Choir Practice

It’s Easter Sunday morning
and our choir will be singing
at Mass today.

There is so much to learn –
complicated Latin hymns
and complex, unpredictable
Gregorian chants!
We’ve all practised hard
and it’s been a case of
YouTube, YouTube, YouTube
all week long
as we strive to learn
these challenging songs.

But despite our best efforts
one of our songs remains shaky
and, just as the Rosary begins,
we slip out of our wee chapel
to continue our practice
outside.
There, standing in the cold,
outside our wee basement chapel,
we begin to sing.

Our surroundings are far from
salubrious –
pallets leaning against a wall,
fire escapes
and even bins!
But there we stand,
singing our hearts out
so that, during Mass,
we may give of our best
to God.

An unseen robin joins us
for a short time,
his joyful, fluting melody
sounding clear and strong
above the rumble of traffic.

As the Rosary draws to a close,
in we all file, young and old alike –
all children of God,
and all determined to do our best
to use our voices
to give glory to God
on this joyful, Easter morning.

(C) Claire Murray, 9th April 2023

Garden Breakfast

It’s Sunday morning.
I’m on my own today
and the sun is shining
so I decide to treat myself
to breakfast in the garden.

How peaceful it is!

Sunday morning traffic
is barely noticeable.
Around the garden
robins and blackbirds are singing,
finches are chattering,
dicky birds are shrieking
and magpies are calling
raucously.

And how beautiful it is!

Camelias are resplendent
with hundreds of pink flowers.
Heather is in bloom,
in marshmallow pink and white.
Purple pulmonarias peek out
from a small, sunny flower bed.
Six primroses are dotted
about the lawn
and a solitary violet blooms
under our cherry tree.

Coffee and croissants,
birdsong and blossoms,
a leisurely read in the sun
and the prospect
of Latin Sunday Mass
in our wee chapel
at the top of our street.

A feeling of being
wonderfully spoiled
by God this morning.
A feeling of being
deeply blessed.

Doesn’t that just sound like
the perfect Sunday morning?

© Claire Murray, 4th April 2023

Were You There … ?

A bad coughing fit strikes
just before Communion
and I have to leave Mass
unexpectedly.

Outside our wee chapel
I stand among the cars,
looking up at Divis Mountain
as I wait for my coughing fit
to cease.

And as I stand there
something that Mother Angelica said
in one of her TV broadcasts
springs to mind.

Mother Angelica said,
that she knew the answer
to the question posed
in the spiritual hymn,
Were you there
when they crucified
my Lord?

She reckoned
that her personal answer was –
‘Yes!
Every morning
when I go to Mass.’”

This makes a lot of sense
to me.

And so,
standing outside
among the parked cars,
I silently give thanks to God
for keeping this cough at bay
long enough
for me to be able to stay at Mass
during the Consecration.
Long enough
for bread and wine
to be transformed
into the body and blood
of my Lord.

Okay,
so today I wasn’t blessed
with being able to receive
the precious body and blood
of Christ.
But I was blessed
with being able to stay at Mass
long enough to be able to say,
“I was there
when they crucified
my Lord.”

How wonderful is that?

© Claire Murray, 30th March 2023