by Sr Ann Catherine Swailes
“And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.”
He wasn’t one for talking, the old man.
And yet, it seemed to me his quiet sang,
As though a word, some mighty, labouring word
faltered beside him, and he shouldered it
In silence, made that burden his,
Then chanted it throughout his stumbling life.
NOTES BY SR.VALERY O.P FROM A COMMUNITY RETREAT given by Fr. Benedict Jonak O.P Friday Feb.26 2018
Prayer, Fr.Benedict began, is essentially something for spiritual beings: angels and ourselves. Creation as a whole praises God by being the beautiful, ordered thing it is. It praises, but it does not pray. Only spiritual beings, gifted with intellects, are able to communicate with their Maker, are invited, through the sacrifice of Jesus, God’s Son, even to be friends of God. Christian prayer is IN JESUS and we offer our prayer with Jesus.
Why did you, Lord of all,
Incarnate God,
Choose to be called, and be, a carpenter?
Why did you not,
When dwelling on the earth
which you had made
Choose more to love it with a tiller’s heart?
Or with the fisherman to cast your lot?
Surely that would have been more fitting art
For one who came to draw
With loving skill, all men into his bark?
Why did you choose
To ply your trade in wood?
Was it because, like a wise warrior,
You did desire to learn
With mind, heart, human hand
The rough grained medium of your victory?
by Sr Jadwiga Swiatecka
by Sr Ann Swailes
The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.
For those of us who still haven’t quite decided on our Lenten penance, we could do worse than follow the suggestion of the Revd. Alan Franks, vicar of Ambridge, who, in last Sunday’s episode of the Archers, I’m reliably informed, encouraged his parishioners to give up complaining for the next forty days and forty nights. It is good advice. However, I’m going to ignore it, and begin this reflection with a complaint,