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24/09/2016
A short reflection and prayer with Canon Noel Battye.
Last on
Sat 24 Sep 2016
05:43
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
Script - Saturday 24th September 2016
Good morning
St Patrickβs Cathedral in Dublin installs its newest Dean today.
St Patrickβs which houses the famous old Chapter House door hacked down in 1492 - the door which was to mark the end of a generation long feud between the Earls of Ormond and Kildare.
Gerald of Kildare had earlier put James of Ormond to flight causing James to take sanctuary in the Chapter House and to be locked up there in a siege that went on for ages.
Eventually the frustrated Gerald began to question the whole situation.
Here were two noble families locked in hatred fuelling their divisions with tales of each others wickedness and putting the worst interpretations on each others actions.
The whole thing was wrong in the sight of God especially in this holy place so he called for a truce.
Locked behind the barricades of suspicion, James refused.
Not to be deterred, Gerald cut a long narrow hole in the door with his spear β a hole which you can see to this day β and through it he reached the hand of friendship despite the fact that it would have been so easy for James to hack it off.
But no β this time James responded to the vulnerable arm grasped it in friendship and unlocked the door thus ending an ugly feud which had gone on for so long.
In St Patrickβs they tell you that this is the origin of the expression βchancing your arm.β
Whether that is so or not, I do not know but I do know that in every conflict the person of real integrity is not the one locked up behind the defences of past hurts but the one who recognises that no matter what the circumstances such hatreds only corrupt us all.
Lord, you stretched out your arms upon a cross
to draw us to yourself in healing and forgiveness.
Help us to reach out to others
that we may follow your example.
Amen.
St Patrickβs Cathedral in Dublin installs its newest Dean today.
St Patrickβs which houses the famous old Chapter House door hacked down in 1492 - the door which was to mark the end of a generation long feud between the Earls of Ormond and Kildare.
Gerald of Kildare had earlier put James of Ormond to flight causing James to take sanctuary in the Chapter House and to be locked up there in a siege that went on for ages.
Eventually the frustrated Gerald began to question the whole situation.
Here were two noble families locked in hatred fuelling their divisions with tales of each others wickedness and putting the worst interpretations on each others actions.
The whole thing was wrong in the sight of God especially in this holy place so he called for a truce.
Locked behind the barricades of suspicion, James refused.
Not to be deterred, Gerald cut a long narrow hole in the door with his spear β a hole which you can see to this day β and through it he reached the hand of friendship despite the fact that it would have been so easy for James to hack it off.
But no β this time James responded to the vulnerable arm grasped it in friendship and unlocked the door thus ending an ugly feud which had gone on for so long.
In St Patrickβs they tell you that this is the origin of the expression βchancing your arm.β
Whether that is so or not, I do not know but I do know that in every conflict the person of real integrity is not the one locked up behind the defences of past hurts but the one who recognises that no matter what the circumstances such hatreds only corrupt us all.
Lord, you stretched out your arms upon a cross
to draw us to yourself in healing and forgiveness.
Help us to reach out to others
that we may follow your example.
Amen.
Broadcast
- Sat 24 Sep 2016 05:43ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
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