Sunday June 24th: It's this way...

Today we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist and listen to Luke’s account of his nativity. Don’t panic, advent hasn’t arrived yet! John’s story is one of sacrifice and humility. His parents know there will be something very special about this child. Jewish historians account that John was a preacher around the time of Pontius Pilate who went around calling people to renewal! He spent a lot of time in the wilderness, eating wild things and wearing sackcloth. People flocked to the River Jordan to be baptised by him, a symbol of their repentance or renewal of relationship with God. John was a preacher, a prophet, a signpost pointing people in the right direction. We can pray today for all those people who acted as signposts in our lives and brought us closer and closer to God: “Lord, we thank you for people who guided us, but did not try to possess us: parents, teachers, spiritual guides, friends. For a time we stood with them. Very simply, like john the Baptist, they said to us, ‘Look, there is the one you should follow,’ and hearing this we followed that person” (Michel de Verteuil).

Sowing Seeds ~ Sunday 17th June 2012

The parable of the mustard seed seems pretty straight forward at first glance, but as always there is more to it than first meets the eye. Jesus did not compare the Kingdom of God to a majestic tree. There is an ancient text which forbade planting mustard seeds in Palestinian gardens because the shrub takes over wherever it is planted. It is wild, gets out of control, and attracts unwanted birds. The Kingdom of God grows from something small to something large, but more than that, its growth is overwhelming and it will grow even where it is not wanted. The Eucharistic Congress comes to a close today and no doubt lots of seeds will have been sown during this week in the RDS, in our parishes and on the streets of Dublin. “May your Holy Spirit transform us into one body and lead us to walk humbly on the earth, in justice and love, as witnesses of your resurrection” (IEC prayer).

June 10th: Though we are many, we are one body.

Today is the feast of Corpus Christi and for Ireland this year it is a special day as the 50th International Eucharistic Congress opens in Dublin. Lots of preparation over the past few years has gone into this event as we play hosts to thousands of pilgrims from around the world and across the country who are gathering together. Some people may be unsure as to what this event is about, others are completely immersed in it. Many will have joined with youth groups, parish groups, pastoral preparation programmes, while others will have questioned the entire process. Whether we stand on the periphery or have been counting down the days, this week is sure to bring us to a new point. We pray that it will bring people together in sharing, honest dialogue, celebration and exploration in hope for the future. “Be broken for each other. Pour yourselves out for each other. This is what it means to become my Body on earth…And we recognise Him in the breaking of a burger bun and the pouring of a coke” (Margaret Silf).

Sunday June 3rd 2012: We Gather

In today’s Gospel Jesus calls his community together. The disciples who gather in this passage, despite seeing the risen Jesus, have a mixed reaction of doubt and faith. Doubt can sometimes help us in our faith, it keeps our mind open, our hearts searching

and can bring us to a new point if we allow it. Like the disciples, we bring our doubts and our faith to our celebrations. Today’s gospel should give us much hope in times of struggle, especially in our struggle for renewal in all aspects of our lives and especially in the Church. Jesus’ reaction to this mixed group of worshippers is not so much to answer their questions but to give them a command: “Go!” The command to us at the end of every Eucharist we celebrate is the same: Go, live the Gospel. Whatever period of doubt or faith we are going through we must persevere and know that Jesus said: “I am with you always ~ to the end of time.”