Diocesan News
'Mel's Passion has little sign of God's love' - Archbishop Neill
'MEL'S PASSION HAS LITTLE SIGN OF GOD'S LOVE'
extract from Archbishop Neill's confirmation address in
St. Patrick's Church, Greystones on the 28th March 2004
What makes you tick? or What matters most to you? Confirmation provides an opportunity to face this very basic question. There are many good things, and indeed many not so good things that can be the driving force in our lives.
One of the early Christians, St.Paul, spoke of a time when he had all sorts of good motivations he was moral, upright, religious, hardworking and much that was good besides. However an encounter with Jesus Christ turned all this rather drastically on its head. What happened was that suddenly all that mattered to him was the fact that Jesus had died and indeed he expressed this very personally when he spoke of Jesus as The Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
Paul didn't see the crucifixion, and he certainly didn't see Mel Gibson's interpretation of it! I went to see that film last week, and came away with a feeling of revulsion. It seemed to be all about violence, sadism, and a rather broken victim in the middle of it all. It was in stark contrast to the restraint shown by the New Testament but even more it showed me little of the great love of God, it showed me nothing of the one who went willingly to the cross, overcoming hatred and suffering by a powerful love and forgiveness.
Paul spoke of his life been turned around and a really fresh goal in life realised through the experience of meeting with the Risen Christ who had loved enough to give himself for the sin of the world.
But we are reminded that when we have this motivation to put Jesus central in our lives that it is not always plain sailing. Paul describes it as being like a race in which we are running, we know the finishing line that we wish to reach, but we certainly haven't got there yet. But we need to know what race we want to be in.
Recently I was driving, I knew where I wanted to go, I followed the initial signpost and felt secure that I was on the road. I then came to a complex junction slightly to my right. I turned aside to look at the road sign. It offered some interesting choices, one of which I took, though it was not exactly what I wanted. I knew before long that I was lost. I turned back, and suddenly discovered that in fact I should never have turned aside at all, the road that I had been on was clearly the main road! As Christians, this happens very easily. This is where God's forgiveness comes in, but also where clearly the Holy Spirit draws us back to the right way.
In your Confirmation today, you will be revisiting the Baptismal promises you will be asked one by one whether you want to affirm your faith in Jesus Christ. You will be given the choice therefore as to which road you wish to follow. But sometimes it will get confusing, sometimes you will wander off course. God forgives, and by the Holy Spirit is there drawing us back to the way of Jesus.
In your Confirmation, you will be coming forward one by one to receive the Laying-on of Hands and I will pray that God will give you his Holy Spirit to give you the strength to come back to God's way, and indeed to keep you close to Jesus.
Today's Gospel has the clue to it all. A friend of Jesus, Mary of Bethany appears to waste very precious ointment on washing his feet when he comes in from a journey. Another friend, whatever his motives, objects that this was waste when there was so much poverty out there. Jesus defends Mary because what she has done is a wonderful example of love. The motive for the Christian life is not just being good or being kind, it is being full of love for God, because God loved so much to give his Son to die for us.
Diocesan Communications Officer, Dublin & Glendalough
087 2356472
Contact Details
Lynn Glanville
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