ABBA ANTHONY, DESERT FATHER; AVOID STRESS WITHOUT MEASURE

 

There was a hunter in the desert. He saw Abba Anthony joking with the brethren. Desert Father Anthony, wanting to assure him that it was necessary sometimes to show consideration for the needs of the brethren, said to the hunter, "Put an arrow in your bow and draw it." So he did. 

Abba Anthony then said, "Draw it again," and the hunter did so. Then Abba Anthony said, "Draw yet again," and the man replied "If I draw my bow so much, it will break."

Then Abba Anthony said to the hunter, "It is the same with the work of God. If we submit the brethren to stress beyond measure they will soon break. Sometimes it is necessary show consideration for their needs." The hunter was deeply struck by these words. As for the brethren, they returned strengthened to their own dwelling.

Desert fathers

The desert fathers in the early church waited on the Word of God, and taught many lessons of holiness to others. Their words continue to inspire today.

Excessive strain

When we place excessive demands on others - expecting more time, energy, and output than is humanly possible - we risk not only diminishing their dignity, but also harming their health and spirit. 

Constant pressure and unrealistic workloads can lead to exhaustion, anxiety, and even physical illness such as headaches, ulcers, and more serious conditions brought on by prolonged stress.

Demand without mercy burdens the soul

A true work ethic is not measured by how much we can extract from others, but by how justly and compassionately we treat them. The wisdom of Anthony the Great reminds us that holiness is rooted in balance, humility, and love. To demand without mercy is to burden the soul; to lead with kindness is to give life.

Every person has limits

Let us therefore be rational and gentle in our expectations, remembering that every person has limits. In honouring those limits, we reflect the compassion of God and help others to flourish rather than fade under strain.

Voices of the Abbas

In desert vast where silence lay,
The holy fathers knelt to pray,
With hearts attuned to heaven’s call,
They sought the Word that speaks to all.

No gold had they, no earthly claim,
Yet burned within a living flame;
A hunger deep for truth Divine,
A thirst no world could e’er define.

They waited on the sacred Word,
In stillness where God’s Voice was heard;
Through wind and sun, through night so long,
Their lives became a silent song.

In caves and sands, in lonely place,
They learned the depth of boundless grace.
Through fasting, tears, and watchful eyes,
They fixed their hope beyond the skies.

They taught that holiness is found,
Not in the noise, but sacred ground;
Within the soul that bends in prayer,
Where God is near, forever there.

O desert saints, so strong, so wise,
You turned from earth to gain the prize;
Your witness still lights up our way,
And calls our hearts to watch and pray.

If you wish to know more about the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers, please click in the link below;

https://churchinterfaith.blogspot.com/2024/

Image courtesy of ChatGPT and CN Whittle "Teaching in desert wilderness"

HUMBLE BEARER OF HOLY SON

 

God looked down from ages past at His beloved creations, He chose a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey, to carry His Son. The Almighty looked from eternity into the gentle eyes of the animal who would faithfully carry His Son, as King, into Jerusalem.

God bent down, and drew ash-coloured cross upon the donkey's back. This sign is almost a symbol of the crucifixion-week of the Christ, which lay ahead.

Every being is precious in God's Sight, and this chosen donkey was destined to carry the King of kings into Holy City. This foal would do, without rearing or fright, whilst palm fronds waved, hosannas rang, and cloaks were thrown upon the path of Jesus.

This is what the donkey had been born for. For greatness. For what greater is there than to carry the weight of the King of kings upon your shoulders, with devotion and joy? Just so do we carry the weight of Jesus' expectations upon our shoulders. Obey the commandments. Be faithful. Be kind. Do not lie. Do not steal. Jesus expects us to be like Him - loving and gentle and life-respectful.

Long after the crosses had been taken down, and resurrection-tomb stone had creaked out of the doorway, the donkey passed on. Surely there is a heaven where this faithful one looked once more upon the gentle King Who so lovingly patted foal's head, during the ride into Jerusalem.

Let us, too, be faithful, to whatever the Lord calls for us. For God did not call us by accident. No, He looked down the ages and saw you - and me - and adjusted our missioned calls appropriately.

Humble bearer of Holy Son

From ages vast, before all time,
In wisdom deep, in love sublime,
God looked upon His works so dear,
Each soul, each life, both far and near.

In that gaze so vast, so wide,
He saw a colt, both meek and mild,
A donkey small, of humble birth,
Yet marked for purpose on this earth.

God looked into those gentle eyes,
So free of pride, so free of guise,
And chose this creature, soft and grey,
To bear His Son one sacred day.

He stooped in love, as legends tell,
To mark a cross where shadows fell,
An ash-toned sign upon his back,
A quiet grace he did not lack.

For every life, both great and small,
Is known to God Who fashioned all,
This small foal, so often passed,
Was held in love from first to last.

Then came the day, long prophesied,
When Christ the King in peace would ride;
Through Jerusalem with palms that swayed,
Amid cloaks along the roadway laid.

No fear the foal showed, no wild alarm,
He bore the King with steady calm;
While voices cried, “Hosanna, sing!”
As they hailed the saving King.

This was the work for which he was born,
Not crowned with gold, nor robed, nor worn;
But raised to greatness, pure and true -
To carry Christ as it passed through.

What is greater, tell us now,
Than to bear such weight with willing brow?
To lift the King with heart so free,
In humble, joyful dignity.

So too are we called forth to bear
The weight of love, the call to care;
To keep God's Word in all we do,
In thought, in deed, in purpose true.

Obey His law: be just and kind,
Keep truth and mercy close in mind.
Do not deceive, nor take, nor break
The bonds that love and trust must make.

Harm not a life, but guard it well,
Let peace within your spirit dwell,
“Be like to Me,” the Saviour said,
With gentle Heart and Love outspread.

Long after crosses fell and tomb was bare,
And risen light had filled both earth and air;
That little donkey passed away,
His task complete, on his final day.

Yet surely in God’s realm above,
Foal knew again that touch of love -
The King Who once, with tender hand,
Had guided him through Holy Land.

We as well are chosen still,
Not by our own, but by His will;
For God has seen through time's long haul,
Both you and I - our life's great call.

No life is cast by chance alone,
Each path to Him is surely known.
So let us answer, firm and true,
Whatever work God bids us do.

For in His sight, both great and small
Are held in love - He calls us all.

Image courtesy of ChatGPT with CN Whittle "Palm Sunday procession with celebration"

With thanks to Youtube

HIDDEN GRACE, MYSTERY DEEP - MOTHER MARY

Mother Mary is the chosen vessel and gracious Queen, who carried the Christ-Child in womb unseen. Today Jesus' Light shines upon all, and keeps us in God's Thrall. 

During Christ's youth, Mother Mary loved her family, and showed affection to all. She accepted God's Invitation to become Mother of His Son. Mary visited St Elizabeth with joy and affection. Mother Mary was faithful spouse to St Joseph. She fled to Egypt with her husband and son, and thus is Queen of Refugees. 

Today Mother Mary is Queen of Heaven and Queen of hearts. We pray that Mother Mary keep us safe today and that she will overcome the power of the evil one.

We pray that Mother Mary will help to bring us safely in the harbour of heaven, where - crowned as Queen of Heaven - she abides. 

Hidden Grace, Mystery Deep

O Mother Mary, chosen one,
Who bore in womb God’s only Son,
A hidden grace, a mystery deep,
While heaven watched and earth did keep.

Gracious Queen in silence bright,
You carried Love, the world’s true Light,
Unseen the Child, yet fully known,
The Word made flesh, to us now shown.

With Saint Joseph by your side so true,
In humble home your love first grew,
A faithful heart, a family small,
Yet held within the Lord of all.

You rose in haste o’er hill and field,
To Elizabeth, who Baptist didst yield.
Your greeting filled the air with grace,
As God’s own Presence lit that place.

O Queen of refugees, we see
Your flight to Egypt urgently;
With Child and spouse through desert night,
Preserved by God’s protecting Might.

Now crowned in heaven, radiant Queen,
Above all things both heard and seen,
You shine your light on hearts below,
And guide us where God’s Mercies flow.

Keep us, dear Mother, in God’s Thrall,
With loving trust that binds us all.
Protect our souls through night and day,
And lead us on the narrow way.

O'ercome the serpent’s ancient power,
Where fear and shadow oft do tower.
Let evil flee before your grace,
And peace upon the world take place.

When life’s storm has spent its breath,
And we draw near the gate of death,
Bring us, O Queen, by gentle hand,
Safe to heaven’s harbour, fair and grand.

There crowned in light, with saints above,
You reign in everlasting love,
O Mother Mary, hear our plea - 
Lead us to Christ eternally.

 

Image courtesy of ChatGPT with CN Whittle "Mother Mary in Heaven' 

DEVOTION TO ST JOSEPH - QUAMQUAM PLURIES

 

                                                                                             Freepik

 "Now, Venerable Brethren, you know the times in which we live; they are scarcely less deplorable for the Christian religion than the worst days, which in time past were most full of misery to the Church. 

We see faith, the root of all the Christian virtues, lessening in many souls; we see charity growing cold; the young generation daily growing in depravity of morals and views; the Church of Jesus Christ attacked on every side by open force or by craft; a relentless war waged against the Sovereign Pontiff; and the very foundations of religion undermined with a boldness which waxes daily in intensity.

These things are, indeed, so much a matter of notoriety that it is needless for Us to expatiate on the depths to which society has sunk in these days, or on the designs which now agitate the minds of men. In circumstances so unhappy and troublous, human remedies are insufficient, and it becomes necessary, as a sole resource, to beg for assistance from the Divine Power.

2. This is the reason why We have considered it necessary to turn to the Christian people and urge them to implore, with increased zeal and constancy, the aid of Almighty God. At this proximity of the month of October, which We have already consecrated to the Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of the Rosary,  We earnestly exhort the faithful to perform the exercises of this month with, if possible, even more piety and constancy than heretofore. 

We know that there is sure help in the maternal goodness of the Virgin, and We are very certain that We shall never vainly place Our trust in her. 

If, on innumerable occasions, she has displayed her power in aid of the Christian world, why should We doubt that she will now renew the assistance of her power and favour, if humble and constant prayers are offered up on all sides to her? Nay, we rather believe that her intervention will be the more marvellous as she has permitted Us to pray to her, for so long a time, with special appeals. 

But We entertain another object, which, according to your wont, Venerable Brethren, you will advance with fervour. That God may be more favourable to Our prayers, and that He may come with bounty and promptitude to the aid of His Church, We judge it of deep utility for the Christian people, continually to invoke with great piety and trust, together with the Virgin-Mother of God, her chaste Spouse, the Blessed Joseph; and We regard it as most certain that this will be most pleasing to the Virgin herself.

 On the subject of this devotion, of which We speak publicly for the first time to-day, We know without doubt that not only is the people inclined to it, but that it is already established, and is advancing to full growth. 

We have seen the devotion to St. Joseph, which in past times the Roman Pontiffs have developed and gradually increased, grow into greater proportions in Our time, particularly after Pius IX., of happy memory, Our predecessor, proclaimed, yielding to the request of a large number of bishops, this holy patriarch the patron of the Catholic Church. 

And as, moreover, it is of high importance that the devotion to St. Joseph should engraft itself upon the daily pious practices of Catholics, We desire that the Christian people should be urged to it above all by Our words and authority." 

Pope Leo XIII, Quamquam Pluries, numbers 1 and 2 [1]

Under Joseph’s Mantle

O Joseph, guardian of the Lord,
In silent love, in deed not word,
The Church acclaims your hidden might,
A steady flame, a guiding light.

By pontiffs wise your praise was sung -
Pope Pius IX with fervent tongue,
Proclaimed you patron, strong and sure,
Of Christ’s own Church, which trials endure.

Pope Leo XIII, in prayerful plea,
Urged all the faithful bend the knee,
To seek your aid, your fatherly care,
Your watchful heart, your constant prayer.

You stood beside the Virgin fair,
Mary, Mother of Jesus, pure and rare,
Who bore the Son, spotless, Divine,
The Light no darkness could confine.

When danger rose with swift decree,
You fled by night across the lea,
To Egypt’s land, by angel led,
To guard the Child, to keep Him fed.

O foster-father, brave and mild,
You sheltered God - the Holy Child,
In your care the Saviour grew,
In work, in grace, in love so true.

Today the barque of Christ is under gale,
On restless seas of evil assail,
Yet still you stand, serene above,
Sign of strength, a shield of love.

Inspire our hearts to steadfast be,
With quiet faith and purity,
To labour well, to trust, to pray,
And walk with God from day to day.

Pray for us now, O Joseph dear,
That we all may persevere;
Obey God alone, and shun all sin,
Till heaven’s gates we enter in.

When earthly tasks at last are done,
And we behold the Father’s Son,
May we, through grace and lives made whole,
Find rest with God - our final goal.

[1]https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_15081889_quamquam-pluries.html

With thanks to vatican.va

ST JOSEPH'S FEAST ON MAY 1st

 

                                                                                             Freepik

Skilled artisan

St Joseph taught Jesus how to do tekton work. The Greek word 'tekton' used to describe Jesus in the New Testament means 'carpenter', or more broadly 'craftsman' or 'builder.' It refers to Jesus' occupation as skilled artisan, likely working with wood, though some scholars suggest it could also imply stone masonry or general construction work. 

Work by sweat of brow

St Joseph patiently taught Christ all that he knew, through toil-filled days and sometimes work at night. Jesus learned how to create in the earthly sense. He saw what it entailed to work by sweat of the brow, and Christ - the Creator - joyed to be taught by Joseph, earthly foster father. 

Vocation

So, too, we need to be devoted to whatever vocation God has called us to. Sometimes we are called to more than one work, as chapters of our lives open and close at the behest of the Almighty, according to our talents and aging powers of our body. 

Virtues of Jesus

Let us imitate the virtues of Jesus, stonemason who became Rabbi and went on to save humankind. Let us likewise love St Joseph and celebrate his feast on May 1 with devotion and joy.

Feast of St Joseph the Worker

Pope Pius XII established the Feast of St Joseph the Worker on May 1, 1955. Coinciding with International Workers Day, the feast was intended to honour St Joseph and highlight the dignity of human work..

The feast extends the long relationship with St Joseph and the cause of workers. Beginning in the Book of Genesis, the dignity of human work has long been celebrated as participation in the creative work of God. 

Encyclicals regarding St Joseph

In 1899, Pope Leo XIII wrote Quamquam Pluries, encyclical on devotion to St Joseph. [1] In his encyclcal Laborem Exercens, Saint John Paul II stated, "The Church considers it her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work, to condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated, and to help to guide the above-mentioned [social] changes so as to ensure authentic progress by man and society." [2] 

Joseph is held up as a model of such work. Pius XII emphasized this when he said, "The spirit flows to you and to all men from the heart of the God-Man, Saviour of the world, but certainly, no worker was ever more completely and profoundly penetrated by it than the foster father of Jesus, who lived with Him in closest intimacy and community of family life and work." [3]

The Tekton’s Son

In Nazareth’s hush at break of day,
Where wood and stone and shavings lay,
A patient man with gentle tone
Taught God-made-flesh to shape the stone.

Saint Joseph, worker, strong and true,
Gave all he had, all that he knew,
The craft of tekton, skill refined -
A builder’s art, both hand and mind.

The saw would sing, the hammer fall,
A measured line, a steady call,
While Christ, the Word by Whom all grew,
Learned earthly work as children do.

He watched the grain, the stone, the seam,
He laboured long in sun’s bright beam,
By sweat of brow and aching limb,
Creation’s Lord learned work from him.

O wondrous sight the ages tell;
The Source of all in workshop dwell,
Receiving from a father’s care,
The humble trades that men must bear.

Joseph taught with quiet grace,
No pride to cloud his weathered face,
But love that formed in hidden years
The Saviour’s path through toil and tears.

So too are we by God assigned
Our works of heart, of hand, of mind,
Through changing days, through shifting call,
One path, then more - God orders all.

In youth we build, in age we guide,
In strength we strive, in frail abide.
Yet each vocation, great or small,
Is holy when we give our all.

Let us then walk as Christ has shown,
Who shaped the wood, who hewed the stone,
Then taught as Rabbi, healed, forgave,
And gave His life the world to save.

With Joseph’s love let us be true,
In faithful work whate’er we do,
And mark with prayer and hearts made bright
His feast upon May's first light.

O blessed worker, guard our way,
Teach us to labour, watch, and pray,
Till all our work on earth is done,
And we behold the Father’s Son.

[1] Pope Leo XIII. Quamquam Pluries. 1889

https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_15081889_quamquam-pluries.html

[2] Saint John Paul II, Laborem Exercens, number 1. 1981

https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_14091981_laborem-exercens.html

[3[ Franciscan Media. Saint of the Day. May 1. Saint Joseph the Worker

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-joseph-the-worker/

With thanks to vatican.va and franciscanmedia.org

LAMPS IN THE NIGHT

 

                                                           Freepik

Jesus told the parable of the ten virgins. Five were wise, and five were foolish. Five women wisely took care of the present, and planned for the future. Five women foolishly larked about, and slept when they should have ensured preparation for the future. 

When the call from God came that they pass over from earth to Heaven, five of the women were prepared to meet God with faith burning bright. The other five found themselves unprepared, and were not ready to be received into the full light of Heaven.

We are called to be like the wise virgins, watchful and prepared. We need to tend the lamps of our souls with care. This means that we need to live each day with faithfulness, by following the commandments and choosing what is good. It is important that we shape our lives around what endures rather than that which fades. 

Heaven is not reached by accident, but by a steady turning of the heart toward God through love, obedience, and quiet perseverance. Let us not be foolish by wasting the gift of time on passing trivialities that cannot last. Instead, let us invest our lives in what is eternal, so that when the Bridegroom comes, He may find us ready, our lamps burning bright.

Lamps in the Night

In hush of night when stars burn bright,
Ten maidens waited in silent light,
Their lamps held high in hopeful grace,
To greet the Bridegroom face to Face.

Five were wise with hearts aware,
They trimmed their lamps with patient care,
Their vessels filled with oil that stayed,
Prepared for joy that would not fade.

Five were foolish, light of mind,
They left their careful thoughts behind.
Their lamps grew dim, their oil ran dry,
Yet still they slept, 'neath darkened sky.

The midnight cry rang sharp and clear,
“The Bridegroom comes - His hour is near!”
The wise arose with steady flame,
Their lamps alive at Holy Name.

The foolish trembled, lost in dread,
“Our light is gone, our hope has fled,”
They rushed away to seek the oil,
But time was lost in hurried toil.

The door was closed, the feast begun,
The race of faith already won.
Too late they knocked with anxious plea,
But barred remained the mystery.

So let us walk with watchful sight,
And keep our lamps with burning light;
Through faithful hearts and deeds made pure,
In God’s commandments we endure.

For when He comes, both swift and true,
May He find light alive in you -
A flame of love that will not part,
Prepared in soul, and mind, and heart.

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY SARAH MULLALLY, STANDS WITH POPE LEO XIV'S CALL FOR PEACE

 

"The Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally, the new leader of the world's Anglicans, . . . hailed Pope Leo XIV's "courageous call" for peace . . .

"I stand with my brother in Christ, His Holiness Pope XIV, in his courageous call for a kingdom of peace. As innocent people are killed and displaced, families torn apart, and futures destroyed, the human cost of war is incalculable," Mullally said in a statement. . . .

Mullally was enthroned in March as Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman to head the Church of England, the mother church of the 85-million strong global Anglican communion.. . . 

In her statement yesterday, the archbishop urged Anglicans to "join with His Holiness [the pope] in raising our voices for peace and justice. In a time marked by hatred, division, and violence, may we be steadfast in that calling," she added;"  Alleged News. [1]

Put Up Thy Sword

There is no war that justice can defend,
No blade that heals, no fire that makes amend.
For Christ, upon the cross in sorrow cried,
Yet forgave those who pierced His Hands and Side.

No call He gave to Heaven’s vast array,
Though legions stood, awaiting but His Say.
More than twelve hosts of angels, strong and bright,
Held back their power, restrained by Love, not might.

To Peter then, His voice was clear and sure:
“Put up thy sword; this is not heaven’s cure.”
Not steel nor wrath, nor vengeance stained in red,
But mercy’s path is where His Feet have led.

The Father could have torn the skies apart,
Sent forth His Might with thunder from His Heart.
Yet silence reigned where fury might have dinned,
For Love stood firm where war has always sinned.

What justice lies in limbs by fire undone?
In blinded eyes that never see the sun?
When children fall and innocence is slain,
Can any cause make holy such deep pain?

No! Christ still weeps where bombs and hatred fall,
His gentle voice still pleads above it all.
“This is not justice - hear the wounded cry,
For every soul destroyed, a part of Me must die.”

The law was given: “Thou shalt never kill,”
A sacred truth, unbent by human will.
No throne of state, no banner raised on high
Can cleanse the blood that stains beneath the sky.

Though Augustine sought rules for war’s domain,
Christ’s words still echo, simple, clear, and plain:
Lay down the sword, let violence depart -
For God desires a clean and merciful heart.

For one day we shall stand before His Throne,
With nothing hidden, every deed made known.
Those who fell by unjust hand may rise
As silent witnesses before His Eyes.

Shall blood then drip from hands we cannot hide,
As voices cry from earth where they have died?
Or shall we meet Him bathed in mercy’s light,
With souls made gentle, choosing what is right?

Christ did not conquer through the spear or flame,
But bore our wounds and suffered all our shame.
No violence marked the victory He won
Just Love that rose, and cared for everyone.

So let us walk the path our Saviour trod,
With reverent hearts that honour life and God.
No war is just where love is cast aside - 
Put up thy sword, let Christ in us abide.

[1] AFP. The Citizen,  page 15, Friday 17 April 2026

Image courtesy of  Perchance.org with CN Whittle "Jesus weeps"