Reflections on Easter season in Arthur's new book

Canon Arthur Howells' latest book, An Easter Anthology, is available now.

The book contains extracts from a variety of writers with resources and prayers relating to the reflections and the scripture readings, beginning with meditations for Holy Week and ending on the Feast of Pentecost.

Arthur said: "When I retired after 40 years of active ministry as a parish priest, I decided to spend eight days in retreat at Tymawr Convent, the home of the contemplative Anglican nuns of the Society of the Sacred Cross.

"I knew that now life was going to be different so I needed this time to pray and to seek guidance that I might discover how best I could use my time in the days that lay ahead however short or long they might be. So I settled down in the convent where I attempted in its prayerful silence to review my future.

"I knew that I would be called upon to help in local parishes, and I was aware, too, of the need to keep fit, so I was soon joining many others cycling along the coastal path alongside Swansea Bay close to our retirement home. I was aware, too, of the need for some sort of spiritual discipline. So I reviewed my Rule of Life. Then, as I thought and prayed, I came to see that it was important to keep an active mind.

"I went home to consider these things and I was soon putting together a routine which, of course included seeing more of our growing family who lived some distance away, as well as having more time for holidays. Keeping my mind active? Well, I looked at my bookshelves. I had disposed of many books I had not read for some time, but I had kept many of my favourites. I also delved into some of my notebooks which recorded gems of wisdom I had gleaned at retreats and days of reflection.

"As I waded through these and delved into my books, I soon began to see that there was much here that had helped me on my journey that could help others too. So the seeds were sown. Why not compile from these resources an anthology for Lent? For each day there would be a scriptural reading, a reflection and a related prayer. Rowan Williams, then Archbishop of Canterbury, commended the book with a foreword, and the anthology with its title A Lent Companion was published in 2005. This was followed by Generous Love (2006) both published by Redemptorist Publications and The Little Book of Lent (2014) and The Little Book of Advent (2015) published by HarperCollins."

An Easter Anthology, which is available now from bookstores, Amazon and Eden Books, follows the same pattern.

"There are extracts from a variety of writers and resources and prayers relating to the reflections and the scripture readings. It begins with meditations for Holy Week and ends on the Feast of Pentecost," Arthur said.

"In his foreword to this book Rowan Williams reminds us "that the early Church thought of the whole period between Easter Day and Whitsunday as a time of continuing celebration, exploring the life of a new creation". We are sharing in this long journey from Palm Sunday where a writer from the Methodist Church imagines the scene in Jerusalem as Jesus arrives with the other pilgrims making their way to the Temple for the Passover Festival, to Pentecost Sunday when Paula Gooder reminds us that ‘"the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost flings wide the doors, declaring that all are welcome, that no one is to keep away…the Lord breaks through to us over and over again, if only we will let him".

"Through the words of our writers my hope is that the Lord will indeed break through to us and enable us to see that the incredible events which happened in the life of Jesus become present in us and for us in the world of today. The Resurrection isn’t merely something that happened in history but is part of our living experience today. So this book, in fact, is not a commentary, but a prayerful resource to help us to enter fully into the events which are described for us by our spiritual guides.

"While some readers may wish to spend their time each day meditating or pondering on the reflections and the scripture passages, others may wish to use their imagination to bring an event to life. Such is the method suggested by the late Gerard Hughes. In an extract from his Oh God, Why? he gently plays down any attempt to answer the questions raised by the resurrection, and instead encourages us to let God lead us into the mystery:

"Stand with John at the empty tomb and pray to believe as he believed. Be with the other disciples in the upper room, listen to their fears and tell them of your own. See the Risen Christ among you and hear him say to you – ‘Peace’, as he shows you his wounded hands and side.

"Imagination can put us in touch with the reality that Christ is risen."

Arthur served all his ministry in the Church in Wales. He was ordained in Brecon Cathedral in 1957 after graduating at what was then the University of Wales, Lampeter and continuing theological training at St Michael's College, Llandaff. He was awarded an MA in Celtic Christianity in 2003. Formerly Canon Residentiary and Chancellor of Brecon Cathedral, he was Canon Missioner for the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon for 10 years prior to his appointment as Vicar of St James' Swansea, where he served until his retirement in 1997.

"I am so grateful to the contributions each writer makes to our thoughts and prayers in this book. Each of them shares their knowledge and, above all, their experience of the meaning of the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus and the coming of the life-giver, the Holy Spirit who makes all things new. I hope that readers will enjoy this anthology and will find in it some of the riches I have discovered in its compilation," Arthur said.

Arthur will be holding a book signing at Llwynderw Hall on March 9. All are welcome.