The reason why the world does not know us.
Is that it did not know him.
But he will never desert us.
As long as we believe in him.

We know that when he appears we shall be like him.
Because we shall see him as he is.
But of course in this world we can never be like him.
Because we come and go but he always is.

Whatever we ask.
We receive from him.
That is our only real task.
Understanding that all comes from him.

We just have to believe in him.
And know in our hearts that God resides in him.

….

The world does not know
The world did not believe him
But do we believe

……

See 1 John 3

posted on the 29 th December

God is light .
And in him there is no darkness at all.
We ask ourselves continually , what is right.
How do we free ourselves from doubting thrall.

Everywhere today is shrouded in mist.
Yet as I sat in the church  reading the words of John.
I sensed a gap in the doubting mist.
That this was truth, a new dawn.

As he writes , if we walk in the light.
We have fellowship with one another.
As he is the light.
We seem to know anew our father.

As I left the church the mist remained.
But hope had returned.

…….

We know God is light
In him there is no darkness
But do we seek him

…….

See 1John 1

 
In those days, St Stephen, full of grace and power.
Was doing great wonders and signs.
The first martyr died with prayer.
Beyond all previous confines.

Will, like him, our last words be.
Lord Jesus receive my spirit.
And what then after death will we see.
Irrespective of our merit.

I think of St Stephen’s chapel.
Dedicated by Edward the Third.
The home of the House till the fire’s 1834 appel.
All those historic voices heard.

Now just a hall to walk through.
But every thing finds or not its due.

…….

He was full of grace
Dying he said one prayer
Lord receive spirit

…….

See Acts 6: 8-10 and Acts 7 : 54-59

What then will this child be.
For the hand of the Lord is upon him.
We neither know or can see.
We are bound  by our ego’s narrow rim.

We do not really know who we are.
What is this consciousness we call I.
Actually we can hear little but we think we see far.
This all enveloping ego is a lie.

All that matters is the soul’s being
But about this we know nothing.
It transcends everything .
But is in any material sense nothing.

Who is this we call the I.
When it has no ear or eye.

…….

What will this child be
And what will we be after
We just do not know

….

See Luke 1 : 57-66

For behold the winter is past.
The rain is over and gone .
The winter solstice will not last.
A new rising sun has shone.

The flowers appear on earth.
The time of singing has come.
The dawn of new mirth.
For all and not just for some.

And the voice of the turtle dove.
Is heard in our land.
It is born, a new eternal love.
A rock , not shifting sand.

In the clefts of this rock.
A new life , a new longer day, can we lock.

……

The winter is past
Not quite but beginning to
Or that is our hope

……

See Song of Solomon 2 : 8-14

You will conceive in your womb and bear a son.
Who will release us from our own tomb.
And cast light as from a perpetual sun.
There will be no more everlasting tomb.

We wonder who are we.

A mere temporary brain process.
Or an immoral soul, not the physical me.
Does our soul go to heaven or someone else.

Whatever happens we survive.
Here or we pray there.
We will remain alive.
I doubt but I should be clear.

Gabriel’s message is for all.
Have faith , we can walk tall.

…….

Your womb will conceive
And then you will bear a son
And Mary said yes

…….

See Luke 1 : 26-38

O Sapientia , O wisdom.
You come forth from the mouth of the most high.
We ask who are we , where really are we from.
Is all of this true or mere legend, a lie.

We are told you fill the universe.
And hold all things together.
But sometimes we think the converse.
We are bound by our doubting tether.

O come , we ask.
Teach us the way of truth.
That surely is our task.
The only really meaningful truth.

The great feast of Christmas approaches.
Now is the time to end all reproaches.

….

Where is our wisdom
Do you come from the most high
Is this illusion

….

See The Sequence from today

Him who sees the vision of the almighty.
Falling down with his eyes uncovered.
We have so much in plenty.
If only we have always endeavoured.

Water shall flow from his buckets.
And his seed shall be in many quarters.
No more worries or needless rackets.
Or spoilt spiritual slaughters.

His king shall be higher than Agag.
And his Kingdom shall be exalted.
In our long race we need not lag.
Everything shall be duly salted.

The oracle of the man is opened.
But is our vision also opened.

…….

Almighty’s vision
And are our eyes uncovered
That is what we ask

….  …

See Numbers 24: 2-7 , 15-17a

The spirit of the Lord is upon me.
He has sent me to proclaim good news to the poor.
So says the Lord but my spirit is blind, I cannot see.
I do not know what I am against or for.

Again the long sleepless night.
I must not think of myself , I promise.
And then surprised by the early light.
I forget this ultimate premise.

Think only of others .
They are all that matters.
Break our tethers.
And these cloying selfish fetters.

This is the spur of the Lord.
This the spirit of my Lord.

……

Spirit of the Lord
Come I pray down upon me
That is all I hope

….

See Today’s Gospel Acclamation

The prophet Elijah rose like a fire.
And his word burned like a torch.
And one day we hope we will join the heavenly choir.
And approach tentatively the celestial porch.

I awoke worrying , regretting.
But there will always be those who achieve more.
Many less or  who are now dead or dying.
For happiness forget this life, look to the soul’s core.

And when I awake in the middle of the night .
It is not the long night of the soul.
Imagine we are monks praying in the early light.
Be content, we all have our role.

We all encounter the soul’s dryness.
Best to meet in with accepting openness.

……

We all encounter
The such long night of the soul
But with prayer persist

…….

See Sirach 48: 1-4

Oh that you had paid attention.
To my commandments.
With prayer we move into another dimension.
Ending disenchantments.

Then your peace would have been like a river.
And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
We can seek solace for ever.
As far as we can see .

Your offspring would have would have been like the sand.
And your descendants like its grains.
Whatever or wherever our land.
All worries, mere tiny grains.

St Lucy refused to compromise her belief.
Or from persecution to seek any relief.

…….

We paid attention
To every commandment
But did we really

…….

See Isaiah 48 : 17- 19

A voice cries in the wilderness.
Prepare a way for the Lord.
Reject all bitterness , embrace quietness.
Cross into peace by the spiritual ford.

Make straight in the desert.
A highway for the Lord.
We can remain unhurt.
As we emerge from that dark ford.

Every valley shall be lifted up.
And every mountain and hill laid low.
As we drink of the communion cup.
We reap joyously after we sow.

…….

In the wilderness
Is often raised up
But we are then heard

…….

See Isaiah 40 : 1-11

She was greatly troubled at the saying.
And tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be .
We wonder too what is our calling.
Whether we are just this body or, what are we to be.

The angel said to her , do not be afraid.
For you have found favour.
We ask will our troubles ever be laid.
Where will we find our saviour.

Who are we anyway.
Do we really exist
Who can say.
All truth is shrouded in mist.

We just have to persist.
And not always resist.

….

Troubled by the saying
She tried to discern greetings
And we do the same

……

See Luke 1 : 26-38

Take off the garment of your sorrow.
And affliction.
There is no need to be low.
We need to find faith in conviction.

We can put on for ever the beauty of the glory.
And put on the robe of righteousness.
We are more than our own story.
We can resist mindlessness.

But who are we really , what for us is in store.
Are we truly this transient consciousness.
Are we just this body or much more.

Ir are we, we fear, temporal and so much less.

Where is our mind and soul going.
Have faith, it is not  transient but everlasting.

……..

Take off our sorrow
And all of this affliction
For we are much more

……

See Baruch 5 : 1-9

Out of their gloom and darkness.
The eyes of the blind shall see .
We ask where is our spiritual fitness.
We are all born blind , will we see.

Two blind men followed him , crying aloud.
Have mercy on us , son of David.
How do we pierce our mortal shroud.
Is hope challenged and faded.

He touched their eyes.
Saying , according to your faith , let it be done.
We can reach for this ultimate prize.
Our race can be won.

Our eyes can be opened.
Our life renewed , heartened.

….

From gloom and darkness
The eyes of the blind shall see
This is for us all

….

See Isaiah 29 : 17-24 and Matthew 9 : 27-31