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Sunday |
Jun-20 |
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The following reflection is by Fr.Tom Cahill
It’s official: women cry more than men do. Researchers in Germany have discovered that while men shed tears six to 17 times a year women do so 30 to 64 times. And, whereas men go with the flow for two to four minutes, women’s tear ducts, once activated, stay in hyperdrive for up to six minutes. Furthermore, if a woman starts weeping she accelerates to full-blown sobbing in 65 percent of cases. For men, it’s six percent. Now to end this mini-deluge of drippy data: women cry when they feel inadequate, face dicey situations, or when remembering past events; men cry from empathy, or because of a failed relationship.
That last bit makes me wonder how Peter feels in today’s Gospel reading (Luke 9:18-24) when Jesus practically rebukes him for giving an honest answer to his question. Jesus is praying; stops for a moment, and as if still in prayer asks a worried question: ‘Who do people say I am?’ He doesn’t react when his disciples say John the Baptist, or Elijah, or a prophet, but he comes down heavily on them when Peter nails him as the Messiah.
This is too close to the bone. Jesus’ hour for self-acceptance has not yet come. But it will. He journeys to self-knowledge and self-acceptance as we do: gradually. On that same journey our personal question is not about what others think of me but about what I think of myself. Has my ‘hour’ come for my discovery and acceptance of self as God’s son or daughter? If not, what a crying shame!
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Sunday |
Jun-13 |
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The following reflection is by Fr.Tom Cahill
A gribble is a sea worm, 1-4 mm long, and a pest. The scourge of seafarers, gribbles bore into ships’ planks and wreck them. Digesting their cellulose, they cause much destruction to marine timber structures such as jetties and piers. But, they’re peerless when it comes to recycling driftwood. Researchers have found that the enzymes gribbles use to break down woody cellulose and turn it into energy-rich sugars could convert wood and straw to liquid biofuel. So today’s pest may become tomorrow’s pet. By doing a-what-comes-naturally they help the environment.
The woman in today’s Gospel reading is also doing-a-what-comes-naturally (Luke 7:36-8:3). While it seems outrageous to the Pharisee that Jesus should be at ease with a woman of her type touching him, it really is a case of both her and Jesus doing a-what-comes-naturally: she, a sinner approaching him for forgiveness, and he, the Saviour, accepting the sinner graciously. The only one feeling discomfort is the Pharisee on the sideline. Despite any appearance to the contrary that can prove an uncomfortable place to be, at least for Christians, the self-righteous and hypocrites.
Jesus is open to all people, particularly those to whom society is closed. But he’s more than open. He doesn’t wait in the wings for them to approach him. He seeks them out and brings them centre stage. Just as researchers have discovered that the grubby little gribble has something worthwhile to offer society, so too do we discover that those whom society considers grubby have much to offer when we regard them as Jesus does.
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Tuesday |
Jun-08 |
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Tomorrow is the start of the Junior and Leaving Cert Exams. It’s an anxious time for everyone involved. Here is a short prayer to help us through the coming days and weeks……
Loving God, I turn to you today. As the exam approaches I am nervous and so I ask you to help me. You know how important these exams are to me. Set me free from worry, give me your peace and help me to think clearly. Help me to remember what I have learned, to use my time well, not to panic, to do my best and not to worry about the outcome. Help me to realise that the exams are not there to catch me out but to find out how much I know. Lord, keep me calm so that I can write down all I know! Keep my friends calm too, we’re all in this together. Let me sleep each night so that I am refreshed and renewed for the next exam. Even if I struggle I must always remember that there is a bigger picture of which these exams are only a small part of. Most important of all calm me down, keep me focussed, guide me along, get me through the scary moments and make sure I attempt every question. Thank you for being my friend today and always. Amen
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Sunday |
Jun-06 |
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The fact that there is only one loaf means that though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.’ 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
Today is the feast of Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ). Bread comes in many forms and is the stable diet of millions of people all over the world. Bread doesn’t just happen. It is a combination of many things together, the soil, the sun and rain. It passes through many hands from the farmer, the miller, the baker, the shopkeeper and then to us. It is people who bring forth the bread but it is to God whom we give thanks to. In the above quotation Paul is referring to the fact that we are all in some way connected with God. We are not isolated individuals on our own but all very much part of a team or family. The gift of the Eucharist doesn’t celebrate individualism but celebrates the fact that we are all a part of God’s family. In sharing the one loaf, we are connected and united, not just with each other but to God, our universe, our community, our family and so on.  |
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Friday |
Jun-04 |
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A short story called ‘Start with what you’ve got’……
After World War 11 the desert in Tunisia was covered with what was left of burned out tanks, lorries, jeeps and aircraft. Among this burned out litter were millions of cans of all shapes and sizes, oil cans, coke cans, beef tins, baked bean cans, to mention just a few. There were poor farmers living in the desert who had land which had become covered in sand during the war. The United Nations Food Organisation tried to reclaim this land from the desert, for the farmers, but they had no success. Then, a young UN officer had a great idea. He offered one penny to the locals who came in with 100 cans. Soon Arabs were streaming in with camels and donkeys laden with tin cans of every shape and size. The agricultural experts then planted one blade of tough grass in each tin, hundreds of thousands were placed in the desert about 1.5 miles from the town of Tobruk. Every can was watered and a film of oil spread over it to protect it. Slowly one or two of the blades of grass grew and took root. As the tin corroded, the roots spread out into the desert sand. Today the desert sand has been driven back about 5 miles allowing the local farmers to grow crops and graze cattle once more.
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