Category Archives: General

Friday of the 4th week of Eastertide

Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God still and trust in me.
We lie in our dark  thoughts huddled.
But sheltered from gales in God’s lee.

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We were in the college chapel praying.
In a meeting with the Society of Friends.
One said think of truth and love gathering.
Thus we calmly made amends.

Here I studied a painting of the Last Supper.
Strangely reassuring.
Did anything else matter.
In the meeting’s quiet, mesmerising.

He told us there are many rooms for you.
If not he would have told you.

……

Why are we troubled
When he told us trust in him
And trust in God too

…..

See John 14: 1-6

Thursday of the 4 th week of Eastertide

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That one is coming after me.

And I am not fit to untie his sandals.
We were blind and now we see.
Let us rejoice snd light the candles.
As usual I was tossing and turning.
And then I dreamt of my guardian angel looking.
I could feel this presence calming.
Sensing, protecting and reassuring.
Do guardian angels exist.
I have no idea rationally.
But this presence I could no resist.
I felt recharged emotionally.
Remember your guard angel is always there.
Then things all of a sudden become more clear.
……
Guardian angels
May or may not be real things
But they are useful
…….
See Acts 13: 13-35

Wednesday of the 4th week of Eastertide

 

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So will your ways be known upon earth.

And all nations know your saving help.
Save us from dearth .
Allow us self help.
If depression falls .
With a feeling of helplessness.
This psalm calls.
Lifting weariness.
Let the nations be glad and exult.
For you rule the world with justice.
Help free us from fault .
So we can trust us.
Oh God be gracious and bless us.
And let the face of your countenance shine upon us .
……
As the nighttime falls
Turn to the psalm and read it
It tells us something
…….
See Psalm 66

Tuesday of the 4th week of Eastertide

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I have told you but you do not believe.

Works I do in my Father’s name are my witness.
Pray that we may  too receive.
Even though we are no eye witness.
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice.
I know them and they follow me.
Let us rejoice.
Even if we not clearly yet see.
No one can steal from the Father.
The Father and I are one.
Now with grace we can see further and further.
Our regard drawn at last to the one.
Know that we will never be lost.
Whatever the cost.
………
Are we then mere sheep
Listening to his commands
No, we are much more
……..
See John 10: 22-30

Monday of the 4th week of Eastertide

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I am the gate of the sheepfold.
All others who come are thieves and brigands.
We try to do what by our conscience we are told.
In the past and nearer in mindful lands.

He tells us  I am the gate.
Anyone who enters through me will be safe.
As we approach this gate will we be late.
At all these commands will our mind chafe.

To enter we must know ourself.
Be aware of our emotions and thought.
Study them , put them on a high shelf.
Lest  in an eternal suffering  cycle, we be caught.

The good shepherd is standing there.
Soon all will be so more clear.

……..

We see the sheepfold
But it is hard to enter
We all need a guide

……..

See John 10: 1-10

The 4th Sunday of Easter

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The sheep that belong to me.

Listen to my voice .
We can understand and see.
We can surely rejoice.
God shared in our humanity.
So that we might share in his divinity.
All else is vanity.
Our faith is in the Trinity.
God transforms us into heavenly beings .
He adopts us , makes us divine.
We are not just things.
We are water turned into wine.
Every human touch of his is holy.
Nothing he gives us is bad or lowly.
……..
He came to his home
His own knew him not at all
Can we try to know
……..
See.  John 10: 27-30 and The teaching of the Greek Fathers

Saturday of the 3rd week of Eastertide

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What about you , do you want to go away too.

Peter answered , Lord, who shall we go to.
Is our faith  like summer’s dew.
Will they say of us, our faith grew and grew.
I woke today from my dream.
I saw the whole world in loving kindness.
All seemed as a flowing beautiful stream.
Here was no  cold blindness.
But this lasts for a moment.
We wake to reality .
Rejecting our endowment.
From hope we flee.
What answer will we give .
Will we determine to strive .
…….
The teaching is hard
We too often walk away
But always some stay
…….
See John 6: 60-69

Friday of the 3rd week of Eastertide

 

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It was as though scales fell from Saul’s eyes.

And he could see again, so he was baptised.
Sometimes ignorance dies.
A truth is seen that was disguised.
All forms of worry and conceit.
Come from an hallucination.
That there is a material self to greet.
They refer back to the I am on which to fawn.
I was emerging from a dream.
And I saw the future held no fear.
The self was not as important as it may seem.
Its real needs were simple and clear.
Enough to pray and eat .
To enter judgement’s seat .
…….
It was so sudden
A light appeared in the sky
And Saul could now see
………
See Acts 9: 1-20

Thursday of the 3rd week of Eastertide

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Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.
And the bread that I shall give is my flesh.
Is this Eucharist the universal lever.
Expelling all impurity through a spiritual mesh.

We are a slave to our thoughts.
We should see them as what they are.
Just thoughts.
And be mindful that they need leave no scar.

If we focus on the present .
The eternal now.
This is what he meant.
Our thoughts need be neither high nor low.

Remember, he said no one can come to me.
Unless he is drawn by the father who sent me.

……

A thought comes to mind
We just need to note it’s there
Not be affected

…….

See John 6 : 44-51

Wednesday of the 3rd week of Eastertide

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Let your face shine upon your servant.
Save me in your love.
Keep us fervent .
In all true love.

I try to be a Christian .
My wife is one .
I try to be selfless to any man
My wife is selfless to everyone.

I try to have faith.
My wife does have faith.
Mine vanishes like a wraith.
Hers is truly interfaith.

I try never to be angry.
Undeserved, she never is with me.

……..

What we ask is love
Respect and understanding
Are it’s foundation.

…….

See Psalm 30

Tuesday in the 3rd week of Eastertide

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I am in the Father.

And the father is in me.
And we are , will be and were.
Long ago he saw us before we could see.
God is the eternal now.
He was before the Big Bang.
We do not need to know how.
Whilst only angels sang.
He was before time and materiality.
In three and all persons.
He is pure timeless spirituality.
In him nothing improves or worsens.
But in one moment of time he was here.
Have we then anything to fear.
……
We ask where is God
God is I am who I am
We will never know
……
See John 14 : 6-14

Monday of the 3rd Week of Eastertide . St Athanasius.

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Do not work for food that cannot last.
But for food that endures to eternal life.
Know that was is truly past.
Cut as it were with a knife.

What matters is what to do now.
Try to take the Eucharist every day.
Let us stick to our plough.
There is no more to say.

He went before us over the lake.
Why did we follow.
Was it for bread or for his sake.
Are our ambitions hollow.

What, we ask is eternal.
Only that which is spiritual.

……

Athanasius
Sought only to prove this fact
Jesus is the one

……

See John : 6 : 22- 29

3rd Sunday in Eastertide

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I , John heard the sound .

of an immense gathering of angels.
Truly enough to astound.
With ever lasting ringing bells.
Why be so sad here.
When we are destined for heaven.
So shed here no tear.
We are all one and whole,  none riven.
Jesus is calling from the shore.
We do not recognise him.
He has made the fire, but bend the oar.
We must steer the boat towards him.
He asks us three times if we love him.
Three times we must answer yes we love him.
…….
We are fishermen
Jesus calling from the shore
Are we listening
…….
See Apocalypse 5 : 11-14 and John 21 : 1-19

Saturday of the 2nd week of Eastertide

 

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They saw Jesus walking on the lake.

And coming towards the boat.
He did it all for our sake.
To keep our own lives afloat.
So often we feel like giving up.
We seem to slowly drown.
But should it be perfect before we drink the last cup.
And bring life’s  tattered flag down.
St Augustine says if too comfortable with life.
We will forget we are on a journey to heaven.
So difficulties are all too rife.
All that matters is that we have striven.
For us to walk on water is a lie.
We just have to carry on with a sigh.
……
It’s perseverance
That is all that counts in life
The rest is nothing
…..
See John 6 : 16-21

St Catherine of Siena 29 April 2022

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Come to me all ye who Labour.
And are overburdened.
Help me to become a good neighbour.
We only ask to be pardoned.

St Catherine’s letters to the Pope.
Distinguished by familiarity and respect.
Encased in hope.
Her advice certainly correct.

Give us strength to speak out with good sense.
Even when we are ignored, as is our lot.
But her strength is in mystical experience
Told by God I am he who is , you are she who is not.

God she saw is the eternal sea.
We the fishes we may not see.

……

We may find the truth
Mystical experience
Maybe the true key

…….

See Matthew 11: 25-30

Thursday of 2nd week of Eastertide

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He who is born of the earth.

Is earthly himself.
We are of true everlasting worth.
Just in own mortal self.
I was looking at Negretti’s Salvator Mundi.
The image pieced my soul.
Painted  with so much sadness, so gently .
A complete  moving whole.
And then at Mass today.
I stared at the crucifix in devotion
Before it all my troubles  I could lay.
Overcome with emotion.
The mass  in time ended.
Any sadness suspended.
……
We look at pictures
So many just pass us by
Then one does not
…..
See John 3 : 31-36

Wednesday of 2nd week of Eastertide

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No one who believes in him will be condemned.

But whoever refuses to believe is condemned already.
We will try to be loyal to the end.
Always, even unwittingly ready.
Today I went to Mass at the Strasbourg seminary.
They are filling up with young men.
All was calm at the seminary.
A sense of holiness with these men.
And then we had vespers.
The chant rising up.
In tuneful whispers
With no let up.
Are we always in our faith steady.
And for the end always ready.
……
Are we  then always
Steady and ready in faith
For the coming end
……
See John 3 : 16-31

St George 26 April 2022

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These sufferings bring patience.

And patience brings perseverance.
And perhaps we inch closer to his presence.
And understand better his appearance.
We know this should be the case.
That suffering is good.
But that only comes with grace.
We should understand , if only we could.
We know the love of God has been poured.
Into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
We know it all comes from the Lord.
And it it has nothing to do with our merit.
That’s all so easy to proclaim
But our comfort is all to difficult to tame.
…….
Is suffering good
They say it brings patience
I am not so sure
…..
See Romans 5: 1-5

St Mark

Be calm but vigilant.
Because your enemy the devil is prowling around.
This not all  mythical cant.
But a dim  disturbing and distant sound.

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I was feeling a little depressed.
Then I read these words travelling.
Maybe the devil did have me assessed.
It made me feel better in responding.

If the devil is there so is Jesus there.
We just need to turn to him.
His answer is so clear.
But below material horizon’s rim.

So we keep going
No point in complaining.

…..

Is the devil there
If so God is there as well
A comforting thought

……

See 1 Peter 5: 5-14

Divine Mercy Sunday . 2nd Sunday in Easter

 

 

 
AAFE9DEC-085E-48E5-9F8B-6D7CD61F14CF The tomb the living did enclose.

Death with life contended.
I saw Christ’s glory as he rose.
Combat strangely ended.
Easter was not just last week.
It is this and every day for ever more.
We only have to seek.
To be content to our very core.
You believe because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.
Yes, we merely hope yet Andrew could see.
It is  only by grace  that we receive.
Let’s now celebrate.
It’s never too late.
……..
We merely believe
Yes we cannot touch those hands
But it is enough
…….

See Today’s Mass Sequence and John 20 : 19-31

Easter Saturday

 

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He reproached them for their incredulity.

Because they refused to believe.
But we too suffer from obstinacy.
As we refuse to perceive.
We have to study the Old Testament.
It is all there .
All is foretold without sentiment.
Perfectly clear.
He says Go out into the whole world.
Proclaim the good news to all creation.
But will we do as we are told.
That’s  surely better than damnation.
He will never stand here in this room with me.
But that does not mean I cannot see.
……..
The Easter Octave
So glorious with new life
But do I believe
……
See Mark 16 : 9-15

Easter Friday

 

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Peter said, I am going fishing.

They caught nothing that night.
Had Peter decided to start working.
The Lord gone from his sight.
But nothing happened , were they unskilled.
Till Jesus called from the shore.
Their nets were now filled.
They could catch no more.
One hundred and fifty three fishes.
The number of known nations.
Meeting all our own wishes.
And  being all our foundations.
He calls to us as well.
Of that we must tell.
……
If I catch nothing
Perhaps I am not looking
He just may be there
……
See John 21: 1-14

Easter Thursday

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Jesus stood among them and said.

Peace be with you.
Their fears were laid.
How their faith grew.
This was a true theophany.
A visible manifestation of God’s presence.
To the few here not the many.
But still his true essence.
He did not need to say, be not afraid.
Only peace be with you.
They had waited and prayed.
Now life grew anew.
He does not stand amongst us.
But we must believe , it is all for us.
….
His peace be with us
What need there’s to be afraid
He was and is here
……
See Luke 24: 35-48

Easter Wednesday

 

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Their eyes were opened and they recognised him.

But he had vanished from their sight.
Our eyes too are aswim.
We, doubt , we believe, then gone is his light.
I woke agin in the night.
But this time he was not walking beside me .
Not recognising our common plight.
His presence we cannot hear or see.
And then we go to Eucharist.
And as the bread is broken.
We can no longer resist .
This is real , no mere token.
……..
So we are walking
A stranger walks beside us
We ask who is he
……
See Luke 24 : 13-35

Easter Tuesday

The tomb the living did enclose.
Christ my hope has risen.
Death is close.
Opened the gates of  death’s prison.

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As usual I woke in the middle of the night.
Ready for the usual churning anxiety. Then miracle,  I I I I I had this sense of trust and light.
My fears taken over by more than piety .

I knew before I need only rest my fears in God.
And here half dreaming was the reality.
Here was the lightening rod.
And it for a few fleeting moments ended anxiety.

For one moment , all doubts ended.
Disbelief suspended.

….

We wake in the night
For one moment we believe
And then it is gone

……

See Today’s Mass sequence Victimae Pascali Laudes