The Holy Trinity

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Know that I am with you always.
To the end of time.
To the end of all days.
Whether in death or in our prime.

What is God , three in one.
Or just  universal spiritual being.
But with this essence we are surely one.
We are not separate but will be all seeing.

We identify with our own mind.
But the mind is not the ultimate truth.
To ourselves and others we can be kind.
Because we are really all one being in truth.

So God is three in one .
And we are everyone in one.

……..

God is three in one
We are everyone in one
We’re universal

…..

See Matthew 28: 16-20

St Bede the Venerable

If anyone one of you is in trouble.
He should pray.
Helpings us through our mind’s rubble.
And guiding us in our path not to stray.If anyone is feeling happy.
He should sing a psalm.
In any event try not to be scrappy.
And be in some sort of calm

So I sang the psalm , let my prayer come before you.
Like insense  O Lord.
As I prayed I walked along and contentment grew.
Over the quiet hills , away from the horde.

Saying a psalm.
Always keeps us calm.

…….

If we’re in trouble
We should in certainty pray
And when we’re happy?

…….

See James 5: 13-20 and Psalm 140

Friday of Week 7 in Ordinary Time

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The lord is compassion and love.
All my being bless his holy name.
Let me just accept and not shove.
In Acceptance remain.

He redeems your life from the grave.
And crowns you with life and compassion.
We always have something precious we can save.
Remembering our Lord’s passion.

My soul give thanks to the Lord.
And never forget his blessings.
We are his ward.
Covering up
Our mental wounds with spiritual dressings.

The Lord is compassion and love.
Slow to anger , rich in merciful love.

…….

Compassion, love
That is surely the Lord’s way
But then is it ours

……..

See Psalm 102

Thursday of Week 7 in Ordinary Time. Our Lord Jesus Christ , the Eternal High Priest

This is my body.
This is my blood.
Are we ready.
To help us navigate the flood.
The blood of the covenant.
Which is poured out for many.
Without any judgment.
Giving us unbounded plenty.
He gives himself in mass.
Body and blood.
Not through a dark glass.
But in wonderful flood.
The high priest .
Our search for him will not desist.
……..
This my body
And he says this is my blood
But do we listen
……..
See Mark 14 : 22-25

Wednesday of Week 7 in Ordinary Time

The most you should ever say is.
If it is the Lord’s will we will be alive to do this or that.
Rather than ours we should talk of his.
As eventually we all just fall rather flat.I was at Frank Field’s funeral today.
A man of faith and compassion.
One line in the hymn stood out this day
Putting everything into one lesson.

Deliverance he affords to all.
Who in his promise trust.
Knowing this we can walk tall.
If in him we entrust.
We have little to fear.
If we place ourselves in his care.
…….
Is it the Lord’s will
To do this or that of that
That’s the question
…….
See James 4: 13-17

Tuesday of the 7 th week of Ordinary Time

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Grant that always pondering spiritual things.
We may carry out in word and deed what is pleasing to you.
Trying to find those elusive springs.
Bringing to fruition life anew.

Where do these wars and battles start.
Isn’t it precisely in the desires fighting in your own selves.
Setting us apart.
Thinking always of ourselves.

Don’t you realise that making the world your friend.
Is making God your enemy.
Are we prepared not to take but to lend.
And accept everything restfully.

We just have to wait patiently.
Deservedly , reservedly.

…….

Ponder spiritual
Carry out in word and deed
What is God’s pleasure

…….

See James 4 : 1-10

Mary , Mother of the Church

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After Jesus had taken the vinegar.
He said,it is accomplished.
How much more do we have to travel, how far.
Have we failed , have we managed.

I was feeling unhappy about something affecting me.
But the route to happiness is to think of others.
So obvious but somethings we rarely see.
But the best way to break our tethers.

He knew he to die to succeed.
Because we all have to die.
And thus he accepted the cruel deed.
And every thing thrown at him that was a lie.

But he still thought at the end of his mother’s welfare.
And now he looks after our welfare.

…….

It is accomplished
For all was necessary
He had done it all

…….

See John 19 : 25-34

Pentecost

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They had all met in one room.
When they heard what sounded like a powerful wind.
What they heard would for all time free us from the tomb.
Fear and doubt now and for ever pinned.
Something appeared that seemed like tongues of fire.
These separated and came to rest on the head of each of them.
Thus fortelling the building of many a quire.
Their witness no longer would be dumb.
My mind depressed , I thought on Cardinal Mercier’s prayer.
Ponder your soul , the temple  of the Holy Spirit.
Thus we are comforted , layered by layer upon layer.
Enveloped , not alone, sustained by this spirit.
Enlighten me , guide me.
Strengthen me, console me
………
Guide, enlighten me
Strengthen , console me
In Holy Spirit
…….
See Acts 2: 1-11

Saturday of the 7 th week of Easter

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Jesus had not said to Peter, he will not die.
But if I want Him to stay behind till I come.
When and how will we die , we ask , we sigh.
Yet always we hear death’s distant insistent drum.

Yet as I am writing this at midnight.
The readings for Pentecost arrive on the Universalis app.
A new day , new hope and new spiritual sight.
As I think of a new race , a new life lap.

Thus as the readings for Easter end.
So the Apostles waited for a new beginning.
And indeed God did decide the spirit to send.

There is no permanent end only a new sending.

And thus does a new day arrive.
And they and we survive.

…….

Easter is finished
And now Pentecost arrives
A new beginning

……..

See John 21 : 20-25

Friday of the 7 th week of Easter

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Simon , do you love me more than these others do.
Lord, you know I love you.
Do we love him too.
Like hopefully the many and not the few.

We love our family so much.
But should we not love everyone else too.
Hold fast all in gentle touch.
Seeing everything as fresh, created new.

A second time he said , Simon , do you love me.
Look after my sheep.
Are we prepared to be really free.
And stare for truth in the very deep.

It is only our choice.
We need however to find our voice.

……..

Do you love me more
Than all of the others do
Lord, you know I do

…….

See John 21: 15-19

Thursday of the 7 th week of Easter

You have born witness in Rome.
Now you must do the same in Jerusalem.
I was meditating on St Peter’s dome.
A new Jerusalem.We went to mass  in the English college.
We prayed for the martyrs.
Men of great courage.
Some simple men , others men of letters.

Like them we traveled.
In faith we journeyed.
At our destination we safely arrived.
At theirs they died.

We made a spiritual journey.
Theirs was more a final journey.

…….

Bear witness in Rome
We do so in the spirit
They did so much more

….

See Acts 22 and 23

Wednesday of the 7 th Week of Easter

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Be on your guard for yourselves.
And for the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseeers.
The burden of care for the vulnerable  is on ourselves.
We are not merely curators.

I just happened to talk to the Pope today.
I asked him to pray for the unborn in our debate.
I will , is what he had to say.
That’s the sort of powerful endorsement I rate.

Is there any more vulnerable than the unborn.
To whom do we owe more care.
To this we are sworn.
But total support is all too rare.

All the world is the flock of the shepherd.
We are that shepherd.

……..

On guard for ourselves
Is not always just enough
Care for vulnerable

……..

See Acts 20 :  28-38

Tuesday of the 7 th week of Easter

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Let his camp be reduced to ruin.
Let there be no one to live in it.
In terms of salvation none of us is a shoe in.
But we can ensure a lamp is lit.

I was learning today of the work of Caritas.
And their extraordinary good deeds.
Worth almost as much as any mass..
Sowing hope filled seeds.

How do we rid the world of poverty .
And bring justice to all.
Ridding the world of enmity.
So that all might walk tall.

That I do not for certain know.
We can only seek to sow.

…….

End all poverty
We can work and we can pray
But it is still there

……..

See Acts 1

Monday of the 7 th week of Easter

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Now you are speaking plainly.
And not using metaphors.
How can we follow truth faithfully.
Trying to put everything on all fours.

I was sitting outside at dinner.
And suddenly I noticed the church tower.
I forgot my doubts , became again a new  beginner.
One look improved my mood, hope blooming like a flower.

So much here seemed hollow.
Truth was contained in religion.
Everything else was shallow.
All adding to relentless tension.

But the tower reminded me of what is true.
Everything else somehow is in lieu.

…….

Once he spoke plainly
No longer in metaphors
Then they understood

…….

See John 16; 29-33

7 th Sunday of Easter

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My soul give thanks to the Lord.
And never forget his blessings.
He puts  in our hand a spiritual sword.
Helping us with our doubting musings.

We were at an ecumenical service.
We sang the hymn , I sought the Lord and he answered.
This was a  line I could not miss.
I thought, well, message received.

He does hear.
But we have to ask.
Maybe we even have to shed a little tear.
But to ask, it’s not so difficult a task.

It can be done.
And sometimes it’s even a little fun.

…….

We have sought the Lord
He has heard and he’s answered
But we had to ask

…….

See Psalm 102

Saturday of the 6 th Week of Easter

I tell you most solemnly , anything you ask for.
From the father , he will grant in my name.
This surely is truth , not just ancient lore.
Nor is it a matter just of his fame.Sometimes we feel downhearted.
A failure, not listened to, dejected.
We should not feel abandoned.
We are surely remembered.

And then all human depression  and unhappiness.
Comes from feeling we are a separate , distinct entity.
We are not, we are surrounded by holiness.
It is not some distant uncaring identity.

But by our own despairing thoughts.
We must relentlessly, not be caught.
…….
Whatever ask
Will surely be given us
But we need to ask
……..
See John 16 : 23-28

Friday of the 6 th week of Easter

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Do not be afraid to speak out.
Nor allow yourself to be silenced.
Yes , yes we need to shout.
Whether or not licensed.

It gives us confidence.
To hear Paul say we need not fear.
Forget reticence.
Do not shed a tear.

It is so much easier to remain silent.
To just go with the majority flow.
Be part of the big warm tent.
To quietly conform or at the worst go slow.

No we may not have,  for our beliefs, to die.
But we should not, to ourselves ,lie.

……..

Do not be afraid
Also do not be silenced
But speak out your truth

…….

See Acts 18: 9-18

The Ascension of the Lord

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He was lifted up as they looked.
And a cloud took him from their sight.
Our lack of faith is rebuked.
Only when he is gone do we see him in his true light.

They were still staring into the sky.
When suddenly two men in white were standing.
Now they had the strength to fight any lie.
And they could go forth preaching.

We stare into a sky, but he not there.
We wonder if he will ever come back.
But the spirit he left, we pray, is here.
Really, we do not anything, lack.

We are not alone.
As long as we atone.

…….

He was lifted up
We ask when will he return
We have the Spirit

…….

See Acts 1: 1-11

Wednesday of the 6 th week of Easter

God has proved this by raising this man from the dead.
Some burst out laughing.
At this mention of rising from the dead.
Others wanted Paul to go on explaining.Are we not the same.
We like the moral teaching.
We feel we would like to be the same.
We doubt this talk of rising.

But the witnesses are there.
They have the feel of truth.
The whole thing seems fair.
Unlike Pilate we can surely say what is truth.

As with the Athenians demanding.
We need the likes of Paul to do more explaining.

……..

We like the ethics
Resurrection is hard
Yet we can believe

……

See Acts 17

Tuesday of the 6 th week of Easter

Sirs, what must I do, asked the guard, to be saved.
Paul told him, become a believer.
Before I heard this , by doubt I was enslaved.
Afterwards I too became a believer.It’s strange how belief can come unexpectedly.
Some word prompts it.
Or is the Holy Spirit acting unexpectedly.

And a light in the mind is lit.

Then the moment at Mass passes.
As if it had never been.
Worry and thought increases.
What is true lies unseen.

But I remember that moment.
An end to doubt, if only for a moment.

…….

How can we be saved
It might be by just one word
Said at mass today

…….

See Acts 17

Monday of the 6 th week of Easter

When the Advocate comes , he will be my witness.
And you too will be witnesses.
Even though were never ourselves an eyewitness.
We can make a stab at being witnesses.
Only when their Master ascended.
Did they find the courage to preach.
Their diffident fear for all time ended.
Unimaginable paths of glory to reach.We think we may of ourselves make a fool.
Or put ourselves on a pedestal.
Are we prepared to promote this faith school.
Who but ourselves can tell.

But we can keep trying.
And even perhaps  succeeding.

…….

Are we a witness
Or are we too diffident
Only time will tell

……..

See John 15

6 th Sunday of Easter . Orthodox Easter Sunday

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The truth I have now come to realise.
Peter said , is that God does not have favourites.
We all hope that in some future life we will again  rise.
And see those now dimmed celestial lights.

I am at Orthodox Easter Sunday.
A riot of sound and vision.
All in glorious play.
And waiting in suspension.

Then we all cry , Christ is Risen.
He is Risen Indeed.
All in unison.
A new life’s eternal seed.

The night is certainly long.
Yet we celebrate it joyfully with song.

…….

The Christ is Risen
Shout He is Risen Indeed
And we must mean it

……..

See Acts 10

The English Martyrs

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Be a rock of refuge.
A mighty stronghold.
We seem to stand before the deluge.
Trying to keep hold.

We are commemorating the English martyrs.
I think of the Blessed Richard Leigh.
They refused to follow orders.
But their conscience was free.

Would I have this courage.
No, I would conform.
I would put my faith in storage.
But that, with most people, is the norm.

But as I gazed at the chapel wall.
I thought their spirit could walk tall.

……..

The English martyrs
They relied on their conscience
They died, so do we

……..

See Psalm 30

Friday of the 5 th week of Easter

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I am the way , the truth and the life.
No one can come to the Father except through me.
His words and they usually suffice.
Pray we say , this is true , we plea.

I was sitting in the chapel.
And suddenly all became  clear .
He is real , with doubt no need to grapple.
An end to questioning and fear.

The light shone through the window.
Showing me the way.
I was no longer in limbo.
I was encountering a new day.

Thus these moments arrive.
And we survive.

……..

The lonely chapel
And some light through the window
But that is enough

……..

See John 14 : 6-14