12/11/22 Through 12/17/22

 12/11/22 Through 12/17/22

Sunday

Rejoice, Rejoice in all you do,

In all the ways He comes to you.

For though not in the way we think,

Before great evil will not shrink.

He conquers in humility

Unlike the ways of you or me

His strength revealed through sufferings

That patient perseverence brings.

We too are called to live this way

With love the rule for every day

To see the poor and lame relieved

And Christ as King of all believed

Monday

This may be sung to the tune of 

"All People that on Earth Do Dwell"

Great beauty in the Virgin's eyes

Both soft and sweet, yet very wise

Alone in grace, completely full

A soul as clean as whitest wool.

Oh Beauty of the human race

You gave to God a human face

That men on earth through you would find

A Savior of the rarest kind

A God who gave His all for man

Through unsurpassing love that can

Forgive the wrongs of sinful men

And give them hope for life again.

Your image on the Tilma there

Makes men of faith and pagans stare

Simplicity and beauty meet

Within those eyes so wise and sweet

Tuesday

I look to see if I've obeyed

And oft I see that I have strayed

So easy to myself exalt

Then find that I'm the one at fault

I wish to find the eyes that see

And turn from sin to be set free

To have a mind that's pure and clean

And only on my Savior lean

But all too often, weak I be

And thoughts of slavery capture me

Then shamed and naked I must go

Confessing what a debt I owe.

Wednesday

No longer is there question when

The dead are raised to life again

When lepers cleansed and lame can walk

No need for speculative talk

The time has come, the hour is near

That all the evil demons fear

The Way, The Truth, and Life has come

When lame shall leap and sing shall dumb.

With sins forgiven, captives freed

The One who meets our every need

Comes bringing news of love for man

From since the time when time began

Thursday

So what did you go out to see?

A messenger, it's clear to me

But more than messenger was he

The greatest born of womb to be.

Repentance was the call he made

A turn from sin to all he bade

Prepare the way, for yet to come,

As humble King, God's only Son

Friday

Far greater than what John would give

The testimony He would give

His works proclaim the Father's will

That all should come to know Him still.

The way most clear to find your home

Is follow Him and Him alone

Observing Sabbath you will find

The father's home and peace of mind

Saturday

The blessings of the Father

For many ages run

But many never bother

To see in them the Son

Through trial and tribulation

The plans of God unfold

In endless jubilation

The shepherds now behold

The many generations

That waited long now see

Their many deviations

Are used to make them free

The Word of God and Son of Man

Has come from far above

To show within a simple span

The power of His love.

Is follow Him anf Him alone

12/4/22 Through 12/10/22

 12/4/22 Through 12/10/22

Sunday

To bear good fruit or be cut down

To wear the shame or wear the crown.

Two choices only one can make,

The one will build and other break.

Produce good fruit to show you've learned

That righteousness cannot be earned

By following the strictest law

Then turning from the poor you saw.

Far more than rules it takes to know

That love alone's the way to go.

If need is known, we're called to give

That all men in the truth can live.

Monday

My life confined within this bed

To Jesus now my friends are led

To carry me to meet the Lord

To find His grace and love outpoured.

No challenge they would not endure

To make my presence known for sure

Before the Healer that would say

Your sin is gone, be on your way.

The words of absolution heard

My sins forgiven seems absurd.

But rising now on knees made firm

My Lord and God I now affirm.

I challenge you as I have done

Seek out such friends this vict'ry won.

Such men whose faith is resolute

And aid you in this good pursuit.

The quest for goodness, truth, and love

The quest to reach that land above

The quest to find the Healer there

With truth and love beyond compare.

Tuesday

That none should perish, be His will

Yet turn to evil, men do still

The love and good he meant for man

He's offered them since time began.

But oh, how easily they stray

And follow not His freedom way.

The way of selfishness they choose

And way of righteousness they lose.

He searches when they wander far

And calls them out from where they are

To turn from sin and be made new

For all on earth, including you.

Not one that's found was not a stray

For all have sinned and gone their way

But those within the flock have learned

It's He for whom their hearts have yearned.

Wednesday

None could do what He has done,

Made the planets and the sun,

Made the stars that light the night,

Kept them burning ever bright.

He tires not through endless days

His alone are perfect ways.

He gives strength when needed most

He the Guest we long to host.

He, our hope and strength renewed

He, our holy drink and food

He, the yoke that's easy, light

He, our strength throughout the night.

Thursday

How beautiful to be so pure

No other with such great allure.

Would that women be like You

And such a purity imbue.

And men as well, with different eyes

Could look upon their maiden prize

And see a holiness within

Far deeper than unblemished skin.

With purity of heart and mind

Two such as these a gemstone find

And lay a cornerstone of love

The world around is jealous of.

Such purity is not for weak

But those a higher calling seek

Who wish the garden walks restored

And more of truth and love explored.

Friday

Let me hear Lord, let me see

All the ways I turn from Thee

Guide this sinful heart to newness,

Help me find Your liberty.

Music, many melodies

But to You are none of these

One alone that leads to trueness

One alone the heart can please.

Saturday

Spirit-filled from in the womb

From here did new Elijah bloom

To win the hearts of men for God

And spread his message far abroad.

We too, as Spirit-filled must be

Persistent in our search for Thee

Attentive to the words You say

And walk along the narrow way.

Ascetic in our ways to prove

That trials here cannot remove

The love of God for sinful man,

But serve to further on His plan.

Let every soul be Spirit-filled

For this is what the Father willed

Restoring walks at evening time

And talking with our Love sublime.

11/27/22 Through 12/3/22

 11/27/22 Through 12/3/22

Sunday

Just how might I prepare the way?

How might I more His will obey?

How might I ready for the hour

When Christ shall come in might and Pow'r?

The humble way he comes today

And at the Mass of every day

Is in the form of bread and wine

To be consumed and be made mine.

These humble accidents received

Must be, in truth, our God perceived.

For though the form is humble bread

The substance is my God instead.

If I but simply turn from sin

And recognize whom I take in

By this, I well-prepare the way

For Christ to come that final day.

Monday

A man of pagan deities

Can see far more than most of these

Who studied faith from tender youth

But fail to recognize the Truth.

For first the ground must fertile be

For seed to sprout and root for thee

Then clear of thicket, stone, and weed

That all attack the sprouting seed.

The powerful must humble be

In order to Messiah see,

And Christ will answer to the need

Of humble, tender, sprouting seed.

Tuesday

Many longed to see this day

Longed to hear the words I say

Longed for peace in time of war

Longed to know God more and more.

In this day made known to you

My flesh in simple bread, it's true.

Blood poured out as sacred wine

Daily, precious gift of mine.

Come and feast on daily bread

Listen to the words I said

Let them foster change within

Turn from every deadly sin.

Empty here your base desire

Come with Me through cleansing fire.

Fear not loss, for what you gain

Dwarfs the loss and temporal pain.

Wednesday

To love enjoy the flesh must die

And thus destroy the evil lie

That carnal pleasures satisfy

If just a little more we try.

There's no amount of pleasure here

No hoard that will not disappear,

And what is left is what will last

When chattel owning time is past.

But oh, how hard to see that day

When pleasure here gets in the way.

The blinders cloud the vision far

Deceiving many who we are.

As children of the greatest King

We're offered here the finest thing

If lesser things we will forego

To One of every blessing know.

The sacrifice of Love's demand

Will build on rock and not on sand.

And when at last, the flood recedes

What's left are only loving deeds.

Thursday

To those who answer not the call

Are words that scare me most of all.

The flood will come and none will save

Except for those, their all who gave.

I try to listen well and hear

A word that takes me very near

The way myself would like to go

And all the trials just forego.

But words that say to humble be

Still are daily haunting me

The more I give, the more He asks

With evermore the humble tasks.

Someday, I pray, before I die

I'd learn His way to always try

Instead of mine which goes astray

And always on the narrow stay.

Friday

Here below the clouds are gray

And gloom can often rule the day.

Just are punished, guilty freed,

The poor and blind for alms will plead.

But coming soon a day anew

For all the poor and blind, and you.

For all, a day when truth shall reign

The poor and blind will have their gain.

Fear not the ones the body kill

But fear the One Almighty Will.

His patient love has stayed His hand

But soon the Truth shall rule the land.

Eternity seems far away

But here and now, this very day

Could change the way the future goes

If we just follow One who rose,

Saturday

Send workers to the harvest

And let me be as one.

Not one to go the farthest,

But one his neighbor won.

One of action here below

Relying on His word

One to recognize and know

The Voice that he has heard,

Modesty

 Modesty a gift of love

The virtue that I’m fondest of

Protection of the sacred gift

Whose veil alone the spouse should lift

 

Beauty through the eyes is seen

The beauty of the soul I mean

Where purity and love abide

And make of thee a blessed bride

 

Sly would have the young believe

The web of lies the wicked weave

That sex will bring abounding joy

When all it does is love destroy

 

Love you’re craving deep within

In chastity will there begin

Preserving there your special gift

For one alone the veil to lift

11/20/22 Through 11/26/22

 11/20/22 Through 11/26/22

Sunday

Who is King of all the earth?

Who arrived by Virgin birth?

Who in quiet home was raised?

Who for death on Cross is praised?

Who as king, would humble bring

Healing for the suffering,

Freedom for the ones enslaved

Newness for the ones depraved?

One alone, no other stands

One alone, with just commands.

One with Cross as bully throne,

One as God, and God alone.

Jesus Christ the King of kings.

Jesus Christ, salvation brings.

Jesus Christ, my worthy Lord.

Jesus Christ, to be adored.

None before such height have scaled

All since then, in light have paled.

Only One of perfect love

Christ our King and Lord of Love.

Monday

I wish I knew with motives pure

What's asked of me in life for sure

But nothing's ever quite so clear

And few so clear a voice will hear.

As most will simply move along

In hope to find where they belong

By happenstance or simple fate

And not the voice of God await.

An active plea I make to know

With certainty, the way to go

To see the way illumined bright

Instead of just by candlelight.

But not the way He often works

And very few receive these perks.

For most a step ahead is shown

And what's beyond is yet unknown.

Our Mother too would walk this way

By greeting Him in every day

With "I am Yours, my Lord Divine,

So on Your path let brightness shine."

The way be narrow, hard, and steep

But safe my steps upon it keep.

Although that road, by many crossed,

Your will be done, and mine be lost.

Tuesday

Cecelia, vintage fully ripe

A beauty not of earthly type

In prayer and love, she turned away

The trappings of the temporal way.

She gladly took her place among

The martyrs as His praises sung

When led to death a beauty shone

That comes from loving God alone.

So too, we're called to shine the light

Let beauty bring about delight

Amidst a world of dark and sin

Let beauty there a change begin.

When touched by that, that's pure and clean

Through darkest night the truth is seen

And broken hearts in tears of joy

Forgiveness and great love employ.

Be one to make the beauty seen

Be one of heart that's pure and clean

Find love that prompts to give Him all

And answer well of Beauty's call.

Wednesday

The end is coming soon for me

I pray that clear the way I see

And cower not from earthly loss

But cling unto the Blessed Cross.

For only there is freedom found

Where Christ Himself, with thorns was crowned.

The gift of all we have to give

Is that which lets us truly live.

Forgive me Lord for when I've failed

When greed instead of love prevailed.

Grant mercy to this sinner when

I stand before the Great Amen.

Thursday

A dreadful day when judgment comes

When all our graft, well-known becomes

When sins of all are clearly seen

And we must face the judgment scene.

Because of blessings unaware

So many gifts were squandered there

By pride, and avarice, and greed

Instead of tending other's need.

Nowhere to turn, nowhere to hide,

No advocate to plead our side.

No call but "Mercy, Mercy, Lord"

I can't afford a just reward.

Friday

Judged by deeds done here below

On scrolls believed that none would know

Reality could none deny,

Forever in the fire fry.

That way is easy, broad, and smooth

But in that lake, no balm will soothe.

The torments there forever burn,

From there the wicked, never turn.

That final death, the choice be made

Eternal flame to never fade.

Locked below forevermore

With none but self to there adore.

But those who saw the signs below

Forever in the heights will know

The rest and comfort He provides

To those His Holy Spirit guides.

Saturday

These days we ponder what's ahead

We pay respects to all our dead

We pray for souls in cleansing fire

That Heaven's fullness they acquire.

So too, we look to times ahead

And ponder days when we are dead...

Will we be sober and alert

In order to His wrath avert?

So often dreamy tales are told

Of what it's like to God behold

But there before Almighty God

What man could there, his life applaud?

The sins of youth and sins of the age

All worthy of a deadly wage.

The sins of heart and sins of mind

Are brutal wickedness I find.

The comforts of my selfish greed

Be viewed that day as foolish need

When seen the poor I could have saved

Had I not been the one depraved.

The lust for pleasure, wealth, and fame

That day will offer none but shame

Each little lie or god we made

Against the Truth shall be arrayed.

So many sins now widely known

Desreving that I be disowned.

I fear that fateful day I die,

But "Jesus, Mercy." be my cry