St Brigid

 Looking forward to celebrating St Brigid  - my kind of saint!

I should like a great lake of beer to give to God. 

I should like the angels of Heaven to be tippling there for all eternity. 

I should like the men of Heaven to live with me, to dance and sing. 

If they wanted I'd put at their disposal vats of suffering. 

White cups of love I'd give them with a heart and a half. 

Sweet pitchers of mercy I'd offer to every man. 

I'd make Heaven a cheerful spot, Because the happy heart is true. 

I'd make men happy for their own sakes. 

I should like Jesus to be there too. 

I'd like the people of Heaven to gather from all the parishes around. 

I'd give a special welcome to the women, The three Marys of great renown. 

I'd sit with the men, the women of God, 

There by the great lake of beer 

We'd be drinking good health forever, 

And every drop would be a prayer. 

TRADITIONAL

Epiphany today

Matthew 2:9-10

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.

And still they travel, wearied by the journey

with hope outweighing their wisdom

Searching for a sign

Of joy

Of welcome

Of homecoming

And still they are greeted

with suspicion and fear

and passed from one region to another

While politicians scrabble to find ways

to deter their arriving

absolving themselves of any burden of care

While Jesus, who knows what it is

to be unwanted

seen as a threat to good order

by church and by  state

then - and now - 

aligns himself with the travellers

bedding down with the rejected and the forgotten

longing for epiphany to break through 

and for love to shine on all who seek refuge today.

(Liz Crumlish Epiphany 2024)