Passing on our faith
The fifty days from Easter to Pentecost Sunday are one feast day, ‘ the great Sunday’. The Paschal Candle that was lit from the Easter fire evokes for us, people of faith that Jesus Christ is the Light of the World. All we hold to in faith depends on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. A careful reading of the Word of God will reveal the faith journey of those disciples of Jesus.
The experience of Resurrection was not an experience they were neither acquainted with or familiar with. It was totally new. It would take the power of the Holy Spirit to enable them to put words on their experience. Were they unable to do so the words of Jesus would be lost. Could you imagine that to happen, can you imagine our generation unable to put words on our faith to pass it on to the next generation. We can be so closed to the work of the Holy Spirit that we become to use a biblical phrase ‘dumb oxen’. Come if you can to our week day celebration of the Easter sacrament which is the Eucharist. You come not on your own behalf, but on behalf of so many people today.
We will welcome the bishop on Mon., 15th April for the celebration of the sacrament of Confirmation. Thanks to Mr Smith, Mr Prendergast and Fr Coughlan for all their dedicated work in leading these young people in their first personal response to their Christian faith as disciples of Christ. Parents and sponsors for each child will boldly affirm that these children are well prepared and know what it is they are seeking the day of Confirmation.
Congratulations to the Confirmation sponsors who before God are taking on a personal faith friend commitment to the child they are sponsoring. It would be a travesty of justice were these adults to pay the thirty pieces of silver to these young people. We look forward to an inspiring liturgy.
Disciples of Jesus are also citizens of the secular world and have a duty to be active politically. After all what is politics but the exercise of ‘collective charity’. There is grave need to be questioning this bill the Minister for Justice seeks to put on the statute books. It is incredible that she is unable to give a legally binding definition of ‘hate speech’. As politicians and their agents begin their tour of canvassing it is important to have your valid questions ready for them in a courteous but focussed manner. We need to be critiquing the agendas the politicians are justifying their salaries and positions of trust they are seeking from ordinary voters. At the moment there are many people politically homeless.
I know the experience. One of the fundaments of open democracy is that of free speech. It is possible the possession of the Bible will be construed as inflammatory material. Maybe the new political leadership will see sense and do what the electorate did to the last two referenda. Notice the silence by the ‘yes’ side since. We know that while people should be able to speak the truth so long as it doesn’t incite violence or hatred.