Since 2017, this Friday after Ash Wednesday has been a day of prayer in Ireland for survivors and for the victims of abuse. This initiative of Pope Francis grew out of his meetings with victims in different parts of the world. It offers prayerful solidarity with victims and families, with communities and dioceses which have been impacted by the scandal of abuse.
Today we could remember his words at the start of Mass in the Phoenix Park in August 2018 when he asked forgiveness for “all those times when, as a Church, we did not offer to the survivors of any type of abuse, compassion and the pursuit of justice and truth by concrete actions.
We ask forgiveness.”
This request for forgiveness and the hope of healing and integrity is what Isaiah explores in this morning’s text [Is 58:1-9] as do the words of the powerful Psalm 50
My offences truly I know them, my sin is always before me.
This integrity of purpose and fasting is what Jesus describes in the Gospel of Ash Wednesday when he asks us to avoid the behaviour of the hypocrites. “They have had their reward”. Today we are praying for all who by our prayers, our fasting, and our kind attention will receive the reward which they most need – the reward of healing, the reward of hope and the reward of peace.
At the request of Pope Benedict, Cardinal Seán O’Malley from Boston came to Dublin in 2011. He met and listened to many victims and survivors of abuse. At a moving liturgy in the Pro-Cathedral he described how
Many survivors have struggled with addictions. Others have experienced greatly damaged relationships with parents, spouses and children. The suffering of families has been a terrible and very serious effect of the abuse. Some of you have even suffered the tragedy of a loved one having taken their own life because of the abuse perpetrated on them. The deaths of these beloved children of God weigh heavily on our hearts.
After his homily, the Cardinal and Archbishop Martin washed the feet of eight victims. In doing so, they were modelling the gesture of loving service which Jesus does at the Last Supper.
A short text from this Pro-Cathedral ceremony was inscribed on Wicklow granite during the following year. This “healing stone” became a focus of prayer during the 2012 Eucharistic Congress at the RDS and Croke Park. Since then it has found its home at the lakeshore of Lough Derg – a place of prayer, fasting, and penance where pilgrims across the centuries have travelled in hope of healing and peace.
The words of the short prayer might connect with some of you who are joining us today, who are supporting friends who carry a very heavy burden. The simplicity of the words adds to the power of the prayer. Every time I travel to Lough Derg, I pause at that stone before taking the boat across to Station Island. I pray for those victims and carry their intentions across the lake. On the way back, I always notice a pilgrim or two who are pause at the stone on their way towards the bus for a moment of silent prayer.
These pilgrims of hope will continue to carry a burden, they trust that some of their prayers, some of their fasting, some of their struggle on pilgrimage has gone a little way towards helping victims and survivors of abuse.
The words read:
“Lord, we are so sorry for what some of us did to your children: treated them so cruelly, especially, in their hour of need. We have left them with a lifelong suffering. This was not your plan for them or us. Please help us to help them. Guide us, Lord, Amen.”
Today a candle is being lit in every Cathedral for survivors and victims of abuse. We will light one here in Navan now as a connection with all who join us through the livestream and the RTÉ News channel.
We will continue to pray through the day and at our Friday Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help for you who join us today and especially for those of you who might be in need of hope and healing and peace.
May each one across our land have the reward of our prayers, the reward of our support and the reward of our resolve to care for all who are vulnerable or at risk in our society.
The prayer which I use while lighting the Vigil candle on Lough Derg offers support to pilgrims as they start their struggle to keep going through the night. It was written by Dr Ruth Patterson from Belfast. I see it as a connection between this Day of Prayer and the wish of Pope Francis during this Jubilee Year that we “journey together in hope”.
I light a candle
and suddenly the world around me changes.
I am reminded yet again
that one small flame is all it takes
to let the darkness know it cannot win.
Fr Robert McCabe CC Navan.
