10.10.2022
Archbishop presides at Cathedral Eucharist prior to Porvoo anniversary celebration
Archbishop Micheal Jackson presided at the Eucharist in Christ Church Cathedral yesterday morning (Sunday October 9) where he prayed for peace and God’s blessing on the people of Creeslough and County Donegal as they face into deeper and deeper sadness arising out of the loss, injury and bereavement of members of their community.
He also prayed God’s blessing on the Porvoo Communion as it celebrates its deferred 25th anniversary in the coming week in Finland. The Porvoo Communion is made up of 15 Anglican and evangelical Lutheran churches in Europe. Archbishop Jackson is one of its two co–chairs. He explained to those in Christ Church Cathedral that the Church of Ireland is one of the original signatories of the Porvoo Communion. He reminded the congregation that there is a direct link between the cathedral and Porvoo in the person of its resident deacon, Kalmer Keshula who is a Lutheran from Estonia. His presence enables the community to live that Porvoo connection week by week.
He prayed a blessing on all the diocesan clergy, lay readers and all others who minister across Dublin & Glendalough as well as the laity of the United Dioceses, the parishes, the schools and other institutions. He hoped that as the members of the United Dioceses moved through the coming week that they in their turn would be a blessing on those with whom they meet. He prayed a blessing on all in the cathedral in its service to the diocese and to the city.
The preacher was Canon William Deverell. He explored the Old Testament reading about Naaman the leper who was cured by the prophet Elisha and the Gospel reading about the ten lepers cured by Jesus. He reflected on how Naaman had initially believed that he could buy a miracle cure but came to understand that God’s grace and healing is freely given and is a divine rather than a worldly human gift. He also reflected on the gratitude of the one leper, the low status Samaritan, who returned to Jesus to thank him. He told of how the cultural diversity of his own parish in Tallaght has been a great gift because his African parishioners have taught him and others how to be grateful to God for every aspect of life rather than taking things for granted in the way that the nine lepers did.
