When a troll can’t control written rage
What’s best, to engage, or ignore?
I’ll look past the screen curtain
To glance a hurt person
See his cursin’ with pity enhanced
And respond not in kind
But with kindness! And pray
That one day, joyful grace he will find
And post cheerfulness…
Rather than rants
Cake OR ice cream? Burger OR fries?
Law OR freedom? Faith OR science?
Happy OR holy? Wild OR wise?
Blood+sweat+tears OR
Faith and prayer
Reliance?
Adore at Mass OR past closed doors?
Confess to priest OR deep within?
The Word at church OR bedroom floor?
Not OR but AND, to win
The Lord
Therein
Love my neighbor OR my Lord?
Coins have ever hugging sides
Save the poor OR the unborn?
Serve wherever in disguise
God mourns
Or cries
Christ OR Mary? Who’ll suffice?
The knot the Eden pair tied taught
The NEW pair, sinless, would unsplice
This King and Queen, our spot
Of vice
Out-blot
Daughter of the Father OR Mother of His Son?
Virgin Most Chaste OR Spirit’s dear Bride?
Crushing snakes OR Victory won?
Normal girl OR spared
From sin
And pride?
Is God now heard through Verse OR Pope?
Transcendent OR descending near?
Is God in us OR in the Host?
The latter, most OR in both
To be
Revered?
Not OR but AND! He’s standing close
His ruses fade; His Face appears
For in each lad or lass… distressed
And in the “least of these”… oppressed
He’s often missably, in-explicably…
In each slum… surreptitiously…
In each child… hug and kissably…
Here
*****
For more, see https://catholic-resources.org/Both-And.htm
Note: if you see any errors, philosophical or otherwise, let me know…
*****
Think nothing of nihil-ism
Deny it’s right to be
Material-ism? Big mistake
At stake is what’s unseen
Combat consumer-ism
Or you it shall consume
Through “ad absurdum”, you’d reduce
Reduction-ism’s gloom
Relativ-ism wrecks
The quest for what is true
It breeds all rancid rac-ism
Brews narciss-ism too
Rational-ism? Absurd
Or Fide-ism? Boring
Each one, a poor one-wing-ed bird
T’ward truth and love unsoaring
Modern-ism muddles
A cocktail of false notions
Hedon-ism ends in puddles
Of sad or mad emotions
There’s femin-ism pure
And femin-ism crude
All truthward “isms” will endure
Yet laughed at, or eschewed
Capital-ism unmoored
By morals, festers greed
All systems which ignore the poor
Will civic peace impede
A marx-ism turned fasc-ism
Will smash religious strivings
Yet end up as “religion” brash
That dashes hopes of thriving
Aryan-ism errs
Supremac-ism cowers
All antisemit-ism bears
A reputation dour
Great Britain underwent
Debate on church and state
Over antidisestablishment-
-arian-ism’s fate
A “secular human-ism”
Must stand on sinking sand
The values that it values here
Are from a heav’nly land
God’s Son, Who from the sod
Took flesh to rescue earth
Sad “isms” He will heal, at last
When members of His Body dare to see…
And care to feel…
Their neighbor’s worth
*****
*Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave (Philippians 2)
The meaning of being is simple and freeing
To BE loved as Love’s true beloved
Then TO love with zeal and heroic compassion
Every poor human being
Without count or ration
Despite inner squealings
For our feelings are fickle and fleeting
To love is to will but the good of one’s neighbors
To cherish and treat them as treasured
For love is unmeasured, accepting much loss
Makes light every labor
Sweetens each cross
And today, as before, is
Shown more in our Calv’ries than Tabors
*****
“In the evening of our lives, we shall be judged on love alone” -St John of the Cross
What halts one from living this life to the full?
Assaulting the outlook, a cancer of soul?
Unlove
On the other hand
What gives every reason to leap out of bed?
To find and to fill hands and hearts with one’s bread?
Love.
What pledges all pleasures, corrupt ways to cope?
T’ward doubt and despair, proves a slippery slope?
Unlove
Contrariwise
What acts as a seedbed for wisdom and joy?
Extracts every deed thief nor rust could destroy?
Love.
What uses the other, serves things, and won’t share?
What’s spiteful, impatient, and less could not care?
Unlove
However
What gives without counting the cost, and with cheer?
Delightful, and willing to lend a long ear?
Love.
What guilts, blames, and shames, craving more without rest?
With calling of names, leaving calm all up-messed?
Unlove
Nevertheless
What stills restless hearts, and expands as it’s shared?
What “kills ’em” with kindness, no courtesy spared?
Love.
All’s well that ends…
With love.
Are folks meant to be used
And things meant to be loved?
Or…
Are folks meant to be loved
And things meant to be used?
The opposite of love ain’t hate
It’s “use“, called also “lust“
Says lust, “I’ll take for me, I must!”
Says love, “I’ll give”; “I’ll wait”
Says love, “This is my body…” (1)
“…my blood poured out for you”
“So you must also do…”
Wash feet; serve EVERYbody
**********
(1) Jesus of Nazareth
The slash / means a stressed suitable, i.e. start on the up beat
*****
/”Love your neighbor as yourself”, as if he were your twin
An “other half”; a clone
A ‘spittin’ image’ kin
/Twins can feel the other’s pain from many miles away
They’re closer than “best friends”
They know what each will say
/Will we feel, with OUR own heart, our neighbor’s pain and loss?
Console, somehow, this “twin”
By helping bear his cross?
To “Love your neighbor as yourself”
See him as
Then treat him as
Your twin!
/”Love your neighbor as yourself” means as another “You”
As if sent back in time
Now here! Out of the blue!
/What if you decided to trade places with that “You”?
Would you want her to do
The best she could for you?
/You would know what THAT “You” needs: to eat, to learn, to live
Such things our neighbors lack
So may we seek to give!
To “Love your neighbor as yourself”
See her as
Then treat her as
Another “You”!
/”Love your neighbor as yourself” means plainly what it reads
But there is something greater
To urge us to love’s deeds
/Love him as if he were Christ! For he is Christ indeed
“The deeds you did for others
You truly did for me” (Mt 25)
/”Greater love has no one than to give one’s life for… friends” (Jn 15:13)
For foes, Christ gave His also
For sin, He made amends
To “Love your neighbor as yourself”
See him as
Then treat him as
Your twin
Another “You”
Or better yet
As Jesus Christ!
For all the folks who drive too fast, too slow, or without care
Father, Love Them Through Me!
Without repair… With prayer… Without limit…
One second! AND for each who lets me merge last-minute
For every rude or cold cashier, or waitress slowly serving
Father, Love Them Through Me!
Without deserving… With grace… With a smile…
Oh wait! AND for each who goes the extra mile
For every neighbor who just won’t keep up or mow their yard
Father, Love Them Through Me!
Without regard… With patience… Without sass…
Oh yes! AND for the one who cuts my grass- unasked
For every child who whines or screams; whose piled-up clothes beg folding
Father, Love Them Through Me!
Without scolding… With firmness… Without remorse…
One minute! AND for the teen who likes to skip his chores
For workmates who don’t ‘ppreciate and often leave me thankless
Father, Love Them Through Me!
Without crankiness… With patience… With coffee Venti…
Oh yeah! AND for each whose gratitude is plenty
For friends who don’t return my texts or multiple voicemailing
Father, Love Them Through Me!
Without failing… With promptness… With contancy…
There’s more! AND for each who calls to check on me
For every fellow who ignores or mocks me without cause
Father, love them through me!
Without pause… With mercy… Without a scoff…
Oh yes! AND for each I’m tempted to blow off
For everyone who interrupts or daydreams while I’m speaking
Father, Love Them Through Me!
Without freaking… With focus… Without tension…
Forgot to mention! AND for each who listens with attention
**********
Inspired by “Litany for Priests and Seminarians” written by the Sisters of Life (sistersoflife.org)
If you stretch a friendly hand
To lift a struggling peer
You’ll find yourself uplifted quick
“More blest” it is
to seek “to give
“Than to receive“, it’s clear
Dollars giv’n to needy folk
Or checks cut to cut their pain
Deposit to your bank above!
When Scrooge’s greed
Met Tim’s great need
It gave in! To both their gain
As you donate treasures here
To thrift stores or the poor
You store up endless treasures where
Ain’t “moth nor rust”
Nor “thieves” to bust
Forever to endure
As you shine your faith-light bright
Upon a cancer-fighter
It bounces back upon yourself
Fresh hope appears!
Venetian mirrors
Could not reflect it brighter
As you offer to forgive
A neighbor “sev’nty times seven”
You’re promised saving mercy too
“Forgive our sins
As we forgive”
Means pard’ning pulls down heaven
“As you give to other men
So also you receive
Good measure… poured into your lap”
“The measure… you use
Will measure” your treasure
A storehouse “eye has not seen”
As you substitute your will
For that of God and guest
You “bear your cross” behind the Christ
His Joy and Peace
In you increase
As ego is suppressed
As you love your enemy
Who wounds you or offends
You love yourself! And be aware
The “enemy”
Yourself may be!
On love alone, eternal joy depends
*****
It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35)
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[e] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Mt. 6:19-20
Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Lk. 6:38)
“Seek Ye first God’s Kingdom” near (Mt. )
By seeking first its King
Christians all to Christ endear
If He’s the song they sing
*
Aid God’s Rule of righteousness
By aiding all despised and frightened
Treat them as Roy’l Highnesses
Then watch them smile, surprised! face-brightened
*
“Reck His rod”1, let Truth prevail
By wrecking Satan’s lies
Fight his falsehoods tooth and nail
Let Christ unblind all eyes
*
Seize God’s Reign with “violent” force
By ceasing painful hate
Turn from sin; t’ward love set course
Before it’s much too late
Heav’n is not “pie in the sky”
Nor harps ‘n puffed clouds “by and by”
Hope’s not some delusion
But free-will-collusion
With grace that Christ died to supply
Heav’n’s feast offers more than sky-pies
“Rich food and choice wines” will surprise (Is. 25)
To taste the “Lamb’s Supper”
Confess your mess-uppers (Mt. 3:2)
To you, His own Blood He applies
The enemy’s clutches you’ll fly
As daily you choose “Humble Pie”
God’s banquet reserved
For “children” who served
The King hid within all who cry (Mt. 25)
Could God be Almighty- yet tiny and poor?
Creator of planets- forgotten, ignored?
Invincible Lord- but breakable, frail?
The words of the Bible these myst’ries unveil
The tininess of God displayed
In Bethlehem’s babe
Cute and small (Lk. 2)
The poverty of God portrayed
In Galilee’s tramp
Shunned by all (Mt. 8:20; Mk. 14:71)
Our God’s “dismissability”
In Nazareth’s son
“without honor” (Mk. 6:4)
The Lord’s preferred fragility
In Calvary’s Lamb
Led to slaughter (Is. 53:7)
God’s weakness, smallness, helplessness, and utter breakability
Are found in ev’ry person full-endowed with all His features (Gen. 1)
And found in ev’ry Eucharistic Host! For shareability
Empow’ring us to heal Him hidden in His broken creatures (Mt. 25)
The “Beatific Vision”? Or worm and flame eternal? (Mk. 9:48)
The intended joy of sainthood? Or rebelhood infernal?
Rejoicing all together? Or gnashing teeth alone? (Lk. 13:28)
God’s paradise regained? Or misery full-blown?
Toward one of two destinies all folks are going
Consider the path that you’re on! What’s it showing?
Is heaven’s light shining through all of your deeds?
The “spade” of repentance uprooting sin’s weeds?
Is Christ living in you to further heav’n’s goals,
The glory of God and salvation of souls?
Do poor and oppressed ones through you find a voice?
Your destiny starts here and now! What’s your choice?
Will we be surprised, or not?
When meeting God above
He says the man we helped by placing
food in his torn glove
Was God’s own self in human form
with every pain thereof (Mt. 25)
‘Twas Christ disguised in reeking rags and
begging for our love (Jn. 19:28)
Will we be surprised, or not?
When meeting Christ the Lord
He gratefully reveals that hidden
‘neath the suff’ring faces
Of folks we visited at home
or psychiatric ward,
‘Twas His own Face! Still pleading from His
Cross in countless places (Col. 1:24)
Will we be surprised, or not?
When meeting Christ our God
We then discover that each soul
We served unshrinkingly
Was His live image: poor, unhoused, un-
fed, unborn, unshod
He’ll look into our eyes and say,
“You did those things for Me” (Mt. 25)
But Christ has also promised that for
Needs we would NOT meet
For folks we would NOT serve (or, at least
pray for with concern)
“What you did not do for these least, you
did not do for me”
At last, the fire of God’s love
Will either thrill… or burn
One’s heaven could begin today
But hell could start now too
So walk the “narrow road to life” (Mt. 7:14)
The Savior lights for you (Jn. 8:12)
For in the end we’ll make our choice
Of where we want to stay
The Father’s House of Love, or not? (Jn. 14)
On earth, our choice is made
Our entrance into heaven’s gates
Cannot be guaranteed (Heb. 10:26)
No matter what we do or don’t
Christ’s pardon we will need (Eph. 2:8-9)
God’s heaven is a gift, not earned
Unwrapped by love-in-action; prayer;
For heaven is a Person- Christ!
Where He is… heaven’s there (Jn. 15)
Eternal life begins today
When we return His gaze
And Mary’s gaze of love, as well
Our Queen, who for us prays (Jn. 2:3)
Rhymes for the Rejoiceful 