Author Archives: hughpol

What can have been the thoughts of Simon of Cyrene on being pulled out of the crowd and forced to help by the soldiers? Just a visitor to Jerusalem one minute and the next involved in a man’s death. Simon had no option but to help. But it made me think of all those retiredContinue reading “3rd April”

Yesterday I went on my only regular pastoral visit to a man who lives between Burneside Road and the Windermere railway line. Many of you will know him from the Thursday Club and elsewhere. He is dying, but calmly so on the whole, so we have the sacrament of the sick and a cup ofContinue reading “The opposites of parish life”

The moment Jesus meets his mother is one of the most poignant of all the Stations of the Cross. Particularly so as so many of us cannot see our mothers or fathers at this time. So often in the gospels it is the gaze of Jesus that people feel looking directly into their hearts. HereContinue reading “2nd April”

I had that phone call the other evening that many of us dread when one of our relatives is in a home and we cannot visit. It was the doctor saying that Mum had had a possible slight stroke and did we want her to go into hospital, which we have always battled against. HowContinue reading “Mum”

It’s hard to see the Son of God brought to his knees and plenty of people around him but none of them there to help. At this point he must have had a growing sense of isolation. In our picture we see just a few soldiers and representatives of the authorities but in fact thereContinue reading “1st April”

Jesus takes not just the sins but all the worries and concerns of our world on his shoulders. As he said sometime before all this, ‘Come to me you who labour and I will give you rest.’ In our shared shouldering of our burdens we will find rest for our souls. Many people have beenContinue reading “31st March”

As Good Friday approaches, we can share Christ’s journey.  Looking at the first of our stations from the church, here Jesus, the epitome of innocence, finds himself surrounded by the worst of our world. Power abused subverting the the good.  The very same thing is happening in our first reading today as the innocent SusannaContinue reading “Monday 30th”

I was saying Mass this morning at 10.00, our usual time, imagining that you were all there. At the consecration the only response in the quiet was the sound of the birds outside. Makes the prayer at the offertory to the God of all creation seem even more relevant. The usual whirl (for Kendal thatContinue reading “10am Sunday Mass”

Just reflecting on the gospel today and on Martha’s friendship with Jesus. Instead of the setting today I was thinking just of how Jesus loved her home with Mary and Lazarus. How this was the place Jesus relaxed, found his quiet time. Then I imagined being invited into the house. Going through the door andContinue reading “Sunday morning 29th March”