Then will your light shine like the dawn.
And your wound be quickly healed over .
Forgiving love is like a sword drawn.
A new  limitless Passover.

Is that what you call fasting.
Is that the sort of fast that  does please.
My fast is so inadequate , hardly testing.
Almost  I’m afraid quite a breeze.

I have promised to give up social media.
At least not reading all the hate .
There’s just too much multimedia.
And so much which does grate .

We can’t always do what’s right.
So we use try and know what’s right.

……..

How much should we fast
Whatever we can manage
There is a balance

…….

See Isaiah 58: 1-9

 
Man who is merely a breath.
Whose life fades like a shadow.
Even content, ours is merely a living death.
Now we are above , soon we will be below.

For anyone who wants to lose his life will save it.
But anyone who loses his life for my sake will save it.
As so we know we will be lifted from the pit.
As long as we attempt to follow his writ.

How these words of his revive me in setbacks.
Even today they helped  me .
Despite all the many kickbacks .
Now I feel more clearly can I see.

So there will always be disappointment.
But we must not fall prey to resentment.

………

So our life passes
Like a shadow ,a mere breath
But then is reborn

………

See Vespers of Today , Psalm 143 and Luke 9 : 22-25

 
For he is all tenderness and compassion.
Slow to anger , rich In graciousness.
And for him , where is our passion.
And of course there’s our ungratefulness.

I am at the Cathedral listening to Alegri’s Miserere.
Its haunting refrain never fails to move .
We can only keep going despite a tear.
But this sadness too does soothe.

We feel so inadequate.
That our faith is so weak.
But we know we have an advocate .
As long as we continue to seek.

Lent is upon us. We seek the holy door.
It’s not so much as giving up than doing more.

……..

It’s more tenderness
Rather than mortification
That is the keystone

…….

See Joel 2 : 12-18

I look on everything as so much rubbish.
As long as I have Christ and being given a place in him.
Here is a real  worthwhile wish .
Here is no mere passing  whim.

As usual I was thinking on wasted opportunities.
A life that could have done so much more .
But I have to cope with my shortcoming realities.
Better to dwell on one’s spiritual core.

You have to live for today’s event.
Tomorrow will have its own challenge.
Tomorrow will be Lent.
Although my fast won’t be at all savage.

I can’t try for perfection on my own.
Everything comes from him  as a loan.

……..

Try for perfection
Just by your own  small efforts
That’s impossible

……

See Philippians 3: 8-14

I anyone of you is in trouble he should pray.

What can bring us happiness many say.

You are no more than a mist .

For anyone who has faith , anything is possible.

Love your enemies .

 
Be my protector , a mighty stronghold.
Lead me , guide me for the sake of your name .
In my dreams you me enfold.
Putting depression to shame .

When I dream of  my being I feel worried.
When I dream of loving I feel contentment.
So can I be less hurried .
And live more in the moment .

For God everything is simultaneous.
There is no future or past .
At our death we leave time and all that is extraneous.
We enter into the is , oneness at last .

Standing  that day in Fra Angelico’s cell
For that moment  I was free from all the pell- mell.

….

The cell was empty
Just a fresco on the wall
Telling a story

…….

Be quick to listen, but slow to speak.
And slow to rouse your temper .
Easier to think about than do as we seek.
We ask ourselves where is our true centre .

I was looking at the peaceful Serpentine.
A moment later I tripped and crashed on my head.
Thus in a flash we are lost while before we were fine .
We cannot see  a minute ahead.

We are told God’s righteousness is never served by anger .
So we must do away with all bad habits .
But it come so quick this canker .
In the mind a thousand cross little rabbits .

St James may have lots of good advice .
But it’s not enough to free us of all vice .

…….

We are just walking
In a flash we are falling
In life there is death

…….

See James 1 : 19-27

All that is good comes down from the father of all light.

 
The harvest is rich , but the labourers are few.
So ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers.
We ask ourselves , what is our place in this queue.
Are we mere takers or active givers.

I know my place.
I may read but I don’t  do enough work.
I will be nowhere near the front in this race.
I need to do some more homework.

We are told to carry no purse, no haversack.
And salute no one on the road.
But I turn and tack.
Fearful of this spiritual load.

I will always be in the middle of this pack.
I hope St Peter doesn’t give me the sack..

……..

The harvest is rich
But we are not labourers
We are onlookers

………

See  Luke 10 : 1-9

They ate as much as they wanted.

 
She replied, the house dogs under the table can eat the scraps.
Jesus said For saying this you may go home happy .
We run  hopefully on endless laps .
Determined despite all  not to be unhappy .

I  was striding over the Wold.
The air fresh , the wind strong .
I rested a moment in the church from the cold.
Here I was far away from the throng .

In this peaceful  lonely place
The heart could rest and soar.
All slowed to the quietest pace .

I could not  and did not ask for more .
It is the smallest scrap of a moment.
That we can find the greatest fulfilment.

………

The place is  empty
But the heart can still be full
If it is all quiet

……..

See Mark 7: 24-30

It is from within that evil intentions emerge.

Listen to the cry.
And the prayer your servant makes.
Hark to the lonely sigh.
For all our hopeful sakes .

I was standing by the statue of Mary in her place .
It came to me , it didn’t matter if all this was true.
I like it here,  the readings , the liturgy, the space.
Why worry if this means life eternal life for me and you.

A profound and happy acceptance came .
This was it , the present moment of peace.
Then the fretting brain started off again.
Why do we have to rationalise, worry without cease.

Stare into Mary’s eyes.
Forget the brain’s lies.

……..

It’s just a moment
Peace and belief come to us
Then it is all gone

………

See 1 Kings 8