Happy Christmas!

Advent has reached its end! The waiting is over! As we look at the infant in the manger we are not only reflecting on a wonderful moment in history - we are also challenged to find room in our hearts for the birth of Christ. A night of sublime comfort and extraordinary challenge!

Happy Christmas, dear friends.

Grant us, we pray, O Lord our God,  that we, who are gladdened by participation, in the feast of our Redeemer's nativity, may through an honourable way of life become worthy of union with Him.

Preparing a welcome...

Already people are wishing each other a happy Christmas, but it's important not to forget that we are still on our Advent journey. Advent is all about having the patience to wait and making the spiritual preparations for the coming of Our Lord. 

Preparing a real welcome for Christ is the goal of Advent. That welcome was expressed beautifully on Christmas Eve in my parish as a child. A big candle would be lit and placed on a window in every house in the area. It was a tradition that existed in many places throughout rural Ireland. In some houses it was a privilege given to the youngest child, but in others it was the eldest or the father of the family who lit the candles. It was to light the way of the Holy Family, Joseph, Mary & Jesus who were travelling the roads in search of shelter and to show they were welcome in an Irish home, even if they could not find a place to stay in Bethlehem. It was also lit to welcome visitors.

Former President Mary Robinson placed a candle in the window of Áras an Uachtaráin (the presidential residence) as both a symbol of the Irish diaspora and as a welcome home beacon.

Lighting candles was a particularly important tradition in my childhood. The candle is symbolic of the light which is at the heart of Christmas.

There are only a few days left in Advent - let's make the most of it!

Soul Food in Waterford

Mount Sion, Barrack St, Waterford city.

We're going to hold our next 'Soul Food' vocation discernment evening at Mount Sion, Barrack St, Waterford at 6.30pm on Thursday, 11th December 2014.

We've held several of these evenings in Dublin over the last few months and they've been very popular.

Soul Food is an opportunity for men (aged 18-40) interested in religious life to come together for some prayer, a short talk, some discussion and some food!

We meet in a relaxed, prayerful, and supportive environment. It's informal and, hopefully, helpful too!

We start with some pizza before praying the Evening Prayer of the Church. We finish with Compline (Night Prayer). We usually take a look at a good article on discernment and discuss some of the themes and challenges it raises. Discerners usually find these articles very useful and thought provoking.

Booking for our Waterford gathering is essential. RSVP before Tuesday, 9th December.

Please e-mail me at vocation@PresentationBrothers.org or book a spot or if you have any questions.

Here are some comments from previous participants:

"I've found this meeting to be very helpful. It's good to meet other guys who are thinking about a religious vocation."

"The articles are very good - the content helps me to move forward in my discernment process."

"I like that it's relaxed and there's no pressure. It's good to be able to stop and to pray."

Some help with our Advent praying

 

Here's another good prayer resource for you for these Advent days...It's called Sacred Space.

It was one of the first online prayer initiatives to be launched on the web.

Take a look...

Advent is also a great time to focus on the discernment of our vocation. Get in touch if you have any questions or need any help, vocation@PresentationBrothers.org

Resource for Advent

One of the best resources I've come across in recent times is Fr Robert Barron's "Word on Fire" media apostolate. As Advent approaches why not take a look at his YouTube channel which has plenty of excellent material.

I also recommend downloading the 'Word on Fire' app for your smart phone.

Let's make an effort to do some deeper reflection this Advent!

A special day...

 Meeting President Higgins at the Áras

One of the most enjoyable features of my life as a Brother is the time I spend as a mentor to young people. One of the groups with which I'm associated is SHARE - a charity, run by secondary school students, which provides accommodation and friendship to the elderly of Cork city.

Last week I was with a group of students from SHARE who visited the President of Ireland, Mr Michael D. Higgins, at Áras an Uachtaráin in Dublin. The group also included trustess and Presentation Brothers who have been associated with the charity over the years.

President Higgins welcomed us in the State reception room which is used for receiving visiting dignitaries. It is instantly recognizable from TV news footage. The President addressed us before Michael, Chairman of SHARE, replied. Sorcha, from the SHARE executive, presented the president with a replica of the SHARE crib as a reminder of the birth of Christ and the Christian message of love, service and peace.

We took a group photo with the president and he spent some time with us in the beautiful State dining room which is laid out in crisp, white, Irish linen with fresh flowers (from the Áras’ own garden) mirrored under Waterford crystal chandeliers. We were also taken on a guided tour of the House including the Ambassadors’ room, the Council of State room where new government ministers receive their seals of office under the watchful eye of former Irish Presidents whose portraits line the walls. In an unscripted moment, John, a member of our group, had the privilege of giving a recital on the beautiful House piano.

After the tour, I was left in awe of the colourful history of this residence, how it has known many different lives in the past and how it has witnessed much of the history of modern Ireland in the making. We spent time in the beautifully kept gardens capturing the moment with photos & selfies. ‘Shadow’, the Aras dog insisted on being included in the photos much to the amusement of everyone.

This is one of the many events throughout the year in our ministry with young people. The work of our Brothers today is focused on passing the faith to this new generation. If this work interests and excites you, feel free to get in touch for some more information. vocation@PresentationBrothers.org

Praying with Brother André

I've been doing some traveling recently. I was in Toronto, Canada, with four other members of our Leadership Team. It was an opportunity to meet with the Brothers ministering in that part of our congregation. We spent a lot of time reflecting on our 2011 Chapter Vision Statement, we prayed, shared and enjoyed the gift of Brotherhood together.

We also visited Montreal city and had a guided tour of St. Joseph's Oratory on Mount Royal. This beautiful, prayerful and reflective place is associated with Frére Andre of Montreal. Our guide’s devotion to Br. André was quite evident as she narrated many anecdotes about his life with great enthusiasm. Our pilgrimage into the inner sanctuary where the "Saint of the Mountain" lies was a special and moving moment.

We also took the opportunity to visit the cemetery at Longueuil near Montreal where 44 Presentation Brothers are interred. They spent their lives working with poor emigrant children. We had a prayer service at the graveside.

We also celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving in the Chapel of the Longueuil House of Prayer with friends of the Brothers and presented a candle to each of those in attendance. This was a reminder that we are all called to carry Christ's light in our lives. It is also a sign that Christ's message continues to shine today even with the allurement of our materialistic world.  

If you are interested in finding out more about the Presentation Brothers, feel free to call me or drop a line at your convenience. Just e-mail vocation@PresentationBrothers.org