The organist librarian

Swam 20 and the gas boiler was serviced. To art and started on a new flowers painting after doing charcoal outlines. To interfaith lunch and Jon dal Din was there. Discussion on peace and ISIS. Air strikes look inevitable. Set up Harold Worley and Frank Woodhouse websites and photographed all the material.

To St Ethelburga's for Peace conference which was well attended with good speakers and interesting workshops. Lots of people I know were there including Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi. An Egyptian urged us to support peace groups in the Middle East and to engage with media, politicians and corporations.

Yesterday's gospel so movingly expounded by Fr Michael Barnes Luke 19:41-44 Dominus flevit church Mount of Olives   As Jesus drew near Jerusalem and came in sight of the city he shed tears over it and said; "If you in your turn had only understood on this day the message of peace! But, alas, it is hidden from your eyes!"

Met Sister Sheila on Thornton Heath station and told her about John Ennor being in Mayday. To Oxford Circus and arrived a little late for the meditation session at London Fo Guang Chinese Buddhist Temple in Margaret Street. No idea it was there! Very helpful guidance sheet. Coffee, cakes and chocs - my friend the monk from Battersea Peace pagoda was there. Shocked to find Mowbrays bookshop is closed. To Baker Street and walk in the rain to Regents Park mosque - Bishop John joined us and about 100. We were given a nice brochure and a very short introduction and invited to pray silently in the mosque. I thought of the psalms "O pray for the peace of Jerusalem" "Out of the deep" If only Israel would trust in the Lord! Pat Gaffney from Pax Christi and several people I know - lots of Catholics! Bus to Baker Street and underground to Rayners Lane. The Zoroastrian centre is a converted 30s cinema in Harrow - 3 million spent on it. Lunch brought from Birmingham by Sachkhan ...

St Basil the Great who is commemorated today with his friend St Gregory of Nazianus. To the Hinsley Room for 12 noon. Eileen led a meditation on Christmas 2007 and then a silent meditation. After lunch we looked at Luke 1 and thought about "My peace I leave with you". I spent some time at the crib, checked the interfaith leaflets were still on display and picked up "The Tablet" from our servers locker. It was a useful time of contemplation and we were asked to think about how we had come through crises. I see God working through people to help me achieve peace of mind. The sun will rise tomorrow, all will be well, we will get to heaven. Christmas 2007 was so much calmer than Christmas 2006. Elizabeth's intimate greeting to Mary should be expressed by us in the Peace at Mass. We are the Body of Christ and I am sure Jesus touched people and embraced them. I thought too about the beautiful "Sure in the shining night" by Lauridsen we sang at Windsor. I rem...

padrerob A priest's musings on the journey has a lovely youtube about 100 paper cranes for peace and a link to How to knit a thurible. Thanks Rob - sorry to hear you are in 100 degrees heat in USA. Rob also has a hilarious benediction dance - see my comments about that on his site!