Séamus Ahearne: BACK THEN:
Belief was more than blank decision. And this heart was silly with the joy of Christ. His light was everywhere: along untarred roads by spread of gorse, In meadows overspilling their fences.
(Glimpsing More by Pádraig Daly osa)
GREAT SPORT:
Cork have beaten Limerick (which had looked impossible). Clare have beaten Kilkenny (which was unexpected.) Andy Murray has departed the Tennis world with great emotion and praise (Wimbledon). Lewis Hamilton wins again at Silverstone (which was a surprise.) Mark Cavendish has beaten Eddy Merckx’s record at the Tour de France. City of Troy has won the Eclipse with Aidan O’Brien who, as usual, attributed everything to ‘the lads in the yard.’ England scored all five penalties and become instant heroes despite the criticism of their play throughout the tournament. Sport is an easy currency for many of us. We admire. We enjoy. We criticise. And then we had Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh. The storyteller. The wholesome personality. A man full of the best in Irishness. A person who exuded the colour and music of language, and the warmth of humanity. My own sport these days takes me out in the early mornings, where I am now reluctantly acknowledged, by the three herons; all very individual in their haughty disrespect for my presence. The ducklings are special and delightful, but don’t venture out so early. The sport of the morning is in nature’s dance and frolicking anew every day.
THE MUSIC OF LITURGY:
James MacMillan (Scottish Classical Composer) signed a letter (et alia), which appeared in The Times (London), expressing love for the Latin Mass and showing hurt at the loss of the beauty and transcendence of those celebrations. The letter sounded similar to one written on July 6th 1971. This was called ‘The Agatha Christie’ letter! Even Graham Greene, Yehudi Menuhin and Iris Murdock signed that letter (plus a few atheists!) They saw TLM as ‘a thing of great beauty, wonder and awe.’ They have a point. But they also missed the point, of what the Mass really is. However, we are challenged – to ensure that Mass does grapple with the transcendent; with that beauty, wonder and awe.
Sometimes and maybe too often, our Mass celebration is banal. It is overladen with words. Even the Confiteor, Gloria and Creed gets thrown into the mix. (Very heavy and lumpy language.) Then there is the standing, sitting and kneeling – mostly ridiculous. Too many words and of course there is the rattle of money or sometimes a silent collection. It does even happen occasionally that there is no song or music. Nothing to lift the spirit. What is happening for the regulars at Mass? It is now rather revealing too, how many who come sometimes, don’t appear to know the responses – those who come for Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations and Funerals.
The culture of faith as central to life has evaporated. We do need to simplify and strip away everything that distracts from ‘the holiness’ of such celebrations. But we must help people and also accommodate the irregulars! As priests – we are busy with all those Masses. How do we pray on these occasions? It has to be prayerful for us, before it can be prayerful for others. I was amused at my young grandniece recently. She was singing at a Confirmation. She asked her mother afterwards – ‘Who is that man with the funny hat?’ (I must ask her to have a chat with Brendan. I was wondering too, should I ask him about getting a tattoo like his friend, Liz Dodd.)
ELECTIONS:
Last Thursday night, the voting results, kept me awake all night. It was the Election in the UK. The Exit poll arrived on time at 10. The results agreed with the Exit poll. There was then an immediate hand over of office on Friday. It was very dignified. First-past-the-post does make for clarity and speed. But somehow it does not seem representative. A new government moved in. There was a wipe out almost of the Tories. There was a wipe out of the SNPs. Sinn Féin held what they had. The Right Wing of the Conservatives should join up with Reform. They have destroyed the Tories for years. Even though – Brexit, Boris, Liz have contributed to their destruction.
And then there was Joe Biden. He should have settled for one term. He is very disappointed that his Presidency, with all its good management, doesn’t seem to be appreciated, by the country. Many ask how is it possible for such a country as America, to consider electing Trump? But if Joe stays around that becomes a very likely outcome. How must Kamala Harris be feeling? Emmanuel Macron went for a quick election. It looked as if it backfired completely, but then the united force that came together for the second part of the election, proved successful. How the new Government will be formed – no one seems to know. The first objective has been achieved. Marine Le Pen has been stopped.
BACK TO BASICS:
John Major launched his big project – Back to Basics. (1993). However, it was interpreted or even scoffed at; there is something in there that is attractive. I was looking down at the gathering for Baptism on Saturday. Five families were due. Four turned up. The babies were lovely. The families were good. I was wondering what all this Baptism ceremony actually meant for them. I try to make the occasion very participatory. Everyone has the words. But the responses were timid. People simply aren’t used to being in Church. Some are cynical and say it is an occasion for a party and for photos only. The God aspect is dead. I think it is more than that. But many can’t quite find what the ‘more’ is.
I had shortly (on Saturday morning) finished a funeral of a young man who had died by suicide (and there had been several similar tragedies in the recent two weeks). The families at all times were extraordinary. The honesty. The sharing. The waking of memories. The telling of stories. The preparation was ever so special. And then the silence throughout the funeral Mass, was intimidating; were we doing something, or saying anything, that might reach their innards? After that I go back to the baptisms. It is about the babies but it isn’t. It is about a sense of wonder and awe, at the miracle of a baby. A unique person who is a prophet from God. Who is assigned a mission. The Baptism then is – a commissioning of the adults to the humility of knowing what they have been given, and the challenge of releasing, and revealing, the prophet that is the baby. I do like when the Christening Robe has been handed down through the generations. It is the handing on of the values and love, from the past, and the baby being hugged, by those ancestors. It is the parents being told and possibly warned – to stay with those values.
I return to John Major and his ‘Back to Basics’ idea. How can we touch the deepest sense of wonder and awe and beauty and mystery? We are all caught up (as ministers) now in social work; in counselling; in being with those broken by life; in writing letters; in administration – that it is hard for us to have time to think and to reflect on the deeper meanings of life and the need to find a new way of being church. I was remembering when Keith Patrick O’Brien used to drop in at any old time in Edinburgh for a cup of tea; often with a bag of chips. That was ministry in the best possible way. I was remembering too how it was possible in faraway days to ramble and visit and chat. But now there is so much to do……
Seamus Ahearne osa
8th July 2024.