Are we all Mirrors

When you look into a mirror have you ever thought about how amazing it really is? Most of us rely on mirrors everyday, when we drive, watch TV or even when spending money. Our credit cards and notes are secured with mirrored holograms.

Mirrors can take us to places hardly imagined. Not just for Alice stepping through the looking glass; but telescopes and microscopes of every size use mirrors. Hubble has allowed us to see images of the very edges of our universe, while microscopes have let us examine DNA, the building blocks of life. Mirrors can also reflect the darker side of life. Archimedes used mirrors to focus sunlight into a burning ray, to destroy invading Roman ships; modern nuclear weapons use mirrors to reflect x-rays to detonate the warheads. Personally we use them to change the way we look. To shave, dry our hair, brush our teeth, to tie our ties and apply our lipstick.

Recently I have noticed that I have been using other mirrors at work. These mirrors can change the way I feel or act, these mirrors are my colleagues. If they feel bad, so do I, if they are motivated, so am I. Everyone, including me, can act as a mirror. We reflect the mood and spirit around us. There are many times when I am arrogant, pretentious, selfish, uncaring or devious. I may have my reasons; maybe I am tired, under pressure, even scared or shy. But when I act in these ways, those around won’t know why. They may reflect back a mood and spirit I would not want duplicated in this world.

So if today my spirit is going to be reflected in the people I meet, shouldn’t I be making sure that the spirit within me is the Holy Spirit, the spirit that I would like to reflect?

[This was my first thought on the formation program, many weeks of effort went into it and most of the ideas ended up being edited out. I have also changed the last line to "So if today my spirit is going to be reflected in the people I meet, shouldn’t I be making sure that the spirit within me is the spirit that I would like to reflect?" and circulated it to my peer group at work during previous re-organisations, with positive effect.]

Another year - have I born the fruit expected of me

Last year at this time I gave a homily to the deacon's in formation and by chance this year I have to give a homily on the same reading. That of Luke 13:1-9. Now after I have finished writing the new homily for this year I am struck by the reference to the fig tree being given another year to bare fruit. I find myself asking what I have done this last year, what fruit have a produced. I am feeling quite humble, quite small, far from worthy. My mind produces the image of myself on my knees at Mass, "Lord I am not worthy, but only say the word and I shall be healed." I am nourished by the Lord, but have I born fruit?


Homily - Sat 23rd Oct 2010.pdf
Homily - Sat 24th Oct 2009.pdf

Both homilies attached, have read if you like and see what difference a year makes.

Beauty

I stood at the front of the church as my uncle went to light some candles. The mass had ended and the congregation was moving throughout the church. Some chatting, some praying, some leaving, some collecting hymn books. The wonderful movement of a crowd filled with the holy spirit surrounded me. A server approached the alter to extinguish the candles. From each a cloud of smoke rose, not a fluffy cloud but a cloud filled with ribbons of smoke dancing through the air as they rose, and as they rose they passed through the bright low autumn sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows. Ethereal and golden, rainbow hued and shimmering, expanding and rising. Our prayers, our worship, our love ascended to heaven in that smoke and the glory of our Lord was revealed in it’s beauty.

Daily Prayer

Today's readings at Mass were all about prayer, and so was Fr. Jim's Homily. It got me to thinking about my prayer life and how hard I have found getting to grips with morning and evening prayer. I found it easy to take my prayer book with me when I went away and it was always beside the bed when I was at home and yet it was seldom opened. Not because I didn't want to pray but because I could always find something else to do. Part of the problem for me was making sure I got it right, find the right day, the right saint, marking all the pages. I managed to add 20mins of preparation to 10-15mins of prayer and this meant I normally didn't even start.

To force myself to I invited some friends at work from the Christian Union to join me for prayer before work on a Friday. Because they didn't have prayer books I printed a version from the Internet and week all prayed together. I lead the sessions and always talked through the reading just to make sure we all had all the pages. This really helped me, a bit like Moses today having his arms held up by those next to him when he lacked the strength himself.

Now with the increased use of gadgets I have found at least one knew way to organise myself. I have started using a iPhone app by Universalis. The app automatically constructs the readings into a single page based on today's date. So all I have to do is open the app. It made all the difference to me and I now find it easy to complete the office in the car park before going into work each morning and again in the evening before I plug my phone in to charge overnight.

So after 4+ years of working on the office it now something that builds me up to do the work of the Lord and not a duty I was struggling to complete. Find your own way with the office, for me it's developed into a wonderful gift, if it's not already I am sure it will be for you as well.

Some links to the sites I have mentioned above:
http://www.universalis.com/
Great online resource, and they have 2 iPhone apps one free if you have a network connection, and 1 for about £20 that gives you access to the entire breviary and also the grail translation we are used to in the black books.

http://www.ebreviary.com/
This is the site I used to share the office with people at work. For Friday morning you can download a nicely formatted PDF booklet, free of charge.

Devine Office Bookmarks

As promised a few weeks ago, here are the bookmarks I put together to help me lead morning & Evening prayer. Just print them out double sided, attack with sissors and laminate if you want.

Divine Office Bookmarks in Open Office Format

Divine Office Bookmarks in PDF Format

Divine Office Bookmarks in Word Format

You won't beleive it's just taken me 2 hours to work out how to get these files uploaded for you. It used to be easy but they have upgraded the software and the old way just doesn't work any more. Well that's computers for you always changing :-)

Congratulations

Congratulations John

You have persuaded me to become a blogger for the first time ever.

Not sure how active I'll be but I do think this is a great idea.

Thoughts of a newbie

Thanks John, for the welcome. Joining the formation programme comes at time of upheaval at work and a variety of tensions in the family for us. To be included in this new family has been a wonderful initial experience. The enormity of the undertaking is beginning to sink in now after my second sesion at Wesley but I do recognise the availability of help and encouragement ( and I have no doubt, constructive criticism).

Last thought for today - just had a significant moment when making some notes for my first essay. An idea came to me and then as I was reading McGrath he used almost exactly the same expression. Probably the last one ever but what a buzz!!

Welcome to 2010

We are now well into a new year and again I feel the joy of a changing group. It really not the same without Rob, Terry & Denis, but then again it shouldn't be the same. It great to be able to share this year with Paul as we both, God Willing, prepare for ordination. It also great to have another year with Steve & Bogdan, and it especially wonderful to have 4 new student this year. So welcome Ric, Mario, Mike & Tony.
This is also going to be a year of change for the programme as Wesley will unfortunately be closing at the end of this academic year, so it will be interesting to understand what will happen next year.
So new faces and changes...it seems that change is the only thing that stays the same.

Thought - Weakness & Strength

For the last few weeks I have had a lot to do at work. My boss has been away and I have been doing his job as well as my own. As a result I have been working extra hours, travelling a lot and dealing with some important and difficult decisions. On the whole I have enjoyed the experience, but there have been times when I have been very tired and have made mistakes. But, all in all I am very proud of what I have done.

But yesterday I read a small verse in St Paul's letter to the Corinthians. “I shall be happy to make my weaknesses my special boast....For it is when I am weak that I am strong”. Paul was pointing out that when his abilities failed, Christ would take over, and therefore when he was at his weakest, with Christ he was at his strongest.

This got me thinking, should I be proud of what I have done?
Had I been excluding Christ from my work?
So I started thinking about what had happened and it wasn't long before I started to see where my weaknesses were and where Christ had steeped in.

When I came home late each evening Gail provided my favourite food, including two lemon meringue pies. When I worked past the last bus Sonny gave me a lift. When I felt lonely on the train a stranger started talking to me. When the work got difficult in London I met a new friend David who showed me what to do. When I forgot to do part of my normal job, Shaun just did it for me. When I needed to talk through something confidential, Adrian always had time to listen and advise. When I accidentally sent a confidential email to my team they laughed about the mistake instead of getting annoyed.

It was in my tiredness, my loneliness and my mistakes that I was most cared for. And it is in that caring, that love we have for one another, that we can find God working most strongly.