Jerusalem exhibition
Parish priest Fr Michael Murphy has set up the first part of a display relating to Jerusalem, where he spent some time recently.
The display is in the church and worth revisits as it develops. It includes images of people praying at holy places, as well as depictions of the walls that divide the city and Israel.
At Sunday mass Fr Murphy talked about the holy city, and noted that anyone who has been there will know how important prayer is throughout every day, both Muslim and Jewish prayer.
He said some people maintain that religion is the problem for the troubles in the area, but the truth was that religion is the 'most sublime' part of humanity. "There are, however, people who will abuse this most noble and sublime thing for their own ends," he added, and called for prayers for the 'peace of Jerusalem'.
He quoted from the Jewish holy book, The Talmud, the passage: 'Ten measures of beauty God gave to the world, nine of them to Jerusalem and one to the remainder; ten measures of sorrow He gave to the world, nine of them to Jerusalem and one to the remainder'.
Fr Murphy said the question of a parish pilgrimage to the Holy Land remains. "We will continue to make plans, and monitor how things go there as time goes by."
Brian Byrne.
