Sunday Newsletter

Masses Today

6.30: Kenneth Owen, (Anniv).
11.00: Paddy Melia, (Anniv).
6.30: Agnes Beatty, (Anniv).

As I Was Saying...

A greater number visit the Church during the month of November than at any other time. The 'Tree of Life' with the 'prayer cards' for the dead has proved very popular. No other para-liturgical exercise has commended such interest. What does this tell us about our religion and the deepest needs of our people?

A belief in the afterlife, however nebulous, is as ancient as it is persistent. The belief pre-dated Christ. He may have clarified what was a vague belief, but he didn't introduce it. In fact, some of the world's most precious treasures and monuments owe their existence to this pre-christian belief: our own 'House of the Dead' at Newgrange, the Terracotta warriors in China, the vast tombs of the Pharaohs, the tombs of the Inca warriors in Peru, to name but a few. It is ironic that a belief in the next life has so enhanced this one.

A widespread custom in Peru was to bury the bodies of the dead Incas with all of their most prized possessions and with their most beautiful and best-loved women. They believed in the immortality of the soul and it was common to find magnificent tombs where the dead men were buried with their possessions, women and servants, and a great quantity of food and wine, along with their weapons and ornaments.

Perhaps the most famous 'treasure' of this type is the Egyptian pharaoh, Tutankhamen. He died in his late teens and remained at rest in Egypt's Valley of the Kings for over 3,300 years. His tomb was discovered in 1922. It was very well preserved and filled with thousands of valuable artifacts. Like the Incas of Peru, the Egyptians buried their dead with food, clothing, jewellery, and so on. It was not uncommon for affluent Egyptians to take statues to the tomb with them, representing servants who would serve their departed relatives in the afterlife.

It is remarkable that the terracotta warriors of China should serve a similar function in the case of the Chinese Emperor.

Tutankhamen was relatively insignificant king. He was after all only 18 years of age. in fact, when he died, his tomb was soon buried under the later tombs of more important pharaohs. But he is now the most famous survivor of ancient history. His sole importance lies in the fact that he was found!

On Thursday last, the Tutankhamen exhibition opened in London's former Millennium Dome. Millions are expected to visit. How ironic then that he should be put on show in one of the most spectacular, expensive and grandiose failures of all time! It had been inspired by ambition and extravagance, and it had all the abiding substance of a balloon. The only substantial thing about it was the cost: a cool £800 million.

Let's fast forward a thousand years. Somewhere in the world in 3007, there will be a Tutankhamen exhibition. And Catholics will still be visiting churches in droves during November. But the Dome will have long ago disappeared! Not only did belief in the afterlife cross all cultural boundaries, but it took on remarkably similar shapes in very diverse cultures. It has deep roots in the collective consciousness of the human race. Like Tutankhamen, belief in the afterlife is eternal!

-Dick Lyng

The Christmas Programme

We drew up a Programme for Advent and Christmas at our Steering Committee meeting on Thursday night last. Outlined below are the Seasonal Highlights!

Neil Warner's Offer

Neil Warner's Vouchers are available at the back of the Church today. Neil is offering a full studio shoot for the special price of a €35 donation to the Augustinian Church Project. 100% of this goes to the church fund. (The normal price is €65). This shoot can be for one person or as many as you like. It is aimed at families, really. So the vouchers will be available here next Sunday. Also, some paid the money last year and didn't avail of the shoot. You are now invited to cash in the voucher this year.

Wedding Bells

John Glynn's hitherto tranquil life took a rather turbulent turn on Friday last when he married his girlfriend of long standing, Galway woman, Sinead O'Brien. The marriage took place in St. James' Church, Bushypark. It was conducted by Rt. Rev. Mgr. John O'Boyle, cousin of the bride. He was sometimes assisted (but more often hindered) by an undecorated parish priest from, apparently, some Galway city parish. Margaret Duggan sang while Audrey Corbett provided the music.

The Bride wore a full length cream ivory dress, with low back curving down under the shoulder. Attached was a small but useful train which the bridesmaid manipulated with great dexterity. The groom was encased in a sober suit.

The wedding reception was hosted at the Glynn family home, Mount Eden, in Kingston. There the organisers had erected a marquee of Croke Park dimensions, designed to confine the potentially unruly guests in a manageable area. About one hundred and fifty guests attended, in various stages of disrepair. Among them were some old neighbours of the Glynn family from Long Walk. The mother of the Groom, Dolores, was resplendent in purple with matching sprigs of Connemara heather. She seemed to enjoy herself thoroughly through the entire proceedings.

Copious speeches were delivered, ably assisted by equally long drafts of good wine. And, like the wine itself, the speeches tended to improve as the night lengthened. This scribe left the gathering in a confused state at an early hour. He was delivered to his own door by the Master of Ceremonies for the evening. The said MC has a low tolerance for a fine singing voice.

We wish John and Sinead a long life and great happiness together.

Top

Valid HTML 4.01 Strict