4 Sunday Easter, 29 April 2012, John 10:11-18

St Asicus - Armagh Cathedral

Diocesan Commemoration of the Feast of St Asicus

Just in case you missed it, I want to read carefully for you again the Collect (the Opening Prayer) provided for the Feast of St. Asicus. It goes:

“O God of heaven,
by whose grace Saint Asicus became a disciple of Patrick
and worked for the beauty of your worship,
be pleased, by his prayers,
to make of our lives a work of art
fashioned for the glory of your name. ...”

The beginnings of the Church in this part of the world are dominated by art and beauty. Asicus, it is said, was Patrick's artificer. He made altars, chalices, patens, and metal book-holders for the newly forming Churches. Under the influence of Asicus, the Church at Elphin became a school of sacred art. The Cross of Cong, the Ardagh Chalice and many other works of sacred art were inspired by Asicus' artisanship.

For the past fifty years, and more, a tradition has grown up in the Church of looking to the past, that is to say the very early Church, rather than to the recent past, to rediscover a more authentic way of being Church.

When we look to the very early Church here, the primary memories are of art and of beauty. St Paul's letter to the Ephesians reads:

“We are God’s work of art created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning God had meant us to live it." (Eph. 2:10)

It is good to focus on these words for a moment. 'We are God's work of art …' That is to say that we, that is human beings, are God's Masterpiece. Nicky Gumbel (famous as the founder of the Alpha Course) quoted Isaac Newton this morning on Twitter:

"In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God's existence."

When we reflect for a moment on the wonder of the human person, at the intricate detail of the various bodily systems that keep us alive at any given moment, surely this raises our minds to the creator God. We cannot help it.

But there is more to that quote from Ephesians: “ We are God’s work of art created in Christ Jesus ...”. Our being alive is our experience of being created, of being a creature. But here St Paul tells us that we are 'created in Christ Jesus'. In other words, we are not a finished project just yet. There are echoes here of our need to be recreated, again and again, by God in Christ. This is redemption, and like creation it is God's gift to us. We cannot manage redemption on our own, in much the same way as I could not have created myself. Redemption is clearly linked to relationship with Christ, or what we call 'Life in Christ'.

This 'Life in Christ' is what St Paul calls 'the good life': “We are God’s work of art created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning God had meant us to live it."

Twenty years ago in 1992 the Church published a new Catechism of the Catholic Church. In it something happened that maybe we have yet to get to grips with as a Church. In the new Catechism the moral life was restored to it's earliest understanding as the good life, or 'Life in Christ'. For many centuries before this, spirituality, or saying our prayers, or what we might call our relationship with Jesus Christ, was placed on a moral footing. In other words, we prayed and went to 'hear Mass' because it was a moral precept of the Church. The new Catechism puts it the other way around however; it is because of our relationship with Christ Jesus that we live a good moral life.

It is because of our exalted dignity as Christians that we live the good moral life. Our basic human dignity accords with living a moral life, but the conscious choice to be profoundly connected to Christ through Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist lifts up our human dignity to that of the Christian's dignity.

The Christian is conscious of his or her place in the world, which is to say that the Christian is conscious of the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross for them. And this sacrifice of Christ in turn arouses both contrition and thankfulness in the disciple of Christ, who in turn makes a conscious, personal decision to live the good moral life as a personal sacrifice of thanksgiving to Christ, for the gift of new life that he has made possible for us.

In short, these are the eyes of faith: that we are mysteriously, that is sacramentally, rooted in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

They are the eyes that a person of faith must strive to have. And these eyes of faith replace all the false lenses that are offered by our time and place – all of the various analyses that would have us believe that the Church has been wrong all along – or that the moral prescriptions of life in Christ are somehow outdated or out of touch. Perhaps what is out of touch especially here in Ireland is an outdated and outmoded language of religion that seeks to involve people in the practise of the Faith, all the while subtly ignoring the spiritual foundations, the relationship with Christ, that are essential to that practise. Some of the older language of the Church, with its inherent authoritarian tones and overbearing paternalism, will definitely turn off contemporary ears.

Undoubtedly we need a fresh language and new approaches to present what is a very idealistic and demanding way of life. However, while the language of yesteryear may not suit today's world – and the style of presentation may offend contemporary sensibilities – still the Church cannot present anything but life in Christ.

There are two images of priesthood here that we could contrast. One is of a paternalistic priesthood – one that seeks to have an answer to every possible moral dilemma that a person may face. This is a legalistic image of priesthood, rooted in a kind of casuistry that may have been well intentioned, but which certainly did not seek to teach the average Christian how to make mature moral decisions.

The second image of priesthood is rooted in the gospel story of the Prodigal Son. The image of priesthood here is of the Father who does not withhold the rightful inheritance of the Son, even though he may have a premonition of what the younger Son would do with it. No, the Father does not withhold, but gives freely what is requested of him and then waits. This is where we find ourselves today in priesthood.

Waiting in Scripture is the iconic form of loving. It can be a painful experience. Mothers and Fathers wait on their child. Waiting is worrying. It is not knowing. Any parent knows what waiting is like when their teenage son or daughter is out at the disco. Will they be okay? What will they meet when they leave the nest, the safety of home, the big-bad-world that is waiting to take advantage of them? And yet, still, their comes a day where the son takes off, a time when a daughter must make her way in the world – with all its pitfalls.

The moral process is complex. We must learn right from wrong. But this is not enough. We also must come to internalise a moral process whereby we are able to choose right instead of wrong, good instead of evil. Simply knowing right from wrong will not do. (For example, we all know that smoking is bad for our health, and yet that knowledge in itself will not stop a smoker from smoking, even though it may help)

We have also to form our hearts in learning to choose freely, the good, the right, the loving, the committed, the sacrificial. It is good to be taught by Bishop, Priest and Pope the moral heritage and riches that the Church has to offer. But we must find the true moral compass inside ourselves that desires to live a morally good life.

Maybe a third image of priesthood that we could reflect on today is that of the artist or artisan or craftsman, which is a far cry from the paternalistic priesthood of our first image, but which is inherently related to our second image of priesthood as spiritual father. Maybe we could image priesthood as a sculptor imagines the sculpture hidden in the lump of marble. Think of Michelangelo envisioning the Pieta as he stood in the quarry surveying the marble. This kind of priesthood, this kind of Church, is one that is rooted in a vision that is as yet hidden in the ordinary lump of rock, hidden in the ordinary parish, hidden in the ordinary community of faith, hidden in the ordinary diocese. Priests are men committed to crafting and encouraging ordinary Christians to live life to the full, to live the ultimate life: “Life in Christ.”

“We are God’s work of art created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning God had meant us to live it."

As we remember and follow in the footsteps of Asicus, may our lives become a work of art fashioned for the glory of God's name.

This homily was prepared for the Diocesan Commemoration of St Asicus, the Patron Saint of the Diocese of Elphin, which is celebrated in the Parish of Elphin on the Sunday nearest to the feast of St Asicus, which is celebrated on the 27th April.

3 Sunday Easter, 22 April 2012, Luke 24:35-48

I'm not a big fan of Pop Idol, or American Idol, or any of the other Idols that have taken the world by craze in the last few years. But, three years ago a friend of mine sent me a video of Susan Boyle's appearance on “Britain's Got Talent”. Not normally being a fan of these kinds of TV programmes, at first I wasn't too keen, but I watched it anyway.

For those of you who have no idea what or who I'm talking about, Susan Boyle is a 47 year old Scottish woman who appeared three years ago on a talent show on television. To say the least, Susan is not up to date with the latest fashion, nor is she very image conscious, at least from what we saw on the telly. Looking quite odd, she went out on to the stage, and was received with what can probably only be called revulsion. It seemed that there was no space for this woman in the world of image that showbusiness is. But then she opened her mouth and sang her song. Within five or ten seconds the audience were on their feet. Within seconds, she had allowed her talent to shine through and everyone recognised it almost immediately. Susan Boyle's story is a parable about recognition.

Today's Gospel is all about recognition. The two disciples tell of how they recognised Jesus at the breaking of bread. You and I are called to do the same.

We are caught in the world of image. When moments of recognition come along, they smash open the way to truth. And when we encounter truth, we can no longer be quiet. We can no longer be hushed up. We cannot help ourselves. We have no choice but to spread the Word. That was what happened to Susan Boyle. She took the internet by storm – she took the world by storm. Her story shows us the joy we get when we recognise something true. Her story also shows us that we need to use our talents and listen to the deepest call, dream and desire of our hearts. There, we too will find the joy that is talked about in the Gospel. It is the joy of forgiveness, the joy of being loved, the joy of having a home to go to.

Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper, 5 April 2012, John 13:1-15

Yesterday evening in Sligo, we gathered with Bishop Jones to celebrate the Chrism Mass. Although it is supposed to be celebrated on the morning of Holy Thursday, for convenience sake it is now celebrated on the evening of Spy Wednesday.

During the Mass of Chrism all the priests present renewed the commitments and vows that they made on the day of ordination. In many ways, Holy Thursday is the day that we celebrate priesthood in the Church. We celebrate it in three ways: in the institution of the Eucharist, in the institution of the ministerial priesthood and in the celebration of Christ's service to his disciples in the washing of the feet.

Foot Washing by Matt J Saw

If there is any image for priesthood, this is it. The image of a foot-washer, the image of a servant-leader. The priesthood that Christ created is a priesthood of service in love to all people. It is the priesthood that priests are called to at their ordination.

I wanted to spend some time with you this evening reflecting on what it is like for me to be a priest here in Roscommon in 2012. I am 31 years old. I am by far the youngest priest in our diocese. There is a ten year gap between me and the next in age to me in the diocese. In recent years in our diocese we have seen the ageing of the priesthood. Some have called it the 'whitening' or the 'greying' of the priesthood. In some parishes, as priests have become ill, or have retired, or passed away, there has been no priest to replace them. Combine that reality with the national and international image of priesthood at the moment, not to mention the many who have left ministry, and it can seem to us that priesthood is dead, or at least dying. We can have an image of priesthood as unnatural, as unreal, as lonely and sad. The low numbers of young men applying to the dioceses around the country to become priests also gives us a very strong sense of the dying Church. We can easily be swallowed up in negativity about priesthood. And, there can be a sense in us that if we were to remove some of the image problems that priesthood suffers then we would be back in business.

I want to share with you the reason that I am a priest. Some years ago, while on a pilgrimage, I had a profound sense of God's presence with me. This was accompanied by a profound and deep sense of being loved and cared for. The experience left me emotional in a very positive sense. I was happier than I had ever been in my life. I felt called at that time to commit myself full-time to sharing that experience of God with other people. Then, I did not understand that as a call to priesthood, but gradually I came to understand that that may be what God was calling me to.

Applying to the diocese and joining the seminary were for me a dipping my toe in the water exercise. I really wasn't fully sure, but I was compelled enough to take those first steps. I had been studying Civil Engineering and so the leap into studying philosophy and theology was huge. There were men in my class of all levels of intellectual ability, from those who struggled a pass, to those who excelled in their essays and exams.

Celebrating my First Mass of Thanksgiving, 16th June 2008

Seven years passed by in a heartbeat, and on the 15^th June 2008, I was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Jones in my home Church of the Assumption, Sooey in my native Sligo. I served as a curate in Athlone for two years, as Chaplain of IT Sligo for a year, and now I am here among you in Roscommon. It has been a great journey!

I am delighted to be able to share with you that I am very happy as a priest. That does not mean that it is always easy, but it does mean that overall my experience of being a priest is one that I want to celebrate. Many times my call has been confirmed inside myself, spiritually, by the grace of the Holy Spirit. One of the key moments when this can happen is in the confessional. There in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, through the trust that people place in us priests to lead them to God, I have been privileged to be affirmed again and again in my call to be a priest. If you ever needed a reason to go to confession, that is one: you are affirming the priest in his call.

I want to share with you tonight, as we celebrate priesthood, service and Eucharist, that priesthood is a happy and fulfilling way of life, which means that for those who are called to live it, priesthood can be the means of our union with God in holiness. That doesn't mean that there are no challenges! Show me a way of life that does not have any challenges! Maybe it is the challenges that bring out the best in us.

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, 1 April 2012, Mark 14:1-15:47

Suffering Servant

1st Reading
Isaiah 50:4-7
This is one of the 'suffering servant' motifs from the Prophet Isaiah. "... For my part, I made no resistance, neither did I turn away. ..." Suffering becomes those who are authentic followers of God, real disciples of the Lord. Here the profound listening to the Lord that the disciple does, sits cheek by jowl with beating, taunting and insult. Listening to God's Word is a dangerous business that brings us into conflict with those who unjustly hold power.


2nd Reading
Phil 2:6-11
The great 'Christ-Hymn'. Scholars tell us that Paul may have adopted this text from some other source, possibly in aramaic. Like all hymns, it has a catechetical and credal quality that few other mediums have. Our contemporary hymns tell us a lot about what we really believe. As Christians we are to know Christ intimately. This 'Christ-Hymn' offers us an intimate insight into who Christ is. His self-emptying is the means of his exaltation. It is also the means of ours.

Gospel
Mark 14:1 – 15:47
There is a profound association between Passover, trickery, anointing with costly nard and betrayal for money. This Passover will be the Passion and the 'preparations' spoken about in the passage signify the preparation for the Passion that has been going on right throughout the gospel of Mark. This Passover, this Passion, is a New Covenant. Jesus' blood is the sign of the New Covenant. Here he prefigures his own death by inviting his followers to do what he does: to take, to thank (eucharistēsas) and to give. There is a task to be carried out to recall what Jesus has done. The New Covenant must be remembered and lived out.


Homily Notes
We look for Christ everywhere. We are taught that Christ is present in four ways during the liturgy: in the gathered assembly; in the proclaimed Word; in the Priest presiding; and in the Eucharist celebrated. Here, Christ is present in Sacrament, Word, action and in people.

For us Catholics, the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is a core doctrine of our faith that we defend highly. We are less vigorous in our defence of the other 'presences' of Christ. Still less so are we defensive of the presence of Christ in the poor, in the voiceless and in the marginalised.

Christ is present in Daniel, in Joel and in Betty, most especially because of the violence, suffering, separation and aloneness that they have experienced. Their suffering, like all human suffering, unites them to Christ on the cross in a profound way.

Perhaps this is a good time to remember that much of the Church's social teaching has the status of doctrine. This places it on an a similar footing to all the great doctrines of the Church.


Homily Notes for the Trocaire Lenten Liturgy Resource
also published in 'Intercom' the monthly Pastoral Resource of the Irish Episcopal Conference
by Fr John Coughlan, CC, Roscommon

"Suffering Servant" image by Marcella Paliekara - Click Here

5 Sunday Lent, 25 March 2012, John 12:20-33

The time is right, the fruit is ripe
I'm sure you've eaten a piece of fruit or some vegetables that are not yet ripe. They can be tough to eat, tasteless, and they can leave you with a sick stomach. We have to wait until the time is right. Then the fruit is ripe and ready to be eaten.

Usually you have a reasonable idea when the fruit will ripen or when the crops are ready to be harvested
Big farmers use technology to measure the moisture content in wheat to decide accurately when the time is just right to harvest. We use our tastebuds to decide when its right to pick the apples off the tree.

For Jesus, the time is right
There is a time called "God's time". It is not measurable by a clock or by a calendar. It has more in common with the image of fruit or crops ripening. Jesus knows that the time is ripe when some Greeks ask to see him. He knows that humanity has had just enough of him never to forget him. The Good News has taken root in the hearts of the disciples and is just about to spread beyond the Jewish world into the world of the Greeks. The time is right for Jesus to be planted in the ground like the grain of wheat, to die that we might live.

Suffering is never easy, even for Jesus
Jesus struggles with the suffering that he knows is ahead of him, but he opts for the glorification that God calls him to. The cross, especially in John's Gospel is a glorification. As Jesus is lifted up from the earth on the cross, God is glorified in him. And with the cross firmly rooted in the earth, Jesus becomes the unforgettable bridge, covenant, connection and communion between God and humanity, heaven and earth.

Its hard to understand suffering when we're in the middle of it
Like Jesus, we don't want to suffer. We would rather live a painless life. But, the lesson of the cross is that our suffering leads to new life. Jesus' death on the cross is the exaltation and glorification of God. Somehow our difficulties, suffering and pain today lead us firmly into new life, especially when we ask God for the grace that he wishes to give us to make it through. Suffering, grief, testing and pain tell us that we are fully human and fully alive. The most real moment of Jesus' earthly life was the cross.

The time is ripe for us
Whatever stage we are at on life's journey, the cross presents itself in some way. We are continually letting go of one part of ourselves and taking on another. This is growth and development as a human being. It is the dying and rising of new life. There is no growth without some death.