Brendan O’Regan
In this weeks viewing Brendan O’Regan focuses on “Stories of people changing for the better”.
Stories of forgiveness, repentance, atonement and homecoming are finding a new resonance in this Year of Mercy. However, when some repent, are forgiven and reconciled, others who also need it can be prone to begrudgery, rather like the older brother of the Prodigal Son.
Last Sunday night’s Atonement – A Would You Believe Special (RTÉ One) told the story of reformed IRA bomber Shane Paul O’Doherty. The title suggested a process rather than an achievement and indeed his wife Suzie described him as ‘repenting’ rather than ‘repented’.
During the Troubles he had joined the IRA at 15, feeling he was a hero and a patriot already. He conducted a letter bombing campaign in London, but was arrested and the turning around began in court when he heard the testimonies of those who had been injured by his actions.
In jail for 15 years, solitary confinement with a Bible and a life of Padre Pio gave him an opportunity to think about God and the meaning of life, and now he is totally against armed struggle and works with homeless people on the streets. He was helped along the way by Bishop Edward Daly and an artist and pacifist friend Eamon McAteer, showing the effect of personal support and encouragement rather than the negative attitude we might be tempted to adopt.
The interviewer stood in for the older brother of the Prodigal and asked some searching questions, e.g. did he ‘find God’ as a ‘get out of jail card’? I suppose it needs to be asked as some viewers would be thinking along those lines.
Also out of jail, but only last week, was Michaella McCollum from Co. Tyrone who was imprisoned in Peru for the last three years after being caught acting as a ‘drug mule’. On last Sunday night’s Prison in Peru: Michaella’s First Interview (RTÉ One) she was almost unrecognisable from the bun-toting dark haired 20-year-old familiar from news programmes of three years ago. It is indicative of the shallowness of modern media culture that her hairstyle became a prominent part of the story!
Now, at 23, she is taking responsibility, maturing, recognising her naïveté from when she originally agreed to carry the drugs. In those days she was young, insecure, vulnerable, running away from problems.
Now she is more aware of the love of her family, conscious of the harm those drugs could have done if they had got through and aware of the consequences of her actions. She feels the need, not just to be changed for the better, but also to demonstrate this to those she had disappointed.
News reports suggested that she was going to become involved in charity work in Peru until she was allowed to go home, but this unfortunately wasn’t developed in the interview, apart from her saying she wanted to do something to help young people to avoid the snare she had fallen into.
As with the previous programme the interviewer anticipated what viewers might be thinking, suggesting to her that some might not have much sympathy with her. She admitted she had made a mistake but saw an opportunity to grow and learn from the experience.
Stories of people changing for the better can be also be inspiring in fiction, and so it was with an episode of US sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond on Channel 4 last Saturday morning. In ‘The Prodigal Son’, Raymond isn’t going to Church, leaving his wife Debra to bring the children to Mass. Ray makes all sorts of weak excuses – he doesn’t like the kneeling (has bad knees!), he gets distracted easily, it’s disrespectful just to go through the motions, he’s really a ‘decent fellow’… leading Debra to suggest that maybe everybody should come over on Sundays and sit around him!
She outlines her own reasons for going to Mass – it re-energises her, makes her realise she’s not the be all and end all, that there’s something bigger than her, gives her a sense of community and tradition, gives her an opportunity to thank to God for Raymond and the kids, and pray for the strength to put up with Raymond and the kids for another week!
Eventually Ray does turn up to Mass, a development received without enthusiasm by his older brother, the regular churchgoer!
The show’s values aren’t always Catholic, and religiously themed episodes are few enough, but this one was a gem.
Pick of the Week
Vox Nostra with Vlad Smishkewych
RTÉ Lyric FM, Sunday, April 10, 7am
The music of Merulo, Kuhnau, Kerll and Solère are part of the itinerary, including stops in London and Leipzig for notable premieres: Handel’s Israel in Egypt and Bach’s St John’s Passion.
Joy of Music
EWTN, Monday (night), April 11, 4am
A Musical Visit to Dublin, Ireland II: Diane Bish and guest, Joy Brown Wiener, perform at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral in Dublin.
Jerusalem: The Making of a Holy City
BBC 4, Tuesday,
April 12, 10pm
Author and historian Simon Sebag Montefiore presents a three-part series illuminating the history of Jerusalem.
