AS YOU SOW - SO SHALL YOU REAP EVERYTHING BEGETS EVERYTHING
I should have left here long
ago
When sun was in the hay The cloth and gown have
torn me down
A sorry thing to say My walls were tall they
kissed the sky
My walls they kissed the
clay
Evicted by those Sacred
Hearts
Now I must go away
Hark, listen to that ancient
sound
My ancestors in song
Their carriages and sailing
boats
Once here have long since
gone
Gone off to find another
shore
Where they can be and stay I must be off and follow
them
I must be on my way.
Alas, when I have reached
that land
A far and distant shore My ancestors will welcome
me
And take me in for sure The news that I relate to
them
Will shake them to the core You tore me down and
slaughtered time My walls they stand no
more
Short sayings from Sacred Heart Messengers - compiled by Bridget Sherlock
1. Sow only good seed - MK 4:1-10, 13-20
2. Charity covers a multitude of sins LK 21:1-4
3. Sin enslaves, Christ liberates
4. Our sins damage others
5. Follow the light, not darkness
6. Out of our hearts come good or evil
7. Forgiveness comes best from a pierced heart
8. Do not fret, it only leads to evil
9. Cross always brings a blessing
10. Mass unites you to God
11. Be co-operative - you are needed
12. Discouragement solves no problems
13. Patience always is rewarded
14. Patience, perseverance, prayer, push!
15. Selfishness breeds discontent
16. Cheerfulness communicates itself
17. Love has a name - Jesus Christ
18. Follow Christ like Mary - no conditions
My sister and I shared a bedroom when we were children.
On one particular Christmas Eve, we were as usual bursting with excitement and sat in our nightclothes on my sister’s bed (since her’s was closest to the window).
We looked up into the dark starry sky to see if we could spot Santa Claus and hoping that it would snow.
Our Christmas stockings, which were actual socks and more for decoration, were hanging at the ends of our beds. What we really wanted was the one “far-too-big-tofit-in-a-stocking” toy, which we had asked for in our letters to Santa.
It was the eighties and we didn’t get new toys that often. Christmas was our annual opportunity to request a toy and be almost certain of getting it.
Having looked at all the advertisements, watched The Late Late Toy Show, and sometimes having paged through the toy section of the Argos catalogue - if some friend or relation had brought it back from England - we had decided what to ask for.
If a good letter wasn’t written, things could go awry presents-wise and that would be Christmas ruined, we thought.
The letter usually began by thanking Santa for the previous year’s presents. After all, why would he bother coming back again if some gratitude wasn’t shown? Even we as children knew this.
We then progressed to describing the coveted toy in detail and sometimes going as far as suggesting where he might get it (possibly Roches’ Stores, Cork or The Monument House shop in Mallow), if making it proved too much for the elves. Santa was to be left in no doubt about what it was we wanted.
Then it was up to himself, a small surprise toy maybe and a Cadbury’s selection box please. Christmas wasn’t Christmas without a selection box. It was like having our own little free shop for a day! The simple joy of having such a choice of chocolate bars.
The letter ended with ‘Best wishes to Mrs Claus and the elves’ and we signed our names.
Santa had never disappointed us before.
Christmas Morning was the best morning of the entire year.
We eventually managed to go to sleep after having discussed the beautiful, multicoloured roller skates that we had both asked for that year. Yes, they would take a bit of getting used to.
However, the four wheels on each boot made them more stable and there was a handy break on the front for stopping. We even planned to have our own roller disco in the sittingroom.
I opened my eyes almost afraid it wasn’t morning and that Santa had not yet arrived, but it was and there were my beautiful skates.
At the end of my sister’s bed was an undeniably beautiful cradle and baby doll. I had never seen anything like it. Snow white lacelike material draped from a height down over the basket which contained the doll, who basked in luxury.
Lovely and all as that was, I was much happier with my roller skates.
While the cradle and doll were nice to look at, there wasn’t that much that could be done with them. The disappointment on my sister’s face was evident and then she burst into tears.
When our mother saw how upset she was, she promised that as soon as the sales started she would try to find a pair of roller skates for her.
It wasn’t that we weren’t grateful, we knew Santa was doing his best, but we just couldn’t understand how he had slipped up. Though for a while afterwards we speculated during our bedtime discussions.
Did he get her letter mixed up with someone else’s? Did Santa think she was too young to manage roller skates? Was it that he thought we’d share them? Which we did, but it wasn’t the same!
Or did he just not have anymore? We never did find out.