大象传媒

From Father Brian D鈥橝rcy, a Catholic Passionist priest:

I鈥檇 like this morning to pass quietly but it would be ungracious of me not to acknowledge it in some way.

Thirty years ago I broadcast my first Pause for Thought here on 大象传媒 Radio 2.

I cannot remember the exact date but I know it was the second week of January 1990. The presenter at that time was the late Derek Jameson. Derek was a seasoned journalist and broadcaster who would let me away with nothing and usually disagreed with me there and then.

I was a middle-aged priest who had worked in Dublin and broadcast with RTE, the Irish national broadcasting station. I had just moved up to be head of a monastery in my native town of Enniskillen which was struggling to recover from the devastating Remembrance Day Bombing of November 1987. Northern Ireland was war-weary after 20 years of violence and terrorism. Hope was another country, Peace impossible to imagine.

I don鈥檛 have a copy of what I said but I was asked to speak positively about forgiveness and how to put into practice in difficult situations.

I鈥檓 pretty sure I began by quoting the Lord鈥檚 Prayer which has this disturbing principle: 鈥淔orgive us鈥� as we forgive those who trespass against us.鈥� I shocked Derek by saying that we can鈥檛 be forgiven if we don鈥檛 practice forgiveness ourselves. There is no cheap forgiveness.聽 We cannot hang on to hurts; to do so is to perpetuate self-inflicted bitterness. Forgiveness requires a change of attitude and a change of heart.

When I forgive someone, I give myself a fresh start.

I鈥檝e been privileged to share visions and thoughts with millions of listeners. My biggest fear is that I might say something hurtful or discouraging. I work and re-work scripts to make the message clear, practical and helpful to every listener whatever their belief or status.

I鈥檓 blessed to have shared the airwaves with encouraging hosts like Derek Jameson, Brian Hayes, Sir Terry Wogan, Chris Evans and Zoe Ball; not forgetting the producers and staff who create this wonderful atmosphere in Wogan House.

Most of all I owe everything to you the incredibly loyal listeners who keep encouraging me with frequent letters and messages.

I pray for you every day. Thank you for thirty glorious years.