Séamus Ahearne: The Crazy World of the Divine Diviner…

JOE WITH CHRISTY DIGNAM AND BONO:

Joe McCrossan died. He was 57. He had been in St Michael’s House Santry (Shanowen). His mother Sadie had minded him until she was 80. She was very upset when he became too much for her. He had to move in with St Michael’s. He grew in confidence and independence. He loved where he was, and was loved, in that home. Everyone knew Joe. He talked with everyone. Eventually, he decided he had to retire from work. He wanted to become a full-time musician. He had his ukulele. He was very fond of Christy Dignam. Christy was very good to him. He even made a video for him, when he himself was dying. It was rather apt that Crazy World was sung by everyone at the graveside. Now Joe also wanted to walk outside Bono’s old home. He felt the need to imbibe the very air around his neighbour’s home. He was sure that he would catch some of the genius of U2 in that atmosphere. Whatever about Christy or Bono; Joe knew that he was destined for stardom. I couldn’t help but think of Jean Vanier and his wonderful work. His insights. His writings. His lectures. The man that would/could have been canonized, by acclamation. He saw such special people, like Joe (Down’s) as bringing out the best in us. We could see our own weaknesses in them; we could see their natural affection; we could see their spontaneity as teasing us and calling us to appreciate little things. What a catastrophe it was to discover another side of Vanier? There are too many flawed heroes and heroines. We need inspirational characters but have to be careful in choosing them.

ALAN BATES V POST OFFICE:

Mr Bates V PO: Alan Bates has fought for over 20 years. It took an ITV drama to explode onto the consciousness of the general population in the UK. What a disaster? This was the biggest miscarriage in UK history. How could it have happened? People lost their homes. Lost their livelihood. Lost their families. Lost their lives. All of this due to an unacknowledged programme glitch. As Alan Bates said: ‘Little people don’t really matter.’ Lord Denning summed it up many years ago, when he dismissed the Appeal of the Birmingham 6. It would be ‘An Appalling Vista’ to believe that the Justice System could make such a mistake. So the conclusion was – that these very intelligent people, the Establishment, the Great and the Good, simply never make a mistake. In the PO case, the little people were subjected to a ‘divide and conquer policy.‘ It took the theatrical presentation on TV, to fully awaken everyone, to what was being done quietly and ineffectively, in regard to this issue. It is true too that if we had the mind and the imagination to notice the Gospels – so much of Christ’s work and words are presented dramatically. However. We often kill the drama with the effluent of words and Ritual, and smother the message and the person of Jesus. We too need to be an effective Impresario.

BLESSINGS:
The Roman Document Fiducia Supplicans seems to have made more than a ripple in the news. Both for and against! Why all the fuss? Why should it even be necessary? Many years ago when God was younger, the phrase Ecclesia Supplet was bandied around (carefully). Why get all worked up now? ‘Where there is love, there is God.’ The pastoral solution was always at hand in ministry. We shouldn’t be causing problems. The complexity of life around us and the mess that so many lives are in, surely leads us to a conclusion (not flippantly) of – what would Christ do in this situation? We can be strangled in the angels on a pin kind of argument. Francis is a very sensible man who has simplified the message and cut through the debris of centuries.

INDI AND HER JIGSAWS AND HER BABIES:

Young Indi did a jigsaw made for a much older child. Her mother was full of praise for this achievement and asked her how she did it. Indi replied: “I’m an expert and I’m intelligent.” She doesn’t lack confidence even at 3. But then these days, children are told all the time, how wonderful they are. Indi had her problems over Christmas. The baby in the crib had a name, Jesus. But Indi wanted one at home for herself. She demanded of her parents to do something about it. (Now they also wanted a companion for Indi but it wasn’t to be). Indi’s second thought then was – she wanted to take Jesus home to look after him. She felt he was crowded out in the crib; he looked cold and those animals and those strange men (shepherds) shouldn’t be left near him. Her view and she was going to do something about it.

SIXTY-SIX FUNERALS:

The dead are killing us! We had 66 funerals in November and December. It is such a precious and privileged time, but so demanding. The challenge is to learn the language of the people involved; to speak the personal stories; to avoid allowing the dead language of the Ritual taking over; to humbly appreciate the fact of being welcoming into the heart of a person’s life and the history and story of a home and family. We have to consider now how better to prepare a structure of marking death, that needs fewer priests. We do not have to continue a system as we have always done it. There is much talk now of lay leaders. But the reality is that there is no replacement for the stalwarts who have got sick or died in our communities. The Last Priests in Ireland documentary is due on tonight (RTÉ1). Obviously I haven’t seen it. I presume Ardal O’Hanlon will do a good job. I do hope it isn’t superficial. Not too many have any idea of what priests do. They see the official side but the hidden ministry they miss out on. Clerical abuse will feature (I read the article in The Sunday Times). But I hope that doesn’t distort the bigger picture. By the way, I know very little about Fr Ted. I glanced at it years ago and thought it was total rubbish. I think the same of Mrs Brown (our local man’s creation)!!

CRAZY WORLD:

War: South Africa created a rumpus. Israel was very indignant. Israel failed with its sophisticated defences and so the 7th October happened. Israel is failing in Gaza. They have razed almost all buildings to the ground. Hamas still are firing missiles. Only 3 hostages have escaped and then were shot. Despite all the sophistication – what is the success? Thousands dead. Hospitals destroyed. And then there is Russia destroying a people and a land. And of course there is Trump hailed as the greatest, despite everything. How can the Americans be so stupid? And then the Evangelicals follow him and many Catholics. The Yemen Houthi are blasting the Red Sea and then in turn, the West is bombing the Houthi. Where do all these people get the arms and the money? And what have we got in Corduff and Finglas? Two men dead. Guns and stabbing. People charged with murder… I think Christy Dignam was right and Joe was right. Crazy World is the song of the day. 

DIVINER:
Pádraig McCarthy reminded me of his story with diviners when he read something I had written quoting Seamus Heaney. The Diviner idea is very special. We are all diviners. We have those twigs in our hands. The hazel twig. The V shape. We twirl it. We await for the dance. To find the water. Our ministry job is swinging that twig. Catching and finding and celebrating the divine everywhere. Those Winter flowers. Those moments of revelation as we listen to the stories of people. The holy moments. The birds. The water. The trees. The colours of the sky. The privilege of being welcomed into the brokenness of life. The good moments. The God moments. The world of beauty. The poetry of God speaking to us like Samuel. Being told and asked and provoked: What do you want? Where do you live? Come and see. The diviner is at work in all of us daily. As somehow we find words. Somehow the whispering God talks to us. Somehow. We are blessed and we bless. Somehow we delight in the wonder of our life.

Seamus Ahearne OSA. 15th January 24.