ARCHBISHOP Diarmuid Martin Friday led the Way of the Cross procession through Dublin’s Phoenix Park as part of the Good Friday ceremonies. Quoting Pope Benedict, he said the capacity to accept suffering for the sake of goodness, truth and justice was an essential part of humanity — “because if my own wellbeing and safety are more important than truth and justice, then the power of the stronger prevails, then violence and untruth reign supreme”.
Dr Martin said being a Christian was about allowing our imperfect love, limited by egoism, self-centredness and sin, to be cleansed by the love of God made visible in Jesus.
“Being a follower in Jesus Christ means witnessing in our lives to the fact that ‘God is love’. It is extraordinary how we have so often lost sight of this central fact of our belief,” he added.
“Contemporary culture finds the concept of obedience difficult. Being fulfilled and happy is considered more about being oneself and doing one’s own thing than obeying any other.”
Meanwhile, the names of more than 3,500 people who died as a result of the Troubles were read out at a three-hour service at the Unitarian Church on St Stephen’s Green in Dublin.
It took place almost 10 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.
In Galway yesterday, three churches came together for the first ever Good Friday staging of the Passion in Galway city centre.
City centre workers, shoppers and tourists unwittingly played the role of the crowd as Galway’s streets were transformed into the Via Dolorosa.
The part of Jesus was played by Pastor Larry Ovie of the Faith Christian Fellowship Church, while Fr Gerry Ferguson from the St Augustine Parish played the High Priest Caiphas, and the Rector of St Nicholas Collegiate Church, Rev Patrick Towers, performed the role of Pontius Pilate.
Other parts were played by members of the three Christian churches who organised the event.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce