JOSEPH SOLD BY HIS BROTHERS

Inspired by Antonio Castillo Saavedra’s masterpiece

Stripped of his ornamental tunic

By his jealous, impulsive brothers,

Joseph sits cramped inside a dry well,

As if inside a cavernous dungeon,

Bewildered, like a lost lonely sheep; 

Then, he’s startled by a falling rope --

He instinctively grips it and

Suddenly, he’s jerked upwards,

His eyes observing the misty clouds

That seem to be swirling in confusion

Above him in the cold dark sky;

After being yanked out of the well

And thrown roughly to the ground

By one of his very own brothers,

He wearily looks up at an 

Astonished Midianite merchant,

Who carefully looks him over

With a shrewd business-like eye

Before buying him, on the spot, 

For a bargain of twenty shekels;

As Joseph slowly walks alongside

This cheerful good-natured trader,

He wonders what God’s plans will be

For him in the distant land of Egypt.

THE SACRIFICE OF ISAAC

Inspired by Paolo Veronese’s masterpiece

Abraham simply can’t wait any longer:

His heavy heart thunderously thumps

Deep down inside his big broad chest, 

And his body trembles with terror.

He hesitates as if he is hopelessly lost,

As if wandering in a wasteland of worry,

Yet when he closes his weary eyes,

He finds God’s gift of faith in his heart.

Little Isaac gazes upward towards the sky,

Wondering why the clouds are so grey,

He completely trusts his good father,

And knows not his own impending doom.  

Abraham’s hopeful hand grips the knife,

Then very slowly, and ever so silently, 

He raises its bloodless blade in the air,

Preparing for the swift stroke of death. 

But an angel in white stops him and 

Abraham’s body crumbles to the ground,

Like fallen fragments of unleavened bread,

And Divine Mercy warmly smiles upon him.

SATURN

As the stunning jewel of our solar system,

  the planet Saturn reigns in regal splendor,

Ringed by its exquisite, elegant crown,

  its yellow-gold complexion is unparalleled;

Angels casually coast around the rainbow rings

  as Saturn swiftly spins in glee,

Twirling atop God’s invisible index finger, this

  planet humbly reflects the beauty of the good God.

THE TOWER OF BABEL

Inspired by Frans Francken II’s masterpiece

The people were far more

advanced in technology than

their predecessors, and they

built a tower soaring to the skies;

their minds were filled with

grand new dreams of progress,

and each of them envisioned

a great new world in which

their creative ingenuity

would supply all of their needs --

they no longer needed God.

The Spirit slowly circled overhead,

saddened that He had been

forgotten by the people,

so He sighed deeply, wishing

His children to know how much

they needed Him, wishing

them to know how greatly and

how passionately He loved them;

so He withdrew and gave them

what they wanted: independence --

and then they babbled like idiots.

Why are dust and ashes proud?

Why is it that we accomplish

great things, and then we

forget the One who gave us

the gifts in the first place?

Even stubborn donkeys

understand that although

they wear a very beautiful

diamond-studded saddle,

it is absolutely nothing that

they earned or deserved.

THE DELUGE

Inspired by Francis Danby’s masterpiece

Far, far away,

on the stormy grey sea,

Noah’s grand wooden ark

slowly and gently bobs

up and down, up and down,

in the waves of Divine Mercy,

but as I turn to the right,

my heart stops when I see

dark cascades of rain all around,

pouring madly out of the turbulent

black clouds like cool liquid lava.

I stand atop what was once a tall

mountain, surrounded by the

devastating deluge and flood,

and clusters of screeching

men and women encircle me,

clinging like crabs to the wet rocks,

but many have already fallen

into the swirling sea below and

clutch desperately to the feeble

branches of submerged oak trees,

hoping the tempest will cease.

Only hours later, I’m the only

survivor, but I won’t last much

longer since the water is up to my

waist, and it is more and more

difficult to maintain my hold of the

wet boulder I’ve been sitting on all

day, and as I hopelessly look

around, I only see grey water and

black skies, and the relentless rain

that brings with it God’s justice.

A JUGGLER'S LIFE

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.

THE ANIMALS ENTERING NOAH'S ARK

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.

ADAM AND EVE

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.

THE GARDEN OF EDEN

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.

THE CREATION OF ADAM

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

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.

I AM ALWAYS WITH YOU

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.

LECTIO DIVINA: TO JESUS THROUGH MARY

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.

TO ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE

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.

THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM

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.

THE ROSARY: SPIRALING IN LOVE

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

MARIAN SYMPHONY NO. 23

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.

MARIAN SYMPHONY NO. 22

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.

MARIAN SYMPHONY NO. 21

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.

MARIAN SYMPHONY NO. 20

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.