Sunday 15 March 2026
I arrived at church in a bad mood. And like always, I was quickly brought down to earth, dragged away from my self-importance.
This morning, an untidy kitchen, which I’d left untidy from the night before, was the trigger. In my mind, I was blaming everyone else for not putting things away, for not appreciating how important I was, and for not doing all this while fast asleep.
Even before the bell at the start of Mass, I realised how disordered my priorities had been.
It was brought home to me by a woman sitting with her grown-up children a few rows in front. She had brought flowers to church and placed them gently in front of the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A quiet, thoughtful gesture on mothers day.
The service ended with prayers for another mother, a young mum who had recently died of cancer, leaving a husband and two young children, who attend the local school. A heartbreaking loss that forced aside any trivial concerns. We prayed for her, and her family, and thought a little more warmly of our own.
Sometimes the gospel provides the reminder you need. Other times it’s another work of spiritual writing.
So it was this day when I later came across a quote from Thomas A Kempis on living with the faults of others (chapter 16).
“For we expect other people to be perfect, but we do not correct our own faults.”
I thought of how I had been able to call my own mother after Mass, and how my wife had been spoiled by our children on Mother’s Day. I didn’t really enjoy cleaning the kitchen again that evening. But I did so gladly, and with a little more gratitude.