Gaudia Paschalia.

He is risen.

Alleluia!

The Fourteenth Station of the Cross...

Jesus is laid in the sepulchre.

"As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away." - Matthew 27:57-60 

And now we wait.....

The Thirteenth Station of the Cross....

Jesus is taken down from the cross.

Jesus' lifeless body is taken down from the cross. Mary tenderly cradles him, filled with sadness.

"Lord, grant us trust in you that when our time on earth is ended our spirits may come to you without delay."

John Paul the second.

The Twelfth Station of the Cross....

Jesus dies on the cross.

At the sixth hour a darkness fell upon the land and at the ninth hour Jesus cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  Soon after, he cried out again, gave up his spirit and died. 

The earth quaked.

Lord Jesus, at your death the land was dark. You prayed to your father in your final moments on earth. Show me how to pray so I may be guided out of the darkness and into your life affirming light.

The Eleventh Station of the Cross...

Jesus is nailed to the cross.

Jesus is stretched out on the cross. Large nails are driven through his hands and feet. He is left to die in the company of robbers.

Do I judge others? Do I criticise and cause hurt by my comments?  Do I descriminate without thinking?

Dear Jesus, may your pain remind me of the pain I may have caused others.Help me to make amends for my wrong doings.

The Tenth Station of the Cross....

Jesus is stripped of his garments.

The soldiers tear the clothes from Jesus' back, reopening the wounds of his scourging. They gamble for his clothes. The crowd jeer and shout, mocking Jesus to perform a miracle.

Jesus, by your example, may I be stripped of worldly desires and be a good example myself to others.

The Ninth Station of the Cross...

Jesus fall a third time.

Barely able to stand, Jesus falls again.

How often have I, believing I have mastered my weaknesses, become discouraged with my repeated failures?

My dear Jesus, help me to think of your resolve when getting up again, so I may not be discouraged but strive to make the right choices.

The Eigth Station of the Cross.....

Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem.

Jesus meets the women of Jeusalem, weeping for him. He pauses to give them words of kindness.

Dear Jesus, let me, like those women, be unafraid to announce my faith in you. By their example may I always seek to spread the faith by trying to live the gospel in my daily life.

The Seventh Station of the Cross....

Jesus falls a second time.

The cross grows heavier and Jesus falls a second time. He struggles to get up but does not give up.

Sometimes I am impatient when I fail. I become despondent about small things. I feel like giving up.

My dear Lord, help me to keep trying when I feel like giving up. Help me not to feel despair. By your example may I always be encouraged to do the best I can.

The Sixth Station of the Cross....

Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.

A woman suddenly comes out from the crowd, Veronica. She cannot do much to help but she cares enough to wipe the blood and sweat from the face of Jesus.

Do I notice the needs of others around me? Do I unselfishly offer help when I can? Or do I try not to get involved lest too much be asked of me?

Dear Jesus, just as your image was imprinted upon the cloth Veronica used, may it be always be imprinted on my heart, as a reminder to show compassion whenever I am able, for no other reward than just because I can.

The Fifth Station of the Cross....

Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross.

Jesus is weak and struggling. The soldiers are afraid he will not make it to the place of execution. They pull a man, Simon of Cyrene, from the crowd to help.

Do I always do as much as I can to help others? When asked for help do I  sometimes claim to be too busy? Do I get by doing as little as possible for others?

Dear Jesus, help me to recognise when others may need my help. Give me the grace to offer myself willingly and unselfishly. Let me not seek satisfaction in gratitude and likewise let me not be disappointed when none is offered. May my reward be the knowledge that you love me, and as such I seek to serve you in serving others.

The Fourth Station of the Cross.....

Jesus meets his mother.

Amidst the mocking crowd, Jesus meets his mother. She has not fled like the frightened disciples. She is courageous in accepting the fate of her beloved son because she remembers the words of the angel Gabriel, "Do not be afraid."

Holy Mary, by the example of your courage and faith in the face of extreme distress, guide me in my path through life. Help me to trust in my faith and not be afraid when faced with adversity.

The Third Station of the Cross....

...Jesus falls the first time.

Tired and bleeding, Jesus falls under the heavy weight of his cross. The soldiers and onlookers show no mercy as they abuse him.

How often do I fall? Sometimes I start things I do not finish if it proves too difficult. I put things off. I do not always work as diligently as I could.

My Jesus, it is not the weight of the cross but the burden of my sin that makes you fall. And your love for me that makes you get up and carry on. By the example of your courage help me to get up again, recognise my failings and, safe in the knowledge of your forgiveness, walk on.

The second Station of the Cross....

Jesus takes up his cross.

Jesus receives his cross and bears the terrible weight upon his shoulders. He does not complain but willingly accepts the tremendous burden as he begins his sorrowful journey.

What are my crosses? How well do I bear them? It is probably fair to say that many of us face up to the big crosses in life in stoic fashion. That is probably because we cannot avoid them if big enough to command our total attention. But what about the little crosses? The everyday annoyances and minor irritations. Do I respond well to them and embrace them as Christ embraced his cross? Or do I allow them to trip me up and fall over and over again?

Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to respond to the mundane and everyday crosses in my life. Remind me that my faith, with its supports of prayer and the sacraments, is there to guide, support and uplift me in the little things, as well as the great.

Stations of the Cross... First Station....

This morning the sermon at our church  was about the stations of the cross.

There are fourteen stations and fourteen days left till Easter so our priest urged us to consider one station every day. I think it is a good idea so will try to do it here.

The first station, Jesus is condemned to death...

Already humiliated, ridiculed, flogged and crowned with thorns, Jesus receives the news he is now to be put to death. No one speaks up for him, no one defends him, no one objects. He has devoted his life to caring for others but now he is ignored. He accepts his fate with quiet calm, without resistance.

How do I react when in a situation that I feel is unfair to me? I object, I complain, I vociferously declare my innocence, I may even try and lay the blame at the feet of others.

As I consider the first station of the cross, I am humbled by Christ's quiet acceptance of the fate he cannot change. I hope that guided by his example I find the grace to accept the things I cannot change in my life and the strength to bear those that I will find a challenge.

Inner Calm.

Yesterday I started my new job in the Christian GP practice. I was actually posted to one of the other surgeries in the group at the last minute, so had met nobody there previously.

They were all very welcoming and pleased to see me. The work was pleasant.

At lunchtime, after eating, a lovely nurse quietly read aloud an inspirational spiritual passage.

Today I noticed these words on the notice board:

If you are devoted to the cause of humanity, you will soon be exhausted and have your heart broken by ingratitude, but if the main spring of your service is love for Jesus, you can serve men although they treat you as a doormat. Never look for justice in this world, but never cease to give it.

Oswald Chambers.

I find  this a very profound and moving statement. It makes me feel calm.

In fact if summing up my experience over the two days, I would say that my overwhelming feeling is a sense of calm and mutual respect.  I feel good.

(I,d even go as far as saying my piles feel better!!)

This week........

.......I have circumnavigated the globe on foot,(at least it bloody well feels like it) on a new paper round.

I needed a nebuliser after the first day.

And the car was also in dock for the best part of two days necessitating plenty of Shanks's pony. My trotters are killing me!

....I have been delighted by a £1.50 pot of tete-a-tetes made doubly joyous by the fact they are the perfect fit for this lovely Wade vase, a snip at £3 in a cancer research shop.

I am pressing on with a crochet blanket that is for my eldests little car.......

I am fairly new to crochet so am pleased with it thus far, even though the pink is a bit psychedelic.

It is that time of year again....

and one greedy brother who shall remain nameless, (you know who you are Anthony) has scoffed his way through two jars in a week....

After the sad news of the death of the blinded policeman and listening to a woman on the radio who was suddenly and totally blinded saying she missed gazing at the clouds most of all, I got a crick in my neck last evening gazing at a lovely mackerel sky and thanking God for my eyesight.

Lastly, I have secured a position with a medical agency for some regular practice nurse work in a Christian practice. On the reception counter is a slotted box, not for repeat prescriptions, but for prayer requests. I was totally uplifted by this.  It is inspiring to come across people in this increasingly secularised society who, like the women of Jerusalem Christ encountered on his trip to Calvary, are unafraid to announce their faith. I cannot wait to start work there next week.

Feast of St Blaise

Today is the feast of St. Blaise, a 4th century Armenian ( I think) bishop and martyr for his faith.

He is the patron of afflictions of the throat and my father, being afflicted with sore throats, promptly named one of my brothers Blaise!

If you attend Holy Mass in a catholic church today you should be given the blessing of St Blaise by the priest with crossed candles held at your throat. I went, and was duly blessed.

I am rather proud of my brother Blaise. He is a very successful dairy farmer with an award winning herd of  Ayrshire cows....

...this is Sandyford Clover.

Our dad who died suddenly almost a year ago (more about him next week I hope)  and a farmer too, was so proud of him as are we, his six siblings.

Happy feast day Blaise.

Teresa Mary R.I.P.

Today is the 4th anniversary of my mums death.

She was a mother of seven, district nurse, farmers wife and formidable character.

She could frighten a police horse!

My husband has just told me that our dentist told him, she put the fear of God in him the first time he met her, but he grew to really like, appreciate and respect her.

She was the most compassionate person you could ever wish to meet. Her concern for the disadvantaged, suffering or just generally down-at-heel, in everyday life encounters as well as in the news, was genuine. Her  selfless charity , care and going out of her way to help others would astound us if we knew the true depth of it. As it is, we had first hand reports from countless people we didn't even know on the occasion of her death.

Underpinning all her good works was her profound and unshakable faith. Those two qualities of faith and compassion made her the woman she was and moulded us, her seven children, into the people we have become. Sometimes I stop mid-sentence and think, "I sound just like my mother."  At one time that  thought would have horrified me, but now I'm rather proud of it.

I only hope I turn out to be half the woman she was.

God Bless you Mum.

We  love and miss you every day.

Hope for the Future.

Although it was the end of Christmas on Friday, the Epiphany, the catholic church in the UK (unlike the rest of the world apparently) celebrates it on the nearest Sunday, which means today. Another excuse for delaying the diet till tomorrow then!

Our priest gave a very succinct and short (for him) sermon. (As an ardent Manchester City fan he was off to see the F.A. cup tie against Man Utd.)

However, it was very uplifting. He talked about going to see a poorly parishioner during the week and it was a grim, grey, damp, dark and drizzly day. As he drove away from her house, there was a very brief break in the clouds with a glimpse of clear blue sunlit sky. He said it made him feel happy and hopeful.
He likened it to the three wise men making a long and arduous journey, not knowing what they would find at the end but hopeful. And their hope being rewarded when they gazed upon the divine child. Then they made their long and weary way back home, back to everyday life but uplifted by what they had seen.
That is how I feel today, uplifted and hopeful for the future, better able to carry on with the humdrum normality of daily life.
I am not overtly religious, indeed people who are full on about Jesus scare me a little but I do have faith and am a practising RC and not afraid to say so.
My own parish is a good community with strong links between church and school. Our church is a beautiful place,

and I have enjoyed going there over the holiday period. It has been a place of peace and sanctuary and I have been able to ponder, pray and give thanks in a perfect setting. I only wish now I had taken some photos of the interior whilst it was attired for Christmas.
I hope the priest was as uplifted as me because unfortunately Man City were beaten!

On to other things, I have completed my first  knitted project of the year.....

.. a chunky scarf in King Cole that was in a bag of yarn given to me.

Eldest daughter is very pleased with it.
So I am tentatively dipping my toe into the a make a month 2012 pledge. (see side bar.)
Wish me luck.