
the gardener
The question surprised me and the look in the young boy’s eyes let me know that he wanted more than a religious-cliche-response. I took a moment to think, pray, and think again and was surprised at the answer that came to me.
Latest Posts
The question surprised me and the look in the young boy’s eyes let me know that he wanted more than a religious-cliche-response. I took a moment to think, pray, and think again and was surprised at the answer that came to me.
Such wise people have reflected on their life experience enough to know that while a peaceful and perfect day is welcome, we are most connected with others and therefore with God (we could also say most connected with God and therefore with others), when we live a struggle together.
Every day I am with people who may have once been baptised but now feel a distance between themselves and the Church and God. We are these people, as are too many of our family, friends, neighbours and workmates. This book therefore is for us.
We call things beautiful when they reveal to us their inner essence, their reality as understood in the mind of God
By looking at the graves, before which countless memories return, we remember how they lived, what they loved
I am a part of the Church because of Jesus’ simple call to me as an infant through the faith of my parents. I continued to be a part of the Church as a teenager because as I grew, Jesus revealed Himself to me in different ways during those years (sometimes very tumultuous as teenage years tend to be). As a young adult I began to recognise Jesus not only in the Eucharist but in those around me, in those that had always loved me even if I didn’t think that at different times. As a young married man and then as a young father, I remained a part of the Church because our parish community become Jesus for us in the way the older members in particular cared for us, enjoyed our children, encouraged us when we felt we had had enough of putting up with our children’s antics and showed genuine care and concern. I continue to be a part of the Church as my children grow a little older and object to having to go to Church because I recognize my weakness to change their thinking and know that only through the grace of Jesus can I be sure that my children will be okay and that, as parents, we will be okay and successful in raising them in the faith. There is no alternative to what the Church has because it has Jesus, alive and evident in the life of the Church despite the human failings and weaknesses of all of us.
We all need to download this and put t it on the fridge. to daily remind us that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life of our faith. His presence permeates the church and without that , our ideas about God would have very little substance.