church review

CHURCH REVIEW
ISSN 0790-0384
Church Review is published monthly and
usually available by the first Sunday.
Please order your copy from your Parish
by annual sub scription. €40 for 2011 AD.
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Copies by post are available from:
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The Paddock, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow.
E: charlotte@churchreview.ie
T: 086 026 5522.
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Editor by 15th of the preceeding month,
no matter what day of the week. Material
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VIEWS EXPRESSED
Views expressed in the Church Review are
those of the contributor and are not
necessarily those of the Editor or Church
Review Committee.
EDITOR
The Revd. Nigel Waugh,
The Rectory, Delgany,
Greystones, Co. Wicklow.
T: 01-287 4515.
T: 086 1028888.
E: editor@churchreview.ie
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Noeleen Hogan
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15th of the month.
CHIEF REPORTER
Vacant
CHURCH OF IRELAND UNITED DIOCESES
OF DUBLIN AND GLENDALOUGH
The Most Reverend Michael Jackson,
Archbishop of Dublin and Bishop of Glendalough,
Primate of Ireland and Metropolitan.
Archbishop’s Letter
NOVEMBER 2011
We last met John the Baptist at the mid-point of the calendar year, when on
June 24th we celebrated his birthday. On Advent Sunday, this same John will
come to meet us as we approach the River Jordan. What we will notice first is his
voice. He is, of course, a voice crying in the wilderness but it is not a voice of
despair or defeat. It is a voice of challenge and a voice of commitment. John is
crying: Prepare and make straight the way of the Lord.
As I write this letter, I understand that there is going to be a significant period of time
during which parts of the Phoenix Park will be closed to traffic for road works. History
marches on and my guess is that this may not entirely be unconnected with the prospect of
a new and in-coming President of Ireland. History is so unpredictable that by the time each
of you reads this letter, we will be in the thick of a presidential election, the outcome of
which we cannot foresee. I should, however, like to thank President McAleese for the
leadership which she has offered in a most even-handed way within our nation and on behalf
of our nation for a period of fourteen years. Not only did everyone feel they knew her, and
her husband Dr Martin McAleese, but they learned quickly to hear and to heed her voice
and to listen intently.
As we approach Advent Sunday, preparation and making straight are at the core of who we
are and of the life’s work of John the Baptist. The cry which John makes comes from deep
within the prophetic tradition and challenges each one of us to live the life of prophecy day
by day and hour to hour until God’s kingdom comes. The cry comes from deep within what
we have become accustomed to speak of as The Old Testament. I can understand why we do
so, but I must caution each and every one of us to remain respectful of a tradition of World
Faith which still awaits the coming of Messiah, by which I mean Judaism. Too easy is it for
Christians to sway and swing into festive triumphalism at Christmastide.
The cry comes from deep within the plea for consistency of
thought and action in the spirit of justice which John lived in his
life and in his death. John tirelessly swept aside the undergrowth
of privilege and self-indulgence in preparing and in making straight
– so must we. John looked ahead always to one greater than
himself – so must we. John gathered a community of people,
odd-seeming to themselves and undoubtedly to others, as the
people of expectancy – so must we.
November and December are among the months of greatest
dis-ease in our society. Some are partying while others are facing
the prospect of having the electricity cut off. Let us remember with
gratitude and generosity the agencies and the individuals who go
the extra mile with those for whom the road is far from straight
and who simply are not in a position to make preparations –
and let us contribute to them as open-handedly as we
possibly can. God finds God’s self within them and
among them – and so must we.
† Michael
Single copies are available from:
• The National Bible Society of Ireland,
Dawson Street.
• The Resource Centre, Holy Trinity
Church, Rathmines.
PRINTING
Church Review is Printed in Ireland by
DCG Publications Ireland
T: 048-90551811. F: 048-90551812.
E: admin@dcgpublications.com
COVER STORY:
Our front cover is by professional
photographer Nigel Gillis. Taken
at the Ploughing Match in Athy, it
shows Archbishop Michael Jackson
with Anna Mae McHugh MD NPA,
Revd Ian Henderson, President of
Methodist Church and Archbishop
Diarmuid Martin as they ring the
International Eucharistic
Congress Bell.
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