Reflections from Fr Kieran

We use the terms ‘good’ and ‘fine’ interchangeably all the time. And perhaps, that risks us taking a somewhat complacent attitude to the word, ‘good’ when we read and hear stories of The Good Shepherd. While English can be a very expressive language, sometimes, when reading the Word of God, a look back at the original Greek tells a very different story, just as looking at the original Irish word for a town or village tells its own story, one that is lost in its English translation.

Fr Kieran takes us on that journey today and in doing so, opens up a new perspective on what Jesus means when He says, “I am the Good Shepherd.”

Fr Kieran shares his thoughts on what was a very busy week at the friary for the Holy Week services. RTÉ asked the friars to host the national broadcast of the Good Friday and Holy Saturday / Easter Vigil services and it was a privilege to agree to their request. For Good Friday, their request was that it would be an outdoor service, at the foot of the Calvary and the weather didn’t disappoint! Read Kieran’s full update.

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.

In his latest reflection, Kieran explores the story of creation, especially the second chapter of Genesis that focuses almost totally on the creation of humanity, with Adam first, then followed by animals and then finally by Eve, whereas the first chapter places the creation of humanity in a list of other creatures, which appear to dwarf the human with their great variety and colour, even though the first humans are said to be made in the image and likeness of God! So if, as we hear frequently in the first chapter the phrase “And God saw that it was good”, implying a sense of order and harmony, we may legitimately ask, in the context of contemporary news, “Where do earthquakes come from?” In the mixed blessing that is human freedom, God places risk at the heart of his creation. Living is a risky business! We live in God’s creation where risk is not necessarily a bad thing. It keeps us on our toes, keeps us humble and ultimately demands trust in God’s providence, even when terrible earthquakes happen.

In these days, we listen at Mass to the words from the Letter to the Hebrews and in this, we hear of the idea of Christ as the High Priest, dying on the Cross. It takes time for the early Christians to think of Our Lord as a priest. When Jesus asks, “Who do people say I am?” the answer centres on his being like a prophet, not a priest. Fr Kieran ponders on the significance of this image in the Church of today.

In Fr Kieran’s reflection this week, he considers the call from the words of Jesus in the Gospel, that what we need is “new wine in new wineskins” (Mk 2:22). The “wine” referred to is clearly the message of Jesus and it needs to find a home in hearts that are “soft and flexible to accommodate the explosive nature of the gospel teaching.”