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Fisherman

Today (July 25th) is the feast day of St. James the great, Apostle & Martyr.
Chosen by Jesus, as one of the first 4 of the disciples, he was also the first disciple to be Martyred
– to die as witness for his faith in Jesus Christ.

St Matthew’s Gospel records his call by Jesus in this way: Matthew 4: 18-22

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Fisherman

Staring across the waters,
fingers gathering broken strands of net,
you carefully made them whole again,
gently working the ends,
closing up the escape routes of the hard caught fish.
Deftly mending as easy as breathing.
Your eyes rested on the waves now lapping the beach,
Remembering more fierce times when skill and nerve
alone would save the day.
You were a fisherman.
Along with father Zebedee and young brother John,
part of a community with neighbours
bound by love and the limitations of your trade.
But as the waves caressed the shore
a faint whisper reached your ears and changed your life.
With a hallmark pun you would soon know well,
a voice spoke to your heart,
“Fisherman, come! You are going to fish for men.”
And women and children too!

[Mr G]
St James’ Day 25^th July 2023

Mary of Magdala

Today, July 22nd, Christians celebrate the Feast of St Mary Magdale.
Here is a short reflective prayer.

Father, may we joyfully celebrate Mary Magdalene
and give thanks that you appointed her as your Apostle
in the Garden of Easter morning.
In her you kindled a fire of love for Christ,
whose word had set her free.
You gave her the courage of love
to follow him even to the cross.
Seeking her teacher after his death,
so great was her longing
that you made her the first to behold him
risen from the dead,
and the first to announce to the apostles
his new and glorious risen life.
Her words still ring throughout your Church,
to strengthen faith and encourage hope.
Stir up afresh the Good News of Jesus, our Risen Lord,
that our hearts may be filled with deep joy as we recognize him
as ‘Rabbouni’, our Lord and King.
Like Mary Magdalene may each of us tell that joy to all whose lives we touch.
In the Name of him who knows and call us by Name.
We pray this prayer.

(part of this prayer is based on the Proper Preface for the Eucharist on St. Mary Magdalene’s day)

[Mr G]

Prayer for the Human Race

Josefina de Vaconcellos. *The fled by night. [detail]*
photo by Mr G. Statue is in Cartmel Priory in the Lake District.

A Prayer for the Human Race

This week, the British Parliament has passed the Illegal Immigration Bill (aptly if mistakenly named!).
It seeks to curb refugees from arriving illegally via the English Channel.
The Bill is part of measures aimed at curbing those seeking asylum in the United Kingdom.
Some would see these measures as illegal in themselves and members of the House of Lords sought to amend the Bill to make it more humane. These amendments mostly failed. One of the leaders in seeking such amendments to the Bill was the Archbishop of Canterbury.
What is at stake is how we treat each other. So below is a prayer which applies to the whole human race in our dealings with each other.

The Statue by Josefina is inspired by verses in St Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 2.
Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus are seeking safety in Egypt . They are escaping the tyranny of King Herod.
He represents the many who followed him throughout history, as tyrants, despots, dictators and destroyers of humanity, not to mention wholesale destruction of creation, and life itself. Herod, seeing a threat to his power, after a visit from the Magi, or Wise Men,determines to seek out Jesus and kill him. In the process he murders all in innocent babies in his land. Despots and seekers of power stop at nothing.
The Holy Family stand as Icons for those who have fled their homelands to seek for safety and welcome. They are a reminder of the of the vast movement of humanity who, at any one time, are wandering and seeking a home, shelter, love and care as they escape danger imposed on their lives by others.
Most of these journeys are caused by fellow humans who seem incapable of living peaceably with others. Some of these are seekers of power and often rule by force, cruelty and by destroying all opposition.

Our Planet is in a very sorry state right now and almost all that is wrong with it is due to action by the human race. Also, of course, by our inaction, because if we worked together it could be an amazing place to live. Maybe those species who take over from us when we have destroyed ourselves, will do it differently. There is,however, time for us to make a difference but it will demand a complete change of heart and a repentance which will rely on faith, love and a renewal of kindness.

The prayer below reminds us that we are all part of this. None of us is exempt from a duty of care, being seekers of justice, and welcomers of all in need.
With some slight adaption, the prayer can be prayed by people of differing faiths and as a multi-faith intention to work together for our planet’s good.Ultimately, we all belong to each other and to God, however we express that.
Genuine, hearfelt prayer always leads to deepening of purpose, a bursting forth of love, and a commitment to peace, justice, compassion and dedication to the common good.Out of that journey by the Holy Family to Egypt came an amazing commitment on the part of God to love us all and open us to love in return.
You could say that in fleeing by night the human race fled into universal love under God. It just takes a deep humility to express that!

[Mr G. Prayer is in the public domian]

Papaver

This photo is of poppies in a Dutch garden of my relatives in Lindelaan, near The Hague. They are headlined, Danielle’s Poppies and the photograph was taken by Marijke and Piet, friends of our family.

Our tears came like drops of blood
when in that garden of destruction
men died in trenches and the mud.
The Somme was void of living,
towns laid waste, homes wrecked,
people empty.

In the rubble of humanity we hid our seed,
our flowers the grave-markers of friend and foe:
a bitter proclamation of a conflict that needs remembering.
Blood red poppies – stained with futility.

But there is more.

Long ago, on a far away hill,
blood drenched the ground where a young warrior
offered up not myriad victims, but himself.
From a wooden cross, his death became his weapon.
Red – the colour of blood and of love –
transforming hatred and pointlessness
into peace and meaning.

Blood red poppies – we are heraldic flowers;
calling all to a new way,
a way of re-membering:
of piecing together all that is good,
peaceful and true.

A resurrected sign of God’s love.

[Mr G 14^th July 2023]

Inspired by a visit to the Somme and working alongside the Royal British Legion.
Dedicated to the people of Ukraine.