Word in the Hand

 St Brigid  - February 1st  Brigid, the saint of hospitality, has many blessings already and the custom of clearing the winter vapours and renewing the spiritual air with a house blessing sealed with a handmade Brigid's Cross is one I have held to for years.  Another blessing will never go amiss. Brigid's Blessing The hand of the Creator God bless this home In its making and its keeping In its holding and its welcoming  In its stones and in its land May the Father bring his strength And the Mother bring her care. May all be blessed and be a blessing to others The hand of the Son of Man bless this home May it be a place where the Child sleeps And the Mother rests May the Christ sit at its table  And walk in its gardens  May his words welcome the stranger May all be blessed and be a blessing to others The hand of the Spirit of God bless this home May her breat...

Gospel Luke 1:1-4,4:14-21  Seeing that many others have undertaken to draw up accounts of the events that have taken place among us, exactly as these were handed down to us by those who from the outset were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, I in my turn, after carefully going over the whole story from the beginning, have decided to write an ordered account for you, Theophilus, so that your Excellency may learn how well founded the teaching is that you have received.   Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout the countryside. He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised him.   He came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written: The spirit of the Lord has been given to...