The children are back at school, the days are getting shorter, trees are changing colour, the swallows are gathering for their long flight to Africa.

The children are back at school, the days are getting shorter, trees are changing colour, the swallows are gathering for their long flight to Africa.

‘Courage! Do not be afraid’ Isaiah tells us. These are the words I need to hear just now. None of us know what is going to happen in our lives so the present moment is where life is.

Isaiah tells us of the wonderful changes taking place. The Gospel tells us that Jesus makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak. Just now in this moment, I ask for my ears to be opened so I may hear the word of God speaking to me. I invite Jesus to reveal Himself to me. Jesus – the WORD – open my ears. ‘It is He who gives bread to the hungry’ – I can be hungry to hear the word of God, hungry to hear that I am loved by him.

Jesus ‘makes the dumb speak! I ask forgiveness for all the false words I have spoken, and need to listen and recognise the false notes in my own voice, to give over my voice to Jesus.

Let me prepare myself to change and let go like the trees, to take
nothing for my journey like the swallows, and to be an eternal student of the Lord.

Courage, do not be afraid. A.S.