Category Archives: General

Friday of the 5th week of Eastertide

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Love one another.

As I have loved you.
View everyone as a brother.
Do not count what is our due.
A man can have no greater love
Than to lay down his life for his friends.
We are his friends .
We are called by him his friends.
We are not his servants
We know now his business.
We need only show observance.
And show forgiveness.
So we will go out to bear fruit.
And it was it is lasting  fruit.
…….
Love one another
He tells us as loves us
His great commandment
…….
See John 15:12-17

Thursday of the 5th week of Easter

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If you keep my commandments.

You will remain in my love.
These will be our enchantments.
Sent from above.
I have told you this .
That your joy be complete.
Leading to bliss.
At the judgement seat.
As the Father has loved me.
So I have loved you.
I know that I am and will be.
All this is true.
But how can I remain in his love.
How can I know what comes from above.
…….
How remain in love
Keep the commandments
That’s not a bad start
……..
See  John 15:9-11

Wednesday of the 5th week of Eastertide

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He prunes every branch that does not bear fruit.
You are pruned already.
Maybe everything does not suit.
But we try to keep steady.

By means of the words he has spoken.
We make our home in him as he does in us.
These are truths not mere tokens.
Nothing is superfluous.

We must remain part of the vine .
There is no other way to bear fruit.
We start by having his bread and wine.
Thus we plan our route.

We do not wish to be the branch thrown away.
We just live from day to day.

……

Are we the true branch
Will we always bear some fruit
Do we test in him

….
See  John 15: 1-8

Tuesday of the 5th week of Eastertide

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Do not let your hearts be troubled.

Or afraid.
Oh, that I wish we could be untroubled.
All our debts in life paid.
I could not sleep for worry.
The coping with worry book didn’t help.
Nor Mindfulness , not being in a hurry.
Nor Meditation nor books on self help.
I tried the Rosary to no avail.
The devil or the mind’s devil stopped me.
Sleep at  light filled dawn the only holy grail.
Peace I could not hear or see.
Then at Mass I tied the Memorare.
Now at last peace, I felt help from Yahweh.
…….
Fly to the Virgin
Ask for her intercession
She never says no
……
See John 14: 27-31

Monday of the 5th week of Eastertide

 

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Who keeps my commandments loves me.
Anyone who loves me will be loved by my father.
This is our only plea .
To take us into love further.

 

 

He tells us, I shall love him.
And show myself to him.
To him, we offer up our hymn.
We hope this is no mere whim.

He says, Those who who do not love me.
Do not keep my words.
Can this I understand and see.
Or is all this just for the birds.

It’s really all so simple.
But we look for every wrinkle.

……..

Keep my commandments
He told us and he loves us
But it’s hard to do

……..

See John 14: 21-26

5th Sunday of Eastertide

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Now has the son of man been glorified.

In him God has been glorified.
Here is our guide.
To root out pride.
I give you a new commandment.
Love one another as I have loved you.
What could this have meant.
But that we deepen love through and through.
By this love  you have one for another.
Everyone will know you are my disciples.
We are one and none, with no other.
Only everlasting principles.
All this is so easy to teach.
So difficult to reach.
…….
Love one another
It is so easy to preach
But so difficult
…….
See John 13: 3-4

 

 

 

Saturday of the 4th week of Eastertide . St Matthias

They drew lots for them.
And the lot fell to Matthias.
How was the Kingdom to come.
Who was to say the mass.

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We think success is down to us.
But it’s all the lottery of life.
Intelligence and luck is given to us.
So often it’s chance that’s rife.

Did God give us our talents.
Or did we make them for ourself.
It’s all in the balance.
But perhaps it’s down to himself .

Really we are all chosen by lot.
It’s all we’ve got.

…….

How do we succeed
Is it because of talents
Or maybe by lot

………

See Acts1: 15-17, 20-26

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