The Little Things

'I missed the bit on the back. Blast'

In the context of life, there are woes and there are the great joys. At the moment, I an a place where I a little overwhelmed by volume, albeit volume of the nice stuff. I try hard to put 'me' on the edge of what I am doing, and there are times when the 'me' starts to struggle (often simply through tiredness - all quite normal).

We priests, in line with the appetite of many Christians, seek retreats and days with spiritual directors and the like in order to re-calibrate the piety circuits or simply to press 'reset'. These moments are fewer and further between that the need that demands them at times, but that is life. 

Every once in a while, though, someone does something that is, in itself, very small - but takes an action that makes a big difference. Yesterday, just after a difficult moment, I opened a letter that had landed on the mat during the day. It was a very grand looking letter printed on very nice paper.

It was a letter from the bishop of this diocese, to me, by name, saying that he was going to pray for me in the next few days. Something so simple meant a very great deal, especially as I struggle to make my prayers meaningful for those under my prayerful gaze. He didn't need to send me a letter, and I would have carried on rejoicing without it. But he did, and I am glad. He has also taught me a great deal about how to treat people well, and for that I will thank him.