Fr Philip writes.... 2014
December
‘AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH’
It is so easy to miss the point of the Christmass story entirely. One Biblical writer wrote: “We can be so charmed with the story of a baby that we grow sentimental about it. It does not demand any vital change in our way of thinking and living. The great question for us is this:
“Is our Christmass still only a story about a baby, or is it more – a story about a person into whom the baby grew, who can redeem the world from its sins, and who calls us into partnership with His great and mighty purposes?”
When the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, he said, “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt 1 v 21) It is only as we see the birth of Jesus in the light of His Crucifixion and the Resurrection that we are able to grasp the full meaning of Christ’s coming.
During the Great Depression that hit the US in the 1930’s a family in the Midwest struggled to put food on their table and had no money for luxuries. One day posters all over the town announced a circus was coming and one boy in the family wanted to see the show. He had never been to a circus before. On the day it arrived the performers paraded through the town and the boy cheered as the parade passed by. He rushed to tell his parents how exciting the circus was and then his father said: “Son, you didn’t see the circus. All you saw was the parade.”
That is a parable about Christmass. Many people get excited about their festivities – the parade – but miss the main event. So let us remember what happened in that humble stable and that Jesus’ birth calls each of us to hear the Good News and respond. The Good News is that Jesus shows us what God is like and that he died on the Cross to save us from the consequence of our sins: by dying and rising again He defeated death on behalf of us all. Christmass calls us to accept this for ourselves and to make our personal commitment to Christ.
‘AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH’
It is so easy to miss the point of the Christmass story entirely. One Biblical writer wrote: “We can be so charmed with the story of a baby that we grow sentimental about it. It does not demand any vital change in our way of thinking and living. The great question for us is this:
“Is our Christmass still only a story about a baby, or is it more – a story about a person into whom the baby grew, who can redeem the world from its sins, and who calls us into partnership with His great and mighty purposes?”
When the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, he said, “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt 1 v 21) It is only as we see the birth of Jesus in the light of His Crucifixion and the Resurrection that we are able to grasp the full meaning of Christ’s coming.
During the Great Depression that hit the US in the 1930’s a family in the Midwest struggled to put food on their table and had no money for luxuries. One day posters all over the town announced a circus was coming and one boy in the family wanted to see the show. He had never been to a circus before. On the day it arrived the performers paraded through the town and the boy cheered as the parade passed by. He rushed to tell his parents how exciting the circus was and then his father said: “Son, you didn’t see the circus. All you saw was the parade.”
That is a parable about Christmass. Many people get excited about their festivities – the parade – but miss the main event. So let us remember what happened in that humble stable and that Jesus’ birth calls each of us to hear the Good News and respond. The Good News is that Jesus shows us what God is like and that he died on the Cross to save us from the consequence of our sins: by dying and rising again He defeated death on behalf of us all. Christmass calls us to accept this for ourselves and to make our personal commitment to Christ.
November
November is summed up in the word: “Remembrance”.
The Church’s calendar this month is dedicated to the dead, when many Requiems are offered (see Calendar on inside back cover). St Monica, writing to her son, St Augustine, said:
‘Lay this body wherever it may be; let no care of it disturb you. This only I ask of you: that you should remember me at the Altar of the Lord wherever you may be.’
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY (9th Nov) will be a great milestone in our parish, when Bishop Norman comes to preside at the 9.30 Requiem Mass for those fallen in war, especially those from Mendlesham (24 in WWI; 9 in WW2, 1 in the Korean War & 190 in WW2 from the USAAF Base on the Mendlesham airfield. Candles will be lit for all of these. EVERYONE is welcome at the Requiem, irrespective of whether you are Confirmed. Holy Communion is given to all who are Communicant members of other churches (e.g. URC, Methodist). If you are not a Communicant, you are welcome to receive a blessing at Communion; if so, please come to the altar holding your service book. There will not be time for coffee between Mass & the short service in church followed by the blessing of the new memorial in the churchyard. However, the toilets in the Old School and the King’s Head will be available as well as that in the church.
REMEMBRANCE in the Bible does not just mean “looking back”. When Jesus said, “This is my body”; “This is my blood”; “Do this in remembrance of me” over the bread and wine, “remembrance” meant “Bringing the past into the present.” So whenever Mass is celebrated, Christ is actually present among us. That was the greatest sacrifice of all – for the sin of the whole world. May we respond to God’s love in Jesus and in our prayers bring the departed to the foot of His Cross.
November is summed up in the word: “Remembrance”.
The Church’s calendar this month is dedicated to the dead, when many Requiems are offered (see Calendar on inside back cover). St Monica, writing to her son, St Augustine, said:
‘Lay this body wherever it may be; let no care of it disturb you. This only I ask of you: that you should remember me at the Altar of the Lord wherever you may be.’
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY (9th Nov) will be a great milestone in our parish, when Bishop Norman comes to preside at the 9.30 Requiem Mass for those fallen in war, especially those from Mendlesham (24 in WWI; 9 in WW2, 1 in the Korean War & 190 in WW2 from the USAAF Base on the Mendlesham airfield. Candles will be lit for all of these. EVERYONE is welcome at the Requiem, irrespective of whether you are Confirmed. Holy Communion is given to all who are Communicant members of other churches (e.g. URC, Methodist). If you are not a Communicant, you are welcome to receive a blessing at Communion; if so, please come to the altar holding your service book. There will not be time for coffee between Mass & the short service in church followed by the blessing of the new memorial in the churchyard. However, the toilets in the Old School and the King’s Head will be available as well as that in the church.
REMEMBRANCE in the Bible does not just mean “looking back”. When Jesus said, “This is my body”; “This is my blood”; “Do this in remembrance of me” over the bread and wine, “remembrance” meant “Bringing the past into the present.” So whenever Mass is celebrated, Christ is actually present among us. That was the greatest sacrifice of all – for the sin of the whole world. May we respond to God’s love in Jesus and in our prayers bring the departed to the foot of His Cross.
October
Anne and I have recently had a book published by Canterbury Press entitled: ‘A Walsingham Rosary’ (£9.99). It includes helpful advice on beginning to pray with a rosary. Bible readings and prayers are printed out in full for each of the mysteries of the faith. Some people are understandably nervous about devotion to Our Lady. In his book ‘Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy’, J. Neville Ward, a Methodist minister, writes:
“I have to admit that I have shared both the interest and the nervousness. Probably because of ignorance and misunderstanding accumulating through the many years of disunity we tend to look at the Blessed Virgin Mary with a mixture of love and fear. It must be the case that we love her, even if we do not know this yet, because we love the Saviour. But we fear being trapped by certain forms of Marian devotion… I have found this nervousness dispelled simply by using this form of prayer (i.e. the Rosary) and trying to enter into the benefit which many Christians find in it. It seems to me now that it is a quite inexhaustible source of help in the spiritual life.”
With these words in mind I intend to lead a Rosary Pilgrimage on 21st October and to do a course on it in the Winter months in St Joseph’s Centre. There are details on the bier at the back of church about obtaining our book and also for going on the pilgrimage.
At the end of October we celebrate the Dedication festival of our beautiful parish church. I hope the work on its restoration will be underway by the time you read this magazine. The Friends of St Mary’s do sterling work in raising money for its restoration. The Dedication Festival – a Sunday set aside for thanksgiving for the building – is our day of blessing the Friends of St Mary’s boxes. In ‘Anglicans on High’- a newly-published book on the Anglo-Catholic revival in Suffolk and the surrounding area by Roy Tricker, Roy is very complimentary about Mendlesham:
“Mendlesham is a church-crawlers’ paradise: superb architecture, a grand flint-panelled tower and porches, 17th century font cover and pulpit, mediaeval benches, Sanctus bell turret, brasses and grand proportions, to say nothing of the unique parish armoury in the chamber above the north porch. All this could make a church a very interesting museum of ancient things, but through taste and care over recent years, St Mary’s, with all its treasures has become one of the most colourful, lived-in and devotional churches in the county."
Please continue to work hard to preserve it and I invite all to come on Sunday 26th October to the 9.30 Dedication Festival Parish Mass in thanksgiving for our wonderful heritage. Roy, who is a Licensed Reader in this diocese, will be our preacher on this occasion.
Anne and I have recently had a book published by Canterbury Press entitled: ‘A Walsingham Rosary’ (£9.99). It includes helpful advice on beginning to pray with a rosary. Bible readings and prayers are printed out in full for each of the mysteries of the faith. Some people are understandably nervous about devotion to Our Lady. In his book ‘Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy’, J. Neville Ward, a Methodist minister, writes:
“I have to admit that I have shared both the interest and the nervousness. Probably because of ignorance and misunderstanding accumulating through the many years of disunity we tend to look at the Blessed Virgin Mary with a mixture of love and fear. It must be the case that we love her, even if we do not know this yet, because we love the Saviour. But we fear being trapped by certain forms of Marian devotion… I have found this nervousness dispelled simply by using this form of prayer (i.e. the Rosary) and trying to enter into the benefit which many Christians find in it. It seems to me now that it is a quite inexhaustible source of help in the spiritual life.”
With these words in mind I intend to lead a Rosary Pilgrimage on 21st October and to do a course on it in the Winter months in St Joseph’s Centre. There are details on the bier at the back of church about obtaining our book and also for going on the pilgrimage.
At the end of October we celebrate the Dedication festival of our beautiful parish church. I hope the work on its restoration will be underway by the time you read this magazine. The Friends of St Mary’s do sterling work in raising money for its restoration. The Dedication Festival – a Sunday set aside for thanksgiving for the building – is our day of blessing the Friends of St Mary’s boxes. In ‘Anglicans on High’- a newly-published book on the Anglo-Catholic revival in Suffolk and the surrounding area by Roy Tricker, Roy is very complimentary about Mendlesham:
“Mendlesham is a church-crawlers’ paradise: superb architecture, a grand flint-panelled tower and porches, 17th century font cover and pulpit, mediaeval benches, Sanctus bell turret, brasses and grand proportions, to say nothing of the unique parish armoury in the chamber above the north porch. All this could make a church a very interesting museum of ancient things, but through taste and care over recent years, St Mary’s, with all its treasures has become one of the most colourful, lived-in and devotional churches in the county."
Please continue to work hard to preserve it and I invite all to come on Sunday 26th October to the 9.30 Dedication Festival Parish Mass in thanksgiving for our wonderful heritage. Roy, who is a Licensed Reader in this diocese, will be our preacher on this occasion.
September
September has a number of special anniversaries this year and ‘Anniversaries’ will be the theme of our harvest flower festival (26th, 27th & 28th Sept.). Fr Timothy will be keeping his Golden Jubilee to the priesthood at East Grinstead on 20th Sept.; I will be keeping my 40th anniversary as Vicar of Mendlesham on 20th Sept. and my 45th anniversary of Ordination on 21st Sept., when the Bishop of Richborough will concelebrate and preach at the 9.30 Parish Mass. As the 50th recorded Vicar of this parish I have now served the longest incumbency.
Holy Cross Day falls on a Sunday (14th Sept.) this year. The Cross could be seen as a symbol of failure, but is in fact a symbol of the triumph of good over evil. I include the fable of three trees, which shows how our ways are not always God’s ways.
Once there were three trees growing in a wood, who were discussing their hopes and dreams. The first tree said, "One day I hope to be a treasure chest filled with gold, silver and precious gems." The second tree said, "One day I would like to become a mighty ship to carry kings and queens around the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because my hull will be so strong.” Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill, look up to my branches and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."
After a few years, some woodcutters came upon the trees and chopped them down. The first tree was made into an animals’ feed box, placed in an old barn and filled with hay – not at all what he had yearned for. The second was made into a small fishing boat – a far cry from the great ship of his dreams. The third tree was cut roughly into large pieces and left alone at the back of a shed – a seemingly dismal end to his hopes.
Years went by. Then one day a man came with a woman to the barn where she gave birth. She placed the baby in the hay in the manger made from the first tree. It truly was a chest holding the greatest treasure in the world.
Thirty years later a group of men got into the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and fell asleep. A storm arose and most of the men became anxious. They woke the sleeping man, who said “Peace” to the storm and it stopped. The boat did indeed keep its occupants safe and carried the King of Kings.
A short while later someone picked up a couple of pieces of the third tree. It was carried through the streets and people mocked at the man carrying it. When they came to a halt, the man was nailed to the wood and raised up to die on the Cross at the top of a hill. This tree really was the greatest tree of all time and remembered for ever.
None of the trees had become what they had wished to be, but all had been granted far more than they could ever have anticipated.
God takes us as we are. So often we think we may lead dull, mundane lives and that our prayers are unanswered. However, if we offer ourselves to Him, He is able to transform us far beyond our expectations to be of service to Him and our fellow human beings. This is summed up in the following meditation:
I asked for strength that I might achieve;
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy;
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I had asked for,
but everything that I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered;
I am, among all people, most richly blessed.
September has a number of special anniversaries this year and ‘Anniversaries’ will be the theme of our harvest flower festival (26th, 27th & 28th Sept.). Fr Timothy will be keeping his Golden Jubilee to the priesthood at East Grinstead on 20th Sept.; I will be keeping my 40th anniversary as Vicar of Mendlesham on 20th Sept. and my 45th anniversary of Ordination on 21st Sept., when the Bishop of Richborough will concelebrate and preach at the 9.30 Parish Mass. As the 50th recorded Vicar of this parish I have now served the longest incumbency.
Holy Cross Day falls on a Sunday (14th Sept.) this year. The Cross could be seen as a symbol of failure, but is in fact a symbol of the triumph of good over evil. I include the fable of three trees, which shows how our ways are not always God’s ways.
Once there were three trees growing in a wood, who were discussing their hopes and dreams. The first tree said, "One day I hope to be a treasure chest filled with gold, silver and precious gems." The second tree said, "One day I would like to become a mighty ship to carry kings and queens around the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because my hull will be so strong.” Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill, look up to my branches and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."
After a few years, some woodcutters came upon the trees and chopped them down. The first tree was made into an animals’ feed box, placed in an old barn and filled with hay – not at all what he had yearned for. The second was made into a small fishing boat – a far cry from the great ship of his dreams. The third tree was cut roughly into large pieces and left alone at the back of a shed – a seemingly dismal end to his hopes.
Years went by. Then one day a man came with a woman to the barn where she gave birth. She placed the baby in the hay in the manger made from the first tree. It truly was a chest holding the greatest treasure in the world.
Thirty years later a group of men got into the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and fell asleep. A storm arose and most of the men became anxious. They woke the sleeping man, who said “Peace” to the storm and it stopped. The boat did indeed keep its occupants safe and carried the King of Kings.
A short while later someone picked up a couple of pieces of the third tree. It was carried through the streets and people mocked at the man carrying it. When they came to a halt, the man was nailed to the wood and raised up to die on the Cross at the top of a hill. This tree really was the greatest tree of all time and remembered for ever.
None of the trees had become what they had wished to be, but all had been granted far more than they could ever have anticipated.
God takes us as we are. So often we think we may lead dull, mundane lives and that our prayers are unanswered. However, if we offer ourselves to Him, He is able to transform us far beyond our expectations to be of service to Him and our fellow human beings. This is summed up in the following meditation:
I asked for strength that I might achieve;
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy;
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I had asked for,
but everything that I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered;
I am, among all people, most richly blessed.
August
When Jesus rose from the dead, it was in the same body in which He was crucified. He showed His incredulous disciples the marks of the wounds in His hands and His side. But it was a body glorified: for He appeared and disappeared at will. In that same body He ascended into Heaven, where He remains perfect God and perfect man for all eternity.
It is likely that this helps us to understand something of our own final resurrection. Christians believe that in our final state of bliss we shall be as we are now, but with all that belongs merely to this space/time universe eliminated. The body will be raised, because without it the soul or spirit would be naked and less than fully human. But possession of a body would not involve the present necessities of eating and drinking. Jesus said: “When they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are as the angels which are in heaven.” (Mark 12 v 25; Matthew 22 v 30). It is not that we become angels, but we do become AS THE ANGELS in their freedom from bodily preoccupations. The resurrection body will be one fitted for life in Heaven, just as our present body is fitted for life here and now.
After every 7 years the physical composition of our bodies has completely changed. So the components of our bodies are in a constant state of flux as each cell has been renewed and replaced by another. Nonetheless we are in a true sense the same as we were 20 years ago. It is a tricky matter to define what makes a thing “the same”. I recently read of an elderly lady having a pair of silk stockings of which she was very fond. Whenever a hole appeared she had darned them with wool and after many years all the silk had been replaced by wool. Were they the same stockings?
The Feast of the Assumption of Mary points to our final destiny – Mary has been assumed into Heaven in body, mind and spirit (see Revelation 12). She is our model of true discipleship and prays that we, too, will be faithful and eventually share her glory.
When Jesus rose from the dead, it was in the same body in which He was crucified. He showed His incredulous disciples the marks of the wounds in His hands and His side. But it was a body glorified: for He appeared and disappeared at will. In that same body He ascended into Heaven, where He remains perfect God and perfect man for all eternity.
It is likely that this helps us to understand something of our own final resurrection. Christians believe that in our final state of bliss we shall be as we are now, but with all that belongs merely to this space/time universe eliminated. The body will be raised, because without it the soul or spirit would be naked and less than fully human. But possession of a body would not involve the present necessities of eating and drinking. Jesus said: “When they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are as the angels which are in heaven.” (Mark 12 v 25; Matthew 22 v 30). It is not that we become angels, but we do become AS THE ANGELS in their freedom from bodily preoccupations. The resurrection body will be one fitted for life in Heaven, just as our present body is fitted for life here and now.
After every 7 years the physical composition of our bodies has completely changed. So the components of our bodies are in a constant state of flux as each cell has been renewed and replaced by another. Nonetheless we are in a true sense the same as we were 20 years ago. It is a tricky matter to define what makes a thing “the same”. I recently read of an elderly lady having a pair of silk stockings of which she was very fond. Whenever a hole appeared she had darned them with wool and after many years all the silk had been replaced by wool. Were they the same stockings?
The Feast of the Assumption of Mary points to our final destiny – Mary has been assumed into Heaven in body, mind and spirit (see Revelation 12). She is our model of true discipleship and prays that we, too, will be faithful and eventually share her glory.
July
The feast of St Thomas falls on 3rd July and I believe that, perhaps unfairly, he is remembered chiefly as “Doubting Thomas”.
What did Thomas doubt?
Was it the Resurrection of Jesus or was it actually the attitude of the other disciples? After all, they said they had seen Him; they said they had eaten with Him; but they were sitting in a locked room. They did not give any more sign as yet that the Resurrection meant anything in their lives. Life seemed to go on as always. Was it because of this that Thomas did not believe? We should also remember that, while 10 Apostles stayed in that room “for fear of the Jews”, it was Thomas who was brave enough to go out.
A parish priest was feeling very disillusioned. His congregations were shrinking and there seemed to be a cold formality among those who did attend. He went to open his heart to another priest who simply said: “Go back and tell your congregation the Risen Lord dwells among them.”
He told his churchwardens and PCC what the priest advised and they all began to treat each other differently. They asked: “Could the Risen Lord be living in Mrs ---? or Mr ---?” It was the start of renewal, because instead of being behind the closed doors of negativity, they became open to the power of the Risen Lord and became like the Church in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2 v 42-47), which was a learning Church: a church of fellowship having a quality of togetherness. It was a prayerful church in that it spoke to God before going out into the world. It was a Church where great things happened.
I fear Thomas’ doubts were about the attitude of the other Apostles. When Thomas saw his Lord, he fell on his knees and said: “My Lord and my God.” His life was changed.
May each one of us follow Thomas’ example and ask the Risen Lord to change our lives with His risen power so that we radiate the joy of the Resurrection to all the people we meet.
What did Thomas doubt?
Was it the Resurrection of Jesus or was it actually the attitude of the other disciples? After all, they said they had seen Him; they said they had eaten with Him; but they were sitting in a locked room. They did not give any more sign as yet that the Resurrection meant anything in their lives. Life seemed to go on as always. Was it because of this that Thomas did not believe? We should also remember that, while 10 Apostles stayed in that room “for fear of the Jews”, it was Thomas who was brave enough to go out.
A parish priest was feeling very disillusioned. His congregations were shrinking and there seemed to be a cold formality among those who did attend. He went to open his heart to another priest who simply said: “Go back and tell your congregation the Risen Lord dwells among them.”
He told his churchwardens and PCC what the priest advised and they all began to treat each other differently. They asked: “Could the Risen Lord be living in Mrs ---? or Mr ---?” It was the start of renewal, because instead of being behind the closed doors of negativity, they became open to the power of the Risen Lord and became like the Church in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2 v 42-47), which was a learning Church: a church of fellowship having a quality of togetherness. It was a prayerful church in that it spoke to God before going out into the world. It was a Church where great things happened.
I fear Thomas’ doubts were about the attitude of the other Apostles. When Thomas saw his Lord, he fell on his knees and said: “My Lord and my God.” His life was changed.
May each one of us follow Thomas’ example and ask the Risen Lord to change our lives with His risen power so that we radiate the joy of the Resurrection to all the people we meet.
June
The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus – the heart being a symbol of God’s great love shown in the life of Jesus. St Paul tells us: ‘What proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.’ If we read John 4 v 5-42, we see how Jesus approached an outcast woman. He did not force Himself into her life. Had he done so she would have immediately closed up; but He began from a position of weakness – a request for a drink of water – and she opened her heart to him.
Jesus treated her with respect. There was no hint of judgement or condemnation and He did not make her feel bad or judged, but accepted and understood. Jesus was able to see into her secret being – that part of her which longed for true love. She thirsted to be seen as a person rather than an object. This woman was deeply wounded, having gone through several divorces and living with yet another partner.
The beauty of Christ is that He meets us all WHERE WE ARE. He says to us what He said to that woman: ‘If only you knew the gift God wants to give you.’
Water is a powerful symbol for people living in the arid desert. In the Bible water signifies thirsting for God and being cleansed from sin. In the Old Testament we read how God saved the Israelites from slavery by their passage through the Red Sea to freedom. Jesus describes God’s everlasting presence using the symbol of water; this is no ordinary water but the living water of the Spirit that springs up from within us: ‘Anyone who drinks the water that I shall give will never be thirsty again: the water that I shall give will turn into a spring inside him, welling up to eternal life.’ (John 4 v 14).
In meeting Jesus, the woman found the One who could give her what she was really looking for – a sense of her own worth and dignity. The water she needed was the life of God bubbling up inside her. Up to that point she had always been looking for love and happiness outside herself; Jesus directed her search inwards and she went away transformed. Jesus had awakened her to God and changed her life.
We all have that inner spring. St John says: ‘The light of Christ enlightens ALL who come into the world.’ (John 1 v 9) May we all find it – perhaps hidden under the ‘moss’ in our hearts. Our prayer for June could be:“Lord, help me always to thirst for God. Let me drink deeply from the well of your life-giving Spirit.”
Jesus treated her with respect. There was no hint of judgement or condemnation and He did not make her feel bad or judged, but accepted and understood. Jesus was able to see into her secret being – that part of her which longed for true love. She thirsted to be seen as a person rather than an object. This woman was deeply wounded, having gone through several divorces and living with yet another partner.
The beauty of Christ is that He meets us all WHERE WE ARE. He says to us what He said to that woman: ‘If only you knew the gift God wants to give you.’
Water is a powerful symbol for people living in the arid desert. In the Bible water signifies thirsting for God and being cleansed from sin. In the Old Testament we read how God saved the Israelites from slavery by their passage through the Red Sea to freedom. Jesus describes God’s everlasting presence using the symbol of water; this is no ordinary water but the living water of the Spirit that springs up from within us: ‘Anyone who drinks the water that I shall give will never be thirsty again: the water that I shall give will turn into a spring inside him, welling up to eternal life.’ (John 4 v 14).
In meeting Jesus, the woman found the One who could give her what she was really looking for – a sense of her own worth and dignity. The water she needed was the life of God bubbling up inside her. Up to that point she had always been looking for love and happiness outside herself; Jesus directed her search inwards and she went away transformed. Jesus had awakened her to God and changed her life.
We all have that inner spring. St John says: ‘The light of Christ enlightens ALL who come into the world.’ (John 1 v 9) May we all find it – perhaps hidden under the ‘moss’ in our hearts. Our prayer for June could be:“Lord, help me always to thirst for God. Let me drink deeply from the well of your life-giving Spirit.”
May
We commemorate two great saints this month, who both responded to God in faith. On 1st May we commemorate St Joseph the Workman and the whole of the month of May is dedicated to Our Lady, St Mary, with the 31st May particularly dedicated to her Visitation to Elizabeth (Luke 1 v 39-56). In Matthew 1 v 24 we are told that Joseph had a dream and that when he awoke he realised he was being called by God to marry Mary, who was pregnant. Joseph listened to God’s envoy and said, “Yes.” Mary had also listened and said “Yes” when Gabriel visited her. Jesus was born because both Joseph and Mary listened intently to God’s voice. They accepted their challenging calls with faith for what they could not understand.
When I come up against seemingly impossible situations I find comfort in the angel’s response to Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” (Luke 1 v 35). Mary questioned how she could conceive and bear a son, given her lack of relations with a man. Gabriel’s reply is a reminder that there is a power in this universe greater than us, working in and around us – something that is so easy to forget. Too often we can all fall into the traps either of thinking that unless we ourselves force things, nothing will happen, or that we have to understand how things will work out rather than allow the mystery of God to unfold in our lives and in the world. Faith and Trust are easy concepts only for those who have really tried to live by them. We have to “LET GO AND LET GOD”. In this way we can be like Joseph and Mary and say “Yes” to the unknown.
April
One of my favourite Easter stories is the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24 v 13-35). It is incredible that the two friends of Jesus walking on this road had heard about the empty tomb and knew the Scriptures but they still did not believe. When Jesus ‘broke open’ the Scriptures and explained them, their hearts ‘burned within them’ and they finally recognised who He was when He blessed and broke the bread. In the Acts of the Apostles (Acts3 v 1-10) we see a dynamic church; Peter – who on the day before Jesus died had denied He even knew him - heals a lame mane by the power of the Risen Christ. Christianity is more than just a doctrine or set of ideas, for it has the power to change lives. All too frequently the Church has taken the Good News and changed it to Good Advice. The Good News is that Christ has come to help us share the life of God and to transform us by His power into new people; Good Advice is to hold up a Christian ideal and to say in effect: “Here is an ideal; use your willpower to achieve it.” Jesus does give us an ideal, but through the Holy Spirit gives us the power to reach it if we ask for it and receive it.
From broken Scripture to broken bread: The first meal in the Bible is where the woman (Eve) took the forbidden fruit (the knowledge of good and evil) and death is traced to that moment of rebellion. It is repeated every time we choose to do evil rather than good. In the Emmaus story, however, the first meal after the Resurrection is the beginning of a new world. Now put yourself as the unnamed disciple in that story, coming to God with all your needs. Jesus does not force Himself on you; He is not a dead memory but a living presence.
‘Stay with us, Lord Jesus, as evening falls;
Be our companion on our way.
In your mercy inflame our hearts and raise our hope,
So that, in union with our brethren
We may recognise you in the Scriptures
And in the breaking of Bread
Who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.’
One of my favourite Easter stories is the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24 v 13-35). It is incredible that the two friends of Jesus walking on this road had heard about the empty tomb and knew the Scriptures but they still did not believe. When Jesus ‘broke open’ the Scriptures and explained them, their hearts ‘burned within them’ and they finally recognised who He was when He blessed and broke the bread. In the Acts of the Apostles (Acts3 v 1-10) we see a dynamic church; Peter – who on the day before Jesus died had denied He even knew him - heals a lame mane by the power of the Risen Christ. Christianity is more than just a doctrine or set of ideas, for it has the power to change lives. All too frequently the Church has taken the Good News and changed it to Good Advice. The Good News is that Christ has come to help us share the life of God and to transform us by His power into new people; Good Advice is to hold up a Christian ideal and to say in effect: “Here is an ideal; use your willpower to achieve it.” Jesus does give us an ideal, but through the Holy Spirit gives us the power to reach it if we ask for it and receive it.
From broken Scripture to broken bread: The first meal in the Bible is where the woman (Eve) took the forbidden fruit (the knowledge of good and evil) and death is traced to that moment of rebellion. It is repeated every time we choose to do evil rather than good. In the Emmaus story, however, the first meal after the Resurrection is the beginning of a new world. Now put yourself as the unnamed disciple in that story, coming to God with all your needs. Jesus does not force Himself on you; He is not a dead memory but a living presence.
‘Stay with us, Lord Jesus, as evening falls;
Be our companion on our way.
In your mercy inflame our hearts and raise our hope,
So that, in union with our brethren
We may recognise you in the Scriptures
And in the breaking of Bread
Who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.’
March
LENT is an old English word meaning ‘Springtime’ and is observed in Spring when days get longer. It is a time of spiritual cleaning which is accomplished through repentance and reconciliation. In a spirit of repentance we take ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday and in doing so we show we are serious about overcoming sin. We may show our repentance by giving up things we like and taking up things that will bring us closer to God.
So often people ask about giving up things for Lent. The story is told of an Irish priest who was coming back to his home one evening in the dark. He was accosted by a robber who pulled a gun on him and demanded: ‘Your money or your life!’ As the priest reached his hand into his coat pocket, the robber saw his clerical collar and said: ‘So you are a priest? Then you can go.’ The priest was rather surprised at this unexpected show of piety, so he tried to reciprocate by offering his assailant a cigarette, to which the robber replied: ‘No Father, I don’t smoke during Lent.’ The robber was trying to keep the pious observance of not smoking during Lent whilst forgetting the more fundamental Commandment: ‘Thou shalt not steal’!
The use of Ashes is to be a sign of repentance and a change of heart. We do penance by giving up things that turn our hearts towards ourselves and away from Our Lord and He encourages us to intensify the three virtues of almsgiving, prayer and fasting.
Nowadays we hear a lot about the ‘5:2’ diet, when many people willingly fast twice a week in order to slim and many others attend a gym ‘religiously’ once, twice or even more often every week to tone their bodies. Is it too much to ask that we fast from some favourite food/drink/occupation during Lent and attend an extra Mass during the week to spend more time with Our Lord, to whom we owe everything we have?
Lent is a time to ask: How enthusiastically do I follow Jesus? Where does my enthusiasm come from?
We need to face these challenges properly if we are to be true disciples.
LENT is an old English word meaning ‘Springtime’ and is observed in Spring when days get longer. It is a time of spiritual cleaning which is accomplished through repentance and reconciliation. In a spirit of repentance we take ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday and in doing so we show we are serious about overcoming sin. We may show our repentance by giving up things we like and taking up things that will bring us closer to God.
So often people ask about giving up things for Lent. The story is told of an Irish priest who was coming back to his home one evening in the dark. He was accosted by a robber who pulled a gun on him and demanded: ‘Your money or your life!’ As the priest reached his hand into his coat pocket, the robber saw his clerical collar and said: ‘So you are a priest? Then you can go.’ The priest was rather surprised at this unexpected show of piety, so he tried to reciprocate by offering his assailant a cigarette, to which the robber replied: ‘No Father, I don’t smoke during Lent.’ The robber was trying to keep the pious observance of not smoking during Lent whilst forgetting the more fundamental Commandment: ‘Thou shalt not steal’!
The use of Ashes is to be a sign of repentance and a change of heart. We do penance by giving up things that turn our hearts towards ourselves and away from Our Lord and He encourages us to intensify the three virtues of almsgiving, prayer and fasting.
- Almsgiving (donating money, time or gifts) is a way of showing our love for God and other people. During Lent we have boxes for the work of the Additional Curates’ Society for training priests. We could also consider giving even better to the Stowmarket Foodbank (red boxes in church).
- In Prayer we grow closer to Our Lord by spending more time in His presence – listening to Him as well as talking to Him – as well as by coming to Mass.
- Fasting (going without some food or drink on weekdays) in a spirit of repentance is a way of showing we are not controlled by greed. Money we save can be given to our Lenten project. (Sundays, being a celebration of Our Lord’s Resurrection, are feast-days, so we should not fast on that day.)
Nowadays we hear a lot about the ‘5:2’ diet, when many people willingly fast twice a week in order to slim and many others attend a gym ‘religiously’ once, twice or even more often every week to tone their bodies. Is it too much to ask that we fast from some favourite food/drink/occupation during Lent and attend an extra Mass during the week to spend more time with Our Lord, to whom we owe everything we have?
Lent is a time to ask: How enthusiastically do I follow Jesus? Where does my enthusiasm come from?
We need to face these challenges properly if we are to be true disciples.
February
During February we shall be preparing for Lent – a penitential season when the church is devoid of flowers. The vestments and altar frontal are purple and the Gloria an “Alleluia’s” are omitted from the Mass.
Why? Because Lent is a time for conversion.
What is conversion? It is a radical change of mentality, attitudes, minds and hearts to manifest a new lifestyle and behaviour and become more like the people God wants us to be. I want to give 3 examples:1. Charles Rumbaugh spent his life from the age of 6 in Reform schools, jails and psychiatric hospitals in the US. At the age of 17 whilst attempting a robbery he shot and killed the jewellery shop owner and was sentenced to death, despite being under 18 at the time of the offence. In 1985, just before his execution in Texas he said to the people present: “Even though you don’t forgive me for my transgressions, I forgive you for yours against me.” This brings us to ask: ‘How fully do I forgive or pray to be able to forgive those who have hurt me in some way.
We are like beasts when we kill; we are like human beings when we judge, but we are like God when we forgive.
I have given the following two examples before, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded of them again.
2. A man was shocked to read his own obituary in the morning newspaper. His death was mistakenly reported, but what shocked him most was how the obituary described him: as someone who had devoted his life to making weapons of war. That morning he resolved to turn his energies in a new direction, working for world peace and human betterment. That man was ALFRED NOBEL, whom we now remember as founding the Nobel Prizes – notably the Nobel Peace Prize.
3. Legend says that while painting his masterpiece, ‘The Last Supper’ Leonardo da Vinci had a terrible fight with someone. Afterwards he went to his studio, picked up his brush and prepared to paint the face of Jesus. To his dismay he could not make a single stroke, so he put down his brush, went to the man with whom he had fought and asked his forgiveness. He then returned to his studio and was able to resume painting the face of Jesus.
Lent is a time of change. We all need to ask ourselves where we need to change, like Nobel, Charles Rumbaugh and Leonardo da Vinci, in order to bring this about. May God give us the grace to do it.
During February we shall be preparing for Lent – a penitential season when the church is devoid of flowers. The vestments and altar frontal are purple and the Gloria an “Alleluia’s” are omitted from the Mass.
Why? Because Lent is a time for conversion.
What is conversion? It is a radical change of mentality, attitudes, minds and hearts to manifest a new lifestyle and behaviour and become more like the people God wants us to be. I want to give 3 examples:1. Charles Rumbaugh spent his life from the age of 6 in Reform schools, jails and psychiatric hospitals in the US. At the age of 17 whilst attempting a robbery he shot and killed the jewellery shop owner and was sentenced to death, despite being under 18 at the time of the offence. In 1985, just before his execution in Texas he said to the people present: “Even though you don’t forgive me for my transgressions, I forgive you for yours against me.” This brings us to ask: ‘How fully do I forgive or pray to be able to forgive those who have hurt me in some way.
We are like beasts when we kill; we are like human beings when we judge, but we are like God when we forgive.
I have given the following two examples before, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded of them again.
2. A man was shocked to read his own obituary in the morning newspaper. His death was mistakenly reported, but what shocked him most was how the obituary described him: as someone who had devoted his life to making weapons of war. That morning he resolved to turn his energies in a new direction, working for world peace and human betterment. That man was ALFRED NOBEL, whom we now remember as founding the Nobel Prizes – notably the Nobel Peace Prize.
3. Legend says that while painting his masterpiece, ‘The Last Supper’ Leonardo da Vinci had a terrible fight with someone. Afterwards he went to his studio, picked up his brush and prepared to paint the face of Jesus. To his dismay he could not make a single stroke, so he put down his brush, went to the man with whom he had fought and asked his forgiveness. He then returned to his studio and was able to resume painting the face of Jesus.
Lent is a time of change. We all need to ask ourselves where we need to change, like Nobel, Charles Rumbaugh and Leonardo da Vinci, in order to bring this about. May God give us the grace to do it.
January
Last year we celebrated a royal birth and when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge left hospital crowds gathered to catch a first glimpse of the new royal baby. On Christmass Day we celebrated the birth of Jesus, but the Epiphany celebrates the day He is shown to the wider world. That is the meaning of ‘Epiphany’ – a ‘showing’ or ‘manifestation’. This is the day we acknowledge that this birth (as in the case of a royal birth) has a greater significance. There were no crowds outside the house at Bethlehem, but the Wise Men had journeyed far from other lands to see this child.
The message of Epiphany is that Christ came into the world for the salvation of the whole human race and not just the Jewish people. So what can we learn from this great feast?
First: It is so easy to claim Jesus for ourselves and confine Him to Church. We can easily close our minds to Him if He appears in unexpected guises. Epiphany teaches us to be open to the fact that He can and does speak through most surprising people in most surprising ways and He manifests His saving power to people we may count as worthless or unworthy.
Second: Jesus is the Saviour of All and we must look on everyone as our brother and sister. If we are disciples of Jesus there can be no place for feelings of superiority or prejudice. We are all members of His body and must recognise the dignity and worth of all our brothers and sisters irrespective of race, colour or class.
I hope we shall look at the visit of the Wise Men not just as a nice, traditional story. Its true meaning lies deeper and invites us to respond to Christ’s coming. Herod responded with fear and suspicion and it was left to the pagan Wise Men to recognise the significance of His birth. Like them let us share the joy of the new birth and acknowledge this significance of this child for ourselves and the whole world. May we pay homage by bringing Him the only gift He wants – our hearts and lives.
Last year we celebrated a royal birth and when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge left hospital crowds gathered to catch a first glimpse of the new royal baby. On Christmass Day we celebrated the birth of Jesus, but the Epiphany celebrates the day He is shown to the wider world. That is the meaning of ‘Epiphany’ – a ‘showing’ or ‘manifestation’. This is the day we acknowledge that this birth (as in the case of a royal birth) has a greater significance. There were no crowds outside the house at Bethlehem, but the Wise Men had journeyed far from other lands to see this child.
The message of Epiphany is that Christ came into the world for the salvation of the whole human race and not just the Jewish people. So what can we learn from this great feast?
First: It is so easy to claim Jesus for ourselves and confine Him to Church. We can easily close our minds to Him if He appears in unexpected guises. Epiphany teaches us to be open to the fact that He can and does speak through most surprising people in most surprising ways and He manifests His saving power to people we may count as worthless or unworthy.
Second: Jesus is the Saviour of All and we must look on everyone as our brother and sister. If we are disciples of Jesus there can be no place for feelings of superiority or prejudice. We are all members of His body and must recognise the dignity and worth of all our brothers and sisters irrespective of race, colour or class.
I hope we shall look at the visit of the Wise Men not just as a nice, traditional story. Its true meaning lies deeper and invites us to respond to Christ’s coming. Herod responded with fear and suspicion and it was left to the pagan Wise Men to recognise the significance of His birth. Like them let us share the joy of the new birth and acknowledge this significance of this child for ourselves and the whole world. May we pay homage by bringing Him the only gift He wants – our hearts and lives.
