Chris McDonnell 2017 articles
Dec
13: An experience of hope -
with an Advent poem: The Coming.
Advent is indeed a place called Hope
Dec
6: The
colours of Autumn, forgotten stories
In the middle of writing these few words on memory,
a friend knocked at the door to take me out to lunch. I had forgotten
he was coming!
Nov
29: The
Bishops Statement on Translation
Just as they rolled over when the current text was foisted on a voiceless people
in 2011, so they have done again.
Nov
22: Re-setting the clock
"Pope Francis has openly denounced the continuing possession of nuclear
weapons by various world governments, in what appears to be a departure from the
Roman Catholic Church's prior (policy)"
Nov
15: So
what shall we call you?
Each of
us gets a name at birth, essential if parents aren't going to call us 'baby' for
the rest of our years
Nov
18: It happened many years ago
Our memory of the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth must not be clouded by legalism
that over-rides the message of love and compassion that he left us.
Nov
1: A self-help Christian Community?
Formation
for pastoral leaders in parishes rather than the closure of parishes or the
creation of ever-increasing numerical entities is a courageous and welcome
initiative....When will the day come when I can ordain the proven leaders of our
communities?
Oct
25: So
it is time to say our prayers
Above all, prayer is about presence, an awareness of who we are and of the Lord
who sustains our life
Oct
18: Yes,
we can!
On October 9
I made a journey on Newman's anniversary to be with a friend from childhood,
a priest for over sixty years in the Arundel and
Oct
11: Dividing
the seasons
With age comes the
recollection of memories, the thinking back to where we have been, friendships,
the tears and laughter we have experienced
Oct 7: Las Vegas killings - Perch
Oct
4: The
postman brings a letter or two ....
For many, letter-writing has become archaic, an art and skill that is
rarely practiced.
Sep
27: In
the poverty of the Christ
Early in his ministry as Bishop of
Rome, Francis put the principle of a Church of the Poor at the forefront of his
teaching. A Church that is poor, speaking to those who are poor. A Church of the
Poor that preaches through an example of poverty is indeed recognisable as the
Church of Christ.
Sep
20: A Cold War is being re-heated
Military power has once more become chips stacked on the poker table where world
leaders gather to play a dangerous game
Sep
13: We all need someone to listen to us
The good listener by their very presence, their body language, their generosity
of time and their patience, enable the talker to bring their difficulties and
worries into the light of day
Sep
6: The
associations of place
Moving can be a stressful experience as connections are broken and we begin the
process of resettlement somewhere else
Aug
30: A
year of the laity?
There have been many 'Years' of celebration
proclaimed by popes for the benefit of the Church. How about one with a
difference, a 'Year of the People' or if you prefer the phrase a 'Year of
the Laity'?
Aug 26: Another morning (Las Ramblas)
Aug
23: A significant lapse of memory
I make no
apology for returning to a topic that has been addressed one way or another in
this column over recent months
Aug 21: Charlottesville & That voice in me that weeps for us
Aug
16: But
what is prayer?
My Godmother often took me to Mass on a Sunday. She taught me so
much about prayer, not by telling me the words to use but by showing me how she
prayed
Aug
9: Slaves
and servants
Michelle Obama recounted an
incident in which a West Virginia county employee called her an 'ape in
heels'
Aug
2: The
marking of ground
The day of burial
brings together family and friends to celebrate a life and determine a
conclusion to this earthly pilgrimage
July
26: Talking
of vocation ... (also published at Association
of Catholic Priests, Ireland)
I would like to explore that word 'vocation' a bit further, to ask a few
questions as to its nature and the permanence of a particular acceptance
July
19: The
wood of the Cross
The
July
12: So
let's storm the Bastille
We owe Mandela a huge debt for the manner in which apartheid was dismantled.
July
5: A
just society comes at a price
'This
is mine'
has to have added to it 'but I will share
it with you'
June
28: What
are we waiting for?
How
many times have we heard through our media the pain-filled voices of those who
suffered both in
June
21: Who
cares?
The
root of the word 'care' is 'to grieve, to experience sorrow, to cry out
with'
June
14: Left,
right, centre, time for a change
I am
sure in our recent general election there were those of all political
persuasions who, for the first time in a lifetime, voted in a different way, who
forsook the traditions of their family and showed an independence of thought
that can only be applauded.
June
7: It's
time to sing again
Why is it that
each of us has favourite hymns, words and tunes that mean something to us?
May
31: Signs
of the Times
I have
yet to find a six month old baby respond to the verbal instruction not to soil a
nappy
May 28: The second morning (reflection re Manchester bombing)
May
24: A time apart
A
fruit of solitude is a generous love, especially to those who are lonely.
May
17: A time to pause, a time to act
He went
further and said that he "categorically
rejected combining parishes"
May
10: With
open hands
Sometimes
people you have never met face to face have an influence in your life that
is hard to measure.
May
3: You
have an opinion?
When the first post-apartheid election took place in South Africa, people queued
for many hours to register the first vote of their life time, it mattered that
much
April 29: Bishops urged to review celibacy rules amid shortage of priests (published in The Guardian)
April
26: Hey
you, stop being so critical!
Being
critical can, in fact, be a sign of sincere friendship
April
19: My
people are suffering
On
Palm Sunday a Coptic Church in Egypt
was
bombed and many people killed
April
12: My
friend Lazarus is only asleep
Raw greed and a selfish
political climate challenge the very core of the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth.
Simplicity is a word that has been lost in the undergrowth.
April
5: A Bidding Prayer or two this Sunday
I would
suggest that, convenient though it might be, a source book of Bidding Prayers
sidesteps the primary intention of this occasion
March
30: What is it we thirst for?
Yet time and again, water is a powerful symbol in our lives
March
22: Read
any good books recently?
As we are now in the season of Lent, it has often been the practice to read a
book or two that makes us pause and reflect a while
March
15: The
Psalter: Words for a pilgrim's journey
There
were occasions when the abbey dog, a white standard poodle, would wander into
the chapel to join us
-----------------------
March
8: We each have a name
Arriving as the Headteacher of a new school after local reorganisation, I was
asked by a member of staff "What do we call you?" My answer was
simple. "I have a first name, so do you. That's what we call
each other".
-----------------------------------
March
1: How
free is free?
For many people in countries across the world, talking to the press is
dangerous
Feb
22: We
stand in awe
The awe that comes to us in the presence of God is wordless
When the signs of strain are such that cracks appear in a structure, there are three immediate choices. Ignore the evidence and trust that all will be sorted, make-do with some sticky tape until a later, more convenient date, or attend to the issue before there are more serious consequences.
Feb
8: Not
in my name
I make no apologies
for returning to the issues raised by the recent election of Donald Trump to the
Presidency of the
Feb
2: The
mystery in the image
The
icon in its gentle serenity, offers a gracious resemblance
of love and helps us focus on the beauty of God
Jan
26: Another
year, another remembrance
(Jan
27: International Holocaust remembrance day)
The mark of so many of those we call ‘saints’ for want of a better word, has been precisely the sense of being undefeated even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Jan 18: Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Seeing those pictures from Chicago in 2008 filled me, and I am sure, so many others with hope, joy and expectation. This weekend, with the inauguration on January 20th, I have no such feelings; just the opposite.
Those Parishes that have a Parish Hall where groups can gather after sharing the Eucharist are indeed fortunate
Jan 4: Epiphany, a time of realization
The global reaction to the arrival of Francis in Rome is evidence enough that others notice not just enormous events but the small points that indicate attitude and personal values