LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER

The month was late November, the year 2006. The night was wet and windy, the sort of night you might spend curled up with a good book by an open fire. The door bell rang. A man needed to speak to a priest urgently. He was clearly frightened as he told me his story. He was being coerced into taking part in a ‘tiger robbery’ on a city centre business. (A ‘tiger robbery’ is one where a hostage is taken and then the family member is forced to rob his place of work. It gets its name from the stalking involved – as a tiger stalks his pray).

He was taking cold feet and desperate to out. Could I help? Out the window went the cosy night by the fire with a book and began the discrete work of getting to the bottom of the matter. Contacts I had built up over the years as a priest in the city now came into play.

In the unfolding drama I met the dissident Republicans who had planned the robbery – though they denied it. Mercifully, their plans were scuttled, no one was taken hostage and no robbery took place.

I must say this: the men I met seemed respectful and courteous. I could talk to them. Perhaps I was being fooled but they came across as honourable and reasonable men.

Therefore in the presumption that they are still open to the voice of reason I have some questions to ask them publicly and I promise to publish their reply if I get one to my email address below.

QUESTIONS

1. What purpose was served, what good was done when you forced a taxi driver to bring a ticking bomb alone to Strand Road Barracks in early August?

2. Why did you lie to say that he was accompanied by two of your members and that the bomb was only activated at the target?

3. What words of comfort can you give to the taxi man who has been so traumatised he has not been able to return to work since the incident?

4. Why did the bomb go off early – thus endangering the lives of innocent passers by?

As I said. you seemed to be reasonable men – how about some reasonable answers?

FR. CHESNEY

I only met Fr. Chesney once. It was when I was a young curate in St. Eugene’s Cathedral. When he discovered who I was and where I was based he dismissed me right away as ‘One of (Bishop) Daly’s men!’

I was stung by his rejection. Some time later I saw him at Malin Head’s Parish Sports Day where he had the song ‘The Men Behind the Wire’ on constant reply through the speakers system.

He has long since died but his memory hurts and haunts the Irish church, especially last week when the Claudy Report was published. He cannot defend his good name. Therefore it is important we stick to the facts. He held strong Republican views. Freedom of opinion is one of our basic rights even if we disagree with that person’s view. Otherwise we have George Orwell’s ‘Thought Police’ at work. How that opinion is expressed is another matter especially as a priest.

Bishop Daly has told us that he firmly instructed Fr. Chesney to keep his opinions to himself.
Secondly, another basic human right is ‘innocence until proven guilty’. There has been neither proof nor convictions in his case, just suspicion, rumour and gossip that he was actively involved in the Claudy bombing- something he has consistently and vehemently denied

If the RUC really had firm evidence why did they not take him to court and convict him? Yes, one detective was prevented from making a fuller investigation than he was allowed. That was indeed wrong and hints of a ‘cover-up’. However personally I accept Bishop Daly’s assertion that he was moved to Co. Donegal because it had become known to the police that was the subject of a threatened assassination.

Ultimately, let us commend Fr. Chesney to God’s judgement and mercy –to that heavenly court where we will all be held accountable for our actions here on earth.

paddy@okanes.org

‘The Times They Are A Changing’

It is that time of the year again when bishop Hegarty has the difficult role of making the clerical changes to meet the pastoral needs of the Derry diocese. Three priests reached the retirement age of seventy-five this year. He has to service these responsibilities from a supply of priests whose numbers are steadily declining.

As priests we have to adapt to changing circumstances and encourage the laity to become more involved in the running of the parishes. Change comes most often from the bottom up. The day when the priest did everything has gone. Many years ago a comment by a man in another parish saddened me. ‘Father, I am afraid to shake your hand as I leave church in case you might ask me to do something.’ Also the people have been ‘spoilt’ in the past when priests were plentiful. Priests were available immediately to help in any crisis. Now people may have to lower their expectations and be more patient, not just because we are fewer but also because we are getting older and slower.

It is not easy for a priest to have to leave his parish and people who have become like a family to him, people with whom he has shared in the some of the most intimate moments of their lives such as bereavement , birth and marriage. Change is good but often comes at a price. We are asked to leave our ‘comfort zones’ and enter a world of risk and new possibilities.

There is a ‘dying and rising’ as we let go of one parish and start again in pastures new.

May God will bless abundantly those priests who are on the move wherever they are sent to serve his people

It is with sadness that I said goodbye to my curate Fr. Frank Lynch last weekend. He is here on loan from the Dominican Order. He has been with me less than a year. Fortunately I have two retired priests with whose occasional help I hope to continue as best I can to minister to the spiritual needs of the people of Holy Family.

I do not want the following tribute to sound like a panegyric as he is nowhere near ‘kicking the bucket’ yet but Fr. Frank will be remembered here for his gift as an enthusiastic preacher in true Dominican style and for his unique sense of humour. Among his many gifts were his kindness towards the sick and his warmth and sensitivity in the confession box. Personally, I will miss his concern and kindness .

He has enriched us all during his short time in this part of the ‘Lord’s vineyard’.

In going to Dungiven he is resurrecting ancient memories of the Dominican priory there until Cromwell massacred them.

I conclude with some words of advice that I received lately.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet,
Just in case you have to eat them.

* *A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be
"Recalled" by their maker.

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon,
And some days you're the statue.

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone £20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time,
Because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well.
Just get up and dance.

* When everything's coming your way,
You're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you .It has been scientifically proven that
the more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world,
But you may also be the world to one person.

* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colours, but they all have to live in the same box.

ASSUMPTION

Anyone watching ‘Our Drugs War’ on Channel 4 on Monday night will have seen how drugs money, especially the demand for heroin is funding the war lords and Afghanistan in their brutally religious extremism. ( A problem experts say can only be solved on the streets of the West.)

I read in last week’s paper how the Taliban dragged a pregnant widowed woman to a sports stadium there recently and gave her seventy lashes. Then they put a bullet in her head.

The same religious extremism was in place when Mary was born. Women were publicly stoned to death for adultery. Like that woman she must have endured terror and the fear of persecution on account of her pregnancy. This reality is something that we can lose sight of when we hear the glorified account in last Sunday’s Gospel of Mary’s favour with God and her deep joy in the honour she was given. We may make the wrong assumption that life was one of total bliss and continual blessing. No, although indeed she was favoured by God we should balance this with the reality of life at the time. The neighbours knew she had not yet come to live with Joseph. It is indeed probably true that Mary fled to the anonymity of Elizabeth’s house, many miles away down in the south of the country, at Ein Karen in order to escape the village talk and the threat of stoning.

So let us not forget the women in many parts of the world who still live in cruelty and oppression and their cries for equality, freedom and justice.

INTEGRITY

I have just returned from a short holiday to see friends in the U.S. When in the company of some children the subject of Sarah Palin, former candidate for their vice presidency, somehow came into the discussion. Some were speaking critically about her, repeating much of the stuff we have been told by the media. Then a boy of just fourteen piped up ‘Actually, I have met her and she is quite a nice person’. The others continued and ignored his comment. Again he said ‘No, really, she is a very nice person.’

In the background his dad was listening and come forward to praise his son for sticking to his belief even in spite of it being unpopular – for bravely speaking out what he believed was the truth.

This incident led me to observe:
How first hand encounters often contradict what we hear from others.
The importance of having the courage of one’s convictions.
How easy it is for us to join the chorus when someone is being derided.
How blessed that son is to have a father of such integrity and how he is passing those values on to his children.

He told the group of us that he objects when he hears someone’s character being taken away unjustly. If it still continues he excuses himself and the leaves the company.

It can be an easy and cheap way to popularity if we join the flow of criticism. However to swim against the stream and risk rejection takes great moral courage

‘Lord, lead me not into temptation’.

Many people have told me they found last weeks article ‘my day off’ amusing. Now in case the bishop starts getting worried and saying to himself ‘O’Kane has definitely lost the plot this time’, I reassure him and my readers that these temptations or moments of madness- even though they regularly cross my mind-are not always given in to.

For example, I was in the United States recently as I have said. I was playing soccer on the front lawn with my host’s children. A lady, who had just joined the game, and I were going for the ball dangerously close to the pool. For one fleeting moment I knew I could have had both of us land in the water and make it seem like an accident. Then I hesitated thinking ‘Do I really know this woman well enough to do this’? (We had just met). Then the chance was gone!

During my brief time in the beautiful parish of Moville ‘a little bird’ told me one day that it was Fr. McGoldrick’s birthday. ‘Why not make it special for him’ I thought ‘by going out to the church at the end of his Mass and getting the people to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him’? I phoned a wise friend, for advice– something I should perhaps do more often! He convinced me it was not such a good idea and so the moment passed. When I confessed my temptation to Fr. McGoldrick later he said ‘Paddy that is what you would call ‘a bad thought’!

Moments of Madness

We are told that we all have an inner child and now and again we should let him/her out to play. Sometimes that childish imp tempts me to do the unexpected. In Moville last year a man was holding his baby over the font and said to me ‘Don’t destroy my nice new shirt!’ When I had finished pouring the water over the baby’s head I deliberately emptied the rest of the jug on his sleeve. He looked at me in horror! (He couldn’t hit me as he was still holding the baby!) ‘It’s your own fault’ I told him ‘for putting the temptation into my mind in the first place’. They all clapped at his shocked expression.

Last week I was finishing a burial service in the city cemetery. I noticed the undertaker had left his keys in the ignition. I hopped into his seat, told him to get in and drove him home. Next week I might take the hearse!

Life can be dull at times.We all need moments of simple fun!

My Day Off!

I go home usually once a week to Culdaff.
Sometimes this is how I end up spending it!

It had been dry so I decide to water my flowers.

As I turn on the hose, I look over at my car, see the dirt and flies on the windscreen and decide it needs washing. I need to put up the windows so I turn off the hose and head into the house for the keys; when I find them I notice some letters on the table that I picked up from the hall floor earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.
I lay my car keys on the table, put the telephone bill beside them and the junk mail in the bin –but I can’t because it’s full.

So, I decide to take out the bin to empty it. When I am outside I notice the lawn needs to be cut so I need to get out the lawn mower. It won’t start. I check for petrol. Empty. I get the can to down to the petrol pump for more.

But then I think, since I'm going to be going by the Post Office I’ll pay that telephone bill while I’m at it. Then I think ‘I should also pay the electricity bill that came in last week’- if I could only find it.

So I go around the house looking for it.
I find the cup of coffee I'd been drinking earlier and that missing sock, but no bill.
I reunite my socks.

The coffee is cold, and I decide to make another cup.

As I head toward the kitchen with the cold coffee, a vase of flowers on the worktop catches my eye - the flowers need water.

I put the coffee on the kitchen table and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back in my pocket but first I'm going to water the flowers.
I put the glasses back down on the table, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote control. ‘Someone stupidly left it on the kitchen table,’ I say to myself. [I live alone!]

I realize that tonight when I go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back where it belongs at the TV, and then I'll water the flowers.

I pour water in the flowers, but some of it spills on the floor.
So, I go out for the mop to wipe up the spill, ‘the floor needs a good clean anyway’ I say to myself. As I lift the mop bucket I hear a buzzing sound and discover a cloud of bees about to swarm.

I rush to the car for my bee suit - I keep it in the boot- I discover it’s locked!
So I head inside for the keys and while looking for them find that lost bill.
‘Better pay it while I still know where it is’ I think so I look for the one that came in today.

Then I notice the clock with the corner of my eye -its six o’ clock and the News is about to start! ‘Too late now to go to the Post Office’ I say, so instead, I sit down to watch TV– exhausted!

At the end of the day:
the car still isn't washed
The lawn isn’t mowed
the bills aren't paid
There is still a cold cup of coffee sitting on the counter
the flowers don't have enough water,
the bees have swarmed
The floor is still dirty
I can't find my glasses,
and I can’t remember what the hell I did with the car keys.

But at least my two socks are back together.
And I have my beloved remote!
And ‘let’s face it, ’I smile to myself, ‘at the end of the day that all that really matters’.

MOMENTS OF MADNESS.

A RESPONSE

Last week I said I would try and make some sense out of the pain I heard in the letters and comments I welcomed from those who are disillusioned with the Catholic Church at this time. I published samples of the comments made, both critical and supportive. I said I would try to give an answer to those who ask ‘ Why should I stay in the Catholic Church?’

On 31st March, the Wednesday of Holy Week, I attended a Day of Renewal for Priests in Dublin. Most of the discussion centred around these issues. So in my reply today I am relying on some of the ideas shared there by Fr. Ronald Rolheiser from Canada. He told us how the Church is always God hung between two thieves. Thus, no one should be surprised or shocked at how badly the Church has betrayed the Gospel and how much it continues to do so today. It has never done very well. Conversely, however, nobody should deny the good the church as done either. It has carried grace, produced saints, morally challenged the planet, and made, however imperfectly, a house for God to dwell in on this earth.

To be connected with the Church is to be associated with scoundrels, warmongers, fakes, child-molesters, murderers and adulterers, and hypocrites of every description. It also at the same time identifies with saints and the finest persons of heroic soul within every time, country, race and gender. To be a member of the Church is to carry the mantle of both the worst and finest heroism of soul because the Church always looks exactly as it looked at the original crucifixion, God hung among thieves.

Carlo Carretto, the great Italian spiritual writer, once wrote a comment on the Church which captures well both its scandal and its grace. In the closing section of his book, ‘I Sought and I Found’ he addresses the Church in these words:
‘How much must I criticise you, my Church and yet how much I love you! You have made me suffer more than anyone and yet I owe you more than I owe anyone. I should like to see you destroyed and yet I need your presence. You have given me much scandal and yet you alone have made me understand holiness. Never in the world have I seen anything more obscurantist, more compromised more false yet never have I touched anything more pure, more generous or more beautiful.

Countless times I have felt like slamming the door of my soul in your face – and yet every night, I have prayed that I might die in your arms!

No, I cannot be free of you, for I am one with you, even if not completely you. Then too –where should I go? To build another Church?

But I cannot build another church without the same defects, for they are my own defects. And again, if I were to build another church, it would be my church, not Christ’s Church. No, I am old enough. I know better.’

I personally believe that the delegates appointed by Pope Benedict are of such integrity that they will make a difference. I have great trust in and respect for Cardinal O’ Malley of Boston about whom I have written in the past .I will say more about him here in my column in two weeks time as both last week and this week we have have been discussing quite heavy matters and I hope to have something more light hearted in my next column.

In short, we expected more from the church than it delivered, more than from other human institutions, such as politics or the banks. |Going forward we must listen, ‘take it on the chin ‘and repent, repent, repent. Transparency leading to truth, leading to trust is the only way out of this.

Nor must we lose hope. Better times are ahead once this purification is complete. Easter joy follows Good Friday pain. This we must believe. We also remember Christ’s words to those in that little boat knocked about in the storm on the Sea of Galilee. ’O you of little faith, do not be afraid for I am with you.’

LISTENING TO THE HURT

Under the guidance of Bishop Hegarty the priests of the Derry diocese have recently formed a steering group to help us respond to the abuse crisis in our church. They wrote to all parishes in May and invited each to conduct a Liturgy of Prayer and Repentance around the Feast of the Sacred Heart in June. They also offered us liturgical guidelines, one of which was to have a ‘quiet area’ for reflection decorated with candles and appropriate symbols, such as the crown of thorns we used here in Holy Family. We also had a Mass here followed by a Vigil of Prayer on the eve of the feast day. The response was good. Another recommendation was to encourage people to put their feelings in writing and place them in the box provided in ‘the quiet area’. We had a special table, chair, pen and paper set aside to facilitate those who wished to avail of this opportunity. Many did so. Some used the opportunity to off load some personal issues, others wrote in support of their priests but the majority of the comments were expressions of a hurt, disillusioned people. I have passed on to their comments to the diocesan steering group for assimilation with other comments from other parishes and for later discussion at the next Priests’ Council.

These are some of the submissions :

‘All priests and bishops should resign – they have protected the church for too long!

I am reminded of the book ‘1984’ and the ‘thought police’. To be told we cannot even discuss the issue of woman priests is more like a command from a Communist Dictator.

‘Make celibacy optional, open up the priesthood to women!’

‘Abusers have a disease –God help them and heal them’
I find it hard to believe in the church at this time – it should repent for the harm it has done’

‘O Holy Spirit breathe new life into our church again and breathe forgiveness into us all – heal the broken, the sinner, the abused and the abuser’.

‘Our local priest spoke of forgiveness which is not appropriate at this time – he fail to recognise the suffering of the victims’.

‘If the bishops are truly humble about their shame maybe a new ‘shoot of hope’ can grow – one of integrity, love, powerlessness, and compassion – and like a light warm the hatred and scorn the word Roman Catholic now carries throughout the universe.’

‘There are enough good priests around that will ensure that the church will get over this.’

‘Congratulations on giving us this chance to speak and your recognition that many of us are deeply hurt by the abuse and the cover up. Please arrange a public meeting and encourage everyone to tell how they are effected ……This is necessary to start the healing process for many of us are lost and our belief system has been shaken ….We have no way to voice our feelings’

‘We need more transparency’

‘The Devil is doing his utmost to destroy our church.’

‘My heart goes out to all those priests and bishops who try to carry out their ministry in true service of the people – carry on with your heads held high.’

‘How are the Pope and bishops chosen – surely we the laity should have some say?

‘Why have the recommendations from the Ministry for Change group never ever been discussed, let alone implemented.’

‘If the church allows former Protestant ministers to be married priests then it should allow married men to become priests.’

‘How could we have wandered so far away from the values of Jesus – it is no longer lead by the Holy Spirit but by power, wealth and materialism .My faith in God is still strong but I am struggling to stay a Catholic

‘It is sad for the good priests who are left to struggle in their pain and shame – they need our support’.

‘We need radical change from the top down – I don’t think the Boys at the Top really want to know how we feel’

‘We need a forum where we can come together and express our views’

‘I believe that the sins of pride, misuse of power, control, greed and deceit have led to this – would Jesus recognise his church today?

‘When the ‘big guns [papal legates] come will they make a difference? Or will it be more pomp and ceremony and flowing robes’.

‘Fathers, keep up your hearts. . God bless you all. Thanks for all your good work. Keep it up, We love you.’

These comments are just a sample of the views expressed. I also met with our Faith Formation Group who meet here every week-new members always welcome. They expressed similar feelings and wish to bring the healing process forward with a public meeting. After an hour of listening and ‘taking it on the chin’ I apologised for the hurts caused by the Church and admitted that I shared many of their views. I also expressed my own sadness about what has happened and my own lack of a voice to bring about change. ‘I am in ‘Sales’ not ‘Management’!’ I said to lighten the mood and got a sympathetic laugh.

Next week I will make an attempt, as best I can, to give some sort of a response to all those lost, hurting and asking ‘Why should I stay a Catholic’.

Parish website: www.holyfamily-parish.com

My e-mail address: paddy@okanes.org

Solemn Silence

The people of Inishowen- and indeed the whole of Ireland- woke up that Monday morning to sad news, news that left people silenced with grief. The peninsula was alive with holiday makers from the North trying to get away from the marching bands. But the tragedy of those deaths was in the minds of the people. Seven young men with such promise whose laughing faces we saw in the papers and an older man simply returning from his bingo- pleased that he had won the last ‘house’.

What do you say at a time like this? What do you do? There are no easy answers. As Fr. John Walsh said on The Evening News that Monday ‘People are angry with God’. That’s ok- He can take it. He has been doing so for a long time. Even the Psalms, which were the prayer book of Jesus, contain a long string of curses to God for letting them down and not being there when needed. In their own way they are indeed heart felt prayers of people screaming to their God on their anguish. Give those who need it the freedom to rage against the unfairness of it all if they wish. It is not a time for pious platitudes because these can deny us our humanity. To say too soon and too easily ‘It's God’s will’ can cause such hurt. I remember one such sick call in Melmount Strabane when I was a curate there. A young mother had died suddenly. While still in shock the son was told by a well meaning neighbour ‘Don’t cry – she’s with God in heaven’! I squirmed. ‘Xxx God and xxx heaven!’ was his reply to the shocked woman. ‘I want my mother now.’ I found myself agreeing with the son.

Often the only response in silence, a listening presence , the simple and gentle support of just letting the bereaved know you care, that you are at one with them in their darkness and you are there for them as you listen to their pain. It can take the form of a warm hug, an arm around a shoulder, a sympathetic look, holding a hand or, most often, just being there in silence because for now words fail.

They need time, lots of time, to get beyond the enormity of it all. ‘A day at a time’, even ‘an hour at a time’ is what I used to say to myself when I went through depression many years ago and was in that dark hole, where there seemed so little to live for and the sun no longer shone.

It goes against the natural order for parents to bury their children and have to say goodbye to young men in post world cup euphoria. For them, in their presumed invincibility, the notion that our hold on life is fragile never crossed their minds that Sunday evening as all eight bundled into that black car with care free aglee.

Yes, we have prayed for their souls at our Masses. We also held at a special prayer service here at Holy Family last Sunday at six o’ clock, including the Angelus and the Rosary, as many of the people here wanted some way to express their sympathy and support. We prayed also for the families. Faith in the resurrection does indeed hold us together and we truly believe we will one day meet our loved ones again. But for some the consolation of our faith may be too soon. In the meantime let us reassure them that we are with them in this dark hour. Just as Mary sat at His feet to listen, as told in last Sunday’s gospel, so let us now stand with them at the foot of the cross and listen as they cry out with Christ ‘My God, My God, why have you forsaken me’?

Yes!

Congratulation to all involved in securing Derry as the UK City of Culture in 2013! It is the icing on the cake after Saville. The excitement I witnessed ‘up the town’ on Thursday evening brought back those June memories. Hopefully it will bring employment, that the Irish language is not overlooked, and that, having looked back to 1972 and- [dare I say it?] 1916- for long enough, the time has come to move on and look forward to 2013 in joyful anticipation of this event and a more peaceful prosperous future for the next generation

SUNSET

Eamon McCann has said in his weekly column in another paper how he had to stop what he was doing to marvel at a recent sunset. The sky was on fire. I saw it too and had the same reaction. Impetuous person that I am, I hopped into my car and headed west with my camera. In a few minutes I was overlooking Inch Island. I gasped in awe and those minutes of golden glory were truly grace filled. I praised and thanked God for the beauty before me, ‘hints of immortality’ as described by Wordsworth, as I heard the Father say to me and indeed all who stood in silent reverence that Friday evening, ‘I love you, I love you, I love you’.

On a near- cut home through a country lane I saw a glimmering stream of Chinese Lanterns crossing the already darkening sky. Perhaps they are the simple explanation for those UFO sightings that have been reported recently. One bewildered man stopped his car, wound down his window and asked me in dismay and panic‘ What are they’? I think he believed the Martians are coming!

QUEEN COMES TO CULDAFF!

Yes, it’s true! Perhaps I had better explain . A wild swarm settled into an old hive in my apiary in Culdaff last year and had become very aggressive – so much so that I could not sit out in the sun behind the house during the recent dry spell without being attacked. I consulted my beekeeping friends and we decided that the only solution was to move the hive to a remote area many miles away and kill the queen (reginacide?). This has been done and the bee colony now needs new DNA. [Otherwise, I will have the same problem again]. The wicked strain needs to be wiped out and the new queen together with her attendants will arrive from Tipperary in a small box mid week to Culdaff Post Office-not by Royal Mail! She will be put into the hive the next day. I will let you now her progress and when it’s safe to visit!

The Good Samaritan

One of the best homilies I have heard on this Gospel which was read to many of us last Sunday goes like this:

The road from Jerusalem to Jericho passes your doorstep and mine, and we walk down it every day.

There is also the joke about the social worked who also passed the man ‘left half dead’. Seemingly he also had a look, shook his head and said ‘the poor fellow who did this came from a dysfunctional family and needs a lot of help!’

Where to Look?

They looked up to the heavens and made the sign of the Cross in thanksgiving. I am referring to many of the goal scorers during the recent World Cup. The Ascension and the Assumption have also led us to believe that God and Paradise are way up there above the clouds. Even that early Russian cosmonaut said he searched in vain for heaven as he looked out of his spacecraft!

Recently I spent a One Day Retreat in Thornhill. It was called ‘Taking The Time’ where Mary Murphy and Sr. Perpetua led us in a spiritual journey through the poetry of Wordsworth, Kavanagh, Blake and Heaney, the psalms and a selection of music from Schubert, Beethoven, Williams, Bibber and Okland.

I was also enriched by those who attended. In response to Wordsworth’s poem ‘Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Childhood’ where he uses images from nature to convey the celestial light in which childhood is clothed- the moon, the rose, meadow, grove, stream etc,- we were asked to share an image from childhood that still holds within us, the wonder and magic of that time.

Some recalled memories of wild gardens, others clouds, or running water, sunsets and birds in flight. One man touched my soul when he said ‘I was very young when my mother died; my father had emigrated in search of work. One day a kind neighbour put me in his wheelbarrow and pushed me around and around his house. We were both laughing in a spirit of wild fun. To this day, when I think of the Father’s love, the thrill of that moment of loving, carefree abandon comes to mind’.

I shared my memories of Culdaff River with the following lines:
‘I will wear those waders
And walk those waters again’
Where I will welcome back what has withdrawn
To that well within.
I will watch and listen to the whispers of the river
Where my wild child still dwells.’

The quotation by Tielhard de Chardin ‘We are not human beings on a spiritual journey, but spiritual beings on a human journey’ was our reference point as we searched for God ‘in the bits and pieces of every day’.[Kavanagh].
It was about the Word becoming Flesh.
It was about the ‘glory of God in a man or woman, truly human and fully alive’ (St. Irenaeus).
It was not so much about looking up but looking around and looking within to find Him.

HEALTH CARE

It is just over four years since my godfather James died. When his G.P. suspected cancer of the throat he referred him to Letterkenny Hospital marking his case ‘urgent’. He was 91. By the time his appointment came through James was dead. Maybe it was his age that went against him or maybe they are just too overwhelmed work-or a bit of both. But surely something is wrong with health care when a man who has never needed medical help all his life until the end this can have the system fail him. Of course we were too consumed with grief to make a complaint. Those who do- and we hear of cases on the news every week – are doing the public a great service by holding the hospitals accountable. As a result hopefully services are improved and we all benefit.

FAREWELL AND GOD BLESS

During my brief time in Moville (too brief!) I enjoyed a truly enriching relationship with the Methodist Church. Firstly it was with the Rev. Lynn Cairns. I remember one meal in his home where we had a musically themed menu! Fr .Mc Goldrick, Rev. Gilmour and I had to join him and his wife singing a song for our next course consisting of Jambalaya , a Louisiana dish, with the words ‘Son of a gun, we’re gonna have some fun on the bayou!’ I am only sorry I did not record it for ‘You-tube’!

In 2008 when I was on holidays some delegates attending the International Conference in Derry were hosted in the parochial house in Moville

When Eric Lawson and his wife Ruth arrived here to accept their new appointment I introduced them to the people of the parish and asked them to speak at the end of Mass . All the people of the community took them to their hearts and it is with sadness that we see them return to their native Australia, though Ruth has family connections in Sion Mills. During the time we both ministered in the Moville area Eric was the inspiration behind our ‘United in the Spirit’ procession on Pentecost Sunday through the town. When we were homeless, as the church was being refurbished, they let us have the use of their hall. During his time here, he tells me, he had no funerals and one baptism (O, what a life!). We became good friends. Some people think I was moved out because the bishop thought I was getting too friendly with the Methodists! He also addressed us here at Holy Family during Church Unity Week in January when I normally invite a minister from one of our sister churches to speak

Eric and Ruth, we will miss you. May the good Lord who brought you here to us send his angels to watch over you in all your future journeys.

THE TRUTH AT LAST!

Tuesday! What an historic day! A yearning for justice has been satisfied for the relatives and indeed the people of the city at last.

There is a smile on the faces of the people and a song again in their hearts, a song that had been mute since that terrible day thirty eight years ago. The soul of the people has had a dark cloud removed and the sun was shining again literally and metaphorically in Guildhall square as people cheered, cried and celebrated in victory .

As John Kelly say ‘our cause is not vengeance but vindication of our dead- that they were innocent; it’s about setting the truth free’’.
Bishop Daly said ‘Hopefully we can all move forward and leave the past behind. The healing can now begin.’

Accordingly the leaders of the three Protestant churches met the relatives on Wednesday in a little ceremony of healing and reconciliation at the Victims’ memorial.

Finally, what a tower of strength we have had in bishop Daly—not just by his presence there on that day supporting the dying and wounded, together with many other priests, but his own campaign for truth and justice and his support for the families through the years. God has blessed us with a strong bishop and leader in this crucial time in the history of this great city.

BLOODY SUNDAY REPORT

The Bloody Sunday report is due to be published this week and is certain to dominate the news. We hope and pray the findings will bring some healing to the victims and their families who have been pleading for justice for so long. The Widgery Report added insult to injury when its severest critism only amounted to the statement that the actions of the soldiers ‘bordered on the reckless’

When I came to Derry in 1973 after my ordination (37 years a priest this week!) I replaced Bishop Daly in the Bogside - while a tall order for a novice and what big shoes I had to fill! The anger, pain and frustration was still as palpable as the smell of the smoke and C.S.gas.

But we have moved on since then. A more peaceful future awaits the next generation. While those terrible events should not be forgotten there comes a time when we have to leave the past behind and look forward to an era where hurts are healed, wounds mended, justice has been done, the economy is restored and there is a song once again in the hearts of the good people of this city.

WORLD CUP

World Cup fever has begun and what a wonderful sign of unity and peace it is to see so many nations of the world engaged in the friendly rivalry of sport rather than aiming guns or throwing bombs at each other.

With Ireland out of contention the question is ‘who to support?’ Can we have the generosity of heart to let go of old and blinkered ways of thinking to support England, ‘the hereditary enemy’? It is our nearest neighbours in the competition after all and a fifth of British people have Irish parents. It gave employment to our people in times of poverty and many Irish have done well there.

During ‘the troubles’ I visited Long Kesh regularly to say Mass. When the prisoners were not allowed T.V. or papers ironically the first question that I would be asked by the city lads from Derry and Belfast was ‘what are the English football results?!

I will be taking a benign interest in England in a laid-back sort of way. I know that in the past when they have been knocked out I have lost interest. So ‘Come on England’!

That leads me to this joke:

The seven dwarfs always left to go work in the mine early each morning.
As always, Snow White stayed home doing her domestic chores.
As lunchtime approached, she would prepare their lunch and carry it to the mine.
One day as she arrived at the mine with their lunch, she saw that there had been a terrible cave-in.
Tearfully, and fearing the worst, Snow White began calling out, hoping against hope that the dwarfs had somehow survived.
'Hello...Hello!' she shouted. 'Can anyone hear me? Hello!'
For a long while, there was no answer. Losing hope, Snow White again shouted,
'Hello! Is anyone down there?'
Just as she was about to give up, she heard a faint voice from deep within the mine, singing;
‘ENGLAND FOR THE WORLD CUP! ENGLAND FOR THE WORLD CUP!’

Snow White fell to her knees and prayed,
'Oh, thank you, God! At least Dopey is still alive!’

CHANGED TIMES

A lady phoned me recently to complain about my quote of Hans Kung in my column the previous week. However she went on to tell me this story.

‘I am 36 years of age and life has at times been difficult. When I found my faith hard and felt God far away. I think back to the day of my First Communion in St. Eugene’s. You gave us all a hug at the sign of peace. At the time I did not make much of it but over the years I think back on it and it reminds me of Christ’s embrace and unconditional love for me. That thought lifts me and helps me carry on.’

How times have changed. I would never hug a child nowadays. What a loss the present crisis has caused to the relationship between priest and children!

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NIGHT OF PRAYER

The priests of the diocese of Derry have been meeting regularly not just to see that child protection protocols are being put in place and observed but also to discuss a way forward for priests and people which will ensure the mistakes of the past never occur again and all children are safe.

We are trying also to find ways of healing for those who are hurt and disillusioned.

Accordingly, various services of healing have been suggested by a this a diocesan committee which has undertaken the responsibility of moving the process forward especially in the area of healing. They have recommended the Feast of the Sacred Heart which takes place this Friday as an opportunity to do so. In response to this invitation we at Holy Family in Derry are having a Mass and period of prayer on Thursday evening at 7.30pm (Vigil of the Feast of the Sacred Heart) to which everyone is welcome It will be offered for that intention. and include special prayers for the abused, the disillusioned and for the success of the Apostolic visitation in the autumn.

Please bring a rose which you will be invited to put in front of the image of the Sacred Heart at the offertory. You may also bring a piece of paper on which you have written either a prayer, or your thoughts on the past or the present or future response to abuse in the church.

All ideas will be passed on to the Diocesan Priests Council.

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will continue until 10pm with a half hour of guided prayer beginning at 9.30pm.

THE TRINITY, by Fr Paddy O'Kane.

The Trinity, whose feast day we have just celebrated, is not a puzzle to be solved but a mystery before which we stand in reverence and awe. It is the touchstone which determines our Christianity because we are baptised in its name.

Many faiths are centred on Christ and have baptism, even the Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses, but belief in God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit is what unites people of the Christian faith in the traditional sense.

St. Patrick used the green little shamrock and ever since both the colour green and this small flower are associated with our country.

Others try to explain the Trinity in terms of time. The Father’s period being that before the Incarnation, followed by Christ’s thirty three years, followed by the time of the Spirit from Pentecost until now. This is almost as inadequate as the shamrock –each, being God, existed from the beginning.

Other attempts I have come across to try and gain insight into this mystery include seeing the Father as the sun, Christ, the light that comes from it and Holy Spirit, the growth that light provides in nature.

Or in terms of relationships – a woman can be mother, daughter, and wife- three distinct persons, yet still one totality.

Or try this scientific approach: at the core of who God is we have this family of three united in love, this dance of relationships. Similarly, at the very smallest level of matter we find subatomic particles whose behaviour scientists have described as a highly regulated movement or dance. Also at the level of trying to understand the nature of our vast universe the same is true. The word Dance best defines the movement of earth in our planetary circle around the sun, and that of our stars and our galaxies. Also the Oneness of God is hinted at by the scientific notion of the Unified Field.

All of these are man- made efforts to catch a feeble glimpse into the mystery of the Trinity – a mystery which will never cease to amaze us but ultimately can only be fully experienced when we see God face to face.

A SHORT STORY

However because all of this can be a little heavy, I concluded my homily last Sunday with the following story which I borrowed from Fr. Flor McCarthy:

There was a king who at the end of his life was beset by sadness. He said, ‘During my life I have known everything that can be experienced but there is still one thing that eludes me. I would die happy if I could get just one glimpse of God.’ He consulted his wise men, and offered them rewards if they could make his dream a reality, but in vain.

Then a shepherd came to see him and said, ‘Perhaps I can help your Majesty’. The king was delighted and followed the shepherd into the hills. As we went along the shepherd said to him, ‘Your Majesty, if you wish to see God, it’s not your eyes you have to purify but your heart’.

They stopped on a hilltop. Then, pointing towards the sun, the shepherd said ‘Look up!’ The king raised his eyes and tried to look directly at the sun, but the glare dazzled him. ‘Do you want to blind me?’ he said. And the shepherd answered, ‘But my king, this is only part of creation, only a small reflection of the glory of God. How can you expect to look at God with your weak and imperfect eyes? You must begin to search for him with eyes other than your physical ones.’

The king said, ‘I thank you for having opened the eyes of my mind. Now answer another question: ‘Where does God live?’ The shepherd pointed once more to the sky. Above them birds were flying about. ‘Look at these birds,’ he said. ‘See how they live surrounded by the air. In the same way we live surrounded by God. Stop searching. Open your eyes and look. Open your ears and listen. You can’t miss him.

The king stopped and looked and listened. As he did so a peaceful expression came over his sad face.

Then the shepherd added ‘There is one other thing, your Majesty.’ With that he led him to a well. ‘Who lives down there?’ asked the king, ‘God does’, the shepherd answered. ‘Can I see him?’ ‘Sure. Just take a good look’.

The king gazed down into the well. But all he saw was his own reflection in the water. Then he raised his head and said, ‘But all I can see is myself’.

The shepherd replied ‘Now you know where God lives. He lives in you.’

This too is mystery- how through baptism we are Temples of the Holy Trinity. Again not a mystery we can solve for all we can do is stand in awe and wonder at this amazing God in whom we believe.

PETER’S SONG

How’s this for name dropping? I was at the Ireland-Italy quarter final of the World Cup in Rome in 1990. I was sitting beside Fr. Sean Brady (now Cardinal Brady) .Some rows in front and to the side I saw Chris De Burgh. The seat next to me was vacant and with a better view so I invited him to sit beside me. ‘Thanks, but I can’t’ he said ‘as I have company’. It is my one and only conversation with him, though I have attended his concert at the RDS many years ago.

One of his more recent songs is called ‘Another Rainbow’ from the album ‘Timing is Everything’. It blew me away. As I listened to the words all I could thing of was Peter and Jesus, for some strange reason. I reflected on how Peter had met this amazing man and the close friendship that followed, how they had dreamed of making a better world, how it all went sour and Peter’s hopes were shattered (‘a rainbow where gold did not fall’) and how through the Spirit that Pentecost evening it all came together for him and the others.
Over the last few years I have chopped and changed the words to fit the melody calling it ‘Peter’s Song’. With acknowledgements to Chris and with thanks to Isobel and Gerard our Folk Group sang it at Mass in Holy Family Church last Sunday to celebrate the coming of the Spirit:

Breaking bread and drinking wine,
Talking deep into the night,
Just dreaming dreams and making plans forever.
Jesus, you have been my friend
And always said since way back then,
We’d change this sinful crazy world together.

CHORUS
Was it a rainbow I followed with you
A dream that could never come true?
Was it better to have tried in vain
Than never tried at all
A rainbow where gold did not fall?

I saw you go a different way
And so I had my darkness days.
I watched and wondered what You were looking for.
They said you were the Lamb of God
Son of Man, King of none
With hands that hurt from knocking on closed doors.

CHORUS
Was it a rainbow I followed with you
A dream that could never come true?
Was it better to have tried in vain
Than never tried at all
A rainbow where gold did not fall

They took you from Gethsemane
And left you on a Cross to die
So I ran and wept
Sore tears of shame and sorrow.
Yet you promised you would send
A Consoling Spirit friend.
Well, he came last night
And we can face tomorrow.

NEW CHORUS [twice]
‘T was no rainbow we followed with you
Nor a crazy dream that would never come true
‘Cos we see it all so clearly now
Our hearts on fire with love
Your kingdom is from above.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

I have just returned from the Annual Retreat for Priests in Ards where I had a chance to be still, to pray, to soak into the mystery and to bask in the beauty of such a wonderful setting.

The retreat was a ‘wake up’ call for us not to sleepwalk our way through life, or in the words of the retreat master ‘to live a shallow existence where all the wonder, beauty and mystery have disappeared and we are left with the emptiness of a bland, grey world, devoid of colour, dance and life or ’ or in similar words.
The image of the dove never did much for me personally and when I am speaking to children in preparation for confirmation I prefer the images of the fire and wind you heard about in the readings of Pentecost which we have just celebrated.
The Divine Office which I read early on the Tuesday morning of the retreat contained an extract from St. Basil the Great on the Holy Spirit. Below I quote some of his lines , words which jumped out at me because of their sense of delight and celebration. ‘ The Spirit is like the sun and presents himself to each person capable of receiving him… Through him hearts are raised on high and the weak strengthened.
Those who carry the Spirit send grace upon others .This grace enables them to understand mystery, to grasp what is hidden, to receive blessings and to dance with the angels. So their joy is enduring, they acquire likeness unto God and- most sublime of all- to they themselves become divine’.

May that same Holy Spirit breathe in and through you during the coming week.

BISHOP LAGAN

Bishop Lagan has just retired. I remember him as a teacher when I went to Carndonagh College in the early sixties. He was a gifted motivator and ahead of his time – he was the first teacher in the school to abolish the use of the dreaded ‘strap’. His class was all the more relaxed and enjoyable because we had no fear of physical punishment. We worked just as hard.

As bishop he has been kind and approachable. It was a joy when he came to celebrate Confirmation as he put children, teachers and priests at ease right away with his friendly manner. I have found him personally helpful when seeking advice and will always be grateful to him for his listening ear.

May God reward him for his years of service and grant him many years of good health in retirement.

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GET A LIFE!

Some time ago I got one of those emails that keep circulating the globe. You may have already seen it. I adapted its wisdom to begin my homily to the girls at the final year class Mass of St. Cecilia’s Secondary school last week.

‘Today we buy more but enjoy it less.
Have more conveniences, but less time,
We have more education, but less common sense.
More knowledge, but less mercy
Fancier houses, but more broken homes
We have been to the moon and back
But find it hard to cross the street
And befriend our neighbour.
We have conquered outer space
But not that inner space called ‘soul’.
We laugh too little, Drive too fast,
Get angry too quickly.
Read too little, Watch TV too much,
And pray too seldom.
We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life
We’ve added years to life, not life to years.

I continued:

Girls this evening I appeal to you-
To get a life!
To really live, for you only get one crack at it.
As the T shirt worn by Maureen here in the front row says ‘Live life, love life!’-
Not a manic pursuit of the latest craze or fashion
The bigger pay cheque, the next promotion,
The grander lifestyle- these may be important
But there is much more to life than these.
Do not betray your life for a shallow existence
That many confuse with living.
May there be many times of ecstatic joy
In the years to come.
And may you often fall ‘head over heels’ in love.
Celebrate everything-no matter how small.
And may you count your blessing every night
When you lay your head on your pillow to fall asleep.
Keep your soul- nourish it with prayer and times of silent wonder. Hold onto that what is spiritual, to what nourishes your deepest being.
These will make you strong to face those bleak times when life will hurt- and make no mistake – hurt it will!
When you feel that you are standing on your own
In the face of a howling gale. Keep your faith in Jesus- you will need it. When life has lost its purpose He will be there to give you strength. Trust Him. Invite Him into your heart tonight and every night and every morning that you waken.

PASSOVER

Girls, as you get ready to embark on a new highway, to pass over from the old to the new – never forget life is short and the end comes all too soon.
Take time to admire the view– it’s the journey not the destination that counts.
Live in the moment. learn to accept and love what is.
Be generous and kind. Look below the surface to the beauty often lying beneath.
Cherish your inner peace- let no one steal it from you for you are a Child of God.
See God’s footprint in the beauty of his creation
- notice the dancing fields of hay some windy day in July. Or the frosty stars of the ‘milky way’ on a cold December’s night.
Smell the salt water of the rocks smashing against the rocks in Malin Head.
Or the rays of light breaking over the Foyle some cloudy day.
Listen to the laughter of children.
Be moved when you see an old couple linking arms
After all those years of being together.
Be a ‘soul’ person.
Tell those close to you how much you love them.
Do not delay anything that adds laughter to your life for every day, every hour, and every minute is special.
And you don’t know if it will be your last.
All that matters is that you have kept your soul.
Remember that Jesus says to you tonight:

‘I AM YOUR FRIEND.
SO DO NOT BE AFRAID. I WILL WALK WITH YOU
AND BE BY YOUR SIDE IF YOU LET ME.
WHEN OTHERS MAY LET YOU DOWN
I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU.

I LOVE YOU.-I HAVE COME
THAT YOU HAVE LIFE
AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL.’

GERRY RYAN

Power and the media

‘The pen is mightier than the sword’ they say. Nowadays it could be said it is also mightier than the pulpit. The power of the church has been replaced by the power of the media – not a bad development as the church should never have been in the power game in the first place based as it should be on Christ whose message was one of poverty and powerlessness. Whether or not the media is using that power any more responsibly is a debatable point. The basics of the primacy of truth and respect for others should be the ethos of any institution. However all human institutions are flawed whether the church, police, politicians, government, banks, medical care and others whose transparency and accountability over recent times has been found wanting. The media are doing great service to us by holding them up for scrutiny, by seeking justice and by exposing evil. Good journalism is a great benefit to society too by increasing our understanding and deepening our knowledge. But it too must be held accountable because at times that power is abused, lies are told and people get hurt.

Sad death

This week the media people lost one of their own and in imitation of a process the Catholic Church loves (and I personally find difficult) some are already canonizing him.

I met him when I was a curate in Melmount. It was 1988 and he was guest D.J. at a disco in the Melmount Parish Centre. This was a sideline for him at the time. I found him pleasant and agreeable but then I was his employer and was giving him his pay at the end of the night!

TWO INTERVIEWS

Later he interviewed me twice for his Radio show. The first was about the scheme I had in place here in Holy Family whereby I provided weddings absolutely free, plus a small donation to the couple. It still continues. I was concerned about the large number of couples living with seemingly stable relationships -and a family- who told me when visiting their homes that they could not afford to get married. The sacrament was becoming unavailable to the poor. He used the unbalanced expression during the interview ‘couples living in sin’! I challenged him on it saying I never use it. I quoted back the saying ‘more sins may be committed in the boardroom than the bedroom’

The second interview was around the time I invited a mother of a gay son to speak to the congregation at the end of Mass. She talked about her ignorance of these issues, her fears for his future, gay prejudice and how gradually she had to grow into acceptance. He was probing yet balanced and respectful. Some say he was bold and even offensive but I never experienced it.

GERRY AND THE CHURCH

He regretted the decline in the church because he felt people needed a moral compass to guide them. He advised those priests disillusioned with the church, and its handling of the abuse crisis, not to lose their joy. When the relics of the Little Flower came to Dublin Gerry was there with his mother wheeling her into the church. He was very close to her. She had a great influence of his faith and he would often pop into the Carmelite church on Clarendon St. Dublin, to say a quick prayer and light a candle. Fr. Michael Collins who celebrated his Requiem Mass says he used to joke: ‘Where did the Child of Prague get that strange outfit’- a typical Ryan comment, as he could not resist poking fun whenever he got the chance. Yes, he had his failings as we all have and I think he would have been the first to admit that.

But he was a great radio personality and much loved by those who listened to his show. We commend him to the mercy of our Heavenly Father whose compassion is beyond our comprehension.

May he rest in peace.

As I have already told you I love ‘the blues’ and during the recent Jazz festival went to as many acts as I could fit in between my other responsibilities. It so happened that the wedding meal after a marriage I celebrated on Saturday was in the City Hotel and I stayed on to listen to some great acts. [I returned there on Sunday night to hear ‘The Roaring Forties’.]I also had been to see Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings on Friday night at the Forum and earlier that evening had heard Colm (Stride) O’Brien at the Tower. [He played ‘The Robin’s Return’ at my request, as my mother played it frequently. It brought back sad, nostalgic memories as she died in 1992.]What a great pianist he is as those who heard him will agree. I also attended the Kind of Blue Session, introduced by Mark Patterson, at the Playhouse on Saturday evening.

The city at the weekend

It was good to see the city in such a mood of celebration. The sun was shining on Guildhall Square, a band was playing rag- time, and people were jiving. There were smiles on the faces of young and old. Joy and laughter in the air. Spring had sprung. It felt good to be alive.

Soul

I also listened to some great soul music from a talented black singer called Mirenda Rosenberg and her band on Sunday evening at the River Inn. The whole festival for me was indeed an uplifting soul experience. The God I believe in is not confined to churches but speaks to us at times like this when we are touched at the core of our being. He is not to be confined behind stained glass windows. I am reminded of the chorus of a song which goes ‘give God back to the people’- written by a minister’s son, Jonathan Smeaton, Ramelton, from the band ‘The Mystery Shoppers’. I heard it at Easter in Mc Grory’s, Culdaff, still going strong.

Walking through the city centre you could hear the sound of music coming from every street. For those few days last week Derry became New Orleans.

Sadder memories.

The reason for my joy may have a lot to do with the fact that when I came to Derry in 1973 my experience was very different. There was the lingering smell of CS gas, the almost daily smoke rising from burning cars, barricades, hi-jackings, robberies, foot patrols, raids, bombs, Torture, people killed wounded and maimed, the hunger strikes and, most of all, fear and anger and bitterness and loss of hope in people’s hearts.

The future of promise and peace

At the weekend I thought of those sad times as I listened to the music of not just from the artists but the music of laughter and a happy people enjoying life. I felt we had turned a corner!

I am reminded of the words of the second reading of Mass last Sunday from the Book of Revelations and pray that they would apply in a special way to Derry, a city I love and a city which has been through so much pain.

‘I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth …You see this city, here God lives. He will make his home among them; they shall be his people and he will be there God; his name is God-with-them. He will wipe all tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, no more mourning or sadness,for the world of the past has gone…Now I am making the whole of creation new.’

I conclude with some other famous words of inspiration and yearning, this time from Seamus Heaney in ‘The Cure at Troy’.

‘So hope for a great sea-change
On the far side of revenge.
Believe that a farther shore
Is reachable from here.
Believe in miracles and cures and healing wells.’

So well done Johnny Murray and Derry City Council .Take a bow!

Derry has been shortlisted as UK City of Culture 2013. Register your support please at www.cityofculture2013.com

SEED POWER

I am told that visitors to a Hamburg graveyard in Germany can see an old grave. Its occupant did not believe in the resurrection and just to make his point stipulated that the grave slab be chained down by iron. Also chained down unknowingly was the seed of a tree. Relentlessly it strained for light and growth and today you witness a grave slab split apart by a thrusting tree.

Deep within the mothering earth we know that something is stirring in the seeds of tiny hope that dreamers-also called ‘gardeners’- around the world plant every spring in overturned soil. Every spring their hopes press against impossible odds and blossom.

God is a sower too .On March 25th we annually mark how God placing the seed of his own self in the fertile womb of a Jewish girl. This week we mark the last and final flowering of that seed in the rebirth we call Easter.

For a moment, it seemed like the Christ seed was entombed and stuck at Calvary, a rock too big to budge. But no! -the seed of God stirred, shoved and sprouted. The ground trembled, and the rock of the tomb tumbled. And the flower of Easter blossomed.

I do not intend to keep on about the abuse crisis in our church .Neither do I believe that what has happened should be forgotten. Nor am I saying that structures do not need to change. They certainly do and that is an issue for another day but there is little good news in constantly looking back at mistakes made.

It was comforting to see our churches packed to overflowing at Easter. In our parish of Holy Family, we have three people now preparing to be received into our church, frail and inadequate as it is and always will be. Yes, there is good news all around us if we have eyes to see it and are prepared to move on. Our church has seen worse crises in the past and has survived. The Spirit is in charge, thankfully, not weak and sinful popes, cardinals, bishops and priests. In his book ‘A Tragic Grace’ Stephen Rossetti claims that if we expect these to behave better that the rest of humanity we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. On the other hand, people will always have a hunger for God. The person of Christ still draws people.

As Pope Benedict said in his recent pastoral it ‘‘is in the Church that we will find Jesus ‘who is the same yesterday, today and for ever ( Heb. 13:8)’. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and his goodness, and shelter the flame of faith in your hearts.’’

I know many good people find him outside organised religion but, for most of us, it is here we discover how much he loves us and how he has offered himself on the cross for us. Here we are enabled to seek a personal relationship with him. He alone can satisfy our deepest longings and give our lives their fullest meaning by directing them to the service of others. ‘I have come that you may have life’ he said. ‘My peace I give you...let your hearts be full of joy...’

Never underestimate the power of a seed.