Humblepiety

Discovering Hope

2012-01-26T16:43:00.004Z

Discovering Hope

I watch a moving tribute, one draped in respectful silence, it contains a tremendous dignity.
It is a revelation so peaceful, it makes me so grateful, as eternity beckons to me, teasing a longed for serenity.

There I am moved to tears, I seek understanding, trying to make sense of this loss, this open sore.
I find a revelation so certain, it appears so final, I discover hope, where at last I am restless no more.

For I am grief
May my stay in your heart be mercifully brief.
For I am belief
May my stay in your heart bring blessed relief.

“Ex umbris et imaginibus in veritatem”

2012-01-24T12:51:00.004Z

Ex umbris et imaginibus in veritatem

I have been reflecting upon St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians this past week or so and it stirs the soul very much!

I Corinthians 13:12-13

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

It has led me to a phrase that acknowledges the longing for God.

“Ex umbris et imaginibus in veritatem”

Out of the shadows and symbols (images, phantasms, illusions) and into the truth.

Newman’s motto on his tombstone is a poetic description of his spiritual life and his hopes for heaven. It reveals the longing for truth that can only fully be realised when coming face to face with our own mortality. This phrase describes: A hoping for heaven, a pang to see God face to face. For at the very heart of our spiritual lives is this longing for God.

A spiritual life journeys hand in hand or side by side or is intimately connected with a desire to experience God’s presence, God’s attention, God’s revelation. The rational behind prayer is seeking God, discerning his purposes and understanding and coming to a peace with his holy will. Prayer when it is joyful and spontaneous and a response to the prompting of God’s Spirit gives a certain satisfaction, it settles the soul, revives the spirit and renews the heart.

The shadows of the spiritual life are a part of the experience of faith; not fully seeing, yet believing, not concretely understanding but still hoping! Faith is for the here and now a shadow but it leads to the fullness of the light of truth when at the end we are called back to God.

I was born on the 23rd January 1967!

2012-01-23T10:47:00.002Z

Hope

2012-01-22T19:24:00.002Z

Hope

The cruel winter winds arise, forceful, battering the outer skin

But the garden of hope allows no winter blast to find a way in

The shadows of night creep forward to shake its confidence

creating a menacing figure

But no cold, icy touch can paralyse hope’s youthful vigour

For hope remains strong, resolute, brave, it cowers not to fear

Ever so tightly it is clasped close, held so precious, so dear

Hope is secure even as the weakening tremble of a faint heart kneels

Even as the terrors of doubt curse and mournfully squeals

Nothing can shake its resolve, nothing tear it down,

hope is eternal, forever abiding, never receding
No provocation or attack penetrates its defences,

hope is the champion of living, dispelling any lingering grieving.

Sermon Notes: 3rd Sunday Ordinary Time Year B

2012-01-21T11:43:00.001Z

The path to a vocation to the priesthood is different for each one who is called. But there are common traits amongst the call to Priesthood. Andrew and Simon Peter are fishermen until they meet Jesus and he tells them to follow him, they leave everything and follow. Many who hear the call are working or studying for a career and the priesthood means a change of direction and change of job! It may be easy like the Fishermen in the gospel to down tools and immediately follow the call but it may take some discerning and prayer too!

The current climate of the priesthood is not without its challenges. There is a shortage of priests to maintain parishes. So priests are being tested, stretched to the limit in some cases, to maintain a system of parishes that was created for many more priests’ involvement. In some areas parishes are having to be closed or amalgamated. Priests are being asked to bear the load on their shoulders for a shortage in vocations to the priesthood which they are willing to do but shoulders weaken without support.

Priests are being asked to take on what was two or three parishes in the past and serve it as a one priest feature! Change, uncertainty, things beyond our control may bring on panic or lead to resentment, confusion, disillusionment and a resolve to walk away shaking heads and wiping dust off shoes. Great some may say, more lay involvement, more deacons so as to free the priest to do what he was ordained for: The Mass, the sacraments, the work of prayer, evangelisation, bringing back the wounded and the straying souls.

Unsustainable others say as the laity are not as committed as they can be. There are many souls lapsed and many more who dip their toes into parish life and are not in the business of getting wet or involved! The same people in the parish help with everything, others come but do not want to be involved. The church is made up of the very young and the very old and is rather thin around the middle years!

A priest is to be a Shepard a leader, how can he best guide in the present climate of uncertainty and imminent change. A priest is looking to his leaders for vision, inspiration and at times what he finds there is panic and reaction rather than preparation; putting plasters over sores that need operations! This can be soul destroying for priests and people to witness and experience. “We are in a mess!” one priest said to me recently and if Christ were not at the heart of the church it may well be curtains!

Priest morale can be low when the headlines in the media are of abusers and cover ups and scandals of one kind or another involving the church. It can be a great weight upon a priests shoulder to bear the burden of the sins of other priests knowing it is not their fault and yet feeling the burning shame of the ridicule of the world and the suspicion of others. It makes the proclamation of the gospel the good news more difficult, but no less rewarding either.

So priesthood is not without its challenges! The positive side of the priesthood is not to be forgotten and the fact that so many stay engaged fully in the laborious work of the vineyard of the Lord and seek to address the challenges we face, is encouraging, heart warming and inspiring too!

Newman said two things which are food for my thought and prayer as a priest I look to face the challenges ahead.

"To live is to change and to be perfect is to have changed often." And "Nothing would be done at all if one waited until one could do it so well that no one could find fault with it."

May the call of Jesus to the fisherman to change direction and follow him lead us and guide us in the challenges ahead!

Divine Grace

2012-01-20T18:26:00.004Z

"Act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8)

Divine Grace

Divine grace bestowing,

so wonderfully freeing

with Christ’s Spirit infusing

An awed excitement knowing

it’s slightest touch is a revealing

of an awesome understanding

An instant forgiving

a raising of fallen living

by loves command sealing

An eager awaiting

An inner groaning

An eternal longing

Leading

to cooperating,

to caring,

to justice sharing

Meekly, humbly, walking

into

A most gentle loving

A serenity of trusting

A certainty of hoping

A crescendo of believing

A fullness of a loving plans completing.

Heaven's Kiss

2012-01-20T09:57:00.001Z

1 Corinthians 13:13
"So now faith, hope and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love."

Heaven’s Kiss

Faith, hope, love, weaving a trail throughout our history
Ancient attitudes, transformed by the touch of eternity
Christ enters through his nativity this world of shadow
Healing, guiding, radiating light, opening a divine window
Forging a kingdom, an expression of God's creating word
Renewing dull hearts, reviving all those who have heard
Wisdom guides the humble who walk in the light of justice
Gentleness covers the grateful souls, blest by heaven’s kiss

I Love this Hymn Very Much!

2012-01-18T14:15:00.001Z

God champions the underdog too!

2012-01-18T11:54:00.000Z

God champions the underdog too!

This mornings Mass was a very relaxed affair. It was a gentle resting in the presence of the Lord; a confirmation of the love of God touching the very heart of a broken world, and his healing, abiding presence, reverberating outwards. It was a joy to stand behind the altar and pray the words of the Mass. I felt so peaceful during Mass and afterwards too.

The first reading about David and the Philistine was great food for thought too! The huge bully boy of the champion of the Philistines bearing down upon the little underdog David, the underdog triumphed! Encouragement for any embattled soul fighting to do good, in a world of temptation, where good is the underdog and does not always triumph. It was good to hear the friendship of the Lord is worth pursuing.

The gospel saw a clash between the over fastidious Pharisees who were picking fault with Jesus for doing good. It reminds me not to take my eye of the reason for faith, not to become bogged down in the interpretation of the rules of faith; in the dotting of the I’s and the crossing of the t’s. I am not to be looking over my shoulder and seeing what someone else is doing in their back garden of faith. Rather I am to be busy cultivating my own Garden of Faith, attending to the weeds of sin and pride and marvelling at the beauty of faith’s flowers. I am to exalt in faith and rejoice in Christ.

I used the fourth Eucharistic Prayer and found it to be a most poetic read. I love the way it flows now in the new translation. I am a tiny creature before the immensity of God, yet despite my size I am loved, I am cared for, I am created in love, by love!

Just an opinion or two!

2012-01-16T11:45:00.002Z

I became aware recently (partly from writing a blog!) of how many opinions are out there! In listening to radio talk shows, there are invites for listeners to ring in and have their say and there are invited guests and commentators too! When watching television at breakfast or day time or evening there are shows with invited guests, presenters and experts all offering their opinions about one thing or another! Also reading the newspapers it becomes clear that 95% or more of the news reported comes with an opinionated slant. When observing blogs or twitter feeds, opinions are off the scale and some of these opinions can become news items themselves! We don’t half speak a load of old baloney at times! Opinions are not facts and though they maybe insisted upon, peddled by the loud and brash, they remain opinions! (In my humble opinion anyway!!)

Just so we are clear!

o·pin·ion

Pronounced [uh-pin-yuh n] noun

a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.

a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.

My thought for my prayers today is this: Fact is often lost in a world where opinion is the king. So sticking to the facts for a moment… God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1 John 4:16

Sermon Notes: 2nd Sunday Ordinary Time Year B

2012-01-14T09:39:00.001Z

Being a disciple is an important aspect of our calling as baptised Christians. Being a disciple is the way we give witness to our faith, the way we attend to the call to evangelise the world. What does it mean to be a disciple? Samuel in the first reading is a good example in getting to grips with the concept of discipleship. “Speak Lord your servant is listening!” This is the bedrock phrase for understanding and implementing discipleship. At the very heart of discipleship is listening and listening to the Lord. Samuel lets the Lord know he has an open heart ready to be filled by his listening to the Lord’s instructions. Today as we are called to be disciples we have the instruction from the Lord but also the blue print for carrying out these instructions in the teaching of the church, in the commandments from the scriptures, in the words of Jesus, from loving God and our neighbour to loving our enemies and forgiving those who hurt us, to seeing an example of Jesus’ words made concrete on the Cross. We have the blueprint for being a disciple but like Samuel do we have a listening heart?

In the gospel we see the fledging disciples of Jesus meeting him for the first time John calls him the “Lamb of God!” professing his faith and that leads the two disciples to seek the company of Jesus and spend time with him before proclaiming him to be the one, the Messiah, the Christ. Here we have a deeper understanding of discipleship. Seeking Christ and spending time with him. This is an important part of discipleship. We are to seek Christ in our living, to spend time with him so as to know what his call holds for us. So we know what it is we are to do in imitation of what we find when we have spent time with him. Andrew wants to tell others of Jesus and here lies the essence of discipleship. Telling others spreading the good news sharing our faith all important aspects of discipleship. So how do we do this? Firstly like Samuel have a listening heart ready for the Lords’ instructions then have Andrews enthusiasm for telling people what we hear from our listening to the Lord!

Do we talk to others about Jesus, about the Christ? I don’t mean get a soapbox and stand on the corner of the street shouting out to others! But do we talk to others about Christ? Do we share the joy of our faith? Do we by word and action demonstrate our listening to Christ? It is easy to talk about Christ to like minded people in our church buildings but how do we engage the outside world, those who have not heard the gospel or those who need to hear its life affirming message?

One of our teachers shared a story with me about her RE class in Secondary school. The pupils were writing down their understanding of Christian faith. One student had written we worship at the Holy Apple in Christianity….what she meant was the Tabernacle but her grasp of faith was limited to a half listened too RE lesson! There are so many who are clueless about the faith, hard to understand in this information driven age but we have a responsibility to be a disciple today and the urgency is as acute now as it ever has been!

We pray like Samuel to have a listening heart tuned into the Lord and enthusiasm and urgency to spread the faith to others like Andrew in the gospel today.

Faith is…

2012-01-13T17:35:00.005Z

Faith is…

Faith is deepened in the darkness of the questioning soul

In the shadows of the silent footsteps discerning life’s goal

Faith is deliberated in the uncertainty of unanswered prayer

In the holding on with frail fingertips when God is not there

Faith is drowned in the shallow pool of human unkindness

In the ambitions of the selfish motive of rabid senselessness

Faith is tested in the fire of human living when hope wanes

In the trails and tribulations as the heart is beset with pains

Faith is that guiding principle where hope flowers once again

In the faithfulness of God, transmitted to mortal fallible men

Priesthood: The mirror never lies!

2012-01-11T11:48:00.002Z

Priesthood: The mirror never lies!

I looked at a reflection of myself in the mirror today. I am the same person I was the last time I looked, but I notice today the lines are deeper on my face than they used to be, wrinkles are forming; the bags seem bigger under my eyes, I must get more sleep; the hair is thinner now, a wee bit greyer on the edges too, but despite the ravages of time it is the same face that looked back at me twenty five and a half years ago when I looked into the mirror of my tiny room on St Bede’s Corridor at Oscott Seminary.

Many experiences have touched my body, soul and spirit since that day and I am here standing today the better for many of them; the wiser for some of them; more wary for others too! Yet they have shaped and formed the person I look at today. Do I like the person I see? Do I recognise that fresh faced, enthusiastic candidate for Holy Orders from twenty five years ago; so willing back then, keen, happy, joyful and incredibly naive and vulnerable…perhaps not. Time and experience have a way of changing not only the physical appearance but the make up of the soul too. I have met good and bad people along this way, been surprised by people, disappointed too, but I have found great friendship and love that lasts. I am a very lucky man to be blessed with the priesthood, and be blessed with loving friendships too.

I am a realist, I think I am, some have said I was a cynic, I used to be I suppose, but then time moves on the spirit matures, grows and changes too. I am a realist, not a cynic, I am aware of my being a creature before the enormity of God, who has created me for some purpose, given me a task, has made me, as obstinate as I have been, a link in a chain!

I have come to realise that I cannot change or influence the entire world for the good, I cannot change hearts and minds with my argument, I am a weak, foolish at times, limited person who strives to co operate with God’s grace but who falls short many times of the person God wants me to be! But in saying that, I am happy, content, peaceful, moulded by the gift given to me of the Priesthood.

I am not worthy of being a priest, I am not fit to walk in the shoes of “the” High Priest Jesus Christ, but I find myself with the precious privilege of serving Christ in continuing his life through the Mass. I am blest by encountering Christ in the sacraments. I am at times immersed in his words that speak so deeply to my soul. I am indebted to the psalms that show me that I have a common experience with so many souls before me. I am buoyed by Christ’s ever abiding presence. I am encouraged by Christ’s ability to pick me up time and again from the dirt of the toil of fatigue, anxiety, worry, pain and struggle. He, Christ, has put a song of joy into my heart and when I am in tune with that song it is an uplifting song indeed!

The best advice I have been given is the phrase: “One day at a time!” Oh so true, so needed, because every day I am to look in the mirror and be the man I see there staring back and me….and being that man, I know I am loved… how do I know?…Ask God he will tell you too! The mirror never lies!

A Prayerful Silence

2012-01-11T08:49:00.001Z

A Prayerful Silence

I wait in the stillness of a welcome silence
Calmly content, aware of God's presence
A blessed time set part from the busy day
A loving conversation where I have my say
I listen as the waves of peace wash over me
I am overwhelmed with a grateful serenity
The air in church is cold as I see my breath
I contemplate life, the certainty of death
I am not fearful of a future not in my hands
Or the brevity of my time’s passing sands
Praying is a call to trust in God's goodness
A chance to resolve to strive for holiness
I thank the Lord for the wonder of my living
I ask for grace to be a person loving, giving
I implore a safe journey for those in my care
I pray to recognise that God is always there
As the speaking ends a great silence descends
My soul rejoices in an amazing grace God sends

Fr Patrick Brennan © 2012

Empty Spaces

2012-01-08T23:12:00.004Z

Empty Spaces

Come back to me, fill these empty spaces
Allow me to remember long forgotten faces
Blurred figures crowd together in my mind
I search through them a familiar one to find
Memories clutch at the dawn of my morning
By evening they disappear without warning
Pain is now etched upon my confused visage
Recalling passing time as a cluttered collage
Smiling happy carefree moments flash by me
An epiphany, manifesting treasured memory
Watery eyes close to blank out this tiring day
Sleep arrives to refresh, to take anxiety away
If I forget your name do not give into alarm
Do not fright nor bring yourself to any harm
For I love you beyond what the mind can bear
I ache for your presence, to wrap you in care
Restoration comes when the journey is done
When all these empty spaces are finally gone

Fr Patrick Brennan © 2012

Epiphany

2012-01-08T09:12:00.003Z

Epiphany

Shining down heaven’s star, brightly captivating

Floating serenely in the heavens, strangely alluring

Guiding curious royalty to a marvellous meeting

Revealing a divine wisdom, this worlds illuming

Journeying, the Magi find faith in a star following

Casting out scepticism, their pride swallowing

Bringing gifts, to do homage to the new born king

Bearing their very souls in a humble worshipping

Changing forever, an eternal destiny manifesting

Observing nations happily included in his saving

Sermon Notes; Epiphany

2012-01-07T11:36:00.002Z

People look for meaning in all sorts of places. in fact it is a preoccupation with much of humanity, where do we come from? Where are we going? Why are we here? This search for meaning would have been at the forefront of the inspiration for the Magi to follow the star. They expected much when they set off and when they found the infant in the manger at Bethlehem we can marvel at what their thinking was at that moment. The fulfilment of all hopes and dreams were found in the child Jesus and the Magi touched by such a revelation were changed forever.

Jesus was born in a town called Bethlehem. Bethlehem was a quiet little town six miles to the south of Jerusalem. The name Bethlehem means “The House of Bread,” and Bethlehem stood in a fertile countryside, which made its name fitting. It stood high up on a grey limestone ridge more than 2,500 feet in height

One night a new star appeared in the heavens. That star prompted a group of men to take an incredible journey. These were the mysterious characters history has called the Magi or Wise Men. The consensus of mankind has since judged them to be very wise indeed. How were they wise? First of all, they knew the joy of giving gifts, and they knew how to pick the right ones. Gold is the gift for a king. It was the custom that no one could ever approach a king without a gift. And gold, the king of metals, is the fit gift for a king of men.

Frankincense is the gift for a priest. It was in the temple worship and at the temple sacrifices that the sweet perfume of frankincense was used. The function of a priest is to open the way to God for men. The Latin word for priest is pontifex, which means a bridge builder. The priest is the man who builds a bridge between men and God.

Myrrh is the gift for one who is to die. Myrrh was used to embalm the bodies of the dead. Jesus came into the world to live for men and, in the end, to die for men. He came to give men his life and his death.

Gold for a king, frankincense for a priest, myrrh for one who was to die -- these were the wise gifts of the wise men, gifts which foretold that Christ was to be the true king, the high priest, and the perfect sacrifice of salvation.

But the magi were also wise in their ability to change. As the gospel says, they went home by another route. They changed direction in return to the East. Change is inevitable. It happens to all of us, like it or not. Life is a succession of changes and men and women of God recognize Him in these changes: the sacrifice of personal plans for the sake of others, the change in our hearts as we mature in faith, the change in our souls as Christ slowly heals us of our sins.

God revealed his nature at the Stable in Bethlehem. He continues to reveal his nature through the Scriptures and through our Church, through our conscience and through our suffering, through the joy of the gifts we give and the wonder of the changes Christ brings about in us.

May the gift of the Christmas star which changed three lives then and millions of lives since, shine on all of us throughout the whole new year, and lead all of us nobler and holier lives.

The wisdom of the Magi is demonstrated in a deep appreciation of humility. They looked for the meaning of life not in their own intellect or will but in faith. Faith is revealed in humility, in submission to the will of God, in allowing God to touch and influence our thinking and acting. May the example of the Magi influence where we look for life's meaning.

The Priestly Vocation Involves Prayer

2012-01-04T10:58:00.004Z

The Priestly Vocation Involves Prayer

A priest is to be a man of prayer: In his apostolic exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis, Pope John Paul II says:

“The priest is called to be a man of prayer and contemplation, for it is through prayer (and study) that the priest comes to a deeper personal knowledge of the Person and work of Christ. In prayer and contemplation he is sent forth by Christ to minister to his people in pastoral charity. Our priestly life and activity continue the life and activity of Christ himself. Here lies our identity, our true dignity, the source of our joy, the very basis of our life."

Contemplating on my vocation the words of Pope John Paul II echo true in the very heart of what priesthood is all about. To continue the work of Christ you have to deepen your knowledge of who Christ is and prayer is that deepening principle that guides and nurtures the heart to understanding more fully what the priesthood is and what I am called to do: To carry Christ in my heart, my mind, my body, so as to continue the work of Christ.

I find prayer to be a sustaining aspect of my ministry. There are times when prayer is barren, dry, like wading through treacle and nothing seems to come back to me. Prayer can be a struggle and often this is reflected back when my ministry is proving to be a burden or a chore, when I am feeling unloved, un-thanked, not appreciated, when I feel sorry for myself! Yet prayer is the wake up call in bad times, it raises my awareness of the Cross, the sacrifice, it reminds me of the joy of my youth! As the psalmist cries: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:12

Prayer is wonderfully refreshing and mysteriously engaging too! Thank You Lord, is often whispered by me when his grace works though my priestly ministry.

Prayer is an Our Father, or a Hail Mary said slowly or in a hurry, the Jesus prayer whispered before a meeting or after a meal: Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner! In fact these are anytime, everywhere prayers that tune up the heart for a deeper conversation with the Lord on a daily basis.

People who say they have no time to pray need to take a deep breath, for it only takes a very few breaths to pray! Prayer is a rosary offered up for the souls of loved ones, or for any other intention; it is thinking about the life of Christ and smiling with gratitude and joy that God has touched our world in such a marvellous and mysterious way!

Prayer is a psalm, the divine office spoken alone or uttered with others. Prayer is formal, allowing me to know my place to see how small I am, but it is life giving too! Prayer has an informal, anytime, anywhere setting too that sets me free and affords me the knowledge that I am loved by God, who never abandons me, even though I stray from him many times, too many times perhaps to deserve any love.

Prayer is the glue that sticks me to Christ. Without prayer I am flailing around in the dark, struggling to keep afloat in the stormy ocean of life, with prayer I am in a sturdy boat navigating the waters below me with fluency, ease and grace!

Life’s Storms

2012-01-03T09:48:00.003Z

Life’s Storms

January roars into life, wind swept, rain lashing

Black skies explode in a thunder of noise crashing

Stormy gales batter the fabric of mans defences

Blowing over huge trees, tearing up garden fences

Contorted shapes lurk in the shadows of this day

Precarious life revealed when even rooftops sway

A reminder that I am only the tiniest fragile being

Safe in the sight of my creator God’s ever seeing

Held in his hands never adrift from his loving care

Despite life’s storms, his presence is always there

"A King Amidst The Straw"

2012-01-02T19:23:00.000Z

I love this image “a king amidst the straw.” It evokes for me a dynamic sense of the purpose of the Incarnation. It reveals the loving plan of God to heal and save his people, to free them from sin and death by sending his own Son to the earth.

The stable at Bethlehem is a place of serenity and peace, it is the shining of God’s glory. The light of love has entered the world of darkness. The whole of heaven rejoices, marvelling at the wonderful scene. But the world rejects the light and nails it to the cross. The Christmas scenes are never to be separated from the Easter ones. The angels sing in praise and exultation at the birth of Christ, the shepherds bow low and the mighty are brought low in humble adoration. But the Child grows to be a man and the man is nailed to a cross. He dies for our sins

1 Peter 2:21-24

Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, so that you would follow in his footsteps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. And when evil was spoken against him, he did not speak evil. When he suffered, he did not threaten. Then he handed himself over to him who judged him unjustly. He himself bore our sins in his body upon the tree, so that we, having died to sin, would live for justice. By his wounds, you have been healed.

I must never forget the sacrifice of Christ, born into our world; compassionate to our nature. Who died on the Cross to reveal the forgiveness of God; to demonstrate love conquering hate; showing through his life of obedient sacrifice to the Father’s will that death is vanquished forever.

Lord, help me to hold before my eyes the wonder of the Incarnation and the mystery of the Cross

Time Passes

2012-01-01T07:22:00.001Z

Time Passes

A New Year dawns, an old year meets its end
A time for healing as broken hearts can mend

Why is this day long, while each year is short?
Time passes, through its brevity I am taught
All things pass away, consigned to memory
Fleeting our attempt at telling our own story
The wind blows, the sun shines, a leaf falls
Bones creak, our skin wrinkles, old age calls
While the outer man gives into rapid decay
The promise of heaven keeps despair at bay

Sermon Notes: The Feast of Mary, the Mother of God

2011-12-31T11:33:00.003Z

“Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” These words are proclaimed in the gospel today as we celebrate the feast of Mary, the Mother of God. It is the first day of a new year and we keep this feast in honour of the Lady, whose yes to God brought forward a series of events that changed the world for good. Events that enabled the light of God’s loving forgiveness and salvation to smother the darkness of sin and death once and for all.

The Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary was “the” event for us all. We are joyful that in the midst of any difficulty we may have or any hardship we may endure that Mary stands before us today as a role model for our life of faith and an inspiration to us in our attempt to reach heaven.

A message is proclaimed in the faithfulness of Mary. She pondered or reflected on these things in her heart we are told. What an impression it all made upon her. From the angel who spoke the word of God to her, to her response of faith, her trust, strength, her willingness to allow God to reveal his glory in her living. All these things pondered by Mary should inspire us to take to our hearts the faith we have received.

Sometimes we can take faith for granted and what a pity that is! When people are gifted faith and it is not nurtured or dwelt upon it can be a great tragedy. For some faith is put on the shelf either by neglect or lukewarm attitudes to faith and how sad that is to see! Faith not being embraced by people who have been gifted it by a loving God is a waste indeed. There is a responsibility that comes with faith to change the world for the good, by our loving example and trusting in the goodness of God to lead us and guides us.

Mary’s faith is crucial to understanding our own faith. Mary is the model for Christians in that she strove first and foremost to do God’s will in all things; she engaged in a conversation with the Lord that allowed his glory to be revealed. Her resolute faith, tested to the full when she witnessed her Son on the cross is an inspiration for us to try to follow.

On this first day of January 2012 let us renew our resolution to deepen our faith this year by having a conversation with the Lord and accepting his loving will for our lives. May we try not to take our faith for granted but recognise it for what it is; the most precious gift we will receive in our lives.

Do not stand at my grave

2011-12-29T11:11:00.001Z

Do not stand at my grave

Do not stand at my grave to remain here always
I hear your voice spoken at the close of your days

As the gentle breeze caresses my upright frame
A shiver runs down me, a whisper of your name
A haunting of silence overwhelms my mortality
I am reminded of the struggle to reach eternity
Faith, a tiny seed once planted now fully grown
Yet just for a moment I am here standing alone
Lost in my thoughts I am transported to the past
I recall what's gone, lamenting life passes to fast
The earth is wet soaked by a thousand of my tears
The sky is blue, a shining sun dries my useless fears
I will return here again, my arms full with flowers
To continue our conversation to idle away the hours
My comfort, my consolation, is knowing you live on
Though now passed from my sight your spirit lives on

I stand at your grave with my hand on the grey stone

It gives me strength to carry on despite my being alone

The Holy Innocents

2011-12-28T08:32:00.001Z

Stable Silence

2011-12-27T12:55:00.001Z

Stable Silence

Gently, silence sweetly invades

As the noise of Christmas fades

Mary gazes upon her new born

Heralds the light of a new dawn

Joseph, strong, resolute, serene

Marvelling at the wonders seen

Shepherds shield their tired eyes

Glory shone to ease fearful cries

Kings wearied by a long journey

Bowed in awe, worship silently

I survey this wonderful display

And thank God for this new day

Fr Patrick Brennan 2011 ©

Happy Christmas 2011!

2011-12-25T09:55:00.002Z

Sermon Notes: Christmas Day Year B

2011-12-24T11:46:00.001Z

Christmas is here! The waiting is over, the preparations done. A sense of excitement hovers over the people of God who lived in darkness and now see a wonderful guiding light! The Saviour has entered the world and our hearts are to rejoice.

We can marvel at the story captured in the scripture readings proclaimed in the Masses at Christmas. We can find the meaning of the season in the beautifully crafted stable scenes in our churches. By beautifully crafted, I mean God’s loving plan is revealed in the poverty and simplicity of the birth of his Son. He could have been born in a palace anywhere on earth but God revealed his glory in the tiny stable in Bethlehem.

The scene we witness at the stable is of sheer trust and confidence in the love of God revealed in the tiny helpless new born, in the scant surroundings of a run down stable, in the trusting of the vulnerable woman Mary, out of wedlock carrying a child. God’s beauty is crafted in the faithfulness of Mary and Joseph who listened to God’s words and bowed their heads in submission to what they heard.

God beautifully crafts our lives, gives us the gift of life and guides us, leads us, nurtures us to follow his will, he encourages us to find our strength, our purpose, our happiness in following his will. Yet for much of our living we tend to want to go our own way, find our own path, do the things that suit us and our lifestyle. Only to find at some point along the line that all our hopes our founded upon the plan God has for our lives.

The love of God revealed in the Nativity is the time for us to hold onto the hope given us by God, the hope that our lives are to be lived to the full. We are to renew afresh the trust we find in the stable scene so beautifully crafted for us by the God who created us.

No matter how poor we feel we are, how downtrodden or lonely or ignored we may feel at times too, the trust of the figures at the stable are to afford us to hope once again, to be led and guided by the God of Love who crafts for us the beauty of life and the glory of eternal life too.

Spend some time this Christmas at the stable and invite that trusting you find in Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the kings and the angels into your hearts.

The Stable of Bethlehem

2011-12-23T19:49:00.001Z

O come Lord Jesus, tiny, frail, weak, helpless infant, come and remind me of why I adore you, lead me to the stable, welcome me to the manger! There allow me the humility to hear the very Word of God, spoken out of love, clothed in the flesh of the new born baby Jesus!

The stable scene is at the heart of the Christmas season. I have put my stable up in the sitting room of the presbytery. The baby is not in the manger yet but the scene is one of tranquillity, one of peace, of blessed serenity. That is how it should be. Despite the turmoil, the panic, the upset, the clamour and clatter of living; despite the rush and the hustle and bustle of the nature of modern living there the stable scene stands, offering peace, displaying utter peace. Why? Because he has come, the Word has been made flesh, the love of God once invisible is now visible, nothing in time will ever be the same again!

I spend hours each Christmas adoring at the stable, lovingly gazing upon the beauty I see before me. Is there anything more wondrous, more magical, more magnificent than the scene at the stable? The gift of God to his people is designed in the poverty and simplicity of the scene. The sheer humility of the surroundings allow us to enter into the mystery of the love that God has for us and that fills us with certainty, renews hope too!

Christmas is for the children I hear sometimes said glibly, as if as an adult the mystery becomes lost to our senses. But Christmas reminds me I am a child of God, an heir to the life of grace, and I am loved from the moment of my conception, from the womb, through childhood, into adulthood, beyond old age and after the grave claims my body, I am loved!

So as I contemplate the glory of God and marvel at the mystery of the nativity, I thank the Lord of all for the gift of his Son and pray to be a humble servant and a grateful child.

It made Claude smile!

2011-12-21T17:43:00.001Z

You don’t have a soul, you are a soul. You have a body.

2011-12-20T16:53:00.004Z

You don’t have a soul, you are a soul. You have a body. C S Lewis

This is a wonderful quote from “Mere Christianity” a book by C.S Lewis. This has provided me much food for thought during this few weeks of the advent season. I have been very busy with funerals in the parish these last few weeks. I have another funeral tomorrow after celebrating three in the last week and a bit. I also have a wedding on Thursday too! Amidst the rounds of Nativity Plays and end of term Masses the parish rolls onward, presenting difficult pastoral situations that require much care and attention. It is a challenging time of year for death, as it is at any time but so poignant at this time of Nativities and festive celebration and preparing for the light coming into the world not concentrating so much on the extinguishing of the light of a human being. And yet the message of Christianity speaks a consoling word to the depths of grief and plucks out hope and this pervades my thinking as I stand before mourners who are dealing with loss and separation.

I am conscious as I stand at the altar at Mass of the truth of our nature as creatures of a loving creator. I am a soul who has this body on loan for a few years until I return it to the dust and continue my existence returning to the love that spoke my name in the first place.

My soul is eternal while my body decays, nourishing the soul is as vital as feeding the body. I nourish my soul with prayer, conversing with the Lord, welcoming him, inviting him, praising and thanking him. I nourish my soul as I receive his body in Holy Communion. I nourish my soul by acknowledging the grace that I am given whenever I encounter his presence.

What becomes clear as this life is lived is that: My body was made for the earth, while my soul was made for eternity.

Sermon Notes: 4th Sunday of Advent Year B

2011-12-17T09:44:00.004Z

At an on going formation day at Oscott in October we listened to another diocese talk about what they had been doing to address the issue of falling numbers of Catholics and its priests. One of the speakers spoke about fear. She said there are only two natural fears and the rest are learnt. The two natural fears are of loud noises and the other the fear of falling. So any other fears we may have are learnt by the environment we are in, after all we are all products of our environments. If you had a nurturing one then all the better you would be for it. The fear of heights, the dark and any other fear are learnt from experience, and experience is a good teacher!

A nurturing upbringing, loving parents, these can greatly influence who we are. In the case of Jesus it is very much part of who he is. For he is a product of an experience of a loving nurturing family. Mary and Joseph are at the heart of his early formation and their loving care is reflected in Jesus’ ministry.

Mary is told “do not be afraid!” by the angel. Sound advice when you are confronted by the voice and messenger of God! These words would be echoed by Mary to Jesus as an infant, do not be afraid and then Jesus would speak these same words to his disciples… do not be afraid! On many occasions Jesus spoke these words, from the fear of the storm to the fear of death, Jesus addressed these situation in the same way…. do not be afraid! This is very much learnt, passed on through a loving nurturing spirit. Fear holds us back, stops us from fully realising our potential as children of God. Advent is a word spoken by the angel Gabriel to Mary do not be afraid!

Mary’s response is wonderful for it negates all fear. Be it done to me as you would will it Lord! So much of our fretting and worrying and fear in our life of faith comes from a inability to let go and allow God to guide, an inability to see the loving hands of God clasping us and holding us tight.

Mary is our role model this advent as she is for all our striving to be a Christian. Leaving fear behind she embraces God’s will, no easy thing, but a life giving and life changing challenge that each of us have when we take our faith seriously.

'It is folly to leave your goods where you can never return, and to send nothing to that place where you must remain for ever.'

2011-12-16T20:49:00.004Z

'It is folly to leave your goods where you can never return, and to send nothing to that place where you must remain for ever.'

Ven. Louis de Granada

I have reflected today upon this quote from the Venerable Louis of Grenada the Dominican saint.

An eternal blessing is attached to life. A direction is taken, a purpose is given, a meaning is bestowed, a goal is pursued, however we see our lives the eternal dimension is at the heart of our striving to be people of faith. We see that what we do, our actions, and what we say, our words, have a significance, in that they are taken up in order to determine the direction our lives are taking since baptism. We are moving towards heaven, bringing about the kingdom here in our own time and place. Our Christian vocation is to understand our lives in relation to the eternal. Our progress to heaven is slower than baby steps taken throughout life! Yet we are heading there.

An undue attachment to things, to what is our own and has been worked for can detract from seeing the importance of the eternal aspect of who we are. You cannot take it with you, the saying shouts out. But we can take with us the attention to divine details in our living; the pursuit of faith, truth, justice, love, kindness, charity, nobility, integrity, harmony, peace, simplicity, humility and hope. These qualities or attitudes are to colour the character of our living. When they do we leave behind the goods we cannot bring with us to eternity and we carry only that which equip us for heaven.

In my prayer today I see that:

The wisdom of travelling light is true of a journey towards another place when that place we are going to contains all we need to sustain us.

Letting go of my attachment to things is an essential aspect of growing deeper in a Christian life only because it leads me to the realisation of the gifted nature of my life.

Only those attitudes that reflect my longing for heaven will be needed for the completion of the journey!

It is folly to leave your goods where you can never return and to send nothing to that place where you must remain forever!

Be my wisdom Lord, my light and my reason, my faith and my intellect, my soul and my spirit, reveal your nearness to me and ease my trembling fears. Dear Christ Our Lord. Amen

Isaiah 45: Apart from me all is nothing

2011-12-14T17:33:00.001Z

Isaiah 45: Apart from me all is nothing

I have been reflecting upon this verse today. It has gone bitterly cold, the wind is blowing across open spaces. I was standing in the open space of a cemetery today. I was wearing my winter coat, the one I bought in the Next Seconds shop a few years ago in Llandudno in November! The wind today was howling through me, it was a bitter winter wind.

Death visits us all, no one is immune from its touch, cold and bitter that it is, no coat of our making can stop deaths chill from making us shiver. In the depth of human grief there is a little part that is nothing, it becomes that way. We find ourselves confronted by this nothingness; stark, bleak, staring at us, revealing itself to us. “Nothing,” it is a dreadful feeling that clings to the wounded soul, one that is bent low by the burden of grief, with is huge weight bearing down.

We speak to our loved one who has passed, or departed or died in whispers, in cries through tears, and no reply comes. We stand in our solitude contemplating the nothing that threatens to overwhelm us. Then a most extraordinary emotion pierces the weight of that nothing and it reminds us of the sacred, the divine, the otherness of our being. Apart from me all is nothing… the Lord insists, breaks into our grief and reminds us of his nature. A timely jolt from heaven convinces us of the uselessness of allowing grief to stay too long in our hearts. Embrace the Lord, investigate his ways, see the nothingness being pushed back by the hope you find in the Lord! He is the “everything” that is our life and in him we find the truth and that sets us free to live life to the full!

Isaiah 45 6-8, 18, 21-25

Apart from me, all is nothing.

I am the Lord, unrivalled,

I form the light and create the dark.

I make good fortune and create calamity,

it is I, the Lord, who do all this.

Send victory like a dew, you heavens,

and let the clouds rain it down.

Let the earth open

for salvation to spring up.

Let deliverance, too, bud forth

which I, the Lord, shall create.

Yes, thus says the Lord,

creator of the heavens,

who is God,

who formed the earth and made it,

who set it firm,

created it no chaos,

but a place to be lived in:

‘I am the Lord, unrivalled:

there is no other god besides me.

A God of integrity and a saviour:

there is none apart from me.

Turn to me and be saved,

all the ends of the earth,

for I am God unrivalled.

‘By my own self I swear it;

what comes from my mouth is truth,

a word irrevocable:

before me every knee shall bend,

by me every tongue shall swear,

saying, “From the Lord alone

come victory and strength.”

To him shall come, ashamed,

all who raged against him.

Victorious and glorious through the Lord shall be

all the descendants of Israel.’

Advent's Cry

2011-12-13T19:13:00.003Z

Advent’s Cry

The advent wreath burns brightly, a holy fire, proclaiming he is coming

Purple flames contrast with a delightful pink, heralding his returning

Urgent the call to straighten the crooked path, to make sure we are ready

Prayerful, waiting, anticipating his imminent arrival, are faith’s feet steady?

A voice cries out in need, in the cold of the harsh winter season of despair

The unseen poor struggling to makes ends meet, plead, do you really care?

What are we waiting for? Christ is already here, he stretches out his hand

His presence is alive, in the tears of little ones, the poor ones of every land

Advent knocks on the door of my comfortable existence, waits for a reply

For me to open up my heart to charity so as to hear the truth of advent's cry

Cone shaped Xmas Trees and Scribble on hotel walls

2011-12-12T09:01:00.001Z

Last week I had a few days in Liverpool to rest and relax and to get battered by gale force winds! Liverpool is a good city to visit, plenty to see and do. Fr B and myself booked a hotel that had opened in June of this year. It was modern one with scribble on the walls for decoration and cone shaped Xmas trees (well I presume it was Christmas but there was nothing attached to the tree to suggest it was!) as decoration for the holiday season. The modern bathroom was well lit but you needed a degree in bathroom physics to work out the shower! It was hot and very hot and the even hotter! Still there was free wi-fi and water in the fridge! The price was good on booking but then the extras all mount up! Supper was a case of build your own meal and pay for each item from bread to side vegetables! Modern décor is a taste thing as is it seems Christmas decorations. It was a case of the “holiday season” and happy holidays rather than any full blown expression of Christmas. The commercial aspect of Christmas is well and truly in full swing in the hotel we stayed in. It is as if people are worried about the message of Christmas and its implications. The stable, the poverty, the simplicity, the well being and welfare of others! It just does not fit into the glitz and the glamour of sparkly consumer Xmas. The message of Christmas is so needed to punctuate the modern preoccupation with self, self, self! The Hope of Christmas is the antidote to the hopelessness of human selfishness. Bring on the stable coming soon to help us stop and pray and renew our hope in God who cares for us and loves us with or without the sparkle!

Sermon Notes: 3rd Sunday of Advent Year B

2011-12-10T09:37:00.001Z

Today we are in the pink as it were! The vestments for today are pink or rose in colour. This is the third Sunday of Advent or “Gaudate” Sunday, a chance to rejoice that the Lord’s coming is near at hand. Being in the pink is a phrase that came originally from fox hunting and the pink jacket worn by the best huntsman but we won’t go there! It has come to mean to be in the best of health, referring to the rosy colour of the cheeks. As Christians today this third Sunday of advent we are to be in the best of health through our trusting in the Lord to come and save or shelter us, as he reveals the nearness of his presence to us.

John the Baptist is confronted today with the question: “Who are you?” by the religious authorities. He had turned a few heads since coming out of the wilderness. John says he is merely a servant, a voice who proclaims another. He is pointing towards the Christ who has come. His voice calls for the people to make themselves ready to welcome the Christ.

John’s is a voice crying in the wilderness. He says prepare for the Lord, straighten out your affairs, be quick about it for he coming soon! The wilderness in spiritual terms may be a retreat we undertake. It may not mean going away for days on end, it may be something we understand each day, a quiet examination of conscience perhaps. It is a place of purification, a place for stepping back and taking a look at our living, examining who we are. John was asked who are you? We too are asked that question when it comes to our faith. How we answer that is very important, who are we? Can we say with John the Baptist that we are merely servants? Or a voice? One that is encouraging, gentle, reassuring, truthful, loving?

This advent a voice cries, prepare for the Lord’s coming, meaning get your house in order, be at peace with yourself, your neighbour and with God too! So as we rush around the shops, emptying the supermarkets of food and goods, snapping up presents and sending out cards, we can ask what are we preparing for? The nativity plays in our schools this past week and this coming week tell the story of Jesus’ birth and this reminds us of what we are truly preparing for during advent!

May this third Sunday of Advent find us in the pink or in the best of health and order when it comes to our faith!

He Shall Come

2011-12-08T18:03:00.001Z

To the misery of all fearful doubt.He shall come to cast that fear out.To the trembling and the wavering heart.He shall come to bring about a new start.To the addicted seeking a little peace.He shall come to instigate their release.To the waiting, to the patient prayerful.He shall come to bestow life to the full.Fr Patrick Brennan 2011

Advent prayer

2011-12-07T09:43:00.001Z

Advent prayer is marked by anticipating the Lord's coming as a tiny infant safe in his mothers arms and as a mighty Saviour who gathers all his people into his arms. Lord,I trust in you, I await your coming again.Come visit me as the weakness of humanity, in the new born infant, reminding me of my frailty.Come and save me with the mighty power of heaven reminding me of my simple faiths certainty.In my waiting for your coming may I be patient, trusting in your constant eternal goodness.Lord, Keep me close to you as I bow my head in this humble prayer. Amen

Blest Advent

2011-12-06T07:47:00.001Z

Blest Advent:We awake now to welcome love's abiding.Trusting, anticipating his second coming.Advent restrains our rising excitement.It sends all our doubting into banishment.Wayward footsteps walk the right road.Repentance lightens our sins heavy load.We adopt a prayerful pose, bringing calm.Knowing the Lord will deliver us from harm.Advent prepares each Christian to receive.Love's invited guest, who will never leave.Fr Patrick Brennan 2011 c

Advent Mass at Cardinal Griffin

2011-12-05T09:38:00.001Z

I have Mass at Cardinal Griffin today at 10 00am. It is an Advent Mass in preparation for Christmas. I am going to contrast two great figures of advent John the Baptist and Mary. I’m a celebrity get me out of here finished at the weekend with Dougie being proclaimed king of the jungle! When the celebrities went into the jungle they went in with pristine hair, make up perfect, when they emerged from the jungle a few weeks later they were looking like they had been dragged though a hedge which in effect they had been! John had been in the wilderness for many years imagine what he must have looked and smelt like too! John emerges from the wilderness a fearsome sight wearing camel skins and eating locusts putting fear into the hearts of his listeners: “Prepare a straight path for the Lord!” he demands repentance because the Lord is coming. He represents the urgency of the advent season.

Then we meet Mary, calm, serene, prayerful, loving and obedient waiting for the Lord with hope in her heart. She represents the hope of all people who wait for the Lord to come into the darkness of the world and lightens the experience of living bringing meaning and hope.

These two figures both point us to Christ who is the reason for our celebrating and the source of our hope.

Sermon Notes: 2nd Sunday Advent Year B

2011-12-03T11:39:00.001Z

A little boy was praying the Our Father, he had been taught at home by his parents and at school by his teacher. He prayed out loud: Our Father who does art in heaven, Harold is your name! Not quite what he had been taught but somehow he is a little like most of us who don’t always reflect what we have been taught. Advent comes around each year at this time and it holds up a stop sign in the form of John the Baptist, that sign says; don’t panic, don’t worry, don’t be frantic, wait patiently and prayerfully for the Lord’s coming and in doing so you will be preparing a way for the Lord. Each year at this time we hear the teaching and yet we can give in to the temptation to immerse ourselves in a consumer driven and material led experience of Christmas.

I was listening to the radio the other morning about the giving of presents to work colleagues and the presenter was highlighting the guilt involved saying that if someone buys you something you must get them one back… guilt kicks in, expense rises! Christmas can become truly miserable for people if all it is about is guilt and giving to get. Christmas is about the Love of God becoming visible in Christ Jesus, it is about the love of God entering the world and bringing hope, it is about the peace of knowing that we are loved by God.

I have a little prayer card that I bring out at this time of year it has the words “The reason for the season is Christ!” it is a reminder to me of the importance of celebrating the truth of this season and advent allows us to time to stop and really reflect upon what is important.

I love Christmas, I enjoy giving and receiving gifts, I like getting cards, I love the feasting and I enjoy the whole thing because at the heart of all the celebrating is the coming of the Christ. Advent is a reminder to put Christ at the very heart of all the preparation. John the Baptist today, the fulfilment of the prophecies from Isaiah, cuts a fearsome figure, one that makes us feel uncomfortable and one that stops us in our very footsteps so that we can look down and make sure we are taking the right path, one that leads to the foot of the stable this Christmas.

The Advent of Calm

2011-12-02T19:22:00.001Z

The Advent of Calm

Slow down amidst this madness of the Christmas rush

Calm the fretting of the worrying soul, bring it to a hush

Cease the clatter of the clamour for presents to delight

Soothe the damp brow determined to make it just right

Quieten the aching for that “perfect” Xmas experience

Gentle is our advent season that seeks the divine sense

You cannot buy what God has gifted and given for free

Christmas is the revelation of God's love for you and me

Are you Happy?

2011-12-01T19:38:00.001Z

Last weekend the parish underwent a visitation from the diocese. The Stafford Deanery is being visited. Each parish of the deanery will be visited from now until the end of March. Our parish was the first to be visited. Bishop McGough stayed the weekend presiding and preaching at all the Masses. He met the people and had interviews with our two deacons and myself as Parish Priest. It was designed to be affirming and encouraging. The bishop asked me various questions, one struck me as an opportunity for further investigation and reflection on the blog! The question that intrigued me was: The bishop asked me: “Are you happy?”

On the news today an item about happiness was aired.

The key finding was:

• 76% of adults in Great Britain rated their own life satisfaction, with a score of 7 or more out of 10. Similar proportions also rated the things that they do in life as worthwhile and their happiness over the previous day at 7 or more out of 10. 4,000 people took part in the survey. It sparked debates on the talk radio formula radio shows. The conclusion seemed to be that we have much to be thankful for, much to attribute to happiness, when we think of others less fortunate than we are!

What is happiness? The dictionary says it is the quality or state of being happy, good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy. I suppose as a noun it describes parts of the day or the week or the year or the lifetime of most people’s experience on earth! There are moments, some prolonged, of happiness in life that is revealed as life is lived. It is not a permanent state of being that exudes to others and radiates to those we meet. It is not an inane smile attached to the face no matter what happens, good or bad.

Happiness is a statement of well being, an understanding that all is well, as St Julian of Norwich, that English mystic and saint once said "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”

Happiness for me these days relates to the scripture; to night prayer; to a psalm of trust and confidence in the goodness of God. Each year I would go to Caldey Island, just off Tenby in South Wales and would have the great joy of standing at the back of the church and listen to night prayer being sung by the monks. That was a very happy time! It was the first time I heard that very question I was asked by the bishop at the weekend, “What can bring us happiness many say!” The psalmist cries and then the next line responds “Lift up the light of your face on us oh Lord!” That sticks in my mind and it comes to the front of it every now and again. What brings us happiness? For me and countless others it is the face of the Lord shining upon us, the goodness of God revealed in Christ Jesus the Lord!

Happiness is being content in the Lord’s presence, being joyful in his company! Am I happy? Yes I am happy for the Lord lifts up his face towards me. As I listen to Night prayer being sung on my computer, I recall with great fondness the gift of happiness that I have found in the company of the Lord!

Psalm 4

When I call, answer me, O God of justice;
from anguish you released me, have mercy and hear me!
O men, how long will your hearts be closed,
will you love what is futile and seek what is false?
It is the Lord who grants favours to those whom he loves;
the Lord hears me whenever I call him.
Fear him; do not sin: ponder on your bed and be still.
Make justice your sacrifice and trust in the Lord.
“What can bring us happiness many say.
Lift up the light of your face on us, O Lord.
You have put into my heart a greater joy
than they have from abundance of corn and new wine.
I will lie down in peace and sleep comes at once
for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

The Grave

2011-11-29T10:21:00.001Z

The Grave

Why do you lie under there?
Out of my reach, beyond my care
Returning to the dust through which you were made
My heart has been broken, since here you were laid

Why do you lie under there?
In decay, in death's fatal snare
A terrible silence fills my brittle, battered emotions
My strength is sapped, I wade in grief’s deep oceans

Why do you lie under there?
Gone from my sight, all so unfair
Tearfully I remember so as to cling to what I have lost
The price of friendship bonds paid by separations cost

Why do you lie under there?
My intense raw pain is laid bare
Waking hours fill me with sadness, my sleep is so restless
I struggle to understand why, for it is just all so senseless

Why do you lie under there?
I stand above with a mournful stare
Paralysed by my selfish fears unable to let you fly free
Indulging in the grieving, revelling in feeling sorry for me

Suddenly my eyes open, my senses awaken
You do not lie there, your soul has been taken
You exist in the gentle whisper of every joyful conversation
I carry your memory in the reverence of prayerful contemplation

Fr Patrick Brennan © 2011

O Come, O Come Emmanuel!

2011-11-26T11:47:00.001Z

O Come O Come Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

My Favourite Advent Hymn!

2011-11-26T11:44:00.001Z

Advent

2011-11-24T08:44:00.001Z

Advent

At the hinterland of this fast disappearing year
There is an advancing wasteland of growing fear
Am I ready to stand before my awesome maker
To give an account of how I thank my creator
At disconcerting speed, life's sands slip away
Am I any nearer to be ready for a heavenly day?
The shrill cry of Advent pierces this cold crisp air
Make the heart ready, straighten the way, prepare!
What is past, is gone, slipped through ageing fingers
Yet unpleasant regret an unwelcome guest lingers
Cast it off do not hesitate, for the Christ is coming
Be at peace, fervent in prayer awaiting his returning
Lilac is the expectant mood of an advent anticipation
The Baptist brings a dire warning for our meditation
Now is the time to repent, to turn away from our sin
To change our living, allow the good Lord to enter in
Behold the face of Mary, the mother, a faithful servant
Serenely she brings us to adoration of the divine infant
Advent leads us to genuflect at the Christmas stable
To worship at the crib resting on each Christian's table
Seeking humility, embracing simplicity, spiritual poverty
So as to guide us to eternity, the fruition of life's journey

Fr Patrick Brennan © 2011

November

2011-11-22T18:09:00.001Z

November

November is covered in a shroud of mist and shadow
Sacred memories of blessed loved ones begin to flow

Recalling this month the souls of these dear departed
Who have left this mortal earth a new journey started
Devout prayers are lovingly offered on bended knees
Eyes are moist with trustful hope, as our worries ease
For the souls of the faithful are in God's strong hands
No torment touches them our faithfulness understands

Fr Patrick Brennan © 2011

Sermon Notes: Christ the King

2011-11-19T09:19:00.001Z

In Tolkien’s Lord of the Ring books he tells the tale of a fight between good and evil, and of a kingdom and a king returning to the throne. Aragorn the good hero, with wonderful virtues becomes the king of Gondor at the end and peace is restored to its kingdom. The qualities of the king are service, one who would sacrifice himself for his people, loyalty, truth and love for his people who he is one of. The hobbits have played a great role in destroying the evil ring and returning Aragorn to the throne in the film he bows down before them in an act of humility, demonstrating the quality of his kingship. It is a work of fiction but Tolkien was a Catholic and the king in mind was modelled on Christ “the” King.

The qualities of kingship are explored in the scripture today. Today’s gospel is a little like a job description for one who would be king.

Firstly the king is a good shepherd, one who cares for his sheep, who seeks out the lost and straying ones, who bandages the wounded, who heals the sick, the champion of the weak and poor. The good shepherd is loved by his sheep who rely upon him for life.

Then the quality of kingship is further developed in the gospel.

Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'

The King invites those who adopt the qualities they see in the “Good Shepherd King” to share in the joy of the Kingdom. This invitation is extended to all those who in life attend to the needs of those who have no voice, no comfort, who are poor and in genuine need. Sharing in the work of the King is a vital component part in the make up of any Christian worth his or her salt!

Our King that we celebrate today says, “do this in memory of me”: He healed the sick, took pity on the poor, bandaged the wounded, fed the hungry, showed compassion in all his words, gave hope to the desperate, he stretched out his arms on the cross and forgave his killers, destroyed death forever and opened the way to heaven! This King invites us imitate him as we live and when we fall short of this, he himself picks us back up again in the Mass, in the sacraments, and he dusts us down and wills us to carry on.

Christ is our King! May we rejoice in having so wonderful a Saviour!

Psalm 139

2011-11-17T20:17:00.001Z

Psalm 139

The darkness is creeping silently towards me extinguishing the day

Changing the shapes of the familiar landscape, bathing it in shadow

Creating dark monsters that menace my imagination in a fearful way

Shuffling up behind me, startling me, unsettling me, this unseen foe

Then I remember the ancient psalmist writing his words so long ago

Lord you search me, you know me, you watch me from near and far

Each of my moments you hold in great care, guiding me where I go

I need have no fear of dark nights, for wherever I am, there you are!

Pilgrims

2011-11-15T17:54:00.001Z

The new translation of the Mass is bedding itself into my consciousness . Less and less am I blurting out the old words. I am enjoying the often poetic nature of the new prayers and have got my head around some of the more rambling ones too! The last two lines of the closing prayer for the feast of All Saints was particularly beautiful, it read...

“As we adore you, O God, who alone are holy and wonderful in all your saints, we implore your grace, so that, coming to perfect holiness in the fullness of your love, we may pass from this pilgrim table to the banquet of our heavenly homeland. Through Christ our Lord.”

The nature of our life of faith as a journey and a moving from one place to another is highlighted. It deepens are understanding of the grace of God. As pilgrims we are co operating with God’s grace freely bestowed in the sacraments, in the Words of scripture. This grace increases our willingness to listen to God’s calming, reassuring voice and be guided by the commands we discover there. As a pilgrim I have a responsibility to insure that progress towards journeys end is made. I interact with other pilgrims and I share an experience of faith and of hope. My pilgrimage will end and I pray for an anticipation of a heavenly banquet.

The church year is rapidly coming to an end, the pace of this year that is leaving has been incredibly quick! The year is in a hurry to finish! In the shops the Christmas big sell is well and truly in overdrive! Despite the economic woes the consumer machine is marching forward and how! It is easy to get taken up in the flow of it all. Stopping and reflecting is a good idea at this time. Making a list of priorities can be beneficial in making the most of the next few weeks leading up to the end of the calendar year. What is important to us as pilgrims journeying towards that heavenly banquet?

Prayer:

Thirsting for justice, joy for life, making the most of the gift of life that we are blest with, looking for the good.

Mass:

Reaffirming the sacrifice of Christ, the love that overwhelms all things even death. Living as people of hope who adore, praise and thank God for his loving kindness.

Confession:

Confirming the influence of compassion and forgiveness on our daily actions

Family:

How are we being a pilgrim in our relationships to others, fairness gentleness, forbearance, joy!

In all these important areas of life we can strive to be pilgrims who are: Seeing with the eyes of faith, listening with the spirit of hope and acting through the grace of love.

As the year attempts to race away from me, may I be reflective and aware of your guiding hand and presence O Lord.

Loving Words

2011-11-15T08:21:00.001Z

Loving Words

Loving words lighten up the shadowy places

On the deep contours of expressionless faces

A broad smile banishes each furrowed frown

A whisper of care turns the world upside down

Kindness eases the burden of our life’s journey

A helping hand lifts the wearied soul to eternity

The Sands of Time

2011-11-13T19:11:00.001Z

The Sands of Time

This precious love slips away, all to quickly
Gone in a heartbeat, passed away, quietly
Silence is left, a gaping void with no sound
Until painfully, my hope has all but drowned
Vanished from my sight, frail flesh and blood
Emptiness overwhelms me, tears fall as a flood

Mute are my fragile senses, numb is my heart
Wounded in this very moment, as now we part
Heavy my brokenness, my spirit all too weary
Alone with my haunting thoughts for company
Grief has visited my aching bones, invaded me
It unpacks, makes itself at home, taunting me

A few words reach my soul, so I raise my head
I recall my faith in the resurrection of the dead
Minutes fly by, turning into hours, days, years
Easing the pain of loss, it gradually disappears
Life is short, the sands of time flow with speed
Hope quickens by each of Christ’s words I heed

Fr Patrick Brennan © 2011

Remembrance

2011-11-12T21:43:00.001Z

For The Fallen

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Laurence Binyon (1869-1943),

Sermon Notes 33rd Sunday year A

2011-11-12T09:36:00.001Z

Did you do your best? If you did there is nothing more to say!

Often in life we know ourselves if we have given of our best or done as much as we can. This can relate to every aspect of our living. Have we tried our best in our work, our relationships, our family, in the circumstances we find ourselves in? Often we can come to the conclusion that we can try a little harder, we can do more to give of ourselves. The gospel parable today highlights this quality of the giving of our best to every given task we have.

As the season of advent approaches and we come to end of another liturgical year we realise that life is shorter than we once thought it may be! The end of the church year is a chance to stop in our tracks, to pause, to reflect upon whether we are giving our best to our living, to our faith too. Each day there is an opportunity to deepen our faith; we can begin the day with prayer, pray during the day, show a good example, talk to the Lord, be concerned for our neighbour, come to Mass when we can, these are some of the ways of giving our best to our faith, when we don’t do these what do we replace them with what do we give to our time instead.

Prayer does not inconvenience our lifestyle and if it does then what kind of lifestyle are we embracing. If we just can’t be bothered to get more involved in prayer, in our parish, in serving God then are we giving of our best?

St Therese said do little things with great love. It is good advice. St Paul tells us today that we do not know the time or the hour so live as children of the day. Again good advice. The gospel tells us that our giving of our best will allow us to share in the Fathers joy. The scripture today is full of good advice let us not let it pass us by but heed the advice we hear!

The souls of the just

2011-11-08T18:24:00.001Z

1 Wis 2:23:3:9

God formed man to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made them.
But by the envy of the Devil, death entered the world,
and they who are in his possession experience it.
But the souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
They shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect.

Today’s first reading at Mass is a very familiar one to me. I often point it out to those who come to see me arranging the funeral of a loved one. I love to hear it read and proclaimed in church. It encapsulates our hope for heaven. It tugs at the pangs of the desire that the soul has to be with God. It consoles those left behind that hope is not dead and with hope you can carry on. I may not have reached the status of the just when I die but I have hope that I am heading in the right direction. I hope that the words of Christ that find a home in me have led me to fount of grace and forgiveness.

It is a powerful reading, a spiritual kick in the teeth to the can I have “I did it my way” brigade. I did it my way is not wanted for my funeral! That song is such a sad commentary on the foolishness and stubbornness of the human heart, that fickle thing! It is a testimony to “he” (whoever he or she may be!) who chose to do what he wanted and that mantra he wore on his sleeve! If that is what floats your boat them by all means go ahead, I am not judging here, just pointing out another way! There are those who do not live by any religious faith and You can have do it your way at your funeral by all means, but If I am a man of faith then I want to hear I did it “his” way... his being the Lord!

But the souls of the just are in the hands of God! They are at peace. This is such a beautiful, comforting passage of scripture. Grace and mercy await those who abide in his love. What a perfect expression of the hope that resides in the hearts of all who choose the name Christian! To be wrapped up in his love, abiding with him, imbued with his grace and mercy what a prospect and what joy awaits!

Vocation: What about us?

2011-11-07T20:11:00.000Z

Vocation: What about us?

Matthew 19:27-30

Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.

Peter has just heard Jesus talking about the difficulty of the rich getting into heaven... easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle...Peter feels he has given up much in his following of Jesus, so what is in it for him? I love Peter’s honesty! No other disciple would have voiced these words in such a blunt way! These words of Peter come from his heart. Peter knows instinctively that following Jesus will bring him good things. But there is a sacrifice involved. His world will never be the same, there is joy and life in the words of Jesus but these words offer a hard life too. It is quite exhausting leaving behind his home comforts, all things familiar, his life as a fisherman, simple family life. Where was it all leading? What was the cost of discipleship? The journey towards Jesus’ words are the reality for Peter! It is a journey of struggle, of weakness, of denial, of sacrifice, of hardship, of death and of reward. The only certainty is the love that Jesus has for Peter, the journey for Peter and all of us I suppose is discovering just how much we are loved. In finding out just how life giving these words of Jesus really are! For Peter, he begins to understand that the Journey is important, for it leads to the life he seeks.

As a priest I seek to take part in the journey of discovery. I seek to understand what it is that I gave up and what it is I have gained by doing so. I seek to understand why I am still on the journey and what sustains me and keeps me involved in the journey. I know that being faithful to my calling will bring a reward but I am not pursuing that reward, for everything I have in life is a gift from God, rather I am journeying to understand how much I am loved by Christ!

The sacrifice of a priestly vocation takes effect in the pursuit not of my own ambition and fulfilment but in the giving over of myself to Christ. What do I want in the giving of myself to Christ? That is the question that keeps and sustains my priesthood, I want to be in heaven, I want to be where Christ is.

The journey is important as the goal! I hope to get to heaven by engaging in the journey! What I seek by being on the journey of vocation is discovering the love of Christ and his life giving words!

As first light breaks...

2011-11-07T10:32:00.004Z

As first light breaks...

In the early morning as the first light breaks
I whisper a grateful prayer as my soul awakes
The sanctuary of the half lit church beckons
I kneel in adoration for a precious few seconds
Brushing the floor in a genuine act of devotion
I acknowledge the Lord in a simple genuflection
Prayers flow from my heart, each word is meant
Praising the Father for the great Son he has sent
My spirit fills with love, it overflows with sheer joy
Guard my words, guide my actions, I say with a cry
Shelter me O Lord under your outstretched wings
Refresh me, help me to face all this new day brings

Sunday Gathering

2011-11-06T10:14:00.004Z

Sunday Gathering

A shiver runs through me this Sunday morning

The fog is thick, the air is murky, slightly smoking

The noises of the bonfire revelry is now silenced

Exploding fireworks from gentle skies are vanished

All is now quietness, a wonderful calm greets the day

A November wind blows, creating a bustling grey

Then I open the huge church door and enter on in

I acknowledge the Father present to his creation

Leaves adorn the ground, fallen from swaying trees

Worship begins with returning pilgrims on their knees

Faithfully they come to gather in communal prayer

Joyfully acclaiming the presence of God who is there

Fortified by an encounter with their divine creator

They are grateful for the conversation with their maker

Peace is given, a simple handshake, a nod of the head

Nourishment is taken, God's body once in a form of bread

God’s word is spoken, discerning ears welcomes its sound

Until dismissed to serve, glad of the fulfilment they found

Sermon Notes: 32nd Sunday Year A Ordinary Time

2011-11-05T11:27:00.002Z

Our readings today present to us the reality that life is eternal and here in our lives on earth the preparation takes place for that eternal life.

Our faith is close to us for it is a part of our make up as baptised Christians. But through weakness and the distractions of life that faith can be pushed to the background of our living rather than be the motivating principle and goal of our lives.

Pope John XX111 said once that now the spring had come his bags were packed and he was ready for heaven (Home). A preparation for eternal life may be a little like packing the bags ready for eternity. There is an importance on our journey of life of travelling light with just the essentials being packed. Those essentials include loving God, generosity, compassion, forgiveness, kindliness, wisdom, faith, hope and love. The readings encourage us today to think about what we are doing in our preparing for heaven. The first reading applauds our pursuit of wisdom seeking meaning and hope in faith. The second reading tells us not to lose hope in the face of death, for God’s love continues through the grave and overcomes death.

This Gospel develops the theme of preparation and tells us of the wise and foolish bridesmaids. Scholars tell us that the parable is referring to the end of time and it makes interesting reading. Oil is needed to keep the lamp alight, our journey of faith involves the slow burning oils of faith hope and love our internal lamps are to be filled with the oil that comes from our faith in God.

Let your lamp burn brightly on the slow burning oils of faith, hope and love, for all to see.

Our lives do have eternal consequences. The maidens couldn’t borrow any more oil at the end of the parable. Such would be like dying and turning to someone and saying “lend me some of your lifetime… lend me some of the good things you did, give me some oil from your lamp.” The responsibility is ours for making sure that we are keeping our lamps alight by providing the oils of faith, hope and love as we live.

C S Lewis in his book the problem of pain sums up the nature of our choices as Christians when he says

“All your life an unattainable ecstasy has hovered just beyond the grasp of your consciousness. The day is coming when you will wake to find, beyond hope, that you have attained it, or else that it was within your reach and you have lost it forever.”

We have a life that can pass us by at an alarmingly quick rate. We can stop and think where have the years gone? Now is the time to pack our bags for it is close to the spring for all of us. Now is the time to focus upon faith and what lasts to eternity and will stand us in good stead when we meet our Saviour face to face.

This Eucharist we share is an anticipation of heaven as our lives are to be an anticipation of heaven too! Let us not let any more time slip away without us packing our spiritual bags for heavens journey

Cardinal Griffin RC High School Cannock 50th Anniversary Mass

2011-11-04T15:12:00.001Z

I am awake! Just listening intently to the Archbishops homily. It was a wonderful celebration. Well done to all who worked hard and made the occasion so uplifting.

My Love

2011-11-03T18:43:00.003Z

My Love

The finger of death’s icy touch takes the one I love, leaving this empty sorrowing soul behind

Sadness wraps it’s all consuming weight around my aging bones with an enthusiasm so unkind

Ancient fears surface, tearing away at my fragile faith, a terrible invader, a gruesome thief

Until comforted by heavens spoken words, I dare to raise a bowed head, eternal hope pierces this thick skin of my murky grief

Tears fall in abundance, flooding my precious memory, recalling my lost love whose presence is with me still

For I will always love you, my love, I always have and now I know that I always will.

November the month for renewed hope!

2011-11-02T20:02:00.003Z

November the month for renewed hope!

The month of November is dedicated to praying for the dead. Today is the commemoration of the faithful departed. Mass is not sombre and the prayers not futile! The theme is resurrection and the longing for eternal life. The mood is hopeful. Pope Benedict spoke movingly about the theology of today’s commemoration.

“Dear Brothers and Sisters, today, the day after the Solemnity of All Saints, the Church invites us to pray for the faithful departed. This yearly commemoration, often marked by visits to the cemetery, is an occasion to ponder the mystery of death and to renew our faith in the promise of eternal life held out to us by Christ’s resurrection. As human beings, we have a natural fear of death and we rebel against its apparent finality. Faith teaches us that the fear of death is lightened by a great hope, the hope of eternity, which gives our lives their fullest meaning. The God who is love offers us the promise of eternal life through the death and resurrection of his Son. In Christ, death no longer appears as an abyss of emptiness, but rather a path to life which will never end. Christ is the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in him will never die. Each Sunday, in reciting the Creed, we reaffirm our faith in this mystery. As we remember our dear departed ones, united with them in the communion of the saints, may our faith inspire us to follow Christ more closely and to work in this world to build a future of hope.”

There is a wonderful comforting in hope that wraps its influence around our weariness and brings us a lasting peace. Hope is the measure of my living; it is the ability to trust despite not knowing. Hope is the essential ingredient in the recipe of life. Hope is the guide in managing life’s winding twisting road. If I am without love I can get along, grumpy as I may well become. But if I am without hope then I am truly rudderless and drifting towards nothingness.

Renewing hope is at the heart of the significance of November and its emphasis on praying for the dead. Hope is the thread running through my thoughts, my prayers, my trusting in the goodness of God to save, the thread that holds me together! I may not see the way ahead, it may be fraught with dangers, uncertainty but as long as I have hope then my faith allows me to see the way forward and take each step with confident abandon!

Priesthood: The struggle

2011-10-31T13:48:00.004Z

Priesthood: The struggle

I went to a priest’s funeral reception and Mass yesterday evening. The priest had been in my year at seminary, he is the first of the year to die. There was an honest appraisal given of the struggle of the priesthood experienced by the priest, who had died, in a lovely homily preached by the dean of Wolverhampton Fr Carrick. The priest was only 59 when he died and it was such a shame, as he had struggled with his demons during his ministry. Despite weakness and struggle, he was loved and he inspired others. Often despite weakness and flaws that assail a priest, the Lord is able to touch the lives of others. In weakness and exposed humanity, a soul laid bare can still be a grace for others on their journey to the Lord. The Mass for me was a sad occasion as I reflected upon my inability to have made a difference to this man’s struggle. But it was also hopeful as I listened to words describing the care and love both given and received by Fr Brendan. Eternal rest grant unto Fr Brendan O Lord. May he now be at rest and finally find peace. Amen

I reflect today upon the phrase chosen to describe the ministry of my deceased brother priest. He was engaged in the “Struggle of the Priesthood.” There is the reality of priesthood that includes the weaknesses of the man, the flaws of character, the failings. These realities live in tension with the struggle for holiness, for patience, for understanding, for sensitivity, for compassion and for the ideal of the priest, who is set apart from others to be an example. Living up to the ideal of the calling to priesthood is a struggle indeed.

When weaknesses are laid bare a number of reactions can be seen by parishioners, by friends, by family, a sense of support can envelope the priest, a covering of compassion, of prayer too can be extended to the priest. Others may not be so understanding and a harshness of criticism can further wound a damaged soul.

I feel the security of the priesthood rests in my relationship with Christ. This means being honest about my limits, my weakness, my sins. It involves celebrating my gifts and my skills as a priest. It means allowing praise not to inflate my pride and yet to accept praise for what it is, an encouragement and an affirmation. My security comes when I know that I am not going to please everyone or change the world for the better! It involves not despairing but remaining hopeful. It involves trusting in God and abandoning my fate, my will to his providence. Through the Mass and the sacraments, Christ touches his people, his grace abounds, despite my failings or great achievements as a priest.

The priesthood is a great life, it truly has its rewards and its joys. There is a sense of fulfilment and it brings happiness. These attributes come as brief interludes of the light of clarity amidst the darkness of the uncertainties of the struggles of living up to the calling of priesthood. Being real about the priesthood means to be realistic about my humanity.

The struggle is in the abandoning of who I am to Christ, this takes more years than I will be given to live here on earth! Prayers for all the holy Souls during November are timely, please pray for your priests who have died, as prayer is that wonderful covering of grace that carries us along to eternity.

Sermon Notes: 31st Sunday Ordinary Time Year A

2011-10-29T11:31:00.001+01:00

With baptism comes the responsibility of embracing and engaging in the life of a Christian. It comes with the proviso of attempting to live a life to help build up the body of Christ. A person who comes for baptism is anointed with the oil of Chrism; as a priest and prophet and a king; this symbolises the membership of the Body of Christ. As a member of the body of Christ, each has a part to play in preserving the integrity of the Body of Christ. What we do as baptised Christians is important therefore. Belonging to the body of Christ as a baptised person is not just hanging on but taking part.

The words we say and the actions we do are important, as they ought to flow from the same source. Yet often we fail to live up to the responsibilities we are given at baptism. Living up to Christ is difficult for sinful human beings!

Trying our best is good, we can try to live up to our baptism calling. We know that we can fall short of giving a good example. In fact at times we give a bad example. As a member of the body of Christ we know that when we fall we are loved by God, loved so much that we can be forgiven. Our faith in Christ allows us the grace of picking ourselves up when we fall and dusting ourselves down. This helps us to be renewed through the sacrament of confession and strengthened by a resolve to try again to be the person Christ wants us to be and a valued member of the body of Christ.

The gospel gives us a good indication of our status as Christians. If we want to know are we being good and true to our faith then we can ask are we being humble? Are we listening to Christ who says the greatest among you must be a servant? To be a good servant of God’s word and be faithful to our calling at baptism means to back up or words with our actions. When we cannot through weakness and sin then we are to acknowledge our need to confess and receive the grace of forgiveness.

We are baptised, we have a part to play in the church, in the Body of Christ. Have we begun to realise this yet? For many families today baptism is nothing more than an excuse for a party! This is a shame as the life given at baptism is rich and fulfilling. As members of Christ’s body we have a duty to bring back the lapsed and pray for those who do not practise their faith. We do this best when our words and our actions flow from the same source which is our love for Christ and his love for us. When our words and actions conflict then we are to seek confession.

CJM Music

2011-10-25T19:40:00.000+01:00

Why not visit their website and find out more! http://www.cjmmusic.com/

Love, came to birth

2011-10-25T10:58:00.003+01:00

Love, came to birth

A silent gift was granted to the earth

God’s Loving Word, he came to birth

So softly, drifting to the frozen ground

Gently bringing a most welcome sound

The goodness of the Lord was expressed

His forgiving nature was greatly confessed

All praise to God, our most Loving Father

Who in his mercy, sent so great a Saviour!

The view from the church this morning

2011-10-23T09:13:00.003+01:00

Before the 8 am Mass this morning I took a photograph with my Ipad.

The sky above with the sun waking, was a prelude to the great prayer of the Mass. All revealing the amazing grace of God's handiwork!

Lord God, I thank you the beauty of your creation
Glorious, magnificent, an echo of the Incarnation
Keep me this day, mindful of your loving presence
Help my days prayer to rise before you like incense!

Fr Patrick Brennan © 2011

Sermon Notes: 30th Sunday Ordinary Time Year A

2011-10-22T11:09:00.001+01:00

I am not sure about you but for me the 24 hour news channels are becoming increasing graphic and sensationalist. The minute by minute coverage of the evictions at Dale Farm were interrupted by the news of the capture and death of Gaddafi. They showed a gruesome video and pictures of the dieing and dead dictator. Not once but over and again as the day went by and more and more graphic and gruesome, all unnecessary. There seems to be no sensitivity to decency, just a fight for ratings. It can make you feel sad about the world which is still in effect a savage place, with cruelty, hunger, anger, murder, hatred, and all kinds of atrocities, all heaped upon our neighbours. The more cruel, the bigger the ratings; the more the bad news, the more papers are sold.

Jesus in the gospel tells the people of the bedrock of all the commandments: Love God and love your neighbour! People go on searches throughout life for the meaning of life and come up with one theory or another but the fundamental principle of life is to love God and love neighbour. If you do both you can’t go far wrong. Jesus stresses this seemingly simple point and yet it is so important.

We are still not loving our neighbours, still not loving God! Our world is a very bleak and frightening place. It needs Jesus, it needs his words! If Christianity is fading away as some would have us believe, is it because people want the freedom to not like their neighbour? Or to justify hatred or to embrace prejudice and disharmony.

The message of Christ is as relevant today as it always has been. The world needs to be reminded of the importance of loving neighbour, of loving God. We as heralds of Jesus’ message should never tire of preaching and proclaiming this message, both by our words and the example we give!

My Miracle of Living

2011-10-21T15:41:00.002+01:00

My Miracle of Living

My aching body begins to grow weaker

Tiring eyes visibly start to grow older

Yet my wounded heart becomes wiser

Causing my loving soul to grow fonder

My joyful spirit it becomes more tender

Steadily ageing is such a testing process

But it is no true measure of our success

Years are gone by in the blink of an eye

The past days are just a memories sigh

I am happier when my pride is emptying

Peaceful, when my will I’m surrendering

Fulfilled by each breath to God I’m giving

Such is the mysterious miracle of my living!

God’s Mother

2011-10-20T20:53:00.001+01:00

God’s Mother

Protecting arms in a welcome extending

Providing, with selfless love possessing

A natural generous spirit brings nurturing

Honing a heightened sense of due caring

Pure stillness, enduring image of holiness

An eternal prospect of heavens closeness

Timeless, a study of devotional faithfulness

Perfect reflection of contented peacefulness

None more deserving of praise, not one other

“The” attentive servant, she is God’s Mother

Vocation to the priesthood: More thoughts!

2011-10-19T11:15:00.003+01:00

Vocation to the priesthood: More thoughts!

"To be a priest is to be a man of God.
It is to lead people in the vision
of transforming the world
according to the mind of Jesus Christ."

I often reflect that the priesthood is a calling. That calling may have been a bolt from the blue, a Damascus experience if you like. Or the call may have gradually become an influence, through a constant and gentle whispering. I would say that I was not a “Man of God” when I first discovered the prompting of the Holy Spirit, coaxing my thoughts towards a life of service in the priesthood. I was going about my business of working, within the context of a family, growing up in inner city working class, Birmingham. I was not holy, not special, not unique! I am and always have been ordinary. What enabled me to respond to the call was I adopted an openness, an attitude of listening, one that led to exploring, investigating, searching and above all co operating in an innocent way with the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I found myself saying a tentative “ok” at each turn that it took, to each place that it led! The “ok” turned into a “Yes!” when a formal interview was undertaken. The “yes” led to a surrendering of control over my future. I resisted the surrendering bit for many years of formation! I remember our rector Mgr Michael Kirkham telling us, that seminary life was like being pebbles on a beach. All the rough edges are smoothed out until the pebbles seem to flow together in perfect harmony! I found that process rather painful as being natural stubborn and sceptical it took much smoothing out! I am not quite a pebble yet and I suspect I won’t be well into eternity!

The process of becoming a “Man of God” is a life time’s struggle. Prayer is a joy that becomes a loving conversation. Prayer is a breathing in and out. Prayer is the very essence of attaching my life and will to the Lord. I can only convince others of Christ if I am convinced myself! There are struggles in being a priest, there are pitfalls of vanity and false praise; there is criticism and ridicule from within and without of the Catholic community; there is the reality of tiredness and losing focus, of becoming uninspired and wading through the motions; there is the days when you feel like walking away, there are bad days. Yet there are more good days, of joy in service; of a word of thanks offered; the privilege of the Mass; the sacraments; the hand extended by those who share the journey; the consoling hug; the motivating friendships; the miracle of God’s grace; the fulfilment of knowing who I am and where I am going; the good days are good days indeed!

The more I understand surrendering to God, the more I am effective in his service!

2011-10-19T08:45:00.004+01:00

A New Morn

This day arrives with a sleepy yawn

A brand new start, a fresh new morn

It soon changes pace as a telephone rings

Interrupting the waking ritual, work begins

Prayers are said in thanksgiving and praise

For God to be with me during all of my days

As the hours pass by Lord, keep my heart true

So that as this day ends may I have glorified you

Hillsborough

2011-10-18T20:04:00.002+01:00

Hillsborough

A trembling parliament

To the chamber is sent

It sits down in a straight line

Fortified by good food and wine

It crouches down in a huddle

A mess to unravel, to un-muddle

Divisions are put to one side

For there is no place to hide

As these words are brought to bear

By petition and by insistent prayer

Blue is blurred by angry red

Debating the Hillsborough dead

A wrong disturbs a civilised nation

A need for answers, for information

Confronted by the fragility of honesty

A theatre of debate sheds its modesty

Expressing opinions, of this outrage

Another atrocity on history’s page

Until dumbstruck, becoming silent

A strong message needs to be sent

They must listen to the grieving voices

Of loved ones wiped out by unwise choices

A duty of uncovering what they tried to forget

And swept under histories dusty murky carpet

Justice crushed under the weight of passing years

Needs to be embraced to help ease all our fears

Speak the truth for the lamenting souls of the dead

For the dignity & honour of the Mersey blue and Red

Autumn roars back!

2011-10-17T21:44:00.000+01:00

Autumn roars back!

The windy skies are beset with a constant rainfall

Autumn roars back, delivering its quivering squall

Wet under my foot the soaking ground gives way

The darkness wraps a shawl around the dying day

A distant memory now, an idyllic summer evening

A gloomy haze descends, for a season I am grieving

Grace filled moments

2011-10-17T09:05:00.000+01:00

A wonderful rising sun yesterday morning turned the clouds and the sky a deep red with orange tints! It was a treat for my waking eyes! It enabled me to stop, to become still just for a minute or two and take in the magnificence of God’s creation.

A little while earlier it had been dark as I woke up still with a sore throat and blocked up ears! It was still dark when I made my way to open the church for the 8 am Mass. It was about 7 25 am when the sun appeared out in the horizon. I forgot my aches brought on by the cold that have attached itself to me for the last week or so! For a brief moment I was able to be thankful in spirit for that moment of grace.

A slumbering Sunday Mass of people missed the beauty of the moment! It reminded me that there are many wonderful things of beauty, gifted by God that I miss or that I take for granted. There are so many grace filled moments in my day and my week that I miss out on. I pray that I allow myself to be aware that God is with me on my journey through life, revealing his glory in the world I inhabit. His grace filled moments are displayed in abundance, close to me, near to me as long as I am alive to the possibility, to the potential, to the gift that is God’s Grace!

Sermon Notes 29th Sunday Year A

2011-10-15T10:57:00.002+01:00

Our coins have the face of the queen on them. It reminds us of her sovereign rule over us. We don’t pay much attention to the coins, we use them to purchase goods and they make a hole in the pocket if you store them there!

Money is a necessary part of living, it is needed to keep our lives in some kind of order, we don’t love money but we do see it as a part of life. The love of money can obscure the task of living unselfishly. We are to be on our guard that the love and pursuit of wealth does not consume us.

There is an importance in parish life of thinking about the mission we are engaged in and tempering it with the necessary maintenance. If we neglected the fabric of the building we would end up with no electricity, or a building half falling down. For example, the painting of the church going on at the moment is about maintaining the fabric of the building so that we can respond to our mission to help the poor and needy and bring about the kingdom of God. If our church building collapse so does our mission. That is why I ask you to be generous in your support of the parish fund raising efforts and collections. It is costly to paint the church but it would be foolish not to maintain it and care for it in this way.

Jesus is confronted with a question today in the gospel, the Pharisees try to trip him up by accusing him of being a subversive. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the occupying power or not? Whichever answer he gives will get him in trouble either with the secular or religious authorities. Jesus turns the question around and challenges the Pharisees to see the hypocrisy of their own words. Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar… to God what belongs to God. A brilliant answer!

We are made in the image and likeness of God. We belong to God, we are his people. He calls us to life, he calls us to a life dedicated to his service. What belongs to God is our whole selves, not half of us, not a bit of us.. but the whole of us. All we are, all we have, all we will be.... is God’s. This gospel is a reality jolt for us. It challenges us to question our own motives for faith. Are we going through the motions of faith? Does it really impact the way we live? If we belong to God and owe our lives to him are we demonstrating this in our living?

Half heartedly we can go about the business of our faith, leaving it to others, lurking on the edges of getting in involved, happy to come along as long as we don’t have to get our hands dirty. It is an effort to take part. It means a change of heart to engage fully in the life of the parish, in the life of faith.

The message to each of us today is: Give to God your enthusiasm, you time, your gifts your whole selves, don’t hold back.

October Devotion

2011-10-14T09:22:00.003+01:00

October Devotion

Fervent, in the wonder of prayerful sighs

Sweet Marian piety fills their tearful eyes

They kneel asking for those most in need

Heartfelt supplication with trust they plead

Mary, the refuge of heartbreak and sorrow

Mother, who soothes each furrowed brow

Gentle woman, trusting, innocent, faithful

Who provokes devotion, most inspirational

Your children so grateful, gather around you

Attracted by your nature, asking what to do

Led by your words to the foot of the cross

To the arms of your Son who heals every loss

A Psalm for Busy People

2011-10-12T12:38:00.001+01:00

This week the church painting began... so the Lord has provided five funerals over the space of ten days! All are Requiem Masses and all in the church! The painting will eventually be completed in a few weeks or so. A new carpet for the sanctuary is to be put down too. The colour scheme is blue, cream and gold. It will look great when it is done.

I have a cold, which began as a sore throat and has stayed with me for a week so far and the sore throat is just as painful as last week when it arrived! Despite this my duties are performed as normal! It makes me realise that I cannot really afford to get sick.... even though I can’t always control these things!

It is a busy time for the parish, at the end of October we will be hosting the opening meeting of the Stafford deanery visitations. This will involve evening prayer in church. In attendance will be the Archbishop, Bishop David and the deanery priests and deacons and people from the parishes. The Archbishop will explain how all parishes in the deanery will be visited over a six month period and at the end will be a closing Mass at St Austin’s in Stafford, the parish of the dean. After the meeting in church, a cup of tea and other refreshments will be shared by all.

A wedding takes place on the following Saturday and then in November, bishop David visits the parish for confirmation. This is a joint venture between our two parish primary schools. At the end of November the parish will undergo its visitation and Bishop David will stay for a weekend and celebrate and preach at Masses. He will meet the people and make a report for us to be encouraged and help us see where we can improve in bringing about the kingdom in our parish. There is also the Winter Bazaar during November too!

The new missals should arrive soon! It will be great to have the missal at hand. The new translation is wonderful and spiritual and it enhances the beauty of the relationship between God and his people. Below is a psalm based on the twenty third psalm which helps me in my prayer today!

A Psalm for Busy People : Based on the Twenty Third Psalm

The Lord is my Pace Setter- I will not rush. He makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals,

He provides me with images of stillness, which restore my serenity

He leads me in ways of efficiency through Calmness of mind and His guidance is Peace.

Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day, I will not fret.

His Presence is here; His timeliness; His all-importance will keep me in balance.

He prepares refreshment and renewal for me in the midst of my activity, by anointing my mind with his oils of tranquillity, my cup of joyous energy overflows…

As the seasons change.... the journey continues!

2011-10-10T20:37:00.000+01:00

Outside of the presbytery here in Cannock the leaves are falling off the trees and blowing around the drive. It is a sure sign of the onslaught of the autumn. The wind is breezy but unusually mild for the middle of October, it seems that later this week the colder air will make a return. The leaves on the ground are dry and brown, decaying, obscuring the natural green of the grass, turning the landscape into a returning autumn canvas.

There is something familiar about the scene as I stand in the garden. I am observing the passing of times and seasons, reflecting on the comings and goings, the toing and froing of living. I acknowledge my link with the past as a passing pilgrim on a journey. I am a humble part of a body of people who have praised God during their brief stay on earth. I am a part of a communion of people, who for centuries have uttered the name of God on their lips, in times of joy or sorrow, of fear or trust. I am a member of humanity, grateful for my being a creature, created by a loving God, who permits me to call him Father!

I am looking around at the passing seasons and sharing my experience of being a part of the process of seasoning! I too am passing through life, like the seasons changing each year and yet retaining the familiar, perhaps it is memory that provides the familiar. Perhaps it is experience that changes my outlook. It is memory that allows familiarity, enabling my growth and mellowing my pride. I have my moods, my spring optimism, my summer contentment, my autumn wavering and my winter floundering. With all my seasons I have a constant, one that I can thank and praise and adore and worship. I have faith in God who cares for me and loves me, who calls me and creates me anew, who guides me and saves me. I have a purpose and a meaning, a past and a future!

I read my afternoon psalms and I rejoice in the goodness of God!

The psalmist living thousands of years before me, looks up the heavens. As he stands in his garden he knows that he, must give thanks for the wonder of his surroundings. For the miracle of his being and the exultation that one day his spirit will soar into the heavens and his soul will be dipped into the vast ocean of God’s healing mercy!

As the seasons change.... the journey continues!

Our Creator, Our God!

2011-10-09T22:17:00.002+01:00

Our Creator, Our God!

Strolling through meadows of fragrant flowers

Refreshed by cooling raindrops, such idyllic hours

Revelling in the wonder that is God’s revelation

Mesmerised by the gentle glory of sheer perfection

Thrilled by the closeness, by the creators nearness
The incarnation introduces passion to this canvass

Just one spoken word of divine love’s pure invention

Reveals a blest nature imbued with a saving intention

A wooden cross is firmly planted in earth’s bloody soil

The king is revealed, his subjects bow down to this royal

Swaying, praising, the whole of his creation is awaking

A veil is torn down, revealing eternal life in the making

Praise to you our Creator, our God, Father Almighty

Forever to be adored, forever O Lord you are holy!

Sermon Notes Twenty Eighth Sunday Year A

2011-10-08T11:33:00.003+01:00

As a student at Oscott at the end of each year we would have a parish placement. I remember in the second year going for a month to a parish and the parish priest was a keen golfer. He invited me to come along with him and his friends one Monday morning to the golf course. It was a long morning one that built up the appetite for a late afternoon lunch. Unfortunately for me when we got to the club house I was not allowed in as I had broken the dress code by wearing jeans…. no jeans allowed! I had to sit outside until the others had finished their meals and as I had not been told about the dress code I was not best pleased. The parish priest laughed and said it had taught me an important lesson! I was not amused!

There is in place a dress code in many walks of life. School uniforms, certain clubs demand a dress code. Not adhering to that dress code can get you barred or thrown out! I always read the gospel passage we have heard at Mass today with a dress code policy in mind.

In the parable a man is attending the banquet but not dressed in a wedding garment the king is enraged and has him thrown out. There is a dress code in place, the man would have known about it. It would have been on his invitation perhaps, but he was aware of the dress code.

Jesus likens the banquet to the kingdom of heaven. There is a dress code for heaven too. Not what we wear so much, but the good values we live by, the Christ like attitudes we adopt, the way we live and respond to the gospel message. If we wear anger, hatred, spitefulness, jealousy, selfishness and the like then they are not an appropriate dress code for God’s Kingdom. How can we expect to get in if we wear such attitudes in life?

St Paul in the second reading today implores us to trust in God and his goodness towards us. That trusting, involves adopting an appropriate dress code of values for our living. It means to see that our faith makes us stand out. It sets us apart from others, our values are not always welcomed but they will be welcomed in God’s kingdom and are worth persevering with.

Vocation: Spelling it out!

2011-10-06T22:12:00.000+01:00

Vocation: Spelling it out!

V is for vision

O is for openness

C is for calling

A is for attentiveness

T is for trusting

I is for I

O is for opportunity

N is for nurturing

As I explore the gift of a vocation to the priesthood I reflect today upon the word itself taking each letter as a point for reflection, trying to understand better the meaning that my priestly vocation has had for me

V is for Vision: Listening to Christ and truly hearing him, is I suppose an essential for starting out on the journey to the priesthood. I have found that to be the case. Why did I want to be a priest? I wanted to serve Christ, the person I had learned about in the scriptures, the Saviour of all, who died on a cross and still more, rose again! Making heaven not just a possibility but a reality! Getting to know Christ, adopting his vision for my life is an important element in deepening my vocation to the priesthood. Having a vision that strives to emulate Christ is part of the everyday struggle in being a priest. One thing I have learned is that I fall short of Christ in every respect, instead of that being a point of despair it renews my love and awe of Christ. The person of Christ, Jesus has to be personal to me, he has to touch my heart and soul before I can adopt his vision.

Lord help me to see, may I adopt your vision in my living.

O is for Openness: I really dreaded this word in the seminary, it came in the context of being open to anything! But as I reflect upon the priesthood I come to realise that I have to adopt an openness in my prayer, exposing my attitudes to Christ and allowing his healing touch to enable me to function as a priest. Openness to Christ enables me to hope and enables me to walk with Christ with full confidence. So that whatever good I do, it is through Christ and my being open to his life.

Lord help me to be open to You.

C is for Calling: I am called to the priesthood, I did not choose this! When talking with young people about vocation, one of the confusing aspects of discerning a vocation is the element of choice. Sometimes a vocation is seen in the same category as a career which is in itself a choice. A vocation is a calling one that leads and guides. I am chosen and if I listen it is a daily choice!

Lord you call me to follow, keep my faithful to that call.

A is for Attentiveness. When the Lord calls to the priesthood I used to think that call was a once heard voice. But as I grow in the priesthood I begin to understand he calls each day and when I adopt an attentive posture and listen with my heart then I appreciate the gift of priesthood more.

Lord grant me an attentive and listening heart.

T is for Trusting: The key to a happy priesthood is trusting in God’s goodness. Trusting is no easy thing, yet it helps to guard me from giving in to on the one hand pride and on the other hand despair. I trust that each step I am taking is taken with Christ.

Lord increase my desire to trust you more and more

I is for I. In the seminary there was much talk of teamwork, which I know has an important place in my priesthood. There is no I in teamwork, but there is in priest and in vocation! I must take responsibility for my actions, I am a priest and I must be prayerful, hopeful and an example.

Lord help me to take responsibility for my living.

O is for Opportunity: Priesthood is a gift, an opportunity to grow closer to Christ. When God calls to a life in the priesthood I must take the opportunity to listen and accept the invitation to serve.

Lord may I see the opportunity to grow closer to you as a priest.

N is for Nurturing: At the end of the word of vocation is the letter N that I see as nurture. So vital for growth is a nurturing spirit, one that feeds upon the Eucharist and expresses that in a Eucharistic lifestyle. When I am happy and fulfilled as a priest, I am nurturing my vocation by getting to know more fully the person of Christ.

Lord nurture my priesthood in the revelation of your nature.

Vocation: Mary’s Heart... Martha’s Spirit!

2011-10-04T11:05:00.000+01:00

Vocation: Mary’s Heart... Martha’s Spirit!

Gospel: Luke: 10:38-42

Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me." The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."

Listening to the gospel reading at Mass this morning I found myself reflecting upon my own vocation to the priesthood.

There has always been a tension for me between a desire to pursue the strong call of a contemplative vocation and a practical understanding of bringing the gospel with me, labouring in the Lord’s vineyard as a secular priest.

I was as a teenager attracted by the heavenly chanting of a monastic community, the harmony of a regular day punctuated by the hours of prayer. I was drawn towards the gentleness of the perception of sitting idyllically at the Lord’s feet and contemplating his glory. Ah sheer bliss! This vision of monastic living was soon blurred for me by getting to know the monks themselves as I became a regular visitor. Monastic life is no bed of roses, it is a complexity of community, of forbearance, understanding, tolerance, tensions, human frailty, the whole maelstrom of life balanced by love and yet punctuated by sin! Working at contemplation is a chore one that when embraced fully can be life enhancing. One thing I learned is it is not for everybody!

I like to dip in to this life now, as I know I am where the Lord wants me to be! I have been greatly impressed by the monks I have met. I am still in awe, even though I am aware of the reality of the life, perhaps because of this I am more in awe at those who find happiness and fulfillment in the monastic life. I am able to take what I have experienced here into my secular life.

I listen to the story of Martha and Mary with a heart that can sympathise with them both! For me it is not a question of one or the other. I have found that vocation thrives, grows, deepens and nurtures when both Martha and Mary’s examples are exalted. It is a question of Mary’s heart driving me on and Martha’s spirit pushing me forwards. Contemplative or secular, the examples of Mary and Martha encourage and point in the direction of fulfilling a vocation to serve the Lord.

To be able to do the Lord’s work I must first sit at his feet and adore him, only then can I go out and serve him in my daily words and actions.

Thank you Lord for the example of Mary and Martha!

An Ancient Love Song

2011-10-04T10:14:00.005+01:00

An Ancient Love Song

Lost, confused, wandering in life’s desert

A poor soul is detached, bruised, hurt

Alone, longing for the hope of a reunion

Seeking the joy of Gods loving communion

Out in the distance there is this feeling

A knowing, a familiar sense of befriending

At the distant edges of each stubborn heart

Resides a gentle promise of a brand new start

In the tenderness of his sweet, divine heart

The Christ gives himself, offers this new start

Loving words extend, soothing all human trial

Reaching out, mans vast indifference to foil

Majestic grace, heavens calling, begins to insist

Whispering softly until no longer able to resist

The heart beats in tune to an ancient love song

Grasping the opportunity to once more belong