Jesus was led up into the wilderness To be tempted by the devil.
And after forty days and nights of blackness.
He was hungry on every level.

And the tempter came to him.
Change these stones into loaves of bread.
What would we say to him.
Of us what will it be said.

Man shall not live by bread alone.
But by every word that comes from God.
And us, how are we going to atone.
What do we say to God.

When we are tempted by persuasion.
Do we fall easily into temptation.

…..

When we are tempted
Do we fall to temptation
Do we have answers

…..

See Matthew 4: 1-11

At that time Jesus saw a tax collector called Levi.
And he said to him, follow me, and he followed him.
Are we too prepared to leave everything, break every tie.
And follow him.

Well, we say we follow him.
But we do not break every tie.
We of course pray to him.
But we are no Levi.

It’s no great shame.
Our possessions are precious.
True, our faith is a bit lame.
But we cannot help feeling anxious.

In spirit we follow.
But in actuality we do not follow.

…..

He said , follow me
And Levi left everything
Do we do the same

…..

See Luke 5 : 27-52

For whoever would save his life.
Would lose it.
But whoever loses for my sake his life.
Will save it.

What is this life.
Nothing really , fleeting.
What matters is the next life.
Inspired, everlasting

Like the top C note in Allegri’s Miserere.
Here for a moment we enter heaven.
Just as the ashes are laid , we shed a tear.
We take the bread , the ultimate leaven.

Lent is arriving.
We are praying, hoping.

….

What then is this life
It is just fleeting moments
What counts is the next

….

See Luke 9 : 22-25

Thus says the Lord , return to me with all your heart.
With fasting.
We try today to make a start
But our very heart is resisting.

Perhaps the way is not to give up something.
But to take up something positive.
A little bit of acceptance would be no bad thing.
Perhaps being a little less restive.

Not getting angry.
At people being difficult or different.
A little less morose and more merry.
Catching simple things like a flower’s scent.

To wear fasting lightly.
Gently and pleasantly.

…..

Don’t give up something
Take up something positive
Surely that’s the way

….

See Hoel 2: 12-18

Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread.
Do you not perceive or understand.
Can’t we also perceive what is here said.
We have been told , we should understand.

Jesus is saying.
With a few scraps he fed five thousand.
Now it’s to us he’s speaking.
And to countless generations by the thousand.

We may not have enough bread in this life.
But we will have enough
In the next life.
In the spirit you always have enough.

Bread will come .
Life will come.

……

We have enough bread
But not necessarily.
In this life but next

….

See Mark 8 : 14-21

So also will the rich man fade away.
In the midst of his pursuits.
We think we hold sway.
But our achievements turn out to be passing fruits.

Why does this generation seek a sign.
Truly, Jesus said, I say to you.
This generation will be given no sign.
And this applies to us to.

The only sign.
Is that this life counts for so little.
It soon will be over , our breath consigned.
Our hold on life so brittle.

Look to the next life.
The only lasting life.

……

We all fade away
Whatever our riches are now
They are all fleeting

……

See James 1: 1-11 and Mark 8: 11-13

Do not think that I have come to abolish the prophets.
I have not come to abolish them.
Or the law of the prophets.
But to fulfil them.

Until heaven and earth pass away .
Not an iota, not a dot.
Will pass away.
Until all is accomplished to the last dot

Whoever relaxes the least of these commandments,
And who teaches others to do the same.
Will be called least in the heavenly firmaments.
And we will renounce their name.

So we try to fulfil the law.
And to understand the law

……

Understand the law
And try to fulfil the law
It is our duty

…

See Matthew 5: 17-37

At that time the Lord appointed  seventy two.
And sent them on ahead.
We are called too.
Our fate is read.

He said , the harvest is plentiful.
But the labourers are few.
Still the Lord is merciful
To all and us to.

Do we go out.
Do we proclaim
Do we shout
And exclaim .

Or do we keep quiet
Because it is easier to keep quiet

…..

Do we go proclaim
Are we the seventy two
Perhaps we’re just not

…..

See Luke 10:  1-9

Lord, even the dogs under the table.
Eat, she said, the children’s crumbs.
This is no mere fable.
The story frees us from eternal tombs.

The Syrophoenician was a stranger.
Yet Jesus was prepared to help.
For him there is no stranger.
No one beyond help.

We only have to ask.
To bury our pride.
That is our only task.
However much people may us deride.

There is no foreign land.
In Jesus every land is our land.

…..

Even the dogs eat
The crumbs under the table
We all can eat too

……

See Mark 7: 24-30

Whatever goes into a person from outside.
Cannot defile him.
Since it enters not his heart from outside.
But is expelled from him.

We don’t need to worry.
About what happens outside.
Only that our mind should not worry.
For what is harmful comes from inside.

Let outside events.
Just pass by.
They are only events.
They will eventually pass by.

What matters is in the mind.
To it and to others be kind.

……

Enters from outside
If so it cannot harm us
Inside what matters

…..

See Mark 7: 14-23

How lovely is your dwelling place.
O Lord of hosts.
We long to look the Lord in the face.
We seek our spiritual signposts.

St Scolastica was dying
She implored her brother Benedict to stay.
She prayed that it might start raining.
And he did after all stay.

She died two days later.
But she had her last wish.
She had had time with her brother.
A loving last supper, a spiritual dish.

If we pray
Who knows , we might have our way.

…….

This your dwelling place
Is truly lovely for us
Let us pray for it

……

See Psalm 119

They implored that they might touch.
Even the hem of his garment.
And when does our touch.
Reach his firmament.

It’s in our daily communion.
He is literally in our hands.
What an extraordinary reunion
That he should be in our hands.

This is flesh and blood given.
It is real.
The bread is leaven.
And we can break heaven’s seal.

They touched his hem.
Two thousand years later we are like them.

…..

They touched his garment
We now take communion
And it is just good

….

See Mark 6: 53-56

You are the salt of the earth.
But if the salt has lost its taste.
How shall its saltiness be restored from dearth.
So is our faith laid waste.

Is it no longer good for anything.
Except to be trampled under peoples’ feet.
We ask ourselves are we good for anything.
However much we bleat.

So let us not light our lamp.
And put it under a basket.
Our faith’s candle need not be put out by spiritual damp.
We need not fear our Casket.

There is always hope.
As long as we nurture hope

……

The salt of the earth
But has our salt lost its taste
That we must decide

……

See Matthew 5: 13-16

Give your servant an understanding mind.
That I may discern between good and evil.
May we above all be kind.
And know in our hearts what is really real.

Solomon didn’t ask for riches, honour.
Or long life.
But only for God’s honour.
And eternal not this life.
And God gave him high everlasting honour.

For this God gave him everything.
Long life and his temple.
Will we give away all for the everlasting.
Or will we pause and before truth tremble.

May we just ask to do what is right.
Because in our hearts we know what is right.

….

Soloman just asked
Nothing then for just himself
He lives for ever

….

See 1Judges 3 : 4-13

In all that he did, he gave thanks.
To the holy one.
Do we give thanks.
To the holy one.

Blessed be the God of my salvation.
As for God, his way is blameless.
Will we find our resurrection.
Will our pain in death be endless.

The word of the Lord is pure.
He indeed is the shield.
Of this we are sure.
We need not yield.

May we exalt him.
And praise him.

……

In all that we do
Do we give thanks like David
Or do we assume

……

See Sirach 47: 2-11 and Psalm 18

Jesus called the twelve.
And sent them out two by two.
We ask our spirit to delve.
We are sent out too.

He charged them to take nothing for their journey.
Except a staff.
We too are on a spiritual journey.
Our faith our sturdy staff.

So the disciples went out.
And proclaimed that people should repent.
We may not have the courage to ourselves to go out.
But we may at least repent.

We too are sent on a journey.
A questing spiritual journey.

……

We’re on a journey
A spiritual journey
Where will it all end

…..

See Mark 6: 7-13

A prophet is not without honour.
Except in his home town.
Are we held in dishonour.
Do people criticise, frown.

Oh well, we keep trying .
Doing our best.
Though few are listening.
But why worry about the rest.

If Jesus was ignored.
Can we not take it too.
We will take up his gentle sword.
And wield it lovingly too.

We proclaim the message.
Though we know we ourselves are not the message.

…..

Are we a prophet
Ignored in our own country
What does it matter

..   ..

See Mark 6: 1-6

Daughter your faith had made you well.
Go in peace and be cured of your disease.
If for a moment we remain still.
We too can be put at our ease.

But we have we to ask.
To have faith ascending.
That is our task.
And the spirit of God will start descending.

He will say to us.
Be cured.
He will not forget us.
We will be restored.

In believing.
We will start receiving.

……

It’s in believing
In faith that we’re receiving
That is are one hope

….

See Matthew 8:17

Now let your servant depart in peace.
According to your word.
Simeon and Anna prayed without cease.
Faithful to the word.

For mine eyes have seen your salvation.
That you have prepared in the people’s presence.
Now we sense our own redemption.
We feel an eternal essence.

We lit the candles in church expectantly.
The dark illuminated in light.
Reverently.
To continue our spiritual fight.

Simeon waited a very long time.
But his faith came alright in time.

……

Wait with Simeon
Our faith will be rewarded
Or that’s what we hope

……

See Luke 2 : 22-40

Blessed are the poor in spirit.
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
But what does it mean, the poor in spirit.
Will they really receive the keys to heaven.

I think it refers to our spiritual poverty.
And to our dependence on God.
To what should be our humility.
Rather than our pride irrespective of God.

Blessed are those who mourn.
For they shall be comforted.
One day we shall be mourned and will mourn.
Ultimately it’s only in God we can be comforted.

Blessed are the meek.
Indeed, we should always seek.

……

Blessed poor spirit
We are dependent on God
And not on our pride

…..

See Matthew 5: 1-12

Teacher do you not care.
That we are perishing.
No there was no need to fear.
The disciples just had to keep trusting.

For Jesus awoke and rebuked the wind.
And said to the sea, Peace! Be still.
He always is patient, kind.
As long as we listen and are still.

Why are you so afraid he asked.
Why do you have so little faith.
That is with what we are tasked.
To have sufficient faith.

We are the turbulent sea.
If only we could see.

……

Jesus asks us too
Do you have so little faith
And what’s our answer

……

See Mark 4 : 35- 41

He sleeps and rises day and night.
And the seed sprouts and grows.
Until it sees the light.
Thus our faith grows.

First it is hidden.
We don’t do a great deal.
Nothing is forbidden.
But we will break doubt’s cloying seal.

Like the mustard seed.
The smallest of them all.
We just follow God’s lead.
And one day we will walk tall.

Our faith has been planted.
But have we surely repented.

……

We’re the mustard seed
The smallest of all the seeds
Yet we will walk tall

…..

See Mark 4: 26-44

Nothing is hidden except to be manifest.
Nor is anything secret except to come to light.
Where we ask do we find our spiritual rest.
As we ponder during the long night.

We find solace in a moment.
The light on a chalice at consecration.
There is no need for a great event.
No need for anticipation.

Or the calm of the sound of the Agnus.
Belief floods in.
We seem to know the truth is speaking to us.
But inspiration flows out and finally in.

We just need to live for the moment.
The only real truth is the present moment.

……

Where’s inspiration
It just comes in a moment
And it’s not looked for

…..

See Mark 4: 21-25