03.10.2022
Cherishing wisdom – Service marks start of New Law Term
The commencement of the new Law Term was marked this morning (Monday October 3) with a service in St Michan’s Church in Dublin 7. Attended by a range of people associated with Ireland’s justice system, as well as some from the UK, the Michaelmas New Law Term Service made a comeback after a two year gap. A similar service takes place in the nearby St Michan’s Church on Halston Street.
Archbishop Michael Jackson presided with the assistance of the Vicar, Archdeacon David Pierpoint. They were joined by the Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, the Very Revd William Morton and the cathedral’s Precentor and chaplain of the King’s Hospital School, Canon Peter Campion. As is tradition, the choir of the King’s Hospital, under the direction of Ciaran Kelly, led the music at the service.
The preacher was the Bishop of Clogher, the Rt Revd Ian Ellis, who focused on the value of wisdom. “Our prayer to God for you in your legal work is for a wise and discerning mind. And further that our society might grow in wisdom and enable the young in their education and training to find the gift of wisdom,” he said.
Bishop Ellis spoke about the wisdom literature in the Old Testament, the authors of which contend that wisdom begins with a basic understanding of the fear of the Lord, including recognising that God is behind the creation which was created with wisdom and order.
Having a background in education, he noted that a lot of what school was about was imparting knowledge, skills, personal development, applying continual assessment and gaining qualifications. While these were all laudable, he said that at the core of education should be training in wisdom and helping children and young people gain a shape to their living.
“If a society has a healthy spirit, it cherishes wisdom, and its children should grow up to become adults who are wise and live lives which are based less upon selfishness but more upon love and seeking the common good. In other words, that we become Christ–like in loving of our neighbour as ourselves which St Paul underlines in his letter to the Romans, is to discover that ‘love is the fulfilling of the law’,” Bishop Ellis stated.
He added: “In the meantime, we live in the real world, which you and I re–enter after this service, where many people manifestly fail to act wisely or unselfishly, who err and stray like lost sheep, where rights and freedoms are abused, where there is wilful hurt, destruction, deception, violence and death – in short breaking the law not only of God but of the land. And that’s where the work of your professions come to our aid to protect society from its worst tendencies – to thwart evil, uphold justice and to enable righteousness to flourish.”
He concluded by urging those present to seek and find the wisdom of God as they make their assessments and judgements, weigh evidence, present cases, read reports, evaluate character and pursue truth, and by his spirit discern good from evil.
You can read Bishop Ellis’s sermon here.
