Be Loving And Gentle...

My friend Jim has an interesting post this week - a week of readings for his church community in Scotland. I was particularly taken with the poem he included for Friday. It is from a prayer, usually attributed to the late David Adams - a coalminer who became a priest and finally a canon at York Minister. Adams included it in one of his books of Celtic Prayers. Whether or not the celebration of Holy Communion/Eucharist/Mass is part of your life or not, I think it is challenging for us all to be reminded of the importance of the simple things like bread and wine. Not everyone has enough food and drink today. Let us be grateful for what we have, let us learn to share our blessings, and to be loving and gentle...

Be gentle, when you touch bread,
Let it not be uncared for, unwanted.
So often bread is taken for granted.
There is so much beauty in bread,
Beauty of sun and soil,
Beauty of patient toil.
Winds and rain have caressed it,
Christ often blessed it;
Be gentle when you touch bread.

Be loving when you drink wine,
So freely received and joyfully shared
In the spirit of him who cared;
Warm as a flowing river,
Shining as clear as the sun,
Deep as the soil
Of human toil,
The winds and air caressed it,
Christ often blessed it,
Be loving when you drink wine.