Sermon preached by The Right Revd. Peter F. Barrett
At his Enthronement Service to the Diocese of Ossory on
Sunday 2nd February in St. Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny at 4pm

2nd February 2003
The Feast of the Presentation of our Lord
Sermon for the Enthronement
St. Canice's Cathedral,
Kilkenny

On this special day when we recall the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, my opening words are words of thanksgiving to God the Holy Trinity. I wish to thank him for the enormous privilege of his call to serve as a Bishop of the Church in this United Diocese. I wish also to thank you Mr. Dean, Norman, for your friendship and kindness, and for all your helpfulness in preparing and for arranging this afternoon's Service. It is a privilege to be working with you at a closer level than ever before. Thank you to all those who have assisted you in tasks large and small: George and Muriel, Maureen and Denise; flower arrangers, greeters and dusters; those who lead our praise in choir, at the organ and in the belfry. How good it to see the choir from my former 'crystal city' blending harmoniously with that of my new 'marble city' !

Thank you the parishioners and clergy of the Diocese of Ossory for your welcome to me, my wife and family, and for the promise of your support just declared. Thank you to our ecumenical brothers and sisters in Christ for your encouragement and prayer, and for your deeply valued presence this afternoon. How good it is to welcome also our colleagues in the Lord from Lund. Above all my friends in Christ, we meet to celebrate, indeed to enthrone, the Gospel of the Love of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To God be the Glory.

Iso much look forward to visiting your parishes and to journeying with you into a fresh discernment of God's loving purposes for us in our Diocese, in our parishes at this time. In particular, I look forward to coming alongside my fellow servants of the Gospel, the clergy of the diocese. I look forward to listening to you, to learning from you; to sharing in worship with you and your parishioners. My brothers and sisters, graced by the call to Holy Orders, your hopes and fears; your joys and sorrows will be a special concern of mine.

I wish also to acknowledge and give thanks for the ministry of Archbishop Neill throughout the United Diocese, and to thank him personally for his encouragement at this time of transition in my life and the life of my family.
In all things as I begin my ministry as your Bishop, I ask for your continued prayer and understanding and where and when necessary, your forgiveness when I fail you. Of one thing you can be certain: this Bishop will not get it right all the time. I can assure you!

On reflecting that I am to be enthroned on six separate occasions in the six cathedrals of the United Diocese, apart from the shock of the discovery, there is also the question of choice. Shall I preach the same sermon six times? Or shall I preach a different theme on each separate occasion? I've opted for the latter, not only because of the challenge, but because I wish to keep in with my clergy who may, by dint of office rather than by choice, be forced to attend all six. For example, Deans, Chaplain, Registrar and Archdeacon. We don't want a clerical coup just yet!

However, to save me in fact from saying the same thing six times in spite of my best intention, I've decided to explore my ministry in a rather novel way.
I'm going to examine an instrument, a symbol of the Bishop's Office at each Service and see what it tells us about the "office and work of a bishop" in the Church of God today. What you are to expect of me, and how I see my ministry at this early stage.

So for example, in Ferns last Friday night I explored the significance of the ring worn by the Bishop, which is the gift, the kind gift of the two Councils of the United Diocese, for which I say a most sincere 'thank you'. This ring symbolises traditionally, Unity. I explored its significance in terms of Unity with God, the Diocese and the Church.

This afternoon, I wish to explore the significance of the mitre, the hat worn by a bishop on special occasions such as this. Shaped rather like a tea-cosy, I am aware that it is not 'everyone's cup of tea', but along with the pastoral staff, the mitre is, in fact, the most visible of the emblems of a Bishop's Office in this Diocese, as it 'fronts' as it were, our diocesan letterheads, literature and official documents!

Indeed, by a strange coincidence, this month's diocesan magazine has some interesting things to say about it too.
What then does the mitre symbolise in the life of the church; wherein lies its meaning ? How can it help us discern something important about our life together in Christ, and my role in particular ? The meaning is to be found in Acts Chapter 2, Verses 1-4: "When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit." The mitre represents, in the rich symbolism of faith, the "tongues of fire" which fell on the Apostles at the Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem. In short, it symbolises the Holy Spirit. To the Holy Spirit let us now turn.

I wish to do so by reference primarily to our personal life in Christ; to our life of faith as frail , yet faithful disciples. In this context, the Holy Spirit is of supreme importance. Why do I say 'our personal life in Christ'? Because the Holy Spirit bears witness in our hearts and minds to the liberating, life renewing person of Jesus. The Holy Spirit brings deep into our lives the knowledge of our crucified, risen and ascended Lord. As the bearer of this bond of love, the Holy Spirit is the messenger of joy in the Church. Indeed, the Holy Spirit is the bearer of the love Jesus. To know the Holy Spirit's presence is to know Jesus; to know Jesus is to know the Father.

There is not one of us here today who, if taking our Christian commitment with the utter seriousness it deserves, does not need to be more and more aware of the role of the Holy Spirit in their life. None more so than me, I assure you. It is not for nothing that at all ordinations in the Church, special prayer is made, invoking the Holy Spirit.

My consecration last week was no different. The ancient and lovely Veni Creator was sung: "Come Holy Ghost our souls inspire'; and I especially chose one hymn and one anthem to the Holy Spirit, expressive of my need for such grace. We neglect the prayer to the Holy Spirit at our spiritual peril. On the special occasions when I shall wear my mitre, its very presence on my head is a call to my heart, and a symbolic reminder to all of us, of the Holy Spirit's yearning to find a home with us. Well do we sing:
5. "For none can guess its grace, till we become the place, wherein the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling."

One word,, one fruit of the Spirit, which is listed by Saint Paul in his letter to the church in Galatia (5:22f) and which is absent in so much of modern living is "gentleness". Gentleness is misunderstood by many and despised by some. Yet it is a gracious word; one which builds us up, and makes for a civilised and civilising society.

Ours is a far from gentle society. There is a cynicism, a judgementalism, a harshness abroad, which is far removed from the "gentleness' of the Spirit. There is in particular, a coarsening of behaviour; of language and expression. Courtesy and respect, part of the broad embrace of gentleness, are in short supply. Sadly, the Church in its internal life is not immune from such ungraciousness and lack of civility.

Gentleness implies an approach to life and to living which recognises the vulnerability, as well as the strengths of another. Which sees all of life as God's gift and each of us precious to him and made in his image. Which in the need of the other sees not only Christ, but self, and self's brokenness. Gentleness implies a reverence for all livingthings; a pattern of behaviour which acknowledges the interdependence of all biosystems on the planet. Truly, 'the worm forgives the plough'. We need to be sensitive to the fragility of life, seeing gentleness as a strength in Christ. Well does Paul write to Timothy: "The Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone….. correcting opponents with gentleness".
(2 Timothy 2:24)
J
In conclusion, what a loving and gentle scene is presented to us in our gospel reading on this Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, also traditionally known as Candlemas. For old Simeon, the waiting is over. The baby Jesus, brought to the Temple by his parents to fulfil the requirements of the Law, is revealed as the "Light for revelation to the Gentiles" (Luke 2:32), and Simeon's waiting is over. Anna too, elderly and patient, rejoices and declares the praises of God. Gentleness, tenderness, thanksgiving abound. The great Rembrandt loved this story, and painted it many times capturing wondrously the pathos of the moment, for Christ's presentation means Simeon's death : "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace." (Luke 2:29).

I can't help thinking that this Festival of the Presentation, reminds us where we can begin again "in Christ" to rediscover the Holy Spirit's gift of gentleness. It is in fact, what we 'are at' right now: worship. Worship not only gathers us around Christ, enabling Him to nourishes us by word and sacrament, to send us out to be caring witnesses of his presence in the world. But also, because in worship, He gathers all ages together, not least, and I make no excuse for mentioning this, the senior members of our parish families.

Other Links

Sermon Series to be preached by Bishop Peter at his enthronements

Pictures from the enthronement in St Canice's Cathedral Kilkenny

Pictures from consecration at Christ Church Cathedral Dublin

Details of Consecration and Visitors present

Sermon preached by Bishop of Portsmouth at consecration in Christ Church Cathedral

Parishes & Cathedrals in the United Diocese of Cashel Ossory and Ferns

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