For many of us who lack the skills to interpret points of Catholic doctrine the most significant thing about the Pope’s term in office was his resignation this week. We never knew he could do such a thing. We thought it was a life sentence!

Being able to call “times up” is speaking in language I can understand. Rather like the headmaster fed up with the endless bickering in the staff-room and the kids being disobedient in the playground it makes sense to call it a day – especially at age 85.

There will now be time to get back to the writing desk and do a sequel to his trilogy on the life of Jesus. Perhaps an appreciation of the life of St Paul could come next? In the last book of the series he sought to take the text at face value and, finding no reference to the presence of animals in the Gospel accounts of the stable at the birth of Jesus, made his findings known to the consternation of the many crib creators in Ireland!

We all have our pet doctrines and these have a habit of popping up at regular intervals. For instance some of our Baptist expositors see baptism every time water is mentioned so we will have to be a little tolerant if in his writings the Pope sees mass every time Jesus has a meal!

Over the last 8 years we have been grateful for his strong support for traditional Catholic stances on abortion, the sanctity of life and traditional marriage. He withstood the pressures of secularism when other churches capitulated to it. It will need a strong man to continue to hold the rope in these turbulent times.

It may come as a surprise to some that the Bible does not mention the office of Pope. Tradition has it the St Peter was the first one but this is not how he saw himself as his writings show; “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock”(1Peter chapter 5 verses 1-3).

St Peter’s identifying with his fellow elders; his recognising that one could so easily lord it over others makes it plain that he learned from the time Jesus washed his feet along with the other disciples.

Perhaps with the Pope’s resignation will come the opportunity to proclaim Jesus as St Peter did before him; `Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ (Acts Chapter 2 verse 21).

Rather like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day we return from holiday to find the news in the papers resembles the news the day we left Ireland 18 days ago! Bargaining in Brussels and hamburgers of horse meat in Ireland!

In the latter case Ireland should get some credit for being the first to spot it. Our Food Safety Authority discovered “beefburgers” with substantial amounts of horseflesh but – where was the beef? This is a question that is being asked throughout Europe as one country after another discovers equine traces in place of beef on their plates.

The food chain has just got longer. Tracing the origins of the “beef” product in the burgers has become harder than spotting a winner at Punchestown! It seems that the “product” originated in Poland or France and made its way via various traders to the production lines of meat factories thence to the Supermarket counters of Europe.

As a result the anonymity of the horses is safe! However their flesh may not be. The problem lies in the medication which they may have received before slaughter.

In contrast to the beef industry where there is complete traceability of product from birth to the retailer and where stringent rules are enforced on the use of medicine, horsetrading is largely unregulated.

There is something of a parallel in the financial world as the Anglo-Irish bank debt is swopped this week for long term bonds. These represent the remaining €25 billion bank debt and, as the ECB couldn’t lend directly to a bank, Anglo was got rid of and we, or our children, will be paying for the bonds over the next 40 years.

If that was all we had to worry about we would be in relatively good shape but with our sovereign debt at €160 billion (and rising as our annual expenditure still continues to exceed our income) we will be in hoc to Europe for the foreseeable future!

What has the Bible to say about all this?

It is easy to pick out the greedy people who incurred the multi-million debts. They are being pursued through the courts to try to recover some of their well defended stash.

But what of the rest of us who marvelled at the “good times” and became part of the inflationary spiral.

Our leaders said the fundamentals were sound when they were building on sand. Covetousness was rampant as the 10^th commandment – the real fundamental was overlooked – “You shall not covet…” (Exodus chapter 20 verse 17). St Paul recognised just how the commandment brought out the worse in us; `I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead (Romans Chapter 7 verses 7/8). This sin which is brought to life so easily when we hear the words “You shall not” has a divine remedy in Christ our substitute who became a sin offering for repentant sinners who trusts in him; “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit (Romans Chapter 8 verses 3-4).

Don’t put the cart before the horse. Trust Jesus first then you will prove the truth of Scripture.

It has been 20 years or more since we visited the Young Scientists Exhibition so we took the opportunity to rectify the matter this week.

The first thing to strike you is the huge number of schoolchildren crammed into the RDS Hall. They had come by bus to support their school’s entry and to learn from the 550 projects that could be viewed.

There were 3,000 students manning these projects. Each had a descriptive board outlining the aims and summarising the findings. All were bursting with pride at having been chosen and were delighted to explain the inner workings and the thinking behind their presentation.

We were especially attracted to the primary schools section. There the enthusiasm knew no limits. We were fingerprinted, offered smells, given the sticky stuff of Coke residue and presented with flower seeds to plant to encourage bees!

A number of entrants had grown up on farms so their projects related to their environment. The majority of them suggested improvements in milking methods largely worked out on the home farm. One son of a sheep farmer offered a new method of fostering lambs which we will try out in the coming months!

The overall winners were 3 girls from a school in Kinsale which has a track record of winners at this event. They qualify for a European competition which has been won a number of times by students from Ireland.

The Bible has something to say about talents. It would seem that they are granted along with the ability to put them to good use. In other words the talent comes to the person who is fit for it and it’s when we do not use our talent that we are censured. (St Matthew chapter 25 verses 14/30.)

We are not to be content when people praise our natural ability but to recognise that it is a gift from God to be offered back to him that he might magnify it to his glory.

The greatest gift of God is that of salvation in which God gives the grace to nurture the talents he provides in an environment of self control. As St Paul puts it in his letter to Titus, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (chapter 2 verses 11 to 14).

Talents are precious gifts. Don’t squander them. Instead surrender them to God who knows how to produce the outcomes that really satisfy us and glorify him.

You can tell it’s that time again. The gym is packed and you can barely get into the swimming pool! All those mince pies and high living have taken their toll and now comes the gritting of the teeth and the resolve to do it properly this time and see the results in a return to the vigour of youth – dream on!

It was a pack-out in the men’s changing room of the Markievicz Baths which are located behind the church premises at Grace. No better place to study the changing men’s fashions. Gone are the body piercing for metal regalia of recent years and in is the art work of multiple tattoos of figures and designs.

In the past people were content with the odd tattoo illustrating some fantasy now the drawings are “wall to wall”!

Previously it was torso only but arms and legs have been enlisted to make multiple statements. To heighten the dramatic effect colour has been added so that the old fire breathing dragon, so cherished by yesterday’s hard men, now really breathes fire. Red flames leap across the chest impervious to the tepid waters of the swimming pool.

In what must be the quirkiest item I have seen was the bloke next to me in the changing room who had a line of music (without the words) written across his back. This stood out over against his more usual display of knights in armour so I had to ask what caused this lapse in the macho image. Apparently the guy is a fan of Robbie Williams and had dedicated a place on his back to a line in one of his songs. To my regret I didn’t find out which song it was and was left wondering if it could have been the recent addition to his repertoire called “Losers”?!

The Bible does not have much to say about decorating our body but what it does say is to the point, “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord” Leviticus chapter 19 verse 28. Apparently these were practices performed by pagan peoples when mourning for their dead. God’s people, Israel, were to be different and so it is for Christians today.

When a person turns from their sins and commits their life to Christ they bring with them the marks of the old life. Some of the more visible are the tattoos which will not wash off. These now become reminders of the past and, in their own way, part of the testimony to the difference Christ has made.

The good news is that losers can become winners when they put their faith in the death of Christ. As St John put it, “they have conquered him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” Revelation chapter 12 verse 11. It’s the blood (i.e. the death) of Jesus Christ that makes it possible for sinners to get right with God.

So whatever resolutions we make for the New Year remember it’s not our trying to change but our trusting in Christ to change us that will make the difference. And if you are serious about trusting him you will read his word and meet with his people.

A Blessed New Year to one and all.

We have just finished singing “And the bells rang out for Christmas Day” as part of the refrain in the ballad “Fairytale of New York” to be confronted with the midnight bells on 31^st December ringing in the New Year!

The first carillon heralded the good news of the birth of the Christ child and the second proclaims our ever optimistic assumption that next year will be better than the last one.

It is traditional in most cities for people to gather in the main square or outside the Town Hall to welcome the New Year but in Dublin the tradition is to gather at Christ Church Cathedral. This building, which dates back to 1169, is built on the site of a previous wooden church on a height above the original Viking settlement on the river Liffey. Its Gothic naves span a 12^th century crypt – said to be the largest in these Islands. It will be used this year to host a reception following a New Year’s Eve Concert in the Cathedral. The bells will be rung during the countdown to midnight when revellers congregate in the Cathedral precincts.

There have been many additions to the original bell over the centuries some of them being recast from canon. The most recent addition was in 1999 when an additional seven bells were added to the ring, giving a grand total of 19 bells, a world record for bells rung this way.

Robert Burns’ poem Auld Lang Syne set to music is frequently sung at midnight although the correct words are seldom heard! Even if they were heard it is unlikely that they would be understood as the Border Scots of Burns’ day is not well known even in Scotland.

It is a drinking song which has endured because it strikes a chord of enduring friendship. It envisages friends meeting after many years and reminiscing about their youth which is still vivid despite the long separation when they went their separate ways. Now having met the hearty handshake and the drink awaken the memories and renew the friendship.

Christians today are often characterised by the warm handshake and fellowship based on a shared experience of Christ. It is not unusual for them to adopt a Bible text for the New Year rather than make resolutions which seldom last very long. The text is based, neither on optimism nor on the warmth of Christian fellowship but on the certainty that “Christ died for me”. He substituted his perfect life for me – the sinner. He rose from the dead ensuring that those who trust him will rise to be with him forever.

“God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” St John Chapter 3 verse 16.

Receive it, believe it, adopt it as your life text for this year but above all trust the One it refers to – He will not leave you as an orphan but adopt you as a son or daughter for 2013 and all the other years you remain here on earth.

Annually on the morning of 21^st December crowds gather at this megalithic monument in Co Meath to witness the sunrise on the shortest day of the year.

This year the crowds were larger than ever but the sun didn’t turn up. In fact as one little girl reported “this is the 4^th year we have had no sun!”

The sun is, of course, the main player in the drama. Its appearance as it rises over the neighbouring hill sends a shaft of light, through the roof-box, directly above the entrance and down the 19 metre passage to illuminate the 3 burial chambers.

This meeting of the celestial with the terrestrial would have worked perfectly 5,000 years ago but, with the earth now tilted 10 degrees the shaft of light (when the sun shines) doesn’t make it to the chambers but hits the passage floor.

The Department of Works have taken cognisance of our weather and the earth’s tilt and thoughtfully installed electric lights. These do the job of enabling the worshippers to see where they are going but lack something of the spiritual content provided by the sunbeams!

Many archaeologists believe that the monument was used as a place of worship for a “cult of the dead” or for an astronomically based faith.  It is clear that the monument is build around the sun enabling its penetration of the earth and illuminating its darkest place on the pivotal day of the year.

Assuming their weather was similar to ours there must have been a lot of frustrated worshippers in megalithic times!

What light can the Bible throw on these matters?

Isaiah the prophet has written regarding Jesus, “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (chapter 49 verse 6) and St John had no doubt that with the coming of Jesus this was being fulfilled, “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world (chapter 1 verse 9).

We are attracted to the light, that is, unless we have something to hide. A little light would suffice us, once a year, to dispel a bit of darkness as St John wryly remarked, “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil (chapter 3 verse 19).

The good news is that God has penetrated this world not on a sunbeam but in Jesus. He came to give life to the spiritually dead which is our natural state. He rescues us by introducing us to the light and granting us sight. As St Paul put it, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians chapter 4 verses 4-6).

As we celebrate the coming of the Christ child let us open our hearts to receive His Spirit that He may come to us and fill our lives with His light.

This song by the Pogues just will not go away. Listed for many awards since it was first heard in 1987 it has acquired the title of the “best Christmas song ever” in the UK and Ireland.

The lyrics contain language associated with New York street culture and, in the original version, are sung in a drunken Irish brogue which lends authenticity to the words and anchors the ballad in our folklore.

It came as a surprise to hear it sung this week in St Ann’s Church as part of a Christmas concert. On the other hand it encapsulates another side of Christmas which is reality for many.

The song introduces us to an Irish immigrant, alone on Christmas Eve, who has been drowning his sorrows and has ended up in a police cell. Another inmate breaks into a drinking song which triggers memories of his past and his girlfriend with whom he has a turbulent relationship.

The song develops in his mind into a duet with her and portrays the havoc drink and drugs have created in their lives. Their talents have been laid to waste as they vainly cling to the last vestiges of love they have for each other.

The “Fairytale of New York” has not happened for them. Affluence has passed them by. They have tried to blot out the memories and have only their dreams to hold on to. These take on a bitter taste against the backdrop of the NYPD choir singing “Galway Bay” a song reminding them of the immigrants hope of retiring to that beautiful place. And as if to increase the agony the refrain is repeated, “And the bells were ringing out for Christmas day”. 

Joy for some pain for others. Fairytale or misery – is that the choice?

The Bible sees the coming to earth of Jesus not as a fairytale but as the Creator entering His creation to introduce us to a third way to live. Jesus neither endorsed the lifestyle of the wealthy nor the poor, the up and out or the down and out, but a new creation (2 Corinthians Chapter 5 verses 16/17).

He saw people as sheep without a shepherd (the existing shepherds were no good) St Matthew chapter 9 verses 35/36. He not only explained what a good shepherd would look like, he lived it; “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep”.

No doubt some sheep were in better condition than others but the Bible does not judge then on that basis. The decisive factor is whether or not they have heard the Shepherd’s voice speaking to them personally and, however imperfectly, are following him (St John Chapter 10 verses 1/11).

The narrator’s love, expressed in the song, is defective as our human love always is. The love with which Jesus loves his sheep is not sexual but sacrificial not eros but agape. He actually died for them. It will never change, grow cold or be extinguished. And it holds good whether you are in a cell or a citadel.

Fairytales don’t come true. The good Shepherd still gathers his sheep. Listen to is voice and follow him.

The lust for a story that upstages rivals caused a couple of Australian newshounds to overstep the mark this week.

The story was all about the future UK monarch, even although he/she is still in the mother’s womb and will be for some considerable time. However Kate is unwell and anything about “Royals” sells papers, programmes, etc and generates revenue.

By impersonating the Queen and Prince Charles two Australian journalists obtained details of Kate’s condition which they broadcast via their radio station and globally via twitter. They also claimed credit for pulling off the greatest hoax ever, that is, till it all backfired.

The nurse, Jacintha, who took the call at 5.30am on Wednesday was ending her night shift and had been standing in for the switchboard operator. She put the call through to her colleague who was attending Kate in the belief that it was genuine. Details of Kate’s condition were duly divulged and enthusiastically distributed by the Australian pair. That is till Friday when the nurse was found dead and suicide suspected.

We may never know the depths of shame and despair Jacintha suffered. She had become the dumb nurse who was duped and facilitated giving of confidential information to the media. Thanks to twitter everyone knew about it.

The Chief Executive of 2Day FM the Station concerned said, “We are very confident that we haven’t done anything illegal. We are satisfied that the procedures we have in place have been met.” However they have taken action. The two presenters have been stood down and all advertising suspended in an effort to protect their commercial base.

The defence of “The outcome could not have been foreseen” rings hollow when the reality is otherwise.

We have all done tricks that backfired. What do we do? What should the victim do?

The Bible says in St Matthews Gospel chapter 7 verse 12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Now this verse, often called the Golden Rule, needs to be set in context. Without recognising the context the drunk could buy his friends another round in the anticipation of them doing the same for him.

Jesus reciprocal rule assumes the participants understand the Law and the Prophets where the governing principle is the law of love. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”(St Matthew Chapter 22 verses 37/40)

Where love not lucre controls actions the Golden Rule works.

For it to work in us we need to turn our lives over to Jesus. Put your trust in Him.

The power of these three words written in St Paul’s hymn of praise in Philippians Chapter 2 verse 8 hits us afresh as we enter another Advent season. He was, and is, the eternal Christ, one with the Father who became what he was not i.e. man without ever ceasing to be what he always was i.e. God. The Word became flesh (St John chapter 1 verse 14).

The creator and sustainer of all that is, humbled him self, entered his universe put on eyes, ears, stomach, kneecaps etc. and took his place in history.

He could have chosen to be born into prosperity but preferred poverty. He could have chosen to be born in a palace but preferred a stable. He could have chosen to be born in a free country during a peaceful time instead he preferred an occupied land with the upheaval of a compulsory census.

He did all this that he might be a good teacher getting alongside his pupils, coming down to their level and teaching them using simple means. He identified with those who recognised their need of him. Those who recognised him as coming from God.

Strangely this was not the learned ones of his race. They rejected him.

It was in the eyes of his virgin mother that he was first recognised as “God my Saviour” (St Matthew chapter 1 verse 46) It fell to another woman, Elizabeth to recognise that the baby in Mary’s womb was her Lord (verse 43)

Indeed it was said the ordinary people heard him gladly. God was working out his purposes in a way that St Paul could write, “the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1 verse 21)

So what did St Paul preach that was seen by the learned ones as folly? It was the preaching of the complete humility of Christ bearing our sins on the cross that made folly the wisdom of the world.

Things have not changed very much since St Paul penned these words, “we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (verses 22/24)

The Philippian hymn of praise ends: –

He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Let us bear witness to the living Lord as we live by faith in him.

For the last couple of weeks our public square has been commandeered by the liberal agenda as it promoted a woman’s right to choose. It was therefore almost a relief when the news returned to the “normal hostilities” which have resumed between Israel and Palestine.

In the Middle East it’s not the slaughter of the unborn but those who are well and truly out of the womb that continues at a pace. The cynical use of the Palestinians by their Arab brothers to goad Israel into battle produced the inevitable slaughter. Then to claim the ceasefire to the 8 day war as a victory as the Palestinians have done requires some mental gymnastics especially as it was brokered by Egypt and the US without either of the protagonists being present!

The underlying problems of Israel’s tight restrictions of the border crossings into Palestine and the latter’s obtaining rockets despite Israel’s vigilance, along with the many other injustices, means that the conflict could resume at any time.

Israel finds herself in her usual situation, surrounded by dangers!

To the North Syria continues to self destruct and to the East Iran refines her weapons of mass destruction with the expressed intent – the annihilation of Israel.

Meanwhile to the South, in Egypt, another Pharaoh arises, as President Morsi seizes total power stating, “God’s will and elections made me the captain of this ship,”

What has the Bible to say to these matters?

It all began in Abraham’s time when his faith was tested. God told him to sacrifice Isaac his son by his wife Sarah. But the Quran states it was Ishmael, Abraham’s son by Hagar, his wife’s maidservant, who was to be sacrificed.

Both narratives agree that the descendents of Ishmael and Isaac were to become great nations. However the Bible states it was to be through Isaac’s line that the Redeemer would come (Genesis Chapter 17 verses 20/21).

From the beginning hostility was predicted between the half-brothers and has continued to this day between their nations. By extension the antagonism spreads to friends of Israel on the one side and friends of Arabs on the other; or to put it otherwise, followers of the Bible on the one hand and followers of the Quran on the other.

When Jesus came, as foretold, through Isaac’s line the angels proclaimed peace. The war between God and man, resulting from man’s sinfulness, was to be ended by the shedding of the Saviour’s blood. Now redeemed Jews and redeemed Gentiles can find that unity in Christ, “Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ”. (Ephesians chapter 2 v13 etc)

One day peace will come in all its fullness but till them we walk by faith and rejoice in everyone – Jew, Arab or Gentile – who comes into that new relationship with their heavenly Father, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians Ch.5 verse 19)