the voice

Mar 3, 2016

We are almost half way through the season of Lent. Often by this stage our initial commitments and enthusiasms have faced and the demands and routines of daily life have again overwhelmed us. While this may be a problem for us, it is no problem with God who delights in working in the midst of our human weaknesses and anxieties.

In the Good Shepherd Hurunui parish this year the Parish Council distributed the little daily Lenten reflection Magnificat booklet to all households listed on the parish roll. The initial reception was positive and the idea of praying together as a parish for a few moments each day using the same reflection material was well received.

I remember the response of one dairy farmer as he held the booklet I had just given him: “By the end of Lent this little booklet will be covered with bits of all the stuff you find in my milking shed.” He already had the right idea about how to use the booklet to help focus the free moments in the midst of daily life.

This morning’s reflection on the human voice got me thinking about the power of our voices, not about whether or not we can sing as on the TV show The Voice but about the power of my words to harm or to heal others. A worthy Lenten consideration.

Today’s Magnificat reflection concluded with the question: “Who might turn toward the Lord this Lent, because they heard your voice?”

IMG_5740

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Posts

seeking & calling

seeking & calling

In every encounter, local and afar, with people of every age and at every stage of life, the struggles and joys of people are remarkably similar.

Assumption

Assumption

Humans too often make the fatal mistake of separating body and soul, yet our deep desire is for unity of body and soul.

ahead of grace ?

ahead of grace ?

Both readings are personal favourites and every time I hear them and ponder them these texts speak to me in new and powerful ways.

Mary MacKillop

Mary MacKillop

Too often we settle for an existence of lurching from one satisfaction to the next.

an inner peak

an inner peak

I know a few people, including several Food For Faith followers, who are nearing death. Some of these are elderly and accepting that their life on earth is naturally coming to an end. Others, well before their time, are struggling with poor health and living with diagnoses of terminal illness.