St. James' Church Bushypark Galway

As Jesus sees us as people who may change and grow, may we see others in the same light.

All of us can experience moments of great joy because in his goodness God allows us to taste here on earth the joys of the world to come.

What does it mean to be led into the wilderness?
To find yourself without bearings, without direction, without food, nourishment or company? For many the wilderness is to be without direction.

A tough message – to love people we find difficult, people who drive us mad, or worse still, people who have wronged us for whatever reason.

Blessed are people who have lost a lot – isn’t this is what Jesus is saying? People who have lost money and are poor, who lost love and who weep, who have lost food and are hungry.

Caught by a smile in a crowded room, and you find the gathering is never the same; caught by a loving touch and you know that you are not alone; caught by a joke on you and you know you are teased or

Jesus is for everyone. Some thought they were the favourites or chosen or privileged ones of God. They couldn’t accept that he was for the whole world, not just for them. God is for everyone at every time of life -

The spirit of a person is within the unique cluster of gifts, exuberances, talents, loves, hopes, worries, hurts, anxieties that makes each person unique, never to be replaced.

Things can change: water can become wine, families can be reconciled, justice can replace violence, peace can cover the land. And people can change when they get a chance.