The Final Countdown
The Countdown has begun in earnest.
I love the Christmas-tide and yet
I notice this each year I live;
I always like the gifts I get
But how I love the gifts I give.
The great Feast has stolen a march on us again and here we are on the doorstep of another Christmas. As I get older I tend to journey back on 'bohereen na smaointe' go down memory lane and think of the Christmases of my childhood. What lovely memories come flooding back. I remember the excitement that used to build up from mid November as we awaited the annual 'parcel from America', growing up as I did in the local post office that excitement was multiplied as I watched the enormous mail bags spill out their contents on the shop floor to be sorted and delivered around the locality. The postmen were duly compensated with a drop from 'the bottle or more often than not a bottle of the black stuff'; overtime did not seem to bother them.
The purchase of the Christmas candles was another high point, red and green and white, no window as left without a light. On the solemn evenings of Christmas Eve, Christmas Night, St. Stephen's Night (anglicized to Boxing!), New Year's Eve , New Year's Night, Little Christmas Eve (Jan.5th) and little Christmas night (Jan.6th) every window in the locality lit up with its twinkling lights of welcome. The magic and mystique of Midnight Mass, the family atmosphere pervading the Christmas dinner and the games and stories that followed made December 25th a day apart. There was craic and fun on St. Stephen's Day as we prepared to 'go on the wran'.
As youngsters we went out alone early in the day so as not to have to compete with the more professional outfits in the afternoon and evening. No one thought of Christmas as any time other than the Birthday of the Saviour or that it should be celebrated in any context other than family. Winter cruises and hotel dinners thank God were never on the agenda.
Times change, we are almost tired of hearing that the Birthday of Jesus is now the property of the beer merchant and of commercial enterprises. It is up to us to restore not only the wren but the Christ Child who has been taken out of Christmas and when you take Christ away you are left with M and S and therein lies the tragedy.
Bring Christ back into your Christmas day and to your celebration. It will make all the difference.
Intolerance or Respect?
I am sure nobody is neutral in their opinion as to whether the decision to jail and then expel the Liverpool teacher from Sudan for naming a teddy bear Mohammed was right or wrong. Each to their own. One thing it did for me was it made me question again our own lack of respect for the things and customs that should be sacred to our beliefs and culture. I regretted the sudden death of Dermot Morgan the man, but I danced on the grave of 'Fr. Ted' which is an insult to my nationality and to my faith, but yes Irish people at home and abroad still think it is great fun "a go wan go wan"! Would this be shown if the subjects were Mullahs with a Bradford accent?
I recently sat through a 'comedian's' desecration of 'Grace before meals' at an Irish function. I watch in amazement each St. Patrick's Day as the parade, or, should I say charade, is about to leave from the Irish Centre. I arrive to offer Mass which should be central to the whole celebration and see the organisers and marshals ignore what I come to do. They would be present should Mary McAleese or the Taoiseach honour us with their presence. Good Friday is the same as any other day in our showcase centres. It is the most solemn day for Christians - of all denominations - and it is ignored. Business as usual.
The pope, the Mass, the Sacraments, the priest are all fair game as butts of public fun. At least the followers of Islam show us that they do respect what is sacred to tem and they expect us to do likewise. It is true if we stand for nothing the danger is that we will fall for anything.
Tragedies
Ireland has seen more than its share of tragic road accidents over the past year. In the last few months another blight on people's lives has descended in the form of cocaine related deaths. The party season has seen lovely young people killed by tragic overdoses. Why this? One of the reasons has to be the attempt to fill the void left by a godless hedonism of the 'tiger's cubs'. Karl Marx maintained that 'religion is the opium of the people' may be he was right but it now seems to be that when God is pushed out opium becomes the religion of the people. Many young people here in Britain as well as in Ireland have lost their way; the abuse of alcohol is endemic. It prompted Professor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal college of Physicians to write "we are an alcohol-centric society and have never drunk more in living memory. Alcohol has to be treated more like a legalised drug than food". I have had ample evidence of the truth of this statement over the past few weeks. What a shame that Diageo, King Budweiser and the drinks industry have turned us into an alcocentric society. Even our Catholic clubs are not exempt from blame; there is nothing that is not alcohol related.
Striking the balance between enjoyment and abuse is always a delicate one; the tragic consequences of over indulgence are all around us.
I envied them!
Elections were held in many eastern European countries in the recent months. Poland was one of those countries; I was in Ireland when their elections took place. I envied the long queues of Polish immigrants waiting to cast their votes in towns like Tralee. They could do as emigrants what I could never do; vote in their own home country's election and have a say in their own destiny. We Irish in Britain are far closer to home than the Polish are to their home in Ireland: and yet we have never been considered in spite of the fact that most of us remain Irish citizens throughout our lives. It is good that the Irish Government saw fit to set up the Dion fund to help out Irish projects abroad, but it would be far better if a movement were started to enfranchise Irish citizens abroad. Would such a vote have made a difference in the past? I leave it to your judgement to answer.
Iraq involvement almost over?
The Shadow Defence Secretary, a leading Liberal Democrat politician (if there is such a thing!) and the Prime Minister Gordon Brown seem to be making sounds that the involvement in Iraq is drawing to a close. Let them say whatever they deem necessary to justify withdrawal. Now is the time to do it. Enough chaos and pain has been caused at home and abroad by Tony Blair’s disastrous decision to join in a 'war' that was fought on the basis of a lie, Iraq's possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction. As Christmas approaches pray to the Prince of Peace to help us establish His peace where conflict has existed.
Sports Scene
Manchester United are shaping well over the last few weeks, they look good again. City's sustained challenge has come as a surprise, but it is within their grasp to finish in the top six.
The GAA scene has entered slumberland. Nemo Rangers, Ballina, Crossmaglen, St. Vincent's look likely provincial club football champions. I have a sneaking feeling that Ballina will win on St. Patrick's Day and I think Birr will take the hurling title.
Boxing a Sport? Or a barbaric pastime?
My answer is the latter. I can never enthuse about two grown men hammering the daylights out of one another for the enjoyment of baying onlookers. We have banned dog fights, cock fights, hare coursing and yet we had poor Ricky Hattton enduring a pummelling in the name of sport.
I'll go to a boxing match when it is between Prince William and George Bush's son, I'll even call that day Boxing Day! or I'll go if one of the protagonists comes from Alderly Edge and the other from Beverly Hills, but watching two men from deprived backgrounds hammering one another to get out of 'misery' is not an option.
Why did the followers of Hatton boo the host country's national anthem? The Daily Mail of Monday December 10th saw fit to carry the headline "Boozed up boo boys shame their nation and their hero". That was almost on a par with our own 'Rugby Toffs' abandoning our national anthem during the World Cup to placate the pseudo Irish.
Roll on February when GAA is back again.
Nolaig shona agus gach dea ghuidhe i gcomhair na h-athbhliana
Slan tamall
Fr. John Ahern
December 2007
I love the Christmas-tide and yet
I notice this each year I live;
I always like the gifts I get
But how I love the gifts I give.
The great Feast has stolen a march on us again and here we are on the doorstep of another Christmas. As I get older I tend to journey back on 'bohereen na smaointe' go down memory lane and think of the Christmases of my childhood. What lovely memories come flooding back. I remember the excitement that used to build up from mid November as we awaited the annual 'parcel from America', growing up as I did in the local post office that excitement was multiplied as I watched the enormous mail bags spill out their contents on the shop floor to be sorted and delivered around the locality. The postmen were duly compensated with a drop from 'the bottle or more often than not a bottle of the black stuff'; overtime did not seem to bother them.
The purchase of the Christmas candles was another high point, red and green and white, no window as left without a light. On the solemn evenings of Christmas Eve, Christmas Night, St. Stephen's Night (anglicized to Boxing!), New Year's Eve , New Year's Night, Little Christmas Eve (Jan.5th) and little Christmas night (Jan.6th) every window in the locality lit up with its twinkling lights of welcome. The magic and mystique of Midnight Mass, the family atmosphere pervading the Christmas dinner and the games and stories that followed made December 25th a day apart. There was craic and fun on St. Stephen's Day as we prepared to 'go on the wran'.
As youngsters we went out alone early in the day so as not to have to compete with the more professional outfits in the afternoon and evening. No one thought of Christmas as any time other than the Birthday of the Saviour or that it should be celebrated in any context other than family. Winter cruises and hotel dinners thank God were never on the agenda.
Times change, we are almost tired of hearing that the Birthday of Jesus is now the property of the beer merchant and of commercial enterprises. It is up to us to restore not only the wren but the Christ Child who has been taken out of Christmas and when you take Christ away you are left with M and S and therein lies the tragedy.
Bring Christ back into your Christmas day and to your celebration. It will make all the difference.
Intolerance or Respect?
I am sure nobody is neutral in their opinion as to whether the decision to jail and then expel the Liverpool teacher from Sudan for naming a teddy bear Mohammed was right or wrong. Each to their own. One thing it did for me was it made me question again our own lack of respect for the things and customs that should be sacred to our beliefs and culture. I regretted the sudden death of Dermot Morgan the man, but I danced on the grave of 'Fr. Ted' which is an insult to my nationality and to my faith, but yes Irish people at home and abroad still think it is great fun "a go wan go wan"! Would this be shown if the subjects were Mullahs with a Bradford accent?
I recently sat through a 'comedian's' desecration of 'Grace before meals' at an Irish function. I watch in amazement each St. Patrick's Day as the parade, or, should I say charade, is about to leave from the Irish Centre. I arrive to offer Mass which should be central to the whole celebration and see the organisers and marshals ignore what I come to do. They would be present should Mary McAleese or the Taoiseach honour us with their presence. Good Friday is the same as any other day in our showcase centres. It is the most solemn day for Christians - of all denominations - and it is ignored. Business as usual.
The pope, the Mass, the Sacraments, the priest are all fair game as butts of public fun. At least the followers of Islam show us that they do respect what is sacred to tem and they expect us to do likewise. It is true if we stand for nothing the danger is that we will fall for anything.
Tragedies
Ireland has seen more than its share of tragic road accidents over the past year. In the last few months another blight on people's lives has descended in the form of cocaine related deaths. The party season has seen lovely young people killed by tragic overdoses. Why this? One of the reasons has to be the attempt to fill the void left by a godless hedonism of the 'tiger's cubs'. Karl Marx maintained that 'religion is the opium of the people' may be he was right but it now seems to be that when God is pushed out opium becomes the religion of the people. Many young people here in Britain as well as in Ireland have lost their way; the abuse of alcohol is endemic. It prompted Professor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal college of Physicians to write "we are an alcohol-centric society and have never drunk more in living memory. Alcohol has to be treated more like a legalised drug than food". I have had ample evidence of the truth of this statement over the past few weeks. What a shame that Diageo, King Budweiser and the drinks industry have turned us into an alcocentric society. Even our Catholic clubs are not exempt from blame; there is nothing that is not alcohol related.
Striking the balance between enjoyment and abuse is always a delicate one; the tragic consequences of over indulgence are all around us.
I envied them!
Elections were held in many eastern European countries in the recent months. Poland was one of those countries; I was in Ireland when their elections took place. I envied the long queues of Polish immigrants waiting to cast their votes in towns like Tralee. They could do as emigrants what I could never do; vote in their own home country's election and have a say in their own destiny. We Irish in Britain are far closer to home than the Polish are to their home in Ireland: and yet we have never been considered in spite of the fact that most of us remain Irish citizens throughout our lives. It is good that the Irish Government saw fit to set up the Dion fund to help out Irish projects abroad, but it would be far better if a movement were started to enfranchise Irish citizens abroad. Would such a vote have made a difference in the past? I leave it to your judgement to answer.
Iraq involvement almost over?
The Shadow Defence Secretary, a leading Liberal Democrat politician (if there is such a thing!) and the Prime Minister Gordon Brown seem to be making sounds that the involvement in Iraq is drawing to a close. Let them say whatever they deem necessary to justify withdrawal. Now is the time to do it. Enough chaos and pain has been caused at home and abroad by Tony Blair’s disastrous decision to join in a 'war' that was fought on the basis of a lie, Iraq's possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction. As Christmas approaches pray to the Prince of Peace to help us establish His peace where conflict has existed.
Sports Scene
Manchester United are shaping well over the last few weeks, they look good again. City's sustained challenge has come as a surprise, but it is within their grasp to finish in the top six.
The GAA scene has entered slumberland. Nemo Rangers, Ballina, Crossmaglen, St. Vincent's look likely provincial club football champions. I have a sneaking feeling that Ballina will win on St. Patrick's Day and I think Birr will take the hurling title.
Boxing a Sport? Or a barbaric pastime?
My answer is the latter. I can never enthuse about two grown men hammering the daylights out of one another for the enjoyment of baying onlookers. We have banned dog fights, cock fights, hare coursing and yet we had poor Ricky Hattton enduring a pummelling in the name of sport.
I'll go to a boxing match when it is between Prince William and George Bush's son, I'll even call that day Boxing Day! or I'll go if one of the protagonists comes from Alderly Edge and the other from Beverly Hills, but watching two men from deprived backgrounds hammering one another to get out of 'misery' is not an option.
Why did the followers of Hatton boo the host country's national anthem? The Daily Mail of Monday December 10th saw fit to carry the headline "Boozed up boo boys shame their nation and their hero". That was almost on a par with our own 'Rugby Toffs' abandoning our national anthem during the World Cup to placate the pseudo Irish.
Roll on February when GAA is back again.
Nolaig shona agus gach dea ghuidhe i gcomhair na h-athbhliana
Slan tamall
Fr. John Ahern
December 2007