Lord,
there is so much going on
in my life
at this moment,
so many issues
that I must deal with.
They come flooding into my mind
the moment I begin to awaken.

Before I am fully awake
I send a quick prayer
shooting up to you,
“Lord,
can you help me to find my way
through all of this?
Is it possible?”

Your response takes me by surprise.
It’s an immediate, whole-hearted,
enthusiastic and resounding
“Absolutely!”

Wow!
I wasn’t expecting this!

My anxiety disappears instantly
and I feel calm, confident
and reassured.

By the time that I reach
the bedroom door
I’m convinced
that you will work with me
as I deal with all of my concerns
and that,
working together,
all of this is indeed possible.

I go downstairs
feeling reassured.

© Claire Murray, 26th July 2015

It’s morning time in Bordeaux.
Our two girls,
Aoife and Niamh,
with money burning a hole in their pockets,
have headed off on a spending spree
leaving Paul, Fiachra and I to head off
in search of the Cathedral of Saint André.
Once there,
we find the tiny side-chapel
of the Sacred Heart,
a quiet place
where we can sit in peace, silence
and prayer,
away from the hustle and bustle
of curious tourists.

The hot summer sun outside
lights up stained glass windows
depicting Gospel scenes
in simple colours
and yet, inside,
the side-chapel remains
in semi-darkness.

I feel at home here.

We sit in the stillness
at prayer
and as I quietly give thanks to My God
for the precious gift
of this family time together,
I sense My God whisper to me,
“Peace to you, Claire!”

While savouring this welcome gift of peace
I think of friends
for whom I am praying specially today.
I pray that God’s peace
may touch their lives
right now
on this beautiful summer’s morning
and make this day
for each of them
a blessed one.

(C) Claire Murray, 7 August 2015

Today
I attend morning Mass
at Derryvolgie.
This is not my parish
and the congregation largely comprises
people I don’t know
and yet
when Mass begins
I have a strong sense of community
as individuals enter this church
to join together in prayer.

Listening to the priest
I notice
that the prayers of the Mass
are peppered with the words
“we” and “us”
while the words “I” and “me”
are used sparingly.

During the Our Father
I see individuals standing at prayer
and yet I have a sense
of us all being connected,
a sense of us all
being brothers and sisters in Jesus.
And the surprising thought strikes me
that it’s a pity
that we don’t join hands
when we pray the Our Father
as an outward sign
of our connectedness.

Mass comes to an end
and this little community
of parishioners and strangers disperses
for now
as individuals leave the church
to go their own separate ways
once more.

Tomorrow
some of us will enter the church again
and become a community once more
as we unite to pray
to Our Father.
After all,
it’s what Jesus told us to do.

© Claire Murray, 31/7/15