Novena 2008

What have Francis Xavier and Michael Flatley get in common?

They both show us what to do by living it themselves. Michael Flately cannot tell us how to dance - he shows us. Francis Xavier did not only preach the Word of God - he lived it everyday of his 46 years on earth.

The flip side of sorrow is love.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is the greatest gift that the Catholic Church offers us. When we tell our story and are truely sorry, it is therapeutic, it lifts the weight from our shoulders and sends us home knowing that we are forgiven.

In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we encounter God and open ourselves to His love. With every encounter with God, we grow in faith, in stature and in our own capacity to love.

Who is my neighbour in Ireland today, in Dublin today?

In the spirit of the Gospel of the Good Samaritan, we are called to be neighbours to everyone we meet - friend and stranger, the neighbour next door and the neighbour miles away. We are invited to give time to help others through parish and community groups - helping others in small and simple ways.

We are invited to be beacons for others, helping to bring them safely along on their journey of life - a beacon for others, just as the moon reflected on the cliffs is a beacon helping to bring fishermen home safely.

What are the influences of faith in your life?

We are responsible for the vocation crisis and it is up to each of us to turn it round by encouraging and influencing children. Let the children know how important God is in their life. Be a witness of God in the lives of those around us.

We have to pray for vocations. God is calling people all the time, but it is not always easy to respond to this call.

What did Francis Xavier have to teach us about youth?

When he travelled to the Far East, he did not impose his own way on the people. He took time to learn about their traditions, language and music. With these new skills, he was able to spread the word of God in a language that they could understand. For the youth, we need to communicate the words of Jesus in their language. We are called to welcome young people. As a parent loves all her children in different ways but equally, we are called to welcome everyone in different ways but equally.

How does Lent work for us?

Lent works by helping us face our failures. It is a time for prayer, fasting and giving of our time to others ... or maybe giving from our pockets to others.

We can take this time to discover our failings, those broken parts of us that are in need of repair - a chance to face up to who we really are.

With only two weeks to go to Easter, we can bring our broken-ness to God - we can bring our sins to God.

Even though we all slip back into our old ways, ask yourself
What practice can I take with me from this Lent?

Prayer is the soil where faith grows and deepens.

Faith today is the relationship with God we are called to live in the present context. Many years ago we identified faith with the numbers attending church services, but today, faith is seen as the belief in God's love for each and every one of us. It is timeless. It is not about numbers but about a quality of relationship with God. It is the trust God has in us and the trust we have in God.

When we think about faith as a journey, the journey is as important at the destination. When we are born, we enter the world blind, but through baptism, our eyes are opened to God.

Love brings us to faith, and faith is the pathway that leads to God. It is a freely given gift from God.

Health is our wealth.

Sickness will knock at our door at some time. Society does not want to know about sickness though. Glossy magazines promote the perfect image, perfect body, perfect clothes. But behind all this we hear about addictions, illnesses and broken relationships.

Ministry to the sick has difficult times as well as very happy times. It's great to see people going home well at the end of their stay in hospital. We can see great dignity in those who are sick. Pope John Paul II showed us this during his times of illness, particularly during his final illness.

We can find Jesus in those who suffer - and Jesus is not blind to us in our suffering. The Church offers the Sacrament of the Sick to help us and all are invited to join in this celebration this evening.

In our Gospel we hear about the cleansing of the Ten Lepers, but only one came back to say thanks. People with leprosy had to live apart from the rest of society and cried out 'unclean' when people came close.

How would you have felt if suddenly your skin had been made clean? Would you have been the one to go back and say thanks? How often do you thank Jesus in your prayer?

Often, Jesus is forgotten when times are good, but when a crisis hits, he is the first to hear all about it. He is taken for granted by most of us.

Often, though, a simple 'thank you' can make such a difference. When we aren't thanked, we often feel rejected, used, put-upon, taken for granted and worse. But when we are thanked, our spirits are lifted and we are encouraged.