Enter In

Stand now before the heavenly gates
Made clean by the blood which expiates
Come now before the resplendent throne
Lift your voice in praise with trumpets blown
And here bowing down in adoration
Come one come all and enter in

Open my heart open my mind and soul
Help me to focus on the final goal
To be as one in spirit and in flesh
With Christ the Lord whom I so bless
That I may learn and grow and be taught
And reflect Him in action and thought

Come to love Him who loves so deeply
Know the one who knows you so completely
Lose yourself in the sea of total surrender
Find healing in the arms strong and tender

S e  e  s-t-a-bil-i-ty           becomes the center
                                  When
                                     HE

                   ——————————
The doors |                               | are open wide
                    |                               |
                    |                               |
                    |                               |

                               So just
                              
                               ENTER
                                   IN

And when you do:

STOP
for a moment
.
.
.
.

Inhale deeply and fully the subtle scent
Of change in you on the smallest scale
And in your bones know that love will not fail
Should the earth crumble and sun lose it’s fire
His burning love for you shall not expire

Dare to enter in more deeply today
Open yourself more freely

and be
        
              s  
                     w    
                              e      
                                        p      
                                                    t

                                                               away

Lord, give me the heart of a seeker
Give me the love of a teacher
The patience of a caring parent
The wisdom of the aged ones
The energy and joy of the young

Lord, give me the heart of a seeker
Give me the vision of the dreamer
The hope from a heart filled with faith
The peace of a life lived in grace
The satisfaction of knowing you

Lord, give me the heart of a seeker
Give me the zeal of the preacher
The depth and breadth like the ocean
And the delight in my daily devotion
The firmness of a foundation on the rock

Lord, give me the heart of a seeker
Give me the hands of a healer
The power of persistent prayer
The knowledge that you are there
The courage to accept the answer

Lord, give me the heart of a seeker
Give me the faith of the truest believer
The purity of principled passion
The clarity of the chosen calling
The strength and fortitude to ascend

Lord, give me the heart of a seeker
Look with favor upon your creature
For, I still need a savior, a redeemer
The love of your law makes me freer
And as I go, draw me in ever deeper

Speak to me Lord
Tell me what I need to hear
You have called my name out loud
Speak Lord, your servant is listening
You have the words of everlasting life
And I have confidence in Christ

When life has me tired and worn
When I find myself in the storm
When I am on the long, lonely road
Burdened by a heavy load of my own design
You are there walking too
And I have confidence in you

I have come through many trials
I have walked through the fire
While I'm walking in the light
I am safe from the shadows of the night
Because you are with me
And I have confidence in thee

In the sun and through the rain
I am new, I'm not the same
In the movement of the Spirit
I come with gladness to visit
My Lord with all love and affection
And this will be my true confession:
I have confidence in Him

I have confidence in my Jesus
Who frees us and who sees us
I have confidence in my savior
Sacrificial love is his very nature
I have confidence that he is at my side
And I know that he will provide

In faith I believe
And in faith I receive
The greatest gift of all
To love him
And to know him
And to answer to the call

For he speaks to mind and heart
He speaks and then I will start
He speaks and the soul draws near
He speaks and I have no fear
He speaks and says "Come Follow"
He speaks and I leave it all without sorrow

No matter what the future holds
I will pursue the highest goals
I fix my eyes toward the heavens
My help comes from the Lord
So, I will have confidence even through strife
I will have confidence in my Jesus Christ

You, oh Lord, have come down to earth
God by design and human by birth
Entered into a relationship with us
Our creation is your magnum opus
We are made perfect through the sacrifice
Your death is what paid the price
And still you longed to always be
So close to us that we might see
You in all your glory and majesty.
In the form of bread and wine
Given a foretaste of the divine
United to you now in body and soul
I am ever closer to the highest goal
You are part of me and we are one
And never shall this action be undone
I can feel your heartbeat so strong
You are the words to my greatest song
You are as close as my very next breath
In fact, without you, I have only death
You are the strength to take the next step
You are the wind that fills my sails
You are in the smallest of details
You are so close that I am surrounded
So close the hairs on my head are counted

Empty and open
Beautifully broken
Sweetest surrender
Holy Spirit sender
Lost are found
Last are crowned
Heavenly Bread
Keep us fed
Forever in our heart
There from the start
Aways on our mind
Hand of the divine
Sit in sacred silence
God's holy presence
In humble adoration
From this lowly station
Sing a hymn to him alone
Be blessed and find shalom
Holy Mary mother dear
To our prayer incline your ear
Hold us closely to your chest
In your arms we will find rest
Holy Queen be ever true
As we place our trust in you
To intercede on our behalf
And bring us home to Christ at last
In love and Christian charity
And full of ardent sincerity
Loving God and our neighbor
We seek the face of the creator
Hidden, yet revealed in glory
Called to be part of the story
We come empty and broken
But we leave with love beautifully spoken

Jesus calls out to us: "Come to Me"
And, filled with faith, we walk upon the sea
With our eyes upon the master, we rise above
And we walk to him with hearts full of love

But then we look down and see just where we are
We falter and start to sink after we came so far
We reach out for Jesus to save us again
We lost our focus and what happened then?

We have all been prodigal
We have all been dead in our sin
We have all denied the Father
And wanted our own life to begin

We have chased things that leave us empty
We have consumed things that do not satisfy
We have searched for love in all the wrong places
We hit rock bottom, ready to break down and cry

We are in the land of loss and suffering
We brought this upon ourselves
Wandering in the barren lands
Chained up in our own personal hells

Eventually we come to our senses
We see the price that our actions cost
We come crawling back to our home
But we are back; we are no longer lost

We are filled with sorrow and remorse
But the past is in the past; right now, we celebrate
"Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet
The finest wine put in his cup and meat upon his plate"

Today, all of Heaven rejoices with a grand feast
Light and life arise like the morning sun in the east
There is now much laughter and music and dance
The colors are more vivid, and my senses enhanced

We will come from suffering to celebration
We will come to a more perfect relation
We will know the true joy of Easter morn
Because, from out of suffering, we have been borne

Lord, thank you for your saving grace and for calling us to yourself. We are called to rise above the trials and storms of life, and we can when we keep our eyes fixed on you. But we lose focus Lord, we doubt, and we are pulled under. Save us Lord and give us the courage to step out on the water and go where you call us. We also pray that you would see us through the suffering to celebrate with you again. Help us be mindful of our sins and soften our hearts to be remorseful and repentant so we may rise with you in your resurrection. Amen.

We will close with these words:
"There's no one more thankful to sit at the table than the one who best remembers hunger's pain. And no heart loves greater than the one that is able to recall the time when all it knew was shame". --Steven Curtis Chapman "Remember Your Chains"

What this world so desperately needs is a true conversion
We need a divine healer and, sometimes, a divine surgeon
Right now, so many believe the world revolves around them
And anyone who argues differently, we quickly condemn
For all who miss the bigger picture, there is only one solution
What we need right now is to renew a Copernican Revolution
The idea that we are not the center of the universe
It must seem so backwards, it must seem so reversed
The earth revolves around the sun
And we revolve around God's only Son
For He is the glue that binds it all together
He is the anchor in stormy weather
What the world needs is a change of heart
But the change in me is where it needs to start
With Jesus at my center, I've got a radioactive core
And then there is the glow which is pretty hard to ignore
But not just once, I need it now and every day
I have this true conversion when I humble myself and pray:
I need your love, I need your mercy and grace
I need your presence to fill my every space
I need you Lord, more than breath, more than life
I need you because, without you, I am but dust in the wind
You still loved me even when, against you, I knowingly sinned
Death and separation should be my eternal reward
But in your sacrifice, you paid the price I could not afford
So now I live, not I, but Christ that lives within me
And by the blood of the Spotless Lamb, I have been set free
You are in my heart and in the depths of my soul
So Jesus, you are driving; help me give you all control

Lord Jesus, creator of all the universe, thank you for making it the way you did. The earth and the planets revolve around the sun just as our lives are in balance when we revolve around your Son. So many people in the world today put other things in the center of their lives and put themselves at the center of their universe. As Christians and Humans, we can do this too. Forgive us for our shortsightedness and open our eyes to see the bigger picture. Show us, Lord, that our lives make more sense are more in balance, when we put you in the middle. All things came from you in the first place. You were the beginning; you were the first cause. Help us refocus our priorities Lord and have this true conversion we need. And let us lovingly witness to others this change in word and prayer and deed. We ask this and all things with confidence to Jesus; the Son who is the Center in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

No matter what, in our lives, we do
Everything is better when I work with you
He created us to be together, created us to share
In His Glory and feel his presence everywhere
On our own, we try to create a song, a work of art
It's simple and awkward, but filled with such heart
We were not supposed to go it alone
But as iron sharpens iron to help and hone
We try to do the will of God
We try to hear what He is saying
Our attempts are small and feeble at best
But he sees us and quietly he smiles and nods
He whispers in our ear "Don't stop. Keep playing"
And transforms our sad solo into a divine duet

When we find ourselves taken by bitter sorrow
When we don't know if the sun will rise tomorrow
When we drink with Jesus the cup of suffering
When we think about his blood that is covering
When we recall the seven sorrows of Mary
And how, her son's lifeless body, she would carry
Midwives used myrrh against pain in childbirth
Mary, of all women, knew how much it is worth
Her very name is from Myrrh: meaning bitter
And through it all she wasn't a quitter
It is costly and rare, signifying suffering and death
But it is also used to prepare and purify
The bodies of those who had died
She shares our sorrows, and she dries our tears
She listens and prays for us; she understands our fears
We can run to our mother and be safe in her arms
To find healing and peace away from all that harms
She knows the value of suffering
And she knows just what it cost
A gift of love transcending everything
Her son hung on a rugged cross

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners
Now and at the hour of our death
Through our suffering, prepare our hearts and purify
That we might be an acceptable offering to God when we die
Take us back home to Heaven where we belong
When we are together, we are better; we are strong

Today, the church celebrates the feast of St. Joseph, Jesus' foster father and the spouse of the Blessed ****** Mary. Precious little is known or mentioned about Joseph in the Bible. He was a carpenter, and he was a good man: righteous and honorable. He doesn't say a single word, has a few angelic visits in his sleep with instructions and promptly obeys, and dies quietly sometime between finding Jesus in the temple and when Jesus begins his public ministry. There are a number of times throughout the Bible where God speaks to people in or through dreams.

For The Dreamers

For all the dreamers and the ones who dare to dream
For all the times reality is more than what it seems
For all who listen patiently for the call to something more
Those who take the chance and walk through the open door
To find a piece of paradise where dreams become realized
A Heaven where our lives and selves are idealized
To those who want a better world and find a lasting peace
To those who quest for answers and those, for truth, that seek
For all the ones that doubted said "No. It can't be won!"
For the ones who still believed there was work yet to be done
For all who triumphed. The overcomers and the unsung heroes
For all the refugees who are more than ones and zeroes
From the Martin Luther Kings to the kid on the streets
The homeless and the hungry with no shoes on their feets
They too, have dreams, they have futures and a hope
The one who sings the one who paints so they can cope
Could be just the inspiration that someone so desperately needs
To dream, to grow, to rise up and do great deeds

Sometimes we wake up with a vision
An image or thought clear as day
Something inspired and amazing
Finding answers and solutions to things that previously vexed
The clarity when pieces fall into context
If you hear his quiet voice while you sleep
Answer: "Your servant is listening. Lord, please speak"
Trust that he will lead you and you will not go astray
Have faith in the Lord, take heart, listen and obey

There is a treasure island that lies before us
Across the sea of faith there is dry land
A place of refuge to strengthen and restore us
A wondrous place with riches, God has planned
For, in God's word, I find a precious treasure
Far greater than one could ever measure
It is His heart's desire that we have a fire
That would burn brighter, hotter and higher
More precious than silver, more costly than gold
More beautiful than diamonds, is the sight that we behold
The riches and treasures; it is priceless in its value
And to the King of all Creation you are priceless too
Some days there are wild storms that try to bar the way
But we have a Northern Star to help us not to stray
Trust in Him and do not fear and you will soon see the light
And when you are scared and alone, He will hold you tight
We can get to treasure island any time we take a look
Into the word of God and open up His good book
Learn to take the treasure into your heart of hearts
To help you out when trial and challenge starts
You can bring it with you wherever you may go
To lift someone up who might be feeling kinda low
Or a reminder: you are precious, loved and His
And nothing else matter more in the final analysis

Thank you Lord for giving us such a precious treasure in your Word, in your Love, in Us Lord! You gave the most valuable thing you had because you treasured us so much. You gave us your very life! There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for a friend, and yet, you laid down your life when we had fallen out of your friendship! Help us remember the value of our lives and the value of all life, especially the most vulnerable: the elderly, the unborn, those who have special needs. You have given us your Holy Living Word to read and what treasure there is when we take the time to see what is just below the surface, waiting for us to find. May Heaven and Earth rejoice together when we realize what it is we really have and may we share that treasure with others so that, they too, may be richly blessed. Amen

In our sorrow and our sadness
When all hope is lost and so is gladness
I fall on my knees in pain and suffering
As I cry Abba Father, keep me from the sting
If you are there, if you love me: save me from my foes
Turn this darkness into light and bring me from my woes
Can you not feel my pain? Do you not know my hurt?
My God, without your love, I am no more alive than dirt
One small drop in a sea of people, do you hear me?
If you would say but one word, I could finally be free
But if you don't Lord and this is to be my fate
If this is something that isn't up for debate
Then help me carry my heavy wooden cross
For you are my strength when all hope is lost
I remember your agony, your sweat and your tears
I remember all the pain and heartache and fears
You asked for the cup to pass you by
With eyes raised up to the dark night sky
"But not my will, but yours be done
And I will be your faithful son"
So, Lord let your will be done in me, your child
In your mercy hold me as the storms rage wild
Let me glory in my weakness where you are made strong
And at the right time, bring me home where I belong

Lord I am suffering, someone I know, and love is suffering. In your merciful love, take this pain away from me, but Your Will Oh Lord My God, not mine. Help me trust in you and rely on your strength because mine has long since failed. There are times when all I can do is weep, because I have no words to speak. Comfort me Lord, let me know your presence and peace even for a moment like the angel in the garden. I know you feel my pain even as your own. I know you weep for me and with me. In times of suffering and when I am facing death, help me remember how much you suffered for my sake. You offered yourself in total surrender to God for the sake of the world. Help me surrender to you.

Lord, I give You my life and all that I am and have, because You gave Your life FOR me and because You GAVE me life. On the cross before You died, you gave me life when You FOR-GAVE.
Amen

There are many ways to fast and many things to fast from. The gospel from Matthew helps to unravel the deeper reason for fasting. One is to give up something pleasurable like eating, drinking, watching TV, or being on the phone in order to bring our minds and hearts to remember Jesus' suffering. We can also recognize how good we have it and that many people have so much less. What little things can we do to help them? By fasting from these things that give us pleasure and satisfaction and take up so much of our time and attention, it allows us to quiet our minds and our hearts to connect with God and hear his soft voice. In fasting from a meal or part of a meal, we can become hungry. This hunger can be a reminder of the time that Jesus was in the desert after his baptism with nothing to eat or drink. In the "Our Father" we ask God to "Give us this day our Daily Bread". God will provide for all of our needs both Physical and Spiritual. Our hunger is physical, but it can also be a reminder of our spiritual hunger and the ways we try to fill the God-shaped holes in our hearts with things that can never truly satisfy. Fasting reminds us of our need for God and helps us to be dependent on Him in everything. We are called to be His children. Should we not, then, depend and rely on Him to be the perfect Father?

Lord, when we fast from things this Lent, open our hearts and minds and in your mercy, reveal to us the deeper value of it. Help us rid ourselves of the distractions in our lives in order to draw us closer to you. And while fasting is good; it alone is not sufficient. In the void of giving something up, help us to do something good, something pleasing to you Oh Lord. May we all "(Finally Find) What We Have Been Looking For". May we all find you!
Amen.

Up on the mountain he took them: Peter John and James
And before their very eyes, their Jesus was changed
His clothes became the most dazzling white
A cloud came in and they fell down in utter fright
The true weight of God's Glory came upon them that day
As Jesus went up to the mountain to pray
The disciples were given a special peek
Something to give them strength when they were weak
It was hope, it was light, and it was profound peace
In praying, that which we receive down on our knees
We are transformed with Christ; made new and clean
And while we may never have this very scene
We can have a similar experience and feel the glory
We can, today, share in this great Gospel story
We can adore and, like candles, burn in his presence
A gift for the greatest and least, for kings and for peasants

Lord, some days we can't see you because of the shadow, and sometimes we are blinded because you are so close to us. Most of us have been blessed to have Close Encounters of the Spiritual Kind and felt the weight of your glory. The pure power of the energy and love in that moment is like a nuclear reactor. We become radioactive and sometimes even positively glow from the experience. Though it may be forgotten at times, it is still in us. In our darkest moments, help us call to mind this sunshine and cast away the doubt and fear. In your goodness, you have given us this hope of resurrection that we are longing for on Easter Sunday while we wander through the desert of trial and temptation for these forty days to obtain the true conversion and transformation. Thank you, Lord, for Close Encounters of the Spiritual Kind that bring us into the light of your presence and the weight of your glory! Amen.

We are all beat up and broken down
Our hearts are like broken glass
Bruised and bloodied knocked upon the ground
We are lost like a man with no compass
We are small and frail and weak
The image is twisted by sin and shame
But in the void, the silence will speak
And the one who loves will call our name
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords
Prince of Peace the Lion and the Lamb
His death brought us from chaos to one accord
He is eternal and He is the Great I AM
He was broken for us
He was pierced for love
He was crushed for our sins
Obedient to the Father above
This is where the healing begins
His body is broken and his blood poured out
He calls us to faith even when we doubt
By giving himself, he makes us whole
He enters in and restores our soul
There is a longing this world can't satisfy
There isn't a thing that we won't try
But we are left hungry and unfulfilled
But with God, we find radical love and fears are stilled
We may be broken, but let us be broken together
Clinging to Jesus in the storms and bad weather
For he heals the broken hearted and brings joy to the sad
He binds the wounded and brings the lost back to the field
He is the Divine Physician He is the Balm of Gilead
So, turn to the Lord and be not broken, but be healed

Lord, we are broken people, and we need you in our lives. All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put us back together again, but you can Lord. Only say the word and our souls will be healed. You are perfect and we, most definitely, are not. We are broken, but we are not broken alone. You were broken for us so that we might be made whole with you. We die with you so we may, one day, rise with you to new and glorious eternal life. Heal us Lord. Heal our streets and lands, heal us Lord by the working of your hands. Hear our cries and come swiftly to our aid. You, Oh Lord, are our refuge and our strength. Break us, bless us, multiply us and perfect us. All this we pray, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

I sit in stillness in this silent, dark room
Lit only by candles and the soft glow from the moon
I sit before Jesus, drawn in by his gaze
My heart is filled with a silent song of praise
I can hear my heartbeat: it beats for you
How my spirit aches to be united to you
The stars above- a hundred billion tiny lights
Comfort me even on the longest of nights
In your arms you lead me through a heavenly dance
You chose me to be a part of this sacred romance
Together we glide across the celestial dance floor
I am dancing with the one whom I most adore
I am taken by a love so profound I am shaken
And when I turned away, I was not forsaken
I sit with you and watch my worries disappear
You open my eyes, and it all becomes clear
All I need, all I want, is to be right where you are
I need you so close: please be never far
I am here just to burn in your presence
To bear witness to you in life's little moments
Just once, I want to spend an evening
With my Lord, just being and receiving
Not talking, but listening not rushing, but waiting
Being filled with courage and confidence, not hesitating
I sit here and surrender my heart for you gave me your own
Spending an evening with Jesus is like nothing I have ever known
It brings me in my weakness, down upon my knees
But there is strength and peace and the whisper of a breeze
The feeling of this fleeting moment
My soul holds now and forever
A memory so powerfully potent
To strengthen it in spiritual endeavor

In your eyes I see a light reflected
I see myself not quite perfected
In your eyes I see love and compassion
I see where I can find true satisfaction
I see endless pools of mercy and grace
I see the gentle smile upon your Holy face
Your eyes are soft and your eyes are warm
And to your will Lord, my will, conform
For people to say "You have your Father's eyes"
Is something amazing: a desirable prize
Your eyes they pierce right through me
And yet, they don't condemn, they free
Though I betrayed you, though I did deny
Though from my lips came forth "Crucify!"
Still, in your eyes I see only forgiveness
And forever, your forgiveness is endless
Your eyes know me intimately; before you, I stand bare
Of my scars: the guilt and shame, I am acutely aware
And still, you love me as your own, call me your precious child
You bear with me in my tantrums and when I am so wild
Through your eyes, I find the truth revealed
And, through your eyes, my soul is also healed
Help me Lord, to see others with your eyes of love
And watch over me from your throne in Heaven above

Lord God, there is something personal, intimate, revealing and special about your eyes. I see myself and I don't always like what I see, but you still love me. You look at me with mercy, compassion, forgiveness, healing and so much more. You look past my faults to reveal the treasure within. Help me do the same to all I meet. Help me love my friends and especially my enemies with your eyes of love. Let me not judge too quickly based on appearances and first impressions but search much deeper within to find their value and goodness. Lord, give us the grace to not just look at other people, but actually SEE them. Let me never tire of gazing lovingly into your eyes Oh Lord, just as you look back at me. In your greatness God, give us the grace to reflect you so that others might say: "You have your Father's Eyes". Amen.

Seasons change, sunny skies turn to rain
Joy and laughter turn to heartache and pain
But, sure as the seasons are bound to change
There is one thing that is forever the same
The Love that God has never falters or ceases
Even when our lives are falling to pieces
Winter will yield to Spring, and Summer now will Fall
And we find ourselves swept on by time's relentless crawl
Things of this world are temporary, our lives: fleeting
And yet, in good and bad, our hearts keep beating
Not all that glitters is true and pure
Traps are disguised to hold allure
But his love will endure, his hope will secure
And, in our faith we are assured:
This too shall pass. And in this way
We can move forward day by day
To seek and ask and knock and pray
To live our lives and hear you say
"Well done my good and faithful one.
You've run the race and now you're done.
Well done my child, welcome home,
It gives me joy to see how you've grown.
Seasons will change and time will pass,
But my love for you will always last.
My love for you never falters or ceases
So much that, on the cross, I loved you to pieces."

Lord, in your ultimate wisdom, you have given us seasons in our lives that are reflected in creation. We go through dry or hard times in a desert. We feel that spring and relief will never come. Help us to lean on you and the strength you give us to make it through and see the light and life once again. Like nature's seasons, the seasons in our life are also temporary, both the good times and the bad times. Remind us of this Lord and be with us. You have made the seasons to be in such a way that we can appreciate them because we have the other. Light and Dark, Good and Bad, Spring and Fall, Summer and Winter, Heaven and Hell. There is a divine balance and symmetry which is so beautiful Lord. Thank you for this. Finally, Lord, we implore you, remind us that when nothing else seems constant, You are the one constant. Let us rest in that certainty and in your unfailing love always Lord. Amen.

God said do not babble when you go to pray
Filling space and time with little things to say
So, I give you a guide that you can follow along
There, come to the place where all can belong
Now, we need not pray it word for word.
We can do differently, and we will still be heard.
But think about the words you say
And think about how much they weigh.
Are we just going through the motions
While, what we mean, we have no notion?
The "Our Father" we've said so many, many times
But have we ever stopped to look between the lines?

It was brought to my attention by a friend
Who said something to this end:
The "Our Father" calls us to focus outward.
"Give us this day our Daily Bread" which is basic and turned to self (it's very small)

"And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us"
Our attention is focused not on ourselves, but towards others

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power and glory
Now and forever AMEN"
We have now turned our focus to the universe, to Heaven and to God!

So often in the world today we are focused inside ourselves, it's all about "I" or "Me", what can I get, what's in it for me? It's small and lonely although we'd like to deny it and, sometimes, we lash out because of it. God calls us to be so much more, to be so much bigger. This world is temporary and fading and in the vast expanse of the universe there would not God in his goodness have created other life, other planets, solar systems. God is infinite, his love is infinite so why would or should his ultimate plan for us be this earth alone? Something so small and nothing more?

Lord, help us open ourselves up to your love, word and truth. Help us to open our hearts to all of our brothers and sisters and neighbors around the world and be open to you. Open our eyes and challenge us to expand and grow beyond ourselves. Elevate our thinking to you, help us be mindful of what we say when we pray and help us to pray from our heart and soul rather than our head. As we expand outward Lord, please draw us into yourself. On the cross, you spread your arms wide to take in all people and there is always room in your heart and your home for another. In your goodness, grant we pray, Oh Lord the courage and strength to do likewise. Amen.

Come back to me with all your heart
Don't let fear keep us apart
Turn from your sin and cling to the Lord
Be wholly changed by this Love outpoured
The world is screaming for our attention
While He patiently waits for our affection
In this dry and barren land
Our hearts learn to understand
How to walk with the Lord and hear His voice
And, back in His arms, we will rejoice
For in the desert there is suffering and pain
And we cry out for a single drop of rain
But there is a focus and a silence
With a beauty all its own
And in the midst of hatred and violence
We know we are never alone
You have moved my heart in ways I can't contain
The words are filled with healing and pain
You have pierced me Oh Lord with your unfailing love
And I am powerless to resist this precious holy flood
Your music stirs my soul to sing to you
King of my life and all that is good and true
In these forty days help me focus now
Help me hear you in the silence somehow
In this time of trial and testing
Be at peace my soul for, in God's merciful heart, you are resting
We walk in the light with darkness around us
We are free because God's grace has found us
Today, right now, my soul has been stirred
For we live not by bread, but by God's word

The Lord God is our sword and shield
As we walk upon this battlefield.
We are called to stand up and fight
For justice, for truth, for all that is right.
Here upon this solemn hill, we stand
We will overcome by God's might right hand.
The Lord is my fortress and my strong tower
In His wake, mercy and grace shall flower.
Take up the Rosary, lift high the Holy Cross
All that I am or have, I count it as loss
For, without you, I am nothing.
Your very breath is my life
Your death paid the price
Without your love, I am empty and hollow
Without your voice, I cannot follow
Without your light, I fade away
Lord, I need you, everyday!

God right now I could use a hug
And a fresh hot cup of coffee in a mug
Won't you wrap me snugly in your wings
And call to mind such heavenly things
The road is hard the road is tough
I'm losing my mind, my patience and other stuff
Lord, hold me close to your chest
And there, let me stay and rest
A God hug is just what I need
Though it is with reluctance I concede
Sometimes, I'm not as strong as I think
And I need your love to pull me back from the brink
Sometimes a God hug is all it takes
And Lord what a difference it makes!
Let me be with you in silence and peace
That as I decrease you might increase
Let me learn from you and lean on you
Where I can find a love so pure and true
And when I struggle to bear my cross
Remind me that not everything is loss
By your gifts, you strengthen me
To become who I was made to be
When I lift others up, you lift me up as well
And my burden is easier, I can tell
So, help me serve and do your will
To sow the seeds of faith and so instill
A firm foundation of faith to follow
But with love, so my words are not hollow
And so, once more, with a kiss and embrace
I am comforted and strengthened by His grace

God, some days I could really use a hug from you. Maybe today is one of those days. I run into your waiting loving arms ad there I rest, I cry, I need someone to listen or tell me it's going to be okay. Help me take a few moments out of my crazy day to get a hug from you and continue moving forward. By your Holy Spirit, reveal to me something that I could do to be a God hug for someone else. Help me count my blessings and use the charisms (gifts) you gave me to do your will for others as we, in turn, find ours lifted as well. Amen

I am a pencil in the hand of a writing God
I am a mouthpiece through which he can speak
I am an instrument to make sweet melody to the King
I am his hands and feet, but he is my everything
I am his love given for all his precious people
I am the paint he uses to color his easel
He is the potter, and I am his clay
Shaping, molding, forming me each day
He is the shepherd, and I am his lamb
I trust in him and in his perfect plan
He is the author, and I am His story
He is my strength and in him I glory
He is the Lord of my life and my death
For he is the one who gives me this breath
I love you Lord for you are so great
Yet, you reveal yourself in a way we can relate
In loaf of bread and cup of wine
Wrapped in the great mystery of love so Divine
Come down from Heaven to take on flesh
To teach and walk and pray and heal
In the desert place you are something fresh
And in a world so fake you are something real

Make me a channel of your peace
That wars might end and striving cease
Make me a channel of your word
And give me a way for it to be heard
Make me an instrument to sing so sweet
Of the place where Heaven and Earth shall meet
Make me less, so you are more
A call so strong: what are we waiting for?
Make me a channel of your love and grace
And faith so assured that I will one day see your face
Make me a channel of truth and light
To shine in the darkness to pierce through the night
Make me a channel for your life and your way
And grant me a channel to you when I pray
So often Lord, I pray for so many things
But my life overflows with all your blessings
I feel like patience and silence are the lessons to learn
And while others may benefit, I too will grow in turn
I wait with eager anticipation for the days to come
To watch you work will be so totally awesome

Sometimes days are hard and long
Where, somehow, everything goes wrong
And you manage to just make it through
Don't forget to whisper a "Thank You"

Some days are sunny and bright
And everything is just going right
When it seems like it is too good to be true
Don't fret and just whisper a "Thank You"

Sometimes it happens that you have a good day
That could've easily gone a very different way
How or why it all worked, you don't have a clue
Just raise your hands and whisper a "Thank You"

Sometimes just a "Thank You" is all that you can say
Sometimes just a "Thank You" is all you have to pray
Sometimes just a "Thank You" can brighten someone's day
Sometimes just a "Thank You" makes everything okay

Lord, there are days when I should've been impatient, frustrated, tired and more and I wasn't. Maybe I prayed for strength and peace, patience, endurance and your blessings and I received them. Thank You! There are also days when I didn't pray for your blessings and ask for your help, but you knew and provided for me anyway. You shielded me from these negative emotions and protected me. You strengthened me and provided for me to do what must be done. All I can think to do Lord is whisper a "Thank You". Lord, you are good all the time, and all the time, you are good. Help me to be mindful and thankful to you all of my days for you are there and you make all things good. As long as you are present Lord, we never have to truly worry. Thank You! Amen

Help me love you Lord
More deeply than before
Help me trust you
No matter what life has in store
Help me see you
In the way that you see me
Help me Lord, to act
Like I have been set free
Help me separate
What is lie and what is fact
Let my words build up and create
Giving hope to a world that's diseased
Strength to the weak and love to all
Praying always and down on my knees
Help me be silent
So, I will hear the call
Help me Lord to always be brave
In the knowledge you are mighty to save
I want to know you
More personally and intimately
Even if it takes all eternity
I want to meet you here
And search harder, dig deeper
What lies inside the heart of a seeker
Take me into the holy of holies
Pull me closer and take me deeper
Deeper than I've ever been before
I am aware of my faults and failings
Aware of the cracks and imperfections
But I am also aware
Of your mercy and grace
And in the presence of your love
All my fears have been erased
I can say with blessed assurance
I understand the Lord my God
More deeply than before

Make me poor so I can be filled with your richness
Make me hungry so that only you can satisfy
Make me simple so I can be more mindful of you
Make me low so that I can be uplifted in your grace
Make me humble so that I may serve in your example
Make me lonely so I can more perfectly feel your love
Make me mute so I can listen when you would speak
Make me broken so that I can be shared
Make me nothing so I remember you are my everything

We come with humble hearts to listen
To listen to our Savior speak
We bend our knees in humble adoration
In adoration to the Blessed Christ
We bow our heads and lift our hearts
Lift our hearts to the Lamb on Hight
With the angel choirs in Heaven we sing
We sing sweet songs in glory to the Lord
Fill our hearts with child-like wonder
In wonder do we see such awe-full splendor
We leave it all to follow you
Follow your way, your life, your truth

It is in our comfort that we forget to pray
It is in our affluence that we are led astray
We need for nothing and we want for naught
And we forget that He is God, and we are not
In the world today I see grace under fire
People killed left and right, a situation dire
A war has come to our homes and streets
And, in the news, all I hear are tales of defeats
But, as a grain of wheat must fall and die
To produce much fruit for you and I
So too does faith flourish in the face of death
The lips profess and the hearts confess
And the heart that hopes in Heaven's halls
And its reunion with the one who calls
Them home at last

It is hard to maintain grace under fire
To remain calm when life most certainly is not
Bless me with courage and take me higher
To retain calm and cool when things get hot

I don't know how many people have been in love; I mean truly, madly, deeply, hopelessly in love. I thought I was once. When you are that in love it changes you inside and out. It changes how you think, act, and what you say. It changes the way you feel, how you look at things, how you spend your time and money. Being in love changes you, usually for the better. Love forces us to think of someone else's wants and needs before our own. We make sacrifices in big and small ways to make the relationship work. It is a give and take, talking and listening and it is open and honest communication. A relationship is a dialogue not a monologue.

Loving someone changes a lot, but loving God and being in a relationship with Him changes EVERYTHING.

Working from the belief that you believe in the stories; you can't stay the same. You can't truly live your old life when you know The Life. The apostles were the perfect example. They weren't great men, particularly smart or famous, but when they saw Jesus, they dropped what they were doing and followed him. Then imagine the Transfiguration and the impact that that moment had on the apostles. This was the transforming love of God made manifest: He was radiant like honest-to-God glowing. It hits like a ton of bricks if you begin to understand the magnitude and the scope of His death and resurrection. How can one heart love that much?! And this fact is especially hard given the knowledge and experiences we have in the world we know today!

And then the most intimate and profound act of love is the gift of the Eucharist which comes from the words meaning grateful, thanksgiving, well and offer graciously. Kharis is the Greek word for Grace.

Catholics believe that the bread and wine at the mass are transformed in essence although not necessarily in substance to the body and blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the reception of the Eucharist, God's ultimate gift of love is revealed and shared with us as he gives us his very life. And we consume him in a profoundly physical and spiritual way. We are literally uniting with Christ and the two become one in body and soul. It is the most perfect expression of love's life-giving power. Christ marries (joins) himself to us.

When you have something so good, so amazing, you can't keep it to yourself. You just have to share it and tell all the world about it. You are in love, and you are loved. You are loved by God and THIS... CHANGES EVERYTHING!

Dawn is breaking o'er the earth
This is a season of great rebirth
All of life sings to glorify creation
Every rock tree and creature, every nation
Come! Awake from your great slumber
Open your eyes to a new kind of wonder
Lift your head and rise from your bed
Give thanks to the Son who keeps us fed
A new page a new chapter a new story to tell
It is an end, yes, but a beginning as well
Morning has come a new day is here
Its loving rays driving off the fog of fear
Those in darkness have seen a great light
The faith of the blind restores their sight
Look! See how the Lord, with a smile, beams
Blesses us and gives to us sweet dreams?
I sing for joy and sometimes, for joy, I weep
When I recall the promise that you keep
How you poured your love into my soul
And made a diamond from this lump of coal
And I remember Lord, in my brokenness
In my pain and shame and great distress
You love me still, wearing no disguises
And even on the days of gray
The sun still rises!

As a flower blooming gently
Opens up to greet the sun
The soul that feels His warmth
Opens up to God's own Son

As a spring river runneth over
Pregnant with melted snow
Filled with seed of love and life
Our lives burst forth and overflow

As a bird so sweet rejoicing
Sings forth in joyful chorus
The spirit sings divine melody
In the gifts that He has for us

As love is expressed and given flesh
As new life comes from the womb
So is His life, now born within us
We: the bride, and He: the groom

One, the only, but sometimes one is all it takes
One, the light, that through my window breaks
One, the love, that died for me, a wretch
One, the arms, on the cross are outstretched
One, the wounded heart, that bled for me
One, the God in three persons: Holy Trinity
One, the peace, that is so profound
One, the home, that my heart has found
One, the light and love of the Lord
One, the hour, He is rightly adored

Turn it on, turn it up, let's start tonight
Spirit grow, let it flow, we are the light
So let us shine and let us stand
We representin' Son of God and Son of Man
How you gonna shine for the world to see
Are you gonna let that light go free?
We are radiating illuminating
We love in a world used to hating
We were made to spread love like fire
Testify and, by your life, you'll inspire
A turnaround a turning back
Of hearts astray again on track
So, the question is this: the question remains
How can I shine in my own special way
And add a little color to a world painted gray?
How can my light, however flawed
Reflect the most perfect light of God?
Take your little light and offer it up
As a sacrifice of love and praise
He will bless the gift and multiply
Do what you can and let God amaze
On every occasion use the gifts you're given,
They were made to be shared not hidden

Take my life and mold and shape
Take all that I am and recreate
You made me in your image
When you carved me in your hand
You know my inmost being
Loved before time began
Carefully made with such love and care
No craftsman on earth can compare
To take something and give it
New purpose, new life, new identity
To look within and set a spirit free
It is the gift of a precious chosen few
And so, it is why I sing this song for you
The wood rejoices and it sings
It even dances for the master
It takes on a life all its own
Speak to my soul in purest tone
Bless us with the song of the carpenter
With hands both rough and tender
With eyes to see what may lie hidden
With patience for the hours ahead
With humble heart that's spirit led
May all we do and think and say
Lead to the life the truth and way

Oh Lord my God, that I would disappear
That I could hide inside your heart
And be content to rest in your presence.
That I could be still and silent
That I could melt in the heat of your love.
You are hidden in the bread and wine,
Yet present all the same
And still, you reveal your heart
To those who humbly came.
May I imitate your life
As I try to reflect this love
And share your heart with others.
Increase Lord, until we are
Of one mind, one heart, one soul.
Until the two parts fade away
And the day I am finally whole.
Let me lay my head upon your breast
Where your heart speaks to me
And where I find perfect peace and rest.
Lord, that where you are, there I may also be.

I believe in love everlasting
I believe in love that never dies
And I believe love is what I see
In your eyes

I believe in love stronger than death
I believe love is an eternal spark
I believe it is of God's very breath
And love will lead you through the dark

I believe love can take our breath away
I believe that it's more than enough
I believe it hurts, but it's worth it anyway
I believe in a little thing called love

I believe someone so loved me
He came for me, oh He bled for me
The way He loved so perfectly
It's what I long for so desperately

I believe in love that is not bound
To the ways of the world in which we live
I believe, in love, we'll find common ground
When we learn to take and learn to give

I believe that love is a great mystery
That we may never fully understand
But I believe, in time, we'll come to see
As we take this journey hand in hand

For I believe in love everlasting
I believe in love that never dies
And I believe that love is what I see
When e'er I look into your eyes

Who am I, but one?
Who am I from anyone?
I am small and weak
I can't do everything
So, tell me: why should I try?
One can't change the world
And I am only one.

Who am I, but one?
Not just one, but some one.
I can walk and speak
And I can do something
So, tell me: why not try?
I can change someone's life
And I am some one.

Who am I, but one?
I am someone
Who can do something
For someone else.
I can't do everything for everyone
But I can do something for someone
So, I will not refuse to do
What I can do for one
And what I wish to do for all.

Who am I, but one?
I am one,
But I am not the only one.
We can do great things
When we work together:
When we are one.

There is something about a garden
Something so real and so divine
A secret place, a silent sanctuary
It is a feeling difficult to define

There is something about a garden
That leads my heart to prayer
A place of safety to where I run
And where I find hope in despair

There is something about a garden
And being surrounded by creation
Singing songs of praise to God
The creator and author of salvation

There is something about a garden
That feels like mercy's ocean
And like a crashing wave upon the shore
I'm swept away with great devotion

There is something about a garden
That fills me with such great delight
Filled with awe and greatest wonder
On the wings of the dawn my soul takes flight

There is something about a garden
That I can almost see the hand of God
The foretaste of Heaven on the Earth
We walk where the angels have trod

For what can I give the Lord
Who has given me everything?
How can I ever make a return for
The blessings He bestows on me?
The day you paid my debt in full
Unworthy and ungracious as I was,
Beneath pride and nature sinful,
You pierced me with undying love.

You breathed and I came alive.
And when you died to give me life,
You breathed out once again.
Let every breath I take, praise you
Let my spirit sing, my lips speak truth,
Everything I do, I do it for you.
My work, my play, my rise, my sleep
In joy, in fear, when I laugh, when I weep
When I follow and when I lead
When I tend to someone's need
In little ways and in big ways
On good days and truly awful days.
When I live with Jesus on my mind
I see that, through it all, He is kind.
So, at the end of it all at His feet I will fall
And I will say to Jesus my Lord and King
I have given you my all in everything

God said to Noah "Hey, listen up bud!
Gonna rain real soon now, it's gonna flood
The people are sinning, tearing it apart
And to see it man, really breaks my heart.
It's gonna be huge, it's gonna get wet
I tell you now, you ain't seen nothin' yet.
But you and yours are gonna be just fine
You've been good; a real friend of mine.
Listen up good now and listen up well
Here's how you'll be safe from the swell:
You'll build a boat yea big and yea wide
'Cause two of every animal's gonna fit inside.
You'll be in there forty days and as many nights
And when it's safe again, the bird alights.
Never again will I cause a flood so great
Never again will the earth suffer this fate
So, this is my promise: a sign in the sky
A rainbow to remember our covenant by."

Hail Mary; most holy Queen of Heaven
Overshadowed by love's pure expression
Crowned with glory like the shining sun
Great mother of Jesus; the Most High one
Clothed in robes made from a sea of stars
You held the hands that bore the scars
Queen of the angels and of the saints
What stellar beauty Our Lady paints

Ok Lord, here I am. Today I'm just spending time with you. Come and meet me where I am. Be with me. I know you love me. I love you too. Thank you.

Holy Mary crowned with glory
Bright shining as the sun
Queen of Mercy and of love
You crush the evil one
We are in your tenderness
In your kindness and endless grace
We are your children who you love to bless
And wrap with sweetest embrace
Gentle woman, blessed mother
Obedient to Our Father's will
Your faith in God was like no other
And that courage inspires still
Taken wholly up to Heaven
When this life on earth was through
Now we ask your intercession,
Pray for us in all we say and do
Dear mother by virtue of the union
Lead us to your son our Lord
That we too may live in communion
In that Life and Love outpoured

I lift my eyes to the heavens where does my help come from?
I lift my hands to the sky, ready to bring the kingdom come
I lift my voice in song, singing praises to the Holy One
I lift my life in honor to the Christ: God's only begotten son

All have been given different God-given gifts
To choose to use to grow to show
The love that we receive and the faith that we believe
To bring His kingdom down right here right now
To change the world, to change the lives
To change our very hearts and minds
To speak and act and think and pray
To make the most of every single day
Let His light shine through you
That you glow for someone who
Was lost and wandering
Someone searching for something
And maybe your gift and offering
Is what picks them up off the ground
And turns their whole world upside-down
You could be the answer God sends
Upon your loving "yes" a soul's fate depends

Come one come all into the presence
Come and enter with sacred reverence
Come young and old, rich and poor
This is the day of Christ our Lord
Stand before the altar: the holy of holies
All of creation is filled with his glories
Place your feet on this most holy ground
The place where our joy and peace are found
Come one and all to gather at table
Joined by the cloud of saints and angels
Find the courage to enter in the song
Come to find just where you belong

We are one body for none can do all
But each of us is capable of doing some.
When we obey and heed the call,
Together we can bring His Kingdom come!

Into the endless waters I dive down deep
In this ocean of mercy, His face, I seek
Over mountain and valley, plain and hill
I have travelled and will travel further still
To finally find what I've searched for so long
And I will continue until I can't go on
I am lost in the sea of God's great grace
I am awash with the love that covers me
I am found in the arms of His embrace
And was lost, but now I'm found and free
To understand the mystery completely
Is to fill a small hole with the entire sea
Still, I swim on, all caught up in the flood
Still, I am covered by His most precious blood
Still, I keep walking, I keep pressing ahead
Strengthened in the life by which I am fed

It's okay, you don't have to pay. It's covered
By (assurance) of Grace

On Judgement of Value

Food for the world on a gold plate
Something so small has so much weight
For who can weigh eternal life
And who can say that life has a price
This world will rate and measure
Criticize and place you at its leisure
But the Lord uses a different system
Jesus took our place as spotless victim
He looks into the heart of hearts
Where the human soul resides
He moves past even the locked parts
To find where the treasure lies
He sees beneath the surface. Hidden,
Lies untapped potential; something more
And from the depths it has risen
Like waves to crash upon the shore
Who can know the mind of God
Or understand God's actions?
If beauty is in the eye of the beholder
How beautiful we must truly be
For God made us in His image
And so dearly loves you and me

Mother of Mercy, channel of Grace
Wrap our hearts in thine embrace
Fount of Love and joyful giver
Bathe us in thy cleansing river
Help our hearts be as new fallen snow
And aid us so our holiness might grow
Pray to Jesus for us poor sinners
Open our hearts as we read the scriptures
May we show mercy to others
Treating all as sisters and brothers
Oh, source of help in our time of need
Hear us Oh Holy Mother and intercede
Help us each to pause, ponder, and reflect
On the moments of our lives in retrospect
To learn from, to cherish and to hold
To warm us when we are in the cold
Mother of Mercy grant us your peace
May our love for thee ever increase
Through the merits of thy maternal love
May it, now and always, ever be enough

Hail to Jesus ever living
Hail to Christ the newborn King
Hail to Him whose love gushed forth
Hail to Him they call the Lord

Hail the Prince of Peace, the great I AM
Hail to thee; roaring lion, spotless lamb
Hail to thee our Glorious Savior
Hail to God the wondrous maker

Hail to Him the author of creation
Hail to Him who died for our salvation
Hail to Him who loved unto death
Hail to Him by whose grace I draw breath

Hail to the king of the whole universe
Hail the flood of grace in which I immerse
Hail the strong and gentle nail-scarred hands
Hail the cost which perfect love demands

Hail to Him who is the Chief
Hail the one in whom I believe
Hail the rock upon which I stay
Hail the Life, the Truth, the Way!