Today’s liturgy puts the life-giving words of Jesus before us. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, the one in whom we can place all our trust, especially in dark times like these. Because we believe these things, we gather to praise God.
Prof. Thomas O’Loughlin, in a version of a piece published last week in La Croix International, tells us that “If we believe that the Spirit is moving in the community of the baptised, then a ‘vocations crisis’ is nonsense. It is only a crisis of us failing to look, train, and empower.”
Seamus Ahearne is thinking about what is to come. “Vocation is a big word. It isn’t limited to the wonderland of priesthood. Parenting. Frontline folk. This is ministry. Any return from exile, needs an expansive exploration of Church, Sacrament, Priesthood, Ministry. We cannot come back to celebrate what was. We come from the desert and the wilderness.”
We are Church present a Zoom event with Amanda Dillon on the topic of “Lydia, Phoebe and the women of the Early Christian Churches”. Monday 25 May 2020 7.30 p.m….
Joe Mulvaney questions the use of the imagery of sheep and shepherd in the modern world for the type of ministry that is now required.
“there are lots of alternative words and concepts which could be used more meaningfully today e.g. servant leader, influencer, inspirer, animator, coordinator of parish services, moderator, facilitator, Christian community leader for shepherd and People of God or Friends of Jesus instead of sheep. You have many better words.” ….. “We Catholics are honest people. Let us speak out for reform in the Catholic Church using every modern means available to us.”
Chris McDonnell in The Catholic Times contrasts the picture of nurses celebrating in 1945 at the end of World War 2 to current images of, often young, hospital staff clad in PPE, administering comfort and care to their patients in the ICUs of our hospitals.
A report in Global Sisters Report outlines grave discomfort being expressed by many in the Catholic church in the U.S.A. at the expressions of admiration for President Trump’s leadership by Cardinal Dolan. It would appear that many women religious are offering leadership on this issue.
” ….. while politicians look for votes by saying the right thing, a Christian has got to stand in the shoes of immigrants,” she paraphrased. “I expect that from our leadership — not this pandering to power.”
The fourth Sunday of Easter is often called Good Shepherd Sunday, because the readings are about the care we receive from Christ, our true shepherd. We rejoice that this pastoral care continues in the loviong tenderness extended by many Christian women and men today. Today is also the day of prayer for vocations.
On Friday 1 May, the government launched its “Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business.” It proposes, in phase 4, the opening of “religious and places of worship where social distancing can be maintained.” The date planned for this is 20 July.
This means we have nearly three more months before opening our places of worship. What will we do with that time?
Pádraig McCarthy hopes to stimulate reflection and discernment.
The Government has announced a plan for the phased lifting of restrictions that were introduced to help stop the spread of the corona virus.
Seamus Ahearne is wrestling with God, an angel or life itself.
Seamus can become distracted during the live streaming of Mass.
“The Virtual Mass is an Invitation into the life of a Community. It is hospitable. I should be gracious and respectful. But the Sanctuary (of those churches) speaks aggressively. I look around. The contradictions of many Sanctuaries attacks my senses. The Re-Ordering that happened some fifty years ago shouts and sometimes even screams. There was the compromise effort. It wasn’t a re-ordering; it was a disordering. The old was kept. The new was added. It doesn’t work. … The utter clutter is confusing. Surely it is now time to get this right.”
Dublin diocese Scripture Summer School will be held online.
The cost is €40. Each participant will receive access to all eighteen presentations with full notes and study questions as well as being able to take part in all five Zoom conferences.
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