I dreamt I awoke in a luminous place The King incandescent on Seraphim chair He stated, “I’m grateful you’vechanneled my grace My Kingdom for you is prepared!
“For when I was famished, you found me some food Swooning and parched, you then poured me a glass Laughed at, unknown, you threw open your home Clothing-deficient, you bought me new slacks Lacking in health, you helped out with my healing And reeling in jail, you reached out!”
I asked Him, while basking in love without measure “Sir, wherein and wherefore for you did I care? Just when did I see you and whereby observe you? And whithersoever did ever I serve you?”
“Sir, first of all, I’d love to know…
“When did I see You unfed; undernourished?”
With a flourishing smile, He said
“You fed me with gift cards that lifted those families And snacks for panhandlers you’d hand from your car With cases of canned goods you’d haul to those pantries And funding you’d send near and far”
“And when did I see You unquenched or unwatered?”
With eyes sparked with gladness, He mentioned
“My thirst you subverted with milk for your young And lemonade brought to your spouse in the stables With drinks poured at fish fry’s for heroes unsung And warm-ups while waiting on tables”
“Just when did I see You unhailed or unknown?”
Tearing up on His throne, He regaled
“Assisting the migrants, the pre-born, the trafficked The desperate refugees spared from near death Supporting hurt vets, you disabled my sadness Your foster care saved me from meth”
“Sir, when did I serve You unclothed or unwarm?”
In brilliance adorned, He disclosed
“By purchasing work boots your friend couldn’t afford Crocheting bright hats for those neighbors in need By skipping the liquor to give more to the poor And purging for S.V.D.P.” *
“So, when did I see You uncared for; unwell?”
And swelling with joy, He declared,
“When struck with Alzheimer’s, you’d answer my queries Over and over, you’d always respond When sick, you stopped by and we watched that fun series Post-relapse, you served as my sponsor”
I pleaded, “Oh King, I got just one more plea
“When did I see You unfree, stuck in jail?”
Eyes streaming, this tale He decreed
“When thrown in the clink, you assailed me with visits Enduring for love endless forms; safety quizzes The darkness was snuffed by the faith you awakened Your calls made me feel less forsaken”
Before up I woke, I spoke upone last time
“You’ve told me the ‘when’, Sir, but how ’bout the ‘how’?”
“Just how was I able to see You unfed? Unquenched or unwatered? Unknown or unhailed? And how could I notice you naked; unwarm? Unwell or unfree, stuck in jail?”
Undignified-like, the King sprang to His feet
And sang with pure joy, His arms widening
“Your time in My Word
Your silent reflection
Those tales of saint-heroes
Brought strength and direction
“The ‘breaking of bread’ drew your eyes to My Host Exposing my face in each sorrowful soul Your goal was to gladden my other selves most By your love, broken hearts were made whole
“So enter My Kingdom made ready Already, within you, it’s bursting Long ago, you made room Your own gloom reversing Rehearsing for living and loving, post-hearse In My…
Last-are-first
Lost-and-found
Least-of-these
Upside-down Kingdom” ** *****
Matthew 25:31 (NIV) “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’”
*St. Vincent de Paul Society
**Matthew 21:31: “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”
NB. Blessed Archbishop Fulton Sheen said that at the judgment before our Lord we will be disappointed with ourselves but also surprised at how much we have loved Him!
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
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“adabsurdum”, 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.
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 skiphis 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 one 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 friend 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 one 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 one 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 Freshhope 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 HisJoy 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)
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?
Rhymes for the Rejoiceful 