27/05/2024

In England, this day is the feast of St Augustine of Canterbury. He is remembered as the missionary who first brought the Good News to the British Isles. 

The history of Christianity in the British Isles, however,  is much more complex than that. The "English" whom he first converted were in fact Jutes whose origin is in Jutland whereas the competing Angles although immortalised in the "Not Angles, but Angels" attributed to  Pope Gregory, who had commissioned St Augustine's mission, belong to the Germanic tribe whose name morphs into "England". But the Celtic Church began in the 2nd Century and was not St Jude martyred at Caistor on the Roman frontier with the North Sea? It is a veritable can of worms that is opened by St Augustine's credentials to be the founder of the English Roman Catholic Church. 

St Paul is always very much concerned for the constancy of the churches that he founded and coupled with this he insists that his own integrity is to be the model for us the first converts to follow. 

The dawning of the new day is as it were a new birth for all of us and we can all become the first recipients of the Good News announced by Mary Magdalen and proclaimed by the Apostles and St Paul.

First of all we become aware of ourselves and thank God that we are still alive. We search our consciousness to remind ourselves of what tasks we have before us and our consciences to pray for grace to avoid the sins of "yesterday".

Jesus is the "Good Shepherd" and "St Paul" is the created image and likeness of the shepherd who would lay down his life to protect his flock. He is always aware, as am I, that no one can hide from the Lord. 

The entire history of each created being, each particle that forms the Universe is known to Our Father.  He knows my sins, my fluent yet empty words, my cupidity, my lusts, my self-centered greed are all known and can be forgiven by the reality of the grace which we can all access by repentance and trust in Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Dear Lord, help me to avoid sin today. Help me to be ready for the death that I will have to face as an individual unique being, aware only of my sins but with the confidence that even I can be forgiven. Help me to seek out "Truth" and avoid all traces of greed. Let me become what you have created me to be and let me overcome all my self-centered consciousness to be aware only of the Glory of you the Ever-Greater. May Mary who has no personal knowledge of the power of sin but witnessed the pain with which you died to save the world from its power, continue to lead all the saints in the prayer that can bring forgiveness to all sinners and may Father, Son and Holy Spirit bring renewal to the Institution founded on Peter to become your Mystical Body on earth.  May she become what you intended her to be and not the failing human institution, a prisoner of Mammon, that she did,very quickly, become. Amen.