5/14/23 Through 5/20/23

 5/14/23 Through 5/20/23

Sunday

We think of them as throw-aways

But none are such for Him we praise.

No matter where the poor have gone

His search for souls continues on.

So cross none off your list or say

For them, all hope is gone today

For they, like you can turn around

And withered branch, be fruitful found.

So listen when the prompting comes

The Father cares for all His sons

And let Him use your feeble skill

To bring about His perfect will.

Monday

Remember when the hour comes

That from the Spirit power comes

So draw on Him that feeds the soul

And let Him lead you to the goal.

The things our Blessed Lord revealed

Are things a life of sin concealed

The walks amid the cool of day

And comforts when we stop to pray.

So call on Him to lead and find

That following brings peace of mind.

His way, to many, seems absurd

But wise will find His way preferred.

Tuesday

When loved by God the man endures

The hardship that his faith matures

But first the truth within must grow

So this, beyond a doubt he'll know.

Wednesday

For many still is God unknown

For they assume His lofty throne

Believing they can make the rules

When they but show themselves as fools.

With pride, the worst of deadly sins

The downward spiral thus begins

For they that know it all can't learn

When truth from Truth itself they spurn.

Thursday

Weep and mourn while world rejoices

Know the Lord anoints your choices

You that suffer soon shall be 

Reunited heavenly

Count the world's gain as loss

True love is found upon the cross

The chosen who will suffer long

Will soon be singing Heaven's song

Of praise to Him the King of kings

Who, on the cross, salvation brings

Reveal to humble souls below

What everyone on earth should know

That love and sacrifice are kin

And humble docile souls shall win

A prize beyond the mind of man

If trust and suffer well they can.

Friday

For the Lord, a vow is taken

So to inner man awaken

So to see the gifts He's given

So the chains of sin be riven

Without clear and firm amendment

All we do is build resentment

What is good must be retained

But evil tendencies restrained.

Saturday

Ask the Father in my name

You too shall find your heart aflame

For when we ask within His will

Our every prayer He will fulfill

So ask with humble contrite heart

For this is just the very start

Then mold your will accord to His

And find the joy that heaven is.

5/7/23 Through5/13/23

 5/7/23 Through5/13/23

Sunday

The Father, Jesus now reveals

As He the broken sinner heals

The lowly and the destitute

The blind, the lame, the deaf, and mute

How long must He be present here

To drive away the doubt and fear

That man would see the Way and Life

And count as naught their earthly strife?

Far greater work disciples do

When daily bread received from You

Is recognized as flesh and blood

To thirsty souls will Spirit flood

Monday

A kind of love beyond the lips

A love to gladly suffer whips

A love the world crucifies

A One that for the other dies

A love like this our savior showed

As blood and water freely flowed

From Sacred Heart pierced with a lance

So sinners gain another chance.

The mercy stream He sends our way

To wash our many sins away

And start anew when ere we fail

So love will then at last prevail.

Tuesday

In every trial persevere

And know the grace of God is near

Do not be troubled or afraid

But do with love what ere He bade

If truly, freedom is the goal

Remove attachments from the soul.

Be not deterred by hunger's pain

But firm unto the pledge remain.

Be disciplined in all you do

Let not your passions govern you

But move in ways that spread the news

And always best for others choose.

Endure what ere He sends your way

Each trial small throughout the day

For this is where you gain the strength

To follow calls to greater length.

The grace provided on the way

Is quite enough for every day

So learn to use it well and see

That always He provides for thee

Wednesday

Remain in Me and all is well 

Of this we hear our savior tell 

The branch is fed by living Vine

With Precious Blood in form of wine.

Attached, we flourish, full of fruit

Not so, alone in our pursuit.

For in the Vine alone, we find

The Way, the Truth, and Life combined.

Thursday

Remain in His love by keeping commands

By doing as such, the heart now expands

To see all His teaching and find wisdom there

And rescue the masses from sin and despair.

The Vine is the source of the love that we need

It offers the Bread upon which we feed

And also the Wine that refreshes the soul

Giving joy to the broken and making them whole.

Every choice that we make that opposes His will

Leads us further away, by just standing still.

For onward He goes to the heavenly height

With obedient souls to the Father's delight.

Friday

Delighted with the exhortation

Formed to be a holy nation

For all He draws within the fold

So every man on earth be told

To love another He did ask

And make of this our single task

For love alone can do no harm

And love shall be the luring charm

For when they see the love we give

They too may choose this way to live

and so, will bring the Kingdom here

Where light and truth dispel all fear

Saturday

If loved by all then you must be

Conformed to what the world would see

As one of them that's praised today

For following their sinful way

The way that makes the truth their own

In spite of what the facts have shown

Who guards the flesh as that alone

To which be every favor shown

But those that choose the narrow way

Face persecution every day

But though the road be fraught with strife

It leads us to eternal life,

4/30/23 Through 5/6/23

 4/30/23 Through 5/6/23

Sunday

What must I do to be saved?

What hope for the poor and depraved?

This Jesus who lives, a great gift that He gives

Is forgiveness that ages have craved

The day of redemption is here

The One who casts out all our fear

Arose from the dead, just as He said

And will never again disappear

So, repent and be washed in His blood

Be free of the grime and the crud

Let the Spirit come in and wash away sin

With the grace of a Baptism flood

Monday

Athirst my soul for the living God

Though broken, humble, and many-flawed

He chooses not the strong and tall

But chooses them that give their all

No hired hand that runs away

But one that with the sheep will stay

When danger threatens all around

A one resourceful there is found.

May Joseph my example be

For in that humble one, I see

A man in tune with God alone

Who followed well the pathway shown

Tuesday

I told you but you don't believe

You see, but still do not perceive

My works all testify what's true

But still, a faith is lacking you

Take a step and test to see

Then tell me what's supporting thee

Is it the work of brick and stone

Or just My hand and that alone?

I know far more than ere you know

And I will lead where you must go

It shall be difficult at times

For all who on this mountain climbs

But if you trust in Me you'll see

A banquet there awaiteth thee

And all I asked you to endure

Was meant to happiness ensure.

Wednesday

If only men would this believe

The risen Christ they would receive

Though many years ago He came

He works this very day the same

The heart He draws to what is true

And then He picks a chosen few

To trust in ways that others spurn

To greater depths of love to learn

The few, in turn, the flock shall lead

And with the blessed scripture feed

Then daily bread shall be the fare

For all who come and worship there.

Thursday

We see in Him the Great I AM

Redeemer, Savior, God and Man

The One to make the waters part

The One we see with flaming heart.

So humble to become a man

The God who made when time began

He reached so low to save the soul

Whose innocence the Devil stole.

So hard for man to fathom love

The One of wealth, so giving of

That He would stoop to be a man

One crucified within the plan.

Amazing Love, how can it be,

That You, my God, should die for me?!

Thy mystery astounds today

And this is why I wake to pray.

To speak with One who fashioned me

And try my best that I should be

As He envisioned long ago

A one that truest Love would know.

Friday

How close our Lord would like to be

We rarely ever get to see

For time to sit and ponder such

Our busy world is lacking much.

But in a quiet, holy time

I ponder such and pen a rhyme

For there I see He loves me so

And there my soul is wont to go.

Come with me too, and rest awhile

And let His heart, your heart beguile

For there in quiet stillness bides

Our God whom every good provides.

Saturday

Have I been with you all this time

And still you do not know?

The One to whom the children climb

Is Me to whom they go.

For though as Three, a One are We

Come ponder that awhile

And maybe then, a glimpse you'll see

Of Godly union style.

4/23/23 Through 4/29/23

 4/23/23 Through 4/29/23

Sunday

Hearts afire with flaming love

For God came down from up above

And opened minds to understand

The beauty of what God had planned

That Christ would die, and rise again

No mind imagined there and then

For when they saw Him crucified

Upon the cross, all hope had died.

But this fulfilled the Father's plan

Of making God those merely man

The price of sin was paid that day

To show to man the holy way.

In every day the food we eat

 Is changed into the mortal meat

But when the Eucharist consumed

The man is changed. Divine assumed.

Monday

Just because your belly's full

You feel a basic earthly pull

But not because the signs are there

That Christ is One beyond compare

Beyond the earthly, we must go

To Christ as King and Lord to know

To share His great humility

And serve the least to set them free

To love and sacrifice are one

But such in me has just begun

The pull of all that wastes away

Is firm in me until this day

I beg You Lord to set me free

As Stephen and the martyrs be

That all this world I would forsake

To just with You, an hour partake.

Tuesday

A one that naked ran away

In darkness on that fateful day

Returns in robes of glory bright

To preach the way and truth, and light

The lion signifies his name

When in the light of Gospel fame

A war-like one to preach the way

Of peace, if we would Christ obey

Wednesday

The Bread of Life, eternal food

Was given for this sinful brood

That those in hunger come and feed

And here receive the all they need

Not all of merely getting by

But all to stretch beyond the sky

And watered well by running streams

Fulfilling all our hopes and dreams

Oh, never let me stray from Thee

Betraying Him who set me free

But let me always humble be

Obeying what He asks of me

For there eternal rest is found

With Christ as King, forever crowned

Hunger thirst and strife are gone

For Christ has risen with the dawn

Thursday

In Bread is where the Life is found

Of One to all the world astound.

True flesh He gives for man to eat

And so, the Lord of lords to meet.

Real food that hunger satisfies

And union with our Savior buys.

That blind no longer, man can see

The way He clearly marks for thee.

In water, washed and sanctified

By Bread and Wine all fortified

To spread the Kingdom far and wide

And be to wayward souls, their guide

If where the Spirit leads, we go

The Church, by leaps and bounds, will grow

And those in darkness then will see 

We only have our life through Thee

Friday

Give warmth to me dear Lord I pray

For chill befalls this very day

Though I have heard Your word so true

Yet still remain afar from You

I seek to know You every day

But still, do often, fall away

Concerned with comfort, pleasure, ease

I fail to Holy Moments sieze

Oh, make the scales to fall away

That I might see the light of day

And bear the cross that You provide

For You are always at my side.

Saturday

How shall I make a return to the Lord

For graces and blessings, abundant outpoured?

Abundant He gives and abundant received

But often have I, in return, the Lord grieved.

His path is the way to the blessings we seek

But His path is no way for the timid or weak

The humble can see in the way that He calls 

How giving, receiving, and glory befalls.

But all I can give is all that I own

And do what I can to make the Lord known

His ways are all timeless, and worthy, and true

And worthy of knowing by more than a few.

If all men could see what I've seen and would know

His way is the way that all men should go

The way of the docile, and humble, and meek

Will lead to the happiness all men now seek/

4/16/23 Through 4/22/23

 4/16/23 Through 4/22/23

Sunday

Oh doubting Thomas, come and see

What joy and mercy wait for thee

Oh, praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Come probe the wounds of hands and side

Then come within My love abide

Oh, praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia!  Alleluia!

No longer doubting, blessed be

And even more who do not see

Oh, praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Monday

Scripture tells of how it is

How all is born of what is His

How God is God, and man is not

How love is sold, and evil bought

But born anew, the man can change

And by the Spirit rearrange

All that once he thought he knew

To place his all alone in You

So Lord, begin that change in me

Instead of blindness, let me see

What's good and holy, pure and true

Then draw me ever close to You

Tuesday

Teachers without understanding

Many such we have today

More of useless things demanding

Never finding quite the way.

So listen closely, find in me

What no other teacher said

The Truth beyond what blinded see

Christ will rise from with the dead

Undeniably no fable

But a truth, that Truth be known

Martyr witnesses more stable

Than deceitful stories sown.

Now a second birth be knowing

Spread the news both far and wide

Feel the wind of Spirit blowing

Trust in Him, The Crucified

Wednesday

Come to the light receiving the glow

Speak to Him daily, and then all will know

You've encountered the glory of God that's on high

The glow that is showing will startle the eye

Prefer not the darkness, for darkness it be

That turns from the light and blinded can't see

The glory and splendor of love that He brings

Or the peace and the joy of knowing such things

It needn't be so for the worst of us all

If they would but listen, and answer His call

His love is forgiving and mercies abound

If one that's in darkness, at last turns around

So come and receive, make amends for the past

For darkness and light forever will last

Whichever you choose, in the end, will receive

Far better if now you begin to believe

The light will invade, dispelling the dark

Kindled to flame by a singular spark

And joy will arrive as a heavenly glow

For all who will turn, and allow light to show.

Thursday

Obedience in every way

Is how the Spirit comes today

As in the ancient days of old

When martyrs were so brave and bold

The Lord confronts the evildoers

Challenging the open sewers

To leave behind the filthy waste

And live a life that's clean and chaste

The Easter joy that all men seek

Comes not to those of Spirit weak

But those who seek the will of God

And follow well where Jesus trod

For as we listen and obey

The Holy Spirit comes our way

Both strengthening the weakest knee,

And giving light for blind to see

So turn this day and feel the pow'r

Encountered in a Holy Hour

For there you'll hear Him clearly say

come walk the path I show today.

Friday

All men seek to have their fill 

But hungry yet remaining still 

As long as earth remains the bound

For God is where our fill is found

In every man a great desire

To somehow set the world afire

To make a mark that all might see

And somehow thus immortal be

But that on earth for which we strive

Eternally will not survive

For that which lasts for endless days

Are simple, loving, caring ways

The test of time can be withstood

By those who will another's good

The fleeting things of earth contrast

For love alone will truly last.

Saturday

Far out at sea, in dark of night

The waves are strong and high

When there appears a fearful sight

Of Jesus passing by

Atop the waves in peace and calm

He brings them to the shore

The Master through the storm aplomb

As none were ere before

A sign to clearly show that He

Is Lord of all the earth

A way to let disciples see

What trusting Him is worth.