I took this photo during the week as I drove over the side of Mushera mountain, better known locally as the Butter Road. It is at this time of year, that the mountain creates long shadows as the low sun cannot shine over it. It is also a gentle reminder that in life there is always a mixture of light and darkness. One cannot avoid both. We do our best to be a person of light and share the light. We also hold the light for someone when they are in a place of darkness. We all play a part.
Sunday Homily for today Sunday November 23rd
There was only one King in the news all week long and that was Troy Parrott. The 3 goals he scored for Ireland last Sunday against Hungary have been shown many times especially the goal that was scored in the 96th minute and the wild celebrations after. It was such a good news story for November and I think everybody soaked up the good news story with great joy. Right now we can look forward to next March and as they say anything is possible!
Today’s feast day of Christ the King marks the end of the Church’s calendar year and Advent begins next Sunday. In Cork, you have Turner’s Cross Parish and their church is called Christ the King and the local girls secondary school is also called Christ the King.
But other than that it’s a title we hear very little about and if we do it’s a title that doesn’t really connect with peoples lives. When we think of a King we think of pomp and ceremony. This is not what we think of when we talk about Jesus. The only word that mattered to Jesus was love. He never forced but always invited people to live their lives built on kindness and love.
If a King is special, then Jesus is special because his kingdom is built on the beautiful values of compassion, kindness, love, words of thanks and encouragement, walking with someone in their darkness, holding the light in their darkness when there are no words and just being there for someone in their moment of need.
Today’s feast of Christ the King is put before us this weekend as a sign of hope. Nothing can ever extinguish light, love and the hope that these can bring. But so often they can get lost in the waves of negative news that keep sweeping in.
Finally the Irish word for a King is Rí. Irish words get across their meaning so much better. Rí in old Irish culture is a leader who protects his people, someone who guides the community and someone who led the way with a vision of love, care and kindness.
This to me sums up what today’s feast is all about. Jesus as our Rí is the one who protects us, guides us and is the one who leads us through all of life’s darkness and complexities.
(All of the above is updated daily)
Video 🎥
This one is called ‘Always drawn to God’s light’🙏
If you would like to see a selection of my other videos on Youtube you can click this link here. https://www.youtube.com/@JamesMcSweeneyFr/videos
Thought For The Week
‘No river can return to its source’ ~Native American Proverb
Stories of flooding have been shared throughout the week just gone, mainly due to the heavy rain that fell as part of Storm Claudia.
Flood waters have always had a deeper meaning. They are symbolic of those things that are outside our control. They are symbolic of those times in our lives when we are helpless and feeling lost. Even the poetic story of Noah and the flood has negative vibes. The story has often mistakenly been interpreted as God destroying and punishing. The story of Noah’s ark in the flood is actually symbolic of God’s care and protection in a time of crisis and uncertainty.
The rainbow that followed was symbolic of hope, new beginnings and a better future. In the world we live in today it seems that hope filled stories and new beginnings are very scarce indeed. Negativity seems to be the dominant energy.
It is time to reclaim a sense of hope and embrace new beginnings. A stream or a river can never return to its source. It is always moving forward into new spaces and new directions. If it tries to remain still, it just pours out and floods. We pray for God’s guidance and direction, as we embrace new pathways and new beginnings in our lives, both personally and spiritually.
Thought For The Week is updated each Monday
