Death at St Thomas is surrounded by symbols of life – not to deny the sadness of death but to proclaim our true, everlasting life in Jesus. A casket lies under our twelfth century San Clemente crucifix of the Tree of Life; ashes are buried, memorial plaques are blessed in our Olive Grove of Gethsemane with rosemary symbolising new life. Each Sunday at St Thomas we are sent from Mass under our Tree of Life; each Sunday we glimpse our Olive Grove as we travel to and from the Eucharist. We grow in the life of Jesus and note that, in the words of St Mary of the Cross, “We are but travellers here.” In the “twinkle of an eye” we shall be transformed.
Jesus, holy and beloved,
hold me always in your
‘yes’. Give me your trust in
our Loving Father when I,
too, am swamped in
darkness and pain. Give
me your strength to love
God with all my heart,
soul, life, and to love my
neighbour as myself.
Empty me of pride, power
and self-deceit and fill me
with humility, openness,
honesty. Thus, dear
Jesus, within this gift of
my life, make me like you,
holy and beloved and
living a life of ‘yes’, to
your Father and my
Father. Amen.