Soul Food for Sundays & Spirituality

When I was growing up in north County Meath in the early 1960s, just one image of Church was visible to me. This was of the all-powerful and to-be-feared parish priest who controlled everything and who expected all families, including young families like our own, to be at his Mass every Sunday. Parish involvement was only through an adult choir or, for young males like me, as an altar-server. By extension, for anyone growing up in this environment – where the experience of Church was based on stability, order and power over others – the only way to work for the Church was to walk the road towards priesthood or religious life or, as for a part of my own early life, towards missionary priesthood. 

Today’s Second Reading presents us with the beautiful reflection of Paul to the people of Corinth on the many gifts of the Spirit. He tells us that there are: all kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Lord / many forms of service but the same Lord. 

Paul names some of these gifts as faith, knowledge, wisdom, healing, mighty deeds and the discernment of gifts, many of which we recognise…

View full reflection.…