Tag: Photo Gill Henwood

St Chad

Lindisfarne, Evening Sun. Photograph by Gill Henwood.

St Cædda (St Chad) is commemorated on March 2^nd.
When St Oswald sent to Iona for a monk to open up his people to the love of God in Jesus Christ, the community ultimately sent Aidan (the first monk they sent turned out to be rather disappointing!) Aidan established his monastery on Lindisfarne, in Northumberland, known today as Holy Island. It was made holy, consecrated to God, by the mission St Aidan began. He first trained up 12 Anglo-Saxon boys in the faith, in prayer and in the ways of God. Of these, four were brothers. Two we know of because of their missionary work and because the Venerable Bede wrote of them. St Chad, after a time in the North-East of England, took the Gospel to the Midlands, establishing a church in Mercia at what is now Lichfield. His brother Cedd took the Gospel to Essex and then Lastingham in North Yorkshire. When Cedd died, Chad continued his work there.

Today Chad’s mission and ministry lives on in Lichfield Cathedral and Diocese, in the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Birmingham, in parishes and schools dedicated to him and in the College which bears his name in the University of Durham.

I couldn’t find a poem about him, so I wrote this one in honour of his saint’s day today.

Cædda (St Chad)

He found his place of Resurrection
deep in the Mercian woods,
near the church he founded.
Here, angels sang prayers of preparation,
bringing joyful messages from on high.
He heard his Lord, quietly whispering to him.
“Cædda, it is time.
You must come home now.”

It had been a great adventure,
beginning on that far off day when,
with Cedd and Cynbil and Caelin,
he crossed the Northumbrian water
following the calling Cross,
the hymns of birds and seals,
and the lapping mantra of waves,
to a place of welcome and warmth
and the great man who waited for them.

There were twelve in the end,
a band of brothers learning to get on together.
Celtic words taught to Anglo-Saxon minds,
merging with the language of Love.
Excitement and joy,
as slowly, but wonderfully,
they heard the words of God
swirling across the headland:
eddying Gospel syllables
bringing holiness to Cædda’s soul.

It was there, on that far shore,
that he found the dawn of his Resurrection.

[Mr G.]
St Chad’s Day March 2^nd 2024

There will be a slight delay.

Photo of Daffodils in the Lake District by Gill Henwood

These Daffodils were ready to greet Spring when the weather changed. As in North America and Canada and in much of Europe it has not been a great week for the weather here in the United Kingdom, especially in the West and North of England, Wales and Scotland.This photo by my friend Gill should help to keep us focussed on the Spring to come.

Meanwhile, I’ve written a short poem:

Slight delay

There will be a slight delay.
Swirling gyre of wild, wind -tossed storm,
Angry voices demand a hearing.
You prefer not to be silenced !

You were unexpected.
Our hospitality was found wanting.
We were dressed for other visitors,
our spring-like colours,
green, yellow, crisp white
a tinge of orange,
were wasted on you.

As we hurriedly tried to close our door,
and fold our petals,
you crashed your wild cacophany into us.
We feared the worst, but fretful snow,
landing shakily in the turbulence
of a temper-tantrum of whirling sound ,
came hastily, flake by flake,
until we were safe and warm
and waiting
for that moment soon when we will trumpet
joyful Spring.

Mr G
10^th March 2-23

Winter Iris

My friend Gill has shared with me photos of the Winter Iris, Iris Unguicularis, growing in her Cumbrian garden at this time of year. This clump forming iris has tiny rhizomes and long, narrow, sword shaped evergreen leaves. It grows wild throughout the Mediterranean area where it is naturally winter flowering. It is extremely variable both in flower colour and size. It is native to dry, sunny soils and flowers best against a sunny wall where it can be left to form large clumps. Ideal then for the Lake District at this time of year! The Iris in Gill’s garden is, however, unaware of the restrictions on its growth and just gets on with it anyway! Which brings joy to us.

Winter Iris

Nature never sleeps.
It just rests awhile drawing breath.
Look around you,
see the green shoots pushing at the hardened ground.

Ah, we might sigh, beauty is a pinprick of light in the cold earth.
Our ancient ones saw this time as hovering
between darkness and light.
Earth is poised between Winter and the journey towards Spring.
The sky begins to lighten.
Soil gives birth to snowdrop,
aconite, hellebore; crocus; daffodil,
all puncture the seemingly sleeping ground.
Early budding of trees as
nature yawns, stretching its arms,
drawing us into the embrace of renewing life.

There among the signs is Iris unguicularis,
Winter Iris.
She brings to our attention her warm history,
Infancy spent in North Africa, Syria, Mediterranean climes
Holy Land perhaps.

We sense the warmth of her hope that
nature will dust away all dregs of human darkness,
pointing us to the light and the beauty
the wisdom, passion and purity of faith,
which transforms.

[Mr G]

Photo: Gill Henwood