News and reflections

“Go on your way.” Jesus in Luke 10:1-11, 16-20.

“We will rescue those in peril and we will find those who are missing. But I would also ask: Please pray for our community.“ Mayor of Kerrville, Texas. 

In today’s Gospel, Luke writes that Jesus sent out 70 (72 in some versions) followers in pairs to go ahead of him to the towns and places where he intends to go. He first tells them to pray and then to carry no purse, bag or sandals, to greet no-one on the road so that they are not distracted and to stay in the same house eating and drinking whatever they are given. They are to cure the sick, and Jesus twice tells them to declare that the kingdom of God has come near, whether they are accepted or not. He also tells the 70 to say, “Peace to this house!” on arrival, implying that they will be at peace in order to share it, even though they don’t know what lies ahead. That peace is to be given unconditionally, whether or not the occupants are Jew or Gentile, lawful or willing to accept them. It’s the peace that comes from trusting God which, in Welsh, translates as tangnefedd, from tanc, an older word for peace and nefoedd, meaning heaven – that heavenly peace which is so much more than just the absence of war or disagreement.

Jesus also instructs the 70 to shake off the dust on their feet if they are rejected – this may happen to them, as to him. As Jesus tells them that he is sending them like lambs to the slaughter, this could be a fearful prospect for the 70, but these are clearly people of faith who can be trusted and who will in turn trust that their needs will be supplied. 

The 70 do what is asked of them and return later, joyful about what has happened. Jesus warns them not to get carried away by temporary spiritual successes but to rejoice about their place in heaven – a contrast with life today, when material success alone seems to be valued by many. 

Jesus uses the harvest as an example for the 70, saying that the crop is ready but the labourers are few. By contrast, after the driest spring for over a hundred years, maize is failing in some parts of the UK this year whilst the harvest of winter barley is ready over a month early. However, the stems are short and the heads small, affecting the straw for cattle with the yield for cereal being down by possibly 25-30%, which may have later consequences for animals and humans alike. Whatever the weather in the time of Jesus, the harvest would be labour intensive whereas nowadays machinery and A I make a difference. Yet, workers are still in short supply although crops failing or being ready early may affect the booking and availability of equipment to harvest it – that old scythe in my shed may be needed after all!

None of us know when our lives will be harvested as shown by the terrible devastation in Texas on Friday when floods made the river Guadalupe rise 26 feet in 45 minutes, killing at least 68 people, 21 of them youngsters, with 11 children still missing. As one person said, “It could have been me.” About 850 people were saved and the mayor vowed to rescue and find those missing as personnel and resources were sent out to seek them. The mayor also called for prayer and, in these uncertain times, that’s a resource that can always be deployed whatever the circumstances being faced. Jesus told his 70 workers to pray as they went on their way – as we consider how we are also commissioned and sent out by him today, is prayer used as much as it could be? 

Peace be with you; tangnefedd,

Christine, Priest Guardian. 

Sea Sunday falls on July 13th this year and the theme is ‘Who is my neighbour?’ It comes from the story of the Good Samaritan who came to the aid of a man hurt in a robbery, whereas others who might have been expected to help him first did not. That is still happening today as more seafarers are being abandoned by their companies, facing piracy, often not allowed shore leave and have to be away from their families for very lengthy periods – serious mental health issues are a consequence for some. 

Stella Maris, the Catholic Chaplaincy to seafarers, tells the story of a ship’s cook who needed the help of a good neighbour when he became seriously ill. Carlo was due to fly home to the Philippines, but needed to be admitted to hospital. The ship had to leave and Carlo was left completely alone in a foreign country. He spent three weeks in hospital and was visited by Steve, the port chaplain, who called regularly and brought clean clothes, food, and a mobile phone SIM card so that Carlo could speak to his family. On his birthday, Steve arrived with a card and a small gift. It was a simple act of kindness, but it meant a lot.

Three weeks is a long time to be in hospital, far from home, with no familiar faces around. But thanks to Steve, Carlo had someone to visit him who made sure he was not alone or forgotten: a good neighbour. Even when Carlo returned home, the support didn’t stop and a chaplain to seafarers in the Philippines still ensures he gets the care he needs there. 

As uncertainty and risk increases at such a challenging time, good neighbours are needed more than ever in all communities. For seafarers, those in the fishing industry and their families the need can be great so, when fish, food, clothing or goods imported from overseas are next picked up when shopping, spare a thought for those who have been involved in getting them there. The price paid may be much more than just that on the label. 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

The following services will be held in July:

Thursday 3rd, noon: Holy Eucharist.

Third Sunday after Trinity, July 6th, 3pm: Service of reflection.

Thursday 10th, noon: Service of the word.

Fourth Sunday after Trinity, July 13th, 3pm: Service of reflection for Sea Sunday.

Thursday 17th July, noon: Service of the word.

Fifth Sunday after Trinity, July 20th, 3pm:  Service of reflection.

Thursday 24th, noon: Holy Eucharist and service of healing.

Sixth Sunday after Trinity, 27th July, 3pm: Service of reflection.

Monday 28th July, 10.30am: Julian Group at the Centre.

Thursday 31st July, noon: Holy Eucharist.

The service on Thursdays is followed by a shared lunch at the Centre with tea and cake on Sundays. For further details or to book the Shepherd’s Hut, please ring 01691 860408 or contact admin@stmelangell.org

”You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Jesus to Peter in Matthew 14:22-33.

”From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us.” St Teresa of Avila. 

Today is the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul, two very different men who greatly influenced the development of the early Christian church – albeit in very different ways. Tradition has it that both were martyred on this day in AD 67 during the persecutions of Christians ordered by the Roman Emperor Nero, Peter through being crucified upside down and Paul by beheading. It’s suggested that Peter, originally a married working fisherman, did not consider himself worthy to die in the same way as Jesus, whereas Paul was beheaded because he was a Roman citizen and so could not be crucified. However, it’s improbable that both men were martyred on the same day – much more likely is that the early Christians adapted some of the pagan traditions of the time to make themselves more acceptable. Rome is founded on the story of Romulus and Remus, the legendary twin brothers who were commemorated on that date, and so the two towering figures in the early church may have been celebrated together instead.

That Christianisation happened here in this valley, too, which was held to be a sacred place long before Christianity. The ancient yew trees in the churchyard are believed to have been planted by pagans and druids at least two thousand years ago – yews were associated with creation, immortality and regeneration because they are evergreen and the branches form new trees when they reach the ground. That then became linked with death, resurrection and the eternal love of Almighty God as Christianity evolved and it’s fascinating to think that the trees may have been at least six hundred years old even in the time of Melangell.

Just as Christianity itself evolved, so both Peter and Paul assumed new identities as their own faith developed, Peter being also called Simon, Simon Peter and Cephas whereas Paul had originally been named Saul before his conversion. Both had their failings too, impetuous Peter being accused of having little faith by Jesus when he became fearful in attempting to walk on water like him. He also denied Jesus thrice, later being commissioned three times by Jesus, whilst Paul had persecuted Christians before his conversion and was present at the stoning of the first martyr, Stephen. He then had to contend with the understandable suspicions of the first Christians that he could not be trusted, just as Peter had to deal with concerns such as whether or not the practices and dietary laws of the Jews needed still to be observed as the early church emerged from Judaism.

From those failings and the learning from them, both Peter and Paul developed the strong faith which made them such noted apostles, Peter through his leadership and witness and the theologian Paul with his missionary journeys and writings which became a fundamental part of the New Testament. These are not the sour-faced saints to which St Teresa referred but men who knew what it was to get things wrong, to learn from what had happened and to speak of the love and grace of God. As their faith grew, so a new identity developed from the foundations of what had gone before and, in the changing times in which we live, may their courageous examples inspire us as we deal with the identities and contentious issues evolving around us today.

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

“Return to your home and declare how much God has done for you.” Jesus to Legion in today’s Gospel Luke 8:26-39.

“Was that creativity due to bipolar? Was I in manic phase, mania, when I was creating all those dishes? I have no idea, but it would make sense.” Chef Heston Blumenthal, diagnosed with bipolar and known for his unusual dishes and flavour combinations. 

Today’s reading is that of a man with mental health issues which, in the time of Jesus, were termed demons. The account in Luke is similar to that in Mark, both happening in the country of the Gerasenes, but in Matthew there are two men and it happens in the country of the Gaderenes. Gerasa and Gadera are places but, as this event occurs near the lake Jesus has just crossed, it takes place in the area between the two places themselves. As Matthew had Jewish readers in mind, he would perhaps have focussed on Gadara as the most important city for Jews whereas Mark and Luke, having wider issues, may have named Gerasa, the Greek and Roman city in the region. 

In Luke’s version, the man was naked and also under guard with chains and shackles restraining him although his manic strength meant that he could sometimes break them. Yet, when Jesus arrives, the man meets him, falls down before him and shouts at Jesus as he asks what he wants with him – even though all Jesus has done is step off the boat. He implores Jesus not to torment him and, when Jesus asks his name he replies, “Legion” – many. Luke, a doctor, notes that the man had many demons and when Jesus is begged to let them live, they choose to go into a herd of swine that rush down the hillside and are drowned in the lake. This raises some difficult questions.

The abyss was regarded as a deep place for evil spirits and a chaotic place, the depths of the sea being thought to be part of this. It may have been that the charge of the pigs was a visible sign that his troubles had left Legion and that his demons had gone but why was it necessary for so many animals to die? Later scholars such as Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas took this to mean that the loss of the pigs indicated that Christians had no responsibility for the welfare of animals. That lead to disputes over animal rights but Luke suggests that the demons themselves chose to go into the herd, although he also indicates that Jesus agreed to this. The eating of pork is banned in Judaism but Jesus has now entered Gentile territory and so the death of the pigs causes understandable consternation for the swineherds – their livelihood is now lost. 

Was it right to take the swineherds’ work away and could they actually afford it? Is loss and profit more important than innocent creatures? The reaction of the swineherds is to rush off to tell everyone what has happened and then many folk come to see the man, now clothed and rational, sitting with Jesus. Instead of being able to rejoice that so sick a person has been healed, Luke writes that they were afraid and asked Jesus to leave. Did the loss of the pigs matter more than the recovery of the man? Were the owners more concerned about their money rather than the animals? Were they afraid of the power Jesus showed or was it fear of further threats to their businesses?

However, at least one person benefits from this: Legion. As Jesus leaves, Legion asks to go with him, but Jesus tells him to go back home and tell everyone the good news of his healing. The account in Mark suggests that he did go back and amazed all who would listen to him so Legion is known by many today as the first Apostle to the Gentiles – an astonishing feat for one so unwell initially.

It may be that there have been times when we, or perhaps those around us, have endured and learned to manage mental health issues, been released from a burden that affects our wellbeing or had times of prolonged creativity and imagination like Heston Blumenthal. Perhaps, like Legion, we may have also been shunned by others, deprived of our liberty or shackled by what has happened to us or others. Is it possible, with hindsight, to realise that, like them, healing has taken place at some cost? As Jesus suggests to Legion, could we perhaps declare this more than we often do so that others may also hear that healing may be possible? 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

As the Guardian’s mother has just died, today’s reflection is simply Malcolm Guite’s sonnet on the Trinity, which is taken from his collection Sounding the Seasons, published by Canterbury Press in England.

Trinity Sunday – Malcolm Guite

In the Beginning, not in time or space,

But in the quick before both space and time,

In Life, in Love, in co-inherent Grace,

In three in one and one in three, in rhyme,

In music, in the whole creation story,

In His own image, His imagination,

The Triune Poet makes us for His glory,

And makes us each the other’s inspiration.

He calls us out of darkness, chaos, chance,

To improvise a music of our own,

To sing the chord that calls us to the dance,

Three notes resounding from a single tone,

To sing the End in whom we all begin;

Our God beyond, beside us and within.

“I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth.” Jesus in today’s Gospel, John 14:8-17.

‘Admission as advocates….involves a process of examination and practical instruction known as devilling.’ The Faculty of Advocates in Scotland.

Today is Pentecost, fifty days after Easter and originally celebrated in the Old Testament as the Spring Harvest when the first fruits of wheat were presented. It’s now also known as the birthday of the Church, being the time when, after receiving the Holy Spirit, the disciples started to spread the Good News amongst the people they met and began the Church itself.

More than two thousand years later, the task continues as followers today face the challenge of communicating the Good News and truth in a world where bad news and lies seem so often to dominate the headlines. That has been highlighted this week in the ongoing row between the world’s most powerful man, President Trump, and the richest man in the world, Elon Musk. He called Trump’s forthcoming legislation, “massive, outrageous……a disgusting abomination” whilst Musk was termed, “the man who has lost his mind” by the President. Formerly, a good relationship had seemed to prevail but the trading of these and other insults led the Daily Mirror to comment, ‘The world’s biggest kids are still bickering’ and to observe that, ‘The egos have landed.’ It’s a costly business for them both, in terms of reputation and truth as well as finances.

It was a costly business for Jesus, too, as he spoke with his followers on the night before he died to assure them that another Advocate would come to them after he left. That’s now a legal term, meaning to ‘add’ a ‘voice’ of support for a person or cause and may involve devilling – the preparation and checking of documents for possible challenges in the details and fine print. It’s sometimes said that the devil is in the detail and, whether thought of as an actual figure or representing the power of evil, devilish contradictions and complexities may seem to abound today, contradicting the Spirit of truth which Jesus also mentioned.

According to the account in Acts the Advocate, the Spirit of which Jesus spoke, enabled communication so that people of all languages could understand what they were being told. Despite the negativity and confusion created by Trump, Musk and so many others, Pentecost is a reminder that better communication and understanding can prevail if we allow our own voices to echo the Advocacy of the Holy Spirit’s guidance and clarification. That continues to birth not only the Church but a different and more hopeful way of living – may this new phase not faze us!

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian. 

As the Guardian’s mother is still very poorly, today’s reflection has kindly been written by Christopher Belk – thanks to him for doing this. 

Reflection for the Sunday after the Ascension. 

Waiting…

24 “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. Ezekiel 36. 24-28

If you have ever been to A&E you know what waiting is like. You know you are not right, you expect some form of emergency treatment, you may not know exactly what to expect, and you certainly don’t know how long you will have to wait. Meanwhile you pop a paracetamol and hope

Our eldest granddaughter Sophie is getting married next Saturday, after being engaged for over a year. Ruth and I were also engaged for over a year, so we know how it feels. All sorts of details to be sorted; invitations, service, clothes, food, honeymoon, need of paracetamol from time to time, but underlying joyful expectation.

Ezekiel had his message from God during the exile in Babylon: – God has something good in mind but you will have to wait for it. Like many OT prophecies, it can be short term – they will get their land back, which they did soon after, – or long term – they will always keep the land. Many, including probably Mr. Netanyahu, still quote it in the long term political sense.

But the spiritual promise about being given a heart of flesh and having God’s Spirit goes way beyond the political – what did that mean? Probably Israel would have thought, and may still think, this is just another rather vague promise about the long awaited Messiah. They got the land back short term but still had to wait for the Messiah. The waiting period in Babylon was only part of that longer term Messianic wait.

We of course believe that the Messiah has come in the person of Jesus. That waiting period is over, if only He could be recognised. But the spiritual promise was even yet not wholly fulfilled.

At this time of year we are looking at the waiting period Jesus’ disciples were in, between his ascension and Pentecost. Lets look at how Luke describes this

45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. Luke 24. 44-53;

Luke describes the scene again in Acts 1, adding that Jesus’ mother and the women were with them in the Upper Room.

So the disciples knew they were in for another waiting period: they seem to have not been given much clue as to how long it would be or what exactly was going to happen, but fresh from Jesus parting blessing they certainly were in joyful expectation of whatever being clothed with power might mean. In the meantime they prayed, met constantly for worship, and saw to a bit of admin by choosing Matthias as replacement apostle no.12.

We know now how that waiting period ended, with the dramatic happenings at Pentecost (next week in our calendar). So after that, don’t tell me there is yet another waiting period…??

Before we get onto that, lets sing the sort of praise the disciples might have sung between Ascension and Pentecost.

[139 Crown Him with many crowns]

Look now at what Jesus said, first in John’s gospel and then in Revelation

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you[e] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17. 20-26

12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Rev22., 12-14,16,17,20,

So we are now in a new waiting period, between Pentecost and the time when we get to be with Him where He is, and see His glory, whether that be at the end of our earthly life or at his earlier coming. Again, we do not know when either of those things will happen, but we need every day to expect and pray for his coming, and be ready for either. But in this period we should not just be sitting in the waiting room popping paracetamol, uncomfortable though it may sometimes be. There is much to be done, not least praying and praising.

First we need to be sure that we have personally answered the invitation to take the free gift of the water of life, so that, as Ezekiel foresaw and Jesus promises, the Holy Spirit will be fully in us and will move us to follow God’s decrees and be careful to keep his laws, and so that as Jesus promised he and his love will be in us and we in Him. Only thus can we have the power to serve the world and help others believe. The book of Acts tells many stories of how this worked through the original disciples, but we must never fall for the idea it was only for them. “Let the one who is thirsty come…” is an invitation to the whole world, and most immediately to any Christian who feels thirsty for spiritual progress in this waiting time. I guess that means us, and that we should come and accept the power to be part of the continuing Acts of the Disciples. How to come? Just ask God. Jesus said, “How much more will my Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him”.

What exactly do we anticipate? Noone expected to get out of Babylon with the blessing of King Cyrus. Noone expected the Messiah to come in quite the way He did. Noone expected actual tongues of fire at Pentecost. God has a habit of fulfilling prophecy in unexpected and wonderful ways. We can anticipate a treat beyond anything poets, prophets or theologians may have tried to describe

Do we experience that as a constant joyful expectation? Should be worth waiting for, and praising for meanwhile…

The feast day of St Melangell is being celebrated this year with the unveiling of a portrait of her by a local artist professional, Stephen Hopper. There are many images of the saint, some of them as traditional icons with her in the robes of the abbess she became or wearing a simple brown woollen habit which is likely to have been both warm and practical. One popular painting of her depicts Melangell with blond hair coiled over her ears and wearing a red silk dress whilst another shows her with a long ginger plait and a cream dress – both appearances are beautiful, but neither is likely to have been ideal for the reality of valley life! The green velvet dress and curly tresses she has in a different image depict Melangell’s possibly privileged upbringing but also make her look rather like Maid Marian whereas in another she looks charming in her hooded red velvet cloak which may indicate her arrival in the valley although some liken this image to Little Red Riding Hood. Melangell is wearing a cardigan and pearls in a recent lino cut of her and one image done by a school child shows the saint behind her church, looking down at it and smiling at what’s become of it. 

A very different image of Melangell is Fr. Rory Geoghegan’s fibre glass sculpture of her which is outside in the garden during the warmer weather and shows no clearly defined facial features, indicating that any of us could be like Melangell and show the same practical care for the creatures as well as the people around us as she did.

All these images have something positive to contribute to the unknown details of Melangell’s life. It’s entirely possible that her Irish heritage may have given her auburn or dark hair and that her privileged upbringing there may have provided her with coiled hair, silk dresses and velvet cloaks, though practical woollen clothing would quickly have been needed for outdoor life when she came to this Welsh valley. No-one knows what Melangell did look like, although it’s suggested that she was beautiful, but Stephen’s thought-provoking portrayal of her face shows a woman of great strength of character. Melangell’s Irish background is clearly indicated, blending with the woven clothing of her Welsh lifestyle, and the hare is also depicted and treated subtly whereas in some images she is shown cradling this wild creature in her arms. 

As a woman who cared for the creatures as well as the people around her, who enabled the church here to be built by keeping the goodwill of Prince Brochwel and who lived a life of great contrasts, Melangell’s example and care is as inspirational and needed today as it was when the religious community here first began. She is very much a saint of her own time but her legacy endures for our days too. Thanks be to God for her life, example and relevance today!

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

“Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another.” Jesus, in John 13:31-35.

‘What the hell just happened?’ Title of the UK’s entry in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Today’s Gospel reading takes place at the Last Supper, just after Judas has been told by Jesus to leave and do quickly what he’s going to do. The arrangements for his betrayal then proceed while Jesus continues to talk with his disciples before leaving later to go to the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest. Jesus begins to speak of glorification and calls the disciples little children as he prepares them for what is to come by telling them that he will only be with them for a little longer. He then gives them a new commandment to love one another just as he has loved them.

That’s familiar to Jews as Leviticus 19:18 states that they must ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’, which is a theme throughout the Old Testament. However, Jesus tells his disciples that they must specifically love one another just as he has loved them and that, when they do, it will be known that they are his followers. He speaks of that love even when he knows that Judas is going to betray him and before those with him have fallen asleep in Gethsemane, Peter has denied him and Thomas will doubt him. His disciples are frail, fallible people who clearly don’t understand what is happening or what is being asked of them. Yet, all this changes through the crucifixion as Jesus is glorified on the throne of the cross with his crown made of thorns and the resurrection then eventually enables the disciples slowly to realise the truth of what Jesus told them. So, God is glorified and love shown as the disciples take out the good news into the world and do not then fail in this despite such great personal cost. 

It’s easy to love people we like, much harder to persevere in the face of confusion, hatred or doubt. In the midst of our failings, frailty and misunderstandings, perhaps the way love spread and developed amongst those first disciples will hearten us today as it becomes our hallmark too. There is much in the church and its worshippers now that may create disappointment or frustration but love is also still at work as God’s glory continues to be glimpsed in so many different ways by those willing to seek it. 

It’s not love itself which is the focus of the commandment Jesus gives but the way Jesus loves that makes it new and different. It means loving in the face of betrayal, denial and doubt, just as Jesus did by washing his disciples’ feet as a servant despite knowing what lay ahead. More than that, Jesus also loved and associated with the poor, outcasts, lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors and Samaritans, the traditional enemy of the Jews. For his followers, that sometimes means not just learning from him but unlearning what may have become ingrained in habits and lifestyles, changing actions and behaviour. Through becoming vulnerable, from the Latin word vulnerabilis meaning wounding, we follow in the footsteps of Jesus to possible suffering and terrible woundedness but also to the transforming possibility of a new way of life and being. 

That may begin with the questions we ask of ourselves as well as others. The UK entry in Saturday’s Eurovision Song Contest was ‘What the hell just happened?’ sung by Remember Monday. Why not sing God’s praises and Remember Sunday, the day new life became possible, asking instead, ‘What, for heaven’s sake, could happen?’

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

“My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me.” Jesus, in today’s Gospel John 10:22-30. 

“The prayers of Catholics around the world will be that the universal shepherd can lead his flock to safe pasture.” Mark Easton, BBC commentator.

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday, due to the Gospel passage in John where Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11)  and refers to his flock of followers. He also calls himself the gate to the sheepfold, the one who protects the sheep from bandits and thieves, putting himself in possible danger for their sake. 

This year, my neighbour’s small flock has given her ten Torddu lambs, the Badger Face Welsh Mountain sheep that are so attractive. Recently moving them to fresh pasture, all Mary had to do was open the gate of their field and walk through it as she called them. The flock followed, its trust in her clear, and a ewe with her two lambs which were frantically calling each other after they had become separated were able to be reunited. Peace then reigned for a while and this good shepherd could have a rest!

Peace was mentioned nine times in the words of the new shepherd of the Roman Catholic church, Pope Leo XIV, as he addressed the crowds from the Vatican balcony after his election this week. He emerged traditionally robed like Benedict, wearing a similar red mozzetta (short cape) and the same ornate stole bearing golden images of the four Gospel writers, but speaking like Francis who wore simple white robes at his first appearance. In doing so, Leo may have already been building bridges with the traditional and progressive wings of the church, beginning to fulfill the calling in his title pontiff meaning bridge-builder. His chosen name also reflected this as his predecessor Leo l was instrumental in persuading Attila the Hun in the fifth century not to attack Rome, with Brother Leo also being a close companion of Francis of Assisi and Leo XIII prioritising diplomacy and social issues in his pontificate. Leo is also the name for a lion, king of the jungle, linked with authority, leadership and courage – Leo XIV will need all this and more as he sets out on the challenging times ahead. With this Pope’s experience of community as an Augustinian friar and his stated belief in synodality, walking and working with colleagues under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he will not be alone in his task and, as his colleague, Very Revd Anthony Pizzo, observed, “We are in hopeful space.”

Abundant hope is the theme of Christian Aid Week which begins today, highlighting Guatemala where, in the Alta Verapaz region, 90% of the population live in poverty. Christian Aid is partnered there with Congcoop, an organisation providing training and resources for communities to develop crop production in the face of climate change and economic need. The work created and the practical skills learned can change lives and communities – hope becomes a living reality and not just a possibility. 

May it be so for those in Guatemala, in the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglicanism too as the next Archbishop of Canterbury is discerned. May it be so for us, too, and the flocks for which we hold responsibility or of which we are a part, whether great like the Pope or on a small scale like Mary. And, if you were to take a new name like Robert Prevost who has become Leo XIV, what would you choose and why?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.