Category Archives: ARTICLES

While I was a seminarian in Rome I often went over to St. Peter’s Square to the Papal Audiences on Wednesday morning or to the Angelus on Sunday. I was often struck by the vast crowds of people who came from different countries to pray, to listen and to receive a blessing from St. John Paul II. Often I would walk around to look for the best vantage point to see him. As I walked around what struck me most was all the different languages they were all speaking, Italian, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, French and English. People of faith coming together from different continents; men and women, young and old, black and white were coming together to pray and to be blessed.

Language is the means of communication and today we come to this place of prayer, ‘Our Lady’s Shrine in Knock’ to communicate and consecrate our love to Mary and her Son Jesus on this the Feast Day of Our Lady Queen of Apostles.  In our 2^nd reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, the 1^st Pentecost took place, as they gathered in prayer there was no unifying language. Just the opposite, the Holy Spirit came to rest on the head of each of them, the Apostles, Our Blessed Mother and the other women and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech. They all left that upper room with a renewed confidence to go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit gave them the confidence to witness. In our readings over the last few weeks for Easter we heard about how the confidence was taken away from them when they saw to their pain and horror the death of their friend, the one they loved die on the cross. After his death they were left unsure, fear had gripped them and anxiety had set in, even though Jesus promised them the gift of the Holy Spirit. His rising from the dead gave them new hope and gradually Jesus re-introduced himself back into their lives.

He returned to take away their worries and fears, he gave them signs, he showed them his hands and feet and his wounded side. He breathed His Spirit upon them, gave them the gift of peace, opened the scriptures to them, broke bread with them, he surprised them, he forgave them, he gave them hope and promised them the gift of the Holy Spirit. They might have let Him down by turning their back on Him, but he didn’t turn his back on them he fulfilled His promise, the mandate that was given to Him by the Father.

On our Christian journey we too can find ourselves in the same boat as the disciples, we too at times can feel hopeless, despairing about certain things within the church and in society – that is natural for the times we are living in. There is a crisis of FAITH. Over the last few years certain sections in the Irish media have tried to undermine our Catholic Faith. They try to distort and ridicule the teachings of Christ and His Church. We have to claim that back and there is evidence of that out there. We have a voice and a language that needs to be heard and there are people out there that need to hear the voice of Christ through us, his disciples.

The Upper Room is a place for us also; it is a place of transformation, a school of love. St. Vincent Pallotti knew the importance of the upper room experience in his own life and he wanted us to have that same experience the disciples had at Pentecost. At the heart of the Upper Room is patience, expectation, perseverance, prayer fellowship and hope. In that gathering of the Upper Room no two followers of Christ were the same, each were different, each with there own gifts and talents, each made in the image and likeness of God.

The principle gift of the Holy Spirit given to those gathered in that upper room is tongues, is speech, and is language. They used the gifts that where given to them to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. On that day they could have decided well thanks for the memories, thanks for the gifts, we have done our part, now let’s go home as we know some of them did go back to their former way of life. But Jesus called them back. The coming of the Holy Spirit is not so much the end of Jesus’ activity but the beginning of something new for the disciples whom Jesus commissions and sends forth to be his presence in our world today.

In this regard, it’s helpful to think of Pentecost not so much as a singular event in the life of the Church, but as a way of life in which all of us, as the baptised Catholics, name, claim and proclaim our identity and mission as followers of Christ and members of his body. This is who we are. This is what we do.

Our Founder St. Vincent Pallotti received that gift of the Holy Spirit, which led him on a journey to setting up the Society of Catholic Apostolate and the Union of the Catholic Apostolate. He had an utter confidence in what the Lord could do through him. Even on his deathbed when those around him might have thought, we are losing him, will his charism die with him, but he reassures his followers it won’t. “It will develop and be blessed by God”. You will see. I tell you this not simply because I trust that it will happen, because I am certain of it.” He was true to his word.

This year The Mother of Divine Love Provence is celebrating 75 years of the Pallottine Charism in East Africa. In 1940 Bishop Patrick Winters, Fr. Vincent Cunningham and Fr. Jim Mullen left Ireland to go to Tanzania to share the charism of St. Vincent Pallotti. In the last few years we in Ireland have been blessed with the arrival of Fr. Louis Sisti, Fr. Mathew Sanka who is now ministering in Texas, following his time working as Mission Promoter in Thurles and we have Fr. Martin Mareja our main celebrant who took over from Fr. Matthew and goes around promoting the Pallottine Charism in different dioceses in Ireland today.

We have a lot to be thankful for, but there is still so much to be done and we can’t do it without the aid of the Holy Spirit and Our Blessed Mother. We are disciples of the Lord, you and me. To know Jesus, as a friend is the best gift, that anyone of us can receive. But we can’t keep that gift to ourselves; we have to share it with others. We have to give witness to the gift we have received. Our Lady appeared here in Knock and gave witness. Fifteen people from this village witnessed an apparition of Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist, a Lamb and Cross-at the gable wall behind us. Each of them gave testimony to what they saw, the encounter they had with Mary, without their witness and testimony we wouldn’t be here as pilgrims today.

Mary came to Knock to be a mother to the people of Ireland and the people of Ireland responded and over the years many pilgrims have come here to seek her motherly love and protection. Today she comes to meet your needs as Our Lady of Knock and as Queen of Apostles.  Today we need Mary more than ever; especially we need her to be a mother to our young people.

Pope Francis invites us all to take the Good News to the “Existential outskirts” and the 1^st “outskirt” is to be found in our own lives. There are still areas he says in our inner thoughts, in our emotional lives, in our actions, in our spirit, in our will which have not been lit up by the light of the Gospel.”

Enter into the Upper Room with Our Lady, the apostles and the other women and join them in prayer and wait for an outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit. When we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit we shall be unshackled from our fears and move out beyond our comfort zones. We shall be able to go forth to wherever God leads us. When it comes to the Holy Spirit, we may not always know exactly where the journey will take us, but we can rest assured that every road ultimately leads us closer to the heart of Christ and to the fullness of God’s kingdom.

I want to leave the last words to a man who wasn’t afraid to witness or speak the language of God’s love in his life. He had a great love for the poor and for social justice. He was assassinated as a martyr for the Catholic Faith. Today in San Salvador, the capital city of El Salvador Oscar Romero will be beatified. He wrote and I leave you with this: “The Church must suffer for speaking the truth, for pointing out sin, for uprooting sin. No one wants a sore spot touched, and therefore a society with so many sores twitches when someone has the courage to touch it and say: You have to treat that. You have to get rid of that. Believe in Christ.  Be converted”.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On my appointment as Bishop of Ossory in December 2007, I chose the words Libertas in Veritate, The truth will make you free (John 8: 32),from scripture to guide me in my ministry. Now, over seven years later, these words resonate with me more strongly than ever as we prepare to vote on the changes proposed by the Marriage Referendum on 22^nd May 2015.

Marriage is of fundamental importance for children, mothers, fathers, and society. I ask the faithful in our diocese to consider very carefully the profound implications which this constitutional amendment would have on the family environment and on our understanding of parenthood. Marriage is important – Reflect before you change it.

We come to this debate believing that the union of a man and a woman in marriage, open to the procreation of children, is a gift from God who created us “male and female”. Reason also points to the truth about human sexuality that makes the relationship between a man and a woman unique. Mothers and fathers bring different, yet complementary gifts and strengths into a child’s life.

There can be no doubt that those seeking a yes vote are motivated by love and care for their homosexual brothers and sisters and this is entirely good and Christian.  All of us must value each other and be caring and respectful. We must honour the views of people who think differently to us, trusting that our own sincerely held views, grounded in faith, will also be heard and respected.

Our desire to protect marriage and the family as it is currently understood in the Constitution is not intended to block or deny equality for others. In fact, although it is presented as such, this Referendum is not about equality.  After all true equality recognises difference.

In his recent teachings, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, stressed the importance of this when he speaks of the ‘the dignity of difference’. He refers to the difference between men and women and the beautiful, God given plan of how their complementarity leads to the new life of children. It is not a judgment on same-sex unions to say that there are intrinsically different to a union between a man and a woman. Being different does not make us any lesser or unequal.

In fact, a real search for equality requires us to be truthful about differences so as to then ensure that we are just and compassionate in how we respond to these differences. To vote No in this Referendum is not, therefore, contrary to the value of equality. It is to be truthful about the genuine difference between a union of a man and a woman and a union between two people of the same sex. To vote No is simply to remain true to the understanding of marriage as between one man and one woman.

This understanding of marriage occupies a unique place of esteem in the Irish Constitution: it is provided there with the strongest possible legal support and protection. Despite what many think, the reason for this is not the esteem in which married love is held but rather, it is because the Constitution designates marriage as the institution upon which the family is founded (Article 41.3.1).

We are now being asked to recognise same-sex unions as marriage.   If we think of marriage merely in terms of the public expression of adult love, this might make sense. This is not however how the Constitution understands marriage and, as the Referendum Commission has told us, the constitutional status of marriage, by which has to be meant its status as the foundation of the family, is not being altered. Where the Constitution is concerned, marriage is, and will remain, inextricably linked with having children.

The Marriage Referendum proposal is that we are being asked to vote Yes in order to recognise all loving adult relationships equally, whether homosexual or heterosexual, conferring exactly the same rights on both when it comes to procreation.

On May 22nd we are not voting on inequality and we are not voting simply on the real love of two adult people.  In truth, our vote will have real implications for the family, for children and for our future as a nation.  It is important that we cast our vote on the 22^nd May 2015.  I ask the faithful in our diocese to read the pastoral statement published by the Irish Bishops at our Spring General Meeting, “Marriage is Important – Reflect before you change it.”This Statement was distributed in parishes over several week-ends and is also available on our websitewww.ossory.ie

With every blessing of the Lord to all the faithful in our diocese, the Diocese of Ossory.

Yours faithfully in Christ,

________________

Discerning a vocation: a mess of confusion, a deserted wilderness, a foggy night, a fear of incompetence. That has been part of my experience anyway. This not so dramatic story is for those who have a even the faintest voice calling them to something they think  impossible and unimaginable, something that they dare not acknowledge for too long a time for fear it might be real. 

Tell me where you come from and I’ll tell you where you are going: Divine Origins

Growing up on a farm in south Kilkenny, as the youngest in a family of five children, I can say without a doubt that faith was a huge part of my upbringing. Rosary at home, Sunday Mass, moving statues, prayer meetings, and pilgrimages were all part of my memories of family life. By their example more than anything else, my parents instilled in me a personal sense of Jesus and Our Lady. That said, I never remember having a strong desire to be a priest as a child—even if I might have said it as a people pleaser. Nevertheless, you’d imagine if someone was being called to the priesthood with this kind of background discernment would be a “walk in the park.” 

Where am I going?: A Directionless Youth  

My teenage years marked the beginning of a prolonged period of confusion in my life and overriding feeling of being lost in the world. Faced with all the temptations that come a young person’s way I was captured by a sense of excitement. Let the party begin! At first this did not really seem to conflict with my spiritual life, but as time went on I began to suffer the incompatibilities. My faith and the sense of God never fully left me, but it just felt damn inconvenient at times. “God must love me,” I thought, “but I’m failing Him and He’s not well pleased with me.” At times I was desperately unhappy and guilt ridden with the tension of trying to merge these two different worlds. More and more the fun lifestyle left me with a feeling of emptiness and loneliness—even God seemed remote. 

As for my future, I didn’t have a clue. After finishing school, having no great desire for anything, or any particular direction in which I felt drawn, I tried accountancy, then a number of different factory jobs, and I eventually found a weekend job that allowed me to go back to college to study electronic engineering. During the final year of that course, under a bit of pressure with exams and assignments, I found myself praying—a practice I had lost the habit of as a teenager. While praying to Our Lady I was shocked when I heard myself saying, “If you get me through these exams I’ll give ‘your thing’ a chance.” Something inside me knew that I would not be doing electronics for the rest of my life. On the one hand, the thought of priesthood terrified me, so much so that I didn’t even want to name it or fully acknowledge it—it seemed ridiculous and impossible. On the other hand, something about it excited me.    

I’m not going there: An Uncomfortable Light

From that time on I began a secret prayer life. Hidden from family and friends I grew more and more in the conviction that I was being called by God, called to share this Rediscovered Gift. Eventually, I felt the compulsion to express this to another person and mustered up the courage to go to a Franciscan priest in Waterford: “Father I think I’m called to the priesthood.” This was a decisive step for me; just to say those words to another made it seem more real and possible, it wasn’t just some bizarre dream. 

Coincidently, that same week my aunt asked me to go on a retreat with a community called the Foyers of Charity, a request I accepted as providential. That retreat was full of light. The words of Marthe Robin—the foundress of the Foyers—resonated with me: “Everyone can and must achieve his vocation.” When I heard that the Foyer was looking for lay members to join it was the perfect solution: no study, no speaking in public, a hidden life with God. A year later I joined; I had discovered my dream life. However, throughout this idyllic period I was continually disturbed by the question of priesthood. On one occasion a priest, who was doing one of the Foyer retreats, pulled me aside to say, “I have never said this to anyone before, but you’re meant to be a priest.”  This question kept arising for me, both interiorly and from outside. It really aggravated me: “That’s rubbish I found my vocation and I’m happy. The priesthood is beyond anyway.” But why did it disturb me so much? Why did it keep niggling? 

Ok then, let’s go: Risking for God

After two graced-filled years with the Foyer it became clear to me that it was being called elsewhere. Left with the uncertain question of my call to priesthood and where I might join I turned to for advice to my uncle, a Pallottine priest. Strangely after a number of meetings, and prayer in between, I told him, “No, the priesthood is not for me after all.” The picture was so unclear to me, the call so dim, and the fear so extreme that I could not take that final step. He replied, “That’s fine, but would go a talk to Emmet (the Pallottine vocation director) before you leave. Bizarrely, I left that meeting with Emmet having agreed to join the Pallottine Fathers that following September. Whatever happened in that conversation I came away knowing I had to take the risk.

The risk has been worth it for me; I don’t regret it for a minute. Though it has not been easy, it has gradually come clear that God is leading me (down a crooked path it must be said) to become a priest with the Pallottine Fathers. The guidance, fellowship, and support of an entire community is something that has been vital for me personally. Even though it has been joy-filled in the main, it doesn’t mean that the obstacles are gone either. The doubts, uncertainties, deserts, trials, the sense of unworthiness, and the fears of being incapable and incompetent are still there. But God doesn’t need the strong; He is strong in my weakness. Even though the path be uncertain and the destination unknown, with God as your guide it’s journey you’ve got to risk taking.

Recently the Mother of Divine Love Province [Ireland] hosted an important meeting here in its Delegature of East Africa. It was conducted at Arusha in Tanzania and, although only just a Deacon, I had the good fortune to attend – a somewhat daunting experience but I thank God for the opportunity.

Our Leaders came not just from Africa but from other parts of the world, Asia, Europe and Latin America – a very vibrant team of 16 who sat down to discuss issues concerning the Society as a whole but Africa in particular. In the serene environment of the Canossa Spirituality Centre no one could doubt that a new Pentecost was happening as they brought their wisdom, care and concern to focus on each of the SAC entities across the continent. As a young member I felt strengthened in my vocation, spiritually enriched and filled with hope. 

Despite the many problems affecting us here the meeting reaffirmed that Africa can and must stand up with dignity. And, through its many vocations, this dignity will be affirmed when we prophetically proclaim our Pallottine charism giving hope to people through our commitment to health, dialogue, the building up of a just society, peace and reconciliation, interreligious dialogue, education, pastoral care for families and youth.

I was so happy to hear that formation is an issue at the heart of our superiors. Our houses of formation here are full of zealous and resourceful students at all levels, a blessing that provided great consolation to them.

Fr Jacob stressed the need to rediscover and strengthen our missionary tradition and spirit. Our Society, from the outset, was marked with a missionary outlook. With this heritage all our Pallottine entities here should never fear to undertake missionary ventures. Peru, Chile, Cuba, Taiwan, the Philippines, Burkina Faso, and Malawi were mentioned, among others. St Vincent, from his place in heaven, must have been happy!

In East Africa Uganda has become a Land of Martyrs. It has a high number of Catholics but, with deep political, social and cultural problems, she finds herself at a crossroad. Because of her brokenness there is a crisis in faith, hope and charity creating a disintegrated society. It was recognised that our charism can be relevant in re-igniting that glowing flame of faith and charity, and in bringing hope. We can and must respond in very concrete ways, specially encouraged by the ordination of three Ugandan Ugandan Deacons last February.

There was recognition that, if we are to support the countries of Africa to ‘stand up and walk with dignity’ then a high degree of involvement on the ground is required of all those responsible, as well a determined spirit of collaboration. Other emphases mentioned were an increased spirit of transparency and accountability, a constant commitment to the protection of minors and vulnerable persons and, above all, spiritual renewal. The latter was very much stressed and a call to not only to be people with a social conscience but also rooted in prayer and adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist, especially during this Year of Consecrated Life, but right throughout our lives. 

The visitors did not lock themselves inside the Canossian walls. They moved out and experienced the beauty of Africa in the wildlife with a visit to Manyara National Park. At Esso, Arusha, they witnessed a vibrant church with many, young and old, who worship God at St Vincent Pallotti parish. They saw how Pallottines work with people in transforming society, in caring for the handicapped, the sick, and all those in distress. The work at Esso and in the international houses of formation in both Arusha and Nairobi were both admired for their spirit of cooperation and collaboration.

My hope and prayer is that the decisions and recommendations they made will help us all to move a step further in our commitment to loving God and our neighbour, after the example of St Vincent, and with the intercession of Mary Queen of Apostles.

Deacon Allan Bukenya sac [IR] – Arusha – TANZANIA

16.03.15

bukeallan2006@gmail.com

Reflection for the Closing Day of Thanksgiving for our time in parish placement.

Given in Maynooth 24^th March 2015.

This year, I think, marks as one of the most enjoyable of my years in formation – and hopefully all the other students agree with me. Yesterday we were reflecting back over all the great experiences that each of us have had and today is really about giving thanks to everyone here and to all those in the parishes that we have been placed in for the past 7 months or so.

When I was back at home last week on our midterm break, I picked up one of my father’s books – it was on the Eucharist by Fr Robert Baron and he began by talking about formation and that in this age of information there is a greater need and call for all of us to transformation. I feel this is in tune with St Paul, as we heard in our scripture reading (Rom 12: 1 – 8) of not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewal of our minds – and for each of the students here on the pastoral course this year our minds have been renewed and transformed.

We’ve all seen the various and the many members of the parishes and perhaps as we finish our placements we can acknowledge the oneness that are called to belong to – the oneness that we are transformed into by the presence of God – the oneness that we are in the one body in Christ Our Lord.

As the psalm notes (Psalm 63 1: 1 – 8) we seek God, our bodies pine for him and our souls thirst for him – whilst maybe we bring Jesus in the Eucharist to the sick and the house bound on our first Friday calls, we have also realised and shared that as we were sent out in September we did so to seek God and to do so in everyone we meet – the countless stories of our encounters with those in the Church, those who came to the parish house or parish centre for whatever reason; those in the schools and even those that recognised us in the streets – all these people and many more bear witness to our encounter with God this year.

Perhaps I could finish with a little something on the Year of Consecrated Life – not just because I belong to a religious community, but more so, as Fr Liam the parish priest of St Patrick’s Corduff has said, because in Baptism we have all been consecrated to God. The logo for this Year of Consecrated Life see the Holy Spirit hovering over the waters of life with 3 words also: Gospel, Prophecy and Hope.

As we come together in this one body let us preach the Gospel strongly by the lived witness we have seen in our parishes and hopefully as we have witnessed to ourselves. Let us be prophets of God’s love to everyone so that all may experience this love; and let us be beacons of hope – hope for today and hope for the day when Christ comes again. Amen.

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Gospel Passage:                  John 2: 13-25

Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found the people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all of this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.

During his stay in Jerusalem for the Passover many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he gave, but Jesus knew them all and did not trust himself to them; he never needed evidence about any man; he could tell what a man had in him.

I’d like to start off then with a few comments on the Scripture that we have just heard. This passage comes from the Gospel for next Sunday – the 3^rd Sunday of Lent which is just under half way through Lent and I suppose our gathering today is for reflection, nourishment, even to come away for a little while. I find it interesting that this event of Jesus clearing the Temple of all the different people is to be found in all four of the Gospels – the difference is that in John it is found in the 2^nd chapter whereas  for all the other Evangelists it comes in the final half if not even later: the connection I make with today is that as we have just started our Lenten journey it is good for us to explore what drives us – John obviously sees this event as one of the key points in the journey of Jesus whereas for the other 3 writers they build up towards it.

Another point that I would like to make is how there was the basic right for all the different people in the Gospel – those who were selling cattle, sheep and pigeons and the money changers – all of these were entitled to be there in the courtyard to provide for the sacrifices and to ensure that no other idols (that would have been on the coins) were brought into the Temple. The actions that Jesus did perhaps called each of these people to examine whether they were there for the money or for more noble and spiritual reasons. Liam spoke of how we are transformed and I would say that perhaps as we are transformed we become aware of what it is that is driving us on our journey – we all have roles to carry out – both in the world and in the Church – but these do not have to be separated – so as they come together perhaps as an interface, just as the people in the Gospel interfaced with people coming from the world into the Temple, perhaps the first question I might pose is how does or could Jesus whip up a storm in our daily actions and in how we witness to God’s love – especially when it comes to the Union and of what we do or what we can do for it?

            This brings me onto the topic of zeal – John’s passage is the only one of the four Gospel pieces where zeal is mentioned and I remember googling zeal and it was commented that it was used particularly in religious circles and more so in ancient times that it would be now. The definition of zeal that I found was that it is a fervour for a person, cause or object; an eager desire or endeavour and an enthusiastic diligence – the fact then that this quality is mentioned at the start of John’s Gospel is perhaps to show how it carried Jesus in his journey to the cross and even endure the cross and so we can ask what was it or is it that drives each of us.

It may be helpful to look at other references to zeal in the Bible – as we heard in the passage, the mention of zeal was prompted from another part of scripture and it was from Psalm 69(68) – in this psalm the motive revolves around the struggle of the writer, of how the waters have reached up to his neck but this zeal for God is what spurs on the Psalmist (well this is my reading of it at least). A comment in my Bible noted that it is a reality check that humiliation will or can accompany the graces and the glory that God gives us but it is also for us to keep our pride in check and make sure that we do put our trust in God.

Another aspect of zeal that is found in the Old Testament kind of goes contrary to what I have been saying when it comes to zeal – that perhaps I see zeal as something that comes from within us, which is still true, but also it is something that we are called to wrap ourselves in as in a cloak and this is mentioned in Isaiah (59:17). This led me on to believe that as we look back at what we were zealous for it is something then that we can use again to cover ourselves with in times of trial.

A final and topical reference to zeal is to be found in the Book of Revelations where it says: ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent’ (Rev 3:19) I think this links in nicely with the season of Lent where we are called to repentance and in doing so we can become that bit more zealous. There are of course other mentions of zeal – both directly and indirectly – but I think I’ll stop at this point. Does anyone have any comments or questions?

            We can see many examples of people that show this zeal in their passions of life – I’m sure we could all relate to a particular sportsperson who would be driven to be successful in their respective sport. There are also great politicians like Abraham Lincoln, John Hume or Nelson Mandela who despite the obstacles put in their ways did not stop until their vision was achieved. There are many Saints of course that display Christian zeal such as Mother St Theresa, St Benedict and St Anthony.

For the next part I’d like to bring in our founder, Saint Vincent. Before I even thought of zeal and any reference that there might be in his writings, I initially thought of his mantra: Seek God and you will find him. Seek him in everything and you will find him in everything. Seek him always and you will always find him – I’m not too sure why this came to mind but perhaps it was the three ways that St Vincent framed the seeking – you know seek God, then in everything and then always and it just makes me question my motivations and the energy that it does take to find God – if I’m in that little bit more of a zealous mood its easier but if the mood isn’t quite so zealous then I’m making it harder for myself. For Pallotti then, one of the people for him that is most zealous in carrying out the will of God was Mary. In his writings he wrote that [Mary is] the perfect example of universal zeal and perfect charity. She laboured tirelessly in the works of salvation for the greater glory of God.            (OOCC, I, p. 7)

So for St. Vincent, Mary worked unfailingly for the salvation of God’s people and the glory of God. From the moment Mary accepted her call from God to cooperate in God’s plan of salvation of humankind, she never once looked back. She often did not quite understand God’s plan for her, as many things did not happen as she expected. But having offered herself as the handmaid of the Lord, she was totally ready to accept God’s plan as it unfolded in her personal history. From caring for Jesus as he grew up, accompanying him in his public ministry, to sharing in his sufferings and then when Jesus ascended she was there with the apostles, together for their strengthening by the Spirit of God at Pentecost. In this manner, Mary cooperated with God’s plan for her and helped Jesus in every way so that he could accomplish the salvation of humankind. All these point to her zeal for the apostolate and the mission of universal charity. This means then that for us we too can use Mary as that role model of zeal – I’m not too sure if this links in with the current monthly Union meetings which are devoted to Mary – but hopefully it helps us to understand how zeal and Mary go hand in hand.

            St Vincent also wrote that: ‘When [an apostle] acts with true zeal and fervent love, there is no temptation, no difficulty and no obstacle he cannot overcome.’   (OOCC, II, p. 162) and this is really what we need to keep in mind today and in the days, weeks and years ahead as carry out our mission in the Union. For St. Vincent Pallotti, true zeal and fervent love are two qualities that help an apostle in their apostolic endeavours. The virtue of zeal helps a person to be enthusiastic about their life as an apostle and interested in their apostolic task. A zealous person’s mind is totally focused on God. They accept God as the source of all that they are and all that they have. Hence, their whole life is focused on doing whatever they do to bring the glory of God and happiness to others. A person with true zeal never thinks of themselves but always happily gives themselves to others’ needs. A zealous person is a happy person who is always grateful to God for the many blessings they have received from God. Similarly, the quality of fervent love makes a person dynamic in their apostolate. A person of fervent love is one who has experienced the infinite love of God deep within themselves. He/she knows that they have been the object of God’s love. Having experienced the love of God, they attempt to respond to the God of love totally and fully. Their apostolate becomes a means through which they expresses their love for God. By reaching out to others in loving concern through our apostolate, we return our gratitude to God. According to St. Vincent, when these two qualities of true zeal and fervent love are present in a person, they become very effective in their apostolate. Such a person has built themselves on the rock of God’s love so that nothing can disturb them from being faithful to their apostolate. Neither temptations nor difficulties can become obstacles to the path we have set out for ourselves in God’s name. With true zeal and fervent love we carry on the apostolate despite problems.

            When St Vincent talks about the apostolic life I feel that he is looking at the witness that we give in life to those around us. Henri Nouwen wrote that ‘Jesus shows us the way of being witnesses. He was so full of God’s love, so connected with God’s will, so burning with zeal for God’s Kingdom, that he couldn’t do other than witness. … If we want to be witnesses like Jesus, our only concern should be alive with the love of God as Jesus was.’ (Bread for the Journey, August 10).

Pallotti also linked zeal with his view on what a priest should be and I think we could all relate to this in some level. St Vincent commented that: ‘The priest, who does not possess this zeal [for the mission of Christ] is in great danger of losing his own soul, as well as endangering the souls of others.           (Lett., 1092, p. 236)

            According to St. Vincent Pallotti, a priest must possess true zeal for the mission of Christ and I would go that little bit further to say that in this time that we find ourselves living in, we all need to possess that zeal. Not all of us may be priests but we can be pastors to our parents, our children or our friends and this is where zeal can be important in our lives. For it is the zeal for the kingdom of God that gives dynamism and purposefulness to our life and our activities. Without genuine zeal and enthusiasm, our life becomes static, inactive and purposeless. A static and purposeless life is unproductive. If we are not able to be productive pastorally, then a degree of uselessness, meaninglessness and lethargy can set in. When we find that there is no meaning in his life, we will be in great danger of losing our calling. If this happens, we may never be able to work for the salvation of our neighbour, but this is perhaps why St Vincent sees it as how we can thus endanger the salvation of our neighbour as well as our own. Hence, St. Vincent advised his followers to cultivate a genuine zeal for God and his mission. In his own life, he was a zealous and enthusiastic priest who loved Christ and his mission. He was involved in a number of confraternities and pious associations from his younger years. His zeal for God’s kingdom made him found the Union of Catholic Apostolate for the purpose of reviving faith and re-enkindling charity among Catholics and propagating the same among non-believers. It is this dynamic and zealous spirit for the kingdom of God that St. Vincent wanted to communicate to his followers and he may be communicating this to us today. In doing this we are asking him to make us zealous labourers in the vineyard.

Pope Francis: I would now like to bring in some points that Pope Francis makes in Evangelii Gaudium. There are six references to zeal in his book with another one that is a reference to a document from the time of Pope John Paul II and one from a document of Pope John XXIII, although I will only comment on a few of them. The first few deal with how we are called to preserve our zeal by saying no to selfishness, spiritual sloth (where we may get lazy or sluggish spiritually) and being too pessimistic or by having the funeral face. Pope Francis also calls us to identify properly with the Church and the proclamation of the Gospel in our lives so that we can be in a society of fraternity and justice – so that the message is accepted with courage and zeal. Finally he appeals to us to remember the zeal that the early members of the Church showed and how we are now called to replicate that and this indeed is done by having that personal encounter with Jesus and bringing this personal event into our community and that I feel is what we must do in our lives and in the Union.

            I found the following Proverb: Zeal is fit only for the wise but is found mostly in fools. I’m not saying that if we are wise that we do not have any zeal or if we do have zeal that we are fools but if we do possess zeal we may know that we could be fools and if we are, then as St Paul says: Let us be fools for Christ!!