1/12/20 Through 1/18/20

1/12/20 Through 1/18/20

Sunday

Baptized and claimed for God alone

A furrow where the seed is sown.

A gift beyond the mind of man

To enter in the Father's plan.

The waters wash away the sin

And let a life of love begin.

Repentance leads to life anew

Forever drawing close to You.

The oil an aromatic seal,

Not only sign, but truly real,

To claim us as the Savior's bride,

And grant us victory over pride.

Monday

Barren long, but fruitful be

The one who puts their trust in Thee.

For those who trust in all He said

Will always have their daily bread.

Not always what we have in mind,

Sometimes a very different kind,

But always what is good you see,

Some gift for all eternity.

Tuesday

This is how things came about,

A prophet pure, and clean, devout

A ready will to stop and pray,

To listen well and then obey.

Great discipline from time of birth

One trained to shun the things of earth,

But also trained to listen well,

And of the Father's glory tell.

In silence comes the Father's word

In quiet are instructions heard.

In stillness watch the waters flow,

His voice you then will come to know.

Wednesday

Are you truly listening?

What does this time of silence bring?

A full communion with the King,

Or just another song to sing?

This time I need to just survive

To hear Your voice and then derive

The path to walk throughout the day

And find Your peace along the way.

Thursday

So why is our defeat allowed?

To punish sin, or humble proud?

To teach you all to listen well,

And let My word within you dwell.

Not service of the lips alone,

But in the heart, My word made known.

So all could see and thus declare,

"He listens to the humble's prayer!"

Friday

No earthly king could ever bring

Prosperity to reign

No sovereign here could thus endear,

But rule with ball and chain.

The sovereign Lord of love outpoured,

The Mercy Seat alone

Forgives the sin, and welcomes in

With kindness freely shown.

Saturday

Unworthy everyone that's called.

The prophet and the king recalled.

Wealthy leaders, humble poor,

The likes of you and me, for sure.

Tax collectors, pharisees,

The prostitutes, and such as these.

The bishops, pope, and every priest,

All the greatest and the least.

Yet those who trust and follow well,

He chooses to within them dwell.

To lead through every darkened way,

And be their strength for everyday.

1/5/20 Through 1/11/20

1/5/20 Through 1/11/20

Sunday

Men of wisdom, men of old

Bringing gifts of myrrh and gold,

Frankincense and praise to Thee,

Spark such wondrous love in me.

Help me see the signs and know

Clearly how my steps should go.

Let me offer all to Thee,

And may my gifts, accepted be.

Monday

The Kingdom of heaven is near

The time for repentance is here.

A great light has shown, and Christ is made known,

Cast out is the darkness and fear.

True poverty children is this

To recognize Him and not miss

There is nothing we own, if the truth be made known,

All comes from the One we dismiss.

Tuesday

Within our grasp yet far away

The grace sufficient for each day

The food to feed the masses there

In Catholic churches everywhere.

Yet only few will come and dine

Partaking of the bread and wine

That blessed, became the flesh and blood

To bring about the graces flood.

Yet even many gathered there

In spite of what, in truth, they share

Will fail to recognize in bread

The Word by which they're truly fed.

Receive no more with doubt in mind,

This food is far a different kind.

A food to join with Love Divine

And welcome in this heart of mine.

Wednesday

He sent them all along their way

Then took some time alone to pray

To clearly hear the Father speak,

Then on to save the frail and weak.

His time alone to pray would be

His strength throughout His ministry,

To mold unto the Father's will,

And for our sins, His blood to spill.

We too must listen everyday

To hear and know the proper way.

For flesh, with pleasure, oft deceives,

But one who listens well receives.

A daily fiat paves the way

For God to brighten everyday.

To cure the leper, heal the lame

And magnify His Holy Name.

Thursday

If you hate the one you see

How can you say that you love me?

For there before you I abide,

No matter what the flesh may hide.

Friday

That you may know, I write these things

That tell of what the Savior brings.

A cleansing mercy everywhere

Repentant sinners will but dare

Confess their wrong, and seek to change

And love, for selfishness, exchange.

What mercy is extended there,

What healing of our every care.

The leper cleansed and overjoyed

When Mercy grants to fill the void

With love and kindness undeserved

And dignity, at last, preserved.

Saturday

If we ask within His will 

The Lord is faithful ever still

To hear and grant our every need

And in the process, faith to feed.

But He must increase everyday

And I must learn the humble way.

For but a messenger am I

To point the way and testify.

12/29/19 Through 1/4/20

12/29/19 Through 1/4/20

Sunday

Each member's obligation known

To make the family fully grown.

To strengthen bonds of love within

And claim the victory over sin.

The father's job to sacrifice

His leadership, should love entice.

His steadfast love must anchor these

When storms are spread across the seas.

And mother's love should ready be

To warm the chill or bandage knee.

Submitting to the Father's plan,

In service to their holy clan.

The children too, a part must play

As they, their parents, well obey.

And reconcile when bonds are frayed

To fix what damage sin has made.

This holy clan can take a stand

To thwart the evil sin has planned,

And make this world a loving place,

But we must answer to His grace.

Monday

A life of fasting and of prayer

Was Anna's gift in temple there.

A life expectant, filled with joy,

When gazing on that little boy.

We too can find that holy gift

If daily we would search and sift

For how He speaks to us today

And follow in that very way.

We'll meet Him unexpectedly

At work or home, or on the knee.

And quietly He'll show the way

For us to follow and obey.

The many stops along the way

May seem to take us far astray,

But if we follow where He leads

Our every need He fills and feeds.

Tuesday

Light true Light illumine here

The want of dark, and gloom of fear.

The emptiness of those pursuits

Which lead to factions and disputes.

Light the path and show the way

Find the lost, return the stray.

For only in Your light we see

The answer to our humble plea.

Wednesday

Ironic how the Queen of Peace

Should have to run and flee police.

Not for some wrong or evil crime

But just to save the Son divine.

The Son who came to speak the word

Before, that only prophets heard.

But now great kindness here would come

The word of God's most holy Son.

The word of peace and epic calm

The blessing and the healing balm.

But word dividing, word of heat,

To separate the chaff from wheat.

Thursday

What does Messiah truly mean?

Has man before Him ever seen,

A leader anything like He

Who died upon Mount Calvary?

Though many good have passed this way

They are in fact, but jars of clay,

That carry what of Him they hold

The One far greater than the gold.

Mistake me not for one like He.

For I am but a servant, see.

Unworthy to His sandal loose,

Or any good, of mine produce.

A voice that cries, "Prepare the way."

Repent, and learn to daily pray.

Then listen well, and well obey

His word to guide throughout the day.

Friday

In His wondrous Holy Name

Jesus Christ, our King became,

Model, guide, and source of love,

Drawing to the One above.

Revealing what the prophets knew

The depth of love, of God, for you.

The breath of God to fill the sail

And lift the hearts of weak and frail.

That precious name, so good to me,

Has warmed my heart and set me free.,

To love in ways beyond my will,

And chase away the cold and chill.

Saturday

Destroy the Devil's works this year,

And closer to the Lord draw near.

Come and see just where He stays

Then follow Him throughout your days.

Be not ashamed to call Him Lord.

Let pride be hushed, and grace outpoured.

Be witness for the wisdom found

When daily, Christ as king is crowned.

12/22/19 Through 12/28/19

12/22/19 Through 12/28/19

Sunday

Lord change my plans to match Your way

Let not my thoughts get in the way

I see too often only flesh

And need Your Spirit to refresh.

Give me the ears that Joseph had

And let my life, in faith, be clad,

That I may hearken to Your voice,

And make obedience my choice.

Monday

The herald of our Savior King

To throngs of ready souls will bring

The news to turn, and then repent,

To hear the word and then be sent.

To sacrifice in pleasing ways

As once was done in olden days.

To give to God with motives pure

And blessings for beyond secure.

To turn the children back to Him,

Away from darkness, drear, and sin,

And to the fire that purifies

The gold and silver of our lives.

Tuesday

The greatest prophecy to man

Revealed the Savior's mighty plan

To conquer evil's long, dark reign,

And bring about true love's domain.

A kingdom everlasting where

True love and peace are present there.

Where strength and courage dare to love

And fleeting pleasures, rise above.

That King will come in humble form

In manger laid on Christmas morn.

With ox and ass amid the chill,

To those that will receive Him still.

Wednesday

Life so precious squandered where

Our selfishness will breed despair.

So great the gift of Christ the King

To stoop as man and knowledge bring.

Of how they walked in cool of day

With God beside them on the way.

And how it was before the fall,

When they would hear the Master's call.

Oh bring this Christmas day to man

The wonder of the Master's plan,

That peace and love would rule the earth

Once Christ the King had come to birth.

But more than just a babe at rest,

This babe would grow and face the test,

Of what it means to truly love

When nailed upon the cross above.

So savor well this blessed day,

And how He came this humble way.

For this is Love before our eyes

Who humbles self and freely dies.

Thursday

Stephen first among the flock

To follow in His way

The first to show his strength of stock

In hopes of brighter day.

Give us the courage in our time

To do as well today.

To face in love the evil crime,

And show the lost the way.

Friday

St. John, you recognized the love

That comes from God, and God above.

You found in love your daily rest

And laid your head upon His breast.

To just be close, your daily goal.

To let His heart, your heart console.

To give direction to your day

And follow in the Master's way.

Saturday

Each babe a sign of purity,

A wondrous gift of poetry.

Knit well within the mother's womb,

A flower now in perfect bloom.

A miracle is every one

Each daughter, precious, and each son.

The handiwork of God most high,

A gift to bless its parents by.

Protect these holy innocents.

With all you have, spare no expense.

Each one a magnum opus fine,

A masterpiece of God Divine.