Lent 2015
This year
part of my Lenten observance is to write four lines each day that reflect what
the Lord is saying to me. What follows
is the product. Perhaps I need some listening lessons.
1. Wednesday
comes with trepidation.
Ashes placed
in reparation.
While in
hunger, days are long,
But in my
weakness you are strong.
2. Now begins
the forty days
To cleanse
the heart in varied ways.
To search
for him in self denied,
And break
the fetters sin has tied.
3. No heart
contrite or humble spurned,
But lives by
grace in penance turned
From
sinfulness and selfish lust
To lives of
love and simple trust.
4. A coarse and
callous heart has lied.
My
sinfulness abounds inside.
Choked by
cares throughout the day,
How easily,
I’m found to stray.
5. Anger flared
up yesterday.
A child who
failed to get his way.
Lord quench
that flame in me today.
Let me, to
all, your love repay.
6. Every day
they’re at the door
The indigent
and homeless poor,
But passing
by we turn our eyes,
And Christ,
we fail to recognize.
7. Turn my ear
to you oh Lord,
God of mercy
and peace.
Then speak
to me your guiding words
And grant me
sweet release.
8. In Ninevah
where Jonah spoke,
Great
sinners lived as pagan folk,
But when his
word reached to their ears
Repentance
brought the gift of tears.
9. Deliver me
dear Lord I pray,
From all my
rude and selfish ways.
Grant me the
ability
To exercise
humility.
10. My weakness
and my frailty
Are evident
and plain to see.
I say I want
to fast and pray,
But then my
self gets in the way.
11. Love, the
Lenten clarion call
That touches
hearts and beckons all,
To look upon
his suff’ring face
And find in
there the gift of grace.
12. Before the
three on Tabor’s height
Your glory
shone in splendor bright.
But do not
speak of this you said,
Until I’ve
risen from the dead.
13. The cold of
winter still persists.
My heart, your
love, does still resist.
Lord break
the ice and warm the chill,
And form my
life within Your will.
14. For sure my
pride and haughtiness
Exclude me
from Your happiness
For when
like scribe and Pharisee
My works are
done for all to see.
15. Beneath the
cross and labored cries
His bloody
feet before her eyes
There in
darkness cold and stark
A sword did
pierce the Virgin’s heart.
16. Such change
we need down deep within
To shed the
anger and the sin,
To leave the
rich in all of us,
And learn to
love the Lazarus.
17. Perseverance
the essential key
To unlock
peace for thee
But, how, I
pray, will you ever see
When you
give up so easily?
18. I see the
beauty in her face
So innocent
and pure
A
countenance of holiness
A love to
long endure.
19. No crooked
eyes or sordid thought
While gazing
at this sight
But purity
and love sublime
Shine forth
in splendid light.
20. I wish to
join him for the feast,
But not when
called to be the least.
Aspiring to
great renown
Though
health in humble service found.
21. The key to
happiness and peace
Is finding
ways to love the least.
Transgressors
too we must forgive,
And thus we
learn just how to live.
22. How cold and
hardened is my will
I need your
warmth to break the chill
The fire of
love to set aside
My weakness
and my foolish pride.
23. Sin is a sin
no matter how small
A turning
from God each time that we fall.
Here is the
best way to fight it I’ve found,
You simply
must choose to then turn around.
24. Impatient
and impetuous
Describes
I’d say most all of us.
Our lives in
scattered disarray
No time to
sit with Him and pray.
25. I sit and
ask the Lord to speak
To me a man
of will so weak.
I stumble on
the smallest stone
But still
I’m never left alone.
26. I have no
time for patience
For it’s
only worth a pittance.
My want to
quickly gratify,
I simply
wish to satisfy.
27. Happiness
comes not from things,
But from the
joy that Jesus brings.
A joy
untouched by temporal trial
Found by
living His lifestyle.
28. The glitter
of the world is found
To turn
man’s heart and pull him down.
But then he
finds those jewels at last
Are nothing
more than shiny glass.
29. Oh hungry
flesh, how can it be
That
contentment come to thee?
Whatever fed
is not appeased.
How will the
Lord be ever pleased?
30. Through the
world roams Lucifer
Foe of all
who are and were.
Glutton,
fiend, and adversary,
Make my
steps of him be wary.
31. Wisdom fails
where pride takes hold
Our tendency
to be so bold.
How prone we
are to self-deceit.
We fail to
see Him in the wheat.
32. What puny
faith, how little trust,
Is placed in
Him, the true and just!
His love
surpasses all we know,
His grace a
mighty river flows.
33. The time is
near, it’s almost gone,
Here in the
dark before the dawn.
For Lent is
short, it’s getting late.
No time left
to procrastinate.
34. When looking at my own misdeeds
A haughtiness of heart soon breeds
I'll highlight then another's vice
And somehow think that makes me nice.
35. Idolatry of any kind
Will warp the soul and skew the mind
Enslaving one to some mere thing
And turning faces from the King
It's called a vice because it binds
In heavy chains our hearts and minds
Jaws are poised and open wide
To squeeze the life from deep inside
36. Incarnate God, how can it be
That all that is, is found in thee?
How could it be the virgin bride
Beheld the God of all inside?
37. No greater love could we conceive
Why, then, do many not believe
Why do they call Him just a man
And not accept the great I AM?
38. In suffering He hears our plea
The one we placed upon the tree
By joining Him in sacrifice
He leads us to His paradise
39. One yes to God is all it takes
To wipe out sin and past mistakes
More than the mind could ere conceive
He grants if we will just believe.
40. As this Holy Week begins
We call to mind our faults and sins
It was for them we recognize
He bled upon the cross and died.
First we hail as King indeed
And then we hit Him with the reed
We lay our branches at His feet,
And then we strike Him on the cheek.
Giving Him our royal robes
We turn and strip Him of His clothes
We shout to raise Him King on high,
And then we shout to crucify.
41. The bruised reed he shall not break
A time of justice He shall make.
Quenching not the wick that smoulders
Bringing joy to weary shoulders
42. Betrayal comes to mind this day
But surely it's not I we say
With loyal words my voice has flowed,
But listen now, the cock has crowed.
Great plans I have to honor You
In all I say and all I do
Your graces then on me bestowed,
But listen now, the cock has crowed.
43. My tithe of mint and rue and dillNo substitute to do your will.
Love's the simple seed You sowed
But listen now, the cock has crowed.
Big promises have not been keptWhile in your agony I slept.
The cross a vast and heavy load.
Yes, once again the cock has crowed.
44. May the oils blessed this day
Bring life and health to all we pray.
To those anointed into light
Give them the strength to fight for right
45. What can I say about this day,
The one they label Good
Have I prepared and freely shared
The way I know I should?
No mind can grip that awful trip
To Golgotha on high
The thorns were bent, His scourges rent
Redemption drawing nigh
We made of Him a sign of sin
A serpent raised up high.
His blood has flowed, the cock has crowed
Redemption drawing nigh.
Humble... Stripped... Brutally whipped
Jeered by passers by
It's true, This One was sure His Son
Redemption drawing nigh.
46. What happens now, does life somehow,
Go on without the Lord?
Love sublime, denied three times,
And broken by the hoard.
In Him I've seen the great I AM
But tell me what I am
Am I for sure the image of
This God of perfect Love?
Help me Lord to learn to love
In all I say or do,
And never shy from sacrifice
But lift my cross with You.
