Christmas Day (Vigil) Luke 2:1-14

“Glory to God in the highest heaven!”

Tonight we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord. This account of his birth from Luke shows Jesus being born into a situation of total oppression. Luke reminds us of the political regime which controls the land and the effect this has on the people. Mary must still travel to Bethlehem even though she is about to give birth. The shepherds, only found in Luke’s account, are social outcasts due to their profession. It is not a romantic or tranquil setting as the shepherds would have suffered all kinds of deprivations and dangers. Everything about this story is provocative and uneasy. Into this ‘mess’ God is born; this saviour, the Lord, a homeless child, is one who will turn the situations of people upside down, who promises release to captives and sight to the blind. The angels rejoice with the Shepherds, the ‘highest’ and the ‘lowest’. The poor and marginalised will be the first to experience the abundance of God’s hospitality and the shepherds come in their name.

We are invited to Bethlehem today, to open up our hearts to the One who has come. We return, like the shepherds ‘glorifying and praising God for all they have seen and heard’. All are welcome to the manger. May we welcome all as God does, with compassion and love. Shalom.

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, come forth from deep within me with Christmas luminous beauty. For my heart has become the sacred crib, the birthing place of God-among-us.”(Edward Hays)

Fourth Sunday of Advent 2017

The situation into which Jesus was born was one of huge stigma with dangerous consequences. God’s physical birth into this world was condemned socially; Jesus was marginalised from the moment of his conception. Imagine God choosing to be involved so intimately in this world and in such a shocking way. Even the town of Galilee is problematic for this news as Galileans were considered by the religious leaders of the time to be ‘second-class Jews’. So the fact that God would send his messenger there with the good news of all time is controversial in itself. Galilean Jews were considered to be less faithful than others, so it is ironic that in this particular situation Mary’s response is the exact opposite of that, a most faithful ‘Yes’. God surprises. God stands with the marginalised. 
God is present in the most hidden places at times. On the first Sunday of Advent we were invited to ‘Keep Awake’. As we approach the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, what have you noticed this advent? What has your waiting been like? How have you prepared?  Where have you seen God present this Advent? Where have you seen God being born around you? In the most unexpected places? In the most marginalised? Is your heart more open to receive a new birth of God again? Like Mary, we too are told that 'nothing is impossible with God'. What impossible situation do you want God to be born into this Christmas? 

“Quiet me within, clothe my body in peacefulness, that your Word once again may take flesh – this time, within me – as once it did in holy Mary; long Advent days ago.” (Edward Hays)

An Attitude of Gratitude Christmas Carol Service 2017 - St. Dominic's Ballyfermot

You’ve heard the phrase ‘an attitude of gratitude’. Being grateful. We’re very good at complaining, aren’t we, but how about gratitude? What are you grateful for? You’re probably grateful that tomorrow you are on your Christmas holidays? Or maybe you are sad that you won’t see your teachers and school staff for two whole weeks. I’m sure they are all sad too! 

Gratitude is an emotion that we choose to feel at any time. It’s like tapping in to this FREE happy energy source. You actually make a decision to focus your mind on feeling grateful and you decide to make time for it. As an emotion, gratitude is good for the soul. Much research has been carried out on the links between gratitude and wellbeing. Psychologists have found that cultivating an attitude of gratitude brings about an increase in happiness and can reduce anxiety and feelings of depression. They have found that gratitude impacts positively on physical health as it lowers blood pressure, strengthens a person’s immune system & promotes a healthy heart. It can decrease stress & helps us sleep better – so if you’re having trouble sleeping instead of counting sheep, count your blessings. There are many health benefits to gratitude – it’s actually physical good for you!

Gratitude also promotes a healthy mind; it changes our perspective by clearing away most of the petty, day-to-day things that annoy us and that we give so much of our time to: the “small stuff”. Think of situations that bring up feelings of impatience or anger. Gratitude can help calm all of those things and make us aware that we are part of something bigger, something beyond ourselves, a connection to others, as well as to the world. Gratitude strengthens our relationships and encourages us to pay it forward. It helps us to be more generous and compassionate towards others. So, what’s not to like about gratitude?

Another reason to try to cultivate an attitude of gratitude during this Advent season is the story that we are about to celebrate in a few days: the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is an extraordinary story, a simple yet bizarre story; a story which gives hope to billions of people 2,017 years later all over the world. The story which we celebrate this Christmas and every Christmas is a story where we are told that God is with us – summed up, that is the message of Christmas – God is with us. God is involved in the messiness of this world. Where is God born? Not in a fancy palace surrounded by royalty and people who were considered important. God, Jesus Christ, is born in a stable! It’s mad, but it happened. Jesus is born into a situation that is totally dangerous; Jesus is born into a homeless family, a homeless family that would soon afterwards become a refugee family. Jesus is not born into a fancy mansion with all the trimmings, Jesus, God on earth, is born into a dangerous mess. And the message of this story is that God is with us in the mess. It’s not Princesses or politicians who come to welcome Jesus into this world, there were shepherds, people who were considered ‘not worthy’, outcasts, the poor and the ‘unimportant’. God is especially born for them. The message of the Gospel begins at the crib: God is on the side of the poor, the lonely, the homeless, the refugee, the outcast. And throughout Jesus’ life on this earth, he continued to live that message, always siding with those that society did not want to know about. His message was peace, hope & love. So this year when I think of gratitude – I think about how grateful I am to hear that message, that God is with us in the mess of this world, in the mess of our own lives, God is with us in our broken friendships, in our family problems, in the homeless person on the street, with the homeless family. 

You might ask – where? I don’t see God! But I invite you to look around at the goodness of those who are working tirelessly to help others in need, look at the generosity of people, the love that is shared by people especially during this season. I know your own school does so much charity work and here also we have had so many generous donations to foodbanks, Vincent de Paul, Crosscare – people are so so generous. For that, this year, I am very grateful and it also says to me - God is with us in those generous people.

I invite you this Christmas to write a list – not a wishlist for presents or whatever, but a list of things you are grateful for. Look back over your year, try to write a list of ten things you are grateful for – not presents or gadgets, go deeper than that. You might even hang your list on your Christmas tree or put your list in the crib if you have one at home. Write a letter to someone telling them how grateful you are for them, because let’s face it – these are the real gifts, the real blessings. And on Christmas day, in the middle of the madness, take a few minutes, pause, thank God for all that you have, pray for those who don’t have anything, if you don’t do it for God,  think of all the health benefits I mentioned at the beginning – it’s actually good for you, for your mind, body and spirit. You might visit our crib – say a prayer of thanks – tell someone you love how grateful you are for them in your life.

What are you most grateful for over the last 12 months of your life? God is with us also in those moments of joy.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas, I hope it is full of joy, time with family and friends, and I hope it cultivates in you an attitude of gratitude.

Third Sunday of Advent - JOY

Last week we were introduced to John the Baptist as part of our Advent journey. We hear his story again today and in this account, from the fourth Gospel, we hear John’s voice and his testimony about Jesus. Light and darkness is a key theme of the fourth Gospel and in its opening verses proclaims that this light has always shone in the dark; the darkness cannot overpower it. The evangelist goes on to tell us that John the Baptist’s mission is that he has been sent by God to ‘speak for the light’. John is a light bearer, he is not the light, but he points to the light. He is a witness to the light of God in our world, a light that cannot be put out.

We celebrate this light today on Gaudete Sunday, Gaudete which means ‘rejoice’, we light the pink candle and we celebrate with joy. It might be a good opportunity to ask today ‘who have been the light bearers on your own faith journey’? Who testified to the Light of God and passed the torch on to you? We thank God for them.

“Lord there is much darkness in society and in our church… We become cynical and settle for mediocrity. We thank you that someone always comes on the scene, sent by you as a witness to speak for the light….teachers, community leaders, grandparents, children, a friend….they bear witness to the rest of us that somewhere in the dark a light shines that darkness cannot overcome.”(Michel de Verteuil)

Second Sunday of Advent - Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the good news…

The second Sunday of Advent turns our attention to John the Baptist. John was an interesting individual. We are told he dressed a bit strangely, had an odd diet and spent a lot of time in the desert. Yet it seems he was very popular with the whole of Judaea and ‘all the people of Jerusalem’ went out to hear him. John must have been a dynamic speaker and one in whom people found hope and inspiration. Who are these attractive messengers for us today? Who brings us good news and hope? Whose message makes sense for us? Who do we flock to hear?

Today we might also reflect on the messengers in our own lives. Who did God send to you while you were in your own wilderness? Perhaps they brought with them a moment of grace reassuring you that you would not be drifting aimlessly forever. Perhaps the evidence at that moment in your own life stated the contrary, yet these words of encouragement or comfort gave you reason to hope and to hang in there. These ‘John the Baptists’ are messengers of the light. They are all around us. Sometimes we are the ones called upon to be a messenger of light for someone else. The good news of the Gospel today is that even in times of desolation there is a hope, a promise that urges us on. How we prepare for this journey determines our experience. “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you…”

December 8th - Feast of the Immaculate Conception

When have you felt God’s presence in someone you met or someone who visited you? The Gospel today is a reminder of God continuously present in our lives. We, like Mary, are invited to welcome those whom God sends us, even if we are amazed and alarmed by their message. We can ask ourselves: who brings us good news?

Advent is a season of hope, a season where we are reminded that God is present even when God appears to be hidden. God present in Mary’s womb speaks to us of God’s hidden presence in the world. We were reminded last Sunday to ‘keep awake’ and today this beautiful feast invites us to be more aware of God’s presence, through the messengers he send us; in the most hidden parts of ourselves and the most hidden parts of society.

Perhaps at the end of each day you can glance back over the day and see the moments where God was present, the light, the joys, the gestures, the words. Where was there hope in your day? Was anything revealed to you today? Who were the messengers for you today? Keep alert in these days of Advent and watch for God’s presence in your daily life. 

December 8th - Feast of the Immaculate Conception

When have you felt God’s presence in someone you met or someone who visited you? The Gospel today is a reminder of God continuously present in our lives. We, like Mary, are invited to welcome those whom God sends us, even if we are amazed and alarmed by their message. We can ask ourselves: who brings us good news?

Advent is a season of hope, a season where we are reminded that God is present even when God appears to be hidden. God present in Mary’s womb speaks to us of God’s hidden presence in the world. We were reminded last Sunday to ‘keep awake’ and today this beautiful feast invites us to be more aware of God’s presence, through the messengers he send us; in the most hidden parts of ourselves and the most hidden parts of society.

Perhaps at the end of each day you can glance back over the day and see the moments where God was present, the light, the joys, the gestures, the words. Where was there hope in your day? Was anything revealed to you today? Who were the messengers for you today? Keep alert in these days of Advent and watch for God’s presence in your daily life. 

First Sunday of Advent ~ 2nd Dec 2017

"Keep Awake"

We are surrounded these days by the commercial ‘circus’ of Christmas shopping and ‘getting ready’? It might seem far removed from the story that we are celebrating; the story of a poor refugee family 2,000 years ago who had a very special delivery. The story of God choosing to intervene in human history in such an intimate and shocking way; God choosing to be born into a situation of poverty and danger. It is good to ask ourselves at this time of year, what are we getting ready for? Advent is a wonderful season which invites us to use our waiting to grow spiritually. We are invited to make space for ourselves and for God in the midst of the rushing. Can we stop and be still and ask ourselves: ‘Where do I see God being born around me today?’ In those I meet? In kind words and gestures, in my community, in my own heart? 

Have a more ‘aware’ advent. Be mindful in all you do. Be aware in your rushing, be aware as you stand in that queue, be aware as you eat, be aware of your feelings, be aware of your thoughts. By watching all of this we become more awake, more able to recognise our true selves and more able to see God being born continuously each day within us and around us. Our awe and wonder grows and we can be prepared for the coming of the Gift himself. How we prepare determines what will be. 

Who do you say I am? - August 27th 2017

Peter gets it right in today’s Gospel and Jesus calls him ‘blessed’. That is, he is a person who brings a great gift and who brings that gift to others. Already in the community that Matthew is writing for, the community of Jesus’ followers are gathering as ‘church’. Peter is seen as Jesus’ successor and future leader for that community.

Jesus is a very different Messiah to the one the Jews expected. It is understandable that he would order the disciples to keep quiet. The people of his time wanted a leader who would lead them in a military revolt against the Romans, who would be a great king. Jesus’ mission involves a very different focus, reaching out to the outcast, those on the margins, a radical love. His actions will speak for who he is. It is for each of us to make up our own minds as to who Jesus is. Peter is quite clear and sincere in his declaration, however, as we will see later, Peter did not understand fully what the journey of Jesus would entail. Peter commits himself but it is a reminder that we must always leave room for growth in the understanding of our commitments.

‘The joy of Jesus bursts out … and he speaks his dream of an impregnable community of faith held together by the power of God rather than by external organisation, a community of commitment and freedom.’
W. YEOMANS

Unexpected Encounters - August 20th 2017

We might wonder why Jesus is so rude and dismissive to the woman in today’s Gospel who comes and asks for his help. Does he really call the woman ‘a dog’?! Many explanations have been given for Jesus’ words with some suggesting that it was an attempt at a first century joke, that he was just ‘teasing’ (he didn’t really mean it!) or that it was an opportunity to test the woman’s faith. The disciples also clearly want her sent away.

What happens just before this incident is important. Jesus has just left Gennesaret where the Pharisees have continued to be extremely hostile towards him. Jesus’ mission to ‘the lost sheep of the House of Israel’ is not going so well. So, Jesus ‘leaves that place’ and goes somewhere that is unfamiliar. What happens in this unfamiliar place is certainly life giving for the woman and for Jesus also. It might be considered a place of new beginnings as Jesus’ mission is opened up to those who would have been considered ‘unworthy’, such as a woman who is also a foreigner. The food rejected by the religious leaders of the time is ending up in unexpected places. It is here that the kingdom grows.

You have to admire the woman’s persistence. She is a reminder of people we encounter who have great faith and make a deep impression on us. We might ask ourselves today: when have experiences of rejection in our own lives led to new possibilities? Where are the unfamiliar places that we must go in order to grow, to embrace new life and new experiences?

Back to the Mountain Top - August 13th 2017

Jesus once again goes to the mountain top to pray. We too are encouraged to carve out space and time out in our everyday lives for quiet, for reflection for prayer or meditation; for whatever it is that we do to nourish that deeper spiritual heart of ourselves. It is so important.

The famous story of Jesus walking on the water follows in the Gospel today.
What a shock the disciples must have received! Initially Peter is so brave and enthusiastic. Peter is able to walk on the water until he notices the wind, then fear takes over and he begins to sink.
If you have read the book The Shack (and if you haven’t I highly recommend it!) you might remember a scene where the main character, Mack, is led onto the water by Jesus and they walk together on the lake. Mack, like Peter in today’s Gospel, is full of fear, mostly about what might happen in the future. Jesus is clear to Mack that he lives in the present and that we waste time trying to play God and control what might happen in the future: ‘You neither believe I am good nor know deep in your heart that I love you. You sing about it, you talk about it, but you don’t know it’ (The Shack, p. 151)

Jesus’ message for Mack in the story; for Peter in the Gospel and for all of today is ‘Why did you doubt?’ What eliminates our awareness of the love of God? We are urged to keep our eyes fixed on him. It is in the present that Jesus lives, not in our fears about the future or worries about the past.

The Mountain Top - Sunday August 6th 2017

In the Scriptures, the mountains are often places where people encounter God. Jesus takes the disciples up to the mountain top to pray, to a quiet place, away from all the attention and the crowds. They have the most wonderful experience as we read in the Gospel today.

Can you recall a place where you have felt deep peace or a sense of experiencing God? In nature or in the places you go for some ‘time-out’ for yourself? Perhaps it is in special moments with family and friends; times of joy or sorrow. These ‘mountain-top’ experiences nourish us, can bring us insights or help us to deal with difficult periods in our lives. They can bring feelings of euphoria, deep joy and blessing and often sustain us in life. No wonder the disciples wanted to build ‘three dwellings’ so that Moses, Elijah and Jesus would stay with them like this forever. However, we cannot remain in those experiences forever. Jesus’ way involves both time for encounters with mystery but also coming down from the mountain and continuing on life’s journey and mission.
Can we carve out these moments of quiet in our busy days to be with the Word, to create the space to listen and make room for these encounters with the Lord? This week, imagine yourself in this story as you read ‘Jesus took me with him and went up on the mountain to pray …’

‘To pray the scriptures is to descend to the level of the heart and find God’
– MICHAEL CASEY OCSO

Sunday 25th June 2017 ~ Matthew 10:26-33

Even The Hairs of Your Head Are Counted!

Today’s Gospel is an affirmation for all those who feel persecuted in anyway because of their beliefs or because people are speaking badly about them, or those who feel alienated from their community, their family or even from God. During such times it can be extremely lonely to the point where one can lose their sense of purpose in this world. While we might not want to shout from the rooftops, as Jesus suggests, there is a message here to speak out, to talk it out. Today, spend time on the beautiful words of Jesus in this Gospel – “Even the hairs of your head are all counted, so do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows!” The sparrow, one of the smallest of birds, is cared for and loved by God. This is a reminder that no matter how insignificant we might feel or how challenging the circumstances get, God is with us, each of us. Once again, we are being told how sacred each and every person is and how much we are loved by God. In His eyes, each of us are precious. Today, recall the times or places where you felt God’s supporting presence.

“When we travel through those wilderness places of our lives where we feel lost, insecure, lonely, frustrated, discouraged, or overcome by busyness: Help us to trust in You, God of the journey. When we catch glimpses of the tremendous love you have for us and experience a deep, loving connection with others: Help us to trust in You, God of the journey.” – Joyce Rupp

Jesus the Bread of Life ~ June 18th 2017

John 6:51-58

Jesus gives His whole self to us and invites us to a deep union with Him. We often imagine God up in the clouds in heaven looking down at us, maybe distant, maybe disconnected. The Eucharist shows us that God is involved in the messiness of human life, present to us in Jesus’s body and blood. Bread is nourishing, bread is for life, bread is food for the journey. Jesus is all of these things for us. His blood is a reminder of his death, of the brokenness of this world, of the struggles of people’s lives. Christ invites people to connect their own sufferings with His.

Jesus, present with us in all of life, invites us into a deep union with Himself. Flesh and blood means the whole person; ‘the living bread’ invites us to an even deeper intimacy. It can be a difficult passage to understand, but perhaps today you might reflect on times you felt sustained by God, strengthened by God through joyful times and sorrowful times. You might also reflect on who has been Jesus for you? Where have you seen Christ in this world, in flesh and blood?

Trinity Sunday 2017 ~John 3:16-18

God in today’s Gospel is described to us as One that is very close, as One that loves the world so deeply that He was willing to give everything to it. It is hard to comprehend these statements. Why would someone love in such a way? Why would someone sacrifice in such a way? John’s Gospel today tells us that it is because we are loved so deeply and so that we would come to know this love which brings life. It is not a one-off event; it is continuous and ongoing in each of our lives. Neither is it to make us feel guilty, we are told that this outpouring of God’s love is not to condemn us in any way. This giving from the Father is so that we might be free from our own brokenness, that we might know how infinitely loved we are and so live a life that is full and everlasting. God rescues us from our own brokenness and offers a life that is a fuller and deeper experience.

Trinity Sunday invites us to reflect on the impossible; on the utterly mysterious. Yet we can know something of what it means to experience God’s love in our lives; to have a deep relationship with Jesus Christ and to feel God’s Spirit dwelling within ourselves. We can experience that same Spirit in each person that we meet, that Spirit of God indwelling in all of Creation. The Trinity speaks to us of relationship, community, of fully giving and receiving.

“God has fallen in love with us – quite literally. God has come down to earth, and opened Godself to all the raw brutality, as well as the warm tenderness, of human life.” – Margaret Silf

Pentecost Sunday June 4th 2017

John 20:19-23 “Shalom”

The disciples in today’s Gospel are locked away, living in fear. There are many situations in our own lives which cause us to batten down the hatches. We can often imprison ourselves.  

Jesus appears amongst them bringing peace, Shalom, and overcoming their defences. Christ is always present to us regardless of the walls we might put up; He offers peace, joy and reconciliation. The word ‘Shalom’ is more than a wish for a good evening; it means that your wish for the person is a peace of body, mind and spirit. It is a holistic peace. Jesus gives this peace to the disciples and breathes His Spirit upon them. This enables them; this gives them courage; this sends them out. Jesus still bears the wounds of the crucifixion, reminding us that our wounds are part of who we are; we carry them with us.

We might ask ourselves today who it is that we need to be reconciled with? What fears do we need liberating from? Into what situations do we send Christ’s peace? Jesus is asking the disciples to be an unending witness to God’s love. They (and we) must be for others what Jesus has been for them.

“When we understand the essential unity of all that is, we discover the possibility of ‘peace’ – the king of peace that in Hebrew is called, Shalom, which is infinitely more than an absence of strife; it is the wholeness of the web of life itself and of every creature in it, held in the wholeness of the one God.” Margaret Silf. 

April 23rd 2017 ~ 2nd Sunday of Easter (Jn20:19-31)

Shalom

The disciples in today’s Gospel must have been so excited to tell Thomas their news: “We have seen the Lord”. Sometimes, when we try to share something of our faith experience with others, we can meet similar responses – doubting, cynicism - we can even be made fun of. The Risen Jesus bears the wounds of his suffering and even invites Thomas to touch them, to get in touch with the reality of his suffering. We might recall times when we have been overwhelmed by pain but looking back on those times we can see that they sometimes brought us to a different place, to new life. Perhaps today recall those times of ‘wounded-ness’ – and hear Jesus’s ‘Peace be with you’, the promise that He is with you. The word “Peace” (Shalom) is more than a wish for a good evening or peaceful day. It expresses the desire that the person receiving the blessing might be whole in body, mind and spirit. The Risen Jesus brings a peace that is life-giving. The disciples were locked away, afraid, closed off from the world. When Jesus is present with them, their hearts are opened again, they rejoice. The risen Jesus in today’s Gospel moves the disciples from total fear and despair to ‘rejoicing’. The same risen Jesus is active in all our lives and in the world around us.

“Life will always prevail, through all the layers of death in which we try to contain it.” Margaret Silf.

April 16th 2017 Easter Sunday (John 20:1-9)

In today’s Gospel Mary Magdalen is highlighted as the woman who is the first witness of the resurrection. Mary and the two disciples must have been very confused and upset as they tried to understand what had happened to Jesus’s body. Reading this story can bring many emotions for us: fear and confusion at death, or even a feeling of euphoria and joy at the realisation that death is not the end. If we have lost a loved one, we might feel comforted in the knowledge that we will be reunited with them once more. Jesus comes into situations of despair, disappointment and doubt and, as with Mary after this incident, comes in the form of a stranger, gently calling her name. The Risen Lord seems to meet us in familiar territory, where we least expect it.

We might ask the Lord today for the strength and courage to allow him to break into our lives once more, to help us to be free of whatever it is that causes ‘death’ in our lives, to help us to let go, to be open to recognising him in our most painful moments and in the most familiar places.

 “God of openness, of life and of resurrection, Come into this Easter season and bless me. Look around at the tight, dead spaces of my heart. Bring your gentle but firm love… Open me. Open me. Open me. For it is only then I will grow and change, for it is only then that I will be transformed. For it is only then that I will know how it is. To be in the moment of rising from the dead.” (Joyce Rupp)

April 9th 2017 ~ Palm Sunday

Today we read Matthew’s account of the death of Jesus; yes it is the long Gospel but we should not miss out on the journey that spending time with this account offers. As you read perhaps you might notice the various characters and their roles, their words and actions. A good question to ask as we enter into this text is “Where do I stand”? Are you looking on as a bystander, are you in the group of disciples or some other character: Pilate? Pilate’s wife? Perhaps it is a more difficult journey as you relate to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, a Jesus who is ‘grieved’ because of many things: isolation, the disappointment he must feel because of the abandonment of his friends, betrayal, loneliness, mocking, torture? This is not an easy journey. We know the story does not end here, but for this week we enter into the reality of betrayal, trial, suffering and death.  

We might remember today those who stand for justice, those who are counter-cultural, those who stand against oppressive systems even though the path is often dangerous and lonely. We might recall times we felt betrayed, abandoned or times we were in despair.

Try to return to this text during the week, perhaps reading a small section each day as we continue to ask ourselves: “Where do I stand?”