DSP for those who work at sea..& for their families..many live & work in appalling conditions 9months at sea one month off.. ..if they speak out of place or their face doesn’t fit, they can be put ashore in Hull & have to pay own flight home to Philippines to wife & 6 children..to become again one of 90% with no prospect of work.. & they are fiercely & proudly Catholic..after 6wks at sea, they radio ahead to AoS Port Chaplain in Hull to ask if they can have Mass on board ship before set sail again in 6hrs time.. “Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”.. ..answer is simple..wear t shirt & earn the t shirt which has one word on it which qualifies you for eternal life..”crew”.. for the times we expect to earn our passage or be served on as passengers, let us ask for our Master mariners forgiveness..
“..who will cross the seas & bring it back to us?” ; Lord have mercy “..so that we may hear it & keep it..” [what did Fr Bede say?] ; Christ have mercy “..the word is very near to you..in your mouth & in your heart..” ; Lord have mercy May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins & bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
..last thing any prospective Prime Minister needs at present is suddenly to discover at a hustings meeting presence of Laura Kuenssberg; BBC political correspondent & her camera crew..she asks the loaded question with attitude & your political future can hinge on way you field the question & its slick questioner..indeed a cross examination..like the lawyer/legal correspondent in gospel out to discredit Jesus “Master [as if] what must I do to inherit eternal life?”..what is your stand on the Irish backstop?..he knew answer only too well & wanted to see if he’d be the one to bait Jesus into a corner & catch him out..& bless him he asks very question with his tunnel vision prejudice & narrow conformity he should never ask “..& who is my neighbour?” in summary answer is the 90% of worlds population majority of “the haves” have never acknowledged, or labelled immigrants refugees non-Catholics Muslims..person who washes your car in Thirsk or cleans WC on Grand Central train you took to KX last week..”..& who is my neighbour?”..some yrs ago due to go to YBR to collect monk from train..another monk got to know asked me to do an errand for him..agreed reluctantly from head not heart..parked at YBR to walk to shop to collect parcel for monk..en route, sitting on pavement, middle aged woman three coats on..looked as if she hadn’t washed nor eaten for days..” I saw her & passed by” walking to shop decided I would pass Thomas the baker, could go in buy lady sandwich give it to her on way back..came to Thomas’ & walked passed..on to shop collected parcel & again walked passed Thomas’..felt mildly guilty ; convinced myself by time got back to where she was, she would have moved on..she hadn’t..passed her by second time walking on to YBR feeling guilty I thought ahead..go into WHS on station buy bottle fanta & chocolate bar still have time to run back give them to her..got to WHS didn’t go in checked arrivals board; train & monk arrived we drove back to Abbey..3wks later going off to lead retreat monk dropped me in York ;as I walked to YBR there on pavement the woman..passed by third time..halfway to YBR turned round got £1coin out of pocket gave it to her..she gave me most beautiful smile..& when I recount story some tell me “you are a fool Fr Bede..do you know what she would have used your money for?” asks Laura Kuenssberg..”cheap wine alcohol or drugs” & if any of those gives her 15mins of respite from her invisible prison, a life sentence of addiction rejection & faithlessness who am I to question her?.. ..& who is my neighbour?”..whilst the priest monk levite..those we expect from, & who so often fall well short of the high standards they preach & teach if not live, it is the least likely who rise to the need in guise of our own Good Samaritan, Christ himself..”go & do the same yourself”.. ..no better moment to remember our own young Good Samaritans on the Ampleforth Pilgrimage to Lourdes this week, travellers in life learning & faith who “came upon him/her & “was moved with compassion”..our buzz word in OL&SB of late is passion “where is your passion?..where is the energy you gave your life for all those years ago?” as priest or as husband wife father mother..passionate & with attitude.. bandaging wounds as well as pouring wine, not only onto wounds, but into wine glasses in Lourdes bless them..with attitude & a smile..“Jesus looked steadily at them & loved them”..them? or them & us?..have we, like them, a t shirt & logo to prove it..“crew”?.. young Martha’s & Mary’s..movers/shakers..Glastonbury/Wimbledon ..Pope Francis’ latest work “Christus Vivit” May2019 “to young people & to the entire people of God” priest levites Samaritans “Dear young people, my joyful hope is to see you keep running the race before you, outstripping all those who are slow or fearful. Keep running attracted by the face of Christ, whom we love so much, who we adore in Eucharist & acknowledge in the flesh of our suffering brothers & sisters. May the Holy Spirit urge you on as you run this race. The Church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith. We need them! ..& when you arrive where we have not yet reached, have the patience to wait for us.” “..& who is my neighbour?”..watch out, be ready to be smitten by her next time you are in York..she is what it says on her t shirt ”crew”.. [15thSunYrC Lk10;25-37]