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We are an Easter People

Two by two priests processed into our Cathedral in Cobh for the Mass of Chrism last Wednesday. The Bishop blessed the oils to be used for the anointings in Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination and the Sacrament of the Sick and the priests renewed their priestly commitment.

            Those oils were brought to the Altar on Holy Thursday evening and presented for use in the parish during the coming year. There was a great sense of belonging to the family of the Church.

          

A Human HeartEaster Sunday

  My hope is that all of us experience that sense of belonging this Easter as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Yes, He is risen! That clicked with Peter and John when they went into the empty tomb – “They saw and they believed” – and an Easter people began to form. It is to that community of faith that we belong. Perhaps you are not an active member of the Church; perhaps you feel a long way away from the Church…perhaps the empty tomb will click with you this Easter.

What’s the right thing to do?

    The easy thing for Jesus to do on Palm Sunday is to let the people make him their king. It’s clearly what they want, but not God’s purpose. They dreamt of a political take-over, but his kingdom was not of this world. They refused the easy thing. Instead he did the right thing, allowing his enemies to crucify him.

    People struggling over a decision, agonise and say, ’What’s the right thing to do? In most situations, you will find that there is the easy thing to do, and the right thing to do. Usually the hardest and most painful option is the right thing. Many will urge the easy option. But you’re alone in doing the right thing!

   

A Human HeartPalm Sunday

Today the use of crucifixes, even as personal jewellery blinds us to the awful form of Roman execution that it was. All the more strange, that, when Christians were finally delivered out of the underground tombs of Rome, the symbol they adopted was not the palm branch of coronation, but the cross. That must have made Jesus smile, for they understood.

    In your present situation and predicament, you know what is the easy and what is the right thing to do. Do the right thing.

     

 (Donal Neary SJ)

A Human Heart

When people read this they say they see that Jesus is a real human being, son of God, God of Heaven, man of the earth, weeping over a friend.

His was a human heart. He liked friends and he found a home and a safe place with them, over the hill and away from the mob. We might picture him there – the talk, the chat, the prayers, the love; meals with other friends who dropped in, times of prayer and silence. The one who can share a laugh, eat a scone, have a drink or a cuppa. The one who’d give a wink at the sign of peace! Not always so serious, even about religion. There’s no such thing as a sad saint!

A Human HeartFriendship

He is a good friend. Friendship gives new spirit.

When life is ending we will give thanks for friends, and regret the way we have drifted from or hurt each other. Real friendship is when another’s thoughts and life become at least as important or more important than our own.

So the resurrection and the life is not just for after death. It is for now. We raise each other up in friendship and in love. In that is the grace of the Lord, himself a friend, for when we love, God lives in us.

Picture your friends and those you love and give thanks to God for each of them.

Lord, help me to keep love and friendship alive in my life.                  

 (Donal Neary SJ)