News and reflections

This reflection is not on the Gospel set for the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity as the service of reflection for today is a Songs of Praise for Bank Holiday. Those present were asked to choose chose a hymn, song or poem that meant a lot to them and to say why that was the case.  The word hymn comes from the Greek word hymnos, songs of praise originally written in honour of their gods, and in the beautiful setting here of the Berwyns, the foothills of Snowdonia, songs of praise seemed appropriate – although thoughts of Nepal and the troubled places of the world were never far away. 

One of the earliest known songs of praise is the Song of Moses in Exodus 15:1-18, 

praising God for the safe passage of the Israelites through the Red or Reed Sea when the waters rolled back, and this is echoed by the Song of Miriam, Aaron’s sister, and the women with her who used tambourines to sing and praise God. The Song of Deborah in Judges 5 and the Song of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2 also praise God, with the Book of Psalms containing 150 Israelite hymns and prayers written by various authors, King David amongst them. 1 Chronicles 16 suggests that harps, lyres, cymbals and trumpets were also used to sing God’s praises before the ark of the covenant. 

That ancient tradition was continued in the New Testament where Mary’s Magnificat in Luke 1 is a song of praise linked with Hannah’s and Matthew writes that Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn – probably one of Psalms 113-118 – at the Last Supper (26:30). St Paul suggested that followers should, “with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to God” (Col. 3:16). What the early church continued from the Old Testament was then developed as the Way spread and the tradition of plainsong began to evolve, usually sung by monks and nuns until the development of the printing press led to access to the words and music for all worshippers. 

Luther later encouraged his congregations to sing and music began to flourish in places of worship although Cromwell banned church organs and many were destroyed. At the Restoration in the late seventeenth century, so few remained that minstrel galleries appeared in churches as local musicians started to play other instruments instead. This lead to a diversity of music, styles and theology developed by later hymn writers such as Isaac Watts, the Wesleys and John Henry Newman. A wonderful array of hymns and songs developed to cheer or console worshippers, often accompanied by thought-provoking theology as well as tuneful melodies and harmonies.

Here in Wales, one of the most popular hymns is Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah, which written by William Williams who was known as the poet laureate of the Welsh Revival. He was an itinerant preacher for 43 years, thought to travel an average of 2230 miles a year round the whole of Wales when transport was difficult, hence seeing himself as ‘pilgrim through this barren land’. ‘Just as I am’ was written in 1834 by Charlotte Bingham who sometimes felt she was of little use because of her disability and wrote the hymn as a statement of hope and faith which appealed to so many others that it was later published in The Invalid’s Hymn Book. The term invalid would be deemed unacceptable today, although the hymn was used by Billy Graham in his rallies, and so is Onward Christian soldiers, thought by some to be a military hymn but actually written for school children to sing whilst marching to a neighbouring village. Its author, Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould, wrote, “Nothing has surprised me more than its great popularity” although part of the reason for this in America was thought to be the recent Civil War.  

Today, there are many wonderful hymns and songs of praise and the way God is praised and honoured reflects the times in which we live and the backgrounds of their writers and composers. The point of all of them is reflected in James Montgomery’s traditional hymn from 1819, Songs of Praise the Angels sang, with its final verse serving as a reminder still to give God the glory and sing his praise:

‘Hymns of glory, songs of praise,

Father unto thee we raise.

Jesu, glory unto thee,

With the Spirit ever be.’

With my prayers, pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

”Who do people say that the Son of Man is?….. who do you say I am?” Jesus, in today’s Gospel Matthew 16:13-20

“Do you know who …. I am? I am the heavyweight champion of the world!” Boxer Mike Tyson to a stranger interrupting him assaulting the model Naomi Campbell.

“And I am the former Wykeham Professor of Logic. We are both pre-eminent in our field; I suggest we talk about this like rational men.” The philosopher Sir Alfred Jules Ayer, in reply.

There were two thought-provoking responses to last week’s reflection about Jesus’ conversation with a Canaanite woman, both of which I found very helpful. The first asked whether Jesus’s ‘dog’ reference was as much a challenge to the disciples, mirroring their own prejudice about the Canaanite woman, while he tested her mettle. The second suggested that Jesus’ initial silence may also have been directed towards the twelve disciples for boxing out a woman with a spiritual insight that they had not yet grasped themselves. Those comments changed my view of the encounter between Jesus, the unnamed woman and his disciples and made far more sense than my own much more limited interpretation – my thanks to those two writers for their spiritual insights that I had not yet grasped!

However, today’s reflection involves a spiritual insight from Peter which draws a profound response from Jesus. This happens in the gospel which begins with the genealogy of Jesus – although I once heard it mistakenly read as the gynaecology of Jesus! – in which the human ancestors of Jesus are listed by Matthew. Amongst them are prophets, murderers, prostitutes, women of noble birth, ne’er do wells and kings, ending with his earthly father Joseph, whose name, family and heritage were given to Jesus. Matthew begins by calling Jesus the Son of David, reflecting his royal status, and the Son of Abraham, indicating Israelite descent. But, in today’s Gospel, Jesus begins by asking his disciples who people say the Son of Man is, a term used in the Psalms and by the prophet Ezekiel to mean a human being. Daniel the prophet used it in a vision to indicate divine authority and Jesus also applied it many times of himself. As he questions his disciples, they reply that some think that the Son of Man might be John the Baptist, others Elijah and some Jeremiah or a prophet – there is no agreement and all those named are dead. But when Jesus asks who they think he is, Peter speaks for them and bursts out with “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” At last, he realises Jesus’ true identity – and Jesus blesses him for it. What a contrast with last week’s gospel, where silence and shortsightedness seemed to prevail in so many ways!

This is the first time that ‘Messiah’ is used of Jesus and Simon Peter is also named Peter as he speaks for the disciples in the revelation he has glimpsed whilst they remain quiet. It’s also the first time that the church is mentioned, when Jesus uses Peter’s answer and decision as the rock on which it is founded. Jesus then says that nothing, not even the gates of Hades the realm of the dead, will prevail against it, telling Peter that he will be given the keys of heaven and that whatever he binds or sets free on earth will be so in heaven. Jesus also tells Peter that his insight has come from God and, because of this, gives authority to him as Peter wrestles with Jesus’ identity, then realises and trusts who he is. The same can sometimes be true for us in the struggles or perhaps flashes of insight that life and faith may present us with today as we are also entrusted by Jesus with outreach in his and our world now. 

Despite the many failings of the church, it is clearly part of Jesus’ plan – which may hearten those who, today, doubt its future. The church stretches back over the centuries, like Matthew’s genealogy, founded not just on Peter’s confession but on the lives and examples of all those who have shaped it through prayer, persecution, hope and questioning. If the identity and example of some of them seems dubious, that may echo some of the characters cited by Matthew who nevertheless fulfilled God’s purposes in his genealogy of Jesus.But it all began with Jesus’ question which is asked of us today in the mission entrusted to us as well as those disciples then: “Who do you say I am?” 

How is our response lived out in our faith and daily lives?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

“Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” Jesus in today’s Gospel, Matthew 15:21-28.

“Racism in academia is a fact of life and must be addressed.” Paul Boateng, on the death of Jason Arday, a former professor at Cambridge University.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus has left Galilee and gone to Tyre and Sidon, a place where Gentiles live and he is an outsider. Perhaps he was doing this to have some time to himself, having left the crowds behind, but Jesus is interrupted by a Canaanite woman who persists in asking him to heal her daughter. This nameless woman represents ancient divisions and enmities with the Jews but although custom dictated that they should be separate, she approaches Jesus and his male disciples without hesitation, respectfully addressing him as, “Lord, Son of David.” That Messianic title is one that his own disciples have not yet used for Jesus, but this female Gentile stranger seems to grasp his identity more readily than they do.

As she does this, Jesus at first says nothing. Perhaps he was obeying the rules of separation, taking time to think or embarrassed by what was happening – maybe, even hoping she would just go away! Matthew writes that the woman was shouting, imploring Jesus to help her daughter – to the extent that his disciples tell him to send her away because she’s shouting after them too. Jesus then says that he was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel – he sees his ministry as being specifically to the Jews – but the woman kneels before him. Humbling herself, recognising Jesus’ authority in this way and desperate as any parent might be for their child’s sake, she simply says, “Lord, help me.”

However, this direct plea receives an unsettling reply from one who has previously urged his followers to love their enemy as well as their neighbour (Matthew 5:43,44). Jesus tells the Canaanite woman that the children’s food should not be taken from them and thrown to the dogs, a disrespectful and racist term sometimes used by Jews for Gentiles, at which she could have taken offence. However, her courteous and clever riposte is that dogs eat even the crumbs that fall from the table – with which I can identify, as my dog recently snatched food from my plate while I was answering the phone, snaffling not just crumbs but most of my meal! The woman accepts her lowly status and is hopeful of just receiving the leftovers which those at the table don’t want. She doesn’t try to deter his ministry to the Jews but rather to extend it to her for the sake of her daughter. The woman’s persistence and repartee break through the religious and cultural differences between them and Jesus praises her for her faith, her daughter then being instantly healed.

A woman and a Gentile who was even a Canaanite, one of the traditional enemies of the Jews – who would have thought that she would be the person who challenged Jesus to interpret his ministry more widely? Perhaps this encounter is at the heart of the later Great Commission when Jesus entrusts his ministry to his followers and tells them to make disciples of all nations and not just the house of Israel (28:19). His words to the Canaanite woman and final instructions to the disciples before leaving them still challenge Jesus’ followers today to look beyond the boundaries and restrictions, which can confine expectations and hopes, and to consider wider ways of overcoming racism, injustice and enmity. Doing so may seem intimidating or futile so we can be heartened by the example of that courageous Canaanite woman who differed so greatly from Jesus and yet found and extended God’s healing grace because of her persistence and need. Today, there may be situations in our own families and lives where our faith and persistence is also needed and could make a positive difference. Or maybe that’s coming from a different, perhaps even unlikely, source that we might struggle to even want to accept. Perhaps, then the example of the nameless Canaanite who made such a difference to the ministry of Jesus that day might hearten us as we consider the divisions and hopes of our own situations or those in the news. If that seems unlikely, then perhaps our prayer today could echo hers: “Lord, help me.”

With my prayers; pob bendith,
Christine, Priest Guardian.

“Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Jesus to his disciples in Matthew 14:22-33.

“Water is the softest of all things, yet it is the most powerful.” Wayne Dyer, author. 

Today’s Gospel follows immediately after Jesus seeking time alone on hearing of the death of John the Baptist but not finding it because of his compassion on the crowds following him, which results in the feeding of 5,000 men as well as the women and children with them. His second cousin’s beheading after imprisonment, the miracle that has just taken place and the growing attention of Herod and the Pharisees mean that Jesus has much to ponder. There is a sense of urgency about his need for this as Matthew writes that Jesus now immediately dismisses the crowds and makes the disciples go ahead of him by boat to the other side of the lake while he goes up the mountain to pray alone.

Perhaps leaving him perplexed the disciples, who may have been agog after what has happened and their involvement in the feeding of so many people, but they do not have a good journey. They were experienced fishermen and used to the sudden storms that can arise on the Sea of Galilee, yet Matthew writes that their boat was far from land, being battered by the waves and that the wind was against them. It seems that Jesus was in prayer for many hours as it’s in the third watch of the night, between 3 and 6am, that they see suddenly him walking on the stormy waters – and it’s not the storm that then bothers them. The terrified disciples think they may be seeing a ghost and are so afraid that Jesus has to reassure them. Their fear is understandable – who can walk on water? 

Impetuously, Peter tries to as he asks Jesus to command him to come to him – “If it is you”. During his three temptations, Jesus was taunted at the start of each one with the words, “If you are the Son of God….” and so it seems that Peter is doubtful whether this really is Jesus and wants him to prove himself. Despite this Jesus bids him, “Come” and Peter steps out of the boat confidently, perhaps mindful of the earlier miracle. At first he’s able to walk on the waves but Peter’s fear overcomes him in the face of the strong wind and he begins to sink. All doubts are cast aside as he cries out, “Lord, save me!” and Jesus does so immediately. Peter’s prayer – just three words – contrasts with the flowery or lengthy prayers that can sometimes be offered so he has just enough time to pray directly and for Jesus to respond to his pressing need immediately. Perhaps we could and should follow Peter’s succinct example more often?!

Peter then lets his fear of the storm overwhelm and defeat him even though he has realised this is not a ghost when he calls Jesus ‘Lord’. It may seem harsh that Jesus then chides Peter for his lack of faith when he has found the courage to leave the boat whereas the other disciples remain fearfully within it but perhaps Peter was trying to reach Jesus through an act of will rather than trust. Nevertheless, Jesus answers his need and catches him as he comes to Peter’s rescue. As they both get into the boat, the wind ceases and all aboard realise that this is not just Jesus but the Son of God – and no ghost. 

Peter makes no mention of this elsewhere and neither does St Mark in his version of this event in chapter 6 of his Gospel. But perhaps this is something we may be familiar with in our own lives? Are there times when we have set out eagerly but become disheartened and failed to rise to the challenge? Perhaps we have had a sinking feeling that events aren’t unfolding as we had hoped? Maybe having to navigate the choppy waters of illness, loss and aging threatens to swamp us or we have fallen into the temptation of wondering if God can really be a part of our lives when the world is so dark and stormy in many ways today? 

It’s the anniversary today of the dropping of the second atomic bomb on the seaport of Nagasaki on 9th August 1945, so it’s also a day for remembering all those who did not survive the devastating storm cloud or have drowned in the course of warfare, fishing for a living or attempting rescue then and since. Perhaps, then, it’s helpful to notice that Jesus returns to his disciples during a storm, that he comes at the darkest time of the night just before dawn begins to break and that Peter’s brief prayer is immediately answered, despite his doubts. In the face of all that confronts us and the doubts we may have about faith, what three words could be chosen to form an urgent prayer today?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Guardian

“You feed them.” Jesus, to his disciples, at the feeding of the 5,000 in Matthew 14:13-21.

“Jesus fed 5,000 people with two fishes and a loaf of bread. That’s not a miracle. That’s tapas.” Comedian Mark Nelson’s joke, 6th in the top 10 at the Edinburgh Festival in 2015. 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus has just heard of the terrible death of his cousin John the Baptist, who had done so much to prepare the way for him, and he withdraws to a deserted place to be on his own. However, the crowds follow him and, even in his grief and loss, Jesus has compassion for them and heals those who are sick. By evening, the disciples come to him to say that the crowds should be sent away as it’s late and there is nowhere to buy food. Jesus tells them that they should give them something to eat but there are only five loaves and two fish available. However, Jesus uses what he is given and, as he will do later at the last supper, he takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it and gives it to the disciples who share the food with the crowd. Everyone has their fill, not just the 5,000 men noted but the women and children also them who are not counted – God’s generosity is actually greater than it may initially seem and there are even twelve full baskets left over. 

This life-enhancing provision contrasts sharply with the deathly platter on which the head of John the Baptist was served up at the king’s birthday celebration – Herod wants to diminish and kill but God provides plenteously and more than is actually needed. The baskets are often taken to indicate the twelve tribes of Israel and the origins from which Jesus came with the twelve disciples each having a basket, suggesting their future roles in carrying on Jesus’ ministry. Amidst what Matthew may symbolise is the poignancy of Jesus continuing what John had helped him to prepare for, despite his loss and perhaps in tribute to John.  

Food was a real issue in the time of Jesus with the poor often finding it in short supply or affected by circumstances including the weather, as indicated by the petition in the Lord’s Prayer to ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ Today, the same still applies and, in the ongoing time of drought and heatwave in the UK and elsewhere, this year’s grain yields are much lower than usual which may affect bread and cereal production. Potatoes, sprouts and parsnips are also being impacted, which may diminish later crops at a time when many farmers are already having to use their winter silage now as there is so little grass for their animals to eat. And it’s not only food production: here, the spring is still running low due to so little rain and we are having to use bottled water for drinking and water from the stream for other purposes – and now the river is becoming very low with little rain still forecast. 

“You feed them.” Jesus challenged his disciples then to do what they could to provide for those around and what they had to hand may have seemed completely inadequate but became more than sufficient when God’s grace was sought. Perhaps the drought and heatwaves are showing us in new ways that water and food is precious and, in these changing times, they need to be shared with greater care than may previously have been the case. That applies to the food manufacturers and water companies with their policies and controversial practices too! Jesus healed the sick and also fed the crowds who came to him, giving food for the soul as well as the body. The challenge remains as we remember how Jesus met the needs of those around him and that his followers are also charged to provide for and share with those around them today. 

“You feed them.” 

How ?

“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” Jesus, in John 14:6.

“There’s no need to do the Camino when the UK has trails to suit pilgrims of all spiritual persuasions and walking abilities.” Oliver Smith, in the Sunday Times 28.6.2026.

Yesterday was the feast of James the Great, the patron saint of Spain and the first of the disciples to be martyred although he was the second of them to die, after Judas Iscariot. King Herod Agrippa I had him put to the sword – probably beheaded – in AD 44, possibly due to James’ fiery temper which, along with his brother John, lead to them being called ‘the Sons of Thunder’. 

The apostle’s remains are now thought to be in the shrine at the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela because James took the gospel to Spain where, exhausted and disheartened by a lack of converts, he had a vision of the Virgin Mary in AD 40. This was remarkable as it happened while Mary was still alive and is her first recorded appearance. She comforted James and asked him to build a small chapel which later evolved into the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza. James then returned to Judea but, following his martyrdom, his body was taken back to Spain where, in 1492, the Camino de Santiago was declared by Pope Alexander VI to be one of the three great Christian pilgrimages, the others being Jerusalem and Rome.

Today, hundreds of thousands of people follow the Camino, the Way which is a network of cycling and walking routes to the Cathedral. It’s an impressive building, noted for many things, one of which is the Botafumeiro – a thurible or incense burner, traditionally  used to indicate prayers rising to heaven. However, the overwhelming body odour of the many pilgrims crowding into the Cathedral at the end of a lengthy pilgrimage was unbearable and so the Botafumeiro had the practical purpose of also being an air freshener! At 1.6m or 5.2 feet high and weighing 80kg or 180 lb, it uses 40kg or 88lb of charcoal and incense, with eight tiraboleiros needed to pull the ropes to start it moving as it swings across the Cathedral at speeds of up to 80km or 50mph. When I was there, it was so near our heads that many people ducked, although there was no actual danger other than the smoke and fragrance pouring out, making some people cough.

What a contrast with St Melangell’s, the destination of Pererindod Melangell, one route for a pilgrimage to the Shrine Church. Rather than the grandeur of the Cathedral, the church here is simple and remote, housing the restoration of what is the earliest surviving Romanesque Shrine in Britain, dating from the 12th century. Many pilgrims from differing backgrounds and varying faith traditions have made their way here, which is today designated by Oliver Smith to be “one of the most beautiful British pilgrimage destinations” – further details from hello@britishpilgrimage.org

St James, so discouraged during his time In Spain before he had his vision of Mary, did as she requested and built a small chapel where this happened – the first to be dedicated to Mary. He could not have known of the Basilica which developed later, but tradition suggests that he did regain the courage to go to his death with bravery and hope. Perhaps there are times for all of us when we may feel disheartened for a variety of reasons or may find that what we thought was a holy experience turns out to have very down to earth with practical implications like the Botafumeiro. Wherever our Way through life leads us, and whether we may or may not profess faith, places like Compostela or Pennant Melangell and the many other holy places the world over may widen our horizons and enable a vision to become a reality. As Oliver Smith writes, “Even those who struggle to believe in the words of a book can, it seems, draw lessons from the physical path unfurling before them.” 

What is unfurling before us today?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

“Let both of them grow together until the harvest.” Jesus, in Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43.

‘We ourselves are God’s own field… Wheat and tares together sown.’ From the hymn ’Come, ye thankful people, come.’

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus speaks of wheat and tares  – bearded darnel that looks just like wheat when it first appears but is actually a weed that carries a poisonous fungus. If it’s harvested and ground in with the wheat, the flour would then be tainted and unusable but, if pulled up too early, it could result in wastage of some of the crop as the plants entwine and it’s hard to distinguish from real wheat until it matures. So, Jesus’ parable suggests that both will be left to grow together until the harvest, when each can more easily be recognised and separated so that the tares will be gathered first and then burned. 

Here, the harvest is happening during the heatwave – the fields nearby were done last week with red kites then circling for the pickings left by the tractor. In the garden, a lot of ground elder has been growing and I have always seen it as a prolific weed to be dug out with as much of the root removed as possible because it spreads so easily. It’s only recently that I’ve learned that it’s actually edible with a taste similar to spinach if the young leaves are used although the mature leaves are unpleasant to eat. The Romans brought it to Britain in around AD 150 as a culinary herb and it also has medicinal uses: the flowers can be used as a mild laxative, with the leaves reducing inflammation and helping to overcome arthritis, rheumatism and gout, so it also became known as goutweed. It’s also called Bishop’s Weed because its white flowers resemble the collars historically worn by bishops – though no longer! However, ground elder is part of the carrot family which includes Poison Hemlock and Giant Hogweed, so it needs to be identified and used with great care – as did bearded darnel which has a much slighter head than wheat when it’s mature. 

The wheat and tares have to grow together before they can easily be identified, as pulling up the weeds may also uproot the crop and sometimes a weed can have its uses, as with the ground elder. In the parable Jesus is telling, it’s the workers who realise what’s happening and alert the farmer although they didn’t notice when the crop was being polluted at night by an enemy who bothered to go to the effort of sowing weed seeds to ruin the crop later. The parable seems to intrigue his disciples – this story is told, amongst others, to the crowds following Jesus and the disciples later ask Jesus for an explanation whereas the crowds don’t. Jesus suggests that the field is the world and that the sower is the Son of Man with the good seed being the children of the Kingdom – but the weeds are sown amongst that good seed. It is the children of the Kingdom who are struggling with wrong doing amongst them – members of Christ’s own body are not perfect but are contending with what it means to grow the kingdom of God in a world where good and evil are so intermingled. That applies to the church, today, too – but there is hope when Jesus tells the disciples then and his followers today that this is how it will be – there is still time before the harvest will happen. Then, there was much to choke the yield in the face of Roman occupation and the attitudes of the time yet, today, as we consider what threatens to uproot our faith or choke good intentions, the Kingdom is still being grown. Are we enabling its development and accepting that the wheat and tares must grow together until the harvest is ready or are we being overwhelmed by the tares and cares of our own age and situations? There is still time for a good yield to grow – but for how long? 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine.

Today is Sea Sunday and there is a lot of information about this online, much of which involves shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The voices and experiences of the seafarers involved have not had as much publicity as those of the politicians, so this reflection is from the authentic accounts of the Sailors’ Society which, with other charities, endeavours to give support to those caught up in these awful situations. 

 “Don’t you care if we drown?” Jesus calms the storm in Mark 4:35-41.

Those words, cried out by frightened disciples nearly two thousand years ago, still echo across the waters of our world today. The Gospel story begins with Jesus and his disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee. Several of the disciples were experienced fishermen. They knew boats. They knew weather. They knew the sea. Yet when a violent storm arose, even these seasoned sailors were terrified. The waves crashed over the boat. The wind howled. Their vessel filled with water. Death seemed close at hand. And where was Jesus? He was asleep.

The disciples woke Him with desperation in their voices: “Don’t you care if we drown?”

In answer, Jesus stood, rebuked the wind and the waves, saying simply, “Peace! Be still!” Immediately, the storm ceased and there was a great calm. Then Jesus asked them, “Why are you so afraid?” This miracle is not only about Jesus’ power over nature. It is also about His presence in the midst of fear. The disciples learned that even when the storm raged, they were not alone. Christ was with them in the storm. Today, many seafarers need that same reassurance and need to know they’re not alone in the storm.

Most of us rarely think about the people who bring us the goods we rely on every day. Yet around 90% of world trade travels by sea. The food on our shelves, the fuel that heats our homes, the products we use every day—all depend upon seafarers. These men and women spend months away from their families. They miss birthdays, anniversaries, Christmases, and the ordinary moments of life that most of us take for granted. They survived the isolation of Covid, they survive piracy attacks, abandonment and false imprisonment. But since February, many seafarers have faced extraordinary challenges in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

Around 20,000 seafarers have been affected directly by the crisis, and the ripple effects spread out across the globe. Seafarers in other parts of the world found themselves unable to start new contracts with huge financial implications for their families. Others already onboard vessels found their time at sea extended way beyond what they had expected. Meanwhile, crews on vessels behind the Straits of Hormuz found themselves trapped, stranded, or working under the constant threat of attack. What was worse was that as the days became weeks, and weeks months, the ongoing conflict was peppered with weekly announcements of potential freedom. This brought a glimmer of hope that was just as regularly dashed.

Those crews need to know they weren’t alone in the storm. Imagine being hundreds of miles from home. Imagine hearing reports of missiles, drones, attacks on ships, and uncertainty about whether you will get home safely. Imagine trying to reassure your family while you yourself are frightened. For many of those seafarers, this is not imagination. It was reality.

“Your brain starts to shut off when you see bombings and missiles every day,” one seafarer explained. “I speak to my family every day, but I don’t tell them how bad the situation is. There is nothing they can do.” Others are now rationing drinking water, cut off from help and sending desperate messages. Seafarer Dalip Singh was just 25 and had been at sea only two years when his life was cut short on the first night of the conflict in the Gulf. He was on watch in the engine room when a missile struck his ship. Dalip and his Captain perished when the ship burst into flames. His body has never been recovered. The shock of his loss led to the death of his father just weeks later.

Sailors’ Society’s trained Crisis Response Network is now supporting his mother and the rest of his family, who are utterly devastated by this tragedy.

More recently a Captain suffered a heart attack while keeping a watch out for missiles and drones. But in a war zone no medical team can reach you. No one can save you. His crew could do nothing but watch their Captain die at sea. Crew on another ship also watched helplessly as their fellow seafarer suffered devastating burns when a missile was intercepted above and burning debris fell onto the deck. These are not isolated stories of suffering. “The situation is getting more dire every day,” one Captain told us.

After finally receiving permission to cross the Strait, his crew believed they were at last going to safety. Then armed men in speedboats surrounded their vessel and opened fire. A bullet smashed through the bridge window. “We all ducked down,” said the Chief Engineer. “Glass shattered across the bridge and we were all really shaken up.”

Like the disciples in Mark’s Gospel, those sailors face storms beyond their control. Like the disciples, they know fear. Like the disciples, they wonder what tomorrow may bring.

And just as Jesus cared for those frightened sailors in the storm on Lake Galilee, so Sailors’ Society and other charities care for the seafarers of today. Often, God’s answer to a cry for help comes through the hands of His people. When Jesus fed the five thousand, He used the disciples to distribute the bread. When the early Church cared for those in need, God worked through the generosity of believers. Today, when seafarers need support, God calls His Church to respond.

We may never stand on the bridge of a tanker in the Gulf. We may never sail through the Strait of Hormuz. We may never meet the seafarers in need of help. But, as Jesus made sure the disciples weren’t alone in the storm, today we have an opportunity to make sure today’s seafarers know they aren’t alone. For further information, or to donate to their work, please research Sea Sunday 2026 and please pray the prayer for seafarers caught up in the conflict in the Gulf:

Lord, We lift before You all seafarers trapped by the conflict in the Gulf, far from home and surrounded by uncertainty. Be their refuge in fear, their strength in weakness, and their hope in times of despair. Watch over those who stand vigil on ships and in ports, separated from their loved ones. Grant them safety from harm, wisdom in difficult decisions, and courage to face each day. Calm troubled waters, soften hardened hearts, and open pathways toward peace and freedom. Comfort their families who wait anxiously for news. Sustain them with patience, faith, and the assurance of Your loving presence. Amen.

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me.” Jesus, in Matthew 10:40-42.

‘The greatest natural broadcaster of them all.’ The Daily Telegraph’s tribute to radio commentator Brian Johnstone on his death in 1994. 

In today’s gospel, Jesus is giving his disciples their final instructions and encouraging them before they are sent out to take his message of God’s love to those who have not yet heard it. He says that those who welcome them are also welcoming God because they come in his name and Jesus also tells his disciples that even simple gestures such as giving water to those who need it will be rewarded. Then, entire communities were represented by the individual who arrived and so hospitality was much more widely significant. A mixed reception would await Jesus’ followers due to their controversial message but many would receive them well just as others would ignore them and, in doing so, block God too. 

I heard this Bible passage with very mixed feelings as BBC Radio Four can no longer be received on Long Wave now and the sometimes crackly programmes heard for so long are no longer being transmitted on this frequency. Here, 198 LW has always had much better reception than the alternative 92-95 FM, which is locally unobtainable for some unknown reason. Fortunately, my IPad will now provide the programmes of this network but I remember as a teenager listening to them on my little transistor radio under the bedclothes late at night when I was supposed to be asleep. The music before the shipping forecast, Sailing By composed by Ronald Binge, was better than any lullaby and the names of the sea areas it was being transmitted to with the thought of the sailors depending on it for their safety made the broadcasts a vivid experience. So did Test Match Special when the TV was turned down in favour of the radio commentary by Brian Johnston and others whose knowledge, fondness for cake and sometimes uncontrollable laughter was wonderful to hear. 

BBC radio long wave began in 1934 when the Droitwich, Burghead and Westerglen transmitter masts made it a national service. These powerful transmitters meant that the signal could be received far out to sea, hence the importance of the shipping forecast, and also the role played by the BBC in European communications during World War. However, the technology is now becoming obsolete and, after 92 years, the masts are showing their age so their operator Arqiva has closed them down – my radio is crackly no longer but its silence is worse! The digital service is much clearer and the range of programmes still available so, although this is the end of an era, a new one begins as the memories and connection created for people in remote places continues in this different way. 

In the remote location here at St Melangell’s, the floor in front of the altar is made of recycled slate slabs, some of which have the stonemason’s engravings on them. The central slab carries the initials E T and, as this work was done when the film about this Extra Terrestrial alien was popular, it may be that it was those relaying the slabs here who added them rather than the original masons! The slogan from the film was E T phone home and so it seems appropriate to have these initials in the chancel as prayer could be said to be, in a sense, calling home to God’s house and tuning in to the prayerful messages sent and received. 

The term ‘broadcasting’ originated in seed being cast widely as it was scattered by hand in the fields, which would have been a familiar sight for Jesus’ first disciples. With their face to face method of broadcasting their news, what would they have thought of today’s astounding technology where so many people can be reached anonymously? Ironically, there are now so many forms of media providing such a wide range of services that information can easily be drowned out and it can be hard to tune in to God’s call in life today. What messages are we transmitting and receiving today that will enable the Good News still to be heard?

With my prayers; pob bendith, 

Christine, Priest Guardian. 

‘When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless…’ From today’s Gospel, Matthew 9:35-10:8.

“Pain is the first proper step to real compassion; it can be a foundation for understanding all those who struggle with their existence.” David Whyte, poet.

In the Gospel today, Jesus is continuing his ministry of teaching, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing those who come to him. Matthew writes that he healed every disease and every sickness – this is a comprehensive and sustained outreach to all he meets. As he does this, Jesus realises how harassed and helpless the crowds are and he asks his disciples to pray for more workers as “the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few.” He then sends out twelve of them to begin to supply this need – in other words, they are to answer their own prayer through their own actions and responses to what he commands. They are not to seek payment and are to go first to those with whom they are familiar, Jews rather than Gentiles or Samaritans who were the traditional enemy of the Jews. However, by the end of Matthew’s gospel, women, Gentiles and Samaritans will have been included – a sign of Jesus’ widening understanding of what is being asked of him. As Jesus instructs his disciples, he again uses the imperative – this is another command, not an option. They are to do this and be part of the answer to what is needed in the face of so much need.

So many years later, there is still much need and so many people who feel harassed and helpless about what is happening in life today with others being disaffected or unable to discover how to overcome this. Amongst them are NEETs, those not in education, employment or training: in the UK, 1,012,000 young people aged 16 to 24 years were NEET in March 2026. That’s a shocking 13.5% of that whole age group and there are many suggestions why this is happening, yet being labelled as Not anything is unlikely to help. What Is the potential for change and healing? 

Nowadays, the work of healing is mainly undertaken by the NHS and health care professionals although the costs are huge, more resources are needed and waiting lists are lengthy. Here in Powys, the largest county in Wales, there is no major hospital and some patients have to travel to either Gobowen, near Oswestry, or Shrewsbury – both in England – to receive treatment, for which a wait of 104 weeks is sometimes imposed by the Welsh government. As the latest resident doctors’ strike has now been cancelled with hopes rising that a settlement may have been reached in the long-running dispute, waiting times may begin to improve. 

What prayers are we praying for those who are in need of healing or are harassed and helpless – and, like  those first disciples, how could we be part of a compassionate and active response to our own prayers?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.