Scottish Catholic Observer

Bishop Nolan’s heart attack last week came as a tremendous shock to all in Catholic Scotland. Relatively young and healthy, it goes to show that none of us can predict what God has in store for us. Still the tremendous outpouring of love and prayer that followed the news was heart-warming and undoubtedly appreciated by the bishop. So let us all pray he has a speedy recovery.

Pope Francis’ recent actions to mark the Year of Mercy carry a powerful lesson. He has visited with former prostitutes, read to refugee children and taken homeless people to the beach. Through his actions he is proving there is no one who should be denied God’s Grace.

As he said when announcing this Year of Mercy: “The time has come for the Church to take up the joyful call to mercy once more. It is time to return to the basics and to bear the weaknesses and struggles of our brothers and sisters. Mercy is the force that reawakens us to new life and installs in us the courage to look to the future with hope.”

Now is the time to follow in the Pope’s example and take that message of mercy out into the world to those who need it most. To those who are most detached from society, who are most vulnerable, most forgotten.

Of course, the Church in Scotland already does a great deal of this. There are many hospices that would close without Church support, many in poverty who would be hungrier, many lonely people who would have no support at all. But we can always do more. This week is an opportunity to embrace those who we might be tempted to ignore, who might seem beyond help. We should seize it.

This week’s article from an Irish priest on fundraising contains many fascinating titbits. Fundraising can often seem like a chore. Roofs always need fixed, parish hall floors always need replaced. The demands on parish finance can seem endless. Yet as Fr Alan suggests, a few simple steps can make managing a parish’s finances much easier. Involving the laity and showing them obvious improvements will make people more generous. In addition, transparency is vital, as is cutting any unnecessary expense. All of which seem obvious but when done in combination it can make a massive difference.

If funding the life of the parish is treated like a chore, it is likely to become one. But by embracing a positive, proactive approach, the collection plates will be full and all will reap the benefits.