Be compassionate as your father is compassionate.

Do not judge and you will not be judged.

We can be angry just  because they are late.

Or perhaps because they have not budged.

I am trying to do Francis’ tenth prayer.

Fast from grudges and be reconciled.

If only we could do this we would be relieved from care.

If only all these irritations could be filed.

Of course we will not succeed.

We can only try.

Even if we don’t do the deed.

But we will not lie.

We nurture  all these grudges.

But we should know we are not the judges.

……..

Fast  then from grudges

Be reconciled to others

That must be the way

…….

See Luke 6: 36-38

The Lord said to Abram, leave your country.
I will make you a great nation.
Have we the courage to seek another spiritual  country.
Or we wedded to our own mind’s nation.The ninth prayer of Pope Francis.
Fast from selfishness, be compassionate to others.
For what really enhances.
Is it our interest or that of others

We are tied with a great anchor to our ego.
But what we ask are we.
What in truth is our credo.
We do not know, however often we make this plea.

What if we are less in the world , less selfish.
And more other worldly more elvish.

…….

Fast from selfishness
And be compassionate
To all the others

……

See Genesis 12: 1-4

He causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good.

And his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike.

I should have known this from my boyhood.

Perhaps we should be more trusting, childlike.

I am praying Francis’ eighth piece of advice.

Fast from bitterness and fill your heart with joy.

Value, we feel is rated less than price.

Our efforts unrewarded by lesser alloy.

But why worry about what others do.

Or what they are given.

To appreciate that we have enough is the clue.

That we may not succeed,  but we have striven.

Bitterness is so corrosive.

Let’s just live.

…….

Fast from bitterness.

Try to fill your heart with joy

Perhaps that may help

……

See Matthew 5 : 43-48

If the upright man renounces his integrity.

Copies the wicked man, is he to live.

Is this going to be our destiny.

How are we to thrive and forgive.

I am on the seventh prayer of Francis for Lent.

Fast from pressures and be prayerful.

All these seem a new advent rather than a lament.

Teaching us to reach out , not just be careful.

We can try our best all our lives.

And fall at the last.

The bad man is forgiven and thrives.

Whereas we feel the full righteous blast.

We just always have to try our best.

And leave all the pressures to the rest.

……

Fast from our pressures

And always be prayerful

Then enjoy some rest

…..

See Ezekiel 18 : 21-28

Come to my help for I am alone.

All I can say is that I forget the past.
And I strain ahead for what is to come..
Nothing bad need necessarily last.
And what seems large may turn out no than a crumb.I am thinking about Francis’ fifth prayer.
Fast from worries and trust in God.
Look at everything as just part of another layer.
For which we must assume we are well shod.

But worries just keep coming.
However hard we try to meditate.
They are beyond all reasoning.
Not just part of inevitable fate.

So keep trusting
Not fathoming.

……

Fasting from worries.
And trusting also in God
That’s all we can do

……..

See Philippians 3 : 8-14