#Clontarf Early Learning

[cottageacademy]

[abraham-stoker]

Bram Stoker was born on 8 November 1847 in Clontarf, then still a small village about three miles from Dublin’s city centre, although it was fast becoming a suburb by the time of Stoker’s appearance. His family was solidly middle class, though upwardly mobile, and possessed a healthy sense of ambition. His father Abraham Stoker senior was a respected, hard-working civil servant, his mother, Charlotte Thornley reform-minded and industrious—and possibly ‘superstitious’, full of horror stories about the effects of the cholera epidemic in 1830s Sligo where she grew up. Stoker had six brothers and sisters—William Thornley, Matilda, Thomas, Richard, Margaret and George.

Information about the first years of his life is vague and much remains unclear. In his tribute to his boss, Personal Reminiscences of Henry Irving (1906), Stoker tells the reader something of his own childhood, and mentions that for much of it he had been extremely weak and ill, so ill indeed that he spent a large amount of time laid up in bed: ‘till I was about seven years old I never knew what it was to stand upright’ (Stoker 1906, I: 31). If he is to be believed, this period of his life – the first seven years in which he was effectively bedridden, (possibly) near to death – must have had an extraordinary impact on Stoker’s personal psychology, since it implies that he never went through the normal childhood experiences of learning to walk through crawling and toddling and was instead carried everywhere by others, living on sofas and beds (Belford 1996, 17-20). His early years, then, were those of an invalid, although exactly what was wrong with him remains something of a mystery. By the time he began his writing career, however, he had miraculously overcome his frail past to become an immensely successful athlete, indeed the ‘Athletic Champion of Dublin’ while an undergraduate at Trinity College, and an all round proponent of male physical power. His early life in bed may have made him shy, but he later wrote that his physical prowess and imposing stature helped to overcome any social ineptitude he felt and he became a favourite in the undergraduate community. His status as what we would now call a ‘jock’ was certainly helpful in terms of popularity and social interaction (Murray 2004, 39-43). He entered Trinity in 1864, and there hardly seems to have been a sport in which he did not participate, and he excelled in rugby, walking races, gymnasium, sling shot, high jump, trapeze, and rowing.

Trinity College, Dublin ~ Jarlath Killeen ~ 2016

[twostarsinonesphere]

Hi! Sorry if you've done this before (I glanced through your archive, but I might have missed something), but I would love to hear your top book/movie/music/whatever recs for people that want to learn more Irish history, if you have a sec. Thanks! Your blog is awesome!

hey! so i have only one recommendation post on this topic, it's for irish literature and it can be found here.

for history resources:

if you want a brief overview of the shitshow that was the rising and the controversies and personalities therein, rebels by peter de rosa is an invaluable resource. it was the first irish history related book i've read and to this day it has made me laugh and cry and it's just such a good book ok (also it has the collins-boland whiskey/telephone cord/date/grocery store shenanigans in it, which many books on the rising do not have and it adds levity to an otherwise hella depressing story. also it doesn't attempt to gloss over pearse's insanity, or casement's... gayness.)

two good books for if you want early to mid irish history are how the irish saved civilization by thomas cahill, an incredible book about the age of saints and monks and also brehon laws, literacy, and how early irish culture changed the way "the west" looked at the concept of the self, and all that jazz - and 1014: brian ború and the battle for ireland by morgan lewellyn, a very readable book that outlines how viking culture influenced modern ireland, and how the kingship structure was set up in the pre-colonial days of the irish kingdoms. also briefly touches on the possibly mythical fifth kingship of meath. mostly deals with the battle of clontarf.

a book on granuaile, queen of connacht and more loosely the o'malley clan and how england slowly took over ireland is ireland's pirate queen by anne chambers. this book is insane and sparks joy. i love granuaile. anne chambers' other book, the shadow lord, is about granuaile's son tibbot ne long, the last "o'malley" (the title, not the name) and the nine years' war (the first anglo-irish war). this book is equally insane and sparks the same amount of joy.

a book on the troubles is say nothing by patrick radden keefe. this book evoked so many emotions. oh my god. it's honestly a must read. and it must be read while listening to the cranberries.

and finally, michael collins and eamon de valera by tim pat coogan. i hesitate to recommend these because they're both long and boring as hell but the information in them is vital to understanding the irish civil war. they're both extremely detailed, sometimes not in a good way, but there's so much information that can be used to paint a picture of these two men like nothing else i've read. it's like an encyclopedia of the collins-de valera conflict. and y'know people still can't agree on the same exact issue that they fought over so it's important to know exactly what's going on there.

so those are some beginning history books. i wish i had something on the famine to recommend but i haven't read any nonfiction on that so i'm sorry

on to movies and tv:

michael collins (1994): this goes from the easter rising in 1916 to collins' death in 1922.

the wind that shakes the barley (2006): from the year of terror in 1920 to the middle of the civil war in 1922.

black '47 (2017): the great famine in the year 1847.

rebellion season one (2016): the end of the gaelic revival and the beginning of wwi in 1914 to the end of the easter rising.

rebellion season two (2019): the year of terror in 1920 to the signing of the anglo irish treaty in 1921.

derry girls (2018-present): the nineties in derry, northern ireland. deals vaguely with the troubles but mostly with teenage shenanigans.

i, dolours (2018): a movie companion to say nothing, the book i mentioned earlier. an adaptation of dolours price's boston college tapes.

musical artists:

traditonal or folk: the high kings, the irish descendants, the dubliners, the wolfe tones, téada, p.j. hayes, the irish rovers, john mccormick, sinéad o'connor, the chieftains, university of dublin choral scholars

original: the cranberries, hozier, kodaline, i don't actually know any others and that's kind of a crime

i hope this helped you in any way, and i am so glad you enjoy my blog! have fun, and i'm sorry there's so much material on here, i have the same too much gene that jenna marbles has but instead of arts and crafts it's recommending history shit. thank you so much for the ask!

[romancatholicreflections]

16th January >> Fr. Martin's Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Mark 1:29-39 for Wednesday, First Week in Ordinary Time: ‘He went off to a lonely place and prayed there'.

Wednesday, First Week in Ordinary Time

 Gospel (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)

Mark 1:29-39

He cast out devils and cured many who were suffering from disease

On leaving the synagogue, Jesus went with James and John straight to the house of Simon and Andrew. Now Simon’s mother-in-law had gone to bed with fever, and they told him about her straightaway. He went to her, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her and she began to wait on them.

That evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by devils. The whole town came crowding round the door, and he cured many who were suffering from diseases of one kind or another; he also cast out many devils, but he would not allow them to speak, because they knew who he was.

In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house, and went off to a lonely place and prayed there. Simon and his companions set out in search of him, and when they found him they said, ‘Everybody is looking for you.’ He answered, ‘Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring country towns, so that I can preach there too, because that is why I came.’ And he went all through Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out devils.

Gospel (USA)

Mark 1:29-39

Jesus cured many who were sick with various diseases.

On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.

When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

Reflections (3)

(i) Wednesday, First Week in Ordinary Time

In this morning’s gospel reading we have the first clash in Mark’s gospel between Jesus and his disciples. After a very busy day healing the sick in Capernaum, Jesus withdrew to a lonely place for a time of prayer. Whereas people greatly appreciated Jesus’ healing ministry and wanted more of it, they didn’t seem to appreciate his going off on his own to find time and space for prayer. Jesus’ own disciples didn’t seem to appreciate this either because Simon Peter and his companions went out in search of him and when they found him they rebuked him saying, ‘Everybody is looking for you’, as much as to say, ‘What are you doing out here on your own when there are so many needy people in Capernaum looking for you’. Jesus, however, did not go back to Capernaum, in spite of the pressure put upon him. After his prayer, he went on to other villages and towns. Activity is often more appreciated than prayer; that is true of our own time as much as it was of Jesus’ time. Yet, Jesus shows us that the kind of activity which is an expression of God’s work must always be rooted in prayer. In prayer we open ourselves to God’s activity, and that helps to ensure that our activity is in harmony with God’s desire for ourselves and for others.

And/Or

(ii) Wednesday, First Week in Ordinary Time

In the first part of the gospel reading this morning, people bring Jesus to Simon Peter’s mother-in-law who was in bed with a fever, in Capernaum. In the second part of the gospel people bring all who were sick in Capernaum to Jesus. In both cases people mediated between Jesus and those who needed him. We can see in that an image of our own calling to bring Jesus to others and to bring others to Jesus. The Lord looks to all of us to mediate between himself and others. If the Lord is to get his work done, he needs all of us. In the third part of the gospel reading, Jesus’ disciples try to bring Jesus back to Capernaum. ‘Everyone is looking for you’, they said. Yet, on this occasion, Jesus refused to go with them, because he had other places to visit, ‘Let us go elsewhere’, he said. Yes, people could bring Jesus to others and bring others to Jesus, but they were not in control of him. Jesus was subject only to his heavenly Father, and his disciples had to learn to submit to him, to go after him, rather than insisting that he go after them. That too is an important part of our calling. We need to yield to what the Lord wants to do and is doing; we are not in control or in charge of the Lord’s work. Rather we try to allow the Lord to do his work in and through us.It remains his work rather than ours. It is above all in prayer that we attend to the Lord of the work, so that we can do the work of the Lord.

And/Or

(iii) Wednesday, First Week in Ordinary Time

There are two quite different activities of Jesus presented in this morning’s gospel reading. The first is the activity of healing. Jesus heals Simon Peter’s mother-in-law in the house of Simon and Andrew by taking her by the hand and lifting her up, and then goes on to heal many sick people who were brought to the door of the house. This healing activity of Jesus is very public and is greatly appreciated by everyone; the whole town came crowding around the door, according to Mark. The second activity of Jesus is quite different. It is much more private. In the morning, long before dawn, Jesus goes out by himself to a lonely place to pray. Whereas Jesus’ public activity of healing the sick was much appreciated by all, this second activity of going off by himself to pray is not appreciated by others. Even those closest to him didn’t think much of it. Peter, the leading disciple, rebukes Jesus, ‘Everybody is looking for you’, as much as to say, ‘Why are you wasting time out here on your own’. Yet, Jesus knew that the source of his life-giving work was his relationship with God, which is nurtured in his prayer. The activity of prayer was even more important to him than his activity of healing. Prayer is as necessary for us as it was for Jesus. We need the Lord if we are to live as he desires us to live and if we are to share in some way in his work. In prayer we acknowledge and give expression to our dependence on the Lord; we open ourselves to the Lord’s life-giving presence so as to be channels of that presence to others.

Fr. Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, D03 AO62, Ireland.

Email: sjtbclontarf@eircom.net or  frmartinhogan@gmail.com

Parish Website: www.stjohnsclontarf.ie  Please join us via our webcam.

Twitter: @SJtBClontarfRC.

Facebook: St John the Baptist RC Parish, Clontarf.

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[fr-martin-gospel-reflections]

6th April - ‘The Son makes you free’, Reflection on today’s gospel reading (Jn 8:31-42)

Wednesday, Fifth Week of Lent

The story in the first reading of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were preserved alive by God, after they had been thrown into the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar, was interpreted in the early church as a foreshadowing of Jesus being preserved alive by God, after he had been nailed to a Roman cross by the governor Pilate. The three men walked about freely in the fiery furnace, in the company of a fourth man who looked ‘like a son of the gods’. After Jesus had been crucified and buried, he was raised to new life and he too walked about freely as risen Lord, appearing to his disciples. God frees those who trust in him from the power of death. According to the gospel reading, God sent his Son into the world to free us all from the power of sin and death. Jesus declares that he tells the truth ‘as I have learned it from God’ and he promises that those who become his disciples ‘will learn the truth’ from him and ‘the truth will make you free’. God’s Son is the source of true freedom, freedom from sin and death, ‘if the Son make you free, you will be free indeed’. Jesus reveals the truth about God, which is that God is Love. He pours the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of God’s love, into our lives. The more we open ourselves to the coming and presence of the Holy Spirit, the freer we will be to live with the life of God, which is a life of love. As Saint Paul says in his second letter to the Corinthians, ‘where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom’. Freedom is not the ability to live as we want but the ability to live as God wants, as God created us to live. The truly free person is the one who is alive with the love of God, and it is the Holy Spirit who gives us that freedom, because genuine love, the love that is of God, is the fruit of the Spirit.

Twitter: @SJtBClontarf RC

Facebook: @SJtBClontarf

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[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

11th June >> Fr. Martin’s Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Matthew 10:7-13 for The Feast of Saint Barnabas, Apostle: ‘Proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand’.

Feast of Saint Barnabas

Gospel (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)

Matthew 10:7-13

You received without charge: give without charge

Jesus said to his apostles, ‘As you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge. Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with a few coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the workman deserves his keep.

‘Whatever town or village you go into, ask for someone trustworthy and stay with him until you leave. As you enter his house, salute it, and if the house deserves it, let your peace descend upon it; if it does not, let your peace come back to you.’

Gospel (USA)

Matthew 10:7-13

Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.

Jesus said to the Twelve: “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you.”

Reflections (5)

(i) Feast of Saint Barnabas, Apostle

In the gospel reading, Jesus sends out the twelve apostles on mission within Galilee, to proclaim the good news that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. In the first reading, the church of Antioch send out Paul and Barnabas on mission to places far beyond Antioch, to Cyprus and parts of modern-day Turkey. Paul and Barnabas were leading lights of the church in Antioch and yet the members of the church were happy to share these two leaders with others, far beyond their shores. Of the two, Paul is better known to us because of his extraordinary missionary journeys and the many letters that have come down to us from him. Yet, Barnabas was very significant in another way. It was Barnabas who created an opening in the early church for Paul, when others were still suspicious of him because of his past persecution of the church. As today’s first reading says, it was Barnabas who went looking for Paul in Tarsus, his native city, and brought him to Antioch because Barnabas saw that there was a great opening for Paul’s gifts in this city where the gospel had been preached to pagans for the first time. Barnabas was what we can today an ‘enabler’. It is not surprising that his nickname in the early church, according to the Acts of the Apostles, was ‘son of encouragement’. That role of enabler or encourager remains a vital role in the church today. We all have the capacity to create openings where the gifts of someone else can flourish for the service of the whole church. It takes a certain humility to create a space where others can flourish to their potential in the service of the Lord. It is the attitude of John the Baptist expressed in his comment with regard to Jesus, ‘He must increase, but I must decrease’. The feast of Barnabas invites us to ask, ‘What can I do for someone so that Jesus may increase today?’

And/Or

(ii) Feast of Saint Barnabas, Apostle

Barnabas was known in the early church as the ‘son of encouragement’, according to the Acts of the Apostles. As nicknames go, it is one of the nicer ones. It was clearly a term that reflected the nature of the man. He had that marvelous ability to recognize the good qualities in people and to draw them out so that they could be placed at the service of the church. We find two examples of this in this morning’s first reading. The first community of believers was all Jewish, but in Antioch there emerged a community of believers that comprised Jews and non-Jews. When Barnabas was sent from Jerusalem to investigate this new development, he was delighted with what he saw and ‘he urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion’. Then, sometime later Barnabas recognized that Saul, the former persecutor of the church, could make a wonderful contribution to this mixed church in Antioch and so he set out all the way to Tarsus to find Paul and bring him to Antioch. Paul went on to become a leading member of the church in Antioch. Recognizing the gifts of others, and creating openings for those gifts to flourish – this was the strength of Barnabas. We all have it in us to be a Barnabas within the church and within the wider community. We may not have the gift for a particular task, but we can have the ability to recognize that gift in others and to create a space for their gift to flourish. This is one of the ways that we can all respond to the Lord’s call in today’s gospel reading to go out and proclaim that the kingdom of God is close at hand.

 And/Or

(iii) Feast of St Barnabas, Apostle

Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Barnabas. He was born in Cyprus and became a leading member of the church in Jerusalem. He had a reputation in the early church for giving encouragement to others. Indeed Barnabas is a kind of nickname which means ‘son of encouragement’. We see him engaged in that ministry of encouragement in this morning’s first reading. There was something new happening in the church of Antioch. The gospel had been preached to pagans as well as Jews for the first time. A new kind of church was emerging there, a church which was a mixture of Jews and non-Jews. Barnabas was sent down to take a look at what was happening and he immediately recognized it as the work of the Lord and gave great encouragement to this new development. He was right; it was the work of the Lord. The Lord is always at work in new and creative ways among us and it is a great gift to be able to recognize the work of the Lord wherever it is to be found, and to celebrate and encourage that work. Barnabas had this gift of noticing where the Lord was a work because as that first reading says he was filled with the Holy Spirit. We need to be open to the Spirit, to be filled with the Spirit, to recognize the work of the Spirit. As Saint Paul says in one of his letter, spiritual things are discerned spiritually.

 And/Or

(iv) Feast of St Barnabas, Apostle 

According to an earlier verse in the Acts of the Apostles, Barnabas’ real name was Joseph, but he was given the name Barnabas, which means ‘son of encouragement’, as a kind of a nick name by the apostles. In this morning’s first reading we can see Barnabas living up to his nick name. News reached Jerusalem of a new development in Antioch. The gospel had been preached to non-Jews for the first time, resulting in the formation of a mixed church of Jewish and Gentile Christians. When the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch to check on this, he saw immediately that this new development was God’s doing and he encouraged all involved. He went further and he encouraged Paul to come from Tarsus and to get involved in this new departure. As a result, Paul made a great contribution to the life of this mixed church of Antioch, and this church, in turn, became a spiritual home for Paul and a base for his missionary work. You could say that Barnabas was a facilitator, an enabler; he supported the good that people were doing and he opened doors for people’s gifts. We always need people like Barnabas around and we can all become a Barnabas for others. The ministry of encouragement is one in which we can all share, and it is one of the most needed ministries today. On this his feast day, we pray for something of the spirit of Barnabas in our own lives and in the life of our church.

 And/Or

(v) Feast of Saint Barnabas, Apostle 

Barnabas does not feature in the gospels but he is a significant presence in the Acts of the Apostles, Luke’s story of the early years of the church. He was originally a leading member of the church in Jerusalem. According to this morning’s first reading he was instrumental in encouraging a new development that took place in the city of Antioch, where the gospel was preached to pagans for the first time. He clearly saw the hand of the Lord in this new phenomenon. According to our reading, Barnabas encouraged Saul or Paul to leave the church in Tarsus, Paul’s home city, and to come to the church in Antioch because he recognized that Antioch would be an ideal location for this great apostle to the pagans. Barnabas himself seems to have become a leading member of the church of Antioch. He worked alongside Paul there and together they were sent out on mission by the church of Antioch, travelling to Cyprus and beyond. Barnabas is portrayed in the Acts of the Apostles as an enabler, an encourager. What he enabled and encouraged others to do turned out to be just as significant as what he did himself. In the gospel reading, Jesus says to his followers, ‘You received without charge, give without charge’. One of the ways we give is by creating a space for others to give and to grow. This is where Barnabas comes into his own. He recognized and encouraged the workings of the Spirit in the lives of others. He didn’t try to do everything himself; he stepped back and allowed the Lord to work through others. That takes a certain generosity of spirit, a willingness to rejoice in the gifts of others and allow them to find expression. We can all learn from Barnabas that delicate art of creating space for others to flourish.

Fr. Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, D03 AO62, Ireland.

Email: sjtbclontarf@eircom.net or  revmartinhogan@gmail.com

Parish Website: www.stjohnsclontarf.ie  Please join us via our webcam.

Twitter: @SJtBClontarfRC.

Facebook: St John the Baptist RC Parish, Clontarf.

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[180abroad]

Day 114: The Leaving of Liverpool

Throughout the 1800s, anyone leaving Ireland would have to pass through Liverpool’s harbor on their way to wherever they were going. Today, we made the reverse journey. And while it was nothing compared to the genuine hardships suffered by so many, it did prove to be one of our longer and more tiring travel days.

We left home before 9:00 am and took the bus to Liverpool Central. We had a quick breakfast at the station cafe, and by 10:00 we were aboard the commuter train to Chester, a local transit hub. We had plenty of time before our next train left, but the platform was changed at the last minute so that we had to run for it anyway.

The next couple hours were a breeze. We had the train mostly to ourselves–plenty of room to spread out with our bags beside us. We were also pleased to find out that our train stopped briefly at the small Welsh town with the longest name in the UK.

Apparently, you can pay to get your passport stamped at the station, but we didn’t have time to get off and wait for the next train to come along.

The train took us right to the ferry terminal in Holyhead, a town right on the northeastern tip of Wales. We were able to get the ferry ride to Dublin included on our train tickets when we bought them in York, so all we needed to do was flash them and get on board–after going through a security check, of course.

It was a good thing that we didn’t dawdle, though. It turned out that the ferry company that we were originally scheduled to use (Irish Ferries) was out of operation for maintenance that day, so the other ferry company (Stena) had the mixed blessing of getting to handle all the day’s traffic by themselves.

The next Stena ferry was supposed to leave 20 minutes earlier than the Irish Ferries ferry we had expected to use, meaning we barely made it to check-in. But because of the extra traffic it was delayed for the better part of an hour. The shuttle bus that took us from the terminal to the ferry got stuck in the logjam on the tarmac, and it quickly became unbearably hot inside. There were no open windows or air conditioning, and it wasn’t long before some of the British and Irish passengers became vocally upset. Eventually, with the prospect of a mutiny on his hands, the driver agreed to open the bus doors to let in a cross-breeze.

He made the people happy.

Unlike our earlier ferry crossings, the bus drove us right up onto the ferry and stayed in the hold so that it could drive us back out when we reached Dublin. The crossing was long but uneventful. The worst thing I can say is that the wifi was terrible–I struggled to get half a dozen photos uploaded before giving up and doing some offline work instead.

By the time we drove off the ferry, it was 6:00 pm. We caught a shuttle to Connolly Station–the Grand Central of Dublin–where we caught a commuter train to our Airbnb in the suburb of Clontarf. (For once, our home is actually in a nice middle-class neighborhood. Not that our other big-city homes have been bad–just interesting…)

Dublin’s public transit system is still far beyond that of most US cities, but it’s a bit lacking compared to other European capitals. The trains only connect the suburbs to downtown, and there are only two tram lines that cross downtown, meaning that most of the time you’re best off getting a bus or just walking.

Interestingly, the commuter train is named the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit), named after our hometown transit system BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit).

Also interestingly, DART employees don’t seem nearly as bothered about people without tickets as they are about people putting their feet up on the seats. We never saw a single warning on the trains about having a valid ticket--and the ticket-checkers overseeing the turnstiles showed no measurable interest in actually checking tickets--but we could hardly look anywhere on the train without being reminded that putting your feet up would cost you €50.

There were also plenty of slightly unsettling ads by the Irish potato lobby.

By the time we checked in it was after 7 pm, and by the time we had gone out, gotten food from the supermarket, and returned home to eat it, it was nearly 8 pm. We watched the second half of the England-Columbia elimination game, which ended up going all the way to penalty kicks before ending in an England victory at around 10 pm.

The decor at our place was... interesting. There was a slightly unsettling amount of Betty Boop memorabilia, paired with a collection of 1920s-style pinups. Above the dining table hung a poster of Frank Sinatra’s 1938 mugshot, when he was charged with the crime of “seduction.” As far as we could tell, it all belonged to the female owner of the house. There was also a man who seemed to live there and watched the football games with us--and was probably the only person we met during the whole trip whose accent was so thick that I genuinely could not understand a thing he said--but it was never entirely clear to us just what their relationship really was.

We watched several world cup games together with the man over the next week. I never did learn to understand him, but we did gather that he was rooting for “anyone but England.” When he found out that Jessica was a Liverpool fan, though, he clarified that that was fine. As unpopular as England is among the Irish, Liverpool is an exception--it may technically be English, but most Irishmen don’t hold it against them.

We had an early morning tour group scheduled for the next morning, and we were already exhausted, so we were more than ready to call it an early night and collapse into our beds.

Next Post: The Celtic Connection

Last Post: The Many Museums of Liverpool

[darbiblog-blog]

Is our education device fit for purpose inside the 21st-century?

New Post has been published on https://darbi.org/is-our-education-device-fit-for-purpose-inside-the-21st-century/

Is our education device fit for purpose inside the 21st-century?

Liam Wegimont, essential of Mount Temple Comprehensive Faculty in Clontarf, Dublin, produces a smartly typed letter from his files.

Education Device

Many consisting of Wegimont say our training device need to encourage interest and a love of research. However, the pressure to secure CAO points method the focal point in many school rooms is fixed firmly on learning “what we need to realize” to be triumphant in the Leaving Cert.

Some distance from being spaces at no cost inquiry, the modern-day school room, say many critics, resembles an army schooling floor in which college students are drilled to produce ideal answers to capability questions primarily based on examiners’ marking schemes.As teachers collect for their annual conventions this week, they’ll be dominated through worries over pay and situations.

But a bigger question looms over the broader education system: is it suit for a motive to fulfill the wishes of School-leavers in the twenty-first century?

The must-have profession attributes for graduates, consistent with the arena Monetary Forum, are creativity, hassle-solving, and essential thinking.

The Montessori training system and the Choice to Examine

In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire talks about what he calls the banking system of schooling. inside the banking gadget, the student is visible as an object in which the instructor ought to area records. The pupil has no duty for the cognition of any sort; the scholar has to certainly memorize or internalize what the instructor tells him or her. Paulo Freire changed into very lots opposed to the banking machine. He argued that the banking machine is a gadget of control and now not a machine supposed to effectively educate. within the banking system, the trainer is supposed to mold and alternate the behavior of the scholars, occasionally in a manner that nearly resembles a fight. The instructor attempts to force facts down the scholar’s throat that the scholar might not accept as true with or care approximately.

This manner eventually leads most college students to dislike School. It additionally leads them to increase a resistance and a terrible mindset in the direction of learning in well known, to the factor wherein most people might not are trying to find information unless It’s far required for a grade in a class. Freire idea that the most effective way to have a real training, wherein the students have interaction in cognition, turned into to alternate from the banking device into what he described as problem-posing training. Freire defined how a trouble-posing instructional machine ought to work in Pedagogy of the Oppressed by means of saying, “students, as they may be increasingly posed with issues referring to themselves inside the global and with the world, will sense increasingly more challenged and obliged to respond to that assignment. Due to the fact they understand the undertaking as interrelated to other troubles inside a total context now not as a theoretical query, the resulting comprehension tends to be increasingly more important and as a consequence continuously education best high schools much less alienated”(eighty-one)forbes business college rankings. The academic system advanced by means of the Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori provides a tested and powerful form of trouble-posing schooling that leads its college students to growth their Choice to Research in preference to inhibiting it.

Freire offers two major troubles with the banking concept. The primary one is that within the banking concept a student is not required to be cognitively lively. The pupil is supposed to truly memorize and repeat statistics, now not to recognize it. This inhibits the students’ creativity, destroys their hobby inside the subject, and transforms them into passive inexperienced persons who don’t understand or trust what they’re being taught But accept and repeat it Because they have the no different alternative. The second and extra dramatic consequence of the banking idea is that it gives an extensive electricity to folks that choose what is being taught to oppress people who are obliged to Analyze it and be given it. Freire explains that the problems lie in nic borg edmodo that the teacher holds all the keys, has all the solutions and does all the thinking. The Montessori method of schooling does the exact opposite. It makes college students do all the questioning and trouble solving so that they come to their very own conclusions. The academics, in reality, help manual the pupil, But they do no longer inform the student what is true or fake or how a problem can be solved.

In the Montessori device, despite the fact that a pupil finds a manner to solve a hassle that is slower or much less effective than a well known mechanical manner of solving the trouble, the instructor will not intrude with the pupil’s method Because this manner the scholar learns to discover answers via himself or herself and to think about creative ways to work on different troubles.

The instructional system in the America, particularly from grade Faculty to the quit of excessive College, is nearly identical to the banking approach to training that Freire described. For the duration of excessive School, most of what college students do are sit down in a category and take notes. they are then graded on how properly they entire homework and initiatives and in the end, they may be tested to reveal that they could reproduce or use the expertise which turned into taught. maximum of the time the students are best receptors of information and that they take no component in the introduction of understanding. Any other manner wherein the U.S. schooling system is almost same to the banking device of training is the grading gadget. The grades of students normally reflect how plenty they agree to the instructor’s ideas and what sort of they’re willing to comply with guidelines. Grades mirror submission to authority and the willingness to do what’s told greater than they mirror one’s intelligence, interest in the class, or information of the cloth that is being taught. As an instance, in a government elegance in the United states a scholar who does no longer agree that a representative democracy is advanced to another form of presidency will do worse than a pupil who truly accepts that a representative democracy is higher than an instantaneous democracy, socialism, communism, or Another shape of social gadget. The U.S. education system rewards folks that accept as true with what’s being taught and punishes folks who do no longer.

Furthermore, it discourages students from thinking and doing any contemplating their personal. Due to the repetitive and insipid nature of our schooling device, maximum students dislike high College, and if they do nicely on their work, It’s miles simply for the motive of obtaining a grade rather than gaining knowledge of or exploring a new concept.

The Montessori Technique advocates baby primarily based teaching, letting the scholars take manage of their very own education. In E.M Standing’s The Montessori Revolution in training, Standing says that the Montessori Method “is a method based on the precept of freedom in a prepared environment”(five). Studies carried out by two agencies of students of the a whole of 6 and 12 comparing folks who Study in a Montessori to folks who Analyze in a preferred College environment display that despite the Montessori gadget having no grading gadget and no obligatory paintings load, it does in addition to the usual gadget in both English and social sciences; However Montessori college students do lots better in mathematics, sciences, and trouble solving. The Montessori gadget lets in for college kids so that you can explore their pastimes and interest-free. Because of this, the Montessori machine pushes college students towards the energetic pursuit of understanding for pleasure, that means that scholars will want to Examine and could find out about things that interest them certainly Due to the fact It’s far amusing to accomplish that. Maria Montessori started out to develop what is now known as the Montessori Technique of education within the early twentieth century.

The Montessori Approach makes a specialty of the relations among the child, the grown up, and the surroundings. the child is visible as an individual in improvement. The Montessori gadget has an implied notion of letting the kid be what the kid could evidently be. Montessori believed the usual education machine causes youngsters to lose many infantile tendencies, some of which can be considered to be virtues. In Loeffler’s Montessori in Contemporary American Tradition, Loeffler states that “among the traits that disappear are not simplest untidiness, disobedience, sloth, greed, egoism, quarrelsomeness, and instability, However also the so-known as ‘innovative imagination’, delight in testimonies, attachment to individuals, play, submissiveness and so on”. Due to this perceived lack of the child, the Montessori machine works to enable a child to evidently expand self-self-assurance as well as the capacity and willingness to actively are seeking know-how and locate unique answers to troubles by wondering creatively. Some other important difference in how children Research in the Montessori gadget is that inside the Montessori machine a baby has no defined time slot wherein to perform a venture. as an alternative, the kid is authorized to perform a venture for as long as he desires. This leads children to have a higher ability to pay attention and recognition on an unmarried task for a prolonged time period than kids have in the widespread education device.

The role which the grownup or instructor has in the Montessori gadget marks Some other essential difference between the Montessori s Approach and the standard training gadget. With the Montessori Approach, the grownup isn’t meant to continuously teach and order the pupil. The person’s job is to guide the kid so that the kid will keep to pursue his curiosities and expand his or her very own notions of what’s actual, proper, and authentic. Montessori describes the kid as an individual in intense, steady exchange. From observation Montessori concluded that if allowed to increase through himself, an infant might always discover equilibrium together with his environment, that means he could Learn now not to mistreat others, for example, and to have interaction positively with his peers. This is important because it leads to one of the Montessori Approach’s most deep-seated ideas, that is that adults need to not allow their presence be felt with the aid of the children. Which means that even though an adult is inside the surroundings with the students, the adult does no longer necessarily engage with the scholars except the scholars ask the adult a question or request help. Moreover, the grownup should make it so that the scholars do not sense like they may be being found or judged in any manner. The person can make tips to the youngsters, However by no means orders them or tells them what to do or a way to do it. The adult ought to now not be felt as an authority discern, However instead nearly as Any other peer of the youngsters.

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[kalachand97-blog]

New Post has been published on Globeinfrom

New Post has been published on https://globeinform.com/is-our-education-device-fit-for-purpose-inside-the-21st-century/

Is our education device fit for purpose inside the 21st-century?

Liam Wegimont, essential of Mount Temple Comprehensive Faculty in Clontarf, Dublin, produces a smartly typed letter from his files.

Education Device

Many consisting of Wegimont say our training device need to encourage interest and a love of research. However the pressure to secure CAO points method the focal point in many school rooms is fixed firmly on learning “what we need to realize” to be triumphant in the Leaving Cert.

Some distance from being spaces at no cost inquiry, the modern-day school room, say many critics, resembles a army schooling floor in which college students are drilled to produce ideal answers to capability questions primarily based on examiners’ marking schemes.As teachers collect for their annual conventions this week, they’ll be dominated through worries over pay and situations.

But a bigger question looms over the broader education system: is it suit for motive to fulfill the wishes of School-leavers in the twenty-first century?

The must-have profession attributes for graduates, consistent with the arena Monetary Forum, are creativity, hassle-solving and essential thinking.

The Montessori training system and the Choice to Examine

In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire talks about what he calls the banking system of schooling. inside the banking gadget the student is visible as an object in which the instructor ought to area records. The pupil has no duty for cognition of any sort; the scholar have to certainly memorize or internalize what the instructor tells him or her. Paulo Freire changed into very lots opposed to the banking machine. He argued that the banking machine is a gadget of control and now not a machine supposed to effectively educate. within the banking system the trainer is supposed to mould and alternate the behavior of the scholars, occasionally in a manner that nearly resembles a fight. The instructor attempts to force facts down the scholar’s throat that the scholar might not accept as true with or care approximately.

This manner eventually leads most college students to dislike School. It additionally leads them to increase a resistance and a terrible mindset in the direction of learning in well known, to the factor wherein most people might not are trying to find information unless It’s far required for a grade in a class. Freire idea that the most effective way to have a real training, wherein the students have interaction in cognition, turned into to alternate from the banking device into what he described as problem-posing training. Freire defined how a trouble-posing instructional machine ought to work in Pedagogy of the Oppressed by means of saying, “students, as they may be increasingly posed with issues referring to themselves inside the global and with the world, will sense increasingly more challenged and obliged to respond to that assignment. Due to the fact they understand the undertaking as interrelated to other troubles inside a total context now not as a theoretical query, the resulting comprehension tends to be increasingly more important and as a consequence continuously much less alienated”(eighty-one). The academic system advanced by means of the Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori provides a tested and powerful form of trouble-posing schooling that leads its college students to growth their Choice to Research in preference to inhibiting it.

Freire offers two major troubles with the banking concept. The primary one is that within the banking concept a student is not required to be cognitively lively. The pupil is supposed to truly memorize and repeat statistics, now not to recognize it. This inhibits the students’ creativity, destroys their hobby inside the subject, and transforms them into passive inexperienced persons who don’t understand or trust what they’re being taught But accept and repeat it Because they have no different alternative. The second and extra dramatic consequence of the banking idea is that it gives an extensive electricity to folks that choose what is being taught to oppress people who are obliged to Analyze it and be given it. Freire explains that the problems lies in that the teacher holds all the keys, has all the solutions and does all the thinking. The Montessori method of schooling does the exact opposite. It makes college students do all the questioning and trouble solving so that they come to their very own conclusions. The academics in reality help manual the pupil, But they do no longer inform the student what is true or fake or how a problem can be solved.

In the Montessori device, despite the fact that a pupil finds a manner to solve a hassle that is slower or much less effective than a well known mechanical manner of solving the trouble, the instructor will not intrude with the pupil’s method Because this manner the scholar learns to discover answers via himself or herself and to think about creative ways to work on different troubles.

The instructional system in the America, particularly from grade Faculty to the quit of excessive College, is nearly identical to the banking approach to training that Freire described. For the duration of excessive School most of what college students do is sit down in a category and take notes. they are then graded on how properly they entire homework and initiatives and in the end they may be tested to reveal that they could reproduce or use the expertise which turned into taught. maximum of the time the students are best receptors of information and that they take no component in the introduction of understanding. Any other manner wherein the U.S. schooling system is almost same to the banking device of training is the grading gadget. The grades of students normally reflect how plenty they agree to the instructor’s ideas and what sort of they’re willing to comply with guidelines. Grades mirror submission to authority and the willingness to do what’s told greater than they mirror one’s intelligence, interest in the class, or information of the cloth that is being taught. As an instance, in a government elegance in the United states a scholar who does no longer agree that a representative democracy is advanced to another form of presidency will do worse than a pupil who truely accepts that a representative democracy is higher than an instantaneous democracy, socialism, communism, or Another shape of social gadget. The U.S. education system rewards folks that accept as true with what’s being taught and punishes folks who do no longer.

Furthermore, it discourages students from thinking and doing any contemplating their personal. Due to the repetitive and insipid nature of our schooling device, maximum students dislike high College, and if they do nicely on their work, It’s miles simply for the motive of obtaining a grade rather than gaining knowledge of or exploring a new concept.

The Montessori Technique advocates baby primarily based teaching, letting the scholars take manage of their very own education. In E.M Standing’s The Montessori Revolution in training, Standing says that the Montessori Method “is a method based on the precept of freedom in a prepared environment”(five). Studies carried out by two agencies of students of the a while of 6 and 12 comparing folks who Study in a Montessori to folks who Analyze in a preferred College environment display that despite the Montessori gadget having no grading gadget and no obligatory paintings load, it does in addition to the usual gadget in both English and social sciences; However Montessori college students do lots better in mathematics, sciences, and trouble solving. The Montessori gadget lets in for college kids so that you can explore their pastimes and interest freely. Because of this the Montessori machine pushes college students towards the energetic pursuit of understanding for pleasure, that means that scholars will want to Examine and could find out about things that interest them certainly Due to the fact It’s far amusing to accomplish that. Maria Montessori started out to develop what is now known as the Montessori Technique of education within the early twentieth century.

The Montessori Approach makes a speciality of the relations among the child, the grownup, and the surroundings. the child is visible as an individual in improvement. The Montessori gadget has an implied notion of letting the kid be what the kid could evidently be. Montessori believed the usual education machine causes youngsters to lose many infantile tendencies, some of which can be considered to be virtues. In Loeffler’s Montessori in Contemporary American Tradition, Loeffler states that “among the traits that disappear are not simplest untidiness, disobedience, sloth, greed, egoism, quarrelsomeness, and instability, However also the so-known as ‘innovative imagination’, delight in testimonies, attachment to individuals, play, submissiveness and so on”. Due to this perceived lack of the child, the Montessori machine works to enable a child to evidently expand self-self-assurance as well as the capacity and willingness to actively are seeking know-how and locate unique answers to troubles by wondering creatively. Some other important difference in how children Research in the Montessori gadget is that inside the Montessori machine a baby has no defined time slot wherein to perform a venture. as an alternative the kid is authorized to perform a venture for as long as he desires. This leads children to have a higher ability to pay attention and recognition on a unmarried task for an prolonged time period than kids have in the widespread education device.

The role which the grownup or instructor has in the Montessori gadget marks Some other essential difference between the Montessori s Approach and the standard training gadget. With the Montessori Approach the grownup isn’t meant to continuously teach and order the pupil. The person’s job is to guide the kid so that the kid will keep to pursue his curiosities and expand his or her very own notions of what’s actual, proper, and authentic. Montessori describes the kid as an individual in intense, steady exchange. From observation Montessori concluded that if allowed to increase through himself, a infant might always discover equilibrium together with his environment, that means he could Learn now not to mistreat others, for example, and to have interaction positively with his peers. This is important because it leads to one of the Montessori Approach’s most deep-seated ideas, that is that adults need to not allow their presence be felt with the aid of the children. Which means that even though an adult is inside the surroundings with the students, the adult does no longer necessarily engage with the scholars except the scholars ask the adult a question or request help. Moreover, the grownup should make it so that the scholars do not sense like they may be being found or judged in any manner. The person can make tips to the youngsters, However by no means orders them or tells them what to do or a way to do it. The adult ought to now not be felt as an authority discern, However instead nearly as Any other peer of the youngsters.

[topmediumreaderstop]

Psychic Reading in Clontarf MN 56226

The following article goes into detail about psychic reading in Clontarf Minnesota 56226. If you have been mulling over whether or not you should get a psychic reading then it might behoove you to learn about the many benefits that a free psychic reading can provide for you. Perhaps you are trying to cope with an overwhelming amount of stress. Maybe you experienced a very specific kind of trauma early in your life. Do you have a phobia or problems with anxiety? Is there a loved one who passed not too long ago and you feel remorse or regret for not repairing your relationship? Are you trying to figure out what you purpose in life is? As you can see there are a great number of questions that a person can have that might make them consider getting a free psychic reading. Some of these questions can be incredibly deep and introspective, dealing with grief or a sense of being or purpose while others could simply just attempt to address more general ponderings about life as a whole. It does not matter what kinds of questions you might have, a quality psychic reading could help you find the answers you are looking for. When you take up a free psychic reading you will be able to tap into the highly refined sensibilities of the professional psychic you are working with. They will help you to focus and concentrate on the things you want; often this is known as the power of intention. The power intention unifies your mind and body into achieving what it wants most and that is the major benefit of a psychic reading.

When you can attune your whole being to acquire that which you want most you are more apt to hear the call of the universe around you as it tries to help you. This longing could be to find spiritual answers or to simply help you find peace with a recent death in the family. There are a couple of other ways that a free psychic reading could help you. In addition to finding great realization in regards to emptiness or questions that you have, many psychics also possess the power to heal. This could come in the form of removing doubt or anxiety in your life or just giving you peace of mind. If you seek the aid of a particularly gifted and well educated psychic they might also give you advice about lifestyle changes you can make (diet and nutrition, exercise and activity, social affairs, etc.) that will help you stay focused on the things you want as well as remain on the track that will take you closer to accomplishing your goals. These are just a couple of ways that a free psychic reading can benefit you. Of course, if it is of no cost to you, then you really have nothing to lose. If you really do have some personal memory blocks are want to relieve your anxiety, this might be the perfect way for you to do so in a risk-free environment.

Article Source Here: Psychic Reading in Clontarf MN 56226

[cottageacademy]

Childcare Services - Cottage Academy

Childcare services refer to facilities or arrangements that offer supervision, care, and educational activities for children in the absence of their parents or guardians. These chilcare services are essential for working parents, single parents, or anyone who needs assistance in caring for their children during certain hours of the day.

[cottageacademy]

"The Benefits of Enrolling Your Child in a Cottage Academy"

Enrolling your child in a Cottage Academy can provide them with a unique and enriching educational experience. These academies, inspired by the Montessori Method, offer numerous benefits that can positively impact your child's growth and development. In this micro blog, we will explore some of the key advantages of choosing a Cottage Academy for your child's early education. One of the primary benefits of Cottage Academy is its emphasis on individualized learning. nt. At Cottage Academies, hands-on learning takes center stage. Children engage in various sensorial experiences and manipulative activities that promote exploration and discovery. Cottage Academies offer a nurturing and supportive environment for young learners. The calm and inviting atmosphere, combined with caring teachers, fosters a sense of security and belonging. Enrolling your child in a Cottage Academy can provide them with numerous benefits. Consider the advantages and unique opportunities offered by Cottage Academies when making choices about your child's early education. Visit Us - https://cottageacademy.com.au/

[cottageacademy]

Clontarf ELC

Our brand new clontarf early learning centre is state-of-the-art and pristine, built with premium grade materials to ensure your child’s home-away-from-home is exciting and safe.

[fr-martin-gospel-reflections]

22nd February - ‘On this rock I will build my church’, Reflection on today’s gospel reading (Mt 16:13-19)

22nd February, Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter

In the world of Jesus and the early church, teachers used to sit to teach and pupils gathered around them. The chair of Peter is a symbol of the teaching role of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope of the Universal church. It is this teaching role that Jesus gives to Peter in today’s gospel reading when he says to you, ‘I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth will be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven’. Keys are a symbol of authority and the language of loosening and binding suggests that teaching authority is intended. Peter is being given the authority to declare which elements of the teaching of Jesus are binding and which elements can be interpreted more loosely. The early church understood that Peter had a special role in interpreting the teaching of Jesus for the emerging church. Within our own Roman Catholic tradition, we understand that this teaching authority given by Jesus to Peter has always resided with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope of the Universal Church. It is a claim that is disputed by other traditions within the Christian family. The Lord speaks to the church in a whole variety of ways, but as Catholics we believe that the Lord speaks in a unique way through the one we call, ‘Our Holy Father’, which is currently Pope Francis. He is very aware that the Lord speaks to him through the whole church, every member in every part of the world. That is why he is calling on the church throughout the world to come together in a synodal way, to gather to listen to each other and in doing so to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the church today. All good teachers are also good pupils and that is especially true of teachers of the faith. Pope Francis, without compromising his teaching authority, is showing us that he has much to learn from all the faithful. Hopefully, this synodal pathway will help us all to appreciate the ways that the Holy Spirit can speak through all the members of the church.

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[fr-martin-gospel-reflections]

29th June - ‘On this rock, I will build my church’, Reflection on today’s gospel reading (Mt 16:13-19)

29th June, Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

If you ever get to go to Rome, you will probably visit the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican. You may be less likely to visit the Basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls, which is a little outside the historic centre of the city. Yet, both basilicas have been places of pilgrimage because they were built over what is believed to be the tombs of Peter and Paul. In the early centuries of the church, pilgrims went to Rome, not to see the Pope, but to pray at the tombs of the early apostles and martyrs and the most important of these were the tombs of Peter and Paul. Early written tradition from the early years of the second century states that both were married in Rome during the persecution of Nero. In the first reading, Peter’s imprisonment by King Herod is a foretaste of his execution by the emperor Nero some decades later. In the second reading, Paul senses that his death is immanent and declares, ‘I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith’. Peter could have said the same. They were very different characters who didn’t always see eye to eye. According to Paul’s letter to the Galatians, they had a stand up row in the church of Antioch about whether or not pagans who came to believe in Jesus needed to submit to the Jewish rite of circumcision. Even saints have rows with one another. They had very different background. Pet was a fisherman from the relative obscurity of a town on the Sea of Galilee. Paul was a man of great learning from the university city of Tarsus. Peter’s mission was to Jews and Paul’s mission was to pagans. Yet, the Lord worked powerfully through both of them for the spread of the gospel and they were united in their love for the Lord and the church. They remind us that the Lord works through us as we are in all our uniqueness and differences, and he needs each one of us in our uniqueness and distinctiveness. The Lord does not look for uniformity but for unity in diversity.

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Twitter: @SJtBClontarf RC

Facebook: @SJtBClontarf

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[fr-martin-gospel-reflections]

30th May - ‘Make disciples of all the nations’, Reflection on today’s gospel reading (Matthew 28:16-20)

Most Holy Trinity

Long before we were taught the traditional prayers of the Our Father and the Holy Mary, we were probably taught to bless ourselves in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. We were introduced to God as Trinity at a very young age. When I go into the junior classes in the local primary school, they may not have been taught the Our Father or the Hail Mary yet, but they all know how to bless themselves. There is something appropriate about learning to bless ourselves so early in life, because as babies we were baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, in response to the instruction of Jesus to his disciples in today’s gospel reading. Making the sign of the cross over ourselves while expressing our faith in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is a very ancient custom in the church. It was a form of mutual recognition among Christians in the early centuries when Christians had to keep a low profile or risk persecution and death. It remains a form of mutual recognition among Christians today. When you see someone bless themselves, you recognize them as people of Christian faith. It is a very public act and it can be a very powerful and courageous, statement of faith in these days when the public expression of faith is often frowned upon.

Whenever we bless ourselves, we are expressing our faith in God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is a Trinitarian shape to our faith. Jesus was a Jew, and at the core of the Jewish faith is the conviction that there is only one God. There aren’t many gods, as other nations believed. That fundamental conviction of the Jewish faith is expressed in our first reading, ‘the Lord is God indeed, in heaven above as on earth beneath, he and no other’. As a Jew, Jesus shared this fundamental conviction. Yet, Jesus revealed that within the life of this one God was a set of loving relationships. Jesus revealed the life of God to be a life of love, and there is always a relational or communal dimension to love. God is a community of love. Jesus spoke of God as Abba, Father. He had a uniquely intimate relationship with God, as Son to Father. Jesus also spoke a great deal about the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit belonged to God in a unique way, but Jesus showed that he himself also had a unique relationship with the Holy Spirit. He was full of the Holy Spirit in a way that no one else was. Jesus showed us that the life of the one God had a wonderful relational quality. The church came to express this communal quality of the life of God by expressing its faith in God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

God as Father is the origin of our lives, our Creator and also the goal of our lives, towards whom we are journeying. Jesus, the unique Son of God, is the greatest gift that God has given to the world. When we look upon Jesus, we are looking upon God, such is the intimacy of their relationship. He is God-with-us and he is the way to God the Father. The Holy Spirit is the shared gift of God the Father and his Son to us. It is through the Holy Spirit that God the Father and Jesus come to live in the depths of each one of us. The Holy Spirit is the love between the Father and the Son, and it is through the Holy Spirit that the love of the Father and the Son enters our lives and makes us loving persons. Just twenty five years or so after the death and resurrection of Jesus Paul could conclude his second letter to the church in Corinth with the blessing, ‘the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all’. The love of God the Father was expressed in the grace or the gift of Jesus to us; that love is poured into our lives through the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Holy Spirit is communion, loving relationships between us all. The role of the Holy Spirit is to enable us to live lives that reflect the community of love that is God.

People often ask, ‘Who am I to pray to? God the Father, God the Son or the Holy Spirit?’ We can pray to all three and how we pray depends on our needs and circumstances of the time. If we find ourselves experiencing a deep sense of gratitude for the wonders of creation, we might give thanks and praise to God the Father and Creator. If we find ourselves struggling with suffering or sin in our lives, we might find ourselves turning to Jesus who heals our wounds and pours out God’s merciful love upon us. If we need encouragement or enlightenment in our day to day lives we might pray to the Holy Spirit. The understanding of God as Trinity not only speaks of the richness of God’s way of relating to us but also of the rich diversity in how we can relate to God.

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