Reflections from Fr Kieran | Multyfarnham Friary

“Climb, for all you’re worth!”

No doubt, we have all heard of Jacob’s Ladder, the story from the Book of Genesis (Gen 28:10-22), in the dream of Jacob, grandson of Abraham and son of Isaac. Not a great character, a man who tricked his brother Esau out of an inheritance by impersonating him. His dream comes during his hurried escape from the wrath of his brother to the land of Haran. The ladder in the dream joins heaven and earth and while comforting, is a challenging image of the close and intimate encounter between heaven and earth, God, and Creation.

Can we place this ladder image in our lives? Maybe there are many such ladders linking God and creation? Are we not climbing the somewhat arduous ladder to our heavenly home? Maybe the message to to keep climbing!

Remember Lot’s wife

The readings in these days from the Book of Genesis do not, on the face of it, portray a great image of women. In the story of Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt, our immediate reaction might be one of horror at the punishment meted out for looking back.

However, Fr Kieran explores this at a deeper level. Lot’s wife looked back, not so much in disobedience but in regret for the life that she lived in Sodom. Her action of looking back is: “… like so many good people in every age who live in the midst of evil and look the other way, shrugging their shoulders in resignation at the antics of their neighbours.”

We can simply fit in with the world all about us, or we can stand up, as witnesses to the Gospel, standing up for what it right and just.

Reflection for 12th Week of Church Year

The opening words of Chapter 7 in Matthew’s Gospel are: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged, because the judgements you give will be the judgements you get, and the standard you use will be the standard used for us.”

Kieran takes us a short journey to explore these words in greater detail and tells us that: “To be a follower of Christ is to become that merciful, gentle, pure-hearted, forgiven child of God, who leaves judgment to God and dares not condemn others. Indeed, rather than condemn, the Jesus person is full of compassion for those who are following the wrong road, inviting them lovingly to come home.”

Homily for Wednesday, June 21 (broadcast on RTÉ News Channel)

The Gospel for today, June 21, is the text of the very familiar Sermon on the Mount. Kieran considers the use by Jesus of the word, hypocrite. When we hear this word, we interpret the word in terms of its usual meaning today. But in this homily, Kieran takes us to its meaning in the original Greek culture of its time.

This perspective offers a different way to read the words of Jesus. Our call, as followers of Christ, as Christians, is to present Christ to the world where we move to the back and Jesus comes to the fore. Good hypocrites?

Reflection for Ninth Week – Prayer and family life

In his reflection this week, Fr Kieran looks at the story we have been hearing in the readings during this past week, taken from the book of Tobit in the Old Testament. This is the story of a family, a holy family, trying to do their best and observing God’s laws and commands.

And, as happens with all families, sometimes, things go wrong and we are challenged, even in some cases, despairing. In these readings, we hear of the angel Raphael, whom God sends to Tobias, son of Tobit. And as we listen to the story, we see the importance of prayer, of God’s response to the prayer. And in God’s response, we experience a God who is loving, healing, and forgiving.

Surely a lesson for all families today?

Homily for Pentecost

In his homily for Pentecost Sunday, Fr Kieran explored the role of the Paraclete, going beyond that of comforter or counsellor but to the core of its original Greek meaning, viz. that of the Advocate. As the Gospel of John says, Jesus told His disciples that He was sending another Advocate, meaning that Jesus Himself was the first! And this Advocate is our powerful friend, whom we can call on to stand by us when we call. Could we have been left a better gift?

“What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

In this reflection, Fr Kieran considers the question from the rich young man in St Mark’s Gospel (Mk 10:17). And in this world of ours today when so much emphasis is given to the material things of this life, perhaps sometimes, we can empathise with the rich young man, maybe wanting to have our cake and eat it!

And so, as Kieran suggests, we need to look at the greatest gift of all, Jesus’ unconditional love for us and His promise of eternal life with him; are we ready, and willing, to accept that gift in preference to all else?

God alone knows …

In Fr Kieran’s reflection on the Gospel readings of the seventh week of Easter, he writes of themes appearing frequently in this week, viz. concepts of knowledge and truth.

In particular, Kieran explores the dialogue between Peter and Jesus when Jesus asks Peter: “Do you love me,” to which Peter’s reply is not just to say that he does, but to say to Jesus that: “You know that I love you.”

Only God knows how much or how little we love Him. Only God knows the full history of our lives and how we will turn out. We can only hope that we love God. We can never know.

The Holy Spirit: continuing God’s loving work

From time to time, as we read or listen to the Gospels, the words of Jesus can seem harsh, as in the Gospel that we have heard last Tuesday (Jn 16:5-11) where Jesus first tells us that, while He is going to the Father, He is giving us the Holy Spirit as the Advocate. Following this, Jesus then sounds a more gloomy tone when speaking of the Spirit as one showing the world how wrong it is about Jesus.

In reflecting on this, Fr Kieran looks to the story in Tuesday’s first reading of Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16:22-34), and the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in the life of their gaoler. And this same Spirit continues His loving work in our day.

The Promise of Jesus – peace!

It is not unnatural or unusual to be anxious about a forthcoming event or the future in general. For some people, anxiety itself can be a terrible burden that they might carry through life. And if we speak with people who carry such a burden, the reality of it can seem like a physical weight to be carried, with each step made more difficult as the weight on the shoulders bears down.

In Fr Kieran’s reflection this week, he explores the words of Jesus when he tell us, “Peace I bequeath you, my peace I give you.” It would be all too easy to read, or hear, those words, feel comforted by them, and move on. However, this peace, this assurance, is not as we know it. To be sure, it will not easily relieve all anxiety but if we can truly take this words to heart, understand what Jesus is saying to us, then we can truly live in the unconditional love that Jesus has for each one of us, uniquely.