Albeit that the beginning of the Christian Season of Lent, for yet another year, began last Wednesday – it’s the surprise resignation of Pope Benedict XVI last Monday that seems to have been grabbing the headlines all over the Christian Church ever since. The announcement of the Pope’s resignation quite obviously took everybody by surprise – and lead to a tsunami of comment across the world and across the entire spectrum of opinions. Both from those who seemed to know what they were talking about – to others who quite obviously didn’t!, but were delighted with the opportunity to ventilate vacuously on the papacy.
Not at all vacuous was the lovely quote from Lord Alton, the British peer, who described it as the Pope’s ‘Nunc Dimittis’; remember Simeon’s famous prayer in the temple at the presentation; (Lk2:29-32) ‘Now Lord you can dismiss your servant …’ his life’s ambition being complete.
I don’t suppose there’s any other position, title or profile anywhere in the world on which so many seem so confident or so comfortable in throwing in their tuppence worth; ‘what he needs to do is …’…etc, ‘If I were Pope I’d …etc,’ it’s very hard not to talk back to the radio or T.V. at times, isn’t it!! Certainly if ever proof was needed that ‘empty vessels make the most noise’, then some of the last week’s, Irish ‘vox-pops’ on this subject, gave this more than adequate uneloquent testimony!
Back to Lent 2013: I smile every year at the way some people at this time say that ‘I’m going to go to Mass for Lent’. This leaves the listener with the distinct impression that the penitential dimension to ‘having to’ go to Mass is of such a ‘painful’ and uncomfortable nature that I’m prepared to ‘put-up-with-it’ for Lent! I know this is not what’s meant – but it can be a case of “the way I tell em”! Oh! and by the way, the decision to come to Mass ‘for’ Lent is, in my opinion, a well-worthwhile one needless to say!
I would like to recommend too that each of us adjust a gear of some sort during the next few weeks in some way or other. The final talk by Fr Kieran O’Mahony this coming Wed. (in the parish centre) completes the Scriptural focus by way of Lenten preparation. What an insightful way he puts across his scholarship – well worth listening to. From the following Wednesday (27th Feb) for the remainder of Lent we might open to the three parishes in our area a series on the Papacy/Vatican, a timely and appropriate subject at this time, in the light of recent events; watch this space!