Issue Nr 52, February 2009

Newsletter

A Pastor's Reflection

by Fr Simon Penhalagan

On Monday I will be presiding at the funeral of a man who has made quite a powerful impact on me in the last few weeks. I only met him - always reading his newspaper - when I visited him in hospital while awaiting major surgery, and I was impressed by his gentleness and patience. In chatting through the arrangements for his funeral with his family I came to know even more of the man behind the paper.

He was an Irishman, a lifelong practicing Catholic, who had an extremely competitive streak. A keen footballer and hockey player, he won many awards over the years, prior to an accident at work 25 years ago, at the age of 45, that left him a paraplegic. Undaunted he turned his sporting activity to wheelchair bound past times, eventually becoming World Champion in paraplegic bowls, and winning a silver medal in the same sport at the Seoul Olympics. He also used his wheelchair experience to become an advocate for the disabled in the practical side of being a Church goer, encouraging Churches to have better access for the disabled, fitting loop systems for the deaf – he himself became profoundly deaf six years ago – and finding creative ways for the disabled to be actively involved in the life of the Church.

This was the man: assertive yet patient and gentle. And he put this gentleness down to his relationship with God. In particular he recognised that his faith had come more fully alive in the last 10 years, in large part because of the visible life-long commitment of the Deacon in the Parish, who also died this year, whose ongoing witness spoke to him profoundly. No conversation was had, but he saw in the Deacon something that he wanted to be. His wife told me of the hours he would spend in Church just soaking up the peace of the presence of God. And now he is on the next stage of his journey to be with his God.

This good man – generous but self-effacing – gave of himself throughout his life, despite his own ever deteriorating health. He gave to his family, he used his personal circumstances to benefit others as best he could and he gave himself ever more fully to God. He allowed the negative in life to be turned to the good. He lived out the words of Julian of Norwich: “All manner of things will be well in the Lord”, even extreme disability.

Such self giving is what Christmas is about. God gave himself to us in the person of Jesus, and he calls us to give ourselves to others. This is particularly true, if particularly hard, in the communities in which we live, both as family and as Sion. We are each called to give ourselves ever more fully in love to those around us. For some of us that may mean more patience, for others of us that we are more assertive. For some of us it may mean that we are more honest, while for others we may need to be more sensitive. The list will go on and on and on. Whatever gift we need to make to God and to others over Christmas and into the New Year let's pray for it, that we as Community may grow into mature people of God, better equipped for the mission to which he has called us.