A WEEK IN REVIEW

What a week of highs and lows. Wednesday our under-19's basketball team won the national final 51-39. They came back 'like kings', as one of our staff put it, full of justifiable pride. Classrooms emptied to welcome them back with cheers and applause.
That was the high.

Friday was the anniversary of Nicole Kelly's death. She was knocked down crossing the road last year. From Thursday afternoon her friends were obviously upset (though, of course, it had been building up unseen). Friday some of them were unable to even sit for long in a class. Nicole is dearly and bitterly missed. At 1.00 pm the family had organized a Mass in the Blanchardstown Oratory. I was unable to go but a huge number of students were. It was as if she had just died. As if it were only the day before. That was the low.

In addition my Dell laptop crashed, black screen no response, nothing. A search on the internet, from a school computer, suggested that the problem was irreversible. Worse the photos of much of the Sixth year from when they were entering were on the laptop in preparation for their graduation. So a double disaster.

The laptop is now in a shop to see what can be recovered. Thanks to the generosity of my guardian I was able to go and buy a new machine. Under advice I have therefore converted to Mac. No more blue screens and crashes I hope! so I guess that's a high to end the week.

DAVID QUINN: DICTATORSHIP OF RELATIVISM

This is an excellent and enlightening talk by David Quinn of the Iona Institute (and, alas, ex-editor of the Irish Catholic). Looks like we have a rough ride ahead of us.

THE POPE IS COMING TO IRELAND!

Well so the media is suggesting. Let's hope he does come. It could be a moment of great grace for our country. Pray too for the soul of that poor woman in India who will now die by passive euthanasia.

AN UPDATE

So, last night I began a series of talks on 'To Christ throught the Sacraments'. I have never done anything like this before so it was nerve wracking. Still it went ok. The opening talk was quite abstract but next week I'll be dealing with Baptism and hopefully it will be more accessible to the congregation. My objective is to help deepen people's faith and nurture their relationship with Christ and His Church. I also hope to make these talks available as a podcast but that's for the future.

Today of course is Ash Wednesday. There was a time when I would race around the school trying to distribute the ashes in the first forty minutes of the day before the classes moved. Now we have 1100 students distributed between 42 or so classes. Time consuming, frustrating and ultimately futile so instead I distribute them as they request them. So far this morning it has been encouraging even if they recieve out of the 'novelty value'. People like the tangible reminders of the Divine. Words are easy, actions speak louder to the soul.