Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem

              Mural in the Franciscan Church, Bethphage.  Photo by Seetheholyland.net

.....he called his twelve apostles unto him and said,

This day we go up to Jerusalem; be not afraid; my time has not yet come.

Now, two of you may go unto the village of Bethphage, and you will find an ass tied to a tree, and you will see a little colt near by.

Untie the ass and bring her here to me.  If any one inquires why you take the ass, just say, The master has need of her; and then the owner will come on with you.

And the disciples went as Jesus bade them go; they found the ass and colt a-near an open door; and when they would untie the ass the owner said, Why would you take the ass away?

And the disciples said, The master has need of he, and the owner said, 'Tis well.

And then they brought the animal, and on her put their coats, and Jesus sat upon the ass and rode into Jerusalem.

And multitudes of people came and filled the way, and his disciples praised the Lord and said,

Thrice blessed is the king who in the name of God is come!  All glory be to God, and peace on earth; good will to men!

And many spread their garments in the way, and some tore branches from the trees and cast them in the way.

And many children came with garlands of sweet flowers and placed them on the Lord, or strewed them in the way, and said, All hail the king!  Long live the king!

The throne of David shall be built again.  Hosanna to the Lord of hosts!

The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ.  Chap.151 v 3-14

Only God I Saw

In the market, in the cloister - only God I saw,
In the valley and on the mountain - only God I saw.
Him I have seen beside me oft in tribulation;
In favour and in fortune - only God I saw,
In prayer and fasting, in praise and contemplation,
In the religion of the Prophet - only God I saw.
Neither soul nor body, accident nor substance,
Qualities nor causes - only God I saw.
I oped mine eyes and by the light of His face around me,
In all the eye discovered - only God I saw.
Like a candle I was melting in His fire;
Amidst the flames out flashing - only God I saw.
Myself with mine own eyes, I saw most clearly,
But when I looked with God's eyes - only God I saw.
I passed away into nothingness, I vanished,
And lo! I was the All-Living - only God I saw.

                                by Baba Kuhi of Shiraz, Iranian Poet-Saint, died 1050AD.

What is Death

Death is nothing at all.  I have only slipped away into the next room.  Nothing has happened, everything remains exactly as it was.  I am I, you are you, and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.  Whatever we were to each other, that we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name, speak to me in that easy way you always used.  Put no difference in your tone.  Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.  Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.  Let my name be ever the household word it was, let it be spoken without effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it.

Life means all that it has ever meant.  It is the same that it ever was.  There is absolute and unbroken continuity.
I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner.  Nothing is past, nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.

                                            by Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918)  Canon of St.Paul's Cathedral

Spirit of God

                                               Photo taken at Upper Powburn by MMB


Spirit of God
Fill all,
Fill their Souls.
To their souls give strength,
Strength also to their hearts,
Their hearts that seek for Thee,
Seek Thee with earnest longing,
Longing to be whole and well,
Whole and well and full of courage,
Courage, the gift from the hand of God,
Gift from Thee, O Spirit of God,
Spirit of God,
Fill all.

         __________________

Let brotherly love continue.
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers;
for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

                                                                      Hebrews 13 v 1-2

The Book of Life

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
                                                                             Revelation 20:12


On the dead for whom once Thou diest, Lord Jesus, have mercy,
On the living for whom Thou ever livest, have mercy.
Thou who wast arraigned before a corrupt judge, O Incorruptible Judge, have mercy,
Thou who knowest what is in man, O Son of Man, have mercy.
Thou whose works were all good, have mercy.
Thou whose life, in the sight of the unwise, once hung in suspense before Pilate, have mercy.
Thou who Thyself ever knowest what Thou wilt do, have mercy.
On the small, mercy.
On the great, mercy.
Thou who art unlike us in Thy sinlessness, on us sinners, have mercy.
Thou who art like us in Thy Humanity, on us Thy brethren and Thy sisters, have mercy.
Blot out our evil works from Thy Book of Works, and have mercy.
Write our names in Thy Book of Life, and have mercy.
Blot not out our names, but have mercy.
Give us tears from the Fountain of Thy Mercy.
Store our tears in Thy bottle, with Thine own tears shed for us in pure mercy.
And whatever we lack let us not lack Thy mercy.  
                                                                                        Amen

From 'The Face of the Deep' by Christina Rossetti (1830-94)

Meander 4

                             

'Dalescape' oil on canvas by Margaret M Brownlow

Watch, O Lord, over the little birds and protect the trees and fields from the anger of the storm; 

for Thou art merciful and full of Love.

________________________________

Only those return to Eternity,

Who on earth seek out Eternity.

________________________________

God made our bodies temples for our souls, and they should be kept strong and clean to be worthy of the deity that occupies them.

_______________________________

The truly religious man does not embrace a religion, and he who embraces one has no religion.

________________________________

More quotations from my scrapbook by Kahlil Gibran.

Creator God

Creator God,
As we journey through this world
give us the grace to allow your Holy Spirit to work through us.
Help us to speak, think and work with honesty and compassion,
to celebrate all that is life-giving,
to restore hope where it has been lost,
and to bring about change where it is needed.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our companion.
Amen              

                                                                      Linda R Jones

                    _______________________________

"Forgiveness is a skill for a good life, just like reading, writing or arithmetic.
I forgive and then I claim my power back."

Quotation by Eva Kos, a holocaust survivor.  She and her twin sister were subjected to medical experiments by the Nazi doctor Josef Mengele in Auschwitz.