Saturday, December 24, 2016

12/18/16 Through 12/24/16

12/18/16 Through 12/24/16

Sunday
The two in their humility
By faith, accepted roles to be
The parents of our great High Priest
Who saves the greatest and the least

He chose these docile ones to keep
A watchful eye upon this Sheep
Who shepherds them to God above
Two fruitful virgins bound in love.

Monday
The barren branches bear great fruits
In patient love's desire
To honor Him in their pursuits
He kindles holy fire

Tuesday
Heroes in the ancient story
Wanted fame, nor claimed the glory
Chose His will as their desire
And were then, baptized with fire

Mary's fiat, greatest yes
the source of grace and happiness
Suffered with her only Son
And through her, our salvation won.

Wednesday
The Bridegroom searches for His bride
He longs to hold her at His side
Through every window, door and crack
He peers to bring His lover back

He calls to me and bids arise
The flame of love, now in His eyes
So far above and fair is He
And yet He searches still for me.

Thursday
Take back Lord all you've given me
If I could find, but sanctity
As Abraham and Hannah too
Both found their joy in loving You

I look and then, I often find
The saints, the meek unselfish kind
Who offer back to You the gift
You gave, and then, their spirits lift

I look at Mary's faithful yes
The Son of God her awesome guest
By giving all her soul proclaim
The greatness of His holy name

So take, my Lord, all that You give
That in Your presence I may live
The saints found nothing they could save
But only that they freely gave.

Friday
The herald of the Holy One
Would turn the father toward his son
Refining fire and fuller's lye
Will cleanse the hearts and purify

The dross removed and shining bright
The gold and silver face the light
And give the faithful Lord His due
An offering of praise from you

In silence Zechariah stood
For trusting not, the Father's good
No longer would his voice be gone
When he proclaimed, "His name is John!"

Saturday
Blessed be the Lord, our God and King
The One of whom all praises sing
He's kept His promises of old
No more as slaves we're bought and sold.

In His compassion dawn shall break
In light of love, His people wake
The darkness and the shadows cease
He guides us in the way of peace.

Christmas 2016

Reflecting on that holy night
When star of Bethlehem, so bright
Shown down upon the virgin birth
And God, as man, had come to earth
I think of all the stories told
Of shepherds watching in the cold
Of wise men from a land afar
Who followed, faithfully, that star

Of Joseph’s fear of pending doom
When at the inn could find no room
His care to do his very best
That they might have a peaceful rest
Of angels bending low to sing
Hosanna to the newborn King
Of swaddled child that gently lay
Within a manger filled with hay

I wonder if Isaiah knew
The Christ would come, a simple Jew
If he expected, Lord of all
To come as one so weak and small?
We know he saw the suffering
 That speaking truth would surely bring
He saw Him die a criminal
With many unconvincible

And where am I this Christmas night
Do I just find Him stale and trite?
Or do I share the shepherd’s awe
When in the manger there they saw
The Savior who is Christ the King
And wise men with the gifts they bring
It’s only humble ones who see
The Christ who gave His life for me.

Monday, December 19, 2016

12/11/16 Through 12/17/16

12/11/16 Through 12/17/16

Sunday
The greatest born of women here 
To let all know the time is near
When God will come with recompense
And be the lowly one's defense

Repent! his cry, from desert land
The long awaited time's at hand
The Christ will come to rescue those
In humble state, the Father knows

Monday
Hail Full of Grace!  The Lord is with you
His presence abounds in all that you do
Filled with the Spirit, come down from above
By grace you became the mother of Love.

Tuesday
A turning point in everyday
To follow Him or me
To stay upon the narrow way,
Or others choose to see

St. Lucy chose the narrow way
Of blindness to be free
Her purity had won the day
And helped her foes to see.

Wednesday
Go tell him what you've seen and heard
The pow'r and wonder in this Word
The blind can see the deaf can hear
No more the darkness, shall we fear.

Thursday
Oh tell me scribe and pharisee
Just what did you go out to see,
A raiment fine, as one of these,
Or reed that's swayed by desert breeze?

A prophet, sure, you went to see
The one to make the way for Me
To all this messenger was sent
But only lowly ones repent.

Friday
The reign of righteousness begun
The Prince of Peace for everyone
No foreigner should ever feel
Unwelcome at His holy meal

He came for every soul to save
His life of love, unblemished, gave
That every soul might know the way
And come to everlasting day.

Saturday
He works through every family line
His advent on the way
He comes to show His love divine
Turns darkness into day

His plan includes the crooked lines
Ones from the very start
And when one looks, in faith, he finds,
A priceless work of art.


Sunday, December 11, 2016

12/4/16 Through 12/10/16

12/4/16 Through 12/10/16

Sunday
The shoot to sprout from Jesse's stump
Shall blossom in its day
With fruit of justice, ripe and plump
His breath, the wicked, slay

No judge by looks or hearsay be
The Spirit rests on Him
But justice for the poor you see
No more the dark and dim

Green pasture to be shared among
The wild and the tame
The serpents now the pets of young
The light from darkness came

Monday
The desert and parched land exult
The steppe rejoice and bloom
Abundant flowers and joy result
No more a land of doom

In joyful song His glory shines
Made firm the weak of knee
Be strong, fear not, but welcome signs
Of victory won for thee

Tuesday
Unlike all mortal flesh
That withers and decays
His word is always fresh
And lasts for endless days

He wants not one to perish
But stay among the flock
For everyone is cherished
By God our faithful rock

Wednesday
The mind can scarcely ponder
The power and the might
Of Him who made up yonder
The stars that light the night

The winds that blow across the sea
No man could e're control
Yet still so many fail to see
Their Maker and extol

The strong grow weary, faint and fall
The young exhausted too
But little ones, He said, recall
I'll be the strength for you 

And mount you up on eagle's wings
My strength will never fail
Your trust in Me forever brings
The breath of life...  Inhale!

Thursday
Mother of all was Eve by name
Through her all generations came
And by her cursed and sinful fall
She gave concupiscence to all

But Mary now, the second Eve
Was one immaculate conceived
She bore the savior for our sin
That we might all salvation win

Friday
The Holy One of Israel
The Lord our God and king
The ways of right and good will tell
And vindication bring

If we but hearken to His word
Obeying His command
A rushing river could be heard
With blessings like the sand

Who follows not the wicked way
Nor vile route to go
Will find delights each passing day
Where holy waters flow

Saturday
The hearts of fathers for their sons
A sign to all the holy ones
The time of waiting passing by 
For lo, the Lord is drawing nigh


Sunday, December 4, 2016

11/27/16 Through 12/3/16

11/27/16 Through 12/3/16

Sunday
Mary, child of God the Father
Virgin pure and like no other
Favor of the Godhead winning
Saved from sin at your beginning

Blessed by Gabriel to hear it
Overshadowed by the Spirit
Lowly servant filled with grace
Her womb a tabernacle place

The child within her arms to rest
caressed and suckled at her breast
She learned throughout these many days
The path of love and endless praise

Immersed within the Trinity
A special role assigned to thee
To share His grace with us below
That we might too, His comforts know.

Monday
Lord kindle flame within my soul
that once again I may be whole
Help me to love with ardent flair
And show my love how much I care.

Tuesday
New life shall rise from what was dead
These are the words the Master said
The rotting stump produce a shoot
A tree of life to bear much fruit

Then peace shall reign throughout the land
Together lie the wolf and lamb
No longer need for sword or spear
The Prince of Peace is drawing near.

Wednesday
The call will come sometime today
In what we do or what we say
To make him known as Lord of all
But we must answer to the call

Proclaiming Him in every place
Not cowering to save our face
Secure in Love's complete embrace
No matter what the trial we face.

Thursday
Sooner now than ever before
Each passing day approaches more
The time when time itself shall cease
The time of everlasting peace

But also rushing on its way
The terror of the Judgment Day
When many souls across the land
Will find they've built on shifting sand

The time is near do not delay
Consult His word to guide your way
Act on every inspiration
Find in them your consolation

For yet another day has passed
Who knows, this one could be the last
Are you quite ready here today
To face your final Judgment Day?

Friday
Light shall come to those in darkness
Sound to those who cannot hear
Strength to those in sick or weakness
Hark, the Savior, drawing near

Saturday
Every illness every care
Healed by Him who traveled there
Harvest great, but workers few
Perhaps the Lord is calling you.

Sunday, November 27, 2016

11/20/16 Through 11/26/16

11/20/16 Through 11/26/16

Sunday
What does it mean to be the King
The one of whom all praises sing
To be the One who for all died
The spotless lamb, the crucified?

It means He calls all men to see
What true humanity should be
The giving of oneself as all
In answer to the Master's call.

Sunday PM
Have I really much improved 
By knowing You this long,
Has all this time, at all, removed
What, in my soul is wrong?

The closer that I think I get
The further off You are
And when I'm overwhelmed by debt
I find, You're not so far.

Monday
My gift presented to the Lord
Is only what I can afford
One hundred and the forty four
Have freely given more and more.

To join the ranks of those above
Who dwell in everlasting love
In answering the holy call
We give our best and give our all.

Tuesday
Behold, the day of judgment comes
When every grape of wrath succumbs
The press will draw the drink to please
And then they but discard the lees.

Wednesday
The flames upon the sea of glass
Unlike the ones below
Are flames of love through which we pass
When Christ we come to know

A love so strong, and so intense
That faces all aglow
Display their peace and firm intents
Their God, yet more, to know.

Lord, draw me through that holy fire
With praises on my lips
For knowing You, my one desire
All joys I've known, eclipse.

Thursday
The smoke will rise forever in
Her land of filth and sin
Thrown down to never rise again
Now heard, the great Amen.

Friday
The scroll contains my every deed
So mercy, mercy, now I plead
Remember not, my awful sin
But what His sacrifice did win.

Saturday
The coming tribulation now
We wish to all escape somehow
By vigilance and prayer we gain
The strength to grit and bear the pain

Then find the river from the throne
The one that flows from God alone
In trees of life on every side
Our food and healing there abide

There praise to Christ we will avow
His name emblazoned on our brow
No more we'll need a light to see
The Lord, our lamp and light shall be.


Sunday, November 20, 2016

11/13/16 Through 11/19/16

11/13/16 Through 11/19/16

Sunday
The end of time is coming soon
One day at ten, or maybe noon
Our job is but to persevere
And know the end is drawing near.

Monday
David's son have pity on me
And from this blindness set me free
I know dear Master You are He
And simply want, my Lord, to see

Tuesday
The beauty of the world beyond
Oh Lord, I want to see
The purity of that first dawn
Reveal, Oh Lord, to me

For many sins have stained my soul
That I'm no longer free
They keep me from becoming whole
And far away from Thee

Their weight has bent my every bone
Deforming what was me
Their burden leaves me all alone
And far away from Thee

But You can lift the heavy load
Of debt I owe to Thee
And start me on a straighter road
Oh Lord, I want to see

Repent My child, and turn around
And buy the gold from Me
Join with the holy saints all gowned
In white and be set free.

I chasten and reprove the ones
I love so they may be
Anointed with the salve as sons
And truly learn to see.

Wednesday
A talent given, must be used
Lest be the wicked one accused
Of squandering his legacy
By hiding it where none can see.

Thursday
If we just knew what makes for peace
For harmony with great and least
We'd suffer not the coming trial
No heart of ours be filled with guile

For none are worthy to unroll
With seven seals, the holy scroll
Except the pure and spotless lamb
The Holy One, the great I AM

For He has shown the way of peace
To care for all and never cease
To find the way of God above
Through total and self-giving love.

Friday
Take the scroll from me and eat
Its taste, like honey will be sweet
But in the stomach it will sour
Showing its convicting power

Friday PM
Lord let me sip the cup with You
That I might do the things You do
Help me to love with all I own
Help me to grow what You have sown

Saturday
Lord give me now and through this day
The will to love and walk Your way
That when the evening sun has set
A little closer I will get

Let me cower not today
But let me learn to trust and pray
And know each little test of will
Can draw me to You, closer still

Then someday I might learn to be
A faithful servant, Lord, to Thee
And rise above my foolish fear
To hear Your voice say "Come up here".



Saturday, November 12, 2016

11/6/16 Through 11/12/16

11/6/16 Through 11/12/16

Sunday
The seven brothers showed the way
To love the Lord and truly pray
Regardless of our trials here
The Lord who loves is always near

For death can only take away
An earthly body made of clay
But to the faithful and the bold
Our God returns a hundredfold

Monday
I pray to be a faithful guide
To lead my family to Your side
To guard each soul from sinful ways
And lead them to the brighter days

Grant faith oh Lord as planted seed
We grow each day in word and deed
Providing shelter in the strife
And helping all to find new life

Tuesday
Humility will show the way
To bring His order to the day
Make me not a worthless servant
But a loving soul that's fervent

Never tired of doing good
May I gladly shoulder wood
With a loving humble heart
Honored with my simple part

Wednesday
The flowing river freshens seas
And waters on the bank its trees
That they might bear abundant food
With healing in the leaves imbued

The Temple source of flowing grace
God's chosen holy dwelling place
Let nothing in His house profane
But purity and love sustain

Know not ye are that holy place
Which God desires to fill with grace
That from you flow a healing stream
To all you meet of love supreme.

Thursday
As lightning in the darkest night
Illumines in a flash
God's glory and His awesome might
Expose all else as trash

Friday
Without warning comes the day
When every soul will have to pay
The price for every sordid deed
For turning heads from those in need.

Saturday
A just decision granted by
An unjust judge can be
His way to show He hears the cry
And grants tranquility

Saturday, November 5, 2016

10/30/16 Through 11/5/16

10/30/16 Through 11/5/16

Sunday
If money could buy the forgiveness of sin
If only mere words could change that within
It would take all I own, and then so much more
All the books that are written to even the score

But repentance can change in the blink of an eye
A list of my sin that is broad as the sky
For wider and deeper than seas that are blue
Is Mercy, and sin but a light morning dew.

Monday
Another job is always there
But does it show how much I care,
Or is it just a way to be
So busy that I cannot see
The human need right next to me
For love, and time, and dignity?

Tuesday
This day is set aside for saints
The living and the dead
The instruments by which He paints
The glories up ahead.

The many lights around the globe
That shine in spite of woe
Inviting us to deeper probe
And come the Lord, to know.

Wednesday
At death You purify the soul
That we might have a place
With all the saints, by You made whole
Who now are filled with grace.

That holy pain which purifies
I dread and yet desire
My soul to swab and sterilize
Within the cleansing fire.

Thursday
Metanoia, turn around
And turn away from sin
Repent and let new life be found
Then choose to follow Him

For joy will come when we can see
The error of our way
And then in deep humility
Turn toward the light of day.

Friday
Upon the cross the ledger stood
The Faithful Steward nailed to wood
His book maintained with precious blood
An overflowing font of love

The day will come to settle up
The day when all must drink the cup
And hence, how shall we answer Thee
But Lord be merciful to me.

Saturday
Be faithful in the little things
And see what joy the Master brings
Forsake the money here below
And then true riches you will know.

Sunday, October 30, 2016

10/23/16 Through 10/29/16

10/23/16 Through 10/29/16

Sunday
Lord all I have has come from Thee
Yet I exalt as if from me
Every good and holy thing
Is but a gift that You did bring

Why should I boast of what is Yours
My foolish pride Your heart abhors
The prayer that's uttered full of pride
A foolish bluster cast aside

Yet sitting there among the crowds
A humble prayer that pierces clouds
My eyes I cannot raise to see
Oh Lord be merciful to me

Monday
How has Satan bent us low
For oh, these many years
May we rejoice to finally know
An end to all our fears

The weight of sin will pull us down
To walk with crippled gait
The touch of Christ will lift the frown
And help us stand up straight.

Tuesday
A shortage of vocations found
Within the church today
It seems that many men have frowned
Upon the holy way

The priesthood was the first to go
But marriage followed too
When contraception came in vogue
Adultery followed soon

Divorce a commonplace event
Within the church today
For laity have also frowned 
Upon the holy way

There is a purpose to the time
We spend upon this earth
It's more than just a social climb
To gather all we're worth

A husband's called to give his life
In answer to the call
And sacrifice to love his wife
That they may never fall

And women also answer to 
The call of Christ the King
When they a life of love imbue
And fond submission bring

Vocation comes from hearing well 
The gentle loving call
And answering, we then excel
By giving Him our all,

Wednesday
My every breath another gift
Your word oh Lord I search and sift
The narrow gate a scary thought 
When listening to all You taught

Have I trimmed down throughout these years
Or is this all just thin veneers
The saints have shown the simple way
But I care not the price to pay

I know some last will then be first
I know, for love, I truly thirst
But know myself and dread the thought
To hear You say, "I know you not"

Thursday
No reason now to be cast down
Though weakness and our sin abound
He gave us armor, sword, and shield
Against the darkness here to wield

Be fully dressed, prepared each day
To face perverted, evil ways
In present darkness still aware
The sharpest sword is still a prayer

Friday
Simon and Jude are not mentioned that much
But called as Apostles and martyred as such
Faithfully spreading the word in their time
Laid the foundation upon which we climb

Will we stand firm and build higher yet
So those who come after may still higher get?
Our job, like Apostles named Simon and Jude
Is to lead all the hungry to this holy food.

Saturday
Why jockey for position
To find the highest place
When our most true ambition
Should be to find His grace?

Sunday, October 23, 2016

10/16/16 Through 10/22/16

10/16/16 Through 10/22/16

Sunday
In pride we're blind, but Love can see
The weakness of humanity
No battle won by strength or might
But through the cross we win the fight

When Moses stood as on the cross
Then Israel would have no loss
But when his arms grew tired and weak
The force of evil then would peak

We cannot tire of doing right
If we expect to win this fight
The cross becomes for those who see
A trusty sword,. . . humility

Monday
Created for the works of good
Each christian soul most rightly should
Be sharing how the Lord has blessed
And bringing Christ to all the rest

Why store the grain and waste the chance
For gospel teaching to advance
By freely sharing Christ convey
For grain unused will rot away

Tuesday
Let all Thy works give thanks oh Lord
Let faithful ones receive reward
For making known the holy way
Their steadfast love You will repay.

Wednesday
Just look around and you can see
How much the Lord entrusts to thee
Then working hard on His return
Much more is given you will learn

But if you waste your time below
What pain and darkness you will know
For with the blessings come demands
The worthless steward never stands

Thursday
Kindle fire within our souls
Bright with many glowing coals
Radiating so intense
It warms whoever travels hence

Fire that chases dross away
Fire that purifies our way
Exquisite flame for cutting through
The bars that separate from You

For blessed the land that calls You Lord
Without all wickedness explored
Whose freedom used for common good
Discover true nirvana would

Friday
We see that day leads on to night
We see that anger picks a fight
We see that water flows downhill
We see destruction from self-will

And yet we mask our emptiness
With pleasures planned to ease the stress
Just killing time so we don't see
Before us lies eternity

The more we turn away from Him
And try to satisfy each whim
The more we self-absorb and splurge
We find amusements more a scourge

Great sadness comes from revelry
And seeking pleasures just for me
But joy in frank humility
And peace through light and purity

Friday PM
Take me through the fire of love
And purge my sinful soul thereof
Attachment to my base desires
By cleansing me in holy fires

Saturday
Each member gifted in some way
To bring the harvest in each day
Each tree appointed to bear fruit
Or else the master will uproot

Though branches sway with foliage fine
We hear the Master there opine
I've fertilized this all around
But find no fruit, so cut it down

Oh Lord you threaten not the weak
But the gifted, strong, and sleek
Each one produce as granted them
Or find themselves at last condemned

Sunday, October 16, 2016

10/9/16 Through 10/15/16

10/9/16 Through 10/15/16

Sunday
What leprosy infects the soul
And keeps us from becoming whole
A different kind of leprosy
That just infects the way we see

We judge ourselves entitled to
The many gifts received from you
When we should have a grateful heart
And learn to thankfulness impart

Monday
The Queen of Sheba recognized
The wisdom that the king provides
And Ninevites repented when
The prophet Jonah preached to them

But in our day they look for signs
And observation quickly finds
That most prefer the yoke of sin
To tempering the beast within

Tuesday
Outside are signs of that within
The anger, lust, and greed of sin
By water cleansed becomes the skin
Repentance cleanses that within

Wednesday
So difficult to walk the walk
Much easier to talk the talk
Unfortunate we often choose
The easy way, then find we lose

We see the splinter in the eye
And to remove it we must try
Expecting them to freely thank
The one whose eye contains a plank

We love to take the highest place
Then look on others with disgrace
To hear a greeting loud proclaimed
And be a man of honor named

The lawyer and the Pharisee
Exposed to light we clearly see
Are not what others tend to be
But really names for you and me.

Thursday
Don't flatter Me with empty word
Don't let such hollow praise be heard
But let me see the things you do
And thus receive My praise from you

Each one created for the Lord
And for each one, are blessings stored
Become what you were meant to be
And find the peace you're meant to see

Friday
No secrets in the world above
No lies within the world of love
All there before us plain as day
The light of Truth, or darkness' way

Fear not to let the truth be known
Fear not your sinfulness to own
The One who feeds the sparrow well 
Can save you from the fire of Hell.

Saturday
Come to Me wherever you are
A soul quite near, or one quite far
I made you for this love of Mine
A love, in things, you cannot find

In beauty of the world you see 
A dim reflection there of Me
A spousal oneness, closer still
But not quite yet My holy will

The only love to mend thy soul
To fill you up and make you whole
Is love in answer to the call
Of One who sacrifices all..


Sunday, October 9, 2016

10/2/16 through 10/8/16

10/2/16 through 10/8/16

Sunday
Destruction and brutality
Have hastened and surrounded me
My voice it seems to go unheard
The lines of right and wrong are blurred

Now write it down in words of stone
The righteous ones are not alone
And faith the size of mustard seed
Can make this nation cleansed and freed.

Monday
Observe the poor along the road
And meet with mercy freely showed
See within the poor and weak
Christ the King, of whom we seek.

Tuesday
Work to find a humble way
To sit with Him and learn to pray
To rest a while, there at His feet
And there His loving eyes to meet

Wednesday
Father, Maker, the great I AM
You sent Your Son as our Paschal Lamb
Thy will be done on earth today
And grant the bread we need this day.

Forgiving others let us win
Forgiveness now for all our sin
Guide me in the way of right
And make me strong in evil's fight.

Thursday
Deceit no place within His house
But truth and love His chosen spouse
There is no place for men of lies
They cannot stand before His eyes

This day I choose to guard my tongue
This day I work to teach the young
The way of love I know is best
The way to find eternal rest

To put away my foolish pride
And walk along the Savior's side
Trusting Him for all I need
And following His faithful lead

Friday
There is a way of good and right
I'm bound to let you know
That leads from darkness into light
And teaches how to grow

It's not enough to clear the weed
And fallow lie the ground
But plant a new and different seed
That happiness be found

Sow the Word, and let it grow
And flourish in the soil
Then harvest much and you will know
Reward for all your toil.

Saturday
A ready heart He found in her
Whom anything would not prefer
To knowing Him yet deeper still
And following His holy will

She found in Him a resting place
And now we call her Full of Grace
How blessed the one who bore the Son
The Virgin Highly Favored One

In every moment treasure found
With every look and every sound
The Son of God upon her breast
The Virgin Mother highly blessed



Sunday, October 2, 2016

9/25/16 Through 10/1/16

9/25/16 Through 10/1/16

Sunday
Everywhere the poor are found
The wooden bell of life will sound
How is it needs that loud implore
We find so easy to ignore?

A judgment made as we pass by
And turn our gaze up to the sky
Attempting not to meet the eyes
For fear of lifting their disguise.

Monday
This day befalls a tragedy
For many in the land
But end it not, with blasphemy
For something from His hand.

Accept it all with grace this day
Forever not the same
Then let the rabble hear you say
Blessed be His name

Tuesday
Let my prayer come before you
Bend Thine ear and hear my plea
Surfeited with suffering
And longing to be free.

Wednesday
What hardened heart has ever known
Success apart from Him
For dissipation's always shown
Alas, another whim.

The kingdom calls for all we own
Hold nothing back at all
Good fortune found in Him alone
In answer to His call

Thursday
Oh, Michael archangel, defender of right
With sword all ablaze, you defended the light
Unwavering, steadfast, and true in the fight
Till all of the darkness was cast in the night

Raphael guide of the lost and confused
The guts of a fish were the things that you used
To drive away demons that killed in the night
Restoring great wealth, and above all, clear sight.

Gabriel, messenger, bearer of news
Sent to the virgin, our Savior did choose
Announcing the time of fulfillment arrived
No longer the world, of the Light is deprived

Friday
Probing the depths of the sea and the sky
Only can prompt, in my soul, to ask why
The God of the morning, and Lord of the night
Would offer His creatures a future so bright.

Saturday
The strangest thing, I now observe
In people, here, that live
The more they freely learn to serve,
The more they freely give.

The more the greedy grab to hoard
And gather up each day
The more they lose of what's been stored
And more that slips away.

Sunday, September 25, 2016

9/18/16 Through 9/24/16

9/18/16 Through 9/24/16

Sunday
Every man will serve a master
Some of wealth or power and fame
All will lead them to disaster
Except the One with Jesus' name

Monday
Come into my life oh Lord
Another day I can't afford
Light a lamp to show the way
And lead me to the light of day

Be there beside me every hour
To conquer sin with holy power
To chase the darkness of the night
With true and everlasting light

Tuesday
Like water in your hands oh Lord
I pray that I may be
Always ready to be poured
Wherever You may please

Not willing just to read Your word
But listen and obey
Then act upon what I have heard
And find You new each day

Wednesday
The heavens declare His glory
The stars in concert sing
Each day retells the story
Of blessings that He brings

The order of creation
Each night that turns to day
Proclaims a loud ovation
And beckons us to pray

Thursday
All is here that ever was
Nothing new in what man does
Work to get ahead then find
Alas, the effort all but blind

The sun arises every day
From east to west it knows the way
A new or different interest piques
But ne'er provides man what he seeks

Friday
I fear my love a paltry thing
When on the cross, I see the King
I want a love of purity
But flesh impedes maturity

Instead of seeking heaven's gain
I flee from every hint of pain
And search for Simon on the way
To help me through each passing day

Much better to, a Simon be
And always learn to walk with Thee
Then shoulder well my daily cross
And count all other gains as loss.

Saturday
If we but understood the Word
And acted on the things we heard
Like Mother Mary, we would be
A humble soul that's been set free.


Sunday, September 18, 2016

9/11/16 Through 9/17/16

9/11/16 Through 9/17/16

Sunday
Turn around and find again
The paradise we lost back then
When Love would walk there by our side
But we, instead, had chosen pride

And yet we see today like then
A choice for pride or love again
To be like him and bear the pain
That we might walk with Him again

Monday
So full of grace, that simple name
The one whom through the savior came
Within her blessed virgin womb
The son of God began to bloom

Her nursling at abundant breast
Emmanuel, in arms at rest
Love to never wane or tarry
With the name of Virgin Mary.

Tuesday
The widow and the orphan know
That sorrows come, and sorrows go
And in this world that moves so fast
Most manage just to look right past

But Jesus manages to hear
The voices of the poor quite clear
And comfort in the sorrows brings
Through love in many little things

Tuesday PM
Both poetry and prophecy
Can open eyes and make them see
But only to a ripened heart
Can knowledge of the Word impart.

Wednesday
The ugliness of sin revealed
In Christ upon the tree
The sentence for our sin repealed
The captives all set free

No serpent on a pole can heal
The pride or greed of man
The Son of God through His ordeal
And humble graces can.

Lift high the sign of righteousness
That all might see above
The ransom for our sinfulness
The costly price of love

Thursday
In quiet reticence abides
The virgin mother there provides
A model for the holy ones
And through the ages still it runs

A sword would pierce her sinless heart
To all her children grace impart
The sorrows of that final test
Have made our Mother highly blessed

Friday
The fate of all our earthly pangs
Upon the resurrection hangs
The author of this life has said
There is a rising from the dead

Saturday
The trials of each day reveal
The soil which is found ideal
For there alone seed flourishes
Producing much that nourishes.

Sunday, September 11, 2016

9/4/16 Through 9/10/16

9/4/16 Through 9/10/16

Sunday
I often sit and there opine
How short this memory of mine
Your written and Your spoken word
Forgotten as if never heard

So quickly lost in earthly care
That springs from almost anywhere
I flit and flutter through the day
Forgetting all the words You say

But Mercy comes anew each morn
And once again new hope is born
You whisper once again to me
And briefly open eyes to see

Someday it will be different when
The Word is fully present then
And sharing in the life divine
The knowledge of the Word is mine.

Monday
I'd rather have a withered hand
And faithful trust in Him
Than find my house was built on sand
When come the rain and wind

Tuesday
We claim it's justice that we seek
But not the justice of the meek
Instead of suffering some pain
We go to court for earth;y gain

Before the procurator stood
The source of all that is that's good
In justice He should be adored
Yet by the judges was abhorred

Wednesday
I've found that in the ways of Christ
The path of life is highly priced
When poverty I freely choose
So many things I also lose

Greed and gluttony, avarice
The things I lose are much like this
The Spirit works inside of me
Replacing pride, humility

A paradox it seems to be
That life requires death in me
But yet this feeds and makes me whole
And lust indulged just starves the soul.

Thursday
The child resembles mom and dad
With features those before him had
That curly hair or dimpled chin
By many ways they're known as kin

But Mary like no other one
Is found resembling her Son
In perfect love, and highly priced
We see in her the gift of Christ

A giving of herself to all
In answer to her holy call
A willingness to suffer shame
In honor of His precious name

I pray that I may one day be
A child in whom the world can see
Resemblance to the One above
Resemblance in the ways of love

Friday
With filth and squalor all around
A single ray of light is found
St.  Peter Claver pray for me
And help me set the captive free

But first I need to lose this chain
That makes me seek for earthly gain
Repent of many sins I own
And then be fit to make Him known.

Saturday
Have I been attentive Lord
And listened to Your word
Or have I been just like the hoard
And those that never heard?

Does it make a difference
Because I hear Your voice
Does it give me confidence
When life demands a choice?



Sunday, September 4, 2016

8/28/16 Through 9/3/16

8/28/16 Through 9/3/16

Sunday
Your word, it comes in varied ways
To meet the challenge of the days
Attentive ear and watchful eye
Will recognize and prophesy

But pride will blind the way we see
Through simple, plain, humility
And arrogance will close the ear
To what alone, the lowly hear.

Lord, crucify this mortal flesh
And with a patient love refresh
With eyes that see and ears that hear
Let me always find You near.

Monday
Bewildered in his prison cell
The Baptist asked the Lord to tell
If He was the promised One,
Messiah, and God's only son?

The lame can walk, the blind can see,
Those captive in their sin set free
No longer think your earthly way
But pay great heed to what I say.

Tuesday
With great authority He speaks
And wonders at His hand He piques
The interest of the average man
And starts the Pharisees to plan.

Wednesday
What can the young and weak be fed?
For men of flesh are nearly dead
A solid meal they can't digest
But bread and milk, I would suggest.

Thursday
His sovereignty extends to all
The things that we can see
And far beyond our earthly ball
To all eternity

For to the Lord, belongs the earth
And all with which it's filled
So love Him now for all you're worth
And so His kingdom build.

Friday
Lord grant the wisdom that I seek
Replace the anger, make me meek.
Replace my greed and avarice
With ready love that's generous

Turn envy to contentedness
And gluttony, to wanting less
Instead of flesh that's filled with lust
Give me a heart of love and trust.

Procrastinating, lazy ways
Replace with fertile, fruitful days
Destroy in me, that evil pride
And keep me humbly at Your side

Saturday
What wonder in the skies above
That all up there was made for love
The worlds within the stars that shine,
the smallness of this life of mine.

Yet somehow in this vast expanse
Amid this fine and ordered dance
The One who made this speckled sea
Has come to save and die for me

For love beyond the breadth of skies
To every man this love applies
If I could learn to love like this
My life would be eternal bliss