The Nakedness of Our Condition

~ The bishop holds him      like a child ~ And in his nakedness   we see our own condition ~ Without impressiveness without pretence ~ Open   to grace. ~ This poem takes its inspiration from the moment in St. Francis of Assisi's life when he renounced his father dramatically by literally stripping off all his clothes …

Inspiring Paintings: Leaving and Finding a Father

~ One father curses another blesses ~ While onlookers stare and the bishop turns away ~ And finally What is this all about? ~ Even heaven And earth. ~ In this dramatic painting by Giotto,  Francis has taken off all his clothes and is appealing to God.  His earthly father (on the left), who demanded …

Spiritual Reflection – To Know the Power of Love

What would it feel like to know you were fully and totally loved? Some of us think of romantic love in this way. We think of a special person we can love fully, and who will fully love us. This painting is about love, though you might not think so at first. "Baptism of Christ', …

Spiritual Reflection: Light out of Darkness

1st February is the first day of spring in some calendars. It was known as "Imbolc" in ancient Celtic cultures. It a time of increasing light, as celebrated on 2nd February in "Candlemas". “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of …

A Year of Inspirers (6) – Thomas Merton and Spirituality

"Without mysticism there is no real theology, and without theology there is no real mysticism...The separation of theology from 'spirituality' is a disaster". These are words by Thomas Merton, born 31st January 1915. He is saying that we must use our minds in our spirituality. Our spiritual experiences and practices should have some relation to …

I arise (5) – stepping out of hell

This series explores "The Lorika of St. Patrick"/ "St. Patrick's Breastplate", a beautiful prayer or poem of protection. The next verse is this: I arise through the strength of His descent for the Judgment of Doom This strikes our ears strangely. We need to understand the mediaeval concept of "the harrowing of hell": In this …

What are you searching for?

“The future is by definition the unsayable and the uncontrollable…We search for predictability, explanation and order to give ourselves some sense of peace and control … True spirituality is not a search for perfection or control … The great discovery is always that what we are searching for has already been given.” The Naked Now, Richard …

Holy Innocents

On the 28th December, the Holy Innocents - innocent children - are remembered. This poem is called "Like a Child" ~ The bishop holds him             like a child ~ And in his nakedness             we see our own condition ~ Without impressiveness             without pretence ~ Open             to grace. ~ It takes its …

Spiritual Reflection: It Costs Your Life

Committing to a spiritual life has consequences for the whole of life.  Considering the implications is helpful to lay deep foundations, to help you through the inevitable low times, and to give balance in the highs. Impressed by another's spirituality, a man immediately declared he wished to copy his lifestyle.  But the other was cautious... …

ADVENT ART 5. GOD WAS HERE

What connection do you feel with heaven? The story of Jacob's dream of the “stairway to heaven” is magical. Perhaps the best moment is this: “God was in this place and I knew it not.” Isn’t that true all the time? We may be doing the most ordinary, apparently “unspiritual” thing like sleeping – as …