I’m like a ridiculous painted clown,
Juggling to-do’s, up and down and
Back and forth, my life is a frantic
Intertwining of past, present, future,
In a tangled jungle of multitasking,
Weighed down by the heavy stress
Of guilt over my imperfect past and
Of worry over unknown tomorrows;
But life is so much easier when I
Zero in and focus on the great I AM,
Living perpetually in the present,
Juggling one little ball at a time:
Blessed are the single-hearted,
For they shall surely see God.
Inspired by Jacopo Bassano’s masterpiece
Old Noah and his family,
shunned and mocked by
their know-it-all neighbors,
diligently gather the animals
into the cozy confines of
the grand wooden ark;
when all are on board and
they lock up the vessel,
from very high in the sky
a peaceful dove looks down and
the ark looks like a giant oyster,
protecting its treasure from
the swiftly advancing storm.
Inspired by Tiziano Vecellio’s masterpiece
As the serpent seductively
smiles at Adam and Eve,
their teeth tear the flesh
of the juicy fruit -- and, oh!
the intense sweetness
and overwhelming delight!
but very suddenly they
shudder and convulse
in their deadly disobedience,
as their souls are poisoned
by the black sugar of sin.
Inspired by Thomas Cole’s masterpiece
Adam and Eve gratefully gaze
in awe and wonder at the
beauty of God’s holy creation;
beyond the sublime peace
of the verdant meadow and
the fresh tropical fruit trees
that lovingly embrace it,
a whispering waterfall sparkles
like aquamarine crystal in
the warm welcoming sun
and gracefully pours into
the pristine lake below;
rising majestically behind it
is a towering mountain of rock
that stands in stately grandeur,
piercing the serene blue sky,
joyfully pointing to the realm
of the Heavenly Homeland.
Inspired by Michelangelo’s masterpiece
The Father of Freedom reaches
across the atmosphere,
accompanied by His angels
which are clustered closely
in the blessed bouquet
of His bountiful love;
Adam marvels at the amazing
generosity of the good God,
grateful for the gift of life,
and his eyes fill with tears
as he beholds the beauty of
the Compassionate Creator.
Christmas Day
Baby Jesus is born,
And through Our Savior
We can be born again daily;
Day by day each of us awakens,
Day by day the evil one tempts us,
Day by day Divine Mercy is victorious,
As we surrender to the God of Mercy,
As we trust the God of Goodness,
As we embrace the God of Love;
Thus, we are born again daily
If we choose life with Him,
So every day can be like
Christmas Day.
Almost all
Had abandoned
My sweet Son
As He hung on
The cross,
But during His
Sorrowful Passion,
I was with Him,
To the end.
Dearest one,
When you feel
Lost, hanging on
Your little crosses,
Have no fear,
For I am there,
I am always with you,
Always, always,
To the end.
My guardian angel takes me by the
Hand and leads me up into the
Celestial blue sky of my imagination…
I hear the dulcet voice of Our Lady
Reading me the Scriptures of the day,
And the Word comes alive for me
As the magnificence and beauty
Of Divine Wisdom refreshes my
Soul -- then my sweet Mother takes me
By the hand, and we spiral upwards,
Listening to the very same Word --
But now from a Trinitarian perspective:
I hear the gentle thunder of the
Heavenly Father’s voice give me
Renewed strength and courage,
I hear the Divine Dove’s voice which
Breathes new life into my spirit and
Gives me holy zeal for the mission,
I hear the Good Shepherd’s humble
Soothing voice, and the Son Light
Shines in mystical brilliance in my
Happy heart as He teaches me how
To find the Way to the Truth in the Life.
Son of Thunder, you requested that Jesus
Revengefully rain down ferocious flames,
You wanted to get back at those fools from
Samaria who wouldn’t welcome Him;
But your fisherman’s soul was softened
By the Savior, as Love taught you to love,
You were transformed by the Transfiguration,
And you soon became the Apostle of Light.
During the Last Supper, you leaned on Love,
And, alarmed, asked Him about the traitor,
Then, later, you saw the wondrous wounds
Of Love wash away the world’s guilt;
He gave you His Most Blessed Mother,
And you cared for her with holy compassion,
You, the Beloved Disciple, bravely and
Courageously taught us obedience.
You were the miraculous martyr who
Survived a bubbling, boiling cauldron of oil,
Then the Roman Emperor Domitian
Egregiously exiled you to the isle of Patmos;
Hideous heresies denied Christ’s divinity,
So you wrote a glorious gospel to refute them,
You were the mild mystic, the peaceful preacher,
And the unforgettable Apostle of Love.
She is the Star of Bethlehem.
The compassionate Lady of Love,
The powerful Virgin of Victory,
The sweet Mother of the Messiah,
Silent and holy, calm and bright,
Her dazzling beauty shines in
The dark night of unknowing,
And she points the way for the
Wise men and wise women
Of this world who wish to know
The Babe of Divine Mercy.
A Circular Poem with No Beginning and No End
He leads me
back to you once more,
and I am awed by your
breathtaking beauty,
for you are full of gladness
and wondrous gracefulness,
with the truth shining forth
from your humble heart,
you are filled to the brim with
the sweet wine of wisdom,
your fruit is bountifully blessed,
feeding a famished world;
you tenderly take my hand
and lead me towards the Light,
for you are the morning star
that generously gave birth to the Light,
the smiling sun warms me
with radiant rays of love,
and then
Virgin Most Powerful, you use the key of Love
That unlocks sweet surrender in the unknown;
Majestic Madonnina, teach us not to seek
Selfish Scrooge-like control over our lives.
The Holy Spirit conducts a saintly symphony
In the depths of your most immaculate heart;
Brimming with holy joy, He gently and lovingly
Plucks the strings of your obedient soul.
You wondrously wait for us in perpetual peace,
Watchfully protecting us on our journey;
Through God’s grace, transform the bitter
Myrrh of black fears into heavenly hope.
Pure Santa Maria, help us to choose a devout
Life, and resist the glittering baubles of sin;
Pour God’s glorious blessings upon us like
Raindrops of the Lord’s life-giving love.
Holy Mother of God, do not ever forget us --
Fight for your spiritual family on Earth;
Lead us, your Son’s simple sheep, away from
The tangled twisted webs of tribulation.
The evil enemy, like a boa constrictor,
Tries to squeeze us with stress;
Do not let the devil deceive us with the
Empty, plastic promises of pride.
May all the evil one’s threats be pulverized
By the protective power of Christ’s cross;
You gaze in wonder at God’s glorious
Plan, and your merciful eyes are upon us.
Pray to Our Father in Heaven, and ask Him
To show us the excellence of devotion;
Request that He send choirs of amiable angels
To aid us in finding the path of purity.
Holy Santa Maria, sweetest guide, save me
By leading me to your Son’s lasting love;
You are the fountain of Christ’s clemency,
Freshly flowing with living water.
You swiftly circle the great globe of Earth,
Eager to show us the easier road to Heaven;
You lead us on the peaceful path to Beauty,
On a way that is lit by your most holy Sun.
Riding on the white charger of chastity,
You protect us with the lance of justice;
Warmed by the Sun’s splendid rays, your
Soul is surrounded by the halo of truth.
Pray wholeheartedly to His Divine Majesty,
And ask that He bestow on us holy devotion;
May the good God grace us with the grand
Gifts and fervent fire of the Holy Spirit.
When we sin, we trust Seduction’s black
Promise, biting into its crunchy red lie;
The fruit’s flesh is sugary sweet, but
Inside slither the worms of wickedness.
After taking the bite, we shudder in guilt,
Dropping the poison apple in fear;
Suddenly our souls are sick at heart, for
Like little Peters we have denied Jesus.
Lady Love, ask the Lord to show us mercy,
For we admit that we’re just stupid people;
Quickly come to our aid, Morning Star,
That the Light of lights will save us.
Help us make quality time for daily prayer,
And to prioritize this in our everyday lives;
We need to know the necessity of prayer,
For through it we touch the finger of God.
Lovely Lady, protect me from my enemies,
Who hide in the darkest of shadows;
With the explosive grenades of gossip
They seek to kill my reputation.
Yet I rejoice that you will cheerfully guide
Me to the happy hills of Heaven;
I look forward to embracing you there,
Surrounded by goodness and sweetness.
I salute you with joy, most noble Virgin,
You who point me towards the Light;
As the princess of patience and prudence,
You smile as you lead me home.
Pray that my heart will be purged forever,
Cleansed from all evil inclinations;
Help me to recognize the Teacher of Truth,
Help me to recognize the Lord of Love.
Mother Inviolate, together with you,
Let us offer a happy hymn of praise;
We worship the great God for blessing
Us with the fragrance of His love.
Precious Lady, you are the most brilliant
Star in all God’s glorious galaxies;
In your peaceful presence, we sigh
Joyfully and contentedly.
Hoist the hopeful sails of our devout faith,
As we bravely traverse the spiritual ocean;
Lead us safely through the savage storms of
Temptation, and into the harbor of pardon.
Through your intercession, Jesus rains down
Goodness and graces upon each of us;
Pray that He may totally cleanse sin’s
Corrosive acid from our sullied souls.
shepherds were awakened by
the sound of thunderous hooves
which rumbled and roared
like a threatening tempest;
they heard sorrowful shrieks
of painful mourning pierce
the innocent silence with
despair and desolation;
the bloody sun staggered
to his feet in the crimson sky
and beheld to his dismay
horror in herod’s bethlehem.
Mother Most Admirable, the evil one
Tries to run me off the Cliff of Confusion;
This beastly brute tries to bully me and
Push me down into the dreadful abyss.
He’s a miserable wild-eyed monster who
Whispers nothing but worthless wickedness;
He relentlessly ridicules me, spitting
Upon me with the dirty drool of his lies.
Pray that my soul may melt in the majestic
Mercy of the Father of Forgiveness;
In His name, take up the sword of truth
So the evil one will flee in total terror.
Teach me always to appreciate the
Good God’s innumerable gifts to me;
Help me to remember and relish all the
Blessings that I so foolishly take for granted.
Good St. Joseph, you were sent
To be my wise knightly master,
So that through your assistance
I could reach Heaven faster.
Sweet and holy Queen, you are
So kindly patient and so humble,
The dark one terribly hates you,
For you make him trip and stumble.
Babe of the Incarnation, above you
Swirls the immaculate white Dove,
For now God enters His creation
To show the true depth of His Love.