6/11/23 Through 6/17/23

 6/11/23 Through 6/17/23

Sunday - Feast of Corpus Christi

(To the tune of Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence)

Here in thoughtful time reflecting

On that great and wonderous gift

Soul and body Christ protecting

Sin from in the sinner sift

Alleluia, Alleluia,

Needy poor and beggar lift

Bread of heaven feed and guide me

Precious Blood my drink Divine

Wounded heart to lead and hide me

In the boundless love of Thine

Alleluia, Alleluia,

Greatest gift of all is mine.

Daily Eucharist is calling

To the table of the Lord

Day by day the curtain falling

Showing us how much out-poured

Alleluia, Alleluia,

Come receive the One adored.

Monday

In what does the love of our Savior consist

But in showing His children just how to exist

As humble and docile and innocent souls

Who vie for the lowly and servanthood roles

For there in the suffering, anguish, and pain

The greatest of insight and wisdom they gain

Not seen in the moment but over the years

How truly were blessings from God with the tears

Just look how He tells us what's good and sublime

And how to the mountain of God we should climb

Be meek and grant mercy, be mournful and poor

But know that in heaven your place is for sure.

Tuesday

Morning by morning He opens my ear

Giving grace to respond to all that I hear

The question is How do I listen each day,

How well do I act on all that You say?

The lamp should give light to all in the room

dispelling the darkness and brightening gloom

Sharing, but always, the flame undiminished

Only by doing will work e'er be finished

Wednesday

All of the happy have sacrificed much

They followed the law and the promptings of such

For our God is loving and shows us the way

If we are but willing to trust and obey

Not a word or a letter is left unexplained

The fulfillment of all in the Son is attained

For one that is spotless, unblemished, and clean

We all must become through the mercy we've seen

Don't call a sin "little", for nary such thing

Perfection is what all who enter must bring

It's there right before us if we would but try

By accepting His mercy and training the eye.

Thursday

Let the veil be gone forever

Let the veil be now removed

Let us here, the sinful sever

Truth within the heart be proved

Look to clearer skies before us

See without the haze of sin

Let the Spirit's light restore us

Freshening the light within.

Friday

Ablaze with love, the Sacred Heart

Such love, I wish to know

So often seen in sacred art

But rarely known, one so.

Aflame in one Immaculate

Without the stain of sin

A one that loves like Him in that

She's clean and pure within.

That I, one day, would be as such

I can't imagine now

But to that hope, I pray and clutch

That I would change somehow.

By grace, and with a helping hand

I too, could be afire

A one to act on His command

And quench my love's desire.  

Saturday

A heart that's clean and pure for me

I wish, someday, that I would see

Without the stain of sin to foul

Afar away from Satan's prowl

For now the world and devil reign

But in the Cross's shadow wane

For there upon that bloody hill

Our Savior sacrificed His will

His will subordinate to Love

Of righteous Father from above

To show the weak and humble man

How pure and clean his life began.

How sin destroys this purity

And what a life of love can be

He calls me to the Cross to see

The depth of love He has for me.

6/4/23 Through 6/10/23

 6/4/23 Through 6/10/23

Sunday

So far above my feeble ways

This unity of love

I see but through a milky haze

A triune God above

Expand my mind to understand

What sages came to know

That Father Son and Spirit planned

Salvation long ago

Monday

Discomfort comes when I am seen

As sinner and a one unclean

But how to meet discomfort well

Is that of which I wish to tell

So many leave and turn away 

When e'er vexation comes their way

But this will not effect a change

Nor circumstances rearrange.

For those in sin must turn away

Repenting of their sinful way

And look to see what love demands

By following the Lord's commands.

.This way the soul can rest in peace

When lust and greed and malice cease

So turn not from the life within

But turn repentant of the sin.

Tuesday

Give to each what there belongs

Do the right and fix the wrongs

Be not blinded to the good

But act as a believer should

Spirit comes in time of need

Giving grace to plant a seed

Worry not what you will say

Let the Spirit guide the way

Men will try to make you slip

Advocate shall well-equip

Place your trust in Him alone

Let the word be freely sown

Wednesday

A new perspective given thee

Enables that you more would see

For when we see from here below

The earthly only we would know

But if we'd see it all like He

We'd know a greater plan there be

So we must trust His will is best

Forsaking all the worthless rest

Oh give me eyes that see beyond

The temporal things of which I'm fond

Then teach me how to truly love

And take me to my home above.

Thursday

The marriage bed is blessed by God

To kick Him out would be a fraud

For all we have has come from Him

The heart and head and every limb

When in His will the bed is made

The rule of love is thus obeyed

There self is given free and whole

In body, mind, and even soul.

The fruit produced in such a way

Will learn to love and often pray

Then in the family we'll see

Reflections of the Trinity

Friday

My Lord, Your blessings granted me

Exceed the breadth of what I see

The way Your daily blessings flow

The children everywhere should know

We take for granted, Daily Bread

And Scripture which upon we're fed

Good health, and shelter warm and bright

Protection in the darkest night

Forgive this shamed, repentant heart

And grant once more a brand-new start

Another blessing undeserved

From One who gives with none reserved.

Saturday

A will to match His holy will

Is that which empty hearts shall fill

A gentle trust with all we own

To prove our God is God alone

A simple yes or widow's mite

A will to with our Lord unite

Will bring far more than heaps of gold

If we would give our hearts to mold

Let Him be Lord of all we do

To find a new and diff'rent view

A view that leads to peace and joy

That circumstances ne'er destroy

5/28/23 Through 6/3/23

 5/28/23 Through 6/3/23

Sunday

The breath of God gives life to all

But all to sin, at some point fall

We need the Spirit's mighty wind

To save the masses that have sinned

The fire of love that Jesus showed

Must somehow in this world explode

To turn from self to common good

And let the Truth be understood

Oh, send once more the wind and flame

Be glorified, His Holy Name

Cut deep into the stony hearts

Replacing them with fleshy parts

Enable all with clarity

To see the fruits of charity

And also see where folly leads

So all would turn from evil deeds

Oh, use the feeble small, and weak

In ways of love and pow'r to speak

That all would know it's only You

Anointing what the humble do.

Monday

Lost is innocence in garden

Gone for now, to all on earth

Blinded eyes and hearts that harden

Longing for a second birth

On the cross, again in garden

Sinless hung, and there below

Perfect love obtaining pardon

That the sinner, love would know

One forgiving all the sinners

Who would come to Mercy know

Making poor and humble winners

In Love's soft and warming glow.

Maiden pure, and oh so holy

Fairest Mother ever be

Help me give myself as wholly

So to live with Christ and thee.

Tuesday

To find the peace He offers man

The man must give all that he can

To be as happy as the Christ

Our all, must too, be sacrificed.

Wednesday

Oh Lord, come visit man today

Let man rejoice, and dance, and pray

For light has come where darkness reigned

Eternal life the man has gained

Once barren, now in tender shoot

The will of God our one pursuit

For there our happiness is born

Just like that blessed Christmas morn

So we must go in haste each day

To quietly, and humbly pray

And there receive our daily bread

To be with hidden graces fed.

Thursday

Son of David, have pity on me

All that I ask, is please let me see

The cry of the beggar that comes to His ear

Is heard from the humble, as one loud and clear

The ways of the Lord, so high above ours

A purpose He gives to each of our scars

From the flash of a spark to the raging of fire

Our God is awake, and never will tire

He gives what we need in the timliest ways

His love will abound throughout all our days

The trials that come He works for our good

For He is our Savior we nailed to the wood

But the grave couldn't hold the King of all kings

By His resurrection, salvation He brings

The dark of the night is a thing of the past

The light of His love, forever will last.

Friday

Oh Lord, a feeble friend I've been

For close to me is careless sin

Not sin of blatant greed or vice,

But sin of lacking sacrifice

A fine facade put on for show,

But You, the naked truth well-know

I often fail to make the grade

Of saintliness to which You bade.

Constrained to what is here below

The truth of all I'll never know

That You are Way and Truth and Life

With words that cut as sharpest knife

A soul as mine, to You well-known

Great mysteries and wonders shown

But still a long long way to go

To in Your blessed graces grow.

I turn to You and plead for more

From in Your treasured Mercy store

That somehow, someday I would be

The person You intended me.

Saturday

How often too, I look to prove

What's right before my eyes

But evidence the heart can't move

If I persist in lies.

For well I've known what He commands

But claim unclarity

For I reject what He demands

Refusing Truth to see.

When right before my eyes He stands

In perfect charity

The model of what love demands

Contemptible to me.

I aks on what authority

He works His signs of grace

He turns the question back to me

Who fails to Truth embrace

How wretched and how wrong I've been

For failing to believe

Forgive my life of selfish sin

To Truth, now let me cleave.

5/21/23 Through 5/27/23

 5/21/23 Through 5/27/23

Sunday

Rising up, He leaves dismayed

The ones before for whom He prayed

For there, He leaves them not alone

But seen with Spirit's gifts to own.

Each looking up, surprised are we

That such a task be given me

To preach the Gospel far and wide

But with the Spirit at our side

Two thousand years ago and more

A task was given on the shore

To tend the lambs and feed the sheep

And so, a blest tradition keep.

And here, this day, our task the same

To preach the wonders of the Name

Of Jesus Christ, our King and Lord

And bring the lost on Earth aboard.

Monday

Take courage for the battle's won

The crucified and precious Son

Has conquered over sin and shame

And rose with victory to claim.

The world will many troubles bring

But through it all, rejoice and sing

For peace will come in time of need

And through it all the Lord will lead.

Tuesday

To look upon my time below

I hope my progeny would know

There's none I give such great acclaim

As that of knowing Jesus' name.

I pray they've seen throughout the years

Especially as age appears

That Christ is all for me on earth

Far more than all my earthly worth.

This faith, to all, I've clearly shown

And tried to make my Savior known

But if the world's way you choose

That precious gift of faith you lose

I beg you, turn and see the light

Repent and shed the dark of night

The Shepherd seeks the wand'ring stray

To bring them back to light of day

Don't put it off another day

But turn and follow on the way

Of righteousness with Christ the King

And peace amid the chaos bring

Wednesday

For whom the end is coming soon,

There should no longer questions loom.

For Truth will come to all one day

And masquerading fall away.

The sooner we acknowledge this

The sooner we may find our bliss

For only Truth can set one free

For Truth will last eternally

No passing fad or brief escape

But that which shows authentic shape

Of all that needs His healing touch

And not some lying, failing crutch.

Thursday

In prison cell, the Lord stood by

To give a glimpse of how and why

Assuring he was on the road

To where the Gospel must be sowed

We too, may not quite understand

Exactly what the Lord has planned

But if we docile souls would be

His glory He will show to thee

For His are high above our ways

And we may only see a haze,

But in His sight the way is clear

So we must walk forgetting fear.

Friday

So, do you love me more than these?

Enough to sacrifice your ease?

Will you accept the cross I give

To teach your fellow man to live?

For us the question looms today

Just as it did in Peter's day

Upon the shore that blessed morn

That Peter as our head was born

A shepherd and a servant be

To all whose charge He gives to thee

And bring them to life-giving food

With faith and love, and fortitude

For in that food, with open eyes

They see beyond the bread disguise

To flesh that's offered for the soul

To feed and strengthen, and console.

Saturday

A harvest is of little good

If none will gather it for food

But sleek and wealthy will they be

Who seek and gather souls for Me

On food of heaven, they will feed

For I will meet their every need

And they that trust in me shall see

The Light for all eternity

Each prayer is answered as I will

Though some will have to suffer still

To gather in the harvest yield

And find at last that they've been healed.