As the second millennium drew to its end, the national media, both printed and electronic, abounded in articles, and comments, analyses and predictions, telling of the death or terminal decline of Christianity, or at least Catholic Christianity in Ireland, and heralding a new post-Christian millennium. There were notable exceptions, but these were in contrast to a general media trend. On the other hand, while reading these, I was also talking to priests from my former dioceses, in a wide variety of parishes and in different parts of the island.

They all told of large and fervent attendance at Masses and at religious exercises for the Jubilee, including large numbers of people from all age groups going to confession. I know also of the intensive programmes of spiritual preparation for the Holy Year of Jubilee 2000 in dioceses right across the country, and of the very positive responses of large numbers of people to these exercises.

Indeed, seldom in my lifetime has there been such a concerted countrywide programme of spiritual renewal as we have seen in the past year, with emphasis particularly on people's conscious personal commitment to Christian faith and Christian living, and a commitment to handing on that faith to the next generation.

It is interesting that very little, if any, of this countrywide religious activity seems to have been noticed by our media. One journalist suggested that, despite the church's efforts, the Christian aspect of the millennium remained "practically invisible". Could this be because the television cameras weren't there to record it? Recent statistics suggest that 60 per cent of Catholics regularly attend Mass on Sunday. The latest survey reports 57 per cent of people of all faiths in Ireland regularly attending a weekly service of worship.

It is generally agreed, of course, that there is a margin of error in even the best of such surveys. Whatever the correct figure, there certainly is a very substantial segment of the Irish population who remain strongly attached to their faith and to their church's life and worship. At this beginning of a new millennium, people who work in media could well ask themselves whether the common reportage and commentary on religious affairs are a balanced reflection of this reality or are fair to the feelings of the substantial numbers of their fellow-citizens who love their faith and their church.

I confess that I found it a relief to turn from the seers and soothsayers of a post-Christian future and to join in spirit with the many thousands of people who chose to usher in the new millennium in prayer, while also enjoying the festivities and the general spirit of bonhomie and goodwill of this historic time. I turned to the prayer of the very first generation of Christians, the apostolic community, as reported in the Acts of the Apostles. This community included many who had been witnesses of Christ's life and death and resurrection and who were the first inheritors of his message.

They were a tiny minority - about 5,000 in all in an uncomprehending and alien world. Their leaders, Peter and John, who were recognised as "associates of Jesus", had been apprehended by the authorities for interrogation about their preaching, and were then released with "a warning on no account to make statements or to teach in the name of Jesus".

They replied that they could not promise "to stop proclaiming what they had seen and heard". The little Christian community came together to thank God for their release. I felt their prayer to be remarkably relevant and inspiring for the eve of the third millennium, nearly 2,000 years later. These first followers of Jesus were praising God, the creator of "heaven and earth and sea" for overturning the plans and belying the predictions of those opposed to God's "holy servant Jesus". They implored God to give them the strength "to proclaim Christ's message with all boldness". They rose from prayer "filled with the Holy Spirit and eager to proclaim the word of God boldly".

The Greek word translated "boldly" is the Greek word parrhesia, it includes the concepts of confidence and enthusiasm. It conveys a sense of the eagerness of people "who could not stop proclaiming what they had seen and heard" of the Word who is life. Jubilee 2000 remains for me associated with these words. This is no time for discouragement, no time for apathy. There should be fire burning in our hearts as in Jeremiah's. We are followers of One who cried: "I came to cast fire on the earth, and how great is my distress until I see it blazing."

There should be no weariness of spirit; but, like St Paul, and in spite, perhaps, of weariness of body, go on eagerly, "helped only by God's spirit, driving us on irresistibly". As Emmanuel Mounier said 50 years ago, "for all we know, we may be only the first generation of Christians".

The above article is reproduced with the kind permission of the Irish Catholic