First Sunday of Advent 2009
The beginning of the Gospel passage to day is ominous. Talk of ‘signs’:
things like ‘nations in agony’, people ‘bewildered’, ‘men dying of fear’, a sense of ‘menace’ in the world, and the earth ‘shaken’.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that in ways, there’s no shortage of signs like these in our world at the present time, and especially in our own country.
Archbishop Martin of Dublin promised weeks ago that the Dublin Report would be shocking. It is. Its hard to find words to speak as I gather with you today in its shadow.
The Report brings home to us again that terrible crimes were committed by priests against children over many years. The trauma suffered and the scars that remain are immense, innocent lives have been shattered and broken. My heart goes out to all who had to endure such unspeakable trauma, not just in Dublin, but in our own diocese and in every diocese. Many people did not get the hearing they deserved and rightfully expected, complaints were not dealt with properly or swiftly, and for that I am deeply sorry and shamed.
In our own diocese, we are working very closely with the HSE to ensure we are fully compliant with their National Child Protection Guidelines. We also work closely with An Gárda Síochána. All priests have completed Safeguarding training with the HSE, and the training of representatives from all parishes in the diocese is nearing completion.. We have a Diocesan Safeguarding Committee in place (lawyer, nurse, mother, guard, teacher, priest ) and they are working to ensure the very stringent latest guidelines from the National Board for Safeguarding children are put in place throughout the diocese. We are doing everything we can to make sure no child is ever in danger again from any person involved with the church in our diocese.
Our prayers and our thoughts are very much with all men and women who suffered abuse as children on this first Sunday of Advent 2009, and our prayer is that they will find help and healing, and a new beginning.
Looking forward to Christmas, as we do inevitably with the coming of Advent, the mention of agony, bewilderment, menace and fear in today’s Gospel brings to mind also the huge number of people and families who’ve had to escape from their own homes and who have lost, in some cases everything, in the recent floods, by far the worst that have ever struck this country. There are thousands of people too who have lost their jobs or savings in the past year because of the economic meltdown we’ve been experiencing.
It is wonderful, on the other hand, to hear the resilience in the voices of many who have been interviewed, and even more wonderful to witness the way communities have come together to help and rescue their neighbours. If we have anything to spare at all as Christmas approaches, we could do no better than be generous with the St Vincent de Paul, who are spearheading the support of victims of the harsh economic realities and the harsh weather, and who will be taking up collections in the next couple of weeks.
People come into their own in times like these. It is better to light a candle that to curse the darkness.
Hope will triumph over despair and all adversity, because we are willing to reach out…
‘May the Lord be generous in increasing your love, and make you love one another and the whole human race as much as we love you’ St Paul prays in today’s Second Reading.
This Advent, Lord, increase our Love.
Amen