Many churches need to be helped along the way.

Homily for 5th Sunday After Easter 7th May 2023

Last Wednesday, I took my mum over to Benburb so that she could attend Holy Communion in the Church of Ireland. During the service, Revd Suzanne Cousins informed the congregation it was the feast day of Saints Philip and James. She asked me to confirm this but my mind went blank because I was put on the spot. But how could I forget, in my morning prayers, at the Canticle the foreword read: “Have I been with you all this time and you still do not know me? Philip, to see me is to see the Father. Alleluia.” After the service, the small congregation went to Benburb Priory’s coffee shop. A lady in the group told me how she had been studying to be a licensed lay reader, authorised by her diocese bishop, which allows her lead certain services, to preach and do other pastoral duties as required. As a Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church, I mentioned part of my formation was to become a Lector, which allowed me to say the first and second readings, along with the psalm. At the end of the second year of formation study, I was conferred as an Acolyte, which allowed me to serve the priest at the altar. In my final year, after the studies, I was assigned to Dromintee and Jonesborough Parish to gain some Pastoral experience, before being ordained. As a Permanent Deacon, I gained the faculties to preach the Word of God in the Archdiocese of Armagh by Archbishop Eamon Martin. This means, I can preach the Gospel and say a Homily. I also have a more active role in the Mass, in preparing the altar by receiving the offertory of Bread and Wine, mixing the Water and Wine saying a prayer about the Mystery in which Christ shares in our humanity and we share in his divinity. Both the unleavened bread and wine are presented to the priest to be consecrated through the Eucharistic prayer into the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Both Catholic Priests and Anglican Priests are ordained as a transitionary deacon before going on to become a priest, but there are no permanent deacons in the Anglican Church. Several Anglican Priests have acknowledged there should Permanent Deacons in their Church. Revd Suzanne’s homily, inspired by Archdeacon of Tuam, indicates how the Church of Ireland today is like the one mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. There are squabbles, and calls for reform and often those commissioned to reform discover difficulties, often wishing to return to the simplicity of the early church’s origins. Much can be said of our Catholic Church. Yet, as we hear is Acts of the Apostles, and in many of St. Paul’s letters, many churches needed to be helped along the way. When the church increased, Hellenists grumbled about the Hebrews because they felt neglected. The Apostles needed to preach the gospel, but the congregation had pastoral and physical needs. So filled with the Holy Spirit, the Twelve elected seven men of good reputation, who were also filled with the Holy Spirit to serve the people in their daily needs. Stephen was one and another was Philip. Sadly, Revd Suzanne has been assigned a new group of parishes in the Church of Ireland diocese of Tuam. Meaning the Benburb parish would be vacant for a time. Yet Revd Suzanne reminded her folk that they had to trust Our Lord as they were also chosen as a royal priesthood, a people set apart to sing the praises of God. Today’s Gospel reminds us not to be troubled in our hearts but to trust in God. Jesus tells them there are many rooms in God’s House, and that he has gone to prepare a place for all of us. In our own Church, we see many changes. Calls for new ways to do things. But a strong message coming out of the discussion last Wednesday was it is not all about the doing. We can do a lot but find we have gone along the wrong path. In Exodus, God sets out a pattern for the Israelites to follow. To work for six days and then too rest on the seventh. The reason for this is so that we do not get burnt out. Often, we are eager to ‘do’ our best but can stretch ourselves too far. I was reminded during a session with my Spiritual Director, that I need to recognise it is more important to “be”. To be in the presence of the Lord because no matter what I try to do it will never be enough. Jesus loves us as we are. Jesus will not judge us, because we have accepted him as our Lord, so because of this fact we have been saved, warts and all. Those who are to be judged are those who have rejected him, like the stone thrown away by the builder, yet this very stone is a precious cornerstone supporting the rest of the building which we can put our trust in. As a flock, we know our Lord and Saviour’s voice when he calls. We may not always recognise who belongs to the Shepherd, but he knows us all, regardless of which church we come from. We just need to trust in Jesus, when he says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, No one can come to the Father except through me.”