Sunday Newsletter

Masses Today

6.30: Seamus Breathnach, (Anniv).
11.00: Christopher & May Deacy, (Anniv).
6.30: Sean Fahy, (Anniv).

AS I WAS SAYING.....

World Book Day 2006 was celebrated earlier this month in over 30 countries. Since the Augustinian motto is "Tolle Lege" ('Take up and read'), I suppose we should at least nod in the general direction of that celebration!

To mark the day, a poll was commissioned (by some publishing house or other) to identify the kind of ending that their readers favoured. 41% wanted a happy ending. Only 2.2% preferred a sad one. The popular ('literature-lite') American author Adele Parks made her position quite clear. "I think my readers deserve happy endings: there's enough grimness to deal with without adding to it." William Boyd ('literature-as-serious-stuff') begged to differ: he argued that authentic literature must 'take on the burden of grimness'. Otherwise, it is mere escapism. (While he didn't actually say it, it was obvious that he has Ms. Parks in mind!) Happy endings lead us into the realm of fantasy, romance and fairy tale, as he put it, which he disliked.

One of the problems with people's perception of the Christian faith is that they think it does offer easy happy endings both for ourselves and history. So they dismiss it as so much fantasy, romance and fairy tale. The evils of the 20th century and the continuing terrible state of the world today, together with Freud's exposure of the power of wishful thinking, would seem to support Iris Murdoch discomforting contention that "all that consoles is fake". We remain deeply suspicious of happy endings. We suspect that in a cruel world they just can't be real.

In fact, Christianity has never offered a happy ending: rather it has emphasised the inescapable tragic dimension to life: 'Take up your cross daily.' It is to this aspect of Christianity that we turn during Lent: the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Like it or not, that is historic Christianity.

Those who 'enjoy' a Shakespearean tragedy often find they have experienced something strange and paradoxical. They have watched terrible things happen but they come out of the theatre more conscious of the preciousness of life and the immense value of the human endeavour. It's that paradoxical experience of tragedy that gives us an insight into the Christian understanding of life. We can find meaning in and through tragedy, not just when things are going our way.

Of course Christian faith does offer hope: hope that the divine benign wisdom will win through. This is the hope pledged at Easter. But this hope isn't simply a happy ending tacked on to an otherwise sad tale! It is a glimpse into the truth of things that we can discern even more strongly when things are going badly than when they are going well - and when we still strive to live humanely. If our Christian faith consists of frantically turning the pages in our eagerness to find that happy ending, then we are indulging in escapism. But authentic Christianity embraces the burden of history. Meanwhile, again, "Tolle Lege!"

-Dick Lyng

Items of Interest

Public Phase of Fundraising

You were alerted last week to the fact that we are about to launch the Public Phase of our Fundraising Campaign. In fact the 'appointed day' is Sunday next, March 26th. Thanks to the sterling efforts (no pun intended!) of our Fundraising Team, we already have just over 70% of the target figure of €3.7 million already raised. It remains to the rest of us to gather in the outstanding €400,000.

We are looking for volunteers to assist with this phase of the Fundraising Programme. This is not a life time job but will require attending a meeting on Monday March 27th in the Augustinian Priory. There this stage of the campaign will be explained in all its horrific detail! The meeting will last approximately one hour.

Simon Williams and Niamh Donlon, DWP (the professional fundraisers we engaged at the beginning of this campaign) will clearly explain what is required on the evening. The commitment is for two to three evenings over a two week period. You will have no big job of 'selling' to do. All that will have been done beforehand. Volunteers are fundamental to the success of the final part of the fundraising required for The Augustinian Project. If you wish to help, please let me know as soon as possible or contact the project office on: 091 567942

Unfinished Business

While the Church renovation Project is officially completed, there is (as in all major projects such as this) a fairly extensive 'Snag List'. Sitting rather uncomfortably on top of that notorious list are the statues and Church shrines.

Many of you have remarked on the forlorn demeanour of some of the statues, and the deserted appearance of some of the shrines.

The Dublin company that normally maintained the shrines are at present engaged constructing new candelabra units and adjusting the old units to the new circumstances. Many of the statues themselves must be repositioned. (For example, it was never our intention that the Pieta statue would end up on the floor!). Lighting too must be readjusted and, in some cases, renewed.

We are assured that much of this work will be completed by the end of March. The Mother of Good Counsel shrine should be 'ship-shape' for the beginning of her annual Novena on Easter Tuesday, April 18th.

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