Each week one of our Sisters contributes a reflection on a topical subject, or a theme in the Liturgy.

Thursday 21st September 2023 Three different lives but with a lot in common Dorothy Day was a great American social activist, journalist and above all champion for the poor. She was born in 1897. Her cause for canonization has begun in the Catholic Church. I am sure Dorothy would be surprised by this as she lived a very unconventional life. Yet, she is considered to be the best known political radical activist in the American Catholic Church. Pope Francis recalled her great work when he visited America some years ago. I came across a quote by her recently that made me think again about her and her empathy for the poor. It also reminded me of the people who are not only inspired by her but imitate her. Here is the quote ‘would you give food to a poor person on an old cracked plate, thinking that was good enough? Do you think Martha and Mary thought the old chipped plate was good enough for their guest (Jesus)? It is not a duty to help Christ (in the poor) it is a privilege.’ She lived life against the grain and was unafraid to speak the truth. When she converted to Catholicism, as a young woman, prayer was the bedrock of her life and choices. She was a woman of prayer and action. She walked the talk. There are people in Ireland who follow the inspiration of Dorothy. I think of my friend Colm. He is a man of prayer, he believes passionately in non violence and for most of his adult life has dared to think differently. He was described in an article as a ‘faith based activist’. He has made choices that are not popular and like Dorothy has gone against the grain. Is he powerful in worldly ways? No. Is he effective – I would think and hope so. He has made his thoughts know by writing and also by demonstrating outside government buildings with his home-made placards in all weathers. At present he is actively opposing those who wish to change the laws on Irish Neutrality. In his reflection on this issue he said ‘if we lose our neutrality our diplomatic clout will be diminished.’ I am sure Dorothy Day is with him and his friends. Dorothy Day had great love for St.Thérèse whom she chose as her Patron. How would we connect these two women? St. Thérèse said ‘one Sunday, looking at a picture of Our Lord on the Cross, I was struck by the blood flowing from one of his divine hands. I felt a pang of great sorrow when thinking this blood was falling on the ground without anyone hastening to gather it up. I was resolved to remain in spirit at the foot of the Cross and to receive its dew. … I don’t want this precious blood to be lost. I shall spend my life gathering it up for the good of souls.’ Dorothy Day ‘walked the streets of the poor, noticing their blood, drying their tears, trying in her own way to gather them up. St. Thérèse did the same thing mystically, deep inside the body of Christ. It is no surprise that Dorothy took St.Thérèse as her model. St. Thérèse, Dorothy and Colm are people unafraid to follow their inner Truth for the good of humanity but not without being misunderstood and suffering for their convictions. BACK TO TOP Wednesday 13th September 2023 Holy Ground Many of you will recall the compulsory lockdown experience during the Covid pandemic some years ago and how you found it so constrictive and burdensome... Yet for us cloistered Carmelites it was very much our natural, chosen, mode of living; a vital part of our lives, as ‘hermits in community’. It is the milieu in which our hearts expand to encircle the earth and embrace all our brothers and sisters. Over the years cloister, solitude and silence become more and more needs of the heart. Thy heighten our awareness, slow us down, teach us interiority. They tune us into the music of life and give ears to our hearts to hear the cry of the poor. They lead us to the wellsprings of life: ’the dearest freshness deep down things (G. M. Hopkins). They awaken our hearts to beauty, the healing harmonies of Nature. They fill us with reverence and wonder at the mystery of growth, the miracles-in-slow- motion that God is ever working in all of life. Our cloister does not insulate us from reality. There are few outlets, no nights out at the theatre or holidays abroad, yet it is the door into reality, to truth, to self- knowledge; a challenging and, at times, a rocky road, but one leading to inner freedom. During my walks in the garden, I love to look back at the monastery. It gives me a sense of perspective. I am amazed, and amused at times, at all the drama that can take place within four walls, all the weathers of the human spirit even within the space of a day. I remember one day, some years ago, a magnificent rainbow appeared, encircling the whole monastery like a benediction. My heart thrilled. Psalm15 sprang to mind; For me the measuring lines have fallen on pleasant sites. Fair to me indeed is my inheritance. That sense of contentment has never left me. Yes, the cloister is not an escape, but a sacred space of encounter, Holy Ground. I take off my shoes! BACK TO TOP Thursday 7th September 2023 The Wonder of Bees Many years ago, I got an idea to make a patchwork quilt – old style – cutting out pieces of cloth and sewing them together. I put great effort into my preparations, measuring everything carefully and cutting them to equal size. Or so I thought! When I began putting the quilt together, I realised I had to do some gentle stretching and pulling to make the pieces fit into each other! And so, I am always amazed and filled with wonder at the precision of a honeycomb, made by tiny bees with no measuring tools or rulers. Each six-sided cell has exactly the same dimensions as those around it, so that all fits together so neatly and perfectly! For some time, we have had resident honeybees in the roof of our chapel here in Kilmacud. Last week we decided the time had come to have them re- housed by a professional beekeeper in order that the colony would not grow too large. It was a painstaking and difficult job, but the colony was successfully removed and is now settled for the winter in a proper apiary. The beekeeper told us that he estimates there were 70,000 bees in our large chapel-roof community! We marvelled at a piece of the comb he left with u s, explaining how the bees when building their home leave exactly 8mm to move around between each piece of comb, and this was evident in our roof, even without man-made frames for them to build on! Such architectural skill from tiny creatures is awesome and inspiring; and they have no worries about pyrite or mica or aerated concrete because they can make all their own building materials from their own bodies! In the days following the bee removal, before the roof was repaired, many foraging bees and wasps came inside our chapel, attracted by the smell of honey. They found themselves trapped inside and buzzed against the windows for hours before becoming exhausted. Sometimes the noise of buzzing was so loud it felt like we were living inside a beehive, and I could hear the noise in my head everywhere in the house and even in bed at night! I wondered what I could learn from these poor disorientated bees that could benefit my distracted prayer in the chapel these days? Then it came to me… there are many, many people in our world today who are lost and trapped and trying to find an external or interior freedom. Each poor bee buzzing on the window could represent one of these suffering people. As the buzzing noise was so clear to me, I prayed that it would also be clearly heard by God and that He would bring relief and peace to those in our world who need it most. There is so much we can learn from bees, and how they organise their colony and communicate with each other. They each have assigned roles and each one is dedicated to the survival and safety of the whole community. They provide us with delicious honey and high-quality wax. Bees are so special that they are specifically mentioned at the most solemn moment of the greatest Church Liturgy of the year, i.e., the singing of the “Exsultet” after the blessing of the new Easter Candle. Yes, even the humble bees are acknowledged for their work in providing the wax for this candle, as we sing: “O holy Father, accept this candle, a solemn offering, the work of bees and of your servants’ hands…” We thank and praise God for all we have learned and can ponder about bees during this “Season of Creation”. BACK TO TOP Thursday 31st August 2023 Joseph and the Alphabet I was recently given a link to an article in a Jewish History website and was amazed to read that new research into ancient documents found in Egypt, indicate that the first alphabet was invented by Joseph the son of Jacob, the Joseph who was sold as a slave by his brothers and ended up saving Egypt and the surrounding country from famine. For a long time scholars thought that the Phoenicians had invented the alphabet but they could not fit Phoenician words with the texts. As far back as 1920 Hebrew had been suggested but it was discounted as was the theory suggested by W. F. Albright, a gifted scholar of Biblical Archaeology, who believed that these writings were the work of Israelite slaves. The oldest of these texts dates from about 1800 B.C. and the most recent from the late 1500s B.C. After that, the alphabet has not been found in Egypt but it suddenly appeared in Canaan. Scholars were puzzled, but to those familiar with the Old Testament this clearly indicates the Hebrew people, the only ones who would have known this language. However, it is unlikely that the Hebrew slaves would have been able to create an alphabet, whoever did it had to be very skilled with language and used to reading the hieroglyphics used before the creation of the alphabet as well as being a native Hebrew speaker This description fits Joseph so exactly a Hebrew who became the trusted servant of Pharaoh in Egypt. (See Genesis Chapter 41 ff.) For more detail as to the discoveries and illustrations see https://aish.com/the-jewish-invention-of-the-alphabet/ Image: Wikimedia Commons BACK TO TOP Wednesday 23rd August 2023 Do whatever my Son tells you (John 2:1-12) Last week we celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Knock. It brought back memories to me of the visit of Pope Jonn Paul in 1979 to that great Marian shrine. His words made a deep impression on me. He said: Mother in this shrine you gather the people of God of all Ireland and constantly point out to them Christ in the Eucharist and the Church. At this moment we listen with particular attention to your words: Do whatever my Son tells you and we wish to respond to you with all our heart. We entrust to your motherly care the land of Ireland where you have been and are so much loved. Help this land to stay true to you and your Son always. Keep them faithful in prosperity to the faith they would not surrender in poverty and persecution. Help them to work together to build a just and peaceful loving society where the poor are never neglected and the rights of all especially the weak are respected. Queen of Ireland Mary mother of the heavenly and earthly church keep Ireland true to her spiritual tradition and her Christian heritage. Isn’t it awesome for us to know that Jesus in his last agony on the cross gave us his Mother to be our Mother too. He could not bear that we should journey through life without her Motherly protection. So let us hear her motherly voice in our ears saying: Do whatever my Son tells. Little Sr. Mary Paul now in Heaven for many years chose those words of Mary as her motto on her profession day. They lived in her heart and made her into the compassionate loving person she was, her heart always open to the poor and suffering. Mary came to the help of the famine stricken, persecuted people of Ireland in 1879. She will come to the help of our people in their present need. She will come to the help of each one of us. How blessed we are to have the Marian shrine of Knock in our midst as a place of healing and prayer. BACK TO TOP Friday 4th August 2023 Youth Festivals This week thousands of young Catholics are gathered in Lisbon, Portugal for “World Youth Day” with Pope Francis. Also, this week, thousands of young scouts are gathered in South Korea for the “World Scout Jamboree”. After the restrictions and lockdowns of the Covid-pandemic, young people must have anticipated these gatherings with great excitement and joy. International youth festivals like these are positive, affirming, and energising experiences for young people. Life-long friendships are made with people from all over the world. Memories are created of fun experiences and mishaps overcome. Often romance blooms too! My sister met her husband at a scout jamboree. I personally know two couples who met at World Youth Day events. In today’s culture of social-media and virtual-connections with people, time spent at these youth festivals in the real presence of other like-minded young people is very special and helps to build a solid identity in young hearts. The experience of meeting so many others with similar interests helps to build up self-esteem and courage for life. As we pray for the youth who are meeting this week in various parts of the world, let us “tap into” their joy and energy and allow their gatherings to re-energise us too. Let us pray for each one to have a positive experience of peer support, friendship and support. Joys Of Youth by John Clare How pleasing simplest recollections seem! Now summer comes, it warms me to look back On the sweet happiness of youth's wild track, Varied and fleeting as a summer dream: Here have I paus'd upon the sweeping rack That specks like wool-flocks through the purple sky; Here have I careless stooped down to catch The meadow flower that entertain'd my eye; And as the butterfly went whirring by, How anxious for its settling did I watch; And oft long purples on the water's brink Have tempted me to wade, in spite of fate, To pluck the flowers. -Oh, to look back and think, What pleasing pains such simple joys create! Poem: https://internetpoem.com/john-clare/joys-of-youth- poem/ Images: Wikimedia Commons BACK TO TOP Thursday 27th July 2023 Grandparents We have been hearing a lot about grandparents recently. In 2021, Pope Francis instituted the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly to be celebrated every year on the fourth Sunday of July, which falls near July 26th, the memorial of St. Joachim and St. Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. Pope Francis encourages us to remember, our grandparents at Mass on that day and, if they are still living, to visit them or to visit an elderly person living alone. Grandparents are often the main teachers of the faith to their grandchildren, answering their questions and telling them bible stories and stories of the saints, as well as teaching by the example of their lives. We give thanks for their witness. Some of us may not remember our grandparents very well but we may remember particular incidents or wise sayings passed on by a parent recalling their own childhood. Pondering these can help us to appreciate our families and give thanks. We give thanks for all Grandparents and pray especially for those who care for their grandchildren. Photos: 1. Saints Anne and Joachim Francesco Botticini, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons 2. Mme. Fournet, grandmother of St. Therese’s cousins Jeanne & Marie Guerin. Therese also looked on her as a grandmother and loved to visit her at Saint Ouen Le Pin, in the beautiful Auge countryside (about 9 kms from Lisieux). BACK TO TOP Thursday 20th July 2023 The Protection of our Mother Mary This week we are still in the glow of the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Yes the Carmelite family all over the world is rejoicing in having Mary as our Mother and Protectress and thanking her for her countless blessings. The cradle of our Order is Mount Carmel in the Holy Land where the early hermits around the end of the 12th. century built a small chapel in honour our Lady. They regarded her as their model in teaching them to pray and in helping them to share the fruits of their prayer with others. I remember the joy of receiving the habit of Carmel as a young nun and in learning the little prayers that we say as we put it on each day. “Queen beauty of Carmel, you have given us a sign of your Protection” is the one as we slip the scapular over our shoulders each morning. Over the centuries, people wanted to be associated with orders devoted to Our Lady so the custom grew of giving then some part of the religious habit. The brown scapular was the sign for the Carmelite family. All who wear it are accepting the challenge to live a full Christian life of prayer and service modelled on the example of Mary who is the perfect disciple of her son Jesus. It is a sign too of the spiritual bond that unites all who wear the brown scapular in her honour into the great religious family of Carmel. People call to us looking for the protection of Mary over their sick or troubled or dying loved ones. Carmel is all Mary’s and her presence pervades our monasteries. Her protection is over you too. She is there for everyone. Rejoice and be glad to have such a Mother. BACK TO TOP Wednesday 12th July 2023 Freedom What comes to mind when you hear the word FREEDOM? As a child it was for me school holidays, no homework, long summer days, making new friends and doing fun and adventurous things. Nothing wrong with all of that. As we move into the teenage years it maybe the struggle to grow up and the urge to pull away from parental control or what to us may feel like control. The cycle continues throughout our lives and into our senior years. But there is a freedom we all long for and it is worth the effort to search for It is inner freedom. The poet David Whyte has this to say ‘Freedom is perhaps the ultimate spiritual longing of an individual human being, but freedom is only really appreciated when it falls within the parameters of a larger sense of belonging. In freedom is the wish to belong to a structure in our own particular way.’ (David Whyte from "Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work As a Pilgrimage of Identity") But there is so much more than that. Time helps us understand freedom as a gift of the Spirit which is within each person. We have all read about people who have made this journey. The paradox is some make this discovery while in prison, either as prisoners of conscience or others who are serving time for serious wrongdoing. In our Carmelite way of life, the structure or externals of our lives seem for people outside the monastery to be very restrictive but the opposite is the case. We are creating space for silence and solitude where we can grow close to God and find that desired freedom within. All people are called to grow in union with God and find inner freedom in their own unique lifestyle. ‘Silence is fearful exactly because in its spacious depths lies both the soul's sense of rest and its possible break for freedom’. David Whyte Take the risk and search for that Freedom that liberates and sets us free! BACK TO TOP Wednesday 21st June 2023 Midsummer reflections There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, like the wideness of the sea. There’s a kindness in God’s justice, which is more than liberty. For the love of God is broader than the measures of the mind, and the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind. Those who listen to God’s voice will grow in love like trees in Spring-time BACK TO TOP Wednesday 7th June 2023 A hundred years old Dear Sr. Kevin, Today, 7th. June 2023 you were born a hundred years ago from Government buildings. Now you are at Home in the Father’s House in Heaven and we sense your happiness and joy. We like to think that you are doing what St. Thérèse said she would do,spending your Heaven doing good upon earth especially bringing peace to war-torn Ukraine. You entered life at a most difficult time in the history of our Country. The Civil war was only a few months formally ended when your mother gave birth to you. You came in the wake of the killing of your Grandfather Dr. Thomas O’ Higgins as a reprisal for his son Kevin’s role in the execution of four leading Republicans. Small wonder then that your young Daddy who carried such terrible pain in his heart, would see in you his first born little daughter, a sign of peace, an olive branch. Your parents remembered that in the Bible Noah had sent out a dove to see if the waters were receding from the surfaces of the earth and when it came back to him with a fresh olive branch in its beak Noah knew that the flood was subsiding. You, little Maev were that fresh olive branch who gave hope to your young parents that the bitter flood of the civil war was subsiding. You grew and thrived amidst all that unrest. Your much loved sister Una was born in 1927. But only 6 months later tragedy struck again when your young Daddy was assassinated on 10th. July on his way to Mass in Booterstown Church. You father forgave his murderers as he lay dying and pleaded for an end of the killings in our country. His example inspired you always as did that of your Grandmother who gathered her 17 children around the dead body of her husband and made them promise never to take revenge. Dear much-loved Sr. Kevin, you put your whole heart and soul into your Carmelite life, serving God and your country and the whole world through your life of prayer. You were filled with God’s love. We will never forget you. Your family planted an olive tree last year in our grounds to honour your memory. It is laden with tiny olives today. The words of the psalm are fulfilled in you: I am like a growing olive tree in the house of the Lord. I trust in the Goodness of God forever and ever. BACK TO TOP

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