15 June 2022

Praying with the Psalms in Ordinary Time:
15 June 2022 (Psalm 112)

‘Light shines in the darkness for the upright’ (Psalm 112: 4) … light lights up the parish church in Laytown, Co Meath, in the winter darkness (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Patrick Comerford

In the Calendar of the Church, we are now in Ordinary Time. Before today begins, I am taking some time this morning to continue my reflections from the seasons of Lent and Easter, including my morning reflections drawing on the Psalms.

In my blog, I am reflecting each morning in this Prayer Diary in these ways:

1, Short reflections on a psalm or psalms;

2, reading the psalm or psalms;

3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.

Psalm 112:

Psalm 112 is a psalm ‘in praise of the virtuous’ and is often known by its opening phrase in Latin, Beatus vir. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and in the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 111.

This psalm, along with Psalm 111, is acrostic by phrase. Each 7-9 syllable phrase in Hebrew begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in order. Psalm 119 is also acrostic, with each eight-verse strophe commencing with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Psalm 112 tells us: ‘Blessed are those who fear the Lord and have great delight in his commandments’ (Psalm 112: 1); light shines in the darkness for them because their priorities are compassion, generosity to the poor and justice.

This Psalm commends those who shine light in the darkness for the upright; those who are gracious and full of compassion; those who are generous in lending; whose priorities are justice and giving freely to the poor.

This is where to find praise and honour, this is the state of well-being of godly people, who fear God and who obey his commandments.

They will be blessed with descendants, wealth, riches and godliness; they will be examples to others; they will enjoy true happiness; they will be long remembered; they will have no fears; they will triumph over their foes; and they will see the end of wickedness that threatens them.

‘Blessed are those who … have great delight in his commandments’ (Psalm 112: 1) … the Ten Commandments above the altar in the Guild Church of Saint Martin-within-Ludgate, Ludgate Hill, London (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Psalm 112 (NRSVA):

1 Praise the Lord!
Happy are those who fear the Lord,
who greatly delight in his commandments.
2 Their descendants will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses,
and their righteousness endures for ever.
4 They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright;
they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with those who deal generously and lend,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved;
they will be remembered for ever.
7 They are not afraid of evil tidings;
their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.
8 Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. 9 They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures for ever;
their horn is exalted in honour.
10 The wicked see it and are angry;
they gnash their teeth and melt away;
the desire of the wicked comes to nothing.

Today’s Prayer:

The theme this week in the prayer diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel) is ‘Focus 9/99,’ which was introduced on Sunday by the Revd M Benjamin Inbaraj, Director of the Church of South India’s SEVA department.

Wednesday 15 June 2022:

The USPG Prayer invites us to pray today in these words:

Let us give thanks for the work being done to protect the rights of young girls. We pray for the success of the Focus 9/99 programme.

Yesterday’s reflection

Continued tomorrow

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

A mediaeval graveyard
for the ‘Outcast Dead’
and ‘Winchester Geese’

Cross Bones Graveyard, close to Southwark Cathedral, was an unconsecrated graveyard for the marginalised (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)

Patrick Comerford

Two of us were in Southwark last week to meet shared friends at Southwark Cathedral and to visit some of the interesting corners of Southwark.

I always find myself taking notice of the stained glass window above the north-west door that depicts Samuel Johnson of Lichfield, creator of the first great English dictionary. Johnson was familiar with Bankside and Southwark, and it seems appropriate that the Cathedral Cat is named Hodge after Johnson’s own cat.

Visitors to Southwark Cathedral are invited to search for Hodge. But during our visit to Southwark last week, we also explored some hidden and often unknown places in Southwark and other parts of London.

Southwark is known for its links with Chaucer’s Canterbury pilgrims and John Harvard, the founder of Harvard University, who was baptised in Southwark Cathedral, and whose family lived on Borough High Street.

But how many people have ever heard about Cross Bones Graveyard, just a short walk from Southwark Cathedral?

In mediaeval times, this was an unconsecrated graveyard for the marginalised, including the ‘Winchester Geese’ or local prostitutes.

By the 18th century, this had become a paupers’ burial ground, a place for the ‘Outcast Dead.’

In time, not only the dead but their graves were out of sight and out of mind.
The Irish philanthropist Lord Brabazon, who chaired London’s Metropolitan Public Garden, Playground and Boulevard Association, wrote to The Times in 1883 to protest against the planned sale of the burial ground as a building site. He urged the public ‘to save this ground from such desecration, and to retain it as an open space for the use and enjoyment of the people.’

Lord Brabazon, who was born William Brabazon in 1841, lived at Killruddery House, the family home outside Bray, Co Wicklow. He succeeded his father as the 12th Earl of Meath in 1887. When he died in 1929, Lord Meath was buried not in Southwark but in the Church of Ireland churchyard in Delgany, Co Wicklow. Streets and squares in The Coombe, Dublin, named after him include Reginald Street, Reginald Square and Brabazon Square.

Meanwhile, Saint Saviour’s, which would later became Southwark Cathedral, lets Cross Bones Cemetery to Charles Hart in 1896. He set up a steam-driven fairground with nightly attractions, including shooting ranges, steam roundabouts and a ride called the Razzle Dazzle.

But this was soon closed down due to noise complaints.

Cross Roads burial yard only received the Church’s first official blessing seven years ago on Saint Mary Magdalene’s Day, 22 July 2015, when the Dean of Southwark Cathedral, the Very Revd Andrew Nunn, conducted ‘An Act of Regret, Remembrance, Restoration.’

Today, this burial ground is home to a garden of remembrance that has evolved into a contemplative space and a memorial shrine created by local people.

The Liberty of Southwark and Bankside Open Spaces Trust are now working with Crossbones Forum and Friends of Crossbones to safeguard this historically significant site, and working for further enhancement of the burial ground, such as funding and longer opening hours.

Cross Bones has become a garden of remembrance and has evolved into a contemplative space and a memorial shrine created by local people (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2022)