From Father Jim, at last Friday’s Mass, including some news on First Holy Communions, Confirmations and daily Mass;
“In the name of the Father and
of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit, amen. The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the love of
God, and the friendship of the
Holy Spirit be with you all.
Good morning everybody.
Delighted to be with you here
this morning. This is the first
time that I have celebrated the
weekday Mass. I know we’ve only
one at the moment but I
always feel that the people who
go to this Mass are the praying
people of the parish and the
ones who pray for everybody
else and for all the
intentions. And they’re a real
powerhouse in any parish that
I’ve worked in, of prayer and
the kind of the stalwarts
of the parish in many ways. The
people who keep it going
through your prayers and
through your attendance at
Mass. So I’m I’m delighted to
be with you this morning. I
know that today we celebrate
the readings of the Sunday Mass
so it fulfills your Sunday
obligation as well. We also
greet those who are watching
from home this morning. You’re
very welcome to be with us.
the news about the
restrictions doesn’t seem to be
too good at the moment and
maybe they won’t be lifted next
Friday but gradually
hopefully we’ll be getting back
slowly to normal and look
forward to seeing you with us
in person. But it’s great that
you’re joining us and we
welcome people from all over
the world who are probably
joining us here in Balally this
morning. So as we gather to
celebrate the mystery of
Christ’s love we acknowledge
God’s love, God’s mercy, God’s
forgiveness.
Homily
I didn’t realise that we would
have the Sunday readings until
Anne told me just before the
Mass. So I hadn’t prepared you
probably very relieved to hear
I haven’t prepared a hummeling
or a long one anyway. But I
just want to make one little
reflection because that gospel
means a lot to me. It’s so
human. You know you have James
and John with the other
disciples and the kind of sneak
up to Jesus and they said do
something for us. Make us most
important of all. Make us the
best of the apostles. Of course
Jesus won’t have any of it. And
then of course, ambition always
leads to jealousy. So the
others, when they hear about
it, the other 10, they’re
furious. So Jesus uses it as a
teaching moment for them all.
He says, the greatest must be
the least and the leader is the
one who serves. It ties in very
much with a video I was
watching two nights ago. I
don’t know if you’re familiar
with the enneagram. The
enneagram is a
personality tool that helps us
to understand ourselves better.
And it’s based on the idea that
each of us is a number. Each of
us is one character type
between one and nine. And I’m a
three. And a tree loves
organising and leading and
being active and all that kind
of thing. And in the talk the
doctor giving the talk said
that for the three what they
have to learn is to be a
follower. And if they end up
being a leader they should be a
leader of followers. And I
thought that was a beautiful
insight because we’re all
followers of Jesus. And I think
that that’s the role of the
priest going forward. Just to
be a follower among followers
and maybe moving, helping
people to move in a particular
direction. Since I’ve come
here a few weeks ago I’m
just overwhelmed by the
fabulous level of involvement
in the parish and the
organisation. I was just saying
in the going and you know this
is organised. This is
everything is organised. It’s
it’s just wonderful to see.
Things that I had to worry
about when I was a parish
priest in Iona Road. Don’t even
have to think about them now
They’re all done. And that
that’s terrific. And I think
that lays a great foundation
for the future. Because I think
that the role of the parish
priest now going forward really
in any parish is to prepare the
lay people to take
responsibility for the running
of the parish. Not just the
administration of the parish
but the evangelization. All the
work in the parish Giving them
the the the skills and the the
needs. What Father Dermot has
really been doing here for for
30 years. And I certainly want
with him to continue that.
so we look forward to doing
that. it’s just by
coincidence that I’m wearing
this vestment this morning.
This was the vestment of my
first parish priest Father
Peter Labasse. he was parish
priest of Ballyfermot. And I
was a young cure at 24 went in
there knowing nothing. And and
he really gave me my head and
he taught me so much. So so
much. And fortunately he died
of cancer at the age of 55. He
was a real prophet. And a
dynamic leader who always was
empowering lay people to do
things long before it was been
talked about. He also had a
tremendous love for the poor.
And every time I wear his
vestment it reminds me of
Peter. And it puts the standard
up. And Peter would love this
Gospel. And the reason he loves
it was because he lived it. He
was the servant of the people
of Ballyvermer. That’s what he
he saw himself. not as the
boss, but as the servant. And,
and I cringe when I hear any
parish priest using the word
I’m the boss here. We’re not
the boss at all, at all, we’re
the servants. And I hope that
, you pray for me that I’ll
be able to, to live that in my
time here with you. , just
one little thing, one practical
thing. , as you, as you,
I think as you do know, ,
I’m not living here yet for the
simple reason that the the
house I’ve this terrible sense
of direction. So I don’t know
which side my house is on. I
think it’s is it over? It’s
over there. I said okay. Yeah
it’s over there. it is not
ready. I’ve two fabulous
men whom I know well. They
worked for me and I own a road
as well and they are working on
it. So they’re really really
working to get me in because
I’m finding the travelling back
and forth from my friends in
Blanchardstown. Really very it’s
getting very tiring. having
to back and go back and come
back and go back. So I I’m not
really here till I’m in the
house and hopefully I’ll let
you know when that will happen
in the in the next I don’t know
few weeks I hope. but
so things will continue as
was until that happens.
we’ve a lot of Baptisms to
cover I think we’ve started. We
did four last Sunday and
we’ll be working on it till
nearly Christmas to clear the
list of baptisms. And very
early in November then we’ll be
starting the first Communions
and the Confirmations. a
bit later than other parishes
but that’s because my
appointment was later. And
so then hopefully at that stage
when all that is cleared we’ll
be able to get back into the
rhythm of having something
here. Ten o’clock each day.
Mass some days and I I think we
need to look maybe at
lay-led services as well. So
that people get used to that
cos that’s going to be that’s
going to be the future and
you know so we we have to
look at all those things. But
we look at them together. But
it is coming so I know
those of you who probably love
to come to Mass every day or
wondering when it will start
again and once we have this
cleared and once I’m in
then we’ll we’ll we’ll talk
about it and we’ll and that
won’t be too long. so I
appreciate your your patience.
in that regard.”
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