All posts by 3 churches

The Pope in Albania

newsletter, ,

News came this week that Pope Francis is going to pay a one day visit to Albania on September 21st. Flying out at 7.30am he will be greeted at Tirana airport by the Prime Minister, and go on to meet the President, and other authorities. At 11am Francis will celebrate Mass in a square, and this will be followed by the Angelus. Lunch will be with the bishops of Albania, and then he will greet leaders of other religions and denominations. At 5pm Pope Francis will celebrate Evening Prayer (Vespers) with priests, religious, seminarians and members of lay movements at the Cathedral, and go straight on to visit a children’s hospital, flying back to Rome at 8pm. Now, two things occur to me about all this. First, I don’t know about you, but I feel exhausted just reading the schedule of this 77 year old man. And not only will he be moving around all day from place to place, but he will have all that attention on him, and speeches to make at the relevant times. Phew!

But also, what an amazing choice of destination. Albania must be one of the least known countries of Europe. By going there, Francis continues his policy of visiting the least obvious places. While it’s true that Francis is not the first Pope to visit – St John Paul went there too – it’s fascinating that he chooses Albania ahead of France or Germany or the great cities of Italy itself… On a holiday in Corfu 20 years ago, I took a boat trip across to Albania just for the day. It was pretty horrifying – very, very poor and depressing. We must remember that Albania is the only country to have banned all religion. All signs of Christianity were completely removed. Our guide showed us a battered wrought iron cross on a ruined church, proudly telling us that “they missed that one”. That was already five years after the Berlin Wall came down, but Albania was only just starting to emerge from its darkness… Now the population is 10-16% Catholic – somewhat higher than Wales, and they have five dioceses. Still beset by the effects of its appalling regime under Enver Hoxha, it is slowly getting there.

They are particularly proud that Mother Teresa was ethnically Albanian, and it will be at Mother Teresa Airport that Pope Francis lands on 21st September. And at Mother Teresa Square that he celebrates Mass. What a journey Albania has made and is continuing to make. From an atheistic state to a papal visit. For indeed nothing is impossible to God.

Fr Matthew 

Prayers of St Ignatius

newsletter, , , , ,

Founder of the Jesuits, Feast Day Thursday

Abandonment

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours;  do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace.
That is enough for me.

Generosity

Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labor and not to ask for reward,
save that of knowing that I do your will.

In the darkness

O Christ Jesus
When all is darkness
And we feel our weakness and helplessness,
Give us the sense of Your Presence,
Your Love and Your Strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
In Your protecting love
And strengthening power,
So that nothing may frighten or worry us,
For, living close to You,
We shall see Your Hand,
Your Purpose, Your Will through all things.

Fr Matthew

Works in progress

newsletter

Our schools close at this time of year for the annual summer break. I’ve celebrated end of year Masses at Corpus Christi over the past two weeks. As I watch children and young people move on, I’ve been particularly aware this year of how we are never finished on our way through life. We are always, as I said at Christ the King, “works in progress”.

The children have a natural awareness of this as they slowly grow, change shoe sizes, need bigger clothes, change schools and so on. They seemed a little more surprised to realise that it’s the same for grown-ups. Admittedly this has been a little clearer this year in our schools as Christ the King is saying goodbye to Headteacher Patrick Affley and his family, and Corpus Christi has bid farewell to acting Headteacher Mr David Cushion and twelve
other teaching staff.

But I think it’s something that we all need to remember – that we are all works in progress. This is a consoling thought. When we mess up, feel inadequate or fail, we can step back, see the bigger picture, and move on. It’s also a humbling thought, and we need to hear that, too, from time to time. That day when we think we have got it made, that we have really arrived, achieved our goals and reached our targets, is probably the day before we fall apart…

I think the Old Testament image of the potter and the clay captures this very well. When the clay wobbles or even collapses, the potter simply starts again, not discarding the clay but learning how to do it better. Even if the clay flies right off the turntable, the experienced hand of the potter will lift it back onto the wheel of life so that a new start can be made.

So let us be patient with one another. That pesky person, that annoying neighbour or colleague, that awkward parishioner, is a work in progress. And so are you.

Fr Matthew