TO ST. JAMES THE JUST /  by Joe Castorino

You were the first bishop of Jerusalem,

  And were known as James the Just,

As Jesus’ cousin and St. Jude’s brother,

  People knew that you they could trust;

Your knees thickened like a camel’s,

  From all your time kneeling in prayer,

You had a long beard and lots of hair,

  And you always treated people fair.

 

The Jewish leaders failed with St. Paul,

  So they turned their ire towards you,

Their raging revenge was out of control,

  And their delirious desire grew;

They wanted to crush the New Way,

  So they pursued you like angry apes,

Christians were sprouting up everywhere,

  Like vineyards full of plenteous grapes.

 

You bravely refused to reject the Christ,

  So they threw you from the temple’s pinnacle,

Their grotesque expressions were ghastly,

  As they chose to be stubbornly cynical;

Then they hurled jagged stones at you,

  And with a mallet broke your bones,

But you uttered prayers for your attackers,

  In between your painful groans.

FAITH IN THE DARK NIGHT /  by Joe Castorino

In the deep dark night,

The swirling black sky

Of sadness and despair

Seems never ending,

And the wild winds 

Of worry and woe

Scream in pain,

But the Morning Star,

A beacon of hope,

Sweetly rises in my soul,

Whispering the truth

With its happy light:

“Have faith, my child. 

The darkness will not last.

The Divine Mercy is near.

So be patient and trust Him,

For the Son always rises!”

HEALED BY DIVINE MERCY /  by Joe Castorino

My intellect puffs with pride,

but as I kneel before Jesus

hanging on the cross,

I am cut by contrition

as if by a crown of thorns;

then, the blood of Divine Mercy

cleanses my corrupt soul,

and I am born again.

 

My hot veins boil with anger,

but as I kneel before Jesus

hanging on the cross,

I am punctured by penitence

as if by knife-like nails;

then, the water of Divine Mercy

purifies my putrid soul,

and I am born again.

 

My heart throbs with envy,

but as I kneel before Jesus

hanging on the cross,

I am stabbed by sorrow

as if by the soldier’s lance;

then, the light of Divine Mercy

floods my foul soul,

and I am born again.

A POEM TO COMMEMORATE THE JUBILEE YEAR OF MERCY /  by Joe Castorino

Pre-judging is a vice that we don’t like at all,

Yet doing this can become a habit into which we fall,

Let’s not be like the merciless Pharisee known as Saul.

 

Instead, pre-loving is what we should do the most,

Assuming the best of others should be our boast,

So we need God's grace from the Eucharistic host.

UNEXPECTED JOURNEYS INTO DIVINE MERCY /  by Joe Castorino

To escape -- like a coward --

The stranglehold of stress,

I try my best to sidestep

Inconvenient interruptions

Whose menacing thunder

Frightens me — yet why?

They lead me on a journey

To the God of surprises,

To Heaven’s horizon,

Where the sun’s streaming rays

Of radiant red and white are

Colored by Love’s divine mercy.

THE PINCH HITTER IN THE DARK NIGHT /  by Joe Castorino

I always wanted to be a starter

and have all the glory, but,

instead, the Divine Manager is

wisely asking me to be a

good and faithful pinch hitter

in the dark night;

Our Lady explains to me

that as a pinch hitter

my priority should be

to wait for the interruptions —

to look forward to the interruptions —

because that’s one way that

I can make God first in my life;

she reminds me that

through the powerful

Prince of Patience

I will have the time

for whatever God wills --

then, when my time

finally comes, I’ll be ready:

as the opposing pitcher

fires a fastball right down

the middle of the plate,

I will steadily stride forward

with holy strength,

and with a swing that is

smooth and confident,

yet filled with humility,

I will line a single to center field;

I will look at Our Lady,

who will be cheering me on

from the dugout and

as I stand on first base,

I will cheerfully smile at her,

and my heart will be rhyming

to the rhythm of the Spirit.

THE CLOSER IN THE DARK NIGHT /  by Joe Castorino

My Merciful Manager

hands me the ball,

and I take the mound     

in the ninth inning   

since our team is    

ahead by one run.    

 

I go to confession and then        

devoutly pray Lectio Divina,        

reflecting upon Sacred Scripture        

for at least thirty minutes,        

and I pitch a supersonic fastball

that crisply crackles in my

All-Star catcher’s glove --     

the first hitter strikes out,

with an aggressive         

swing and a miss.

 

Next, I receive Holy Communion,        

and I swiftly snap off a    

knee-buckling curveball --    

the second hitter in the lineup        

strikes out, frozen    

like a cement gargoyle        

as he watches the baseball        

bend over the strike zone.    

Finally, free from attachment

to every inclination to sin,

I pray an Our Father,        

followed by a Hail Mary,

for the Holy Father’s intentions,    

and I release a knuckleball        

that dives through the air    

like the Dove of Divine Mercy --         

the third hitter in the lineup        

strikes out, waving his bat            

helplessly, hopelessly,            

missing it by a foot.

 

Suddenly a bright star        

speeds across the dark sky,        

streaming red and white    

in unimaginable exhilaration,                

escaping the pains of Purgatory        

and finding the pleasures of Paradise;        

then my All-Star catcher,

the sweet Lady of Love,        

leaps into my waiting arms,        

joyfully embracing me  

with the kiss of peace,     

to celebrate yet another

heavenly save in the

Kingdom of Divine Mercy.

THE STADIUM IN THE DARK NIGHT /  by Joe Castorino

I quietly and invisibly

live my faith,

and accept life’s

incessant curveballs;

I am obedient to my

Manager’s wish for

bunt singles 

instead of home runs.

 

The people of the world

are sitting in the box seats,

busied with food

and entertainment;

living in another world,

they have no idea

what I’m doing

in the batter’s box.

 

But Our Lord, Our Lady,

and the heavenly court

happily cheer me on

from the upper deck;

I live my life in the

shadow of the cross,

living in the dark night

of the unseen.

THE LEADOFF HITTER IN THE DARK NIGHT /  by Joe Castorino

My heart is ready, O God:

   Tuus totus ego sum;

I take batting practice,

   and the crisp crackle of

my maple-wood bat echoes

   throughout the stadium.

 

Later, I hear a soft sweet voice say,

   “Do whatever He tells you”;

therefore, when I see the Spirit signal,

   I gently lay down a regal bunt that

humbly dies to itself in the grass as I run

   to first base like a strong driving wind.

 

As I stand on first base, with a

   smile on my face from ear to ear,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

   for in my surrender I start to love;

however, The Beast, seething in hot

   anger, already plans his revenge.

 

When I return to home plate,

   The Beast strikes me out

over and over and over again

   with the flaming fastballs of fear,

and I fall, carrying a heavy cross,

   dizzy with discouragement.

 

My Manager benches me in the chapel,

   but lovingly teaches me to fast from fear

and leave my worries in His loving hands,

   so for three days I return to the chapel, 

for ten minutes daily, to ask for His guidance,

   and receive the Spirit's gift of Divine Mercy.

    

When I'm back in the lineup, The Beast

   scornfully glares at me from the mound

with his mean menacing black eyes;

   But I hear a voice encourage me:

“Non abbiate paura,” and again,

   louder, “Non abbiate paura!”

 

By God's grace, I stand again in the

   batter’s box, and I hit a shooting star

whose sparkling trail is red and white,

   quickly shattering the dark night,

and the line drive swiftly sizzles over  

   the shortstop and into left field.

     

Then, in my next at-bat, filled with

   the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit,

I swing and barrel a flaming missile,

   that brightly lights up the dark night,

and as the ball soars high over the wall,

   the angels playfully dance around it.

DIVINE MERCY IN THE DARK NIGHT OF THE DESERT /  by Joe Castorino

I am wilfully wandering

in the woeful desert,

my blistering mind scorched

by the sizzling sun of sin;

I am oh so very lost,

eerily encircled by the

towering black sand dunes

of temptation — but then,

as the dark night falls fast,

I finally find Him, a Star,

sparkling like a diamond,

like a brilliant beacon,

and the Light of Divine Mercy

streams into the hollow center

of my humbled heart.

DIVINE MERCY IN THE DARK NIGHT OF UNKNOWING /  by Joe Castorino

It’s early morning and

the crafty enemy

crouches and waits,

like a hungry lion ready

to devour my world,

with worthless worries;

in the neutral zone,

transitioning out of sleep,

I lie in bed with my eyes closed,

and my mind gradually

awakens into the

nebulous fog

of fear.

 

My day begins

in the dark night of unknowing.

 

The enemy tries to strangle me

with multitudinous doubts:

about time,

about interruptions,

about irate people,

about conflicts,

about coertion,

about expectations,

about performance,

about success,

about reputation,

about ability,

about sales,

about money,

about choices,

about decisions,

about relationships,

about rejection,

about knowledge,

about honesty,

about truth.

 

The fog of failure threatens

in the dark night of unknowing.

 

With my eyes still closed,

still in the neutral zone,

I am in the darkness;

but the Light is there,

though my mind’s eye

cannot yet see it,

so I reach out in faith and

place myself in the presence

of the good God,

then I invoke the Holy Spirit,

and in my mind

I sing a hymn of praise;

suddenly, through the cloudy mist

like a distant diamond

I see the sparkling of the

Morning Star.

 

The Light twinkles

in the dark night of unknowing.

 

Our Lady sweetly

and gently

draws near to me,

in a tunnel of dazzling

Son-shine;

she warmly smiles at me

with her angelic aquamarine eyes,

and her soft hair

and her majestic mantle

blow in the balmy breeze

of the Spirit;

and she lovingly clasps

her own warm hands

around mine,

and then tenderly

embraces me,

with the limitless love

of the Lord.

 

The Light shines

In the dark night of unknowing.

 

Next she places a radiant

little candle

in my right hand,

and points to her only Sun,

Christ the Courageous;

she sweetly whispers to me,

and then, together,

we humbly kneel down

and offer prayers

of complete surrender

to Our Lord and King --

the flame of my little candle

dances with delight.

 

The Light bursts forth with

merciful rays of red and white

in the dark night of unknowing.

 

Then the fog of fear evaporates

and my heart leaps

with confident joy.

The dark night of unknowing

has been triumphantly

transformed into

the bright light where

God’s love is flowing:

Jesus, I trust in You!

THE JEWELER'S SHOP /  by Joe Castorino

A tribute to St. John Paul II

The dark one whispers fear

Into my restless ear,

In his wicked black cauldron,

He tries to stir up trouble

To totally burst my bubble,

He seduces me with his 

Black lies and accusations,

Again and again and again;

If I choose to listen to him,

Then my heart is paralyzed

By a lightning bolt of terror,

And, like Adam, I begin to

Rashly point my finger,

Blaming, complaining,

Sucked into the tempest 

Of temptation and sin.


But if I follow the Divine Dove,

The Wind of the Spirit blows

Sweetly towards Our Lady of Love,

And there -- ah, yes! -- there,

I hand her my fears, unhesitatingly,

And she prayerfully brings them

To the Divine Jeweler who molds

Them in the Divine Furnace

Of the Most Holy Trinity,

and He transfigures them

Into breathtakingly beautiful

Sparkling diamonds,

Reflecting His magnificent light,

And thus, fear is annihilated,

As Light scatters the darkness,

As Perfect Love drives out fear:

Jesus, I trust in You!

LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS /  by Joe Castorino

The people are suddenly 

Caught in a stampede in

The Dark Night, frightened

And frozen by the invisible

Pack of phantoms who follow

Their wild-eyed leader,

Whose malicious black

Breath ravages the globe

With the stench of pestilence,

Whose powerful jaws 

Tear the sweet flesh of the

Innocents in the womb,

Whose bloody horns 

Twist and mangle the

True meaning of marriage;

But God hears the weeping

And wailing of His beloved 

Children, who cry out in pain

And suffering, imploring the

Father Forever to send His

Holy Spirit upon the world;

So the Dove of Divine Mercy

Descends upon our beloved 

Blue planet, circling it at the

Speed of Light, over and over,

And leaving in its wake a

Glorious halo of pure white

That burns through the grey 

Clouds of doom and despair;

The Beast sees the sign in the

Heavens and flees immediately,

Terrified, utterly terrified, at

The arrival of the Holy One.

DIVINE UNION WITH THE DIVINE MERCY /  by Joe Castorino

My soul surrenders to

The Spirit’s tender embrace,

And Love sweetly surges

Through my being with the

Warm wine of holiness;

With indescribable delight

My humbled heart

Bursts with heavenly joy,   

Burning with passion for

The Crucified Christ,

Yearning for union with

The Divine Mercy.

CONQUERED BY THE DIVINE MERCY /  by Joe Castorino

Dark tempests savagely surged

through the sullen black sky,

searching for saints to devour,

desperately trying to demolish

and destroy the City of Light;

but the valiant Church Militant

launched their weapons of war,

and their faithful, fervent prayers

speared through the startled sky,

piercing it like holy missiles; then,

The Divine Mercy shone through,

in all His dazzling brilliance,

with great power and glory,

and the stunned storm clouds

retreated into the Great Abyss.

O MOST PRECIOUS SACRED HEART /  by Joe Castorino

O most precious Sacred Heart, 

Pierced by Longinus’ Roman dart;

Your blood flows through all the land,

Quenching our thirst in the desert sand;

Your heart can help the blind to see,

Even a really stupid fool like me;

Divine Mercy’s sweet love conquers all,

No matter how many times we fall.

A CAMEO OF CHRIST THE COURAGEOUS /  by Joe Castorino

I turn around and before me you stand,

  one whose robe is dazzlingly white,

On your head is a glistening gold crown,

  set with gemstones radiant and bright;

With great love, you bestow your peace upon me,

  through your wonderfully warm brown eyes,

Your merciful smile cheers my heart,

  so that my soul can most sweetly arise;

In the joyful breeze of the Holy Spirit,

  your flowing hair so very gently swirls,

In my heart I totally surrender to you,

  and for you this is a treasure of pearls.

THE DOVE OF DIVINE MERCY /  by Joe Castorino

The Holy Spirit,

The Light of the Universe,

Travels at the speed of eternity,

And when He passes through

The Sacred Heart of Jesus,

The Dove of Divine Mercy is

Transfigured into dazzling rays

Of red and white that pierce

My soul and energize it with

The Holy Lightning of Love.

ASH WEDNESDAY /  by Joe Castorino

Misty grey flakes of melancholy ash

Fall in my dark, gloomy sky as I

Somberly reflect on the approach of

The dreaded and deadly pestilence;

As I examine my life, I realize that

Truly I’ve crucified the Lord of Glory

Through my solitary selfishness and

Through my treacherous tongue;

But after my discipline in the desert,

The Light of the Divine Mercy

Will shine in dazzling brilliance

And quickly warm my cold heart.