THE FOUR EVANGELISTS

 

Matthew plays the role of the whole human race; Mark roars like the loud voice of a lion through the wilderness; Luke holds the office of the priesthood with the face of an ox; Flying like an eagle, John reaches for the stars with his word Hoc Matthaeus agens hominem generaliter implet; Marcus ut alta fremit uox per deserta leonis; Iura sacerdotii Lucas tenet ore iuuenci; More uolans aquilae uerbo petit astra Iohannes. Coelius Sedulius

DO NOT ARGUE

 

2 Timothy 2:23-24

"But keep away from foolish and ignorant arguments, you know that they end up in quarrels. As the Lord's servant, you must not quarrel."

BE PATIENT

 

"We do not like to hear the phrase "be patient!" in a world in which being active or achieving is seen as an absolute value. We tend to think that being patient means being passive, doing nothing. But patience can be a very active way of being, which allows us to live in and see the beauty of this moment.

"The modern-day spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle, captures this well when he writes: "In today's rush we all think too much, seek too much, want too much and forget about the joy of just being."

The Prophet Habakkuk "slowly learns to allow things to unfold in their own time. He is taught to be patient.

"Patience means to wait, hold back and allow things to unfold. We often want to complete what we are doing. We want to move on and tackle the next task. We hold onto the false notion that getting things done proves we are somehow valuable and worthwhile.

"When we live like this, we can so easily miss the beauty of the moment . . .

"We lose a moment in time, a part of our lives that can never be repeated because once it is past, it is gone.

"When we are impatient, we stand the chance of losing our very selves.

"Today, can you practice living in the beauty of the moment? Like the Prophet Habakkuk, what do you need to let go of for things to unfold in their own time?"

Excerpts from "It will not fail but will be fulfilled in due time. If it delays, wait for it", Jesuit Institute Reflection 29 September 2020, by Fr Russell Pollitt, SJ. 

“It will not fail but will be fulfilled in due time. If it delays, wait for it.” - Jesuit Institute South Africa

With thanks to Reflections Archives, www.jesuitinstitute.org.za

Lilies - with thanks to free clipart

THE ANGELS DANCE

 

Creation - and the Spirit of God danced over the face of the waters . . . (Genesis 1:2)

The Angels dance

     at my feet

          Saith the Lord;

These great Mighty Spirits

    Like wafts of wind

         from the mountain-tops,

             sparkle across the universe near my feet

In rainbowchequered colours of love,

        hymn, worship, honour, praise

In an ecstasy of love and bliss

    and pouring out of spirit before me,

         enfolding me, enwrapping me,

                turning me, enchanting me

Casting handfuls of stars throughout eternity and

            The misty darkness and the radiating lightfulness

                  of the universe in a cascade of goldenshower

                     and praise, mighty beings in ecstasy of

                          lovingprayer and praise and mindfulworship

                                of love and the song and hymn

                                      of its beauty and enchantingmysteriousness

                                           is joyous in my sight,

                                                  Saith the Lord.

My mystics bow and dance, and sing, and hum,

            and turn in chiffonsilks of golden prayer and praise

                 before me, and anchoresses and anchorites

                      and writers and gospel-authors and musicians

                           and pray-ers and theologians and Mass-

                               celebrators and carpenters and cobblers and 

                                    jugglers and nurses and doctors and

                                         poets and orchestra-players and barrow-owners

                                              and orangesellers and veterinarians

                                                     dance before my feet,

                                                            Saith the Lord.

And as my Mighty Lord says this to me

        In splendour and wonder and delight and love and

               happiness I see the whole universe begin to

                    gyrate and turn, and twist, and revolve in

                         dark and showerstarred light.

And I whirl before the place of my Lord,

    Softly; softly; all falls quiet

        And the universe settles

             And the beings silence

                  And I dance; dance; oh, I dance and

                        I sing before my Lord.

And He smiles,

      face of joy,

           as I dance in spirit and

                the love of God twists and turns in mighty

                    songs of light and vapours of love and

                         beauty of soul.

                              God the Almighty is One.

And at the end

      He - my mighty Lord -

          turns His Hands,

                and begins to dance,

                       The dance of His creation.

And, as He dances

        We - his created - 

              rejoice at the beauty, and the joy

                   and the innocence of it all - 

                        The innocence of my Lord.

The Angels dance

      before my feet -

            Saith the Lord.

Catherine Nicolette Whittle

                             

THE WOMEN AT CALVARY

 

Women prepare spices for Christ's burial

With sinking hearts and minds disturbed and sad,

They follow the rough crowd along the road,

They see the mocking soldiers, priests and guards,

They see the Master with His heavy load,

A yearning tugs their hearts, "What can we do?"

For priestly power yields naught but pain and loss

Yet clinging to vain hope, they follow still - 

Those brave and faithful women of the Cross.

And even when their feeblest hope is dead,

The temple veil is rent, His Spirit gone.

And all seems dark, the Master's tomb is sealed

And doubly watched - their glorious faith lives on.

They take their herbs, His Body to embalm,

Roll back the stone! The stone that speaks of doom,

But Mary hears a voice - the living Christ

Has justified the women at the tomb.

And so throughout the passing of the years

Has God been speaking oft to womankind,

And by a mother's word - a mother's love

Has saved some wand'ring soul to sin resigned;

And many Marys and their sisters true

Have, through a ministry of love outpoured,

Been faithful to those brave and saintly few

And proved themselves true women of the Lord.

                                                    Douglas Blain

Faith for Daily Living, Number 491 - March/April 2019, Page 3

 From"The Cross in Poetry and Prayer" ed. A.C. Blain

WITH TOWEL AND BASIN

 

"It has been a long day. Jerusalem is packed with Passover guests.

The disciples enter, one by one, and take their places around the table. On the wall hangs a towel. And on the floor sits a pitcher and a basin. Any one of the disciples could volunteer for the job, but not one does.

After a few moments, Jesus stands and removes His outer cloak. He wraps a servant's girdle around His Waist, takes up the basin and kneels before one of the disciples. He unlaces a sandal and gently lifts the foot and places it in the basin, covers it with water, and begins to bathe it. One by one, one grimy foot after another, Jesus works His way down the row.

I looked for a Bible translation that reads, "Jesus washed all the disciples' feet except the feet of Judas", but I couldn't find one. What a passionate moment when Jesus lifts the feet of His betrayer and washes them in the basin! Within hours the feet of Judas, cleansed by the kindness of the One he will betray, will stand in Caiaphas' court.

Behold the gift Jesus gives His followers! By morning they will bury their heads in shame and look down at their feet in disgust. And when they do, He wants them to remember how His Knees knelt before them and He washed their feet. He wants them to realize those feet are still clean. 'You don't understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later" (Jn 13:7).

Remarkable. He forgave their sin before they even committed it. He offered mercy before they even sought it." 

Max Lucado.

From "Faith for Daily Living", Number 491 - March/April 2019 Page 2. (Reproduced from The Messenger, St John's United Church, Pietermaritzburg)

JUST BREATHE

 

"Breathe in the life of God by praying."

Lesli Anderson (Minnesota)

From "Upper Room Daily devotional guide May - June 2006" page 31