I think it was Vincent Browne who wrote about the importance of writing. Grand plans emerge when people hear about new ideas, but these ideas have to be crystalised into print first: hence the importance of giving time and attention to writing. Writing precedes the making of plans: good writing helps get ideas off the ground. It’s part of the reason I encourage writing: you can never know what good you will do when you write.
Message
This message came to me very clearly when I read David Benner’s book on The Gift of Being Yourself. The book forced me to acknowledge that writing comes easily to me, that it’s a gift I have received and a talent I should use in the service of the Kingdom. Over the years, I have been behind five books, three providing resources for those who preside at Mass and a book on saints (published by Veritas), and one on surviving parish life (Redemptorist Publications). I think I may have a couple more books in me, but for them to take shape, I have to make some time for writing. That’s why, when I came back from my diocesan retreat last October, I set out a day each week as a day for writing, postponing all non-urgent pastoral events that might fall on a Thursday.
My hope is that it might end up in the sacristy or under the ambo, the kind of resource to call upon when there isn’t the time to prepare the liturgy comprehensively”
In 2005 Veritas brought out the book of Scandalous Saints & Spirited Sinners with text from me and brilliant cartoons from John Byrne. I have renewed contact with John, a Bray native now living in Spain, and he and I are working on putting together a second book, including 50 more saints, with a working title of Scandalous Saints and Spirited Sinners Book 2! Maybe you might come up with a better name?
Swansong
The second project will probably be my swansong. In the past I provided a resource that a priest might use while celebrating Mass, giving him a short ‘Opening Comment’’ and ‘Introduction to the Penitential Rite’, a one-sentence summary of each of the three readings, bidding prayers for the Sunday and a few liturgy ideas, ways of enhancing the celebration.
Twenty years ago, I provided such resources for each Sunday of a given year (2005, 2006 and 2007) but the new project is a book to cover the three-year cycle and any other feast that might be celebrated on Sundays. My hope is that it might end up in the sacristy or under the ambo, the kind of resource to call upon when there isn’t the time to prepare the liturgy comprehensively.
I tell you all this as a way of asking your prayerful support in this work in the new year. I find writing rewarding, but it requires discipline to stick at it. Generally it requires a firm deadline, though that is lacking when one is self-publishing! Pray a little patience my way, please, and the ability to ignore all those other ‘urgent’ letters and emails that can draw my attention away from the job in hand!
Open to Mass suggestions
I wrote recently on these pages about celebrating Mass, suggesting simple ways of enhancing it. I looked for suggestions from readers and got an enormous response. It’s obvious of course; people who spend their lives attending Mass would have useful observations to share. I thank everyone who sent me their ideas. Many noted they had never before been asked for their views. So a suggestion for priest-readers: who not ask your parishioners about the celebration of Mass in your church? You might be surprised at their views and suggestions. Don’t forget: they love the Mass as much as you do.
A Christmas carol grinch…
I have an embarrassing admission. I am not keen on carol services! I feel like ‘the Grinch who stole Christmas’ for admitting this. I was at a service locally in early December. The entrance hymn was ‘Joy to the World, the Lord is born’. To which my inner voice replied, “Oh no He’s not! There’s still a lot of Advent to go!” Christmas carols fill December, then once Christmas Day is over, everyone moves on. And yet Christmas goes on quite a bit more, through the Epiphany to the Lord’s Baptism. Why not save the Christmas carol service till then?