5/15/22 Through 5/21/22

 5/15/22 Through 5/21/22

Sunday

To love and sacrifice is life

Yet selfish greed and lust are rife.

The choice to love is mine alone,

To add to sin, or sin atone.

The choice to love can touch the heart

And many graces there impart.

Indifference only feeds the crime

Preventing any upward climb.

But love will stop the spiral down

And truth will form the Savior's crown.

The many thorns, our sins confessed,

By lash, and lance, and nails, we're blessed.

Monday

The Spirit comes revealing love

The precious Son of God above.

A love that cures the blind and lame

And calls on men to do the same.

Some in ways profound and clear

Some with words dispelling fear.

But all should see some subtle way

The Spirit acts in every day.

Gratitude is oft the key

That helps the simple eye to see.

We go about our everyday

And fail to see the gifts conveyed.

But if we look with grateful hearts

We see the blessings Love imparts.

So every good, or every ill

Is drawing to the Father's will.

A will for love to dominate

And all our actions animate,

That learning here to love on earth,

Prepared we'll be for second birth.

Tuesday

Gather round and raise the dead.

Let prayers of praise and thanks be said.

Claim a healing, claim the kind

That changes heart and changes mind.

An intercessor all men need 

To stand before the Lord and plead

The blood of Jesus cleanse our sin

And welcome contrite sinner in.

No life on earth is want to end

Before, with God, it fail to mend

The rift that all our sin has made,

And plead the Blood, our debt has paid.

Wednesday

(Can be sung to the tune of "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent")

Vine supplies the living water

Grafted firmly on the root

There alone the branch can flourish

There it bears abundant fruit.

Prune it well.  Prepare the branches

All they need in this pursuit.

Only in the Vine can branches

Bear desired fruit for He.

Parted they will only whither

All will dry and lifeless be

Fuel for everlasting fire

Those that separate from Thee.

Thursday

The poorest of the poor destroy

Their only chance of finding joy.

They grow to hate His holy will,

And so, their chance at joy they kill.

Commands, He gives to shine a light,

To show the way, dispelling night.

Though selfishness, our vision blurred,

Reality is in His Word.

Obedience, the lower law

So early on Apostles saw

And then they chose one high above,

Divine, self-giving, law of love.

The Spirit gives that higher law

As well to Gentiles, as they saw.

So joy is in the common reach,

And love will span the widest breach.

If only I would plainly see

How daily He is calling me,

And all His offered grace employ,

I'd find my daily dose of joy.

Friday

The challenge is to love another

Not just sister, friend, or brother.

But the one that does you harm,

And so the hateful one disarm.

Saturday

One who loved, the world hated,

He that all the world created.

He who only Truth had spoken

Kept His promises unbroken.

He endured the cross and grave

But three days hence arose to save

The ones that wielded lash and thorn

With nail and lance, His flesh had torn.

How, such love, can man refuse,

Or evil and the good confuse?

In love alone is joy complete.

The Grain we crushed, our Finest Wheat.

5/8/22 Through 5/14/22

 5/8/22 Through 5/14/22

Sunday

The sheep that know the Shepherd's voice

Have made the necessary choice

To listen and obey the King

In order to His presence bring.

Wipe out the fear and quell the pride

That keep the children from Your side

Let mercy flow from waiting arms

That look to only save from harms.

Dear Jesus, rescue those adrift

That they may know Your sacred gift

Of bread and wine as flesh and blood

And love may all their senses flood.

That nevermore they turn away

Or from the chosen flock astray,

But call on You for grace Divine

And with Your every will align.

Monday

Listen for the Lord each day

Make time that you, in silence, pray.

Learn to recognize His moves

And how, His will, you want to choose.

For only in His will is known

The fruit of all the seeds He's sown,

And joy that comes when we obey

Instead of choosing our own way.

Tuesday

To recognize the Shepherd's voice

Just make the Word of God your choice

Instead of all that draws away

And sucks your time throughout the day.

The podcast and the radio

The newscast and the favored show,

The magazine or gossip rag

Your time throughout the day will snag.

So in the end you lie exhausted,

Time in drivel ways accosted,

Claiming that you just don't hear

This God, supposedly so near.

If you just put the box away

And played not with your phone today,

And set the news aside to wait,

You'd find the time to ruminate...

To chew upon the food He gives,

And learn, for sure, it's true, He lives.

In silent calm His voice you'll hear,

And to the world beyond you'll peer.

Then rattle toys will seem as naught

If in humility you're taught

To recognize that whisper sound

Where pearl beyond all price is found.

Wednesday

To find the Father, see the Son.

The Two distinct, though Two as One.

Prophetic word the Father gave,

But stubborn men preferred the grave.

They listened not to those He sent,

The people in their sin content

Cared not about the final day

Or consequence of wicked way.

The self-exalted high above

No room allowed, self-giving love.

The Son He sent to demonstrate

That love will conquer evil hate.

And when, at last, His love is seen

The scourge, and thorn, and nail shall peen

The faith of weak and cowardly

So clear, at last, they'll finally see.

It's true, the Son of God was He,

And now His blood has covered me.

Repent I must, to be set free

Of all the chains that bindeth me.

Thursday

No slave exceeds the Master's fame

So you, my friend, must do the same

And serve your brothers one and all

In answer to the Master's call.

If all would serve, what joy we'd know.

When all support the strength will grow

Till bonds unbreakable would bind

And love like God's all men would find.

If love like His we understood

His emptied self upon the wood,

Then Paradise we'd come to know

And every soul, like Him, would grow.

With that our final lasting goal

Our only way to be made whole.

To suffer as our Master did

And never from His calling hid.

He calls on you as well each day

So what, in answer, will you say?

Will you accept His cross for you,

Or do as haughty, prideful do?

Friday

In His house are many mansions

One of them prepared for you

Faith, and hope, and love, the stanchions

That support this dwelling new.

Follow in the way of freedom

Unattached, not weighted down

Totally unhindered we'd come

Love and freedom truly found.

Saturday

Lord, may I answer well the call

In every way, both big and small.

Let love be that which sets apart

And love be that to touch the heart.

For love, in ways unknown to man,

Will spur for change no other can.

And love will draw the self to give,

And change the way the selfish live.

So let me love and serve for You

In all I say, and all I do.

Then change the hearts through me You choose,

And never let me love refuse.

5/1/22 Through 5/7/22

 5/1/22 Through 5/7/22

Sunday

Called and chosen by the Master

On the shore of Galilee.

Called to be the Church's Pastor

Though a guilty one was he.

Charcoal fire there reminds him

Of his utter failure then.

Now the three-fold question finds him

Washed and clean to start again.

Burning love with bread to feed us,

Grace abundant You supply

Many are the souls that need us

To upon Your grace rely.

Spread the word and tell all nations

Christ is risen from the dead.

Jesus Lord of all creation

Now our everlasting head.

All are given this vocation,

See the word to all is spread.

Make your life a true oblation,

Christ is risen from the dead!

Monday

Work for food that does not perish

Flesh and blood the faithful cherish.

See beyond the veil of bread,

See our everlasting head.

Days of old He walked among us,

Spoke in words of truth that stung us.

Said it's not our bellies filled,

But spirits fed, the Father willed.

Walked on water, saved, and chided.

Sheep and goats on Him divided.

Wonderworker found amusing

Son of God with such confusing.

See beyond the veil of bread,

See eternal land ahead.

Recognize the King of kings

And the life anew, He brings.

Tuesday

The Way, the Truth, and Life is He

For every man on earth to be

Contented, filled with peace and joy

If we, His teaching would employ.

The total gift of self away

In favor of the Master's way

Will lead to harmony and peace

In joyous love to never cease.

Lord, open eyes for all to see

The glories of this mystery.

How giving all will lead to gain

And suffering will cure all pain.

The veil that shades must be removed

So all Your Way and Truth be proved.

The Life You give, eternal springs,

If we just have a glimpse of things.

Beyond the veil in blinding light

We see Your glory, pow'r, and might,

And none compare in any way

To life in Your eternal day.

Wednesday

In persecution may we grow

So those that persecute may know

The Lord of lords and King of kings

Is He our joy and gladness brings.

Christ crucified is risen now,

And all is changed on earth somehow.

For death is conquered, sin destroyed,

Now the laws of love employed.

If once we see beyond the veil

All earthly riches soon will pale.

And that to which we firmly grasp

Will seem as none but withered grass.

With avarice and pride removed,

A loving soul is then behooved

To long for that which lies ahead,

The life beyond the time we're dead.

Where love is seen to reign supreme,

Eternal bliss is not a dream,

The cross of love the standard high,

And Perfect Love is always nigh.

Thursday

Bread of life to feed the masses,

Food for men of all the classes

Learn to love from Christ the King,

Word of life to all men bring.

Follow promptings of the Spirit

Learn to love, and not to fear it.

Spread the word and plant the seeds.

Fruit shall come from all your deeds.

You may never know the outcome,

Even in your weakness, doubt some.

But the pow'r of truth prevails,

And the evil liar fails.

Friday

Believe in that Beyond belief,

The Bread and wine, a sacred feast.

His body given up for man

According to the Father's plan.

What faith can do will man astound

When faith, at last, has sinner found.

When scales have fallen, clear they see

A window to eternity.

A glimpse beyond the cloudy veil

Will make all earthly riches pale,

And fill the emptiness within

To turn the sinner from his sin.

Oh, grant that flash of blinding light

Would pierce the dark and light the night

That clearly may all people see

It's true that Jesus died for me.

Saturday

Will you leave as others do?

Are My words too much for you?

Does what I say confound your view

And challenge what you thought you knew?

No other one to whom to go.

No other with such works to show.

We must believe in You our hope,

Our Way, our Truth, and Life, to cope.

For love controls what eye can see,

And those without the love will flee.

But those who love will see as true

What can't be seen in bread as You.

Your flesh and blood in this disguise

Is hidden from the loveless eyes.

But humble only find, I think,

True flesh and blood, as food and drink.

4/24/22 Through 4/30/22

 4/24/22 Through 4/30/22

Sunday

Must you always doubting be?

Must you too, the nail marks see?

Must you probe His hands and side

To know He's risen, who had died?

Do not doubt what God has done,

Mercy shown us by His Son.

Yes, it's true, He is alive!

In Him the meek and humble thrive.

Monday

Humility we see from one

So bold to speak about the Son.

Not caring of the world's respect,

But only with His word bedecked.

Would that I should be as one

So close-allied unto the Son

That my life might, a gospel be,

For others to the Savior see.

Tuesday

All for one, and one for all,

The famous Musketeering call.

But where did this originate?

In Acts of the Apostolate.

Quite early on the Christians knew

The power of the joining few

Exceeded what they summed alone

And tapped the power of His throne.

He called us to His body be

And then His mighty power see.

For only when we work as one

Will God's almighty will be done.

Wednesday

One ever-closer drawn to You

By all the signs of love You do,

Despite the darkness that I choose

Or ways, Your love, that I abuse.

Your clear and constant call to me

Another gift that I can see

How much You gave for love of man

To follow in the Father's plan.

Teach me to love and to endure

And make my way to heaven sure.

Self-sacrifice will lead to love

And make a place for me above.

Thursday

He does not ration what He gives

And giving ones learn how He lives.

Self-giving God of suffering

Will peace, and joy, and order bring.

To follow means to bear Your cross,

And count all earthly gain as loss.

The risen Christ our final end,

On Him alone, our souls depend.

His grace supplies all that we need

But we must on His body feed.

For there His grace abundant lies

In simple bread and wine disguise.

So trust the waters, come and see.

His gifts abundant wait for thee.

But each must learn to suffer well

To of His mighty blessings tell.

Friday

We suffer much for earthly things.

To that which perishes, man clings.

But that which moth and rust destroy

Must not become a vain decoy.

Our eyes must focus on the prize

And not some worthless, cheap disguise.

For only love, in truth, shall last,

And love must be the mold we cast.

When suffered for the King of Love,

We share with Him the joy thereof.

Of rescued sinners made anew,

Discovering, at last, what's true.

Give eyes that see beyond the veil

And see the earth and flesh as pale.

To find a joy in suffering,

And likeness to our Blessed King.

Saturday

Lord of wind and Lord of sea,

Lord of time, and Lord of me,

How I wish my love would grow

And through that love, You others know.

I cannot change a heart or mind.

The perfect words I never find, 

But pray that none would ever leave,

And to Your Sacred Heart would cleave.

How foolish is the mind of man

Delaying when he thinks he can

Return a more convenient time

And then resume the upward climb.

There's never found, a nice plateau

Where weary Christians get to go.

There's two directions, up or down,

And we must either swim or drown.

Though wind will try to drive away,

The steadfast soul must row and pray,

And if they persevere they find

The Lord was pushing from behind.

4/17/22 Through 4/23/22

 4/17/22 Through 4/23/22

Sunday

(Can be sung to the tune of "Come Thou Font of Many Blessings)

Oh, the beauty of salvation!

Oh, designs of One so wise!

Peace to men of every nation,

Light to open darkened eyes.

Centuries of old all telling

Of the Father's mighty love.

Hearts within the faithful swelling

Son of God come from above.

One who knew no sin was treated

Sinless, as the sin itself.

On the cross was sin defeated,

Death, a dying blow was dealt.

Three days hence the tomb was empty,

Cloth alone, was there to find.

Evidence was sure and plenty,

Then His words were brought to mind.

How the Lamb would have to suffer,

Mocked and scourged, and beaten be.

Words recalled of their Last Supper,

"This My body given thee."

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Christ is risen from the dead!

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Christ our everlasting head.

Monday

A lying story cannot last

For truth will always win.

The tactic of the ancient past

Is cover sin with sin.

They try to make the truth the fool

And fabricate for show.

The lie a quite effective tool,

But truth the heart will know.

Our wrong, at last, we must admit,

So why put off the pain?

The shameful sins we all commit

Can be our path to gain.

Confessed in all humility

With firm resolve to grow

The Sacrament is good for thee

And Truth you'll come to know.

Tuesday

What must I do to be saved,

To be rescued from ranks of depraved?

Repent and be cleansed, in your heart make amends,

And you'll find what you always have craved.

Confess, and then all be baptized.

Let evil and sin be excised.

In waters that flow, a new life you will know,

And receive what the humble have prized.

The Spirit of God will renew.

As a flood, He will overcome you.

Say yes and be filled with all He has willed,

Clean and pure as a fresh morning dew.

Wednesday

Hearts afire in love within

A keen awareness of our sin

Excitement grows with every word,

The Scriptures come alive we've heard.

His sacrifice we understood

That horrid sight upon the wood

Was His atonement for our sin

And sign of where our hearts had been.

His death we saw before our eyes

Though cold and dead, the Lord did rise.

To show the masses, love does win

And give them vict'ry over sin.

In breaking bread the Lord was known

In darkened minds, a light was shown,

Revealing Jesus as the Son

Who, on the Cross, our vict'ry won.

Thursday

May perseverance guide my soul

As hours in this valley toll

The Crucified has risen high

Forever now our Lord is nigh.

The battles rage and struggles show

In perseverance, love will grow.

Though crucified, not conquered be

But only more akin to Thee.

A resurrection joy we know

With passion tamed, true love will grow.

Each sacrifice, a seed of grace

Will draw us nigh to His embrace.

But if you stumble, rise and see

Forgiving arms that long for thee

And join again the struggle so

At last, you'll joy and freedom know.

Friday

Caught within the chains of sin,

They wish to welcome others in.

Instead of breaking chain that binds

To find what the believer finds.

The cripple walks and leaps for joy,

But leaders must their clout employ

And question whose authority

Had set the crippled sinner free.

For misery loves company

Though far it be from normalcy.

they think that they can make the rules

But show themselves as utter fools.

No different now than way back then

The sin still traps so many men

And few can see the truly free

Is One they hung upon the tree.

The Father knows what He has made

It's black and white, no other shade.

Man or woman, each will be,

It's basic, plain, biology.

And yes, I know it's very small,

But zygote has the very ALL

Of human life afresh and new,

A precious soul like me and you.

No lame excuse of slick disguise

Can hide the truth from open eyes.

Our Maker made these basic rules

And those that try to change are FOOLS.

Saturday

Do not persist in unbelief.

If so, you bow before a thief.

The evidence is there to see

A little faith will set you free.

The leaders wish to quell the voice

Of those who preach that love's a choice.

They wish to normalize their sin

By claiming it was born within.

How true it is, our nature stained

When in the Garden entertained

The wheedling word of serpent sly

That brought about, all men would die.

But even then He showed His love

A promise made from up above

To send a Savior to redeem,

And so the sinful soul to clean.

For centuries the prophets told

Of how Messiah, brave and bold

Would conquer sin and set men free,

And do so in humility.

So now the scriptures all unfold

As Christ fulfills what prophets told

And every man must choose to see,

Or bound in chain to ever be.

So swallow pride and just embrace

The loving source of holy grace.

Persist no more in unbelief,

In Jesus find your true relief.