Deacon Martin Donnelly launches Lakeland Lockdown Reflections –
a book for meditation and prayer.
The year 2020 will be remembered by many as the year of ‘lockdown’ to counter the spread of CoVid-19 pandemic. Lakeland Lockdown Reflections illustrates how to find and communicate with God in a strange time of anxiety and uncertainty. The reader will encounter how God spoke to the author through his Word and the beauty of creation, in the lakeland county of Fermanagh.
These reflections by Deacon Martin Donnelly and images of quiet places so beautifully photographed by Fr Brendan McManus SJ, illustrate how the beauty of the environment provides stimuli for silent prayer. The words challenge the reader to reflect upon experiences of God in everyday life and to see God in the little things we often take for granted. In addition to being a pleasurable read, it is also a useful resource for meditation and prayer. The images enable the reader to look at the ‘ordinary’ with new eyes. The reflections warm the heart and open it to wonder and awe of God’s presence.
What is unique about this book is that Rev. Martin brings his experience of being a Deacon to bear in these reflections he wrote during Lockdown 2020. Being a married deacon is a new ministry in the Irish Church and we get to see his formation, his prayer and his work expressed in these pages. In some ways it represents a bridge between clergy and lay people, Martin has a foot in both camps and we get the benefits of both: the experience of married life, grandparenting and its demands, along with the commitment to prayer, liturgy and making the Scriptures talk to our lives.
Lakeland Lockdown Reflections is published by Shanway Press, Belfast, and can be purchased via Lakeland Lockdown Reflections | Shanway Press or through the Parish office at St Michael’s, Enniskillen, telephone (028) (048 from ROI) 66322075 (ext. 3), or email parishcentre@st-michaels.net .
