^{This blog is for Sunday, September 15th and I dedicate it to my Great Great Grandfather Bernard James Starrs of Tattyreagh Glebe Tyrone whose birthday into heaven it is….his Dias Natalis…September 15th. I have no doubt that it brings great joy to Great Great Grandfather Bernard James Starrs, who was commonly known as James, to have his Great Great Grand-daughter Darlene Marie Teresa Starrs in Ireland, especially in the year of the gathering, and in the 100th Jubilee of his Grandson, my Grandfather, Charles Starrs having gone to Canada.}

^{My Abrahamic journey as Father John Wotherspoon has coined it has had three components….the first is to "spread the fragrance of Christ everywhere I go" as St. Paul would say. The second component is to complete a visit that began last July…but, I ran out of time and the record breaking summer rainfall prevented me from doing more sight-seeing. The third component has been to find a place where this new wine that Christ created me to be would have a new wineskin. The third component has failed to materialize.}

^{I am writing this blog from the Fairhill Bed and Breakfast in Lough Rea, County Galway. I have visited the Carmelite Sisters of Lough Rea and I have also been introduced to a Father Tom Shanahan, a Carmelite Friar of the Carmelite Lough Rea Abbey, an Abbey that traces its beginning to the year 1300.}

^{I was reticent to leave the Holy Hill Hermitage in Skreen Sligo to come to Lough Rea as I will miss terribly the breath-taking scenery of Sligo and surrounding counties of Mayo, Donegal and Leitrim. It was time to move on, as I have to go when the Lord says we are going. While Lough Rea does not appear to be the place the Lord is staying, I was wonderfully surprised by the delightful and wise person of Father Tom Shanahan, O.D.C. His have been the prophetic words that I have witnessed from all the Church services I’ve been to……Friday morning, September 6th, the readings were about those "infamous wineskins" and how new wine cannot be put into old wineskins. Tom Shanahan’s remarks about that were related to how the Church needs to empower the laity to embrace responsibility for the Church. He said, this has to be done…but, how can you get anything done when a stubborn mule will not move? I imagine the stubborn mules are all those who object to this agenda. His words gave me hope that someone, particularly among the clergy, is willing to speak up. Tom Shanahan is very definitely in his 80’s, perhaps, very near 90, I do not know…but, he is an example of O.T. scripture which says, in terms of the Lord renewing Israel…."Old men shall dream new dreams".}

^{Another image has come to me in regards to the Church and renewal. I have encountered many whose lamps appear to be lit, but, whether or not there is any oil in the lamp, is another question.}

^{Returning to my opening paragraph, I believe that there was oil in the lamp of my Great Great Grandfather Bernard James Starrs and I hope that I do him proud. Whether or not, I remain in Ireland to do a missionary work depends on what God has ordained…but, as yet, it is not evident that I am to remain. There does not appear to be a new wineskin for this new wine…for this lamp with oil.}

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