grow into the blessed, the sacred and eternal tree. There is nothing to separate you from the love of Christ. Taste and see the savour of God’s creation and every holy creature, world wounded, healed and resurrected, for Christ was broken first, and blessed. Listen, for Jesus speaks person to person, you live already in the kingdom, live so that you flow into God, child of earth, as I was, as Jesus was,

who died and became part – as you, as I – of earth, clay of our clay, blood of our blood, and spirit of our spirit.’ Oh then my heart was birdsong, my spirit in flight like the white flight of the egret.

‘And you,’ I asked her,

‘tell me of you, for I know a father’s pain that you died too young, tell me now your being, tell me of Jesus, Mary, tell me…’

She smiled, and her white and lovely fingers touched me softly.

‘My being,’ she said, ‘ is Hallelujah,

and all my fire Hosanna.

We innumerable multitudes of the blessed,’ she said, ‘we move across the scaffoldings of creation, labouring, in joy, in the bathing love of the Creator. Guardian spirits of tree and star and galaxy, the great and joyful task of drawing the evolving universe to fulfilment in the presence and blessing of the holiest and best.’

*

104