The Messenger: January 2024

MESSENGER The Sacred Heart

January 2024 €2.00/£1.85

A modern message in a much-loved tradition

Gifts of the Magi Donal Neary SJ Christmas: A Feast without Finish Joan Chittister Who Am I to Judge?

Peter McVerry SJ

Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network

Apostleship of Prayer Morning Prayer (St Francis)

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring love. Where there is offense, let me bring pardon. Where there is discord, let me bring peace. Where there is error, let me bring truth.

Where there is doubt, let me bring faith. Where there is despair, let me bring hope. Where there is darkness, let me bring your light. Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.

Evening Prayer (Prayer of Simeon)

Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace. You have fulfilled your promise. My own eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples. A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness; the glory of your people Israel. Save us, Lord, while we are awake; protect us while we sleep; that we may keep watch with Christ and rest with him

The Sacred Heart

MESSENGER

Incorporating the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer)

Address: Messenger Publications 37 Leeson Place, Dublin D02 E5V0, Ireland Phone: 01 676 7491 or 087 654 0408 2

in peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Director Cecilia West, Editor Fr Donal Neary SJ, and the staff at Messenger Publications wish all our readers and promoters, and their families, a happy new year.

Fr Donal Neary SJ will offer Christmas and New Year’s Day Masses for you all.

With thanks also for the work of our promoters, the encouragement of our readers and all who support The Messenger.

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Imprimi Potest: † Dermot, Archbishop of Dublin

Prices for 2024 Prices are on page 54 You can renew your subscription at: www.messenger.ie Telephone 01 676 7491 or 087 654 0408 © All rights reserved

January 2024

Contents 04 From the Editor A New Year

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Donal Neary SJ

05 Pope's Intention 06 Joseph’ s Story Fr Tom Cox

20 El Nino and

Climate Change

Seán McDonagh ssc

08 Care for Creation

22 Gifts of the Magi

Pope Francis

24 One Priest, Three

in the Light of Faith

09 Why Biodiversity Matters

Ciara Murphy

Donal Neary SJ

Parishes

Fr Eugene Duffy

27 Re-Link

12 Reflections Non-Christian Fr John Cullen

14 Scripture

Simeon: Living in Anticipation

David Breen

16 Christmas in Syria 2023 Tony O Riordáin SJ

Winter Festivals

Jacqueline Flattery

40 Children’s Pages 42 Crosswords 44 Entering Mystery Bill Toner SJ

46 Christmas: A Feast without Finish

Joan Chittister OSB

48 Writing a Journal Andrea Hayes

50 Who Am I to Judge?

Peter McVerry SJ

Listening 31 For Aye 52 Anne Marie Lee James Smyth SJ

32 Some Call Me ‘Father’ 54 Subscription Fr Vincent Sherlock 55 Calendar 34 Unity in the Church 56 Photo Reflection Tom Layden SJ

18 Integrity 36 Paul, Timothy Fr Terence Harrington OFM Cap

Mother Eve’ s Pudding/Pear Crepes with Chocolate Sauce

Seamus Buckley

Diversity in the Church

Patrick Carberry SJ

38 Cookery

and Titus

Fr Martin Hogan

Liam O’Connell SJ

Cover: The fresco of The Adoration of the Magi in the churchof Svatého Cyrila Metodeje by Petr Maixner (1868), Prague, Czech Republic

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From the Editor

A New Year

Having coal in the house is a sign that the New Year will be prosperous, and filled with wealth and abundance.

Coal represents warmth, potential and opportunity too. This means that when people place coal around the house, they are hoping for a happy New Year.

I remember a next-door neighbour doing this and only now realise what was behind it. We know of many other new year customs like going in the front door and out the back door: entering from the old year and going then into the new year.

A new year, like anything new, is a word or two of hope. 'I hope this new coat will keep you warm.' 'I hope that new car brings you to good places.'

There's something hopeful about newness. Wishes of a happy new year include this hope for a good year ahead.

We sometimes go into the new year with the hope of a new baby in the 4

family, of a marriage or a new job. For some young people they know this is the last few months of post-primary school. An old person may wonder if this is the last year with all the feelings that wonder will bring up.

Some can be a bit miserable – one person said, ‘well I hope it will be better than last year!’ Not a bad hope either. There is something in the new year that lets us leave the past in the past. A way to move on.

Some good quotes for the new year:

You know how I always dread the whole year? Well this time I’m only going to dread one day at a time.

Charlie Brown You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

Martin Luther King Jr And now we welcome the new year.

Full of things that have never been.

Rainer Maria Rilke Donal Neary SJ

Pope’s Intention

Diversity in the Church the spirit of synodality. Synodality is based on the belief that each one of us, through our baptism, has been given the Holy Spirit, and that everyone has a contribution to make to building up the body of Christ.

Pope Francis is inviting us to gather together to share about the multiple issues facing the Church today. Since no one person has all the answers, he is encouraging us not only to speak clearly and boldly, but also to listen humbly, particularly to those with different viewpoints. This kind of respectful listening is not easy, but is central to the whole process. We must be prepared for the Holy Spirit to blow where he pleases (Jn 3:8). It is only then that the diversity within the Church will truly build its unity.

Portrait by Shawky1993, commons.wikimedia.org

At the Last Supper, Jesus prayed for the gift of unity, and it is for that reason that we pray and work for reconciliation among his divided followers. In our attempts to overcome the scandal of disunity between different Christian traditions, we have come to realise that the hopes of the ecumenical movement are not going to be easily achieved. Progress has been slow, but we must continue to take steps – sometimes tiny steps – towards the desired future of reconciliation and union.

Union does not imply uniformity, of course, and so it is totally appropriate that the Pope should ask us to pray this month about diversity in the Church. St Paul in particular celebrated this diversity within the unity of the faith. He compares the Church to the human body which is one, yet it is made up of different parts, each working in harmony for the good of the whole. In the same way, he writes, the Church is made up of many different individuals, each one with particular gifts (1 Cor 12:27).

To the extent that we develop these gifts and place them at the service of the whole community, the Church will be enriched and strengthened in its inner cohesion.

Pope Francis has been promoting this vision of the Church since the beginning of his pontificate, especially by encouraging us to grow in

Taken from Living Prayer 2024 by Patrick Carberry SJ, Messenger Publications 2023, €2.50.

Pope’s Intention: We pray that the Holy Spirit may help us to recognise the gift of different charisms within the Christian community and to discover the richness of different traditions and rituals in the Catholic Church.

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Joseph’s Story Fr Tom Cox is parish priest of Shannonbridge.

As Christmas is so much about family, I asked my own siblings their thoughts as we approached Christmas. Given that they span between them 200 years of service in many aspects (not least healthcare) of Irish life, my own clan feel that they learned that we don’t need too much to be happy, that we can cut out the nonsense and keep it simple. They also feel grandchildren don’t have to feel guilty about passing something awful onto their grandparents, and grandparents don’t have to hide away alone. That the old themes of family and togetherness and thanksgiving, after the end of the Covid-19 pandemic a few years back, were back again.

It’s a bit like Joseph’s story. News of Mary’s pregnancy was good but, in the context of the time, deeply troubling. Mary faced stoning, and Joseph, by taking Mary in, faced being ostracised by the community. It was one of those impossible decisions with a negative effect on someone whichever way you turned.

In these situations, the general rule of thumb that people follow is to look after self before others; Joseph lovingly risked going another direction, to love this woman and her little one with his very life. It’s small wonder that, early on in his papacy, Pope 6

The mosaic of Adoration of the Magi Adoration of the Magi, designed by Francis Bentley, mosaic in the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption

Francis instructed that the name of Joseph be inserted alongside Mary’s into the Eucharistic Prayer. We have learned much about Joseph, a gentle, kind and compassionate man. He could have made a spectacle out of Mary but chose a different way when prompted by God. God asked Joseph to hang on in there with him and live into the mystery. This he did.

The New Year

We will murmur ‘Happy New Year’ for what else can you say. It’s a ritual, and we dare hope again. Goals will be set, achieved and missed. Posts will be struck and last posts played in many a graveyard. Many of the bad news stories that another journalist brings wearily to us in endless bulletins of woe qill continue. Almost lost in it all will be the sheer, pure moment

of joy and what is true and bright and beautiful. These are the treasures we must mine and guard in 2024. We will see the human body triumph on fleeting fields of glory and bodies of loved ones or our own fail in ill-health.

Businesses will flourish and some will quietly close. For success has many friends, defeat is an orphan. The flab of the past needs to be shed, the tired flags of nationalistic divisions need to be lowered, the self-righteous sounds of politicians and people battling in bitter opposition need to quieten and support the people they claim to serve. In 2024 some will do well while others will do good, some will be all for self, while others will be other-centred. Shepherds greeted the new-born King of this Sunday’s gospel. The lowest of society had a special audience with God

made flesh, while we dare to put up barriers between rich and poor. ‘It will be different this year’, we will chirp, or will it? ‘But I made a resolution’, or did you? For 2024 like every other year will be the same but different – just like us.

Let us lose the weight of these sad times, embrace what is best and most noble in humanity, dare to believe in love, in life, to simply have faith – in self, in others and in God. Lose the flab of accumulated layers of indifference to what is truly good for us and for all and feel with the heart the song of yearning of the people of our common and most beautiful home – Earth. The appointed time has come and let us like Mary ponder and treasure all these things and may it be a year of happy return to God glorifying and praising!

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Care for Creation in the Light of Faith Pope Francis published Laudate Deum, a follow up to Laudato Si’ of 2015. He presents the faith background to our care of the earth in paragraphs 62–65.

The Bible tells us: ‘God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good’ (Gen 1:31). His is ‘the earth with all that is in it’ (Deut 10:14). For this reason, he tells us that, ‘the land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and tenants’ (Lev 25:23). Hence, ‘responsibility for God’s earth means that human beings, endowed with intelligence, must respect the laws of nature and the delicate equilibria existing between the creatures of this world’.

At the same time, ‘the universe as a whole, in all its manifold relationships, shows forth the inexhaustible richness of God’. Hence, to be wise, ‘we need to grasp the variety of things in their multiple relationships’. Along this path of wisdom, it is not a matter of indifference to us that so many species are disappearing and that the climate crisis endangers the life of many other beings.

Jesus ‘was able to invite others to 8

be attentive to the beauty that there is in the world because he himself was in constant touch with nature, lending it an attraction full of fondness and wonder. As he made his way throughout the land, he often stopped to contemplate the beauty sown by his Father, and invited his disciples to perceive a divine message in things’.

Hence, ‘the creatures of this world no longer appear to us under merely natural guise, because the risen One is mysteriously holding them to himself and directing them towards fullness as their end. The very flowers of the field and the birds which his human eyes contemplated and admired are now imbued with his radiant presence’.

If ‘the universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely… there is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a dewdrop, in a poor person’s face’. The world sings of an infinite Love: how can we fail to care for it?

See www.messenger.ie/facebook for the full text of Laudate Deum.

Why Biodiversity Matters Ciara Muphy is a member of the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice.

Buried machinery in South Dakota in 1936. The Dust Bowl ecological disaster extended from Texas into the Northern Plains and Canada.

Biodiversity, or biological diversity, is the term used to describe all the myriad living creatures, plants and microorganisms that exist. An ecosystem is where the physical characteristics of an area work together with the biodiversity that exist in that physical space to form a ‘‘bubble of life’’. The biodiversity found in different areas will be different depending on the physical environment, the climate and the human uses of the land or sea. For example, the species found in native woodlands are different to those found in farmed lands and those found in bogs. The biodiversity of marine systems is completely different to those found in freshwater systems.

It is also fair to say that we rely almost completely on healthy ecosystems for our quality of life.

Ecosystem services

The functioning of Earth as we know it, where water is filtered and cleaned, crops grow, plants are pollinated, flood waters are retained, where trees capture carbon and release oxygen, and where organic matter is recycled, ready to be incorporated into new organisms, relies on this biodiversity.

The different species found in different ecosystems act together performing different functions. In soil organisms including worms, beetles, mites, millipedes, centipedes, fungi and 9

bacteria, work to break down organic matter in the soil and create good soil structure, which allows for healthy plant growth. The plants which grow then introduce more carbon back into the soil through their roots and when they die and decompose. The system that is created relies on this complex web of biodiversity. As it is eroded, the resilience of these ecosystems is reduced. No longer stabilised by a wide variety of different species working together, the precarious functioning of an ecosystem is less able to resist the shocks and disturbances induced both by natural forces and human action. In this way a diminished biodiversity leads to less healthy ecosystems, less able to cope with the consequences of climate collapse such as drought or flooding.

There is historical evidence that degraded ecosystems result in poor agricultural performance, and we are starting to witness the detrimental impacts of biodiversity loss in agricultural systems. Degraded soils and poor land management were a primary cause of the Dust Bowl episode in 1930s America, while the reduction in pollinators are resulting in poorer yields of crops.

Restored floodplains and wetlands can reduce the risk of flooding in towns and cities while creating habitats for biodiversity. In the right circumstances biodiversity and the natural environment has an incredible capacity to restore itself. In many cases we know what we need to do to restore our common home from stemming the flow of pollutants into our water ways, to allowing space for forests to naturally regenerate and rewetting (not flooding) our peatlands.

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Connection to Nature

The importance of the goods we receive from ecosystem services cannot be overstated. However, our connection to the natural environment we co-evolved with goes deeper than we can easily comprehend. The link between physiological and mental health benefits and biodiversity, while widely acknowledged, is poorly understood. The deep connection people feel towards the natural environment, the draw to understand and appreciate the ecological principles that underpin a functioning ecosystem also confers a value. also confers a value.

Of course, biodiversity does not purely exist to suit our needs, there is an intrinsic value to the living world that goes beyond what we can consume.

Caring for our Common Home

In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis has much to say about biodiversity. He laments the disappearance of thousands of plants and animals every year, acknowledging that future generations will not experience the biodiversity that we have enjoyed: ‘We seem to think that we can substitute an irreplaceable and irretrievable beauty with something which we have created ourselves.’ (LS34) He identifies both a root cause of biodiversity destruction and a path to protecting and restoring it: The importance of biodiversity cannot be summarised by a monetary value. By understanding both the intrinsic value and our utter reliance on biodiversity and healthy functioning ecosystem we come to realise that we must do all in our power to Care for our Common Home and all the creatures in it.

Inspirational Jesuits Wisdom At the Crossroads

The Life and Thought of Michael Paul Gallagher SJ Thomas G. Casey

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Reflections Fr John Cullen works with the homeless in London.

Homeless Not Heartless

Hello, there is a human being in here, I am not an object, not a type, not a threat, not an enemy, not an irritation, not a big issue.

I am not just a need to be fed second-hand, sell-by-date sandwiches on a cold street, while sipping a cup of tea.

I am not something to be demeaned, devalued, discarded or deported.

I am not someone who has come to steal your territory.

I am not a colour, or a category.

I am not a problem to be solved, or an agenda to be discussed.

I am not a drug, or a drink,

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or a knife, or a nut-case, or a throw away, or a waste of space.

I am a human being with a heart, to be recognised, to be respected, to be seen and to be heard, to be allowed space to grow, to laugh, to cry, to whisper, to speak, to hold, to hug, to heal, to give, to sing and to love.

I am a human being like you, with you and God-with-us.

I am a human being who lives on the edge.

Gospel Seeds and Shoots

The seed becomes the tree, the droplet becomes the ocean, the Word becomes the life, the pearl becomes the treasure, the yeast becomes the loaf.

There is no tiring of the kingdom embracing, enfolding, expanding.

The Baptism becomes the adventure, the absence becomes the presence, the bread becomes the communion, the Church becomes the pilgrim way, the cross becomes the beginning,

the net becomes the inclusion of all, the moment becomes the eternity.

The reign of God cannot be tied down, hemmed in, boxed up, put on hold, or held back.

The tiny mustard seed tells us the Gospel truth that the Kingdom is here.

Whether he is asleep or awake, be it day or night, the seed sprouts and grows, he knows not how.

(Mk 4:27)

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Scripture

Simeon: Living in Anticipation David Breen has worked in adult faith formation in Canada and has since worked in community development in Rathkeale with the Traveller and settled communities.

In the nativity stories in Luke’s Gospel we meet people who form a bridge from the time of waiting to the time of fulfilment. They are representatives of faithful Israel. Simeon, in the story of ‘The Presentation in the Temple’ (Lk 2:22– 40) is one such character who was given a timeframe for the fulfilment of part of God’s plan of redemption – his own lifetime! While his biographical details are sparse, his interaction with the Holy Family is revealing and he is a model for our discipleship.

Like Zechariah (1:5–25), Simeon was righteous and devout in the sight of the Lord, and he looked forward to the ‘consolation of Israel’ (2:25). ‘The Holy Spirit rested upon him’ (v. 25) which is Luke’s way of telling us that Simeon was endowed with the gift of prophecy. The Holy Spirit had also revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. From this and the content of his prayer to God stating that he could now die in peace (v.

29), it is reasonable to assume that he was elderly.

Forty days after the birth of Jesus and about a month after his circumcision and naming, Joseph and Mary made the ten kilometre journey from Bethlehem to Jerusalem to present 14

Jesus to God in the Temple and to perform the purification ritual for Mary which was demanded by the Mosaic Law. Led by the Holy Spirit, Simeon arrived in the Temple to meet them (v.

27). But the story takes a surprising turn. We expect an account of the presentation of Jesus to God but instead, through Simeon’s prophetic word, God presents Jesus to the world.

From Simeon’s prayer and address to Mary we recognise that he was steeped in the Hebrew Scriptures. In language that alludes to the Servant of Yahweh passages in Isaiah he recognises Jesus as Yahweh’s salvation not only for the Jews, but for the Gentiles as well. As such, Jesus is also the meeting point between Israel and the rest of humanity. Simeon displayed a breadth of vision beyond the narrow nationalistic sentiments espoused by many of his contemporaries. There are also echoes of Isaiah’s ‘stumbling stone’ and ‘suffering servant’ references, in his prophetic word to Mary about Jesus being ‘destined to be cause of the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be rejected’ (2:34).

What was it that made Simeon different? Being part of faithful Israel is insufficient to account for it. Faithful

Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, oil on wood by Martin Schongauer, late fifteenth century, Colmar, France

Israel had no concept of a rejected Messiah. Zechariah, though faithful, was unable to believe the promise of an angel (1:5–25). Simeon’s prayer to be allowed to ‘depart in peace’ when he held the Child Jesus in his arms at the moment in history when prophecy and promise became reality is the prayer of a man whose life’s purpose was completed.

He had recognised and announced the presence of the Messiah in the world, and he could now die in peace.

It is reasonable to assume that the anticipation with which he lived since he received the promise that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah became the defining focus of his existence. So, he searched the Scriptures, praying and reflecting so

that he might recognise the Messiah when he came and grasp the nature of the ‘consolation of Israel’ that he would bring.

We live between the time when Jesus came and inaugurated the kingdom of God and the time when he will come again to establish it in its fullness. Simeon challenges us to live in anticipation of that future and to order our lives accordingly. Vision usually begins in lament over current conditions and emerges from dissatisfaction at the dichotomy between them and God’s intended state. The mission of the Church is to address that dichotomy – a task that requires all of us to play our part while we wait with joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

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Christmas in Syria 2023 Fr Tony O Riordáin SJ, native of County Cork, directs the Jesuit Refugee Services in Syria.

Many families look forward to the annual holidays of their religion and culture, as they are a chance to celebrate and reunite. But sometimes, these holidays can also bring back painful memories of what happened in the past year. For some Syrians, this Christmas will be a sad reminder of the people they lost in the earthquakes on 6 February. They will also miss their homes that were destroyed and their hopes that seem far away.

Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise that these families won’t have a break from their daily struggles during Christmas.

They don’t have much time to dwell on their sorrows. Most Syrians are facing worsening economic and social conditions, and it’s getting harder and harder to cope. Many will spend Christmas night in cold, dark, hungry and insecure places, feeling abandoned by the international community and by the amnesia of public opinion, as they are denied any help or sympa-

These children have no time to celebrate Christmas or enjoy their childhood. They spend their days searching for anything useful in the trash that they can sell.

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thy. They are like the holy family that was rejected by the innkeeper.

I remember the mother Samira, who I saw in the JRS Health clinic with her three-year-old daughter who had a serious respiratory infection. She needed antibiotics to cure it, but they were too expensive for her. She told me that she only had enough money to survive for a month, and the antibiotics would take half of that. This is the harsh reality of many families this Christmas, who have suffered from the devaluation of their currency. When the earthquake happened, one Euro was worth 6,500 Syrian pounds. Now, it’s worth 13,000.

Before the crisis started in Syria in 2011, one Euro was only 50 Syrian pounds.

It’s amazing how JRS is helping out families in need with their Brighter Futures programmes. We are giving out food baskets that can last for almost a month! We are spending 45 euros per family, which is way more than what most people earn here in a few months. In Europe it costs as much for many people just to watch Netflix!

Through Brighter Futures, we plan to provide winter clothing for children in need. Each child receives a new winter jacket, underwear, and jumpers.

For many of them, this is the first time they have such items or something new. Their joy and gratitude are priceless. With only 10 euros, we can buy a quality winter jacket for a child here.

This is essential for their well-being, as they live in homes without heating and face harsh weather conditions. We also try to include shoes in the winter kit, as most of the children only have plastic sliders that are not suitable for the cold and wet season. A pair of shoes can make a huge difference in their lives, and they often share them with their siblings or friends.

Many Syrians I know are deeply saddened by the plight of the children who have to work hard to support their families. These children have no time to celebrate Christmas or enjoy their childhood. They spend their days searching for anything useful in the trash that they can sell. Our Brighter Futures programme gives them a chance to have some fun, learn something new and heal from their trauma.

My ultimate dream is that every child in Syria can have a normal and happy childhood without having to work.

My realistic dream for this winter is that we can provide as many children as possible who live in these harsh conditions with some basic necessities: a warm jacket, a woolly hat, a pair of good shoes and a pair of gloves to keep their hands warm. With your donation of 20 euros, you can make this modest dream come true – you can bring some joy and hope to these children who face so much darkness in Syria this Christmas.

Donations may be sent to Syrian Fund, Messenger Publications, 37 Leeson Place, Dublin, D02 E5V0. All donations go directly to JRS in Syria via Irish Jesuits International and will be acknowledged.

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Integrity Fr Terence Harrington OFM Cap works in the Capuchin Centre in Knock.

Integrity is doing the right thing when nobody is watching. You are in integrity when the life you are living on the outside matches who you are inside.

What you see is what you get.

The opposite is hypocrisy, pretending to be somebody you are not.

Integrity is a combination of honesty, high morals, uprightness, single-mindedness and always treating others with respect.

People will doubt what you say but they will always believe what you do.

It means practising what you preach.

A person of integrity is one who treats everyone with kindness and respect, even those who are rude to you.

Always respect one another, no matter what, and never look down on anyone. Instead, encourage and lift up one another. What people will remember about you are your small acts of kindness and integrity.

Being holy is not just saying prayers. It is all about integrity that touches every aspect of our lives. At the heart of genuineness and holiness is the virtue of integrity.

Nothing speaks louder or more powerfully than a life of integrity.

A meaningful life is not about being rich, popular, highly educated, or even perfect. It is all about being humble, wholesome, and genuine.

No matter how educated, talented,

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or wealthy you are, how you treat people ultimately tells all.

Integrity is everything. You are unique. The human being is the clearest reflection of God’s presence in the world. God doesn’t create inferior human beings. In every human being there is the imprint of God. No one’s life is insignificant in God’s eyes.

We are not ordinary people; we are not mere mortals; we are created in the image of God. Instead of you God could have created an archangel, but He didn’t. He created you. You are a sacred person, very special, unique.

You are chosen.

Stress

Stress, tension, worry, burnout, and anxiety are all big parts of life. Many people feel overwhelmed, frustrated, physically drained, and emotionally fatigued. Everyday problems and difficulties can weigh us down and make us feel miserable, weary, burdened, and stressed out. We live in an uncertain world where jobs and security are concerned, where diseases and fear of infection are everyday realities. We are constantly bombarded by bad news. Holding grudges, anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness undermines peace of mind and increases our stress levels.

It has been labelled the silent assassin. It is not stress that kills us. It is

our reaction to it. It can be damaging to our health and well-being.

Managing stress

The solution is not rocket science.

Hand over your stress to God and trust him. How did Jesus handle stress? He would go to the mountains and quiet places and spend time in prayer. Prayer was Jesus’ stress releaser. Meditation can help. Spend some time meditating on the Word of God. A major part of the sermon on the Mount deals with stress. Forgiveness relieves stress. Never hold onto grudges. Let go and let God. Surrender your stress to him and relax.

Learn how to say no. Take time to be alone. Focus on the positive and how blessed you are. A good cry can relieve stress. Talk about it. Exercise.

Go for a walk. Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets. Have a peaceful mind and never let your cares and worries disturb your peace. Don’t take life too seriously. Adjust your attitude and change your thinking.

Never stress about what you cannot control. Stress comes from trying to do it all on your own. Peace comes

from putting it all in God’s hands.

Stress is caused when we are living to please others. What will the neighbours think? Do not allow other people to hold the key to your peace of mind.

A year from now much of what you are stressing about will not even matter. If you want to test your memory try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today.

Healing

All of us are wounded, damaged, broken, and troubled so everyone needs healing. The healing required isn’t always physical. Sometimes it can be emotional scarring, hurt feelings, grief, and the healing of relationships and memories. It’s fascinating how fragile, weak, and vulnerable we are. Many people experience low self-esteem, feelings of inferiority, no self-worth, and no confidence.

They feel they are no good. The way to healing of this kind is through words of praise, encouragement, and affirmation.

Wherever you go today plant words of encouragement and just watch what happens. The greatest healing therapy of all is friendship. There is more healing done among friends over a cup of tea than in many counselling rooms. We need to take care of one another.

The secret is to learn to live with the mess and cope with the pain and realise it is okay not to be okay. It is not what happens to us but how we deal with what happens. When life hands you a lemon turn it into lemonade.

A little bit of encouragement, a kind word and a listening ear can heal.

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El Nino and Climate Change Columban Fr Seán McDonagh is a frequent contributor on environmental issues.

In July 2023, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that an El Nino event in the eastern Pacific Ocean will exacerbate extreme weather in many parts of the world in late 2023 and 2024. This El Nino, even though it is expected to be of moderate strength, will likely fuel further global temperature increases, floods and droughts. According to Professor Petteri Taalas, the declaration by the WMO is a signal to governments to prepare for extreme heat, storms, floods and droughts.

El Nino refers to the warm current that runs southwards along the coast of Peru and Ecuador at Christmas – which is why it is called El Nino or the Christ child in Spanish. Scientists have discovered that El Nino normally brings flooding in the the Southern United States, the Horn of Africa and Central Asia. On the other hand, El Nino brings extreme heat and droughts to Eastern Australia, Indonesia, and Central America. By warming the oceans El Nino can fuel hurricanes and typhoons.

Recent scholarship has found that climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme El Nino events.

For example, June, July, and August 2023 were the hottest months on record according to the European Union’s Copernicus. In August 2023 20

the temperature was above 1.5 degrees, hotter than the pre-industrial level that prevailed between 1850 to 1900. The Paris Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was adopted by 196 countries in 2015.

That meeting did not expect global warming to exceed 2 degrees Celsius but would be happier if it stayed at 1.5 degrees Celsius or below.

Unfortunately, it seems clear that climate records will continue and get worse until humans agree to stop emitting greenhouse gases mainly carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere.

The increase in temperature in recent times is also felt by people. In 2022 The Guardian estimates that more than 61,000 people died in the European heatwave. Local governments issued health warnings to those at risk from high temperatures, especially those over seventy-five years of age. Research by a group of scientists published in 2023, which analysed data from thousands of global weather stations, showed that 4% had already experienced at least one six-hour extreme heat stress since 1970. These weather stations were in places like the Gulf in the Middle East, Red Sea and the North Indian Plain. The current research shows that extreme heat will spread

By warming the oceans El Nino can fuel hurricanes and typhoons

rapidly to other regions as global warming reaches to 2 Degrees Celsius. This extreme heat will impact the lives of millions of people worldwide, accelerating deaths because of the climate crisis.

In March 2023, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report that warns that without immediate and huge emissions reductions, we will fail to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. One of the authors of the report, Peter Thorne of Maynooth University, said that ‘if we don’t act with the necessary speed, we will shoot past 1.5 degrees and possibly even 2 degrees.’ If global temperatures reach 2 degrees Celsius more than 25% of the weather stations would suffer extreme heat stress at least once in 10 years. This could affect millions of people causing a sharp increase in death from climate change.

There is some good news. One of the authors of the report, Friederik Otto from Imperial College London, points out that we have all the technology needed to slash emissions. It is clear ‘what needs doing and we can do it’. For example, cutting greenhouse gas emission by half by 2023 would only give us a 50% change of staying at or below 1.5 degrees Celsus. The awful reality is that it is poor who will suffer the consequences, not the rich people of the Global North.

For years, oil-producing nations have prevented the UN from adopting language that would clearly require a phasing out of fossil fuel. Any attempt to get such language failed at the COP27 meeting in Egypt in 2022.

According to Eamon Ryan the Minister for Climate Change this is a ‘stark reminder to us all of the need to act to avoid the most damaging and catastrophic effect of climate change’.

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Gifts of the Magi The Editor presents a reflection for the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord.

Our main association with the Feast of the Epiphany is of the Magi bringing gifts to Mary and Joseph of precious gold, frankincense and myrrh: valuable in themselves and in what they represented.

They also bring gifts for all time, not just gold, frankincense and myrrh but the gift of their wisdom. They had a certain type of wisdom or cop-on.

It was the wisdom of following their star, sent their way by God to light their path to God’s Son. They would be guided by a star, and in faith they believed that the star would guide them right.

We know little about them, not even their names, though we have called them names (‘Caspar’, ‘Melchior’ and ‘Balthasar’). The star brought them into unknown territory and to an unknown king. They made mistakes along the way and had to ask the way many times. Maybe there was a danger that their gifts could be robbed.

They had a dream to find this new king. Can this put us in touch with our dreams? We have many: who we would really like to be, our family dramas – at the end of her life, a mother said to her family, ‘Look out for each other.’ Her dream was not to leave money or a house; it was that her 22

family would care for and love each other. Many a normal dream is a huge gift to others.

We work for our dream. The wise men got somewhere by leaving home, leaving safety and putting sights on their dream, ‘to follow that star wherever it went’. Joseph followed the Lord in following the dream sent to him by God. Dreams can be of a good and loving marriage, a caring family, a priesthood bringing life to people, teachers really hoping to do good for their pupils, a missionary for life in a new land or for a short time; a dream

The wise men got somewhere by leaving home, leaving safety and putting sights on their dream, ‘to follow that star wherever it went’. Joseph followed the Lord in following the dream sent to him by God.

to make our country a better place for the poor, to create a place of justice wherever we are, to face illness and death well, to help the best dreams for our younger family to come true.

Dreaming is a young activity – all we would like to be. ‘Trust your dreams for in them are the seeds of eternity’ (W. B . Yeats). Dreams of love, success, integrity, making a contribution to the world – worth our thought, and when older worth our remembering!

We can think on this feast of those who have been our wise guides, just as the wise men met wise and not-so-

wise guides on their way. In simple and profound ways, people may have pointed you to your star when you went a bit astray: when you drank too much, dabbled in drugs or unsatisfying relationships, or made a total goal out of money, or changed job when it was the wrong decision. Our wise guides are people who have helped us keep our dream alive, like the ones who kept the wise men on the right path and then helped them home, like the angel who said to go back a different way.

The feast is a pilgrimage feast – of the Magi and ourselves, knowing God never leaves us stuck on any road, path, lane or byway on the journey.

God is always guiding us, often into new ways of responding to him.

Together we are both guided and guide. From the lessons learned on the journey, we can guide others on their journeys.

May we be grateful for guides on our path, and be, as best we can, wise guides to others.

Who and what is your star?! For whom am I called to be their star?

The Feast of the Epiphany (6 January) is a holy day in Ireland.

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One Priest, Three Parishes Fr Eugene Duffy is a priest of the diocese of Achonry and lecturer in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.

According to a survey undertaken by the Association of Catholic Priests, 15% of all priests working in Ireland are over 75 years of age; 25% are between 60 and 75; and only 2.5% are under 40. Currently there are about 20 seminarians in Maynooth and obviously not all of those will be ordained. It means that at best only three or four priests will be ordained each year for all of the Irish dioceses over the coming decade, while on average 140 priests die each year.

These few statistics are indicative of what the future holds in terms of ordained ministry and the prospect of priestless parishes.

Most dioceses have engaged in some form of regrouping of parishes.

At a minimum, it can mean parishes working much more closely together than they had previously done. Often, it means scheduling Masses in neighbouring parishes so that one priest can provide Eucharist in two parishes on a weekend, if one of the priests is absent.

It can also mean one priest having responsibility for two or more parishes, while each existing parish retains all of its other traditional services and 24

facilities. It is obvious that this places a burden on a priest, especially in urban contexts with large populations.

With the ageing profile of the clergy, this is becoming a daunting prospect, as it demands significant energy to adapt to a new way of being a pastor to multiple parishes. There is a certain amount of resistance in many cases, as it is proving burdensome and demanding for priests, whose energies are naturally declining. It has been observed that assuming responsibility for two or more parishes is not as simple as being a parish priest to each parish. It also entails a third dimension: relating to each parish in a way that is conscious of the priest’s time and energy without leaving any one parish feeling neglected. A priest has to be aware of how his commitments are perceived by each of the parishes

In rural parishes there are usually a number of churches, and the communities that gather around each have distinct identities. These churches were built when travel was mainly by foot, to ensure that every home was within walking distance of a church.

involved. It is a difficult balancing act for those involved.

A final arrangement is to merge existing parishes, creating an entirely new entity. In this case, all of the assets from the constituent parishes will transfer to the new parish. This has been happening extensively across Europe in recent years. It is likely, as the current trends continue, that this will have to be faced by a significant number of parishes around the country.

In rural parishes there are usually a number of churches, and the communities that gather around each have distinct identities. These churches were built when travel was mainly by foot, to ensure that every home was within walking distance of a church.

One could say that now, while we have a shortage of priests, we have

too many churches. Reconfiguring parishes and parish services is very often determined by the existing buildings. Dioceses – priests and parishioners – will have to be much more realistic about rationalising physical resources, factoring in modern-day travel and communication facilities. Perhaps the depletion of our financial resources will force this upon us more quickly than we anticipate.

As the number of active Church members decreases, it will be hard to sustain the number of properties that are now operational.

The reality of more and more parishes not having a resident priest is the prospect to be faced for the coming decades. Despite this being noted in various media and communications from dioceses, very often parishioners seem to be in denial, so that when their parish priest is not replaced there is anger and frustration.

This indicates that future or planned changes with regard to the staffing of parishes will have to be communicated clearly on a regular basis at parish level. The better the information and 25

the more consultation that can be facilitated, the more likely there is to be a smooth transition to a priestless parish. More notice might be given to individual parishes when such an arrangement is to be made in their regard. It might be helpful to engage a professional facilitator to work with parishioners to prepare them for the new arrangements and to allow them to have appropriate input into these.

Good communication and good conversations at local level about the well-being of the parish is essential to a Church following a synodal pathway.

It has been the experience in the United States that the more mission focused a parish is already, the easier the transition from having a resident priest to having none. This points, then, to the need to continue to develop a greater variety of lay ministries, to foster collaborative and co-responsible forms of leadership. In

all of this, regard must be had for the fact that the current clergy are ageing and are having fresh demands being constantly made of them. They must be cared for if the inevitable transitions are to be well managed.

Finally, the Synod has added fresh impetus to consideration of the question of ordaining married men to the priesthood. The issue of women’s ordination to the diaconate and priesthood is also being widely discussed in various fora. Insofar as these issues remain an obstacle to the mission of the Church, they have at least to be addressed more openly and comprehensively. It may take some time for them to be resolved, but they will remain on the agenda as long as there is no serious discussion of them at the highest levels. However, these are questions for the whole Church to resolve; they cannot be resolved by any local church alone.

Petitions First Friday 5th January 2024 ....................................................................... ....................................................................... ....................................................................... ....................................................................... ....................................................................... .......................................................................

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All who send in petitions are remembered at prayer and Mass here at The Messenger.

A representative selection will be published each month.

Send to: Fr Donal Neary SJ, Editor, Sacred Heart Messenger, 37 Leeson Place, Dublin, D02 E5V0, Ireland.

January 2024 relink.messenger.ie

Re:Link

The Resource for Junior Certificate Religion Studies

by Jacqueline Flattery

Non-Christian Winter Festivals

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Re:Link

As we move through the winter, most of us will automatically think of Christmas. However, for non-Christians, December is a special time for other reasons. Two religious festivals that took place in December this year are Hanukkah for Jews and Bodhi Day for Buddhists.

Hanukkah

The Jewish festival of Hanukkah began at sunset on 7 December and finished at sunset on 15 December.

‘Hanukkah’ (or Chanukah in Hebrew) means ‘dedication’ and is often called the Festival of Light. It commemorates historical events in Jerusalem around 160 BCE (Before Common Era).

At the time, the Holy Land was ruled by the Greeks. They stole property from the Jews and set up idols in the Temple, the most important place of worship for Jewish people. No one 28

could defeat them, until a Jewish priest named Mattathias and his sons rebelled against the Emperor Antiochus and his armies and drove them from the land. The Jews took back the city of Jerusalem and the Temple and rededicated it to their God. They lit the holy lamp in the Temple, called the menorah, but only had enough oil for one night. By some miracle, the lamp stayed lit for eight days. The Hanukkah lights remind believers of the great achievement of their ancestors defeating the mighty armies.

According to Jewish law, Hanukkah is one of the less important Jewish festivals. However, it has become much more popular in modern times due to its closeness to Christmas.

Hanukkah is a family event for Jewish people and is all about enjoying time together.

On each of the eight nights of

Re:Link

Hanukkah, Jewish people commemorate the miracle of the oil by lighting special menorahs (candelabras), adding a candle each night until all the candles are lit. The lighting takes place at home, usually near a window.

Special blessings are sung in Hebrew before the Hanukkah candles are lit. The candles are allowed to burn down each night and are replaced the following day.

Daily reading of the Scriptures, recitation of some of the Psalms, acts of charity, and singing of a special hymn are also part of the observance of Hanukkah. The Scroll of Antiochus, an early account of Hanukkah, is read in some synagogues and homes.

There are also a number of non-religious customs associated with Hanukkah, including festive meals, songs, games, and gifts to children.

Potato pancakes (latkes), doughnuts

(sufganiyot), and other treats fried in oil, to remember the miracle of the oil, are popular. Children receive gifts of money or chocolate coins. They will often play a game with a four-sided top called a dreidel. On each side of the top is a Hebrew letter, which forms the initials of the words in the phrase nes gadol haya sham, meaning ‘a great miracle happened there’. In countries where Christmas is an important celebration, some families may choose to exchange gifts or decorate their homes.

Sources: www.chabad.org; www.myjewishlearning.com Bodhi Day Bodhi Day is a time when many Buddhists celebrate the Enlightenment of the Buddha. Bodhi literally means Enlightenment in Sanskrit and Pali.

There are really two Bodhi Days each 29

Re:Link year. The Bodhi Day referred to above is celebrated on 8 December in Japan and many Western countries each year. The other Bodhi Day is based on the lunar calendar so, like Easter, the date changes year to year. This year the lunar Bodhi Day falls on 18 January.

On Bodhi Day, Buddhists honour the achievement of Enlightenment and commemorate the day that Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha.

Siddhartha was a rich prince who was protected from all suffering by his parents. On a visit outside the palace walls, he saw an old man, a sick man, a funeral procession and finally a holy man, searching for truth. He was very shocked and didn’t understand why people had to suffer. He decided that he would leave the palace, his family and all his riches behind to go into the world to try to find some answers.

Siddhartha lived a simple life with no possessions and refused to do anything that gave him pleasure. He meditated with great discipline to try to understand suffering. He fasted for long periods of time but this caused him to suffer even more. Eventually he was so weak that he ate some rice and milk. He realised that the way to live was the Middle Way between luxury and poverty. This became one of the key teachings of the Buddha.

Siddhartha continued to meditate over time and eventually became enlightened while sitting under a Bodhi tree.

He became known as the Buddha, which means ‘enlightened one’.

There are many different traditions associated with this festival, and they vary from country to country. It is mainly celebrated by a denomination of 30

Buddhism called Mahayana Buddhism.

Although it is possibly the most important day of the Buddhist calendar, it is a quiet day in most traditions – a day of contemplation, practice, and purification. For this reason, there are no parades or fireworks. Buddhists traditionally light candles or string lights around altars and temples, symbolising enlightenment, for 30 days following Bodhi Day. Many Buddhists also decorate a tree with coloured lights to commemorate the Buddha’s enlightenment experience sitting beneath a tree. Eating rice and milk is also common at this time as this is what the Buddha did. Buddhists will take part in chanting and extra meditation sessions on this day, and also do charitable acts or make offerings. They will make a special effort to follow the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha.

Sources: www.learnreligions.com; www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize; www.tricycle.org Learning Outcomes Associated with this Topic: 1.3 Engage with members of a faith community associated with one of the five major world religions studied in the specification and show an appreciation of how the religious beliefs of the community influence the day-to-day life of its members 1.6 Examine and appreciate how people give expression to religious belief in religious rituals, in formal places of worship and other sacred spaces.

For Aye A poem written by the late Fr James Smyth SJ in his final year at school in Mungret, 1946.

For Aye I I dream of flowers that never die, but sweetly scented stay.

And loft their lovely heads on high for aye.

II I sigh for days of sunshine bright in shady dells with song-bird’s lay, And lilac fair to please my sight, for aye.

III The rose so fair in lordly pride the death call too must soon obey, I pine for pleasures that abide, for aye.

Fr James (or Jim or Sheamus) died after a long illness on 31 August 2023. Many of his poems appeared in The Messenger over the years. He ministered since 1971 in Gardiner St Church, having worked in Hong Kong and Belvedere College. Native of County Kerry, he never lost his love for his native county.

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Some Call Me ‘Father’ Fr Vincent Sherlock is parish priest of Tubbercurry, County Sligo.

Titles never mattered that much to me. I loved my parents very much but for much of my life called them ‘Mary’ and ‘Bill’. It wasn’t out of disrespect or to avoid the embarrassment of calling them ‘Mammy’ and ‘Daddy’ in front of friends, because I did that too and with similar ease. Somehow it seemed okay to call them by name.

My mother never said it wasn’t, and she wouldn’t be slow to tell me!

Some refer to me with the title ‘Father’, because I am a priest. I’m okay with that, but equally I’m okay with being called ‘Vincent’. In school, children tend to call me ‘Fr Vincent’, and I prefer that to ‘Fr Sherlock’, which sounds clinical, like something on a brass plate on the door of an office.

I remember speaking about an experience I had going into Mass one Saturday evening. The gospel that evening spoke of Jesus chastising the Pharisees for their use of dress and title to win people’s admiration.

I was standing behind a lovely man, who mentioned that he had been at a wedding the day before and met a priest there. Unaware that I was standing behind him, he said he told the priest that he’d be going to Mass the next evening to give ‘Sherlock a 32

few pound!’ I smiled, because I knew there was affection in the comment and the ‘Sherlock’ was rooted in friendship. I am convinced it is not the title but the tone that matters. If the tone is born of kindness, mutual respect and decency, the term used is of little consequence. On the other hand, if there is bitterness or anger in the tone, the most glorious titles could be used to cut to the core ‘Oh, don’t I know, Most Reverend Father’!

Anyway, a thought around ‘Father’.

I think about it from time to time and wonder what it means in the life of a priest. It is a responsible title. In the family, the father and mother live life in giving to their families. Of course, this is not always the case and, as in every other area of life, there are

There is an image in my mind of a father lying in bed at night; his children have gone out to socialise ,and he is happy about that. Worried too because he hears stories of what can go wrong on nights out.

fathers and mothers who fail in this crucial role. Most who embrace the role, thank God, live for and love their children to infinity, giving them the security of a childhood home, journeying with them through the roads of education, rejoicing at their successes, sharing the pain of failures, witnessing the ups and downs of relationships – some leading to marriage and grandchildren, others to separation and heartbreak. Through it all, the father and the mother are witnesses to unconditional love. They are truly and unquestionably in their children’s corner. When young backs are to the wall, their phone will quite likely display ‘Calling Mam’ or ‘Calling Dad’.

It is somewhere in that; the title

aligns itself to priesthood. The priest is meant to care deeply for the family entrusted to his care. There is something being said about being there for people on the good days and the bad. Judgmental attitude, being too authoritative or distant, serves little or no purpose in the father’s role. The spoon of honey rather than the jar of vinegar should really be the first approach. The priest ought to rejoice in people’s success and be a consoling presence on darker days.

There is an image in my mind of a father lying in bed at night; his children have gone out to socialise, and he is happy about that. Worried too because he hears stories of what can go wrong on nights out. His sleep is uncertain; he waits to hear the door opening as the children return.

Once, twice, three times … sleep only comes when the door opens for the last one home. Then the father can rest and whisper ‘Amen’. I sometimes feel that way about our Church and attendance at Mass. The father in me wants the door to open and close and open again until all the children are home.

Then we can all say, ‘Amen’.

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Unity in the Church Jesuit Tom Layden is engaged in ecumenical work in Northern Ireland.

It is that time of the year again. After Christmas and before Lent, in the week of 18–25 January, we join together to pray for unity among the followers of Jesus, aware of the divisions among us.

The materials for this year’s special services for Christian unity have been prepared by a group of Christians in Burkina Faso in Africa. The theme is ‘You shall love the Lord your God and your neighbour as yourself’ (Lk 10:27).

The call to love with one’s whole self (heart, soul, strength and mind) and the neighbour as oneself is addressed to every Christian community and each individual Christian. We may express our faith and celebrate our worship in different ways, but we are all invited to love God with our whole being and our neighbour as ourselves. It is our common calling no matter what our Church, and it is our response to the God whose mercy

The materials for this year’s special services for Christian unity have been prepared by a group of Christians in Burkina Faso in Africa. The theme is ‘You shall love the Lord your God and your neighbour as yourself’ (Lk 10:27).

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knows no bounds.

These words of Jesus are followed by the story of the Good Samaritan, who showed mercy to a wounded neighbour even though there was enmity between the communities from which each came. Earlier in the story, the priest and the Levite saw the man who had been attacked on the road but chose to pass by on the other side.

The ones who might have been expected to know what God would want in such a setting decided not to become involved. They wanted to keep this messy situation at a distance. They didn’t want it to impinge upon them.

We hear how the Samaritan chooses to engage with the injured party, to bind up his wounds, to bring him to the inn and to cover his expenses. His focus is on the need of his hurt neighbour rather than on his own comfort.

As followers of Our Lord, we are invited to have the attitude of heart we see in the Samaritan. To see in a person in difficulty a sister or brother needing compassion and to do unto them what we would want others to do unto us.

This is a challenging call. We know it is not easy and that it does not always come naturally. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to liberate us from self-preoccupation and to enable us to attend to the needs of others.

Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou which will host this year's special services for Christian Unity

This year when we gather in churches and cathedrals, schools and colleges, hospitals and prisons, community centres and other places to pray for unity among Christians, we are asking that the Holy Spirit enables us to show welcome, empathy and respect to every needy stranger. In this way, we bear witness to Christ’s presence and action in our world.

A feature of the times in which we live is that many people have to leave their homeland and seek a new life in another country. They come to our country, and they need us to welcome them. All the Christian Churches have been clear and united in their call to all of us to welcome the refugee and the asylum seeker. To do unto them what we would want them to do for us if the roles were reversed. To see

their arrival in our midst as a gift to us. A gift to be welcomed. A gift from God. The command to love God and neighbour are two sides of the same coin. As we show hospitality to the newcomers and help them settle in and feel at home among us, we are showing our desire to love the God of Mercy and Welcome with all we have to give. We recall how the disciples on the road to Emmaus met the Lord in the one they first thought was a stranger before they recognised him in the breaking of bread. The Samaritan found joy in tending to the stranger he encountered along the way. For all of us, God often comes to us in the guise of a stranger. In being neighbourly to the newly arrived, we encounter the divine.

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Paul, Timothy and Titus January feasts recall St Paul and two of his co-workers. Fr Martin Hogan’s The Word is Near You, On Your Lips and in Your Heart (Messenger Publications, 2023) gives a daily reflection on the readings.

The Conversion of St Paul, mural by Michel-Martin Drolling in the Saint Sulpice Church, Paris, France

Conversion of Saint Paul (25 January) Mark 16:15–18

Perhaps more than any member of the early Church, Saint Paul responded to the call of Jesus in today’s gospel reading, ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the good news to all creation’. He was the great apostle to the Gentiles, to the whole world beyond the land of Israel. He was an unlikely candidate for such a role. He was a zealous Pharisee who would 36

have wanted to create a very strong boundary between the people of Israel and the pagans. The followers of Jesus were originally a movement within Judaism. However, their faith in Jesus as the long awaited Jewish Messiah led them to preach this good news to pagans as well as Jews. A movement within Judaism that made room for pagans, without requiring them to become Jews first, would have been anathema to Paul. What

happened to Paul to bring about such a complete change in his perspective on the relationship between Jews and pagans? According to today’s first reading, this transformation in Paul was primarily due to the risen Lord.

The Lord appeared to Paul in all his risen glory and Paul’s spiritual blindness was exposed to him. He came to see that God was powerfully at work in this new movement he had sought to destroy, and that the Jesus whom these people were proclaiming, who had been crucified, was none other than God’s beloved Son. From that moment on, he saw everything with new eyes. Even his own credentials as a Pharisee who zealously kept the Jewish Law he came to see as rubbish, in comparison to the treasure he had been given, the treasure of the risen Lord and the gospel. He came to see all of reality in the light of the risen Lord. C.S. Lewis once said, ‘I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else’.

Saints Timothy and Titus (26 January). Luke 10:1–9

We know that Timothy and Titus were two of Paul’s closest co-workers. He pays a lovely tribute to Timothy in his letter to the Philippians, ‘Timothy’s worth you know, how like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel’. In his second letter to the Corinthians, he says of Titus, ‘Thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same eagerness for you that I myself have’. Paul was the great apostle to the Gentiles, he founded many Churches, but he knew how much he needed co-workers like

What happened to Paul to bring about such a complete change in his perspective on the relationship between Jews and pagans? According to today’s first reading, this transformation in Paul was primarily due to the risen Lord.

Timothy and Titus. Paul recognised the church as the body of Christ, whose many and varied members were mutually interdependent. Everyone in the Church had something to give to others and to receive from others, and that included Paul himself.

Yes, he had much to give, and he gave much, but he knew he had much to receive, and without the support of people like Timothy and Titus, he could not have given as much as he did. In the gospel reading, Jesus recognises the need for disciples to give to and receive from one another, which is why when he sent out the seventy two, he did not send them out one by one but in pairs. Each of us is unique with a distinctive set of gifts and limitations. The Lord needs us all to work together, to give from the Spirit at work in our own lives and to receive from the Spirit at work in the lives of others. This vision of Church is very pertinent to the times in which we live. Jesus came among us full of grace and truth, but if the Lord’s fullness is to find proper expression today, all the gifts within the body of Christ are urgently needed.

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Cookery

Mother Eve’s Pudding For the new year trained chef Seamus Buckley tries out some tasty, fun desserts.

For the new year I had planned to write some healthy nutritional recipes, that is until my Mam was speaking to Anne her friend for over sixty years.

She mentioned that her Age Action Group love discussing the menus every month but felt a little disappointed that I don’t often have desserts or puddings.

I will start with Eve's pudding, also known as Mother Eve's pudding, a traditional British dessert which consists of a layer of stewed apples topped with a simple vanilla sponge cake, often a Victoria sponge mixture. The name is a reference to the biblical Eve tempting Adam with the apple.

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Ingredients

• 5 cooking apples, peeled and sliced • 200 g butter • 100 g sugar • 4 eggs • 200 g self-raising flour Method

• Heat oven to 1800C. Grease a large serving ceramic dish.

• Beat the butter and sugar together for 10 mins until the butter turns pale and the sugar starts to dissolve. Beat in the eggs, then carefully fold in the flour with a large spoon. Spread the batter over the apples, then bake for 45 mins until golden. Serve with the custard or whipped cream.

Cookery

Pear Crepes with Chocolate Sauce My second recipe is for pear crepes with chocolate sauce. I have broken down the recipe to 3 simple steps.

Crepes

• 125g plain flour with a pinch of salt • 2 eggs • 250 ml Milk Whisk everything together, sieve and rest for an hour. Cook a spoonful of the batter in a drop of oil in a pan, cook gently on both sides and put aside.

Filling

• 250g pears, peeled and sliced.

• 8 cloves • 1-2 tbs of red currant jelly (optional) • 2 tbs sugar Poach all ingredients with a cup of water for 20 minutes until soft and cooked. Strain and discard cloves.

Sauce

125 g chocolate 75 g of butter Melt slowly at a very low temperature to reach a smooth texture.

Serving

Fill the crepes with the pear filling, warm in an oven, top with the chocolate sauce and serve.

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Childrens Pages

Spot 10 differences, follow the maze and colour in the puppy!

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Across 1 Naval orderly (9) 8 Place in France (4) 9 Not a union member (9) 10 Daze during interminable dangerous act (4) 13 Exclamation of disgust reported taking a plant (5) 15 What to do to decide pancake contest? (4,2) 16 Attendant from new sector (6) 17 It’s in one’s blood (6) 19 Resurrected a steel plant (6) 20 Long time before noon (5) 21 Hungry boy’s burden (4) 24 Fairy gently takes her yen to the edge (9) 25 No approval for recess (4) 26 Suspended liveliness? (9)

26 Down 2 Chase number entering outbuilding (4) 3 Top speaking part (4) 4 Coming out of purdah short of money (4-2) 5 Go through this French jetty first (6) 6 Forget his remarkable equine present! (4-5) 7 Revolver on the way in? (9) 11 Dotty way of painting (9) 12 Revolutionary series of steps (9) 13 Why, say, have word of hesitation? What a surprise it is delicious (5) 14 Pale like an egg producer (5) 18 It is mainly between Greece and Turkey (6) 19 Platitude about rust I’m removing (6) 22 Tiny particle with end placed inside (4) 23 Cabriolet displays some vivacity (4)

A €30 voucher for each of the first two correct adult solutions opened and a €20 voucher for each of the first two correct children's solution opened. Judge’s decision is final. Entries must reach us by the 24th of the month.

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CHILDREN’S CROSSWORD WIN A €20 VOUCHER!

Name: ______________________________

Age:___________________________________

Address: _______________________________

______________________________________ Send to: January Children’s Crossword, Messenger Publications, 37 Leeson Place, Dublin, D02 E5V0, Ireland, by 24th of the month.

Across 1 The distance a bridge goes across a river (4) 3 After this (4) 7 Coming into view (9) 8 Painful but not seriously (4) 9 Rent (4) 12 Traveller in space (9) 13 A big blob of something (4) 14 Close by (4)

Down 1 Things you sit on (5) 2 Equipment, maybe for a PE lesson (9) 4 Put out (9) 5 Pull (3) 6 Dog's foot (3) 10 Go in (5) 11 In addition to (3) 12 Take ___, ready to fire (3)

October 2023 Crossword: Solutions and Winners Adult Crossword October: Across: 6 Just the ticket; 8 Curtail; 9 Polka; 10 Abbot; 12 Stratus; 13 Deduced; 15 Panic; 16 Inter; 17 Colossi; 19 Leading seaman. Down: 1 Tsar; 2 Stuart; 3 Bell; 4 Zipper; 5 Skeleton; 6 Jack and Jill; 7 Transaction; 11 Bedstead; 12 Sod; 14 Corrie; 15 Pelmet; 17 Cagy; 18 Sump.

Children’s Crossword October: Across: 4 Sung, 6 Nine, 9 American, 11Likewise, 12 Yoga, 15 Jews.

Down: 1 Usual, 2 In, 3 On, 5 Needing, 7 Imagine, 8 Times, 10 Geese, 13 Or, 14 An. Adult’s Crossword Winner October: Joe Dempsey, Co Mayo; Mary Lawlor, Co Offaly.

Children’s Crossword Winner October: Kate Corcoran, Co Westmeath; Leah Yourell, Co Dublin.

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Entering Mystery Bill Toner SJ works on the Jesuit Provincial team

I had an appointment with an eye specialist recently. I was supposed to do a test first, but when I reached the address that I had written in my diary, I was told that the test took place in a building further down the street. It is important to go through the right doorway to find what we are looking for.

One of the problems of finding God today is that it is very easy for us to go to the wrong doorway. The first doorway to God that we went through was pointed out to us by our parents.

They taught us our first prayers. They may have told us that some things we did made God angry and that he would punish us. School was another doorway, and we learned more things about God, maybe that he made the world and was almighty and that he was everywhere.

If we go through the wrong doorway to find God, there is a danger that as we grow older, the idea of God that we built up in our mind does not stand up to scrutiny. For instance, if we are told that God is both all-powerful and all-loving, we can lose faith in that God when we are confronted with great suffering, either our own or that of people we love. Or if the doorway we enter is the Bible, and we learn there that God made the earth the centre of the universe, and then 44

we find that he did not, we can get very confused.

All those doorways may have some truth behind them, but the fact is that God is unknowable, and we cannot easily reach him through any of them.

I suggest that the only true doorway that we can enter to find God is mystery. Because the truest thing we can say about God is that God is mysterious. The great theologians and mystics have consistently held that God is unknowable, ‘too great to be described in words’.

Today our world is looked at through the lens of science. Science is uncomfortable with the concept of mystery. There is an assumption in science that everything that looks like a mystery can be explained. And indeed, a lot of phenomena in the past

We are still able to encounter mystery, and to find questions that are unanswerable.

For instance, why do we find so many things in the world beautiful, – things that confer no obvious advantage in the evolution of species.

that seemed mysterious to people were eventually explained, such as the conjunction of thunder and lightning, or the way diseases and plagues spread. So today we have got used to seeing the puzzles of the world in terms of problems to be solved, rather than mysteries that cannot be explained.

We are still able to encounter mystery, and to find questions that are unanswerable. For instance, why do we find so many things in the world beautiful – things that confer no obvious advantage in the evolution of species. We look at wonderful vistas of lake and woodland, but also cliffs and rocky headlands, and we find them beautiful. We find beauty in all kinds of things, poetry, art, music. But beauty itself remains a mysterious

and elusive concept.

These questions are at the source of questions like, Why be responsible? Why keep promises? Why should we be faithful, to a friend or to a spouse? How can we have free will if everything is caused by something else? If our brain is just a collection of atoms and molecules, how can we be self-conscious? Why do we see some things as tragic, rather than just as events?

It is in going through this doorway of mystery that we may get a sense of the ultimate mystery, to which we give the name God. But we have to let these ultimate questions take hold of us. The temptation is to say, I haven’t time to think about that now. Then the doorway to mystery is never entered, and the mystery that we call God is never encountered.

In Mary Oliver’s lovely poem ‘Praying’ she exhorts the reader to ‘just pay attention’, not only to beautiful things like the ‘blue iris’ but even to humbler apparitions, such as ‘weeds in a vacant lot’ or ‘a few small stones’. Even these can be ‘a doorway into thanks’ and into God. 45

Christmas: A Feast without Finish Joan Chittister is a well-known American Benedictine nun, theologian, author and speaker.

Painting of The Three Magi in the Church of Saint Maurice, Annecy, France

Christmas is a strange season.

When you’re a child, it is a season of presents. When you’re young, it’s a season of parties. When you get your own home, it’s a season of preparations. But when you get older, Christmas changes colour drastically.

Suddenly, out from behind the advertisements and big dinners, through the haze of old carols and soft candles, past the dazzling altars and sumptuous crib scenes, we begin to see what Christmas is really all about.

Christmas is about finding life where we did not expect life to be.

Every year of life waxes and wanes.

Every stage of life comes and goes.

Every facet of life is born and then dies. Every good moment is doomed to become only a memory. Every perfect period of living slips through our fingers and disappears. Every hope dims and every possibility turns eventually to dry clay. Until Christmas comes again. Then we are called 46

at the deepest, most subconscious, least cognizant level to begin to live again.

Christmas brings us all back to the crib of life to start over: aware of what has gone before, conscious that nothing can last, but full of hope that this time, finally, we can learn what it takes to live well, grow to full stature of soul and spirit, get it right.

It is to those looking for life that the figure of the Christ, a child, beckons.

Christmas is for those who refuse to give up and grow old, for those to whom life comes newly and with purpose each and every day, for those who can let yesterday go so that life can be full of new possibility always, for those who are agitated with newness whatever their age. Life is for the living, for those in whom Christmas is a feast without finish, a celebration of the constancy of change, a call to begin once more the journey to human joy and holy meaning.

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Who Am I to Judge?

Jesuit Peter McVerry is involved in action for the homeless.

Perhaps the most difficult command

by Jesus to obey is ‘Do not judge and you will not be judged, do not condemn and you will not be condemned’ (Lk 6:37).

Consider two babies born at the same time, in the same maternity hospital, lying side by side in their cots. One will grow up to be a judge, and the other will grow up to be an armed robber. There is nothing in their DNA to determine what they will be when they grow up. No, something will happen to them on their path through life that will shape their careers.

I have known several judges in my time. One was a friend of mine, a person of very good judgement and with great compassion for the defendants in front of him. His father had been a judge. He went to a fee-paying school, which many of his fellow

What did I do to deserve the family I was born into, the education I was given, the health I have enjoyed? Nothing. That was all given to me as a free gift. And when I appreciate that everything I have was given to me as a gift, I cannot judge anyone.

48

judges had also attended. Is anyone surprised that he became a judge?

I have also known several armed robbers in my time. I have buried some of them. I first got to know one of them when he was just three years old! His father was an armed robber (though not a very good one). Both his parents drank heavily, and he witnessed domestic violence regularly at home. I am not surprised that he became an armed robber (again, not a very good one).

One of the things that I have been taught by homeless people is to be grateful for what I have received. I grew up in a good home, my parents cared for me, got me a good education. Growing up I took all that for granted, until I started hearing stories of childhood, often stories of abuse, violence and neglect. And then I realised how lucky I had been. What did I do to deserve the family I was born into, the education I was given, the health I have enjoyed? Nothing. That was all given to me as a free gift.

When I appreciate that everything I have was given to me as a gift, I cannot judge anyone. When we judge someone, we are saying, ‘I’m a better person than you are.’ But all I can say is that I have received nicer gifts than many of those homeless people with whom I work, but that doesn’t make me a better person. When I see one of them under the influence of drugs or out robbing to feed their drug hab-

it, I see part of myself in them. There but for the grace of God go I. I know that if I had been born into their family, I would be like them. And if they had been born into my family, they may have become the priest visiting me in prison.

No one is a one-dimensional person. There is some goodness in those whom society considers to be bad, and there is some badness in those whom society considers to be good. We are all sinners.

We can of course condemn the action but not the person. Jesus did not condemn the woman taken in adultery. Nor did he condone her behaviour. ‘Has no one condemned you? Neither do I. Go now and sin no more’ (Jn 8:10–11).

Robbery, assault and other crimes are wrong and rightly condemned;

we can demand that the government take action to keep us safe.

But almost 4,000 children today are growing up homeless, which will adversely affect the rest of their lives; almost 200,000 children today in Ireland (one in five) are growing up in households that are experiencing poverty, and many schools report that children are coming to school hungry, with queues for dinners and food parcels at a record level, in a country with massive budget surpluses. Growing up in poverty is a major determinant (but not the only one) of a person’s adult life choices.

I have never known someone who hurt others who was not already hurting inside themselves, nor someone who caused trouble to others who was not already troubled inside themselves.

49

Writing a Journal Andrea Hayes is involved with Anamcharadas, training prayer guides.

At the beginning of a new year many of us feel the inner urge to return home to ourselves in a more meaningful way. The daily distractions in our busy lives can often prevent us from connecting with the deepest parts of ourselves – our souls. A journal can be a great place to start this journey inwards. Think of the pages of your journal as your sacred space to write your innermost feelings and record quotes or prayers that inspire you; the act of writing can also be a wonderful tool to help you respond to God in your everyday life.

My journalling story started almost forty years ago.

I have been keeping diaries, notebooks and journals for as long as I can remember. In truth, I have always considered the act of writing down my most personal experiences at the end of the day to be a form of sacred practice that has helped me through life’s up and downs, but more importantly it has connected me more deeply to God. This contemplative practice has transformed my spiritual life; I could dive deeper into my soul, 50

my spirit, my awareness, my higher consciousness – God. My journal writing has afforded me space to really examine my own unified vision of the world and to witness and record my growing sense of connection to the Divine. I started to look at my life through a new lens – my ‘God Gaze’.

For me it has been my nature journalling that deepened my relationship with the earth and all of creation. Often it’s when I am being mindful and present in nature that certain spiritual insights come to the surface. Creating my nature journal to express my spirituality has been illuminating. This new year if you have a desire to become more

Step 1: Gazing

Relax and sit in nature. Notice where your eyes are drawn to in nature. Simply allow your eyes to gaze at God’s creation. Just like in Lectio Divina, it is God that is luring you to a treasure meant just for you.

Step 2: Reflecting

Meditate on the natural world that has drawn your attention. How is God speaking to you? Allow God’s communication to touch you deep within where the Spirit dwells.

Step 3: Responding

God has been speaking to you through nature. It’s now time for you to respond. Allow your words to be born in the recesses of your soul. What is your response? What is your prayer?

Step 4: Resting

connected with the inner stillness of your soul and a deeper intimacy with God, maybe keeping a journal is a practice you could explore.

If you need some ideas on how to start a nature journal, why not try this prompt that has helped me. When you are out in nature, begin to attune yourself to the natural surroundings by exploring a Visio Divina – ‘sacred seeing’ – this is an ancient form of prayer in which we allow our hearts and minds to enter fully into a sacred natural landscape. Simply settle into the silence and listen, to see what God might have to say to you. Then allow God to speak through your response to nature. The following steps could serve as a guide for your sacred writing.

Words are never sufficient to express our deepest selves. Turn to silence to simply rest in communion with our Creator.

Step 5: Gratitude

Finish off with a simple prayer of thanks to God for this nature connection. If you want you can take a leaf, a stone or something from nature as a reminder to bring you back into this sacred space even when you are not in nature.

Visio Divina in nature can be a guide to our interior landscape where a soulful connection with God and intimate communion is possible. Articulate any deep desires or heartfelt prayers for the earth that arise in your nature journal and sow the seeds of a spiritual growth in 2024.

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Listening Anne Marie Lee from Dublin has worked in social care before retirement.

Gorgias (485–380 BC), a Greek rhetorician and contemporary of Socrates, is reputed to have said that there is a disconnection between what we think and what we say. He says words don’t truly capture our thoughts. I ask, ‘Is there not also a disconnect between what we say and the listeners’ perception of what we say?’

Most people, at some stage, are frustrated because they are unable to get their point across. Words seem inadequate, or the listener is unable to pick up the meaning behind the words. Hence, misunderstandings arise.

There are two ways of hearing the following sentence, ‘I respect the speed limit, daft as that may be’. What does ‘daft as that may be’ refer to: the speed limit, or me for respecting it? How should one interpret the road sign ‘slow children crossing’? Never having seen it written with a comma after the word slow, I have to assume that the children are slow!

When a Mum says to her small child, ‘You’re very bold’, does she mean the child is bold, or what he did to annoy her was bold?

Sometimes it’s worth checking that the listener has grasped your meaning.

Few of us are good listeners. In 52

situations where active listening is called for one has to actively commit to listening. To listen well, one needs training and practice. It is true that not many of us have the ability to listen well, or maybe it is that we are so anxious to have our own opinions heard, to tell our story, that while the other person is speaking, the reply we intend to make is already being formulated in our minds. To give full attention we must empty our minds, maintain appropriate eye contact and be attuned to and able to interpret the facial expressions and body language of the speaker.

Choosing a time and place to share and to listen is important. Many people can arrive at their own conclusions, they just need to express themselves to someone else in order to process their thoughts.

We also need to be able to interpret the body language that will tell us the other person is ready to share at some depth. Choosing a time and place to share and to listen is important. Many people can arrive at their own conclusions, they just need to express themselves to someone else in order to process their thoughts.

I was stopped outside the health centre one day by a woman whose mother, whom I had nursed, had recently died. This woman began to talk to me about her sadness, her regrets for the things she didn’t say or do for her mother when she was alive. She

began telling me about the relationship between herself and her mother, and how she now missed her mother very much. This woman was grieving and needed to talk. We were standing in the carpark outside the health centre. Why did I not invite her in to an office where we could sit down and continue the conversation in some comfort? I was very aware that if I broke her train of thought by inviting her in, the flow of conversation would be interrupted, and she may not get the chance again to express her feelings as she was doing now standing out in the carpark. Thirty minutes flew by while this woman expressed her feelings and grief with tears in her eyes. I felt very privileged that she trusted me sufficiently to share at this level. Later the woman told me how much that conversation meant to her, helping her to process her grief.

To be listened to without judgment is to be emotionally and spiritually nurtured in a time and place which suits the speaker, not just the listener.

Many a teacher will tell of significant conversations at the end of the stairs or the door into the yard.

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31

30 Little girl get up Mk 5: 21-43

29

From chaos to peace Mk 5: 1-20

28

They were astonished Mk 1: 21-28

4th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

St Aidan

Some fell on rich soil Mk 4: 1-20

You are my mother and brothers Mk 3: 31-35

A kingdom divided falls Mk 3: 22-30

Repent and believe Mk 1: 14-20

Where did he get this wisdom?

Mk 6: 1-6

St John Bosco

St Francis de Sales

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23

22

3rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

21

Conversion of St Paul

Go into the whole world Mk 16: 15-18

25

Life can be saved any time Crowds followed him Mk 3: 7-12 Mk 3: 1-6

Why are they breaking the sabbath?

Mk 2: 23-28

Your disciples don’t fast Mk 2: 18-22

What do you want?

Jn 1: 35-42

He spoke the Word to them Mk 4: 26-34

Quiet! Be calm Mk 4: 35-41

St Angela Merici

27 26

Ss Timothy & Titus

Jesus went home Mk 3: 20-21 He appointed twelve Mk 3: 13-19

Ss Fabian 19 & Sebastian

20 19

18

2nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

St Anthony

17

16

15

14

St Ita

Why does he eat with sinners?

Mk 2: 13-17 Word went round Mk 2:1-12

Of course I want to Mk 1: 40-45

He took her hand Mk 1: 29-39

A new teaching Mk 1: 21-28

Follow me Mk 1: 14-20

St Hilary

My beloved Son Mk 1: 7-11

BAPTISM OF THE LORD

13

7

12

Epiphany of our Lord

11

6

10

St Charles of Mt Argus

9

5

8

4

Saturday

We saw his star Mt 2: 1-12

St Munchen

Friday

How do you know me?

Jn 1: 43-51

3

Thursday

Come and see Jn 1: 35-42

2

Wednesday

I am the witness Jn 1: 29-34

Mary, Mother of God

Tuesday

I am the voice that cries Jn 1: 19-28

1

Monday

Mary treasured these things Lk 2: 16-21

Sunday

Calendar

January 2024

ISSN 1649-4450

Deliver to:

Photograph by Liam O’Connell SJ

‘For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease.

Job 14:7.