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

On a church, Mother Mary gazes up high
with her saving babe on her stone arm.
On her alabaster face: a cryptic smile
that has its own fine chiseled charm.

While I stand in the old town’s cobblestone street,
my mind sees me in a far distant place.
The visions I see speak of defeat,
a void that devours all grace.

I see myself floating in a brittle wood boat
with sails torn to shreds by the storms.
Frantically I toil to stay afloat,
tossed by black waves which ebb and reform.

Her disk halo of gold shines out in the dark,
glinting to those who sail by.
I ask her: tell me what can give me a spark
to let me soar up into the sky.

She offers no answer in so many words
and just smiles on, stonily serene.
In her silence is where her answer is heard,
a quiet reply — I know just what she means.

The rock of her tells me what I must hear:
No need to soar nor fly nor flee.
Let black tides flow past me ‘til they clear.
Like this old pale statue, just simply be.

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.

Rubble and dust
spinning in swirling disks
around the fire
until one place
of greater attraction
draws debris to itself
and coalesces into an incandescent planet.
Earth and sky begin
full of promise.