Witness for Christ

27^th Friday, Year 1 12 October 2007

In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us to rejoice that our names are written in heaven, not because we work miracles and drive out demons. He continues by saying that he who is not with him is against him. And elsewhere Jesus says, “Those who are not against us are for us”.

The martyrs are Christ’s witnesses par excellence. Yet we too are called to witness to Christ every moment of every hour.

Every Christian begins the day with the morning offering. Thereby he stands up for Jesus before the host of heaven if not before the world.

As monks, our morning offering is the Divine Office of Vigils, (of Readings), which we begin at 3.30 a.m.

When I was a junior at Mt St Bernard Abbey, Abbot Finbar of Mt Mellery, visited us every year. He once told us the story of an elderly monk. He told the monk it was time he stopped attending Vigils. So he should stay in bed. Low and behold, next morning, the good man appeared in choir. Later in the day he asked him why he came to Vigils. He replied, “Oh yes, Rev Father, I stayed in bed but I couldn’t sleep. So I went to choir and I had a grand sleep. He preferred to sit in those uncomfortable choir stalls rather than remain in his warm bed.

Abbot Charles enjoyed attending our Vigils here in Nunraw. During his five years at the Generalate in Rome, the thing he missed most was not having Vigils in choir.

I think most of us have similar feelings about attending Vigils however difficult it may be to rise from bed on a cold morning.

It is our joy to rise and stand up for Christ. “They also serve who only stand and wait”, (Milton?).

Sts John Brebeuf, Issac Jogues & Companions, Martyrs

28^th Friday of the Year. 2007-10-19

Sts John Brebeuf, SJ, Isaac Jogues, SJ and Companions

In the Gospel Jesus tells us of our heavenly Father’s love and care for each one of us. “The hairs of your head have been counted. Are you not worth more than hundreds of sparrows?”.

Some years ago we listened to the Life of St Isaac Jogues being read in the refectory in Bamenda. We were astonished at the many similarities between the American Indian culture and that of the African culture.

African culture today is predominantly Western. However the traditional culture is still very strong, both the good points and the not so good. Tribal warfare is still going on even between Christian tribes.

St Thérèse also knew the life of St Isaac, the Jesuit missionary and martyr in North America. She had a great devotion to him and had a picture of him in her cell. So when she wanted to join in the Carmelite foundation in Vietnam she did so with her eyes wide open to the hazards of missionary life. Providence ordained that she remain at home and suffer the terrible dark night of the soul. This is an experience that we all have whether we are missionary or contemplative. As we all know she is now co-patron of the missions with St Francis Xaviour.

Our mother used to attend the Carmelite Church in Dublin and had a great devotion to St Thérèse. I suspect this had a lot to do with our missionary vocations.

I thought I had sacrificed my missionary vocation when I entered Mt St Bernard. But when I arrived there and saw two African priest oblates I had a premonition that I might end up on the missions after all. I had been slated for South Africa where I would have met my aunt, a Sister of Mercy.

You might say I have enjoyed the best of both worlds.

Truly the story of St John, St Isaac and companions is most inspiring. The same is true of St Brendan, the Irish navigator monk, whose name I took at baptism. He discovered America six centuries before Columbus. St Isaac followed in Brendan’s footsteps but went much further inland.

All for the Glory of God.