They laid the sick in the market place.
And implored him that they might touch his garment.
But of course we will never see his face.
We will never touch his garment.

As many as touched.
Were made well.
Will our spiritual goal be reached.
Who can tell.

Worried, we can only look at the statue of the Virgin.
But it is strangely reassuring.
Somehow we are no longer out but in.
Not failing but somehow surviving.

We may not see Jesus’ face.
But we have the Holy Spirit in his place.

…….

Laying down the sick
They tried to touch his garment
We have just spirit

……

See Mark 6 : 53-56

Come away by yourselves to a desolate place.
And rest for a while.
We need to slow down in our race.
We don’t need to run the extra mile.

For many were coming and going.
And they had no leisure even to eat.
We need more resting and praying.
No need always to talk and to meet.

And then in church praying.
All seemed so true and believable.
It was the quiet meditating.
That made the scripture seem so true, reasonable.

But you have to sit quietly.
And reverently.

…….

Come desolate place
And rest here awhile alone
And then you can pray

…….

See Mark 6 : 30-34

A prophet is not without honour.
Except in his home town.
We wonder how we can open our own home’s door.
Will we be met with a knowing frown.

If Jesus had difficulty
Why should we worry.
If people view us cynically.
There is no hurry.

And the same was with his relatives.
And amongst his own household.
Facing all these negatives.
Everything on hold.

He could do no mighty work there.
Except of course heal some sick there.

……

Honour for prophets
Seldom arises at home
It’s the same for us

…….

See Mark 6 : 1-6

My little daughter is at the point of death.
Come and lay your hands on her.
Will we find after death new breath.
Banishing all fear.

Come and lay your hands on her.
So that she may be made well.
Take away every tear.
So that we may tell.

Do not fear.
Only believe.
He is here.
Just receive.

Why are you weeping.
The child is not dead, she is only sleeping.

…….

A child is dying
Jesus says she’s not dying
She is just sleeping

……

See Mark 5 : 21-43

Lord, now you are letting.
Your servant depart in peace.
At our final moment let there be no regretting.
As we pray without cease.

Hope is the daughter of faith.
I dreamt on these words again and again.
But I do not have it absolutely , I just attempt faith.
So I inserted attempt in my refrain.

Life is difficult.
Disasters are always happening.
But faith is more than a cult.
It just keeps us going.

In my dream I saw a great light.
As I kept faith and hope  in sight.

…….

Lord let your servant
Depart from this place in peace
The message for us

…….

See Luke 2 : 22-40

With the measure you use.
It will be measured to you.
Perhaps it’s all too short, our fuse.
I should think less of me, more of you.

For to the one who has more will be given.
And from the one who has not.
That will be taken.
Holy, happy, sad or not.

I find this teaching.
Very hard.
Demanding.
Being given me, a bad card.

But we have to use our talent.
Or we will lament.

……

The measure you use
Will then be measured to you
That is just our fate

…..

See Mark 4 : 21-25

We have been sanctified.
By the body of Jesus.
Both as man and deified .
He did this for us.

I was back again before the blessed sacrament.
What an amazing claim I realised.
That this is God actually here, extant.
Not just a symbol I surmised.

But is that really true.
Is God really here.
Held up before us few.
Is this doctrine really clear.

I waited for inspiration.
Calm yes but in vain still  for jubilation.

……

We are sanctified
By the body of Jesus
That’s our honest hope

……

Se Hebrews 10 : 1-10

If a kingdom is divided against itself.
That house will not be able to stand.
Is this directed at ourself.
Or at some distant unknown land.

There was no mass available today.
I went to the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
What a good way to end an aimless day.
It was as if all this was meant.

The church  was candlelit.
The Hail Marys softly said.
Truth quietly knit.
Worries laid.

For peace, not much needs to be uttered.
The litany can just be muttered.

…….

Kingdoms divided
The house not able to stand
But are we in it

……

See Mark 3 : 22-30

Ezra read from the book clearly.
So that the people understood the reading.
No harm in reading scripture daily.
Meditating, understanding.

But by midday.
I’ve often forgotten the reading.
But every day is a new day.
A chance again to start remembering.

Lectio.
Meditatio.
Contemplatio.
Oratio.

Reading, meditating.
Contemplating, repeating.

……

Read the book clearly
And understand the reading
A good way to start

……

See Nehemiah 8

And I said, what shall I do.
And the Lord said unto me , Arise and go into Damascus.
We , of course are the many not the few.
But this message is for us.

At the Same boated mass today the Deacon insisted.
We all have in life a task.
Too many times have we resisted.
Thrust from our lips the proffered flask.

Maybe my only task out of them all.
Is to write these sonnets slowly.
No one may bother to read them at all.
Is it worth doing really.

But doing something creative every day .
Must be good for the soul, who can say.

…..

Lord , what shall I do
This is the question we ask
We just do something

……

See Acts 22 : 3-16

Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good.
Or to do harm.
Their’s was an unforgiving mood.
Where was their charitable charm.

He looked round at them with anger.
Grieved at their hardness of heart.
And us, of our anger, do we remember.
Are we prepared to make a new start.

Stretch out your hand.
And the hand was restored.
Thus he entered a new land.
Faith proclaimed, not just stored.

We only need to stretch our hand faithfully.
And we will be restored eventually.

…….

Lawful to do good
On the Sabbath yes it is
Now and for ever

……

See Mark 3 : 1-6

His disciples began to pluck ears of corn.
The Pharisees were saying , why are they doing what is not lawful.
We too often invite scorn.
But then what is lawful or awful.

Have you never read what David did.
When he was in need and hungry.
Do they say of us as of  him that we overbid.
Are we trespassing in another country.

But the Sabbath was made for man.
Not man for the Sabbath.
The Son of man.
Is Lord of the Sabbath.

So we pluck, when we please, the grain.
That is our happy refrain.

……

Sabbath made for man
Man is not made for Sabbath
That is our refrain

……

See Mark 2 : 23-28

He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward.
Since he himself is beset with weakness.
With his help we can move forward.
Despite our lack of fitness.

No one takes this honour for himself.
But only when called by God, just as Aron was.
Can we do this ourself.
No , only with his gain, not our loss.

So also God did not exalt himself to be a high priest.
But was appointed by him who said , you are my son.
Like him in hope we will not desist.
But bow down before the one.

He was perfect.
On this we can only reflect.

……

He can deal gently
With ignorant and wayward
Are we those people

……

See Hebrews 5 : 1-10

Everyone serves the good wine first.
And when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine.
And for what do we thirst.
Are we really doing fine.

As at Cana this is not our best life.
There is better to come.
Then there will be no more strife.
No need to be glum.

The small church was empty, of people clear
As I stood quietly.
I felt a heaviness in the air.
Soothing all anxiety.

Does this joy just arise internally.
Or from some kind of infinity.

……

Serve the good wine first
That always happens to us
Except at Cana

…..

See John 2 : 1-11

⋅

The word of God is living.
And active.
Inspiring.
Never tentative.

Sharper than any two edged sword.
Piercing to the division of soul and spirit.
Given freely by the Lord.
Irrespective of our merit.

Discerning the thought.
And intentions of the heart.
We are truly and gently caught.
And we can make a new start.

No creature is hidden from his sight.
We all walk in his light.

….

God’s word is living
It’s active and inspiring
Sharper than a sword

….

See Hebrews 4 : 12-16