This is the one we acknowledge and adore - one God in a trinity of the sacred name."įriends, our patron saint tells us he couldn't be silent about all that God had done for him here in the land his captivity. He is judge of the living and of the dead he rewards every person according to their deeds He has generously poured on us the Holy Spirit, the gift and promise of immortality, who makes believers and those who listen to be children of God and co-heirs with Christ. He became a human being and, having overcome death, was welcomed to the heavens to the Father…Let every tongue confess that Jesus Christ, in whom we believe and whom we await to come back to us in the near future, is Lord and God. And his son, Jesus Christ, whom we testify has always been…with the Father in a spiritual way… Everything we can see, and everything beyond our sight, was made through him. "There is no other God, nor will there ever be, nor was there ever, except God the Father… the one who holds all things in being - this is our teaching. Let us make our own these words from Saint Patrick's powerful profession of faith in the Holy Trinity, which are recorded in his Confession (C4). Similarly God has called us to Slane today, to give us new life in the Holy Spirit and to send us out from here, carrying the torch of faith with courage and conviction. He was not seeking to cause trouble with the pagan powers that be - He came here to witness to the Risen Lord! He came to evangelise - to share the light and joy of the Gospel. Remember Saint Patrick came to this hill to pray, to celebrate the Easter Vigil. Just as Jesus invited His three friends to join Him in prayer on the mount of the Transfiguration and at Gethsemane, He has invited us here today - first and foremost - to pray. It is indeed wonderful for us to be here, and to give thanks today for the generations of faithful people who since the time of Patrick have lived the joy of Christianity and passed on to us the flame of faith - 'in spite of dungeon, fire and sword.' We have our own holy mountains and hills here in Ireland: like Slemish in County Antrim Croagh Patrick in County Mayo and, of course, here on this historic hill of Slane in County Meath where Patrick lit the Paschal fire to proclaim the Risen Lord and the coming of Christianity to this land. In Old Testament times also, the People of God experienced the Transcendent God on mountains like Sinai, Horeb, Moriah. It is interesting that many of the key events in the life of Jesus took place on hills or mountains - His temptations His most memorable teachings His agony, crucifixion and resurrection. But the Transfiguration experience would remain for them a promise of hope - that by His dying Christ destroyed death by rising, He restored our life! The same three disciples would soon be asked to share a very different moment with Jesus on the Mount of Olives, during His agony on the night before the crucifixion. The face of Jesus Christ radiated hope, shining like the Sun Hs clothes became dazzlingly white. Peter's words on the mountain of the Transfiguration come to mind this afternoon, here at the hill of Slane: "It is wonderful for us to be here"!Īt the transfiguration Peter, James and John were given a glimpse of the transcendent God. Dana Rosemary Scanlan performed her new song Light the Fire, recalling how our patron Saint Patrick lit the fire of faith on Slane in 433AD. At Slane, Co Meath, in the spirit of WYD, an expected three-thousand people attended an outdoor Mass on the Hill of Slane celebrated by Archbishop Eamon Martin, as part of the 'Light the Fire' festival of faith.ĭuring the day, a service of healing was led by Sister Briege McKenna, who was accompanied by Father Pablo Escriva de Romani.
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