LENT 2011 reflections
"Each of us has a mission, each of us is called to change the world, to work for a culture forged by love and respect for the dignity of each human person"
Pope Benedict XVI at Hyde Park, London in 2010
Pope Benedict XVI at Hyde Park, London in 2010
Morning Prayer (Anglican)
re:jesus- post a prayer on this site
Pray as You Go - an audio download from the Jesuits
March 2011
Dydd Gŵyl Dewi HapusSo, on St David’s Day, what happens if we look a bit more at what is behind the early daffodils and the green leeks? Who was St David
and why is he important to Wales, and indeed to all of us?
It’s difficult to know all that much historical fact about St David.
Although he really existed, he is long gone now and most of what
we know comes from the story of his life written by a monk called Rhigyfarch in the 11th century. Yet there are elements of that story which help us to think about the gift of seeing, and in particular, the gift of seeing God in the world around us.
We know that St David was a monk who founded a
monastery in west Wales. He was responsible then, for
being a sign of faith in Jesus to others, and leaving behind him visible communities of faith for all to see. We know too that he was active in bringing Christian faith to people living in Wales who had never before encountered the gospel. Many churches in Wales today are
dedicated to him and themselves are visible witnesses today to the living communities of the Christian faith. St David’s cathedral is built on the site of St David’s monastery.In his last sermon David told his monks to "do the little things, the small things you've seen me doing".
...it reminds us that the primary things for us are the
relationships around us, the need to work at what's
under our hands, what's within our reach. Happy St David's Day.
February 2011
You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don't make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can't take their eyes off you.
Maya Angelou
It helps, now and then, to step back
and take the long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of
the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete,
which is another way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No programme accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for God's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders,
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
Oscar Romero
Maya Angelou
It helps, now and then, to step back
and take the long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of
the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete,
which is another way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No programme accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for God's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders,
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
Oscar Romero
Christmastide
"Our Christian wisdom is to name the darkness as darkness, and the Light as light, and to learn how to live and work in the Light so that the darkness does not overcome us......Instead, we must wait and work with hope inside of the darkness—while never doubting the Light that God always is—and that we are too (Matthew 5:14). That is the narrow birth canal of God into the world--through the darkness and into an ever greater Light".
Fr Richard Rohr OFM
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among others,
To make music in the heart.
Howard Thurman
***
Vulnerable God,As we contemplate the wonder of your birth,Stir in us the desire to cradle those who have no where to lay their head,That together we may rock the boat of injustice.Give us grace to offer our hands to those who reach outThat with faltering steps we may find a way homeAnd kindle our hearts to embrace the rejected and dispossessedAnd so meet you face to face.We ask this in your name. Amen.
Annabel Shilson-Thomas/CAFOD
Fr Richard Rohr OFM
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among others,
To make music in the heart.
Howard Thurman
***
Vulnerable God,As we contemplate the wonder of your birth,Stir in us the desire to cradle those who have no where to lay their head,That together we may rock the boat of injustice.Give us grace to offer our hands to those who reach outThat with faltering steps we may find a way homeAnd kindle our hearts to embrace the rejected and dispossessedAnd so meet you face to face.We ask this in your name. Amen.
Annabel Shilson-Thomas/CAFOD
Tuesday 2nd November
The cry of creation prompts us all to ask 'What then should we do?' (Luke 3:10). What is needed is 'not merely a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the hardships of many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit ourselves to the common good: that is to say, to the good of all and of each individual because we really are responsible for all.' (Pope John Paul II, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 1988, Section 38).
"The spirit of Ubuntu- that profound African sense that we are human only through the humanity of other human beings- is not a parochial phenomenon, but has added globally to our common search for a better world." Nelson Mandela
Prayer:
We believe in a world where all are heard and rivers flow where each may drink. We believe in a world where the harvest becomes a banquet for all. You have blessed us , God of all creation, with a world of beauty, a place of plenty, where no-one stands outside your loving care. Open our hearts and teach us your compassion. Open our minds and grant us the courage to stay true to your will. Amen (source CAFOD/Live Simply)
"The spirit of Ubuntu- that profound African sense that we are human only through the humanity of other human beings- is not a parochial phenomenon, but has added globally to our common search for a better world." Nelson Mandela
Prayer:
We believe in a world where all are heard and rivers flow where each may drink. We believe in a world where the harvest becomes a banquet for all. You have blessed us , God of all creation, with a world of beauty, a place of plenty, where no-one stands outside your loving care. Open our hearts and teach us your compassion. Open our minds and grant us the courage to stay true to your will. Amen (source CAFOD/Live Simply)
Tuesday 1st September
Forgive us Lord for our thoughtless wasting
For heat blasting in open doorways
for lights burning in empty rooms
for homes basking in T-shirt warmth
forgive our thoughtless wasting.
For leaving windows draughty,
for lagging left undone,
for lofts un-insulated
forgive our thoughtless wasting.
For cars that guzzle petrol
for driving little journeys
for cheaper fares on planes
forgive our thoughtless wasting.
God grant us clear thinking, right action, and a gentle life-style.
Anon c/o Operation Noah
"If God's providence bestows an unfailing supply of food on the birds of the air which neither sow nor reap, we ought to realise that the reason for people's supply running short is human greed. The fruits of the earth were given to feed all without distinction and nobody can claim any particular rights. Instead, we have lost the sense of the communion of goods, rushing to turn these goods into private property." St Ambrose
For heat blasting in open doorways
for lights burning in empty rooms
for homes basking in T-shirt warmth
forgive our thoughtless wasting.
For leaving windows draughty,
for lagging left undone,
for lofts un-insulated
forgive our thoughtless wasting.
For cars that guzzle petrol
for driving little journeys
for cheaper fares on planes
forgive our thoughtless wasting.
God grant us clear thinking, right action, and a gentle life-style.
Anon c/o Operation Noah
"If God's providence bestows an unfailing supply of food on the birds of the air which neither sow nor reap, we ought to realise that the reason for people's supply running short is human greed. The fruits of the earth were given to feed all without distinction and nobody can claim any particular rights. Instead, we have lost the sense of the communion of goods, rushing to turn these goods into private property." St Ambrose
Tuesday 3rd August
Archbishop Williams, Cardinal Murphy-O Connor and other faith leaders and thousands of people march in London in July 2008.
This month let our reflection be an extract from the Archbishop of Canterbury's letter to world leaders in 2008 about the spiritual necessity and foundations of teh MDGs (Millenium Development Goals). The message remains true in 2010 as we prepare for the MDG review meeting in September.
At the conclusion of this historic walk of witness.... we are united in our determination to support the leaders of the world to keep their promise to halve extreme poverty through the Millennium Development Goals framework by 2015. Regrettably, despite some important progress in some regions and nations, these goals will not be met for millions of people for whom we have pastoral care.
In our human family the continuing consequence of failure is the death of millions of women and children from child-birth and preventable childhood diseases. Millions more have hopes for sustainable life diminished because of poverty-fuelled conflict, lack of education and gender inequality, all of which undermine a new generation’s liberation from HIV. We add to this now our growing understanding of the poverty and vulnerability created by climate change and the structural injustice in global trade and economics.
The commitment and progress of the international community to the MDGs thus far is to be commended. The consistent global leadership of the UK government towards meeting these targets is particularly welcome. But Christian pastors and other faith leaders cannot stand by while promises are not kept, when nations are tempted by the easier path of preserving their own wealth at the cost of other people’s poverty.
God’s message of reconciliation calls us to action. Indeed our faith calls us to go beyond the conservative targets set by the Millennium Development Goals merely to halve extreme poverty. We know that the aspirations of the poor and marginalised are inseparable from our own personal or national fulfilment. The goal of our faith is that all may have life and have it in its fullness.
Because our faith challenges us to eradicate poverty, and not merely to reduce it, we should be all the more alarmed that with the half way mark to 2015 passed, it is clear that most of these achievable targets will not be met. The cause is not a lack of resources, but a lack of global political will.
A timetable for achieving the MDGs by 2015 needs to be created. Our leaders need to invest in and strengthen their partnership with the Church worldwide, so that its extensive delivery network for education and health care, alongside other faiths, is fully utilised in the eradication of extreme poverty.
We call on leaders to meet their targets for spending on development and implementation of national action plans. We believe that failing to do so amounts to bearing false witness not only to our neighbours, but to ourselves and to our God. May his kingdom of justice come, and his will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
+Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury
At the conclusion of this historic walk of witness.... we are united in our determination to support the leaders of the world to keep their promise to halve extreme poverty through the Millennium Development Goals framework by 2015. Regrettably, despite some important progress in some regions and nations, these goals will not be met for millions of people for whom we have pastoral care.
In our human family the continuing consequence of failure is the death of millions of women and children from child-birth and preventable childhood diseases. Millions more have hopes for sustainable life diminished because of poverty-fuelled conflict, lack of education and gender inequality, all of which undermine a new generation’s liberation from HIV. We add to this now our growing understanding of the poverty and vulnerability created by climate change and the structural injustice in global trade and economics.
The commitment and progress of the international community to the MDGs thus far is to be commended. The consistent global leadership of the UK government towards meeting these targets is particularly welcome. But Christian pastors and other faith leaders cannot stand by while promises are not kept, when nations are tempted by the easier path of preserving their own wealth at the cost of other people’s poverty.
God’s message of reconciliation calls us to action. Indeed our faith calls us to go beyond the conservative targets set by the Millennium Development Goals merely to halve extreme poverty. We know that the aspirations of the poor and marginalised are inseparable from our own personal or national fulfilment. The goal of our faith is that all may have life and have it in its fullness.
Because our faith challenges us to eradicate poverty, and not merely to reduce it, we should be all the more alarmed that with the half way mark to 2015 passed, it is clear that most of these achievable targets will not be met. The cause is not a lack of resources, but a lack of global political will.
A timetable for achieving the MDGs by 2015 needs to be created. Our leaders need to invest in and strengthen their partnership with the Church worldwide, so that its extensive delivery network for education and health care, alongside other faiths, is fully utilised in the eradication of extreme poverty.
We call on leaders to meet their targets for spending on development and implementation of national action plans. We believe that failing to do so amounts to bearing false witness not only to our neighbours, but to ourselves and to our God. May his kingdom of justice come, and his will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
+Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury
Tuesday 6th July
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
– Neale Donald Walsch
A Poem/ Reflection from Frank Pickerill, a VM in Tanzania 2006-2008
I know I shall leave
My tickets are in the drawer
I want to go home, to my other home
To be with my wife and family,
people I left behind.
But I love being here in Lushuto,
In the beautiful Usambara mountains.
My students are a joy,
Cheerful, freindly, eager to learn.
So how can I leave them all alone?
My home is in Frodsham in Cheshire,
Its where Ive spent a lot of my life,
My beautiful garden, my loving wife.
The old buildings on the main street,
The farmers market every week.
But here in Lushuto I've found peace,
My Spirit has been nurtured and revived.
Possessions are few but blessings are many,
So I'm richer, poorer, wiser,
Who could ask for more?
“I am a hole in a flute that Christ’s breath moves through. Listen to this music”
Hafiz….a fourteenth century Persian poet and Sufi master.
– Neale Donald Walsch
A Poem/ Reflection from Frank Pickerill, a VM in Tanzania 2006-2008
I know I shall leave
My tickets are in the drawer
I want to go home, to my other home
To be with my wife and family,
people I left behind.
But I love being here in Lushuto,
In the beautiful Usambara mountains.
My students are a joy,
Cheerful, freindly, eager to learn.
So how can I leave them all alone?
My home is in Frodsham in Cheshire,
Its where Ive spent a lot of my life,
My beautiful garden, my loving wife.
The old buildings on the main street,
The farmers market every week.
But here in Lushuto I've found peace,
My Spirit has been nurtured and revived.
Possessions are few but blessings are many,
So I'm richer, poorer, wiser,
Who could ask for more?
“I am a hole in a flute that Christ’s breath moves through. Listen to this music”
Hafiz….a fourteenth century Persian poet and Sufi master.
Tuesday 1st June 2010
"Be patient to all that is unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves. Do not seek the answers which cannot be given because you would not be able to live them and the point is to live...everything.
Live the questions now.
Perhaps you will, then gradually, without noticing it, live....along some distant day into the answers."
Rainer Maria Rilke.
Compassionate and loving God,
you created the world for us all to share,
a world of beauty and plenty.
Create in us a desire to live simply,
so that our lives may reflect your generosity.
Creator God,
You gave us responsibility for the earth,
a world of riches and delight.
Create in us a desire to live sustainably,
so that those who follow after us
may enjoy the fruits of your creation.
God of peace and justice,
You give us the capacity to change,
to bring about a world that mirrors your wisdom.
Create in us a desire to act in solidarity,
so that the pillars of injustice crumble
and those now crushed are set free.
Amen.
© Linda Jones / CAFOD
"Be patient to all that is unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves. Do not seek the answers which cannot be given because you would not be able to live them and the point is to live...everything.
Live the questions now.
Perhaps you will, then gradually, without noticing it, live....along some distant day into the answers."
Rainer Maria Rilke.
Compassionate and loving God,
you created the world for us all to share,
a world of beauty and plenty.
Create in us a desire to live simply,
so that our lives may reflect your generosity.
Creator God,
You gave us responsibility for the earth,
a world of riches and delight.
Create in us a desire to live sustainably,
so that those who follow after us
may enjoy the fruits of your creation.
God of peace and justice,
You give us the capacity to change,
to bring about a world that mirrors your wisdom.
Create in us a desire to act in solidarity,
so that the pillars of injustice crumble
and those now crushed are set free.
Amen.
© Linda Jones / CAFOD
Tuesday 4th May 2010
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that" Martin Luther King
We are first called and moved by the very Love that lives within us: "The love of Christ overwhelms us..." (2 Cor. 5:14) We who enjoy the gift of faith, calling us to continual conversion and transformation, are impelled to share the love that springs from faith. We, who have received the love of Christ through the Spirit must not contain it. It must reach out to others, spilling out, touching and transforming the world in which we live. We believe that, as in the Parable of the Talents (Mt 25:14-30), we have an urgent obligation to take Christ seriously enough to share his mission of human liberation, justice and dignity with others.
We are, therefore, sharers of the Good News through witness and service. It is only through the way we live, love and serve that we can truly witness to the Christ who served, and invited us to do likewise. Only in following His way faithfully dare we claim the name Christian.
Extract from 'VMM Spirit & Lifestyle'- Edwina Gateley
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that" Martin Luther King
We are first called and moved by the very Love that lives within us: "The love of Christ overwhelms us..." (2 Cor. 5:14) We who enjoy the gift of faith, calling us to continual conversion and transformation, are impelled to share the love that springs from faith. We, who have received the love of Christ through the Spirit must not contain it. It must reach out to others, spilling out, touching and transforming the world in which we live. We believe that, as in the Parable of the Talents (Mt 25:14-30), we have an urgent obligation to take Christ seriously enough to share his mission of human liberation, justice and dignity with others.
We are, therefore, sharers of the Good News through witness and service. It is only through the way we live, love and serve that we can truly witness to the Christ who served, and invited us to do likewise. Only in following His way faithfully dare we claim the name Christian.
Extract from 'VMM Spirit & Lifestyle'- Edwina Gateley