Bishop Hayes’ Homily – Diocesan Catholic Schools Week Mass – 27 January 2021

Mass for Catholic Schools Week – Wednesday, January 27, 2021 in the Cathedral of St. Patrick & St. Felim celebrated by Bishop Martin Hayes.

Welcome.

You are welcome as you join us here in the Cathedral of St. Patrick and St Felim in Cavan Town. Usually, I would meet you in your school community. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and thanks to technology you can join us here from your homes for the next half hour or so.

I thank you for being with us and I welcome members of your family who have joined us. Our homes have become the centre of our lives; a respite, a refuge, a place where we may feel confined at times, yet a space we can reach out via technology to friends and family.

I welcome all who have joined us for this Mass, all who are celebrating Catholic Schools Week, in particular, our Secondary Schools. We remember all our Special Schools and our Primary Schools who are celebrating Catholic Schools Week.

I thank Ms. Patricia Sheridan, our Post-Primary Diocesan Advisor, for her introduction. She has already mentioned our themes of faith and resilience which are appropriate as we face another longer lockdown – we do so with God’s help and the assurance in faith that Jesus is with us in our struggling with this pandemic.

We gather in thanksgiving for God’s love for each one of us; a love we celebrate in being created by God for a purpose, each of us with our different gifts to be shared and with great hopes and dreams for the future. In accord with our Gospel of today (Mark 4: 1-20 – Parable of the Sower) the Good Lord is always planting seeds of hope in our hearts and so with open hearts we begin; +

Homily.

These are challenging times, we are spending more time at home and learning remotely. You are finding ways to learn and to keep in contact. Every crisis is an opportunity, we try different ways, some work and some do not, yet we keep on going showing our resilience and faith.

God, of course, has great faith in us and God keeps on giving us opportunities; God is the Sower sowing the seeds. Though we may not, at all times, be aware of or ready to receive those seeds, nevertheless the Sower keeps on sowing.

Sometimes, ‘the seeds fall on the path’ – we are unaware, we are pre-occupied,
Sometimes, ‘the seeds fall on the rocky ground’ – we would like to be ready, only to find we cannot commit, set down roots…
- We may feel a failure. However, remember the words of the poem entitled Dreams by Langston Hughes, ”Hold fast to dreams…for when dreams go life is a barren field” (Leaving Certificate English Course)…so keep dreaming…………..
There are times ‘the seeds fall among the weeds’ – we welcome the seeds, only we get distracted and nothing happens –
- Then we may become disillusioned, however we are invited to remember that it is not a case of “being defined by all the things your not” from the poem Not by Erin Hanson (Junior Certificate Course) and “your not your age…” …in other words, don’t give up…
Then there are times when we are ready to receive the seeds– ‘the seeds fall on rich soil’, they grow and bear fruit…..we become agents of doing good for others, we become the hands and feet of Jesus to help others.

God has faith in you, as the Good Lord has created each one of us for a purpose with gifts, each with different gifts as we heard in our First Reading (1 Corinthians 12: 7-11), gifts – “things that you believe in…….and the future you dream of”, again quoting Erin Hanson in the poem Not. God wants the very best for each one of us and Jesus who gave his life for us is here with us. We celebrate His presence with us in this Mass – He is our model of giving of Himself for others.

We look to you, our young people, our future, to your dreams, your energy and strength to reach out to others via online platforms, to each other and, in particular, to others who are suffering at this time;

As we know Covid-19 is a global pandemic. Last week I was on a virtual tour with Trocaire to South Sudan; the world newest country. However, war and internal conflict continue there. Therefore, they do not have the facilities to measure the extent of coronavirus, are struggling to treat it and there is no mention of vaccination. South Sudan will feature on our upcoming Trocaire Lenten campaign – it will be our opportunity to share our resources with the poor.
Also, as young people you can reach out to the older generation in your own communities; those who may be feeling particularly vulnerable at this time and more anxious due to the pandemic.
You can reach out to offer support by phone or perhaps find safe ways to equip those of the older generation who may not be as ‘techie’ as you are – continue to get them onto online ways of keeping contact with other.
In sharing our gifts with others, we come to appreciate the gifts of others. On this Grandparents Day, as part of Catholic Schools Week you are invited to see the older generation as teachers too, as resources of wisdom to compliment your energy of youth.

Yes, these are challenging times, and yes it affords opportunities – seeds are being sown all the time by the Good Lord. Let us be open to receiving those seeds, to new ways of sharing our gifts with each other. We did not think we would be facing a third lockdown, yet we keep going, we remain strong in faith and resilient as God has faith in us. God keeps sowing the seeds and we can begin again in the spirit of Brendan Kennelly as expressed in his poem, Begin,

“Though we live in a world that dreams of ending
that always seems about to give in
something that will not acknowledge conclusion
insists that we forever begin”.