Reflection Articles

Living in Hope   “But even the President of the United States Sometimes must have to stand naked.” Bob Dylan – It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)   It’s Alright Ma was released way back in 1965 but I’m sure it must have figured prominently in the minds of the judges who awarded Dylan the Nobel Literature prize some 50 years later in 2016. Like many, I’m always slightly mesmerised whenever I hear it. It’s not only the lyrics – there are 15 verses – there is also something of the relentless rhythm, the rhyming pattern, the ‘talking blues’ style of vocals and the extraordinary timelessness of it. It’s as relevant today as it was in the 60s – in fact, given what is happening in Dylan’s homeland at the moment, one could argue it’s even more relevant in 2024. As I pondered (perhaps brooded) over the results of the USA Presidential election as they rolled in, the two lines I have quoted above kept entering my head. They are only 2 lines out of more than 100 in this epic poem/song, but they were resonating with me. The absolute truism that whoever we are, from the most powerful person in the world to the most marginalised and least powerful person in the world, we all come face to face with our own vulnerability at some time. It hopefully guides us more towards a disposition of humility. (Perhaps some way off yet for the new President elect of the USA) Bringing it back to the context here, it reinforced my view of the ongoing importance of the work being undertaken here at the Hermitage and other places like it. Providing opportunities and creating spaces for learning, prayer, reflection and discernment are so critical for human flourishing. These things allow a sense of perspective and help us to realise we can’t control everything: that we are not the “Master Builders” as Oscar Romero put it. There is a freedom in knowing that and that is where faith and hope can emerge. We can remain hopeful about the future, regardless of the current circumstances. Not a delusional hope, but Christian hope. Recently my wife Jennie gave me a book called “Seeing with the Heart” by Kevin O’Brien (yes I know, apologies, yet another Jesuit author). In the chapter called Living in Hope he makes the point that this Christian hope is not the same as optimism, “which quickly glosses over reality and assumes everything will be fine.” He goes on to quote playwright and former President of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel, who said “Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.”   So, hope is central to our spiritual journey. It keeps us going - though as news continues to filter through about appointments in the new administration in Washington, at times, when I’m on my own, I do find myself occasionally singing the last 3 lines of Dylan’s masterpiece …   And if my thought-dreams could be seen They’d probably put my head in a guillotine But it’s alright Ma, it’s life and life only ………………………………..   John Hickey Hermitage Director November 2024

Books and Retreats – Staples of The Hermitage by John Hickey   But I believe in Love From Into My Arms: Nick Cave One of the best-selling books this year at what was formally known as “Bill’s Bazar” here at the Hermitage, is the international bestseller Faith, Hope and Carnage. It is basically a Q&A, or even more accurately, a conversation, between Irish journalist Sean O’Hagan and Australian musician, songwriter and poet Nick Cave. It is an extraordinary insight into an incredibly creative, authentic, brilliant ……… and flawed human being. Cave’s belief in God and journey of faith is at the core of the book. At one point, as the conversation turns to the notion of doubt, the following exchange takes place: Sean: It’s intrinsically human to doubt, don’t you think? Nick: Yes I do. And the rigid self-righteous certainty of some religious people – and some atheists, for that matter – is something I find disagreeable. The hubris of it. The sanctimoniousness. It leaves me cold. The more overtly unshakable someone’s beliefs are, the more diminished they seem to become, because they have stopped questioning, and the not-questioning can sometimes be accompanied by an attitude of moral superiority. The belligerent dogmatism of the current cultural moment is a case in point. A bit of humility wouldn’t go astray! The line at the top from the very famous ballad, Into My Arms, in some ways is a perfect summary of what Nick Cave does believe in. I think part of the attraction for those buying the book, here and elsewhere, is that it is centred in reality. Real struggle, real mess, but real joy and real hope ……. Real life, embraced through love. The centrality of love is something Bishop Greg Homeming spoke about also when facilitating the Mid-Winter Retreat at the Hermitage in July. With many in the group being Catholic educators, Bishop Greg suggested that the goal of a Catholic school was not so much for more children to attend Mass, but rather to give them a common identity so that twenty years down the track, the Gospel may remain with them (either consciously or subconsciously). That identity comes through love – through God. Hopefully it is a point of difference from other ways to be identified – as Bishop Greg suggests: If your identity is power, that’s what you become If your identity is possessions, you become a thing Books and retreats are two (of many) opportunities that the Hermitage provides that can enhance people’s experience here.   

Interesting to observe the different lenses through which church commentators are looking at this month’s second session of the Synod on Synodality, and the conclusions that they are reaching. Different conclusions. Even polar opposite ones. There may be parallel developments, or at least analogous lines of thought and action, in where our own Marist family is heading. Let’s consider both.   CONTINUING READING