2/18/24 Through 2/24/24

 2/18/24 Through 2/24/24

Sunday

Forty days of humble fasting

Through the worst temptations lasting

Conquering the flesh He gave us

Showing all the path to save us.

Focused on the Father's willing

Key to life and love distilling

In the desert there belying

Every ploy the Devil trying.

Angels there with grace providing

For the way of God deciding

We must too, be ones accepting

So to be with God connecting.

Few have understood the measure

Of this freely offered treasure

With grace to be one in control,

And grace to master well the soul.

What wonders that the will would find

If only Grace's well were mined.

With humble heart, courageous will,

Our every need He would fulfill.

Monday

Who will stand that fateful day

When on the clouds He comes our way

And says, "The least of these was Me,

Now how you fare, just let me see?"

I'll turn in shame, no doubt for me

For many times I've turned from Thee

And looked away from wanting eyes,

My Savior in the poor's disguise.

The prisoner in wanting cell

In lonliness, whose spirits fell

For no one came and rarely wrote

So much as but a little note.

Absorbed in all I want to do

I often fail to notice You

Forgive me Lord, and help me be

A one with eyes that notice Thee.

Tuesday

No word of His is ever void

A wealth in it contained

A consolation well-enjoyed

A blessing now obtained.

Correction when we need it most

Admonishing for good

Rebuke for sin and prideful boast

Bring shame, as well they should.

How well we listen and obey

Determines where we stand

Will we become one cast away,

Or join the banquet planned?

Wednesday

Something greater here than Jonah

Humble One with thorned corona

Preacher, Healer, Lord of Love

From the Father's throne above.

Listen to the Humble Healer,

Nay the word of wheeler-dealer.

Turn from selfish ways of sin

Allow the Light to enter in.

Light a candle, darkness flees

Love, the cure of death's disease.

He that turns will Mercy find

But not who chains of sin still bind.

Shame, remorse, and irritation

Plague a wicked sinful nation

But the hand of wrath be stayed

If just the Holy One obeyed.

Thursday

Upon the rock so frail and weak

The very word of God we seek

The fallen one, restored to be

The leader of the Holy See.

The centuries have proven well

They can't prevail, those gates of Hell.

No matter how inept we be

That office holds a special key.

A key to Holy Spirit pow'r

To meet the challenge of the hour.

As ages of the past have shown\

Full truth is here, and here alone.

Without the shepherd, sheep will stray

And follow on a different way.

A way divergent from the true,

Whatever way the wind that blew.

But on the rock the Church shall stand

Through torrent, flood, and shifting sand.

The tossing sea and mighty gale

O'er One true Church, shall not prevail.

Friday

One away from full damnation

To the dregs of all creation

All our good is wiped away

If freely now we choose to stray.

The ending matters most of all 

For this is when we hear the call

To spend eternity with God

Or answer to the wicked fraud.  

I know I'm weak and pray dear Lord

I'll not reject Your blood outpoured

But persevere until the end

And on Your mercy there depend.

Your angel shield me from such woe

For left alone, astray I'd go.

I need Your constant call to guide

Away from selfish, evil, pride.

I hope and trust that I may be

One totally in love with Thee,

One on the straight and narrow way

Who never ever turns away.

Saturday

He loves the every one He made

And so to do the same He bade.

For bad or good no difference makes

His love for all is what it takes.

We pull aback when ere we hear

An enemy is drawing near

But in His wisdom, we must love

For that's the choice of God above.

He showed us how upon the cross

To count all other gains as loss

To love in spite of all they do

To reach their hearts and make anew.

The heart will change no other way

But seeing love amid the fray

And knowing there the answer lies

For on the Cross, love testifies.

So, pray for those who do you wrong

And all the wicked evil throng

For change could come on any day

And they, like you, could find the Way.