Whare has our Lent gone?

Haven't they been showing us the way?   This picture was taken at the beginning of Lent, at the Vatican.  It was the time when Bishop Erik Varden, a Trappist, was leading Pope Leo, an Augustinian, on a Lenten retreat.  For me, this could easily be the photo of the year for it shows two great men together in a most revealing pose, one of listening, of engaging in real conversation.  Isn't this a pose of leadership in a world where people just shoot from the hip, full stop.  

In his last reflection, Varden prophetically shared.  

"Christ calls us to communicate hope to the world. To have Christian hope is not necessarily to be an optimist. A Christian forswears wishful thinking, making a determined option for the real. Demagogues promise that things will get better. They claim demiurgical power to change communities within an electoral term, distracting the masses from felt disappointments by hand-outs of bread, tickets to circuses, and defamations of adversaries. 

How different are Christ’s words. He tells us, ‘The poor you will always have with you.’ He affirms that nation will rise against nation. Persecutions will come. A man’s enemies will be members of his own household. There is no lame resignation in these statements. The Lord obliges us, his disciples, to labour without respite for a new, healthy humanity formed by charity, in justice. He tells us to ‘cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons’. We are to enact the beatitudes, making the glory hidden within them shine. But as we go about this we are reminded: ‘Without me you can do nothing.’  

Christ is the light of the nations.  He alone, doing the Father’s will, acting in the Spirit, can renew the face of the earth. In him we put our trust, not in passing stratagems.  He can act through us if we consent to being patient. Lent shows us that God, suffering the wound of his philanthropy, is at his most active in his Passion. The hope he entrusts to us is not hope in a finally modernised, digitised, sanitised Vale of Tears. Our hope is in a new heaven, a new earth, in the resurrection of the dead.  

The time in which we live is hungry to hear this hope proclaimed." 

I read this and am left speechless.  What can I add to that?   What do I need to add?  Words are not needed.  It is time rather to continue our Lenten fast for time is left and there is much to ponder, much to do. Happy Lent!

Slainte!

This week sees St Patrick's Day.   On this day, I am always reminded of Pat Codd, our novice master, who would tell us - "Gentlemen, St Patrick's Day is a non Lenten day for the Irish.  So enjoy."  

Some traditions of Church should never be lost, especially ones that are so human and show us how to be human towards each other.  The little traditions like a school picnic on a feast day, an ice-cream on a special anniversary, all these make a difference, telling us that life is special and worth living    

In our world, we get caught up in so many -isms that tell us how we should be and who we should we be.  Truth is that none of them works. 

Materialism tells us it is about what we have that gives us worth.  

Individualism tells us that we are more than enough on our own.      

Secularism tells us that we go it alone in the universe. 

Colonialism tells us that we have control over others.

Imperialism tells us that we have power to do whatever we want. 

These, and more, are all alive in our world, and even our Church may I venture to consider. 

None of this is to say that this is a bad world, for it is not.  Good religion ever puts the message before us, in lights, that this world is a good place to be.  Can we see that?  Or we blinded by the ignorance and foolishness so often pushed forward in our world?  

The simple things matter.  The simple things counter the '-isms' that rule our world.  The 'Pat Codds' of our life, telling us to enjoy life in little, friendly and good ways, remind us of this and that life is good.  We share a destiny.  Life has a meaning and a purpose.  These big and serious truths cannot be lost by our thinking we are too important, too comfortable, too busy, too overcome in our '-ism' ruled world to make time for the small joys of life.  Remember the simple joys make life what it is - a gift from God, a time to be enjoyed.  Slainte!       

Life moves on

Life does move on, and must.  It runs on its own dynamic, neither determined by nor centred upon me or anyone else in the world.  I have been blessed with a miracle.  I am having time to stand back in life, even stand still a little.  This is a life enriching time.  I feel so good.  Then I remember that none of this is going to last forever, but it may be a forever moment, a moment that will carry me into the future.  

A strong part of this whole experience is that it has involved so many people.  Friends, family, our cathedral community, doctors, nurses, chaplaincy - they have all been a part of this miracle.  As I say, life is not a solo Olympic event.  A powerful symbol of this is my walking stick, which has become my constant companion.  It is my symbol of both receiving and giving kindness.  Receiving kindness for, on seeing my need, people have been very kind to me.  Giving kindness for, as I get stronger, I give kindness in return.  Truly, life is a team event.  

By nature of being vulnerable, one is humbled and feels humble. I know this too well.  My formative moment in humility was being bathed by the nurses each morning in the hospital.  Humility is an invaluable and inescapable gift for life's journey.  

Life does move on.  It is hard work and it is challenging.  It is full of falls, but it is also full of opportunity to do good, to make something worthwhile of our lot, and never alone.  And what I have found is that there is surprise after surprise, after surprise. It does move on, but in ways we never imagine possible.  So we know that God is our ever sure companion.