Son of David , Jesus have pity on me.
And many of them scolded him and told him to keep quiet.
But he only shouted all the louder , have pity on me.
And in generations past some refused to keep quiet.

The church of St Ignatius at Chideock is lonely .
It celebrates seven brave martyrs.
Put to death with barbarity , slowly.
Some laymen , some in holy orders.

In this quiet atmosphere.
Not a mile from the busy seaside you  will probably be alone.
But there is nothing to fear .
Or now after all these years to atone.

We celebrate now that we get along.
All entitled to our own praise song.

……..

Have pity on me
He shouted all the louder
And we do the same

……..

See Mark 10 : 46-52

To some his gift to them was that they should become apostles.
To some prophets.
To some evangelists writing  gospels.
To some  teachers laying spiritual  deposits.

All I can do is to attempt to  write.
Maybe inadequately.
And maybe to recite.
Somewhat nervously.

But we cannot be apostles.
Or prophets.
Or write gospels.
We can only lay puny deposits.

But we all have a role.
Just as we all have a soul

……

We’re not apostles
And we’re not evangelists
But we have a role

……

See Ephesians 4 : 7-13

Bear with one another charitably.
In complete selflessness.
And calmly, amiably.
With patience and gentleness.

Do all you can to preserve the unity of the spirit.
By the peace that binds you together.
However little our merit.
And whatever the spiritual weather.

There is one Lord.
One baptism.
One faith in the Lord.
One God we are called to in baptism.

There is one Father of all.
Over all, through all and within all.

……

Bear charitably
And in complete selflessness
In calm patience

…….

See Ephesians 4 : 1-6

Out of his infinite glory.
May he give you power.
We are part of his story.
He is the sower.

Let his spirit help your hidden self to  grow strong.
So that Christ may live in your heart.
This is for what we long.
A new life start.

Through faith and then planted in love.
You will have strength to grasp the length and breadth.
Of what is built on love.
In all its height and depth.

Until knowing the love of Christ.
You are filled with the utter fullness of God in Christ.

…..

Out of infinite
Glory may he give power
To you and all yours

……

See Ephesians 3 : 14-21

The son of man is coming.
At an hour you do not expect.
We spend so much  time worrying.
And to so little effect.

Like the rich man laying.
Stores in his barn.
Death May catch us napping.
The silver thread of life so easily torn.

We have had the first coming .
But there is one all the time.
And for us it will soon start appearing.
Without maybe reason or rhyme.

So live for now.
Do not be low.

……

Man’s son is coming
We do not know at what hour
It it is quite soon.

….

See Luke 12 : 39-48

See that you are dressed for action.
And have your lamps lit.
Archbishop Stephen Langton facing Kings John’s sanction.
Insisted on the church’s writ.

On this day the anniversary of his death.
We remember his courage and scholarship.
Its wisdom and breadth.
His fight against the tyranny of kingship.

And his devotion to the  Holy Spirit.
Which waters what is parched.
A man of true merit.
Even if by the king besmirched.

Born perhaps in Langton  by Wragby
In Lincolnshire before consecrated to his see.

…….

Dressed for action
Making sure your lamps are lit
And being prepared

…….

See Luke 12 : 35-38

We all were among them too in the past.
Ruled  entirely by our own physical desires.
Part of life’s physical cast.
Governed too by our own ideas.

When I read newspapers.
I just feel depressed.
Overcome by contemporary vapours.
Uncomfortable , stressed.

When I read something religious.
I feel happy and positive.
So away with feeling anxious.
Feel calm rather than restive.

Keep religious reading.
And start overcoming.

….

We were in the past
In our own ideas, desires
But we can move on

……

See Ephesians 2 : 1-10

Before the world was made.
He chose us in Christ.
Our fate is known and laid.
But still for redemption we thirst.

What did St Ignatius of Antioch say.
The Eucharist is the medicine of immortality.
These words at mass seemed like a sunlit ray.
Full of merciful integrity.

A daily feast .
Beyond compare.
How can we resist.
What wipes away every tear.

Holy communion.
With the world in communion.

……

Before we are made
We are all chosen in Christ
Our fate known and laid

…….

See Ephesians 1 : 1-10

Lord , let your love come upon me.
The saving help of your promise.
Help me to understand and to see.
To give more and worry less.

As usual the night time waking started badly.
Worrying about what was going wrong.
Then I started praying for a dead colleague slowly.
He hadn’t been a friend , he sang a different song.

But all this really helped.
We do not entirely exist.
We are with all of humankind shaped.
We are not whole we are like a vanishing mist.

I started to calm down.
And lay my head down.

……

Lord , let your help come
The saving help of promise
For this and all time

…….

See Psalm 119

High above all the nations is the Lord.
Above the heavens his glory.
The satellites flying above are the heavens signboard.
They reveal our solar system’s story.

Back to back I looked at 2 programs during an evening’s course
The dead planet Mars and the blue planet earth.
This is our most precious resource.
Let’s preserve ourself from dearth.

The elephant struggles from drought.
The seals from too much melting water.
There can be little doubt.
We must look after this planet or they are led to the slaughter.

But how it is all so inspiring .
So we must start caring.

…….

High above nations
The satellites do circle
And they reveal all

……

See Psalm 112

Don’t you see that It is those who rely on faith.
Who are the sons of Abraham.
Faith comes and goes like a wraith.
But we can only wait for it like a willing lamb.

Do not be afraid.
Is mentioned apparently 365 times in the bible.
A thought for every day of the year usefully  laid.
This is reassuring truth, and is no fable.

We need not fear.
We can hope.
No need to shed a tear.
To heaven we can climb the celestial rope.

The glass can be half full in our thought.
In worrying it is half empty  we do not need to be caught.

……..

Do not be afraid
A thought for every day
If we allow it

……

See Galatians 3 : 7-14

 
Proclaim the message.
Refute falsehood , correct error.
What does all this presage.
Are we free from all terror.

The long night passed.
If not in terror then depression.
Then we wonder if we are cursed.
How can we ease this tension.

By praying to the saint, not focusing on  ourselves.
We are not unique , alone.
We are part of , at one with all the other selves.
Ours is is not the only fear or moan.

How much better I felt, I was whole , one.
Because I was part of everyone.

…….

We are not unique
Yes we are but we are more
We’re humanity

……

See  2 Timothy 4: 1-5

She had a sister called Mary who sat down at the Lord’s feet.
And listened to him speaking.
Do we sit close to his seat.
Or do we keep working.

Are we a Martha
Or a Mary.
All in a tither.
Or not worried, airy.

Martha , the Lord said.
You fret about so many things.
Anyway our souls are read.
Whether nobodies or kings.

Mary we know chose the better part.
And if we have any sense we will take her part.

….

Do we keep working
Or do we start listening
We know the answer

….

See Luke 10 : 38-42

Who is my neighbour.
Which of these proved himself to be a neighbour.
We must carry on our spiritual Labour.
Putting faith in our saviour.

On October 7 th we ask who is my neighbour.
My neighbour is everyone.
Who cares for all in love’s labour.
Who knows we are one.

Peace can come
If we do not hate.
If we do not turn away but welcome.
It is not too late.

Yes it is not too late.
For peace it is never too late

…….

Who is my neighbour
Is it the one who passes
Or the one who stops

…….

See Luke 10 : 25-37