Ships over the centuries have had to carry ballast for stability on the journey. It was so important that to venture on to the high seas without it would be perilous.

It would only take the unpredictable weather and the ship, crew and cargo would meet their fate.

Centuries ago the ballast used was cobblestone. These would then be unloaded and a secondary use was found for them.  They were used around the docks and streets of the towns to pave the roads and paths.

So the primary use of the stones was to transport the ship safely to its destination. But the stones were not discarded as if they had served their purpose; no, another use was found which would fin them serving a purpose for centuries to come.

So a parable for us? Jesus takes us ‘on board’ as Christians so we can carry and help people on their journey of life and keep them safe from harm.  But Jesus doesn’t just want us to help short term, our involvement is never finished.  Like the stones we may have a completely different role to play at some stage.

This could be a real challenge for us because it is so different. Something that we are just not used to doing.

We may not be aware of how important our role is, like the stones in the pavement, but without the stones life’s journey would be more difficult for those who trudge along each day.

And if you think you don’t really matter in Christ’s plan for us all? What would happen if each stone said, I’m not necessary?  We wouldn’t have our lovely pavements today.

The word ransom is spoken of in the Sacred Scriptures and I find it a very powerful word and it says a lot to me. Mary and Joseph were required by the Jews law to dedicate their first born to the Lord. So they offer Jesus to the Lord but then ransom him back by offering two small pigeons.

So Jesus was well aware of this law and this idea of ransom. As he grew in wisdom he realised that people were captured and not free of sin. Therefore, to carry out his Father’s Will and bring everyone back to Him someday, then this could only happen if people were free, therefore free from the grip of sin.

So Jesus draws on what is familiar to his listeners, like in the law, the dedication at birth, but to make sure he doesn’t lose us he has to make it a perfect situation.

But the extraordinary thing here is that he not only volunteers himself as the innocent victim but also puts up the ransom. He is able to do this because he is free from sin. We are the ones who are caught in the gip of sin with no way out to return to the Father.

Yet Christ takes our place as the victim and also pays the price – we do nothing! He set us free from the grip of sin. So when a ransom story has a happy ending the person has been set free, free to return to family and living.

And this is why I think this word ransom is so powerful because it makes me realise that, “I will be always forever grateful to Christ for setting me free.”

Fr Michael Morley

When we are on our journey of faith, we talk about the sign posts, the twists and curves in the road, in other words, the things that make our journey either easier or harder.

What about the rumble strips? I am thankful for two sets, the ones to slow us down when approaching a rail crossing or the ones on the side of the road.

Let’s the rumble strips at a crossing. Let also think of the strips as the law or guidelines that God gives us to guide us not dictate.  We can abuse the strips as we approach and experience a nasty ride and this is also not good for the car!

So the strips (the law) are not there to make our ride difficult but there as a help warning of possible danger. Once passed the strips if you have ignored the warning you may very well ignore the ‘STOP’ sign at the crossing.  Could this be fatal?

Also, when out on a country road and approaching the STOP sign – there is no train, no one else around to see, do you obey the ‘STOP’ sign or keep going? Could this reflect on the times we do the wrong thing just because no one is watching?

Let us now look at the rumble strips on the side of the road remembering that God’s law have a role to play in making our journey easier, therefore keep us on track.

The rumble strips on the side of the road are there to rumble the car when it starts to veer off the road. Imagine driving on the rumble strips the whole way to your destination thinking, “This isn’t a very good road!”

Well the rumble strips are not meant to be the road (like God’s law), they are there to mark the side of the road – to keep us on track. They are not there for us to drive on, they are there to point to where we should be heading.

It is the same with God’s law. We don’t drive on the law, the law isn’t the road.  The law is there to point to where the road is and to let us know when we veer off the road.

We shouldn’t be focusing on the rumble strips but on the road. In fact, when Christians become law focused we become about as pleasant as driving on a rumble strip.

The road is our relationship with God, his Spirit will guide us. The rumble strips (the law) are there in case we wander off.

So our journey of faith will always be smooth if the road is our relationship with God. The rumble strips (God’s law) are there to keep us going forward.

Fr Michael