12/10/17 Through 12/16/17

12/10/17 Through 12/16/17

Sunday

A voice in far-off wilderness

Now beckons come, and here confess

Receive forgiveness of your sins

And see what your repentance wins

A Savior coming to forgive

The wanton way of life we live

To change the hearts of  sinful men

And reconcile with God again

Monday

By lowering him through the roof

His friends thus offered Christ this proof

That they considered now arrived

The day Isaiah prophesied

Where streams burst forth in desert sand

And all around is fertile land

Where beasts no longer prey on men

And all the sick are healed again

The highway then, the holy way

Will lead no travellers astray

On it the ransomed will return

To find the One, for whom they yearn

Tuesday

Oh Virgin of all virgins

Most highly favored one

Pure maiden fit to offer

To bear God's only Son

Your fiat to the angel

Your word of "Let it be"

Now salvation brought to dwell 

Among humanity

Wednesday

Here I sit so weak and weary

Pondering Isaiah's query

Who else is like this Lord of ours

Creator of the earth and stars?

So far beyond our scrutiny

The love He has for you and me

Our strength and courage in the fight

Yet easy yoke and burden light

Our hope in him our strength renewed

With vigor, now our souls imbued

Where all who labor find their rest

And weak and weary souls are blest

Thursday

In dry and barren desert land

We see the Lord's redeeming hand

He brings refreshing waters where

The sands are hot and starkly bare

How swift He comes to answer those

Whose poverty was freely chose

This parched, and once abandoned, space

Becomes His holy dwelling place

With towering trees and fertile ground

Where love and quiet peace are found

Abundant grains and olive trees

Will feed the faithful ones like these.

Friday

The flute is played, yet few will dance

They see His face and look askance

The dirge is played for all the rest

Yet mourn they not, or beat their breast

For all too often we ignore

The call of Him to offer more

We find our little comfort zone

And wish, there to, be left alone

So less is more for greedy eyes

For in our want we recognize

The way to make it through the strife

Is call upon the Lord of Life

Put all your faith and trust in He

Who cured the sick and calmed the sea

Believe and follow in His way

To find the bright eternal day.

Saturday

Unchecked the evil spirit would

destroy the love of fatherhood

As in the garden's whisper where

He fostered fear and spread despair

Yet in the Father's love for man

He had an even greater plan

His Son to all the earth would show

It's true!  The Father love's us so.

12/3/17 Through 12/9/17

12/3/17 Through 12/9/17

Sunday

You are the potter and we are the clay

So why do You let us go far astray?

Why do You give us this freedom of will,

Allowing us then to stray farther still?

How stupid we are to stray from our King

The One, who to all, can happiness bring

Make us to see at the end of the day

True love's only found from walking Your way

Monday

Oh Lord I am not worthy

Resounds through every day

As we before receive Thee

In this most special way

Say the word and healing bring

To this most wretched soul

To evil I refuse to cling

Oh Lord, please make me whole

Tuesday

On that day a shoot shall sprout

From Jesse's withered stump

A bud and blossom peeking out

With wisdom full and plump

Justice flowers in His day

And peace without an end

The lowly poor He comes to save

And wounds He comes to mend

Wednesday

His heart was moved with pity

As He looked upon the crowd

So far from any city

And to feed them He avowed

But where in this deserted place

Could anyone find bread

This multitude, in any case,

To be completely fed?

But faith and trust in Him who heals

And makes the blind to see

Provides to all the healthy meals

Of love and unity.

Thursday

A nation with a purpose strong

Oh Lord, You keep in peace for long

But one that wavers in two ways

Will never last for many days

Grant us the grace to hear the Word

And act upon what we have heard

That we may sit on solid rock

And answer You when e're You knock

Friday

Oh, to be conceived in grace

Without the stain of sin

How different now, would be this place

If only saints within

But we can change the world too

As Mary did so well

By turning from the sin we do

In peace, we then would dwell

Saturday

A harvest rich presents no good

If none will gather in

Those standing idle truly should

To labor now begin

Just listen and the Lord will speak

To let you know the way

And lead you to the peace you seek

And teach you what to say.

11/26/17 Through 12/2/17

11/26/17 Through 12/2/17

Sunday

The final day is coming near

And only fools would have no fear

For who could stand before this King

Without the shame that sin will bring?

When all is known before His eye

"But, Mercy lord!" will be our cry

For death is what we all deserve

By failing, this great King, to serve

Repent and turn away from sin

A fresh and new life now begin

Let Him heal the blind and lame

That they might bear the Master's name

Monday

Two copper coins, her livelihood
Her all in all she gave
Through love of God she understood
His pow'r to heal and save

Tuesday
A great destruction coming soon

The Master comes, the vine to prune

Fulfilling then His faithful oath

To strip away the useless growth

We strut about in useless leaves

Disguising liars, fools, and thieves

But when the vine is stripped and clean

The truth for all is clearly seen

The source of life comes from the Vine

And not these worthless "things" of mine

So lose the leaves without dispute

The time has come for bearing fruit.

Wednesday
The writing hand proclaims the Word
That we must understand
To turn away would be absurd
And void what He has planned

The hand of God is written down
Beside us everyday
But often we just look and frown
"It's much too hard a way"

Absorb the Word and make it known
It's not too late as yet
To see the wonders He has shown
And closer to Him get

Thursday
Read in hope, the holy Word
And answer when the call is heard
To drop the nets and follow near
And overcome your foolish fear

His way will bring a peace unknown
As saints throughout the years have shown
And you as well, through love shall find
His comfort and His peace of mind

Friday
No way for evil to assuage
The glory of the coming age
The brilliance of eternal light
Or darkness of eternal night

The light shall win when all is shown
And every evil lie made known
That vict'ry is already here
If we but to, the Lord draw near.

Saturday
Will I be ready for that day
When fear and trembling pass this way?
Will I be found awake, alert?
Will I be one escaped unhurt?

It's doubtful I could pass the fire
And thus the crown of love acquire
Without a stop to burn away
Corruption of this earthly clay

Lord, change me now while there is time
To help me on this upward climb
And make of me a servant true
Who always sets his sights on You.

11/19/17 Through 11/25/17

11/19/17 Through 11/25/17

Sunday

The worthy wife with busy hands

A house of love, her work expands

The needy clothed, the poor are fed

Her labor yields a filling bread

Great faithfulness in tiny things

A heart of constancy it brings

And no calamity can shake

The faithful servant, wide awake.

Monday

Just how, oh Lord, I want to see

And follow closely, unto Thee

But weak I am, and every day

To sin I bow, and fall away

The love upon Your face I see

In agony upon the tree

And yet I fail to muster power

To follow, in temptation's hour

A blind and foolish man I am

And You, the good and spotless Lamb

I cry aloud that I might be

Someday allowed to walk with Thee

My weakness runs to any length

But You can be my needed strength

Help me to choose to follow Thee

And place myself upon that tree.

Tuesday

Grant courage and a steadfast heart

That I may gladly do my part

To show the young a heart sincere

Can suffer much and never fear

No one remembers those who failed

But only those whose spirits scaled

The height of total love and trust

Forevermore, their faith discussed

Wednesday

A coin is given to each man

To trade and ply the best he can

To bring a greater harvest where 

The evil one can bring despair

The mother with her seven sons

Were thought the poor misfortuned ones

But they invested all they had

And now in paradise are glad

Their coin of love and trust they spent

With battered flesh, and bodies rent

Their story through the centuries told

Their lives returning many fold

Thursday

Our faith must be much more than word

By action best, our voice is heard

When staring evil in the eye

We must insist, we won't comply

Our hope must strengthen in the fight

That God will lead beyond the night

And soon will come a brighter day

With happiness along the way

Our charity must be sincere

And raise the needy planted here

For love will change both heart and mind

And keep us with, the Lord aligned

Friday

Your zeal, oh Lord, how we have seen

That You desire a temple clean

Drive out the evil from my ways

And fill my heart with holy praise

Saturday

How easily we fool ourselves

And turn from what is true

We make our own reality

And run ourselves askew

If we would just but listen well

And do as we are told

Such foolishness we would expel

And enter in the fold