Speak of the devil

Father O'Niel SJ is a wonderful preacher at St.Ignatius who, despite being almost medievally old-fashioned, often triggers in me fitting reflection for these contemporary times. He's ye olde Irish - in his nineties- and the cadences of his voice are ever so comforting. Due to his age, of course, he has his good days and the days when rambling man appears in his stead.

At yesterday's 6pm Ash Wednesday mass, he opened with his perennial reminder of the Devil, and the war that is taking place in the world for human souls. "Remember," he chided us, "The devil hates you, but God loves you." This is a favourite thread of his, and one that I particularly like. T hates it, and my Mom doesn't like it either. And I ask them, why? I guess people don't want to be reminded that evils exists, let alone the devil who salivates over our souls. For me though, it's like bracing cold water. It's refreshing and allows me to see this modern world with open eyed clarity. As we go through the motions of our lives, we have to be reminded to choose God, to plant our feet firmly on his side of the battlefield, and constantly try to undermine the other side by our day to day deeds. Fr. O'Neill on his good days is a paradoxical breath of fresh air.

And my favourite part was when he mixed the ashes and water vigourously, the reverberating clicks against the tin pan picked up by his microphone. He looked up at us and with a gleeful smile in his voice, said, "I like to use plenty of water, so the cross is very black!"

I remember now that I am marked by God with a very black cross on my forehead. And so lent begins...