

|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
Sunday |
Jan-24 |
|
|
|
 |
|
Our Thought Today is by Fr.Tom Cahill
Gambling is one of our growing problems. You can bet your bottom dollar on that! It’s estimated that in 2008 punters risked losing about €3.6 billion in the nation’s 1,093 betting shops. That’s €300 million more than the previous year. No recession there! This, alarmingly, doesn’t include on-course betting, gambling on the National Lottery, or online. Many people relish risk, crave for chance and feed on fickle fate instead of solid faith. For some people there can be nothing odd with the odds when it comes to risk-taking for money. What, in sober moments, most of us would count as throwing money away gung-ho gamblers see as a prelude to a victory parade.
Today’s Gospel reading (Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21) doesn’t deal with chance, though there may be some risk later down the road. It presents us with odds-on certainty: the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah in the person of Jesus. He was prophesied as the one who brings news of freedom to captives and those oppressed because the Spirit of God rests on him (4:18-19). In other words, because God is with Jesus he can enable us to live free of addictions, compulsions and false values. It’s a totally upbeat prophecy, and indeed Jesus is totally upbeat about it. Question is: are we?
Do we accept Jesus as he who brings us freedom? Or, do we see him as cramping our style? But there’s nothing that’s moral and legal that we can’t do as a Christian that we could do were we not. You can bet your bottom dollar on that too.
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
Friday |
Jan-22 |
|
|
|
 |
|
A Franciscan blessing…
May God bless you with a relentless discomfort about easy answers, half truths and superficial relationships, so that you may seek truth boldly and love deeply in your hearts. May God bless you with holy anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for justice, freedom and peace among all people. May God bless you with the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation or the loss of all that they cherish so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy. May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you really can make a difference in the world, so that you are able with God’s grace, to do what others claim cannot be done. And the blessing of God the Supreme Majesty and our Creator, the blessing of Jesus our brother and saviour and the blessing of the Holy Spirit, our advocate and guide be with you and remain with you this day and forevermore. |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
Sunday |
Jan-17 |
|
|
|
 |
|
Given the awfulness of the story unfolding in Haiti we continue our prayers today for all the victims of the earthquake, those left behind and for the different aid agencies trying to get food, medicine, water and essentials to the thousands who are in desperate need at this time.
Our reflection today is by Fr.Tom Cahill
I wonder if the UK-chart topping, 1986 hit Lady in Red by Chris de Burgh would have soared so high had she been in green. Wearing red not only gets you noticed, it can get you ahead even in the Olympic Games, according to one lecturer at Durham University, England. Wearing red marks you as aggressive and dominant.
Today’s First Reading (1 Cor 12:4-11) lists distinguishing marks for members of the Christian community. The colour red doesn’t get a look in. Neither do designer labels, gym workouts, health-food diets or high-tech gizmos (even had they existed). But then they wouldn’t; all the qualities listed are for service not dominance or ego-gratification.
Also, everything on the list is internal to the individual not external. I don’t need to enhance my appearance for service, but I do need to enhance my self. And the gifts listed in this reading do just that: wise utterance, knowledgeable speech, faith witness, power to heal, working miracles, prophesying and the ability to discern spirits, talking in tongues and interpreting them.
To put these gifts in more contemporary wrapping we might list them as: having cop on, being informed, practising what I preach, comforting those in difficulty, helping without counting the cost, being my brother’s keeper, being in touch with life’s basics, being open to God’s Spirit and open to those open to God’s Spirit.
It’s surprising at times that if you should go public, so to speak, and say that these are the qualities that distinguish true Christians some of that public, even those not Christian, will probably see red!
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
Tuesday |
Jan-12 |
|
|
|
 |
|
Did you ever wonder about the abbreviation A.S.A.P?
We usually think of it in terms of hurry, stress and deadlines. A lot of people want things done a.s.a.p and the message often is, if you don’t do it quick, then I’ll get someone else who will. But it is possible to think of a.s.a.p in a different way. No matter how busy you are, no matter what the deadlines are or the list of things to do, (a.s.a.p) always say a prayer. In the midst of family chaos, with quality time rare, let God help some bit, (a.s.a.p) always say a prayer. It may seem like your worries are more than you can bear, slow down and take a breather, (a.s.a.p) always say a prayer. God understands the stresses, challenges and difficulties we all go through. God always wants to respond, (a.s.a.sp) always say a prayer. No matter what comes your way this day and others scream A.S.A.P, don’t forget to respond with you’re a.s.a.p always say a prayer! |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
Sunday |
Jan-10 |
|
|
|
 |
|
The following reflection is written by Fr.Tom Cahill
According to one recycling agency Ireland’s consumption of alcohol over Christmas would fill ‘29 Olympic-sized swimming pools’. On average, adults drank 16 litres of alcohol or 2.5 times their own blood levels. If that’s hard to swallow try this: the nation gobbled 4 million boxes of chocolates; guzzled 54 million cans and 15 million bottles of beer, 20 million bottles of wine, 4 million plastic bottles and 28 million cans of soft drinks. Households disposed of 96,500 kg of packaging – equivalent to an adult’s weight in cardboard per household – and 4 million sheets of gift-wrap paper. And that was in 2005! Just image what it must have been like every Christmas since then.
As Christmas celebrates Jesus’ birth, how could recycling our waste produce seem more pressing a problem than renewing our faith in God and our service of each other? Our feasts are always occasions for renewal. Today’s feast, the Baptism of the Lord, shows this. It reminds us of our own baptism and of what we are committed to because of it. We need reminding from time to time that baptism, while it may have come easily, does not come cheaply. It does cost. Today’s Gospel reading (Luke 3:15-16, 21-22) makes that clear: He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (3:16)
So, as we begin this New Year let us not take our baptism for granted, or forget it. That can so easily happen. When the Spirit’s fire truly burns within us, we’ll know that it’s not for recycling used goods but for renewing God’s gifts.
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
Saturday |
Jan-09 |
|
|
|
 |
|
A man drove through a car park for several minutes trying to find a parking space. Exasperated, he finally decided to ask God for help. “God”, he prayed, “I’m really late for an important meeting. If you’ll just help me find a parking space, I promise to attend Mass each day for a month.” Just then, a car began to back out of a nearby space. “Never mind, God” said the man, “I just found one!!”
We sometimes put God in impossible situations. We ask, we bargain, we beg, we demand and we ask sometimes for the impossible. We become experts at bargaining. If our request is answered we promise to pay back the favour. But such a relationship with God is false and shallow. All that God ever wants from any of us is a bit of honesty. Any prayer that is open, sincere and honest comes from the heart. Such honesty recognises that God is firmly on our side. It’s an honesty that recognises that we and life have limits. But even in our limitations God is still with us and near us.  |
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|