Every day I am grateful God has extended my life, by three years now, and I long to fulfil three promises: (1) to my friend, Prof. Gerry Potter, to speak about Salvestrol on his behalf and that of his family; (2) to share his concern for the poor of the world to benefit from Salvestrol at a fraction of the cost of Abiraterone, the two being the same under different names:
Abiraterone was manufactured in the laboratory, Salvestrol found in nature in fruit and vegetables; (3) to protect and promote the Watermead Apostolate and its 30 years of sharing God’s love through music, books, cards, resources, pilgrimages, retreats, etc.
People ask how I occupy my time. I answer: prayer, reading, study, reflection. The two-page letter I wrote to say goodbye in 2019 has become a full-length book and is presently with the publishers. I have written four further books of memories, reflections and studies of the Scriptures, awaiting publication. God has blessed me by keeping my mind and heart alive.
Our weekly parish newsletter has been part of the diocesan archives since lock-down began and will be published as a book, along with ‘The Lord’s Day’, our weekly reflection on the Sunday readings, explorations of unusual and challenging passages in the Bible which have intrigued me.
Alison’s music and hymns are used widely, and more of her video meditations are to be recorded and broadcast. It has been a blessed time and I long to share the blessing. I can’t ask you to be interested, that would be vanity; but I do ask you to pray, the books and music are at present our best way to love and serve God. The plans to record the hymns and music with the 22 schools in our St Thomas Aquinas Academy have not been forgotten, just delayed.
We have photographs of Pope John Paul II accepting our Watermead music and listening to me as I tell him the story, of Pope Benedict receiving the first CD of the Gospel Parables from Don and Toni Maclean and the memory of a delightful wave from him as we passed him three pieces of piano music at a papal audience. The parishioners who attend Sunday mass sing ‘The Spirit of the Lord’, and may like to know the hymn was dedicated to Pope Francis and acknowledged by his secretary in a letter to Alison: “The Holy Father wishes me to express his gratitude for your kind gift of a digital recording of ‘The Spirit of the Lord’. His Holiness appreciates your thoughtful gesture and will remember you in his prayers . . .”.
You see how blessed I feel even though so limited. The limitations, especially the painful walking, are God’s way of reminding me each day of my need of others, of others’ need of others, of our all needing help and consolation, being helped and consoled.
God bless you. Please pray with me
Fr John
(11th June 2023)
Related Links: Popular Reads and Fr John’s Parish Newsletters
