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!