This is an iconic Kyle family photo.
It pictures my mother photographed by my father on their honeymoon in 1950 in front of Kylemore Abbey.
Intrigued, Hilary and I, after many years, finally made the pilgrimage to Kylemore
We had been in county Mayo in 2019 when we participated in the “Running with the Father’s Heart.” marathons in the 32 Irish counties, that our friend Katey Moreland had been lead to organize.
“Is there ‘more’ for the Kyle’s at Kylemore than we experienced with Moreland?” We joked with Dad, as we drove into Mayo once again.
Revisiting Westport where the Mayo run had ended we looked for a parking spot in the packed Main Street. One opened up. We pulled in. I glanced up. The sign in the cafe window read.
‘You served Westport well.” Dad affirmed.
I ambled up to the top of the street to revisit the statue of St. Patrick, towering over the town nestled in the shadow of Croagh Patrick the site of Patrick’s humble appeal on behalf of the Irish.
Rereading the four sections of his ‘Confession’ on the four sides of the statue, I identified personally with each acknowledgment; a sinner despised, blessed by God with success, returned from exile. However it was the final quotation that grabbed my attention.
It is 1500 years since Patrick cast that net for the first time in this land. A lot of water has flowed under the religious bridge since then, some holy water some not so holy.
At our BnB we mentioned our intention to visit the abbey to our host and recounted how the nuns were hoping to open a new improved school.
‘Jesus!’ was Sandra’s response.
Her tone said everything about a people thoroughly disillusioned by the recently exposed widespread abuse within ‘so called’ Christian institutions.
This disillusionment with ‘religion’ is a necessary prequel to the Irish discovering ‘the real Jesus’ who came not to exploit but to serve by revealing the true nature of our heavenly Father; not a hard, harsh, mean, fickle, bad tempered, begrudging bigot, but one who has tenderly formed us, patiently forgiven us, is forever for us, forming us for himself.
Just back from Ireland, countering jet lag, I cycled to the Lake of the Isles. Seated on a park bench for a few minutes before heading home, one of the early morning walkers looked familiar.
‘Hey Kieran.’ I called
‘Paul Kyle!“ He exclaimed.
Just after we moved to Minneapolis we met Kieran who had also just moved here……from County Mayo. He had opened the door for us to host for the next 5 years, St Brendan’s Launch’ in his downtown Irish pub.
“Seamus has moved and is working remotely from a little cabin just outside Westport.” He reported of his son.
‘Tomorrow he’ll be going to Castlebar to watch Mayo playing Donegal. Just yesterday he climbed to the top of Croagh Patrick. The path to the top has just had the paving completed by a couple local young lads. He FaceTimed me with a view of the 360 islands visible from the top.”
What are the chances of such a serendipitous encounter? 100%
As I pondered all this later I realized it was another powerful message from our Father, The way has been prepared for the youth in Ireland having experienced the counterfeit to ascend to encounter the real Jesus, the real Father by the power of the real Holy Spirit.
It’s ’full circle’ – 360 degrees. Time for Patrick’s net to be cast once more as foretold in the John 21 miraculous catch.
This time however, it is not to be cast from the left (judgement) side of the boat with a sin focused ‘escape from hell’ plan, but from the right (mercy) side of the boat with the really good news of our destiny as sons of God (Eph. 1) and the coming of the Kingdom of God on a renewed earth, filled with the glory of the Lord ‘as the waters cover the sea!’