On this rock.
I shall build my church.
A time for us to take stock.
Are we truly his church.

Are we just running sands.
Or a trusting rock.
Do we use wander through temporal lands.
Are we a spiritual building block.

Like Eliakim and Peter.
Are we worthy of being given the key.
Does it anyway matter.
Yes it does, cannot we hear and see.

Do we have Peter’s faith.
Or our own wilting faith.

……

Are we like Peter
Do we have that profound faith
But we were not there

…..

See Isaiah 22 and  Mathew 16 : 13- 20

They preach.
But do not practice.
Should we pray more and not preach.
And preach what we practice.

When we are praying.
We are outward looking.
Not letting the mind be inwarding.
Worrying, regretting and hoping.

We enter an ultimate space.
Not our own selfish ego.
A truly heavenly space.
Not bound by suffocating ego.

So we stop this intense thinking.
And start doing some praying.

……

When we start praying
We just start to look outwards
And not ego bound

……

See Mathew 23: 1-12

You shall love the Lord your God.
With all your heart
and all your soul, he is your God
And all your mind, he is your heart.

You shall love your neighbour.
As yourself.
Who is my neighbour.
Everyone of course but yourself.

The commandment is so right.
But it’s so difficult to do.
How I pray I could see the light.
And think only what is right to do .

We try our best.
Even if sometimes we lack the zest.

…..

Do I love my God
And do I live my neighbour
My God I need help

…….

Dream this commandment
It seems to envelope us
It is consuming

See Mathew 22: 34-40

Take, what belongs to you.
And, the master said, Go.
I choose to give to this last worker as I gave to you.
Or do you begrudge my generosity, Go.

Why are we so jealous.
Why do we begrudge so.
Perhaps we should just be more carefree zealous.
And not so easily, by others, rendered low.

So, some get an easier ride.
Well, just  so be it.
Why not take their side.
And try to get over it.

But still we question.
And ask if they have been given an easier question.

…..

Why be jealous
For ask yourself what’s the point
What does it achieve

…..

See Matthew 29: 1-16

Take what belongs to you.
And Go.
I choose to give to this last worker as I gave to you.
Or do you begrudge my generosity, Go.

Why are we so jealous.
Why do we begrudge so.
Perhaps we should just be more zealous.
And not so easily rendered low.

So, some get an easier ride.
Just so be it.
Why not take their side.
And get over it.

But still we question.
And ask if they have been given an easier question.

…..

Why be jealous
For ask yourself what’s the point
What does it achieve

…..

Matthew 29: 1-16

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.
Than for a rich man to enter heaven.
We may not be rich but our faith is feeble.
Will we ever be deemed worthy for heaven.

With man this is impossible.
However hard we try.
But with God it is possible.
We can but try.

So the many that are first.
Thinking themselves secure.
Will be last.
For they have drunk of this life’s lure

We ourselves are content to be neither first
Or to be last.

…..

In life are we first.
Perhaps that is not so great
Better to be last

….

See Mathew 19: 23-30

Jesus said, if you would be perfect.
Go, sell what you possess.
We need not be part of the elect.
We can settle for less.

But will we ever give away everything.
Of course not., why should we.
Even our own wedding ring.
Everything we own, as far as we can see.

But we carry on giving.
Keeping what most of what we own.
Not then grasping.
A kind of middle way , a medium tone.

That’s how we muddle on.
And just carry on

……

Give away our all
Of course we do not do that
We keep a little

…..

See Mathew 19: 16-22

My soul magnifies the Lord.
And my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.
Mary said yes and crossed redemption’s ford.
She alone ensured our saviour.

But why did she say yes.
She could have said no.
Do we say yes.
Or do we equivocate before saying no.

Was it just obedience.
Or deep trusting faith.
In her hymn, she shows  no reticence.
Just this extraordinary welcoming faith.

What would we have said.
Of what truly are we made

…..

Mary just said yes
But she could have said wait, no
What would we have said

…..

See Luke 1: 39-56

Let the little children come to me.
And do not rebuke them.
It’s true that children truly can see.
They are more than a charming gem.

What is it about children.
Is it because they trust.
They are not like cynical old men.
Covered in many years rust.

Why do we doubt.
Question and reflect.
Ask what it’s all about.
What are we trying to protect.

Faith truly is a gift.
But our mind won’t give it a lift.

……

Are we like children
Do we accept without doubt
Or are we too old

.. ..

See Mathew 13 : 13-15

Behold , God is my salvation.
I will trust and not be afraid.
He gives me loving redemption.
Troubles and anxieties quietly laid.

Would we accept the ultimate giving.
Offer our life like Kolbe , be a saint.
Of course not , we would start weakening.
Our faith and courage too faint.

But we do not need to be a martyr.
We can live our own small  life.
We do not need to fear or tire.
Or dread death’s sudden knife.

We can do little martyred things.
But worthwhile beautiful things.

…….

Can we be martyrs
But then we will never know
Perhaps we’re one now

….

See Todays Responsorial  Psalm from Isaiah

You have eyes to see.
But see not.
You have ears to hear and for no fee.
But hear not.

Lord , how often will my brother sin against me.
And I forgive him, as many as seven times.
Jesus said to him then and now to me.
Not seven but seventy seven times.

Can’t we understand that we must forgive.
That is our purpose and task.
Just as all that matters is that we give.
Is that too much to ask.

That what we must see.
If we really are to banish fear.

……

What then is our task
It is to forgive again
There’s no other way

……

See Ezekiel 12: 1-12 and  Mathew 18

Whoever humbles himself like this child.
Is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Are we just too rational to be like a child.
Will we ever reach our own heaven.

St Claire’s faith is not be matched.
In profound humility.
Our faith barely scratched.
Where is our simplicity.

I just can’t match this faith.
I doubt and question.
Always seeking the certainty of faith.
Open to every new rational suggestion.

I am certainly no saint.
My selfishness too great, my faith is too faint.

…….

Where then is our faith
We seek it everywhere
It’s so elusive

….

See Mathew 18

Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth.
And dies, it remains alone.
But if it dies in dearth.
It bears much fruit to atone.

Whoever loves his life, loses it.
And whoever hates his life.
Will keep it.
For eternal life.

We know this .
We try to follow it.
But do we do this.
Or follow it.

For we love this life.
Perhaps we should think of the next life

….

Whoever loves life
Will not have eternal life
Or that’s what we’re told

…..

See John 12: 24-26

The boat by this time.
Was a long way from land.
We are done with our prime.
Our life pouring out like mere sand.

Then we see our Saviour
Walking on water.
We are terrified, what are we here for.
Is this really to be our guide for ever.

We try to do the same.
We sink.
We do not have true faith in his name.
And slide gently into the angry drink.

He holds out his helping hand.
And we are saved only by his hand.

…..

We see him walking
We sink if we try the same
But his hand is there

……

See Mathew 24:  22-33

If you have faith , like a grain of mustard seed.
You will say to this mountain move from here to there.
And it will move, what a deed.
You would never fear.

But it’s faith we lack.
Certainty we question.
Pulled on doubt’s painful rack.
Open to any new suggestion.

Jesus told us the mountain will move.
And that nothing will be impossible to you.
We have really nothing to prove.
If only we knew.

But deep in our hearts we do know.
So we never need to be low.

..  ….

If you just have faith
Just like a mustard’s seed grain
You will move mountains

… .

See Mathew 17: 14-20

If anyone would come after me
Let him deny himself.
Take up his cross and follow me.
Forgetting the ego self.

For whoever would save his life.
Will lose it.
But whoever for my sake loses his life.
Will find it.

The choice is a simple one.
Do we think of ourselves .
Or of the one.
And so forget ourselves.

A simple choice.
But an almost next to impossible choice.

…. …

Whoever saves his life
Will most certainly lose it
We all have that choice

……..

See Mathew 16: 24-28

He was transfigured.
And his face shone like the sun.
This man, soon to die, disfigured.
But everything would eventually be won.

A voice said this is my beloved son.
With you I am well pleased.
Listen to my son.
By God conceived.

And us, do we listen.
To the son.
Do we hasten.
To one transfigured like the sun.

Is this event absolutely extraordinary.
So completely out of the ordinary.

…..

He was transfigured
A quite amazing event
Will we now listen

……

See Mathew 17: 1-9

O woman great is your faith.
Be it done for you as you desire.
I wish I had that sort of faith.
And that my soul was on fire.

But I am full of doubting
Questioning.
But hoping.
And seeking .

We are like the Canaanite woman.
Falling on our knees
Woman or man.
Filling prayers with our pleas.

One day soon we will know the answer.
But we fear, at night, will there be an answer.

…..

Like the Canaanite
We fall praying to our knees
Seeking an answer

…..

See Mathew 15: 21-28

It is not what goes into the mouth.
That defiles a man.
But what comes out of the mouth.
That defiles a man.

What do we say.
Are we kind
Thoughtful, troubles to lay.
Do we mind.

Rather than our own personal war do we think of peace.
Are we too often thinking of ourselves.
Rather than argue, understand without cease.
Do we concern ourselves with yourselves.

But if our mouth speaks wrong.
At least we try to sing our own song.

…..

What goes into mouth
Is of little importance
It is what comes out

…..

See Mathew 15

Jesus came to them walking on the sea.
But when the disciples saw him.
Walking easily on the sea.
They were terrified to see him.

How would we react.
Would we try like Peter to do the same and sink.
Would our faith remain intact.
Would we achieve the spiritual link.

Would he say to us.
O you of little faith.
Would we acquiesce or make a fuss.
Our belief no more than a sinking wraith.

Why, he asks, do we doubt.
Or just blackout.

……

Walking on water
Jesus then comes towards us
And we’re terrified

……

See Mathew 14: 22-36

Jesus said, they need not go away.
You can give them something to eat.
For what do we pray.
Do we turn expectantly to his spirit seat.

Do we ask just for bread.
And some fish.
Or to the spiritual, have we fled.
What is our true wish.

With his bread we never hunger.
With his wine we never thirst.
We need fear no longer.
For we know what comes first.

It is that first communion.
Now with him we are in union.

……

Where is our hunger
And then for what do we thirst
For we must answer

…….

See Mathew  14:: 13-21

John’s disciples came and buried the body.
And they told Jesus about it.
What we ask will happen to our body.
Will Jesus accept and recognise it.

When the moment comes.
Will we be ready.
How will they add up our life’s sums.
Have we thought about it already.

We do not know the answer.
But it is there waiting.
We are just the dancer.
Expecting and hoping.

It be be sudden or slow.
We just do not know.

….,,,

How will our death come
We may not have an idea.
But we are ready

.. ….

See Mathew 14: 1-12

A prophet is not without honour.
Except in his home town and in his own household.
How can we avoid dishonour.
Of what virtue can we keep hold.

And he did not do many mighty deeds there.
Because of their disbelief.
But we need not fear.
For we have belief.

They may not recognise us.
They did not believe him
They may spurn us.
They expelled him

But we will believe.
And we will receive.

….

He’s not recognised
Because he’s in his country
And we are the same

….

See Mathew 13: 54-58

Behold like the clay in the potter’s hand.
So are you in my hand.
Our life flows out like sand.
But we remain in his parkland.

He reworked the clay into another vessel.
As it seemed good to the potter to do.
He shapes us with his loving pestle.
The many unworthy and the worthy few.

Of course we are no more than clay.
Worked by someone else.
We are just a passing instant in the sun’s ray.
No more and no less.

But this clay is unique and loved.
And never abandoned, beloved.

……

We are potter’s clay
Reworked by the holy hand
But a loving hand

…….

See Jeremiah 18: 1-6