It’s providential that we are saying farewell to each other on the feast of the Ascension, the day when Jesus and His disciples said goodbye. Somehow, I feel that our parting is graced by the Ascension, is lifted up with Jesus and then it becomes a sacred and holy experience, an experience in which separation and union become one and the same thing because we are all held together as one in Jesus, especially every time we come to Holy Communion at Mass.

In all my years of leaving different places I have never felt as emotional as I do on leaving Shankill. I have always said that you have taught me to be a real priest but I completely underestimated the depth and strength of the bond that exists between us and I have been really touched by your response to the news of my leaving that was announced a couple of weeks ago. We are truly one body, one spirit in Christ.

The preparation for my life here came in the form of the Camino to Santiago, a journey that emptied me of every burden and left me free to be filled with something new, something very precious. St. Paul talks to Timothy about becoming a vessel fit for noble use (2 Timothy 2:21) You have filled my cup and made of me a vessel fit for God’s lofty purposes.

It seems to me that I haven’t done all that much in my five years here and my strongest memory is of celebrating Mass at this altar – the ordinary Masses of every day and Sunday; the profoundly sorrowful funeral Masses; the beautifully innocent and joyful First Holy Communion Masses; Masses of healing and hope. In every Mass, we have come together to meet Jesus, to be touched by Him, filled by Him and in every congregation, I have seen the face of Jesus – the wounded and sometimes fearful face, the challenging face, the hopeful face of youth, the graceful face of age and always the loving face of Jesus.

So, like the first disciples in today’s gospel I have no hesitation whatever falling down on my knees to worship Jesus – Jesus in Himself and Jesus in you. I would kneel in love, I kneel as a sinner who has experienced Mercy and I kneel in the weakness of who I am because I have nothing of my own to boast about.

And of course, the children have always brought me to my knees. When I anoint a baby in Baptism I am often moved to kneel – in many other ways I kneel to a child because I find my true size and height in them. I have three beautiful nieces and five fine nephews who have blessed my life and the gospel I have so often preached is about children, especially my two youngest  nieces Katie and Laura who have taught me so much about how to live a truly Christian life in a childlike way. Jesus himself places the child at the centre of the gospel, at the centre of the Kingdom of God.

This part is very difficult to speak of but it encapsulates everything that really matters!  Two days ago at a special assembly in Scoil Mhuire, I came face to face with a little boy whom I love dearly, a boy who has suffered more than anyone I know in the past year, a suffering that is often misunderstood. He was crying so I went and knelt in front of him, hugged him and started crying with him. We sobbed together in that embrace, we ministered to each other, cried for each other and represented the love of God for each other. It wasn’t that I was minding him but he also was minding me. And a while later we came together in a lighter moment with a bit of a smile when he gave me a card, I gave him a high five and a teacher gave him a piece of chocolate cake. There has to be chocolate cake and God always gives us reason to smile after we have cried!

Yesterday, when I was praying the fifth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, I realized that the encounter with this young boy was for me the finding of Jesus in the Temple and what I felt for him is what Mary and Joseph felt, what God Himself feels for the lost child in all of us.

Shankill represents the happiest period of my life but in every life happiness is often accompanied by pain and in such times, you need a place where you can be totally yourself, accepted in whatever state you’re in. I have found comfort in many people and a few good friends but there are two groups in particular who have sustained me through dark times – my family in Galway and my Pallottine community in St. Benin’s with Frs. John, Mike and Jaimie. It is a sustenance that is often without words, a safe place, a haven.

And so, as St. Paul said, “the time has come for me to be gone”, to go as Jesus Himself went “to other towns and villages” where the ministry of the Good News is needed. It is a calling from God and not just the arbitrary decision of my good friend and Provincial.

I already felt that call as far back as November. I was celebrating Mass at 8 one Sunday morning – and it might have been at the offertory – when I heard a seagull cry clear as a bell and a voice that seemed to say, “you will go to Hastings!” When God calls, the only thing to do is follow. And you have equipped me to do exactly that. You have given me plentiful food for the journey.

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to  which he has called you…” (Ephesians 1:17)

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Birthday of St. Vincent Pallotti, April 21st

ST. VINCENT PALLOTTI 1795-1850

A contemporary of Cardinal Newman’s and the Cure of Ars’, St. Vincent Pallotti was a very modern saint who organized so many remarkable pastoral programs that he is considered the forerunner of Catholic Action. He was a man of great ideas and great vision and was able to inspire others to tackle great things. He is the founder of the Pallottine Fathers and the Pallottine Missionary Sisters; however, this was but the tip of the iceberg of his accomplishments. He left behind schools, guilds, and institutes that carried the Catholic mission into the very heart of contemporary society.

He was born in Rome in 1795 and began studies for the priesthood very early. Although he was very bright, he was not attracted by studies, even though he was ordained a priest at twenty-three and earned a doctorate in theology soon afterward. He was given an assistant professorship at the Sapienza University but resigned it soon after to devote himself to pastoral work.

Before long, his zeal was known all over Rome. He organized schools for shoemakers, tailors, coachmen, carpenters, and gardeners so that they could better work at their trade, as well as evening classes for young farmers and unskilled workers. He soon became known as a “second St. Philip Neri.” He gave away his books, his possessions, and even his clothes to the poor, and once dressed up as an old woman to hear the confession of a man who threatened “to kill the first priest who came through the door.”

In 1835, he founded his two congregations and was instrumental in the founding of a missionary order in England and several colleges for the training of missionaries.

He died at the age of fifty-five and his body lies incorrupt in the church of San Salvatore in Rome. He was canonized by Pope John XXIII in 1963.

Thought for the Day: There is a certain genius that comes from the faith and we see it in our day in Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The saints tackled great and difficult things and accomplished wonders because they did not depend upon their own strength and effort. They knew that all things are possible with God and they took God at His word in asking for miracles and near-miracles. They were never disappointed.

From ‘The Catholic One Year Bible’: . . . Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and rescued him. “O man of little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”—Matthew 14:29-31

Taken from “The One Year Book of Saints” by Rev. Clifford Stevens published by Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., Huntington, IN 46750.

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Easter Vigil 2017

Tonight, we celebrate Easter. We celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. We celebrate His victory over sin and death.

Easter is all about life and light and love and joy. It is all about new beginnings and dreams coming true. But then so is Christianity. If we are Christians then we should be Easter People, not just once a year but rather every day of our lives.  Easter can’t be symbolic or a mere reminder of something that happened two thousand years ago.  We should be New People always and everywhere and be a constant reflection of the Risen Christ in the world in which we live.

This is very easy to say but it isn’t easy to do. It is easy to talk about Christianity but it isn’t easy to be Christian. It isn’t easy for us and it wasn’t easy for the Christians who have gone before us. On this most holy of nights it would be well worth our while to reflect on what it means to be a Christian in today’s world, on what it means to be an Easter People.

In the readings from tonight’s celebration we have a brief account of the history of salvation in the Old Testament and we see that, in part, it is the history of the unfaithfulness of the people of God. When we look at the life of the Church, when we look at our own lives, we can see clearly that things haven’t improved much. Like the people of the Old Testament, we too are often unfaithful people. The readings however also speak of the love and faithfulness of God despite human weakness. In spite of our unfaithfulness He is always faithful. God is love and this inspired Him to send His only begotten Son into the world to save humanity, to save you and me. In the Epistle Saint Paul tells us that “if we were baptised in Christ Jesus, we were baptised in his death”.  He then goes on to say that “having died with Christ we shall return to life with Him” and that we must now consider ourselves to be “dead to sin and alive for God in Christ Jesus”. Unfortunately, our problem is like that the women of the Gospel, we are looking for Jesus in the wrong places. They looked for Him among the dead; they looked for Him in the tomb. Christ was not in the tomb just as He is not in the awful sins committed by so many members of the Church or in the many sins committed by you and me. We must look for Christ where he really is.

The angel that the women met told them not to be afraid and that message is so important for us also as we try to live out our Christian faith in today’s world. The angel told them that Jesus had risen from the dead and He was no longer in the tomb. Surely this is the message that we should learn tonight.  Christ is alive and we are truly alive if we live with Him and in Him. The angel told the women to go quickly to the disciples and to tell them the good news. This is the good news that today’s world needs to hear and this is the good news that each one of us should proclaim with joy and enthusiasm. Just like the women of the Gospel, Christ expects you and me to go quickly to our sisters and brothers and tell them the good news without fear.

The Church in Ireland has gone through very difficult times over the past ten years or so. We must hang our heads in shame for the atrocities committed by many members of the Church, especially by bishops, priests and religious. We have been castigated because of this especially by the press, and rightly so. Hopefully we have learned a lesson.  Now we must look at the causes and not just suffer the consequences of the crisis. We must correct the mistakes of the past. We have been silent for too long. We must learn to speak up, to realise that we are all Church and that each one of us, in virtue of our baptism, must take on ownership of the church and not leave matters in the hands of a few bishops or priests. We must learn to have the courage of our convictions and not be afraid to stand up and be seen. The angel of the gospel told the women not to be afraid and tonight he repeats that message for us. Let’s not be afraid to be Church.

 Last week the results of the 2016 census were published and the press was full of the news that the Catholic Church had shrunk from 84.2% of the population to being a mere 78.3 %. Isn’t it interesting that in spite of the terrible scandals that hit the Church over the past ten years and the rampant materialism that inflicts Ireland today, that 78.3% of the population still profess the Catholic faith. This shows that even though there are huge changes in the way that people live their faith, there is still a great hunger for God in the heart of the Irish Church. Any of our political parties or indeed our newspapers would be very delighted if they had such a following.  We mustn’t let the press, or any form of social media, run us down. We seem to be under the impression that we are 21.7% instead of being 78.3% of the population. Because of the sins of a small number of so called Catholics we are often afraid to defend our Christian values and feel that we have lost our right to express ourselves. But we shouldn’t be interested in numbers or statistics. Quantity isn’t important, quality is.

What we must accept and take on board is that things have changed in society and in the life of the Church. This shouldn’t terrify us. Now the great challenge is to find new answers to the new realities. We should see this as a wonderful opportunity rather than cause for concern. Change is needed and we shouldn’t be afraid of change. Together, young and old, lay people and priests, women and men, we must look for the new way forward. One old priest got it right when he said: “What got us here won’t get us there”. Now together we must ask: “What will get us there?” Let this celebration of Easter be what it should always be. A new beginning.

It is a fact that less people go to Mass on Sundays. It is a fact that many people have been hurt and disillusioned by the institutional church. It is a fact that young people reject the holier than thou way of presenting God’s message. It is a fact that everybody is so very busy with the urgent things of life that they have little or no time for the important things. We must discuss the shortage of priests in the Church, the rightful place of women, the theme of the marginalized, priestly celibacy, the themes of abortion and euthanasia, the patronage of schools in a pluralistic society. There are many questions to be faced up to and we shouldn’t be afraid to face up to them and enter into constructive dialogue about them.

I feel that we are blessed by the Pope we have. He too is looking for the best way forward. He too is facing strong opposition, especially from within the Church itself. He is criticised for speaking of God’s mercy, for reaching out to the poor and marginalised and for living a humble life. But Pope Francis is not afraid. We must support him and follow his leadership.  We should pray for him and welcome him with open arms when he visits Ireland next year.

Christ Himself faced similar opposition and His most vocal opponents were members of the institutional church of His time, the Scribes and the Pharisees.

The structure of tonight’s celebration can help us in our daily life. The East Vigil is divided into four parts: the liturgy of the LIGHT, the liturgy of the WORD, the liturgy of BAPTISM and the liturgy of the EUCHARIST. These four liturgies or parts can be represented by four words: LIGHT, WORD, WATER and BREAD and tell us what Easter is all about, what Christianity should be about.

The novelty that the Easter Liturgy brings to us each year is Christ, the LIGHT to enlighten us, the WORD to teach us, the WATER to purify us and the BREAD to nourish us. In our daily life we must follow the LIGHT and not the temptations of the world. We must hear the WORD of God and not just listen with a closed heart and mind. We must be faithful to our Baptismal promises which we will now renew and which we made through the pouring of WATER and we must feel the need to nourish ourselves with the BREAD of the Eucharist each Sunday at the table of God’s family.

We are sent from here tonight to present to the world the face of the new Christ. We are sent from here to be Church. This is not easy in the materialistic Ireland of 2017 when many people are trying to silence and marginalize the Church. The great challenge is to constantly renew the Church and make it ever more Christ like. Not renew it in the sense of destroying it but rather renew it in the sense of bringing it to its fullness. Renew it from within and not by criticising it from without. Renewing the life of the Church means renewing our own lives because we are Church. We need to build a happier, humbler and more listening Christ based Church. This means that we must come closer to Christ ourselves and be happier, humbler and more listening people. We must feel part of the Church and be responsible for her life. Each one of us must occupy our God given place in the Church.  Let us remember the words of Saint Agustin. “We are Easter people and alleluia is our song”   

On this most holy of nights, Fr. Mike, Fr. Eamonn and Fr. Jaimie join with me in wishing each one of you the joy of a profound and contagious new life in Christ.

My dear sisters and brothers, for you and for your families and friends, for the poor and for all those who are suffering in any way, for the sick and for those who are lonely, for all who believe in Jesus Christ and for all who are sincerely looking for “the Way, the Truth and the Life”, for all of you, a very happy and fruitful Easter.

Easter 2017.

Recently I took a 6am Ryanair flight, I had the window seat, and as the sun began to rise, the air hostess who had stopped at the row I was seated in, leant in and looked out of the window and marvelled at the sunrise and remarked that it was the time of day in which she felt closest to God. She went on to say that she had named her daughter Alba, which in Italian and Spanish means ‘Sunrise’.

We associate the Resurrection of Jesus with dawn or sunrise, with new light, with a new birth, a new day, new life and possibilities. In Amoris Laetitia Pope Francis writes of families gathered in prayer in the light of Easter; he writes that if faith in Christ is part of family life then he will unify and illumine the entire life of the family. He notes that married couples (and I think that we can extend it to apply to each of us in our relationships with others) ‘shape with different daily gestures a God-enlighted space in which to experience the hidden presence of the risen Lord’.

May this vision and a commitment to live it, be ours this Easter season, to shape with the gestures, activities, words and expressions of daily living a God-enlightened space where we, and those we share life with,  may experience this hidden and life-giving presence of the risen Lord Jesus.

Happy Easter.

Every time I hear this gospel, I always think of the wonderful image of the father welcoming his son back and embracing him with his love and mercy. The son had lived a life away from God, had squandered his freedom and indulged in the pleasures of the world, he had made a total mess of his life.

 Yet his father never gave up on him, always watching out from afar, hoping and praying that he would return home someday. So too is the way with God our loving father, he never gives up on any one of us no matter what we have done in life, he knows that we are weak and fragile and that we will stumble and fall many times on our journey of life, after all, we are human. The most important thing is that we get up again quickly and embrace God’s mercy and forgiveness. God takes us just as we are in our human raw state with all our imperfections. He calls us to a relationship of love even if we are in the depths of sin, he doesn’t love us any less, he waits. Always. And it is never too late. Thats what he is like, that’s how he is, he is a father. A father waiting at the doorway who sees us when we are still far off who is moved and who comes running towards us, embraces us and kisses us tenderly. His heart rejoices over every child who returns to him.

Pope Francis reminds us, bring to the confessional, the sins that bring the greatest shame. To confess ones sins to the Priest is to come face to face with the infinite mercy of Jesus who forgives. God never writes anybody off. No human sin no matter how serious it is can limit God’s love and mercy, so tonight, don’t hold back, give to Jesus what is really troubling you and weighing you down, off load everything and he will set you free.