Day 9 - Knock

 Day 9 -  Knock

Knock

Well... what extraordinary day!!

Marie had invited me to accompany her on her trip to Knock. I have to admit I had a few reservations about any appearances  of Mary anywhere, but the Irish are very devoted to Knock as a place of significance in their Marian culture. So I was prepared to be open....

So we set out early after dropping the kids off to school in Ennistymon.

Map Lahinch to Knock

Marie was the driver and we arrived at Claremorris for morning tea / early lunch. We shared a  full breakfast and I was able to eat the sausage, the  bacon and the black pudding... plus some toast!

What happened at Knock

Everyone touches this stone which was the original stone where the apparitions occurred

Then we arrived in Knock and decided we would go to the Mass at 10.45 am.

Well, that was interesting, to say the least!!! The priest said he was involved at Letterkenny hospital and had come to Knock on  his day off...  Some of my friends might remember about those could not cope in Parish life were shafted in CPE... Clinical Pastoral Experience!!  Poor captive audience of those in hospital...

His homily was focused on making sure we had all been to confession before we received communion!! and of course, if we had a Mars Bar before coming to Mass, we should not receive  Communion also!!! So, if we had not been to confession we should not come to communion, rather go to Confession first, then come back to a later Mass!!  Because we should only go to Communion on God's terms, not ours!!!

At which stage I was ready to walk out....!!!! We could of course, go and receive a blessing instead..... There was a lovely old Irish guy sitting beside us and he was not going to go to communion, until I had a little word in his ear and said Jesus had come to call the sinners and not the perfect...!!!!

Knock Chapel

Welcome to Knock!!

So the next place on Marie's itinerary was the Confession building. Now, once again, I was a bit reluctant, but I thought , I might  as well... Confession is not one of my regular  worshiping opportunities. But I thought, when in Knock, do as the Knock people do....

So I bit the bullet and went  to Confession/ Reconciliation...   Now I manufactured a few sins, and when I got in there, the priest said "Is that all??" clearly expecting some bigger and better ones!!!!! Sorry,  mate - that's the best I can do for now.   After saying my 3 Our Fathers and 3 Hail Marys, I was on my way!!!

Again, Welcome to Knock!!!

Confession Building

So, after all that we went and investigated the commercial side of Knock. There are taps where you can take home some holy water from there.  I bought a couple of little bottles and filled them with Knock holy water... Marie bought much bigger bottles and stocked up with plentiful waters, so that everyone at home could bless themselves in their daily lives. 

Knock Holy Water

But on the main drag you can buy candles of any saint you mention, although one shop didn't know much about St Brigid, one of the patron saints of Ireland..... But you can buy medals or candles or tea towels or anything relating to any of the saints....  I wonder what Jesus would think of all this..????

So after all that we stopped for a nice cup of coffee and tea, and then were thinking will we stay for the 3pm Mass...??? I have to admit,  I wasn't all that keen, but we went to the Basilica on  the way out and Mass had just started, so we decided to stay..

Knock Basilica

And just as out initial experience had been so bad, this was quite to the contrary and really counter-acted that earlier experience. And it also included the Sacrament of the Sick, to which both Marie and I rocked up.

So today ... I am so immersed in the Sacraments..... 2 Masses, Reconciliation and Sacrament of the sick....  Woo Hoo!!!!

Couldn't do much better than that in one day!!!

We actually had a lovely day together, and I really enjoyed Marie's company.

But as we arrived home, I was very ready to attack the Atlantic hotel and get a very big glass of wine. Marie was going to drop me off at my house, but the opening to my driveway was filled with people!!!

Those who followed my blog last year might remember that the owner of one of the shops in the main street, Donal Kenny, sadly died and I filmed his arrival at the Church in Lahinch.  Just this week his wife died and there were literally hundred of people queued up to pay their respects to the family in the Church this evening - right up my street and across my driveway!!!

So, as I couldn't get into my house, the next best thing was to head for the Atlantic hotel and indulge in that very big glass of wine, and a beautiful Roast Beef dinner.  And Marie came with me - a fitting ending to a great day out!

What a day...!!! Loved every minute of it... You would never find the equivalent in Australia!!!

Thanks Marie for exposing me yet again to the Irish way of life.