Posts by Joe McDonald (Page 5)

TO: PARISHIONERS OF ST PATRICK’S & ST BRIGID’S, CELBRIDGE & STRAFFAN FROM: BART, ( A LESSER KNOWN!! ) it is so hard to find words for this the two greatest extremes in my life the cruellest and most crushing of disappointments and within a few days a boundless joy that really defies words these few years have been exciting, frightening and beautiful and so much more long periods away from home out on the road watching him in action and…

What a fall!  That was a real fall from grace.  He used to be flavour of the month.  She could do no wrong.  Everything she touched turned to gold. Local boy makes good. These, and many more we could add,  are all examples of statements we use to describe or evaluate each other. However,  more than this,  far be it a harmless neutral summing up of the other, such statements tend to be somewhat dismissive of the other. Worse still, …

The notion of prayer and fasting is far from new. In fact, even though I am very interested in the role of both, prayer and fasting, in the life of Jesus, the reality is that both were being practiced by others for many years before that. My initial idea of the ‘desert day’ was for myself and a few priests that I shared it with. It then expanded to something that might be beneficial to anyone in ministry. I am…

I was brought up on movies. Actually the movies are in my genes. I have the world of films in my blood. Now before you go wondering what great acting dynasty do I belong to, let me explain. My mother went from school to work in the ticket office in the old cinema near us at home. This is back before omniplex and multi screen and 3D. It was when they were called picture houses. At this stage my Dad,…

Lent seems an opportune moment to explore the burden of Jesus. The Pope said recently that Lent was a great time to come home. I think this was what got me thinking. The idea of coming home, of returning to what is important, to re – focus is of course very much part of the Lenten journey. Apart from the specifics of giving up something or doing something special for Lenten, my overall hope is that by the time I…

I arise today in a mighty strength, calling upon the Trinity, believing in the Three Persons, saying they are One, thanking my Creator. The sirens dance and flood late into the night. Casualty Departments, groaning beyond capacity, the young guard stabbed trying to separate two drunken ‘friends’! I think we often forget he came to us twice. The one we now call our National Saint, Our Patron! Indeed our parish patron, together with Brigid, Patrick. The first time he came…

It’s a great phrase ‘Did you get Mass?’ Often its thrown in as a question or sometimes offered as another box ticked in a list of ‘things to do’: ‘I was in such a flurry, so many things to do, but thankfully I managed to ‘get’ Mass’. It would be silly to make a big deal of this because it’s just a manner of speaking but this and a few other things combined got me thinking. Somebody said to me…

I think I’ll give up apples for Lent! I guess to most people this immediately sounds a bit wacky. I mean if I loved apples such a statement might have some merit. The truth of the matter is I rarely eat an apple. I know I should. I mean we all know, myself included, eating apples would be a lot more healthy than eating…say… pancakes. A lot less fun. More healthy, but less fun. Yes when it comes to apples…