Séamus Ahearne: ‘Blame it on the Stones, the Rolling Stones.’ Kris Kristofferson (1978)
LIVE AID – 40TH ANNIVERSARY:
Michael Buerk reported on the Ethiopian Famine in October 1984. His words inspired Band Aid Charity (Do they know it’s Christmas?’) and then ‘Live Aid’ concerts on July 13th at Wembley and JFK Philadelphia. Those Concerts were recalled last weekend. Bob Geldof looked very young in those days. I suppose most of us were young 40 years ago. Phil Collins played both concerts. He flew from London by Concorde. Those were the days. It has been said that some 1.9 billion people followed those concerts. €7million was given in Ireland making us the largest donors. A very young Bono was dancing on the stage at Wembley, and from the stage too. U2 haven’t gone away! Queen mesmerized everyone. Young Bob had, and has, a big mouth. He described himself as saying the right thing in the wrong way. What a time. What a memory. What an achievement. Some of those performers continue playing. The music of life and care happened. Today seems to be a much coarser world.
JIM KIELY OSA – 30TH ANNIVERSARY:
I had a call from Ballinasloe during the week. A young lady in her 90s rang to remind me of Jim Kiely. Jim was 30 years dead. He was an Augustinian who worked in Drogheda and then worked with the Emigrants in London. Jim was an adventurer and a maverick. His reach took him into the haunts of the young especially where the musicians hung out. And then the young ones took their music to Church. There was an expansiveness about the Liturgies. The world of the young took their language into the Church. Their songs became the music of the Liturgy. Mass was about the people there and their world. It wasn’t the stuffy words of the Ritual. He inspired many of us. Jim was only 59 when he died. He seemed older. And now we are the old ones. However we did learn so much from him. Those were the days…..
IVAN ILLICH AND TODAY’S CULTURE:
I am rambling back into the past. Ivan Illich comes to mind. ‘To Hell with good intentions.’ ‘Conviviality.’ ‘Deschooling Society.’ ‘Medical Nemesis.’ ‘Celebration of Awareness.’ The questioning spirit of Ivan is needed by all of us, and now. There was a line used in a commentary introducing ‘The Last Irish Missionaries’. (Dearbhail McDonald and Bryan Dobson). It asked whether the latest taboo subject was our inability to talk about our spiritual health. Something big is lost if those serious and deeper questions aren’t asked. There is a dearth of deep reflection. Illich asked very serious questions. He radically questioned Education; Medicine; Church; Missionary behaviour. We can disagree with his conclusions but at least his methods were very important.
It comes to mind now as ‘A Commission of Inquiry’ has been set up into historical sexual abuse in schools. Who can disagree? But is there something of that ‘can’ being kicked down the road? It is politically expedient to distract with such commissions. The way education was done can be examined. Abuse of all kinds happened. But the wider question is – what is education? How are we doing it now? What is sexuality? How is it now presented and celebrated? We can keep digging into the past but it only postpones real thinking. We have to learn and not just blame others. Who did the education? Who covered the social work? Who were the ministers of health? Who looked after the babies abandoned by families? The bones of the 796 babies may reveal names and may help. But I wonder. Tread softly. We are shattering the dreams of the past and the people of the past. It wasn’t all bad. Some beauty and goodness is lost. Everyone wasn’t all bad. Never forget real history. Live and learn. Oh, where is Ivan Illich and his ilk? He called himself ‘an errant pilgrim.’ As struggling pilgrims, we too need to move humbly.
THE NOISE OF TRUMP:
‘I trust almost nobody.’ That statement from Trump says so much about the man. I wish others would live that out by not trusting him. Keir Starmer went to see the Donald. He produced an Invitation from King Charles. How embarrassing that was. Benjamin Netanyahu produced his proposal of a Nobel Peace Prize, for Trump, in a similar fashion. What a distortion of reality? Mark Rutte (Secretary General of NATO) fawned over Trump and humoured him. He was declared ‘nice’ by King Donald. How pathetic. It was all craven. The world is in chaos. Truth has gone missing. Care for others is being destroyed. Killing people is acceptable. Gaza and its people are there for target practice. America provides the weaponry. Donald condescends to send some defensive arms to Ukraine if NATO and the EU will pay for them. The economic system is shattered. It all depends on the whims of the man in the White House. The UN seems incapable of doing anything. Seán O’Casey’s Juno and the Paycock sums it up: … “The whole world’s in a terrible state o’ chassis” .
THE LANGUAGE OF LITURGY:
The Magnificat (a monthly booklet with prayers, reflections and the daily Readings for Mass) appeared at the time of the Eucharistic Congress. Many churches found it good. The people who went to daily Mass were delighted, to read it and to prepare the Readings. They enjoyed the Reflections. However more recently the translation used for the Readings, has been the American one. It has lost the warmth, the familiarity, the poetry of the Jerusalem version, we were used to. The American translation is an assault on our ears and a discordant sound. It hurts. We are locally trying to find some replacement. The language of the prayers (too) for Mass are brutal (that isn’t the fault of the Americans or the Magnificat). They are crude. They were prepared by someone who didn’t know English and thought a latinised version was suitable. I would say that the one who gave us those didn’t ever pray! The ones who allowed them be passed for general usage were asleep. They received them and never looked at them. The words are wrong. The sentences are twisted. They are an insult to anyone who wants to pray. The theology too is crude. So, if the prayers are bad, if the translations of the Scriptures lacks music, Liturgy is badly damaged.
The standing up. The sitting down. The kneeling down. Portrays the congregation as a cohort of soldiers. Or possibility a class of children. It is offensive and almost childish. And then so often, the priest feels the necessity to let people know (those unaccustomed to being in Church) what they have to do; it grates. Why all this commotion with sitting and standing and kneeling? None of these, make Liturgy more prayerful or more reverent. There is no need for this drill. It offends the idea of what real Liturgy is.
THROW AWAYS:
The New Atheists ‘Attack a God I Don’t Believe In, Either’: A Q&A With Rowan Williams. Worth a read. It can be found in the New York Times c. 12th June 2025.
Kris Kristofferson’s song: Blame it on the Stones, is apt for today. Blame is hurled around everywhere. I wonder how we can twist society and twist our minds – to appreciate what we have, and who we have, rather than flinging dung at everyone. We all want more. We never have enough. How can Eucharist be celebrated if we let that dirty thinking take over our minds? Neither can we give in to those who blame everything on the church and church people. We can hold our heads high. We can shout of the Good News. We can show that we still believe. Faith is wonderful. The burning bush is still afire. We can never give in to despondency. However much Church or Religious or priests are casually dismissed, we have a rich heritage. We are a rich heritage.
Shalom
Seamus Ahearne osa 16th July 2025.
JIM KIELY OSA – 30TH ANNIVERSARY:
A ginormous Maith Agat, Séamus a Stór.
We were there in those years of Liturgy Lived. Jim with Henry (Mc Namara) , Ignatius (Himself). Later Liam.
Open Door, Open Heart. Wander into the kitchen, meet some like-minded souls, Cup of tea. W E L C O ME, writ large.
I had a call from Ballinasloe during the week. A young lady in her 90s rang to remind me of Jim Kiely. Jim was 30 years dead. He was an Augustinian who worked in Drogheda and then worked with the Emigrants in London. Jim was an adventurer and a maverick. His reach took him into the haunts of the young especially where the musicians hung out. And then the young ones took their music to Church. There was an expansiveness about the Liturgies. The world of the young took their language into the Church. Their songs became the music of the Liturgy. Mass was about the people there and their world. It wasn’t the stuffy words of the Ritual. He inspired many of us. Jim was only 59 when he died. He seemed older. And now we are the old ones. However we did learn so much from him. Those were the days….
Seamus, your mention of Ivan Illich caught my eye and stirred my curiosity. I only recently became aware of him during my sociology studies.
This was due to his famous book, Deschooling Society, in which he introduced the concept of the “hidden curriculum” whereby schools don’t just teach the formal curriculum but also have a hidden curriculum of passivity and obedience to prepare individuals for their place in society and their future work role.
Bowles and Gintis built on this idea and brought it to a new level.
Then I discovered that he was a Catholic priest, a monsignor no less, and a theologian and philosopher. Obviously, a man of remarkable intellect and widely travelled during his remarkable career teaching at various universities in different parts of the world. And he spoke Italian, Spanish, French and German fluently!! I would think his position on Humanae Vitae would not have helped his career prospects in the Catholic world.
He even managed to fall out with Opus Dei on one occasion which, obviously, increased my admiration of him even more.
Thanks, Seamus, for continuing to stimulate us.
Shalom.
Paddy.