the first Sunday

Well I have just arrived back in Cheviot after driving 400km and celebrating four Sunday Masses. This was my first weekend as Parish Priest of the three parishes of North Canterbury.

The driving was tough, but it was a delight to celebrate Mass in such beautiful churches, for wonderful people who were very welcoming to their new priest.

There were many highlights over the weekend. The greatest of these was meeting so many parishioners, and celebrating Mass for the first time in four of the seven parish communities. 

I was also quite captivated by the beauty of the stained glass windows in each church.

I suppose it would have been very easy, certainly much cheaper, to save many dollars at the time of building and install plain glass, or even coloured glass in a simple arrangement with only a couple of shades. But the faith-filled parishioners who built these churches would only give God the very best, and imported, intricate and delicate glass.

These windows are certainly beautiful. But, and this is where stained glass is a very helpful image for us, without the light of the sun, they are nothing. 

Try looking at one of these windows at night. Pretty ugly, black panes criss-crossed with lead. But even the first dim rays of dawn reveal the beauty; the colour, the design, the image.

This is a powerful reminder of our life with, or without God.

It is only in the light of God that the beauty of every human person is visible. 

It is only in God's light that the meaning and purpose of every human life can be seen.


One of my teachers (at the Liturgical Institute in Chicago) Denis McNamara, develops this image reflecting on San Chapelle in Paris:

Enough pondering at the end of a long day. I'm off to bed.


+++


P.S.   A friend (after reading this entry) has just msg'd me to say that Pope Benedict used this image of the stained glass when in the USA.  Here is the quote from the pope's homily in St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York.

"The first has to do with the stained glass windows, which flood the interior with mystic light. From the outside, those windows are dark, heavy, even dreary. But once one enters the church, they suddenly come alive; reflecting the light passing through them, they reveal all their splendor. Many writers – here in America we can think of Nathaniel Hawthorne – have used the image of stained glass to illustrate the mystery of the Church herself. It is only from the inside, from the experience of faith and ecclesial life, that we see the Church as she truly is: flooded with grace, resplendent in beauty, adorned by the manifold gifts of the Spirit. It follows that we, who live the life of grace within the Church’s communion, are called to draw all people into this mystery of light."

attractive authority

tap here for the today's readings: 

Fourth Sunday of the Year

True authority is attractive.

This is the kind of statement that will have already got you thinking. Let me clarify what I mean.

The reason that most of us react negatively to authority much of the time, is that we have allowed abuses of authority to become our definition of authority.

 

The scriptures from today’s Mass entice us back to the heart of authority, using the witness of the Old Testament prophets: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet…”

what is a prophet?

Contrary to popular definition, a prophet is not one who magically predicts future events. Instead a prophet is one who can see reality, and who is not afraid to communicate this reality, whatever the personal cost.

Firstly, a true prophet is one who knows the “joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties” of the people.  This human experience and insight is essential. But, alone,  it is not enough.

A true prophet also knows the reality of God.

This prophet understands that God has created us for a much bigger and better life than most of us have resigned ourselves to.  This life is not only an ultimate and eternal gift, but it is available today (albeit in foretaste), to any person who passionately persues truth.

the gift of LAW

Last Thursday’s reading from the Liturgy of the Hours is something of a ‘handbook’ for the prophet:

“For this Law that I enjoin on you today is not beyond your strength or beyond your reach. It is not in heaven, so that you need to wonder, “who will go up to heaven for us and bring it down to us, so that we may hear it and keep it?” Nor is it beyond the seas, so that you need to wonder, “Who will cross the seas for us and bring it back to us, so that we may hear it and keep it?” No, the Word is very near to you, it is in your mouth and in your heart for your observance…

“I set before you life or death, blessings or curse. Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live, in the love of the Lord your God, obey his voice, clinging to him; for in this your life consists…”

                                                        

Deuteronomy 30

Let’s take another Old Testament example. Remember when Moses came down the mountain with the Ten Commandments. What do you imagine the reaction of the people was?

The scripture tells us that the people were delighted. Now they had some tangible evidence that God desired to be in direct communication, conversation even, with them.

Instead of feeling lost at sea with no guidance, now, even though they were still wandering in a desert, they knew at last how to live. The rejoiced and they celebrated. They built a gold shrine to house this gift from God. (The Ark of the Covenant)

This Law, the voice of God, was no longer ‘up in heaven’ or ‘across the seas’. Now they knew that God was ‘very near' to them. Indeed God was in the heart of their struggling pilgrim community. The observance of this Law would bring them life, because they knew anew that God was with them and that God loved them enough to speak intimately and directly to them.

an echo

Pope John Paul II communicated this same truth in his ‘Theology of the Body’ lectures.  The pope’s fundamental premise was that while the teachings of God were safeguarded and communicated in the teachings of the Church, these truths are anything but a foreign voice for the human. Instead the teachings of the Church are simply a reflection of the strongest yearnings in the depth of every human heart.

The problem is that the many 'isms' that bombard us in every sense (sight, sound...) - secularism, materialism, consumerism, capitalism, relativism, legalism, moralism (perhaps this list is endless), serve to anaesthetise us against the innermost voice of the human heart. Our numbness prevents us from hearing the voice of life. We settle for whatever pleasure is available and affordable. And then our feeble dose of pleasure wears off and we need more of the same.


Or, we can allow the blinkers to fall from our eyes and acknowledge that none of these passing attractions, not even all of them together in the same busy moment, can deliver the life that we seek.

When the person who earnestly seeks truth hears a true authority, they will also recognize an echo of resonance from the depth of their own heart.  

In the person of good-will such a voice does not sound with discord, but resounds (echoes) with harmony.

In one who simply grasps at whatever appears to offer a fleeting dose of delight, the voice of God’s authority will reverberate with dissonance and even with anger.

try a new perspective


This is why the teaching of Jesus was so attractive. “his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.”  Mark 1


If you are not convinced of what I am saying, you might like to test this.


Decide now that this week you will live the life of the God fully. You will have a pretty good idea of what you know to be right and wrong, good and bad. You will know too what the Church offers as truth.  And, you will also have a pretty sound interior sense of what God is nudging you away from, and towards.


This week, take all of this on board as your 'way of life' one hundred percent.


Add to your decision a commitment to pray regularly, perhaps a few moments often during each day, and a couple of longer periods.


If you do this, I guarantee that after a day or two, you will notice a difference in your life that delights you.  You will feel more connected with God. You will have a strong sense that you are growing beyond much of what has limited you earlier. You will also have a sense that you are on a new and  ultimate adventure.


And, like the millions around the world who have lived this life across the centuries, and today, you will feel as though you are living anew.


If you don't believe me, try it!

choose life

The Liturgy of the Church is centred on the celebration of the Mass and the daily prayer of the Hours: the Prayer of the Church. 

The Internet enables the complete prayer of the Church to land in every computer, ipad and smartphone. Have a look at www.universalis.com. 

Unexpectedly, and daily, (when I am open to hear), there is inspiration in the scriptures of the Prayer of the Church. Often this is a clear answer to my prayer for encouragement and divine direction. 

Today's (Thursday 26 Jan) Old Testament reading from the Office of Readings is a powerful reminder of the closeness of God, and the freedom we have in any moment to choose life or death:

"For this Law that I enjoin on you today is not beyond you strength or beyond your reach. It is not in heaven, so that you need to wonder, "who will go up to heaven for us and bring it down to us, so that we may hear it and keep it?" Not is it beyond the seas, so that you need to wonder, "Who will cross the seas for us and bring it back to us, so that we may hear it and keep it?" No, the Word is very near to you, it is in your mouth and in your heart for your observance. See, today I set before you life and prosperity, death and disaster. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I enjoin on you today, if you love the Lord your God and follow his ways, if you keep his commandments, his laws, his customs, you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you are entering to make your own. But if your heart strays, if you refuse to listen, if you let yourself be drawn into worshipping other gods and serving them, I tell you today, you will most certainly perish... 

"I set before you life or death, blessings or curse. Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may life, in the love of the Lord your God, obey in  his voice, clinging to him; for in this your life consists...

 Deuteronomy 30

transition

When I was a child we moved house eight times in three towns and six schools. Looking back I can clearly see that all the moves were for the best. I know that where I am today is the fruit of all of those shifts. And I am happy with where I am today. 

It is easy to be content in hindsight. 

But at the time, some of the shifts were a challenge. I don't remember much about the move from Otematata to Oamaru. I was just 2. When I was 8 we moved from Oamaru to Timaru. That was tough. Leaving three years worth of good school friends, and being led into the unknown, was difficult.

My parents were helpful. I remember them allowing me to talk longingly about all I was leaving. But they also made sure I was aware that big steps into unknown lands were the stuff of adventure and hopefulness. Within a year I knew they were right.

Perhaps it was the gentle training of my parents that taught me to not be afraid of stepping out into the unknown.

In these days I am reaping the benefits of this early learning and taking the transition I find myself in gently.

This week I have been settling into the parishes of North Canterbury. Setting up house in Cheviot has been pretty exhausting. But many of the local people of the three parishes have been very welcoming.

Tomorrow is the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. His life was full of major transitions. It is significant that his feast day (25 January 1959), was the day chosen by Pope John XXIII to announce his calling of the Second Vatican Council.

Wikipedia reports his intention as follows:  

Pope John XXIII, however, gave notice of his intention to convene the Council on 25 January 1959, less than three months after his election in October 1958. This sudden announcement, which caught the Curia by surprise, caused little initial official comment from Church insiders. Reaction to the announcement was widespread and largely positive from both religious and secular leaders outside the Catholic Church, and the council was formally summoned by the apostolic constitution Humanae Salutis on 25 December 1961.  In various discussions before the Council actually convened, Pope John often said that it was time to open the windows of the Church to let in some fresh air.  He invited other Christians outside of the Catholic Church to send observers to the Council. Acceptances came from both the Protestant denominations and Eastern Orthodox churches.

The Second Vatican Council moved us into a time of transition in the Church. Today we enjoy the fruits of the Council with it's clear refocus on the person of Jesus. Later this year we mark the 50'th anniversary of the beginning of the Council. On the day of the Council opening, 11 October 1962, Pope John gave an address that included the following paragraph:

In the daily exercise of Our pastoral office, it sometimes happens that We hear certain opinions which disturb Us—opinions expressed by people who, though fired with a commendable zeal for religion, are lacking in sufficient prudence and judgment in their evaluation of events. They can see nothing but calamity and disaster in the present state of the world. They say over and over that this modern age of ours, in comparison with past ages, is definitely deteriorating. One would think from their attitude that history, that great teacher of life, had taught them nothing. They seem to imagine that in the days of the earlier councils everything was as it should be so far as doctrine and morality and the Church's rightful liberty were concerned. 
We feel that We must disagree with these prophets of doom, who are always forecasting worse disasters, as though the end of the world were at hand. 

This fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Council this year offers an ideal opportunity for us to return to the heart of our faith by encountering again the person of Jesus in the power and beauty of the Council's sixteen documents.

rise up and follow Thee

Take a moment to reflect on the three scripture passages below taken from today’s readings. What do you notice?  What seems to be the emphasis?

First Reading: (Jonah 3:1)

The word of the LORD came to Jonah, saying: "Set out…  

Psalm 25

Teach me your ways, O Lord,

Your ways, O LORD, 

make known to me;

teach me your paths,

Guide me…

Gospel   (Mark 1:14-20)   "Come after me… Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.”

It is inevitable that our reading and understanding of the scriptures is influenced by the circumstances of our own personal present reality.

As I ponder these readings I feel a personal challenge and encouragement from God.  

In the midst of these days of leaving Our Lady of Victories and St. Joseph’s, and preparing to arrive in the three parishes of North Canterbury, the call to “set out”, to “come after me”, abandoning the security of the nets and the comfort of the boats, is for me a vivid and timely reminder of the heart of the life of the disciple of Jesus.  

It is commonly thought that the call of God is ‘at odds’ with human longing. This perception reveals a misunderstanding. God’s ‘will’ for each of us is simply a reflection, a communication,  of our own deepest desire. 

When we do set out on the paths that God has revealed, we find that we are truly ourselves. When we abandon the security of ‘nets’ and ‘boats’, we embark on a divine adventure that fulfills every human need. Finally I feel as though I am truly living. 

Too often we dream of a life that is little more than a projection of the fears and limited vision of a secular society. In this existence we settle for whatever joy and meaning a good career, material possessions and human relationships can provide. 

But, even when surrounded by an abundance of these gifts of God, we realise we are still yearning for something greater. To follow this path 'beyond', is the adventure of faith.  No human existence can become a life without this adventure.

To use a human analogy: when we receive a generous gift from a friend, or even from an aquaintance, the thoughtfulness of the gift directs the healthy adult to focus not on the gift, but on the giver. Yes we may appreciate and delight in the gift for what it is, but the gift (however wonderful in itself), is but a sign of the real gift that is the relationship between the receiver and the giver.

A child does not have this awareness. Children grasp at the gift and run off to play with it. Usually they have to be reminded by the parent to thank the giver, and then the child will quickly appease the parent with a 'thank you' before becoming fully absorbed once again in the gift. 

This child-like behaviour is not distressing for the giver. How wonderful to have chosen and given a gift that delights a child. But how much more maturely human is the response when the teenager, on receiving the gift, turns in appreciation directly to the giver.

In the next couple of weeks the 2012 work and school year commences. Sadly, this year, you and I will too often shrink in fear at the sound of the divine voice. Our narrow minds and secular thinking has programmed us to childishly grasp and consume the gifts of God and ignore the generous and loving giver.

And while this resistance is the stuff of all ultimate human crises, the cause of much human suffering and all human stress, God continues to reach out to us as in the divine call to Jonah: "set out". We continue to pray: 'teach us your ways O Lord'. And God responds, as Jesus to the first followers: "come after me".

Let us pray this weekend that, every moment of the year ahead, we will be alert to this call of Jesus to the first disciples as His call today to us. Such sensitivity is the guaranteed (because it is God-given) method to human health and happiness.


May the words of the wonderful quaker hymn be our prayer: "Let us, like them, without a word, rise up and follow Thee."

A number of people have asked for my contact details:

email: johncoconnor@me.com

facebook: www.facebook.com/johnchchnz

twitter: www.twitter.com/johnchch

and the blog which I continue to update regularly at:

www.johncoconnor.blogspot.com.

lawn secret

At the farewell garden gatherings over the weekend, I heard a few people comment suspiciously about the quality of the presbytery lawn:  'a bit green...clearly someone has not been obeying the water restrictions?'

Well I have been keeping to the restrictions to the letter! In fact the lawn takes very little water. But there is a secret, and I'm more than happy to share it.

I think of the lawn as being the garden, not the bit between the gardens.  

The secret is in the fertilizer, digging the weeds out (by hand) and re-seeding the gaps, and cutting the lawn VERY high.

The fertilizer gives food for good growth.

Keeping the weeds out allows the grass space and encouragement to grow. If you allow the grass to think that you are also trying to grow weeds, the lawn gets jealous and sulks.

And cutting the lawn VERY high prevents the sun from drying out the roots. So very little water is needed.

Good luck!

change

Human beings cannot help but change. The only way to avoid change is to stop living.  The one who is living is changing. And the one who is really really living, is changing often.

It is often said that some people find change easy and others prefer no change. i'm not sure that is accurate.  Don't most people in a difficult situation long for a change for the better?  I also don't know of anyone who would prefer not to experience a change for the worse.

We know the unavoidable pattern of change in all living things from the natural world. The garden changes daily, even if I do not touch or notice it. The weeds still grow. The winter branch blooms with the new buds of spring and blooms of summer.

People often make the mistake of thinking of Catholicism as a  religion that does not involve change. Many think of Church doctrine and law as being preserved in dusty tomes. Most tragically a common perception is that if one says yes fully to the Catholic faith, that person will be saying no to fun and freedom.

Tragically, Catholic faith is too often misunderstood as being primarily about doctrines and laws that, if followed, will limit freedom and restrict life. Such a misunderstanding reduces the beauty of the life of Catholic faith, to a dry and  even deadly dose of moralism and legalism.

Today's Gospel reading is about the kind of change that is at the heart of Catholic faith.  Two of John the Baptist's disciples were Andrew (his name is given in the scripture), and John (tradition tells us this). 

One day John the Baptist notices his cousin Jesus, whom he knows to be the Christ.  He points to Jesus and says to Andrew and John: "behold, there is the Lamb of God."   John and Andrew are real searchers.  Like us, they are not totally satisfied with every aspect of the present life. They move towards Jesus who asks what they are looking for. They ask him: "where do you live?".   Jesus responds: "come and see."

From that moment their lives are changed forever. We know that Andrew was married. That night he probably returned to his wife and family. John was not married but would  probably have returned to his home that night.

I have no doubt that their families would have immediately noticed that something dramatic, life-changing had happened to John and Andrew.  I'm imagining Andrew's wife meeting him when he enters the house. Even before Andrew speaks, Mrs Andrew would have noticed..."what on earth has happened to you?"  "You are different."   "What is it?"

This moment is the heart of the Catholic life of faith.  You see, Catholic faith is not primarily about following a moral code of laws (at worst 'moralism' and 'legalism'). Catholic Faith is focussed on a personal encounter with the person of Jesus Christ who is God. 

For John and Andrew, from this moment of encounter with the person of Jesus, their lives changed in every way. Beforehand, keeping the ten commandments would have been a struggle for them. Now, in the same way as the teenager who falls in love, nothing is a bother. The keeping of the commandments the the fruit of a relationship, no longer a legal requirement.

The person who knows love, does not have to settle for keeping the letter of the law (which is always a struggle).  Instead the change effected by love activates the life of the heart fully. How the spirit of the law is embraced. Adherence to the letter follows immediately.

This is the reality of faith for Andrew and John, the first disciples of Jesus. Life is changed, not ended.

Fifty years ago this year, the Second Vatican Council met for its first session. Pope Benedict has announced a "Year of Faith" beginning in October of this year, on the date of the opening of the Council.

In many ways the Second Vatican Council was a John the Baptist moment for the Church. Like John, the Council pointed Catholics back to the person of Jesus.  

In the years prior to the Council, some lesser aspects of faith had taken a central position. Other, more essential, beliefs and practices had been set aside.  Unfortunately people were often recognised as Catholics more because they did not eat meat on Friday rather than because they loved their neighbour and forgave their enemies. The sixteen documents that are the fruit of the Council clearly shift our focus back to the person of Jesus Christ.

The Catholic Faith is primarily about living in relationship with the person of Jesus Christ who is 'God with us'.   Just as Andrew and John were changed forever in this divine relationship, so too our lives truly become lives lived rather than existences endured, only when in relationship with Jesus Christ.

If we need to know if God is with us there is a way.  You have heard me give this example before.  Take a moment to find your pulse.  Either on your wrist or your neck.   Feel that beat...   

The beat you feel, you are doing nothing to create.  This is the direct action of God, choosing (with every beat) to keep you in existence and to hold you in His loving embrace.

Therefore, like the first disciples of Jesus, we have nothing to fear.  Never forget....God is with you.

+++

• Readings for Second Sunday of the Year (15 January 2012)

• an image

Farewell II

and some more photos taken by Peter.


The parish presented me with the Third Edition of the Roman Missal, newly published by the Catholic Truth Society. Note the 'video tour' below.

Parish Presentation - Third Edition of the Roman Missal.

video tour of the Missal:

with Ninian

Farewell

It has been a wonderful 24 hours. The Masses, speeches, conversations and social gatherings of last evening and today have been a great celebration.  I was quite overwhelmed with the generosity of the speeches and your support and assurance of your prayer.

Thank you.   I am deeply grateful.

I will attach below some pictures taken by Peter Fleming.

Janet, co-Chair of Parish Council

Jean, with John fading into the shadows

more photos at Farewell II

found on the hard drive

In my desire to be distracted from packing and cleaning, I started to sort out some computer files.  There I discovered many saved articles and bits and pieces.

In September 2010 Pope Benedict visited the UK.  Almost all the media coverage of the his visit took a negative slant.

Rosemary McLeod wrote in the Press at the time of the visit. You might (like me) appreciate her comment.

I found it encouraging to hear an intelligent writer, (who makes no claim to be 'religious' or especially supportive of the pope), write a refreshingly objective reflection.

Rosemary McLeod on the UK Papal Visit 2010

comments

You will notice that I have opened up this blog for your comments.  Below each entry there is now a space for you to publish a comment on the blog.

packing & roses

Thank you to everyone who has offered suggestions to distract me from packing!  One of the challenges of course is that preparing to move is not simply a matter of putting possessions into boxes and moving.  This is an ideal time for organising, throwing out, doing the things still left undone...

I have been enjoying the garden too. Often with a coffee and a rediscovered letter or book.  These days have been pleasantly reflective.  There is a lot to ponder after 12 years.

One of the great joys of 'dead-heading' the roses late last year is that now they are preparing for their second flowering. (Note the new red growth alongside the old green in the photo). I won't be here to see the second blooming, but I am happy that others will appreciate this.  

There is a good metaphor in the roses. Yes, the pruning and the new growth, but also that often the fruits of our own efforts are often not harvested and savoured by ourselves. This realisation initially appears like a loss.  But then we remember that each of us are constantly reaping the benefits and enjoying the fruits of the labour of other good people.

Cleaning today, and maybe some time in the garden.

Darfield farewell

Last Sunday was my last Day at St. Joseph's Darfield. While I remain as Parish Priest there for another few days, next Sunday I will celebrate all Masses at Our Lady of VIctories.

I have only been Parish Priest at St. Joseph's for a year. This is a very short time, too short. It does take time to grow to know parishioners, and through the celebration of sacraments (especially Mass, baptism and Marriage), to spend time with parishioners and their families.


At last Sunday's cuppa after Mass people reflected on the year. It has been a tough year in Canterbury for many reasons. The earthquakes and the consequences have made for the most disruptive and unstable year here since the war.


Last month the Tabernacle in St. Joseph's was restored to the centre of the restored sanctuary. My hope is that this will be a clear sign to all who worship here in this beautiful church now and in the future, that God is our only true stability.


Any priest who is moving on is happy if in his time, parishioners have been reminded of the centrality of God in all existence, and that they appreciate more deeply the love and abiding presence of God.

packing II

These January days in the parishes are much quieter than the rest of the year.  This give a good chance for packing.  It is not a task that I enjoy, although there are many enjoyable moments.

One of the challenges is to keep going when I find an old letter that I want to read again.  Old photos too are pretty time-consuming, and very satisfying.

I am open to any excuse to take me away from the task of packing. Your suggestions are welcome!

Epiphany II

Early this morning a group of five couples joined their pilot for a hot air balloon trip of a lifetime. Some on board had received their trip as a Christmas present. All would have been excited as they climbed into the basket before dawn and lifted off.

The Wairarapa weather this morning was perfect for such a journey. The balloons often take to the skies before dawn. This is the best time of the day both for conditions, and for the treat of seeing the sun rise. 

Within a couple of hours their balloon had struck trouble and shortly after all 11 were dead. This is a great tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those who died.

How quickly things can change. A journey to see the dawning of the light, within seconds, becomes the darkness of tragedy. The highlight of the dream adventure, becomes the nightmare of pain and suffering. Suddenly life and lives are changed forever.

We know this pattern in our own experience. I might feel great one morning, then the phone rings and I receive news that changes my week and sometimes my life. The converse is true too: in the midst of anxiety, a call from a friend can lift my gloom and fill me with joy.

Today is the feast of the Epiphany. I am reminded of the words of old Simeon in the temple:

"for my eyes have seen your salvation

which you have prepared for all nations

the light to enlighten the gentiles

and to give glory to Israel your people".

Nunc Dimmitis

You might also recall the reading from Isaiah 9:2:  "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned".

This move from darkness to light is the heart of the feast of the Epiphany. The Magi followed the light of the star to visit visit the infant Christ. They then took the news of the birth of the Messiah beyond the gentile world  to all people of good will. The world that was in darkness, have now seen the light.

Following this morning's Wairarapa tragedy, family and friends, and all people of our country are living in a shadow of death. In our small nation, such loss and darkness affects all of us.

But the intense attraction to the light is a natural and enduring drive for humans as for many creatures.  It is in life's darkest moments that we are most aware of our need for light. As Leonard Cohen sings: "there is a crack, a crack in everything; that's how the light gets in."

A journey to see the sunrise is a wonderful experience. But the sun, the most powerful light to touch earth, is but a shaft of the light for which we were created.

We know that we are invited to share this divine light eternally after our earthly life, but how does this help us in the midst of today's tragedy, and the other burdens of life?

Well, the key is reality. Faith leads me to reality: both the reality of God, and the reality of my own life. We begin every Mass with the invitation: "brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries". In other words: 'let us us wake up to our personal (and communal) reality, that we might know our capacity for the reality of God to enter us in this Mass'.

Let's be honest about this reality: while I am attracted to the light of truth, there are many times when this reality (that highlights every speck of dust and streak of stain) is too much for me. Like Adam and Eve in the garden I head for the seclusion of the shade. And at times I even prefer  darkness.

But our attraction to the light remains. Humans can survive darkness. We can exist in the gloom. But only the light provides an environment of growth and life.  We much prefer the freedom of openness and honesty to the fear of secrets and deception.

And once again, this is the heart of the Epiphany. Even the word "epiphany" in secular parlance means 'an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure'.

T.S. Eliot has the Magi returning "to our places, these Kingdoms, But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation". This is the effect on the one who has encountered the person of Jesus. We are never again fully at home on earth, even in the fullness of all that our world  has to offer. We are drawn to a greater light. And this is a sign that we are healthy, and even happy. We can never be happier in this world that when we are following THE light.

In the midst of the darkness of this morning's ballooning tragedy, and the sufferings of all the people of our city our land and our world, we delight in the one who transforms our days of darkness into an eternal life of light.

+++

• Readings for the Feast of the Epiphany

• Journey of the Magi   T.S. Eliot

• Below: Leonard Cohen: "there is a crack in everything; that's how the light gets in"

The birds they sang

at the break of day

Start again 

I heard them say 

Don't dwell on what 

has passed away 

or what is yet to be. 

Ah the wars they will 

be fought again 

The holy dove 

She will be caught again 

bought and sold 

and bought again 

the dove is never free. 

Ring the bells that still can ring 

Forget your perfect offering 

There is a crack in everything 

That's how the light gets in. 

We asked for signs 

the signs were sent: 

the birth betrayed 

the marriage spent 

Yeah the widowhood 

of every government -- 

signs for all to see. 

I can't run no more 

with that lawless crowd 

while the killers in high places 

say their prayers out loud. 

But they've summoned, they've summoned up 

a thundercloud 

and they're going to hear from me. 

Ring the bells that still can ring ... 

You can add up the parts 

but you won't have the sum 

You can strike up the march, 

there is no drum 

Every heart, every heart 

to love will come 

but like a refugee. 

Ring the bells that still can ring 

Forget your perfect offering 

There is a crack, a crack in everything 

That's how the light gets in. 

Ring the bells that still can ring 

Forget your perfect offering 

There is a crack, a crack in everything 

That's how the light gets in. 

That's how the light gets in. 

That's how the light gets in.