A message from Fr John

Dear Friends

Good morning - Lord knows where this weather is going. There is one consolation, however. It could be worse!

I was reading a review of book about the great freeze of 1962/63 when the country was almost locked solid for ten weeks. We’re not there yet, but the author was reflecting on how much changed as we emerged from that lockdown; how much attitudes and lifestyles changed, some for the better, some for the worse. I still remember the great threat posed just before then with the Cuban missile crisis - our Year 6 (Junior 4) teacher, Miss Lydon, made us realise the seriousness of the situation for sure - it wasn’t cowboys and Indians! And we prayed.

I wonder if there might be some parallels with our current situation. We too are faced with a lockdown, albeit of a very different kind but in its own way even more threatening, with over 100,000 deaths in this country already. The recent change of Government in USA might, we hope, have averted other kinds of political crises but we have not yet established the stability we need and desire.

However, in those days we had a wonderful Pope, John XXIII, who helped us to see the church’s engagement with the world in a new and fresh way - in a similar way to the teaching of Pope Francis now; a clarion voice appealing for a sense of common humanity and concern for our God-given world. The Church - our parish - has so much to offer. And we will.

And so, now is the time to dig deep and prepare for the ’thaw’. St Bonaventure writes:

‘Return to yourself; enter into your heart; ponder what you were, are, should have been, called to be …. Meditate in your heart; let your spirit brood. Plough this field, work on yourself; strive for freedom within, the freedom that leads to relationship with God, realising that God will never force us to love him … if you are not able to understand (and accept) your own self, you will not be able to understand (or accept) what is beyond you.’

I like that expression - ‘let your spirit brood’. It takes time and a little effort too.

St Joseph, you who knew how to dream and brood, pray for us.

Every blessing

Fr John