Carmelite Monastery of St Joseph, Kilmacud - Sisters' Reflections

A few weeks ago one of our Sisters fell and broke her wrist. (She is now well on the way to healing, thank God). In the aftermath of the accident, the usual procedure was followed: first aid, transport to hospital, x-ray and diagnosis, resetting the injured bone, and wrapping in a protective cast to promote full healing. But that was only the beginning, and since then Sister has been receiving lots of TLC and assistance with various needs that are difficult to do “one handed” and we are all happy to aid her recovery in whatever way we can. Isn’t it true that when a family member or friend has such an accident, it brings out the best in us? These days the daily news is reporting on the inquiry into the 1998 Omagh bombing which killed 29 people plus unborn twins.   Many more were left maimed and scarred for life, not only physically but emotionally and mentally. This opportunity for them to tell their story may help to bring some healing of wounds carried for decades. Often we do...

Last week my team, Shelbourne FC (whom I have followed and supported for 30 years) won the league again! What joy and celebration there was amongst all the supporters, team and management of the club. The scenes I was able to view online were so uplifting and made me smile and my heart pump with happiness! It was the first time in 18 years since they won the league… eighteen long years… it makes me stop and think… Eighteen years ago I joined this community at Kilmacud, and so much has happened in my life in that time – ups and downs, joys and sorrows. Eighteen years ago my nephew was born, and over all these years, through the normal ups and downs of life (thank God more ups than downs) he is now grown into a wonderful intelligent, healthy, caring and thoughtful young man. And over the past eighteen years, that beloved football club, Shelbourne, that was my second home for many years before I became a Carmelite, have been through such doldrums, such difficult times, barely surviving… b...

  In yesterday's Gospel, Jesus says: “the Kingdom of God is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour ’til it was leavened all through.” A few months ago, Dr. Jessie Rodgers, the Scripture scholar broke open this parable for us. Do you know how much 3 measures of flour is? Well, I did not. It is enough to make 52 loaves of bread! Dr. Jessie does the Parables of Jesus with children sometimes and the comment of one little girl on the 52 loaves of bread was – “ that Mammy must have had very greedy children”! What strikes you I wonder? Maybe that the good woman must have had strong arms to mix that amount of flour? What grips me is that a tiny bit of yeast could make 52 loaves of bread rise. Our young sister makes a large loaf of yeast bread and I love to see it swelling up. But what is so much more awesome is that Jesus uses that image of the tiny bit of yeast when He wants us to discover the wonder of the Kingdom of God’s lov e and goodness. Yes and He tel...

  As the days become warmer and brighter, I think back to the glorious childhood summers of endless joy and sunshine.  I suspect the memories are coloured with a fair slice of imagination as the weather was clearly as changeable then as now, but we only remember the good days!   One thing about summer that didn't change was the Summer concert and the predictable 13th century song 'Summer is a-coming in'.  There are many versions of this, which I suppose is not surprising given the length of time it has been around. I still remember the version we sang: Summer is a coming in, Loud now sing, cuckoo. Groweth seed, and bloweth reed, And spring the woods anew.     Sing Cuckoo. Ewe now bleateth after lamb, Loweth after calf the cow, Bullock starteth,  buck now verteth, Merry sing cuckoo, cuckoo  cuckoo.  Well singst thou cuckoo,  Nor leave thou never now. We were told that it dated from the thirteenth century and the earliest copy wa...

           The Spirit Empowers us and Speaks to us in the ordinary events of daily life   We have been preparing during the past few weeks for the feast of Pentecost. The time when the Holy Spirit came to the Mother of God and Jesus’ Disciples in the upper room.   ‘ They (the Christian Community) all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.’ Acts 1:4.   The Spirit empowered them to go out, with courage, and spread the Good News. What is that Good News? The Good News of Christ is that, He came down to earth not only that He may share in our humanity, but that we may share in His divinity .   Jesus came among us to show us the way to live our lives and remind us that he is present with us, individually and collectively, until the end of time. And there is more! But how do WE today experience this outpouring of the Spirit? There are times when I can be so full of...

  Last Sunday we celebrated the joyful   feast of the Ascension, Jesus’ homecoming to the Father; a great feast of HOPE.   He left us, not as orphans, but promising to be with us to the end of time and to continue to work with us through the Holy Spirit. Hope stretches us beyond what we can see or feel, and our faith assures us that where Jesus now is, one day we hope to follow.   If we take time to be still and quieten our hearts of all the fleeting, dizzying attractions the world offers, we soon discover, like St. Augustine, that our hearts will be restless until we rest in Him. Yes, we are wired for eternity.   Our hearts will live for ever and ever.   Heaven is our Homeland.   It’s as if we all come into the world with a return ticket . Like Jesus, we have come from the Father and we are returning to Him, no matter how long or how many twists and turns on our life’s journey... I find that the elderly help us to reclaim this focus, readjust ...