Fr Philip writes... previous months this year
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April 2022
Tomb robbing was not unusual in Jesus’ day. Evidence was found of this in 1878 in Nazareth on a marble slab (now in the Louvre in Paris). It contains a Roman decree stating that anyone who has “extracted the buried, or has maliciously transferred them” is to be “sentenced to capital punishment”.
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Scholarship relates this to a decree of the Emperor Claudius (AD 51 -54). This puts the resurrection of Jesus in the context of secular evidence witnessing to the empty tomb of Jesus.
For if the Apostles had stolen Jesus’ body, is it conceivable that these 11 men would have been prepared to face being put to death with radiant courage – which all of them except St John were eventually to do - simply to promote a doctrine which they knew to be false? |
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Good Friday left Jesus’ followers in a state of shock. Their dream that Jesus had come from God to inaugurate God’s kingdom ended in a nightmare, but in a matter of hours something incredible had taken place. Jesus’ followers were amazingly transformed – radically alive with new vision and power to proclaim Jesus had risen. How can we explain this incredible turn of events that took place on the first Easter? The only acceptable explanation is the one the disciples gave: they had seen Jesus alive and could not be silenced.
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We may not see Jesus as the Apostles did, but we can experience his risen power. A small boy and his grandfather were flying a kite on a high hill. The kite soared into the sky. Then suddenly a cloud hid it from sight. After a few minutes, Grandfather said, “Robbie, maybe some thief in the cloud stole your kite!”
Robbie shook his head. “But Robbie, how can you be sure that the kite is still at the end of your string?” The boy replied: “Because I can feel what you can’t; I can feel the kite tug at my string.” |
This story illuminates why many people who did not see Jesus after his resurrection were sure, nonetheless, that he had risen. They could feel the power of the risen Jesus at work in their hearts.
Then there is the power of Jesus beyond death. A man sat in a canoe reading a book and, glancing down, saw a water beetle crawling up the side of the canoe. Halfway up it fastened itself to the wood and died. The man returned to reading his book. Later he glanced down again. The beetle had dried in the blazing sun and its back was cracking open. As he watched, something emerged from the opening. It was a magnificent dragonfly. The man took his finger to nudge the dried-up shell which was now like an empty tomb.
Then there is the power of Jesus beyond death. A man sat in a canoe reading a book and, glancing down, saw a water beetle crawling up the side of the canoe. Halfway up it fastened itself to the wood and died. The man returned to reading his book. Later he glanced down again. The beetle had dried in the blazing sun and its back was cracking open. As he watched, something emerged from the opening. It was a magnificent dragonfly. The man took his finger to nudge the dried-up shell which was now like an empty tomb.
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That is a beautiful example from nature to help us better appreciate Easter, which is admirably expressed in the following extract from a Requiem Mass:
“Lord, for your faithful people life is changed, not ended. When the body of our earthly dwelling lies in death we gain an everlasting dwelling place in heaven.”
Please pray this Eastertide:
“Lord, at Easter your disciples’ hearts exploded in joy after they had been plunged into sadness on Good Friday…
Release into my heart the same explosion of joy.”
“Lord, at Easter your disciples’ hearts exploded in joy after they had been plunged into sadness on Good Friday…
Release into my heart the same explosion of joy.”
March 2022
March is dominated by the Church’s season called ‘LENT’. This is a very special time of preparation for Easter beginning with Ash Wednesday on 2nd March. This day takes its name from the ashes put on our foreheads, which come from last year’s palm crosses.
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We are ‘ashed’ for two reasons: First it reminds us that, like Jesus who died on Good Friday, we are destined to die.
Second, it reminds us that if we want to rise to a new life we must convert- turn from our sins and follow in Jesus’ footsteps. Tolstoy said, |
“Everybody thinks of changing humanity, nobody thinks of changing themselves.”
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Whatever we do in Lent, we should not bring attention to ourselves. We could learn a lesson here from the stone and wood carvers of mediaeval churches and cathedrals. They never signed their art but preferred to work anonymously for the honour and glory of God.
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It is helpful to look at the Gospel for Ash Wednesday – Matthew 6 v 1-6, 16-18, which concerns 3 Lenten disciplines:
- Giving Money
- Prayer
- Fasting
1. Giving Money A child swallowed two coins and the mother told the father to phone the doctor. “No,” said the father, “I’m ringing the Vicar; he’s the best person I know to get money out of anyone!”
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The purpose of giving money in Lent is not to respond to the Vicar but to respond to God. True giving is ‘praying with the pocket’ and sadly, the last part of many people to be converted is his/her pocket.
Let’s consider: Do I give money willingly and generously, or only grudgingly and sparingly? |
2. Prayer A soldier nearly drowned when his canoe capsized near a waterfall. As water sept him towards impending death, the Lord’s Prayer flashed into his mind and he began to pray. Suddenly he experienced a burst of energy and the feeling of a greater presence than himself. He battled the water with new strength and reached safety just in time.
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His experience makes me ask: What about my prayerful contact with God? When was it strongest in my life? What keeps it from being strong now? Whoever has lost contact with God lives on the same dead-end street as the person who denies God’s existence.
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3. FastingI have known many people giving up sugar or cakes etc for Lent who have prayed for it to end quickly as they were so miserable. We must fast or abstain (do without) for God and not for our own benefit – and any money saved should go to a good cause and not ourselves.
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Isaiah brought God’s people face to face with their hypocrisy when he said they were simply observing outward discipline without any substance.
He said: “Share your bread with the hungry! Shelter the homeless!” |
So Lent is a time to examine our motives for giving money, praying and fasting. Giving money shouldn’t be a display of my generosity but out of concern for others. Prayer is not offered to win approval, but as an experience God’s love for me and mine for Him and fasting is to show sorrow for the sin of self-indulgence and has no value if I do it only to let others know how holy I am.
So let us this Lent contradict the words of Tolstoy and remember that if humanity is going to change, we must first think of changing ourselves.
Happy Lent!
So let us this Lent contradict the words of Tolstoy and remember that if humanity is going to change, we must first think of changing ourselves.
Happy Lent!
February 2022
We begin February with the feast of Candlemass - the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, 40 days after his birth.
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He was declared “a light to enlighten the Gentiles” by an old man named Simeon. In Jesus’ teaching we are each called to be a light in the world.
I hope St Mary’s can reflect the light of Jesus more and more in 2022. |
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I believe the following quote sums up my hopes:
To all who are weary and seek rest:
To all who mourn and long for comfort:
To all who struggle and desire victory:
To all who sin and seek a Saviour:
To all who are idle and look for service:
To all who are strangers and want fellowship:
To all who hunger and thirst after righteousness
– and to whomsoever comes –
This church opens wide her doors in the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and says to all of you:
‘WELCOME! WELCOME!’
We shall be offering Bible Studies by Zoom during February and March, based on what we can learn from the Seven Churches of Asia in the Book of Revelation.
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We need to hear afresh what the Risen Christ has to say to his people. It would be easy to use the tough messages to the seven churches as a peg on which to hang complaints about our village church, and I do not wish to do that.
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As we study the verdict of the Risen Christ on the life of first century Christians, we will see aspects of our own church life mirrored in theirs. I hope we shall hear his challenge and take up the promise of renewal.
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Today’s Church is under fire from many directions – for being restrictive rather than liberating; for not responding enough to the needs of others; for being out of touch with young people; for lack of vision; for being too inward-looking.
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The author of the Book of Revelation knows the churches intimately and understands what they face. More importantly, Christ himself understands. He is calling them to bear witness faithfully in the face of everything that threatens them. In Revelation the number 7 symbolises completeness, so the 7 Churches symbolize the whole Church.
Each Church needs to listen to what God may want to say to it and what it can learn from God’s message to others…for the particular danger which may have befallen one Church is potentially a danger for any Church
January 2022
There is a story about a leader of a certain Native American Indian tribe, whose people had been encamped for generations at the base of a large mountain. He was dying and summoned his 3 sons to say,
“I am dying. Before I die I must choose one of you to succeed me as head of our tribe. I want you to climb our holy mountain and bring back something beautiful. The one whose gift is the most outstanding will be the one who will succeed me.” |
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One son brought back a rare and beautiful flower. The second son returned with a valuable stone. However, the third came back empty handed. He said to his father, “ I have brought nothing back to show you, Father. I stood on top of the holy mountain and I saw that the other side was a beautiful land filled with pastures and a lake. I was so overwhelmed that our tribe could go there for a better life that I could not bring anything back.”
“You will be the tribe’s new leader,” said the old man. “You have brought back the most precious thing of all – the gift of a better vision for a better future.”
This story sums up my hopes for 2022.
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We begin the year by celebrating Epiphany (on 2nd January this year). We commemorate how Jesus appeared to the nations, represented by the Wise men, who came ‘from the East’ and were not Jewish. Traditionally one has been depicted as Asian, one African and one European.
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They presented different gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. They each had different personalities and came from different countries with different cultures but arrived together to honour the King of all.
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We must learn that we, too should be like Jesus and be open to everyone without drawing lines between “them” and “us” or ‘grading’ people in importance by colour or race. In the dark of their night they saw the star, the new hope for a better world. That star brought out something in them that made them travel all the way from where they were to Jesus.
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It was their hope that made their trip possible.
I pray that we may begin 2022 with a better vision for a better future and experience the love of God revealed in Jesus.
I pray that we may begin 2022 with a better vision for a better future and experience the love of God revealed in Jesus.
Happy New Year, Everyone!
Charities we support at Christmasstide
St Martin’s Housing Trust, Norwich – More than a home for the homeless.
At just 14 Alison ran away from home in Lowestoft and ended up in a children’s home in Liverpool. She said, “They got in touch with my mum to say I was there and she said, ‘Keep her!’” From then onwards Ali fended for herself.
St Martin’s Housing Trust, Norwich – More than a home for the homeless.
At just 14 Alison ran away from home in Lowestoft and ended up in a children’s home in Liverpool. She said, “They got in touch with my mum to say I was there and she said, ‘Keep her!’” From then onwards Ali fended for herself.
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When she first made contact with St Martin’s she stayed at ‘Somewhere Safe to Stay Hub’, where she was given a bed for a few days. She then moved on to Bishopsbridge House where she helped transform the garden into a beautiful space.
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She has since moved into a shared house in the community with support from St Martin’s.
There is concern over 2022 because of the end of furlough, and the removal both of the Universal Credit uplift and the eviction ban. Given that the life expectancy of a man on the streets is 47 and only 43 for a woman, loss of life amongst people experiencing homelessness is common.
We are fortunate that Graham and Anita maintain a close link with St Martin’s on our behalf. We shall continue to collect socks, gloves, hats etc. until Christmasstide ends on 9th January.
There is concern over 2022 because of the end of furlough, and the removal both of the Universal Credit uplift and the eviction ban. Given that the life expectancy of a man on the streets is 47 and only 43 for a woman, loss of life amongst people experiencing homelessness is common.
We are fortunate that Graham and Anita maintain a close link with St Martin’s on our behalf. We shall continue to collect socks, gloves, hats etc. until Christmasstide ends on 9th January.
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Christian Aid
Our Crib Appeal concludes on 9th January. |
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Over the last decade the effects of the Climate Crisis have been growing more devastating for families in South Sudan, where more than 1,066,000 people have been affected by severe floods. Not only are many families facing hunger but with fragile water sources contaminated, the risk of deadly waterborne illnesses increase.
Christian Aid has been able to provide 32,000 with access to safe drinking water; 11,500 safe hygienic sanitation and 1,900 households with training in improved agricultural practices. Chrisitan Aid uses our donations for such projects and where they consider the need is greatest. We are grateful to Val Arnold for her work on our behalf over many years in organizing collections and appeals for Christian Aid |
Please give generously.
We have so much to be thankful for. As Mother Teresa said,
‘It is only a drop in the ocean, but the ocean is richer for it.’
We have so much to be thankful for. As Mother Teresa said,
‘It is only a drop in the ocean, but the ocean is richer for it.’
