Your sister sends you greetings.
So does my son Mark.
Strong families , many meetings.
Keep us from the lonely dark.

So the Apostles had families.
They like us were flesh and blood.
Friends they had and no doubt enemies.
Like us they were in the ebb and flow of life’s flood.

They were not just saints.
They knew fear and doubt.
No doubt they were grateful and had complaints.
They succeeded and once were  put to rout.

God , they once denied.
Then triumphantly affirmed.

…..

They had families
Sons, brothers and sisters
Yet they’re apostles

……..

See 1 Peter 5 : 5-14

These sufferings bring patience .
And patience brings perseverance.
But we are martyrs to impatience.
And our own spiritual incoherence.

Of St George we know very little.
And certainly will never know any more .
But the patron saint of so many countries large and little.
And he figures so largely in our lore.

The dragon he killed.
Invented centuries after he died.
About his life controversy never stilled.
People have said anything about him and they unwittingly probably lied.

But we are sure for his faith he died.
And in that we have almost certainly not lied.

…….

What does patience bring
Surely some perseverance
Or that’s what we hope

……..

See Romans 5 : 1-5

Lord , who shall we go to.
You have the message of eternal life.
I think we know this through and through.
Gently leading us from all strife.

I stood in the garden at night.
No wind , just the sound of chalk stream rippling.
Only the many stars gave light.
Literally nothing , no branches moving.

Earlier I stood in the quiet wood behind the house.
What joy to live in such profound silence.
Quiet enough to hear a burrowing field mouse.
Only nature really makes this entire sense.

And who made all of this.
Chance or God , who more likely made this.

……..

Who shall we go to
Is it some eternal life
Who has this message

… …..

See John 6 : 60-69

Immediately it was as if scales fell from Saul’s eyes.
And he could see again.
Thus we see the defeat of self imposed lies.
Saul now Paul was born again.

We are on our own road to Damascus.
Intent, we hope on listening.
This story is of all of us.
Walking but not seeing.

Ananias laid his hands on Saul.
Recover, he said, your sight.
Perhaps one day we may receive this call.
And see the light.

I wish one day I could hear  his  voice.
But I suspect that is my choice.

.,,,,,,,,

Scales fall from our eyes
For a moment we can see
Then the darkness falls

…….

See Acts 9 : 1-20

The spirit said to Philip.
Go up and meet that chariot.
Sometimes we just have to try , like Philip
Otherwise we will never catch that chariot.

When Philip ran up, he heard him reading Isaiah.
He asked, do you know what you are reading.
Can we climb our own hymalaya.
Do we keep trying.

How can I , he  replied.
Unless I have someone to guide me.
Sometimes we search fruitlessly for a guide.
We hear but we cannot understand or see.

Philip proceeded to explain the good news.
And thus we too emerge from our blues.

…….

The good news offered
Is our Opportunity
But do we take it

……..

See Acts 8: 26-40

All looked intently at Stephen.
And his face appeared to them like the face of an angel.
We ask again and again when.
When will we die, who can tell.

I was at a memorial today.
At St Bartholomew the Great.
His life was good but he could not stay.
That of course is all our fate.

We all just leave a faint trace
His was one of kindness.
How will we appear before the celestial face.
Will he look on us with fondness.

We cannot know
We just hope he won’t say No.

…..

The face of Stephen
Shone like an angel to them
Then how will ours shine

……

See Acts 6 : 8-16

So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer.
And on the third day rise from the dead.
His life all generations offer.
So it is written and so it is read

The TV pilgrims  gather around the Buddhist stupa .
Symbolising the centre of the universe.
In their relationship to the Buddha.
Into the spiritual  they and we can immerse.

The pilgrims all had to let go.
We are all tied down by some grief.
We have not just to reap sadness but sow joy.
And always somewhere find relief.

All pilgrims reach their destination.
And find some illumination.

…….

Pilgrims reach the end
The end of walking maybe
But not of seeking

…….

See Luke 24 : 35-48

They saw Jesus walking on the lake.
And coming towards the boat.
He does all this for our sake.
So that spiritually we might also float.

In the Pilgrimage they come to a thin place.
This is where heaven seems less far away.
I feel this too in my own race.
There are places where faith seems to stay.

By a small village church.
Or by the rushing river Gave at Lourdes.
Here you feel you can more easily make your ultimate search.
You feel the pressing into your flesh of spiritual swords.

A thin place may be a Welsh mountain.
Or it just may be a quiet country church or lane.

……

Where is a thin place
It could be a high mountain
Or just your garden

…….

See John 6 : 16-21

Jesus saw the crowds approaching.
And asked where can we buy some bread.
We too are just approaching, never arriving.
Or that is what is said.

I’m watching on television the Pilgrimage.
The participants all talk of their soul surviving.
I am still not convinced  even at my age.
But I persevere in seeking.

Then I looked at the sunset.
And listened to the music of Shakespeare in Love.
The truth is nothing is stone set.
We will never truly know what is above.

But natural beauty  always remains.
Soothing life’s immovable stains.

…….

The crowds approaching
Needed more than just some bread
They were given it

……..

See John 6 : 1- 15

Anyone who believes in the son has eternal life.
But anyone who refuses to believe  in the son will never see life .
Free us we pray from all strife
Cut through our doubts with a meditative knife.

I read through my father’s letters of love.
Written to my mother eighty years ago.
He was away in the RAF and so much in love.
He wrote every two days and he was so very low.

They met when he was nineteen , she twenty two.
We think of Bletchley Park of codebreaking.
One of the many not the few.
Never complaining , only serving.

Far away , busy writing.
But eventually returning.

…….

Belief in the son
Will lead to eternal life
And the other way?

….

See John 3: 31-36

Go, stand in the Temple.
And tell the people about the new life.
What thoughts lie behind our own temple.
Is hope ascendant or doubts rife.

I went to my mother’s grave.
And stood by this quiet green place.
What of her memory , could I save.
Anyway , she has now won her race.

Alone that night , quietening all sense.
One of her pictures  fell from the wall.
Of course just a coincidence.
Or was it some sort of reminder or call.

The dead cannot speak.
But do they still seek.

…….

Stand in the Temple
Go tell people of new life
We are the living

….  …..

See Acts 5: 17-26

The wind blows wherever it pleases.
But you cannot tell where it is going.
All success or failure ceases.
Our fate to a close is meandering.

I suddenly in sleep felt a profound joy.
It was as if I now had nothing , almost humiliated.
And in this nothingness at last knew real joy.
All those things like reputation only temporarily  rented.

It was a sense of complete freedom.
Possessions make for little happiness.
It seemed I had finally paid my ransom.
I had never before felt this calmness.

Then I started to wake up.
And all the worries started up.

……

Winds blow as they please
From whence they come or they go
We just do not know

…….

See John 3 : 7-15

Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalen.
After this he showed himself to two who were on their way.
As the Lord risen.
All their doubts to lay.

These went back to tell the others.
Who did not believe them either.
They were still held by life’s doubting tethers.
And us , have we cut this tether.

Last he showed himself to the eleven.
While they were at table.
And at last they found a way to heaven.
Everything they could now enable.

They went out to the whole world exclaiming.
The good news to all creation, proclaiming.

…….

Proclaim the good news
Now to all creation
Is that not our task

……..

See Mark 16 : 9-15

They went out and got onto the boat.
But caught nothing that night.
And we despite all our worries somehow keep afloat
Steering to what we hope is not night but light.

The disciples were in trauma , so went fishing.
They wanted to do something familiar.
Yet they caught nothing.
But nothing ever again would be similar.

They saw Jesus standing on the shore.
They did what he told them to do.
They caught more fish than ever before.
All was made anew.

They would never be the same again.
To all our  imperishable gain.

……..

They took the boat out
Yet still caught nothing that night
Then they saw Jesus

…….

See John 21 : 1-14

In a state of alarm and fright.
They thought they were seeing a ghost.
Sometimes doubt and fear obscure the light.
Or we cannot really comprehend the holy host.

Like them I wonder is this a God presence.
Or a figment of my imagination.
Is this a lie or profound sense.
Is it mere wish fulfilment , temptation.

But he showed them the wounds on his feet.
He ate fish in front of their eyes.
He could talk and he could meet.
How could this be mere lies.

And these frightened men found great  vigour.
And started to pull an earth shattering spiritual  trigger.

…….

Did they see a ghost
Or did they really see God
A matter of faith

…….

See Luke 24 : 35-48

Jesus came up and walked by their side.
But something prevented them from recognising him.
Are we blinded by our pride.
Succumbing to every whim.

What if he walked  alongside us.
Would we recognise him.
We might just think this stranger had missed the bus.
He would be just another anonym.

He took the bread and said the blessing.
And their eyes were opened.
At communion do we believe and stop guessing.
Is all doubt truly ended.

Are our hearts like theirs  at his words burning.
Are we truly listening.

……..

Jesus walks near us
Are we paying attention
Or just walking on

…….

See Luke 24 : 13-35

Filled with awe and great joy.
The women came away from the tomb and ran to tell the disciples.
These words at mass always give great joy.
Somehow imagining the scene we become disciples.

And there coming to meet them was Jesus.
Greetings, he said, do not be afraid.
And in mass we too feel we can meet Jesus.
For a moment only we are no longer afraid.

I sat for a long time thinking on these words.
Letting them wash over me.
Thoughts rose joyfully like birds.
There was no horizon however far that I could not see.

Later I looked at a Turner’s seascape.
Here at last the mind can escape.

……..

Greetings he tells us
He says do not be afraid
And now nor should we

……..

See Matthew 28 : 8-15