Séamus Ahearne: As lovers, who long ago, enchanted, Pledged their truth. So we, in all the fug of living, Keep faith with our original bond. This Glowing Place by Pádraig Daly – most recent book.

CRINGING:
Embarrassment – is it? It is more than that. It has to be shame. What America has done. It was once assumed that America was the lead nation of the world, of the democratic world at least. It had the money. It had the energy. It had the get-up-and-go attitude. It had the can-do arrogance. It had the confidence. But Trump happened. He didn’t arrive from nowhere. He was a known. His party – the Republicans, were/are obsequious. (Jim Dillon’s comment applies – they ‘had/have a wishbone for a backbone.’ The American nation voted for him. He was inflicted on the world.

This proponent of chaos. This ignorant man. This economic illiterate. This untrustworthy character. This amoral person. America with all its ‘greatness’ turned out to be so puny and stupid. That Emperor definitely has no clothes. It isn’t just the crassness of Donald, it is the surrounding cast of sycophants. The fawning of other world leaders dancing to the tune of ‘a man of straw.’ 

This was the man who assaulted women; who was corrupt in his business; who attempted to scuttle the election result; who attacked the judicial system and all involved in it. This was the one who wanted to Make America Great Again but who daily diminishes America and humanity, in every word and action. This is the one who tried to humiliate Zelensky, accompanied by his team of bullies, the mafia. This was the one who had/has to be humoured. This is the one who is a stranger to the truth. This is the one for whom Starmer produced an invitation from the king, to visit the UK in the craven act of crawling, which was seriously disgraceful; it belittled both countries and everyone. We have been let down badly. Trump said that all the countries were rushing ‘to kiss my ass.’ Matthew Parris put it better, all the countries should be rather rushing to ‘to kick his ass.’ And then there was Patrick’s Day with Conor McGregor. Did Karoline Leavitt get her Master’s voice correctly: “We couldn’t think of a better guest with us on Patrick’s Day.”

NEW PIONEERS:

Steve Backshall, Gordon Buchanan and Ben Fogle (New lives in the wild). I meet these occasionally and not very often. They speak to me. Steve works on the extremes in life. It can be the rapids that no one has ever done. Or rock climbing in a place that doesn’t know people. Gordon moves towards exotic animals and seems to get very close. His face oozes warmth in the proximity of these animals. His camera records everything. Ben follows those who go off-grid and lives with them for a week. He works with them. He listens to them. He hears their reasons. It fascinates. God appears sometimes. I know that the editors of those programmes do fine work to tighten and highlight aspects of those stories. I am amused that the camera is never seen but is obviously at work. The edited version makes the programme more immediate and sharper. Everything happens much slower than it appear.

My take on all three is something like this: They stretch the mind. They go where no one else seems to want to be. They tease us – simple ones, who get on with the day to day and don’t look to the beyond. I almost want such people to tempt us to go further. To wander into the wilds of this new era where God has gone missing. To see what now is the hunger of the human being. To grasp at mystery. To chase dreams. Above all, it can be a little inspiration to find ‘the more’ in life. This faith pursuit we are on, is a venture or adventure, into the unknown; into the inexpressible; into efforts to discover that ‘more’ and the ‘beyond.’

TALKATIVE NATURE:

The cowslips have appeared. They love to surprise me. They wake up. The birds are singing and competing to take over the air. They are noisy but lovely. The trees begin to blossom. Nature has issued a call and life begins to happen. The greening of the country smiles at us. My morning companionship with the herons is renewed, very slowly. The sun shone brightly for some days last week, and we thought it was a hint of Summer. However the snow arrived on the hill tops and the rain came along to remind us that the land is thirsty. And it sends a message to us – that we might too be thirsty, for something more and different. Nature is full of surprises. But so is life. We can settle for less and forget to notice the extraordinary in the ordinary. Schillebeeckx said that ‘a Sacrament is a smile on the face of God.’ There are hundreds of Sacraments (Augustine agrees with me!) Oh for ministers of wonder. Oh for people of faith, who see the ‘more’ in the everyday. Who don’t tidy up Sacrament into neat bundles just for 7.

EXPLORING MYSTERY:

A little thought on mystery. We talk now of a new and chaotic world. The predictable and hard worked-for agreement between nations, is shattered. The bull is in the China Shop. We can’t remove the china. We have to deal with religious chaos too. One lady in Dundee years ago, came into the church on Holy Saturday and genuflected. Mary was told by Lizzie:  “God is away.” God is mostly away now for most. We pack our Churches for First Communion and for Confirmation. Many if not all, come forward for Baptism. But those who are baptised; First Communioned and Confirmed, don’t appear for the weekend Masses. There is a disconnect. The priests are ageing. But that isn’t the issue. The congregations are ageing. There are no replacements for those who get sick or die. We have to become more fundamental, in how we look at work of the Church; the work of the committed; the work of ministry. That chaos. The whole clutter of Liturgy has to be looked at. That clutter can get in the way of the mystery. We are very busy people with those Sacramental occasions. With funerals. We can come up with policies and plans. We can decorate the Sacraments much more. We can insist on the supposed essentials. But we must look at the what really is essential.

The local however is core. Families are living with chaos too. The daily grind leaves little time for what we see to be the wonders of God. Church, Mass, Holy moments are opportunities and occasions for celebrations. But the God element is minor and only an excuse. We have to look again. Let’s begin with the simple. Mystery in the ordinary. Liturgical thugs are everywhere. Who seem to need the prettiness of the orderly. But that is a throw- back to a distant past and a linear culture. Many want to prolong that past. It isn’t that anymore. We adapt. We are flexible. We adjust to who is here or what is going on. Mystery has to be explored. We have to strip away the heaviness and nonsense of the Book. The spirit of Ben, Gordon and Steve is needed in our ministry.

TOM HAMILL IS REMEMBERED:

Tom Hamill died five years ago. The fifth anniversary was celebrated in Friary Hall Dundalk with the launch of a Book celebrating his life. His ‘followers’ produced this labour of love. Tom was a maverick. Tom created his own language. Tom ventured into a world that needed to be discovered. His Scriptural reflections were unusual and provocative. His poetic reflections took off into the stratosphere. The music of his life wasn’t always a tune, that could be harmonised by many. His questioning spirit taunted most people. The awkwardness of his character, frightened some. We need more Toms. He was brilliant and inspirational. His friends produced this book which is very true to the man and is such a blessing. It is beautifully done and a delight. Yes. He was an awkward delight but wonderful. They (those who carry the memory)  continue to be. May this Book be taken up and may Tom be revived to torment everyone. He is needed. His song has to go on.

Available from Mayo Books:

https://www.mayobooks.ie/Hamill-Tom-Father-Like-9781739966270?sort=p.model&order=ASC

Shalom

Seamus Ahearne osa

McIlroy came back from the dead and then spent time delighting and traumatising everyone until the last putt. Leinster scored 105 points without reply over the two recent matches. Harlequins and Glasgow hadn’t a chance. Willie Mullins took over Aintree with Nick Rockett (he also had the first three home) and then went to Ayr with Captain Cody. He had already overwhelmed Cheltenham. Arsenal shattered Real Madrid. Even Man United used Maguire’s head to get an unlikely victory.