Pilgrim progress- a disciple on a journey!

Bethany scene Design by Sr. M. Angelica Ballan, pddm For today's liturgy, we are presented with the scene of Mary and Mary who welcome the Lord into their house at Bethany. Mary ‘sat and listened’. This was the usual posture of a disciple of any teacher in the ancient world. However the disciples were usually male, so Mary must have been quietly breaking the rule that reserved study for males, not females. Maybe this was also a fact which irked Martha. She was not merely asking for help. She was also demanding that Mary keep to the traditional way of behaving. For years I used to think that this Gospel was something like the Enneagram or the Myer Briggs personality tests: "Am I ‘a Mary?" or "Am I a ‘Martha?".  Yep, I was convinced, I was a ‘Martha’, running around all the time doing bits and pieces. Making sure everyone has what they need, trying to anticipate what is happening next to make sure everything is ready. Martha was the micro-manag...

The Rise of the Roses National Tour will be making its fifth stop as it arrives at the Disciples of the Divine Master Convent, 8 Castle Street, Athlone, Co. Westmeath on the 11th of July 2015. The event begins at 2 pm in the beautiful Church of St. Peter and St. Paul's with a time of Eucharistic Adoration, song, silent prayer and intercessions. After that, we will head over to the Divine Master Convent for some tea and refreshments. All are welcome to join with us! We feel very blessed to be part of this adventure which is taking place throughout Ireland and are equally as blessed to have our Bishop present with us for the event. We will then have time to give you a little insight into our daily life and the mission that God calls us to carry out! Hear the sisters share the interesting ways that God called them to follow Him....no story is the same! The Lord has great creativity and a sense of humour! We look forward to an afternoon of good company and wonderful experiences of s...

We’re counting down the days to the visit of the Rise of the Roses National Tour to our community on the 11 th of July 2015!So what is Rise of the Roses? The girls write: “We are a group of girls who met through the Michaela Foundation- writing and delivering the faith element of the girls’ summer camps and retreats. Through our work we discovered a tremendous thirst for God amongst the young girls of Ireland. There is an eagerness to know God and a huge amount of energy and joy that is palpable when these young girls embrace their faith.We hope to visit 10 Convents all around Ireland on 10 consecutive Saturdays during the summer of 2015 from 13 th of June-15 th of August. We begin at St Brigid’s Shrine in Faughart, Co. Louth. St. Brigid directly influenced several other future saints of Ireland, and her many religious communities helped to secure the country's conversion to the Catholic faith. At each Convent we will invite young people and their families to joi...

"He will create beauty from the ashes. I know this. From the depths of my soul, I know this. Still, there are times I insist on doing it my way. I do it my way until an assaulting blow leaves me on my knees wondering if this is when he stops gluing together the pieces of my brokenness into something anew. I cry out to him and he pulls me into the shelter of his arms. With a gentle whisper he reminds me: My grace is enough for you: my power is at its best in weakness (2 Corinthians 12-9). He assures me of his promise through the example of Saints Peter and Paul. Through him, he teaches me his glory has no boundaries and love no limit. Without hesitation, Peter lays down his nets and steps off the boat when Jesus calls. Peter's love is deep-rooted and indisputable. And still, the beloved Peter denies him. Yet, with his faults and cracks, Peter is the rock he uses to build the Church. And Paul- Paul spat venom at believers and stood to watch while they were beaten and bruised. ...

Here is Sr. Kathryn's reflection on this Sunday's Gospel.  "Renewing Touches"- I have an attractive poster of a piano, a pink rose and a sheet of music. The following words are inscribed beneath the picture; Life is like a piano, it needs the Master’s touch . The word touch can be understood on many different levels. Physical touches can be light or heavy. We talk about being deeply touched and moved to tears. Whenever an artist restores something to its former beauty or we seek to add improvements to some aspect of our lives we talk in terms of retouching, restoring or renewing. As we pray today’s Gospel we might watch the touching scenes as they unfold. Jesus is deeply touched by the desperate plea of Jairus. When the woman with the haemorrhage reaches out and touches his cloak, Jesus knew that her touch was different, distinct from the touch of others. And then, there is the touching scene when Jesus takes the dead girl’s hand and restores ...

On the 15th of June 2014, our sister Sr. Paul went home to God. Today we celebrated with the Eucharist one year since her birth into eternal life. Below is the reflection I was asked to prepare for the occasion.  "I have been asked to share a little of my memories of Sr. Paul. Of course, the next few minutes is not going to do justice to the many gems which I carry as treasures as I remember with love Sr. Paul on this her first anniversary. There is a quote that reads: “Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” In true Irish fashion, we would say that Sr. Paul was a character, a character who was truly unique. Over this past year since she returned to God, we have heard so many stories about Sr. Paul. Stories which were also new to us, her sisters. They are stories of all the hidden good which she did, to those who were suffering, to those in need, to those who needed a kind word of enco...

I know I have blogged about Oscar Romero throughout the years but today, above all days, merits a blog post! Today, 23rd of May is the day when the Church proclaimed him as Blessed. Throughout history, the voice of the prophet is one of the vehicles through which God speaks to the community and to the world. Today, we commemorate one of these prophets. On the 24thof March 1980, 35 years ago, evil men in El Salvador tried to silence the voice of a prophet. Archbishop Romero gave his life, in the words of Pope John Paul II, “for the church and the people of his beloved country” of El Salvador. His death from an assassin’s bullet crowned a life of service as priest and bishop. I claim this date as being special to my life story because it was the month and the year that I was to grace the world. However God had another plan and myself being a little precocious, I arrived a little earlier on January 24th. It continues to be a day where I remember Archbishop Romero. His great motto was ...