Reality Magazine December 2020

Nollaig faoi shéan is faoi shonas duit

Reality A happy and prosperous Christmas to you

Informing, Inspiring, Challenging Today’s Catholic

DECEMBER 2020

POETRY FOR CHRISTMAS

REDISCOVERING THE BEAUTY OF THE SEASON

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS

OFFERING THE GOOD NEWS IN DARK TIMES

THE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS THE MAGNIFICENCE OF HANDEL'S MESSIAH

PLUS INSIDE: THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE REDEMPTORISTS

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Advent Resources

from Redemptorist Communications

A helping hand in this time of expectant waiting

Diary 2021 Through the year with Mary Fr Denis McBride CSsR This stunning hardback diary features a beautiful painting each month and a thought-provoking reflection that accompanies Mary throughout the year.

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Included in the diary is an introduction from Fr Denis, year planners for both 2021 and 2022, key dates and feast days, notes pages, and a ribbon page marker. All of these features make it the ideal faith €8.95 companion, appointment organiser and thoughtful gift. plus P+P

Advent Extra Out of the Wilderness The COVID-19 wilderness from which we are emerging has left us making sense of our good and not-so-good experiences of the pandemic. For some, this will be a first Christmas without a loved family member, friend or colleague.

Because 2020 was “different”, so is Advent Extra. Its daily reflections, articles and children’s pages are a conscious, heartfelt effort by its writers to offer reassurance and hope on a unique Advent journey towards Christmas. May Jesus be born in our hearts!

Christmas Day Message Christmas Day Message is a full colour A3 sheet containing the Mass text for Midnight Mass, Dawn Mass and Mass during the day. An original exposition of the Gospel is provided, along with a short reflection encouraging the reader to relate it to their life; learning points, €7.00 suggestions for action and original per 100 prayer material are also included. sheets

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Celebrate: Advent Follow the Star to Christmas A new magazine for kids full of cool activities and fun quizzes. Perfect for 7-12 year olds it will encourage them to think about and grow in their faith while they have loads of fun! Twenty-two pages jam-packed with puzzles and facts – adults might learn something too! Celebrate: Advent comes with the Advent calendar and activity sheet for even more things to do. This year there’s an easy way to refocus on the real meaning of Christmas as we Celebrate: Advent.

Advent calendar

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Christmas Card Pack A pack of twelve cards and envelopes, six designs produced and printed in Ireland.

Journeying towards Jesus in Advent Fr Denis McBride CSsR In this insightful and inspiring book, Fr Denis McBride guides us through the Advent season towards the celebration of the birth of Christ. Suitable for private reading or for use in groups, this book invites us to journey together towards a deeper appreciation of the true €12.95 meaning of Christmas. plus P+P

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In this Christmas issue FEATURES �� FOUR POEMS FOR CHRISTMAS This season might be a good time to return to the memories of Christmas past and rediscover their beauty and their search for the truth of the season.

By Brian Cosgrave

�� EVANGELISATION AT CHRISTMAS COVID-19 will probably make this Christmas a very different experience, but it will be a time to offer the Gospel’s good news in dark days.

By Maria Hall

�� A CELTIC CHRISTMAS Many of the observances we take so much for granted at Christmas time have their origins deep in the human story. That is especially true of what our Celtic ancestors have left us.

By John Scally

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�� HANDEL, DUBLIN AND THE MESSIAH A highlight of Christmas is a concert with all, or at least some, of the unforgettable music of Handel’s Messiah. Social distancing might put a live version beyond our reach this year, but we can still listen to the recordings.

By Rev Paul Kenny

�� CHRISTMAS IN THE PHILIPPINES Once you get past the commercialism, there are some delightful traditions about Christmas and Advent in the Philippines that have a long history behind them.

By Fr Colm Meaney CSsR

�� CLEMENT’S FINAL DAYS St Clement’s efforts to find a home for his congregation were met with repeated failure.

Shortly before he died, he was asked to submit the rules of his congregation to the emperor for approval. Not only were the Redemptorists approved, they were also granted a historic church in Vienna.

By Fr Brendan McConvery CSsR

��

��

Opinion

Regulars

11 BRENDAN McCONVERY

04 REALITY BITES

19 JIM DEEDS

07 POPE MONITOR

31 CARMEL WYNNE

08 FOREVER YOUNG

42 PETER McVERRY SJ

09 REFLECTIONS 34 UNDER THE MICROSCOPE 36 TRÓCAIRE 43 GOD’S WORD

Reality Bites this Christmas VATICAN CITY

POPE FRANCIS ADDS �� NEW CARDINALS Mario Grech

Marcello Semeraro

Antoine Kambanda

Wilton Gregory

Jose Fuerte Advincula

Celestino Aós Braco

Cornelius Sin

Augusto Paolo Lojudice

Mauro Gambetti

Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel

Silvano Tomasi

Raniero Cantalamessa

Enrico Feroci

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On November 28, Pope Francis added 13 new cardinals from all around the world to the College of Cardinals. From these 13, nine of them are under 80 years of age, which means they are eligible to take part and vote in a conclave. Two of the new cardinals work in the Roman Curia, the secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, Maltese Archbishop Mario Grech, and the Italian Archbishop Marcello Semeraro, former Bishop of Albano and the new prefect for the Congregation of the Causes of Saints.

Six others are pastors in the worldwide Church: Archbishop Antoine Kambanda, Archbishop of Kigali, Rwanda; Archbishop Wilton Gregory, the Archbishop of Washington, USA and the first African American to be elevated to the rank of cardinal; Archbishop Jose Fuerte Advincula, the Archbishop of Capiz, in the Philippines; Archbishop Celestino Aós Braco, the Archbishop of Santiago, Chile; Bishop Cornelius Sin, Apostolic Vicar of Brunei; and Archbishop Augusto Paolo Lojudice, Archbishop of Siena, Italy. The pope has also appointed the current guardian of the Franciscan Sacro Convento in Assisi, Fra Mauro Gambetti, to the rank of cardinal.

Pope Francis has also added four others who are over the age of 80, and they are Archbishop Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel, Archbishop Emeritus of San Cristóbal de Las Casas Mexico; the former Apostolic Nuncio to the United Nations in Geneva, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi; the preacher of the Papal Household, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, and the pastor of the Shrine of Divine Love, Father Enrico Feroci.

The pope invites us to pray for these new cardinals who come from all the corners of the earth.

VATICAN CITY

A NEW COOKBOOK FROM A SWISS GUARD The Vatican Christmas Cookbook is written by chef David Geisser, who is a former member of the Vatican’s Swiss Guard, along with author Thomas Kelly. The cookbook offers stories of the Vatican’s own Christmas celebrations and includes 100 Vatican Christmas recipes. The Swiss Guard are a small military force who have guarded popes for five centuries. In the forward of the cookbook, it states; “it is only with the cooperation and assistance of the Swiss Guard that we can present this compilation of special recipes, stories, and imagery inspired by the Vatican and set in the glory and wonder of the Christmas season.”

The book incorporates details about the history of Christmas, Advent, and the Papal Guard, which began in 1503. The book is not only filled with recipes, but it also offers traditional Christmas and Advent prayers. Geisser started his cooking career while working in European gourmet restaurants. He spent two years in the Swiss Guard and wrote his third cookbook, Buon Appetito. In the introduction to his Christmas cookbook, Geisser said he was excited to share his experiences in the Vatican’s kitchen, the Guard, and the season of Christmas.

Here is a sneak peek of what you may find inside the book; The Vatican Christmas Cookbook offers recipes like Veal Chanterelle, Egg Williams Soufflé, Venison in Fig Sauce and deserts like Cheesecake David, Gingerbread Plum Parfait, and Maple Cream Cake.

REALITY DECEMBER 2020

N E WS

PAKISTAN

STATE LEGALISES UNDERAGE MARRIAGE OF CATHOLIC GIRL

A court in Pakistan validated the marriage of a 13-year-old kidnapped Catholic girl to a Muslim man who abducted her. The 13-year-old Arzoo Raja had been kidnapped outside her home on October 13. As her family searched for her, the police announced that they had been notified that Arzoo was 18 and that she had converted to Islam to marry her 44-year-old abductor, Ali Azhar. The family was horrified at this news and provided the police with her official birth certificate showing that their daughter was only

13 years old. The family also sought legal advice from Aid to the Church in Need to challenge the validity of the marriage.

On October 27, they appeared before the high court, and the young girl chose to recite the Islamic proclamation of faith. To the shock and distress of her family, the high court then ordered the validation of her marriage to the 44-year-old man. Police then escorted her off with her Muslim family, where outside the court her mother pleaded with her to come

home with them. The young girl’s mother and father have both lost their jobs after the abduction of their daughter and have reportedly received death threats from the family of Ali Azhar, according to the Catholic Herald.

In February of 2020, the high court of Pakistan ruled that men can marry underage girls, under Sharia law – the religious law of Islam – overturning a recent law forbidding child marriage.

IRELAND

NEW REGULATIONS FOR IRISH SCHOOLS Irish state schools are to phase out Catholic symbols and mandatory celebrations of Mass. The new regulation will apply to the country’s ETB schools, which are run by the Government’s Education and Training Boards.

The new rule will officially classify these schools as 'multi-denominational' and therefore they cannot favour Catholic or Christian symbols over those of other faith.

In a survey taken in 2016, more than 78 per cent of the population of Ireland identified as Roman Catholic.

The Irish Times reports that these new regulations stipulate that any displayed religious symbols “must echo the beliefs of the wider school community rather than those of one particular religion” to reflect this multi-denominational identity. The regulations add that when religious symbols are displayed, there must be a balance, such as displaying a Jewish

menorah for Hanukkah if there is also a Christmas nativity scene on display.

School Masses or other religious ceremonies or events at ETB schools are now expected to be held for students only on an 'opt-in' basis, rather than on a mandatory basis that requires students to opt out.

The general secretary of Education and Training Boards Ireland told The Irish Times that the new regulations address the “multi-denominational aspect of our school specifically and the importance of catering for children of all religious and non-religious worldviews equally”.

continued on page 6

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Reality Bites this Christmas FRANCE

UNITED STATES

TERRORIST ATTACK ON CHURCH-GOERS

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France is mourning for victims who lost their lives during the attack at Notre Dame Basilica, Nice. Police shot and wounded the suspected knifeman, who is identified as 21-year-old Tunisian Ibrahim Issaoui, who had only recently relocated to France. The alleged attacker was said to be in critical condition in the hospital.

Two women and a man who died were attacked inside the basilica that morning while preparing to attend morning Mass. French authorities said that one of them was a 60-year-old woman who was reported to have been “virtually beheaded” close to the font. The other victim was the 55-year-old sacristan, who had reportedly worked at the basilica for more than ten years. The Brazilian foreign ministry allegedly identified the third victim as a 44-year-old woman who had been living in France for more than 30 years. She fled to a nearby café with multiple stab wounds but died shortly afterwards. She reportedly told people in the café who helped her to “tell my children that I love them”.

French churches have been targets of terrorist attacks in the past.

Following the attack, the President of France, Emanuel Macron, pledged to increase the number of soldiers to protect French schools and religious sites from around 3,000 to 7,000. May those who lost their lives due to terrorist attacks, rest in peace.

SUMATRA

GUARDIAN ANGEL OF ORPHANS Franciscan Sr Klara Duha is known as the guardian angel of more than 1,000 orphans in Nias, North Sumatra. Since 2006, she has taken care of the children who suffer from disabilities including hydrocephalus and malnutrition and whose mothers were unable to look after them because they were mentally ill or divorced. Many of the children were rejected by their families. Some were even found on trash sites. Sr Duha, who is 65, says; “I pity them. I just can’t let innocent children suffer or be abandoned. I must save them.”

She said that she dreamt of serving humanity from a very young age but did not know how she would do it. When she decided after high school to become a nun, her parents were against this decision, as she was to help the family.

Finally, in 1977, she joined the Franciscan Sisters, and her parents supported her.

Through the power of prayer and support, Sr Duha said that taking care of abandoned and sick children brings her joy and such joy overflows from a prayerful life coupled with the generosity of people’s charity and donations.

Sr Duha chose the motto 'Love God, Love neighbour' for her service. She said that the ability to help children was God-given, and she accepted it because God’s mission through the Church is to take care of the little ones. It is through the generosity of many people that she can carry out the excellent work for the children and those in need. Let us give thanks for the life and dedication of Sr Duha and keep her and the children in our prayers.

REALITY DECEMBER 2020

IRISH-AMERICAN BEATIFIED On October 31, Fr Michael McGivney was declared Blessed. Born of Irish parents, Fr McGivney, the founder of the Knights of Columbus, was beatified in the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, attendance was limited. Cardinal Joseph Tobin CSsR, official representative of Pope Francis, was the principal celebrant of the beatification Mass. Cardinals Seán O’Malley of Boston and Timothy Dolan of New York joined other archbishops and bishops, including representatives from the Ukrainian Catholic Church, at the beatification liturgy.

“Fr McGivney’s life is an illustration of how a holy priest can provide the necessary and intimate connection, so crucial in the life and mission of a parish,” Cardinal Tobin said. He described McGivney as a priest who loved his flock and was happy to see them work together as a community. “The signature accomplishment for which he is remembered, founding the Knights of Columbus, grew out of his ministry as a parish priest,” Cardinal Tobin added. “This great brotherhood of two million now spanning the globe was born from the pastoral ingenuity of a parish priest to respond to the twin challenges faced by the people he served. Because he knew his people well, so well.”

After the portrait was unveiled, five-year-old Michael 'Mikey' McGivney Schachle, accompanied by his parents and siblings, presented a monstrance containing a relic of McGivney to Cardinal Tobin. Mikey Schachle's live birth after a prenatal diagnosis of foetal hydropsy, a rare, typically fatal, condition, was confirmed by the Vatican as a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Michael McGivney.

Archbishop Leonard Blair of Hartford thanked Cardinal Tobin for presiding over the beatification Mass and requested that he relay his gratitude to Pope Francis. He urged people to pray daily for McGivney’s continued intercession in the world.

“First, that with Blessed Michael McGivney as our model, and with his intercession, that many more men will heed God’s call to serve as priests,” said Archbishop Blair. “And second, that at Blessed Michael McGivney’s intercession, we may be blessed with a further miracle leading to his canonisation as a saint for the whole Church.”

N E WS

Pope Monitor – Keeping up with Pope Francis ROME

PRAYING FOR PEACE AT THE BASILICA OF SAINT MARY

Pope Francis, following the tradition started by Pope St John Paul II in Assisi in 1986, joined members of other religions to pray for peace.

They joined to pray at a time in which humanity is suffering wars, displacement caused by conflict and climate change, increasing poverty and division, and a global pandemic that has highlighted the vulnerability of every single one of us and our need for each other. The prayer service saw Pope Francis praying side by side with other Christian traditions.

JERUSALEM

Simultaneously, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists prayed in other city venues before coming together in Michelangelo’s beautiful Square on the Capitoline Hill for an interreligious ceremony that ended with the proclamation and delivery of the 2020 Appeal for Peace and the lighting of a peace candle.

A minute of silence was observed to remember the victims of wars and the coronavirus pandemic, and a group of children delivered the appeal to ambassadors and international political leaders reminding them that “no one is saved alone”.

POLAND

NEW LEADER FOR MIDDLE EASTERN CATHOLICS

DEFENCE OF LIFE – A CALL TO THE POLISH CHURCH

On October 24, Pope Francis appointed as the new Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem His Beatitude Pierbattista Pizzaballa OFM. Up until his appointment, he was serving as the Apostolic Administrator Sede Vacante of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. His Beatitude is also a member of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

Shortly before the general audience, Pope Francis bestowed on His Beatitude the pallium, the mark of a metropolitan archbishop. In greeting his diocese, Patriarch Pizzabella said: “The pallium reminds us that we have chosen in baptism to take upon us the yoke of Christ, the weight and glory of the Cross, which is love given to death and beyond.”

Pope Francis, while speaking to Polish pilgrims at a General Audience, spoke in defence of life, even when this may require heroic love. In remembrance of St John Paul II, Pope Francis noted that the Polish pope always exhorted a privileged love for the most vulnerable and defenceless, and for the “protection of every human being from conception to natural death”.

On October 22, Poland’s constitutional tribunal ruled to ban abortion in all but exceptional circumstances. This means once the decision is signed into law, terminating a pregnancy will only be permitted in cases of incest, rape or threat to the mother’s health.

“Through the intercession of Mary Most Holy and the Holy Polish Pontiff,” Pope Francis said, “I ask God to arouse in the hearts of all respect for the life of our brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable and defenceless, and to give strength to those who welcome and care for it, even when this requires heroic love.”

7

FOREVER YOUNG SAINTS WHO DIED YOUNG

BLESSED CARLO ACUTIS (1991-2008)

8

It is highly unusual for the parents of the newly-beatified to present the first official relic of their son to the bishop performing the ceremony, or for the prayers of intercession to be led by his twin brother and sister, born after his death as the result of a promise made to his mother. But Blessed Carlo Acutis was an unusual saint. His parents had moved to London in search of a better job. Like many Italians of their generation, Andrea and Antonia would have considered themselves as ‘Catholics but not fanatics'! They received the sacraments when they were part of the life-cycle – baptism, first communion, marriage – but religion did not play much of a part in their lives. It was confusing for them when little Carlo turned out to be totally fascinated by God. As the only child of a comfortable and ambitious middle-class couple, Carlo wanted for nothing. What they did not expect, as ambitious social climbers, was a boy who would be totally fascinated by religion. Long before he reached the usual age for first communion, he began to pester them about when his turn would come. He managed to persuade them to talk to the local priest, and Carlo was allowed to join the queue a little ahead of youngsters of his age since he knew so much about what holy communion meant By all accounts, young Carlo was a lovely kid. The photographs of him as a first communicant and teenager depict a curly-haired smiling boy, more often than not wearing a tracksuit and sneakers. In many ways, he was just like other boys of his age.

He loved playing football and he knew the position of every Italian team in the league.

He was also acquiring a reputation as a ‘computer geek’ who not only used a computer for his schoolwork but was beginning to discover something about the more complicated side of computing. In no way did the religious side of his life suffer. Divorce is on the increase among Catholic middle-class families. It was inevitable that Carlo would discover that the parents of school friends were separating. He prayed for them and allowed his friends to lean on him if they needed. As a fit and healthy sports lover, he took the side of boys being bullied. One of his favourite saints was St Francis, so care of the poor was high on his list of ‘to dos' even if it meant persuading his mother and father to drive him to some of the elderly poor people he visited.

At the core of Carlo’s faith was a passionate sense of the reality of the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Almost from the beginning, he received communion daily and persuaded his parents to accompany him to church, not just for Mass but for his long daily visit to the blessed sacrament. Gradually, he brought Antonia and Andrea back to the practice of the faith.

The more Carlo read about the Eucharist, the more fascinated he became by a series of Eucharistic miracles in which either consecrated hosts bled or Jesus was seen in them as suffering in his Passion or some other aspect of the mystery. When he was about 11 years of age, he decided he would compile a computer blog that would list these Eucharistic miracles and make them available for other people. The list of miracles is still active as it is maintained by friends of Carlo – it can be found at http://www.miracolieucaristici. org/en/liste/list.html Early in October 2006, Carlo became ill with what was presumed to be flu. However, his condition did not improve and the illness was finally diagnosed as a form of leukaemia.

This was bad news for a 15-year-old. Carlo took it calmly, immediately offering all his sufferings for the pope, the Church, and his own direct entry into heaven. He had a horror of purgatory. “I am happy to die,” he said, “because I have lived my life without wasting a minute on those things which do not please God.” Carlo was beatified in Assisi on October 12, 2020.

Brendan McConvery CSsR REALITY DECEMBER 2020

Reality Volume 85. No. 10 December 2020 A Redemptorist Publication ISSN 0034-0960 Published by The Irish Redemptorists, St Joseph's Monastery, St Alphonsus Road, Dundalk County Louth A91 F3FC Tel: 00353 (0)1 4922488 Web: www.redcoms.org Email: sales@redcoms.org (With permission of C.Ss.R.)

Editor Brendan McConvery CSsR editor@redcoms.org Design & Layout David Mc Namara CSsR Sales & Marketing Claire Carmichael ccarmichael@redcoms.org Accounts Dearbhla Cooney accounts@redcoms.org Printed by W&G Baird Printers, Belfast Photo Credits Shutterstock, Trócaire, Klara Kulikova, Bill Wegener, Vidar Nordli Mathisen REALITY SUBSCRIPTIONS Through a promoter (Ireland only) €20 or £18 Annual Subscription by post: Ireland €25 or £20 UK £30 Europe €40 Rest of the world €50 Please send all payments to: Redemptorist Communications, St Joseph's Monastery, St Alphonsus Road, Dundalk County Louth A91 F3FC ADVERTISING Whilst we take every care to ensure the accuracy and validity of adverts placed in Reality, the information contained in adverts does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Redemptorist Communications. You are therefore advised to verify the accuracy and validity of any information contained in adverts before entering into any commitment based upon them.

When you have finished with this magazine, please pass it on or recycle it. Thank you.

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Promoters: We keep all of our promoters in our prayers and thank them for their loyal service in selling Reality.

We remember in our prayers sick and deceased promoters and their families.

Reflections this Christmas Oh, Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind.”

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET

To an open house in the evening Home shall men come, To an older place than Eden And a taller town than Rome.

To the end of the way of the wandering star, To the things that cannot be and that are, To the place where God was homeless And all men are at home.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain; Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.

In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself.

CHRISTINA ROSETTI

It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you ... yes, it is Christmas every time you smile at your brother or sister and offer him your hand.

Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives.

When he isn't around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?

Dear Nuala, You mustn't have received my last letter when you were sending us the four calling birds. There was pandemonium in the peartree again last night and the vet's bill was £32.

The mother is on sedation as I write.

I know you meant no harm and remain your close friend Gobnauit.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

FRANK KELLY TWELVE DAYS OF

GK CHESTERTON

CHARLES DICKENS

ST TERESA OF CALCUTTA

The simple shepherds heard the voice of an angel and found their lamb; the wise men saw the light of a star and found their wisdom.

VEN FULTON SHEEN

CHRISTMAS

Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be.

God never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving. If he gives us the gift of Christmas it is because we all have the ability to understand and receive it.

A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes – and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.

POPE FRANCIS

DIETRICH BONHOEFFER

Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.

We consider Christmas as the encounter, the great encounter, the historical encounter, the decisive encounter, between God and mankind. He who has faith knows this truly; let him rejoice.

When we were children, we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time.

Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?

CS LEWIS

BLESSED PAUL VI

GK CHESTERTON

ALFRED LORD TENNYSON

“Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to.”

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET

9

This Christmas

from Redemptorist Communications 6 Beautiful designs for Christmas

These assorted designs are in packs of 12 with envelopes for just â‚Ź5 (plus p+p)

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EDI TO R I A L UP FRONT BRENDAN McCONVERY CSsR

Will there be a Christmas this year?

Christmas

has been celebrated in many different ways throughout Christian history. Since the return of the coronavirus, many of us have wondered how we will celebrate it this year. As it draws closer, the element of uncertainty becomes more pronounced. It has set me recalling some testimonies of Christmases past when believers found themselves returning even more deeply to the mystery of these days.

Alla Andreyeva and her husband were arrested in 1938 for publicly criticising the Soviet system. Alla spent nine years in a Moldavian gulag. She remembered that there were Orthodox Christians, Catholics and Protestants among the prisoners. With different dates for Easter, they managed to arrange among themselves how to celebrate it and give their fellow prisoners the opportunity to celebrate it. Christmas was different. They celebrated on the same day, but it was always a workday, even if it were a Sunday. She describes one particular Christmas. “On April 19, 1984 I was convicted as a political prisoner for the third time by the supreme court of Soviet occupied Estonia. They sentenced me to 10 years of incarceration and five years of exile for anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda, as a ‘seriously dangerous criminal’ whose sentence was to be served in high security prison. We were clothed in prisoner kit.

My companions were a Ukrainian poet, an Arminian and a Greek Catholic priest.

Usually, the prison guards did not hinder the observance of a quiet Christmas, so prisoners always managed to find some pieces of a fir-branch with a few candles. This time, everything was confiscated after several thorough body searches. We still managed to find a finger-length bit of an evergreen branch in our walking compound. Into some

tin foil, we put a dab of margarine and into that a wick twisted from some threads. We were allowed matches, and so our Christmas candle was lit! We prayed and our priest sang sacred songs. Suddenly, the door was shoved open and the watch officer with two guards burst in. They swept the small candle to the floor, tramped on it with their jackboots and all this was accompanied with the requisite threats, invective and vulgarities. The priest made the sign of the cross towards the guards. They backed off slightly, stopped yelling their obscenities, brought a broom and shovel, and took away what remained of our candle and piece of fir-tree. The watch officer opened the small shutter to tell us that homemade candles were strictly forbidden, that everything was forbidden, even singing, that we should sit in silence and be with our God in spirit and thought, and that God doesn’t really exist anyway. So, we sat silently, spoke quietly, listened to the priest read religious verse, prayed and held our Christmas.”

In her Auschwitz Chronicle, the museum historian records how, on Christmas Eve 1942, Polish women prisoners in the staff building lighted candles on a fir bough that had been smuggled in. Carols were sung in many places around the camp, which lifted people’s spirits and gave them hope of surviving. In Block 18a, a prisoner who was a Catholic priest obtained some bread and used it as a substitute host. He had also managed to procure some grapes. They were soaked in water and the juice was sufficient to consecrate as the Precious Blood.

Just before Christmas 1943, a young German theologian called Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote his Christmas letter to his parents. The Bonhoeffers were socially well-placed, and Dietrich could expect a university chair but

these were not good times. Dietrich was not writing his Christmas letter from his university study where he directed young men preparing for the ministry. In fact this was his second Christmas in prison since it had been noted that he was not standing in line with the official Lutheran Church. A letter from prison was hardly what the Bonhoeffers were expecting as the Christmas letter of their favourite son! “Viewed from a Christian perspective,” he tells them, “Christmas in a prison cell can, of course, hardly be considered particularly problematic. Most likely many of those here in this building will celebrate a more meaningful and authentic Christmas than in places where it is celebrated in name only. That misery, sorrow, poverty, loneliness, helplessness, and guilt mean something quite different in the eyes of God than according to human judgment.

That God turns toward the very places from which human eyes turn away! That Christ was born in a stable because there was no room for him in the inn — a prisoner grasps this better than others, and for him this is truly good news. And to the extent he believes it, he knows that he has been placed within the Christian community that goes beyond the scope of all spatial and temporal limits, and the prison walls lose their significance.”

All of us at Redemptorist Communications and Reality wish you every blessing this most unusual of Christmases.

Brendan McConvery CSsR Editor

11

Four Poems for

Christmas

WITH OUR CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS SET TO LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR, IT MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME TO RETURN TO SOME OF THE MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS PAST AND REDISCOVER THEIR BEAUTY AND THEIR SEARCH FOR TRUTH

BY BRIAN COSGROVE 12

REALITY DECEMBER 2020

IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER I begin with a poem by Christina Rossetti (1830-94), which will be more familiar to readers as a carol: 'In the Bleak Midwinter'.

First published in January 1872, it was further popularised as a carol when set to music in 1911 by the appropriatelynamed Harold Darke. Christmas falls just a few days after the shortest or darkest day of the year, usually December 21 or 22.

Remarkably, Darke’s version surpassed in popularity the earlier 1906 setting by the much better-known composer, Gustav Holst (famous for the orchestral suite, The Planets). It became highly popular during the First World War, and has remained so since.

One admirable feature is its honest way of dealing with the potential harshness of the seasonal weather: such climatic realism is far removed from those Christmas cards which feature a coach and horses making their colourful way through a pristine landscape of immaculate snow. It was surely this realism which initially appealed to the soldiers who reportedly sang the

carol in the trenches during the Great War. Surrounded as they were by their own bleak landscape, it was doubtless a relief to find some kind of parallel to their own situation in the opening lines of Rossetti’s poem: In the bleak mid-winter Frosty wind made moan; Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, Snow on snow …

How well they would have known both the hardness and the coldness of iron; and it is a hard world indeed where even redemptive, flowing water has turned to solid ice. Rossetti’s fourth line is striking in its bold compressed simile, while lines five and six envisage snow not as a white and beautiful blanket but as a source of deadly monotony.

The central stanzas emphasise the contrast between the Saviour’s previous condition (He “whom Angels/Fall down before”), and

this new state of impoverishment where he is sustained only by “a breastful” of his mother’s milk and the protective warmth of “a mangerful of hay”. The final stanza offers a moving climax (wonderfully underlined

by Darke’s musical accompaniment) where the speaker expresses his own inadequacy to provide a fitting gift on this remarkable birth-day. Gifts will, as we know, be provided by the Magi; but as the speaker asks, “What shall I give him, poor as I am? ” We begin to see that impoverishment is a central feature of the entire representation; poor surroundings, poor mother and child, poor devotee. But it is of course those who are poor that this Messiah has come to redeem; and the speaker is wise enough to realise that all will be well if he follows his own deepest instinct: Yet what I can I give Him, — Give my heart.

This, we are bound to reflect, is precisely the kind of commitment that the adult Christ will primarily require from us.

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AND IS IT TRUE? If harsh weather is one of the significant complications of (or threats to) the festive season in northerly climes, there is another factor which may potentially obscure the traditional meaning of Christmas; essentially, the replacement of its core meaning by a process of trivialisation. It is touched on by John Betjeman, in the poem 'Christmas'. First published in a collection of 1954, it has been praised for acknowledging both the sacred and the secular dimensions of the season. Arguably it is in the last three stanzas that the essential significance of the poem emerges:

And is it true? And is it true, This most tremendous tale of all, Seen in a stained-glass window's hue, A Baby in an ox's stall ?

The Maker of the stars and sea Become a Child on earth for me ?

And is it true ? For if it is, No loving fingers tying strings Around those tissued fripperies,

The sweet and silly Christmas things, Bath salts and inexpensive scent And hideous tie so kindly meant, No love that in a family dwells, No carolling in frosty air, Nor all the steeple-shaking bells Can with this single Truth compare – That God was man in Palestine And lives today in Bread and Wine.

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It was surely this realism which initially appealed to the soldiers who reportedly sang the carol in the trenches during the Great War REALITY DECEMBER 2020

One cannot but admire the simple precision of the language, or the finely controlled climax which tries to remind us of Emmanuel (meaning 'God with us'); in this case, still with us under the signs of bread and wine. But the poem also acknowledges the banalities of the secular side of Christmas: the “tissued fripperies”, or the exchange of “sweet and silly” gifts – not forgetting the “hideous tie so kindly meant”. This amounts to a graphic evocation, lightly done, of the consumerist aspects of Christmas. These, along with the more substantial or justifiable rejoicings,

can be validated, the argument runs, only with reference to the foundational “tale” of Christmas: that of the “Maker of the stars and sea” becoming incarnate as “a Child on earth”.

There is, however, another – and very different – dimension which points to the kind of religious doubt that we might expect to find in such 20th-century writing.

The presence of doubt is clearly signalled in the proliferation of question marks over the first seven lines of the excerpt. No less than three times, the speaker feels obliged to ask if the “tremendous tale” of the Nativity is

actually “true”. What if the “tale” is simply that, a legend handed down from the past? Such doubts are part and parcel of modern scepticism; but in fact they were inherited from a previous era, that of the Victorians of the second half of the 19th century. There were many cultural causes for this decline in belief which we need not pause to enumerate. It is enough, perhaps, to note that the word 'agnosticism' first appeared in the English language in 1869, and was coined by the biologist T.H. Huxley (a Darwinian) to describe his own position.

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HARDY’S OXEN One poet above all others articulated, with a curious mixture of assertion and reluctance, the painful reality of what came to be known as the death or disappearance of God. His name was Thomas Hardy, whose dates (1840-1928) reveal how he straddled both the Victorian and modern periods. Abandoning the novel-form after 1896, Hardy, who had in any case been writing poems throughout his career, prioritised the writing of poetry. There are in the poems, as in the novels, numerous instances of the folly of believing in a mercifulGod;butthereareotherpoeticutterances which reveal the pain of his exclusion from belief.

In 'The Oxen', Hardy provides a Christmas poem (first published Christmas Eve, 1915, when Hardy was 75 years of age) which tempers that pain with a nostalgia for a time when things were different.

It begins: Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.

“Now they are all on their knees”, An elder said as we sat in a flock By the embers in hearthside ease.

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REALITY DECEMBER 2020

The elder is referring to a rural tradition according to which the oxen in the fields kneel down to welcome the Saviour on Christmas Eve. This fireside exchange, it transpires, is an incident recalled from the past (evoked as an era “Our childhood used to know”); and in that period, it occurred to no one to “doubt” that the oxen were indeed kneeling. But the arrival of modernity has changed all that: So fair a fancy few would weave In these years!

There follows, however, a sudden reorientation of feeling in the poem’s speaker: he feels that if someone in this second decade of the 20th century were to invite him on Christmas Eve to come “see the oxen kneel”, I should go with him in the gloom, Hoping it might be so.

We should emphasise the word “hoping”; a word all the more remarkable if the reader is familiar with the general lack of hope in much of Hardy’s work. 'Nobody Comes' and 'A Broken Appointment' are, as the titles suggest, poems about hope unfulfilled; another poem carries the title 'He [the author] Never Expected Much'. And in one of his best-known works, 'In Tenebris' [In the Darkness], he coins a new word to emphasise how he is beyond all hope: he is One who, past doubtings all, Waits in unhope.

If, in 'The Oxen', the aging poet can allow his nostalgia to awaken even a remembrance of hope, then we might see that as a tribute to the evocative power of Christmas.

SCARLET RIBBONS I conclude with a well-known song which in a different way testifies to the recurrence of hope. I refer to 'Scarlet Ribbons', which, even if it does not refer explicitly to Christmas, has featured on Christmas albums by such

artists as Jim Reeves, Tom Jones and Cliff Richard. It is not difficult to see why that should be the case: because the story in the song is the archetypal Christmas one of Santa Claus. A child hopes to receive a longed-for gift; she falls asleep; and when she wakes up she will find the gift on her bed.

In this particular version, a father, having overheard his daughter pray for “scarlet ribbons”, realises, to his dismay, that it is too late: “all the stores were closed …”. He spends a painfully sleepless night, until, just before dawn, he looks into her bedroom and bears witness to a minor miracle: I peeked in and on her bed In gay profusion lying there Lovely ribbons, scarlet ribbons Scarlet ribbons for her hair If I live to be a hundred I will never know from where Came those lovely scarlet ribbons Scarlet ribbons for her hair …

The song was first recorded in 1949, and subsequently by Harry Belafonte (1952) and many others. What is most remarkable is not just the song’s longevity – still going strong after over 70 years – but the galaxy of gifted popular singers who have been attracted to it. There are early versions by Perry Como, Doris Day, Joan Baez; later versions by Roy Orbison, Cliff Richard, Tommy Makem – and so on into the second decade of the 21st century. It is estimated that there have been over a hundred different artists who have recorded it. If the song, which raises the possibility of a miraculous event, has proved to be enduringly popular in this way, then it suggests that it speaks to or satisfies a particular need in its listeners.

That need is a need, if not to believe, then at least to find some basis for hope, by holding onto the possibility of a positive dimension to human affairs – or at least indulging that possibility on the horizon of our expectations. Perhaps that was what further enhanced the Rossetti carol for the soldiers in the First World War trenches.

Brian Cosgrave was professor of English at Maynooth University

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COM M E N T WITH EYES WIDE OPEN JIM DEEDS

New life will always win out

THE CENTRAL MESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS IS WE ARE NEVER ALONE, GOD IS WITH US. IT IS A MESSAGE OF HOPE AND NEW LIFE, MADE INCARNATE IN A NEW-BORN BABY

Some

years ago, at the start of summer, I walked out into our back garden and looked upwards towards the mountains that overlook us here in West Belfast. Spring had done its work and the summer heat was bringing that work forward in the creation of deep greens and golden yellows all over the mountain. Such vibrant colours and such sights are good for the eyes.

I had promised myself that I would take a walk through the fields on the mountain that afternoon. I looked up to survey the beauty I would soon be in amongst. However, the sight that greeted me that day was very different from the one I had expected. Someone or some people had started a fire on the mountain and it was raging right across the fields and hedgerows and bushes.

Thick, black smoke oozed upward, emanating from bright red and orange flames. That I could see the flames so clearly at distance told me that this was a huge fire. I looked on; helpless, worried and sad. I had spent many hours walking through the area that was now burning. I knew the amount of wildlife that dwelt up there. I also knew how devastated the land would be. Birds, rabbits, hares and other creatures would lose their young as they had built their nests right where the flames and smoke were wreaking havoc. That it was a fire that had been set on purpose made the devastation all the worse to look upon.

In the course of the next four days emergency services battled the fire in places, although some of the area is unreachable by fire appliances and

the fire had to be allowed to burn itself out. Once it had, the majority of the side of the mountain where I usually walked sat burnt brown and black. Long gone were the verdant greens and golden yellows. It was a sorry sight indeed.

2020 comes to an end soon.

In many ways, the year 2020 has been like the fire that ravaged my beloved mountain. It has brought devastation to many – through illness and disconnection, through the virus and the ensuing restrictions that have been so difficult for us all.

What once would have been the ‘green’ moments in life were burnt out and blackened. We think about birthdays not celebrated, sacraments experienced outside of our normal community experience, churches closed, and families even left to grieve separately from each other.

We have lived through a year that will be forever written of, studied and learned from.

Yes, 2020 will come to an end – but not before Christmas happens. I was bemused when, in late autumn,

I began to hear people talking of their worry that ‘Christmas might be cancelled’. How, I wondered, could Christmas be cancelled? I understand that many of the celebrations associated with Christmas will, indeed, be curtailed or even cancelled.

But Christmas itself? Cancelled?

To think this is perhaps to miss the genius point of Christmas itself. Now, I am not going to dismiss or nullify the importance of the celebrations and gatherings people have over Christmas. I love them myself; red wine and mince pies and all!

However, these things, important and enjoyable as they are in and of themselves, are not what makes Christmas. It is, of course, a moment for the world to consider a wonderful notion – that God became incarnate, became one of us, visited us here on earth, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, born into a world of poverty, political upheaval and religious fervour. Christmas, in the retelling of the story of the Nativity, tells us the story of all things. It tells us that God is with us yet, for even

though we celebrate Christmas on December 25, the incarnation of God is not limited to one day, once per year. It is true for all time. That, my friends, cannot be cancelled.

And no matter how devastating the year 2020 has been or how uncertain the year 2021 may seem to us, the central message of Christmas is one that brings solace – we are never alone, God is with us. It is a message of hope and new life, made incarnate in a new-born baby.

I walked through the fields on the mountain a week or so after the fire. They still smelled of smoke and destruction. It was a dull and lifeless place. I found myself despairing.

“Things will never be good here again” was a thought that echoed inside me.

How wrong I was! Over the course of the next months, as summer gave way to autumn and autumn to winter, the most marvellous thing happened. The charred black fields began to change colour. They lightened up into a dark brown and then a light brown and, even as winter descended, shoots of light green and yellow could be seen. By spring of the next year, it was as if the fire had not happened. New life always wins out.

May this Christmas and New Year be a blessed time for you all where you find connections to others in the most meaningful way possible.

And may the message of the Christchild ring out for all to hear – God is with us and new life will always win out.

Belfast man Jim Deeds is a poet, author, pastoral worker and retreat-giver working across Ireland.

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LLI ITTUURGY RGY

Evangelisation At

Christmas

Evangelisation is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity; she exists in order to evangelise.

Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14.

COVID-19 WILL PROBABLY MAKE THIS CHRISTMAS A VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE! THE ENTIRE YEAR HAS, OF COURSE, BEEN CHALLENGING AND FOR SOME, DEVASTATING. ALTHOUGH THE MEDIA MAY SCARE US WITH THE THOUGHT THAT CHRISTMAS MIGHT NOT EVEN HAPPEN THIS YEAR, IT IS ALSO A TIME TO OFFER THE GOSPEL’S GOOD NEWS IN DARK DAYS.

BY MARIA HALL 20

Even

if large gatherings and parties won’t take place, the Church cannot cease to celebrate the Incarnation, regardless of what the press say. We aren’t a closed shop, a private club, and our primary focus should be sharing God’s message with others. And so this year more than any, we should focus on reminding those around us of the true joy that is Christmas.

OUR INSPIRATION: THE SHEPHERDS! The shepherds were the first to hear about the birth of Jesus and they rejoiced freely, telling everyone what they had seen. Here is our inspiration and our mandate! God chose to tell these humble, poor, uneducated men, not the synagogue leaders or rich, influential people. This act mirrors the words of the Magnificat; "He has lifted up the lowly" (Lk 1:52). And so we should never think that being a messenger of God’s Word is something for people more qualified or more holy than us.

God’s message is for everyone everywhere, regardless of their wealth or intellect. He speaks through all whose hearts are open

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to his calling, and though our Baptism, that means us! Mother Teresa often said that we should do little things with great love, and in carrying out these little things, we may be sowing seeds of greatness!

ADVENT CALENDAR Back in September, I watched a TV programme which was reviewing Advent calendars full of beauty products, most of which cost over €100. Astonishing

The Nativity scene is like a living Gospel rising up from the pages of sacred Scripture.

It offers a simple yet authentic means of portraying the beauty of our faith.

The pope encourages us all to keep this tradition alive, sharing it as a family tradition and as a sign of faith in public places. He even suggests adding other figures (great fun for children) saying, “Fanciful additions show that in the new world inaugurated by Jesus there is room for whatever is truly human and for all God’s creatures.”

and ridiculous! Even the more affordable calendars have nothing to do with the birth of Christ. So, let’s resolve to have a religious one at home or at work, reminding those around us what it’s all about!

A great idea is the Reverse Advent Calendar.

It encourages us to think of those in need and to give. Each day, add an item of food or clothing and at the end, donate to a food bank or other similar cause.

SOCIAL MEDIA I recently shared the Redemptorist ‘Good night’ post on Facebook (“God is already working on your stresses; Tomorrow is a new day; He will bless you”) and unexpectedly received a comment from a friend the following day; “Oh my goodness, I so needed that!”

So Facebook can be a cause for good! Rather than just scrolling past good things, let’s share them or even create them. A passage of scripture, a religious image, a quote from Pope Francis or a saint, photos of the Church in action; all these things will let people know this is Christ’s season.

CRIB In 2019, Pope Francis wrote a beautiful letter, Admirabile Signum, on the meaning and relevance of the crib. In creating the idea, he said that St Francis carried out a great act of evangelisation:

CARDS Sending messages might be more important this year than ever before, so let’s make sure we send a Christmas message! Penguins, reindeers and Santa Claus are very cute, but we are missing a golden opportunity to bring a religious image and message into the houses of those we know. It might be their only reminder of the true meaning of the season. It’s also a great opportunity to share beautiful artwork. Enjoy finding cards that are of artistic interest to you; reproductions of classical masterpieces or new, modern interpretations.

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LI T U RGY

CHILDREN Of course we want to make Christmas a special time for children. Having an Advent calendar and a crib are great ways of involving them in the story. But there are other stories too! St Nicholas and St Lucy would be great to share. There are wonderful children’s religious storybooks and Bibles for all ages which would enrich their (and their parents') Christmas!

WELCOME TO THE WORSHIPPING COMMUNITY During the pandemic, I’ve been a volunteer steward at my church, and I’ve seen firsthand the value of welcoming worshippers and visitors. It’s a ministry that dates back to the Old Testament; in the Second Book of Kings, there were ‘keepers of the threshold’ who collected offerings from the people. In the fourth century Apostolic Constitutions there is reference to the role of ‘doorkeeper.’

So, this isn’t a new concept but sometimes

Because we welcome many visitors at Christmas, it’s important to have music that is inclusive; carols that everyone can join in with, and congregation-friendly psalm response and Mass settings

it isn’t taken seriously. It’s not about sharing a good chat and bypassing visitors! It’s about caring for others. How 'welcomers' behave can make or break whether someone choses to return. This is especially true at Christmas.

We should make a special effort to make everyone, especially new or unfamiliar faces, part of the worshipping community. A smile and a warm welcome could have a profound effect on those being greeted. It might be as simple as saying hello, making sure they have a missalette order of service or know where to sit. It might be paying attention to those with particular needs, for example those with mobility issues or with young children.

We must show that we are an open, welcoming church, reflecting the love of Christ in our words and actions and seeing Christ in those we meet.

This is taken from a really useful document called Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship. In liturgy, appearance is everything! We perceive the liturgy through our senses. And so, at Christmas what people see and smell can have a transforming effect.

First, have a tidy church! Make sure the narthex and notice boards are tidy and full of up-to-date information. Remove clutter from the sanctuary and make sure the altar, ambo and presider's chair are prominent. The crib should be accessible (not on the sanctuary).

The church should be adorned with real floral displays, fragrant greenery, the Advent wreath, Christmas trees and banners. This might be an opportunity to explore the lighting system in church or to use spotlights.

Our environment should help us to be filled with wonder and awe, even before the liturgy begins!

ENVIRONMENT Human minds and hearts are stimulated by the sounds, sights, and fragrances of liturgical seasons, which combine to create powerful, lasting impressions of the rich and abundant graces unique to each of the seasons.

MUSIC Music should assist the assembled believers to express and share the gift of faith that is within them and to nourish and strengthen their interior commitment of faith.

(Music in Catholic Worship) Because we welcome many visitors at Christmas, it’s important to have music that is inclusive; carols that everyone can join in with, and congregation-friendly psalm response and Mass settings. Everyone should have an order of service with all the words.

The choir will lead the way, but not perform a show! Choral pieces may be appropriate at the Preparation of the Gifts and Communion.

This is also a great opportunity to sing the acclamations and dialogues in the Mass.

Needless to say, everything must be practised and prepared!

A powerful focus for the Christmas Mass is the phrase in the Creed: “by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man”. At my church we sing Credo III and, in the middle, the lights are dimmed and all kneel as the choir sings ‘et in carnatus est...’

After a slight pause, the lights come back on and we all stand and resume singing to the

end. It’s immensely effective! It’s something we do every year, so people have become familiar with the music and what to do. There is also an explanation (and translation) in the order of service. Don’t be afraid of including some Latin at Christmas!

HOMILY I once heard a Christmas sermon that began, “There are two types of people here; those who come regularly and those who don’t.”

Oh dear! I imagine many people didn’t hear the rest!

Christmas congregations are unique in their mix of ages and faith experience and being inclusive is a challenge but also a unique opportunity to reach out to those for whom Christmas is only a yearly tradition.

They need to hear of God’s love for them and feel that prayer can be relevant to their lives.

Pope Francis has spoken on the importance of the homily; whoever gives the homily must be conscious that they are not doing their own thing, they are preaching, giving voice to Jesus, preaching the Word of Jesus. Because of this, homilies should be well prepared, and they must be brief (ten minutes maximum!)

AT THE END After an uplifting and inspiring Christmas liturgy, we can reach out to people as they leave. The message is, ‘please join us again soon!’ It might be a simple card with a Christmas message and contact details of parish groups, Mass times, RCIA and some online resources.

This must be done person to person; leaving sheets on a table at the back isn’t going to evangelise anyone!

Things will be different this year and we have had to time to take stock of what’s important in life. Let’s make sure that we share the most important message of all.

Maria Hall is music director at St Wilfrid's Church, Preston, England. A qualified teacher, she has a Master’s from the Liturgy Centre, Maynooth and is a consultant on matters liturgical for schools and parishes. www.mariahall.org

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F E AT U R E

A CELTIC CHRISTMAS MANY OF THE OBSERVANCES WE TAKE SO MUCH FOR GRANTED AT CHRISTMAS TIME HAVE THEIR ORIGINS DEEP IN THE HUMAN STORY. THAT IS ESPECIALLY TRUE OF WHAT OUR CELTIC ANCESTORS HAVE LEFT US.

BY JOHN SCALLY

The

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early Celts did not celebrate Christmas because they did not know about it. In the darkest days of winter, however, the Celts felt the need to party and bring joy to the Celtic world.

The winter solstice is, with the summer solstice, the oldest seasonal festival known to humanity. The Celts did not take the return of the sun for granted, especially as they were much more at the mercy of severe winter weather than we are today. For farming folk, whose survival depended mostly on crops, the return of the sun was literally a matter of life or death.

MIDWINTER AT NEWGRANGE Newgrange (Brú na Bóinne) is a mighty Neolithic passage tomb and temple structure in the valley of the Boyne River. Its age is estimated at 5,200 years give or take, which makes Newgrange older than the Pyramids of Gizeh and Stonehenge. Newgrange is aligned towards the sunrise of the winter solstice. When the sun reaches a certain angle, the light shines through a special window

REALITY DECEMBER 2020

along a passage and at the end of the passage falls onto a big stone, which bears the carving of a three-fold spiral. The event lasts approximately 15 minutes, during which the light is wandering across the floor of the passage and the stone at its end. This has been interpreted as the insertion of a ray of light by the Sun God into the womb of Mother Earth, to bring about the creation of new life in spring.

On the morning of the winter solstice the Celts woke early, long before the first faint vestiges of light illuminated the specklings of frost on the hard ground. Sometimes as they pulled back the curtains, they were compelled to watch the world take shape despite their haste. The faint horizontal threads of clouds grew a fiercer red against the still grey sky, the streaks intensifying to scarlet and to orange and to gold, until the whole sky was a breathtaking symphony of colour. The stars were like holes in the celestial carpet which allowed the eternal light to shine through.

A hoar frost lay on the fields and the hedgerows were hung with the lace trimmings of what

seemed to be a thousand spiders’ webs. In the distance, cattle were huddling under creeping hedges, staring vacantly up at the emerging slate-grey sky with their stoic eyes, as they contemplated their own dinner. The trees seemed to be standing and shivering together, hugging bare limbs and grumbling about the cold. On this day, more than any other, they marvelled at the hand of the gods in the countryside.

What were the celebrations of the winter solstice in pre-Christian times have today metamorphised into Christmas. There was no need for a giant leap to facilitate this takeover. In the Christian myth or story of faith, Jesus Christ is ‘the Light of the World’ and it is no accident that today we celebrate the birth of Jesus at the time of the winter solstice. Initially, the birth of Christ was probably celebrated in spring but later moved close to the winter solstice, partly because the early Celtic church was unable to stop the winter solstice celebrations. Christianity wanted to superimpose its own faith message onto the celebration.

There also seemed to be a natural

synergy and symbolism with fitting the birth of the light into the days of greatest darkness.

EVERGREEN In the Celtic tradition, homes were decorated with evergreen branches. The green served as a reminder of the promise that nature will be green again in springtime and life will return to farms. In the Irish tradition, a house decorated with greeneries is expected to offer a place of rest to nature spirits fleeing from cold and darkness. Another seasonal prop to reinforce the theme of light breaking through the darkness is the generous use of candles.

Christians continue in the Irish tradition of monastic hospitality where the marginalised were welcomed. Hospitality was often very much in the tradition of the story of the widow's mite.

Although they had very little to offer, they gave generously, sharing the view of St Francis of Assisi: it is in giving that we receive.

The tradition of the ‘Ireland of the Welcomes’ can be traced back to pre-Christian times. Under the Brehon laws, to refuse hospitality

was not simply impolite, it was considered an offence. The arrival of Christianity gave a new impetus to this tradition. In the Judgement Gospel (Matthew 25) hospitality is seen as an integral part of the Christian life: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me”. Hospitality was actually institutionalised in the Irish monasteries with each having its own Teach Aíochta (House of Hospitality). The monks supplied food, drink and overnight accommodation to all passersby without seeking any financial donation.

St Brendan was one person particularly associated with hospitality. Brendan believed that, “God loves a true faith, a pure heart; a simple life with a religious spirit; and open-handedness inspired by charity”.

In the Celtic tradition, the guest was always Christ and hospitality was offered to the Christ in the other. One story which illustrates this is told about St Crónán. He had an unexpected visit from a neighbouring abbot and a big number of his monks. While they were eating at table, a young novice caused a bit of a stir by saying aloud, “It seems there will be no vespers said here this evening.” After a short, awkward silence St Crónán responded, “Brother, in the guest is received Christ. Therefore, at the coming of Christ we ought to feast and rejoice. But if you had not said that the angels of God themselves would have prayed on our behalf here this night.”

THE GOD WHO DANCES St Brigid's monastery in Kildare was known as the City of the Poor, on foot of its reputation for hospitality, compassion and generosity. These were genuinely

inclusive communities. Brigid is the perfect example of Irish hospitality: she could (by a miracle) milk her cows three times in one day to provide a meal for visitors. Brigid celebrated the God who dances.

She was no killjoy, going so far as to describe heaven as a great lake of beer. According to the conventional belief at the time, St Brigid had no interest in material things because her focus was solely on God. St Brigid was able to see Christ in other people. A famous story told about her illustrates this.

Once Brigid had embarked on a long journey and she stopped to rest by the wayside. A wealthy woman heard that she was in the locality and brought her a beautiful basket of apples. As soon as the apples appeared, a group of people came by and begged for food. Immediately Brigid gave them the apples. Her benefactor was aghast and barked disdainfully, “I brought those apples for you, not for them.” Quick as a flash Brigid replied, “What's mine is theirs.”

Thomas Merton spoke of how "with those for whom there is

no room, Christ is present". This understanding is based on the fact that especially at Christmas, with those for whom there is no one to share their rooms is Jesus. The sad reality is that life is difficult for many people. The message of Christmas is that Christ is made flesh not in

to the earth. The light of the knowledge of God had grown feeble, and as sin increased, charity grew cold. Angels no longer appeared to men, no prophet raised his voice; it seemed as though, overcome by the great hardness and obstinacy of men, they had ceased to intervene in human affairs. Then it was that the Son of God said: ‘’Here am I’’.

Christmas is a time for what T.S. Eliot calls “moments in and out of time”.

Patrick Kavanagh describes the frost on Christmas morning in the Monaghan of his childhood: “And the frost of Bethlehem made it twinkle.” The Jesus of history is born in a stable so it is appropriate that for Kavanagh, “Christ comes in a January flower”.

For the Celts, this was a time of threshold, an in-between place;

For the Celts this was a time of threshold, an in-between place; it is an invitation to enter, to start again, to reflect on which way to go the unreal beauty of the Christmas card, but in the mess that is our world. For those of us who claim to be Christian, Christ is made flesh in our neighbours.

Our understanding of Christmas today continues to draw heavily on the Celtic battle between darkness and light. The First Sermon for Advent of St Bernard of Clairvaux captures this insight incisively: Truly the day was already far spent and the evening drawing near; the sun of justice was already beginning to set, and its rays now gave diminished light and warmth

it is an invitation to enter, to start again, to reflect on which way to go. Christmas is a threshold to merrymaking but also to an awareness that life is a continuous cycle of birth and death to rebirth, for the Celts understood that we are all part of a web of life.

John Scally teaches theology at Trinity College, Dublin. He has a special interest in the areas of ethics and history. His new book is Inspiration for all Seasons: Celtic Wisdom for Today

25

F E AT U R E

HANDEL, DUBLIN

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REALITY DECEMBER 2020

FOR MANY PEOPLE, THE HIGHLIGHT OF CHRISTMAS IS A CONCERT WITH ALL, OR AT LEAST SOME, OF THE UNFORGETTABLE MUSIC OF HANDEL’S MESSIAH. SOCIAL DISTANCING MIGHT PUT A LIVE VERSION BEYOND OUR REACH THIS YEAR BUT WE CAN STILL LISTEN TO THE RECORDINGS.

BY PAUL KENNY

AND

THE MESSIAH

While

we usually hear performances of Handel’s great oratorio Messiah during Advent and Christmas, Handel in fact intended it to be performed at Easter. It was first presented to the world on the Tuesday of Holy Week, April 13, 1742, in Mr Neal’s New Musick Hall in Fishamble Street, Dublin’s newest concert venue, which had opened in October 1741, just a few weeks before Handel arrived in the city on November 18.

It is easy to see why the work is most usually performed at this time of year, as only the last three items in Part One depart from the Advent/Christmas material pointing ahead to the life of the adult Christ in his ministry and care for the flock as the Good Shepherd.

THREE-PART STORY Messiah is divided into three parts, or Acts, as they are called in the score. Part One deals

with the great themes of the Old Testament prophecies which we hear each year during the Advent season, the prophecies of the coming of the long-awaited Messiah: Every valley shall be exalted and every hill made low, the crooked straight and the rough places plain. Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us; The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light … For unto us a Child is born… and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

After the instrumental Pastoral Symphony or Pifa, we are brought directly into the narration of the Nativity:

There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over the flock by night. And lo! the Angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the Angel said unto them: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will toward men.

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F E AT U R E

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Following the soprano aria Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion, the story takes a giant leap forward in Christ’s life, speaking of the hope for what his appearing will bring: Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd… Come unto him all ye that labour, that are heavy laden and he will give you rest.

Part Two deals with the Passion of Christ and overall it is more contemplative in character, though there are some aggressive outbursts from the chorus. The opening chorus no longer shows the Messiah as a shepherd but rather as a Sacrificial Lamb: Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.

Handel directs the focus to our redemption won by Christ's taking upon himself the sin of the world. This is followed by the celebrated alto aria, He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, which focuses on Christ's suffering: He gave his back to the smiters, and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, he hid not his face from shame and spitting.

We are told that at the first performance in Dublin, a Dr Delany, a friend of Dean Swift, was so transported by Mrs Cibber’s singing of “He was despised”, that rising from his seat, he exclaimed: “Woman, for this thy sins be forgiven thee” – an involuntary compliment to her artistry, though an unfortunate reference to her private life!

The chorus also reminded us that Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows! … and with his stripes we are healed, …All they that see him laugh him to scorn… He trusted in God that he would deliver him, let him deliver him, if he delight in him.

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This last chorus is like an aggressive crowd standing around the cross, mocking Jesus.

One conductor told his choir to sing it “as if they were Nazarene Teddyboys!”

GENTLE CONTEMPLATION The tenor soloist now brings us back to the intimate contemplation of Christ's suffering in a series of four short texts depicting the suffering and the Resurrection of the Christ, though there is no direct mention of the death of the Lord: Thy rebuke hath broken his heart, he is full of heaviness.

He looked for some to have pity on him, but there was no man, neither found he any to comfort him. Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto his sorrow. He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of thy people was he stricken. But thou didst not leave his soul in Hell, nor didst thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.

From this point on we focus on the activity of the Church following the Ascension of Christ. We hear of the missionary outreach of the Gospel to the nations through the preaching of the disciples: The Lord gave the word: Great was the company of the preachers … How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tiding of good things.

Their sound is gone out into all lands and their words unto the ends of the earth.

But it’s not always received, and so the bass sings: Why do the nations so furiously rage together … the kings of the earth rise up and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his Anointed?

And the chorus reply: Let us break their bonds

asunder; and cast away their yokes from us.

Part Two concludes with the glorious Hallelujah Chorus at Christ’s victory over sin and death: Hallelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth … and he shall reign forever and ever: King of kings and Lord of lords, Hallelujah.

It is said that Handel, having finished this chorus, was discovered by his servant sitting at his desk staring into space and whispering to himself: “I did think I did see all Heaven before me and the Great God Himself.”

THE REDEEMER After the blazing glory of the Hallelujah Chorus, Part Three is a celebration of Christ’s work as Redeemer. The soprano sings the beloved aria: I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth;

29 yet in my flesh shall I see God. For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that sleep.

The chorus, in hushed tones, reminds us that Since by man came death, by man came also the Resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Death has been destroyed and the promise of eternal life is offered to all as the bass declares: The trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

This message is reinforced by the following three short interconnected pieces. The alto sings: Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory!

She is then joined by the tenor in a duet: O Death, where is thy sting, O grave where is thy victory?

The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law. And the chorus concludes this section with the words: But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The work culminates in the Adoration of the Lamb by the hosts of Heaven, as recounted by St John in his vision from the Book of the Apocalypse: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by his blood, to receive power and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour and glory and blessing. Blessing and honour, glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.

You might wonder how Handel could possibly top the Hallelujah Chorus but at the conclusion he sets the single word Amen as a vast fugal chorus, each voice entering and overlapping, intertwining and building to a mighty climax in praise of the Almighty.

The text of Messiah, compiled by Charles Jennens for Handel, presents the eternal truths of our faith, with Handel’s music adding a wealth of spiritual experience to the words with many examples of perfectlyapplied musical illustration, for he was deeply conscious of the spiritual as well as musical value of his masterpiece, and when complimented on presenting “a splendid entertainment” he replied: “I would be sorry if I only entertained them; I wished to make them better.”

Fr Paul Kenny is coordinator of the Larkhill/Whitehall Grouping of parishes of the Dublin Archdiocese. For many years, he compiled the programmed notes for the annual performance of the Messiah by Our Lady’s Choral Society, Dublin.

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COM M E N T FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS CARMEL WYNNE

Coping with a different Christmas

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT WHAT CHRISTMAS WILL BE LIKE THIS YEAR! WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO LAY ASIDE AT LEAST SOME OLD TRADITIONS. WHILE WE REGRET THAT, IT MAY ALSO BE AN UNEXPECTED GIFT AND CHALLENGE.

Are

you someone who is pleasantly surprised by how you are coping and how well you are managing the major life changes that were inflicted on you in the ongoing pandemic crisis? How you are coping says a lot about you, your character, beliefs and values.

What could you discover if you decide to stand back and take a good look at how your beliefs and values have changed? Perhaps there has been a radical change in your beliefs about the necessities of life.

You could be pleasantly surprised that what looked like a disaster has had some positive outcomes.

You may discover that many of the things that you and other family members believed you must have, you discovered you didn’t need.

When dealing with a crisis, many of us find that we are capable of achieving far more than we ever thought or imagined possible. A crisis can force us to dip into our wellsprings of untapped potential, discover inner strengths, resources, talents and coping skills we didn’t know we possessed.

Any person who claims to have no anxiety about being surrounded by the threat of catching a lifechallenging disease is either in denial or is blessed with a deep, deep, faith.

There is no doubt that experiencing worry and stress about an uncertain future has an impact on our mental wellbeing.

No one knows the impact social isolation has on the mental health of children. A small number of irresponsible teenagers who were careless about following the

Government guidelines live with a burden of guilt. They worry that they had the virus without showing any symptoms. Some hold themselves responsible for infecting family members who were socially isolating. Younger children, who see mum and dad as ‘older people’, fear that they may catch the virus and die.

There’s an old saying that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Research shows that people have a need for order, predictability and control in their lives. When under threat, people who previously did not experience anxiety become vulnerable to stress. Even though doctors are concerned that the pandemic may trigger a mental health crisis, many of us discovered how strong we are. We have become more resourceful and resilient in the last few months.

Each person has the power to reshape and redefine even the most devastating and dangerous

experiences. I saw an amazing example of this on a YouTube video.

A father living in a war zone taught his daughter not to be afraid of bombs which were exploding near their home. The picture showed the father holding a happy little girl who laughed with him every time a bomb exploded.

We all live with a sense of danger, surrounded by an unseen threat which makes our world unsafe. It’s healthy to allow ourselves to be aware of the consistent shadow of anxiety that is in us whether we know it or not. It’s really important to take the time to reflect, to become aware if you have irrational fears? How you feel is powerfully influenced by what you think.

Are you aware of the difference between danger and fear? Fear is an emotional response to a perceived danger. The little girl who laughed at the bombs was not afraid because she did not understand that she was in danger. We respond emotionally

to what we believe, not to reality. I don’t want to minimise the danger from the virus which is very real.

What I want is to invite you to become aware of how much your thinking can minimise or increase your feelings of fear, anxiety or wellbeing.

How we used to live, work and play has disappeared with many of the beliefs we had about what is essential for a normal, happy and fulfilled life. After the basic need for food, clothing and shelter is met, Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs shows people have a need for a safe and predictable environment.

Your character, beliefs and values will decide how you enjoy Christmas. Children can learn that there is a difference between what is a need and what is a want. A need is something you have to have to survive. A want is simply the desire for something that you don’t need but would enjoy. For example, you want to have all of your family with you at Christmas dinner. You will be disappointed if it doesn’t happen but you will survive. Food is a need.

If you don’t eat, you will die.

Not celebrating Christmas Day the way you always did is both gift and challenge. The gift is the opportunity to make new traditions and memorable happy memories.

The challenge is to be creative and make this happen.

Carmel Wynne is a life and work skills coach and lives in Dublin. For more information, visit www.carmelwynne.org

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Letter from the Philippines ONCE YOU GET PAST THE CRASS COMMERCIALISM, THERE ARE SOME DELIGHTFUL TRADITIONS AROUND CHRISTMAS AND ADVENT IN THE PHILIPPINES THAT HAVE A LONG HISTORY BEHIND THEM.

BY COLM MEANEY CSsR

CHRISTMAS IN THE PHILIPPINES

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In

the Philippines, the Christmas season begins in September! Yes, the first of the so-called '-ber' months (September, October, November, December).

From early in that month, the Christmas decorations will be in place in the shops, the assistants will be sporting their Santa hats, carols will be the piped music in the malls, etc. This is money-making pure and simple, with a short interruption for Halloween and All Souls. But once you get past the crass commercialism, there are some delightful traditions in the Philippines surrounding Christmas.

REALITY DECEMBER 2020

One of the most beautiful traditions is simply called 'exchanging gifts' and even in areas where no English is spoken, this phrase is in use. Of course, gift-giving at Christmas is universal. Exchanging gifts happens in almost every setting or group, not just in the family and neighbours but at school, in the office and among any other group. What I like especially is the fact that what is stressed is: 'it's the thought that counts', because often among poorer people, their budget will be quite constrained. But still, if all they have is a couple of euros, they will buy a gift to give to another. And this, surely, is the central meaning of the

original Christmas– the wondrous exchange when God became one of us: the Divine shared in our humanity, so that we could share in his divinity!

And our practice of 'exchanging gifts' is a mirror, however imperfect, of that stupendous truth.

'MASS OF THE ROOSTER' Apart from the time of Advent preparing us for Christmas, in the Philippines there is a tradition, going back to Spanish times, of a novena of pre-dawn Masses from December 1624, called Misa de Gallo or Aguinaldo Mass. The former phrase means 'The Mass of the Rooster' and is based on

the tradition that a rooster crowed on the night of Jesus' birth. It's also connected with the belief that the Mass should be over before cockcrow, so the Misa de Gallo usually starts at 4am, still pitch dark, and ends just as the first streaks of the dawn are showing in the pale sky. (Interestingly the word Aguinaldo means a bonus or gift, so also fits very nicely into the spirit of gift-giving). The Misa de Gallo, whether in the cities or in the country areas, attracts enormous crowds (It's not difficult to rise at such an early hour, considering the balmy, tropical climate). The church will typically be full at 3.30am, so people arriving

after that will bring their own foldup chairs.

After the Misa de Gallo, snacks are on sale in the church grounds.

These are typical Filipino delicacies.

For a drink you can choose between hot chocolate (cacao is plentiful) or hot ginger juice; the eats are mostly different types of rice-cakes. This is essentially a church initiative, even if the fast-food chains have now adopted it. In the various Redemptorist churches, sales are brisk, and the money collected goes to various charitable causes. Another fundraising endeavour is hymnsinging, either in homes or even factories, etc. If a neighbourhood is being visited, the choir will go from house to house, perform their songs and collect any contribution offered (and they’re always offered).

Factories or other places of business will be sent a letter in advance announcing the date/time of the choir's visit, and as well as a donation, food will be offered. Mostly the collected money will be used for a charitable cause.

Another seasonal effort at bringing joy into the lives of the less-fortunate is to place a Christmas tree in the sanctuary of the church, with the branches festooned, not with decorations, but with pieces of paper with the names and addresses of poor families in the parish. Churchgoers are encouraged to take a piece of paper from the tree and to buy some goods for the family: whether food, clothing, toys, etc. When their hamper is ready they are further encouraged to deliver it to the family in question; this is to ensure that they can actually see the conditions in which many of their poorer co-parishioners are actually living; a reality about which many of the more affluent parishioners may

etc. The only troubling reading is Herod’s murderous plan, then we’re back with the birth, the angels, the shepherds, etc. It’s a procession of joy. After winding along the village paths in the cool of the evening, with Christmas lights blinking on the 'stretcher' carrying the crib and people carrying candles and singing 'Silent Night' and 'O Holy Night'and other seasonal Filipino songs, we finally arrive at the chapel, and enjoy bowls of sweet rice cooked in cauldrons.

Selling lanterns made by prisoners

be blissfully unaware. Otherwise, our parish staff will do the delivery.

CHRISTMAS LANTERNS Another way of sharing our bounty with the less fortunate is by buying Christmas lanterns made by prison inmates. As I wrote in my article on prisons, making the lanterns, multicoloured with intricate patterns, demands close attention to detail but is also a calm-inducing, therapeutic activity.

One sure way of involving the men in the mission activities, although that motive is only a minor part of the event, is to organise a procession. I composed processions called 'The Way of the Crib' (or 'Birth') for

Misa de Gallo, Baclaran Church

Advent, and 'The Way of the Light' for Eastertide. The menfolk will be encouraged, cajoled or blackmailed to attend by the women in their lives, mother, wife or girlfriend – and woe is he who does not respond to such feminine inducements! Something is carried shoulder-high along the pathways: if it’s Lent, then a cross is carried; if it’s Advent, then it’s a crib.

The latter is patterned on the Lenten Way of the Cross.

This one celebrates the events surrounding the Lord’s birth, and so a large crib is carried shoulder-high. We pause at various stations and listen to a reading commemorating this wonderful time: the Annunciation, Mary’s response, her visit to Elizabeth,

FOR CHILDREN I especially like to see children at such events, because it's sure to sow a seed that will bloom in the future into a cherished memory.

Yes, Virginia, there really is, if not a Santa Claus, then definitely the magic of childhood, when life is full of innocence and play and wonder.

And for children walking in 'The Way of the Crib', with their parents and friends, holding their candle, looking with eyes full of wonder at the crib held aloft on the men's shoulders, with blinking Christmas lights draped over the figurines in the crib – all this is like an acorn of happiness and contentment which will grow into an oak of gentle, serene memories, to soothe them when life has lost that lovely childhood aura of endless excitement, adventure and ever-new delights, and instead treads the weary path of responsibility, duty and disappointment.

A native of Limerick city where he went to school in St Clement’s College, Fr Colm Meaney CSsR first went to the Philippines as a student and has spent most of his priestly life there.

33

Under the Mocroscope SOME CHRISTMAS READING

Wandering Wicklow with Fr Brown Edited by Robert O’Byrne Messenger Publications, Dublin. 2011 Hardback 120pp €19.95 (£18.)

ISBN 7817881226

34

The story of how a young Jesuit scholastic made some of the finest photographs of the Titanic, but was rescued by an act of religious obedience imposed by his religious superior from meeting the fate in which most of the other passengers on the ill-fated liner perished, is well-known. Having lain virtually forgotten for more than half a century after his death, a new assortment of Fr Francis Browne’s photographs now appears almost every year and the stock shows little signs of drying up. This year the subject is County Wicklow. Many walkers have followed Ireland’s most popular walking trail, the Wicklow Way. Beginning just south of Dublin, it ranges as far as County Carlow and includes some of the most spectacular views in Ireland. Many of Fr Browne’s photos of the county have been matched by a selection of contemporary images by Paula T Nolan, a gifted photographer of this generation.

Robert O’Byrne’s introduction and running commentary along with Ms Nolan’s notes on her version of the pictures are added bonuses which would make an ideal gift for anyone familiar with the Wicklow Way.

REALITY DECEMBER 2020

not possible to have the traditional weekly meetings, and they were replaced by Mass on Sunday afternoons. This is a book of memories – memories of past directors like Fr Hugh McLoughlin, and of great confraternity events such as processions on the Falls Road to St Mary’s Church. For many, it will also be an occasion to recall friends and neighbours.

We Stand for God: The Story of Clonard Men’s Confraternity 1897-2020

Clonard Monastery, Belfast Available from Clonard Monastery reception or may be ordered from reds@clonard.com

After more than 120 years, Clonard Men’s Confraternity comes to an end this November. Once one of the world’s largest men’s sodalities, it has become a shadow of its former self. It leaves behind, however, a fruitful stock of memories, that began in 'the wee tin chapel' which was replaced by the magnificent Church of the Most Holy Redeemer. The confraternity did not have an easy start in life. It was opened for worship the same year as the Ulster Solemn League and Covenant was signed to fight any attempt to impose Home Rule on the nine counties of Ulster. Within a few years, Belfast Catholics struggled for survival against a campaign of murder and intimidation known as the 'Belfast Pogroms'. Yet survive they did, but then faced into the Second World War. This account of the confraternity and its men pays tribute to the men’s loyalty and the inventiveness of both members and directors. Poverty was a permanent presence in working-class Belfast, and the credit union, and its predecessor, the Confraternity Banks, was one way of responding to it. Miraculously, the confraternity managed to survive 'the Troubles' even if for a period of time it was

The Church in Pluralist Society: Social and Political Roles

Edited by Cornelius J. Casey and Fáinche Ryan Notre Dame University Press, 2019 Paperback: 178 pages

Vatican II opened new pathways to engagement with societies shaped by modernity. Its project could be read as an attempt to interpret the stance of the church in relation to the whole project of modernity.

These papers were presented at a conference hosted by the Loyola Institute, Trinity College Dublin. Loyola is a relatively new institute offering postgraduate programmes in theology in the Catholic tradition.

The fundamental insight inspiring this collection is that it is an opportune time to keep alive and deepen the question of the Church's self-understanding in its journey alongside "the complex, often rebellious, always restless mind of the modern world".

The editors have assembled a team of prominent international commentators from

the fields of theology, political philosophy, social theory, and cultural criticism. They offer differing perspectives on the role of the Church. Some argue that pluralism is here to stay, others suggest that contemporary society’s liberal pluralism is aggressively powered by a destructive corporate consumerism. What, then, is the role of the Church, and specifically the Catholic Church, in a pluralist society? This book suggests that there is not one single narrative but that there are many narratives, some perhaps competing and at odds with one another.

Many of the contributors will be familiar names. The contributors are drawn from the USA and Europe and include Brian Hehir, Terry Eagleton, Patrick J. Deneen, Hans Joas, William T. Cavanaugh, Massimo Faggioli, Fáinche Ryan, Patrick Riordan, and Cornelius J. Casey.

Advent/Christmastide last year, he begins afresh his commentaries for the second year of the Roman Catholic lectionary.

While many of its prospective readers will undoubtedly welcome it as a source for homilies or short messages for the day based on the readings, this is a book that is intended above all to be prayed. There are plenty of short prayers, many of them the work of Fr O ’Mahony’s Augustinian confrère, John Byrne. There are also useful, if brief, suggestions for further reading. Particularly illuminating will be two by Jewish scholars, Nahum Ward-Levy, a relative newcomer, and a long-recognised classic, Abraham Heschel’s The Prophets. Carol Dempsey’s The Prophet’s: A Liberation-Critical Reading is also excellent. Walter Bruggeman has a skilled commentator’s ability to make associations – I am not familiar with his Virus as a Summons to Faith but it is, to say the least, topical.!

This promises to be a useful book for the weeks ahead.

Hearers of The Word – Praying and Exploring the Readings for Advent and Christmas: Year B

By Kieran J O’Mahony OSA Messenger Publications, Dublin Paperback: 216 pages, €19.95 £18.95 ISBN: 9780268106423

Fr Kieran O’Mahony OSA is an accomplished biblical scholar as well as a popular lecturer who is well known for introducing the people of God, both clerical and lay, to reading and interpretation of scripture, especially as set before us for the great liturgical seasons.

Having launched the lectionary readings for

Inspiring Faith Communities: A Programme of Evangelisation

By Fr Michael Hurley Messenger Publications, Dublin 2020 Paperback: 120 pages €12.95 £11.95 ISBN: 9781788122696

This might be a particularly useful tool for a parish attempting to organise a project for pastoral life in the days following coronavirus. True, it is not directly related

to the pandemic, but a new parish project might be a way of breathing life back into what might have become very dry bones.

A good place to start reading this book is at the author’s personal reflection (127-144). It will set out a basic understanding of the ‘cell movement’ and how Fr Hurley came to be associated with it and what it attempts to do in inspiring the faith communities on which it is structured. It has brought Fr Hurley into contact with many communities of this type in places as different as the United States and the parish of San Ambrogio in Milan. Section 3, however, is the real meat of the book. It provides the material for six meetings. The meetings are clearly planned (including that indispensable element for any Irish meeting of this type – the tea break!). There is an additional short booklet, Living Words, that provides brief daily Bible readings for the six weeks of the programme.

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COVID-�� NOT JUST A HEALTH CRISIS FOR WORLD’S POOREST TRÓCAIRE’S CHRISTMAS APPEAL ASKS PEOPLE IN IRELAND TO HELP THE WORLD’S POOREST PEOPLE WHO ARE FACING INTO MONTHS OF HUNGER BECAUSE OF AN INABILITY TO EARN MONEY DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS.

BY DAVID O'HARE

COVID-19

h a s devastated the ability of the world’s poorest people to earn money and produce food. Lockdowns and restrictions, while necessary to protect public health, have pushed already desperately poor people over the edge and into extreme poverty.

With no income, no social welfare supports, no markets to sell their goods and no school feeding programmes they are facing into a second pandemic: hunger. It’s not just a health crisis – for the world’s poorest people, this is about having money and food to survive each day.

36

Chrisy Kimwendo from Chilipaine, Zomba, Malawi at the new village water pump provided by Trócaire. Photo: Alan Whelan/Trócaire

REALITY DECEMBER 2020

POVERTY FOLLOWING COVID The number of people in the world facing hunger this Christmas has doubled due to COVID-19 and other crises like conflict and climate change. The World Food Programme has estimated that 270 million people are “marching toward the brink of starvation”.

This is double the amount who faced hunger this time last year. WFP executive director David Beasley said that “a wave of hunger and famine still threatens to sweep across the globe. Quite frankly, 2021 will be a makeor-break year.”

COVID has impacted the number of people facing hunger in various ways. People have lost their jobs and do not have access to any social welfare safety net. There has been a huge drop in remittances – money sent to family members from overseas. Schools are closed or only partially open in many countries. This means that school feeding programmes – the only source of nutritious meals for many children – are not available.

Local markets were closed for a prolonged period of time meaning farmers could not sell their goods and, therefore, could not earn money. Border closures have led to a shortage of key materials including seeds.

The price of these materials has increased as a result. In Zimbabwe, for example, 56 of the country’s 60 districts are now facing crisis levels of hunger. There are 4.3 million people in Zimbabwe facing hunger.

At present, the countries where Trócaire works have recorded nearly one million positive cases of COVID-19. While case

numbers and fatality rates have been lower in Africa than elsewhere in the world, testing and reporting capacities are a lot less. The long-term impacts will be felt more in poorer countries due to worsening poverty and hunger.

Trócaire is responding to the COVID-19 crisis in every country where the agency works. This response includes providing clean water and handwashing facilities; distributing public health messaging (leaflets and other community messaging); providing quarantine care kits for people in isolation (food, water and phone credit); and giving direct medical support to people infected with the virus in Somalia.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS WITH A MEANING The agency’s Christmas gifts range also reflects the fight against the virus. Included in the range this year is the ‘gift of soap’ which will provide enough soap for six months to a family in South Sudan to help keep them

safe and healthy; the ‘gift of water’ which will allow people to wash their hands to reduce the spread of the virus; and the ‘gift of a quarantine care kit’ which will provide vital supplies for 16 days for a family forced to isolate.

Trócaire’s CEO, Caoimhe de Barra, said: “Your support is needed urgently to help families survive. They need our help today more than ever. We are all facing the COVID-19 crisis together. This Christmas, you can support the most vulnerable people in the world to overcome this crisis. Your support will help us to bring relief to over two million of the world’s poorest people.”

To make a donation to the Christmas Appeal or to buy a Trócaire gift, visit www.trocaire.org or call 1850 408 408 ROI (0800 912 1200 NI).

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Trócaire is teaching better hygiene practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Somalia. Photo: Trócaire

Redemptorist Communications

Want to get more out of the Sunday Readings?

The Three Faces of Christ READING THE SUNDAY GOSPELS WITH THE LITURGICAL YEAR

BY BRENDAN McCONVERY C.Ss.R & CIARÁN O’CALLAGHAN C.Ss.R.

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IN THE F OOTSTEPS OF CLEM ENT: PA RT �

CLEMENT’S FINAL DAYS

CLEMENT’S EFFORTS TO FIND A HOME FOR HIS CONGREGATION MET WITH REPEATED FAILURE. SHORTLY BEFORE HE DIED, HE WAS ASKED TO SUBMIT THE RULES OF HIS CONGREGATION FOR APPROVAL. THE EMPEROR GRANTED HIS CONGREGATION A HISTORICAL OLD CHURCH IN VIENNA WHERE CLEMENT IS BURIED.

BY BRENDAN McCONVERY CSsR

In

November 1818, Clement had another brush with the law. Fr Sabelli, who has sharing the chaplain’s quarters with Clement and Fr Martin Stark, asked for permission from the authorities to go to Italy on business for this religious congregation.

Sabelli was a difficult character. It mattered little to him that the price of getting his travel permit was to put Clement once again in a position of conflict with the authorities.

Clement was obviously the local superior of a religious community maintaining contact with its Italian superiors, something strictly forbidden in Austrian law.

The little house was raided, but there was no sign of Fr Sabelli who had received his permission to travel and fled. After intense questioning, Clement was given a stark choice: either to break off all contact with foreign superiors or else to leave Austria and

take up residence in a foreign monastery of the Redemptorists. It was an unpalatable choice for an elderly man whose health was now manifestly in decline. There was no way Clement could break off contact with the superiors of the congregation. This would be tantamount to denying that he belonged to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer that he had spent so much of his life building up. There was one small act of mercy: out of consideration for his age, he would be allowed to remain in Vienna for the winter, then when the weather improved, he could decide to join another community of the congregation.

A KINDLY KING News that the popular preacher and spiritual guide, Fr Hoffbauer, was soon to leave Vienna was received as bad news by

many people. Among them was Emperor Francis who had heard good reports about Clement. According to the version the Emperor heard, Clement himself decided to leave Vienna. He granted royal approval to the letter permitting Clement to leave but assumed that was what Clement wanted.

Clement received the imperial decree on St Stephen’s day, his birthday, an unwelcome birthday present. Clement wrote to his friend Archbishop Hohenwart, the Prince Archbishop of Vienna, explaining that, while he would obey the royal command, the statement that it was his decision to leave was untrue. He was being forced to leave Vienna, as he did not have permission to stay any longer. The archbishop wrote immediately to the emperor and set the facts straight. The decree was rescinded and Clement was permitted to stay on in Vienna.

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IN THE F OOTSTEPS OF CLEM ENT: PA RT �

After being dogged by many years of uncertainty, things were finally beginning to move in Clement’s favour. During a visit of the Emperor Francis to Rome, the pope congratulated him on the fine priest he had in his diocese, Fr Clement Hoffbauer, whose fame had reached Rome itself. The emperor had included a visit to Naples, where his cousins were the royal family, and while there he learned more about the Redemptorists and their founder. When the emperor returned to Vienna, he was enough informed to demand a review of the documents relating to the Redemptorists. He granted Clement an audience and requested that he submit an outline of the Rule for approval. By the end of October 1819, the Rule was ready, and no time was lost submitting it.

Shortly after that, Baron Pinkler, who had access to much of the business of the state, burst into Clement’s room and said “Order the Te Deum be sung: we have won!” There was still some distance to go, but it was clear that royal approval was finally on the way.

LAST DAYS By the winter of 1819, it was clear that Clement’s health was rapidly weakening. He had been robust, as his frequent long walking journeys had proved. He celebrated his 69th birthday on St Stephen’s Day, but his health was causing concern to his friends and especially the young Redemptorist with whom he shared the small chaplain’s apartment. Although Fr Martin was considerably younger than Clement, his bouts of sickness made the older man wonder, halfjokingly, “Martin, I am not sure sometimes which of us is the sicker!” Clement continued to drag himself every morning for a few hours of confessions in the Capuchin church.

On March 5, the third Sunday of Lent, he preached for the last time in the little convent chapel, but it was clear that time was running out. On the morning of March 15, he woke early. His friends gathered at his bedside. When the midday Angelus rang, he invited them to join him in the prayer. It was his last prayer; before it was finished, he slumped back on his bed. His founder, Alphonsus Liguori also died reciting the midday Angelus.

Clement's body was laid out in his religious habit. A friend, Chaplain Rinn, drew a sketch of the saint that became the most popular portrait of him. His friends, young and old, flocked to the convent.

FUNERAL The body was arranged to be brought to the cathedral on the afternoon of March 16.

Crowds thronged the way. As the evening grew darker, the funeral procession became a torchlight procession. No one quite knew where the candles came from. St Stephen’s Cathedral had a special ceremonial entrance.

No one was quite sure who opened it. An eyewitness told how “Thousands gathered together from the city and its distant suburbs without invitation. The poor were very numerous and mourned the death of their confessor and friend with loud mourning.”

The cathedral was thronged. Clement’s friend Dorothea Schlegel, writing to her friend Sophie Schlosser, said that “All the altars were covered with burning candles. A crowd of school children sang such beautiful songs that I believed I heard the angels singing.” Clement’s young student friends served the Mass.

The following day, the body was brought to the cemetery of Maria Enzersdorf outside the city where Clement had expressed a desire to be buried alongside some of his friends, including Fr Diessbach, the link with St Alphonsus who had been buried there in 1798.

Clement was victorious in death. The royal decree approving the Redemptorists was approved shortly after his death. The new congregation was assigned the old and muchrespected church of Maria Am Gestade. It was there that Clement was finally laid to rest.

End of series.

Fr Brendan McConvery CSsR is editor of Reality. He has published The Redemptorists in Ireland (1851 – 2011), St Gerard Majella: Rediscovering a Saint and historical guides to Redemptorist foundations in Clonard, Limerick and Clapham, London.

41 Clement's final resting place at the Church of Maria Am Gestade

Maria Am Gestade, Vienna – the church granted to the Redemptorists after Clement’s death

COMMENT REALITY CHECK PETER McVERRY SJ

The Christmas Revolution

MEETING THEIR NEW PASTOR PROVIDED AN UNEXPECTED SHOCK FOR A CONGREGATION. IF ONLY THEY HAD KNOWN WHO HE WAS IN ADVANCE!

The

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congregation came to church to welcome their new pastor.

On the way in, there was a homeless man sitting at the church door. Few said hello, no one gave him any coins. He went into the church, up to the front, but was asked by the ushers to please sit at the back.

When the announcements were over, the head usher said: “We would like to introduce our new pastor.” The congregation looked around, clapping with joy and anticipation. The homeless man sitting in the back stood up and started walking up the aisle. The clapping stopped. He walked up to the altar and took the microphone from the elders.

Then he read from the gospel.

"The King will say to those on his right, 'I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink...' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?' The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"

He then told the congregation what he had experienced that morning. Many heads were bowed in shame. He then said, “The world has enough people, but not enough disciples.”

CELEBRATING A REVOLUTION On Christmas day, we celebrate a revolution, a religious

REALITY DECEMBER 2020

revolution. To understand how revolutionary this day is, we need to remember that Jesus, his mother Mary, the apostles and all Jesus’ friends were practising Jews. For practising Jews, it was a dogma of faith that God was to be found – and only to be found – in an area of the Temple in Jerusalem, called the Holy of Holies. Human beings were forbidden to enter the Holy of Holies under pain of death, because the all-holy God should not be in the presence of sinners.

On Christmas day, God identified with us human beings.

Jesus declared that God is no longer to be found in the Holy of Holies, God is to be found in human beings. Every person is the presence of God to others.

To the religious authorities of his day, this was heresy. But it got worse. Jesus did not say that God was to be found

only in righteous, God-fearing, religious persons. No, God was also to be found in the sinner, the tax collector, the sick and the poor. This was too much for the religious authorities: how could God possibly be identified with sinners, those who were breaking the law? No, they would have to put a stop to this heretical teaching, Jesus would have to be got rid of.

A SOCIAL AND POLITICAL REVOLUTION For us Christians, then, God is to be found – and only to be found – in each other. Every person, male and female, black and white, gay and straight, friend and foe, is the presence of God to us. Not just our family and friends but also the poor, the homeless, the drug user, the prisoner. This is the revolution of Christmas.

This revolution is then, also, a social revolution. We can no longer say to anyone, no matter who they are, or what they have done, “Away with you, you are not our concern.” We can no longer say that some people do not deserve our respect. Christmas requires us to acknowledge the divinity within every person.

And it is, also, a political revolution, because it now determines our political choices and policies. Housing the homeless, helping the drug user into treatment, rehabilitating the prisoner, welcoming the refugee and ending poverty become overriding political priorities.

God always comes to us in disguise. The all-powerful God came to us disguised as a vulnerable child, born to an unmarried mother on the side of the road – but only a few shepherds recognised him. The all-loving God was to be found hanging on a cross – but only a thief, on a cross beside him, recognised him. We encounter God in the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick but we often do not recognise God there. If we do not find God in them, we will not find God in our churches.

For more information or to support the Peter McVerry Trust: www.pmvtrust.ie info@pmvtrust.ie +353 (0)1 823 0776

God's Word This Season PREPARE A WAY FOR THE LORD Today’s gospel consists of a short 'title' to the Gospel of Mark, the opening words of SECOND SUNDAY a scroll which would have OF ADVENT summarised its contents– “the Good News about Jesus Christ”.

It is another reminder that this year, Mark will be the staple of our Sunday Gospel reading. It then quotes the Prophet Isaiah who says that God is about to send his messenger to prepare the way. The first words about sending a messenger, however, are not from Isaiah: they are taken from another prophet Malachi (3:1). That prophet’s name is,

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quite literally 'my messenger' (malaki might also be translated as ‘my angel’). Both Isaiah and Malachi are reminding their audience that something momentous is about to take place. The tone of the reading now becomes more conversational: it speaks about an earthly messenger. This earthly messenger is, however, something of a 'wild man' with no respect for fine clothing or elegant food – John the Baptist. Another 'wild man' is Elijah, the first of Israel’s great prophets. Like Elijah, John wears an unconventional cloak and calls for repentance, symbolised by immersion in the waters of the river Jordan. His message is not about himself but about a yet more mysterious figure who will follow him and who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.

Advent is a call to renewal, to repentance. One way of putting today’s gospel into practice during the week ahead might be to make in an unhurried fashion our Christmas confession – taking time to look back on the year that has passed, noting our failures but also the times of grace when God drew us closer to himself.

Today’s Readings Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; Ps 84; 2 Pet 3:8-14: Mk 1:1-8

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JOHN CAME AS A WITNESS DECEMBER The presentation of John the Baptist in the Fourth Gospel is rather different from what we find in the other three Gospels. It THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT is not clear, for instance, whether John baptised Jesus.

What is important for John the evangelist is that his namesake, John the Baptist, appears as a witness for Jesus. Much of the language in today’s gospel is straight from the law court – words and phrases like testify, give witness, question, confess, did not deny. In

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a sense the whole Gospel of John is a courtroom drama that reaches its climax in the trial before Pilate who is forced to declare Jesus innocent: “I find no case against him” (John 18:38). In this scene on the banks of the Jordan, that long courtcase begins with the interrogation of the first and leading witness, the prophet John himself. His interrogators are priests and levites from Jerusalem, members of the same political elite that controls the Temple who will conspire against Jesus. At this point in the story, Jesus has not yet appeared. What they want to know is who is John, and by what right does he come disturbing the peace. They try various

possibilities – is he the Messiah? No: Elijah the prophet who was supposed to prepare the way for the Messiah? No. They need an answer – they are only servants of the Temple hierarchy. John’s answer is even more mysterious: he is the voice crying in the wilderness that Isaiah foretold many centuries before to the exiles in Babylon, sent to prepare a way for the Lord who is on his way.

Today’s Readings Is 61:1-2,10-11; Ps Lk 1; I Thess 5:16-24; Jn 1:6-8,19-28

God's Word This Season THE HEIR OF DAVID’S THRONE DECEMBER The Annunciation scene is one of the commonest Gospel scenes depicted in Western art. The painter often depicts FOURTH SUNDAY the angel as interrupting the OF ADVENT normal flow of Mary’s life.

Sometimes a piece of weaving or embroidery is still in her hands, needle or spindle poised for use. Sometimes an open book has been laid to one side. It is probably beyond our imagining to picture this scene as it really happened. Like all the Bible stories of announcements of birth, it follows

a strict pattern. An angel appears, addresses a person, man or woman, by name. The person is frightened but is told not to fear. The angel delivers the message – a child will soon be born, and it will be given a special name. The prospective father or mother of the child asks how this will be, as they are either too old, or in the case of Mary, still unmarried.

The angel provides a sign that this news will come to pass. Here, the sign is the pregnancy of Mary’s kinswoman, Elizabeth. There are clear echoes in Luke’s account of a promise made to David. He had become king of Israel, had conquered Jerusalem, and now planned to build a temple for the Lord. In

the night, his prophet and advisor, Nathan, receives a vision (today’s first reading). David will not build a house for the Lord, but the Lord will build a house for David. David’s line had been interrupted for more than 500 years. Now a village girl from Nazareth will ensure that the broken links of that chain are joined again in the son she will bear in nine months’ time.

THE WORD BECAME FLESH DECEMBER AND DWELT AMONG US Depending on the time of day, there are three different sets of Mass texts for Christmas Day. They all CHRISTMAS DAY tell the same story of the birth of Jesus. For many people, the Midnight Mass of Christmas has a special charm, and people who may not often attend Mass throughouttheyearmakeaspecialefforttocomefor the midnight Mass or for one later on Christmas Day. The gospel of the Midnight Mass tells the story of the birth of Jesus among the animals in a stable, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Despite school Nativity plays, it says nothing about hard-hearted inn-keepers. Ancient inns were not like modern hotels with private rooms. Travellers shared a public sleeping space, unrolling their sleeping mats wherever they could find a space. When the inn was full, as it was on this night, space was at a premium. It was hardly an ideal place for a woman to give birth to

a baby, so one can imagine Joseph and Mary seeking privacy and quiet in the part of the inn were the animals were. The birth of their child is announced to shepherds on the hill-side by the heavenly choir.

“Today [one of St Luke’s favourite words] is born for you a saviour and you will find him wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

The Dawn Mass is sometimes known as the Mass of the Shepherds. Looking after animals was regarded as a rather disreputable trade, yet shepherds are the first to hear the good news, but they are also the first Christian ‘preachers’ who tell the good news of the birth to anyone who will listen to them. Luke has a particular place for Mary in his story of Jesus. Here, she "treasured these things and pondered them in her heart". She is her son’s model disciple. After Jesus’ Resurrection, she will be found with his disciples in the upper room waiting in prayer for the coming of the Spirit (Acts 1:14).

The third Mass, celebrated in the full light of day, contains the majestic prologue of the Gospel of John which announces that the eternal Word of God

became flesh and entered fully into our human story.

The birth of Jesus is a deep mystery, overshadowed by the cross, but that fragility is best expressed today in the fragility of a newborn. An English poet asks: And is it true, and is it true, this most tremendous tale of all, Seen in a stained glass window’s hue, a baby in an ox’s stall?

He brings us at last to the heart of the mystery, the link between the Incarnation and the Eucharist: God was man in Palestine and lives today in bread and wine. (John Betjeman)

A GRACE-FILLED MEETING DECEMBER St Luke seems to have confused two distinct Jewish traditions here. Each of them has contributed its own title to a FEAST OF THE Christian feast. The first was a HOLY FAMILY period of ritual purification of a mother after childbirth (hence 'Feast of the Purification'). The second, known as ‘the redemption of the first-born’ was a rite in which a firstborn male child was redeemed by his father by

either offering an animal in sacrifice or the payment of a ritual sum of money to the Temple (hence the alternative name ‘the Presentation’).

The story of Mary, Joseph and Jesus coming to the Temple is a symbolic meeting of two generations of devout Jews. Joseph and Mary are young parents.

Simeon and Anna represent the older generation who had spent many years observing the Law, hoping and praying that they would live to see the ‘consolation of Israel’ – the joy that would accompany the arrival of the Messiah. While they

welcome the child and his parents and greet him as the coming light of revelation, they also add a more sombre note: “this child is destined for the rising and the falling of many in Israel.” He will be rejected and the pain of that rejection will strike pain like a sword into the heart of his mother.

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REALITY DECEMBER 2020

Today’s Readings 2 Sam 7:1-5, 8-12,14,16; Ps 88; Rom 16:25-27: Lk 1:26-38

Today’s Readings Midnight: Is 9:1-7; Ps 95; Tim 2:11-14; Lk 2:1-14.

Dawn: Is 62:11-12; Ps 96; Tim 3:4-7; Lk 2:15-20.

Day: Is 52: 7-10; Ps 97; Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-18.

Today’s Readings Gen 15:1-6,17:3-5, 21:1-7; Ps 104; Heb 11:8, 11-12, 17-19: Lk 2:22-40

HE PITCHED HIS TENT JANUARY The Gospel according to St John does not contain a story of the birth of Jesus.

Instead, it opens with a AY ND majestically flowing poem SECOND SU OF CHRISTMAS on how “the Word was made flesh” and dwelt among us. These verses may originally have been a hymn to be sung in Christian worship. Its opening looks back to the beginning of another book in the Bible, the very first one, Genesis, that describes creation: in the beginning God created the universe by his word.

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THE HEAVENS WERE OPENED Mark’s account of the baptism of Jesus is probably the oldest.

Although it is only a few verses long, the account of THE BAPTISM the Lord’s baptism probably OF THE LORD manifests the greatest amount of diversity of detail. In the growing sophistication of early Christian theology, the baptism posed some problems for attentive readers. If Jesus were sinless, why did he submit to “the baptism of John for the forgiveness of sins”? After Mark, they deal with it in various ways: Matthew inserts a short dialogue in which the Baptist poses precisely that question; Luke plays down the baptism – the moment of revelation by the Spirit ‘in bodily form’ comes apart from the baptism itself, while Jesus was at prayer; John preserves the tradition about the Spirit resting on Jesus, but says nothing about the baptism itself.

Mark deals with the baptism almost matterof-factly: it is not overly dramatised, but it is described as an event in which Jesus alone recognises his call through the Spirit as Beloved Son. There are a number of Old Testament allusions in this simple statement.

It recalls the instructions to Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac whom he loves: Jesus, the Father’s only Son will also be offered in obedience. There may also be an allusion to the Servant of the Lord in the First Servant Song of the first reading – “Here is

The word John uses for the Word’s dwelling among us means something like ‘he pitched his tent’. It emphasises the fragile nature of the incarnation. A tent is a temporary dwelling place.

It is fragile and vulnerable. In pitching his tent among us, Jesus takes on all our weakness and limitations. In Jesus, God knows what it means to be hungry or thirsty, to suffer loneliness or a broken heart. A tent was God’s first dwelling place with his people. On Mount Sinai, he instructed Moses to set up the Tent of Meeting. It was the forerunner of the great Temple of Jerusalem. A tent has advantages over a temple. A temple is a permanent structure: a tent is a moveable one.

As the people moved onwards on their trek to the Promised Land, the tent accompanied them, ready to be pitched wherever they made their camp. John captures with his phrase ‘pitched his tent’ the way in which God follows his people and is close to them.

What we have received from Jesus is grace in return for grace. He contrasts the gift of grace with the gift of the Law. It was the great boast of Israel that it had received the Law directly from God through Moses.

Today’s Readings Sir 24:1-4, 12-16; Ps 147; Eph 1:3-6, 15-18 Jn 1:1-18

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my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations” (Isaiah 42:1).

Today’s Readings Is 42: 1-4. 6-7; Ps 28; Acts 10: 34-38; Mk 1:7-11

God’s Word continues on page 46

God's Word This Season FREE TO CHOOSE John’s account of the gathering of the first disciples is different from what we find in the SECOND SUNDAY IN other gospels where Jesus ORDINARY TIME takes the lead and calls them to follow him. John emphasises that they exercise free choice in going after Jesus. The first two disciples follow Jesus of their own free will and leave

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FOLLOWING JESUS: A CHANGE OF LIFESTYLE To day ’s gosp el takes another look at the call to discipleship. The arrest THIRD SUNDAY IN of John the Baptist is the ORDINARY TIME prompt for Jesus to begin his own mission. Mark sums up Jesus’ preaching in one short verse – “the time 46 has come, repent and believe the Gospel.” To carry out his plan, Jesus needs people who will work alongside him. The first four he calls are fishermen. They are called while they are still practising their trade. They are also two pairs of brother who are called after their father’s name. It is quite likely that Simon and Andrew were poorer people than the Zebedee boys, James and John. The “sons of Jonah” do not appear to have owned their own boat. They fished by casting their net into the lake from the shore and then drawing it in. The Sea of Galilee was one of the major sources of wealth in Palestine. Fish were caught for consumption while they were fresh. It is also known that there was a thriving industry for preserving fish by smoking them so that they could be sent to more distant places for sale and export.

The Zebedee family has a fishing boat, as well as hired men who work alongside the family.

Following a homeless prophet would entail a major change in lifestyle for his boys, yet they follow Jesus without hesitation.

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Today’s Readings Jon 3:1-5,10; Ps 24; 1 Cor 7:29-31; Mk 1:14-20

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John the Baptist after he points Jesus out to them as “the Lamb of God”. A lamb was regarded as a sacred animal in Israel.

A lamb was offered every morning and every evening in the Jerusalem Temple as sacrifice. At Passover, every family sacrificed a lamb and ate its flesh. Jesus will die just as the Passover lamb is being sacrificed in the Temple. His crucified body will bear some of the characteristics of the lamb – his bones will not be broken but he will shed his blood,

just as the lamb’s blood marked the homes of the Israelites to protect them. One disciple is not named: the other is Andrew, who then recruits his brother Simon whose name Jesus immediately changes to Peter.

Today’s Readings 1 Sam 3: 1-10; Ps 39; 1 Cor 6:13-15, 15, 17-20; Jn 1:35-42

THE REALITY CROSSWORD NUMBER �� DECEMBER ����

SOLUTIONS CROSSWORD No. 8 ACROSS: Across: 1. Scarab, 5. Fasted, 10. Hosanna, 11. Tabards, 12. Rook, 13. Athos, 15. Rice, 17.

Yam, 19. Ankara, 21. Ararat, 22. Ascribe, 23. Church, 25. Census, 28. Ham, 30. Ruby, 31. Benin, 32.

Pray, 35. Emanate, 36. Templar, 37. Oddity, 38. Newest.

DOWN: 2. Cassock, 3. Rand, 4. Beauty, 5. Fathom, 6. Subs, 7. Earlier, 8. Sharia, 9. Assent, 14.

Hadrian, 16. Grace, 18. Creed, 20. Ash, 21. ABC, 23. Curfew, 24. Upbraid, 26. Scrolls, 27. Sayers, 28.

Heresy, 29. Milton, 33. Magi, 34. Smew.

Winner of Crossword No. 8 John Collins, Ennis Road, Limerick.

HE GIVES ORDERS TO UNCLEAN SPIRITS AND THEY OBEY JANUARY HIM Capernaum was the hometown of Jesus’ first four disciples. Through them, it became Jesus’ base and adopted home. It was a busy place. It was on the FOURTH SUNDAY edge of the Sea of Galilee and a busy fishing harbour, IN ORDINARY TIME one of many built on the shores of the lake. It was not far from one of the great ancient roads of the Middle East that connected Egypt and Mesopotamia. In Jesus’ day, it continued to be the highway along which travelers and merchandise passed. Jesus’ ministry combines preaching the Word, healing and exorcism. At that time, many forms of illness, particularly what we might call disturbances of personality or mental illness, were believed to be caused by unclean, or evil, spirits. Exorcism is often presented in the Gospel as a contest between Jesus and the demoniac powers that threaten human wellbeing. Jesus meets the challenge of the evil one calmly, but without flinching. His ability to calm the possessed person is proof of his authority, and the story causes his fame to be known around the lakeside towns and villages.

31

Today’s Readings

ACROSS 1. All in one piece. (6) 5. Pass, like time. (6) 10 A thin, stiff, transparent dress fabric made of silk. (7) 11. Rectangles that are not squares. (7) 12. A large metal neck ring worn by many ancient cultures. (4) 13. His original name was Yeshua. (5) 15. Opera set in Egypt, written by Giuseppe Verdi. (4) 17. One of the states of matter. (3) 19. A personal who is fanatical in pursuit of their ideals. (6) 21. Large, powerfully built birds of prey. (6) 22. The only play by Shakespeare that includes the word 'rhinoceros'. (7) 23. A German POW camp in WWII. (6) 25. A safe place for over 70s during Covid-19. (6) 28. A pen or enclosure for swine. (3) 30. Offensively impolite or bad-mannered. (4) 31. '... osbtat', notice that a book is acceptable on doctrinal and moral grounds. (5) 32. He sold his birthright for pottage. (Genesis) (4) 35. Landlocked country in East Africa. (7) 36. Believe something to be true because it is very likely. (7) 37. Jesus received 39 of these prior to the Crucifixion. (6) 38. Condemned by God to suffer eternal punishment in hell. (6)

DOWN 2. This country's film industry is known as Nollywood. (7) 3. She is traditionally considered to be the mother of the Virgin Mary. (4) 4. Nomadic people of the Sahara. (6) 5. Biblical book describing the Israelite's deliverance from slavery. (6) 6. Suffers ill health. (4) 7. Ancient timepiece which is useless in the dark. (7) 8. This Conquistador conquered the Aztecs and claimed Mexico for Spain. (6) 9. Initial tentative efforts at literary compositions. (6) 14. A day of religious observance and abstinence from work. (7) 16. A native of the Eternal City. (5) 18. "A brute in human form," according to Dean Swift in 'Gulliver's Travels'. (5) 20. Chase to touch a label. (3) 21. And other similar things in short. (3) 23. A person employed before printing was invented to make copies of manuscripts. (6) 24. Landlocked microstate bordered by France and Spain. (7) 26. Indistinct, shrouded, not readily understood. (7) 27. A feeling of illness in the stomach. (6) 28. The Dog Star. (6) 29. Gave a short, sharp cry. (6) 33. Ancient Egyptian cross but with an oval loop in place of an upper bar. (4) 34. A tiller or wheel for steering a ship or boat. (4)

Entry Form for Crossword No.10, December 2020 Name: Address: Telephone:

Deut 18:15-20; Ps 94; 1 Cor 9:32-35; Mk 1:21-28 All entries must reach us by Wednesday, December 31, 2020 One €35 prize is offered for the first correct solutions opened. The Editor’s decision on all matters concerning this competition will be final. Do not include correspondence on any other subject with your entry which should be addressed to: Reality Crossword No.10, Redemptorist Communications, St Joseph's Monastery, Dundalk, County Louth A91 F3FC