This generation seeks for s sign.
But no sign will be given save that of Jonah.
We  need not worry overmuch about a sign,
But we need to open our eyes, look far.

As Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh.
So will the Son of man be a sign to this generation.
Our doubts we can lay.
In spiritual expectation.

The people of Nineveh repented at Jonah’s preaching.
And behold something greater than Jonah is here.
We just have to keep searching.
We need not fear.

Jonah managed to survive.
We too will survive.

…..

A sign is given
It is the sign of Jonah
And it is for us

..   …

See Luke 11 : 29-32

Was no one found to return.
And give praise except this foreigner.
Now it’s our own turn.
Do we turn back like the Samaritan foreigner.

Yet how often do we say thank you.
Or show any real gratitude.
We never criticise ourselves only him , her and you.
Is our own faith really pursued.

Who made the universe.
Who was the first mover.
Do we praise him in prose and verse.
Do we thank this necessary eternal mover.

Without him there would be nothing.
We would be nothing.

….

Who’s the first mover
Is it no one just nothing
But how would that work

…. ..

See Luke 17 : 11-19

A woman said, Blessed is the womb that bore you.
And the breasts at which you nursed.
Every day we learn anew.
For faith we must thirst.

But he said, Blessed rather are those who hear the word.
Of God and keep it.
Have we listened and heard.
Is our heart’s fire lit.

We may hear.
We may listen,
But do we keep the word that we hear.
Do we follow the word as we listen.

The word is clear.
We have no need to fear.

……

We may hear the word
But do we then act on it
Or just carry on

…..

See Luke 11 : 27-28

Every kingdom divided against itself.
Is laid waste.
We must not fight our own self.
We need not feel ourselves abased.

A divided household.
Falls.
But on nature we can take hold.
The countryside calls.

The crops are safely harvested.
And celebrated.
The land now bared.
The wheat grinded and sifted.

The autumn sun still shining.
The gentle breeze warming.

……

Kingdoms divided
And all households divided
Will at some point fall

…. …

See Luke 11 : 15-26

I chose you.
That you should go and bear fruit.
And I appointed you.
That you should abide in your fruit.

What did Newman think was vital.
It was the power of the daily Eucharist.
This, the supreme gift offered to us is vital.
In the 400000 thousand masses said every day for the Eucharist.

I felt this so strongly today at Mass.
The heart moves at this point.
This is the divine presence in the mass.
This, not music or sermons or reading is the point.

A very great gift.
And more and more young are seizing this gift.

……

The point of the mass
Is the just the divine presence
And it’s nothing else

… …

See John 25 : 9-17

When you pray.
Say Father hallowed be your name.
What else do we need say.
Who need worry about power , money or fame.

Your kingdom come.
Give us each day your daily bread.
We worship the one , not any some.
That’s all that need to be said.

Forgive us our sins.
For we forgive all those indebted to us.
We don’t need to worry about wins.
Only to worry about everyone else not us.

And lead us not, let’s mention.
Into temptation.

…..

Forgive us our sins
And those indebted to us
As we forgive them

….

See Luke 11: 1-4

Martha , you are anxious and troubled,
But one thing is necessary.
This truth is not fabled.
We need not be wary.

Which is the true way.
Is it Martha’s work.
Or Mary’s prayer way.
Calm spiritual work.

Mary has chosen the good portion.
That shall not be taken from her.
True conversion.
The holy fleur.

As we keep working.
We need not to stop praying.

…..

Is it Mary’s way
Or is Martha’s the true way
I think that we know

…….

See Luke 10: 38-42

Who proved to be a neighbour.
To the man who fell among the robbers.
Are we a Samaritan, what do we fear.
Are we one of the doubters.

The mass was in Italian.
I could not understand the sermon.
But Latin  resonates like Italian.
I did not need to understand the sermon

Again as the host was raised.
I felt such communion and joy.
Why do we always  feel amazed.
That here we find true joy.

We just have to listen .
And love and joy’s hasten.

…..

Not understanding
Is just not the real problem
It is just ourselves

……

See Luke 10 : 25-37

I thank you Lord that you have hidden.
These things from the wise and understanding.
But we are still bidden.
Hoping and praying.

What was St Francis’ secret.
It was embracing poverty.
Freed from life’s thicket.
Realising all this is empty.

To give everything away.
To live for God only.
Seeking his shadowy ray
Hopefully and fairly.

We ourselves may not be able to follow his way.
But we can certainly understand his way.

…….

To give all away
And just live for God only
For that we can pray

…….

See Luke 10 : 17-24

Unless you turn and become like children.
You will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
How we wonder can we gladden.
Can we be striven.

Children do not question.
They just accept.
Accepting every suggestion.
Faith in their hearts has leapt.

But are  they naive.
Too easily influenced.
Not needing to strive.
Their fate not yet announced.

Should we follow them.
We just must follow them.

…..

To be like children
It’s not difficult
But do we do it

….

See Matthew 18 : 1-5, 10

No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back.
Is fit for the Kingdom of God.
We are dispirited , we pause , we slack.
But we are looked on kindly by God.

When Therese had completed her six exercise books.
The prioress put them in a drawer unread.
So much that lies unread in so many books.
The vast majority of writers unread.

But these exercise books.
Took the world by storm.
Hundreds of thousands published of these books.
For here was a heart loving and warm.

Glory is found in love.
Humility is the profoundest love.

…

Glory found in love
Humility comes in love
Saint Therese’s gift

….

See Luke 9: 57-62

If they do not hear the prophets and Moses.
Neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.
We always seem satisfied with less.
Our faith too often is like lead.

But today in the Cathedral.
My heart leapt at the raising of the host.
Where this comes from who can tell.
But with this we never be lost.

And then at the end with the Salve Regina.
My heart warmed.
Here was my one and only true Regina.
Belief , gratitude swarmed.

And thus we are encouraged.
And enlightened.

……

The host is rising
The heart leaps with faithfulness
And this is belief

….

See Luke 16: 19-31

They were all marvelling.
At everything he was doing.
We too are wondering.
What really was happening.

It was this, the son of man.
Was about to be delivered into the hands of men.
We are not distant spectators who remember that man.
We are those men.

It is we who have delivered him.
We who have denounced him.
We who have tortured him.
We who have crucified him.

Yet he died for us.
And has redeemed us.

…….

Thus the son of man
Was delivered to mens’ hands
And we are those men

…….

See Luke 9 : 43-45

It happened as Jesus was praying.
The disciples were with him.
Are we praying.
Are we with him.

St Cosmas and Damian.
So renowned.
Yet virtually nothing known to our scan.
Famed but not framed.

Everything is known about us.
Everything spelt out on social media.
But everyone will forget us.
Drowned out by vast quantities of media.

All we know of these saints is their sacrifice.
And this quite rightly must suffice.

….

We know so little
About Saints Cosmas Damian
But that must suffice

……

See Mark 10 : 45

He has cast down the mighty from their throne.
And had exalted those who are lowly.
We must atone.
Perhaps move more purposely, humbly.

I am at the Rashtrapati  Bhavan
India’s Presidential Palace.
At 300 acres, beyond our scan.
Showing to the world, power’s face.

But once it was the Viceregal Lodge.
How all power and empires fade.
Fate, time, no one can dodge.
Our fate found wanting is weighed.

All the glory of this world comes and goes.
We all have to meet our highs and lows.

.. …

The mighty cast down
The lowly are exalted
And what about us

.. ..

See Luke 1 : 46- 53

My mother and my brothers
Are those who hear the word of God and do it.
And Jesus meant too his sisters.
And whether we do it.

We hear.
Do we listen to it.
We fear.
Do we find joy in it.

We hear.
Do we act on it.
We fear.
Do we find joy in it.

The word is given to us.
That we may act thus.

…..

Who is my brother
It’s he who hears the the Lord’s word
And then acts on it

……

See Luke 8 : 19-21

To the one who has more will be given.
And from the one who had not, even what he thinks he had will be taken away.
It is not enough to have striven.
We may still lose the way.

Standing in the tomb of Imam Zanin.
I wonder now what great power and wealth brings.
Is it enough to win.
Where now the gorgeous clothes , the costly rings.

We come, search and wonder.
And then we are utterly gone.
In another world to wander.
Lying we hope luxuriant on a celestial lawn.

We may or may not have a grand tomb.
But everyone in reality has the same tomb.

…….

A tomb is splendid
Another one just decays
Bodies just decay

…….

See Luke 8: 16-18

One who is faithful in a very little.
Is also faithful in much.
And one who is dishonest in a very little.
Is also dishonest in much.

Standing in the Sunder Burj.
I feel a sense of quiet welcoming.
A spiritual surge.
Joyous calming.

There is God existing.
The same for all of us.
Wanting to help , understanding.
In every continent and religion for all of us.

We are all of us,  all peoples, one.
Humanity is one at one with the one.

……

We are all of us
All peoples everywhere
At one with the one

……

See Luke 16 : 1-13

O God upon us.
Of all things creator and ruler.
From fear free us.
For you are our saviour.

That we may feel.
Your mercy working.
Be our rock and our seal.
Always our pleas answering.

Grant that we may serve you.
With all our heart.
We love you.
Within our soul , the beating heart.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Not someone of the past but here now our Christ.

… …

Upon us O God
Creator and our ruler
Our past and future

…..

See Collect of the day