Eternal Father, loving God,

Who made us from the dust of earth,

Transform us by the Spirit’s grace,

Give value to our little worth.

Prepare us for that day of days

When Christ from heaven will come with might

To call us out of dust again,

Our bodies glorified in light.

O Godhead, here untouched, unseen,

All things created bear your trace;

The seed of glory sown in man

Will flower when we see your face.

A Stanbrook Hymn for Midday Office Prayer

*

GLIMPSES OF EDEN

Days shorten; late summer teeters into autumn.

Leaves that were green and supple

just a few months ago are now tired and old.

Butterflies grow ragged.

As flowers seed, the bumblebees

must fly further and further afield

for their nectar.

It is impossible to ignore the gentle,

melancholy tone of the season ....

Jonathan Tulloch

*

God saw all he had made, and

indeed it was very good.

Genesis 1:31

*

A symbolic carving of the

THE LAST SUPPER

*

THE FEAST OF SAINT GREGORY THE GREAT

3rd September

“When Gregory saw the young English slaves he said:

“ They have the faces of angels,

and as such should be fellows

of the angels in heaven.”

*

COLLECT

O God, who rule over your people

in love and mercy,

fill us with the spirit of wisdom,

and grant that we may grow in holiness

through the intercession

of blessed pope Gregory the Great ...”

*

6th September

Father Nick Kern came to visit me today.

He brought with him a book on Taoism

which contained, among others, the the following

text translated into English:

You ask me why I dwell

Amidst these jade-green hills?

I smile. No word can tell

The stillness in my heart.

The peach-blossom on the water,

How enchantingly it drifts !

I live in another realm here

Beyond the world of men.

*

19th September

Many days have past since I last wrote

anything for the Monthly Diary ......

A strong wind continues to sway our tall

garden trees in different directions.

We can no longer see the distant Welsh hills

or hear the singing of the garden birds ....

The swaying trees themselves seem to say “Hush”.

Ripe apples have fallen to the ground,

glowing in warm red colours,

offering themselves as food

to hungry insects and small birds.

*

Our kind gardeners

work assiduously together

and have cleared many growing tangles

in the garden.

Perhaps our minds need similar treatment

from time to time !

*

Flowers sent to us by a local friend ...

and photographed by Sister Monica.

*

21st September

Our beloved cat Brunie , having had a necessary injection

from our vet Ben in the morning

became very ill.

Ben returned in the early evening

and gave her another

injection.

Brunie died almost immediately.

She was 15 years old.

May she rest in peace.

*

Wednesday 26th September

The trees surrounding our enclosure

are swaying gently against

a clouded sky.

Many leaves have already fallen.

*

I noticed a delightful picture

in THE TABLET by Jonathan Tulloch.

He had written an article entitled

“From the edge of eternity”.

We have visiting foxes in our garden, too ....

*

The weather has turned strangely warm again,

even though sunrise comes late

and sunset is over by 7.00 p.m..

I feed some birds on the flat roof,

adjacent to my cell and over our dining room,

in mid or late afternoon.

It is the magpies which relish the soft food -

biscuits soaked in warm water,

originally intended for the remaining cat

but not appreciated by him ...

( that is Cornflake a large ginger cat.)

*

Wishing you every blessing,

now and always,

and also requesting your prayers

at a time when life has become more difficult.

Thank you so much.

May God bless you most abundantly.