One June morning
our wee family sets off
on a walk through
Glenshane Forest
hoping to see
our first ever Mass rock!

Conifers with pale green tips
line our pathways
and a wee lizard sprints
across our path.
Larks warble invisibly
far above our heads,
a myriad of birds chorus
and far off in the distance
a cuckoo calls.

A tiny mountain stream
babbles and gurgles
over pebbles and boulders,
lush green grass
and golden buttercups
fringing its curves.

A slow procession
up a steep path
where tree stumps and boulders
are draped with dry moss
and sun filters
through the conifers.

Turning a corner
we arrive in a steep-sided hollow.
A large wooden cross,
several large boulders,
a grotto to Our Lady
and make-shift pews –
we’ve found the Mass rock!

This is a time
to stop, gaze and drink-in
the beauty and peace
of this sacred space.
A time to stand in awe
of Our God
and His creation.
A time to remember ancestors
who risked their lives
to celebrate Mass here
in days gone by.

Standing at the grotto,
I sing a simple hymn
to Our Lady
accompanied by birdsong –
a blessed moment!

I say a silent prayer
that, one day,
we may return to this Mass rock
so that, like our ancestors,
we may celebrate the Eucharist –
that wonderful mystery
of God’s love for us
in the majesty and splendour
of the Sperrins.

© Claire Murray, 13th June 2021