I always think of February as rather a depressing month. All the excitement and joy of Christmas and the fresh start of the New Year seems a distant memory by February and the days are cold and dark.

But February is a precious time. It is a period of space and quiet after the busyness of the Christmas season before the busyness of Lent.

It offers us a chance to spend quiet time with God just being and a chance to recharge our batteries before the rigours of the Lenten season.

In February we also remember one of my favourite poets George Herbert. His feast day is on the 27th. Herbert was born in Wales in 1593.

His first two sonnets, sent to his mother in 1610, state that the love of God is a worthier subject for verse than the love of a woman!

He took holy orders in the Church of England in 1630 and spent the rest of his life as rector in Bermerton near Salisbury where he became known as “Holy Mr Herbert”. He died in 1633.

In his poetry Herbert was particularly interested in exploring and celebrating God’s love as he experienced and understood it.

Here is one of his best known poems and one of my favourites:

Love bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me,
sweetly questioning
If I lacked anything.

“A guest,” I answered “worthy to be here”.
Love answered “You shall be he.”
“I, the unkind, ungrateful?
Ah, my dear, I cannot look on Thee.”
Love took my hand,and smiling did reply
“Who made the eyes but I?”

“Truth, Lord; but I have marred them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.”
“And know you not,” says Love
“who bore the blame?”
“My dear, then I will serve.”
“You must sit down,” says Love “and taste my meat.”
So I did sit and eat.