The nations come to your light.

And kings to your dawning brightness.

And we must keep the truth ever in sight.

However small is the circle of whiteness.

I was watching Pope Benedict‘a funeral .

Simple, mostly in Latin and moving.

Everything like the man, calm and natural.

A clear statement, yet unassuming.

I recall his fight against relativism.

Stating that there is a clear truth.

But not hooked on any ism.

The wisdom of age rather than the zest of youth.

He didn’t turn down responsibility late in life.

But remained unmarked by criticism and strife.

……

There is a clear truth

Not all things are relative

We just must seek it

……

See Isaiah 60 : 1-6

Our love is not to be just words or mere talk.

But something real and active.

As we come to the end of our life’s walk.

We are unable always to dwell on what is positive.

Sometimes if the night is bad.

Laced with negativity.

If you pray and try not to be sad.

A moment of turning brings serenity.

It can come suddenly.

With a new ambition.

Meant sincerely.

Bringing a sense of mission.

At every low point comes a turning.

And some contentment returning.

…….

When the night is bad

With negative thoughts churning

Just attempt praying

…….

See 1 John 3 : 11-21

Where do you live, come and see he replied.

So they went and saw where he lived.

Are we willing for him to be our guide.

Or by doubt are we deceived.

Will we stay with him for the rest of the day.

Till the tenth hour.

Will we occasionally pray.

And in his vineyards labour.

As usual that night I was assailed by doubt.

It all seemed  in this vast universe,so irrational.

And then , alone in church, disbelief was put to rout.

I just felt his presence by some unknown canal.

If we try by reason to know.

We always will be low.

……

Doubt always plagues us

Again and again we start

To pray and to hope

…….

See John 1 :  35-42

What we are to be in the future.

A voice that cries in the wilderness.

Make a straight way for the Lord.

Save us from any small touch of bitterness.

But be people of accord.

Tossing and turning trying to sleep.

I thought, think of others not your own worries.

A pledge easier to make than keep.

The mind drifts back to one’s own stories.

We are all like John

Voices in the wilderness.

Doing our best , off and on.

Prone to worry and stress

We are not the centre of our little universe.

We are just passing through for better or worse.

……

We ask who are we

And there’s no final answer

So we keep asking

……

See John 1: 19-28

He will be called Prince of peace.
Father of future ages .
Wondrous Councillor without cease.
Filling unlimited holy pages.Today a light will shine.
For the Lord is born.
We follow a new unswerving line.
The locks of despair are truly shorn.

The mass was short , low and simple.

The raising of bread in an undefinable way moving.

The soul moved by the bell’s quiet tinkle.

And the cup’s raising.

Thus in the simplest mass we find solace.

Rising from one so flawless.

…..

There’s one so flawless

We see in raised in the mass

And we can wonder

……

See The Entrance Antiphon