The Strongest Medicine

Suddenly, at the cheerless threshold of old age,

And with a nagging touch of hypochondria,

I'm caught between skepticism and optimism

About my voyage in life and my cargo of regrets,

My soul has scars that were left by errors

In the quest for my share of sun, sky, air and light,

My daily bread, water, and shelter for the night,

From the rising of the sun to the going down thereof.

One's past is not a life sentence. It's a lesson to be learned.

Destiny always seems decades away, but suddenly it's not.

It's right now, this minute, right here, upon this very spot.

I want an end that comes towards me slowly, like my old dog,

Who would place his head in my lap wanting to be petted.

I am a defender of the status quo, not ready for the future shock

That is already here, but isn't equally distributed.

Doubts may flit about me and block my access to the light,

But tears shed before God are the strongest medicine.

The Holy Spirit lives within me and will never let me down.

I will pray continuously for peace of mind and peace on earth

Even to the last clod of dirt thrown upon my grave. 

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Just passing through...

Millions of people suffer from anxiety and stress,

That comes from wanting what they can't have,
And not wanting to settle for anything less.
The grass is always greener somewhere else,
And someone else is always the lucky one,
With money, good looks, influence, and power.
The only cure for this type of nagging mental stress,
Is dedicated self sacrifice and wanting less,
And wanting more for others who haven't any.
The good that it will do will last forever, and,
It is the only real antidote for the pain of loss.
"I felt bad because I had no shoes until,
I met a man who had no feet," says it all.
Sympathy, empathy, compassion, passion, and action,
Are the keys to happiness in this life on earth,
And the path to enlightenment and eternal bliss.
We are all brothers here just passing through.
I'm glad I had a chance to communicate with you.
Please pass on to others what I said, 

While passing through.

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Through Time and Space Without a Trace

What is old age? Is it sooner rather than later or both?

Old age is like a grain of sand that is trodden beneath the feet of time,

Compared to a mountain of youth whose head is lost in the clouds.

​The pathway to Heaven is a very steep and slippery slope.

Perhaps God could provide a special elevator for people like me,

Who are handicapped with weak determination and resolve.

Maybe it is better to die at dawn or mid-day rather than at dusk.

I admit that God can work His will on earth without my help,

But I thank Him for His mercy that lets me try to please Him.

Feed your lambs, Oh Lord, and number me among your flock.

At times there are no words to describe how helpless I feel,

And reality falls short of my dreams for a better tomorrow.

In this age of acceleration, and greed for wealth and power,

All is vanity except loving God, our Father, and serving Him alone.

With puberty dawns the realization of the seriousness of life,

And the consciousness of responsibility becomes a nagging burden.

It is so easy to lose one's way in life when the temptations

Of the modern world and of the flesh are so prurient and blatant.

For me this earth seems like a place of exile, and I dream of Heaven,

A Heaven where it will always be like a sunny Sunday afternoon,

Where I will be like a ten year old child and my dog can talk.

The earth is not my home but is a ship that takes me there.

My spaceship Earth passes through time and space without a trace.

It takes me home to spend eternity in the bosom of the Great Attractor.

By the grace of God I will not be harmed by transitory things.

I am fortunate to have lived a life with a heart touched by passion.

And for this my soul overflows with gratitude.

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My Morning Prayer

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thank you for passing us safely through the night.

Thank you for this new day in which to serve you for the greater glory of God.

This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.

I will be happy in the Lord! I am happy in the Lord in whom I trust,

Who is my rock, my foundation, my salvation, my refuge and my strength,

My wisdom and understanding, my sword, my shield, my hope for the Resurrection,

And God, I love you forever because you created me, you gave me life, 

You sustain me, you forgive my sins, and you first loved me.

Father, I praise your holy name and thank you for all that you have given to me

In the past, the present, and the future union with you, and your Son Jesus Christ, 

My Lord and Savior, and your Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary, her spouse Joseph, and

The Apostles, the Disciples, the Saints, the Angels, the Holy Innocents, and Holy Martyrs, 

My parents, George and Armella, my siblings Suzanne, Kathryn, and Daniel,

My friends, and relatives, and neighbors, my ancestors, and my progeny,

And all of the faithful departed, who, through the mercy of God and the sacrifice of

Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins at Calvary and rose again from the dead,

Will live and reign with him in perpetual glory, according to the promise

That if we love God with our whole heart, whole soul, and whole mind, 

And we love our neighbor as ourselves, we will be with Him forever in Paradise. 

Father, please take away my sins and create in me a new person.

Wipe away the stain of guilt from my soul that I may truly be an anointed son of God, 

And say to you, “Abba,” Father, like a small child, and speak to you being to Being 

As did Moses and Elias, and others. I pray for goodness and justice, and mercy 

In the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior, Amen!

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Like blood that stains the grass...

 The abyss is full of souls who turned their face away from God,
To follow earthly pleasures and who now grieve through Hell's eternal night.
Those who court the fame that lives in name only after their flesh is gone,
Are like blood that stains the grass and is washed away by the rain.
It is the lust for wealth and power that changes a shepherd into a wolf,
A wolf that scatters the sheep and drives them from the fold to the flames.
Lies are acts that to the liar are more convenient and attractive than truth.
Beware of the wolf who wears sheep's clothing in order to deceive others,
Test all things and hold fast only to what is good, and proven, and true.
Heavenly Father, grant that I am always wise in thought, word, and deed,
By the light of your Holy Spirit, rejoicing in your divine consolation. Amen.

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The foolish wish of the little flower...

 If every little flower wished to be a rose then Nature would lose variety.

There are big things and little for people to do and the task we must do is the near.

Just as the sun shines on the tiniest flower as it does on the mighty redwood,

The light of Divine Providence falls equally on all, be they great or small.

This is the day that the Lord has given me and I will rejoice and be glad in it.

For the Lord is my Shepherd and I lack for nothing that really matters.

He leads me beside still waters and green pastures and He comforts me.

He guides my soul  through the valley of shadows and death without weariness.

I fear no evil, for faith in the words of my Good Shepherd console me.

I am confident that the Lord's goodness and mercy will follow me always,

Wherever I go, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

The search for the path to heaven is the path to heaven.

Seek Jesus Christ and He will find you. Ask Him to be your Shepherd too!

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Greeting the Pre-Dawn Glow

Every morning I gather with the early birds to greet the sunrise,

My eyes are fixed eagerly on the predawn glow as if it were

The first sign of the second coming and the bodily resurrection,

The treasure for which mankind has awaited after a long vigil.

The seas that my vessel plows through are no place for lesser craft

Nor for sailors whose ship founders on the rocks of fear and doubt.

Steadfast in purpose, I sail on toward that heavenly shore,

For one more mortal day on earth, I look into the rising sun,

Like a young child who yearns after its parents with upraised arms

Expressing the warmth that fills its heart, with love and admiration.

With tears of joy in the blessed assurance of my salvation, and

Patient about what I do not know, but clear about what matters most.

What matters most is the will of God and the firm belief that

Jesus Christ will do His part in saving those who believe in Him.

I must do my part in loving Him and show it by loving my neighbor too.

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The Assurance of Consolation

 

The abyss is full of souls who turned their face away from God

To follow earthly pleasures and who grieve through "hell's" eternal night.

Those who court the fame that lives in name only after their flesh is gone,

Are like blood that stains the grass and is washed away by the rain.

It is the lust for wealth and power that changes a shepherd into a wolf

Who scatters the sheep and drives them from the fold into the flames.

Lies are acts that to the liar are more convenient and attractive than truth.

Beware of the wolf who wears sheep's clothing in order to deceive,

Test all things and hold fast only to what is good and proven and true.

Heavenly Father, grant that I am always wise in thought, word, and deed

By the light of your Holy Spirit, rejoicing in your divine consolation. Amen. 

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Guard the Threshold

 Time is love. What you do with your time shows what you love or what you don't.
Wake up to what you really and truly love and want to be, then go for it..
What image do you see in your mind's eye of who you are and what you want to be.
Look carefully at whatever appears at the threshold of your imagination.
If reason tells you that it is something you ought to do then pursue it.
Do not be swayed by instinct, habit, emotion, or desire but by reason alone.
If there is something at the threshold that you ought not to pursue, close the door.
Don't play foolish and dangerous games. For why did God make you anyway?
He made you to know Him, to love Him, to serve Him, in this life,
And to be happy with Him in the next. Guard the threshold of your soul.
Time is love, but not just any love. Go after the love that you were created for.
Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest, And in our hearts take up Thy rest;
Come with thy grace and heavenly aid, to fill the hearts which Thou hast made,
Oh  Comforter, to thee we cry, Thou heavenly gift of God most high;
Oh fount of life, and fire of love, and sweet anointing from above Amen!

Peace and Good Will

Our Father who Art in Heaven,

Who is not only present in the great beyond,

But also in our earth-bound heart of hearts,

Hallowed be thy name and hallowed be thy grace

That grants salvation to every believer

Through the merits of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

At this season of the celebration of His Incarnation,

Grant us peace and good will to all of our neighbors,

Because we cannot do it by ourselves without help,

No matter what we promise and how hard we try.

Like the Angels whose wills are thy wills,

Teach us to offer up our own wills to thee.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive the 

Bad treatment we have received from others,

Through thy infinite mercy divine, and

Forgive us our own sins of thought, word, and deed.

Let our faith be tested by the evil powers,

But no more than we are able to bear.

We not only pray for ourselves, Lord,

But for all the souls of the faithful departed and

All of the people that they leave behind.

Thy kingdom come and thy will be done. Amen!

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