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This was the Homily by Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin at the 40th Annivesary Mass for the Ballyfermot Peace Corps Folk Group in Our Lady of the assumption church ballyfermot Saturday the 15th September 2012
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Congratulations to Ballyfermot Peace Corps Folk Group celebrating their 40th Year Anniversary. Mass was celebrated by The Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin
Thank To the Archbishop of Dublin Most Rev Diarmuid Martin and Annette O Donnell for a copy of the Homily
40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BALLYFERMOT FOLK GROUP
Homily Notes of
Most Rev. Diarmuid Martin
Archbishop of Dublin
-------------------
Church of the Assumption, Ballyfermot, 15th September 2012
I am always happy to be back here in this Church and I am especially happy to be here this evening as part of the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the Ballyfermot Folk Group which accompanies our Mass this evening.
I congratulate those who have been with the group over all the years since its beginnings and those who have rejoined at various moments. I congratulate those who are more recent recruits. I know that from its beginnings this was not just a folk group but a group of people who dedicated themselves in a variety of ways to enriching the life of the Church and the broader community in Ballyfermot.
These years have not been easy years for the Church in Ballyfermot and there is no way we can truly celebrate without also remembering that and remembering those who bear deep wounds of hurt within them.
The Church is the place where we encounter Jesus Christ and the life and mission of Jesus Christ are centred on his self-giving even until death, and on his rising from the dead to bring us new life. Life in the Church is not linear. There will always be moments of doubts and darkness. But we also know that Jesus Christ will take our hand and lead us on the road to new life. In Jesus Christ, where there has been hurt and sadness there will always be new beginnings and a new realisation of who were are and of the abilities and talents that God has given us and wants us to be able to realise.
A celebration of 40 years is a celebration which involves three generations. Your parents, your own generation and now the generation of your children are all represented here this evening. My hope is that your children will be the ones who will pick up the original inspiration of this folk group and become active not just in their own life and personal growth but also in that of the community and that they will find satisfaction in that experience.
My connections with this Church and this parish go back over sixty years and I remember the first-generation of families who came here to Ballyfermot in the hope of doing better for themselves and their children. That generation deserve to be remembered for their sense of pride and dignity, of hard work and good neighbourliness. We owe so much to them.
What will the church of tomorrow be like? It will not just be a church of priests and brothers and nuns, but one in which men and women, fathers and mothers, will also be active participants. Through prayer and reflection, through the inspiration of the scriptures and the tradition of the Church, we will be working together to discover and appreciate the answer to the question which is at the heart of today’s Gospel reading: Who is Jesus Christ and what does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?
Each of us has naturally an understanding of Jesus which is shaped by our own experience and faith. But there is also the danger that we get a mistaken idea of who Jesus is or that we make one up which simply suits ourselves.
Peter, in today’s gospel proclaims that Jesus is the Christ, but he did not want to hear about an identity of Jesus which would involve suffering and unpopularity for Jesus. Peter was really fearful about what that suffering and rejection might involve for himself. Many of us can create an idea of Jesus and a type of faith which is comfortable for ourselves and put aside any form of clash or division with the world around us.
Jesus is the one who helps us to understand how we face the difficulties of the reality of life. Life is no easy path, but it is a path which always points to hope. It is the path of the cross, which is a path of contradiction with what is simply popular or appears easy and satisfying, but which in reality leads to emptiness.
Over forty years you will have had great experiences and experiences of frustration and anger. The fact that this group has maintained its identity and has stuck together for over forty years is a sign that it is on the right track and that it contains the potential of continuing into the future to be a place of support and help and community.
It was that sense of community which brought your together in times that were difficult. It is that same sense of community which will be necessary for the years to come. The second reading is absolutely clear that faith in Jesus must result also in a particular life style. Faith without good works is dead. Faith is never about simply having what we need ourselves, but inspires us to ensure that everyone can enjoy the necessities of life and flourish.
The mixture of action and prayerful reflection in song which is a characteristic of the folk group is an example to others of what the Christian life means and how living an authentic Christian life can bring a unique values to the world in which we live. I thank God for these forty years of service. I wish each of you and your families every blessing and I pray that together we can work towards deepening our faith in Jesus Christ and in living that faith in the world of today and tomorrow. ENDS
© All Rights Reserved
© All Rights Reserved
Congratulations to Ballyfermot Peace Corps Folk Group celebrating their 40th Year Anniversary. Mass was celebrated by The Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin
Thank To the Archbishop of Dublin Most Rev Diarmuid Martin and Annette O Donnell for a copy of the Homily
40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BALLYFERMOT FOLK GROUP
Homily Notes of
Most Rev. Diarmuid Martin
Archbishop of Dublin
-------------------
Church of the Assumption, Ballyfermot, 15th September 2012
I am always happy to be back here in this Church and I am especially happy to be here this evening as part of the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the Ballyfermot Folk Group which accompanies our Mass this evening.
I congratulate those who have been with the group over all the years since its beginnings and those who have rejoined at various moments. I congratulate those who are more recent recruits. I know that from its beginnings this was not just a folk group but a group of people who dedicated themselves in a variety of ways to enriching the life of the Church and the broader community in Ballyfermot.
These years have not been easy years for the Church in Ballyfermot and there is no way we can truly celebrate without also remembering that and remembering those who bear deep wounds of hurt within them.
The Church is the place where we encounter Jesus Christ and the life and mission of Jesus Christ are centred on his self-giving even until death, and on his rising from the dead to bring us new life. Life in the Church is not linear. There will always be moments of doubts and darkness. But we also know that Jesus Christ will take our hand and lead us on the road to new life. In Jesus Christ, where there has been hurt and sadness there will always be new beginnings and a new realisation of who were are and of the abilities and talents that God has given us and wants us to be able to realise.
A celebration of 40 years is a celebration which involves three generations. Your parents, your own generation and now the generation of your children are all represented here this evening. My hope is that your children will be the ones who will pick up the original inspiration of this folk group and become active not just in their own life and personal growth but also in that of the community and that they will find satisfaction in that experience.
My connections with this Church and this parish go back over sixty years and I remember the first-generation of families who came here to Ballyfermot in the hope of doing better for themselves and their children. That generation deserve to be remembered for their sense of pride and dignity, of hard work and good neighbourliness. We owe so much to them.
What will the church of tomorrow be like? It will not just be a church of priests and brothers and nuns, but one in which men and women, fathers and mothers, will also be active participants. Through prayer and reflection, through the inspiration of the scriptures and the tradition of the Church, we will be working together to discover and appreciate the answer to the question which is at the heart of today’s Gospel reading: Who is Jesus Christ and what does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?
Each of us has naturally an understanding of Jesus which is shaped by our own experience and faith. But there is also the danger that we get a mistaken idea of who Jesus is or that we make one up which simply suits ourselves.
Peter, in today’s gospel proclaims that Jesus is the Christ, but he did not want to hear about an identity of Jesus which would involve suffering and unpopularity for Jesus. Peter was really fearful about what that suffering and rejection might involve for himself. Many of us can create an idea of Jesus and a type of faith which is comfortable for ourselves and put aside any form of clash or division with the world around us.
Jesus is the one who helps us to understand how we face the difficulties of the reality of life. Life is no easy path, but it is a path which always points to hope. It is the path of the cross, which is a path of contradiction with what is simply popular or appears easy and satisfying, but which in reality leads to emptiness.
Over forty years you will have had great experiences and experiences of frustration and anger. The fact that this group has maintained its identity and has stuck together for over forty years is a sign that it is on the right track and that it contains the potential of continuing into the future to be a place of support and help and community.
It was that sense of community which brought your together in times that were difficult. It is that same sense of community which will be necessary for the years to come. The second reading is absolutely clear that faith in Jesus must result also in a particular life style. Faith without good works is dead. Faith is never about simply having what we need ourselves, but inspires us to ensure that everyone can enjoy the necessities of life and flourish.
The mixture of action and prayerful reflection in song which is a characteristic of the folk group is an example to others of what the Christian life means and how living an authentic Christian life can bring a unique values to the world in which we live. I thank God for these forty years of service. I wish each of you and your families every blessing and I pray that together we can work towards deepening our faith in Jesus Christ and in living that faith in the world of today and tomorrow. ENDS
© All Rights Reserved
© All Rights Reserved