September 2023

Dear Friends,

A few weeks ago after Church, someone asked me a question I had never really thought about before and that was if I could actually be there in any of the Gospel passages which one would I choose? I had to stop and think for a moment but said I would like to have been there when Mary Magdalene recognised Jesus. I didn’t really think about why I had chosen that particular passage but I think it was because I have always struggled to understand how and why Mary didn’t recognise Jesus straight away, and that then poses other questions, was Jesus different? Was Mary Magdalene so overcome with grief that she really couldn’t see anything. There is also something for me about the fact that Jesus’ first resurrected appearance was to a woman. In Jesus’ day women were really not held in great esteem within society, it was very definitely a man’s world, so the fact that Jesus allowed himself to be recognised by a woman, before his disciples or before any of the religious leaders of the times, speaks volumes to me.

After reflecting on that for some time I thought that the other Gospel passage I would have loved to have been present for was the feeding of the 5000. Not just because I would have loved to have seen how the miracle took place but because for me the crux of this story is the little boy who came forward and offered Jesus his packed lunch, his five loaves and two fishes and what Jesus was able to do with that because the boy offered them in the first place. I don’t know if you have ever really stopped to think about that but I am pretty certain that no-one other than a child would think to make that offering. We’re not told whether anyone else had food with them but they may have done and no doubt an adult would have used logic to explain away why they wouldn’t make such an offer, but for the child there is the need, so he offers what he has. And what he has is enough! Jesus takes it and multiplies it so that all are fed and there are 12 basketfuls of left overs.

My prayer is that each one of us may be able to respond to God as that little child, offering him the little that we have and allowing him to use it and us to share his love and grace to the world.

With my love and prayers

Lynn