Turning tears into fountains

I spent yesterday morning listening to the life story of an extraordinary man whose life has been given to God from his twenties.  He and his wife have devoted themselves to service of the Lord for these last thirty years - and it has taken them and their large family into a great deal of shocking suffering.  As I listened, I was reminded of how I offered myself to Jesus at the age of 17, fondly thinking that if a person surrenders his life in that way, all will be straightforward thereafter.  But of course this is not the broad way, it is the narrow bendy way with tough and sometimes merciless-seeming challenges; or, to use another metaphor, it is a stormy tempestuous way with squalls that can throw us completely off balance.  My friend used an expression that struck me as wholly Carmelite – he spoke about ‘embracing the suffering’, and I saw that his suffering is teaching him deep spiritual wisdom.  Blessed are those who going through the valley of weeping make it a place of springs (Psalm 84).  This teaching is one of the great gifts Carmel has to offer the world.   

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)

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, Sue Burton, Wojtek, Joy Smith OCDS, Dr Alan Rodgers