5 August: The New Name

He whizzed small stones with skill

across the still pond, the pebbles flat

and fitted to the palm, this serious play

a science of selection and synchronicity:

his muscled shoulder steered the whip-throw,

his feet danced a neat back-hop, he leaned

into the throwing side and a wise wrist flicked,

just so, as knowing fingers turned each stone

into a flight-blade – precise, and frisky with

staccato skips past counting. And so,

this power-pebble, skimming

the still pond’s top-most sparkle,

at last, and with a gentle plash, whispered

its secret as we stood side by side and gazed

upon the ever-widening rings.

SJC

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28 June: Birds in the City

 

Continuing our watery theme, with the picture of a Heron which we saw in Amsterdam recently.

Back in April Mrs T and I were working on George’s garden in London. We saw and heard – no way of not hearing! – quite a few parakeets as well as more common garden birds, flitting across from the cemetery park. Mrs T remarked on our recent visit to Amsterdam, where the parakeets were enjoying cherry blossom time as much as the humans in the park. There were also herons at the waters’ edge – plenty of that habitat in the city of canals – which reminded George of the herons he likes to see on London’s Serpentine lake.

Let’s hope more birds adapt to city life – and that we humans have the wisdom to adapt our cities and ourselves to provide good environments – land, water and air – for other creatures and ourselves.

Laudato Si’!

WT

27 June: Water: in their element.

This blog is not meant to be the holiday snaps of any of the contributors, but these fit well with this week’s feast of John the Baptist. And contrast them with the rather solemn fountain at Saint Peter’s in Rome that illustrated the Infallibility posts from Friar Austin!

The tulips give the location away: this surprising fountain is in Amsterdam and was enjoyed by young and old. Especially young? I hope their phones were waterproof.

The waters of Baptism, of course, are free for anyone to request and receive. And they give freedom to have fun for Eternity! Religion need not be buttoned up and strait-laced, enjoy being fully alive! If you can’t find a fountain, find a friendly puddle, Splash, splash, splash, as Abel would say!

 

 

28 April: Little Flowers of Saint Francis XIX: The Riches of Poverty 2.

(Continued from Yesterday) After begging through the town, Saint Francis and Brother Masseo met together to eat in a place without the city, where was a fair fountain and, hard by, a fine, broad stone ; upon the which each set the alms that he had begged.

And Saint Francis, seeing that Brother Masseo’s pieces of bread were more and finer and larger than his own, rejoiced with great joy, and said: “ O Brother Masseo, we are not worthy of such vast treasure ”: and when he repeated many times these self-same words, Brother Masseo made answer:
« Father, how can one speak of treasure where is such poverty and lack of all things whereof there is need ? Here is nor cloth, nor knife, nor plate, nor porringer, nor house, nor table, nor man-servant, nor maid-servant.”

Quoth Saint Francis: “And this it is that I acount vast treasure, wherein is no thing at
all prepared by human hands, but whatsoe’er we have is given by God’s own providence, as
manifestly doth appear in the bread that we have begged, in the table of stone so fine, and in the fount so clear; wherefore I will that we pray unto God that He make us to love with all our
heart the treasure of holy poverty which is so noble, that thereunto did God Himself become your servitor.”

And when he had said these words, and they had done their prayer, and for refreshment of the body had taken of those pieces and drunk of that water, they rose up to journey into France.

26 March: Stations of the Cross, IX: Jesus is stripped.

NINTH STATION JESUS IS STRIPPED Our witness is a Samaritan woman who met Jesus by the side of Jacob’s Well. He told her everything she had ever done. Her story is given in Saint John, Chapter 4, vv 5-26 I know this man. He sat down and talked to me. He looked into my heart, my broken heart, but he did not mock me. I told everyone I knew about him, then I followed him. Even to Jerusalem where I’m hardly welcome. He was welcome on Sunday. Now they strip the clothes off his body, his broken body. They jeer at his bruised and broken body. They mock him, but he did not mock me. Prayer : Lord, we do not always remember that the bodies and hearts of your people are where you have chosen to live. Help us to see and hear the Good News whoever brings it to us. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

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25 March, Palm Sunday: Another excerpt from the Dutch Catechism

Photos from the Missionaries of Africa

Two posts today!

Our long-neglected copy of the Dutch catechism provided a thought for Valentine’s Day. Here is another excerpt (p162 of the 1978 edition) that recalls us to the  joy of the first Palm Sunday.

A week before Easter, Mass is preceded by a procession, with hymns in honour of Jesus as King. Branches of greenery, or real palms, blessed for the occasion and carried in the procession, are taken home by the faithful. The palms are hung up in the house, a sign that we are sharing the gesture of love and reverence made by the Jews. Sometimes these sprigs are used to sprinkle holy water.

So another Christian tradition inherited from our elders! And a reminder that our religion is not an intellectual exercise, but body, blood, soul and humanity for our part, responding to body, blood, soul, humanity and divinity on Jesus’.

Hosanna!

Laudato Si’!

17 March. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION

Saint Patrick, whose feast falls today, left a few holy wells around Ireland, and so would surely approve of this article from USPG’s Praying with the World Church. Surely every well is a Holy Well? R.S. Thomas, sometime vicar of Aberdaron, would say so.

Myanmar: Article by San Lin, a development officer with the
Church of the Province of Myanmar.
For many years, the people of Wa Me Klar village, high in the
mountains, had to climb for three hours to reach the nearest
stream that provided clean drinking water. Often this was a job
for women and children, who would struggle to carry the heavy
buckets. But now the villagers’ lives have been transformed
because water pipes have been installed by the Church of
Myanmar. No-one has to climb and fetch water because water
comes to the village.
‘Now we can take a bath in our houses,’ a 60-year old
woman tells me. The village chief says: ‘I can grow vegetables
and raise goats inside my compound. Thank you very much!’
For decades, this village, in Hpa’an Diocese, was targeted by
the military. In the mid-70s, most of the houses were burned
and the people fled. But since peace negotiations in 2005, the
people have been returning home.
There are 30 households, with around 100 residents. Before
the water programme there were many cases of diarrhoea and
other illnesses. But now the people understand about sanitation.
When the church arrived in the village, they showed the
people how to lay pipes and build cisterns, and they worked
hard together to achieve their goal.

Water Jug from Aberdaron Anglican Church (Church in Wales)

Lenten Conferences at St Thomas’ Church, Canterbury.

A reminder that our own Fr Tom Herbst OFM is leading three evenings of reflection this Lent at St Thomas’ Church Hall, Iron Bar Lane, Canterbury.

We are invited to join those who are to be baptised at Easter and those who are to be received into full communion in the Catholic Church (RCIA Group).

The one Reflection remaining is:

Tuesday 13 Mach,       7 p.m. : The Raising of Lazarus.  (John 11: 1-45)

Take our word for it: these evenings will be well worth turning out for!

Maurice.

Photograph by CD, from the Minoresses’ chapel, Derbyshire.

Lenten Conferences at St Thomas’ Church, Canterbury.

A reminder that our own Fr Tom Herbst OFM is leading three evenings of reflection this Lent at St Thomas’ Church Hall, Iron Bar Lane, Canterbury.

We are invited to join those who are to be baptised at Easter and those who are to be received into full communion in the Catholic Church (RCIA Group).

The two remaining Reflections are

Tuesday  6 March,      7 p.m. : The Man born Blind        (John 9: 1-41)

Tuesday 13 Mach,       7 p.m. : The Raising of Lazarus.  (John 11: 1-45)

Take our word for it: these evenings will be well worth turning out for!

Maurice.

Photograph by CD, from the Minoresses’ chapel, Derbyshire.

Lenten Conferences at St Thomas’ Church, Canterbury.

We are very pleased to announce that our own Fr Tom Herbst OFM will be leading three evenings of reflection this Lent at St Thomas’ Church Hall, Iron Bar Lane, Canterbury.

We are invited to join those who are to be baptised at Easter and those who are to be received into full communion in the Catholic Church (RCIA Group).

Tuesday 27 February, 7 p.m. : The Woman at the Well (John 4: 5-52)

Tuesday  6 March,      7 p.m. : The Man born Blind        (John 9: 1-41)

Tuesday 13 Mach,       7 p.m. : The Raising of Lazarus.  (John 11: 1-45)

Take our word for it: these evenings will be well worth turning out for!

Maurice.

Photograph by CD, from the Minoresses’ chapel, Derbyshire.