3/13/22 Through 3/19/22

 3/13/22 Through 3/19/22

Sunday

Behold the light upon the hill

One shining brightly ever still.

Afar we see this awesome sight,

No closer draw because of fright.

A holiness to shake our bones

A God who for our sin atones.

A brightness that no fuller knows

A love within that grows and grows.

Afraid to hear a thund'ring voice,

To stay away a coward's choice.

Let brightly shine the face that sees

His glory with the will to please.

One day we'll choose upon that height

The light of day, or dark of night.

Though terrified my soul will be,

I pray I choose the light to see.

To stay within His presence there 

And find the love beyond compare.

With then reflected on my face

The light of everlasting grace.

Monday

This can be sung to the tune of Attende Domine

Refrain: Hear us Almighty God, Show us Your mercy,

Sinners we stand here before You.

Unworthy children, spoiled by Your goodness,

Source of all riches. store of many graces

Renew and guide us ,bring us to salvation.  Ref.

Heal and protect us, guide us in Your pathway

Teach us in mercy, how to love our neighbor.

Make us a beacon, light for all the nations.  Ref.

Anew we call You each and every morning

Hopeful of mercy, riches in Your wisdom

Speak to us clearly, guide our every movement.  Ref.

Mold us and shape us, make us worthy servants.

Strengthen our weakness, grant to us new courage.

Give us the vict'ry over dark and evil.  Ref.

Tuesday

The time is now to set things right

To turn and face the day.

Though red your sin and dark as night

There is a better way.

The Pharisees and scribes will make

Their fancy little show.

Beware of them and never take

The way they choose to go.

Wednesday

"Let us set a trap". they said,

"Contrive a plot that he be dead."

There's plenty wisdom from our own.

He's just one prophet all alone.

None want to hear his damning word

The truth, prefer they, not be heard.

They'd rather live as willful blind

Than have their will with His aligned.

He came to serve and ransom all,

That clear would be His Father's call

To love beyond the earthly mind

And joy in every service find.

Thursday

For barren bush, no seasons change,

A salt and empty earth.

But even so, this too can change,

If faith is given birth.

No so for those who trust the Lord,

Whose hope is ever new.

For them an ever blest reward

That's always right and true.

No fear when heat and drought attack,

Green leaves and fruit they bear.

No blessing will the righteous lack

For God is with them there.

Friday

Evil plots within the mind

When man believes his way aligned

With justice he himself declares

As someone worse to he compares.

Our pride can cause the best of men

To see as good the evil when

We puff our chest beyond its bound

To where a lie, as truth is found.

Yet somewhere deep within is known

The lie as truth that we have sown

Will show its ugly head someday,

And then a heavy price we'll pay

Saturday

St. Joseph in your special way

One humble who did often pray,

No word in scripture did you say,

But every word of God obey.

So close to him, his every word

By you, in dreams was clearly heard.

And quickly too, did you conform

To safely have our Savior born.

For such a docile heart you gained,

The Virgin Mother kept unstained,

And far surpassing love was found

When you in chastity were bound.

Oh, patron of a happy death

When I approach my final breath

Let me, like you, be ushered there

By Jesus and His Mother's care.

3/6/22 Through 3/12/22

 3/6/22 Through 3/12/22

Sunday

In His famished weakened state

The Lord of lords did demonstrate

A strength beyond the human will

To face the evil one and still

Hold fast to what is true and just

Rejecting every earthly lust.

From that same store of grace we draw

When answering the daily call.

A reservoir that's rich and deep

Enabling the weak to keep

His law within temptation's hour

When useless seems our earthly power.

So draw upon this great reserve

And answer well the One we serve.

When evil comes don't shy away,

But face temptation that same way,

And let His word be rooted deep

That faithful service you may keep

Monday

How many times the poor ignored

And rich go on their way

While wealth for many years is stored

To comfort them someday.

Show me Lord how I should act

Responding to Your will

Not to ideals afar abstract,

But to Your word fulfill.

One generous I've tried to be,

But miss Your mark by far.

I dread that day that I may see

How much like You they are.

With prudence as a goal of mine

I save to meet my need

That as we age and wants decline

Our store somewhat exceeds.

Then when I'm gone the rest I send

In equal shares of nine

To those that from the loins descend

With one for all of Thine.

Tuesday

Alone in freedom love is found

The slave in chains forever bound.

One will alone,

 that knows the good,

The will that chose the rugged wood.

The purposed sacrifice of all,

The ever-present upward call

To gain by giving all you own

And find your life in Him alone.

A daily portion He provides,

In Him is where forgiveness bides,

And no enticement can compare

With love that's pure and always there.

Wednesday

This evil generation's sign

Is look upon this cross of Mine

The sacrifice upon the wood.

Is One alone that's truly good.

The humble and contrite will see

What proud and haughty come to be,

And how their lack of faith and trust

Will fill the Master with disgust.

No sign sufficient, then or now

To break the bonds of pride somehow

For that which softens wax to mold

When oft deflected makes them cold.

And hardened hearts when cold and dead

With milk and honey can't be fed

Though warm and supple humble heart,

By love is made a work of art.

Thursday

The humble prayer a gift divine

The hope of all these dreams of mine

No glory here on earth to show,

But way to let descendants know.

The One we worship and adore

Wants all for you and so much more

Than eye can see or understand,

He wants pure love as He had planned.

He wants to hear our every need

And not to hear us beg and plead,

That all His children come and see

Unbounded love He has for thee.

So ask and seek, and knock and see

How much He loves and cares for thee,

But ask according to His will

For that alone will longings fill.

Friday

Turn from wicked ways and see

The bounties God prepared for thee.

In following His holy way

He leads to everlasting day.

In Him be ever held secure

A place for those who long endure,

Who turn not from the righteous way,

Nor falter in the battle's fray.

But those who weaken in the fight

And to temptation, yield their might,

The land of love will never find

For they become the willful blind.

The way you face your final breath

Determines life or darkest death.

So steadfast in the goodness be,

And life eternal, you will see.

Saturday

To love is your simple command,

The way that of old You had planned.

Not complex you see, but not easy for me,

To love, is a painful demand.

But love brings a greater reward,

For in love, all contentment is stored.

When the other is key, it is easy to see,

How love draws the sinner aboard.

And oh, that alas, I was found!

One lost in the evil around,

But there in the glare and a far distant stare,

The Shepherd, my world, did astound.

2/27/22 Through 3/5/22

 2/27/22 Through 3/5/22

Sunday

The speech reveals the inner core,

The tongue the rudder for the store

Of that within that shapes the tree

And kind of fruit you'll get from me.

So, how to shape this steering bit, 

To good, or make the best of it?

I must reform what lies within

Where all my thoughts and words begin.

Oh God of goodness and of love

Descend Thy Spirit from above

And change my sinful heart of stone

To one for love and love alone.

A docile spirit, make of me

Who does Your will most eagerly,

Who acts upon Your each command

To build on rock, and not on sand.

Monday

There's always yet another thing

We to the sacrifice must bring.

Some little portion tucked away

That we've held back for rainy day.

The price is all we own for love,

For life in endless peace above,

But that retained will weigh us down

Then peace and joy be never found.

A sadness comes when much is owned,

But truthfully, It's all been loaned.

For none of this we take to grave,

And none of this has power to save.

So give whatever's asked of you

And use the gifts He's given you,

For talents wasted bring no gain,

And storing them will end in pain.

Tuesday

What awaits, so far beyond,

Upon the mind has never dawned.

The resurrection glory there

For man, is far beyond compare.

No eye has seen, nor ear has heard

A song so sweet from earthly bird,

Or beauty taking breath away

As that amid eternal day.

A hundredfold upon the earth

For those who have their second birth,

And more in ages yet to come

For those who sin have overcome.

So see in ever clearer light

As battle rages through the night

The prize of everlasting joy

And all for good in you employ.

Wednesday

Do not appear as one in gloom,

But let your face light up the room.

The fasting of most worthy kind

Is that of which no others find.

The one that trumpets all he does

Gets no reward above because

His glory found on earth below

Was letting all the others know.

In secret pray and offer alms

For humble service always calms

The burning selfish base desire

And kindles yet a different fire.

A fire of love that heals the soul,

A fire to cleanse and make us whole.

Refining heat that purifies

With great reward when humble dies.

Thursday

There before you life and death

Stretch out your hand to that you choose.

Honor God in every breath

And never your salvation lose.

Turn away and you will find

No blessing and no peace of mind.

Law will guide the faithful though,

Prosperity then they will know.  

Friday

In lent we hear the upward call 

To come to Him, to give our all.

To cast aside the pleasures here

And evermore to Him draw near.

This dreaded sacred fasting now

Will draw us closer in somehow

If we can learn humility

And how a loving soul should be.

Not wallowing within our pain,

But working for another's gain,

And helping free those under sin,

Undoing evil's chains within.

To make your voice be heard on high

Don't pass the naked homeless by.

Release the ones unjustly bound,

And see the light of dawn is found.

For Lent this year, again renew

The gift of Christ once given you

When water washed away the sin,

And life in Christ did then begin.

Saturday

Amid the darkness light shall rise

As midday be the gloom.

A holy fast within His eyes

Drives darkness from the room.

No snide remarks, or judging those

Who different though they be,

And there within the parched land grows

Enough for such as these.

A garden watered with a stream

Of life that never fails,

A rising to the top the cream

Where love alone prevails.

2/20/22 Through 2/26/22

 2/20/22 Through 2/26/22

Sunday

Mercy shows the better man

Who walks within the Master's plan.

So many times forgiven we

Must merciful to others be.

A horrid dread should I receive

A just reward, and not reprieve.

For all my many sins have shown

The One that's good is God alone.

Monday

Discussing evil does no good,

So why this waste of time?

By prayer and fasting Christians should

Rebuke the evil kind.

We're called to action, not to talk

Of evil's power and might,

To boldly speak and walk the talk,

To conquer in the fight.

Our boasting in the flesh will bring

No wisdom from above.

Of foul and jealous hearts will spring

No fruit of selfless love.

Such talk the demons love to hear

Distracting from what's true

They win the fight because of fear

And trusting not in you.

So humble be, and speak your plea

By trusting God alone.

With prayer and fasting you will see

His healing love is shown.

Tuesday

The Chair of Peter I have seen,

The foot of which bears polished sheen

From many pilgrims bowing there

Submitting to the faithful chair.

My Jesus wrote no treatise long,

Not even just a little song

To point the way or guide the flock,

But gave the keys to truth unlock.

And Peter trusted with those keys

In humble service there would please

To guard the faith that's true and clear

That all on earth should one day hear.

One faith alone where one goes deep

To all His teachings truly keep.

The Church, the treasury of old

That feeds and tends the Father's fold.

Wednesday

To know the right and do the wrong,

To go along to get along,

The way of comfort and of ease

Will not the Lord of love now please.

For love will always take a stand,

The gift of self its great demand.

One steadfast in the mighty storm

The lure of wealth cannot reform.

I wish that man of love was me

A selfless man of dignity,

But wide and spacious oft I choose

O'er narrow way, and freedom lose.

A martyr's zeal I wish I knew,

With ardent faith and courage too,

But simple daily trials wear

And set me for another snare.

If simple things too much for me

Then how that final day will be!

For mercy I must ever call

Or to the dreaded pit I fall.

One day, no more, is but today.

This day alone you know the way.

Have courage in the little things,

And see what else His mercy brings.

Thursday

The Kingdom's here before our eyes,

But few it is, to enter tries.

Instead we look to earthly gain

As if on earth, we'd all remain.

But none as yet have cheated death,

All breathe someday their final breath.

Then gold and silver seem so pale,

And all the worldly riches fail.

The place above, so far removed,

Of He who moves, but is unmoved

Counts not the temporal wealth of gold,

But lasting wealth that we behold.

For love remains when all else fails

And entry there great love avails.

We sever ties with ways of sin

If there we wish to enter in.

Friday

Each marriage is a holy bond

As when at first our race had dawned.

The two as one were made to be

An image of the Trinity

Where all is given life is new.

There now is one where once was two.

In total gift we find the joy,

What God has joined let none destroy.

Saturday

Let the children come to me

For such as those all men should be.

With innocence and trust they find

The peace and joy that God designed.

No complicated ways of man,

But simple love and trust that can

Bring joy amidst the daily cares

And save us from the earthly snares.

The snares of worry, greed, and fret

That earthly mindedness beget.

The sloth and envy, greed and lust

That cloud the mind and weaken trust.

For none of these the spirit quell

Or of the ways of God will tell

But innocence unclouded sees

And innocent are such as these.