I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
Jeremiah 30:17
Pope Francis has frequently called for the Church to be like a field hospital for anyone wounded by their experience of life. That may call some church organisations or individuals to take on roles in earthquake zones, in combat areas or other emergencies, but every day we may meet someone who needs a little of our time: a family member, friend or neighbour; quite possibly a stranger. Let us look out for them, all of them God’s children.
I know, O Lord, that the way of a man is not his: neither is it in a man to walk, and to direct his steps. Correct me, O Lord, but yet with judgement: and not in fury, lest thou bring me to nothing. Jeremiah 10:23-24.
This text certainly hits home! Two illnesses in succession have sapped my strength, stamina and balance. I walk with a stick for balance, and am receiving help from a physiotherapist to improve my walking, correct my gait and balance so that I can walk straight. With help I will not be brought to nothing.
An ecumenical team from Burkina and the local Chemin Neuf Community have prepared the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2024. Here is one of their reflections, based on the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them (Luke 10:34) Lord, help us see the wounds and find hope
Additional scripture passages Joel 2:23-27 Psalm 104:14-15, 27-30
Reflection The Good Samaritan did what he could out of his own resources: he poured wine and oil and bandaged the man’s wounds and put him on his own animal. He went further still by promising to pay for his care. When we see the world through the Samaritan’s eyes, every situation can be an opportunity to help those in need. This is where love manifests itself.
The example of the Good Samaritan motivates us to ask ourselves how to respond to our neighbour. He gave wine and oil, restoring the man and giving him hope. What can we give, so that we can be a part of God’s work of healing a broken world?
This brokenness shows itself in our world in insecurity, fear, distrust and division. Shamefully, these divisions also exist between Christians. Though we celebrate sacraments or other rituals of healing, reconciliation and consolation, often using oil and wine, we persist in divisions that wound the Body of Christ. The healing of our Christian divisions promotes the healing of the nations.
Prayer Gracious God, You who are the source of all love and goodness: enable us to see the needs of our neighbour. Show us what we can do to bring about healing. Change us, so that we can love all our brothers and sisters. Help us to overcome the obstacles of division, that we might build a world of peace for the common good. Thank you for renewing your Creation and leading us to a future which is full of hope: you who are Lord of all, yesterday, today and forever. Amen.
Here is the second part of Sister Johanna Caton’s latest reflection, thank you Sister!
After Jesus had come down from the mountain large crowds followed him. Suddenly a man with a virulent skin-disease came up and bowed low in front of him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can cleanse me.” Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him saying, “I am willing. Be cleansed.” And his skin disease was cleansed at once (Mt. 8:1-3).
The story of the healing of the leper in Matthew 8:1-3 takes up only three lines of text, but there are many beautiful moments in those three lines. Scroll back to yesterday’s post if you weren’t here for it and then today’s will make better sense.
I realise afresh, and with a great sense of joy as I reread this passage, that the reason the leper goes right up to Jesus is simply that he felt safe with Jesus. The sick man was someone whom society rejects, but suddenly he sees Jesus and feels accepted; or, more than that, he is caught up, perhaps, in Jesus’ silent but enormously loving energy in a way he has never experienced before. Because Jesus’ love encompasses everything about us. Our leper doesn’t know that intellectually yet, but surely, he must have felt it.
And Jesus, for his part, ever an expert in reading body language, in reading the eyes – indeed, in reading the heart of those who come to him, knows how the leper feels about him, I believe. The leper has not said a word but he has responded deeply to who Jesus is by coming up to him and bowing low; the leper has expressed not only the faith he holds in his heart, but also the awareness he has of Jesus as a human being. He cannot yet understand the theology, of course, that Jesus is the Son of God, but he does see that Jesus possesses every spiritual gift and is truly a holy man of God.
Jesus hasn’t said anything yet either. He is waiting patiently for the man to speak. He finally does so—and he comes out with only a few words, but each one bears a full weight of meaning. He says, “Lord, if you are willing, you can cleanse me” – an astonishing sentence, beginning with: “Lord, if you are willing”. The expression of faith contained in those words stands in distinct counterpoint to the man’s utter destitution, his abject powerlessness. It would have been understandable for our leper to have shouted and cried and demanded Jesus’ pity and healing. Others do so in the gospels, and Jesus acknowledges them and heals them.*
But here there is something different happening. In saying, “Lord, if you are willing,” the leper is abandoning himself and all his desires for healing to the provident compassion of the Lord. There is not an ounce of entitlement here nor does he demand anything on his own terms. It’s the Lord’s ‘terms’ he is interested in. He is all trust. He’s saying,’ Lord, I know you have the power, but you are the Lord, and whatever you choose to do for me will be for the best.’
Again, I step back to reflect on my own way of petitioning the Lord. It’s so easy to act in a demanding way with the Lord, even though I may give lip service to docility in the face of divine providence. Deep down (and the Lord always sees what’s going on deep down) I feel that he really ought to do what I ask, and I’m disappointed (deep down) when he fails to do my will. But this man says, implicitly, “It doesn’t have to be as I wish. I will trust in you even if I walk away unhealed.”
Let’s break off here and ponder these things in our heart until tomorrow.
*See, for example, Mt. 20:29-34; Mk 10:46-52; Lk 18:35-43.
I BLESS thee, Lord, because I G R O W Among thy trees, which in a R O W To thee both fruit and order O W.
What open force, or hidden C H A R M Can blast my fruit, or bring me H A R M While the inclosure is thine A R M?
Inclose me still for fear I S T A R T. Be to me rather sharp and T A R T, Than let me want thy hand and A R T.
When thou dost greater judgements S P A R E, And with thy knife but prune and P A R E, Ev’n fruitful trees more fruitful A R E.
Such sharpness shows the sweetest F R E N D: Such cuttings rather heal than R E N D: And such beginnings touch their E N D.
The trees in this orchard are in rows, which helps the farmers with their work, pruning and paring, hanging nets to inclose them from frost- and wind-blast. George Herbert enjoyed writing this poem!
This month Pope Francis invites us to pray For victims of abuse
We pray for those who have suffered harm from members of the Church;
may they find within the Church herself
a concrete response to their pain and suffering.
We could pray also for all those who accompany survivors of abuse, for however few or however many steps they take together on the long climb out of the pit of suffering. We pray as well for those whose listening and research has guided counsellors in their work, and all who support the carers.
As we join with other Christians around the world for the Week of Prayer we pray that our hearts will be open to see and hear the many ways in which racism continues to destroy lives, and to discern the steps we can take as individuals and communities to heal the hurts and build a better future for everyone.
Day 8 Restoring hope through the work of justice
Isaiah 40:1-11
Luke 1:46-55
Commentary
In facing up to the harm caused by racial injustice, we hold before us the promise of God’s love and the healing of relationships. The Prophet Isaiah speaks of God gathering and comforting all people who have been lost and have experienced suffering. In the Magnificat, Mary reminds us that God never abandons us and that God’s promise to us is fulfilled in justice.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence. Stephen was a young man growing up in south-east London with big dreams for his future. His life was tragically cut short when, on 22 April 1993, he was murdered in an unprovoked racist attack. The pain of his family and the wider community was compounded by serious failings in the investigation of this crime, which were later exposed in the Macpherson Report. In his memory a foundation has been established to support and inspire young people to have a bright future. Stephen’s mother, (Baroness) Doreen Lawrence, says of this work:
“Justice for Stephen is about all of us, every one of us, in society having justice. There are still too many young people who do not have a sense of hope, who just don’t get the chance to live their dreams. I want all our children and young people to feel inspired, be confident and have hope in their own future. We are building hope, but there is more to do.”
It is easy to feel hopeless as we are time and again reminded that we live in a fractured society that does not fully recognise, honour, and protect the human dignity and freedom of all human beings. An alignment of love of God, love of all our human family and love of justice are deeply needed for hope and healing. God calls us to continually live into hope, trusting that God will be with us in the midst of our individual and communal liminal space – on the threshold of what has been and what is, while yearning for what is yet to be.
Reflection
Fr Bryan Massingale, one of the world’s leading Catholic social ethicists and scholars in racial justice, reminds us of his hope and challenge:
“Social life is made by human beings.
The society we live in is the result of human choices and decisions.
This means that human beings can change things.
What humans break, divide and separate,
we can with God’s help,also heal, unite and restore.
What is now does not have to be.
Therein lies the hope and the challenge.”
Prayer
Creator God, please teach us to go inward
to be grounded in your loving spirit
so we can go outward in wisdom and courage
to always choose the path of love and justice.
Questions
Many of the global protests that took place after George Floyd’s killing were led by young people, some of whom were connected to the Church. How can we use their ardour for racial justice to bring about change in the Church?
What substantive actions should have taken place after Stephen Lawrence’s killing? Why do you think they did not occur?
How did you respond to the killings of Stephen Lawrence and/or George Floyd? How have these tragedies encouraged you to take a greater interest in racial justice?
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally observed from the 18th to the 25th January – the octave of St. Peter and St. Paul. However, some areas observe it at Pentecost or some other time.
Introduction
For this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity we are guided by the churches of Minneapolis as we seek to explore how the work of Christian unity can contribute to the promotion of racial justice across all levels of society. Through this resource, the CTBI* writers’ group has also focussed our attention on the 30th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, which we mark in 2023. The work of restoring hope through justice undertaken in Stephen’s memory continues to inspire and change lives for the better.
Welcome
The murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020 was described as a watershed moment. There was a sense that the global wave of solidarity that brought people out onto the streets during a pandemic would make it impossible to ignore the deadly consequences of institutional racism and the power imbalances that deny human dignity.
Yet with each passing year we see continued evidence that, across the world, the powerful institutions of the state continue to treat people differently based on race, ethnicity and other facets of identity that are protected in legislation. Those who live in fear are still waiting for their watershed moment.
Despite the heightened awareness of the nature and consequences of racism in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement there is a persistent resistance to dialogue about issues of power and privilege, exclusion and alienation in society. Christians bring to this dialogue a vision of reconciliation grounded in mercy and faithfulness, justice and peace, from which we draw hope for the healing of relationships.
For this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity we are guided by the churches of Minneapolis as we seek to explore how the work of Christian unity can contribute to the promotion of racial justice across all levels of society. Through this resource, the CTBI writers’ group has also focussed our attention on the 30th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, which we mark this year. The work of restoring hope through justice undertaken in Stephen’s memory continues to inspire and change lives for the better.
As we join with other Christians around the world for this year’s Week of Prayer we pray that our hearts will be open to see and hear the many ways in which racism continues to destroy lives, and to discern the steps we can take as individuals and communities to heal the hurts and build a better future for everyone.
Dr Nicola Brady, General Secretary, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
We will be observing each day of the octave here at Agnellus Mirror.
I went back to the University of Kent last Sunday to celebrate a requiem for Fr Tom with the students. There was a good attendance and we sang ‘Amazing Grace’ – one of Tom’s favourites.
I announced the details of the funeral Mass and I think some students will attend. Unfortunately I am committed to celebrating at Southwark Cathedral that morning.
I will, though, be present for The Reception the previous night.
Fr Peter Geldard, University of Kent Catholic Chaplain, 1996-2018
Today’s extract from the Wisdom of Fr Tom is from two years ago in Advent. The previous day’s posting had been about arrangements for Advent and Christmas in Local Anglican parishes, where, when and how to hear the Word – and of course, the carols, which were recorded elsewhere before lockdown. Lord that I may see!
Tree of Life window, former Franciscan International Study Centre, Canterbury, which was also the meeting place for Kent University Catholic Chaplaincy.
Yesterday was about hearing, today we are seeing hopefully. Or should I say seeing, hopefully. I’m not talking about taking note of the raindrops and kittens that we see, but about the sense of sight.
I’ve been blessed lately with two cataract operations, and sight is suddenly not to be taken for granted. Suddenly, all is Technicolor, or as my friend Winfried would have argued, Agfacolor. He favoured the German films and prints; we disagreed about the red end of the spectrum.
Seeing hopefully: this new lease of life for my eyes inspires hope. Not quite Mine eyes have seen the coming of the glory of the Lord, but a promise that if human co-operation with creation through science can enlighten my little world, there may be better things to come.
Winfried told me that the German for a cataract in the eye translates as grey star; not a star you would want to follow.
So, I told Fr Tom Herbst (TJH in Agnellus’ Mirror) as well, soon after the first op when one eye was still under the grey star. ‘I imagine’, he said, ‘you can well relate to the ecstasy felt by the blind folks healed by Jesus!!!’
I didn’t need him to point that out, but I was glad he did. I offered this progress report: ‘Till the second eye is done it’s a mixture of ecstasy and ‘I see trees walking’. (Mark 8:24) I hope by next week the eyes will be co-ordinating freely and I’ll recognise more people!’
Tom replied, ‘Good luck with the op. As marvellous as it might be to see trees walking (other than Ents, of course, which are not technically trees), it seems recognition might be the better choice!’
Pray that we may recognise the star we are called to follow this Advent and Christmas. It may all be a little different this year!
Congratulations to Lichfield Cathedral on its award for caring for our home planet!
We’ll let them tell the story which follows naturally our short Franciscan season.
Lichfield Cathedral has been presented with its Silver Eco Church Award.
Lichfield Cathedral won the Bronze Award in 2021 and is working hard to achieve the Gold Eco Church Award.The Cathedral also received A Rocha UK’s Partner in Action Certificate in Environmental Excellence. This certificate acknowledges the Cathedral’s dedication to protecting and enhancing species and habitats, engaging the cathedral community in caring for the land, and developing a sustainable, low carbon approach to energy, food, and water use.
The Revd Canon Dr David Primrose said, “we are on a journey from Bronze to Gold. Tasks ahead include robust action plans to reduce our carbon footprint, and improved communications and engagement with others. There is a growing awareness of the connections between loss of biodiversity, the climate crisis, rising energy prices, and the cost of living.As a Healthy Healing Hub, we know the links between care for creation, the common good, and the wellbeing of those who are vulnerable.”
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