Photo was taken yesterday in the Church of St Mary and St John, Ballincollig, Co.Cork (Irl)

Lorna Doherty with her godchild Malika Saoirse at her christening yesterday.

Thought on Sunday – April – 07/04/2013

The following reflection is by Triona Doherty

We are living in a time of great transition for our Church. At the time of writing this, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had just shocked the world by announcing his decision to resign as Pope, and by the time you read this, it is likely that a new Pope will have been chosen.

The day of the announcement, TV news channels clamoured to put together footage of his pontificate and speculate as to what it all meant, and who his successor might be. Within hours online news sites had produced detailed analyses of his papal legacy. The news was so immediate, yet no one knew how events would unfold.


I think of this fascination with the papacy as I read today’s First Reading, where the sick were laid on beds in the streets in the hope that ‘the shadow of Peter’ might fall across them. I reflect on the vision of John in our Second Reading, where he is instructed to record ‘present happenings and things that are still to come’. And I wonder, as I read today’s Gospel, how the Spirit is working in our Church at this critical time in its history.


In this Year of Faith we are called to reflect on the mystery of our encounter with the Risen Christ. As the Church journeys, we are each on our own faith journey too. Are we like the disciples hiding in fear? Are we full of joy at an encounter with the Lord, or are we, like Thomas, wracked with doubt? Whatever happens and whatever is to come, it is important that we continue to engage with our faith, to reflect and to journey together.