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Whilst the momentum of Mass and prayer each day has continued at St Mary’s during the Easter Octave (and will do so in the days to come!) we took a little break with our daily online prayer posts – but now we’re back in the room! Each day, our post offers a brief reflection onContinue reading “Back in the room!”

Many years ago, a friend of mine served Christmas dinner to a number of families living in a very poor area.  He was joined by others, including a nun who soon rushed into the kitchen rather flustered.  “We haven’t served the starter yet, and they’ve eaten the after dinner mints!” The formality of some diningContinue reading “Day 28: Intimate Holiness”

“In the beginning, when the work started,” wrote St Teresa of Calcutta, “I got a fever and had a dream about St Peter.  He said to me, “No, there is no place for you here.  No slums in heaven.”  “All right,” I answered him, “then I shall go on working.  I’ll bring the people fromContinue reading “Day 25: No slums in heaven”

Back to Christmas, and the carols we weren’t allowed to sing! One of the favourites is from a poem written by Christina Rossetti called In the bleak mid-winter.  The last verse goes:  “What can I give him poor as I am if I were a shepherd I would give a lamb.  If I were aContinue reading “Day 24: What can I give him?”

We are careful what we touch now, sanitize surfaces to stop the spread of a virus, to keep each other safe.  The Mass is so tactile, so physical and, for the time being, we have lost those small symbols and signs which come so naturally to us.  The water stoops are empty.  No peace isContinue reading “Day 23: Three kisses”

Each day I feed the birds, amazed by how much they can eat, and how many times during the day I have to refill the feeders.  We have created a ‘Wild Side’ at St Mary’s, setting aside part of our gardens as a nurturing spot for the natural world – for their good and forContinue reading “Day 21: A world of waste and want”

It’s estimated that 1.4 trillion photographs will be taken in the world this year, and I wonder how many of those will be selfies! Whatever relationship we have with ourselves, however we think we look, we are often fascinated by ourselves.  In a group photograph our eyes will naturally scan to find ourselves first, toContinue reading “Day 20: A Mystery to Ourselves”

My mother would often get mad when people compared one of her children to the other suggesting perhaps that I should be more like my older brother in following his best behaviour.  For her, we were unique and not to be measured by the other.  We’ve all turned out rather differently.  Years into adulthood, myContinue reading “Day 19: Good for us”

“I am the Bread of Life,” said Jesus. When he uses these words he places himself within the story of Israel’s wilderness years, their escape from slavery, their time of God given gifts in the desert, gifts which feed them as they wander, seeking the promised land. The following reflection feasts on those words andContinue reading “Day 6: The Bread of Life”

Ground-breaking Read “Jesus and his disciples went as far as Capernaum, and as soon as the sabbath came he went to the synagogue and began to teach. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.   In their synagogue just then there was a man possessedContinue reading “Sunday 31 January 2021”