END OF AN ERA, ALPHA, WOMEN'S WORLD DAY.

28 FEBRUARY 2013 END OF AN ERA, ALPHA, WOMEN'S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER. This evening marks the end of an era with Pope Benedict XVI's final Blessing and farewell words at Castel Gondolpho. Now we, with the rest of the Catholic world, enter Kairos or God's time, until the Holy spirit will enable the election of his successor. For us, here in Belfast, we heard before Christmas that Sister Cait would join us in February so, on this final day of the month we awaited her arrival. Cait arrived after 6.00p.m. We will welcome her formally on Sunday, when our new era will begin. Cait has spent many years in Galway, where she lived with just one Sister and was on her own for more than the past year. So, getting to know a different culture and moving into a large community will present many moments of change for her in the coming weeks and months. These days we have had wonderful sunshine and Spring has really arrived in style. We have lots of daffodils and snowdrops and we are enjoying this time of year. The ALPHA course I have been attending with one of our Friends, Rosemary, continues. This evening at our weekly session we finalized plans for a day at Methodist Edgehill Training College, here in the city, on Saturday next. There, we will have a day of input on the Holy Spirit. We all welcome this quiet day for prayer and reflection as we feel its a great need both at Church and community level. Tomorrow evening a nearby Church of Ireland will host Women's World Day of Prayer. The Minster's wife invited me to the service which has been prepared by the women of France and has the theme of - "I was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me". A number of us will be happy to attend this Service. Let us all spare a moment to remember women throughout the world in prayer tomorrow. Let us remember especially women who have been rescued from trafficking situations in so very many countries. Have a Blessed St. David's Day tomorrow and, I heard recently the word "Lent" is an old word for Spring. So, may the month of March be full of life and growth for you as we move towards Easter.

BIRTHDAYS, LYS MARIE AND DARK HISTORY,

19 FEBRUARY 2013 BIRTHDAYS, LYS MARIE AND DARK HISTORY. "WHY IS A CAR'S WINDSHIELD SO LARGE AND THE REAR VIEW MIRROR SO SMALL?" "BECAUSE OUR PAST IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS OUR FUTURE. SO, LOOK AHEAD AND MOVE ON" Anonymous Today is glorious, another day of sunshine and nice temperature too. I will clarify my reason for the above question a little later! Since my last entry, it has been a time of settling in, of renewing acquaintances, meeting friends and even, its been a time of 'flu and of beginning a process of de-cluttering! A time of Birthday celebrations - in community, friends and family. Our 97 year old Sister Brigid Keane shared her day, on Sunday 17 February with the 80th Anniversary of the setting up of our contemplative community at Lys Marie. To celebrate, we invited the community to join us for tea in the afternoon. We began with a song of welcome for our two Sri Lankan Sisters. Sisters Vivienne and Regina later sang for us in their own language and in between, we shared la lovely tea, much singing and a great time. In fact, the Birthday theme continued until yesterday, when I spent the day with my sister Bernie, in Dublin. We enjoyed a special day of sunshine, beginning with the arrival of a classmate of hers, laden with flowers. Later, we visited a favourite restaurant of ours in the Dublin mountains and the festivity of the day was complete! The past few weeks have had a clear focus as a bright light has been shone on our dark Good Shepherd history. The rumblings of the past have thrown up some very dark moments. Today is the culmination, when there is a full-scale debate in our National Parliament on this same reality. Martin McAleese, husband of our ex-President, completed a report that has sparked this full-scale discussion. This will highlight once more our dark history. Listening, even to fragments of past memories,as they are reflected by our ex-residents, has been truly a huge shock. Even allowing for some exaggeration and, possibly, creativity, yet there is an underlying very dark history. Glimpses of this darkness have been most salutary for each one of us. In fact, they led to my opening question. I felt we needed to realize that "our past is not as important as our future" and so, "it is time to look ahead and move on" rather than sink into the quagmire of these reflections. Brother Philip Pinto, cfc, speaking in Dublin last month, told the group - "Dark times are normal to life; there's nothing wrong with us when we periodically plunge into the abyss - no rebirth is possible without moving through a dark passage"! So, Lent has presented us with this new journey and hopefully, with the possibility of new birth, led by compassion and reconciliation. Blessings on each one at this time, until it is a moment for another entry!