OUR LADY & ST BENEDICT'S

Churches Together in Marnhull met for prayer last Friday in the Methodist Church. This was one of a series of meetings which alternate venues between the Methodist, Anglican and Catholic churches. On this occasion Rev. Lin Francis, the Methodist Minister, encouraged us to reflect on change as an essential part of life. Whether in our church life, in our national life, or internationally, change is a constant feature, and one which many of us find difficult to accept, much less embrace.

Rev. Lin asked us to pray that we would be able to discern God’s blessings in the changes which come our way; especially in these days following Pentecost, to accept that the Holy Spirit may be in the changes, inspiring us to focus on what we have, rather than what we have lost, so that we can make most of the potential of every day, for the good of our own future and the good of those who follow us. These remarks brought to my mind the saying of St. John Henry Newman: “To live is to change, and to be holy is to have changed often.”

Our church wasn’t well represented at the meeting, which is a shame because it was a lovely moment of prayerful solidarity, helped by the beautiful sunshine streaming in through the windows of the Methodist Church. Perhaps it’s because we’ve lost the dates of these meetings, so I’ll copy them here: 8th July at St. Gregory’s; 9th September at Our Lady’s; 14th October at the Methodist Church; 11th November at St. Gregory’s.

 

 

It’s amazing how time flies, isn’t it: just two Fridays left before Holy Week, so two more gatherings in the Methodist Church at noon for a reflection, sometimes followed by a Lent lunch. All welcome:

1st April: Charity;  8th April: The Crucifixion.  Last Friday the Lenten Lunch made £90 for Christian Aid.

Last Friday, Jacinta Bowe gave the reflection. This time it was on the subject of Compassion. She invited us to reflect on the full meaning of compassion as evoked by Jesus in his Sermon on the Plain, especially Luke 6: 37-38: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned…”

Jesus’ notion of compassion goes to the root meaning of the word – sharing suffering – and is thus very challenging. It involves going with people to the place where they are hurting: mourning with the lonely, becoming vulnerable with those who are vulnerable. So sympathy and empathy are not enough; we have to stand in the shoes of the other; suffer with them; set aside any desire for power or dominance. Contrary to those who see such compassion as sadomasochism, Jesus shows us that it is through being compassionate that our humanity grows to its fullest expression.

Jacinta shared the insights of of contemporary Christian writers on mental qualities which can lead us to true compassion: Self awareness; trying to be fully present to the other; conscious of our human tendency to label people; not content with good intentions, but prepared to act. The spiritual qualities which bring compassion within our grasp include: Do not judge; be ready to turn the other cheek; forgive; mindfulness.

Jacinta also reminded us that effective Christian action is never a one-person show; we can and should draw strength for deep compassion from prayer and the support of our Christian community.  About 20 people listened to Jacinta and appreciated the work she put into her reflection. The photo shows some of them. Many then shared very tasty soup, cheese and bread, taking the opportunity to get to know our fellow Christians better.