By Canon Gerry Conroy, parish priest of St Patrick’s
With the prospect of the imminent arrival of a Vaccine, there seems to be a more tangible hope in people’s lives. It is as if a door to life that had previously been closed has opened again, even if only slightly. But it’s enough to breathe a new freshness into people’s lives. It’s as if they have been given permission to live again, even if it hasn’t quite gotten here yet.
Life is important; after all it is the first gift that God gave to us and he gave us it so that we could live it, not cower behind some door in fear of what might happen to us. That is not to say we should have no care or consideration for our well-being, it is not to say that we should act with reckless abandon, but it is to say we have been created to live and it is in living that we know the wonder and beauty not only of life, but of God.
As the parable in the Gospel about the talents said, we have been given something by God, not to go and bury it in the ground, but to make use of it. If someone gives you a present and you go and put it in a drawer or in the cupboard, what does that say about what you think of the present? Our life is for living.
The question is, ‘what is the best way to live it? What is the best way to make use of this gift that God has given us? It might seem at first that it is all about feeling alive; about the thrills of living, but that is something that only touches the surface of life. That way of living constantly demands new and more exhilarating experiences infecting us with a restlessness that robs us of any lasting peace. Living life in a way that reveals to us all its wonder and beauty means living life with love; not the exhilaration of falling in love, but the giving of oneself to another in mutual surrender. That is the meaning of the talent that God has given to us, this ability to love and give ourselves to one another.
It is in this love that we know the wonder and beauty of life and of God. This is the coin that gives value and purpose to our lives.
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Sunday Mass Tickets
Given the uncertainty over which level[of Covid restrictions] we will be in next Sunday, I am only releasing 20 tickets for the Church for each Mass. At present an additional 20 tickets for the Hall is available as an overflow for the 10.00am Mass. Holy Communion will be distributed in the Hall. If we remain in level 3, once that is made clear, I will release another 30 tickets for all Masses in the Church . If we are placed in level four I will release 20 tickets for the Hall for each Mass. Holy Communion will always be available in the Hall. Keep safe and well. Fr Gerard Conroy
St Patrick’s Church hall in Strathleven Place, Dumbarton.