by Bogdan Wasylkiw
I'm on holiday having done the sightseeing trips, taken photographs, and bought the postcards. I'm back in the hotel at the end of the day and I start to write postcards to family and friends.
Dear Mum,
Having a wonderful time, weather is great, super location.
See you soon
Dear Jonathan,
Having a wonderful time, weather is great, super location, thanks for looking after the dog.
See you soon
Dear Damien,
Having a wonderful time, weather is great, super location, thanks for looking after the house.
See you soon
Dear Luke,
Having a wonderful time, weather is great, super location, thanks for driving us to the airport.
See you soon
Then walking out onto the balcony, and looking at the view, the sky is blue, the sun is shining, the air is clean, the view of the mountains and the valleys is absolutely superb, what a wonderful place.
I wonder if I have forgotten anybody?
This website is maintained by John Scanlon and is used by the Deacons in Formation in the Clifton Diocese, UK. Anyone is welcome to read and comment on what is posted here.
Sunday 30 January 2011
There was plenty of grass there
Based partially on John 6:10 and partially on the packaging from a pair of socks this is a lovely reflection on the feeding of the five thousand and it's relevance to us today. Bodgen wrote this if I remember correctly after struggling with writers block as we all do. Rosalind his wife suggested looking at the reflections that came printed on the packaging of a pair of Holy Socks (http://www.holysocks.co.uk/) he had had for Christmas. Enjoy...
There Was Plenty of Grass There by Bogdan Wasylkiw
JOHN 6:10 ...There was plenty of grass there.
Fancy John remembering that!
And he was right, there was much grass in the place, and never has such grass hosted such a picnic.
I had followed Jesus because I had heard about all the amazing things that he had done and I was curious.
I really didn’t want to get involved. I just wanted to look from the outside.
Anyway he told us all to sit down and we did (well it was a good start in obedience).
I hadn’t brought any food – I didn’t expect to stay – it wasn’t a planned day out.
Jesus was there and I just wanted to see him.
I didn’t even notice that I was hungry.
But Jesus must have known what I needed.
I noticed a small boy talking to Andrew but never thought much about it.
He gave all he had five barley loaves and two fish.
And look what Jesus did with it amazing he fed everyone and yet what the boy gave was so little.
It hardly seemed worth giving.
And I remembered all that I had at home to give.
What if I had brought it and offered it to Jesus.
What could he have done with it?
What could he still do with it?
There Was Plenty of Grass There by Bogdan Wasylkiw
JOHN 6:10 ...There was plenty of grass there.
Fancy John remembering that!
And he was right, there was much grass in the place, and never has such grass hosted such a picnic.
I had followed Jesus because I had heard about all the amazing things that he had done and I was curious.
I really didn’t want to get involved. I just wanted to look from the outside.
Anyway he told us all to sit down and we did (well it was a good start in obedience).
I hadn’t brought any food – I didn’t expect to stay – it wasn’t a planned day out.
Jesus was there and I just wanted to see him.
I didn’t even notice that I was hungry.
But Jesus must have known what I needed.
I noticed a small boy talking to Andrew but never thought much about it.
He gave all he had five barley loaves and two fish.
And look what Jesus did with it amazing he fed everyone and yet what the boy gave was so little.
It hardly seemed worth giving.
And I remembered all that I had at home to give.
What if I had brought it and offered it to Jesus.
What could he have done with it?
What could he still do with it?
Because We’re Mortal
This I think was Bodgen's first though for the day. Bogden like me is a huge movie fan and will take most opportunities to talk about them. Here we are asked to consider how we live each day.
Because We're Mortal by Bogdan Wasylkiw
I was watching the film Troy recently and a line from the film struck me, it was said by Achilles to a priestess. "I'll tell you a secret. Something they don't teach you in your temple. The gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again."
The part of this I would like to note, 'Because we’re mortal.'
As we go through life how do we act?
Do we act as immortals or as mortals?
Do we ever think that what we have today we may lose tomorrow?
When we go through our daily life do we see and take note of everything around us, remembering that everything has its own place and beauty. We seem to spend time planning for this or that, looking at the future, and I’m not saying this is a bad thing, but do we forget about today, do we go though ignoring things because we can do it tomorrow.
We can go though the day like mechanical robots, at the end of the day can we truly give thanks to God and say that we have lived it as he intended, with love and charity. If we go through the day remembering we are mortals. That any moment may be our last, that we will never be here again. What a difference it could make!
Because We're Mortal by Bogdan Wasylkiw
I was watching the film Troy recently and a line from the film struck me, it was said by Achilles to a priestess. "I'll tell you a secret. Something they don't teach you in your temple. The gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again."
The part of this I would like to note, 'Because we’re mortal.'
As we go through life how do we act?
Do we act as immortals or as mortals?
Do we ever think that what we have today we may lose tomorrow?
When we go through our daily life do we see and take note of everything around us, remembering that everything has its own place and beauty. We seem to spend time planning for this or that, looking at the future, and I’m not saying this is a bad thing, but do we forget about today, do we go though ignoring things because we can do it tomorrow.
We can go though the day like mechanical robots, at the end of the day can we truly give thanks to God and say that we have lived it as he intended, with love and charity. If we go through the day remembering we are mortals. That any moment may be our last, that we will never be here again. What a difference it could make!
Formation Calendar Updated
I have just updated the public Google calendar for Clifton Diaconal Formation. You can see the next five dates appearing to the right on this blog. If you want to add this calendar to your own calendar you can as Google supports most calendar formats.
The link for iCal is (if you need something different speak to me):
The link for iCal is (if you need something different speak to me):
Just cut and paste this into your calendar somewhere in the settings section :-)
Tuesday 25 January 2011
The Pope's comments on Blogging and Social Networks
I read on the train this morning that the Pope has been speaking about Catholics blogging, Tweating and Facebooking. Right here on this web site I do two out of those three so I feel I need to go and findout for myself what he has infact said. According to the paper the paper this morning two things were mentioned. First that people using community areas of the internet should not be afraid to represent there Christian and Catholic viewpoint. I think this is very valid not just on-line but in any form of communication. The second point was very interesting for me personally, and it was that, Catholics blogging or tweating should be concerned not with the number of followers or hits they get but in what they choose to say. It's very easy when using the internet to get distracted, to keep score, of how many freinds or followers you have. I have 9 followers on twitter. One person I know at work, two deacons in formation who write blogs like this that interested me, so I started following them and I guess I interested them and they started following me. The others that follow me I dont know at all. They range from a man that likes to say thank you, to a computer games company and there is even a national newspaper report. Should I be proud of my 9 followers? should I be pleased this website has been read be people from 11 different countries? No, I think the Popes right, I think the only thing I should worry about is what I say here and what others care to add here as well.
When I get back home I think I'll take a look at what the Pope has really said, and see how much more wisdom I can find there.
When I get back home I think I'll take a look at what the Pope has really said, and see how much more wisdom I can find there.
Monday 24 January 2011
Before and After Christmas Thoughts
The first thought here was written in advent 2009 and the second in early Jan 2011 so they are a year apart, the Christmas spirit though is strong in both. The second though also begins to look forward to Easter and the saving act of the cruxifiction and resurection.
You may also notice, as I only just have, the similarity in the last line of each thought.
Preparing for Christams - What's really Important
Last night I got home from work feeling very tired and worn out after a long hard week. I got home before Gail so I had time to lay the fire and get our advent calendar and crib down from the loft. When she got in we ate, we had fish and chips, eating on our laps in front of the fire. We put on some Christmas music and just looked into the dancing flames. Neither of us felt the need to talk. After an hour or so we roasted some chestnuts a friend had gathered from his garden for us. They were warm and sweet, the very taste of Victorian winter. During the course of the evening both our Mums rang for a chat. As the fire died down towards the end of the evening we enjoyed a glass of wine, a little cheese and a slice of soft crusty bread. We finished the evening sitting in bed, with a red advent candle burning slowly down to 4, I was reading Delia Smith's a feast for advent, and reflecting on the short amount of time before we celebrate Christmas. Advent is a time for preparing, we have less than three weeks now, to prepare for the coming our our Lord. So, should I be thinking about, the presents I have to buy, the meals to be prepared, the visits we have to make, the people coming to stay with us, what time Doctor Who will be on on Christmas day. No that's not the preparation that's needed, although I probably do all that as well. Last night was the preparation that's needed, time spent with a loving family and time spent reflecting on the wonder and love of our Lord.
I wish you all a happy and Holy Christmas, may God Bless us one and all.
A Christmas Carol
For the first time this Christmas I actual read 'A Christmas Carol'. Like all of you, I know the story well. I have watched it many times over the years in many different forms. Classic versions with Albert Finney, George C. Scott, and Patrick Stewart. Fun versions with Mickey Mouse & Kermit the Frog. Even re-worked version with Doctor Who or Jimmy Stewart in 'It's a wonderful life'.
For me the story captures the Christmas spirit. It's bitter sweet. There is joy but also sadness. Christmas is much more than Coke-a-Cola's “holidays are coming”, paint the world red, happy family Christmas images. I think we need to feel a little sadness at Christmas, to let us relish the joy.
At Christmas our Lord came into the world, and because of that wonder we rejoice, but if we look at his first Christmas presents we see his life mapped out. Gold for a king, Frankincense for the priest, and Myrrh for his death. Just listen to the lyrics of the hymn We three Kings. Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying. Sealed in the stone-cold tomb. But His death was His gift to us, the gift that secures our salvation. You can see why I think Christmas needs to feel bitter sweet, but when it does we must relish the sweetness.
And it's one of those moments of sweetness I want to leave you with. As I read “A Christmas Carol” I came across a sentence I hadn't heard before. It read :
“But they didn't devote the whole evening to music. After a while they played at forfeits; for it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself.”
I wish you all a happy new year, and in the words of Tiny Tim, “May God Bless us, Everyone”
You may also notice, as I only just have, the similarity in the last line of each thought.
Preparing for Christams - What's really Important
Last night I got home from work feeling very tired and worn out after a long hard week. I got home before Gail so I had time to lay the fire and get our advent calendar and crib down from the loft. When she got in we ate, we had fish and chips, eating on our laps in front of the fire. We put on some Christmas music and just looked into the dancing flames. Neither of us felt the need to talk. After an hour or so we roasted some chestnuts a friend had gathered from his garden for us. They were warm and sweet, the very taste of Victorian winter. During the course of the evening both our Mums rang for a chat. As the fire died down towards the end of the evening we enjoyed a glass of wine, a little cheese and a slice of soft crusty bread. We finished the evening sitting in bed, with a red advent candle burning slowly down to 4, I was reading Delia Smith's a feast for advent, and reflecting on the short amount of time before we celebrate Christmas. Advent is a time for preparing, we have less than three weeks now, to prepare for the coming our our Lord. So, should I be thinking about, the presents I have to buy, the meals to be prepared, the visits we have to make, the people coming to stay with us, what time Doctor Who will be on on Christmas day. No that's not the preparation that's needed, although I probably do all that as well. Last night was the preparation that's needed, time spent with a loving family and time spent reflecting on the wonder and love of our Lord.
I wish you all a happy and Holy Christmas, may God Bless us one and all.
A Christmas Carol
For the first time this Christmas I actual read 'A Christmas Carol'. Like all of you, I know the story well. I have watched it many times over the years in many different forms. Classic versions with Albert Finney, George C. Scott, and Patrick Stewart. Fun versions with Mickey Mouse & Kermit the Frog. Even re-worked version with Doctor Who or Jimmy Stewart in 'It's a wonderful life'.
For me the story captures the Christmas spirit. It's bitter sweet. There is joy but also sadness. Christmas is much more than Coke-a-Cola's “holidays are coming”, paint the world red, happy family Christmas images. I think we need to feel a little sadness at Christmas, to let us relish the joy.
At Christmas our Lord came into the world, and because of that wonder we rejoice, but if we look at his first Christmas presents we see his life mapped out. Gold for a king, Frankincense for the priest, and Myrrh for his death. Just listen to the lyrics of the hymn We three Kings. Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying. Sealed in the stone-cold tomb. But His death was His gift to us, the gift that secures our salvation. You can see why I think Christmas needs to feel bitter sweet, but when it does we must relish the sweetness.
And it's one of those moments of sweetness I want to leave you with. As I read “A Christmas Carol” I came across a sentence I hadn't heard before. It read :
“But they didn't devote the whole evening to music. After a while they played at forfeits; for it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself.”
I wish you all a happy new year, and in the words of Tiny Tim, “May God Bless us, Everyone”
Saturday 22 January 2011
Become one body one spirit in Christ
A link to the DVD resource FR. Michael has been showing us at Ammerdown Become one body one spirit in Christ.
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