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3rd Sunday of Easter

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Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore.
Full of large fish, one hundred and fifty three.
The number of fish at that time according to ancient lore.
In all the lakes, rivers and in the sea.

The net is the church community.
We are the fish in the net .
In its world wide entirety.
Caught happily in a spiritual drag net.

Jesus said a third time.
Simon, you love me.
To match the denial at the passion for the third time.

Any many times do we deny.
Rejecting the truth , accepting any lie.

……

He hauled in the net
153 fish in total
That is all of us

……

See John 21 -19

Saturday of the 2 nd week of Easter

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Jesus said to Thomas, I am the way and the truth.
And the life.
But like Thomas I struggle with the truth.
Perhaps I will never find new life.

No one comes to the father except through me.
If you had known me you would have known my father.
But still my blurred vision does not allow me to see.
I wish I was clear sighted , could see further.

Philip said , show us the father.
And it is enough for us.
True , no one has ever seen this father.
But they saw the son , isn’t that enough for us.

He said I am in the father.
That will have to suffice for belief in the father.

……

He said I’m the way
The truth and the life always
That must be enough

…..

See John 14: 6-14

Friday of the 2 nd week of Easter

The Pharisee said, if this undertaking is of man.
It will fail.
God is beyond our scan.
We only understand our human tale.
If it is of God.
You will not be able to overthrow them.
It was of God.
And they could not overthrow them.
I had two dreams , one of politics.
The other of religion.
I woke depressed with the politics.
Filled with joy at that of religion.
We alone can make our choice.
We alone can find our honest positive voice.…….

If of man it fails
If of God it will succeed
And that’s what happened

……

See Acts 5 : 35-42

Thursday of the 2 nd week in Easter

Whoever believes in the son will have eternal life.
Whoever does not obey the son will not see life.
The only question that matters in life.
Will we enjoy eternal life.We see the loved ones coffin buried deep.
It all looks so final.
We question , we weep.
Where here, we ask is the eternal.

But that coffin contains nothing.
But dead bone.
The soul has fled , it is everything.
They, we, after death are not alone.

They are no longer here.
But they are there.

…….

Believe in the son
Obey, have eternal life
That is the promise

…….

See John 3 : 31-36

Wednesday of the 2 nd week of Easter

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For God so loved the world.
That he gave his only begotten son.
That whoever believes in him shall see the next world.
And so will have new life, believing in the son.

For God did not send his son into the world.
To condemn the world.
But through him to save the world.
And we are that world.

Whoever believes in him in him is not condemned.
But whoever does not believe is already condemned.
Are we condemned.
Or enlightened.

Into the world has come the light.
We are all that light.

….

God so loved the world
That he gave his son to save
We are not condemned

…..

See John 3 : 16-21

St Catherine of Siena

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God is light.
And in him there is no darkness at all.
Despite our doubts we continue our fight.
Praying we are not just ripe for our fall.

At 33 she died so young .
But she lives on by her letter writing.
She found her tongue.
And everything there is fitting.

You can visit her grave.
Marvel at her scholarship.
In one so grave.
But powerful in fellowship.

We remember this saint.
And wonder why our own faith is so faint.

….

God is truly light
In him there is no darkness
It just comes from us

…..

See 1 John 1

St George

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Those who are sowing in tears.
Will sing when they reap.
We seem engulfed sometimes by fears.
We wonder if ever we will take the final great leap.

We really know nothing about St. George.
He lived in obscurity, died a horrible death.
But Edward 111 ensured that for England he was our forge.
He gives us hope and patriotic breath.

So if we fail.
And unknown die.
Who knows who will tell our tale.
Or where in people’s hearts we will lie.

St George is our patron saint,  really we can say little true.
About this saint, or indeed anything which is true.

……

We just do not know
If Saint George killed the dragon
But does it matter

…….

See Psalm 126

Divine Mercy Sunday

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The doors being locked.
The disciples were in fear.
How often do we worry about being mocked.
Where is danger , we ask, is it near.

Jesus came.
And stood among them.
He is here now, just the same.
Amongst us , me you and them.

Thomas said , unless I can place my hand in his side.
I will never believe.
We will never put our hand in his side.
Yet almost reluctantly , we believe.

We are blessed because we believe .
Although we have not seen , we believe.

……

If our doors are locked
Will he come and stand with us
Yes it we believe

……..

See John 29 : 19-21

Easter Saturday

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She went and told those who mourned.
But they would not believe.
So often faith is scorned.
We are offered but we do not believe.

We watch the kiss of peace won.
At the Popes funeral.
For a moment the world is one.
Does peace need a funeral.

He rebuked them for their unbelief.
And hardness of heart.
Yet where is our own belief.
Are we with prayer prepared to make a start.

How moved I was at the last station.
Proclaim the gospel to the whole of creation.

….

Go into the world
Proclaim  gospel to creation
But do we do it

…..

See Mark 16 : 9-15

Easter Friday

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Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.
So Peter went aboard and hauled the fish inshore.
Are we looking, have truly we sought.
Are we searching for him on the spiritual shore.

The altar was beautifully dressed.
The sermon inspiring with vision.
But I don’t remember what was said.
But does it matter , Christ is Risen.

Every year we go through this.
Pain , death and new joy in life
Something not to miss.
A story true to real suffering  death and life.

Yes,  I often forget the preaching.
But I am, and not in vain, still looking.

…….

Bring some of the fish
And so Peter went aboard
And yes do we seek

…..

See John 21 : 1-14

Easter Thursday

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Christ the undefiled.
Death with life contended.
Has sinners to the father reconciled.
Combat strangely ended.

God is beyond space and time.
We cannot fathom him.
He does not exist in our space and time.
We cannot understand him.

The atheists are right.
He is no where in the universe.
But believers too are right.
Because he never was or will be in our universe.

At mass today I suddenly seemed to catch this truth.
God, a spirit, everywhere and nowhere, stands outside this material truth.

…….

Christ the undefiled
Sinners, father reconciled
Combat now ended

……

See Today’s Easter Sequence . Victimae Paschali Laudes

Easter Wednesday

Stay with us.
Because it is towards evening.
Do we ask him on our Emmaus road to stay with us.
Are we just too busy with our own walking.He took the bread.
And blessed and broke it.
No more need now be said.
The truth in his face is lit.

And their eyes were opened.
And they recognised him.
So long after, will our own eyes be opened.
We only walk alongside in spirit , can we recognise him.

And he vanished from their sight.
An encounter soon extinguished  yet  an eternal spiritual light.

…….

We ask stay with us
It is towards our evening
We recognise him

…….

See Luke 24 : 13-35

Easter Tuesday

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Repent.
And be baptised.
Our garments rent.
But faith realised.

The promise is for you and your children.
And all those who are far off.
For all  men and women.
Have faith, no need to scoff.

Everyone who the lord my God .
Calls to himself.
This is a universal God.
For every self.

Easter Week is passing.
Are we now believing.

……

If we just repent
If we remember baptism
We will realise faith

.. ….

See Acts 2 : 36-41

Easter Monday

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Jesus met the women and said.

Greetings.
Now two thousand years later we do not need to be afraid.
With him we can look forward to endless meetings.

Today died our Holy Father.
Always remembered.
Reunited with his Heavenly Father.
No longer by earthly cares encumbered.

How many of us the day before we pass.
Will go out and try to please the crowd.
Soon we will navigate death’s pass.
Putting on for ever our spiritual shroud.

With we hope, like him, humility.
And smiling serenity.

…….

He met the women
And what he said was greetings
And that is enough

…….

See Matthew 28 : 8-15

 

 

Easter Sunday

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God raised him on the third day.
And caused him to appear.
Amazingly that day is also this day.
Now we need not fear.

The great silence over the earth was yesterday.
Christ is risen , he is risen indeed.
A new dawn , hope, a new day.
New life , the sown seed.

We walk along day dreaming.
Christ is on the road to Emmaus talking.
But we are barely listening.
O dear, what are we missing.

But when today we broke bread at communion.
For one brief moment , we were listening and in union.

……

Raised on the third day
He now lives for all of us
If we just believe

…….

See Colossians 3: 1-4

Holy Saturday

God saw that the light was good.
And God separated the light from darkness.
God saw everything that he had made and it was good.
For in him there was no spiritual darkness.I am at Tenebrae , the shadows of darkness .
And at the end we hear the strepitus signifying earthquake.
The extinguishing of the candles lead us into darkness.
The noise follows Christ’s death and the earthquake.

Later in the Vigil.
We started in darkness.
We lit our candles in the quiet still.
And at the Gloria all was brightness.

Thus we followed Christ’s journey.
And one day this will be our journey.

…….

God saw the good light
Light separated from darkness
All he made was good

……

See Genesis 1

Good Friday

The Lord on the night when he was betrayed.
Took bread.
Our fears, because of him, are now allayed.
For all is now done he said.
When he had given thanks.
He broke the bread and said , this is my body.
Now we join the disciples ranks.
Even while we await in death’s darkened  lobby.
Do this in remembrance.
Of me.
This is our true essence.
And to understand is our plea.
In the same way he also took the cup.
The new covenant in my blood is this cup.……..

When he was betrayed
He took the bread his body
And he took the cup

….

See 1 Corinthians 11

Maundy Thursday

The cup of blessing.
Is a communion in the blood of Christ.
Today is a time of processing.
Towards a meeting with Christ.
Then he poured water in a basin.
And begun to wash his disciples feet .
And to his memory we too hasten.
As we approach his glorious seat.When he had put on his outer garments.
He resumed his place.
We will never be left with mere bodily remnants.
And one day, we pray we will see his face.

I will call on the name of the Lord.
I will fulfil my vows to the Lord.
…….
The cup of blessing
Is a communion with Christ
Or that is our hope
…….

See Psalm 116 and 1 Corinthians 11

Wednesday in Holy Week . St Bernadette Soubirous

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I gave my back to those who strike.
And my cheeks to those who pull out my beard.
How hard it is to love those we do not like.
To be loved rather than admired or feared.I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.
Therefore I have not been disgraced.
Accepting glory or ignominy, whatever is fitting.
Trusting acceptance firmly placed.

St Bernadette is our example of humility.
As she herself said, like a broom used and put back in a corner
But used by what an extraordinary Marian spiritual entity.

Weak in life but clad forever in eternal armour.

Who will contend with me.
Let him come near me.

……

To those who strike me
I just gave my back humbly
But do we do it

…..

See Isaiah 50 : 4-9a

Tuesday in Holy Week

Listen to me O coastlands.
And give attention to you peoples from afar.
Return to me from the mind’s distant lands.
Like a fixed star.
The Lord called me from the womb.
From the body of my mother he named my name.
And now he will lift me from my tomb.
We will be renewed in death , better than the same.
I said I have laboured in vain.
I have spent my strength for nothing in vanity.
But now we head from death into a new lane.
In death there will be no suffering but plenty.Surely my fate is with the Lord.
My recompense with my Lord.

…..

Listen then coastlands
Give attention peoples
You called from the womb

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See Isaiah 49: 1-6

Monday of Holy Week

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A bruised reed he will not break.
And a faintly burning wick he will not quench.
And thus even though forlorn we continue to seek.
From fear and doubt we will wrench.

He will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be discouraged.
Fighting all injustice.
And to be encouraged.

Till he has established justice in the earth.
And the coastlands wait for his law.
Till there is no dearth.
And as if everything was good that we saw.

God who spread out the earth and what comes from it.
Who gives breath to the people on it.

…….

Not break the bruised reed
Nor quench the faint  burning wick
We will bring justice

….

See Isaiah 42 : 1-7

Palm Sunday

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This is my body which is given to you.
Do this in remembrance of of me,
And he suffered for you.
And even me.

This cup that is poured out for you.
Is the new covenant.
Given for me and you.
An everlasting covenant.

I have prayed for you.
That your faith might not fail.
He still prays for me and you.
That our faith might not fail.

Today we embark on his passion.
Knowing that one day we will enter on our own passion.

……

This is my body
Do this in my remembrance
And accept this cup

…..

See Luke 22

Saturday of the 5 th week in Lent

The young men.
And old together.
All of the men.
All together.I will change their mourning.
Into joy.
Reviving with praying.
Creating a golden alloy.

I will console.
Giving gladness for sorrow
This surely is our role.
For today and tomorrow.

Hear the word of the Lord , O nations.
And all far flung regions.

…..

The young and the old
Their mourning changed into joy
This the Lord can do

……

See Psalm of the day . Jeremiah 31

Friday of the 5 th Week in Lent

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Is it not written in your law.
I said, You are Gods.
Who are we , what are we for.
Are we all with and are Gods.

Jesus says he is the Son of God.
He says we are all Gods.
So are we with him in God.
We all have the attributes of Gods.

We all have this spark of divinity.
It is and always was there.
And we are with the Trinity.
That surely is clear.

We come from and return to God.
We walk with and are with God.

……

Written in the law
I said that you are all Gods
But do we believe

……

See John 10 : 31-42

Thursday of the 5 th week in Lent

Truly , truly, I say to you.
Before Abraham was I am.
And this applies to us too.
Always for evermore we can say, I am.
These words affect me profoundly.
They seem absolutely right.
God stands outside time eternally.
And to him we are in plain sight.Jesus could have said I’m immortal.
But how much poetic is this phrase.
Because there is no beginning, nothing is final.
There is just one endless joyous phase.

Can we now say before Jesus was.
We was.

…….

Jesus says to us
Before Abraham was I am
Before him we are

……

See John 8 : 51-59