9/12/21 Through 9/18/21

 9/12/21 Through 9/18/21

Sunday

The question still remains today. 

Who do You say I am?

Don't simply try to get away,

Or bypass this exam.

The answer sets the very tone

For how to live each day.

If He is God, and God alone,

His word we must obey.

Oh happy fault that Christ should come,

Redeeming all from sin.

To show the depth that Christ would plumb

That we might enter in.

But still today, the question plied,

Just who this man could be.

The saints alone on Him relied,

That's good enough for me.

Monday

What kind of faith do I possess,

A faith enough to heal and bless?

Or faith that only shows its face

When needy of some special grace?

A faith at every twist and turn

Will help the steadfast ones discern

He works all for the good He chose,

So pray you may be one of those.

Tuesday

Such love I cannot comprehend

One patient till the bitter end.

Not shrinking from the stripe or thorn

Our Savior did the cross adorn.

That we might lift Him high to see

The love He has for each of thee,

And join our burdens there to His

For sacrifice is what love is.

Wednesday

Heart of Jesus, Heart of Fire,

Listen to my heart's desire.

Come enflame my heart as Thine,

Make my love a love Divine.

Pierce me as Your Mother's heart

Many times Your grace impart

That my station never leave,

But my heart, to Your heart cleave.

Let me welcome with my hands

Every word of Your commands

Press Your Sacred Heart to mine

Making it a heart as Thine.

That beneath the cross I stay

Pondering the Truth, the Way.

Life Divine, love excelling,

Of Your sacrifice all telling.

Thursday

How foolish when I turn away

And choose to follow my own way.

No satisfaction I would find,

But more of darkness for the mind.

And in repentance I have seen

Forgiveness and the gap between

My ways of selfish righteousness

And humble, gentle loveliness.

Let tears of love then flood my eyes

And strip away my false disguise.

Then there in true humility

Forgiveness for my sins I see.

A fragrant love is then outpoured.

The total gift of Christ our Lord.

With none held back, He showed how love

Would lead us to our home above.

Friday

A simple life of simple means,

A life of love with strict routines,

To turn the heart to Him each day

Will lead us safely on our way.

Saturday

Avoid the rocks, avoid the thorns.

Explicitly the Sower warns

How these can hamper goodly seed

Depriving it of basic need.

The need of soil to embrace,

Receive it well, and foster grace.

To blanket and protect the seed

From bird, and rock, and thorny weed.

So, well prepare your place to grow,

That nourishment the seed would know,

And roots extend to firm and deep,

Quite far beyond the surface cheap.

Then firmly rooted, richly fed

Each seed would yield a loaf of bread,

And persevere through all ordeal

With patient love and holy zeal.

9/5/21 Through 9/11/21

 9/5/21 Through 9/11/21

Sunday 

Our faith arrives by what we hear

Through faith, we find our Lord is near,

And that of which we've come to know

Our life will soon begin to show.

Without the ear attuned to hear

The speech is never very clear.

Impeded by our failings when

Instead of God, we follow men.

So listen well to know the way,

Then you will speak as clear as day,

And others find His word in you 

Through all you say, and all you do.

Monday

Each one a labor given thee,

A way of love to come to Me.

Let each complete the work assigned 

And in the Father's presence find

The withered heart and hand restored

With grace abundantly out-poured

A Sabbath rest is good for man,

But Sabbath in the Father's plan

Is not a time for evil deeds,

But understanding well our needs.

To follow as the Lord commands,

And let Him heal our withered hands.

Tuesday

Principalities and Powers

From our God in flesh now cower.

For in His holy body shone

The humble love of God alone.

Obedience has conquered sin,

Faults forgiven, cleansed within.

Nailed upon the awful tree, 

All the evil plaguing me.

Now in turn, I must obey,

Learn to sacrifice and pray,

Seek the love that conquered death,

Praising till my dying breath.

Wednesday

From ancient times this day foretold,

Barren wife at last consoled.

The purest virgin of our race,

Dawn of mercy, dawn of grace.

Thursday

This day a gift from God above

My duty now to add the love.

To find the lowly, poor, and weak,

And give to them the love they seek.

To measure out without reserve,

To be a humble one, to serve,

To lend a hand to those in need,

And by example, sow a seed.

Friday

I see quite well the splinter there,

The speck of dirt, or misplaced hair.

Yet blinded I so often seem,

And fail to see the wooden beam.

You're at my side throughout the day,

Yet frequently I tend to stray

This beam that often blocks my view

Is pride unchecked that quickly grew.

Forgive my many failings Lord,

Be You alone, my great reward.

This beam I wish to quickly shed,

And be a humble man instead.

Saturday

Lord help me act upon Your word,

Your every call that I have heard,

And so a strong foundation build

For house of love, with wisdom filled.

So much to me, You have to say,

But busyness can fill my day.

Distractions draw my eyes from You

Alacrity, I then eschew.

Lord help me see beyond the haze.

Your Spirit set my heart ablaze.

That every word, I act upon,

And light within, be like the dawn.

8/29/21 Through 9/4/21

 8/29/21 Through 9/4/21

The world wants to know what's wrong,

But bothers not to think too long.

They act to change the broad array

Without reforming their own way.

To save the lives, the guns must change,

But then again, it seems quite strange.

The weakest and most needy one

Is cast aside fore life begun.

They look to see another's ill

Without a thought to their own will.

They say they have the right to choose

Without a thought to what they lose.

So, how to fix our world today,

Remains the same as every day.

Those blinded by their pride, you see

Are those that need to change, not me.

Monday

Just how would I have looked upon

This man I once knew well,

Would I have given time to spawn

The words that He would tell.

Or would I rush upon the man

Intending to do harm,

Would faith in Him that just began

Be cause for such alarm?

Today as well we still project

Upon the holy ones

The sins to which we all object,

But teach to all our sons.

Lord let me not a wound inflict,

But simply pass me by,

Then in my heart of hearts convict,

Contrition then supply.

Tuesday

In love, He came not to condemn,

But change the hearts of sinful men.

The Father's love to man reveal,

And sickness of our sin to heal.

I see, and so believe it's true,

But find myself so far from You.

Yet still, You knock and enter in

Each time I turn away from sin.

If I could just describe Your love,

The patience and the kindness of

The One so far, and One so near,

I'd find the end of doubt and fear.

Wednesday

A healing both complete and fast

A memory for years to last,

Of how God loves and cares for me

That often I would fail to see.

How fickled, I at times can be,

Impatient with impiety,

Forgetting all that He has done,

And acting as He's given none.

When none was spared by Him for me

The shroud proclaims His victory

The Gospel in each stripe and thorn

His sacred countenance adorn.

Thursday

Put out into the deep, He said,

And let your ways, by Me be led.

I'll teach you how to fish again,

But this time for the souls of men.

Friday

He brings new wine to all who live,

And teaches them to freely give.

To let their hearts and souls expand

To see what from the start He planned.

But fresh must be the way we live,

And many times we must forgive,

For fresh expands and always grows,

But old will lose the wine it knows.

So make each day, a day anew,

And let His Spirit grow in you.

Abandon that which holds you back,

Let Him provide what ere you lack.

Saturday

Lord of the Sabbath, determine for me,

Where is the right, and what is the key,

How to discern when to rest is to be,

Or when action would far more appropriate be.

Truest devotion, a heart full of love,

God in our flesh, come down from above,

To show to the feeble, the way of the Lord,

And see in all things, how His love is out-poured.

8/22/21 Through 8/28/21

 8/22/21 Through 8/28/21

Sunday

Submission to His holy will,
The way to find our honest fill

Of love and peace and joy sublime,

As to the throne of grace we climb.

So proud of having gone "my way"

The haughty find, at last, someday

That only in His will is found

A love that will the heart astound.

No way of man could ever find

such harmony to still the mind,

And rest in perfect love received

From One our very life conceived.

So cringe not at that word today.

Submission, be your chosen way.

For only when our choice is free

Will perfect love and joy we see.

Monday

Too often still we look for ways

To skirt around His will.

To look at things amid a haze

And not the truth distill.

He makes it clear to every man

The way in life to go.

Yet still, we search for how we can

Unto the Lord say no.

A hypocrite in every sense

Who follows law for show

Devoid of simple common sense,

Refusing Him to know.

Today again the choice remains

To follow good or ill

I pray to have the simple brains

To follow in His will.

Tuesday

How blest we are that know the Lord,

His favor on each one outpoured.

To learn to pray at tender age

And with the holy ones engage.

The poor are those without a guide,

That only know their selfish side.

Who never taste how sweet is love,

And all that comes from God above.

Reach out Oh Lord and touch the soul,

Let every sinner be made whole.

And show to those so far away

That Yours is but the only way.

One far above was then made low

So every soul on earth would know

The love of God for sinful men

And have the chance to start again.

Receive oh Lord, all things I own

My treasure is in You alone.

My privilege is to bear my cross

And count all earthly gain as loss.

So little here on earth, we know

But loving Him will make us grow

And open vistas far and wide

Of wonders on the other side.

Wednesday

Woe because the beauty's gone,

A thin veneer is all that's on

A core that's rotten as can be,

But through the veil, the wise will see.

In truth is where the beauty's found

It comes from in, and not around.

When that within the heart of thee

With God, finds perfect harmony.

So in the fight, both work and pray,

Then always take the humble way.

For pride is what corrupts within

And multiplies our every sin.

But truth reveals a beauty there

With which the pride cannot compare.

A radiance from deep within

That shines when we abandon sin.

Thursday

I pray that I be ready then

Not acting as the sinful men,

But diligent in all I do,

And leading other souls to You.

So much I lack, but You can fill

The failings of my human will

To make me patient, good, and kind,

And help this feeble soul to find,

Your every word my pure delight

That keeps me ready through the night.

Awake to find on Your return

What only faithful servants earn.

Friday

A holiness is my desire

Closer still, and always higher.

The wise are well-prepared for when

The Bridegroom will return again.

With preparation every day

We face the trial, come what may,

Then wait with patience for the time,

And try to cleanse our sinful grime.

Saturday

"Well done, My good and faithful one."

The words we long to hear

Your faith and trust in Me has won

The life that you revere.

It's not your work, and not your wit,

But trust in Me alone.

And willingness that you commit

The all of what you own.

Not burying the talents that

Were given just for you,

But give to see what love begat,

And give to Love His due

8/15/21 Through 8/21/21

 8/15/21 Through 8/21/21

Sunday

So, What does the Assumption mean,

Except that who was dimly seen

Has now been glorified as Queen,

Most perfect one to intervene?

The sinless all throughout her time

To highest height would Virgin climb.

Obedient in all her ways

A faithful one through all her days.

Monday

So many times I fall away

And fail to hear, much less obey.

The Lord above is Lord of all,

And wise men hearken to His call.

But foolish I so often be,

And fail to hear Him calling me.

A rich young man will just grow old

By saving that which should be sold.

But one that follows Jesus finds

A peace and joy of many kinds.

For with the Lord, all loss is gain,

And giving all, we all obtain.

Tuesday

Lord make of me a servant true,

A humble helper close to You.

Attune my ear to hear your voice,

And make Your will my every choice.

So far away I seem from You

The faithful ones seem far too few.

The enemy a frightful hoard,

There's need for peace to be restored.

The soldiers in Your army be

The lowly ones that trust in Thee,

The helpless poor and very weak

Who make Your will the will they seek.

Though far away, I yearn for You,

Yet still I often turn from You

Oh change this sickly heart of mine,

And make my will to Yours incline.

For there, despite the trials here,

My comfort is to know You're near,

And that Your power far outweighs

Whatever comes from sinful ways.

Wednesday

Refuse the call and then you'll see

How poor the leadership can be.

Be selfish in the way you live,

And wonder why no one will give.

The Buckthorn rules for in the day

We sought for one to lead the way,

The olive, fig, and vine we knew

Would not accept the crown from You.

You live within a barren waste

For none would of My cup, partake

They find excuses one and all

For why they cannot heed the call.

The gifts are given each to share,

And always with enough to spare,

But generosity will be

Our only hope or guarantee.

Thursday

Rejected by His chosen ones

He searches for adoptive sons

The search goes out to all who hear

To come and feast with One so dear.

But clothe yourself in love before

You knock upon the banquet door.

For love alone must be our dress,

The Master's son would have no less.

Friday

To love, by far, the great command.

To love, is what the Lord demands.

For love has given all we own,

And love can never be outgrown.

A total gift of self is love

No greater gift than His above.

A perfect Lamb of sacrifice

Who leads us to His paradise.

Saturday

The simple in a way profound,

The wise and learned ones astound

For they can see with clarity

The graces of austerity.

So hard the lures of earth to shed,

The false bravado of the dead,

Who look to only earthly gain,

And cower from a hint of pain.

They know not of what loving means,

And see not how the loving leans

To give of self when ere they can,

To help their needy fellow man.

So listen what they say to you,

But follow not the way they do.

The great among you all must serve,

And all will get what they deserve.

8/8/21 Through 8/14/21

 8/8/21 Through 8/14/21

Sunday

"Get up and eat," The Lord commands,

Lest journey be too long

To find the promised, fruited lands

Where each of us belongs.

The Bread of Life, His flesh He gives

To be our sacred meal

That satisfies the one who lives,

And blessed things reveals.

Monday

For your own good, He gives the law.

This simple fact the prophets saw.

Just think of all His hands have made,

And how our debt of love He paid.

The ocean depth or mountain height,

The brightest day, or darkest night,

Have all been made by just a word,

And none by chance has just occurred.

So too are you with purpose made.

For you, a ransom dear was paid.

That you might know His love for man

And learn to love the Master's plan.

So come to Him in humble ways

And seek His will throughout your days.

You'll not be disappointed there

If you entrust to Him your care.

Tuesday

A planted seed, a risk we take

That someday it would grow.

No longer food, a bet we make

That others come to know.

It's only in our sowing much

That harvest great will be.

In giving of ourself, as such,

A bounty we will see.

The stingy holds the planting back,

Each single seed to eat.

But harvest yields a wanting sack

Without much golden wheat.

By sowing much the yield is more,

And many souls are fed.

You'll always have enough in store,

And many loves of bread.

So giving with abounding cheer

Your love might overflow,

And all who of your kindness hear

Might come, the Lord, to know.

Wednesday

My help in every time of need,

My constant Sower and the Seed.

Your word through many prophets glared,

But none to Moses ere compared.

Who spoke to you as face to face,

And radiance became the grace

That proved Your presence there with him,

And brightened times appearing dim.

The Promised Land he saw and yet

Across to there would never get,

But where eternally he sleeps

An eye upon the land He keeps.

Thursday

What wonders wrought by mighty hands!

What wisdom in His shrewd commands!

By trusting in His every word

The voice of God's more clearly heard.

Obedience will show the way,

Docility will then display

How true His every word shall be,

And steadfast hearts will truly see.

Forgiveness leads to lasting peace

Where prisoners can find release,

But lacking that, we waste away

When vengence only rules the day.

Friday

The marriage bond, unbroken be

That all might look, and plainly see

Reflecting in the lives of those

A love from God that freely flows.

The hardness of the heart can be

The source of broken home debris.

But that's not what the Father planned

When giving them His first command.

To multiply and fill the earth,

To join as one and bring to birth

Unselfish love and total gift

Instead of greedy ones adrift.

If in the Father's way we walk,

And let Him govern how we talk,

We'll find a tongue that's well-controlled,

And find our injuries consoled.

Forgiveness turns the ship around

To where a faithful love is found,

And in that mirror we can see

What married life is meant to be.

Saturday

A cheerful giver I should be

Not grudging talents given me,

But sharing from a loving heart,

And doing well my little part.

Let anger no companion be

And greediness within me flee.

That patient love might rule the day,

With calm demeanor, come what may.

8/1/21 Through 8/7/21

 Sunday

"Modified Pagan" the way that we live.

All is too much, but something we give.

Enough to seem noble, kindly, and good,

But not nearly as much as we know that we should.

Steeped in the trappings of comfort and ease,

But rarely are found to be on our knees.

Fooled by deception of earthly allure,

Clinging to that which is only manure.

The way of the pagan must not be our way,

We're called to a brighter, more beautiful day.

Where self is denied for the good of the soul,

And likeness to Christ is our eminent goal.

So shake off the old, and be clothed with the new,

And model His ways in all that you do.

Be filled with the Spirit of goodness and love.

The Cross is our way to our home up above.

Monday

Too much, the weight of sinful men

Who feed and yet are starved again.

They never satisfied will be

If in the manna fail to see.

His loving care, how He provides

The manna and the quail besides.

The water from the rock that flowed,

And blessings on each soul bestowed.

A gratitude is what we need

To daily on His manna feed,

And find a favored flavor there

That satisfies our every care.

Be grateful now and you will see

How manifold your blessings be,

And how He cares for faithful sheep,

Providing while they restful sleep.

Tuesday

In faith a merely juvenile,

A leper for a little while,

To learn to listen, and obey,

And follow well the Maker's way.

He speaks to humble, poor, and meek

Who come to Him and purely seek

His daily food for every day,

To do His will in every way.

Wednesday

How have I failed like Israel

To of His mighty wonders tell,

To slay the giants facing me

By placing firmly, trust in Thee?

Such great offense to know His care,

and cower 'fore the wicked there.

Yet still it happens to this day,

We act at times in this same way.

We choose to simply not engage,

And let the evil tyrants wage

A war on all that's true and good

Instead of fighting as we should.

Thursday

The leader's way is never sure,

for ways of man are never pure.

The worldly way of self creeps in

And draws us toward a life of sin.

A barren place of sand and stone

Where many are as all alone.

Till last upon the door they knock,

And water flows from in the rock

The way of man can never see

The wisdom in divinity,

Except when mulling over past,

We see a mighty work at last.

So lead in docile, humble ways

And seek His will throughout the days.

He leads us to the cross, it's true.

But through the cross, makes life anew.

Friday

On Tabor's height His glory shone.

With prophets there did speak.

And then, at once, He's all alone

Upon the mountain peak.

They heard the voice, "This is My Son."

Yet didn't understand.

That suffering would come to One,

Accord the Father's plan.

Through death alone, the glory comes,

The victory over sin.

The total gift of self becomes

The way to finally win.

Saturday

Oh, faith be drilled to deep within

To far below this outer skin.

Till all within has been made clean,

And only Christ in me be seen.

Allow the mustard seed to grow

And let Your love within me flow,

That mountains move when ere I say,

"Be gone," to demons of the day

7/25/21 Through 7/31/21

 7/25/21 Through 7/31/21

Sunday

Inadequate as I may be,

It seems the Lord has chosen me

In some way to fulfill His plan,

As so He has with every man.

There's not enough to go around,

But if a willing soul is found,

Your work will multiply the way

He did the bread and fish that day.

An hour here or minute there,

May not appear as much to share,

But if we seize the time and act

It will supply what others lacked.

So listen well and hear the call

He makes to you and makes to all.

Your time on earth is not your own,

Your duty is to make Him known.

So offer what you can today

To feed the hungry on the way.

You, a simple loaf of bread,

Can be the one that many fed.

Monday

By forfeiture, the battle's won,

And perseverance makes a son.

For either side the same is true,

Now give some thought to which are you?

Have you surrendered soul to sin,

To some delight or pleasure win,

A passing comfort, bliss, or thrill

That never seems your heart to fill?

If so, you are your father's son

That bows to a created one.

That only knows a lie to tell,

The King of Lies, condemned to hell.

But if you turn the other way

Surrendering your will each day

To love incarnate come as man,

The heart will fill as in His plan.

And so, adopted son you'll be

Akin to One upon the tree.

Whose full surrender won the war

With peace and joy forevermore.

For who knows best to fill our hearts, 

But One who made our many parts?

Complete surrender to His will,

The way for sure our hearts to fill.

Tuesday

A meeting face to face with You,

A walk amid the morning dew,

A freshness in each moment there,

A quiet peace in times so rare.

But rare they needn't be you see,

For I am always here for thee.

I call to you throughout the day

Inviting you to come My way.

That which draws your gaze from Me

Cannot give life or set you free.

Diablo's lying wedge divides,

My law to light unending guides.

The wheat and weeds together grow,

But end much differently you know.

The weeds as ashes on the field,

The other, bread of life to yield.

Wednesday

Aglow with love each face will be

Of those who spend their time with Me.

Receiving all I have to give,

And learning how My faithful live.

A narrow path I lead them on

A darkened path before the dawn,

But when the morning sun shall rise,

A treasure there before their eyes.

One worthy of all that they own,

Such beauty there before unknown.

Let all be sold to purchase Thee,

My light and life forever be.

Thursday

Tired and weary, I fall at Your feet

Humbled again, I admit my defeat.

All is from You and naught is from me.

How plain it should be for readers to see.

Friday

Too much for those, He knew too well.

How could such humble root excel?

A prophet's honor, Him denied.

By lack of faith, His hands were tied.

Sins of comfort they embraced.

Too proud to have the truth be faced.

Among their local paths He trod,

The Son of Man, the Son of God.

Today as well, His presence missed,

And that before our eyes dismissed

As too well-known to be a sign,

There's One among us, One Divine.

Saturday

Saint Ignatius, help of mine,

To His will my heart incline.

Discerning well, the Shepherd's voice,

And making Him my every choice.

A simple way, but oh so hard,

My base attachments to discard,

To live for what He brings today,

And savor well that sweet bouquet.

7/18/21 through 7/24/21

 7/18/21 through 7/24/21

Sunday

Here I sit to ponder well

The Gospel words of which I tell.

The shepherd sacrifices food

To feed His lost and hungry brood.

At length He teaches those who seek.

He heals the sick and strengthens weak.

He guides them to a place of rest

In solitude to be refreshed.

In leisure subtleties emerge,

Distractions, and the like we purge

To ruminate upon His word,

And let His love, in us be stirred.

It's there we find what we should do , 

When sitting quietly with You.

When giving You the chance to speak

It's true, the wise are also meek.

Monday

How many signs must people see?

Do those in chains want to be free?

Are we like those upon the shore, 

Preferring slavery as before?

Or do we see, and so believe

That God, Our Lord will soon relieve

All suffering and pain for thee,

And draw you through a parted sea?

Lord, give us strength to follow You

In what You say and what You do .

Give courage to the faint of heart

And let them see the waters part.

So many signs we cast aside

Now blinded by our useless pride,

But on that morn the Son shall rise,

And open all the blinded eyes.

Grant me grace to follow well

When all is bleak and dark clouds swell.

For You have shown oft times before,

You're faithful to the oath You swore.

Far more than safety, freedom sought

Your signs and wonders not forgot.

The truly wise will look and see

Your angels clear the way for me.

Tuesday

"Stretch out your hand.", was Moses told

The pow'r of God you shall behold.

The enemy shall be removed

And love of God be ever proved.

Yet still we doubt His loving care

Surrounding us, but unaware,

We fear the wicked, threatening mob

When trust alone is but our job.

He fights for those He calls His own

Who work to make His wonders known,

And stretching out His hands we see

His vict'ry won upon the tree.

Love overcomes the cross and grave

A love like His will heal and save

Obey, and bear the cross, we must

For vict'ry comes if we but trust.

Wednesday

A scattering of quail around

A bread behind the dew is found.

He grants His people all they need,

On bread from heaven, they will feed.

Some will see His loving care,

While others yearn for slavery's fare.

The former tasting all delights,

The latter, firm reproof, invites.

Look around and you will see

What kind of person you might be.

The two are seen still to this day

Just not quite in the same old way.

His blessings all around are seen

In every place and in between.

While some delight in all they see,

Some never satisfied will be.

Thursday

(Can be sung to the tune of Creator of the Stars at Night)

A healing love in Magdalene

A tenderness before unseen

Who bathed His feet with tears of love,

Beneath the cross with Him above.

She stayed until the bitter end

A faithful and a loving friend. 

She saw the lance that pierced His side,

His final breath, and when He died.

She saw they laid Him in the tomb,

Unknowing three days hence would bloom

The crucified, our risen Lord.

One to be worshipped and adored.

Apostle to Apostles ran.

To Galilee His stated plan.

Now make disciples of all men, 

Repeat the story o'er again.

Friday

My job it is to till the ground,

to hide the seed before it's found

By thieving birds that steal away

The seed that falls on trodden clay.

Remove the stone that blocks the root

From finding depth in its pursuit

So withered not the grain may be

When scorching sun assaileth me.

Cut down the thorn that chokes the word

That clearly now His voice is heard.

So seed can grow and find the light

It needs to bear much fruit aright.

So grant it Lord that I might be

A soil well prepared for Thee.

Receiving all that You have sown,

Both ripe and fruited, fully grown.

At harvest time You find a yield

A hundredfold within this field,

And on the final day I hear,

"Well done, My servant", come in here.

Saturday

In blood the covenant was made

To follow God, what Moses bade.

We shall!  We shall, the people cried.

A faithful love, they testified.

But in the field where seed was sown,

So too, the weeds of sin have grown.

They grow together for  awhile,

Attempting to, good seed beguile.

But in the end the weeds are burned,

And all receive what all have earned.

The empty stalk with chaff is tossed

Amid the fire, among the lost.

How sweet the law of love can be

The faithful saints would all agree.

The seeming loss that love requires,

A greater gain the love acquires.

So see the blood that Jesus shed,

New covenant by which we're fed,

And know that in the end love wins,

And love will conquer any sins. 

.

7/11/21 Through 7/17/21

 7/11/21 Through 7/17/21

Sunday

From following, I was removed,

And made to lead the way

For so the world was unimproved, 

And darkness ruled the day.

But light You gave for me to shine

As each a torch receive.

In rhyme, Your chosen torch of mine

To hidden things perceive.

To pass along the wisdom gained

From spending time with You,

And loose the one in prison chained

That they may start anew.

Monday

Do not think that peace I bring,

Division is My given thing.

To set apart the good from ill,

And find the ones that do My will.

Unworthy those who shun the cross,

Unwilling those to suffer loss,

For what they save will waste away.

Not so, the humble who obey.

For simple things the Father sees.

The one a righteous man receives,

Or one who simply offers drink,

And does not from the burden shrink.

Tuesday

With miracles the blind shall see,

And wicked come to know

The end of all our sinful spree,

Not where we want to go.

So we must turn around to find

The path to Heaven's door

Where gems of love each day are mined,

And pilgrims search for more.

Wednesday

In the humble holy one

The gifts of God reveal the Son.

As fire burning, not consumed,

A lily from the Mohawks bloomed.

A shepherd in the desert sun

Where burning bush had just begun

Deliverance for those enslaved,

On humble heart, His word engraved.

The Lily too was thus engraved,

And so to love was thus enslaved.

A virgin pure and undefiled,

With loving heart, a little child.

A leader too for all her kin,

A love that many hearts would win.

To childlike our God revealed

What heretofore had been concealed.

Be not afraid to lead the way

When chosen you must now obey.

Then trust in all you say and do,

It's all for Him and naught for you.

Thursday

We all are slaves in some respect.

We choose to love or be stiff-necked.

The pride of men fools many folk,

But love's a light and easy yoke.

The burdens of a sinful way

Will promise much, but little pay.

While love appears to lessen me,

But makes of me a fruitful tree.

Learn from Him they crucified,

And wash in water from His side.

By giving all, we all receive,

So let not selfishness deceive.

While pride slaves on in search of more,

Its efforts yield an empty store.

But slaves of love have restful sleep,

Renewing slumber, calm and deep.

Friday

Passing o'er those marked in blood,

The awesome might of God in flood.

That night forever recollected,

To each Mass, that day connected.

Lord of all who gives the grain,

Ground it in the mill of pain,

Makes of it a Living Bread

On which the faithful all are fed.

Saturday

The flame is gone, a glow remains,

Yet still the smold'ring wick contains

A spark of life abandoned not,

A fading hope, but not forgot.

With gentleness, He treats the stray

The chosen ones, who lost their way.

Those seen by most as useless fare

He shows the Father's loving care.

Freeing those enslaved by sin,

Welcoming repentant in.

Restoring withered hands and such,

With words of pow'r and gentle touch.

7/4/21 Through 7/10/21

 7/4/21 Through 7/10/21

Sunday (Dependence Day)

This day the word comes loud and clear,

There is no room for doubt or fear.

He sends us to a stubborn race

With hardened hearts, refusing grace.

Ill prepared, without the gifts,

Through the weak and low He sifts,

Finding one who well obeys,

One boasting not, who often prays.

He promises to fill their need.

If trust they will, they will succeed.

He chooses weak and lowly kinds

For in the weak His glory shines.

Monday

Truly God is present here 
I’ve seen enough to know He’s near
The grandeur and the beauty of 
Our God of mercy, and of love.

In all He makes His presence known
With stunning order clearly shown.
He heals the faithful trusting soul,
Restoring life that sin had stole.

Those that know Him ask for more.
They recognize His bounty store
And limit not what He can do,
But always ask to be made new.

Tuesday
So many tongues, by evil tied,
It seems as though to stem the tide
A miracle would have to be
The only way to set them free.

Abundant harvest waits for You,
But laborers are very few.
Beseech the Master, send more here
To gather in the ripened ear.

By evil, many bound in chains,
But overall the Master reigns,
And should they just to Him appeal,
His single word would bless and heal.

Wednesday
When famine comes we seek the grain
To feed upon the bread.
Now humbled by the hunger’s pain, 
Before the wise, we’re led.

Our deeds exposed in starkest light,
Now comes the punishment.
No deed be covered by the night,
So we must all repent.

Exposed for what we’ve always been
No way to hide our guilt.
The liars caught in deadly sin
That lie on lie has built.

So bow before the Savior King
Bend low and kiss the ground.
For all your wretched soul can bring
Is sorrow finally found.

Thursday
A longing for the Father here
Beyond what words explain
A tender spot for one so dear
That truly is arcane.

The source of all, and origin
Of everything that is.
So far away, and yet our kin,
A precious child of His.

The draw to be as one with Him,
Our primal yearning core.
A love that overflows the rim
And offers evermore.

Yet creeping in at every crack
Is evil, selfish sin.
That sets the progress always back,
To once again, begin.

Receive this day my firm desire,
For nothing less than You.
Set my heart and soul afire,
And bid my sin adieu.

Friday
Among the wolves, You sent us out,
With fear and trembling all about.
Flogged and beaten, left for dead,
Yet in our suffering, we’re fed.

For all the pain the martyrs faced,
Was met with love, and thus embraced,
As sharing in the cross of Christ,
Whose love unbound their soul enticed.

Not threatened here as such, but though
The way we’ve left our country go,
As bit by bit, the morals shift,
Away from God, we slowly drift.

And someday in the land of free,
Religion, folks may come to see
As threatening their right to sin,
And persecutions, thus begin.

So change a heart with love today.
A martyr, yes, but white the way.
It’s not too late to change the mind,
And open eyes that sin made blind.

Saturday
Though you intended harm for me,
The Lord intended good.
To bring about that you would see,
And listen as you should.

The ear attentive to His word
That hears and then obeys.
His humble prayer is always heard,
And answered many ways.

So persevere and you will hear,
But then you must obey.
For if you hear and turn deaf ear,
You’ll never find your way.