Fr Seán Harmon at RTÉ Mass: Matt Talbot's life exemplifies what God's mercy can achieve

Opening message and homily for 11.00am televised Mass on RTÉ One delivered by Father Seán Harmon PP, broadcast live from Saint Nessan’s Church, Raheen, Co Limerick in the Diocese of Limerick.  Around the world today, the Catholic Church is celebrating the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. 

Opening message by Father Harmon
Good Morning and welcome to Saint Nessan’s Church, Raheen, Limerick.  Saint Nessan’s Church is part of the Parish of Mungret, Crecora and Raheen, which is a member of Saint Nessan’s Pastoral Unit.  The unit also includes the Parishes of Saint Paul’s, Patrickswell and Ballybrown.  We welcome all who are gathered here in our church today and we offer a very special welcome to everyone watching on RTÉ television or RTÉ Player.

Today as we celebrate World Day of Migrants and Refugees, let us remember that we are all God’s children, each created in his image and deserving of dignity, respect, welcome and love.

Today’s readings remind us of the boundless love and mercy of God.  No matter what mistakes we have made, it is never too late to turn back to the Lord. His arms are always open, ready to forgive and to welcome us home.  In the same way that God welcomes each one of us with compassion and mercy, we are called to welcome one another, with open hearts.

Homily by Father Harmon
There is a proverb that says “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”  This is true.

This was true in the life of a young man from Dublin, of the name Matt Talbot.  From being a young man whose life was consumed by an addiction to alcohol, he is now on the way to Sainthood as Venerable Matt Talbot.  From being overcome by the lure of drink he pushed it all aside to pursue a life of abstinence and to the experience of joy and happiness in the living of the Christian life.

His life is a glorious example of God’s mercy, and what God’s mercy can achieve, when we turn to him with all our heart.

As a young man growing up in Dublin he had lost control of his life.

His whole life was falling apart.  He felt totally helpless and he did not know what to do, or to whom to turn.  His addiction to alcohol had brought so much sorrow and distress to himself personally and to his parents and family.

In his brokenness and despair, he turned to God.  He turned to God with all his heart.  He surrendered his life to God’s mercy.

And the Lord responded with such love, mercy and compassion, that Matt Talbot never drank alcohol again and devoted the remainder of his life to prayer and helping his neighbour.

Near the end of his life people often asked Matt, ‘How did you do what you did?’  And Matt always replied. ‘God, God did everything.’

The life of Venerable Matt Talbot reminds us that in our brokenness, it is never too late to turn to God our Creator and, like Matt Talbot, experience our lives being transformed by His love, mercy and compassion.

As the proverb says, ‘When the student is ready, the teacher will appear’, and as Jesus says in the Beatitudes, ‘Blessed are the merciful, they shall have mercy shown towards them.’

ENDS

• This Mass is produced by Scratch Films and broadcast live by RTÉ.