I made contact with a long time friend yesterday we had not been in touch for a while -- I emailed as we live a good distance apart just to see how he had got on over the covid period. Hopefully we can meet for a coffee soon. He is someone that has used the lockdown well -- he helps run a weekly prayer group but during lockdown this became a daily prayer group as follows: We have been meeting every night since the lockdown started, 20 weeks ago, for prayer by Zoom. There are between 20 - 30 of us. We start with the Rosary, then we have someone give a spiritual reflection or testimony followed by another Rosary. It usually lasts one and a half hours. We look forward to it every night. This has given me great hope for Ireland that there are many good things happening that we don't necessarily see, praise God.
I was coming out of mass this morning, 8am mass when I got chatting with an elderly gentleman. His accent was country and he told me he was from Cookstown and had travelled in by bus just to go to this mass. He must have been up very early. He goes to my Church because the Rite is in Latin and he will nto have to take communion on the hand. Amazing. Such Faith.
Looking at the number plates of cars round the Church people seem to be travelling very long distances. I saw a Dominican priest in full habit at mass the other day. There are no Dominicans in the city, I believe the nearest are over 100 miles away.
We no longer use Zoom as it a massive supporter of planned parenthood plenty of alternatives out there. https://www.lifenews.com/2020/05/06...ng-babies-from-abortion-are-bad-for-business/
Might it have been father Philip Mulryne, erstwhile Manchester Utd and N Ireland international footballer who is now a Dominican priest? He hails from Belfast.
Ahh that was him. Did you hear the story how all those young men got their vocations? It was a miracle. A Dominican priest was ministering in a hospice and asked the dying Catholics to offer up their sufferings and deaths for vocations. The Dominicans were at once snowed under with wonderful vocations.
Such a wonderful vocation. This man gave up the trappings of celebrity, money, recognition, women, fast cars etc.
An unheard vocation is a tragedy. With all the nois and destruction of modern living its very difficult to hear a vocation. It is in contemplative silence that the still quiet voice of God is heard
