Courtney McGrailKnock is a chosen place of silence to find God in prayers, writes Sr Valerie Rooney
Sr Valerie Rooney
On the arrival of our community to Knock in 1981, the then Archbishop of Tuam Dr Joseph Cunnane asked that we would support through our prayer the work of reconciliation and confessional ministry, in particular.
As a child, and indeed into my 20s, I went with my family for a yearly trip to Knock Shrine which involved three things:
- Confession;
- Many rosaries (with much reluctance, speed and laughter on many occasions!); and
- Mass.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation or confession is often referred to as the sacrament of God’s Mercy or God’s Love. Pope Francis has announced that a ‘Year of Mercy’ will commence on December 8, 2015.
Knock is a shrine dedicated to mercy in a particular way. The apparition at Knock has the Lamb of God in a central place. The apparition turns our hearts and minds towards the Mass.
At every Mass, we call upon the Lamb of God to “have mercy on us” and “grant us peace”. This prayer or petition to the Lamb of God takes place at the Mass following the consecration, that is to say, the coming of Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God, in the Eucharist and before the reception of Jesus in Holy Communion.
Confession
In Confession, our sins are forgiven. For me, personally, my greatest joy in life has been through going to Confession and having my sins forgiven. That is the truth. The more frequently I went to Confession, I noticed that in a spontaneous sort of way, over time, my conscience was becoming more finely-tuned and tuned in with God’s way of thinking.
In receiving mercy, we receive the Holy Spirit who enables us to live as God desires and this guarantees our peace and happiness even on earth.
The Lamb of God brings us mercy and peace, enabling us to live at peace with ourselves, God and one another and indeed all creation. The frequency and availability of confession at Knock, thanks to the generosity of the priests involved, is a priceless treasure.
Mary, of course, is the second figure that stands out in the scene of the apparition of Knock, Mary crowned. For me this recalls, “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy…”
Pope Francis, in speaking of Mary, tells us when we have a problem to go before Mary, tell her our problem and then listen, listen to ourselves, to what solution is being proposed within ourself.
The silence of Knock, the silence of the apparition itself reminds us of the necessity of silence.
We need silence to listen to ourselves, to listen to God. Having received the mercy of God in confession and Jesus Christ Himself in the Mass, what better time to listen in silence.
If Heaven revealed silence as necessary in 1879, how much more so in 2015. Knock facilitates this place of silence, of prayer.
Silence and the presence of Mary pervade the life of a Carmelite. We are nuns of ‘The Order of The Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel’.
Each morning we come together to celebrate Mass in our monastery to which pilgrims are welcome to attend. We are very grateful to the shrine who ensures we have a priest to bring Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, to our community each day and thus enabling us to answer and live God’s call as cloistered Carmelites.
I am a daughter of St Teresa of Jesus (Avila), who entitled the book of her life ‘the mercies of God’.
Sr Valerie Rooney is a member of the Carmelite community at Knock. She made her profession as a Carmelite Sister in May.