In this reflection on the Gospel for the third week of Lent, Fr Kieran considers the text of St Matthew’s Gospel and the story about the mother of the sons of Zebedee (Mt 20:17-28). Their mother (we don’t know her name) makes a request of Jesus, that her sons be allowed to sit on his right and on his left. While this request upset the other apostles, Jesus reminded them (us!) what the true request must be, viz. to serve and not to be served.
Our historian, Paschal Sweeney, offers another fascinating insight into the history of the friary and the friars here at Multyfarnham. In this piece, Paschal looks at the years in and around 1641, a time when the friary would seem to have been at the centre of so much that was going on and a centre of Franciscan influence in Ireland.
As we commence the season of Lent, Fr Kieran encourages us to see this as a time of personal and communal retreat. A good outcome in most situations usually depends on good preparation and so it is with Lent and with our preparation for Easter. This time of retreat allows us to reflect on that ever-present gap between our present imperfect situation and the place God is calling us to be.