Photo was taken yesterday at Ballincollig Shopping Centre, Co.Cork (Irl)

There was a great sense of relief and delight from this group of young people from Col√°iste Choilm, who organised a hugely successful fashion show to raise funds for Marymount Hospice and Make A Wish Foundation. Well done to everyone involved.

Thought on Sunday – April – 14/04/2013

The following reflection is by Triona Doherty

‘Wait until I tell you’; ‘Well the way of it was this’; ‘I have a good one for you’ – we all know someone who is a great storyteller. The seancha√≠ played an important role in the Irish folk tradition. His role was to keep track of important information and to ensure that tales were passed on from one generation to another. The Gospels came together in a similar fashion, with the stories about Jesus first passed on by word of mouth before being committed to paper.

John introduces the story in today’s Gospel in true storyteller mode: ‘It was by the sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this:’ He sets the scene, tells us who was there and recounts a conversation between the disciples as they decide to go fishing. And all the time we are in on the secret: Jesus is about to appear. And the disciples don’t recognise him! We can have a bit of a laugh at their expense. How can they be so blind? A good story encourages us to put ourselves in the characters’ shoes. What if we were in the story, in that boat – would we have immediately known it was Jesus?

We may not always recognise Jesus and the various ways he is present in our lives. When things are going badly, we can sometimes forget to pray for strength and help. On the other hand, when things are going well and our nets are full, so to speak, how often do we give thanks and acknowledge how blessed we are?