Brittas Bay near Wicklow along the southeast coast of the Irish Sea. And no, I did not arrange the stones like that.
Apologies for the delay in posting photos… took me a while to wade through them and get a few cropped down. I admit that I took just a fraction of the amount of photos I normally take, as I visited some familiar sites and spent some days sans camera so that I could walk/hike and not worry about carrying it. Over a couple of posts, I’ll touch on a couple of places I visited as well as the monastic city ruins at Glendalough, which was down the street from where I stayed.
Remnants of a cross more than 1,000 years old near the shore of the upper lake at Glendalough in Co. Wicklow.
Since arriving back a couple of weeks ago, I’ve wondered what it is about Ireland that speaks so close to my heart. There’s the green, the beautiful accent, the underdog, fighting spirit of the people, their kindness and openness to strangers, the music (oh the music!) and, of course, the rich Catholic history … As our plane broke through the early morning clouds near Dublin Airport and I got my first glimpse of the island (always a sacred moment for me), I wondered what it must have been like for St. Patrick to arrive in Ireland and begin his ministry there. The church was pretty much unknown and he often risked his life to preach the Gospel. It took miracles and acts of great love to convert local leaders and their communities. How different is that reality today? While Christianity is entrenched in Irish culture, it is not a popular topic these days. The Masses I attended had a decidedly older crowd and it was rare when I read mentions of the church in the press that it wasn’t portrayed as dying, out of touch (particularly with sexual morality) and abusive with power. That sounds a lot like how some media portray the U.S. church, too… like it’s an evil corporation and not a hospital for wounded souls. As practicing Catholics, we’re entering hostile territory every day once we leave our homes. So how do we deal with it? Jesus teaches us to win every soul over with love and hope, but sometimes I wonder just what does that mean?
- A brief stop through Arklow on the way to the coast.
Imagine my surprise as, upon flying home Oct. 12, I spent some time flipping through my Magnificat magazine and re-read the Mass readings for the day of my arrival (Oct. 1). In the Gospel of Luke (10:1-12), Christ sends out 72 disciples, two by two, into surrounding towns and cities to preach the Good News. He says that the laborers are few… that this is not going to be an easy task, which is why he wants them focused and not weighed down by material possessions. He is sending them out on a “trust walk” (ever do one of those on a college retreat?). He tells them to eat and drink whatever is offered, which I in part see as accepting people where they’re at…. don’t put unnecessary expectations on people. And the message Jesus tells them to give? “The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.”
That’s a message that lifts my heart. That’s a message our bishop and dedicated staff tries to convey in the Herald each issue. As some unpublished letters and voice mails imply, it’s not always a popular message and it’s one that is interpreted in various ways. But the hope is that, with prayer and guidance by the Holy Spirit, the Herald is able to do what it does for the Glory of God. We want to convey that, amid difficult and trying experiences, a life centered on the teachings of the Catholic Church is joyful, hopeful, beautiful and, yes, challenging. The faith keeps us anchored when strong currents and undertows pull us in different directions. Our faith is worth fighting for!
That spirit is certainly a trait of the Irish that I love and needed refreshed. Maybe it’s one reason I felt a sense of “home” when I landed.
BH