Reflections from the Pew 85

As it’s St Fillan’s 900th anniversary I’m looking at Rev. Rutherford’s children’s address, where he talks about the history of the church, this one is from 12th Mar ’67. Here he is talks about the Pilgrim Stone.

Last week if you were looking for mole hills you may have turned and noticed the stone on the west wall of the church.

There is a bit of a mystery about this stone, it looks as if it had been added later maybe from the hospice of St Martha and Mary on the far side of the Main Street, or maybe it was related to St Fillan’s well, others think it is part of a grave stone.

The inscription says:

Pans, O Pilgrim
that passeth by this way upon thine end,
and thou shat fear to sin:
and think also upon the latter day, when
thou to God man count, then best thou now begin.

My translation of this is:

Consider, whoever you are that passes by that you are going to die someday: if you do you will be more careful about the things you do and say. And think too of the fact that when you die you will have to give an account to God. That will make you try all the harder to please him.

One day we will be asked to give an account of what we have done.