Sunday Newsletter

Masses Today

6.30: Mary Mahoney, (Anniv).
11.00: Deceased members of the Augustinian Choir; (RIP)
6.30: Martin Kilkelly, (Anniv).

AS I WAS SAYING.....

Time is running out for her. She is sitting at lunch with her friend Sinead when she casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family".

What she means is that her biological clock is ticking and has begun its final countdown. "We're taking a survey," she says, half joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

Sinead and herself had been classmates for 14 years. Because of family circumstances they had gone their separate ways at Third Level. But they kept in close contact. In fact they had been bridesmaids at each other's wedding. Sinead began her family almost immediately. Her eldest was now in her mid-teens.

"Having a baby will change your life," Sinead said carefully, keeping her tone neutral. "I know," she says, "no more sleeping in at weekends, no more flying off to the sun at the drop of a hat!"

But that is not what Sinead meant at all. She looked at her friend, trying to decide what to tell her. She wanted her to know stuff that she would never learn in those prenatal classes. She wanted to tell her that while the physical wounds of childbearing would heal, nonetheless becoming a mother would leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will be forever vulnerable. Sinead considered warning her that she will never read a newspaper again without asking, "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

Sinead looked carefully at her friend's beautifully manicured nails and stylish suit. "No matter how sophisticated she is," Sinead thought to herself, "becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. The urgent call of 'Mom!' will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moment's hesitation."

No matter how many years she has invested in her career, Sinead thought to herself, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think about her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of her discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.

Everyday decisions will no longer be routine. That a five-year-old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonalds will become a major dilemma. Right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that bathroom. But Sinead kept those thoughts to herself. Everyone else does.

Happy Mother's Day, and, by the way, thanks for everything, (life included)!

-Dick Lyng

Items of Interest

Public Phase of Fundraising

Today we launch the Public Phase of our Fundraising Campaign. Thanks to the fine work of our Fundraising Team, we already have just over 70% of the target figure of €3.7 million raised. It remains to the rest of us to gather in the outstanding €400,000.

Fr. Lyng will give a brief talk the Masses this weekend. It is imperative that we get sufficient volunteers to 'shepherd' this stage of the Fundraising Programme to a happy conclusion. We will need 40 to 50 people if this is to be done well. We stress that this is not a life time job but will require attending a meeting tomorrow night, Monday March 27th in the Augustinian Priory at 8.00pm. All will be explained at that meeting! It will last no longer than one hour. Our professional fund-raisers, Simon Williams and Niamh Donlon, will clearly explain what is required.

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 this fundraising campaign . If you wish to help, please let me know as soon as possible or contact the project office on: 091 567942

HOLY WEEK MEETING:

Palm Sunday, April 9th, is just two weeks away now. You will appreciate that the Holy Week ceremonies are very complex and, if they are to be done well, they do really need to be rehearsed.

The community selected the celebrants for the various Liturgies at a House Meeting during the week. They will line out as follows:

We will hold a meeting in the Church on Saturday, April 8th at the following times: 11.30 for Good Friday Ceremonies; 12.00 noon for Mass of the Lord's Supper; and 12.30 for rehearsal of the Easter Vigil. Meanwhile, would you please indicate to one of the three Principal Celebrants the particular Ceremony you will wish to be involved with.

Given our small numbers, duplication may well be required. In other words, if you are able and free, you may wish to help out on more than one of the days.

Mother's Day

Mother's Days are celebrated on different dates around the world. In most countries, Mother's Day is a new concept copied from western civilization. In many African countries, it has its origins in copying Britain. In most of East Asia, Mother's Day is a heavily commercialised concept copied straight from Mother's Day in the USA. The vast majority of countries celebrate it on some day during May. Among them: Albania, South America, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, South Africa, Spain, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United States, Poland, Bolivia, Sweden, and Haiti. The UK and ourselves stand fast for the 4th Sunday of Lent.

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