Recently I accompanied my mother to an Irish Country Music concert at the Backstage Theatre in Longford. It was a surprise night out for me with my mum. This was my first experience of being at such a concert, which was headlined by two artists who have been at the forefront of Irish Country Music for many years, Ray Lynam and Philomena Begley. The evening was thoroughly enjoyable, most of all because I witnessed how much joy my mother got from it, [she grew up with this genre of music] and I also liked the uplifting songs that were played, including those with a spiritual dimension, which touched my soul.
Particularly there was a wonderful recitation of the well known Christian hymn How Great Thou Art sung by Philomena Begley while her rendition of the song My Life, My Music, My Memories, written for her by fellow country artist Derek Ryan in 2017, was also moving:- “Whenever people ask me what I do / I say I’ve been known to sing a song or two…./ I’ve been blessed my family understand they know / I’ve just got country music in my soul…./ And I’ll keep singing song as long as you want to hear more / And I won’t stop till the good lord tells me / It is my life, my music my memories“.
Then there was the performance of The Old Rugged Cross by guest artist Joe Moore. I had never heard this Christian hymn sung before, which appears in the United Methodist Hymnal, and it was strikingly reflective to listen to the lyrics, sung so passionately by Joe:- “On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame; / and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain. / So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down; / I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown.”
Being with my mum at the concert reminded reminded me a mother’s love. We are conceived by our mothers and they can have a pivotal role in the our life and in our nurturing. A mother’s love can point us to the love of God and the love of Mary, our spiritual mother in heaven. The power of a mother’s prayers is not lost on me either, and I often remember a testimony of Blessed John Sullivan (1861-1933), an Irish Jesuit priest with a reputation for sanctity, who once wrote:- “I owe everything in the world to my mother’s prayer and so know the power of a mother’s prayer, especially in the hour of sorrow…To her prayers…and to her resignation to God’s will I believe I owe everything, and God alone knows how much that means.”
Blessed John Sullivan also had a strong devotion to Mary, the Mother of God, and he said that the Rosary “is the greatest prayer…it works miracles. It goes straight up to God’s throne in heaven”. The rosary is a well-known Scripture-based prayer, which reflects on the mysteries of the life of Jesus. It is a meditative prayer and I always feel more peaceful after praying it. In the month of May there is a tradition in the Catholic Church of seeking Mary’s intercession and guidance, and attending devotions such as public recitations of the Rosary. Mary embraces us in our struggles and distress, like our earthly mothers do, and brings us on the path that leads us to Jesus. She is our heavenly mother. We want to be close to her always.
