Trampling On The Image Of Christ

I discovered a new Saint recently, one of our ancient witnesses to the Faith: the martyr St Stephen the Younger. Stephen was born in Constantinople, modern Istanbul, possibly around the 11th August 715 . His father was a craftsman, Gregory, and his mother was Anna, he was the youngest in the family having two older sisters. Baptised on Holy Saturday 716 he was not destined to follow his father's craft, but rather discerned a call to consecrate his life to God and the service of the Church. Respecting his decision his parents allowed him enter a monastery in Bithynia when he turned sixteen. A number of years later his father died, and having come home for the funeral, he returned to the monastery bringing his widowed mother and sister with him so he could care for them. The following year the abbot of the monastery died and Stephen was elected the successor. After twelve years serving his community as abbot, he resigned his office and retired to a remote place to embrace the life of a hermit.

However, the peace of the eremetical life would not last long. In 754 a council at Hieria condemned the use of images in Christianity (Iconoclasm), a position which was contrary to orthodox Christian faith. This council had been called by the emperor Constantine V who had embraced the Iconoclast heresy and he sought to impose it upon the whole Church. The Pope and many of the bishops of East and West rejected the rulings of the council, and though those who participated in it considered it an Ecumenical Council, it was never regarded as anything other than a mock synod. Stephen, like many others, refused to accept the decisions of the council. However while he was left in relative peace for a few years, in 760 he came to the attention of the iconoclasts and they meant to convert him to their position; however Stephen refused: he was not for abandoning the orthodox* position on the veneration of images.

Given his being renowned for holiness, the iconoclasts realised that they had to seriously damage Stephen's reputation to make him crack. So they made allegations of sexual impropriety against him, a sure fire way of undermining his position. He was accused of committing incest with his mother and, then as now, some believed it, others didn't, and many wondered: could there be smoke without fire? He was also accused of transgressing the laws of the emperor by forcing the emperor's favourite, Gregory Synkletos, to be tonsured - admitting him into the clerical state against his will. Though his reputation was now destroyed, Stephen continued to hold firm.

Failing to break him by accusation, Constantine had him arrested and confined to an Iconoclast monastery in Chrysopolis, after interrogations and ill treatment he maintained the orthodox position and so was exiled to the island of Prokonnesos to see if the deprivations there would break him: they didn't. After two years he was brought back to Constantinople to be questioned by the emperor himself. And this was where Stephen shone. 

The emperor demanded that he renounce the orthodox position: Stephen refused. An icon of the Lord was then produced and thrown on the ground - the emperor demanded that Stephen tread on it telling the monk that treading on an image of Christ was not the same thing as treading on Christ. Stephen put his hand on his pocket and took out a coin which bore on one side the image of the emperor. Stephen asked the emperor what would happen if someone were to tread on this image? The emperor was indignant, who could consider such a thing, it would be an insult to the emperor! Well then, likewise, Stephen responded, should not respect be shown to icons of Christ?

The emperor could not argue with this logic and so resorted to violence, as corrupt men and women of power often do. Stephen was sent to be scourged and beaten. Still alive after this ordeal, he was dragged through the streets of the city until he was dead. He is the most prominent martyr under Iconoclasm. 

Constantine and his fellow Iconoclasts did not think there was anything wrong in dishonouring images of Christ, ultimately these images were nothing, insignificant. Yet as St Stephen demonstrated to trample on an image of Christ is to attack him because the image is representative of him. So too in many other ways. We all know that the oppression of peoples is akin to trampling on Christ, since we offend those he has redeemed, those created in the image and likeness of God, the ones who are close to his Heart. 

But then there is also the issue of Christ teachings: what Christ taught reflects him since it is his word; we could say then that the teachings of Christ are his image since they are the means through which we can be ttransfomed into closer images of him.  And what about those who dismiss or undermine these teachings, say that they are no longer relevant or need to be updated, or misinterpret them, are they not also trampling on the image of Christ? If Christ says one thing, but we say another, or live and act in a way that is contrary to what he says, are we not being iconoclastic? And if ministers of the Church embrace and promote measures that are contrary to Christ's teaching but deem their measures more merciful, are they not saying they are more merciful that Christ and so trample on Christ himself as on his image? 

Mosaic of St Stephen the Younger

* When I speak of orthodox here I do not mean the Orthodox Church, but rather the position of "right teaching", adherence to the authentic teachings of Christ and his Church.

Inherit The Earth

Regal tenant: Elizabeth I claims the world for herself

In our Gospel today we are told by Jesus that he has come to save the world, not to condemn it. It is an interesting teaching that should lead us to reflect on our place in the world. We often hear about the "values of the world" and how we should not make them the foundation of our lives, and that is true. The "values of the world" are those grounded in the merely materialist, eschewing the divine and transcendent, fallen human values rather than those of God. But, in a way, these "values of the world" are actually alien to the world, since the world was made by God and he has impressed his divine artistry on it. The world is passing away, but rather than turning into itself, as the "values of the world" do, it points to something greater than itself, to the Creator whose signature we see in the beauty of nature, in the wonder of the stars, in the fascinating host of creatures. 

As Christians we can tend towards shunning the world, we keep to ourselves in order to be pure - we might think we have to sit it out and await the Second Coming. Well, St Paul tackles that attitude in his letters to the Thessalonians - we cannot and should not withdraw from the world, we must live in it. And living in it, we are to change it. Let us not forget that the world belongs to us - it was made for the children of God and so it is ours - Jesus reminds us of this in the Beatitudes when he says that the meek shall inherit the earth. We do not make the world our basket (again, the meek - they are the ones who can see things correctly), but we make this world a better place, a forum in which our souls are prepared for heaven and all those wonderful gifts given to us by God can be used for his glory and the encouragement of our fellow pilgrims. We never forget that we are passing through, but as on every pilgrimage, the journey is important too.

Of course we cannot forget that the tenants have taken over the vineyard and many many times down the centuries the tenants have tried to dispossess the children of God. The tenants are themselves children of God, but in their way of life they have turned their back on him and so renounced that status. They take the world for themselves and seek to change it to suit themselves and those who still adhere to God's plan and way of life are alienated. It is through these tenants that the "spirit of the world" and the "values of the world" come into being. On conquered land they establish the city of the world while the children of God struggle to maintain the city of God, if I may use Augustinian terms. But our task, as children of God, is to reclaim our inheritance, our world, and Jesus announces this mission in our Gospel today. However we have to  be careful and discern as we engage in a mission of reconquest - it is not for the sake of the world, but for the souls of the tenants. They have built their cities, their fortresses, but they are more akin to prisons where they hold themselves captive lest the transcendent get them. It is like a gang of pilgrims who hijack the bus on the way to Lourdes and won't let any of us proceed to the shrine because they want to stay at the roadside cafe, but nobody gets anywhere then, and we'll eventually run out of tea!

Why such thoughts today? Well, looking around us in Ireland I see the tenants are building walls to keep us all in their fortress. The children of God are being dispossessed and alienated, there is now an insistence that we conform to the values the tenants have devised for themselves. 

I am reminded of Queen Elizabeth I's religious revolution. She said at the beginning of her reign that in terms of the religious question, she could not see into the consciences of men, nor did she intend to. It seemed as if she was going to tolerant of Catholics, but not so. She established the Church of England and then expected all of her subjects to conform regardless of their conscience, those who did not paid for it either through fines that impoverished them or with their lives. She replaced the Virgin Mary with herself, establishing the cult of Gloriana, and everything was to revolve around her and her desires, secular and religious. We see the same today. The tenants tell us that we can believe what we like as long as it is private, yet they do not mean what they say: they will expect us to conform in every way to what they decree, even at level of our conscience which must be violated if they see fit. This is how they mean to dispossess the children of God.

But the meek shall inherit the earth, the Lord has come to redeem the world, and our task is to participate in that mission. We are not cower in the trenches or privatize our faith and values, but we are to go out into the world and live them and live by them even if it challenges the tenants, even if it means we may have to suffer. This will require a good dose of courage (cardinal virtue!), stamina (they will try to break us down), love (for we do it for love of them, for the salvation of their souls as much as our own) and ingenuity (the wily wisdom of the serpent married with the innocence of doves), but the Lord will give the grace to do this. Of course prudence is important, but we must be careful not to turn prudence into a vice, an excuse to feed our fear. There are too many Christians in the trenches cowering beneath a white flag, trying to appease the tenants and announcing peace in our time for the sake of a quiet life. 

At prayer this morning I remembered that Archbishop Oscar Romero will be beatified on the 23rd May, the day after the gay marriage referendum here in Ireland. Is that a coincidence or a God-incidence? The ballot takes place on the feast of St Rita (a necessary patronage there), but if the tenants win, then Oscar Romero's life and struggle may well be an example and inspiration for us: he too had to stand up to a corrupt regime and unjust laws, he had to defy them. He knew that the world belonged to the children of God and they should not be dispossessed of that which God has given them. Yes, they are pilgrims, but they do not walk on another's property, they tread the path their Father laid for them. We should never forget this. May the soon Blessed Oscar intercede for us in these times and obtain from the Lord the courage, wisdom, prudence and zeal we need to face the challenges that lie ahead.

The Light To Enlighten The Gentiles

The old priest Simeon holds the Infant in his arms and recognises him.  Overflowing with joy he sings the Nunc Dimittis, for now God has fulfilled his promise and the Light has come into the world. 

We mark this feast with the blessing and lighting of candles, to remind ourselves that Christ is the light of the world, that he casts out the darkness, and now we his disciples are called to take that same light and carry it to every corner of the world.

It is interesting to note that the Paschal Candle is lit over us twice in our lives - at our baptism when we come into the Church, it is burning beside the baptismal font and after we come out of the waters our own baptismal candle is lit from it. The second time is at our funeral, when our lifeless bodies lie before the altar as the Requiem Mass is offered for us. Between these two occasions the light of that Paschal Candle is supposed to burn within us as we live our Christian lives. The candles we carry in procession at today's Mass symbolise then, not just Christ who enlightens us and the world, but that same light burning within us, lit by God, which urges out into the world as witnesses and evangelisers.

A Prayer To The Spiritual Mother Of Ireland

Today is a Sunday, so in Ireland we can't celebrate the feast of our secondary patron St Brigid. However, we can pray to her and ask her to watch over this little country in which she lived, served God and found holiness.

What would she make of Ireland now? I do not know, but I do not think she would be pleased. Pope Benedict XVI in his Letter to the Irish encouraged us to look to our Irish Saints, to follow their example and ask them to intercede for us. Given what lies ahead later this year we need our countrymen and women in heaven to pray hard for us, foremost among them the patrons of this land. 

Let us ask St Brigid, our spiritual mother, to help us in the months ahead, that as our leaders are desperately trying to tear apart the Christian fabric of our society, we will have the strength to resist and the courage and initiative to rebuild a more just and Christian Ireland for the future. May the holy souls of our Saints come walk among us once more, manifest themselves to rouse the consciences of our people and pastors, and lead us in this difficult times. 

Let us not forget that Ireland belongs to God and his Saints - it was bought with the blood of the Lamb; may Brigid cast her cloak over the whole of this country and reclaim it for Christ.

Wise Words

I have to link to this post from Fr Dwight Longenecker on the schism that exists in the Church today: it is an excellent piece which hits the nail on the the head. 

In the Church today there are two groups - those who believe the Church is here to preach the Gospel for the salvation of souls, centred on the cross of Jesus Christ; and those who believe the Church is here to preach a Gospel of social activism in order to advance a particular political agenda. 

True. How often have I preached the actual teaching of Jesus at Mass and then, later, being accused by certain parties of being unChristian? I know plenty of priests who have the same experience on a regular basis. Sometimes one is tempted to conclude that for many people in the Church today the most unChristian person who ever lived was Christ.

Aggie And Vinnie

The last few days has seen the Church celebrate the feasts of three of the martyrs of the Great Persecution - those who were killed under Diocletian. Sebastian, Agnes and Vincent of Saragossa - a Milanese, a Roman and a Spaniard, revealing how widespread that persecution was. Of course they also reveal the variety of people who chose to die rather than renounce Christ, people from various walks of life. Sebastian was a soldier,a man of the world; Agnes was a young girl from a noble and wealthy Roman family, from a generation usually cossetted and taken up with frivolities, Agnes was precocious in her faith and her commitment to Christ. Vincent, a deacon, spending his life, and himself, in the service of the Church. All three lived in the world, would have been happy to live their lives in the midst of the world; but those lives would have been immersed in Christ and the Gospel, and the world, and its secular powers, was threatened by that.  I have been thinking about Agnes and Vincent in the context of where we are now. 

Agnes chose the way of virginity: she is a virgin martyr dying as much for her virginity as her faith - indeed for her the two were so intimately connected they could not be separated. In other times she may have been a consecrated religious, but not necessarily - there are those who are called to live the virginal life in the midst of the world. Agnes refused to marry, her suitors, offended at being turned down, denounced her as a Christian to the authorities, she was arrested and interrogated. If she agreed to give up her virginity, give in to the sexual mores of Roman society, she would have been spared. She refused and she was killed.

Agnes's witness in terms of her virginity is twofold. While she did not demean marriage, she discerned it was not her calling. As a Christian she understood her relationship as being one of total gift to Christ, of virginal consecration. This witness is beautiful but also challenging, it reveals to all of us that our being disciples of Christ will require a commitment which will effect the way we live our lives - to be a real Christian we have to allow the Gospel soak into our flesh as well as our souls, minds and hearts, and that will have consequences for how we live our lives. Our lives, even the intimate aspects of our lives, may well have to change. 

Agnes's witness to virginity also reminds us of something else: sex is not everything. We live in a society that has idolized sex, so much so that there are many people, Christians among them, who cannot understand how anyone can live without having sex, usually on a regular basis. Attacks on priestly celibacy usually emerge from this opinion, not from any concern for individual priests and their lives. There is also a certain Gnosticism attached to sex: having sex regularly, seems in the views of some, to confer a singular wisdom, an insight into reality which is denied to the virginal, the celibate and the chaste. Hence as priests we often hear people tell us we know nothing about real life because we are not married or we are virgins. Even in the context of marriage sex is not everything - the commitment is deeper than that. If a marriage is based on sex alone, or it is the most important aspect of the marriage, that marriage might not last, one of the spouses may well begin to feel that they are nothing more than a slave for the desires of the other.

Agnes, however, teaches us otherwise. She was a confident, free and wise young woman. She was courageous and strong even though she was so young when she was killed. She teaches us that we need to rethink our attitude to sex - it is not the be all and the end all. Of course it is important, it is a gift of God, but must be approached in its proper context (marriage), aware of its proper ends and the powerful passions which attach to it. The desire for sex can become one which can overpower us, and I think we see that clearly in society as morals, laws and the very fabric society is now being dismantled to cater for sexual desire. Lust, if raised to the level of a master and a judge, quickly becomes a tyrant; when given free reign it will never be a servant and will eventually destroy. God gave us reason and virtue to help us control our passions, he gave us the Commandments and the Gospel to assist our reason and help us form our virtues, and we should take account of this. We must also remember that the greatest act of love the world has ever seen was not a physical act of intimacy between lovers but rather the sacrifice of the God-man on the cross. 

St Vincent's example is one of fortitude in the midst of tremendous suffering. Like Agnes he would not conform to the desires of his persecutors who wanted to wipe out his virtuous adherence to the Gospel by renouncing his faith. If only Vincent had conformed he would have had it all, they lamented. They tried persuasion, as they usually do: how happy and fulfilled he would be if he followed their way of life. Yet, they were not happy, they were ensnared in vice and greed. The faithful deacon said no, and so they inflicted pain: he will give in if we keep torturing him - we will wear him down, he will have no choice but to renounce his faith and then our consciences will be eased. But Vincent did not give in: it was not stubbornness, it was the grace and strength of God - Vincent's persecutors forgot that they were not just attacking a man, they were attacking God and he has ways and means to resist that attack. We are told in the account of his martyrdom that Vincent was serene in the midst of his sufferings - the Lord he loved was supporting him. And so he died, falling, not into the pit of his enemies, but into the arms of his Saviour.

In the coming months we in Ireland are going to face something of what Vincent faced. The ungodly fury of those who hate our Christian faith will be unleashed as they try to force us to endorse what we know to be wrong. First they will try to persuade, tell us that to be really Christian and kind we have to go along with them. If we resist that, they will turn on us, attack us, and who knows what after that. Vincent's example should inspire us to remain steadfast and serene. We cannot endorse what is wrong nor should we facilitate others in doing what is wrong. 

May these holy martyrs watch over us in these times, assist us their prayers, and come down from heaven to stand by our sides in the midst of tribulation.

Learning From St Sebastian: Words of Wisdom From St Ambrose

In our Office of Readings today, the feast of St Sebastian, we read from St Ambrose's commentary on Psalm 118 in which he praises the Milanese martyr and draws important lessons from his life, his faith and his heroic witness.  Here is the extract from the Office which, I think, will prove encouraging for us in these difficult times.

To enter the kingdom of God we must endure many tribulations. If there are many persecutions, there are many testings; where there are many crowns of victory, there are many trials of strength.  It is then to your advantage if there are many persecutors; among many persecutions you may more easily find a path to victory.

Take the example of the martyr Sebastian, whose birthday in glory we celebrate today.

He was a native of Milan.  At a time when persecution either had ceased or had not yet begun or was of a milder kind he realized that there was only one slight, if any, opportunity for suffering.  

He set out for Rome, where bitter persecutions were raging because of the fervor of the Christians. There he endured suffering; there he gained his crown. He went to the city as a stranger and there established a home of undying glory.  If there had been only one persecutor, he would not have gained a martyr’s crown.

The persecutors who are visible are not the only ones.  There are also invisible persecutors, much greater in number.  This is more serious.  

Like a king bent on persecution, sending orders to persecute to his many agents, and establishing different persecutors in each city or province, the devil directs his many servants in their work of persecution, whether in public or in the souls of individuals.  

Of this kind of persecution Scripture says: All who wish to live a holy life in Christ Jesus suffer persecution  “All” suffer persecution; there is no exception.  Who can claim exemption when  the Lord himself endured the testing of persecution?  

How many there are today who are secret martyrs for Christ, giving testimony to Jesus as Lord!  The Apostle knew this kind of martyrdom, this faithful witnessing to Christ; he said: This is our boast, the testimony of our conscience.

In times of great darkness, we are called to bring great light, the light of Christ which enlightens our souls. In days when men and women fall back into the barbarity which faith and civilization had pushed back, we are to re-civilize through our prophetic witness.  

Fidelity And Ambiguity, Conformity Or Defiance?

It has been over a week since I blogged last. I have been busy with parish and other duties. And it seems we have just slipped into July - I didn't see that one coming, not so soon. 

But a lot has happened in that week. Poor Meriam Ibrahim is still suffering. According to news sources, she will probably be put on trial again, this time for falsifying documents, ie using a name, her name, which the Muslim authorities of Sudan do not accept. Her step-brother, who called for her execution, is also trying to have the authorities put her under his jurisdiction so he can prevent her from leaving Sudan and, I presume, force her to convert to Islam. I do not think that will happen. During all her trials, Meriam has refused to renounce Christ or the Church and I think she may well prefer to die than convert. That would make her a martyr and probably even eligible for beatification. We must continue to support her with our prayers.  At the moment I believe she is in the US Embassy: is there any way US authorities could get her out of Sudan?

I note a post from Fr Ray Blake on his blog in which he asks where all the bloggers have gone. It was reading that this morning that pushed me online now. It is an interesting post and I find myself agreeing with what he says.  A lethargy seems to have descended on many, the discussions under Benedict have now changed to fears, raw defence of Catholic orthodoxy and accusations of disloyalty whenever someone is suspected of raising a question about the present pontificate. Meanwhile the whole approach to teaching the faith has changed. Now a priest is attacked and censured for explaining Church teaching clearly, while the approved method now seems to be maximum ambiguity "clarified" only by meaningless, fuzzy language. What a strange country we are walking in now. No wonder faithful people are resorting to silence for the sake of loyalty and unity. But I wonder what will be the consequences of that?

Finally, the response to the US Supreme Court decision on the Hobby Lobby case is very interesting. The wave of anti-Catholic rage has been most enlightening. The New York Times ran a one page ad which is reminiscent of the old days of anti-Catholic bigotry. The guys over in Creative Minority Report point out that the ad features a large image of Margaret Sanger, the mother of eugenics. There is also a good article in The Federalist by David Marcus in which he wonders if it is possible for Catholics to serve in the US without being accused of being intolerant. Strange times indeed. 

I think Pope Benedict said once that the Church may well have to go underground again, and that time may not be too far off. Reading the signs of the times I think he might be right. But I do have to wonder, if such a time is coming, is our response as a persecuted people one of ambiguity and fuzzy language, or should it be that of Meriam Ibraham: of faithful defiance in the face of those who would have us conform, silenced or dead?

A Spiritual Legacy

Mass Rock in Clara, County Offaly

Today is the feast of the Blessed Irish Martyrs. I usually write a post on them because their witness is so important to us in these times. Our diocese has one Blessed among them, Blessed Margaret Bermingham Ball.  These Irish men and women, most of them living in Ireland, but a few living in England, preferred to accept death rather than renounce their Catholic faith. They represent many thousands of Irish who put their religion before king, state and society, and who went out into the wild places to meet for Holy Mass, protected priests and passed on the faith to their children even as the state was doing its best to indoctrinate them.

These forefathers and foremothers leave us an important spiritual legacy. It is one of fidelity, endurance, heroism and authentic devotion. All of these are symbolised by physical reminders of our penal past - the Mass Rocks which are scattered throughout the island. One of the most impressive (in my view) is in my home parish, just a mile or so from where my family lives. This Mass Rock (pictured above) is hidden away in the hills of Kilnabin and no doubt holds may secrets as it witnessed, for many years, our ancestors gathered for Mass at the risk of their lives.

This Mass Rock seems rooted in the Irish soil and in Irish hearts, and it consoles me that yet even today the faith is still rooted in the hearts of many Irish men and women. We may well face again what our ancestors once faced, we may not be as numerous, but the legacy of our martyrs and our faithful ancestors, whose names are no longer remembered, can serve as an encouragement for us. At the end of the day we can lose everything the world thinks important - our livelihood, our buildings, our reputations, even our freedom, but we will still share in the treasure of the Church and it can enrich us - faith. Our martyrs teach us how important that inheritance is.

"Get Ready For The Adventure"

There are two types of Irish person, I think. The first is the home-bird, and comprises the majority of Irish men and women. They are attached to the local place and if they venture too far away they get homesick and want to get back as soon as possible. In the early years of Irish Christianity when the monks wanted to embrace suffering and martyrdom they went on the missions, into what they saw as "voluntary exile" in the service of Christ and the Gospel. Heading out into the unknown, they settled in various places in continental Europe and founded great monasteries which would re-evanglise the continent. Plagued with homesickness, however, this was a white martyrdom for them. 

Then there is the second type, the Irish man or woman who can't wait to get out of the place. And while these are a minority, we have some notable examples: Sean O'Casey, James Joyce, Samuel Becket. They found Irish life too oppressive and felt the need to get on a boat and go elsewhere. For this type of Irish person the white martyrdom occurs when they have to come back.

Today in Ireland we celebrate the feast of one who might be more at home with the second group of Irish people than the first: St Brendan the Navigator, who as soon as he able took to the seas and sought adventure for the sake of the Gospel. Yes, that is a real concept: adventure for the sake of the Gospel. He was born in Kerry but educated by St Finnian (our diocesan patron) in Clonard here in Meath. He seems have wandered around Ireland for a bit before convincing his monk companions to get into a boat with him and set off to proclaim the Gospel in places unknown. Many stories of his adventures are preserved in ancient manuscripts, and in one of them we are told that he sailed due west and discovered a new, vast land. Yes, my dear friends in the US and Canada, it was not Christopher Columbus who "discovered" America, it was this restless Irish monk!

Brendan would eventually settle down in the Irish midlands, in Clonfert, found a monastery there and rule as Abbot for ten years before his death. However, I wonder if his adventurous soul could ever settle down? Did the monks of Clonfert ever have to dissuade their aging Abbot from setting out on another adventure? 

Being a Christian is meant to be an adventure. I love G. K. Chesterton because his approach to the faith and living it is one of an exciting adventure. He cherished orthodoxy because it was exciting, radical - heresy is boring - it is the exercise of bored, unimaginative minds categorizing mysteries so they will be acceptable and tame. Living life according to the orthodox faith brings one into the heart of mystery where you know you are not in control, but God is and he is leading you on the journey of a lifetime to lands of mystery and wonder. The spiritual life is an adventure, as St Teresa of Avila teaches us, it is as fascinating as a child let loose in a fabulous castle and told to go and explore: find the king who sits in the room of treasures. It is not boring and there are challenges, what challenges! 

In St Brendan we have one who had the spirit of Chesterton and the spirituality of St Teresa. The faith and the Church were one great adventure for him and he wanted to share that with those he met on his journeys, and in this he was sanctified. In these years of the New Evangelisation we should try to recapture this spirit of adventure, to jump into the mystery that is our faith, and promote orthodoxy and the spiritual life as a way of life which opens our eyes rather than closes them. Each morning, when we wake, we must surely thank God for another day in which we can continue this adventure with him and try to live it as well as we can: to put out into the deep with the spirit of St Brendan and to hear him say, as no doubt he said to his monks many times: "Right lads, get up, we're going..."

The Old Chestnut, Again

 

No doubt you may have already heard that our Bishop here in Meath has been under attack for the last few days due to a recent issuing of directives with regard to Catholic funerals in our diocese.  First of all, some of these attacks have been purely personal against Bishop Smith, and that is unacceptable although predictable.  It seems now in our "tolerant" age when people of faith defend the orthodox teaching and practice of the faith they often come under personal attack.  But, as those involved in respectful debate understand, if you need to attack the person rather than the argument, then you seem to have no defence for your position.

 

With regard to the directives (here is a link to the Bishop's letter on the Diocesan website), they are not new nor the personal initiative of Bishop Smith, they are simply the normal practice expected of priests and Catholic faithful during a Catholic funeral liturgy, practices which were the norm and accepted by most up until about ten or fifteen years ago.   That these practices have now become unacceptable is very revealing with regard to the level of faith and fidelity among many today.  Indeed one commenter on a blog wrote that the eulogy was the best part of a funeral, all the rest was boring.  So the Holy Scriptures, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the intercessions for the salvation of the deceased are all boring, and I presume, unnecessary in a funeral liturgy?  This is certainly a revelation.

 

Of course this represents a major shift in the understanding of what a Catholic funeral actually is.  Today many think a Catholic funeral is in fact a Protestant one, wherein the life of the deceased is celebrated and there is no need to pray for the person's soul since they are already in eternal glory in heaven, regardless of how they lived their lives.  But that is not the theology of the Catholic faith - it never has been.  A Catholic funeral is primarily a ritual in which the Church official joins the bereaved in offering prayer and intercession for the salvation of a person's soul, not presuming that they have gone straight to heaven, but offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that they may be delivered from Purgatory and come to share in the resurrection of the Lord.   Agree or disagree with this, that is what the Church understands and has always understood the Requiem Mass to be.  All texts are to be from Scripture or the official prayers of the Church, ie the liturgy.  In this context the mortal remains are buried in the hope of the resurrection. 

 

That is a Catholic funeral and the integrity of that has been lost over the years.  While that is the official liturgy, it does exclude personal expressions of grief and remembrance, but these take place, traditionally, outside the liturgy in other places.  In Ireland the tradition has been to eulogise either at the wake in the person's home, or at the graveside - the Oration.  Some have been implying that the eulogy is traditionally delivered in the church - there is no such tradition, that has only emerged in the last ten, fifteen, twenty years in Ireland.

 

With regard to this recent controversy, it might need to be pointed out that eulogies and funeral liturgies have been a bone of contention for a number of years, and every so often, usually during periods when news is scarce, the media whip up a storm over the issue and the Church is attacked yet again.  This time they are responding to Bishop Smith's directives, but in fact this is not the first time he has issued them - this is a reminder - the Church in Meath has been adhering to liturgical norms for many years and we priests have been trying to explain them to the faithful.

 

This debate is now generating more heat than light, and while people are offering opinions, few if any are prepared, it seems to me, to try and understand what a Catholic funeral actually is.  It seems in this radically secular age even sacred liturgy must now incorporate the secular even when the values of secularism radically contradict the faith of the Church, and it seems the ministers of the Church who are to be guardians of the Church's liturgy are not permitted to prevent this intrusion.  This is not only a sad development, but a dangerous one: it means that secularism must dominate even faith and the sacred.  Ultimately this is what this controversy is all about: the re-forming of the sacred according to the ideals of the secular. 

Time To Say NO!

The committee charged with examining patronage of primary schools has issued its report, and, surprise surprise, it is nothing more than another attack on the Catholic Church and her patronage of schools.  In its recommendations, the report says that religious education should not be conducted in schools, prayer should be changed so as to be more inclusive ie not Catholic prayers, and religious symbols of all faiths should be on display rather than Catholic religious symbols.  Now remember they are not talking about state schools here - they are talking about Catholic schools. 

So to sum it up: the report is recommending that Catholic schools should not be allowed to be Catholic, but rather conform to a secularist, left-wing, relativist agenda.  That's objective for you in modern Ireland. 

Well, the Church's response to this should be very simple: No way, and then just get on as per normal and ignore any efforts the Minister for Education makes to force Catholic schools to conform.  But will the hierarchy and Catholic parents do that?  Certainly the parents of Ashbourne, Co. Meath, will not be impressed.  They are up in arms because the government told them they cannot have a Catholic education for their children. 

This, my friends, is actually unconstitutional in Ireland.  The constitution states that parents are the primary educators of their children and they have the constitutional right to decide what type of education they want for their children and the government is bound by the constitution to support and provide for this.  We have a very liberal constitution when it comes to education here in Ireland, and that's the best way.  Our government and their left-wing secularist allies want to de-liberalise this and force all parents of all religious traditions and none to send their children to the same types of schools - schools which will only cater for secularists and atheists.

 A friend of mine said this morning that the report is deliberately extreme so as to force the Church to compromise.  I do realise that there has been a tendency in the Church here to compromise even when she does not have to.  She relinquishes certain rights in order to reach out.  That may be noble at times, but in the present age with the attack of radical secularism, this is not the time to reach out and compromise - now is the time to fight, and fight hard.   Now is the time to stick by our constitutional rights and tell the government that we will not allow them to take away our liberty here.  The government already has plans for a constitutional convention which will aim at giving Ireland a new constitution - you can bet that the creature they bring to life will be worse than the Frankenstein monster, and the liberties people of faith enjoy in this country will be significantly diminished.  Religious schools will be high on agenda.

Is it not time for the Catholic Church to form alliances with other faith groups?  I have said this before. In Ireland in the past the Church was strong, she had power and could wield that power in the face of governments and politicians.  That was not always a good thing.  Now she has no power, and certainly not with an agressive secularist government headed by a man who wants to break the country's ancient relationship with the Holy See.  Is it not time, then, for the Cardinal, the other Archbishops and Bishops to get talking with other Christian leaders, the new evangelicals among them, with the Chief Rabbi and the Muslims, to form a grand alliance to defy the government?  The Taoiseach and Minister for Education will fob off a delegation from the Bishops, but they will not fob off a delegation of Catholics, other Christians, Jews, Muslims and other religious groups united in a defiant stand against the radical secularist agenda that wants to prevent us passing on the "faith of our fathers and mothers" to our children. 

Catholics, much to the chagrin of radical secularists, are the majority in this country.  United with other Christians, Jews, Muslims and people of other faiths, we are the overwhelming majority, and we all want to keep our schools and their individual faith ethos.  If we got together, the government would be very foolish to defy us.  Yes, I'm sure they would try, but by God, if they do not listen to us, come the next election not only can we boot them out of office, but we can wipe their parties off the political landscape.  It was almost done to Fianna Fail in the last election, it can be done again.

The Shroud Is A Fake......

The Shroud of Turin is a fake, some scientists and atheists say.  "We know it's a fake.  Okay all the evidence (scientific, historical, literary, botanical) suggests it may be authentic.  We can't figure out how the image was made - we can't reproduce it correctly with all our technology, but that doesn't mean a medieval artist couldn't do it.  We stick by the carbon dating tests that have now been discredited - we refused to accept that they are discredited.  It is a fake.  Okay, there are more questions than answers and every scientific examination presents even more questions - it is a mystery - but it is not the shroud of Christ."

Such is the response I hear in Tom Chivers's article ("The Turin Shroud is Fake. Get over it.") in the Telegraph.  In terms of our faith, it matters little that it is the Shroud of the Lord - our faith does not depend on it. However, without being credulous, we must also be open to the possibility that God might actually have left us a document of the Resurrection to strengthen our faith.  That may well be the Shroud of Turin.

That said, it seems, given the big picture, with all the evidence before us, the chances are that it is authentic.  The only (and the I mean the ONLY) examination which casts doubt over authenticity is the carbon dating, and a number of scientists have doubts about those results.  If this was a court case and the jury had to take all evidence into account, they would probably go for authenticity, and question the only test over which there is a shadow.  Perhaps scientists that doubt may need a chat with the very uncomfortable archaeologists who have discovered Sodom and Gomorrah.

So, will we revise Chivers headline and suggest: "The Turin Shroud may be authentic, get over it!"?

Teyve the Teacher

I was watching Fiddler on the Roof last evening with some friends.  I have to say I love that musical - one of the best movie-musicals in my opinion.  Apart from the wonderful music and comic moments, it has an excellent message, and the character of Tevye has many admirable traits.  I realise there are a few difficulties - one could interpret the insistence of Tradition as being rigid, and that we must move on and abandon it for the sake of love - love of our family who may be leading us to a more tolerant existence - a test Teyve ultimately fails.  But there are other wonderful things.

Teyve is a man of faith, he lives what he professes, and he loves.  He lives a simple life and even though he would like to be rich, he accepts his lot (somewhat) and does the best he can.  As a faithful Jew he follows the Law of Moses most particularly in his hospitality.  Though they do not have much, what he has he shares with his poorer brothers and sisters.  He gives milk to the beggar and apologies when he has overlooked him.  He gives the Marxist Perchik cheese and gives him food and a place to stay. 

I am always impressed with Teyve's prayer - it is authentic - true prayer.  He speaks to God as naturally as he does to another, and his prayer reveals that he is in a real relationship with God.  He praises, implores and yes even complains.  At one moment he is King David and in another Job.  I have sometimes referred to this example of prayer in homilies - if we could pray like Teyve our relationship with God would be so much better.

Most of the songs are religious in nature reflecting the characters's daily lives lived in the presence of God.  They recognise that good things come from God and they are ready to praise him and thank him.  In his song "Miracles of miracles" Motel thanks God for being able to marry Tzeitel, comparing this gift with the miracles of God in Scripture. 

In the face of oppression and then exile from their home, the characters express a sort of fatalistic resignation: "This place was never good to us anyway".  While that may be pessimistic and a means of overcoming their pain, their detachment is remarkable - they just move on.  The Jewish people know all about this - they have wandered all over the earth as others have deprived them of a homeland, so I supposed the best way to deal with this is to wipe the dust of their former home off their feet and move on.  Ultimately if this attitude is combined with virtue we recognise that our true home is in heaven, so we must not plant our roots too deeply in this "vale of tears": our Jewish forefathers and mothers can teach us a thing or two about this.

Of course the musical has much to teach us about oppression and the lack of understanding between peoples.  The harmony between Jews and Orthodox Christians is in reality an illusion - when pushed the constable turns on Teyve whom he is supposed to regard as a friend.   Perchik is trying to create a society in which all people are equal and workers's rights are respected - we see he is an avid apostle of Marxism which will "turn the world upside down" as Teyve remarks not realising he will, but not for the good.  Teyve teaches us that we cannot disregard our most cherished beliefs (Tradition?) otherwise we will break.  However, while he may seem to be rigid and rejects his daughter, his approach is better than Perchik's: without his faith he is nothing.   There is a way for him to be true to his Jewish faith and still accept his daughter, he has yet to find it, but it does not include abandoning the faith of his fathers. 

Just a few thoughts - movies can teach us valuable lessons and be enjoyable.  So if you can, get a DVD of Fiddler on the Roof sit back and enjoy. 

Is Ireland Going Down The Swanee?

Over the last few days the media has been reporting on the worsening economic situation here in Ireland.  Now the EU and IMF are urging our government to accept a bailout to help sort out the crisis, but our Taoiseach (Prime Minister) and Minister for Finance are resisting it.  Today, we are told, representatives from the EU and the IMF arrive in Dublin for "negotiations" with our government - economists and journalists see the writing on the wall - the IMF is about to take over and our government is in denial.  The British have told us that they are willing and ready to help us out - you imagine how that will be received by the Irish!

I am no economist, and to be honest when I listen to all the information which is being spilled out like blood in a abattoir, I get wheezy.  Are things that bad?   People are now saying that Ireland is about to lose her sovereignty, hard won back in the 1920's - although we have thrown a lot of it away with the various EU treaties we have signed up for.  But the big question is: is Ireland about to collapse?  We are being told that the future of the EU is at stake - we have heard that before too.  Is the Euro about to collapse too?   No harm, we never liked it anyway - Monopoly money which helped hike up the prices here. 

People are in a bad way here - I look around and see unemployment going up and despair rising with it.  Every time I go to Dublin now I see many more sleeping on the streets - not just the Roma who run an organised begging business, but others - ordinary Irish, sleeping in doorways - not dishevelled and dirty, but clean and respectable, now hiding behind cardboard.  Our suicide rate is rising, although there may be other factors there - the loss of faith tends to have a role to play there, but certainly many people feel like there is no way out of their troubles. 

But, you know, we have been travelling to this point for a long time, even when the economic boom made us one of the richest countries in the world.  Some have said that the Irish did not know how to handle wealth - and you know, I agree with that.  When we got wealthy we lost a lot of our humanity, and we lost our faith.  Someone once said to me about five years ago that the Irish had no civility - they had money now and they were bossy and ignorant, unmannerly - our wealth went to our heads and we thought we were "IT".   I have to agree with that.  Many Irish were insufferable.  As a priest I experienced many Irish looking down their noses at me and my faith - the superstitions of peasants, now they were rich they no longer had need for such childish occupations.  Perhaps we have ended up where we deserve to be - the pariah of Europe.  We need to learn humility.  A friend to mine once said that it takes a lot of humiliation to learn a little humility - is this the programme laid out for Ireland's return to faith?

Perhaps I am being too harsh.  There are those who do need to be taken down a peg or two, we leave them to God, but there are also those who are suffering, many of whom did not benefit from the Celtic Tiger in the first place - my heart goes out to them.   Our charities are under tremendous strain - the Society of St Vincent de Paul, which I have worked with for a number of years, is counting the pennies and relying on God's providence.   I can only hope that the Lord will look after them and keep the money rolling in.  Some cases the organisation have to deal with are shocking, crippling debts that cannot be sorted and whatever help the Society can give is a mere drop in the ocean. 

Well, I think now is the time for faith.  We have landed ourselves in pickle - an enormous, acidic pickle jammed in a jar, and I think it is bringing to us to have a good look at ourselves.   It is the old story over again - man messes up, God has to sort it out - such is our fallen humanity.  I pray something good will come out of all this, and I pray that that will be a return to our faith and a healthy distrust of the prestige wealth and status (and sophistication) bring.   I believe things will be sorted, but in the meantime we need to look after our new poor.  Time, perhaps, for new Catholic foundations to reach out to them.  Who knows, maybe all of this will help in the renewal of the Church in Ireland. God alone knows, so we must let him guide us.