in an argument when the speakers have lost their temper.
8. Never, during a general conversation, endeavor to concentrate the attention wholly upon yourself. It is quite as rude to enter into conversation with one of a group, and endeavor to draw him out of the circle of general conversation to talk with you alone.
9. A man of real intelligence and cultivated mind is generally modest. He may feel when in everyday society, that in intellectual acquirements he is above those around him; but he will not seek to make his companions feel their inferiority, nor try to display this advantage over them. He will discuss with frank simplicity the topics started by others, and endeavor to avoid starting such as they will not feel inclined to discuss. All that he says will be marked by politeness and deference to the feelings and opinions of others.
10. It is as great an accomplishment to listen with an air of interest and attention, as it is to speak well. To be a good listener is as indispensable as to be a good talker, and it is in the character of listener that you can most readily detect the man who is accustomed to good society. Nothing is more embarrassing to any one who is speaking, than to perceive signs of weariness or inattention in the person whom he addresses.
11. Never listen to the conversation of two persons who have thus withdrawn from a group. If they are so near you that you cannot avoid hearing them, you may, with perfect propriety, change your seat.
12. Make your own share in conversation as modest and brief as is consistent with the subject under consideration, and avoid long speeches and tedious stories. If, however, another, particularly an old man, tells a long story, or one that is not new to you, listen respectfully until he has finished, before you speak again.
13. Speak of yourself but little. Your friends will find out your virtues without forcing you to tell them, and you may feel confident that it is equally unnecessary to expose your faults yourself.
14. If you submit to flattery, you must also submit to the imputation of folly and self-conceit.
15. In speaking of your friends, do not compare them, one with another. Speak of the merits of each one, but do not try to heighten the virtues of one by contrasting them with the vices of another.
16. Avoid, in conversation all subjects which can injure the absent. A gentleman will never calumniate or listen to calumny.
17. The wittiest man becomes tedious and ill-bred when he endeavors to engross entirely the attention of the company in which he should take a more modest part.
18. Avoid set phrases, and use quotations but rarely. They sometimes make a very piquant addition to conversation, but when they become a constant habit, they are exceedingly tedious, and in bad taste.
19. Avoid pedantry; it is a mark, not of intelligence, but stupidity.
20. Speak your own language correctly; at the same time do not be too great a stickler for formal correctness of phrases.
21. Never notice it if others make mistakes in language. To notice by word or look such errors in those around you is excessively ill-bred.
22. If you are a professional or scientific man, avoid the use of technical terms. They are in bad taste, because many will not understand them. If, however, you unconsciously use such a term or phrase, do not then commit the still greater error of explaining its meaning. No one will thank you for thus implying their ignorance.
23. In conversing with a foreigner who speaks imperfect English, listen with strict attention, yet do not supply a word, or phrase, if he hesitates. Above all, do not by a word or gesture show impatience if he makes pauses or blunders. If you understand his language, say so when you first speak to him; this is not making a display of your own knowledge, but is a kindness, as a foreigner will be pleased to hear and speak his own language when in a strange country.
24. Be careful in society never to play the part of buffoon, for you will soon become known as the “funny” man of the party, and no character is so perilous to your dignity as a gentleman. You lay yourself open to both censure and bad ridicule, and you may feel sure that, for every person who laughs with you, two are laughing at you, and for one who admires you, two will watch your antics with secret contempt.
25. Avoid boasting. To speak of your money, connections, or the luxuries at your command is in very bad taste. It is quite as ill-bred to boast of your intimacy with distinguished people. If their names occur naturally in the course of conversation, it is very well; but to be constantly quoting, “my friend, Gov. C ,” or, “my intimate friend, the president,” is pompous and in bad taste.
26. While refusing the part of jester yourself, do not, by stiff manners, or cold, contemptuous looks, endeavor to check the innocent mirth of others. It is in excessively bad taste to drag in a grave subject of conversation when pleasant, bantering talk is going on around you. Join in pleasantly and forget your graver thoughts for the time, and you will win more popularity than if you chill the merry circle or turn their innocent gayety to grave discussions.
27. When thrown into the society of literary people, do not question them about their works. To speak in terms of admiration of any work to the author is in bad taste; but you may give pleasure, if, by a quotation from their writings, or a happy reference to them, you prove that you have read and appreciated them.
28. It is extremely rude and pedantic, when engaged in general conversation, to make quotations in a foreign language.
29. To use phrases which admit of a double meaning, is ungentlemanly.
30. If you find you are becoming angry in a conversation, either turn to another subject or keep silence. You may utter, in the heat of passion, words which you would never use in a calmer moment, and which you would bitterly repent when they were once said.
31. “Never talk of ropes to a man whose father was hanged” is a vulgar but popular proverb. Avoid carefully subjects which may be construed into personalities, and keep a strict reserve upon family matters. Avoid, if you can, seeing the skeleton in your friend’s closet, but if it is paraded for your special benefit, regard it as a sacred confidence, and never betray your knowledge to a third party.
32. If you have traveled, although you will endeavor to improve your mind in such travel, do not be constantly speaking of your journeyings. Nothing is more tiresome than a man who commences every phrase with, “When I was in Paris,” or, “In Italy I saw…”
33. When asking questions about persons who are not known to you, in a drawing-room, avoid using adjectives; or you may enquire of a mother, “Who is that awkward, ugly girl?” and be answered, “Sir, that is my daughter.”
34. Avoid gossip; in a woman it is detestable, but in a man it is utterly despicable.
35. Do not officiously offer assistance or advice in general society. Nobody will thank you for it.
36. Avoid flattery. A delicate compliment is permissible in conversation, but flattery is broad, coarse, and to sensible people, disgusting. If you flatter your superiors, they will distrust you, thinking you have some selfish end; if you flatter ladies, they will despise you, thinking you have no other conversation.
37. A lady of sense will feel more complimented if you converse with her upon instructive, high subjects, than if you address to her only the language of compliment. In the latter case she will conclude that you consider her incapable of discussing higher subjects, and you cannot expect her to be pleased at being considered merely a silly, vain person, who must be flattered into good humor.
HOMILY OF POPE FRANCIS
THE EASTER VIGIL IN THE HOLY NIGHT
ST PETER'S BASILICA
30 MARCH 2013
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
1. In the Gospel of this radiant night of the Easter Vigil, we first meet the women who go the tomb of Jesus with spices to anoint his body (cf. Lk 24:1-3). They go to perform an act of compassion, a traditional act of affection and love for a dear departed person, just as we would. They had followed Jesus, they had listened to his words, they had felt understood by him in their dignity and they had accompanied him to the very end, to Calvary and to the moment when he was taken down from the cross. We can imagine their feelings as they make their way to the tomb: a certain sadness, sorrow that Jesus had left them, he had died, his life had come to an end. Life would now go on as before. Yet the women continued to feel love, the love for Jesus which now led them to his tomb. But at this point, something completely new and unexpected happens, something which upsets their hearts and their plans, something which will upset their whole life: they see the stone removed from before the tomb, they draw near and they do not find the Lord’s body. It is an event which leaves them perplexed, hesitant, full of questions: “What happened?”, “What is the meaning of all this?” (cf. Lk 24:4). Doesn’t the same thing also happen to us when something completely new occurs in our everyday life? We stop short, we don’t understand, we don’t know what to do. Newness often makes us fearful, including the newness which God brings us, the newness which God asks of us. We are like the Apostles in the Gospel: often we would prefer to hold on to our own security, to stand in front of a tomb, to think about someone who has died, someone who ultimately lives on only as a memory, like the great historical figures from the past. We are afraid of God’s surprises; we are afraid of God’s surprises! He always surprises us!
Dear brothers and sisters, let us not be closed to the newness that God wants to bring into our lives! Are we often weary, disheartened and sad? Do we feel weighed down by our sins? Do we think that we won’t be able to cope? Let us not close our hearts, let us not lose confidence, let us never give up: there are no situations which God cannot change, there is no sin which he cannot forgive if only we open ourselves to him.
2. But let us return to the Gospel, to the women, and take one step further. They find the tomb empty, the body of Jesus is not there, something new has happened, but all this still doesn’t tell them anything certain: it raises questions; it leaves them confused, without offering an answer. And suddenly there are two men in dazzling clothes who say: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; but has risen” (Lk 24:5-6). What was a simple act, done surely out of love – going to the tomb – has now turned into an event, a truly life-changing event. Nothing remains as it was before, not only in the lives of those women, but also in our own lives and in the history of mankind. Jesus is not dead, he has risen, he is alive! He does not simply return to life; rather, he is life itself, because he is the Son of God, the living God (cf. Num 14:21-28; Deut 5:26; Josh 3:10). Jesus no longer belongs to the past, but lives in the present and is projected towards the future; he is the everlasting “today” of God. This is how the newness of God appears to the women, the disciples and all of us: as victory over sin, evil and death, over everything that crushes life and makes it seem less human. And this is a message meant for me and for you, dear sister, dear brother. How often does Love have to tell us: Why do you look for the living among the dead? Our daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness and bitterness… and that is where death is. That is not the place to look for the One who is alive!
Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you won’t be disappointed. If following him seems difficult, don’t be afraid, trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do.
3. There is one last little element that I would like to emphasize in the Gospel for this Easter Vigil. The women encounter the newness of God. Jesus has risen, he is alive! But faced with empty tomb and the two men in brilliant clothes, their first reaction is one of fear: “they were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground,” Saint Luke tells us – they didn’t even have courage to look. But when they hear the message of the Resurrection, they accept it in faith. And the two men in dazzling clothes tell them something of crucial importance: “Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee… And they remembered his words” (Lk 24:6,8). They are asked to remember their encounter with Jesus, to remember his words, his actions, his life; and it is precisely this loving remembrance of their experience with the Master that enables the women to master their fear and to bring the message of the Resurrection to the Apostles and all the others (cf. Lk 24:9). To remember what God has done and continues to do for me, for us, to remember the road we have travelled; this is what opens our hearts to hope for the future. May we learn to remember everything that God has done in our lives.
On this radiant night, let us invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary, who treasured all these events in her heart (cf. Lk 2:19,51) and ask the Lord to give us a share in his Resurrection. May he open us to the newness that transforms. May he make us men and women capable of remembering all that he has done in our own lives and in the history of our world. May he help us to feel his presence as the one who is alive and at work in our midst. And may he teach us each day not to look among the dead for the Living One. Amen.
http://catholicexchange.com/christmas-in-an-anti-christian-age/2/
by Pat Buchanan on December 31, 2012 •
For two millennia, the birth of Christ has been seen as the greatest event in world history. The moment Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem, God became man, and eternal salvation became possible.
This date has been the separation point of mankind’s time on earth, with B.C. designating the era before Christ, and A.D., anno domino, in the Year of the Lord, the years after. And how stands Christianity today?
“Christianity is in danger off being wiped out in its biblical heartlands,” says the British think tank Civitas.
In Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Ethiopia and Nigeria, Christians face persecution and pogroms. In Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, conversion is a capital offense. In a century, two-thirds of all the Christians have vanished from the Islamic world.
In China, Christianity is seen as a subversive ideology of the West to undermine the regime.
In Europe, a century ago, British and German soldiers came out of the trenches to meet in no-man’s land to sing Christmas carols and exchange gifts. It did not happen in 1915, or ever again.
In the century since, all the Western empires have vanished. All of their armies and navies have melted away. All have lost their Christian faith. All have seen their birthrates plummet. All their nations are aging, shrinking and dying, and all are witnessing invasions from formerly subject peoples and lands.
In America, too, the decline of Christianity proceeds.
While conservatives believe that culture determines politics, liberals understand politics can change culture.
The systematic purging of Christian teachings and symbols from our public schools and public square has produced a growing population — 20 percent of the nation, 30 percent of the young — who answer “none” when asked about their religious beliefs and affiliations.
In the lead essay in the Book Review of Sunday’s New York Times, Paul Elie writes of our “post-Christian” fiction, where writers with “Christian convictions” like Walker Percy and Flannery O’Connor are a lost tribe.
“Where has the novel of belief gone?” he asks.
Americans understand why Mao’s atheist heirs who have lost their Marxist-Leninist faith and militants Islamists fear and detest the rival belief system of Christianity. But do they understand the animus that lies behind the assault on their faith here at home?
In a recent issue of New Oxford Review, Andrew Seddon (“The New Atheism: All the Rage”) describes a “Reason Rally” in Washington, D.C., a “coming out” event sponsored by atheist groups. Among the speakers was Oxford biologist Richard Dawkins, author of “The God Delusion,” who claims that “faith is an evil precisely because it requires no justification and brooks no argument.”
Christians have been infected by a “God virus,” says Dawkins. They are no longer rational beings. Atheists should treat them with derisory contempt. “Mock Them!” Dawkins shouted. “Ridicule them! In public!”
In “The End of Faith,” atheist Sam Harris wrote that “some propositions are so dangerous that it may even be ethical to kill people.”
“Since the New Atheists believe that religion is evil,” notes Seddon, “that it ‘poisons everything,’ in (Christopher) Hitchens’ words — it doesn’t take much effort to see that Harris is referring to religions and the people who follow them.”
Now since atheists are still badly outnumbered in America and less well-armed than the God-and-Country boys, and atheists believe this is the only life they have, atheist suggestions to “kill people” of Christian belief is probably a threat Christians need not take too seriously.
With reference to Dawkins’ view that the Christian faith “requires no justification and brooks no argument,” Seddon makes a salient point.
While undeniable that Christianity entails a belief in the supernatural, the miraculous — God became man that first Christmas, Christ raised people from the dead, rose himself on the first Easter Sunday and ascended into heaven 40 days later — consider what atheists believe.
They believe that something came out of nothing, that reason came from irrationality, that a complex universe and natural order came out of randomness and chaos, that consciousness came from non-consciousness and that life emerged from non-life.
This is a bridge too far for the Christian for whom faith and reason tell him that for all of this to have been created from nothing is absurd; it presupposes a Creator.
Atheists believe, Seddon writes, that “a multiverse (for which there is no experimental or observational evidence) containing an inconceivably large number of universes spontaneously created itself.”
Yet, Hitchens insists, “our belief is not a belief.”
Nonsense. Atheism requires a belief in the unbelievable.
Christians believe Christ could raise people from the dead because he is God. That is faith. Atheists believe life came out of non-life. That, too, is faith. They believe in what their god, science, cannot demonstrate, replicate or prove. They believe in miracles but cannot identify, produce or describe the miracle worker.
At Christmas, pray for Hitchens, Harris, Dawkins and the other lost souls at that Reason Rally.
http://theweek.com/article/index/237256/the-11-most-fascinating-scientific-discoveries-of-2012
ST Columban
November 23 is the feast day of St Columban.
In a an article that originally appeared in the Far East magazine, Columban Eugene Ryan reflects on his legacy:
"Standing on the shore of the Island of lona, Lord Clark, the great historian of Western civilisation, said: "It was from here that the Irish monks set out to rekindle the lamps of western civilisation that had become extinguished all over Europe".
He was speaking of a time Europe was in a dark age. The Roman Empire had collapsed. The barbarian hordes had destroyed and looted everything in their path. To all reasonable people looking at the situation, the end was no longer in doubt – their world was in its last days. They could see no hope for the future. But hope would come from the most unlikely place, from an island at the western edge of Europe, an island that had escaped the ravages of the barbarians and had kept alive that faith and civilisation which was being destroyed in continental Europe.
In the sixth century monastic settlements were the great centres of learning. It was from them that the monks set out to "journey for Christ" across Europe. The leader and the most influential of this missionary movement was Columban. In his day people generally lived and died in the place they were born. They rarely travelled more that! ten miles from home but not St. Columban. He was one of the most travelled men of his age, crisscrossing at least five countries of mainland Europe.
Monasteries were the universities of that time, so the influence of St Columban on western civilisation may be judged from the following quotation from the historian Thomas Cahill: "At this great distance in time, we can no longer be sure exactly how many monasteries were founded in Columban's name during his lifetime and after his death. But the number, stretching across vast territories that would become in time the countries of France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy, cannot be less than sixty and may be more than a hundred."
Common faith and values
In 1950 during the fourteenth centenary celebration in France of the birth of St Columban. Mr John L Brow who was representing the American Ambassador in Paris said in his address: "St. Columban would not have been out of place among the rugged and courageous men who colonised our Far West. But much more precious for us are those achievements of his which symbolise the unity of a civilisation, formed amid diversity, on the foundation of a common faith and common moral values."
The best-known speaker to address the Congress was Robert Schumann, Prime Minister and later Foreign Minister of France, the man credited with being the founding father of the EEC. In his address he said:
"St. Columban, this illustrious Irishman who left his own country for voluntary exile, willed and achieved a spiritual union between the principal European countries of his time. He is the patron saint of all those who now seek to build a United Europe".
Advent: A Summons to Hope
Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."
Robert Nicoll, views of honour:
True Nobility
“I ask not for his lineage,
I ask not for his name;
If manliness be in his heart,
He noble birth may claim.
I care not though of world’s wealth
But slender be his part,
If yes you answer when I ask,
‘Hath he a true-man’s heart?’
I ask not from what land he came,
Nor where his youth was nursed;
If pure the spring, it matters not
The spot from whence it burst.
The palace or the hovel
Where first his life began,
I seek not of; but answer this—
‘Is he an honest man?’
Nay, blush not now; what matters it
Where first he drew his breath?
A manger was the cradle-bed
Of Him of Nazareth.
Be nought, be any, everything,
I care not what you be,
If yes you answer, when I ask
‘Art thou pure, true, and free?”
THOUGHT
Aurora Shooting http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_21159835/local-news
by Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I
October is the month of the Most Holy Rosary, a devotion associated in modern times with the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima in 1917, during the First World War. Mary asked for prayer and penance, which she always requests in these private revelations that echo the public revelation in the Gospel: “Repent, the kingdom of God is at hand.”
Mary at Fatima also entered into the history of the modern world when she told three unlettered peasant children that the Great War then being waged, President Wilson’s “war to end all wars,” would soon end, but that a greater menace to world peace would arise in Russia, whose errors would spread throughout the world and bring untold millions to violent death. In the end, however, Mary promised that her Immaculate Heart would triumph. This promise, too, echoes the Gospel itself: the risen Christ is victorious over sin and death.
Eternity enters into human history in often incomprehensible ways. God makes promises but gives no timelines. Visiting the shrine at Fatima, pilgrims enter a huge plaza, with the spot of the apparitions marked by a small chapel to one side, a large church at one end, an equally large adoration chapel at the other end, and a center for visitors and for the hearing of confessions. Just outside the main grounds, a section of the Berlin Wall has been re-built, a stark witness to what Mary had talked about almost a century ago. Communism in Russia and its satellite nations has collapsed, although many of its sinful effects are still with us.
Communism imposed a total way of life based upon the belief that God does not exist. Secularism is communism’s better-scrubbed bedfellow. A small irony of history cropped up at the United Nations a few weeks ago when Russia joined the majority of other nations to defeat the United States and the western European nations that wanted to declare that killing the unborn should be a universal human right. Who is on the wrong side of history now?
The present political campaign has brought to the surface of our public life the anti-religious sentiment, much of it explicitly anti-Catholic, that has been growing in this country for several decades. The secularizing of our culture is a much larger issue than political causes or the outcome of the current electoral campaign, important though that is.
Speaking a few years ago to a group of priests, entirely outside of the current political debate, I was trying to express in overly dramatic fashion what the complete secularization of our society could bring. I was responding to a question and I never wrote down what I said, but the words were captured on somebody’s smart phone and have now gone viral on Wikipedia and elsewhere in the electronic communications world. I am (correctly) quoted as saying that I expected to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. What is omitted from the reports is a final phrase I added about the bishop who follows a possibly martyred bishop: “His successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the church has done so often in human history.” What I said is not “prophetic” but a way to force people to think outside of the usual categories that limit and sometimes poison both private and public discourse.
An earlier Archbishop of Chicago once tried his hand at reading the signs of his times. On May 18, 1937, Cardinal Mundelein, in a conference to priests of the archdiocese, called the then-German chancellor “an Austrian paper-hanger, and a darn poor one at that, I am told.” Why did Cardinal Mundelein speak in a way that drew applause from the New York Times and local papers and brought the German government to complain bitterly to the Holy See? The government of Germany, declaring its ideology the wave of the future, had dissolved Catholic youth groups and tried to discredit the church’s work among young people through trials of monks, priests and religious sisters accused of immorality. Cardinal Mundelein spoke of how the public protests of the bishops had been silenced in the German media, leaving the church in Germany more “helpless” than it had ever been.
He then added: “There is no guarantee that the battle-front may not stretch some day into our own land. Hodie mihi cras tibi. (Today it’s me; tomorrow, you). If we show no interest in this matter now, if we shrug our shoulders and mutter … it is not our fight, if we don’t back up the Holy Father when we have a chance, well, when our turn comes, we too will be fighting alone.”
“When our turn comes …” Was Cardinal Mundelein a prophet as well as an administrative genius? Hardly. At his death in 1939 he was well known as an American patriot and a friend of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, but he also had a Catholic conviction that no nation state has been immaculately conceived. The unofficial anthem of secularism today is John Lennon’s “Imagine,” in which we are encouraged to imagine a world without religion. We don’t have to imagine such a world; the 20th century has given us horrific examples of such worlds.
Instead of a world living in peace because it is without religion, why not imagine a world without nation states? After all, there would be no American ambassador recently killed in Libya if there were no America and no Libya! There are, obviously, individuals and groups who still misuse religion as a reason for violent behavior, but modern nation states don’t need religion as an excuse for going to war. Every major war in the last 300 years has been fought by nation states, not by the church. In our own history, the re-conquest of the secessionist states in the Civil War was far bloodier than the re-conquest of the Holy Land by the now despised Crusaders. The state apparatus for investigating civilians now is far more extensive than anything dreamed up by the Spanish Inquisition, although both were created to serve the same purpose: to preserve a government’s public ideology and control of society, whether based on religion or on modern constitutional order.
Analogies can easily be multiplied, if one wants to push a thesis; but the point is that the greatest threat to world peace and international justice is the nation state gone bad, claiming an absolute power, deciding questions and making “laws” beyond its competence. Few there are, however, who would venture to ask if there might be a better way for humanity to organize itself for the sake of the common good. Few, that is, beyond a prophetic voice like that of Dorothy Day, speaking acerbically about “Holy Mother the State,” or the ecclesiastical voice that calls the world, from generation to generation, to live at peace in the kingdom of God.
God sustains the world, in good times and in bad. Catholics, along with many others, believe that only one person has overcome and rescued history: Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of the Virgin Mary, savior of the world and head of his body, the church. Those who gather at his cross and by his empty tomb, no matter their nationality, are on the right side of history. Those who lie about him and persecute or harass his followers in any age might imagine they are bringing something new to history, but they inevitably end up ringing the changes on the old human story of sin and oppression. There is nothing “progressive” about sin, even when it is promoted as “enlightened.”
The world divorced from the God who created and redeemed it inevitably comes to a bad end. It’s on the wrong side of the only history that finally matters. The Synod on the New Evangelization is taking place in Rome this month because entire societies, especially in the West, have placed themselves on the wrong side of history. This October, let’s pray the rosary so that the Holy Spirit will guide and strengthen the bishops and others at the synod as they deliberate about the challenges to preaching and living the Gospel at this moment in human history.
This column first appeared in the Catholic New World, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Chicago, for October 21 – November 3, 2012.
The Tragic Heroism of Pope Pius XII
by Rev. George W. Rutler
There are commentators on the sports channels whose numbing dialogues would never be confused with the Algonquin Round Table. These are the so-called Monday Morning Quarterbacks. Some historians quarterback that way. Pope Pius XII, hailed in his lifetime as a protector of persecuted people, has suffered in reputation from lax minds who never exercised themselves in the great contests of civilization.
There is increasing evidence that attempts to misrepresent the Pope as feckless and even criminally compliant, began as the work of Communist propagandists, seminally in East Germany at the direction of Moscow. This was taken up later by people either uninformed or polemical. An impressive number of works have been published recently to correct this, and to them I can only add from my own studies a few details in the anguish of the most terrible years of the 1940’s.
As a child, Eugenio Maria Giuseppi Pacelli was moved by the early Roman martyrs, and told his uncle that he wanted to be a martyr, but “without nails.” As Pope, his crucifixion without nails began when the diplomat confronted the Evil One who has two faces and hides one. Pacelli became well aware that the strengths of diplomacy can strain the apostle, which is why the only one of the Twelve Apostles who was a diplomat, hanged himself. As a youth sensitive by nature and tutored at home because, according to his sister, he could not take the bad food in seminary, he had the gifts and limitations of a rarified formation. The grandson of an Interior Minister in the Papal States was reared in an intensely clerical world, and one far removed from the nuclear age he would live to see. He was born on the day that Rutherford B. Hayes was declared president, and three years before Newman was made a cardinal. That early environment cultivated his lifelong propensity for baroque effusions, such as his display after the bombing of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, which greatly annoyed the historian Philip Hughes, an admirer, for its contrast to papal serenity during other more distant and rebarbative devastations.
The Fascist propagandist, Farinnaci, saw the Vatican and its Pope as an enemy in his crosshairs. In 1942, he wrote: “Undoubtedly, we could not agree with the Vatican Wireless broadcasts of sympathy for Jewish Poland; the telegram sent to the Protestant Queen Wilhelmina; the considerable contribution made to the Holy See a few years ago by the Jews; …the appointment of Jews to posts in the Vatican City, almost in defiance of our anti-Semitic (and therefore Catholic) policy.” To corroborate Farinacci’s case, Jewish prisoners in an Italian concentration camp in Tossica, sent a letter to the Pope who was a “revered personality who has stood up for the rights of all afflicted and powerless people.”
Around Christmas of 1942, the Vichy government in their collaboration with the Nazis under Laval as head of government distinct from Petain as chief of state, complained about the “Vatican cliques” who “fly up in the air every time it is a question of the descendants of Christ’s Murderers.” On September 2, The New York Times headlined: “Laval Spurns Pope—25,000 Jews in France Arrested for Deportation.” Laval had already exploded in anger against Monsignor Valerio Valeri, dean of the diplomatic corps in France, for speaking out against the government’s anti-Semitism and deportations of Jews.
On September 12, 1942, ten days after German troops entered Stalingrad, exiled Poles and Belgians sent a plea to the pope to condemn Nazi war crimes. The Pope did not respond, possibly because in the previous year when he had condemned the racial legislation of the new pro-Nazi republic of Slovakia, the German SS retaliated with mass executions of 3,500 Jews in Lodz, Poland.
Also in 1942, Joseph Goebbels published ten million copies of a pamphlet condemning the Vatican’s attempt to protect Jews by enabling hundreds to flee Poland for Spain and Portugal, and sequestering many in the Vatican. For such acts, The Pilot, then an influential Catholic newspaper in Boston, compared Pius XII to other papal protectors of Jews: Sixtus IV, Clement VII, Eugenius III, Gregory IX and Pius XI.
The journals of Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, formerly a German spy in Spain and later a counter-spy for the Allies, explain not only how he had persuaded Franco not to allow German troops to attack Gibraltar through Spain. A devout Catholic, he also foiled Hitler’s attempt to kidnap or assassinate both Pius XII and King Victor Emmanuel after the 1943 arrest of Mussolini at the king’s orders.
From a different perspective, in June of 1942, Bishop Veglia in Yugoslavia, lamented Vatican silence about Italian atrocities among the Croat and Slovene populations annexed to Italy: “…the people are, alas, more and more losing trust in the Catholic Church and loyalty to the Holy Father, while on the other hand they are being thrown into the arms of Communism, in which they are beginning to see the only element which will defend them in the forests against the cruelty of the Italian elements.”
On Christmas Eve, 1942, Pius XII famously broadcast a message to the world, nuanced by his mindfulness of the failed strategies of Pope Leo X with the German princes, and Pope Pius V with Queen Elizabeth I. The New York Times said of the Pope: “This Christmas more than ever he is a lonely voice crying out in the silence of a continent.” Bishops took up the message and, for instance, Archbishop Gounot in Tunisia, anticipating the Allied landings in French North Africa, denounced the Vichy persecution of Jews.
In Belgium at the start of 1943, the Germans would not let Cardinal van Roey publish the Pope’s Silver Jubilee address, and the Italian government banned the film “Pastor Angelicus” about the life of the Pope. In that same January, the London Tablet commented on the tendency to think that more would have been accomplished by a louder protest from more bishops: “If there exists a vague atavistic memory that once Popes and Bishops spoke, and wicked Kings trembled, that salutary thing happened because the public opinion of the day had a much fuller and deeper sense of the rights and importance of spiritual authority. Modern men, who have for so long applauded the narrowing down and emptying of that authority as the emancipation of mankind from the thralldom of superstitions, can hardly be surprised if, as a rule, prelates in the modern era tend in prudence to limit themselves to the field indubitably conceded to them by public opinion.”
In a letter to Bishop von Preysing on April 30, 1943, Pius XII described with unusual candor the theory behind his subtlety “We give to the pastors who are working on the local level the duty of determining if and to what degree the danger of reprisal and of various forms of oppression occasioned by episcopal declarations…seem to advise caution. Here lies one of the reasons, why We impose self-restraint on Ourselves in our speeches…The Holy See has done whatever was in its power, with charitable, financial and moral assistance.” The U.S. diplomat Harold Tittman recorded how anti-Nazi resistance leaders consistently had urged the Pope to follow this policy.
In May of 1943, the secretary of the Jewish Agency for Palestine asked the future Pope John XXIII, “to thank the Holy See for the happy outcome of the steps taken on behalf of the Israelites in Slovakia.” At the same time, the Pope granted an audience to Dr. Kazimierz Papee, the informal representative of the Polish government in exile to the Holy See. As recounted by the historian Dariusz Libionka, and mentioned in his own journal, Papee had expressed to the Papal Secretary of State, Luigi Cardinal Maglione, his exasperation with the Pope’s hesitancy to speak about the Polish situation in other than diplomatic language. According to Papee, the Pope abandoned diplomatic reserve to berate him: “I have listened again and again to your representatives about our unhappy children in Poland. Must I be given the same story again?” In his memoir, “Pius XII I Polska,” Papee recalled that the Pope raised his arms in the air as he reprimanded him. Pope John XXIII had Papee removed, at the start of his pontificate. In the same week of this strained conversation, the Nazi-controlled Radio Paris broadcast: “As soon as the Fuhrer assumed power in 1933, the Vatican let loose its hostility…National Socialism tried to settle all conflicts with the Church; the Church rejected the hand offered to her. May she bear the responsibility for this in the annals of history.”
The German ambassador to the Holy See, Baron Ernst von Kessel, was by all accounts, even that of Churchill, secretly sympathetic to the Allies, He was convinced that Hitler intended to occupy the Vatican, which he thought would be disastrous, especially if the Pope were shot “fleeing while avoiding arrest.”
That did not happen, and Pius XII became a “martyr without nails.” No Monday Morning Quarterback with any self-respect can say that Pius XII did not try his best, and indeed did more than most of the players on that historical stage of the war years, conspicuously in contrast to the mendacity of President Roosevelt in his whitewashing of the Katyn Massacre and the short shrift he gave to the resistance leader Jan Karski. Churchill, whom Pius first met in London in 1911 during a Eucharistic Congress, called him “the greatest man of our time.” During an audience in 1944, Churchill was surprised at the vehemence with which the Pope urged strict justice for war criminals. An eloquent defender of capital punishment in Thomistic terms, Pius told a Swiss reporter: “Not only do we approve of the [Nuremburg] trial, but we desire that the guilty be punished as quickly as possible, and without exception.” The diplomat in Pius was frustrated by the position of Monsignor Jozef Tiso as chief of the Slovakian state. A Nazi puppet, Tiso always wore clerical dress and never suffered canonical censure. The Pope received him privately in audience more than once. But diplomacy worked when Tiso yielded to the Pope’s sixth formal plea to stop deportation of thousands of Jews. After the war, Tiso was hanged in his clericals as a war criminal. However, nothing was done to the Herzegovenian Franciscans in the Ustashe center near Medjugorge, whose complicity in the killing of hundreds of Serbian women and children was described by Cardinal Tisserant as an abomination.
Pius XII’s diplomatic character was his triumph with civilized men and his anguish with barbarians. Had he died a martyr with nails, his legacy could not have been suborned by demagogues. Diplomats tend to live longer than prophets, but to fault diplomacy for not having done what a longer view judges should have been done, can be a self-serving form of detraction. American Indian wisdom has it that you should not judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins. It is harder to walk in the Shoes of the Fisherman, for there is a rare succession of those elected to do that. The tension between diplomacy and prophecy was the stuff of tragedy, and that made Pius XII a man of his time, which was the most tragic in the annals of man.
BIBLE
Jimmy Akin Tuesday, October 23, 2012 7:47 PM Comments (10)
Matthew 2:23 says that Jesus was raised in Nazareth "that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, 'He shall be called a Nazarene.'"
But this statement does not appear in anywhere in the Old Testament.
Does this mean that Matthew just invented the prophecy?
Recently a Muslim author responded to me by claiming just this.
Let's look into the matter . . .
The Background
Recently I made a video posing the question "Did the New Testament Authors Feel Free to Make Stuff Up?" (click here to watch it).
I looked at several lines of evidence showing that they did not feel free to simply invent material about Jesus, unlike the authors of the Gnostic gospels that were written in the second and third centuries.
The British blogger and convert to Islam Paul Williams posted a response on his blog, Exploring Life, the Universe, and Everything (he's also apparently a Douglas Adams fan, which I can appreciate), where he wrote:
Yes Jimmy, there is evidence they did [make stuff up] from time to time. Consider Matthew 2 for example:
“There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He will be called a Nazorean.’”
There is no such prophecy anywhere in the Bible [emphasis in original].
Lost Prophecies?
I became aware of Matthew 2:23 when I read through the New Testament at age 20. The Bible I was reading had footnotes revealing where various quotations from the Old Testament could be found, and I was surprised to see that there was no Old Testament reference for the prophecy given here.
What did this mean?
What was Matthew quoting?
Was it a source that had been lost?
We know that there were many prophets in ancient Israel who genuinely spoke for God, even though their prophecies are not recorded in the Old Testament. 1 Kings even indicates that there were as many as a hundred prophets at once!
And Ahab called Obadi'ah, who was over the household. (Now Obadi'ah revered the LORD greatly; and when Jez'ebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, Obadi'ah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and fed them with bread and water) [1 Kings 18:3-4].
Could it be that some of this material was passed down in the form of oral tradition, and this is what Matthew was referring to?
Possibly, but there is another option . . .
Lost Books?
We even know that some of them wrote books, because the Old Testament refers to them. Consider these verses:
As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer, the records of Nathan the prophet and the records of Gad the seer [1 Chron. 29:29].
As for the other events of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat? [2 Chron. 9:29].
As for the events of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer that deal with genealogies? There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam [2 Chron. 12:15].
The other events of Abijah’s reign, what he did and what he said, are written in the annotations of the prophet Iddo [2 Chron. 13:22].
These books apparently were around at the time Chronicles was written, but under God's providence they did not become part of the canon of Scripture.
Why that was, and what the exact status of these books was, we cannot know. But the books apparently were known in antiquity.
Could Matthew have known them, or at least some of their contents, and could that have been the source he was referring to?
Possibly, but there is another, more likely explanation . . .
"Then Was Fulfilled"
Let's look at the way Matthew tends to talk about Jesus "fulfilling" a prophecy. Consider these verses:
Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah [1:17].
And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene" [2:23].
that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled [4:14].
With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: `You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive [13:14].
"But how then should the scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?" [26:54].
"But all this has taken place, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook him and fled [26:56].
Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel [27:9].
That's it. That's the entire collection of verses where Matthew refers to Old Testament prophecies being fulfilled.
Notice that in four of the seven instances, he names a specific prophet.
In the other three cases, he gives a more general reference. In 26:54, he refers to "the scriptures" being fulfilled, without citing a specific passage--thus indicating that there is not a single, specific passage under discussion.
The same thing happens in 26:56, where we have a general reference to "the scriptures of the prophets"--again indicating that there is not a single, specific passage in view but some combination of passages.
Which category does 2:23 fall into?
Is This a Quotation or Not?
You might think it falls into the first category, because there appears to be a quotation in many English translations: "He shall be called a Nazarene."
But this is less of an indicator than you might think. Ancient Greek didn't have quotation marks. There were other ways it indicated that someone was being quoted directly--what is known as "direct discourse"--but they're not as clear-cut as modern quotation marks, and translators have to decide whether to use quotation marks or not in an English translation.
That's why not all of them do. Consider these translations of the passage:
And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene [KJV].
and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene [ASV].
And coming he dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was said by prophets: That he shall be called a Nazarene [Douay-Rheims].
and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene [ERV].
The translations that use the word "that" in front of the statement are rendering the Greek in the most literal fashion--hoti Nazoraios klethesetai--"that he shall be called a Nazorean." The word hoti ("that") is sometimes used in Greek to signal the beginning of direct discourse (like an open quotation mark in English), but not always. Sometimes it just means "that."
Which does it mean in this case?
"Prophets" . . . Not "Prophet"
You'll note that Matthew doesn't attribute the statement about Jesus being called a Nazarene to a specific prophet. Instead, he says it was said "through the prophets" (Greek, dia ton propheton).
That suggests that he's thinking of it more as a general theme in the prophets, not a specific passage, and that suggests that it would be better not to render it as a quotation.
Thus Bible scholars tend to take the passage not as a quotation but as a summary expressing a prophetic theme that could be found in more than one place.
Is there such a theme?
"A Branch Shall Grow out of His Roots"
There is indeed. It is often pointed out that Matthew is making a play on words involving the name of the town where Jesus lived (Nazareth or Naṣrat in Hebrew) and the Hebrew word nēṣer, which means or "branch" and appears in the Messianic prophecyof Isaiah 11:1--"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots."
Other prophets also spoke similarly of a messianic “branch” or “shoot,” although using different words (cf. Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12) [Donald Hagner, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 33A, "Matthew 1-13"].
So the wordplay Matthew uses can be taken as a summary of what the prophets said regarding the Messiah.
This wordplay would have been even more obvious if, as the Church Fathers record, Matthew's Gospel was originally written in the language of the Hebrews, which would have been either Hebrew or Aramaic.
While it's possible that Matthew was drawing on an oral tradition from the Old Testament prophets or that he was quoting a book by a prophet which God chose not to have in the canon, it's more likely that he's just summarizing a theme found in multiple prophets and noting that Jesus' life story resonates with this theme and thus fulfills it.
What Matthew Wasn't Doing
Whichever of these explanations one prefers, though, it's clear that Matthew was not doing one thing in particular: He wasn't inventing this out of whole cloth (the subject of my previous video).
He's citing this fact as evidence for Jesus fulfilling divine prophecy--specifically, what was said "through the prophets"--and that makes no sense if he was simply inventing a prophecy.
If Matthew had said, "and thus Jesus fulfilled what was written through the prophet So-and-so, 'He would be born in the time of a king named Herod,'" then people would know that there was no such prophecy.
Matthew would damage his case by manufacturing a prophecy out of nothing.
As the other examples reveal, he's clearly concerned with showing his audience that the life of Jesus resonates with different Old Testament prophecies. It would be against his interests to invent a quotation that skeptical members of his audience would be sure to pounce on.
It is much more likely, given all that we've seen, that he is simply summarizing a prophetic trend that he was aware of and that his audience--who were in far closer touch with the Hebrew and Aramaic Scriptures than we are--would have been familiar with as well.
They were raised on Messianic prophecy, and the branch/shoot language--in Hebrew and Aramaic--would have been quite familiar to them.
So: Matthew didn't simply invent this. He didn't feel free to just make stuff up. What he was doing was either preserving an otherwise lost source or, more likely, summarizing and fleshing out the implications of sources we still have.
I do want to thank Paul Williams for raising the issue, though, and providing the opportunity to clarify this interesting passage.
What Now?
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Despise not thy neighbour, but think thyself as bad a sinner, and that the like defects may befall thee. If thou canst not excuse his doing, excuse his intent which may be good; or if the deed be evil, think it was done of ignorance; if thou canst no way excuse him, think some great temptation befell him, and that thou shouldst be worse if the like temptation befell thee; and give God thanks that the like as yet hath not befallen thee. Despise not a man being a sinner, for though he be evil to-day, he may turn tomorrow. William Perkins; There are so many things to occupy our minds: so many books, so many examples, so many good teachings that deserve our attention, that say, "Here is a truth." But, as I have been serving the Lord these past years, He has led me to seek for two things and two things only: to know the heart of God in Christ and to know my own heart in Christ's light. Francis Frangipane
THOUGHT: It occurs to me that the best test of whether one is qualified to lead, is to find out if any one is following. D.E. Dixon Hoste . Pride is the king of vices...it is the first of the pallbearers of the soul...other vices destroy only their opposite virtues, as wantonness destroys chastity; greed destroys temperance; anger destroys gentleness; but pride destroys all virtues. Fulton Sheen.
by HHAmbrose on Mar 25, 2012 • 8:54 am
March 25, 2012
I had to drive about 10 miles to a hospital where there was an emergency call.
I drove quickly, thinking that the nurse in charge of the ER, Anne, would be waiting for me. I knew her and her husband and children from the parish. When I walked in I could see paramedics at the foot of the only occupied gurney there, so I hurried and walked in. “Sorry, Fr. John, you’re too late. He’s gone.” Anne said, smiling. She had a lot of compassion, but also understood that I’d come as fast as I could. They were removing wires from an older man. I noticed that he was wearing a Brown Scapular, one of the old cloth ones. I reached and said “He’s wearing an old fashioned Scapular”. When I touched it there was a beep from a monitor, then another. The nurse, Anne, said “What did you do?” I said “Nothing!” She and another nurse jumped to work, reconnecting wires and calling for help. The Paramedics stood with their jaws dropped. The patient opened his eyes and said (in an Irish accent) “Oh, good, Father. I’ve been waiting for you. I want to go to Confession.” I nearly fell over. I’d done nothing but seen and touched his Scapular. The next thing I knew they were working on him. He didn’t get to go to Confession, but I gave him an emergency absolution as they worked. One of the Paramedics asked if I was OK and sat me in a chair.
A couple of weeks later the man came to me for Confession and told me that the doctor couldn’t figure out what happened and had to tear up the Death Certificate he’d already started to fill out. The Paramedics had come to see him in the hospital and shown him their notes. At the bottom of the page they’d written the time and place of his death and then in big bold letters had added “BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE BY GOD”.
Miracles still happen. And no, I didn’t do it. It just happened according to God’s will. Why does He intervene in some cases and not in others? I really don’t know. I haven’t figured that out yet. But I do know that God has worked miracles in my life, the most important for me not being what He did for someone else, but what He has done over and over to bring me back from sin and death, through the Sacraments into His Covenant Relationship.
That man still had to die a natural death to be raised from the dead into eternal life. The resurrection Jesus offers all of us is eternal too. And that’s what we look forward to at Easter.
Father Higgins
Two Interesting Arguments for God: Intelligibility & Desire
I wanted to share two simple arguments for God's existence that I don't see used very often :the argument from intelligibility, and the argument from desire.
I. The Argument from Intelligibility
The argument from intelligibility is one that Pope Benedict is largely responsible for. Fr. Robert Barron explains the argument in Catholicism (pp. 67-68):
In 1968 a young theology professor at the University of Tübingen formulated a neat argument for God's existence that owed a good deal to Thomas Aquinas but also drew on more contemporary sources. The theologian's name was Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. Ratzinger commences with the observation that finite being, as we experience it, is marked, through and through, by intelligibility, that it is to say, by a formal structure that makes it understandable to an inquiring mind.
In point of fact, all of the sciences - physics, chemistry, psychology, astronomy, biology, and so forth - rest on the assumption that at all levels, microscopic and macroscopic, being can be known. The same principle was acknowledged in ancient times by Pythagoras, who said that all existing things correspond in numeric value, and in medieval times by the scholastic philsophers who forumlated the dictum omne ens est scibile (all being in knowable).
Ratzinger argues that the only finally satisfying explanaiton for this universal objective intelligibility is a great Intelligence who has thought the universe into being. Our language provides an intriguing clue in this regard, for we speak of our acks of knowledge as moments of “recognition,” literally a re-cognition, a thinking again what has already been thought. Ratzinger cites Einstein in support of this connection: “in the laws of nature, a mind so superior is revealed that in comparison, our minds are as something worthless.” The prologue to the Gospel of John states, “In the beginning was the Word,” and specifies that all things came to be through this divine Logos, implying thereby that the being of the universe is not dumbly there, but rather intelligently there, imbued by a creative mind with intelligible structure.
In other words, all science points to God, since all science requires intelligibility, which in turn, requires an Intelligent Creator.
Much time and energy is wasted on the Intelligent Design debate over things like irreducible complexity, that the more fundamental questions aren't being asked. Whether the universe was a good idea or a bad idea, a holy plan or an evil plan, it's still an idea, and a plan. This necessarily requires a Thinker and a Planner. Consider the stability of math, of the universal constants, of the fundamental interactions. Two plus two doesn't suddenly equal five, but there's no natural explanation for why these things remain stable (in fact, since these are immaterial truths, materialism can't even approach them). Yet if two plus two generated a random result, we could never have math or science, never develop any technology, and all existence would be a series of random and inexplicable events that our brains would be incapable of processing.
By the way, while Benedict developed this argument, we see variations of it being made back in the early days of the 300s, when St. Athanasius argued that “if the movement of creation were irrational, and the universe were borne along without plan, a man might fairly disbelieve what we say. But if it subsist in reason and wisdom and skill, and is perfectly ordered throughout, it follows that He that is over it and has ordered it is none other than the [reason or] Word of God.” So the argument has a pretty solid pedigree, such as it is.
II. The Argument from Desire
C.S. Lewis (in his second appearance on the blog this week) describes the argument from hunger this way, in Mere Christianity (pp. 136-37):
The Christian says ‘Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim:: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or to be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others do the same.’
This argument is self-explanatory, but let me answer two objections.
First, the hunger for God may be stronger or weaker for certain people than others. That's quite natural. Some people have larger appetites than others, some people are seemingly uninterested (or conversely, obsessed) with sex, etc. But some degree of a hunger for God exists in every human soul.
Second, while our desires correspond to realities, but they can be corrupted and perverted. Gluttony is a perversion of our natural desire for food, lust is a perversion of our natural desire for sex, and so on. But standing back, we can see why hunger (and gluttony) exist, and why sexual desires (and lust) exist. These are desires that are ordered towards the attainment of specific goals. So even if the hunger for God gets perverted in some way, this doesn't deny the reality that God exists, and that we long for Him.
Finally, with our desire for God, the appropriate question ought to be: could anything less than God possibly satisfy this hunger? We try to appease that hunger for God by substituting earthly pleasures: wealth, honor, power, and sensible pleasures (everything from sex to overeating). But that's like drinking a lot of water when you're hungry for food. It might fill the void for a while, but it doesn't really satisfy the craving. Our souls are made with an aching hunger for God.
Ronald J. Rychlak
The Holy See is the oldest continuing international organization in the world. Its Secretary of State office was established in 1486, and that is also when its first permanent representatives were established in Venice, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and France. Today, the Holy See maintains diplomatic relations with 176 states. It is also the only Permanent Observer State at the United Nations, and it participates in various internationals conventions and agreements. While it is officially neutral, it is not silent.
The Holy See’s diplomatic prowess was tested severely during the twentieth century. Nevertheless, it played a crucial role in maintaining world peace, especially during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.
The Holy See and the Soviet Union had a very strained relationship. After World War II, Catholic leaders in the new areas of Soviet control were suppressed. Priests, bishops, and cardinals were given show trials and sent to prisons. Eventually, the Soviets engaged in covert activities to undermine the papacy itself by promoting the slander of Pius XII as “Hitler’s Pope.” Despite all this, the Vatican continued to influence Soviet leaders. In fact, Bl. Pope John XXIII helped bring the superpowers back from the edge of war in October 1962 – 49 years ago last month.
On October 11 of that year, Pope John opened the Second Vatican Council. In the speech that he gave that day, he said: “We feel we must disagree with those prophets of gloom, who are always forecasting disaster, as though the end of the world were at hand. In the present order of things, Divine Providence is leading us to a new order of human relations which, by men’s own efforts and even beyond their very expectations, are directed toward the fulfillment of God’s superior and inscrutable designs. And everything, even human differences, leads to the greater good of the Church.”
Three days later, American spy planes discovered that the Cuban and Soviet governments had begun to build bases in Cuba for a number of medium-range and intermediate-range ballistic nuclear missiles. They would have the ability to strike most of the continental United States. President Kennedy was furious. On October 22, he went on television to explain the situation, and he moved the defense readiness condition to Defcon 2 for only the second time in history.
Kennedy insisted that the missiles had to be removed. When Khrushchev refused, the American president set a blockade around Cuba. Khrushchev, in turn, authorized his Soviet field commanders to launch tactical nuclear weapons if Cuba were invaded by the U.S. As the Russian ships approached, the blockade stood firm and ready, and the world came closer than ever to Armageddon. Millions watched the showdown on television.
Kennedy, the first (and still so far the only) Catholic president, then sent a message to Pope John XXIII. After reading the president’s note, the pope drafted a message, copies of which were delivered to both the American and Soviet embassies. The following day, John read his message on Vatican Radio. It said:
We beg all governments not to remain deaf to this cry of humanity. That they do all that is in their power to save peace. They will thus spare the world from the horrors of a war whose terrifying consequences no one can predict. That they continue discussions, as this loyal and open behaviour has great value as a witness of everyone’s conscience and before history. Promoting, favouring, accepting conversations, at all levels and in any time, is a rule of wisdom and prudence which attracts the blessings of heaven and earth.
The next day, the Pope’s message appeared in newspapers all around the world, including Pravda, the official newspaper of the Soviet Communist party. The headline in that paper said: “We beg all governments not to remain deaf to this cry of humanity.”
With his plea, Pope John XXIII had given Khrushchev a way out. By withdrawing now, he would be seen as a man of peace, not a coward. Two days later, Khrushchev, an atheist who was in the middle of a propaganda war with the Vatican, agreed to withdraw the missiles. (Kennedy also secretly agreed to withdraw American missiles from Turkey.)
Pope John’s role in the resolution of the Cuban missile crisis is often overlooked, but it was very important. It also helped move the world in a positive direction, consistent with the Second Vatican Council that was then taking place. Soviet and American leaders signed a nuclear test ban on July 25, 1963. President Kennedy called that “the first step down the path of peace.” The two nations also set up a “hot line” for emergency messages between Washington and Moscow.
It was not known by the public at the time, but on September 23, 1962, just a month before he helped pull the world back from the brink of war, an X-ray revealed that Pope John XXIII was suffering from an advanced case of stomach cancer. He knew he was dying. He passed away on June 3, 1963. He was proclaimed blessed on September 3, 2002. The cause of his sainthood is still underway.
By Emily Stimpson - Our Sunday Visitor, 10/23/2011
Holy Trinity: The mystery of one God in Three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Incarnation: When the Son of God assumed human nature and became man.
Transubstantiation: When, in the consecration of the bread and wine, there occurs the change of the entire substance of the bread into the Body of Christ, and the entire substance of the wine into the Blood of Christ.
Angel: A spiritual, personal and immortal creature, with intelligence and free will, who glorifies God without ceasing and who serves God as a messenger of his saving plan. Not a person who has died and gone to heaven.
Sanctifying grace: Grace that heals our wounded human nature by giving us a share in the divine life of the Trinity. A habitual and supernatural gift that perfects and makes us holy.
Actual grace: Temporary supernatural intervention by God to enlighten the mind or strengthen the will to perform supernatural actions that lead to heaven.
Sin: Any intentional thought, word, deed or omission that violates God’s law.
Original sin: The sin by which the first humans disobeyed God, resulting in the loss of original holiness. Also, the fallen state of human nature that affects every person.
Concupiscence: An inclination to sin, due to original sin, which remains even after baptism.
Mortal sin: Grave infraction of the law of God that destroys divine life (sanctifying grace) in the soul of the sinner. For sin to be mortal, it must involve grave matter, full knowledge of the evil of the act, and deliberate consent of the will.
Venial sin: Sin that diminishes and wounds but does not destroy the divine life (sanctifying grace) in the soul of the sinner.
Heaven: Complete and eternal happiness with God and all the blessed.
Purgatory: Temporary state after death whereby souls who die in a state of sanctifying grace are purified from sin and its effects and are made ready for eternal life with God.
Hell: State of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed; unending misery reserved for those who freely choose not to repent of mortal sin before death.
Doctrine: A revealed teaching of Christ that is irreversible.
Discipline: A man-made ordinance subject to change.
Immaculate Conception: The conception of the Virgin Mary, who through the anticipated merits won by Jesus Christ through his death and resurrection, was preserved immune from original sin.
by Matthew Warner Monday, August 15, 2011 1:30 AM Comments (10)
Kids are not getting taught a very important lesson in life. At least not many of the kids here in the United States. Their school teachers, youth ministers, pastors, coaches and, most especially, their parents are dropping the ball on this one. And the dropped ball has caused two massive problems:
1) We have a lot of bad marriages (that aren’t really marriages) that end in divorce.
2) We have too few priests.
So what do kids need to be taught to fix these things? They need to be taught that their vocation needs to be discerned. And along with that, they also need to know:
1) What a vocation is.
2) What their options are.
3) How to discern it.
Most children grow up just assuming they will get married one day. And they never even consider (especially not seriously) the option of becoming a priest or entering the religious life (or even remaining an unmarried layperson). And truly, they never even consider if they’re called to marriage, either. They simply assume it. And while most people are clearly called to marriage, to assume as much does a great disservice to both marriage and the religious life - to both families and to the greater Church. And at the most basic level it does a great disservice to the child.
Our vocation is the practical call in our life that brings about our sanctification and gets us to heaven. It’s kind of a big deal.
And it seems that many parents haven’t really encouraged their kids to even consider the priesthood or religious life (you know, so the next generation can receive the sacraments?). And in the process they’ve presented a kind of “default” option: marriage. Meaning that by default when the time is right you just get married…requiring no real discernment at all. Not only does this approach lead to terrible marriages, broken families and a lot of heartache for people and society, but it also leads to a lack of priests and religious. So why are parents failing to teach this important lesson to children?
Well maybe they only have one or two kids and vows of celibacy would lessen the chances of grandkids. Well, that’s understandable, but ultimately selfish.
Maybe they think the life of a priest is hard, and they don’t want that burden on their kids. But guess what’s a much heavier burden on your kid? Choosing the wrong vocation. Not following God’s call. I think we should worry much more about that. Oh, and - news flash - marriage is pretty hard, too (especially when it’s not properly discerned and set up for failure from the beginning).
Maybe they don’t have faith that what God wants for their child is truly what’s best for them. And that God will always provide enough grace to persevere no matter what challenges our children face in life. We need to teach them to accept that grace, not to run from their vocation.
Or maybe they just think that priests and religious are weird. And that it’s unnatural and a waste of life to deny one’s self a spouse or to take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. But I think anyone who really thinks that just hasn’t hung out with enough amazing priests.
A few recommendations for such parents:
1) Share your own story of discernment with your kids. Develop such relationships with them that they’re willing to open up to you about their own discernment.
2) Teach them what a vocation is and that it is something you are actively called to by the Creator of the universe Himself, not something you fall into by default or convenience.
3) Teach them how to pray and to discern God’s will in their lives. And you can start by practicing with them on smaller matters when they are small.
4) Hang out with other families who have great marriages. Oh, and make sure you have an amazing marriage yourself.
5) Hang out with some great priests and religious. Make them a part of your life.
6) Don’t be scared of your kids choosing a vocation. Be scared of them choosing the wrong one.
7) Don’t worry, trust God and pray for your children every day. It’s your job to get them to heaven.
In the end, living the vocation one is called to is what leads to the most peace and joy in life. If you want that for your kids, then also have the courage and care to teach them how to do it.
Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/matthew-warner/teach-your-kids-this-and-help-save-the-world?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NCRegisterDailyBlog+National+Catholic+Register&utm_content=Google+Reader#When:2011-08-15#ixzz1VDxpPQP1
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of Pope Benedict’s greatest priorities has been to respond to the worsening secularism in western culture that is attempting to rebuild society on atheistic foundations. He has been confronting the efforts of those elites seeking to ban God and religion from public life, repeatedly reminded the world that when we forget God we not only lose touch with who we are but we also undermine the ground for inalienable human rights. He has also been addressing the far more common and problematic issue of practical atheism among Christians, when those who profess themselves to be believers live as if God does not exist. This divorce between faith and life, between private belief and public action, between religion and reason, in western societies is what is making possible the advent of an aggressive secularism that seeks to codify in politics, education and culture this practical atheism in day-to-day existence.
Many Catholics are aware of Benedict’s diagnosis of the problem of the dictatorship of relativism to which many in society have surrendered their freedom, but few have noticed the remedy he has prescribed and even fewer have been following it. As we prepare for the celebration of Corpus Christi this Sunday, it’s important that all of us reflect anew on this antidote for these secularist social ills: true adoration of God.
The Practice of Adoration Liberates and Restores
When Pope Benedict was in Cologne in 2005 for World Youth Day, he spoke to the German bishop about how important it is for the Church to recover the practice of adoration in order to help the world rediscover the face and love of God. “In our new context in which worship, and thus also the face of human dignity, has been lost, it is once again up to us to understand the priority of worship. We must make the young, ourselves and our communities, aware of the fact that adoration is not a luxury of our confused epoch that we cannot permit ourselves but a priority. Whenever worship is no longer done, wherever it is not a priority to pay honor to God, human realities can make no headway.”
Adoration, he stresses, is not a luxury but a priority, because when people cease to adore God, they begin to worship themselves through exalting pleasure, power, and material goods. Failing to adore God, they begin to serve mammon (Mt 6:24) — and once they begin to serve mammon, they forget who they are. “Without the Creator, the creature disappears,” as Vatican II’s Gaudium et Spes emphasizes. The rise of practical atheism and the decrease of adoration go hand-and-hand. Once Christians began to behave as if the presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist was tangential to their lives, once they no longer allowed Jesus’ Eucharistic presence to influence their daily priorities — through for example daily Mass and adoration, not to mention, obviously, the Sunday Eucharist — then it’s easy to see how they could take the small step to structuring their life as if God did not exist and begin to place their faith, hope and love in the things of this world. It’s also one of the reasons that, for the new evangelization to succeed, we need to rediscover and help others to rediscover the importance of adoration of God.
The feast of Corpus Christi is an opportunity for us to reorient our priorities and the way we relate practically to the real presence of the Lord Jesus in the Eucharist. If someone believes that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist and loves Jesus, then that love ought naturally to show itself in Eucharistic desires and deeds. Corpus Christi provides three opportunities, as Pope Benedict mentioned in a 2008 Corpus Christi Homily. The first is to gather together to celebrate with joy the Holy Mass. The second is to accompany Jesus into the streets in a Corpus Christi procession. The third is, on which we will focus, is to kneel before the Lord in adoration.
In the craziness that reigned in some places after the Second Vatican Council, there were many who mocked what they impiously called “cookie worship,” meaning Eucharistic adoration. In Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict’s 2007 Apostolic Exhortation on the Holy Eucharist, the Holy Father responded to this widespread theological darnel that “the eucharistic bread was given to us not to be looked at, but to be eaten.” He called it a “false dichotomy” and quoting St. Augustine, commented, “no one eats that flesh without first adoring it; we should sin were we not to adore it.” Eucharistic adoration, he continued, “is simply the natural consequence of the Eucharistic celebration, which is itself the Church's supreme act of adoration. Receiving the Eucharist means adoring him whom we receive. Only in this way do we become one with him. … The act of adoration outside Mass prolongs and intensifies all that takes place during the liturgical celebration itself.”
It’s not enough, in other words, for us merely to receive the Lord Jesus in the Eucharist in the state of grace. We also must adoringly receive him, because adoration forms and increases our receptivity and prolongs and intensifies our holy communion. When we adore Jesus, we remind ourselves that the one we receive is in fact the Lord. “Adoration,” Pope Benedict said in a 2006 question-and-answer session with first communicants, “is recognizing that Jesus is my Lord, that Jesus shows me the way to take, and that I will live well only if I know the road that Jesus points out and follow the path he shows me. Therefore, adoration means saying: ‘Jesus, I am yours. I will follow you in my life; I never want to lose this friendship, this communion with you.’” That attitude of adoration impacts everything we are and do, including how we receive him in holy communion.
At World Youth Day in Cologne, Pope Benedict elaborated on how the “inner journey of adoration” of God transforms us by highlighting the etymology of the word for adoration in Greek and Latin: “The Greek word is proskynesis,” the Pope says. “It refers to the gesture of submission, the recognition of God as our true measure, supplying the norm that we choose to follow. It means that freedom is not simply about enjoying life in total autonomy, but rather about living by the measure of truth and goodness, so that we ourselves can become true and good. This gesture is necessary even if initially our yearning for freedom makes us inclined to resist it.” Proskynesis brings us to our knees, which is the first moment of adoration. “The Latin word for adoration,” the Pope continues, “is ad-oratio — mouth to mouth contact, a kiss, an embrace, and hence, ultimately love.” This is the second moment. “Submission becomes union, because he to whom we submit is Love. In this way submission acquires a meaning, because it does not impose anything on us from the outside, but liberates us deep within.”
In his 2008 Corpus Christi homily, Pope Benedict talked about how this loving union through adoring reception restores us to our true dignity. “Adoring the God of Jesus Christ, who out of love made himself bread broken, is the most effective and radical remedy against the idolatry of the past and of the present. Kneeling before the Eucharist is a profession of freedom: those who bow to Jesus cannot and must not prostrate themselves before any earthly authority, however powerful. We Christians kneel only before God or before the Most Blessed Sacrament because we know and believe that the one true God is present in it, the God who created the world and so loved it that he gave his Only Begotten Son (cf. Jn 3: 16). We prostrate ourselves before a God who first bent over man like the Good Samaritan to assist him and restore his life, and who knelt before us to wash our dirty feet. Adoring the Body of Christ, means believing that there, in that piece of Bread [with a capital-B], Christ is really there, and gives true sense to life, to the immense universe as to the smallest creature, to the whole of human history as to the most brief existence.”
Against the secularism that wants to force us to bow down before earthly realities, adoration of God liberates and restores us to our true dignity. Adoration helps us to recognize that God so loved the world that he sent his only Son not only to take on our human nature and be born in a Bethlehem manger but that he allowed that same Son to humble himself even further, remaining under the appearances of bread and wine - and in tabernacles and in monstrances so that he can be with us, and we with him, until the end of time. It’s no surprise, therefore, that Pope Benedict in Sacramentum Caritatis strongly encouraged the practice of Eucharistic adoration, both individually and in community, and asked that churches or oratories be set up wherever possible for perpetual adoration. Not only will this revivify individual believers and communities, but it will also begin to provide spiritual chemotherapy to one of society’s greatest cancers.
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L’Osservatore Romano first issue came out on 1 July 1861
June 22, 2011
For a small reward, a man will hurry away on a long journey; while for eternal life, many will hardly take a single step.
Thomas a Kempis
http://www.ccel.org/k/kempis/
Thomas a Kempis Biography And Works
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June 23, 2011
God is often silent when we prefer that he speak, and he interrupts us when we prefer that he stay silent. His ways are not our ways. To live with the sacred God of creation means that we conduct our lives with a God who does not explain himself to us. It means that we worship a God who is often mysterious - too mysterious to fit our formulas for better living. It means that God is not our best friend, our secret lover or our good-luck charm. He is God.
Craig Barnes
http://www.natpresch.org/craig_barnes.php
Biography
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June 24, 2011
Whenever a man has seen the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ...at once he comes right into a head-on collision within his own personal living, with all of his principles and motives upon which he has lived until this moment.... if there is to be a continual manifestation of Holy Spirit life, there must be a constant submission to the crucifixion of the flesh, not simply sometimes, but always.
Alan Redpath
http://www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/GUIDES/238.htm
Brief Biography And List Of Works
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June 25, 2011
Sin comes when we take a perfectly natural desire or longing or ambition and try desperately to fulfill it without God. Not only is it sin, it is a perverse distortion of the image of the Creator in us. All these good things, and all our security, are rightly found only and completely in him.
Augustine
http://www.ccel.org/a/augustine/
Works And Biography
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June 26, 2011
Worship is the test of the authenticity of any conversion, whether to Christianity or some other religion. But the factor that distinguishes our faith from every other creed is the intimacy of our relationship with the living God.
Tom Inglis
http://www.psalmody.org/
Psalmody
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June 27, 2011
It is not the quantity of faith, but the quality of faith, that is important. A grain of mustard seed and a pellet of dust are similar in appearance, but the difference is immense. The one has no life burning at the heart of it, while the other contains life as God kindled it. Faith that has in it the principle of life is a faith with God in it.
Frederick Brotherton ( F. B. ) Meyer
http://www.ccel.org/m/meyer/
Online Works
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June 28, 2011
Gather up the stones flung at you with malice and build from them an altar of love to your Father in Heaven; fit them together with forgiveness and intercession for those who seek to hurt you.
Rick Cruz Torres
A Downturn Described And a Way Back Prescribed – On the Shocking Decline in the Number of Marriages
By: Msgr. Charles Pope
I was ordained just over 21 years ago. In those days, I used to have a lot more marriages and baptisms. In fact, my calendar was usually quite full from May – July with weddings. Sometimes I would have two weddings on one Saturday. There was real competition for a bride to get her date. And, as for baptisms, I remember that sometimes doing 15 at a time on a Sunday afternoon was not uncommon. Even in those days the older priests all said business was way down.
These days the decline in marriage is very evident. In some of the smaller parishes there hasn’t been a wedding for several years. Even in the larger ones, as few as four or five a year isn’t uncommon.
Most of my information on this has been anecdotal until now. However, I was introduced to a great blog by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA). The Blog is Here: CARA Blog. There is lots of good data available and plenty of graphs and charts that paint a statistical picture of the Church. Some of the pictures are troubling indeed. Consider this one that depicts the decline in marraige and baptisms over the past 50 years:
You can click on the Chart to get a clearer picture. The chart depicts the number of marriages and baptisms per 1000 Catholics in the USA. As you can see, the number of baptisms has really plummeted from over 36 in the 1950s to just over 12 in 2009. That’s a drop of 76%! Marriage has shown a similar and steady decline from about 12 in 1950 to just under 3 in 2009. That too is a drop of almost 75%
This depicts a major crisis in marriage and the family and I don’t think I am exaggerating to say that trends like these are civilization killers. Conditions are far worse in Europe it would seem, though I do not have statistics to present here.
The CARA Blog is more sanguine than I and states:
Despite these trends, the absolute number of Catholics in the United States continues to grow because the number of children born and raised Catholic has been generally sufficient to replace previous generations (life expectancies have risen as well) and other Catholics are added to the population through adult conversion from other faiths and through immigration of Catholics from other countries (even as some who are raised Catholic leave the faith at some point). Since the 1940s, the percentage of the U.S. population self-identifying as Catholic has remained remarkably stable at about 22% to 24%. [1]
In other words, thank God for immigrants. Without them the Church here would be in a far worse crisis. But even with them, it appears we are in a rather significant crisis and will likely see Churches and schools continue to close and consolidate in the years ahead.
More than ever, we the clergy and and Catholic families need to powerfully re-evangelize on the vocation of marriage emphasizing its high calling and dignity. It is absolutely essential that marriage become a frequent focus of preaching, teaching and parish celebrations. Marriage should be encouraged among the young, taught of soberly and realistically, but also in a way that emphasizes its dignity and high calling. Much celebration can and should accompany a wedding in the wider parish. Perhaps the old custom of announcing banns of marriage can be reintroduced. Newly married couples returning from honeymoons might be publicly blessed at a Sunday Mass and a yearly recognition of married couples at Masses should be considered.
A second facet of this should include a re-evangelization on the value of larger families. I ask the couples I prepare to consider having a larger family. I remind them that we are depending on them in very important ways to bring forth children and raise them Catholic. I remind them that the Scriptures say to be fruitful and multiply (Gen 1:18), not just to replace yourself. Hence three or more children is an expectation that seems implied by the Biblical text. Some of the couples think I’m crazy, but, little by little, my parish is getting used to hearing about larger families again.
And there is some good news on this front statistically. The percentage of people considering three or more children to be an ideal family size is going up again. This number reached its low in 1998 when only 36% of respondents considered three or more children ideal. But the number is rising steadily since then and last year 43% of respondents considered three or more children ideal [2].
So, here is a worthy task: recovering respect for the gifts of marriage and children. We may not see sudden reversals, but we can chip away at it. Even to get young people used to hearing of the blessings of marriage and children is a start. I have often joshed with my parishioners that one of the pillars of my evangelization plan is have our young people get married (FIRST), have lots of babies and raise them Catholic. They often laugh though they know I am not merely joshing. They’re getting used to hearing of large families again. To some extent that is going to have to be the first step: reintroducing concepts as rational and normal which had been discarded as crazy and out of date. Little by little, this tide can change. Little by little, brick by brick. The first step to making a 1000 mile journey is to put one foot in front of the other and just keep doing it.
Here’s a little sermon clip of mine that I posted originally back in January:
Admiral David L. McDonald, USN
Chief of Naval Operations
Washington, D.C.
Dear Admiral McDonald,
Eighteen people asked me to write this letter to you.
Last year at Christmas time, my wife, three boys and I were in France, on our way from Paris to Nice. For five wretched days everything had gone wrong. Our hotels were “tourist traps,” our rented car broke down; we were all restless and irritable in the crowded car. On Christmas Eve, when we checked into our hotel in Nice, there was no Christmas spirit in our hearts.
It was raining and cold when we went out to eat. We found a drab little restaurant shoddily decorated for the holiday. Only five tables were occupied. There were two German couples, two French families, and an American sailor, by himself. In the corner a piano player listlessly played Christmas music.
I was too tired and miserable to leave. I noticed that the other customers were eating in stony silence. The only person who seemed happy was the American sailor. While eating, he was writing a letter, and a half-smile lighted his face.
My wife ordered our meal in French. The waiter brought us the wrong thing. I scolded my wife for being stupid. The boys defended her, and I felt even worse.
Then, at the table with the French family on our left, the father slapped one of his children for some minor infraction, and the boy began to cry.
On our right, the German wife began berating her husband.
All of us were interrupted by an unpleasant blast of cold air. Through the front door came an old flower woman. She wore a dripping, tattered overcoat, and shuffled in on wet, rundown shoes. She went from one table to the other.
“Flowers, monsieur? Only one franc.”
No one bought any.
Wearily she sat down at a table between the sailor and us. To the waiter she said, “A bowl of soup. I haven’t sold a flower all afternoon.” To the piano player she said hoarsely, “Can you imagine, Joseph, soup on Christmas Eve?”
He pointed to his empty “tipping plate.”
The young sailor finished his meal and got up to leave. Putting on his coat, he walked over to the flower woman’s table.
“Happy Christmas,” he said, smiling and picking out two corsages. “How much are they?”
“Two francs, monsieur.”
Pressing one of the small corsages flat, he put it into the letter he had written, then handed the woman a 20-franc note.
“I don’t have change, Monsieur,” she said. “I’ll get some from the waiter.”
“No, ma’am,” said the sailor, leaning over and kissing the ancient cheek. “This is my Christmas present to you.”
Then he came to our table, holding the other corsage in front of him. “Sir,” he said to me, “may I have permission to present these flowers to your beautiful daughter?”
In one quick motion he gave my wife the corsage, wished us a Merry Christmas and departed.
Everyone had stopped eating. Everyone had been watching the sailor. Everyone was silent.
A few seconds later Christmas exploded throughout the restaurant like a bomb.
The old flower woman jumped up, waving the 20-franc note, shouted to the piano player, “Joseph, my Christmas present! And you shall have half so you can have a feast too.”
The piano player began to belt out Good King Wencelaus, beating the keys with magic hands.
My wife waved her corsage in time to the music. She appeared 20 years younger. She began to sing, and our three sons joined her, bellowing with enthusiasm.
“Gut! Gut!” shouted the Germans. They began singing in German.
The waiter embraced the flower woman. Waving their arms, they sang in French.
The Frenchman who had slapped the boy beat rhythm with his fork against a bottle. The lad climbed on his lap, singing in a youthful soprano.
A few hours earlier 18 persons had been spending a miserable evening. It ended up being the happiest, the very best Christmas Eve, they had ever experienced.
This, Admiral McDonald, is what I am writing you about. As the top man in the Navy, you should know about the very special gift that the U.S. Navy gave to my family, to me and to the other people in that French restaurant. Because your young sailor had Christmas spirit in his soul, he released the love and joy that had been smothered within us by anger and disappointment. He gave us Christmas.
Thank you, Sir, very much.
Merry Christmas,
Bill Lederer
From War Letters by Andrew Carroll
TEST 1: PULLUPS
This event requires a horizontal bar. This may be made of a pipe or gymnasium horizontal bar, or other rigid horizontal support which is not over 1½ inches in diameter. The bar should be high enough to permit the performer to hang at full length without touching the ground. A height of 7 feet, 9 inches to 8 feet is recommended.
Starting Position. Hanging at full length from the bar with arms straight. The forward grasp is used with the palms turned away from the face.
Movement. Pull up until the chin is above the level of the bar. Then lower the body until elbows are completely straight. Continue for as many repetitions as possible.
Instructions. The men should be told that it is permissible to raise the legs and flex the hips when pulling up but not to kick or execute a jerking motion with trunk or legs. The body must be kept from swinging. The chin must be raised above the bar. The arms must be completely straight at the bottom of the movement.
Administration and Scoring. Each time the performer pulls his chin above the bar in correct form, he is given credit for one pullup. He is not credited with a pullup if he fails to raise his chin above the level of the bar or if he stops to rest. If the performer does not straighten his arms at the bottom of a movement, if he kicks or jerks, only half a pullup will be counted. If there are four half-pullups, the performer should be stopped and retested later. If the performer starts to swing, the judge should stop the swinging with his hands. Some such aid as a resin-bag or a cake of magnesium carbonate should be available to prevent the hands from slipping.
TEST 2: SQUAT JUMPS
Starting Position. Squatting on right heel with fingers laced on top of head, palms down. The feet are 4 to 6 inches apart with the heel of the left foot on a line with the toes of the right foot.
Movement. Spring upward until both knees are straight and both feet clear the ground. Jump just enough to permit straightening the knees without touching the ground. Do not jump any higher than necessary to accomplish this purpose. Keep the upper body erect. While off the ground, reverse the position of the feet bringing the right foot in front. Then drop to a squat on the left heel. Keep the knees pointing forward. Spring up again and continue for as many repetitions as possible.
Instructions. The men should be told that the most common errors are: getting the feet too far apart, forward and backward, and failing to squat down on the rear heel. The correct position should be demonstrated clearly, and the men should be given sufficient practice to master it. The action must be continuous throughout. Before beginning the event, the men should be told that it requires courage almost to the same extent as it requires strength and endurance and that they should not give up until they cannot make another movement.
Administration and Scoring. The performer is credited with one squat jump each time he springs up from the squat to the erect position and returns. The movement is not scored if he fails to descend to a complete squat, if he does not straighten his legs completely and reverse his feet while he is in the air, if he removes his hand from his head, or if he discontinues the movement and comes to a stop. If he loses his balance and removes a hand from his head momentarily, or falls but immediately recovers and continues, he shall not be penalized. If the performer gets his feet too far apart but comes to a squat on the rear foot, there is no penalty. Some men cannot squat all the way down on the heel. If they go down as far as possible they should not be penalized.
TEST 3: PUSHUPS
Starting Position. The performer assumes the front leaning rest position with the body straight from head to heels. His palms are directly underneath the shoulders and elbows are straight. Fingers pointed forward. The judge sits on the ground beside the performer, with one palm down on the ground underneath the lowest part of the performer’s chest.
Movement. Lower body until chest touches the ground (in informal practice), or touches the hand of the judge (in formal testing). Elbows must point directly to the rear. Return to the original position by straightening elbows. Keep the entire body in a straight line throughout. Repeat as many times as possible.
Instructions. The performer is told: that the arms must be straight at the start and completion of the movement; that the chest must touch the judge’s hand; and that the stomach, thighs, or legs must not touch the floor. Hands and feet must not move from their positions. He is also told that the whole body must be kept straight as he pushes the shoulders upward; that is, the shoulders should not be raised first, and then the hips or vice versa. The judge uses his free hand to guide the man in case he is raising his hips too much or raising his shoulders first. In the first instance, he taps the man on the top of the hips to straighten them out; in the second case he taps underneath the abdomen to make him raise his abdomen with the same speed as his shoulders.
Administration and Scoring. The performer is credited with one pushup each time his arms are completely straightened and the exercise is performed in acceptable form. There is no penalty for the hips being slightly out of line if the whole body is moving upward at about the same speed. The men may proceed but may not stop to rest. If a man violates any of the instructions given above, he is credited with a half-pushup. If and when the performer is no longer able to hold a correct front leaning rest, the test is terminated.
TEST 4: SITUPS
Starting Position. Performer lies on his back with knees straight, feet approximately 18 inches apart and fingers laced behind head and elbows on the ground. The scorer kneels on the ground at the performer’s feet and presses the performer’s ankles firmly down against the ground.
Movement. Raise upper body rotating it somewhat to the left, and then forward far enough to touch the right elbow to the left knee. The knees may bend slightly when sitting up. Lower the body until the back and elbows again touches the ground. Again sit up, but this time rotate the trunk to the right and touch left elbow to the right knee. Again lower the body until the back touches the ground. Perform as many situps as possible in two minutes. Rest pauses are permitted during the test but count toward the 2-minute period.
Instructions. The performer should be warned that he must keep his knees straight until he starts to sit up; that he must touch his knee with the opposite elbow; and that he may not push up from the ground with his elbow.
Administration and Scoring. Performer is given credit for each situp completed within the 2-minute period. No score is given if he unclasps his hand from his head, if he pushes up from his elbow, or if he keeps his knees bent while lying back on the ground. He is not penalized if the elbow misses the knee slightly. He must, however, sit up far enough so that the elbow almost touches the knee. Time should be announced every 20 seconds. At the end of 2 minutes, the timer calls: STOP and the judge counts the full number of situps completed before the stop command.
By Hank Pellissier
Can you name a famous person in Finland? Historical episode? Imposing landmark? Foodstuff? It’s not that Finland doesn’t have its share of Olympic athletes, brilliant architects, and technology moguls, but "Nokia" is all most people can mutter when asked about this small northern nation.
Unless you're a teacher. Then the word "Finland" fills you with awe. Because everyone in the schooling profession knows that Finland is the international all-star of education.
How can you work some Finnish magic at home?
(1) DIY university: Teach self-reliance. You may see school as children’s primary job, but don’t downplay the learning they receive from taking care of themselves and contributing to the family. Give kids meaningful responsibilities, and avoid doing for them what they can do for themselves.
(2) Don’t dis the teach: Respect your child’s teacher. Not necessarily because he or she deserves it, but because it’s good for your child’s education. Honoring teachers sends a message about the value of education as a whole.
(3) Compare and you will despair: Set high expectations for your child but refrain from making discouraging comparisons to other students and schools. Focus on their learning, not how it measures up to others'.
(4) Study smart, not for eternity: If hours upon hours of homework is getting in the way of your child’s love of learning, talk to the teacher about the problem.
In 2006 the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) conducted a survey of 15-year-olds' academic skills from 57 nations. Finland placed first in science by a whopping 5% margin, second in math (edged out by one point by Chinese Taipei), and third in reading (topped by South Korea).
Comparisons that involve so many variables are ... difficult. Some might say impossible. Still, just a glance at PISA's scores year after year prompts the question: How does Finland churn out so many avid learners?
"No sweat," except in the saunas
At first glance, the Finnish educational system looks like it would only produce hippie slackers. Check out the casual amenities: Schools often have lounges with fireplaces but no tardy bells. Finnish students don't wear uniforms, nor do they often wear shoes. (Since Finns go barefoot inside the home, and schools aspire to offer students a nurturing, homey environment, the no-shoe rule has some pedagogical logic.) And although academic standards are high, there’s not the grind one associates with high-performance schooling. Never burdened with more than half an hour of homework per night, Finnish kids attend school fewer days than 85% of other developed nations (though still more than Americans), and those school days are typically short by international standards.
Finnish teachers enjoy an equally laid-back arrangement. They work an average of 570 hours a year, nearly half the U.S. total of 1,100 hours. They also dress casually and are usually called by their first names (Aino, Helmi, Viivi, Eetu, etc.).
Is the secret massive financial investment? No. Finland spends only $7,500 per student, considerably less than the United States' average $8,700.
So how does Finland produce the world's best young scholars via minimal hours and cash? Since PISA began ranking nations and revealing Finland’s special sauce, plane-loads of inquisitive teachers from every corner of the globe have been making pilgrimages to this educational mecca. Here’s a taste of what they've observed: