“The best interpretation about the story of the vine & branches is probably found in the words of 1John “this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth & reassure our hearts before him in whatever our hearts condemn, for God is greater than our hearts & knows everything.” (1Jn 3: 19 & 20) It would be possible to develop these words into a nightmare, the image of a God who knows everything. It can be used to make God an overseer who controls us, listens in on us, follows us, & is always on our track. But in truth this is our most important comfort & the source of our strongest confidence: when we do not know what to do, God will know. When we condemn ourselves, it is seldom our hearts that do it. How little we really know about our lives! How little we understand ourselves. “God knows everything” How you are formed, with what burdens you have come into being, what your childhood was like, how you grew up. Most of it is hidden from you, but your Creator can make a more just judgement than you yourself. God sees not merely the things you do, but your essence, your whole self. He looks at you with kindness because He made you out of love. He looks at you patiently having waited an eternity for you to come into existence & He desires that you should also learn to see yourself with kind & patient eyes. God knows every fibre & heartbeat before you are aware of them yourself, you can trust God will never use that knowledge against you; He only wants you to mature, gradually & slowly, in understanding yourself.
The fact that God is greater than our hearts, can call us to be more open hearted & generous to ourselves, & so to all others.
When we do that, we open ourselves more widely to the root & ground of our being & our fruit ripens. It may happen that we feel ourselves to be small & that we are being trimmed & clipped by some other, but this pruning is a kind of gathering of power at a deeper level, the beginning of a fuller ripening. “Whatever you ask for, God will give you.” It is like a promise & a hope that one day nothing will live in our hearts except that which comes from God. Then all we have to pray for is that God would voice His own self in our lives as in a prayer, & that the prayer will be answered. It is never things for which we pray most passionately, but for the right to exist & to be just as God wants us to be. God is ready to answer our prayer.”                                                                                          
​                                                                                  (The Open Tomb: Eugene Drewermann)
 
Our Head of School at St Benedict’s RC Primary School, Mrs Emma Barrs, was interviewed early this week for the position of Headteacher at Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs RC Primary School York, & has been appointed with effect from September 2018. Whilst we are, as a School & Parish, saddened that Mrs Barrs will be leaving St Benedict’s the end of this term, we are delighted that all her hard work here has been recognised. She will be leading one of the largest Catholic Primary Schools in the Diocese. It is a tribute to her, to her staff, & to our children, that their hard work & significant improvements in attainment & best practice have resulted in this deserved appointment after less than two years as our Head of School. The Governing Body will be meeting on Monday to begin an urgent process leading to the appointment of a leadership & teaching structure which will enable the School to grow on from the impressive improvements achieved so far. Please keep Mrs Barrs, our staff, children & their parents, & our Governing Body in your thoughts & prayers at this time, as they & we move forward with shared purpose & faith.                          
​                                                                                               With love & prayers, Fr Bede.