Monthly Archives: July 2025

Undercover Boss

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In a television programme
called Undercover Boss,
the head of a company
poses as a lowly member
of the organisation
and spends a week, incognito,
working with staff at all levels.
Only at the end of the week,
does he reveal his true identity.
Members of staff are invariably
astounded.
Some are rewarded
for outstanding work
and others … are not!

Today I’m praying
the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary.
At the Ascension,
I find myself thinking that
at His Ascension
Jesus revealed to His disciples
His true identity.
He was, indeed,
the Son of God –
not just a carpenter.
He was, indeed,
almighty and all-powerful.
And He did, indeed,
ascend into heaven
before their very eyes.

What a spectacle that must have been –
absolutely breath-taking!

And as I continue to contemplate
the mystery of the Ascension,
I’m aware that one day I, too,
will get to see Jesus
the ultimate Undercover Boss
in all His glory
and it’ll be my turn
to wait and hear
whether I’ll be rewarded …
or not.

(I hope and pray
that I will be rewarded!)

© Claire Murray, 24th July 2025

Hail Holy Queen

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I learned my prayers
when I was a child
and I particularly liked
the Hail Mary.
You see, it contained the line,
“and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.”
Well, I knew what fruit was
(apples and oranges)
and I knew who Jesus was.
I could easily picture
Our Lady and Jesus
sitting outside the temple
selling apples and oranges
in the sunshine.

I liked this prayer!

Then there was another prayer,
the Hail Holy Queen.
This prayer felt very different,
a bit dark and scary.
You see, it contained the line,
“mourning and weeping
in this valley of tears”.

Don’t they say,
“show me the child at seven
and I’ll show you the man”?
Well, even in my fifties,
I still loved the Hail Mary
and avoided the Hail Holy Queen
(which continued to feel
dark and foreboding!)

Only in recent years
has the Hail Holy Queen
begun to make sense to me.
Now I understand that,
during those times
when life is brimming over
with sorrow, illness and pain
and hope has gone AWOL,
that is our valley of tears.
And that is the perfect time
to ask Our Lady
for help.

Today I’m saying the Rosary
for two friends of ours
who each find themselves,
through totally different circumstances,
in a valley of tears.

As I pray the Rosary,
I say dozens of Hail Mary’s,
that happy wee prayer
that I still love
(even though I now know
that it’s not at all
about apples and oranges!)
And I also say the Hail Holy Queen,
a prayer that I now understand.
It’s a cry from the heart,
a plea for help
for our two friends
in their valley of tears.

Mary, Queen of Ireland,
please pray for our two friends
and come to their aid
in these difficult, dark times.

© Claire Murray, 20th July 2025

Golden Umbrella

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One summer’s morning
I get an early bus
to visit my parents
in Derry.

I’m really looking forward
to this visit
because we have something special
lined-up –
a sing-song!

But, first things first –
tea, cream cookies
and a visit to Fiorentini’s.
Then, with CD and songbooks ready,
we settle down
for our sing-song.

These are no ordinary songs.
They’re songs from childhood
that Mammy used to sing
around the house
or play on her wee, red record player
in the kitchen.

And so the three of us,
Mammy, Daddy and me,
spend an hour singing away.
Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,
The Castle of Dromore,
Little Boxes and Little Arrows,
all sung with smiles
and with gusto.
(And if we can’t reach the notes,
is that really that important?)

One song is extra-special –
If I Had a Golden Umbrella.
A song that Mammy,
now eighty-eight,
learned as a school girl,
perfecting it with her friend
as they walked around
the school garden
at Thornhill.

Songs from childhood –
Mammy’s and mine.
Songs of happy memories
and carefree days.

Thank You, Lord,
for the wonderful gift of music
to lift the heart.
And thank You, Lord,
for this wee family sing-song –
another happy memory
to make us all smile!

© Claire Murray, 3rd July 2025