The Passion and a Song
Elen Sila Lummen' Omentielvo
"May the star shines upon the hour of our meeting." It means "hi!" in the elegant Elvish language.

Just finish doing up my homily for tomorrow's evening Mass. Doing a take on our shifting values and the decline of Christianity worldwide as paganism rises. Sounds ominous? Wait till you hear about Cherie Blair, the British PM's wife who, by the way, is supposedly Catholic with what she is doing about her own faith! That's my homily - tomorrow...

Meanwhile, I noticed that my commenting numbers has shot through the roof. At the current total of 71 at this point in time, it is more that I can imagine!

As for life as a person of the cloth, I am getting the hang of things here and yet even after a year of being in this parish and about 8 months as a priest, there is never a moment that I can say that I have a total control or understanding of what and why I am here for. There are many times where I feel utterly helpless in making any difference to the situation at hand, while there were times that I feel like I have just reached the ultimate enlightenment! Of course there are the more of the in-betweens where life trudges on and I manage the day sufficiently to greet the new day gratefully without too much of a hassle.

It is about making the connection - to connect with God. The world says to disconnect with Him but connect straight to the pulse of humanity. That is why the state of the world is as we see it today: confused, adulterous, deceitful, morally bankrupt... Good it is not, padawan!

Maybe the next movie "Passion of Christ" may bring back the senses of the people in this world. Then again it may not. Perhaps all we can ever say is found in the opening words of another movie "Song of Bernadette" (on the apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes): "For those who believe in God, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't believe, no explanation is possible."

Namarie!