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Dathlu 30 mlynedd fel offeiriad

Mae'r Archdiacon Robert Townsend yn dathlu 30 mlynedd ers ei urddiad i'r offeiriadaeth. Ar ran esgobaeth Bangor, rydym yn diolch iddo am ei flynyddoedd o wasanaeth ac ymroddiad i'r offeiriadaeth. Rydym yn gweddïo y byddwn yn cael ein bendithio gan ei weinidogaeth am flynyddoedd lawer i ddod. 

Dyma bregeth yr Archdiacon Robert y bydd yn ei thraddodi heno yn Nolgellau mewn gwasanaeth sy'n dathlu pen-blwydd ei urddiad.


Roedd warden y ficer cyntaf yn fy mhlwyf cyntaf yn gymeriad. Roedd o a'i wraig yn byw gyferbyn â'r Rheithordy mewn bwthyn teras bach. Roedd yn warden gwych, bob amser yn galonogol a chyn gynted ag y gwelai fi, byddai'n estyn ei law ac yn pwyntio ataf. “‘Dyma'r Ficer yn dod!’ 

Yr unig broblem hefo fo oedd ei hoff peth mewn bywyd, sef dadlau - hefo unrhyw un! Roedd wrth ei fodd â dadl dda a byddai'n dechrau un hefo urhywun a oedd yn barod i fynd benben ag o. Roedd hyd yn oed wedi bod yn adnabyddus am ddechrau dadl pan oedd wedi gwisgo fel Siôn Corn ar ôl bod yn barti Nadolig plant yr eglwys! Roedd pobl yn yn tueddu i'w osgoi, gan nad oeddent am gael eu dal mewn dadl!

Ar ôl cwpl o flynyddoedd, aeth y warden hwn yn sâl ac roedd yn yr ysbyty 45 munud i ffwrdd. Un noson, canodd y ffôn am 2yb. Roedd yn marw ac yn gofyn am weld y Ficer. Erbyn 3yb roeddwn i yno wrth ochr ei wely hefo fo a'r teulu. Nid oedd diwedd ei bererindod ddaearol ymhell i ffwrdd. Fe wnaethon ni weddïo ac mi wnes i ei eneinio. Yna, darllenais hanes Luc o’r Croeshoeliad iddo ac wrth glywed y geiriau ‘Heddiw, byddi gyda mi ym mharadwys’, cododd ei law oddi ar y gwely a phwyntio ataf. Dywedodd y teulu cyfan Weddi’r Arglwydd ac roedd gwefusau’r warden yn symud, ond nid oedd llais. Ar ôl dweud y gair, ‘Amen’, anadlodd allan am y tro olaf. 27 mlynedd yn ddiweddarach, mae’n teimlo fel ddoe yn unig.

Dyna oedd un o’r troeon cyntaf i mi eneinio rhywun yn fy ngweinidogaeth yn Offeiriad, ond yn fwy diweddar cefais atgof clir o wirionedd gweinidogaeth Offeiriad.

Drwy gydol fy ngweinidogaeth, fy man gwan yw cartrefi gofal. Mae llawer ohonynt yn lleoedd gwych, ond dydw i ddim yn hoffi bod ynddynt. Eto i gyd, maent yn rhan bwysig o’n gweinidogaeth. Mae angen i ni i gyd wneud pethau nad ydym yn eu mwynhau. Yn rhy aml, wrth wneud gwasanaethau mewn cartrefi gofal, fy nod oedd gwneud y gwasanaeth Cymun, cyfarch y bobl a gadael. Ymddiheuriadau, os yw’r cyfaddefiad hwnnw’n eich dychryn!

Yn un o fy Ardaloedd Gweinidogaeth, roedd un cartref gofal lle roedden ni'n mynd bob mis. Byddai nifer dda o breswylwyr yn dod i'r gwasanaethau a byddai'r staff yn rhoi te a chacennau i ni wedyn - gan ymestyn fy mhoen! Byddai pobl o gymuned yr eglwys leol yn dod hefyd - roedd yn bopeth y gallech chi ei ddymuno. Fodd bynnag, pan roesoch chi bara cymun cysegredig i’r preswylwyr, na wnaeth nifer ohonyt ei bwyta. Felly bob tro byddwn i'n casglu'r bara oedd wedi syrthio, yn eu cymryd adref ac yn eu claddu yn yr ardd.

Ar ôl peth amser, roeddwn i wedi cael digon o hyn, ac felly un mis gwneuthum yn siŵr bod organydd ac allweddell yno, dewisais set gyffrous o emynau a darlleniadau a gwnaethom wasanaeth y Gair. Roedd mor dda, gwnaethom yr un peth y mis canlynol! Aeth yn dda eto. Ond ar ôl cael fy nhe a'm cacen a theimlo'n eithaf bodlon gyda mi fy hun, galwodd rheolwr y cartref nyrsio fi i'w swyddfa, wrth i mi baratoi i ddianc. Gofynnodd i mi eistedd i lawr, diolchodd i mi am fy ngwasanaeth, ond dywedodd fod yr holl fynychwyr rheolaidd wedi siarad â hi ac wedi cwyno. 

Roedden nhw wedi gofyn iddi pam mai dim ond emynau a darlleniadau oedd y ficer yn eu gwneud. Pam nad oedd yn gwneud cymun mwyach? Edrychodd arna i a'i geiriau oedd, ‘Dych chi’n offeiriad, ydych? Mae cymun yn arbennig, mae'n dod â Iesu i gyrff a chalonnau fy mhreswylwyr mewn ffordd arbennig iawn. Dim ond chi all wneud hyn, felly gwnewch yr holl emynau dych chi eisiaur mis nesaf, ond gwnewch yn siŵr eich bod chi'n gwneud Cymun hefyd, os gwelwch yn dda’.

Ymddiheurais, dywedais ‘Wrth gwrs’ a gadawais gyda fy nghynffon rhwng fy nghoesau’n llwyr. Noson dawel oedd hi'r noson honno - a oeddwn wedi gadael i'm gwendid o amgylch cartrefi gofal ganiatáu i mi fod yn anffyddlon i'm galwedigaeth offeiriadol sacramentaidd? 

Roedd geiriau'r rheolwr yn pigo. Ai llais Duw oedd hwnnw? Os gallent ddathlu a rhannu cymun yn ffosydd y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf, nid oedd cartref gofal ar Ynys Môn yn ddim byd i boeni amdano mewn gwirionedd. Ailddechreuwyd gwasanaeth cymun arferol y mis canlynol.


Mae Duw yn cyffwrdd ac yn siarad â phob un ohonom mewn cymaint o wahanol ffyrdd.

Mae Duw yn cyffwrdd ac yn siarad â phob un ohonom mewn cymaint o wahanol ffyrdd. Pan fyddwn ni byth yn ei ddisgwyl, mae Duw yn defnyddio eiliadau a phobl i’w ddatgelu ei hun i ni ac i'n harwain a'n hatgoffa o'n galwedigaeth.

Mae Ioan Fedyddiwr yn un o fy arwyr.Dw i’n hoff o eistedd ac yn myfyrio amdano ac yn dychmygu'r foment honno o Efengyl Ioan pan mae Ioan Fedyddiwr yn gweld Iesu ac yn dweud, ‘Wele, Oen Duw'. Am ryw reswm, rwyf bob amser yn dychmygu bod hyn wedi digwydd wrth Afon Iorddonen, ond nid yw Efengyl Ioan yn nodi hyn, ond pan fyddaf yn delweddu'r digwyddiad hwn, a wnaeth Ioan bwyntio? A gododd ei law a'i rhoi i gyfeiriad Iesu?

A sut roedd Iesu'n teimlo ar ôl clywed y geiriau hynny? A oedd Duw yn gwybod bod Iesu yn nerfus ac yn cwestiynu am ei weinidogaeth ac angen iddo ei gefnogi ac felly mae geiriau Ioan yn hwb? Neu a oedd Iesu'n barod ac felly roedd Duw'r Tad yn siarad trwy Ioan yn rhoi'r cadarnhad i Iesu fod ei weinidogaeth a'i bererindod i'r Groes yn mynd i fyny gêr?

Roedd bywyd Ioan Fedyddiwr i gyd yn ymwneud â'r llais. Mae anghrediniaeth ei Dad ynghylch cenhedlu Ioan yn achosi iddo golli ei lais am 9 mis. Mae Sachareias yn cael ei lais yn ôl i broffwydo am ei fab, ‘A thithau, fy mhlentyn, gelwir di yn broffwyd y Goruchaf, oherwydd byddi'n cerdded o flaen yr Arglwydd i baratoi ei lwybrau, i roi i'w bobl wybodaeth am waredigaeth trwy faddeuant eu pechodau..’ (Luc 1.76-77). Ioan oedd y llais yn yr anialwch yn paratoi ffordd yr Arglwydd - y llais a bwyntiodd ac a gyhoeddodd Iesu. Llais rheswm a moesoldeb a oedd i arwain at ei ferthyrdod.

Yng ngeiriau Sant Awstin, ‘Ioan oedd llais a barhaodd am gyfnod yn unig; Crist, y Gair yn y dechrau, sydd dragwyddol’. Rôl pob credadun Cristnogol yw cyfeirio eraill at Iesu fel y gwnaeth Ioan, i fod y llais sy’n cyhoeddi Iesu. 

I'r rhai ohonom sydd â'r fraint o ymateb i alwad Duw i fod yn weision ordeiniedig, mae gennym gyfrifoldebau ychwanegol y mae angen i ni eu harneisio i'w pwrpas llawn, fel y gallwn fod yn lleisiau cliriach sy’n galluogi’n Heglwys bwyntio'n well at ein Harglwydd - yr Un Tragwyddol.

Cymraeg

Celebrating 30 years as a priest

Archdeacon Robert Townsend is celebrating 30 years since his ordination to the priesthood. On behalf of the diocese of Bangor, we thank him for his years of service and and dedication to the priesthood. We pray that we will be blessed by his ministry for many years to come. 

Here is Archdeacon Robert's sermon which he will be preaching this evening in Dolgellau at a service celebrating his ordination anniversary. 


My first vicar’s warden in my first parish was a character. He and his wife lived opposite the Rectory in a small terraced cottage. He was a great warden, always encouraging and as soon as he saw me, he would stretch out his hand and point at me. “‘Ere comes the Vicar!” 

The only problem with him was that his main love in life was to argue - with anyone and anyone. He just loved a good argument and would start one with anyone who was prepared to go head-to-head with him. He had even been known to start an argument when dressed as Father Christmas having done the church children’s Christmas party! People tended to avoid him, as they didn’t want to get caught up in an argument!

After a couple of years, this warden fell ill and was in hospital 45 minutes away . One night, the phone rang at 2am. He was dying and was asking to see the Vicar. By 3am I was with him and the family by his bedside. The end of his earthly pilgrimmage was not far away. We prayed and I anointed him. Then, I read Luke’s version of the Crucifixion to him and at the words ‘Today, you will be with me in paradise’ (23:43), he raised his hand off the bed and pointed at me. The whole family said the Lord’s Prayer and the warden’s lips were moving, but there was no voice. Having mouthed the word, ‘Amen’, he exhaled for the last time. 27 years on, it feels only like yesterday.

If that was one of the first times I annointed someone in my ministry as a Priest, more recently I was given a sharp reminder of what ministry as a Priest is really about.

Throughout my ministry my weak point is care homes. Many of them are wonderful places, but I just don’t like being in them. Yet, they are an important part of our ministry. We all need to do things that we don’t enjoy. Too often, when doing services in care homes my aim was to do the Communion service, greet the people and leave - apologies, if that admission horrifies you!

In one of my Ministry Areas, there was one care home to which we went each month. A good number of residents would come to the services and the staff would give us tea and cakes afterwards - prolonging my agony! People from the local church community would come as well - it was all that you could wish it to be. However, a number of the residents, when you gave them the host, they didn’t consume it. So each time I would collect the fallen hosts, take them home and bury them in the garden.

After a time, I’d had enough of this, and so one month I made sure that an organist and keyboard was there, chose a rousing set of hymns and readings and we did a service of the Word. It was so good, we did the same the following month! It went well again. However, having had my tea and cake and feeling rather pleased with myself, the nursing home manager called me into her office, just as I was ready to escape. She asked me to sit down, thanked me for my service, but said that all of the regular attenders had spoken to her and complained. 

They’d asked her why was the vicar only doing hymns and readings. Why wasn’t he doing communion any more? She looked at me and her words were, ‘You’re a priest aren't you? Communion is special, it brings Jesus into the bodies and hearts of my residents in a very special way. Only you can do this, so please - do all the hymns you like next month, but make sure that you do Communion as well’.

I apologised, said ‘yes, of course’ and left with my tail well and truly between my legs. It was a quiet night that evening - had I let my weakness around care-homes allow me to be unfaithful to my sacramental priestly calling? 

The words of the manager stung. Was that God’s voice? If they could celebrate and share communion in the trenches of World War One, a care home on Anglesey was really nothing to get worried about.

Normal communion service was resumed the following month.


God uses moments and people to be revealed to us and to guide and remind us of our calling.

God touches and speaks to each and everyone of us in so many different ways. When we least expect it, God uses moments and people to be revealed to us and to guide and remind us of our calling.

John the Baptist is- one of my heroes. I love to sit and ponder about him and imagine that moment from John’s Gospel when John the Baptist sees Jesus and says, ‘Behold the Lamb of God’. For some reason I always imagine that this happened by the River Jordan, but John’s Gospel doesn’t specify this, but when I visualize this event, did John point? Did he raise his hand and place it in the direction of Jesus?

And then how did Jesus feel on hearing those words? Did God know that Jesus was nervous and questioning about his ministry and needed to support him and so John’s words are a boost? Or was Jesus ready and so God the Father speaking through John was giving Jesus the reaffirmation that his ministry and pilgrimage to the Cross was going up a gear?

John the Baptist’s life was all about voice. His Father’s incredulity at John’s conception causes him to lose his voice for 9 months. Zechariah gets his voice back to prophesy about his son, ‘And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.’ (Luke 1.76 - 77). John was the voice in the wilderness preparing the way of the Lord - the voice that pointed and proclaimed Jesus. The voice of reason and morals that was to lead to his martyrdom.

In the word’s of St Augustine, ‘John was a voice that lasted only for a time; Christ, the Word in the beginning, is eternal’. It is the role of every Christian believer to point others towards Jesus as John did, to be the voice that proclaims Jesus. 

For those of us who have the privilege of responding to God’s call to be Priests and Bishops, we have additional responsibilities which we need to harness to their fullest purpose, so that we can be clearer voices and can enable our Church be better at pointing towards our Lord - the Eternal One.