Easter Faith and Joy

thought-for-sundayFrom the desk of Fr. Ignatius Waters, cp

Sunday, 16th April 2017

  

 

I want to introduce you to young Garvan Byrne because I think he will introduce you afresh to Jesus, his friend. Indeed he’s very like Jesus who was just a little older than Garvan when he astounded Mary and Joseph with the depth of his spiritual wisdom. So much so that the gospel says, “They did not know what he meant.” Garvan was born on 20th March 1973 with a very rare kind of fatal bone marrow disease with the result he didn’t grow after five years

of age. So his words of wisdom, which would have been remarkable coming from an adult, were all the more extraordinary because they seemed to be coming from a five year old child!  He died at this time of year, 16th April in 1985, just two months after a video was made of an interview with him.

He was interviewed at Helen House in Oxford by Sr. Frances Dominica. If she had not made this video we would probably never have heard of Garvan and what a loss that would have been. His mother speaks briefly on the recording but so honestly and beautifully. She explains how he was on anabolic steroids in his early years but was taken off them at five years and from then on he was a very different child, grasping things in a very mature way and with extraordinary inner strength. How did he have such strength and peace, she asks, where did it come from? She admits she can’t answer those questions. She herself would love to have what he had. I’m searching for it, she says, I want it, but I still haven’t got it.

Garvan talks about the joy of receiving Jesus at his First Communion. It was the happiest day of his life. Jesus is his friend and is always there with open arms ready to help him in all his troubles and he is able to tell Jesus his deepest problems. He thanks God every day for all the things he can do and he looks forward to meeting Jesus when he dies. It will be very difficult leaving his family but he knows Jesus will look after them and that, even though they won’t see him, he himself will be there in the midst of them also caring for them. (So just google ‘Garvan Byrne’ and let him tell you about his friendship with Jesus and share with you his faith and his hope.)

This is the joy and the hope and the peace we all long for. It’s the joy of Easter!