Letter to be read out at all Masses at the weekend 9/10 March, 2019

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Lent has begun. It is a chance for us to take stock and make a new start in trying to live the Gospel. Last summer I spoke of our need to repair the Church. At Advent I proposed new pastoral arrangements arising out of the Synod. But as we begin Lent I would like us to focus on what God is ultimately asking of us – to be holy.

Holiness can mean many things. I know for some it can sound like an old-fashioned notion or, for others, holiness might seem simply unreachable. But in a recent letter Pope Francis has encouraged all of us to realise that holiness, in the sense of love lived fully, is possible. Love of God and love of neighbour. It is made up of small steps in our everyday life no matter what or where or how we find ourselves.

So, while some people might not like giving things up for Lent, it certainly should be for all of us a time for giving more. By that I mean giving more of ouselves to others.

Of course, this is something that should not be solely for Lent, but let’s consider Lent as a moment in time when we can start doing something special for others. It could be someone elderly living alone, it could be someone who is going through a difficult patch in their lives, someone perhaps you have become estranged from.  There’s so many ways of doing more good.

We can think of the recently beatified young woman, Chiara Luce Badano. She died in 1990. So there are photographs of her dressed in jeans, tea-shirts and sneakers, speaking on a mobile phone, going on holidays in the sun. She was into U2. And yet, in the everyday simple things she grew in holiness.

There are many ordinary episodes of this young saint’s life that speak to us of everyday examples of how we can live holiness. One day, for instance, when Chiara was a child, her mother suggested to her that she should give away some of the mountain of toys she had amassed, she replied: “no, Mom, they’re mine”. Her mother left it at that and continued what she was at in the kitchen. Then she heard the child’s voice in the room next to the kitchen, “this one, yes, that one, no; this one yes, that one, no…” The mother went into the room and found the child dividing out her toys, putting the new ones into a box. Surprised and a little alarmed, her mother said to her, “but the toys you are giving away are your new toys”. To which Chiara replied: “I can’t give broken toys to the poor”.

 Diagnosed with cancer at 17 years of age, Chiara continued to focus on living the present moment well. When a difficulty or suffering would arise, she would repeat, “if you want it, Jesus, I want it too.”

And she kept on loving one by one the people who surrounded her, offering words of encouragement, advice and inspiration. And that included her parents in practical everyday ways. It was in the ordinary circumstances of life that Chiara reached holiness and her example has since then touched many young people around the world.

I have written a pastoral letter on the theme of holiness which you might like to read. It is available in churches and on our Diocesan website.

Mother Teresa used to say, “Yes, I have many human faults and failures… But God bends down and uses us, you and me, to be his love and his compassion in the world; he bears our sins, our troubles and our faults. He depends on us to love the world and to show how much he loves it. If we are too concerned with ourselves, we will have no time left for others”.

As we begin our Lenten journey, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to instill the desire for holiness in each of us.  

Lent is a chance to grow in holiness. Let’s not waste it. Let’s pray for one another as we set out.

With kind regards,

+Brendan Leahy,

Bishop of Limerick.