Apr 4, 2017
Together on the Way to the Lord
Giacomo Gelardi, from Italy, is one of five novices who are working and studying with the community of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Myross Wood House, Co. Cork. Here, Giacomo reflects on his experience to date.
The MSC novices with their group leaders (L-R): Fr Nicholas Harnan MSC, Jaime Rosique Mardones, Giacomo Gelardi, Piotr Zlobinski, Domenico Roza, Fr Michael Curran MSC, Daniel Filipek, and Fr Michael Huber MSC.
âIt only seems like yesterday, but it has already been seven months since I, along with four other novices, embarked on an experience that, with the help of God, will take us to consecrate our lives to Him.
Each of us travelled from a different part of Europe in August 2016, arriving in a quiet corner of Ireland to begin our novitiate with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Myross Wood House in Leap, West Cork. The novitiate year is devoted to deepening our knowledge of ourselves, of the divine within us, and of our relationship with God â and our response is a resounding âYes!â, declared with complete freedom and awareness.
During these months, under the wise guidance of the Novice Master, Fr Michael Huber MSC, we have been expanding our knowledge of the MSC congregation, beginning with the spirit that inspired the MSC founder, Fr Jules Chevalier. At the same time, we have also been developing a prayer life that is the foundation of human and spiritual growth towards a profound understanding of Jesus being present in each instant of our lives. This whole experience is enhanced by a wonderful natural setting in West Cork, where calm and solitude induce reflection and contemplation.
The Lord has granted our community the grace of getting on well together â within the limits of our humanity, obviously!
People may be curious to know what encouraged a Polish theologian, an Italian journalist, a Spanish lawyer, a Slovak computer scientist, and an Italian chemist to join the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. Although the familiar answer is âbecause God called usâ, each one of us had a personal reason that drew us to this religious congregation.
Piotr, who hails from Poland, tells us that he was inspired by reading a book written by Fr Emilien Tardif MSC. Piotr was particularly impressed by the idea that we should be bold in prayer, and ask for the complete healing of soul and body â not just for small things. This brought him to believe in and place his trust in God.
Domenicoâs experience was somewhat different, as he began his career studying journalism in Italy. Having moved away from the Lord for a number of years, he began to understand the longing to dedicate his life to Him when living in the MSC college institute in Florence, which was led by Fr Carmine Pace. Domenico decided to read the MSC Constitution, and he was struck by a particular passage from Fr Chevalier: âKnowledge becomes dangerous without piety. They will learn far more at the foot of the Cross than in booksâ.
For Jaime, it was the example of the priests in the MSC school in Barcelona, Spain, that had an impact on him. He had studied there since he was a child, and the spirituality of the Sacred Heart still fascinates him, particularly as a model by which he can live his favourite Gospel passages: âthe good thiefâ (Lk 23:40-43) and the giving of oneself in the manner of Simon of Cyrene (Mk 15:21-22).
Danielâs initial interest came about as a result of the spiritual retreats organised by the MSC community in Nitra, Slovakia, which focused on spiritual and psychological development. During these retreats, Daniel gained a greater knowledge of community life, with the understanding that he could fulfil his own broad concept of mission within the MSC congregation.
As for me? I was a bit like Jonah â I ran away ignoring the Lordâs voice (Jon 1:1-3). Then, one day, I met Fr Alan Neville MSC, who showed me the friendly and humorous face of God. After visiting several communities in Ireland, I recognised that with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, I can be at home, and I can realise my desire to love and be loved completely.â
Apr 3, 2017
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Myross Wood Retreat Centre have offered to open their doors to those in need and house a family of refugees at Myross Wood House in Leap, County Cork.
Fr Michael Curran MSC, leader of the Myross Wood community, is currently working alongside the Irish Red Cross to put the suggested relief plan in action. Myross Wood House has already been inspected by an Irish Red Cross representative, and it has been confirmed that the house will be suitable to accommodate a family as soon as some slight modifications have been put in place.
Fr Curran has spoken about the current plans for assistance, saying: âThe rooms we have are adequate enough, but we will need to create family space, such as a kitchen and a living room.â
âWe could take a family group of about 10 people,â he continues, âbut the next step is to wait for the representative to come back to us to let us know if our offer is acceptable to the Irish Red Cross, and to receive their recommendations about the adaptations that will have to be carried out.â
With the refugee crisis becoming a growing concern in todayâs troubled times, Fr Curran is insistent about the fact that something needs to be done. He says, âIt is of enormous importance that Europe as a whole responds to the needs of the hundreds of thousands who are displaced, homeless, and fleeing from persecution.â
âThe community of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are glad to be able to help in any way,â says Fr Curran. âWe can accommodate about 40 guests in the house, but we have space for 10 refugees, because we will also need room to accommodate the people who come here on retreat.â
Pope Francis recently stated: âThe lifeboat that you have to lower is a welcoming embrace to migrants: they flee intolerance, persecution, lack of a future. May no one turn his gaze elsewhere.â This year, the MSC community at Myross Wood are opening their doors and their arms to those desperately searching for a safe haven on Irish shores.
Read more about the Myross Wood aid endeavour from The Southern Star and The Irish Catholic.
Mar 30, 2017
The details of a letter from Pope Francis regarding the ninth World Meeting of Families were released by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Holy See’s new office for Laity, Family, and Life, and the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin.
The ninth World Meeting of Families will take place in Dublin from August 21st to August 26th, 2018.
Pope Francis’ Letter for World Meeting of Families 2018
To the Venerable Brother Cardinal KEVIN FARRELL, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life,
At the end of the Eighth World Meeting of Families, held in Philadelphia in September 2015, I announced that the subsequent meeting with Catholic families of the world would take place in Dublin. I now wish to initiate preparations, and am pleased to confirm that it will be held from 21st to 26th August 2018, on the theme âThe Gospel of the Family: joy for the worldâ. Indeed, it is my wish for families to have a way of deepening their reflection and their sharing of the content of the post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia.
One might ask: does the Gospel continue to be a joy for the world? And also: does the family continue to be good news for todayâs world?
I am sure the answer is yes! And this âyesâ is firmly based on Godâs plan. The love of God is His âyesâ to all creation and at the heart of this latter is man. It is Godâs âyesâ to the union between man and woman, in openness and service to life in all its phases; it is Godâs âyesâ and His commitment to a humanity that is often wounded, mistreated and dominated by a lack of love. The family, therefore, is the âyesâ of God as Love. Only starting from love can the family manifest, spread and regenerate Godâs love in the world. Without love, we cannot live as children of God, as couples, parents and brothers.
I wish to underline how important it is for families to ask themselves often if they live based on love, for love and in love. In practice, this means giving oneself, forgiving, not losing patience, anticipating the other, respecting. How much better family life would be if every day we lived according to the words, âpleaseâ, âthank youâ and âIâm sorryâ. Every day we have the experience of fragility and weakness, and therefore we all, families and pastors, are in need of renewed humility that forms the desire to form ourselves, to educate and be educated, to help and be helped, to accompany, discern and integrate all men of good will. I dream of an outbound Church, not a self-referential one, a Church that does not pass by far from manâs wounds, a merciful Church that proclaims the heart of the revelation of God as Love, which is Mercy. It is this very mercy that makes us new in love; and we know how much Christian families are a place of mercy and witnesses of mercy, and even more so after the extraordinary Jubilee. The Dublin meeting will be able to offer concrete signs of this.
I therefore invite all the Church to keep these indications in mind in the pastoral preparation for the next World Meeting.
You, dear Brother, along with your collaborators, have the task of translating in a special way the teaching of Amoris Laetitia, with which the Church wishes families always to be in step, in that inner pilgrimage that is the manifestation of authentic life.
My thoughts go in a special way to the archdiocese of Dublin and to all the dear Irish nation for the generous welcome and commitment involved in hosting such an important event. May the Lord recompense you as of now, granting you abundant heavenly favours.
May the Holy Family of Nazareth guide, accompany and bless your service, and all the families involved in the preparation of the great World Meeting in Dublin.
From the Vatican, 25th March 2017
FRANCIS
Mar 23, 2017
Living Life to the Full
Are we living our lives, or are we sleepwalking through life?
God has given us the gift of life and desires us to make the most of it. Yet how often are we just going through the motions? Or do we feel like the dried bones of the first reading? Perhaps we feel like Lazarus in the gospel, bound, blind, and buried?
Lent is Christian Spring. Just as the natural world comes to new life in Spring, so God gives us the season of Lent as a time for us to come alive in new ways.
What is it that binds us in mediocre living? What prevents us from using our talents to the full, or even from knowing all of our capabilities? What causes us to miss the mark of living a full life, free of useless habits and addictions?
In Hebrew, the word which we translate as “sin” literally means to “miss the mark”. It comes from the world of archery. Sinning is not just breaking laws; it is a failure to live life to the full. It is choosing to stay in the safe familiar tomb, rather than risking the big open world.
Today, and every day, God offers us His life giving Spirit to transform us from being half alive to being fully alive. This offer is made in a special way at Easter through the Resurrection. However, even now in Lent, God invites us to allow His Spring to take root in our lives.
Mar 16, 2017
On this Feast of our Patron Saint, I send warm greetings from the Cathedral City of Saint Patrick in Armagh to Irish people everywhere. Today unites the Irish at home with our relatives and friends who live abroad and with the hundreds of thousands of others who are happy to celebrate this day with us.
Conscious that our National Apostle first encountered Ireland as a migrant, I offer special greetings to the “new Irish” â the many migrants who have made their home among us. CĂ©ad mĂle fĂĄilte romhaibh!
This Saint Patrickâs Day, prompted by the situation of thousands of displaced people around the world, let us think about Patrick the “unlearned refugee” (as he once described himself), the slave in exile, Patrick the undocumented migrant. Many of our compatriots remain undocumented in various countries around the world and in some cases feel vulnerable and treated with suspicion.
As Irish people, we cannot think of Patrick without acknowledging the enormous humanitarian and pastoral challenges facing growing numbers of people who find themselves displaced and without status in our world. This is so shockingly exemplified by the refugee crisis here in Europe. I invite you to pray for refugees and for all displaced families at this time and, wherever you are, to encourage the hospitality and welcome for which we, Irish, are famous the world over.
In 2017, when we think of the treacherous journeys many migrants are forced to make, we are powerfully reminded of those who commit their lives to the protection of humanity. I salute the tremendous work of the Irish navy which has helped rescue thousands of migrants from the Mediterranean. Today I especially bring to mind the bravery, commitment and dedication of the women and men of our own search and rescue services at home. Our prayers are with the families of the crew of Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 116: Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, Mark Duffy, Ciaran Smith and Paul Ormsby.
Saint Patrickâs experience of isolation and captivity as a teenager transformed and shaped his whole life and his relationship with God. His lonely time as a slave on the hills of Ireland became a transforming experience, where he felt embraced by the fatherly love of God. The more he prayed, day and night, the more he came to realise that God was calling him to conversion and close friendship with Him.
Having once been “like a stone lying in the mud” he now felt as if God had picked him up and placed him at the very top of the wall!
Much later in his life Patrick, now a bishop, became the object of character assassination and faced a vote of no confidence because of the sins and mistakes of his youth. Once more, in his exile and isolation, he felt the presence and protection of God who loved him as the “apple of his eye”.
No wonder our Patron Saint was able to feel great empathy with the struggles of his people, especially those of his new converts in Ireland who were themselves captured and sold into slavery by the human traffickers of his day. Centuries later Saint Patrick continues to inspire Irish people everywhere to speak and work for an end to similar exploitation where it is happening today.
GuĂm idirghuĂ Naomh PĂĄdraig ar ĂĄr lucht imirce scaipthe ar fud na cruinne. Ba dheoraĂ NaomhPĂĄdraig Ă© fĂ©in trĂĄth. Tuigeann sĂ© ar nâuaigneas agus ar mâbriseadh chroĂ. GuĂm beannacht, rĂĄth agus sĂ©an ĂĄr bPatrĂșin oraibh uilig.
Archbishop Eamon Martin is Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland.
Mar 14, 2017
Gospel Reflection for the Third Sunday of Lent
The Gospel (4:5-42).
A spring of water welling up to eternal life.
This is a rather lengthy reading containing different themes. Central themes are the Samaritan woman, the well, and the water. In Jesusâ day, there was deep enmity between Jews and Samaritans, who were regarded by the Jews as heretics and not part of the Jewish people at all. This division seems to have had very old roots. There was enmity between the northern kingdom, Israel, with Samaria as its centre, and the southern kingdom of Judah. A noted well in the area was connected with the patriarch Jacob.
In the evangelist Johnâs writing, the episodes in this reading function at two levels â this earthly one, and at a spiritual level, to which the earthly ones point. Thus, the water from the well is a symbol of the water that Jesus will give his followers, welling up to eternal life; this is the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Samaritans worshipped at their own sacred site and the Jews at their Temple in Jerusalem, which led Jesus to speak of the coming age when both would be irrelevant, and God worshipped in Spirit and in truth. His own hunger gives Jesus an opportunity to speak of his intense desire, his hunger to complete the work the work the Father had given him, with the sowing of the Gospel seed and the ensuing harvest.
As a reflection on this reading, we can recall Jesusâ promise to give to those who believe in himself a spring of water welling up to eternal life â that is the gift of the Holy Spirit, who gives faith and hope, while Christian faith brings certainty.
A common feature of the world in which we live is doubt in matters relating to faith â doubt about elements of moral teaching, about truths of faith, and even at times about the very existence of God. An assertion of a certain philosophy, prevalent today, is that there is no certainty about anything. All we can have is speculation and guesswork rather than certainty, and opinions that vary from age to age.
An atmosphere of this sort adds to the difficulties of religious observance. Such doubt about fundamental matters is completely contrary to the teaching of the faith in matters relating to truths concerning this life and the life to come. Christian faith is thus described in the Epistle to the Hebrews (11:1): âFaith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseenâ. Two of the terms used there call for our reflection: assurance and conviction.
The assurance and conviction spoken of in this verse are not psychological attitudes of souls rooted in the human mind or soul. They refer instead to the divine, theological, virtue of faith â a gift from God that gives conviction which is beyond that which human nature can provide. This assurance and certainty bring with them a peace of soul, the peace which Jesus has granted to believers, and a peace that no-one can take from them.
