Elijah has already come, they did not recognise him.
But did to him whatever they pleased.
So also will the Son of Man suffer for us and him.
Then the disciples recognised.

That he was speaking.
Of John the Baptist.
They started understanding.
Their sight penetrated the mist.

St Lucy is the martyr of light.
Of courage.
And of sight.
Proclaiming the Christian message.

We can follow her.
Without fear.

….

We follow Lucy
She is the martyr of light
And of great courage

… …

See Matthew 17: 10 – 13

John came neither eating nor drinking.
And they say he has a demon.
The son of man came eating and drinking.
And they say he’s a drunkard and glutton.

Yet wisdom is justified.
By her deeds.
If we are justified
It is by faith and deeds.

It does not matter what we drink
Or what we eat .
Or whether we drink.
Or where in church is our seat.

We will revive.
In hope we shall survive.

…….

We may eat or drink
Or we may not do either
It does not matter

……

See Matthew 11: 16-19

He who has ears to hear.
Let him.
Sing and hear.
In glorious hymn.

We hear.
But do we listen.
Or just hear.
Rather than listen.

The words are clear.
Not hidden.
but we do not listen although they’re so clear.
Is it just us, because what is so hidden.

John the Baptist came, they did not listen.
Jesus came, we do not listen.

……

We have ears to hear
We only have to listen
But do we do so.

….

See Matthew 11: 11-15

Come to me all you who labour and are heavy laden.
And I will give you rest.
We are bidden.
We only need more spiritual zest.

Take my yoke upon you.
And learn from me.
This all applies to us too.
If only we could see.

For I am gentle.
And lowly of heart.
Yes his touch is gentle.
We only have to believe to start.

For my yoke is easy.
And my burden is light, easy

…….

We’re heavy laden
But his burden is so light
His yoke is easy

….

See Matthew 11: 28-30

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray.
Does he not leave the ninety nine on the mountain.
And go in search of the one who has gone astray.
Of this we are in the parable certain.

I dreamt I climbed down a mountain,
In real life I am scared of every height.
Here in my dream I was fearless, certain.
Up and ready for the fight.

In real life we would stay with our livelihood.
The ninety nine sheep.
In the parable we do what is right and good.
And we do so in our dreams and sleep.

Against all reason God cares for the one.
And we all of us are the one.

…..

The ninety nine left
And he goes after the one
And we are that one

……

See Matthew 18 : 12-14

The spirit of wisdom and understanding.
The spirit of counsel and might.
The prophets are worth reading.
Like Isaiah they foretell and shed light.

But who am I,  I keep asking.
Where are we going.
From where are we coming.
In just a few years will our soul be existing.

Don’t worry, just accept the spirit of the Lord.
Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist.
And your delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
We are here , we are going to to exist.

…..

Our understanding
And our wisdom and counsel
Will keep existing

…..

See Isaiah 11: 1-10

On every high hill there will be brooks running.
The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun.
We are praying in Advent and waiting.
For the birth of the long awaited son.

We read St Paul , You are God’s chosen race.
He loves you and you should be clothed in compassion.
In kindness and humility on every face.
Gentleness and patience remembering  Jesus’ passion.

Bear one another.
As soon as a quarrel begins.
Forgive each other.
Let bygones be bygones.

As we left our Oblates meeting we were told to teach each other.
And advise each other.

…..

Bear one another
As soon as quarrels begin
Forgive each other

……

See Isaiah 30

The deaf shall hear the words of a book.
And out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.
We too shall be able to look.
To understand and not just to see.

The meek shall obtain fresh joy.
In the Lord.
Purest alloy.
The strongest spiritual cord.

The poor among mankind.
Shall exult in the holy one.
We all can be kind.
If we have faith in the one.

Isaiah gives us poetic joy.
Again the purest alloy.

….

The meek obtain joy
Exult  in the holy one
And the blind shall see

…..

See Isaiah 29: 17-24

Everyone who hears these words of mine.
Will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
We need to look for a spiritual sign.
Then we can unlock our own spiritual lock.

And the rain fell and the floods came.
And beat upon that house , but it did not fall.
Because it had been founded on rock not on sandy grain.
Neither will we if we do the same, we shall not fall.

And anyone who hears these words of mine.
And does not do them will be like the man who built his house on sand.
He did not look for the holy sign.
His actions drained into the sand.

Which man are we .
Do we know, can we see.

….

If we build on rock
Our house yes will surely stand
But do we do so

……

See Matthew 7: 21, 24-27

The Lord will make a feast of rich food.
A feast of well aged wine.
From Isaiah what can we conclude.
To help us understand how we can approach the holy shrine.

The disciples gave the loaves to the crowd.
And they all ate and were satisfied.
What can we say from this out aloud.
Surely scripture is confirmed.

The crowds knew what this meant.
Jesus feeding the huge number
He had been sent.
So we might know the truth and remember.

We are with them.
We are them.

….

Isaiah foretold
Jesus completed the truth
He’s the holy bread

…..

See Isaiah 25: 6-10 and Matthew 15 : 29-37

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb.
The leopard shall lie down with the  young goat.
These words of Isaiah break down our doubting dam.
They keep our spirit afloat.

With them we know that Christmas is here.
We can keep going.
There is nothing to fear.
The lamps are glowing.

Peace is coming.
We are not lost.
Our hearts are glowing.
Despite the ground’s frost.

This is our Advent.
Adventus in Latin ,arrival in English, Advent.

…..

The wolf with the lamb
The leopard with the young goat
This is now Advent

…..

See Isaiah 11 : 1-10

Lord I am not worthy that you should come under my roof.
But only say the word and my servant shall be healed.
We cannot stand aloof.
We must acknowledge that we have received.

The winter wind shook around the cottage.
The gentle sound ceaseless eternity.
Somehow it gave me courage.
A new kind of spiritual fraternity.

If the incarnation is true at all.
Then nothing else matters very much.
And most things don’t matter at all.
Beyond all things spiritually we are abundantly rich.

Under our roof we have received.
And from all things hurtful we are healed.

……

If Jesus is God
Then now nothing else matters
We have to believe

…….

See Matthew 8: 5-11

They shall beat their sword into a ploughshare.
And their spear into a pruning hook.
And we wonder, in Advent, how shall we fare.
Where for salvation should we look.

Perhaps we should try and make our own Bethlehem.
Every day of our own life.
And think not just of us but them.
And ask that we pick up the flower and lay down the knife.

Every day giving birth.
To new hope.
That the world may have a rebirth.
Into peace and universal hope.

That is our true way.
The sun’s glorious ray.

……

Make every day
A day of our Bethlehem
Not just for our sake

……

See Isaiah 2 : 1-5

All you people bless the Lord.
Priests of the Lord bless the Lord.
Servants of the Lord , bless the Lord.
Spirits and souls of the just bless the Lord.

Watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down.
With the cares of this life.
And that day come like a trap for you to  drown.
For it comes upon all who now enjoy life. No

We are so obsessed with this life.
That we forget that coming soon is death.
Why care overmuch about this life.
When it is but a gateway to death.

But death too is just a gateway.
A mere passing into our spiritual way.

…..

We’re obsessed with life
But it’s a gateway to death
But death’s a gateway

……

See Daniel 3 and Luke 21: 34-36

Mountains and hills bless the Lord.
All that grows on the earth bless the Lord.
Seas and rivers bless the Lord.
Springs of water bless the Lord.

As soon as the trees come out in leaf.
You know that the summer is already near.
So also when you see these things taking place even on relief.
You know that the Kingdom of God is near.

There are so many signs just for us.
Yet we ignore them.
But the kingdom is near us.
We should embrace them.

The kingdom is so close. We could touch it.
But first we have to accept it.

……

The kingdom is close
We just to reach out now
And we can touch it

….

See Daniel 3 and Luke 21 : 29-33

Dew and rain bless the Lord.
Frost and cold bless the Lord.
Ice and snow bless the Lord.
Night and days bless the Lord.

I was at Lincoln Cathedral evensong.
It was the New Testament reading.
Jesus was saying he must suffer from great wrong.
But that he would triumph with his rising.

The disciples were perplexed.
But in that moment I believed.
My doubts were relaxed.
I listened and received .

Thus faith comes .
Hope waxes , doubt numbs.

…….

We all bless the Lord
We are like the dew and rain
Our faith pours down now

……

See Daniel 3

You will be delivered up.
And some of you they will put to death.
The death of the body is a fate we must sup.
One day we will draw our last breath.

But not a hair of your head will perish.
By your endurance you will gain your lives.
This hope for the future is something to cherish,
As our immortal soul thrives.

This is all that matters to us.
The body dies , the soul lives on.
Fate will shine kindly on us.
There is no end point, we carry on.

So never despair.
There is no need to shed a tear.

……

See Luke 21: 12-19

Teacher , when will these things be.
And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place.
We pray every day that we might the better see.
As we run our own race.

It was at the end of evening prayer.
We were singing the Salve Regina.
I looked up to her statue in prayer.
A great wave of love shook me for our Regina.

Thus these moments come.
Great love and belief in an instant of prayer.
Why do they come.
Because they are there in prayer.

I left the Cathedral.
But for the rest of the day I pondered that moment in the Cathedral.

…….

What are then the signs
They just come in our prayer
In just an instant

……

See Luke 21: 5-11

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness.
And transferred us to the kingdom of his son.
In whom we have redemption from all darkness.
But only by the mercy of his son.

We are afflicted by anger , laziness.
Pride ,resentment and ambition .
Only Jesus saves us by his kindness.
Only he frees us from temptation.

Empires rise and fall.
But Christ the King remains.
Saving us from humankind’s fall.
He always was and is and reigns.

Everything else is transient.
He, we hope, is permanent.

…….

Christ the King is here
He always was and will be
Or that’s what we hope

…….

See Colossians 12 : 1-20

Those who attain resurrection
Neither marry or are given in marriage.
Are we prepared for the ultimate election.
As towards death we take our last carriage.

St Cecilia made her choice.
Are we prepared to do so also.
As she found her voice.
Even if we feel disregarded , low.

And will we meet our loved ones.
As we look around us in heaven.
Parents spouses , daughters and sons.
We will know they are there with us in heaven.

So when we get there it will be worth waiting.
And meanwhile adoring.

…..

We find resurrection
But then who shall we meet there.
That we do not know

……

See Luke 20 : 27-40

They will not leave one stone on another.
Because they did not know the time of
the visitation.
Do we have faith in the father.
A sure foundation.

The days will come upon you.
When your enemies will set up a barricade around you.
And surround you.
And on every side hem you.

Our own body’s temple will be destroyed.
And we do not know when.
Our fears cannot be allayed.
We just have to accept and say amen.

But it will be rebuilt.
We need fear no guilt.

……

Our body will die
Just like the destroyed temple
It will be rebuilt

…..

See Luke 19 : 41-44

When I awake.
I shall, O lord, be filled with the vision of your presence.
At death’s door we stare into a dark fathomless lake.
We search in vain for future life’s essence.

But we awake, I believe, after death.
We know and are part of God in an eternal instant.
There is life , rich and strong but no breath.
There is no past or future only the present.

We are gripped by an eternal gasp of wonder.
A kind of deep amazed ah.
Our love for God is profound , tender.
We can see all near and far.

Our loved ones we know are with God.
As we now and for always are with God.

….

We wake after death
We stop in time with wonder
We are now with God

……

See Psalm 17