My Friends,

Welcome to our beautiful new newsletter, and welcome to the Bunker, and the first of the rumblings. What an exciting time. There is huge uncertainty politically and of course the slide into the post Christian Era continues apace. Somebody said the other day, that it was a very difficult time to be a priest, but I must disagree. In fact it is a very exciting, and rewarding, time to be a priest. This is directly connected with the encircling gloom. Aspects of the darkness that I have in mind include, the scandal of homelessness, the tyranny of addiction, new levels of disre-
spect for the human body and of course the creeping abandonment of the sacred. At times a priest, just like anyone else, could be over-awed by the task in hand. However, amidst all this darkness, my days are peppered with petals of hope. The kindness of people, and most especially their resilience, serve as reminders of the goodness in human nature, and God’s presence in the world. I regularly meet people here in Ballyfermot, who have suffered greatly. Often these people, quite often women, display a level of heroic virtue, that both humbles and inspires me.
Often they have buried one or more of their children. They are broken hearted. They carry a burden, oftentimes, more or less, on their own.
As we celebrate Palm Sunday we remember the sacred days, that remind us of God’s love for us. We remember that he loved us so much that he became one of us, sending us Jesus, his only Son. If we are open, we are caught up in the Sacred Story. The ongoing drama that sees this world interface with God’s Kingdom. I love this time of year. Yes, of course, the pain is there. We still have the ache, whether deep in our heart, or our wobbly knee or even our big toe, but it’s a time of new life. This beautiful season bursts with Hope. Yes, it is so important to walk these days together, with Jesus, from the moment he goes down on his knees to wash our feet, (what a profound gesture of love!), through the horror of his brutal, undeserved torture and death. Of course it is essential we do not get stuck on Good Friday. The paralysis that can come with fear, doubt, sickness and suffering does not win out. This is the high point of the Good News, that Jesus wrestles Death and beats it, once and for all. Sadly some of us allow our faith to be divorced from the daily reality of our lives. We tend to leave it in the Church. Jesus left in the Tabernacle,and forgotten about, makes no sense. Jesus in the Eucharist, when brought to the street, the office, the kitchen and the pub makes perfect sense, and this is precisely what Jesus wants. He wants to be part of our lives. He does not want to be reduced to being little more than an ornament. So my friends I hope you will join me for that most moving moment, the Washing of the Feet, or perhaps you will walk the garden with us on Good Friday, remembering in a special way all those we love, and miss so deeply, who have gone from us too early. Perhaps you will join us in the darkness of the Easter Vigil and shout out with us when we take our light from the Easter Fire, “The Light of Christ, Thanks be to God”. This is when we shout from the midst of our broken hearts, that we put our trust in the one Light that no darkness can put out, Jesus, our Saviour and our Brother, the Light of the World.
Until next weeks rumbling let’s remember each other in prayer. JMCD 14.3.16


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