The most well known names of the resistance to the dissolution of the monasteries of England and Wales are remembered today. How many high-ranking clerics other than St John Fisher resisted the king and the reformation that began during his reign? We know that there were not many. How many of our hierarchs have resisted the denials of the life willed by God for us to live". Go forth and multiply was God's command but controlling our fertility is accepted as the norm now. Marriage is between man and man and woman and woman. Surgical operations alter the sex of those who request it and the life in the womb is a nuisance to be got rid of. Nothing can condemn fornication and no voices are  raised against the falseness of homosexuality. My Bishop claims that the mass he celebrated with the active proponents of homosexuality was full of a palpable "love". The Mass, the remembrance of Jesus passion and death was treated as a vehicle to celebrate "pride" in sin. What more are we to face as this mindset continues to lead us away from God and into the gates of hell. 

Dear Lord your saints in heaven were able with your help to overcome the dangers of their times on earth. Please send us priests and bishops who demonstrate that they truly believe in the love promised by you and are able to resist and condemn the sinfulness of these times.

 Today those who live in Christ can read the beginnings of their relationship with the Living God. We have little knowledge of the times after  Adam and Eve except for Noah's acceptance of God's warning,  but with Abraham begins the record of God's revelation to first his favoured nation and ultimately with the redeeming work of Jesus. None of us can hold that in our minds. The desert nations relied on their memories with which they held their genealogies. The scribes became valued as a class because their records became our sacred books recording the deeds of of prophets and of kings and God's dealings with them

 Today we have the fleeting yet permanent records of our machines. They are even used to create wealth out of capacity to produce unbreakable codes of numbers.  We have so much to occupy us today that we are convinced that that we are beginning to create a world that has no need of God.  We all must die and our blockchains will disintegrate. We will be judged by the Judge with whom there is absolute Wisdom Truth  and Justice and with whom there is no shadow of deceit. No matter what our successes or failures of today, we will all die and then we will know truth for we shall see God as he is Face to Face.

Dear Lord save me from the dangers of hypocrisy and let what I pray come solely from you, returning myself to your loving care. I ask this in the name of the Father, Son and holy Ghost.

 Job is taught that no matter how rich and powerful a man may become in the world it is as nothing in God's eyes. Everything that comes from God is a good for our benefit and of course we do not always understand the good especially when we feel pain in mind or body. .God's  rules for the physical Universe are bit by bit being discovered and rapidly as more and more scientist live and work to this end. God's rules for living as a human have all been revealed from the dawn of creation . It is God who teaches us that  we need to please him to be truly human. Jesus is asleep in the boat that is out of control but shows the disciples then and us now that he is here with us at all times even to the end of time. .

Dear Lord may today become a time in which I praise your name by being aware that you have redeemed me  from my sin by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Your Holy Spirit brings this grace at all times for your Being is Love in which by Faith Hope and Charity I can share.

 Yet again we see that the early Church was as troubled as our own experience in this modern age. St Paul classifies himself as a "fool" as he is boasting about his own deeds. He is in argument with others who have put themselves forward to act as Apostles and he is asserting that he has experienced much more tribulations than they who have justified their false claims by reference to their suffering. "I have done much more for the Church than you" is a familiar claim in parish disputes and it is still foolish today. St Paul's list of sufferings is nothing but impressive; he claims to be feeble but this is certainly over the top humility, 

In today's Gospel Jesus gives us hope that it is possible for us to have "heavenly treasure" and the eye is seen as the  organ of right judgement as it brings light to hearts. "What a darkness that will be" is comment from God on the futility of everything that is not seen in  His light. We are to open our eyes to the pure illumination that comes from God; the salvation that is ours though the sufferings of Jesus and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are all here for us to see in the light  of our Creator.

Dear Lord  how much greater must St Paul's anxiety for the state of your Church be in these days. All is in your hands, we are truly feeble let your will for only Good things blind us to evil so that we can know the Love that comes from you.

 Ever since the establishment of the first congregations the Church seems to have been in a state of defence against individuals and false teaching. St Paul warns the Corinthians to be aware of the false prophets teaching their own version of Christ and his Gospels. The first years were particularly chaotic and even after the texts used were formalised the false versions still circulated among  sects and adherents of Charismatic leaders. Today the basic texts, commentaries and opinions run into millions of words. Forests innumerable have been felled and squids by the thousand have been slaughtered to preserve the words of Christ and the teachings of the Church  All of these words are today available anywhere on earth to any person who has a keyboard linked to the WWW. Knowledge used to be admired for its own sake but today Wikipedia provides us all for everybody anywhere.

Jesus says when you pray go into your own heart and recognise God as Holy, know His will and follow it so that the holiness of being in His presence can be here on earth, only ask for sustenance for this day; forgive anyone who offends you for this will be the measure of God's forgiveness of you; let us not be tested in mind, soul or body; save us from sin.

Dear Lord let me not confuse words spoken and written about you with You, the Father Son  Holy Spirit You are God and I must know what I can about you; love you completely by also being complete in my obedience. help me Lord

 St Paul coins "The Lord loveth the cheerful giver" as he speaks of alms giving. We who give cheerfully will never be without for we are beloved of the Lord. There is a real moral quandary for us today. We do need to do our duty to the poor but those who administer  the gifts we make have increasingly come under suspicion. We know of high salaries and moral corruption not only in the Church but also in secular organisations. Many dioceses face bankruptcy because of compensation they have been forced to pay having been found guilty of covering-up bad behaviour on the  part of the clergy. Do we continue to give for our gifts to  be used in this way. 

Praying should be private; praying should be done in the heart; praying should not be performed to show off one's piety . Jesus asks us to question ourselves about our sincerity. You are not going to church you are not part of the local congregation. You are questioning the teaching of the Church about the validity of Sacraments  administered by unworthy ministers. You are writing thoughts from your heart that can be seen all over the world. Are you truly raising your mind and heart to me Father, Son and Holy Spirit.?

Deas Lord the answer is known only to you. I need to pray. My sinful deeds need to be curtailed and this prayer log is one way of doing this. I don't need anyone to read what I write for it is directed to You.. I may be alone but You know me. Please help me to do your will.

 St Paul is very much like a modern clergyman when asking for donations; there is within his words a subtle challenge to do better than other congregations. St Paul himself had nothing that was his own for everything was in Christ. Christ had nothing although his wealth was that of our total universe he has emptied himself and taken on nothing more than our humanity. We must love, pray for the best to happen for all mankind. We must not categorise people as friends or enemies. We must look at each person we meet and see in them the image of Jesus. We are all saved by the same Sacrifice.

Other people may not see us in the same way. For others we are the "haves" or "have nots"; not only in wealth but also in talents, physical appearance. Sometimes they express their disgust at us by words spoken or spread via this technology that I am using. These are the ones we must love not to anticipate change in them or reward from the Father but that is the simple yet perfect rule for our lives. A rule that is pure gift, grace that overflows from the love of the Trinity.

                                            I have just written this but can I live it?

Dear Lord help me to understand the words of long ago and find in them the  living faith in the Father that you showed us by your short time on earth. Help me to put God before all but also know that each person is the same as myself and not to be harmed in any way.