About 'Our Father' - the most amazing phrase in the whole of the Bible

This, for me, is those two words spoken by Jesus in answer to the request from his closest followers to teach them how to pray. They are the simplest of words, known throughout the world as the start of the Lord's Prayer or the 'Our Father.'

It is so easy for us to take them for granted but when you really think about them there is so much there to ponder. 

First of all, there is the simple word 'Our'. Somehow we know that Jesus is not simply referring to the particular group of people who were with him at that particular moment. We just know that it is for all people, throughout all time and in every place and not just for those brief thirty-three years of his life spent in the Palestine of his time.

As to the keyword 'Father,' it is implicit in the prayer that Jesus is addressing God, his Father in heaven, the God who is our Maker who created and holds the universe in existence. So for Jesus to combine all of us with him in relationship to his and, therefore, our Father too is truly amazing.

How comforting, consoling and strengthening is that. No matter what are our failings and failures, our despair and grief, our poor attempts to do better, God the Father is the Father of Jesus and OUR FATHER too. We are all linked to Jesus as his adopted brothers and sisters in the family of God forever.

About being a 'finger nails' Catholic

There were times in my life, particularly when I was a student, when I was quite happy to call myself a 'finger-nails' Catholic', just about 'hanging on in there'.

I would 'religiously' find a church and go to Mass every Sunday, as I have all my life, barring times of illness or, in recent years, whilst on touring holidays.

This has always been from choice and never from the fear of 'going to hell' when I die. However, the one thing I can say with certainty is that I have never wanted to let go.

It is my safety net, my salvation. It holds me together.

Also, I do love it!

About God's presence in troubled times

In times of sorrow - and despair
remember God is always there.

About life and death and the moment of truth

The gate through which we must all pass at the moment of our death 
will be at the end of this world of space and time.

It came to me that what we might then enter into
is the dimension of Truth.

Is it there that we shall have to come to terms and deal with
who we are and what we have done, 
for good or ill or both?

Perhaps it is only when we have passed through this dimension
that we will be able to pass into the final and eternal dimension of Love.

About caring or not caring about wrongdoing

Do we care? Are we sorry? Does it bother us?

The sad people are those who don't care, aren't sorry and aren't bothered.

To anyone who never thinks about God

These words are obviously from the point of view of someone who does think about God - a lot - and are meant to be, and hopefully are, encouraging, supportive and consoling.

You may not think about God but God thinks about you - at every instant of your existence. In fact, if God didn't think about you, you wouldn't exist. 
It is because you are a thought in 'God's head' that you do exist. God thinks about you, has loved you into, and holds you in, existence.

Any love in you is of God, from God and through God.
Any truth in you is of God, from God and through God.
Any creativity in you is of God, from God and through God.

Love, truth and creativity are in us all and are from God.

About 'the quality of God's mercy'

The quality of God's mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath.
(cf William Shakespeare, "The Merchant of Venice")

but we put up our umbrellas,
of pride - hurt or otherwise,
stubbornness, arrogance
and the rest of them!!

They are not the pretty colours of all the 'umbrellas of Cherbourg';
no, our umbrellas are stone coloured, dirty browns and greens.

Help us, dear God, to take down our umbrellas 
and turn our faces towards your gentle rain
and see the glory and splendour 
of the rainbow of your love
which overarches the world
and bathes us all in its warmth.