We begin by stopping to spare a thought for all those who have been affected by this week’s events in New Zealand. This weekend with all the Irish all over the world we celebrate the feast of Saint Patrick who was credited with bringing the faith to the Irish. I often wonder what St. Patrick who drove the snakes out of Ireland would do about the modern snakes that we have in Ireland today. I imagine he would look at what was going on around him and roll up his sleeves and get on with the job of proclaiming the Gospel and its values which are timeless.
In our Gospel Story for this Sunday we have the story of the tiny mustard seed. The wee mustard seed represents the faith that we have within us and the story is really about how we nourish and cultivate our faith so that it becomes strong so that it will shelter us when times are hard and life is not so good. When saint Patrick came to Ireland he sowed the mustard seed of the faith in the Irish nation and over the years many have nourished and helped that wee seed to grow. But for many the faith is gone and the weeds and the darnel that the Gospel also talks about have taken over and events in the Church here in Ireland and over the worldwide Church bear witness to this. Having said that we should also take courage here we are so many years after Saint Patrick thinking about his message and how we can put it into action in our own lives and there is much to value in that message.
The spirit of St Patrick affirms the worth of each human being. His Confession invites us all to personal conversion especially during Lent. His message was to draw people to follow Christ in the sharing spirit of the Gospel. This mission is still an urgent one especially in today’s Ireland were there are so many people who are experiencing a crisis of faith. Saint Paul in the words of this Sundays second reading tells us what we should be doing in very clear terms Before God and before Christ Jesus I put this duty to you, in the name of his Appearing and of his kingdom: proclaim the message and, welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Be careful always to choose the right course; be brave under trials; make the preaching of the Good News your life’s work, in thorough going service.
Saint Patrick who we celebrate this Sunday did just that he proclaimed the message of salvation and he insisted on it and many years later we are the inheritors of the rich inheritance of faith born of him. Today there are many things that are wrong in terms of Faith there are many snakes out there looking to destroy what we all hold as being good it is up to us to us to choose the right course; to be brave under trials; and make the Good News our life’s work, in thorough going service as Saint Patrick did.
Fullerton T 