Category: Fr Rory Writes

Continued…..                    

 “With the help of the Stations of the Resurrection”

Church of St Thomas More, Seaford, BN25 1SS

The First Station: Jesus Is Risen.  “We love you Lord Jesus and we trust in you for we know you are risen from the dead and live in us”.

“Isn’t that providence Maura”.  The number of times I heard these words in our kitchen when growing up was often.  They coincided with a visit from my auntie when she came to stay with us for a while.  They now stay with me as a very positive response to life.  The visit of the early disciples to His tomb, opens the door to great hope and confidence that a new life is open to everyone.  Belief  remains the key to opening that door, and Jesus chastises his disciples for their lack of belief in Him.  Let us try to keep open the doors of faith. 

Alleluia, Alleluia.  Give thanks to the risen Lord.  Give praise to his name.

The Second Station: Peter and John arrive at the empty tomb.  “We love you Lord Jesus and we trust in you for we know you are risen from the dead and live in us”.

Peter finds it hard to keep the doors of faith open, and in his difficulties he returns to his day job which is fishing, we will meet up again with him when he returns to his day job.  Then Jesus will appoint him “thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church”.  Fear of the irrational and unknown is very much a part of the human experience.  It stopped John entering the tomb.  We all know this fear of the irrational, so help us Lord to conquer our fears and anxieties.  Help us to live lives of greater hope and service.

Alleluia, Alleluia.  Give thanks to the risen Lord.  Give praise to his name.

The Third Station: The Risen Lord appears to Mary Magdalene.  “We love you Lord Jesus and we trust in you for we know you are risen from the dead and live in us”.

She stood there crying as she looked into the tomb.  The words “Woman why are you crying?” did not make her realise who He was.  But when He said “Mary” her eyes were opened.

We like Mary Magdalene, all suffer grief, shock and sadness when we witness death.  Mary had seen Jesus die.  The risen Lord must have looked very different from the tortured person on the cross, but when Jesus spoke her name, Mary knew Him.

Jesus you speak all our names, you know each and every one of us.  You call us each by your name: help us to recognise your presence.

Alleluia, Alleluia.  Give thanks to the risen Lord.  Give praise to his name.

Continued…

Christ has died.  Christ is Risen.  Christ will come again.

Finally He will come in Glory.  In the meantime He commits to us in many ways, especially in the Scriptures, but above all in the Gospels.  The great story at this time is when He joins the disciples on their way to Emmaus.  This was read on Tuesday, very appropriately and powerfully by Deacon John at Dorothy Blake’s Requiem Mass.  “So he went in to stay with them.  Now while He was with them at the table, He took the bread and said the blessing; then He broke it and handed it to them”.  Their eyes were opened and they recognised Him but he had vanished from their sight.  Then they said to each other “did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?”  Luke 24. 28-30.

For us this is a very special time of opportunity.  In our preparations during Lent an obvious point of reference was the Stations of the Cross.  This then provided the appropriate background to our experience with the coronavirus and all of life’s journey with its crosses and trials.  These are common in every age and an unavoidable part of life.  As mentioned before, my grandfather died of the flu which killed millions of people after the first world war.  Another event which dramatically brought home to me the fact that in every generation there are hardships in life, due to episodes such as the virus we are enduring today.  The threat associated with this virus reminds me of the plight of a family who came to Battle Road, Hailsham at the same time as evacuees like Dorothy, who moved to Hailsham from London.  This in turn brought to mind another very difficult illness – tuberculosis.   The mother of this family died of it; my own father suffered from it shortly after the war.  By the time of his illness a treatment – Penicillin – had been discovered which,  as my dad said “for those who were fortunate, this treatment brought them back from the brink of death”.  We are fortunate with the vaccination process going so far, so very good – a big thanks to God.

Please God, we will return to a more normal life with its great challenges.  This coincides with the resurrection and the new life of the early church.  The Stations of the Resurrection which have been recently introduced and particularly encouraged by Peter Robinson, who like many great servants of our community died recently and was a great loss to us, may inspire us with a new lease of life.

We will begin next Sunday with the Stations of the Resurrection.  The first one will be ‘Jesus is Risen’.  We love you Lord Jesus and we trust in you.  For we know you are risen from the dead and live in us.

A grateful thanks to Deacon John for his contribution last week with a message for Easter which left me without a job to do; and for all his contributions during the pandemic. 

He is risen from the dead.  Alleluia.  The great season of Easter is the life of the church.  It echoes with life, with His promise “I have come so that you may have life and have it to the full”.  The stories of the resurrection in the Gospel gives a birds eye view of the event which helps us to understand the scriptures.  The detail, the lack of recognition, the limitations of human nature while on earth, indeed the confusion sometimes contrasting with attention to detail.  Peter’s perception in John’s Gospel is an example.  “Simon Peter who was following up, now came and went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground and also the cloth that had been over His head, this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself”.  Detail provided by a witness on the ground.  Another account, Mary of Magdala, “as she turned round and saw Jesus standing there”.  Jesus said “Woman why are you weeping? Who are you weeping for?”  Supposing him to be the gardener, she said “Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him and I will go and remove him”.  Jesus said “Mary” she knew Him and said in Hebrew “Rabbuni – Master”.

Life this year is full of constraints attached to our response to living with the covid virus.  There is merit in the guidelines, but overall we need to give greater attention to Jesus with His promise “I have come so that you may have life and have it to the full”.   The grace that I have experienced in our celebration of the liturgies contrasts so much.  A great big thank you to the stewards, and cleaners, thank you to all those who helped.  And a final thanks to you and indeed thanks be to God.

So please God, for our future, for the life of our church.  The church has been challenged and found wanting, it is the story of our lives at the moment.  Please God for our lives in the future, a new generation in the life of the church.  Let us plan for it and work for it.  It can only happen with a new generation.  Alongside this are the threats of global warming, great poverty and the need for governments across the world to come together to seriously address these issues.  Humbly, we need to say ‘please God, help us all to work for a new world in the morning’.

Fr Rory Writes:                         Stations of the Cross continued:

The Twelfth Station:  Jesus dies at the Cross.  “We adore thee O Christ and we praise thee, because by your Holy Cross you  have redeemed the World”.

It is accomplished Jesus bows His head and dies – but there is no magic.  His Divine intervention which was essential for our salvation has accomplished its purpose.  God’s salvation for all of mankind.  On a number of times during our years in our seminary,  in preparation for priesthood, at retreats and lectures I have heard some great teachings on the focus of what was accomplished upon the cross, and how God could have restored to us  all that was lost under Adam’s fall.  Through one man, Adam, sin entered our world, but Jesus came down from heaven to put an end to sin and death.  The love through which He accomplished this has been entrusted to us.  Our purpose is to become the church working to bring God’s salvation into a broken sinful world.  So this is the privilege offered to us – to work with Him to bring forgiveness, healing and a loving presence into people’s lives to restore God’s Kingdom – The Kingdom of Heaven.

One our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory be to the Father.

The Thirteenth Station:  Jesus is taken down from the Cross.  “We adore thee O Christ and we praise thee, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the World”.

The work of the church has commenced.  The evil, the enemy is as active as ever.  So the ministry of the scared, the very scariest one run away from the scene, naked and afraid.  The soldiers have not been disbanded and the work of the Sanhedrin continued.  Preparation by God’s providence for the burial could take place,  as Joseph of Arimathea became God’s instrument.  Permission was granted and a tomb, newly hewn from rock, prepared.  Nicodemus came as well, and he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about 100 pounds.  They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices, following the Jewish custom.   The work of salvation will go on until the fullness of time.  We are privileged people.

One our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory be to the Father.

Fourteenth Station:  Jesus is laid in the tomb.   “We adore thee O Christ and we praise thee”. 

The body has been embalmed.  The enemy is still on the job, guards are posted.  Growing up on a farm I was involved with the burial of animals from a very young age.  This brings death home.  So for me a Christian funeral is profoundly different.   We have the greatest symbol presented to us by Jesus.  “Unless a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies it remains a single grain, but if it dies in the ground it produces one hundred fold”.  This comes homes to me at the altar for Mass as the consecration takes place.  Holy Week is on our doorstep.  Let us bring our greatest care and attention to these events: The Resurrection, The Ascension, and above all Pentecost.   From these we might receive strength and joy – a new Pentecost – new fruits that will last, and please God, we can move on from the coronavirus.

One our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory be to the Father.

The Tenth Station:  Jesus is stripped of His garments.  “We adore thee O Christ and we praise thee, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the World”.

When we began the Way of the Cross it was with great awareness that Jesus came down from heaven to bring God’s salvation to our world.  To this end He became like us in all things but sin.  He is now stripped of all His garments.  This in a very real way is what the coronavirus is doing.  As with Jesus it is happening with the help of the powers that be, for Jesus it was the Sanhedrin and the Roman Army.  As I listen to people in the very limited windows that are open to us; I cannot but echo how much our lives have been stripped by the virus.  One echo that I could identify with, was one persons desire never to listen to the media in the morning.  It is just shocking the length they go to gather the worst news they can find.  Also, the deep, deep affliction of those isolated by the virus left abandoned and in pain as death draws closer.  As He is stripped of His garments we are stripped of our comforts, and our distractions, while especially our children were stripped of their school, their supports, their access to life and friends.  For others the opportunity to find work and also to access the life of the sacraments.  Jesus is stripped.

One our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory be to the Father.

The Eleventh Station:  Jesus is nailed to the Cross.  “We adore thee O Christ and we praise thee, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the World”.

Options and choices are now so limited.  The sponge and the vinegar are galling and yet offered as a comfort.  Our lives can echo these realms of loss.  The memory of my dad with his constant pain, ministering as a priest opens ones eyes to deep afflictions.  The nails signify His abandonment, there is no way He could crucify Himself – yet He is God.   He could put a stop to it .  So often the afflictions in our lives as in the Gospel reading today are so self afflicted.  In the Gospel of St John 5: 1-3, 5-16.  Jesus heals the man on the sabbath and tells him to take up his mat and walk.   The powers that be, and they are the religious ones, are down to him.  He is breaking the sabbath.  The flow out of the vaccine is a very important element to us returning to a stable life.  Interruptions are a challenge and this to my family in Ireland at the moment has become a disturbance.  With the help of Him who loves us and died for us, obstacles will be overcome.        Jesus bows His Head and dies.    Father,    Son     and Holy Spirit.

One our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory be to the Father.

The Eighth Station: Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem.  “We adore thee O Christ and we praise thee, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the World”.

Jesus you came down from heaven to carry out the will of the Father which was, “that none should be lost”.  You have shared in our human experience and you know of our afflictions.  Our journey through life is described in the Psalm 22 “Though I walk through the valley of darkness no evil would I fear.  For you are there with your crook and your staff, with these you give us comfort”. During these times we have dramatically experienced through the coronavirus the domain of darkness.  Because of modern communication we are particularly aware of death as it is experienced by those who have died from the virus and so it rightly established fear.

This fear should generate within us the beginning of wisdom. So our adherence to good directions given to us is truly important. The fruits of wisdom presents us with the challenge of living through your grace, love and care for us in keeping with the dignity, gifts and challenges of life.  With our children returning to school and the necessities of life that help us to embrace life in its fulness, we rely upon your presence with us.  As we make the way of the Cross the mystery of suffering remains with us, but we ask you to give us the strength to carry our crosses, to surrender our lives to you, and to live our lives as fully as possible.

One our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory be to the Father.

The Nineth Station:  Jesus falls for the Third Time.  “We adore thee O Christ and we praise thee, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the World”.

Does it ever let up?  So often in life when it rains it pours.  For one, the media are an embodiment of this.  Up until the pandemic I was an enthusiast for Newsnight etc, though waning.  After the first few weeks in isolation, it had gone off my agenda as indeed much of the media, a great thanks be to God for “Spring Watch”.

The journey of Jesus to Calvary with its moments on the way; Simon of Cyrene, His Mother Mary, Veronica, the Women of Jerusalem, ultimately the Roman Soldiers, His falls along the way to the Cross and the Nails ……. a litany beyond measure.  As I look back on my journey of life with its many falls, I still try to speak of silver linings.  Does it ever let up?, I truly hope so.  I mentioned in the beginning, almost as a child recalling my dad doing the Stations of the Cross and the hours upon hours of pain that he suffered in his life.  So I hope it imbues us with the spirit “those are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of His spirit living within us”, and at this time part of my prayer goes out to the Queen and the Royal Family.

One our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory be to the Father.

The Fifth Station:  Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus.  “We adore thee O Christ and we praise thee, because by your Holy Cross”.

So often I say two things:  The consolation that this station brings to Jesus, the help that is given to Him is also a great consolation for us.  On the way of the cross at the Second Station where I pondered that I knew “I should do better”, giving way to the forgiveness that Jesus brings.  Now the realisation “we can all do better”.  After the lockdown when we will return to “the life of the church”, then we will genuinely seek to do better.  This involves us believing and sharing together in a life of faith with the fruits of this in our experiencing what was the outcome for the early Christian community – “see how they love one another”.

One our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory be to the Father

The Sixth Station:  Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.

Last week Deacon John presented us with the dramatic story presented on the internet by Dr Peggy Hartshom, about a women who glimpsed the mystery of her unborn child.  Circumstances had brought about this dramatic encounter.  She was amazed to see the perfectly formed boy, the tiny legs and arms moving in her womb.  All of a sudden, Dr Hartshom’s assistant said, “reach out and take your baby’s hand”.  The women raised her hand and touched the monitor.  As if by some divine cue, the baby stretched out his arm to the exact place on his mom’s hand.  On the screen his tiny fingers met hers.  The women underwent a transformation and kept her baby.  Surely we recognise that there is a mystery inside each one of us – the mystery of the image of God.  We see this in a very special way when His sacred face was revealed to her “Veronica wipes the face of Jesus”.

One our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory be to the Father

The Seventh Station:  Jesus falls a Second Time.  “We adore thee O Christ and we praise thee, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the World”.

Back down to earth with a bang.  The seventh station often has this reference to our lives.  Following moments of grace is a reality in life that very often we are again confronted with the ordinary, the normal, the difficulties of life.  On the horizon now is the most special season of Holy Week.  Please God, this is coinsiding with our thoughts of returning to church.  This has been helped by the roll out of vaccines, and while very much to be welcomed alongside the return of our children to school, this highlights the circumstances that we are living under and that there may be a spike in the number of people catching it.  So again; Firstly, it is good to be back, and welcome.  So as parish priest that is to all our parishioners.  Secondly, the great necessity to adhere to the guidelines for the safeguarding of our services.  So it will be essential for all to apply through the Parish Office to book a place at Masses during Holy Week.   We may have to have a draw for places, because stewarding is an essential requirement and I am responsible for this.  Just as Jesus, because he is human, again falls under the weight of the cross.  So the weight of the cross has been heavy in our journey. 

One our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory be to the Father

Continued:

The Second Station:  Jesus receives the Cross.  “We adore thee O Christ and we praise thee, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the World”. The agony of Jesus in the garden is a very important focus for our attention.  Christ’s agony, the Stations of the Cross and the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary provide a constant opportunity for us to contemplate Christ’s presence in the world, and above all the salvation He brings.

Last week in ‘Deacon John Writes’ he had a very important, clear message.  In it he said “Lent began last Wednesday, and we were reminded that there is no better time than the present to turn to God for forgiveness and to forgive others”.  My moments in the garden are frequently focused upon my awareness that I should do better.   It becomes a constant refrain in my mind “you should do better”.  Then because Satan the devil is the accused of the brethren, and as St Peter highlighted, he sits on our shoulder and accosts us night and day.  In fact, never lets up.  Jesus has put a stop to this by becoming the instrument of God’s forgiveness.  This is the mission of His life – and for this He lays down His life.

One our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory be to the Father.

The Third Station: Jesus falls the first time.  “We adore thee O Christ and we praise thee, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the World”.

He became like us in all things but sin.  He knows our weaknesses.  The implication of His forgiveness is that it is final, complete.  It is His gift that He will never take back.  As he completely forgives He has forgiven me, it is essential that I too forgive myself.  Through God’s grace, if only I can take hold of this, it becomes a real gift.  If we take hold of this, the peace, then the strength and hope that it will bring to our life begins to bear fruit – fruit that will last.  The implication for the good of our world is that, as He forgives me, so I forgive others.

One our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory be to the Father.

The Fourth Station: Jesus meets His mother.  “We adore thee O Christ and we praise thee, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the World”.

The family home is so important in the journey of life, and yet more and more it is becoming absent to our world.  This is why in our Catholic church the role of Mary has such an important place.  As we realise this, then we become aware of the life of orphans who for no fault of their own have this great affliction to contend with.  And so the promise “I will not leave you orphans as so many now are”.  This should become a major part of our prayers and Lenten preparation for the most important week – The one we call Holy Week, so that the life of Christ may truly find a home in us.

One our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory be to the Father.

We begin each Station of the Cross with the prayer “We adore thee  O Christ and we praise thee, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the World”.  The Stations of the Cross can be a very important devotional prayer in our lives, but especially during Lent.  Our human story, the journey of life.  A memory in my life is from the beginning of Lent in my first year at the seminary.   The president decided that he would give us a good introduction to Lent by leading us on the Stations of the Cross.  He began by giving us a lecture on their great importance, and that as seminarians this devotion should be at the centre of our lives.  Then he began “oops” he went to the last station first, the 14th …… of course there must be someone to blame…… ok yes the acolytes.

So for us to begin.  The first station “We adore thee O Christ and we praise thee, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world”.  Jesus is condemned to death.  This is part of a great reality.  We are all condemned to death.  A reality.  Here at St Wilfrid’s we had a great shock with the tragic sudden death of Hannah Hoad, a young parishioner.  It is honest and sincere she was “a real treasure”, obviously for her family and especially her parents David and Anne.  In spite of her handicaps she was a bundle of life with attitude, able to stand up for herself, full of life, mischief and fun.  Some of our elderly parishioners had lovely things to say about her over the years.

Then at St George’s Church we had a very special funeral celebration for Ronald and Monica Williams who died together in Eastbourne Hospital from the coronavirus.  Their son Ed gave us a heartfelt story of their life, and as we streamed the service we will place their story on our website.  Summed up in the words of their son “Ron and Moni were inseparable for 60 years, they devoted their lives to their 3 children, David, Edward and Anna, and they were just as in love on their last day together as they were on their wedding day.  They did everything together, they cared and loved and fought for their children together, they grieved together, found the strength to go on together, and finally they died together, and they will be together forever”.  So, as we place our lives at the foot of the cross, preparing to make the stations of the cross as part of the journey of life this Lent.   We make it our great desire that the journey of our lives will bare much fruit, fruit that will last.  Then one our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory to be it Father.

“O that today you would listen to His voice, harden not your hearts”.

This was the response to last Sundays psalm “O that today you would listen to His voice, harden not your hearts”.

Having said this over and over,  I hope this truly registered with me.  What a dreadful year it has been and right now there is no let up.  We had the Deanery Meeting of the priests and deacons, and I could not get over how stressed they were.  It really is a stressful time.

To begin with the message “Listen to His voice, yes to His voice”, and then to the messages coming from health and safety.  From the beginning of the pandemic, because it is malign and evil, the most potent emotion is fear.  Because of this the importance of the message of Jesus. “By their fruits you shall know them, good trees bare good fruit”.

Now that we have passed “La le Bride” St Brigid’s Day, spring is on its way.  The days are a cock step longer.  Real progress is being made with the vaccinations and please God, before we know it we will be on our way again.  This is a most important opportunity and let us treat it as a fresh start, with the hope of living, learning and celebrating again.

Okay, the message still remains – keep safe, “Festina Lente”, hurry up, but slowly, and this week I am once again expecting Fr Kieran to give me a break, but most important is the message of Pope Francis for 2021:-

“To be happy is to let live the creature that lives in each of us free, joyful and simple.  It is to have maturity to be able to say: “I made mistakes”.  It is to have the courage to say “I am sorry”.  It is to have the sensitivity to say, “I need you”.  It is to have the ability to say “I love you”.  May your life become a garden of opportunity for happiness….. That in spring may it be a lover of joy.  In winter a lover of wisdom.  And when you make a mistake, start all over again.  For only then will you be in love with life.

You will find that to be happy is not to have a perfect life.  But use the tears to irrigate tolerance.  Use your losses to train patience.  Use your mistakes to sculptor  serenity.  Use pain to plaster pleasure.  Use obstacles to open windows of intelligence.  Never give up …… Never give up on people who love you.  Never give up on happiness, for life is an incredible show”.