paragraph on unification and a verse

Open up the gates to me

That eternity I see

Mary said you know I did

To my Son you I bid

 

Open the portholes for me wide

That I might cling to the Wounded Side

Jesus said you know you may

I am you take Amen you say

 

Open a door that I may be blessed

Be a one whom enters the rest

The creator said come into mine

The family of God is now thine

 

Open the entrance to everlasting peace

To all that praise may never cease

You know the Spirit says come

Feast with the Bridegroom forever home

 

Open a turnpike Way to Heaven

So all may take “the slow train comin’”

Hear the Triune God say

Join up take part enter in the Way

 

Unification

            What would it take for Orthodox and Roman Catholics to be one Church of God again? Isn’t it a shame that Catholics and Protestants, including myself, make repeated references to our differences and fail to think only about what we have in common as pilgrims of the Master; Whom we both call Lord? We are quick to think about those we think in another camp as unable to answer many questions beginning with: why do you…? when we haven’t any answers ourselves to their questions. We feel we need not try and help someone to see our side and we are not really on opposite sides in the first place. We both believe in heaven but do we think there is one heaven we will see each other in one day? I believe in angels who see the Father eyes and long to see us see eye to eye. The Saints in Glory and those with the gift of prophesy here below found the Triune One; we all call in brotherly or sisterly love upon Him. Any lack there of, before a final judgement, which we all in Christendom hold to coming, separates us from our God and from one and other.

 

See: Luke 12:48-52, John 7:39-44, I Cor. 1:9-11;3:1-3;11:17-19, Titus 3:9-11, Jude 1:18-20 for warnings on “division” & Deut. 33:46, Joshua 11:1-3, Judges 20:10-12, II Sam. 5:5-7, I Mac. 2:41-44, Col. 2:1-3, Heb. 4:1-3 and Acts 1:14;2:1 for “united” references. United with Mary for prayer was the early church before Pentecost. Find places in the Bible where the advantage is to be “joined”: II Kings 23:2-4, Ezra 6:21, Neh. 11:35-:36, Judith 14:9-11, Esther 9:27, I Mac. 3:1-11;11:72-74, II Mac. 8:22-24;13:11-13, Ecclesiastes 9:3-5, Acts 17:4,34, Eph. 2:20-22;4:15-17. And let’s not forget “Whoever is not against us is for us.” Mark 9:40. In the Roman Catholic Catechism: 789-11, 2305-111 and 542-111 there is further reference.

After yesterday's Morning Prayer

May 4th,’13
Constant
“Unceasing care” in my Prayer
Of this morning I ask of Thee
Your love is unchanged
Unlike shifting shadows:
Yesterday, today and for eternity.
Not a passing compulsion
Like infatuation
But this endures.
No? Day to day
Jesus pays attention
To more of my needs
As less the devil allures.
When I’m tired, when I’m weary
You lift me up.
When I’m fed up
And my vision bleary
And I’m hungry
You say come; let’s sup.
So I celebrate you
The Bread of Life fills me with joy
Like the Manna from Heaven
Sustained the Chosen Few,
As the Bread of the Presence
Only eaten by their Priests
Was sacred and holy
You are my stay,
My stable feast.

Easter Monday

March ’13, 31st, Easter Morning
Momentum

    My life has momentum. Dad made the necessary changes to the auditory practice of the CMHC in terms of decentralizing and centralizing to give the government and banking the momentum to move from prewar to postwar reality. So he is in Who’s Who. That would have been WWII involvement followed by the first concepts of infrastructure. Slums to ghettos the critics said. He fought Nazi and Canadian corruption in his lifetime. He had enemies in all levels of strata. His life had momentum. After he retired he championed affordable housing for seniors, halfway houses for people with mental illness and housing for people in the evangelical church he attended all his life.
    My Mom’s life had momentum too. She was raised on a Quebec farm in a period she refused to call the good old days: before infrastructure, running water and electricity; horse a buggy days. She got a job in the big city of Montreal. She discovered she needed to make her “body and living sacrifice” to God. She started practicing her faith. He local church had an “in as much club” and she believed in their sacrificial giving. 20% of the family income was charitable donations. She helped organize the Ottawa Christian Business Women’s Society. She fought Depression. She never stopped praying for a son who had lost the faith. Such family momentum is contagious.
We are part of the family of God. The momentum of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is contagious. Our struggle, years of decline or demise eventuate in eternal happiness in Heaven. If you’re not going anywhere this year go to church. If you renew a Confirmation in Christ every morning your day will have momentum.
My life has had a born again momentum ever since I underwent the RCIA program in our parish. The SASE courses in our diocese refresh the Christian. Our church has momentum. I’ve taken Emmaus and New Life and look forward to John. Christ appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus after He died. They were going away from Jerusalem but his Word and breaking Bread gave momentum to them to return. This is one of the many reports of the Resurrection in the Bible. It is a love of Sacred Scripture which is a theme of the Emmaus course.
Another time the resurrected Jesus appeared to disciples is after they returned to their former occupation as fishermen. The risen Lord had fish cooking even before they had brought in their miraculous catch. God doesn’t need our sacrifices but he wants our heart, praise and thanks. No wonder our lives have momentum. We have new life with the Divine Mercy in the Spirit.
Today the culture of death: New Age, Gothic, abortion, euthanasia and same sex all lead to a stagnate society. In Ontario we face an election in which for me the choice is obvious to vote for my fellow BCMF guy, Neil Ford and the Family Coalition Party. If we are going to have the momentum to return to a culture of life we are not going to be able to partner with a liberal agenda but an evangelical conservatism.

A Couple of Days Late and a Dollar Short

World Water Day
Where, oh where;
Is my God:
Do I know?
He’s seated;
At the right hand,
Of Abba in Heave!
Lordie: the shade,
On my right hand.
“Living on the inside;
Roaring like a Lion!”
Holy Spirit fills me,
Drunk with new Wine.
The Bread, the Bread,
He is in the Sacred Bread.
He is the Bread of Life.
He is the Living water.
A well;
Never dry.
I have running water:
Thank the Lord;
Give $5,
To Development and Peace.
How many peoples;
Have we let:
Die of drought,
Or bad water?
Like we’re bad blood?
Mercy!
God is there!
Precious Blood,
And water flows
From His precious wound.
Divine mercy;
Forgiveness in Him,
Can be found.
God is
Everywhere.
In His Church,
The broken Body.
We need
To forgive.
We see Him
In the needy.
A cup of water,
Did we give?
In as much,
As we did it,
To the least of these;
We did it:
Unto Him!
Abba, Creator:
Seen in the wonderment
Of the Universe;
Made His space,
In my heart.

how an empire ends

Ode to Habakkuk

What a book is Habakkuk,
By the minor prophet of that name,
3rd last in the 1st part of the Book of books;
Times like his and ours seem the same.

He saw the rise of Babylon;
We, the American Empire.
To the watchtower he took his concern.
We still can take ours to our spire.

In the a face of violence
And economic disparity
God told him have patience:
All eventually pay for severity.

Their culture trapped people on hooks.
How many are hooked today?
They didn’t value life.
Now question right to life, lots say.

God showed him Babylonians' falls,
“He comes with the brightness of lightning;…” – note 1
“…and there is no herd in the stalls,” – note 2
The Tribulation of America is frightening!

All prophets were persecuted.
“…For its maker trusts in what has been made,…” - note 3
Christians get a bad rap.
“…let everyone on earth be silent in his presence.” - note 4

Notes
1 – Habakkuk 3:4 TEV
2 – Habakkuk 3:17 NRSV
3 – Habakkuk 2:18 NRSV
4 – Habakkuk 2:20 TEV

the 4 seasons of my life

Lent, Mercy and the Holy Spirit
   If you are a practising RC or other Christian denomination that has sacred liturgy, you are aware that it is now Lent. Lent means Spring. While I am in the Winter of my life I remember the Spring. This year I gave up alcohol for Lent. I’m sure my wife would prefer it if this were for keeps. I gave it up for Lent once before but it didn’t last. I was 15 when I had my first taste of rum. When I was at an Ottawa Rough Riders football game in the end zone bleachers someone spiked my coffee. My father had rum in the house which he hide from my mother but only had it as rheumatism medicine rarely, and by the teaspoon just. My mother was tea total. I needed much mercy in the Summer of my life.
   When I was a toddler I learned what mercy was. When my mom scolded me and told me to pick up and put away toys, granma did it for me. When I was 3 I prayed God watch over me always. As a small child and I wasn’t given supper, hungry, I snuck in the kitchen and opened the bottom drawer of the stove, where my mom kept dried crusts of bread. Dad came in there and just said he was hungry too. My dad had a voracious appetite, for food, work, and philanthropy. He vetoed moms decision and we had the best tasting bread I can remember. Dad let his parents stay in our upstairs. Grandpa had to go to the hospital with mental health issues at the time I was born. A former owner of the house, Mrs. Sprat didn’t want to move when dad acquired the house, he let stay upstairs too.
  When I was 7 I gave my heart to Jesus and the next day asked him to keep me from sin. Many people are unchurched and have no idea what mercy is. In the Summer of my life I was one of those too. There is no point to the Prayer, fasting and generosity of Lent unless we accept the mercy of God. That is the key to Conversion, to the Sacrament of Penance. Unless we demonstrate our acceptance of mercy, others in the Church and the rest of the world will not know God’s mercy. Not unless we are merciful to all as well. We can’t do this without the gift of the Holy Spirit. In the Fall of my life there was much mercy and grace given by the Holy Spirit.
   Another thing RCs are aware of right now is the Conclave of Cardinals are electing a new Pope to replace Benedict XVI. There has been 2 ballots cast with nobody elected, the last I checked. Will you join me in praying that the Holy Spirit will guide them?

For the First Fruits

For the first fruits of our labour
is a peaceful calm
no more belligerant behaviour
humility is our alms
we offer to Jesus
courage for our hope
for too we have faith with Mary
we set no limits on our scope

we worship now in Spirit
for in truth here we know
our lives have merit
we have something to show
for our pilgrim's progress
for the battle rageth on
we need not always digress
our wantonness is gone

now we are drunk with Holy
Spirit from our Dad
God the Father solely
and the Beloved Lad
with the Holy Spirit
now we can cope
now we shall win it
our life has hope

Our hope is in Jesus
our brother and our Pasch
our friend through Mary
we don't just mask
our worries St. Joseph
take to your babe's throne
from the heart reapeth
a new lease we own

not to appear changist
there is inward change
we have Eucharist
our thoughts rearange
we tell a story
for a world to be
Christ child come in glory
for our eternity