Dear Family of Mary! Today I have a treat for us all. Our shipmate, Stefanie, has transcribed a wonderful homily given by Father Brendan Kilcoyne on April 2, 2024 for English Mass in Medjugorje! Fr. Kilcoyne has a way to showing us our lives from a different perspective, a heavenly perspective. He urges us to live our lives from that perspective, as it is much more alive, full of energy and faith. Here is Fr. Kilcoyne's homily for April 2, 2024 in Medjugorje: To hear Fr. deliver this homily here is the link: https://marytv.tv/english-homily-in-medjugorje-2/?smid=OnoB3bsg4NV&slid=IRBKmbjFsDA HOMILY Very good morning to you! You are very welcome to mass this morning! My name is Kilcoyne and I minister in the parishes of Balla and Mayo Abbey in the middle of County Mayo in Ireland. I think it was… – it’s a story I’m fond of using to make a number of points – but, I think it was the late Anthony Bourdain, the American chef of French inspiration, who said that you should always have your chicken a little pink, always your pork a faint pink, because you lose the juices. He said: “Of course, the price of fine cuisine is the occasional bad night.” “But,” he said, “this is the price you pay to taste your food.” I don’t know how far I’d go with him on that. But I think in Ireland, at least, we’re certainly well used to “walking on the wild side” with food. I had several relatives who went to early, but very happy, graves after spending a lifetime putting half a pound of butter on their spuds. Lashings of salt. They swore that the cabbage was absolutely tasteless unless it was cooked in the water in which the bacon had been boiled. I always assume when I’m talking to a congregation in Medjugorje that I’m dealing with serious people, with “players” in Catholic terms. I think the way you respond to the Mass gives evidence of that. Some people, critics, will say the Catholics only go to Medjugorje for a nice holiday. To which I would respond that they know nothing about Catholicism. A Catholic pilgrimage was always at least half a holiday, and nobody parties like a Catholic. That’s because: We know how this turns out! Yeah, yeah. Unless you have a bit of Heaven in your eyes, a bit of Heaven in your voice, in your tongue… You should think of Heaven every day. You should be thinking of Heaven every day. This is why I urge you, my brothers and sisters – and your doctor may sue me for this – this is why I urge you not to cheat yourself of butter on your spuds. And I would put it to you that part of the reason you’re here is because you’re not getting butter on your spuds. Yeah? I will put it to you that part of the reason that you’re here is because the faith that we are teaching in Ireland – and I’m saying nothing I have not said in Ireland. Right? The Faith; the way in which we teach it, the way in which we pass it on, the way in which we are packaging it; is now so safe that it resembles nothing so much as a slice of Ryvita; the original, if you remember, not the later variations. Okay. It’s like cardboard. It’s almost tasteless. It’s alleged to be good for you. But how can you be motivated, like the prophet, to “take it and eat it,” that it be “as honey in your mouth,” when it tastes so bland. And when the Word of God is made to sound like lift music or supermarket music. And when the Food of God is put on the table – God who is an unstinting and ruinous host – when the Food of God is put on the table and it tastes like Mac-this and Mac-that, and you feel like you’re having another indistinguishable meal at your local McDonald’s. (McDonald’s can sue me as well after this.) And I cannot emphasize too strongly, in this Easter week, that you need to taste the Faith. You need to relish it. And it should be “as honey” on your tongue. And I would put it to you, that that is why you are here, even if you don’t fully know that that is what brought you here. It was to taste your food again. It was to hear the Word of God. It was to let it soak into you, not only on your tongue, but to soak into your marrow and bones, that you may be possessed by a Divine greed and a hunger for Heaven. Was it not St. Ambrose who prayed to God, “Fascinate me!” “Let me fall in love with You.” “Conquer me.” “Take over my whole mind.” And you come to Medjugorje – I would argue to you – for this. And I can’t blame you, for having left the small, smug, self-satisfied, little Mac-Ireland, that is what has become of the great dream originally of an Irish country, an Irish culture, an Irish Christian culture. I’m assuming that most of you are Irish. Those of you who are not. Forgive me. Even when we leave Ireland, it’s only to give out about Ireland. We have issues. In the first reading, we are told, “Watch yourself and save yourselves from this perverse generation.” We see now in Ireland, in Europe, where millions of unfortunate people, certainly hundreds of thousands, are being brought in frantically by government; in numbers – these bewildered people – in numbers and in a manner that is calculated to swamp the original cultures of the countries there – through no fault of the refugees, let me emphasize that! – to swamp the local cultures. All for what? I may be wrong. I am certainly simplifying. But – I would suggest to you – that it is to replace the children that we are too selfish to have, and the ones we have murdered, and the ones we intend to murder. I don’t know if any of you take The Spectator – fantastic English conservative magazine – but lately there was a reprint of an article from 2015 by Matthew Parris, who is an atheist, an atheist conservative. He, in it, outlines his belief that there is no point in even discussing euthanasia. Because, it is definitely going to come. Because, we have too many elderly people and we can’t look after them. And this is going to become an option. I‘m not making this up. This is a highly… – this is a cosmopolitan man – a highly sophisticated and clever man. And this is what he sees coming. And I think he’s right. And we are about to try to do the same thing in Ireland. Why? Because we’re not having enough children, to look after, in proper piety, and gratitude, and decency, and in a Christian manner, those who gave us life, and to look after them. So, now we will turn at both ends and we will destroy the future and the past. And who will we be? And what will we be? “This crooked and perverse generation” that loves not what it came from nor that to which it goes. And so human life is this blaze of a match, that lasts only as long as you are loved, and wanted; so you won’t be murdered in the womb. Only as long as you are young, and you’re strong, and you’re articulate, and you can argue for yourself; and God help you when you lose that and become powerless. I don’t blame you in the least for finding your food dissatisfying. How can anyone live on the pabulum that we are being fed? How can anyone face the fight that we have to face on so many different levels? Now you may say back to me, “You’re negative.” “You’re cynical.” I’m not cynical; I never was. I’m a bit skeptical; but I have a Mayo childhood, and I can’t be blamed for that. Yeah, my eyes narrow automatically. I am skeptical, not cynical. And I’m not negative; I’m happy to be alive. I like God, I like people. I’m not overly friendly; I’m a bit grumpy. That’s because I wasn’t, you know, I wasn’t made in some factory. I’m a human being with a real personality and real emotions. Not some smooth, bland product meant to make society go smoothly. I beg you here today, in the spirit of the readings, and in the spirit of the Gospel, to recognize the danger we’re in and to turn to God. Now, here I draw to a close. Here I make an absolutely crucial point. You would have brought here troubles. You would have brought here concerns. You would have brought here hopes and dreams. I say to you, “Forget them.” I say to you, “Throw them aside.” And get yourself drunk on God, and on His presence! “Seek ye first the Kingdom, and all this will be added unto ye!” Everything you want will be given to you. Focus only on Him. I’m not saying what you want is wrong. I’m not saying that you’re problems aren’t real. I’m not saying that you don’t need help. I’m saying, “Cast them aside from you!” And stand in the presence of God alone, with your incredible, incomprehensible strength, and power, and glory, that He has given you as an individual soul. Stand before Him and beg for His help! And beg for His help for your country, and for your people. Beg him to rain down on us, “the just one,” – an image that is always ready to hand in Ireland, okay. Beg Him to rain down on us everything that we need. Focus on Him entirely for these few days. God bless you for coming here. God bless you for your divine dissatisfaction with the food that you are being fed. God bless you for wanting half a pound of butter on each spud, okay. For wanting to taste your food. For wanting to live. Believe me it will be “poured into your lap, pressed down, and flowing over.” Focus on Him. And “all this will be added to you.” We will sit one day at a meal – let me assure you – that you will be able to taste, and in company that you will relish. In the meantime, we sometimes have to make do with a decent sandwich, okay. But you can always up the butter. I pray for tremendous conversions on these short pilgrimages. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen! Thank you, Fr. Kilcoyne!! May we live up to this wonderful standard, to live fully alive and in the love of God!!