Author: mrgsponderings

The Cross of Christ upon us

The Cross marking the sacred spot where St. Cuthbert prayed.
The small island is known as Cuddy’s Isle. As with Holy Island/Lindisfarne itself,
it becomes an Island cut off by the tide, twice a day.

HOLY CROSS 2023

One of the prayers of Taize sets the scene for Holy Cross Day which many Christians 0bserve on September 14^th:

Through the repentance of our hearts,

And the spirit of simplicity of the beatitudes,

You clothe us with forgiveness, as with a garment.

Enable us to welcome the realities of the Gospel

With a childlike heart,

And to discover your will,

Which is love and nothing else.

Here we are brought to the heart of the Cross’s message – the Victory of love – and not only sin and death are defeated by love but also those other things which afflict our lives and drag us down.
The Irish have a saying – “The Cross of Christ upon us” which means that it is an immediate presence in our lives – a power on which we can call in any time of need or uncertainty.So, a tenth century prayer speaks of :

Christ’s Cross over this face, and thus over my ear. Christ’s cross over these eyes…this mouth. .this side – to accompany me… Christ’s Cross to meet every difficulty.

The Cross becomes a protection – the Saving Sign which they would trace in every danger – usually quietly behind their back. The recognition here is that when our human frailty brings insecurity our security rests in Christ and in the certainty that through His Cross, he has done what we say at every Baptism as we trace the Cross on the forehead:
Christ claims you for his own.
Receive the sign of his Cross
After which we tell the one being baptised to never be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ Crucified, to fight valiantly as a disciple of Christ against sin, the world and the devil and remain faithful to Christ to the end of their life.
But not in their own strength alone. We follow this immediately with a blessing:

May almighty God deliver you from the powers of darkness,
Restore in you the image of his glory,
And lead you in the light and obedience of Christ.

The tracing of the Cross both then and whenever we invoke it is not a magic talisman, nor an empty gesture or a pious practice, but a bringing to our aid the full power of Christ Himself.
To pilgrim in the Cross is to walk in Christ’s Name and to confess Jesus as Lord to the glory of God the Father, to quote the letter of St Paul to the Philippians.
That’s what has driven people to proclaim the victory of the Cross with a certainty that it both symbolizes and makes present Christ’s power of love which converted lives and which, if we believe it, will go on doing so.

[Mr.G]

Cuddy’s Isle at high tide. Photo by my friend Helen Gheorghiu Gould

Swallows go south

**Swallows near Tarn Hows. Gill Henwood**

This is a photo taken by my friend, Gill Henwood, of swallows preparing to leave us for different climes. It is a sure sign that the Season are changing and that Autumn will soon be here. (Though the heatwave in Britain at the moment suggests that there may be a short delay!)

Today I received a letter from another Lakeland friend, Lesley, and she too makes reference to the Swallows. This is what she said:

I have been watching the swallows gathering on the wires that weave this way across gardens and fields. It is interesting to watch the birds jostle to claim and make space on the wires for themselves, some more forcefully than others.

They look so vulnerable. It is hard to imagine the long journey they are preparing to make back to their winter quarters. Soon they’’ll go, flying through difficulties but obviously with an inner certainty about it all. They are held through and beyond the struggles in God’s fantastic plan of Creation.

Even the sparrow find a home
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and My God.
Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise.

[}Psalm 84 v 3-4[]

Lord, your psalmist sings of the birds, the sparrows and the swallows
finding a home and a nest in your presence
where you take care of them with tremendous love.
They fly now to winter pastures but they trust you on that long journey
and they know confidently that you are near them
and enfold them in your love.

May we be filled with that same confidence, trust and faith
wherever our lives journeys take us.
May we find our home in you,
May our song of praise, like the bird song,
sound out in joy and thanksgiving.

[inspired by Psalm 84 v 3]

Consider the Lilies

My friend, Gill Henwood, has sent me photos of a striking lily, growing in her Lakeland garden.
It is known as the Black Lily, though it is generally deep pink/ purple outlined in white – with a green star in the centre which is scented.
It was bred originally about 50 years ago by a plantsman called Leslie Woodriff. It’s pedigree is Lilium speciosum rubrum and Lilium Henryi.
It can reach quite a height in mid to late August.

Like all flowers it has a meaning beyond itself.
Lily flowers are regarded as symbols of purity linked with clarity of thought and sincerity of intention. In vocational terms it can be a symbol of dedication to a spiritual practice or calling. The lily has a long association with the Blessed Virgin Mary whose calling to become the Christ-bearer and instrument of the Incarnation is at the heart of every call to serve God.

Probably because the Lily is associated with devotion and fidelity, it is a flower often chosen by those celebrating their
30^th Wedding Anniversary
It is also referenced in the Jewish faith on the day when thanksgiving is made for the falling of dew. The quotation from Hosea (above) is part of the ritual for that day.

For Christians the primary symbolic understanding of the Lily is connected with the understanding of the death and resurrection of Jesus.For many people, Lilies are associated with funerals and bereavement but this link with death is rooted in the belief in the transformation and transcendence of death and the darkness of the world by the triumph of love by Jesus on the Cross. Add to that the symbol of the lily as a sign of re-birth and it is hardly surprising that the dominant flower associated with Easter is the White Lily whose opening represents the revelation of God’s love for us which is at the heart of Easter. It is new growth, new hope and new beginnings all rolled into one.

The Lily in its various forms, shades and colours is a symbol of joy and beauty bringing a special fragrance into our world, whenever and wherever it flowers.

One final thing – sometimes we can overdo our quest for perfection in our lives and in the things we do. So there is a saying ~ don’t gild the Lily ~
Only God is perfect. Even the gorgeous Lily has its imperfections. So do we but to God it doesn’t matter at all. God loves us come what may and it is love which gilds us so that we shine brightly in God’s eyes.

[Mr G]

photographs by Gill Henwood.

House Martin at home

My friend, Gill Henwood, has sent me a poem she has written about House Martin’s. I want to share it with you.

The house martin is a small bird with glossy blue-black upper parts and pure white under parts. It has a distinctive white rump with a forked tail and, on close inspection, white feathers covering its legs and toes. It spends much of its time on the wing collecting insect prey. The bird’s mud nest is usually sited below the eaves of buildings. They are summer migrants and spend their winters in Africa. Although still numerous and widespread, recent moderate declines earn them a place on the Red List.

To find out more go to the website of the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) and the website of : House Martin Conservation UK & Ireland.

House Martin

Martins, skimming

village churchyard

slicing greensward,

ancient slate stones.

Low under mist

clouds cloaking fell tops

air heavy, moist slate.

Martins twittering,

high above, weaving

open patterns

crossing, three-D.

Warm currents

explosive turning

free to rise

timeless,

mystical magical

summer soaring

ecstasy, flight.

Gill Henwood
Hawkshead
9th August 2023