SÉAMUS AHEARNE: CELEBRATION OF AWARENESS (with a nod to Ivan Illich) 

MY BEACH: 

The smell of the sea. The relentless, rhythmic power of the waves. The gentle sun creeping onto the beach. The noisy quietness of the birds. And the total absence of people allowed the whispers of Godliness to tingle my ears. Seamus Heaney’s Diviner was welcoming. The hazel twig was twitching. It hinted at the ‘water of life.’ The ‘well’ was waking up or maybe I was. In the usual busyness of life it is difficult to notice the wonderful ordinary. As people began to appear it was time for me to venture back. I am becoming very proprietorial of ‘my beach’ in those early mornings. I showered and then had breakfast before rambling into the jacuzzi, where I was pummelled by the surging ‘hot springs.’ There was no floozy about! Imagine having such time to waste usefully!

FERGAL KEANE:

I had a stray thought. It arose from the an item on the BBC (weekend) about Fergal Keane, who is retiring after 37 years as a BBC reporter. He was interviewed. He spoke of the great moments of his broadcasting life and the miracle of the BBC. He highlighted some stand out times and people of those 37 years. He had been everywhere. In all the outrageous trouble spots. He mentioned some people. Yes. Mandela featured, on his release from Prison, and then the magnanimity of his spirit was recalled. But then he went onto to speak of ‘little people,’ who were figures of hope. Inspirational people who despite the disasters in their lives had the stamina to keep going. Who didn’t curse the darkness. Who didn’t rust away with gripes, moans and blames for everything and everyone. It was beautiful. He was really teasing and tantalising. Fergal has the fluency of language to express the poetry of the ordinary, as did his uncle John B. Many women swoon at Fergal’s voice, as they do and did with Brendan Kennelly. Those voices were everything. Now in the recent past – Fergal spoke on a Documentary of his PTSD. He reflected on the effect of living on the edge in war zones. In seeing what human beings do to each other. In watching children being caught up in war and apparently expendable. And the bluster and bravado of politicians who miss the obvious. He did also wander back to his past with his drinking father. But it is the ‘the sensitivity to the ordinary’ that was special.

THE TSUNAMI:

Fergal. The sea. The gentle breeze of companionship in the early morning. All seemed to ask me to delve into the simple stories of life. To squeeze out the juice. To awaken the reverence. In our business of ministry we can be sucked into ‘the doing.’ The turmoil of each day. As I walked up this morning from the sea, a new sign had appeared. It was giving directions in the event of a tsunami. That did surprise me. A tsunami erupting from ‘my beach.’ How dare it. 

FLAT FOOTED:

I think of the explosive every day. I think of the challenges and demands of each day for everyone. I think of the ‘giving’ in every family. I think of the impossibility for some of us as ministers – when the expectations of ourselves and of others, leaves us forever thinking of what we haven’t done rather than celebrating the wonders of each privileged moment in the lives of so many. 

EVOCATIVE LITUGY OR NOT: : 

I think too of Liturgy. It is overwhelmed by words. There isn’t time to catch the ‘graced moment.’ Of coming together. Of recalling the week. Of stopping and listening to the speaking God. Of sharing our little stories. Of the hearing the prayerful so called ‘prayers of the faithful.’ (Are they?) Of the marking the Presentation of Gifts – not only as a gesture, with Wine and Bread. But the respect and dignity of each person – as revealing of God. Oh for the African way of doing it at this time. But of course we have to ‘do the Collections’ which usually means two. How can the moment be truly celebrated realistically? And then there is Thanksgiving. Whatever we do; The depth of gratitude, has to be evident in the miracles of our lives and people. Only after that, can true Communion happen.

FURTHER AND ESSENTIAL EDUCATION:

I slip back now to the ‘ordinary.’ Liturgy cannot be ‘done’ if the wonder of the ordinary isn’t allowed to happen. The young cannot come back to Church if the ‘ordinary’ isn’t ’wonderful.’ Education will never truly happen if the story, if the folklore of family, community and God, is not made obvious. Our humanity won’t wake up, unless we are helped and help each other in truly ‘being amazed and amazing.’

LETTING MASS TRULY SPEAK

I had a letter back in May with concern. Somehow, I had left out the Confiteor, the Gloria and the Creed one Sunday. (I often do!) I believe that the clutter of Mass has to be tidied up. We can rattle off those serious prayers without much attention. But the dangerous passivity of Masses is really the issue. And then how sometimes there isn’t any singing, or the singing is left to a performing choir. It has to have both. Many of us talk at times about the lack of reverence during Communion at First Communions. Or occasionally at Communion during Funerals. I don’t think it is disrespect. (The children are always great, but the adults can’t handle the Sacred). There is an awareness of something precious missing. The Godliness of life has evaporated for many. There is something missing when we can’t look around and know how little we all are and how intriguing that bigger world is. We need to be soaked in mystery; in wonder; in the awesomeness of life.

THE POETS OF FAITH:

So I wander back to Fergal, and to all the poets of life, who stir something more and different for us. Who wake us up to ‘the wonderful.’ To the surprises in life. To ‘the more.’ To beauty. To the mystery of every moment, and every person, and to the hidden treasure of the ordinary. I go back to the tsunami signpost. I think the tsunami exploding in our lives – is the loss of the sacred. We are caught up in so much, that we miss out on the little and the ordinary. We are fighting fires but not appreciating the common place. (Elizabeth Barrett Browning – every common bush afire with God. We have to ‘take off the shoes.’ ‘The burning bush’ keeps on burning.) 

Seamus Ahearne OSA 

2nd June 2026