Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Official Report
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Time for Reflection
Good afternoon. The first item of business is time for reflection. Our time for reflection leader this afternoon is the Rev Monsignor Denis Carlin from St Mary’s rectory in Greenock.
The Rev Monsignor Denis E Carlin (St Mary’s Rectory, Greenock)
Good afternoon, Presiding Officer, ladies and gentlemen.
In the Catholic tradition, yesterday—16 November—we celebrated the feast of Margaret, queen and patroness of Scotland. She was a fascinating figure, who arrived as a political refugee fleeing the Norman conquest of England, was washed ashore in Scotland by chance and ended up married to the king of the time, Malcolm Canmore. Historians still debate her social and ecclesiastical influence in our land, but it cannot be denied that she brought Scotland much closer to the European mainstream of culture, politics and religious practice.
I have no interest in historical debates, however fascinating. The aspect of Margaret’s life that holds greatest relevance for me today is her personal care of the poor, the hungry and the homeless. Her custom was to rise from her dinner table, accompanied by her children, to serve the needy who flocked to her door.
In her world, and in ours, it is easy for those in positions of power and influence to forget the less fortunate or to delegate care of them to others. Margaret took the hands-on approach to caring, as do many people today in our society.
As we all know only too well, Scotland still has its poor, its homeless, its socially untouchable. It has always been the Christian understanding that if we find ourselves with power, money or influence, our duty is to reach out and help those who have not. In the spirit of St Margaret and her hands-on approach, I salute all those people and organisations, church-based or not, who do so much to alleviate suffering in Scotland today.
My prayer for this Parliament is that concern for the most needy in our society may always be more important than politics or personalities and that love and concern for others may shape and inform Scotland today and tomorrow.