Tag: Catholic

My May Column – Full Text

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On a Journey

When you read this I’ll have just returned from a trip to British Columbia. My wife and I have been visiting our son and his family. We were looking forward to seeing our two grandchildren in Canada (the parents as well but really the children.) We were not looking forward to the long flights. When you are on a journey for the first time it is interesting but after the first few times you just want to get there.

What makes a journey interesting is the people you meet. I don’t like beach holidays because I’m easily bored. Lying in the sun drives me mad. I prefer to be walking around in a new place, seeing strange buildings and hearing unfamiliar accents that make you strain to make out what they are saying.

When you travel by train or boat you have the opportunity to get up and move about. You can meet your fellow passengers and chat about where they are from and where they are off to. Some people have very interesting stories about their own background, the jobs they do and the reasons for their journey.

The buildings on Vancouver Island are mostly made of wood and low rise. That gives the places a different feel from Scotland. Even Saint Elizabeth’s church along the road could be mistaken for a shop from the outside. Inside, the altar clearly defines this as a church. There are no pews but comfortable chairs fill the space. The Mass is just the same as in Scotland but the lay parishioners play a much bigger role. Lay people welcome visitors, make announcements and invite everyone to stop at a makeshift cafe at the back of the church.

Seeing how other parishes use the space prompted me to think about how we can make our parishes more inviting. At Mass we were welcomed as Scottish visitors. The next day we met a Canadian couple who recognised us from the church. In conversation we discovered the wife was from Edinburgh. We knew where she was from and she knew where we are from. A link is made and stories are shared. Our day is somehow brightened and our experience is deepened.

Going away from home takes you away from your normal routine. You don’t have the normal chores to distract you. You don’t have all your things around you and you do have plenty of time to think. I find myself thinking about the new experiences​ I’ve had on my trip and making comparisons  with my normal life and the assumptions I make.

This is dangerous territory. Life is comfortable with my assumptions. I don’t have to think everything through and justify what I’m doing. Now I’m meeting other people who have different assumptions and may see things from a different perspective than mine. Sometimes I find that my assumptions are less than perfect and I can learn from others.

In the Mass the other day we heard the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. They were depressed because Jesus had been put to death and suddenly they were leaderless. They assumed that was the end. They assumed that Jesus had been stopped in his tracks and it was all over. That was a sensible assumption. They were so convinced by this assumption that they did not recognise Jesus when he joined them on the road.

Jesus gave them a different perspective and helped them to realise that they were wrong in their assumptions. They had thought that death was the end of our lives but now realised that life goes on in a way we do not understand. The risen Christ they encountered was not immediately recognised because he was somehow different. Our life after death will be similarly different.

I always thought it was a bit strange that those disciples could not recognise Jesus. They were not just passing on the road but walking along with Him. Now if I had been on that road surely I would have recognised Jesus? Perhaps not right away but when he spoke to me I would know who he was. Then again I wonder if I would really recognise Jesus when he spoke to me? Perhaps those disciples could not recognise Jesus because they assumed that he was gone for ever. Would I assume that I might meet Jesus on my journey? It never occurs to me that Jesus might meet me today.

Just like those disciples I assume that he has gone to Heaven and I will not be meeting him any time soon. That shows just how well I listened to what Jesus said. He promised to be with us for all time. I really should be expecting to meet Jesus on my way. Maybe I have and didn’t recognise him.

I think back to yesterday. Did I meet anyone who might have been Jesus? There was the bus driver, the girl in the coffee shop, the book shop assistant. Could any of them be Jesus? Perhaps he was one of the beggars on the street? If so, which one was he? I suppose he was the one I gave some change to. He did say ‘Whatever you do to the least of these you do to me.’

Now I’m thinking that if we can encounter Jesus in the people we meet I must change how I go about my day. I can’t wander around as if I’m among strangers but realise that Jesus is there to meet me in the people I encounter. More importantly, they will encounter Jesus in those they meet.

If they meet me do they find Jesus there? I think back to the people I met yesterday. Did the bus driver see anything in me that could have been an encounter with Jesus? Was there a smile, something in the way I thanked him or anything that could have, in a small way added to his day? In other words do I assume that I have nothing to contribute to those I meet or am I aware that as a Christian I must be Jesus to those I meet? Not just in the sign of peace at Mass but I must bring a sign of peace to everyone always.

Just think. Can you imagine how it would be if we met Jesus in everyone we encountered? How different the world would be if all our meetings were positive, life enhancing experiences. Just think how you and I could change the world if we really took Jesus’s teachings to heart. We just need to dump the assumption that we are only one, powerless person who can’t make a difference. We need to realise that we are all parts of the ‘body of Christ’ and together we have the task of bringing about the Kingdom here on Earth.

We are all, in a small way, Jesus. When you look in the mirror tomorrow morning just say ‘Good morning Jesus’ how are you going to change the world today?

Lent’s Over – My Column – Full Text

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This was published in The Scottish Catholic Observer on Friday 28th April 2017

Lent is over and we are now in Easter. I’ve had my glass of red wine and chocolate is now allowed in the house again. Getting to the end of Lent was a great feeling but was it all worth it? I thought I should review my Lenten efforts, just to see if I have achieved what I’d hoped for. Now I’m asking myself what I’ve done for Lent. Was it enough? Have I changed myself enough to make me think that it was worth it? I’m not sure about that and it forces me to have a look at who I am.

That makes me think of the television programme “Who do you think you are?” The television programme looks back at who your grandparents, great grandparents etc. were and what they achieved. I’m just going to look at myself.

I started school in the early fifties when we were still in rationing. The map of the world on the classroom wall was coloured with large swathes of red, the British Empire. We controlled a large part of the world and I was part of the ‘we’.  I was British.

I was a Catholic, part of the one true Church. I was definitely on God’s side and would eventually be welcomed into Heaven. That couldn’t be said for a large part of the world’s population. I was also Scottish, a member of the nationality that gave the world steam power, telephones and television (though I didn’t have one) as well as lots of other inventions. To crown it all I was of Irish descent. The blood in my veins was that of saints and scholars, bards and warlords. This was a powerful identity, not bad for a wee boy in short trousers.

Of course, in reality I was not really able to claim credit for any of this; much of which was entirely illusional. All of those red patches on the map have managed to break free and look after themselves. Much of the Scottish and Irish images have been tarnished when we look closer at them.

If I’m going to measure the success or otherwise of my Lenten efforts I need to look at myself now and see how I measure up. What standard can I use to measure myself against? Well, the only possible one is Jesus. My Lenten efforts were really about trying to become more like Him. The end of Lent is Easter and the Resurrection. Am I risen at Easter with a new life?

Now my problem is – just how can I compare myself to Christ? Jesus is the Son of God and has divine powers. I’m merely human, how can I measure up to Jesus? I suppose I can only aspire to copy His ways and see how well I compare to the way He lived on Earth.

One striking thing about Jesus was the way he saw things. He didn’t see people as others saw them. People saw criminals and sinners as people to be avoided or even punished. They thought of lepers and cripples, the blind and the deaf as sinners being punished. Jesus didn’t see it that way. He knew that the afflicted people were not sinners being punished but used their visible ailments to give a message about sinners. He showed that he could cure physical ailments as proof that he could, and would forgive sins.

Jesus saw the laws differently from the Jewish authorities. He was accused of breaking the law by curing people on the Sabbath. Who was he to defy the laws? Jesus’ message was that the laws are there to help us, not to get in our way.

How do I measure up against Jesus? How do I see criminals and sinners? I admit that I think criminals should be punished in order to protect the innocent. Surely that’s not the end of the story. Every criminal is someone who needs to be helped to change their ways. Prisons can only do so much to rehabilitate criminals. As the prison chaplain at HMP Shotts told me, many long term prisoners are released into a world that has changed drastically since they were locked up. They come out to a home that may no longer exist and find nobody they recognise. How much has your town changed in the last twenty years? How welcoming are we to those who have ‘paid their debt to society?’

I must stop seeing criminals and sinners and start to see people who may need sympathy and help. I need to see laws and rules as guides to help me live a good life, not barriers that can cut people off from me.

I need to begin to think like Christ. Jesus was sent here on a mission and that was what he thought about. He wasn’t thinking about building up a good carpentry business and becoming wealthy. He was thinking about our salvation; saving us from sin and eventual separation from God.

We have been sent here on a mission too. We need to think about that mission above all. Now I’m not saying that we should forget about the questions of the day, forget about voting, give up our jobs and wander into the wilderness like John the Baptist. We need to deal with the problems of our world, work, vote and raise our families. However, we must be able to look beyond all that. We need to raise our sights to our future. We will not be here forever. This is not our home. There is no point in building up bank accounts with millions we can never spend. We are her to bring souls to Jesus. Let’s get on with it.

That means we need to act like Jesus. I don’t think I’ll be working miracles, curing the sick, turning water into wine (red wine, preferably) and raising people from the dead. I do need to be open to all people. I need to recognise that I’m no better than the sinners of this world; I’m really a sinner too. I must not pretend that because their sin is obvious and well known my secret sins are ok.

I need to act like Jesus and treat good and bad alike. Above all I need to be open and honest about myself and others. The school where I taught had a motto which translated as “Speak out for justice.” Do I speak out for justice for the poor, the sick and the disabled? If I did would anybody listen?

When do I get the opportunity to have my voice heard? Well there is about to be just such an opportunity. A General Election has been called and I will have a voice through my ballot paper. This is my opportunity to see, think and act like Jesus. I need to look at what’s being offered, looking, like Jesus, beyond the rhetoric to find the truth about what the politicians actually do.

I need to think about how my vote can help bring about justice for the poor and those in need. I must examine the consequences of my vote. What will the result be and who will benefit?

I then need to act like Jesus and use my vote for the greater good, not for my own benefit alone. There is no easy answer to all of this but if we follow Jesus’ example we will not be looking for a selfish outcome but keep the needs of other in our minds.

To paraphrase Saint Pio, Pray, Hope and Vote.

Do Yo Think You Might Have a Vocation-Full Text

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This article was published in the Scottish Catholic Observer on Friday 24th February 2017.

The other day at Mass I learned it was the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It made me think of the number of feast days we have for Our Lady. I wondered why there were so many. Then I realised that she is the prime example of vocation. She was called by God for a special purpose and provides us with a template to follow.

When I was a wee boy we would often have visits from relations. There was often a wee auntie who would ask me if I thought I had a vocation.  My blank face would prompt the follow up question, “Would you like to be a priest?” In fact I was more interested in becoming a cowboy like the ones in the Saturday morning cinema.

We often pray for vocations. This has become more important in a time when every diocese is running with fewer and fewer priests and religious orders are dwindling. That’s the story in the rich countries but in Africa and Asia there is no shortage of vocations to the religious life.

I think vocation is not properly understood today. We might have the expectation of an angel appearing before us with a personal message from God and pointing us in His direction. I don’t think that happens. I have two cousins who are nuns. They were based in England when one of them was instructed to go to America to serve there. Realising that she might never be back here they both came to stay with us for a few days in order to visit family before departing.

My younger daughter, finding it hard to understand how someone could give up a life and happiness, was full of questions. One of the sisters explained that her parents had opposed her vocation. They asked her to wait for a year and during that time they showered her with ‘good things’, a car, fine clothes and so on. At the end of that year she gave it all up and entered the order.

My daughter was amazed to see that my cousin carried all her possessions in one small carry-on bag. She really has no worldly goods. Strangely, you will never encounter a happier person. She is content with a life serving the poor, a life with a purpose.

It seems a bit strange that some should be singled out for a life of purpose, a life that can bring fulfilment. But surely that is not the case. God sees a purpose in every life. How often have you been to a funeral Mass where someone reads out a list of the achievements of the deceased? I can remember listening to lists of successes in business, property and holidays. I have heard of how a person’s worth can be measured in terms of worldly success. I think they always miss the point.

There is nothing wrong with owning your own home, your car and the things you need for life’s requirements. However, I don’t think these things are your purpose in life. We are living in a society where accumulation of wealth is the measure of a person. Leaders of big businesses are awarded bonuses of millions of pounds each year. Footballers can be paid more in a week than most people earn in a year. The divide between rich and poor is becoming greater with every budget statement.

It seems to be all about money. We all need money to pay the bills, buy the food, clothes, and pay the rent. What about all the rest? Actually we see less and less of money. Bills are paid straight from the bank. Salaries go into the bank. The money, for the most part, is just a number on a statement. I think that’s why billionaires buy large yachts moored in the Mediterranean and rarely used and large houses that nobody ever lives in. It’s the only way they can see their wealth. Adding a few zeroes on their bank account doesn’t convey any sense of richness. Having something concrete, even if they never use it, can reassure them that they are a success.

Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest men of the nineteenth century, is quoted as saying “A man who dies rich dies disgraced.”  Carnegie gave away his fortune to build libraries and invest in universities because he realised that the accumulation of wealth for its own sake was meaningless. So what does give meaning to our lives? We can look to doctors and nurses who treat the sick and sustain life and see a real purpose. In looking to others who serve we often use the term vocation again. So it’s not just priests and religious who have a vocation. In fact we all have a vocation; we are all called by God for one purpose or another.

I remember reading an article about public health where the author pointed out that it’s not doctors and nurses who save most lives. It’s the men who build and maintain the sewerage systems who do most in the fight against disease. Just look to countries where there are no sewage systems for confirmation of that. This is repeated throughout human endeavour. Famous architects are credited with the building of iconic buildings but not a stone would be laid on a stone without the skilled artisans who bring plans to reality. Nothing happens without those unnamed, uncelebrated people who work.

In reality we all have a vocation, perhaps more than one. We are all created for a purpose. Human society is like a building and we are the bricks that make it up. Some parts of the building are seen and others are hidden from view but the fanciest bit of carved stone on a facade is no more important that the stones hidden in the foundations. Without the hidden foundations the building would soon collapse.

Perhaps we should stop praying for vocations and start praying for discernment. We all have a vocation but mostly we don’t recognise it. If we can’t see the vocation we can’t respond to it. But the implications of what I’m saying go further than that. We are all called by God for a purpose. That may be a calling to be a husband or wife, parent to children. That is a sacred calling and should be treated as such. We are scandalised to hear of a priest who does not take his vocation seriously but seldom apply the same standards to our own vocation.

So let’s start praying for the ability to recognise our vocation for what it is. Let’s start living out each day as a sacred calling where everything we do for each other is part of God’s plan for mankind. Taking this seriously brings us grace in everything we do. The morning offering prayer we learned as a child is simply a recognition of this.

I need to concentrate on doing what I do well. I can forget any dreams of playing for Celtic and scoring the winning goal. Any glory I will achieve will be in the simple things I do each day for my fellow humans, done in God’s name.

My New Year’s Resolution – Full Text

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The following article was published in the Scottish Catholic Observer on Friday 27th january 2017.

Well, I’ve just about recovered from Christmas and New Year. I hope you have too. I really enjoyed Christmas this time. I found the liturgy very uplifting and I think it made me think about family. Christmas is that kind of feast. This has been a strange Christmas. I could say 2016 has been a strange year. Looking back on it we might see it as the ‘Post Truth’ year. The simple truth in our Christmas celebration was a welcome break in that.

Christmas has had a struggle to keep its identity. What we know as the birth of the Saviour has become a commercial binge time. We seem to have gone from giving simple gifts as a sign of our caring to running up debt to splash out on stuff nobody really needs. Even here truth is being pushed out of the way. They even want to remove the word Christmas. They say we could be insulting people by wishing them ‘Happy Christmas’. Well, I’ve been insulted from time to time but never by anyone wishing me well.

The New Year celebrations are a different thing. I suppose I’ve never really understood what there is to celebrate about getting older, counting off the years ‘till it’s time to go. It’s the tradition of New Year resolutions that bother me. The one good thing about this is being forced to have a look at your life and figure out what you should do to improve it. That’s not as easy as it sounds and keeping resolutions beyond the first week in January is even harder. I’ll come back to that later.

Both celebrations involve getting together with family. That always raises the question of who is your family. You may have family who live so far away you rarely see them, weddings and funerals, that’s when you might catch up with them. I have cousins I would not recognise if I met them in the street. That might be because they live on the other side of the world or maybe just the other side of Glasgow.

That brings me to something I noticed in the readings this year. In one Gospel reading I noticed that John the Baptist did not recognise Jesus.

Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, “Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.

John 1:29, 34

Now I’m not sure whether John did not recognise his cousin Jesus or had not recognised that he was the Messiah. I don’t suppose it matters since John had recognised that his role in life was to prepare the way of the Lord. He did this by preaching and baptising.

John was popular among the people. He was not popular among those in authority. He was not popular among the powerful because by preaching simple truths he exposed the corruption at the heart of the authorities. That has a familiar feel to me. I have recently felt that my religious views do not fit in with those in authority. My views on Christian marriage are deemed to be homophobic and one politician has recently suggested that by not agreeing with the law of the land I must be breaking the law.

It seems to me that we are the problem because we look to an authority that is not the government, the press or the pundits. We look to God as the source of truth. That truth seems to be more and more in conflict with the law of the land. We Christians are a problem because we are casting doubt on the veracity of man-made laws. Who should we look to for the truth?

This is not a new problem. When Jesus stood before Pilate he made plain the place of truth.

“I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.” “Truth?” said Pilate “What is that?”.

John 18: 37, 38

As Pilate showed by his question, truth and politics do not always mix. As we have seen recently that is often still the case.

 

John recognised Jesus in his role a Messiah rather than a cousin. Some things are more important than blood ties. Our real family is God’s family. We call God Our Father and we refer to Mary as our mother. We are part of that family whose purpose is to bear witness to the truth. In a sense we are to continue the work of John the Baptist in preparing the world to meet Jesus.

John the Baptist has been described as a wild looking fellow with wild hair, dressed in animal skins and living in the desert foraging for food. He had removed himself from society and its trappings to point out where it was going wrong.

Now I have been described as a bit of a scruffy dresser. My hair, when I still had some, was never described as being stylish. I don’t think that puts me in the same class as John the Baptist but perhaps I should be taking a leaf out of his book. I could be argued that rather than being annoyed by politicians rejecting my views, I should really be pleased. Perhaps I’m doing something right?

The past year has shown us politicians both here and in America making up truths as they went along. When challenged they rejected the idea that they should believe in truth but claimed that truth was what they believed. Commentators have pointed out that Donald Trump’s supporters accepted him because he said what they believed, whether there was any evidence to support it or not.

Who should we believe? Those who promise us hundreds of millions to be spent on the NHS every week rather than sending it to Europe (and then deny saying it) or Jesus who gave his life for the truth? I think we now have a clear purpose. We should be proclaiming the truth to a society that seems to have lost the very concept of truth. We need to continue to reject falsehood and lies. We should be seen as the new John the Baptist.

Of course that will make us unpopular in official circles. We can take reassurance from that Jesus said that the world hated him and so it will hate us too. The world crucified Jesus so we must be doing something right if we are rejected too.

That might give me the answer to my New Year’s Resolution problem. I could resolve to be just like John the Baptist and insist on the truth, reject the lies our society increasingly relies on and take the consequences. I won’t be moving out to the desert (some might suggest that Coatbridge is a good substitute) nor will I be dressing in animal skins. I wonder if we could make a difference. Perhaps if we habitually pointed out the truth when we are presented with lies the message might get through.