Friendship with Christ

 

The Year of Faith which we have just begun is not a programme of activities. It is a deeper project than that. It is an invitation to deepen our frienship with Christ. This idea of friendship with Christ is a recurring theme of the pontificate of Benedict XVI.

Jesus Christ is not just a figure of history, somebody who came and went. Because he conquered death by rising to new life he is with us now and for always. If He has simply died like other great men of the past, history might tell us something about him. But that would not help us to really know Him. As St. Augustine says, we come to know a person only through friendship and friendship is possible only with someone who lives. Friendship with Christ, sharing his life and sharing our life with him, is the heart of our Christian faith.

Jesus Christ is a bit like a programme for life. He tells us ‘I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full’ (Jn. 10:10). Jesus Christ is a person and invites us to meet him as a friend.

Many Young people today hear his voice. I have seen them in their thousands at World Youth Days and other youth gatherings. I have seen their enthusiasm and joy. I have experienced it in Africa and now at home in Ireland. You may think Christ would ask too much from you. But a friend who really cares for you is there to help with forgiveness, support and advice, and Jesus Christ is our greatest friend.

This year, the Year of Faith, offers us a unique opportunity to make the necessary adjustments in our lives to develop more deeply our friendship with Christ.

The Year of Faith begins!

The Year of Faith begins today, Thursday October 11th 2012.

The logo of the Year of Faith (above) is striking. The Church is depicted as a boat traveling on the sea. For those of us who live in the "Western World", the last few years have been particularly stormy. The sail of the boat is based around the cross. That's a reminder to all of us that no matter how choppy the waters are, we are traveling in Christ's boat - he is with us. The sails of the boat are composed of the familiar IHS. These are the first three letters of Jesus' name in Greek (iota (I), eta (H), sigma (S or Σ).






Let's all make a real effort this year to renew and to deepen our faith. You're going to hear a lot about this Year of Faith on this blog in the coming weeks and months - the Presentation Brothers are getting behind it in a big way. I'll be telling you more about what we're doing later. 


If you've been thinking about a religious vocation, now's a good time to go deeper and discern what the Lord is calling you to do.

New Novices!

Left to right: Br Barry (our novice master in Killarney), Br Theiva, Br Raj and Br Martin (our Congregation Leader) pictured after the ceremony of reception on the grounds of our novitiate in Kerry.

We had a great celebration at our novitiate in Killarney in County Kerry this week. Two young men, Raj and Theiva who are both from Sri Lanka, took the next step of their vocation journey with the Presentation Brothers.

Raj and Theiva have been doing their postulancy programme over the last few months in Killarney. Postulancy is the first stage of formation and it is a period of about one year in which the man interested in this way of life (known as a "postulant") gets to know religious life a bit better. It also gives the Brothers a chance to get to know the postulant and to judge if he has what it takes to cope with the challenged ahead.

Raj and Theiva both sought to proceed to the next step which is novitiate. This will be a two year programme of prayer and study. It's akin to going out to the desert - away from noise and distraction - and engaging in the serious business of discerning what the Lord is calling one to.

At the end of that step comes First Profession of Vows. You might recall that Callistus and Augustine from Ghana made their First Professions recently in Killarney.

Working with men at this stage of their vocation journey is exciting and enjoyable! For the men who come to us, it's a wonderful experience of self-discovery and of coming to know God more deeply.

I highly recommend it! If it is of interest to you, please let me know! Contact vocation@PresentationBrothers.org

Setting our hand to the plough

The annual Ploughing Championship takes place in Co. Wexford this week. Vocations Ireland will be among the many groups with a stand in the exhibition arena.

Christ actually uses the image of the plough (Lk. 9:62) to make a powerful point about being a disciple.

"No one who sets a hand to the plough and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God."

Jesus is inviting those who wish to follow him to live lives of radical commitment, not concerned with worldy and material posessions - "the things of the world."

He also cautions against looking back. That is certainly of limited use. I often meet men who are discerning their vocation who wonder if they are too old or if they are already too advanced in their chosen career or profession to even consider religious life.

Looking back is of limited value for the Christian mission. It’s better to look at where I’m going in my life at this time.

Look at what's happening in your life right now. The Lord invites us to continual conversion and, conscious of His great love and mercy, to move forward in hope.

If you feel called to a religious vocation, shoot me a note at vocation@PresentationBrothers.org

New Presentation Brothers!

The Brothers prepare for Mass in Killarney. On the left is Brother Barry Noel, the Novice Master in Killarney. On the right is Brother Martin Kenneally, our Congregation Leader. In the centre are the two men who were the centre of attention today - Brother Callistus and Brother Augustine. 

There was much celebration in the town of Killarney today as we witnessed the First Profession of vows of two young Presentation Brothers.

Brother Callistus and Brother Augustine are both from Ghana and have spent the past six months of their formation at our Novitiate in Killarney in County Kerry.

You can read all about the event over at www.PresentationBrothers.org

I was delighted to see that pupils from the local Presentation Monastery Primary School were present for the special occasion.

The commitment demonstrated by Brother Callistus and Brother Augustine is an example to other young people.

We also celebrated more vocations in Ghana! Brothers Vincent and Vitalis have now also made their First Profession of Vows.

May the Lord bless and guide them in the years ahead!

Brother Vincent and Vitalis - two new Presentation Brothers!

Switching Continents...

In addition to being the Vocations Director for the Presentation Brothers in Ireland and Britain I'm also a member of the Leadership Team of our Congregation.

The Presentation Brothers live and work in nine countries around the world so this job also involves some travel. I'm currently heading off to visit the Presentation Brothers in North America. We recently opened a second community in Toronto city and a new community in San Antonio, Texas.

The new community in Toronto will serve as a place of Province administration for North America but it will also be a community of welcome for men discerning a religious vocation.

Brother Andrew Saul, from Guyana, made his first profession as a Presentation Brother in 2011. He is a member of that community and is studying in Toronto.
Brother Francis Schafer, a native of Ohio, works in Bereavement Ministry and is responsible for the administration of the Province.
Brother Denis Claivaz is from Montreal and is the Vocation Director. He has special responsibility for human rights and advocacy with the U.N. in Geneva.

The other new community recently opened in San Antonio is home to three Brothers whose ministries are with the poor. They collaborate in mission with the Presentation Sisters.

Brother Raphael Mario Toodle is from the United States, Francis Sebo hails from Liberia and James Needham is Irish. James works in immigration, advocating for the rights of emigrants while Raphael teaches English to emigrant Mexican people. Brother Francis Sebo works with the homeless.

Please keep my visit in your prayers.

Olympics and Exams....

Congratulations to all our Olympians who represented us in London - you did us proud! Something that impacted on me was their faith in God and the significance of family in their lives. Their faith was at one with their daily activities and that faith was with them throughout the Olympics.

During the events they always acknowledged a greater presence in their lives. Katie Taylor, thanked “everyone for their prayers” and declared, she is “nothing without God.” What role models our athletes are for us!

Our students are now receiving their Leaving Certificate results. We wish all of them well. We rejoice with those who are happy with their results and we share in the disappointment of those who have not performed as they had hoped.

Like our Olympians be inspired by the power of God. God has a place in the Divine Plan for everyone.

I pray that all of our students may be inspired by the Holy Spirit, and find their own unique path, their vocation, in life.