News and reflections

“Stop grumbling amongst yourselves!” Jesus, in today’s Gospel. 

“Stars and gripes.” Commentator on the botched American handover in the men’s 100m Olympic relay heat. 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is the subject of grumbling from Jews who are angry with him when he says that he is the bread that came down from heaven.  Understandably, they comment that they know his father and mother and, as the son of Joseph, how can he claim to have come from heaven? Although Joseph is his stepfather, what Jesus is telling them is unacceptable as they see it and, as they wonder who he thinks he is, Jesus tries to teach them more about their own belief in God and heaven. The more he tells them, the harder they find it to accept, especially when he says that the bread is his flesh. A conflict develops and, despite his endeavours, the disputes continue amongst Jews who disagree with him with even his disciples find his teaching hard to accept. 

The truth of what Jesus was saying only became clearer after his death and resurrection much later on – today, this teaching is well established and reflected in hymns such as Bread of heaven on thee we feed. However, arguments about aspects of religion remain and were highlighted in the recent riots which also focussed on immigration, race and faith. Placards intending to clarify also confused: one read Violence not welcome. Did it mean violence is not welcome or that no welcome should be given to illegal immigrants who should be strongly resisted? Some would argue that, if their voices are not heard, opposition and arguments are ways of getting attention but violence on the streets has left many injured and in fear with property damaged and relationships at risk. Or are they?

Spellow Lane library and community hub in Liverpool was badly damaged by arsonists and rioters with smoke damage a major issue and many lamenting what had happened. However, online appeals and donations from authors and the local community have also resulted in hundreds of thousands of pounds for repairs being quickly raised. The local Council issued a statement saying that support is appreciated and humbling – activists can tear communities apart but also help them heal and restore relationships. The same was true of a mini market in Southport, where smashed windows and looting had meant that its owner, Chanaka Balasuriya who came to the UK from Sri Lanka, thought it was the end of his business. Yet, the next morning, he found people at work there clearing away the broken glass and carrying out repairs; a local builder replaced his windows without charge and one of his suppliers brought a cabinet of ice cream. A local beauty salon crowdfunded an appeal which raised £11,000 for costs and, a few days later, his shop reopened. As Chanaka said, “It’s not about the money people gave me. It was the messages, the cards, the flowers. That support from strangers is unbelievable.” 

That support was not actually unbelievable but credible as strangers got to know each other, respond to needs and support one another, rebuilding community where it had been devastated. Rather than just grumbling about what was happening, people rallied round and activated a response which would overcome the negativity and hostility that had been generated as people refused to contribute further to the devastation and pain that had been caused. 

So it was for Jesus, as some of the crowd listened to him and remained although others left and began to create divisions or to seek ways of killing him. Relationships were a casualty then, too, as he lost followers as well as disciples because his teaching was so challenging. Yet what Jesus said was a truth that the crowd found difficult at the time but which was later more widely accepted – perhaps what’s happening on our streets now also shows us difficult truths about life today and can be dealt with in good faith and with hope for the future whether a religion is professed or not?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

“Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal 

life.” Jesus, in today’s Gospel John 6:24-35.

“All you can say…. is that Jesus is crying as well.” Southport resident. 

This has been a week of great contrasts with the shocking murders of three young girls and attacks on other children and adults in Southport, riots in various communities, the controversy over newsreader Huw Edwards who had seemed so reliable and the celebrations of the best medal haul Great Britain has had yet in the Olympics. From the depths to the heights of the human condition, this has been a time of very mixed emotions with young lives being snuffed out in so terrible a way and families plunged into unexpected suffering. Individuals and crowds have had huge influence on events with a great deal of misunderstanding and unfounded rumour also having an effect, not least in the attacks on Muslims, mosques and police when an incorrect name and faith was wrongly circulated in connection with the Southport murders. Misleading gossip and deliberate manipulation created further pain in communities already devastated by the actions of another child, albeit 17 years of age and now named publicly in order to overcome the growing confusion and anger in some places. In the face of such animosity, as one Southport resident commented, “All you can say…. is that Jesus is crying as well.”

Some similarities were reflected in the Gospel reading today as crowds clamoured for Jesus after the feeding of the five thousand, intent on further food for their stomachs. Perhaps, as they had been following him around for days, some of them were out of work, concerned about where their next meal was coming from or wanting to change their lives – not unlike many folk today, too. Having had their fill only the day before when the miracle took place, and seeking more, Jesus tries to get them to think about food for their souls as well as their bodies. When they mention manna in the wilderness during the Exodus, he reminds them that it was not Moses but God who provided it and when they ask for this bread always, Jesus tells them that he is the Bread of Life. That triggers misunderstandings which lead to disputes amongst the disciples and the crowd, with some of the onlookers eventually turning against Jesus as they find his teaching too hard. Others, however, remain and grapple with what they are told and its implications.

Misunderstandings and grappling with what was unfolding were also key to what happened after the initial stabbings in Southport. Some chose to try to support the families and their community by donating toys, food, drinks and money or opening facilities so that people could support one another. Others brought flowers or took in for the night the many soft toys that had been left and brought them back in the morning so that they wouldn’t get wet. After the riots, some went to the mosque and tried to help with repairs or comfort those who had been the focus of further violence. Still others turned out to sweep up and try to rebuild what had been torn down in their communities rather than leaving it all to the various Councils. Even elderly Nans against Nazis turned out with placards as people responded in the various ways and options open to them. As Sunderland Central MP Lewis Atkinson put it, “People from every community are coming together to clean up the shards of hate and build a better future.”

The shards of hatred are clearly well dispersed in what has happened but so, too, is the balm of love and the choices to be made in the days, weeks and years ahead may magnify or reduce both. For the devastation and consequences inflicted on those communities by the murders and the violence afterwards will last long after the media and world attention have gone and the reality of the bereavement and change sets in. In the face of the circumstances and situations facing us, there may seem to be little choice and few options but on what are we feeding, spiritually as well as bodily? Do gossip, rumour and lies feed us, as they have fed so many in all that has happened recently? Are Jesus the Bread of Life and his teaching factors in what needs to be digested or, like many of the crowd listening to him then, might we also turn away as we consider what is hard to stomach in life today? Or will we choose to be sustained by the Bread of Heaven which, as the hymn Guide me O Thou great Redeemer suggests, will feed us now, in all that lies ahead and evermore? 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

‘Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all.’ From John 6:1-21.

‘Faster; higher; stronger – together.’ The Olympic motto, amended in 2021.

In today’s Gospel, over five thousand people are fed by Jesus and a little boy who gives up his lunch for the sake of the crowd. Women and children would not normally be included in the count, so probably many more were fed and it’s a child rather than an adult – who might sensibly have thought to bring food with them – who provides what’s needed. As children would not normally be noticed, was that boy the son of one of the disciples or one of Jesus’s supporters? Using his five barley loaves and two fish, Jesus gives thanks for the food and God’s grace allows even for leftovers, so great is the generosity of his provision for those in need. This miracle feeds both body and soul as the crowd begin to realise who this might be and Jesus withdraws from them, later being seen to be walking on water and quelling the fears of those who are afraid by the unusual things are happening.

During Friday’s opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris, unusual things happened there too – a horse appeared to be galloping on the water of the Seine, headless women in costume sang opera and a balloon took the Olympic flame into the skies where it will remain until the Games end. Although it poured with rain for much of the time, hundreds of thousands of people lined the Seine, needing seating and food but persevering despite the downpour. There are 10,713 athletes alone from 206 countries due to take part in the Games and feeding just them requires a huge amount of organisation and co-operation, with guests and spectators wanting food too. A huge operation is underway – spare a thought for the caterers and street food providers!

It’s not only the provision of food but also accommodation, arenas, facilities, judges, equipment, transport, security….. Working together is vital, as well as costly, if the Games are to be successful and it’s already been clear from the sabotage of parts of the French railway system that there are those who oppose this. However, in 2021, the Olympic motto was slightly amended by the addition of one word – together, reflecting the need for mutual goodwill and co-operation. The words faster, higher, stronger (rather than fastest, highest,  strongest) also reflect the personal competition that each athlete has with themselves as they seek to improve their individual performance as well as the desire to do well against others. It’s not only about winning – although some claim it is – but about taking part in so wonderful an experience. That’s so for the crowd, too, as the spectacle and the privilege of watching supreme athletes compete unfolds, being viewed and debated the world over.

That must have been so in the time of Jesus, too, as the crowd responded to that spectacle of love and grace and as, over two thousand years later, this miraculous tale is also known the world over. Further stories will emerge from these Games and not all in the true spirit of them – but the hope that many will be is always there! 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

‘People at once recognised him and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats.’ From today’s Gospel, Mark 6:30-34, 53-56.

 ‘Computer says no!’ Catchphrase from ‘Little Britain’, the comedy show. 

A great deal has happened in the sixth chapter of St Mark’s Gospel before today’s reading. Jesus has been rejected in his own home town, the disciples have been sent out by him instead so that the word would still be proclaimed and John the Baptist has been beheaded. Events are unfolding quickly and time is pressing – as word spreads that Jesus is around, Mark indicates that the crowd ‘hurried’ to meet the disciples, that they ‘arrived ahead of them’ and that they ‘rushed about’ to bring the sick to him. In their haste, the crowd seems to be acting like sheep without a shepherd, so desperate are they for healing and short-term solutions, and Jesus begins to teach them to see things differently. All who come to him are healed but it’s clear that the disciples have returned worn out by the mission on which Jesus had sent them as they begin to report back to him. In telling him what they’ve done and taught, he recognises that they are exhausted and urges them to come to a deserted place to take rest for they have had no time for this or even to eat. As they leave in the boat, the people who are there see what’s happening and rush ahead of them so that a great crowd is waiting on their arrival. The pressures on them and the needs of the people are constant and Jesus and the disciples find their plans for rest are blocked by events. 

That is very much a factor in life today which, with instant and widespread electronic communication as well as word of mouth, can proceed at great speed and exhaust many to the point of burn out or breakdown. The worldwide chaos caused by the recent security IT meltdown which created computer disruption in so many ways meant that millions were faced with the immediate end of activities and plans, the consequences of which will take a long time to resolve even though a fix has now been found. As one IT consultant observed, “This is the price we pay for being so reliant on digital infrastructure.” Should it be, however?

It’s astonishing how quickly some huge institutions ground to a halt and how paralysed their systems speedily became, in many cases causing great inconvenience but in others having life-threatening results as operations and consultations were cancelled or medicines could not be dispensed because there was no access to patient records or procedures. Only computers using Microsoft Windows and the security protection CrowdStrike were affected – but windows through which to view the world turned blue and blank, creating utter travel chaos on one of the busiest days of the year. A salutary story of our times – it was reported that some businesses even had to resort to handwritten notices! Lessons will be learned from this, not least to take action to diversify rather than maintain dependency on the same security systems, but this has also been a golden opportunity for scammers as well as the realisation that cash still has its place when cards fail and a cashless society is not ideal. 

Perhaps it’s helpful to realise that business and busy-ness can sometimes create unavoidable pressures that can’t always be resisted. Jesus and his disciples responded to the needs of the crowd but it’s clear that they also took rest and times of retreat when possible. The enforced delay and waiting that the IT meltdown created ironically affected many on the way to taking a break and have a holiday but may also be a reminder that human beings are not as in control as is sometimes thought. At times when that happens and plans are frustrated by events, it may be helpful to remember that at the heart of the Christian faith is one who also knew what it was to be busy, hungry, weary and stressed. When we find that happening to us too, perhaps we are closer than we realise to the one whose example teaches us to CrowdLove rather than CrowdStrike?

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

‘Jesus….rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!”’From Mark 4: 35-end.

”We come to God not by navigation but by love.” St Augustine.

Today is Sea Sunday, a time to remember those who patrol or work the seas on our behalf. This is a particularly dangerous time for all seafarers while they battle ongoing crises such as those of piracy in the Suez Canal and warfare between Russia and Ukraine as well as the storms and tsunamis that are regularly faced. That’s in addition to being away from families and home for long periods of time, the exhausting work, boredom or health issues that can sometimes result and the poor conditions or abandonment that can arise if their companies fail. With rising costs of fuel, vessels and goods, that can increasingly be the case and the emotional cost of the items for sale in supermarkets, shops and online is often considerably more than the price paid at the checkout. 

The notion of a voyage is sometimes used for the Christian journey through life, even if the location is completely landlocked, evoking Noah and his family who clambered aboard the Ark to find safe passage through the waters of flood and chaos. So, if there are times when it seems as if we’re navigating stormy waters, have lost our course or long for safe harbour, we shouldn’t be too surprised! As in the Gospel today, the hymn Guide me, O thou great Jehovah also speaks of dying as a voyage we will all eventually have to undertake with the elements as well as our lives subject to his guidance: ‘When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside. Death of death and hell’s destruction land me safe on Canaan’s side.’

Reflecting this, infants are baptised here with a scallop shell, valued by pilgrims travelling to the Shrine of St James at Compostela when found on the shores of Spain and used for food as well as a primitive filter to trap grit in the drinking water being scooped up from streams along the way. It became the sign of a pilgrim and many of those who come to this place of pilgrimage take a scallop shell away with them as a reminder of coming here.

Today, it takes more than the rills of a scallop shell to deal with the dirt and pollution in our seas, rivers and oceans. These are being affected by global warming and carbon dioxide which causes coral bleaching whilst sewage, over-fishing, chemicals and plastic take their toll too. The huge cruise liners that are so popular also have their effect, all of which can cause sea levels to rise in places where livelihoods, welfare and creatures as well as humans are affected in ways of which we’re often heedless.

So, St Augustine’s words are particularly relevant as we today consider how love of God, neighbour and self can make a difference where navigation is not the only consideration. As we ponder the options before us, purchasing power amongst them, take heart: aware of the crisis in the Suez Canal, China is already sending festive goods to these shores so that you will still be able to buy a robotic reindeer or elf in good time for Christmas should you need one! 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian. 

‘They took offence at him. Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honour, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.”…. He could do no deed of power there…. And he was amazed at their unbelief.’ From Mark 6:1-13.

“I have heard your anger and disappointment…. I am sorry.” Rishi Sunak apologising in his resignation speech as Prime Minister, although many others were also involved.

“I should think so. We’ve been telling him long enough!” Unnamed voter on TV. 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus has come to his hometown with his disciples and astounds those who hear him teach in the synagogue there. They question his wisdom and deeds saying, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?” His brothers (possibly cousins) James, Joses, Judas and Simon are mentioned, as well as his unnamed sisters, and disbelief renders Jesus powerless as his identity and authority are questioned by those who simply see him as a local lad getting a bit above himself. Who does he think he is?

Jesus does not respond to the offence they in turn created for him at a time when he might have anticipated or welcomed support from those amongst whom he grew up. Instead, he calls his disciples and sends them out two by two – Jesus looks for another way to honour God’s call and his followers undertake this willingly and successfully. Despite the resentment of the locals, the word is proclaimed and the time there now becomes productive with many people being healed as Jesus shares his mission with those who are willing to work with him. Perhaps, at those times when we are unrecognised or blocked in what it’s hoped can be fulfilled, other ways can also be found to achieve or share this? 

During the recent electioneering, much was shared by leaders, candidates and campaign workers as leaflets were produced, debates held, journeys undertaken and doors knocked. This highlighted issues as well as policies and it was clear from the start that some of this was falling on deaf ears or being avoided rather than addressed. As Jesus experienced, many of those questioning what was unfolding preferred not to face the challenge and change being brought to them. Many chose not to listen to him or engage with it all as was the case for some in this election with the national turn out being the lowest since 1945. At times, anger, contempt and animosity were foremost, with all the party leaders experiencing the varying reactions of the electorate whose votes they were trying to secure and there being much negative comment. As the BBC’s commentator Chris Mason said, “There’s a lot of volatility about!” 

Eventually, the will of those who voted in all four home nations was clear and the way ahead obvious with Rishi Sunak accepting his party’s fate from a disbelieving electorate and conceding the election before the required number of seats had actually been reached. Many famous – or infamous?! – faces of all political persuasions were unseated as the former Foreign Secretary James Cleverly observed that, “Democracy is both a beautiful but also a brutal thing.” However, the change of Government was finally conducted with dignity and goodwill as failure was accepted, responsibility taken and both former as well as incoming Prime Minister acknowledged merits in the other. 

What now lies ahead will be no easy task as pledges made and challenges undertaken will be held to account with media coverage a huge factor internationally as well as locally, Poland’s TVP describing Keir Starmer as “a bit bland, even boring”. Will he be, or is that what is needed after so many years of turbulence? Can another way be found, as Jesus discovered and the electorate has now chosen, or will it be more of the same due to the huge issues that cannot easily or quickly be fixed or overcome? As in Jesus’ day, time will later show what is really unfolding throughout these events and we, too, will have our part to play in them or to help share, oppose or smooth the path of those trying to make a difference – or not, as we choose. 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Guardian. 

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“Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” Jesus, in Mark 4:35-41.

‘Now many years later, I have an idea that God would have said, “Take two”.’ Cardinal Hume, writing in ‘Basil in Blunderland’ of growing up with the idea of God as a teacher or policeman who would know and punish him for taking an apple without permission. 

Today’s Gospel centres on the calming of a storm, when Jesus commands it to cease and, to the astonishment of the disciples, it does. After an exhausting time, when Jesus has been teaching the large crowds and his disciples all day, he suggests to his followers that they should cross to the other side of the lake. Mark states that the crowds are left behind but other boats are with them despite the storm that then springs up and swamps the boat. Jesus, tired out, is fast asleep but is awoken by his panicking disciples who accuse him of not caring for their welfare – despite his nurturing of them throughout the day! Immediately, Jesus orders the wind and waves to be still – and they become not just peaceful but dead calm. His followers are astounded and marvel at his authority as he asks them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”

When Jesus asks them why they are afraid, it’s not clear whether he’s questioning their fear of the storm or its response to his command. Many of the disciples were also fishermen and would have been used to the sudden storms that can blow up there – they could perhaps have done more to help themselves and also honour Jesus’ need for rest. However, the disciples are having to learn that Jesus is much more than they realise and that in itself scares them – “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” they ask.

That same question is one that we must answer for ourselves as we, like those first disciples, respond to the presence of Jesus in our lives too. That cry of fear to Jesus – “Do you not care?” – from his frightened followers as the storm arises is echoed in so many situations today where anguished and petrified people long for God to act but he appears to be unresponsive. Often God is thought to be silent, sleeping as Jesus does in the stern where normally the person steering would be so active. Sometimes, too, there is more we could do to help ourselves or respond to what is needed. However, Jesus does take the action his disciples crave although it leaves them with so many questions about him. We may have many questions of him ourselves and our world, too.

Perhaps, like Basil Hume, we have to realise that God is so much more than the images we may have formed of him and that, as we face the storms in our own lives, we have the choice of developing faith in the loving purposes of a sometimes silent God or fear of the stormy situations being faced. Key to this is the need to ask afresh, of Jesus and ourselves, “Who is this?”

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian. 

”The Kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground….and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.” Jesus, in Mark 4:26-34.

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” Gary Snyder.

This valley is one of the most beautiful in Wales, a sacred site from pagan times and well before the arrival of Christianity. Not only is it significant because of St Melangell and the church that sprang up here but the foothills of the Berwyn Mountains have a rugged beauty that, with the waterfall, river and plentiful rainfall, creates lush hillsides which pilgrims and visitors here particularly enjoy. It’s been noticeable this week that the wooded hillside by the Centre, which was harvested last year, can produce a sense of shock and devastation for some of those who see it for the first time and compare it to what was. However, there are also visitors who find its bare slopes a salutary reminder that this is a place of work and production as well as beauty and peace – the replanting of saplings has begun and, in about forty years, it should look much better than it does now. These things take time!

It was the same when St Mark’s Gospel was written around AD 70, not long after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans. That lead to a sense of devastation and Mark placed emphasis on being alert for the coming of the Kingdom of God at a time when it was not expected in the midst of the chaos being faced. The Gospel set for today echoes this, with its emphasis on sowing seed which sprouts and grows itself in the earth where it’s scattered. Jesus uses the example of the tiny mustard seed, which grows into a much larger plant and can even give shelter to birds in its branches. That is the hope here, where the tiny saplings being planted on the hill speak simply of future hope amidst current dismay without many words being needed. 

The example Jesus uses of sowing mustard seed would be a familiar, everyday activity with which his hearers could easily identify in so rural a situation. By likening this to the Kingdom of God, Jesus indicates that God is also at work in the tiny things of life where small gestures and actions may eventually make a great difference. It’s a reminder, this Father’s Day, that small acts of kindness, encouragement and support can sow seeds for the future that may blossom even though we may not be aware of them when they happen and it may take time. That can have unexpected consequences too, it being said that Jeremiah Colman made his fortune and established the family business partly from the amount of mustard people took to use on their food but then left on their plate as it was so hot. Perhaps, when life is heated or chaotic for us today, the unanticipated arrival of the Kingdom of God which Mark emphasised is closer to hand than we think? 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.

“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” Jesus, in Mark 3:24. 

“Teamwork wins wars. I mean teamwork among nations, services and men. All the way down the line from the GI and the Tommy to us brass hats.” Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe.

The D-Day coverage this week was very moving, with the dwindling number of veterans gathering for probably the last time to share their stories and memories. The accounts of what was organised and experienced were remarkable and Eisenhower’s comments about teamwork were validated by events as well as the individual actions of so many which also made a difference. There has been some negativity over the UK’s Prime Minister leaving earlier than most to record a TV interview, for which he has apologised, but one centenarian even marked the occasion by getting married to his sweetheart aged 96! That remarkable generation and all they did has been heard and honoured, for which thanks are given as the challenges to democracy and peace are faced today. 

It was clear in the coverage that little things made a huge difference. Maureen Sweeney was a young woman who was appointed as a Post Office assistant in Blacksod in Western Ireland but she had no idea that weather reporting was part of her duties. She adapted well to this and sent back vital details that delayed the invasion by a day – but what if she hadn’t agreed to it or had not been so diligent, hers being the only forecast accurately reporting the probable improvement in the weather that led to the delay until 6th June? What if de Valera, the Irish Taoiseach – caught between IRA republicans favouring the Nazi cause and those supporting British politicians – had decided not to allow the sharing of this information with the UK as he did? What if James Stag, the weather forecaster advising the Allied commanders, had dismissed Maureen’s notes as a mistake? All these things were to have profound consequences. 

Maureen had no idea at the time of the significance of her reports – but they mattered hugely because the Germans did not have access to information from the Atlantic and thought the bad weather would continue. What if the same had applied to the Allies and they had gone ahead during the storm? Rommel believed his weather reports, accurate for the smaller area to which they were confined, and went back to Germany for his wife’s birthday. He was not present when D-Day began – what if he had been? Due to the forecasts, German commanders had been called to a planning meeting – all their regiments were without them. What if they had been there? It was also significant that Hitler took a nap and, his aides not liking to wake him up, let him sleep on – as a result, Panzer divisions, crack troops with tanks, were not quickly mobilised. What if he’d been awoken and they had been ordered in? 

On a wider basis, the individual actions and sabotage of the French resistance affected German communications, just as the recruitment of double spies and false information created confusion regarding where the invasion would actually happen. The forward planning creating pipelines under the sea for fuel and Mulberry harbours for supplies, as well as some troops landing with heavy packs, weapons and even bicycles to carry, showed the huge scale of detail and expectation for which all gave some and some gave all, D-Day being just the start of the Battle of Normandy which killed and wounded so many. As one veteran remarked, some of those who lived with the terrible cost and dreadful memories of this found it created, ”A cloak of sorrow that has never really gone away.” Another commented that, “It was history. We didn’t realise it – we were living history.” 

In our generation, we are also living history, some of which may bring sorrow as well as hope. As we reflect on the cost of the freedom won for us, what are the apparently little things being faced in our lives that, given to God, could make a huge difference? 

A D-Day prayer: God our refuge and strength, as we remember those who faced danger and death in Normandy eighty years ago, grant us courage to pursue what is right, the will to work with others and the strength to overcome tyranny and oppression. This we pray through Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

With my prayers; pob bendith,

Christine, Priest Guardian.