Creativity and Faith
Creativity and Faith
images, prayers and poems by our parishioners
In our Thursday Group, people were asked to have a go at writing their own psalm. This idea grew to sharing other faith-inspired creative efforts, for example icon painting, poetry or music. This corner of our website aims to collect together and share more widely some of these faith-inspired creative efforts from our parishioners. We hope that this will build with contributions from across the whole parish.
If you have a potential contribution please send this to the parish office at eastbrighton@abdiocese.org.uk
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK – Loneliness
Poems, anonymous and by Alexis Paine, and contributions from the children at St Joseph’s school
Overcoming Loneliness: Please Mind the Gap
anonymous
There is a gap between you and me. Between me and them.
It’s plain to see. Sometimes the icy wind whistles through it.
Stinging my senses. Alerting me to the severing.
At other times I only know my aching soul, submerged and adrift
In a quagmire of ‘what ifs?’ and woe.
How did this gap transpire and grow?
Was it just time passing, loss, a letting go? Some new beginnings?
Is it in my head ……….or is it more in yours?
Perhaps my frail limbs, my failing senses, my poor memory
Are worthy misdemeanours one might blame?
Or is it my anxiety, appearance, this illness or my shame?
It is not good for us to be alone, and yet we are.
No spouse, No friend, No soul mate can see our world the same.
Nor should we play, the belonging game……….
Still, isolation hurts and Loneliness, like phantom limb pain,
Reminds us of what is lost, now missing.
Yet, if the gap in part is in our heads each one.
‘What if’ instead we were to use Our feet, Our ears, Our hands, Our faces,
To construct a world, where the special graces in our Neighbour,
My Colleague, your Sisters, and their Brothers,
Were not concealed from Others?
Could we then begin to bridge the gap?
Loneliness
Alexis Paine
Loneliness is that worm
That slowly and unsuspectingly
Starts to gnaw and nibble
At your wholeness
Whence does it come from?
Where does it go? Who knows !
It just stays it’s unwelcome presence
Casting its shadow
Until one day ——- you find——-
If you give in to it ——-
That it overwhelms you and
Consumes you
So —— You become another person
One you or those around you
Do not recognise
So— Rise up ——Look up ——-
Find Comfort and companionship
When it presents itself
And Be All Embracing
And Grateful for Everything.
Reverie
Alexis Paine
Your head must be
So full of memories
Where you have been
What you have seen
The faces you have glimpsed
The eyes you have caressed
The songs you have written
The tears that you have shed
The Alpha and the Omega of
The Mystery of Life
In your Reverie
All these memories are
Swimming around silently —
Bringing to the surface
The pain , the sorrow , the joy and
The wonder of how each of these
Play a part in bringing us to where we are
Living in the Hope that
All we have experienced
Has a purpose and will bring us
To a New Place
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Michael O’Sullivan, a brilliant professional musician who also plays most of the music at our 11:30 mass composed the exceptional Stabat Mater linked below.
STABAT MATER
Icons by Claire O’Sullivan
Icons by Alexis Paine
“Psalm”
by Nick Wells
Lord, how great you are
Your majesty shines throughout the whole world
Let me not be blind to Your works
Fill me always with due reverence and fear
I long for closeness to You
Yet I know not how or where to seek you
My perseverence in my quest is so frail
When the concerns for each day overwhelm me
I trust You are always present
Deep within my soul
But such treasure seems buried far beyond my reach
And I fear I will despair of the search
Again I will trust in Your goodness and love for me
I will strive to love, inspired Your son
I will strive to forgive, inspired by Your son
I will strive to pray, always seeking You
Longing for Your embrace
Where the deer pants
poem by Nick Wells inspired by psalm 42
A young doe quickly lifts her head
Startled by a sound
She sniffs the air, smells something wrong
And bolts across the ground
Her hooves a-blur, she crashes fast
Past ash and elm and oak
Oblivious to stings and pain
As branches catch her coat
Her only thought to leave behind
Her fears amongst the shadows
She runs for all her life is worth
Towards green friendly meadows
She tires fast, she slows her pace
The danger now far gone
She heads towards her favourite stream
Her heart sings thankful song
She nears the stream – but spies in time
Two humans at the brook
She longed to drink the quenching spring
In thirst her body shook
She stands completely still, unseen
And waits for strangers gone
Her heart beats fast, her tongue feels dry
A drink is all she longs
But unseen she’s not, for quietly sits
A poet of the past
He spies her flight and sees her fright
He understands her thirst
Something deep within him shares
The longing of that doe
‘Tis not for water that he thirsts
But God, his soul to know
As the deer pants for the water
So his soul longed, God be near
He sang a song from deep within
To make his longings clear
Through all the years his song has touched
The hearts and souls of men
To recognise our deepest need
Our thirst for God; Amen
“Psalm”
by Jean Ghazal
Reach for the stars my beautiful one
You are mine and I am yours
I delight in you
I watch over you
I delight in your faithfulness
My child, my beloved child
Oh Lord, you turn darkness into light before my eyes
You pour out your saving love on my weakness and times of trial
You test me and you know me
You see me from afar and your gaze is always upon me
You hide me in the shelter of your wings
And your love will do all things for me
Your desire is to love me
And pour out your merciful love upon me
Oh, where can I go but into the arms of your love
Your love in me can do all things
Nothing is impossible for you and I only have to believe
You even encourage me to reach for the stars
For, truly, nothing is impossible for you
My king and my God
In whom I place my trust
“Psalm”
by Liz Meadows
Our father who art in heaven
This earthly home of mine is 50 million years old and yet I believe you planned my birth before we were able to count time You are mighty and I am small and yet you made me with love for all eternity
I turn to you on average eight times a day – I’ve counted My best conversation is in the peace of five o’clock in the morning Coffee and toast with honey in hand, dog by my side, I say my rosary and ask Mary to intercede with God for me
Time and space stand still for Mary she reigns in heaven and yet continues to visit love,care and advise her children on earth in Medugorje, Fatima, Lourdes, Guadalupe and Knock
I ask her ‘advise me Mother’ she points to Jesus and says do as he tells you!
I look away from her and see Jesus freed from time and space sitting at the right hand of his father talking about me
He brings me to the father with all of my human frailties ‘Father forgive her she knows not what she does’ and suddenly I’m caught up in there love for each other and for me
The love carries on pouring out, to help me, he carries on defying time and space bringing me his body and blood soul and divinity in time at communion
What a legal team I have in heaven – Jesus and Mary!
Holy Son of God, Holy Mother of God, be forever at my side in the good times and the bad times
Take me daily to stand before the Father so that with your help I may forever be carried and held in the palm of his hand and love Amen