SUNDAY 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
St Francis de Sales – always a favourite of mine. I can picture him riding thousands of miles over the beloved Chablais mountains trying to evangelise them. A prophet of the view that all can seek a devout and above all a spiritual life – you do not have to be a monk or a hermit.
“Driven more by love than the desire to win.” – “Whoever wants to preach effectively must preach with love.”
MONDAY – The Conversion of St Paul
I took Monty to Warwick Square and experimented letting him off the lead. He never came back to the irritation of the gardener so there was no time for Mass.
In the afternoon I was the only MP who questioned whether we should take 3,000 Syrian refugee children, making the difficult argument than reason is more important than emotion.
“I was born at Tarsus in Cilicia. I even persecuted this way to the death. I was on that journey and nearly at Damascus when about midday a bright light from Heaven suddenly shone around me.” (Acts 22:3-16)
If Paul was alive today we would probably not let him in as a Syrian migrant.
TUESDAY – Sts Timothy and Titus
These saints were converted by St Paul.
I had a justice question on the order paper. I made the point that if the justice department can cut its budget by 25% and deliver much the same outcome why not other departments?
Isn’t this passage from 2 Timothy 1:1-8 lovely:
“…and always I remember you in my prayers; I remember your fears and long to see you again to complete my happiness. Then I am reminded of the sincere faith which you have; it came first to live in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice.”
WEDNESDAY
I miss most of the Crypt Mass at 6pm because I go along to the Young Pro-Lifers. Committee Room 16 is packed, an inspiring rally of young people. Maybe our work, we always lose, is not entirely in vain.
The Gospel which I read later on is from Mark 4:1-20:
“The people were all along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things in parables.”
THURSDAY – St Thomas Aquinas
After a training session with Monty, I go to evensong at the Cathedral. The choir sings Faure’s Cantique de Jean Racine. Its tones haunt me as I drive back.
“Who am I, O Lord, and what is my house?” (1 Samuel)
How wonderful that this greatest of Christian writers should suddenly, celebrating Mass, have a vision that he said made all his writings seem like straw, and there was no need to write anymore.
FRIDAY
Our village church is locked all this long weekend so I just read Universalis on my iPhone.
I do a surgery. Why are we taking the pension away from 60-year-old women so quickly?
In 2 Samuel today David sacrifices Uriah the Hittite to his own conscience.
SATURDAY
The Jehovah’s Witnesses call on our cottage and as usual I talk to them.
This week’s Watchtower is on the theme of Hebrews 13:18 –
“We trust we have an honest conscience, as we wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things.”