“Mary, the Mother of God, is the perfect disciple, the prime example of discipleship, and an icon of the synodal life, “ said Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell in his homily for the closing Mass of the Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Whitefriar Street Church.
Preaching to the full church on the Carmelite feast day, the Archbishop described Mary’s attentiveness to the Word and her presence beneath the Cross as models for the Church’s mission today.
“She reminds us of the universal call to listen attentively to God with an openness to the Holy Spirit,” he said.
Archbishop Farrell described prayer as an act of patient faith, drawing on the story of Elijah and his servant in the First Reading. “An important part of prayer is waiting… waiting for God to speak, waiting for God to reveal his presence,” he said.
Quoting Simone Weil, he added: “We do not attain the most precious gifts by going in search of them, but by waiting for them.”
This year’s Novena marked the first time the Whitefriar Street community expanded what had previously been a thee-day Triduum into a full nine-day devotion. Fr Simon Nolan, Carmelite Prior and Provincial, said the response had been deeply encouraging.
“There’s been a contemplative sense, very much in keeping with our Carmelite charism,” he said. “People allowed themselves to find their space within it.”
The Archbishop concluded by inviting the faithful to follow Mary’s example: “May Our Lady of Mount Carmel guide our steps through the steep and arduous paths of life.”
