No Joke

An old tale, often told as a joke, still apt for our age.

There was once a man whose faith in God, he believed, knew no bounds. He faced every challenge with “God will help me” or words to that effect. If that didn’t seem to work, he would say “God has something better for me.” As he grew old, he stuck doggedly to his convictions. Humble, he sought out meagre, low paid jobs. Once, a friendly neighbour explained how he could claim for benefits to supplement his income. He was told “God will look after me.” And that was that. He had a little money left him by his parents. When that ran out, he could not pay his rent. He was evicted and lived on the street. He declined offers at the Food Bank, shelter for the homeless and advice from his GP. Found in rags and suffering from starvation and hypothermia, he was taken to hospital and later a psychiatric unit. He left and was found later on wasteland. He was not missed. Most who tried to help him despaired of him: some blamed his religious obsession; others cursed those who had trained him to believe in this god. Some found their faith weakened and became indifferent. Others gave up their faith altogether, refusing to follow a cruel God.

Now he stood before God, who said “Tell me, my child, Were you starving, thirsty, homeless, sick and constrained by others?” “Yes, Lord,” he replied, “but I always put my faith in you.” “And was there always someone willing to help you?” “There was – but my faith was in You, Lord.” “And is it true that you made many people hate me? Abuse Me? Deny Me?” “Oh no, no, no. Never! Not me!!”

“But you did, my son.” Every time you needed Me, I sent help and you refused it. Every time you refused it, you turned another away from Me” God said. “Was not My Son’s sacrifice enough for you. Did you want me to appear before you? Yours was not faith, but selfish arrogance! But”, said God, “You are My child. I love you, despite your sins. Wake now and learn to truly trust me so that others will learn to love Me.”

He woke from his coma and spent his life following God’s will, not his own.                    TC

If there is one thing that characterises a Catholic it is our habit of prayer and our use of it. From childhood to the end of our days we pray. We all know from our childhood at least four prayers which we can say without hesitation: the Lord’s Prayer, the Hail Mary, the Act of Contrition, the Prayer for the Dead.

Each can be uttered without the need of a text or a prompt. These learnt prayers can be said to have a life of their own. We don’t have to dig deep into our memory for them: they have, in fact, been programmed in and require only the right ‘button’ to be pushed to flow out. I suppose each of us has experienced coming to the end of a prayer, then wondering what exactly you said as you said it!

Delivered like this, prayer comes from the lips. Prayer can also come from the mind, as when we concentrate on the meaning of what we are saying. It certainly comes from the mind when we are asking for something, such as the salvation of the dead, or God’s healing of the sick, or thanking God. There is one prayer, a Psalm, that takes us further into ourselves and requires that we pray from the heart – Psalm 129:

Out of the depths, I cry to you, O Lord.

 Lord hear my voice!

 O let your ears be attentive

 To the voice of my pleading.

If you, O Lord, should mark my guilt,

 Lord, who would survive?

 But with you is found forgiveness:

 for this we revere you.

If we do not say this from the heart, it is meaningless. Praying from the heart requires us to reflect deeply on who we are that we must ask God’s forgiveness. We need to be in touch with our daily existence: the joy, suffering, fear, love, hate, hope, surrender, fulfilment, death, and life that shapes the depths from which we ask for His help. Knowing and offering yourself is thus the root of all prayer. Through prayer from the heart we offer all of ourselves to God and are rewarded with His love. 

                                                                TC

“The way to God is an inner journey, inspired in the deepest recesses of our being by the Holy Spirit. This journey takes into account the place of both the mind and the heart in our spiritual life. Synchronising our minds and our hearts allows us to unite these two aspects of our being into one in our search for God. If we seek God daily, with our heart and mind prayerfully attuned as one, we will receive eventually the gift of an inner light that will show God’s presence in our innermost being. The eyes of our heart and mind will become clearer, purified and ready to gaze on the light that shines from God’s countenance, as it once did for the three apostles on Mount Tabor during the Lord’s glorious Transfiguration.

“Once the Lord bestows the mysterious light of his presence on us, we must do everything on our part to keep him with us. … [We] need to apply ourselves constantly to the remembrance of God, not only during times of prayer, but throughout the day’s activities. If we show undying devotion to God at all times and keep our inner eyes fixed on his presence, we can be sure he will remain faithful to his promise:

I am with you always, to the end of the age.      (Mt. 28:20)”

Blessings of the Daily • Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, may everything I do begin with You, continue with Your help, and be done under Your guidance.
May I grow in Your Love and Your service, and become a pleasing offering to You; and with You to Our Father.                                                                              TC

“Gorblimey!!” “OMG!” “God almighty!” “Good God!” “That was God-awful!” “Goddamit!” “For God’s sake!”

These are some of the expressions or exclamations that invoke the name of God and are widely used. Similarly, there are common interjections which invoke the names of Jesus and Christ, together or separately. But do people understand their meaning? How many realise that by saying “Gorblimey!” they are wishing God to blind them unless such and such happens? “OMG” is a lazy way of saying “Oh my God!” but if God is listening what is he intended to hear?

Of course, all these expressions used nowadays to express a real or pretended emotional state, rather than being an address to our Creator. Do they matter?

It is unlikely that, in our daily prayers or chats with God, we would use this sort of language. Our respect for God is such that we would avoid expressing joy, anger, frustration, and so on with language that is regarded as impious, offensive or meaningless. If that is how we respect God, then why do we not show the same respect to our brothers and sisters, the people we work with, members of our family, people we just don’t like and people who have hurt us? Pope Francis gives us clues about what to do:

“Human dignity is the same for all human beings: when I trample on the dignity of another, I am trampling on my own.”

“I ask everyone … to remember two things: human dignity and the common good.”

When we use the language of abuse, we abuse ourselves: when we use language that has little meaning, we become meaningless. Disrespect others and we treat ourselves as nobodies. We should, as much as we can, aim for cordiality and good outcomes from our contacts with others – especially in these times when stress and anxiety are widespread and practicing Jesus’ ability to calm people is paramount. He is not physically present. So that job is down to us!

May God bless us all with the capacity to talk with sincerity and kindness, no matter what the provocation to speak otherwise.                                                                       TC

“My Jesus, 

I believe that you are present in this Holy Sacrament of the altar. I love you above all things and I passionately desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come spiritually into my soul so that I may unite myself wholly to you now and forever. Amen.”

By the time you read this, we will be in lockdown again. Your world may seem to have shrunk and the stresses of domestic life may be increasing. Fortunately, we are blessed to live in glorious landscapes and have the opportunity (and freedom) to explore them along the numerous paths near our homes. Autumn now has dressed the trees in gold, and bronze and laid soft carpets of leaves. Even a short walk in such beauty can be uplifting. We are encouraged to exercise and do anything that engages mind and body in positive ways. There are also traps for the unwary. Pretty though the leaves may be, underneath lurk roots and other hazards ready to catch the negligent foot and literally bring us down to earth. A twisted ankle or sore knee somehow removes the wood’s attraction.

There are similar though less obvious traps in the underground of lockdown. I don’t mean hazards such as tripping on the carpet edge and spilling a cup of tea. I mean the emotional and spiritual pitfalls than can arise out of stress, irritation, anger or depression. These can give rise to sharp tongues, unnecessary blaming, arguments, rows, sullen or obstructive behaviour, selfishness and separation.

In the continuing battle between good and evil these are the tactic the Devil uses to undermine and wreck our spiritual wellbeing. Using exercises etc can also become an escape route from stress – but it will not work, unless we address the most important area of our lives nurturing the spirit and pursuing our aim in becoming saints. It happens like this: when a saint takes a walk, the surrounding beauty can inspire the believer to rejoice in God the Creator. When a saint takes exercise, it can bring home God’s love in giving us strength to do his work. When a saint watches TV it can bring out questions to put to God though prayer. In fact, prayer seeps into everything a saint does, starting with the activity that sets this process working – accepting in humility that we are sinners and need Christ’s forgiveness and help. As Catholic we strive to become saints. Let us use the opportunities lockdown presents to progress further to this our goal.                                            TC

Seek the Lord while he is still to be found,
call to him while he is still near.

Let the wicked man abandon his way,
the evil man his thoughts.

Let him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him,
to our God who is rich in forgiving;
for my thoughts are not your thoughts,
my ways not your ways– it is the Lord who speaks.

Yes, the heavens are as high above earth
as my ways are above your ways,
my thoughts above your thoughts.
                                                       Isaiah 55:6-9

Besides being a word far too big for breakfast, anthropomorphism has been invented to express our understanding of things non-human. We use it in many ways to attribute human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. For example, I have a neighbour who does this in relation to her dog, who has hands, not paws. There may be times when you treat your computer as human, for example, by raging at it when something goes wrong. Even more common is to treat your car as if it were human, asking it to go faster, shouting at it when it breaks down, and so on.

It is so common, that it is too easy to use it in thinking about and talking to God.

In the passage from Isaiah quoted above, God firmly and lovingly reminds us that it doesn’t work, if we rely on our image of Him. “My ways not your ways” is a straightforward way of saying “Take care. I’m not to be treated exactly as if I am like you.” We cannot fully understand God (or ourselves for that matter!). This means that we should take great care, for example, in making judgements, especially about other people and their behaviour and motives. It’s best left to God to judge the worth of people.

This is not to say that we can know nothing about God. What we know and understand comes from Him. To acquire such leaning means we have to be able to listen to Him.

More on this next week,    TC

From the day of his election, Pope Francis – in words and action - has been leading and teaching us that being Christian – i.e. a follower of Christ – means living a simple life.

But how do we do that?

This poem makes some suggestions.

Put lights out when they’re not in use.
When idle, switch off everything that feeds on electricity.
Wash your hands, escape the virus,
But do you need two baths a day?
Eat simply: food fashionistas can be avoided - fetishists of rare meats, plants, strange crustaceans.
Eat modestly and sparingly.
Evolution might have followed different routes so these crabs could be eating you!

Do good for friends and neighbours,
seek what enriches their lives and yours will be enhanced.
Switch on the lights – of courtesy. kindness, good will and forbearance.
Let humility be a torch to fire other’s love of living at peace with the integrity of this clean, plain life. Feed on love and fill life’s basket with simple gifts of love friends provide to help your quest for simply living simply.
                                                                                      TC

Your loving care

Lord Jesus, when you walked with us on earth you spread your healing power.

We place in your loving care all who are affected by Coronavirus. 

Keep us strong in faith, hope and love. 

Bring relief to our sick, console our bereaved, protect those who care for us.

We lift our prayer to you Lord, and trust in your infinite mercy, as we wait for the daybreak.

Amen

                                                                          Source: CAFOD

Infinite power and love

Lord God, we entrust to you the families and communities affected by Coronavirus, wherever they may be.

We pray especially for health care workers, that you may guide and protect them.

We pray that your Spirit might inspire those researching new medicines and treatments.

And in the midst of this, keep us strong in faith, hope and love.

Grant us the courage and perseverance to be good neighbours.

May the words of your Son Jesus Christ in the Our Father, be our prayer as we entrust ourselves and all of us who are affected to your infinite power and love.   Amen.

Almighty and merciful Father, who shows your love to all your creation,

We come before you asking for a speedy control of the Coronavirus currently ravaging our world.  

Hear graciously the prayers we make for those affected by the virus in various parts of the world.  Grant healing to the sick, eternal life to the dead and consolation to the bereaved families.  

We pray that an effective medicine to combat the sickness be quickly found.

We pray for the governments and health authorities that they take appropriate steps for the good of the people.

Look upon us in your mercy and forgive us our failings. Amen.

For more CAFOD Prayers, go to https://cafod.org.uk/Pray/Prayer-resources

It seems that the government is willing to allow places of worship to open for “private prayer”. it also seems reluctant to indicate when this may be extended to allow services, such as Mass, to be celebrated. The opportunity to be back in church, even for ‘private’ prayer, will be welcomed by many, especially Catholics. However, prayer can be made in almost any context you can think of, not just in a church. One wonders if the government understands that churches, by definition, are places for people to congregate, to come together in friendship to celebrate their faith as a community, not just as random individuals who happen to share the same space. As a place, a church comes to life when a congregation has gathered there and shares in worship.   

‘Private’ prayer is somewhat different. It is individuals talking with God, whether in praise, supplication or thanksgiving, or even, as a friend of mine used to say “having a bit of a craic with Jesus.”   There are some things to remember when you are saying a private prayer.   

Privacy is about being somewhere where you can relax and concentrate. You need not be alone, but you must be assured you’ll not be distracted by others. You also need to be somewhere where you can be comfortable.   

Prayer is not a competition. You don’t have to say it in a given time. It is more like floating on water than paddling stridently to get somewhere. Prayer is more “Letting Go’ than “Holding On”. It is important to pray at a pace that helps you focus on the meaning of what you are saying. There is a risk with certain repetitive prayers, such as litanies or the Rosary, that you get to a stage when the repetition speeds up and what you offer to God is an unthinking gabble, rather than a thoughtful word. It is better to take fifteen minutes to say the Lord’s Prayer thoughtfully, than to rush through it in three minutes.   

Do try not to say too many prayers. That too can lead to loss of concentration. Finally, very often you will find that the best prayer is silence. Give God a chance to talk to you. Even if you don’t hear anything there and then, the message will come through eventually. And the sound of silence can be a most spiritually uplifting experience when you pray.                                                                                                                        

                                                                                             TC

Have you opened a new location, redesigned your shop, or added a new product or service? Don't keep it to yourself, let folks know.

Wondrous God, author of life, you fashioned us in your likeness and breathed into us the life which is
your own.

Be with those whose special care is the health of mind and body and whose need is for loving treatment.

Fill their hearts with awe for the life which is your gift and sustain them daily in your service, that their hands may bring to others the comfort of your healing touch. Through Christ our Lord.       Amen.

We have seen how our silence can help us hear God talking to us. His blessings, advice, admonitions, guidance can reach us in various forms and channels. God wants everyone to hear him – and not just when someone is in trouble and needs His help. Can you imagine what it would be like if your only conversation with the person you love most is about your troubles? God is everywhere and his voice can be heard wherever you are, if you are ready to receive it.   

God wants everyone to hear him, simply because He is love and wants to grace us with that love. We can hear him in the most obvious ways and in those less obvious. Prayer and participation in Mass and other services are obvious routes through which he talks to us, although that can require quiet fierce concentration on our part, to avoid hearing familiar words but not absorb their meaning. We can also listen to others without realising that it may be God speaking through them. The best and most frequent examples of this are in the readings at Mass. The Gospel of the day is God’s word, not just the writing of some ancient saint or scribe. The Readings that precede the Gospel also contain God’s word to us. The priest’s homily is not just the product of his eloquence: it is rooted in God’s message to us.   

The Bible, of course, is wholly God’s word to us. Something I value a lot in seeking conversation with God is the Psalms. I have my favourites: for example, Psalm 22 (The Lord is my shepherd) and am always refreshed by the line Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me. For me that is not just a reminder of God’s ever-present love, but also His message to pursue goodness and kindness in my dealings with others. [I am getting better at this, little by little!]   

These are the obvious channels that God uses. Next week, we will look at the less obvious. 

                                                                                              TC 

This is the time to be slow,
Lie low to the wall

Until the bitter weather passes.

Try, as best you can, not to let

The wire brush of doubt

Scrape from your heart

All sense of yourself

And your hesitant light.

If you remain generous,

Time will come good;

And you will find your feet

Again on fresh pastures of promise,

Where the air will be kind

And blushed with beginning."
                                                John O’Donohue

"A light that shines in the dark, a light that darkness could not overpower."
                                                        John 1.5

Loving, ever-living and compassionate God,
You understand the pain of loss, the heartache of bereavement,
May we hold in our hearts all those whose families or friends have died.
You are a light that shines in the darkest times,
Guide us and heal us in our sickness and sorrow.
You comfort us in times of fear,
May we comfort each other, even as we keep apart.
You console and lead us in times of doubt and confusion,
May we follow the light of your love and spread hope.
You move our hearts to acts of generosity,
May we be led to share what we have with those in need.
God of life, We thank you for the signs of your light in the midst of our darkness,
May we be signs of your compassion in the heart of your world.
Amen.

Every Sunday mass, at the moment of the Credo, we bless ourselves by professing our faith in the  everlasting reality of the Trinity, the three divine Persons in one God. In doing so, we express a mystery  that is beyond human understanding. St Athanasius clarified but did not reveal the full nature of this  mystery:  “In this Trinity there is no intrusion of any alien element or of anything from outside, nor is the Trinity a  blend of creative and created being. It is a wholly creative and energising reality, self-consistent and  undivided in its active power, for the Father makes all things through the Word and in the Holy Spirit, and in this way the unity of the Holy Trinity is preserved. Accordingly, in the faith of the church, One God is preached, one God who is above all things and through all things and in all things. God is above all things as the Father, for he is principle and source; he is through all things through the Word; and he is in all things in the Holy Spirit.”                             St. Athanasius                                                                                              

When we recite the Credo, we need to be mindful that we are professing our belief in this mystery.  Concentrating on and not just reciting the words of the Credo can bring us to deeper prayer, when the  Divine Persons abiding within us may be heard speaking to us. 

Jesus promised:  

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my Word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him, and  make home with him.”                                                                                                       TC

“During this time between the solemnity of the Holy Trinity and that of Corpus Christi, I look at the roses [in our garden] as God’s generous gift to us, to the garden, to the whole world. The roses make the garden look as if it were recently re-arranged by angels; it bespeaks of God’s presence in our midst.”
                                                         Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourerette • Blessings of the Daily

Although I agree with Brother Victor-Antoine’s praise of roses, I would go wider in praising gardens and, indeed, nature altogether. We are a relatively widespread and rural parish. This terrain gives us
opportunities to see nature at work in gardens of every sort and in woodland, croplands, pasture, fen and meadowland.

So can we see that a rose is more than a rose. This parish of ours is more than just a place. When you add all the fauna to the flora: the cattle, sheep, pigs, deer, chickens, moles, badgers, otters, fish and other animal life, you realise how rich a part of the world our little parish is. Whatever the limitations and stresses of lockdown, therefore, we have before our eyes glorious beauty, testimony of God’s love for us:for he has bestowed all these gifts on us and appointed us stewards of this place.

God be thanked for gardeners, farmers, foresters and horticulturists and all who see and rejoice in our
small wonderland!
                                                                                        TC

“Once some robbers came to a monastery … and said to one of the elders: “We have come to take away everything that is in your cell.” And the elder replied: “My son, take all you want.” So they took everything they could find in the cell and started off. But they left behind a little bag that was hidden in the cell, the elder picked it up and followed after them, crying out:” My sons, take this, you forgot it in the cell.” Amazed at the actions of the elder, the robbers brought everything back to the monk’s cell and did penance, saying: “This one truly is a man of God!”
                                                                                          FROM SAYINGS OF THE DESERT FATHERS

There is an enormous contrast between a culture of consumerism which worships spending, non-stop growth, waste and the abuse of God’s creation versus the humble life of the ancient monastic desert, which offers an alternative. Don’t panic! I’m not suggesting that you put an advert in the local paper inviting robbers to visit your home!! The alternative offered by a monastic life style is to scale back on possessions, avoid clutter, spend and consume less so that others may not be deprived of what, for them, may be necessities. It means sharing and giving away to those in need, and conserving natural resources.

“But,” defenders of consumerism will say, “If we don’t press on with even more consumption, economies around the world will collapse!” Two false assumptions underpin this argument. First, that it is enjoyable to be slaves to endless buying. It’s not. Even the most avid fashionistas amongst us burn out eventually. Second, it assumes that humans are unable to re-imagine and re-engineer the way they live. History shows this to be bunkum!

Frugality is a gift not a punishment: and our future as God’s children depends on goodwill and simplicity. Don’t wait for governments to offer the antidote to consumerism. It’s in your hands and mine. Live simply in order to simply live.

In everyday language ‘fear’ refers an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain or harm. Small wonder then that when ‘fear’ and ‘God’ come together, some believe that we must fear God, be afraid of Him. That, I’m happy to tell you, is horse feathers. There are two reasons for this.

Firstly, God loves us. He is love. Why then should we be afraid of one who has this love for us – so strong a love that He sent His Son to die for us? If God is someone whom we should fear in this sense, what sort of love does He have for us? So, the idea of God the ‘Orrible suggests all sorts of contradictions and ambiguities that can undermine faith in Him.

Secondly, if we do fear God as a danger, what is it that we fear? We break a Commandment, seriously or trivially. We know this is a sin and we become frightened of what God will do. What penalties will He inflict on us? Horse feathers, again. What we are doing is looking after ourselves, not God. It takes spiritual courage to look away from ourselves and our self-interests and humbly look at God and see His love for us and His forgiveness. Every act has its consequences, including sin. It is we who are responsible for the consequences. Not God.

Advice to “Fear not” and “Do not be afraid” appears between 44 and 144 times in the Bible, depending upon the translation. This was one of Jesus’ greatest gifts for us. Do not be afraid, because God is there for you, to help you repent and to help you cope with the consequences of your action (or inaction). This applies equally when danger faces you that arises from natural or human actions. From our trust in God to be with us, grows a realisation that ‘fearing’ God is truly the fear of losing God. And the more we accept and return God’s love, the deeper our faith and the greater our hope will become.
                                                                                                                TC

Recently someone asked me “How holy do you have to be to become a saint?” The Church’s teaching is that we can all become saints:

“A "saint" is anyone in Heaven, whether recognized on Earth or not ……. These may include our own mothers, grandmothers or other loved ones (cf. 2 Tim 1:5) who may have not always lived perfect lives but amid their faults and failings they kept moving forward and proved pleasing to the Lord"
                             (What is a saint? Vatican Information Service, 29 July 1997)

Of course, there are saints and Saints, the latter being those officially proclaimed by the Church as a Saint. And I think that was what my friend was asking about – how the Church recognises that someone is in heaven and that their life was such that they should be held up as an example to all.

5 Steps to Sainthood

First, the person’s local bishop investigates their life. If the bishop is satisfied, he submits the information to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints (CCS).

Second, the CCS can choose to reject the application or accept it and begin their own investigation of the person’s life. The person may then be called Servant of God.

Third, if the CCS approves of the candidate, they can choose to declare that the person lived a life heroically virtuous. This isn’t a declaration that the person is in heaven, but that they pursued holiness while here on earth. The person may be called Venerable.

Fourth, to be recognized as someone in heaven requires that a miracle has taken place through the intercession of that person. Miracles have to be first verified as scientifically unexplainable by independent experts, then the person is approved by a panel of theologians. Final approval lies with the pope. The person is then declared Blessed.

Fifth, a second miracle is needed in order to declare someone a Saint. The confirmation of a second miracle goes through the same scrutiny as the first.
More about this and our own progress toward sainthood below.
                                                           TC 

Last week we saw how the Church recognises a person as a Saint – i.e. someone who has entered heaven and is a model for the rest of us. We also saw that everyone who gets to heaven is a saint, including those whose credentials for canonisation may not be known or recognised on earth. That is probably what will be the case for most us! So, it is worth exploring what it means in practical terms.

Essentially, becoming a saint (whether canonised or not) means living a holy life. The question we might ask is how do I become and remain holy? That, however, is not quite the right question:

Do you not know and understand that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells permanently in you? … for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are” (I Corinthians 3:16-17)

We do not become holy by what we do, but by what God has made of us - His temple. The message of the Gospel is not about being egotistical and having a (cunning?) plan for becoming holy. The Gospel’s message is about what God has done for us, through the sacrifice of His Son. We have been set aside for a specific purpose. You can’t become holy – you are made holy by God’s grace. This not something that happens in stages, but the act of God within us. Holiness is not a thing: it is a person and his name is Jesus. We live in Him and are eternally holy because of it.

That is not to say we can sit back smugly and watch the world go by. That would be placing ‘ME’ before Him. The purpose that God has for us in this life is to grow in the way we express the holiness within us. The Beatitudes tell us the different ways in which we can express this in terms others can recognise. It is our witness to the truth of the Gospel. It is worth reading and reflecting on the Beatitudes and the part they play (or should play) in our day-to-day lives. So, you can stop running to find what you already possess. Instead, use it!
                                                             TC 

“It has been a strange time this year. Everything familiar has been abolished or at least rearranged. But perhaps if you stare at it hard enough, the very strangeness of this time can itself be a gift and a renewal. Holy Week and the Triduum are so much part of the rhythm of our lives that it is easy for them to solidify into an unvarying pattern as the years go by.

There is nothing intrinsically bad about habit – it is one of the ways that we, as beings embedded in time, can experience something like the timelessness of eternity – but all the same, habit does have a certain an aesthetic quality as well. We end up doing habitual things not for a reason, not because of what they really are, but simply because we have always done them.

So the kind of shake-up we are all having this year can (painful though it is) bring some reconnection and clarity. When we watch across the Internet the Pope and a mere dozen people going through a ruthlessly abbreviated Easter Vigil in the middle of an empty St Peter’s, this is nothing like what we are used to: any of us. Even the tiniest parish church could do better! But put that to one side and look at what you are experiencing: the fire is kindled, the praises of the Easter candle are sung, the Red Sea is safely crossed and the stone is rolled away from the tomb. In the end, what else matters apart from that? Nothing.”
                                                                               Source: Universalis, April 12 2020

By focusing not on what we are missing, but on the essentials of our lives, we can refresh our Faith and with it our relationships with others and our way of life.

Now and Tomorrow
As the world sings triumphant cries to heaven over death that You conquered, help us, Lord, now and tomorrow, and let us not forget.
Help us to celebrate your Resurrection each day, by remembering the sacrifice you have made for us, so that we can overcome our fears and face the world with belief in Your presence around us, hope in our salvation and love of You and all with whom we live and work.
Peace and Thanksgiving to You, O Lord.

Easter Prayer of Saint Hippolytus
Christ is Risen: The world below lies desolate
Christ is Risen: The spirits of evil are fallen
Christ is Risen: The angels of God are rejoicing
Christ is Risen: The tombs of the dead are empty
Christ is Risen indeed from the dead,
the first of the sleepers,
Glory and power are his forever and ever.

Draw Us Forth
Draw us forth, God of all creation.
Draw us forward and away from limited certainty
into the immense world of your love.
Give us the capacity to even for a moment
taste the richness of the feast you give us.
Give us the peace to live with uncertainty,
with questions,
with doubts.
Help us to experience the resurrection anew
with open wonder and an increasing ability
to see you in the people of Easter.

Friend of Sinners
Lord Jesus,
You chose to be called the friend of sinners.
By your saving death and resurrection
free me from my sins.
May your peace take root in my heart
and bring forth a harvest of love, holiness, and truth.

Joyous Time of Year
May the glory and the promise
of this joyous time of year
bring peace and happiness to you
and those you hold most dear.

And may Christ, Our Risen Saviour,
always be there by your side
to bless you most abundantly
and be your loving guide.

Dali’s painting Christ of St John o the Cross is a breath-taking vision of what Christ has done for us. The original can be seen in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow and is well worth a visit.

The painting is known as the Christ of Saint John of the Cross, because its design is based on a drawing by the 16th-century Spanish friar St John of the Cross. The composition of Christ is also based on a triangle and circle (the triangle is formed by Christ's arms; the circle is formed by Christ's head). The triangle, since it has three sides, is a reference to the Trinity. The circle represents Unity.

Like its subject, the painting caused controversy when first acquired by the Art Gallery. Heated debates ensued about the propriety depicting Christ in a secular place, whether it was blasphemous and whether it was too clearly ‘papist’ propaganda. There was also a petition to have the money used to buy it (£8,000) spent on facilities for art students. The fury of this brouhaha led one over-zealous opponent to attack it with a stone and his bare hands, causing considerable damage that, fortunately, could be repaired by conservators. (Since then it has won a poll as Scotland’s favourite painting.)

It is ironic that the attack on the painting with stone and hands mirrors the attempts, and ultimate failure, of his enemies to humiliate and destroy him. Christ lives with us still, as does this painting. 

‘At the start of his ministry on earth, Jesus goes into the wilderness and after forty days of fasting, the devil tempts him three times:

The devil first tempts Jesus in the physical arena (hunger). Jesus responds that “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” 

[Matthew 4.4] 

He next tempts Jesus on the mental arena (vanity): “If you are the Son of God throw 

yourself down”. Jesus resists the devil by declaring a truth from Scripture “It is written. You shall not tempt the Lord your God.”  [Matthew 4.6,7]

In the third challenge, the devil tempts Jesus in the spiritual arena, promising Jesus reward if he falls down and worships him. Jesus responds by quoting from Deuteronomy a third time” ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.”    [Matthew 4.8-10]

This Lent, what things can I do to resist temptations of the heart, mind or body? 

Jesus quoted the Bible; how can I know more of God’s word so it can strengthen me?’

                                           Reflections for Lent, Cardinal Hume Centre 2020

Even here in the wilderness, childhood’s ghosts visit, bearing red-faced memories,

times when an infant, challenging falsehoods, awesome among elders, small town 

devotees.

When found by parents, puzzled and fearful, he’d shown obedience, set mission aside,

been too early to make mother tearful, or anger father who’d not be defied.

Some called him toper: wine’s conversion too tricky, some missed a small miracle;

he still felt the cold shock of immersion, mission now changed to the political.

From these and other phantoms’ endless pain he knew he’d never feel at ease again.

                                                                                       TC

“You are light for the people of the world. At night, the light from a city on a 

mountain top can't be hidden. No one lights a lamp to hide it under a basket. No, he 

places a lamp on a stand to spread light throughout the house.” Matthew 5: 13-14

It is tough being a leader, being on a hard road with followers, some of whom are loyal, some rebellious, some prepared to do what you ask, others who constantly grumble. Yet this is the role Jesus asks of us, in telling us we are “the light of the world”. It sounds pretty wonderful to light up the world, to be like a film star, successful sports person or a beloved politician.

But that’s not what Jesus is asking of us. He wants us to go where ordinary people may not wish to go, or cannot see the sense in going, or fear unacceptable risks in following you, or just do not believe you:

“So, shine like light before everyone you meet. Then, they can see all the good 

things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” 

                                                                                                     Matthew 5: 13-14

No-one, Jesus tells us, looking each of us in the eye, ”No-one can be a witness by inaction.”  We must show what we believe in action for others to see, so that they come to faith and, rejoicing, praise God.

Jesus, in other words, wants us to be leaders, a light beaming from the way we live,

illuminating Christian love and care. He doesn’t ask us to be celebrities. He does ask that we remember what we became when we were baptised - monarchs, prophets and priests and to behave accordingly and in humility. And that means action. Inaction hides the faith: we act through the way we lead our lives to show our faith and how others can share in it.We open our arms to others and God walks into their hearts. 

                                                                                      TC

“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.” Matthew 5: 3-6 

Salt has many uses: as a seasoning, as a preservative; as an ingredient of fuel. This makes it valued in most societies, even those, such as our own, where the supply is plentiful. In other societies its importance and value has led to it being used as money, instead of coinage. So, what did Jesus mean by ‘the salt of the earth’?

In the Palestine of his time, salt was mixed with other material – usually animal manure – to form briquettes used as fuel for outdoor ovens. Salt helped the fire to burn longer and even increased the heat. Salt, therefore, turned something unpleasant and unclean into a thing which was central to the health and wellbeing of the community – heat. And this is what Jesus was asking of his followers – to be agents for the good in an impure world, to keep the fire of faith alive even when stressed by persecution.

So, how can we be the salt of the earth? How can our example make a difference? By 

following Christ, 

• we can sacrifice our wants for others’ needs in acts of love and caring, within married or single life, within the family, at work, in reaching out to others, along with our prayers;
• in what we say and what we do, we can bear witness, especially by getting out of God’s way and letting him work through us;
• by answering Jesus’ call to give ourselves to Him in daily life, in the family, at work and through regular involvement in church life;
• By answering this question so that you can show your love of God to others. The question is: What can you do today to be a good Christian example?

                                                                                                                 TC

Most of us would see conversing with God as another way of referring to prayer. Prayer, of course, is a powerful and probably the most used means of communicating with God. Sometimes we will make up a prayer, but most of the time we will use traditional and well remembered prayers such as ‘Our Father’, “Hail Mary”, “Glory be....’ and so on. To be meaningful, prayers require concentration and focus. Otherwise they can turn out to be rattled off with no commitment on our part to what we are actually talking about. God still hears us, of course. But do we hear his response?

Crucial to our spiritual life as prayer is, there are other ways to contact God. The focus in prayer tends to be on what we have to say. In a conversation with God the focus is on what both you and God have to say to one another. This is because, in conversation, you communicate with God as you would speak with another person. That is, you say directly and honestly what is going on with you and you share what is in your heart and mind.

This can be a bit daunting, because the words we use are our own, not the memorised words of conventional prayers. We may worry that we won’t know what to say, or that what we say may be the wrong thing to say to God. Relax. The person we are talking to is the One who made us, the One who loves us, the One who saves us. What counts is not eloquence, but honesty, not flowery words but straight talking. 

The more we try this, the more comfortable we will become and it will really feel that we are talking to God as a friend, to someone to whom we give our love, affection, respect and trust.

God waits to hear from us. Give it a try.

                                                                                            TC

How can we listen to God? 

That depends on how we listen. There are at least three ways of listening to someone talking to us. The first is when you are doing something on which you are concentrating, while someone else is speaking to you. You occasionally make a sound or say something, such as ‘Really?” to indicate you are listening. But you are NOT. The second way is to listen carefully to what is said, in order to jump in at the right moment to say what you have to say. This does not mean that you have understood – except superficially – what the other person means as they talk to you.

The third way is to keep quiet, and listen very carefully and caringly to what you hear, and reflect back to check that you understand. For example, “I think what you are saying is …” This kind of listening shows respect, care and that you value what you hear. This is the way to listen to God.

But how do we know that God is speaking to us?

He already has. We heard in Fr Luke’s homily last week that the Bible is the best thing if you want to hear what God has to say. Growing your familiarity with the Bible, especially the New Testament, and reflecting on what you read, or hear at Mass, will tune your ear to God’s message. 

There are many other resources. For example, The Wednesday Word is now available at the back of both churches. Other ways of ‘tuning in’ are books of reflection, especially those which give a reflection or prayer for each day of the year, such as An Ignation book of days: or, for a shorter period, 15 days of Prayer with Thomas Merton. Nor should we omit saying the Rosary – providing that we pause and reflect on what we are reading and praying.

                                                                 TC

“To live by faith means to put our lives in the hand of God, especially in our most difficult moments.” 

                                                         Pope Francis

“We need to let ourselves be evangelised by the poor. They have much to teach us.”

                                                         Pope Francis

“The secret of Christian living is love. Only love fills the empty spaces caused by evil.”

                                                         Pope Francis

"God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy."

                                                         Pope Francis

“Man becomes an image of God not so much in the moment of solitude as in the moment of communion.”

                                                         St John Paul II

“Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure.”

                                                         St John Paul II

“Nothing is small in our relationship with God”

                                                          St Francis de Sales

“Some people live for God, some live with God, some in God”

                                                       Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude

“A decline in courage may be the most striking feature that an outside observer notices in the West today… Such a decline in courage is particularly noticeable among the ruling and intellectual elites, causing an impression of a loss of courage by the entire society. There are many courageous individuals, but they have no determining influence on public life… Political and intellectual functionaries exhibit this depression, passivity, and perplexity in their actions and in their statements, and even more so in their self-serving rationales as to how realistic, reasonable, and intellectually and even morally justified it is to base state policies on weakness and cowardice… Must one point out that from ancient times a decline in courage has been considered the first symptom of the end?”

                                                                                      Aleksander Solzhenitsyn 1978

“Every human being desires communion and peace. Everyone needs peaceful co-existence. But this can only grow when we also build inner peace in our heart. Many people live in a constant hurry. In this way all that they have inside them tends to be overwhelmed. This also affects how we treat the environment. It is necessary to grant oneself more time to recover a serene harmony with the world, with creation, and also with the Creator. Let us try, in contemplation and prayer, to achieve ever greater familiarity with God. And gradually we will discover that the heavenly Father wants what is good for us. He wants to see us happy, full of joy and serene. It is this familiarity with God that also inspires our mercy. Just as the Father loves, so do his children. As he is merciful, we too are called upon to be merciful towards each other. Let us allow ourselves to be touched by God’s mercy, also through a good confession, to become increasingly merciful like the Father.”

                                                               Pope Francis May 2016

“True peace is not man-made but a gift of the Holy Spirit. "A peace without a cross is not the peace of Jesus" for it is only the Lord who can give us peace amidst tribulations. This was the central message of the homily of Pope Francis at Mass, Tuesday morning, in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta residence in the Vatican.

Developing his homily on the words of Jesus at the Supper in John’s Gospel, "I leave you peace, my peace I give you,” the Holy Father focused on the meaning of the peace given by the Lord. The day’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles, he noted, speaks of the many tribulations that Paul and Barnabas experienced in their journeys to proclaim the Gospel. "Is this the peace that Jesus gives us?" the Pope asked, and immediately answered saying Jesus emphasizes that the peace He gives is not the one given by the world.

The world wants anesthetized peace to prevent us from seeing the Cross

"The world teaches us the way to anesthetized peace: it anesthetizes us from seeing another 

reality of life: the Cross. This is why Paul says that one must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven 

on the road with many tribulations. But is it possible to obtain peace amidst tribulation? From 

our side, no; we are unable to make peace that is tranquility, a psychological peace, our peace, 

because tribulations are there, whether pain, illness or death. But the peace that Jesus gives 

is a gift: it is a gift of the Holy Spirit; and this peace lasts through tribulations and beyond. It's 

not a sort of stoicism of the ‘fakir’. No. it’s something else.”

God's peace cannot be bought, without [the] Cross [there] is not real peace”

                                                                        Pope Francis Midnight Mass Homily 24 December 2019

Prayer for Healing and Reconciliation 
Praise to you Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 

           the source of all consolation and hope. 

Be the refuge and guardian of all 

           who suffer from abuse and violence. 

Comfort them and send healing 

           for their wounds of the body, soul and spirit. 

Help us all and make us one with you in your love 

            for justice as we deepen our respect 

            for the dignity of every human life. 

Giver of peace, make us one in celebrating
           your praise, both now and forever. 

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

           Amen.

Nature’s first green is gold, 

Her hardest hue to hold. 

Her early leaf’s a flower; 

But only so an hour. 

Then leaf subsides to leaf. 

So Eden sank to grief, 

So dawn goes down to day. 

Nothing gold can stay. 

                           Robert Frost 

                           From A Poem for Every Night of the Year 

It’s an old question, which goes through our heads when we experience pain – whether ours or other people’s. Some continue to believe that pain is God’s punishment for our sins, although Truth (as old as the Church itself) is gaining ground– the truth that God is Love. Flowing from this great truth are two others. 

The nature of God is revealed in the loving trust he puts in us to safeguard and nurture His creation, and in Jesus’ willingness to suffer pain and death so that we can be free to do what God wants of us. 

Pain occurs when things malfunction: mind or body don’t work properly because of illness or the way we - or someone else – mistreats them: groups, communities and nations go wrong because of poor or bad leadership, hatred, economic failure, bad weather, etc. Natural disasters overwhelm us. Whilst we should pray to God to help us cope with pain arising from these events, God trusts us to find ways of coping and ways of avoiding or reducing different kinds of pain. And that’s not just a job for experts and politicians, church leaders and others in positions of power. It’s down to us as well, 

Pope Francis’ way of coping with pain is 

“The only answer to pain is tenderness, caresses and closeness.” 

I’m writing in pain and would like to add to this a sense of humour and tenacity which will remind us that we are never alone, with Jesus at our side. 

Prayer 

“Lord, please lay your hands of love and healing on all who suffer, and bring them, in the fulness of their time to everlasting life with you.” 

                                                                  TC 

God of autumn, 

the trees are saying goodbye to their green, letting go of what has been. 

We, too, have our moments of surrender, with all their insecurity and risk. 

Help us to let go when we need to do so. 

God of fallen leaves 

lying in coloured patterns on the ground, our lives have their own patterns. 

As we see the patterns of our own growth, may we learn from them. 

God of misty days and harvest moon nights, 

there is always the dimension of mystery and wonder in our lives. 

We always need to recognize your power-filled presence. May we gain strength from this. 

God of harvest wagons and fields of ripened grain, many gifts of growth lie within the season of our surrender. 

We must wait for harvest in faith and hope. 

Grant us patience when we do not see the blessings. 

God of flowers 

touched with frost and windows wearing 

white designs, may your love keep our hearts 

from growing cold in the empty seasons. 

God of life, 

you believe in us, you enrich us, 

you entrust us with the freedom to choose 

life. For all this, we are grateful. 

Amen 

                                                                            TC

Early today I watched two small birds playing in the garden. Even at this late time of the year they chased one another as if it were a Spring day. The sun had just emerged from behind the willow and began to warm an otherwise chilly morning. In and out of the branches the birds swooped and dived with obvious energy and pleasure. 

We are used to thinking that birds use trees to shelter from the storms, snow and icy temperatures of winter, but this is not so. Trees are wonderfully kind to them around the year, as shelter from the heat as well as the cold, as places to work and play, and simply for rest. Overall, they can be places of peace. 

Watching their gracefulness and purity reminded me to think of Christ’s observation, as reported in Matthew 6:26: 

“Look at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them.” 

It is, to me, something of a wonder that the rest of us do not find sheer delight in the simple things of nature. It may be that in the effort to deal with the necessities of daily living we have lost sight of how much we can get from observing nature in all its beauty and grace. To do this, however, is to look at the world not through the foggy glasses of human pre-occupation. We need to take them off – put aside our assumptions, concerns and ‘normal’ ways of looking at things and, as Jesus urges us, to develop the purity of heart that enables us to see reality in its simple state and, so, to hone our ability to see ourselves almost exactly as God sees us. 

                                                                                TC 

The love we have for one another is central to our faith journey with Jesus as Pope Francis has emphasised;

“Agape, the love of each one of us for the other, from the closest to the furthest, is in fact the only way that Jesus has given us to find the way of salvation and of the Beatitudes.”
But what does that mean in practical terms? For theologian Henri Louwen it means service and prayer, as he wrote in Following Jesus:

“Service is being involved in something that is for the people of God.
At times we might be involved in larger things – clothing the naked, sheltering the poor, helping the refugees, visiting the sick or imprisoned, but it is always small to begin with. It begins with small gestures. Being kind to your family and the people you work with, saying a patient word, writing a card, sending a flower…

When we pray frequently and know that God is in us here and now, we are very attentive to others because we are less pre-occupied with ourselves. We are less worried about ourselves, and if we are not very worried, we see other people more clearly. We see their struggle. We see their beauty. We see their kindness. We see they are not trying to hurt us but that they have their own problems. We are much gentler, because we are in the presence of the Spirit. …….

This is one of the first and greatest rewards of following Jesus. Suddenly the Spirit in you sees the Spirit in them. The Christ in you sees the Christ in them…. You cannot see Christ in the world, but the Christ in you can see the Christ in the world.. … The spiritual life is the recognition of the Spirit, in the Spirit, for the Spirit.” 

Last week we read Henri Nouwen’s thoughts on service and prayer as the foundation for following Jesus. Here are more of Nouwen’s thoughts:

“When you practice the presence of God, you will find yourself drawn to the poor, to people who are struggling, to places where people are in pain. You want other people to realise that God is with them. Service means to simply bear witness to that new life in you.

We do not do service to earn anything. It is not an anxious need to save the world. We don’t act on the condition that change will take place. No. You can see how intense that might become. If our only concern is ‘I better help him or her,’ or to do things to change a person or the world, or the country or the politics, or the social condition – if change is the condition of service – we are going to be very bitter and very soon. But if service is an expression of gratitude for the love we have already experienced then we can be free and engage in change without trying so hard. Service is an expression of the gift you have within you that you want to share with others.

In a way service is an act of gratitude. We are so full of God’s presence, we are so aware of God’s promise, that we don’t want to hold it back. We want to share it. The disciples went around the world to announce that God is with us and that we can already now enjoy his presence. The disciples concern for the poor, the hungry, the sick and the dying was an expression of a deep faith in God’s presence. ‘what you do for the least of mine, you do for me’ (Matthew 23:40).” 

Most people seem to think of ‘freedom’ and ‘obedience’ as opposites. This usually in reference to some ‘rules’ that a person wants to break or dismiss. “Now I work for myself, I can express myself fully.” “I’m retired, so I can do what I want.” 

In reality, freedom and obedience go hand in hand: 

“Freedom of choice is a core value of modern life. Somebody might express it as follows: ‘I don’t want to be told what to do. I want to be free to be me. I express my freedom by exercising my right to choose … Yet, for many people, their supposedly free choices are driven by obedience to a hidden agenda.” 

                                          Rev. Christopher Jamison Finding Sanctuary 

“Choice” of clothing is a good example. People may think they have many choices when buying clothes, ranging from grunge jeans to smart suits, differing styles, materials and prices. Yet these ‘choices’ are only responses to other people’s ideas about what we should wear. Fashion houses, retailers, fashion leaders, friends and associates’ preferences - few of us can claim to be truly independent in what we wear. Using the language of freedom while being ruled by hidden agendas is dangerous. We may claim to be doing one thing but are actually doing the other. I know someone who often says, “I’m still a Catholic, but I don’t go to mass. It does nothing for me.” Can you be a Catholic and refuse to go to mass? 

Obeying good rules is healthy and life fulfilling. So is true independence. So how can we do both? First we must know what we are choosing to obey. Second we must look for choices which improve our spiritual wellbeing. How can we tell that? It’s very difficult, but there are two things we can do that help us – listening to God as he talks to us through scripture, the Mass, the words of our parish priest and other good people we may meet: then, we can ask ourselves “What would Jesus do?” 

                                                  TC. 

Do Your Children a Favour — Be a Burden on Them 

God gave us the Ten Commandments to guide us in right living. The Fourth Commandment, “Honour your father and mother,” is the last of the “Do” Commandments (as opposed to the 6 “Don’ts” that follow). 

We get plenty of opportunities to freely choose obedience to the first three Commandments. But once our parents get older — much older — and need more and more assistance, we don’t always get the opportunity to “honour” our parents — to take direct care of them. Many parents have chosen to not allow this, because they don’t want to be a “burden.” 

At one time, it was common for three (or more) generations to live under one roof. Now, the elderly have strangers taking care of them in institutions. Multiple generations of children have been conditioned to think “it’s probably better” to arrange this and call or stop by for a visit once a week, or once a month... or not at all. It has become “normal” to see taking care of one’s parents as just not practical — that we’re not qualified or we’re too busy. In the meantime, many elderly parents sit in hospital-like rooms in soulless facilities growing depressed that they see their children and grandchildren seldomly, and wonder why life turned out this way. Some ask God why he continues to let them live, because what’s the point? Some children wonder the same thing. 

When you look at this issue from the perspective both of the elderly parent and of the not-very-involved adult child, is it any wonder that assisted suicide has become culturally acceptable? In this context, even some Catholics are tempted to think “It’s probably better.” It isn’t. 

So, when you’re considering how you might want to handle retirement, consider the value of being a burden on your children. 

                                                   TC 

St Augustine was Bishop of Hippo in North Africa for 30 years and more. He was a prolific writer (113 books and treatises, 200 letters, more than 500 sermons). His advice on praying is wonderful:

“For the desire of your heart is itself your prayer. And if the desire is constant, so is your prayer. The Apostle St Paul had a purpose in saying: Pray without ceasing. Are we then ceaselessly to bend our knees, to lie prostrate, or to lift up our hands? Is this what is meant by saying: Pray without ceasing? Even if we admit that we pray in this fashion, I do not believe that we can do so all the time.

Yet there is another interior kind of prayer without ceasing, namely, the desire of the heart. Whatever else you may be doing, if you but fix your desire on God’s Sabbath rest, your prayer will be ceaseless. Therefore, if you wish to pray without ceasing, do not cease the desire.” 

Poetry can be prayer. Here are two poets who prove it:

As Winds That Blow Against A Star

Now by what whim of wanton chance
Do radiant eyes know sombre days?
And feet that shod in light should dance
Walk weary and laborious ways?

But rays from Heaven, white and whole,
May penetrate the gloom of earth;
And tears but nourish, in your soul,
The glory of celestial mirth.

The darts of toil and sorrow, sent
Against your peaceful beauty, are
As foolish and as impotent
As winds that blow against a star.
Joyce Kilmer


The Recommendation

These houres, and that which hovers o’re my End,
Into thy hands, and hart, lord, I commend.

Take Both to Thine Account, that I and mine
In that Hour, and in these, may be all thine.

That as I dedicate my devoutest Breath
To make a kind of Life for my lord’s Death,

So from his living, and life-giving Death,
My dying Life may draw a new and never fleeting Breath.
Richard Crashaw 

What is the difference between a mystery and a problem? The one is frequently mistaken for the other. So we have crime “mystery” books and TV shows, and problems such as “The Problem of God”, or the problem of knowing how Jesus ascended to heaven or what happened at Pentecost.

The difference is simple but profound: a problem is solvable: a mystery is not - it is something we have to grapple, learn to live with and make sense of as much as we can.

So the establishment in Jerusalem had a problem with a man from out of town, a Nazarene, and they solved it by having him falsely accused and executed for treason.  But they could not stop his followers from continuing to believe in him, and to get others to believe in him. They and authorities across the Roman Empire tried to solve that ‘problem’ by persecution of the bloodiest sort. They failed because they were dealing with a mystery - the mystery of Faith, why anyone should put their trust in someone who claimed to be God.

So, at this time of Pentecost, we may ask “How did that happen?” or “Tongues of Fire?  What was all that about? The Holy Spirit? What’s that? How can there be a 3-in-1 God?”  Although we may find explanations for these events: we. will never - in this life - fully understand them. They are mysteries, a focus for understanding our loving God.  It is right to question this and other fundamentals of our faith. However, we need to ask not to find a complete answer, but to refurbish and add to what we understand about our trust in God and the wonders of his love.

It’s like asking ourselves “Why should God love me?”

Now that’s what I call a mystery!
                                                         Tom Caple

“For many, God seems to be distant: he does not evoke any emotional resonance. They do not love God less, if they venerate him as God and do his will. [However] by becoming man God gave us an object more accessible to our emotions. By loving Christ, and our neighbour in him, we love God with our heart of flesh……

“He who sees Christ, sees the Father. Christ giving himself up to death for love of us - that is what the Father is like. He gave what was most dear to him, his Son, who is ‘the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being’ (Hebrews 1:3), whom he loved with a love that is his eternal substance. Could he love us with such great love and remain beyond reach?................

Perhaps the deepest mystery is not that God loves us, for he is Love, but that he wants our love - for he is God.

“That love is pure gratuitousness, before any response on our part. ‘Christ died for us while we were still sinners … enemies [of God].’ (Romans 5:8, 10). My faith is o believe in the existence of this love, not in the perfect, abstract love as the philosophers would like to imagine it, nor in a universal love for my fellow humans as such. It is in this scandalous, irrational, gratuitous, absolute love of God in Christ that I believe.

‘The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.’ (Galations 2:20)”

From ‘From Advent to Pentecost: Carthusian Novice Conferences’ by A Carthusian: DLT 1999 

“I think there is no labour greater than that of prayer to God.” 

These are the words of Abba Agathon, one of the Desert Fathers, the founders of monasticism. Prayer for the desert monks was a constant practice. Every form of prayer came from and resided in the recesses of their hearts. They did not use long formulas or prayer books as we might today. Instead they prayerfully read the Scriptures, especially the Gospels and the Psalms, drawing from short prayers, such as “Lord, have mercy.” `these brief prayers would be uttered repeatedly throughout the day until they became part of the monk’s being. 

We can learn much from the desert monks (without having to imitate all their practices. Start with the basic question What is prayer? Or, specifically, what is praying to God? 

Essentially it is a conversation - “A talk, often informal, between two or more people” (OED) - i.e. between God and you. Does this really happen? Too often, I find myself conducting, not a conversation, but a monologue, especially with long, formulaic prayers that go on and on. And I don’t think I’m unique. [I suppose one proof that God loves us is that He can listen to all this, not nod off and still be patient with us!] 

So prayer, as a conversation, is two-way: not just praying to God but also with Him and listening for His response- at the very least pausing in case He wants to say something. 

A successful and meaningful conversation means that the participants really mean what they are saying. In praying we always have an obstacle to face - the more familiar the prayer, the more the risk that the words come out but our minds are somewhere else. Familiarity can breed superficiality, where what’s said is correct, but the saying is empty of real meaning. One short prayer in which you concentrate fully on the meaning of each word may be harder at first, but more fruitful in its outcome, than a long over-familiar one that trips off the tongue before meaning can catch up. One test of this to say a prayer then ask yourself what you just said, what you were telling or asking from God. 

Short spontaneous prayers can be powerful. A short prayer may be exactly what God wants to hear, so that by talking to him we can avoid the banana skins Satan puts under our feet. Here are some:

Prayer:     ...     So that you can: 

"Thank you for this breakfast, Lord." ...  Remember how He blesses us in practical ways. 

"Help me stay calm in this traffic jam."  ......................  Keep cool and manage anger. 

"Help me love this person now." ..............  Show respect & avoid scorn/hatred/ anger.

"Lord, show me what to do." ........  Discern God’s will; avoid one’s own impulses and wants.

"Lord, I love you. Be with me!"  .......  Have courage to protect myself from fear or negative reactions. 

"Lord, let me be honest."  ............................  Avoid deceit, conceit & misleading others. 

“But if you faithfully obey the voice of your God, by keeping and observing all his commandments … all these blessings will befall and overtake you…” Deuteronomy 28: 1-2 

Blessing is the enjoyment of God’s divine favour. It isn’t just about having more stuff; it’s being able to enjoy what you have. Blessings aren’t necessarily material things. We should remember this at Christmas. Which gift would you prefer - an iPhone X(S) or the embrace of someone you love? 

When the Bible was first translated into English, blessing was used to equate to the Latin benedicere, meaning to speak well of. So, blessing became an expression of a key feature of the relationship between God and humanity. When, at the end of mass, the priest gives us the blessing, he asks God to favour us. 

What form may this favour take? 

First, we can expect God to hear our prayers. 

Call on me in the day of distress. 

I will free you and you shall honour me.               Psalm 49: 15 

Second, we can also expect God to meet our needs. God knows all we need even before we do, and has all the resources of the universe! Of course, what we need may be different from what we want! 

Third, we can expect God to guide us, not only in dealing with important issues or major challenges in life, but also in our day-to-day work and leisure. 

A Blessing 

Blessed by all things 

wings of breath, 

delight of eyes, 

wonder of whisper 

intimacy of touch 

eternity of soul, 

urgency of thought, 

miracle of health 

embrace of God 

May I live this day                                              John O’Donohue: Eternal Echoes: Matins 

Finally, we can expect a life of joyous celebration of God’s blessings to bring us the peace and calmness that nowadays it is fashionable to call “wellness” - and we don’t have to spend a penny or eat a strange diet or sign up to an expensive club to achieve it!                                 TC 

“The Trinity” is the most famous of Andrei Rublev’s icons and the most famous of all Russian icons. 

Painted in the 15th century, the icon depicts the three Angels who visited Abraham (Genesis 18: 1-8), but it is usually interpreted as representing the Holy Trinity, with God the Father on the left, blessing the cup on the table. His hand is painted as if he is offering the cup to the central person, Jesus, who in turn blesses and accepts it with a bow indicating his acceptance of the Father’s will. The Holy Spirit stretches his hand in blessing too and observes the interaction of Father and Son. 

The three figures form a circle, with one space free. Rublev’s intention here appears to be to invite the painting’s observer to take the fourth place in adoration of the Trinity and as an act of commitment to follow Jesus. 

The icon is full of symbolism and well worth studying as part of a meditation on the Trinity. It is currently held at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Copies of it are easily found on the Internet. For a clear explanation of the icon go to: 

www.sacredheartpullman.org/documents/2017/Trinityicon.pdf 

Prayer 

• “Father, be gracious and have mercy on me: 
• Jesus, forgive and bless me: deepen my faith, strengthen my hope, keep love’s flame burning within me, so that, nourished by the Holy Spirit, I may return our Father’s love by imitating you: 
• Holy Spirit, pour into me the grace to glorify God by the way I live.” 

This was the moment when Before 

Turned into After, and the future’s 

Uninvented timekeepers presented arms. 

This was the moment when nothing 

Happened. Only dull peace 

Sprawled boringly over the earth. 

This was the moment when even energetic Romans 

Could find nothing better to do 

Than counting heads in remote provinces. 

And this was the moment 

When a few farm workers and three 

Members of an obscure Persian sect 

Walked haphazard by starlight straight 

Into the kingdom of heaven. 

                                            U A Fanthorpe 

Moonless darkness stands between. 

Past, O Past, no more be seen! 

But the Bethlehem star may lead me 

To the sight of Him who freed me 

From the self that I have been. 

Make me pure, Lord. Thou art holy; 

Make me meek. Lord, thou wert lowly; 

Now beginning, and alway: 

Now begin, on Christmas day 

                Gerard Manley Hopkins 

The story of the Messiah in the Bible is a complicated one. In the earliest biblical texts, the word originally referred to the king of that time. It later came to refer to some future ruler, then eventually a heavenly redeemer along the lines of the archangel Michael before, in the New Testament, Jesus is born and the mantle of Messiah falls firmly on his shoulders. 

What does ‘Messiah’ mean? 

It means “anointed one.” The term was originally used to refer to the king. Over time the word developed the connotation of something in the future—of a time when there is no longer an actual king. To call somebody anointed meant that he had a special role to play, whether or not any anointing oil was used. 

How did the word messiah come to mean a future saviour figure, as we understand Jesus Christ today? 

2 Samuel, Chapter 7 tells the story of God’s promise to David that one of his sons would always sit on the throne in Jerusalem. That promise held good for about 360 years, which maybe is a reasonable approximation of forever. But then the Babylonians came in and put an end to the native kingship in Jerusalem. The people had a record of a divine promise that something would last forever and had to face the fact that this was actually not the case. This is what gives rise to the hope that God will restore the monarchy, which is to say bring a new messiah, a new anointed king. People’s original messianic expectations were the hope for the restoration of the monarchy. 

It should be noted that Jesus never claimed to be the Messiah. This was what the crowd called him when he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  After his death, his followers concluded, yes, he is the Messiah, but not the kind of messiah that everybody was expecting - i.e. not a political ruler. Jesus made this quite clear to Pontius Pilate when he explained that his Kingdom was not of this earth. Jesus is a messiah who has to die first and then come back - which is what happened. 

So, as we anticipate the Lord’s birth, let us remember that he comes not to stand in for those who rule (in any sense) but to bring forgiveness, and joy as we journey towards paradise.    

                                                                         TC