Twenty Sixth Sunday

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus

Some reflections

The rich Man was not only wrapped in fine linen and purple but he was wrapped up in himself.

The journey from the gateway to the front door was not a long one but it was the inner journey from selfishness to generosity that was the hardest for the rich man to take.

The gate symbolised a barrier of the rich man’s making – rich people always lock themselves in with extra security measures of high walls and security cameras – poor people have to live more openly. Rich people isolate themselves – and end up alone.

Even the animals had more compassion than the rich man had – it is an indictment of his behaviour

The surmountable barrier that the rich man formed was now compounded permanently by the formation of an uncrossable barrier between heaven and hell. Hell is a decision we make now – self-centred rather than God centred or other centred.

The rich man knew Lazarus by name – he knew and he had ample opportunity – and his delay became a permanent one.

I know I need a wakeup call from my comfort and complacency. An extended news item on channel 4 on Friday startled me - on the plight of the civilians of Aleppo, especially the suffering children and the exhausted surgeon who could Skype-chat but who other than that was cut off from the outside world in the besieged city. Now as the deadline for the tax return for end of the last tax year for the self-employed beckons how much have I given to charity?

We need to keep in touch with the news, and with our politicians, we need to give to charity, and then act locally as well as think globally.

We can only start from where we are now – at least let make a start. In future years as we look back on this year of Mercy can we or I be able to say ‘yes, the Year of Mercy 2016 made a difference in my life – it was a turning point for me’.

We remember St Teresa of Calcutta’s words – echoing Jesus – ‘You did it to me’.

Twenty Fifth Sunday

The wise steward

There is a certain astuteness or cleverness that we all admire in those who have a 'business sense' or 'business head'. Some people are born woth a certain savvy when it comes to money. There are, it seems, two kinds of people - savers and spenders.

There is another astuteness we all admire in business people and that is the ability to network. They can call in favours from others at a fortuitous time. Everything falls into place so that all the events and meetings and connections made in the past bear fruit and come together wonderfully in the future. Some people artfully make political connections, others exchange and return favours. In other words every connection is a potential windall and with mutual benefits. They impress. Such people see the potential and the possibilities in everyone they meet - be they future clients, future customers, and future business opportunities. They have the antennae out for future plans and investments.

You have to admire people who see to be born with this extra factor of drive, energy, commitment and positivity. They are leaders and nor simply managers. They are self-starters who have vision,  confidence, take risks and also make contingency plans.

The wise steward in the Gospel obviously had made sosme bad investments or had spent foolishly so that when the day of reckoning arrived he quickly put into action an emergency plan to bail himself out, even though it was at his master's expense!

He knew 'how to make friends and influence people'.

The Lord encourages us to be wise and astute in financial matters - to use 'money, that tainted thing' to our advantage. It is a necesasry evil - we are not to become attached to it but detachment helps us to use it to good effect, for the good of others. We will also be held to account for our stewardship of money that comes our way and the Gospel these Sundays gives us plenty of food for thought on social inequality and our own part and ingenuity to redress the imbalances in society in which we find ourselves.

Twenty Fourth Sunday

We all have our stories of lost articles. There is always some drama and tension in the period of loss and retrieval.  Some things are given up on – and there is no hope that they will ever be found again.

Recently I was talking to a friend of mine who lost her engagement ring in her car – 2 and a half years later, after two cleanings and stripping down and searches of the car, it was eventually found after a mechanic who was an expert on that make of car – rooted around under the back seat and the boot with a coat hanger and retrieved the ring.  The car was about to be traded in and the ladies husband asked one last time – my ring is in that car! After several transactions with St Anthony – she knew it could be found that it was there somewhere.

To lose one’s passport, or wallet or luggage when travelling, to leave something of value after you on a seat  - kicking oneself that you could be clumsy and careless – frustrated at questions like where did you leave it? Where did you lose it? If I knew that I wouldn’t be having this conversation!

I am absent minded and forget things – I leave things alter me in an unfamiliar setting – I have left behind my passport at home and discovered only at Dublin airport it was in Cork , I dropped my wallet another airport and it was retrieved but only after I was issued a temporary one to get home from the States.

Now my friends I travel with tease me – as long as you bring yourself and your passport we will worry about everything else after that

Through a misunderstanding I left my luggage at a hotel once and had a very expensive taxi journey to bring it to the airport –

I have a red face more often than I would like to recall

Thank God there have been happy reunions with my property – be it car keys, plane tickets, a wallet or something of sentimental value - I could write a book. Embarrassing!

It came as a big surprise to the organisers of St Anthony’s relics a couple of years ago the level of devotion to him in Cork – St Francis was the place to go for students in UCC and the nursing hospitals for exam success

I know of a couple who each prayed to find the right partner in life and found each other during the novena to St Anthony

I know of someone who found a permanent job and I know of another person who finally sold her house after several failed attempts –on June 13^th.

Speaking of rings-

From time to time believe it or not a girl will ask me to officiate at her wedding – there are still three eligible ladies out there somewhere - if you are single and available - who I am lighting candles for whose wedding I am booked for but who are still in search of a husband.

Once I said to a girl - who had a great devotion to St Anthony - in a moment of inspiration maybe you know him already and he is in front or you – actually he was behind her – in their martial arts class!

Losing and finding is one thing when it concerns things of value – it is another matter when we have lost a person who is dear to us –and I do not mean through bereavement. There is no parent here who I wager has not been thinking of their child or children since they got up this morning - worried anxious and fearful for their health career or studies, grandchildren and so on. And yet there is likely to be at least one person here who is at odds with someone who was once dear to them – not on speaking terms, or who because of a drink drug or other lifestyle problem – they are estranged – they may be living near or far. I remember a heartbreaking account of a grandmother whose widowed son in law wouldn’t allow her to seethe grandchildren any more.

We pray for the prodigals in our families – those we are waiting for – it may take years – of lit candles, of prayer and sacrifice of them to begin to mend their ways- the best advice I was given for an estranged member of a family was keep the lines of communication open from the moment their eyes open to when your eyes finally close in death they are your children.

 If you care for them how much more does God the Father care for them!

Twenty Third Sunday

23rd Sunday

Twenty Second Sunday

Twenty second Sunday