Word in the Hand

Gospel Matthew 5:1-12 Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them: ‘How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Happy the gentle: they shall have the earth for their heritage. Happy those who mourn: they shall be comforted. Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall be satisfied. Happy the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them. Happy the pure in heart: they shall see God. Happy the peacemakers: they shall be called sons of God. Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’ These are the Beatitudes, part of the Sermon on the Mount, and possibly the most difficult of all of Jesus’ teachings to rea...

Gospel Luke 18:1-8 Jesus told his disciples a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. ‘There was a judge in a certain town’ he said ‘who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. In the same town there was a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, “I want justice from you against my enemy!” For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, “Maybe I have neither fear of God nor respect for man, but since she keeps pestering me I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.”’ And the Lord said ‘You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’ A strange Gospel this; mostly because of the insinuation that we can get whatever we want from God just by nagging. ...

You care for me as a shepherd for a lamb; Finding fields of  fragrant clover; Pools of clear water; A haven for my soul. With You I walk in ways of truth. Death holds no fear for me; Depths of despair will not bind me; For you have not left me alone; You guard me with weapons of truth and justice. You feed me with the Bread of Life; Despite those who rage against me; Blessed by your Love; I can ask for no more. Every day of my life is filled with You; My resting place in Your arms Forever. wordinthehand 2010 in response to the Round Robin Challenge http://outmavarin.blogspot.com/

As for the holy and noble men of the land, in them is all my delight.

never let the sun set on your anger

The Hermitage - Assisi Who knows how long a walk? Wrong shoes, no directions, no water in the middle of the day- the faith of a fool. But there is an intent for this walk - a journey towards a leaving behind. The ego, the little I,  the needy needing to be needed;  and for what? To prove that I am ‘good for something’; that I have a right to exist? God’s been doing the hard work again –waiting - waiting for me to recognise myself in Him. To realise that I may be an outsider but I am not outcast – not from God’s Love; not from Christ’s Body. To know that being ‘useless’ means being available to the Spirit’s desire. To understand that I can only be ‘useful’ to God by being empty,  by being vulnerable. And. Lord, seeing this, knowing this, does not make it easy.  Not for a Martha like me. But in this sacred space filled with the humility and devotion of Francis  I may find my own place at your table. So I thank you, Lord, fo...

Gospel Luke 17:5-10   The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you. ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.” ’     A friend of mine gave me some acorns that he had collected at sacred places whilst on pilgrimage. The idea was that I would make them into prayer beads. A lovely idea, I thought -a connection with place, heart and spirit. ...