Monthly Archives: December 2023

Wednesday of the Ist week of Advent

On this mountain he will prepare a banquet of rich food.
A banquet of fine wines.
A celestial food.

For all our times.

He will destroy death for ever.
The Lord will wipe away tears from every cheek.
We need never say never.
There is always time to seek.

He will take away.
His peoples shame.
On his shoulders our troubles we can lay.
Truth is the imperative, not fame.

For the hand of the Lord, we can be certain.
Rests upon  this mountain.

…….

The hand of the Lord
Rests on this holy mountain
Of this we are sure

…. .

See Isaiah 25 : 6-10

Tuesday of the 1st week of Advent

A spirit of wisdom and insight.
A spirit of counsel and power.
A new all pervading light.
A high celestial tower.A spirit of knowledge.
And of fear of the Lord.
This we must acknowledge.
A peaceful sword.

He does not judge by appearances.
He gives no verdict on hearsay.
Or rely on miracles.
For this and every day.

He judges the wretched with integrity.
For he is true and mighty.

……..

Wisdom and insight
Spirit of power counsel
New pervading light

……

See Isaiah 11: 1-10

Monday of the 1st week of Advent

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Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof.
Just give the word and my servant will be cured.
From our destiny we cannot stand aloof.
And then ultimately we will receive our reward.

St John Damascene.
Lived under the Umayyad caliphate.
He worked to save icons on the screen.
He accepted hate from the iconoclasts as his fate.

Will we walk humbly like the centurion.
Or act bravely  like St John.
Or will we just carry on.
Until what we hold onto is gone.

The centurion’s servant was paralysed.
But by his master’s faith, he was cured.

…….

I am not worthy
To have you under my roof
Said at every mass

……..

See Matthew 8: 5-11

1st Sunday of Advent

So stay awake.
Because you do not know when the master is coming.
Deep winter envelopes the mind’s swirling lake.
The temperature is falling.The mood lowers.
Troubles , failure , fatigue.
Worries, even tears.
Stuck in the bottom league.

But if he comes unexpectedly.
He must not find you asleep.
So there is no need to cower dejectedly.
For he will envelope you in an eternal blissful sleep.

We are  the present  doorkeeper.
Not merely an  unconscious sleeper.

…….

If you stay awake
You may well meet the master
For he awaits you

See Mark 13 : 33 – 37

Saturday of Week 34 in Ordinary Time

I , Daniel was deeply disturbed.
And the visions that passed through my head alarmed me.
O , how we become greatly perturbed.
We seem tossed, all at sea.
Let the thoughts float by.
Noting not judging them.
Passing ships, they’ll leave by and by.
Mere thoughts , not real and with no outcome.
His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty.
And every empire will obey and serve him.
Seek , ask, constantly.
This eternal  light will never dim.
Yet despite all this we toss and turn.
And let those pesky thoughts churn.
…….
His sovereignty
Eternal sovereignty
If we accept it
……
See Daniel 7 : 15-27

Friday of Week 34 in Ordinary Time

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Heaven and earth will pass away.
But my words will never pass away.
A time will come with night and no more day.
And about this,  our fears we cannot allay.

I think prayers can do good.
But perhaps mainly for the dead.
For they inhabit a spiritual  sainthood.
Their physical beings are shed.

Their earth has passed away.
But the word remains.
They are just a transcendent ray.
They have forever broken our chains.

But we should pray for them.
So they become a heavenly gem.

………

Let’s pray for the dead
There is no consequence here
Only the spirit

……..

See Luke 21: 29 – 33