Lenten Reflections.

The curse of London Docks has struck Prestwich, as my boiler has come out in sympathy with Father Jones' model and breathed it's last. However, the sun is shining and I have dried all my clothes, so things are not that bad. We had a good turnout last night to hear Sister Theresa speak after compline and a meditation on the Passion, so I went home happy. I have invited one of our readers in Scandinavia to consider covering Holy Week in his Church for us, so that should be interesting and speaking of multiculturalism I have been generally irritated by comments that we should 'tolerate' people of other faiths. Tolerate? Would we like to be tolerated if we were a minority in another land? Does not our faith call us to welcome and teach? While I continue to pray for the conversion of all peoples, I hope that I am capable of beginning discussions between people of different faiths, which involves more than mere toleration, but some respect. And it is no good saying 'ah, but do you know what they do....' because, yes, frankly I do and I know what some of 'us' do as well, sometimes and it angers me greatly, but I take seriously not only the great commission, but also the command to 'love one another as i have loved you' and to 'love your neighbour as yourself'. Unless we move into a millennial cult (or whatever they started being called after the millennium) and put up fences, we are unable to choose our neighbours. Christ could not choose His, after he commended Mary into the care of John, he was left to die in the company of two criminals, whose eternal souls he promised to save. What would we say, if we had been whipped and nailed to a cross? Would we have a heart full of love? We loose our love, our Christian nature very easily sometimes, I loose it whenever I get in heavy traffic which is why I keep a palm cross in the car, to look at when I am about to wave my fist at some hapless and probably blameless motorist for going too fast, or too slow, or whatever is irritating me then.

So this Lent, let us try to be not tolerant of others, for we do not want to be tolerated, but understanding, for that is what we really want for ourselves, is it not?

Teach us, good Lord,

to serve You as You deserve,

to give and not to count the cost,

to fight and not to heed the wounds,

to toil and not to seek for rest,

to labour and not to ask for any reward,

save that of knowing that we do Your Holy will;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.