FR JULIAN'S WEEKLY BLOG
22/03/26
Ssssh! Don’t say anything! Something big, round and golden has appeared in the sky this last week. And coincidentally, it seems to have got a little warmer… Astronomical spring began on the 20th, the ‘vernal equinox’. Regardless of what the weather seems to be saying, we are definitely in Spring, and we are beginning to see signs of spring all around, as shoots and buds break forth from previously barren-looking trees and soil. The old English word ‘lencten’ means spring or springtime, and it is from this word we get ‘Lent’.
Although we are nearing the end of Lent, we should remember to keep up our Lenten disciplines. Indeed, we need to redouble our efforts as move from Lent into Passiontide and Holy Week. We are offered further opportunities for growth in the liturgies of the Church. These are not intended to be further acts of penance, but rather, the water and sun for our souls, so that we may demonstrate the new life that is all around us and within us, that we may also blossom and bud.
All of us may seem to become a little barren, with little signs of life, but it is from within that the new life of Christ, which we will celebrate at Easter, begins to show. Continue to Look upon Lent as a time when the soil, our soul, is preparing for new birth, and celebrate God’s gift of life.​
15/03/26
The war around Iran has effects which are affecting not just that region but the entire world. Huge jumps in the cost of crude oil will inevitably lead to increases in fuel prices generally, and will work their way through to increased inflation. America’s and Israel’s actions, for whatever reason, will have a detrimental effect on all nations dependent on the import of oil.
These actions will have a ripple effect; wider and wider areas of disturbance. As usual, it is the vulnerable, nations and individuals, who will suffer most. Those who already struggle to keep afloat financially. Those who have to choose between heat and transport and the demands of general domestic budgets. What is happening in the Middle East is not contained in the Middle East.
Sin works in the same way. It cannot be contained; it has an effect. Its immediate impact is between the sinner and the sinned against, but its effects aren’t just between the two parties. There are consequences, and the sin’s reality will ripple outwards. It’s not just the human or social consequences that result from sin, but also our relationship with God. When we sin, we hurt him as well as others. In Lent, and always, let us thank God for the boundless forgiveness he offers.​