Religion does bring large profits.
But only to those who are content with what they have.
We just have to follow the prophets.
And we find it as a soothing as any salve.

We are told as long as we have food and clothing.
Let us be content with that.
But we never are , we’re always grasping.
And again and again we fall flat.

We are told , the love of money.
Is the root of all evil.
But it passes through our hands like honey.
There’s something in this that’s almost primeval.

The truth is we can’t do without money’s lure.
Even if again and again it makes us sore.

………

The root of evil
Is money we are all told
And we do nothing

………

See 1Timothy 6 : 2-12

When the Lord saw her , he felt sorry for her.
Do not cry , he said.
He just felt sorry , he didn’t want to make a stir.
But he raised the boy from the dead.

The mother didn’t need to ask for his help.
He was just passing by.
We don’t need either to ask for help.
For he always is passing by.

We just don’t see him.
Our cares blind us.
He is below our horizon’s rim.
But he is still there , making no fuss .

For only a soul sees below life’s horizon.
And our live bodies don’t have that vision.

………

When the Lord saw her
He just felt sorry for her
She didn’t ask him

……..

See Luke 7: 11-17

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother.
To the disciple , he said, this is your mother.
We all have an earthly mother.
But in heaven, too, we have our mother.

After happiness comes sorrow.
But joy is for ever .
Joy is for this day , every day and tomorrow.
Now or whenever.

Before all other shrines.
She came to Walsingham.
The first but not the last of many signs.
Here is the Holy lamb.

Her sorrow turned in an instant to joy.
Our sorrows after this life will turn we pray to joy.

……..

Near Jesus’ cross
Stood his mother now weeping
For him and for us

……..

See John 19: 25-27

God sent his son into the world , not to condemn.
But that through him the world might be saved.
For us and and for all of them.
And to ensure none of us are enslaved.

On the cross , what when through Jesus’ mind.
Certainly pain, perhaps despair.
But faith at a deeper more profound level of mind.
Hope , giving and not certainly fear .

We are the opposite, we pray on the mind’s surface.
But deep down emotions and worries rage .
But we of course do not look at God’s face.
We are caught in life’s consuming cage.

By his death Jesus was set free.
And by our death we will also be set free.

……..

God has sent his son
Into the world to free us
Or that is our hope

…….

See John 3: 13-17

Happy are you when people hate you.
Drive you out , denounce your name.
Yet we feel we ate entitled to our due.
Especially if we feel we are not to blame.

St John , the golden tongue.
Hounded to his death.
He dared to criticise , unsung.
Daring to criticise the Emperor , he lost his breath.

But his sermons live on.
Truly moving , inspiring.
When so much from his time is gone.
He survives , the rest is fleeting.

Unregarded in dying.
Yet still inspiring.

……..

Happy are you then
When people hate you so much
For you will survive

………

See Luke 6: 20-26

Make sure that no one deprives you of your freedom.
By some empty, second hand rational philosophy.
We ask, where is true balm.
Is it through some form of personal theosophy.

Jesus went out into the hills to pray.
And he spent the whole night in prayer.
Is that not the only way.
And the only route towards being totally aware.

We may ourselves not go to the hills to pray.
We certainly will not spend he whole night in prayer.
We of course only seek hesitantly a way.
We are not even of ourselves truly aware.

But during long nights of sleeplessness.
In prayer we fight a feeling of hopelessness.

……..

You’re freedom deprived
Only by your own choices
But then you can pray

……..

See  Colossians 2: 6-15 and Luke 6: 12-19

It is for this I struggle wearily on.
Helped only by his power driving me irresistibly.
Content sometimes , often drawn.
Not always happily but never miserably.

I was comparing myself to someone else in my sleep.
I woke with a start, knowing I had done this all my life.
All this self regard, it’s enough to make you weep.
It just leads to unhappiness being all too rife.

And then I dreamt that instead of enjoying a good meal.
It just got reduced to a tweet.
What is vain and false , what is real.
What ultimately is sour, what is sweet.

I woke , all that matters is to be subsumed in love.
For others , not for yourself, subsumed in love.

………

Struggle wearily
Helped only by his power
That is all we can do

……

See Colossians 1 : 24 – 2:3

If your brother does something wrong.
Go and have it out with him alone.
We don’t always have to be strong.
We can sometimes atone.

I wonder if anyone bothers to read these.
No worries , they give me pleasure.
Poems of any sort always put us at ease.
Creating something is as good as any other leisure.

I dreamt today I should write them down somewhere.
Social media is as transient as life.
But writing long hand is as good as a prayer.
It’s a fine way to relieve care and strife.

The important thing is never attack anyone.
We are all after all eventually none.

…….

If your brother wrongs
Have it out with him alone
And then leave it there

…….

See Matthew 18: 15-20

Jesus happened to take a walk through the cornfields.
And his disciples were picking ears of corn.
We have to march through our own battlefields.
Tired and often worn.

The Pharisees said , why are you doing.
Something which is forbidden on the sabbath day.
We have to have the courage to keep fighting.
For one day , God willing , we will have our day.

David took the loaves of offering.
And gave them to his followers.
We like him are masters of the Sabbath ‘s rulings.
Even if we are only followers.

Sometimes we are chastised.
But by someone we always are prized.

……..

We are criticised.
But we have to carry on
There’s no other way

……..

See Luke 6: 1-5

He left the house and went to a lonely place.
The crowds wanted to prevent him leaving.
Sometimes we too cannot keep up with the pace.
And we too have problems with believing.

If Jesus had to flee to a lonely place.
I think we can be forgiven for doing so too.
To escape from life’s endless chase.
We can begin life anew.

Sometimes it is best to be alone.
In thoughts and prayers.
A chance to rejoice or maybe atone.
A place of joy and occasionally tears.

So Jesus continued his preaching.
And we continue our searching.

…….

He then left the house
And went to a lonely place
To  now pray alone

…. ….

See Luke 4 : 38-44

We believe that Jesus died and rose again.
And that it will be the same for those that have died in Jesus.
We pray that we are part of the same everlasting chain.
That this story is not just for him but for us.

He has sent me to bring good news to the poor.
To proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight.
We need only look forward to a greater grandeur.
And to everlasting light.

One day we will be fulfilled.
We do not how or when.
But this we know is willed.
For all women and men.

Today , tomorrow .
In joy and sorrow.

…….

Jesus died and rose
The same for those who believe
That is our belief

…….

See 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18 and Luke 4: 16-30

You have seduced me Lord and I let myself be seduced.
You have overpowered me: you were stronger.
But in this we are never in any way reduced.
We just have to pray for longer.

The Latin mass was beautiful.
But barely audible.
It was all a bit dutiful.
If thoroughly laudable.

And then after communion.
I walked past Cardinal Newman’s picture.
Something clicked , I was in union.
I felt God’s lure.

We may doze fitfully.
But we can never escape his gaze fully.

……….

You seduced me Lord
I let myself be seduced
And I am happy

……

See Jeremiah 20: 7-9

Make more and more progress.
In the kind of life you are meant to live.
But how, who can guess.
But first we have to forgive.

I was thinking again about the Nauria country.
Where everyone is loved as if they are one own’s grandchild.
And no one is just all and sundry.
And certainly not reviled.

But how could such a real country survive .
It would be wide open to the whole world.
Maybe it is only a thing of the mind, not live.
But a thing of heaven certainly and not any underworld.

But it is a nice thing to think of such a place.
A place for every type and race.

…….

And make more progress
In life you are meant to live
That is the best way

……..

See 1 Thessalonians 4: 1-8

Where can I flee from your face.
If I climb the heavens you are there.
We search in vain here for a place of grace.
A place of meaningful  prayer.

I dreamt today of a country called Nauria or Norah.
Arabic for salvation , Hebrew for divine light.
A place with a certain holy aura.
Another country with spiritual light.

Here everything seemed drawn in children’s colours.
And all was subsumed in love.
Where there was only care for others.
Rising like as a dove.

I woke into the real night.
And the  moon only gave  just enough light.

……..

A place called Norah
It came to me in my dreams
A place of true light

……..

See Psalm 138