The mind and the heart

I was privileged to be in the US with family members at Easter last year and we attended mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral.  It was the last Easter for Cardinal Dolan as Archbishop of New York, for he has since retired and been replaced by Archbishop Hicks.  An abiding memory of the Cardinal on that occasion is when he began jokingly and rather surprisingly ‘Now Lent is over – Thank God!’  I know some people actually look forward to Lent, but I am one of those individuals whose feeble self-control quails before the prospect of the six weeks of challenges to self-discipline.  In this as in so much else I find Carmel very helpful – and particularly St John of the Cross, who is forever reminding us that feeding off material pleasures will never be satisfying.  It’s getting that message from mind to heart that seems to be such a slow process.  Things which remain enclosed in the mind seem to have so much less influence on our behaviour than things which penetrate the heart.

Intercessions:

Cancer: Brian Davis, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him), Jacqui, Theresa K, Fr Jon Bielowski (Plymouth Diocese), Catherine, Alex (43 with five children), Marie

Illness:  Katy Keeling

Siena, Elara – sick children

David OCDS – housebound

Sophia – blind infant

Grace – troubling ailments, job difficulties, family (deceased mother and health of father)

Lucia – Overwhelmed by weariness

Mark – brain infection

Michael – youngster with occult influences

Defence of the unborn and the elderly

RIP Roy Seymour, Richard Parker, Joy Smith OCDS, Dr Alan Rodgers