“Our time needs credible people who can speak of God in a way that makes God real”, writes Andrew O’Connell
While the rest of the country was engrossed in election tallies last Saturday morning, I was at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin where all one hundred seats were filled for a private screening of Thanks to your Noble Shadow, a 90-minute documentary on the life of Sr Paschal O’Sullivan.
Sr Paschal was a member of the Infant Jesus Sisters, better known as the Drishane nuns, and spent most of her life as a missionary in Japan. Her cousin, James Creedon, produced this beautifully poignant and humorous documentary detailing her life story. Greg Daly of this parish was also in attendance and has an account of the film elsewhere on these pages.
I was struck though by the relationship which James, a contemporary of mine, had with Sr Paschal, a woman almost 70 years his senior. It reminded me of the relationship of affection and curiosity I had with my own grandmother. And it highlighted how an older generation can have a very strong influence on the young.
The classic grandparent-grandchild relationship is very different to the parent-child relationship. Free of the burdens of laying down the law, grandparents are able to engage with their grandchildren in an entirely different way, a way that is capable of transmitting values and religious faith.
I have vivid memories of my grandmother armed with holy water and a rosary and I can still remember how she spoke about God and the Faith. When grandparents today wonder how they can be missionaries in this culture, they need look no further than the relationship they enjoy with their grandchildren. Small acts of witness can be particularly powerful.
I spoke to a gathering of religious recently, most of them quite elderly, and some wondered aloud how they could have any impact on the culture, given their age. Attitude, I told them, is what matters most, not age. Pope Francis is no spring chicken and he is having a remarkable impact. And, one could argue, Pope John Paul spoke most eloquently in his advanced years.
Returning to the movie, during one scene Sr Paschal talks about death and gives the traditional, Catholic philosophy of life. James listens intently as she speaks about God with a reassurance and peace that is intriguing, particularly to someone of my generation. In this age which seems to prize doubt, her quiet confidence is curiously attractive.
The great news of the Christian message is that we can know God. God is not an impersonal energy force. God can be known. Our time needs credible people who can speak of God in a way that makes God real. There are plenty of Sr Paschals out there, people with a living relationship with God. They have a great mission in Ireland today: to show a younger generation that a relationship with God is possible.
Daily challenge: The Novena Mass in Kingscourt takes place each Wednesday in Lent. It drew a good attendance when I visited recently, including some young families.
An extra weekday Mass offers parishioners the opportunity to pray more regularly in Lent. Another aid is the Magnificat monthly prayer book which you will see promoted regularly on these pages. It is a great way of encouraging a habit of daily reflection.
Each edition includes scripture passages, well-crafted prayers of intercession and an interesting meditation on a piece of art. A new copy arrives in the post each month allowing one to start afresh and recommit to the habit of daily prayer.
Any sign of improvement?
I was in the parish of Kingscourt (in the County of Cavan but the diocese of Meath) recently to speak at a Lenten Novena. Before I made the journey from Dublin I noticed it was five years since I had been there last.
It prompted a sobering reflection: “Am I any better today than I was then?” It’s the uncomfortable question every Christian must face: am I making any progress at all?
The great gift of this Year of Mercy is to remind us that the mercy and patience of God are inexhaustible.
Whereas another mortal would have given up on us by now, God’s ambition for us remains high.