Today we had the blessing of having a day of retreat! It allowed me a little extra time for musical creativity. I had put this little song down a few years ago but sang it once and let it there. Given that today is Good Shepherd Sunday, Vocations Sunday, I thought it would be appropriate to wipe the dust off it and tweak it a little. The words are adapted from Psalm 22/23 (depending on your version!)It still needs some work but as they say, God loves a trier!
Hope you enjoy it!
When I look at the mosaic of my life and all the people who compose it. God’s hand gathering lives of colour to form a masterpiece, a body, cell by cell. Tiny little pieces put together colour by colour and forging something unforgettable, something that fits perfectly into the master plan, God’s handiwork where his grace allowed our paths to meet in life. Reflecting back upon the years of my life, I have found that the pieces fit perfectly, not always by my doing and not always by my understanding. Happiness and pain fitting together because one can’t know one without the other. The ups and downs, the ins and outs, all mean there is a perfect balance somewhere and we spend our waking hours searching for it, knowing that we are restless until we rest in God. Each one of you here today would merit a personal ‘thank you’ : by your presence, your accompaniment, you remind me that this vocation is not my vocation but a vocation for the Church, for the world, for each o...
In the old rite of the Mass, at the time of the consecration the priest would lean over on the altar, almost as if he was leaning on the heart of Christ. Even today, some priests still carry out this gesture. This is a beautiful thought because the most powerful heartbeat of Christ is heard when we come and receive Him in the Eucharist and sit with Him in silent Adoration before his Eucharistic presence. St. Augustine tells us that: “Because God has made us for Himself, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.” To enter God’s Heart, to rest on His heart, takes only a moment of quiet prayer. These moments will make a difference. The first biography of a saint which I read was that of St. Faustina. Actually, it was her diary on Divine Mercy. I was about 17 years old and it really touched my soul and placed within me a deep desire for holiness and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. From the Christ Child, St. Faustina learned a most important lesson for her ...
Icon of Friendship Last week I received a beautiful surprise parcel in the post containing an icon and a book. Those who know me know that this almost equates to being Christmas for me: books and icons, both on my list of 10 favourite things! The icon was one I had actually never seen before and was a gift from Taize, a copy of the Coptic icon which belonged to Brother Roger Schultz, the former prior there. The original icon dates from seventh century Eygpt and is usually referred to as “Christ with the believer” but is just as frequently referred to as “the icon of friendship”. Although simple in its presentation, it is nevertheless a sophisticated image. Jesus is shown putting His arm around the shoulder of a friend; this man is called Menas, but he represents each one of us. Jesus does not face Menas, rather He stands alongside him; He accompanies him, sharing in the burdens of life. In His left arm Jesus holds the Scriptures, God’s word. The word tells the story of the love b...
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