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.

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. 

November 21st 2016 Matthew 24:37-44 Advent 1

You know that feeling of waiting for something or someone? It is a feeling of excitement or maybe anxiety. For most people waiting is not a very popular pastime, it can be seen as a waste of time. If we allow it to, waiting can be a creative time, a time of high alert, where we may even be more aware of ourselves. Our senses are heightened especially when we are waiting for important news or results or waiting on a loved one to call or to arrive. Waiting is not always seen as a good thing but it can be a time for growth. And so, we enter into the season of waiting: Advent. The Gospel reminds us to be alert and use this time to prepare. What will our preparations be like? God is with us in many different ways, trying to catch our attention in the midst of our busy days. As we fight our way through the queues in the coming weeks, can we use 5 minutes, 7 minutes, 20 mins… to stop, be still, to ask God to enter into our hearts and lives once more. 

First Sunday of Advent 2015 (Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36)

Happy New (church) Year! Today is the First Sunday of Advent and we begin the season of ‘waiting’. 

The Gospel today has powerful (and perhaps distressing) images of great signs that will appear. For many of us this year we saw lots of signs that Christmas was coming, even as far back as September, which is more distressing than any of the images in the Gospel today. Some people love that feeling of expectancy, of waiting for someone or something to arrive. It can be quite an exciting time or even one of anxiety. Very often we are on high alert during such a time, and often quite creative. We are asked to enter into the season of preparation, to celebrate God in our lives and in our world. It is a season of great joy and of hope and while waiting is not always seen as a good thing, it can be an interesting time of growth. So, what will our preparations be like? In the middle of the crazy, busy days in the run up to Christmas, can we stop and invite God into our hearts and lives once more?

“As with madness we prepare for this festive time of year, as we rush and count the days, Advent passes in a haze, So may our feet take us to places where we will meet You” (Janet Lees)

‘A witness to speak for the light' ~ Third Sunday of Advent 2014

There is so much darkness around us: in the church, in the troubled parts of the world, in our own families and even in our own hearts. It is easy to become cynical. The Gospel today tells us that John the Baptist was someone who was ‘a witness to speak for the light.’ He gave hope to people. We can think of many people in society today who witness to the light. One that comes to mind is Malala Yousafzai. Malala was shot by the Taliban on her way to school in Pakistan. She was targeted for speaking out on the rights of women to education. She has said: “We realise the importance of our voices only when we are silenced. I was shot on a Tuesday at lunchtime, one bullet, one gunshot heard around the world.” Malala was in her chemistry class when she heard she was to be the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. She celebrated by going on to a physics class.

Look around your families and communities and you will see many who witness to the light. We each have the capacity to do the same, however dark the situation may be. The Gospel challenge is to bring hope and good news. We should take example from the Malala’s of the world.
“They bear witness to the rest of us that somewhere in the dark a light always shines, a light that darkness cannot overpower, and therefore we can all believe again.” Michel de Verteuil.

Advent 2 (Mark 1:1-8) "Prepare a way"

John the Baptist is an interesting character. He was not someone who kept up with the latest fashion. We are told he wore strange clothes, ate insects and lived in the desert. And yet John was very popular as we hear that ‘all of Judea’ came to him. There was obviously something very attractive about John. People could see something in him; something that inspired them; something that gave them hope. John is clear that he is not the one they are looking for; rather he is someone who is pointing to the one they are looking for. John shows the way for people, he is a signpost to God.

The world says to God, ‘we no longer need you, we know what is best’. And then we look at the wilderness of our modern world and hear the voice of one crying, “Prepare a way”. How do we prepare for welcoming God’s love into our hearts? God is crying out for us to welcome him again and again. It is us who are blocked; we put so many things in the way. John is urging us to clear the path, to let go of all the things that are preventing us from experiencing God’s love. John is calling people out from despair into hopefulness.

Advent ~ Swords into ploughshares

Advent has come around again. If we are 'bored' of Christmas by the time it arrives then we haven't done Advent at all. It is a great season of hope, light, joy, and peace. These are not just buzzwords we throw around at this time of year. Imagine what it would mean to breathe each of these gifts into our lives. 'Hope refers to a desire and expectations that goals that seem difficult to achieve may somehow be realized' (Harrington). And today's first reading asks us to dream big. It is from Isaiah and it is powerful. "They shall beat their swords into ploughshares..." (Isa 2:4). Imagine a world where we turned every single weapon into something useful... peacefully useful. It is not as daft as it seems. Imagine a world without weapons. Some people have tried it. Take a look at this pic of musical instruments made from weapons....

Or this one:

Or pull up a seat and look closer at this:

If you want to hear more about a community who spend some of their time turning AK47s into gardening tools, then check this out: http://www.redletterchristians.org/beating-ak47s-into-shovels/

The cliché is that 'another world is possible'. This is what Advent tells us and dares us to believe. Pray for peace this Advent season, peace in our hearts, our communities, our families.... oh and 'happy new church year'. SHALOM. MARANATHA.

Advent ~ Prepare a Way

Second Sunday of Advent ~ Prepare Space

We often miss Advent's power because these weeks are full of parties and intense consumerism in ‘preparation’ for Christmas. In today’s Gospel John the Baptist tells us to Prepare a Way and this is the commitment we are asked to make, to clear a space for God in our lives. God is with us in many different ways, trying to catch our attention in the midst of our crazy, busy days. The Gospel today calls to us to PREPARE SPACE, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, 20 mins… what can we give each day to stop, be still, to ask God for what we need, to listen?

The world says to God, ‘we no longer need you, we know what is best’. And then we look at the wilderness of our modern world and hear the voice of one crying, “PREPARE A WAY”. Today ask for the grace to prepare space for the Lord in one’s own heart, in the family, in the parish, and in the human community.

“In the body there is a little shrine. In that shrine there is a lotus. In that lotus there is a little space. The whole universe is in that little space, because the Creator, the source of all, is in the heart of each one of us” (Upanishad).

Jane Mellett, Intercom, 2011