Peter Blog a few random thoughts

“ What will this Child turn out to be?”  You can understand this question if we realise some basic facts surrounding this story.  For Elizabeth and Zechariah they were filled with joy because they were never expected to have children. John was a real gift from God. The name John means The lord is gracious .  This question then was more poignant this person this baby who they had been given as a gift of God. He would end up being the light for the nations pointing and preparing the way for the Messiah (Jesus)  his mission would be short be vital and important. John is the link between the old and the New Testament the last of the great prophets to point the way to Jesus. He even eludes to the fact that he is unable to walk the same way this was not his mission.  We see the hope of our own Children at baptism as a Church and as parents we see the hope of the future I am sure that many parents ask the same question: “what will this child turn out to ...

Day 1 Charity  The gift of Charity to all people is something that as disciples we should learn from Jesus his compassion and care for the people that he encountered inspires us to do the same:  Day 2: Joy . To live with the Joy of the Resurrection is a real gift of the Holy Spirit. Let our hearts be open to the Joy that the Lord brings Day 3: Peace  Today we focus on Peace. Not just for Peace between nations but also the gift of Peace for ourselves. To allow the Holy Spirit to help become more peaceful people. So that we may walk as bringers of peace to the people we meet.  Day 4: The gift of  Patience We live in a world where everything seems to move so fast that there is no time to think or pray. Because the world moves fast there seems to be an ever greater gift that disciples of Jesus ask for the gift if patience. To walk with another person to listen and also ask the Holy Spirit that we will have thi...

A few months ago I was prayed over. It was a strange experience and felt very uncomfortable. During that time the person who prayed with me said that I was closed. My body language must have said as much. I was angry because I have always seen myself as quite an open person. I came away feeling quite discouraged and felt that there was nothing in this prayer stuff. Over the next few months I tried it again a few times. It seems that although I was running away that something was drawing me to wanting people to pray with me. At three different occasions and with three very different people said the same thing it was this “ You are my beloved Son in whom I am pleased.”  Over March, I think because of the weather and also grief, I was very depressed and also quite needy. I remembering texting my best friend and saying to her I need you please call. So lent felt hard and painful. Easter and Holy Week came and I realised that I was very very tired. I had been invited to Worth t...

There is a sense of something different its called Easter Joy. In the Easter Vigil Liturgy we hear " Let this building shake with joy." The long days of Lent are over to be replaced by joy and the life that we experience in the Risen Lord. We hear time and time again the Gospels that the disciples and those who encountered the Lord were filled with Joy. If this is true of the disciples so it must also be true with us. We also encounter the Lord he also walks among us in the sacraments. But this joy is infectious and spreads I am convinced that it is through this Joy that we can bring others to Christ. But we need to be courageous with it too. This is where the promise of the Holy Spirit will help us. With the gift of the Spirit with the joy of the Risen Christ we can bring people to the love of Jesus. To live in his joy of HIS love is amazing. To start this journey maybe we can meditate on a few God's promises that we hear and read in the Bible. Use this as a meditation a...

There are many parts of the Triduum that are so beautiful and profound but for me one of the most moving is when the Easter Paschal Candle comes into the darkness of the Church for the first time. The last time we were here at this moment we had commemorated the Lord’s death. We had left in silence the place feels and looks empty void of all life. The Candle comes in and from that one light the church floods with light as the Candle takes the same path as the Cross. From Death therefore comes life. The Easter light and joy therefore penetrate our own darkness of sin and the joy of the Resurrection takes hold like the light takes hold in the Church.  This joy then of Easter is that light of Christ penetrating our darkness that can so often surround us. Sometimes though we have to go looking for them. These I call Easter egg moments. They are those moments of light and joy in our world. Those moments where we see Christ at work in our lives. They maybe a unexpected gift from a f...

When ever I get time I love to go to art gallery’s. I love looking at the expressions on peoples faces as they come face to face with a fantastic piece of art. I remember a number of years ago going to see the Mona Lisa in Paris. The painting was disappointedly small although beautiful but I was more interested in the people looking at the painting and marvelling at the beauty. It reminds me of that line by Oscar Wilde where he said “ In fact art does not reflect life but the viewers” St Paul tells us today that we are “God’s work of art.” An artist lovely creates his art. It reflects the beauty that the artist sees. God sees our beauty he sees his perfect creation and has loved us into being.  But we know that sometimes when you look at a a piece of art from another angle sometimes we see a darker side there is a shadow and it hangs over the piece of art. The light and darkness sometimes over a piece of art shows a different side. This is the same with us. We have a side that...

The Transfiguration Lent 2nd week I was once at Bills Restaurant in Chichester when I witnessed this couple coming into the place hand in hand. They were clearly very happy to be together. They then sat down and then proceeded to text there friends where they were. They never actually looked up. When the food came they took pictures of it. They were not present to each other.  On another occasion I was sitting on the train when I heard a person talking to their friend. " You just don't listen to me" they said. It seems to me that we have forgotten to listen attentively to another person.  We are surrounded by noise. Every munite of every day there seems to be noise. As soon as we get up in the morning with the noise of the radio to the car alarms constant going outside to the hustle and bustle of people everywhere there is noise both natural but most of the time unnatural. Being surrounded by noise it is very hard then to actually find the time and the space to...