Friday, March 16, 2007
Mercy's Call
See them walking to the hill,
Soldiers, priests and prisoners all,
A time to weep, a time to kill --
God With Us answers mercy's call.
Wood and hammer,
nail and rope,
tools of hard death,
tools of hope,
washed in blood,
crowned by thorn,
as He dies,
new life is born.
See them nail him to the cross,
Beaten, bloody, forgiving all,
They glory at His mother's loss --
God With Us answers mercy's call.
Wood and hammer,
nail and rope,
tools of hard death,
tools of hope,
washed in blood,
crowned by thorn,
as He dies,
new life is born.
The sky grows dark as death grows near,
This day more different than them all,
The Son gives all while the wicked cheer --
God With Us answers mercy's call.
Wood and hammer,
nail and rope,
tools of hard death,
tools of hope,
washed in blood,
crowned by thorn,
as He dies,
new life is born.
O Pascal Lamb, O Bridegroom bright,
Who dies for love of one and all!
The earth itself quaked at the sight --
How God With us answered mercy's call.
Wood and hammer,
nail and rope,
tools of hard death,
tools of hope,
washed in blood,
crowned by thorn,
as He dies,
new life is born.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Labels: Divine Mercy, Jesus' Love, Passion of Christ, Song
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Pieta
No day like this, ever.
Did you sit there, Mother,
When they laid Him in your lap
And remember the angel with his words of promise,
And remember the words of Simeon with his words of warning,
And remember your Son nestled in your lap,
Small and warm and new,
Smiling in the sun?
As you brushed the blood soaked hair off His forehead,
And washed his face, one last time,
Counting every bruise, mark, wound,
Did you think of all the times of danger,
Fleeing with Him next to your breast
On the road to Egypt?
Or how the villagers in Nazareth
Tried to cast Him off a cliff,
All those other moments where his very presence
Showed that He was, indeed,
A sign of contention,
A sign of contradiction?
One last kiss,
One last giving of your yes to the Father
As you embraced fully the sword buried in your heart
As they buried your heart in the tomb
For the long midnight ahead.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Did you sit there, Mother,
When they laid Him in your lap
And remember the angel with his words of promise,
And remember the words of Simeon with his words of warning,
And remember your Son nestled in your lap,
Small and warm and new,
Smiling in the sun?
As you brushed the blood soaked hair off His forehead,
And washed his face, one last time,
Counting every bruise, mark, wound,
Did you think of all the times of danger,
Fleeing with Him next to your breast
On the road to Egypt?
Or how the villagers in Nazareth
Tried to cast Him off a cliff,
All those other moments where his very presence
Showed that He was, indeed,
A sign of contention,
A sign of contradiction?
One last kiss,
One last giving of your yes to the Father
As you embraced fully the sword buried in your heart
As they buried your heart in the tomb
For the long midnight ahead.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Labels: Mary, Mother of Sorrows, Passion of Christ
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Dust
I
Here lies the dust, dry soil, longing for rain,
Blowing dust that makes the mouth grow dry
Now touches the barren heart with that longing pain
For green vistas, so soft, to rest the eye.
This, the dust of our days misspent, and lost
Trickles like sand through fingers, caught by the wind --
How little we realized at first what the cost
Of making that dust would be, the coin we'd spend
In this turning our lives into deserts of sand,
Longing for hope's water in this barren land.
II
Once upon a time, it is whispered that man
Knew a time of walking along with God,
In the blessed cool of the evening, but then he ran
Into that desert, there heavy-hearted to trod
The wasteland of dust he created by hand --
A drought of separation, that loss of grace,
Parching his spirit like an unwatered land,
A unwanted gift left to all of his race.
From parent to child hear it echoing still,
The keening hot thirst only God's love can fill.
III
God took on the dust of his creation one day
To bring down the waters to break the long drought,
He came born as a child, in the dust and the hay,
Few saw his coming, few sought him out.
One cool of the evening he knelt down to pray,
His sweat fell like blood drops, the start of the rain,
His blood then was given the very next day,
Flood waters from Heaven released in his pain.
In his dying, forgiveness for what once was wrought,
The drought can be ended when his presence is sought.
IV
Here lies the dust, God gives the rain,
Ending the dust that makes the mouth grow dry
He touches the contrite heart to ease the pain
Gives green vistas, so soft, to rest the eye.
This, the dust of our days misspent, and lost
Are healed by his love, given back by the wind --
For those who will listen, he has paid the cost
Through love alone, the coin he chose to spend
In this turning our lives into gardens, not sand,
Bringing hope's water to a once barren land.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Here lies the dust, dry soil, longing for rain,
Blowing dust that makes the mouth grow dry
Now touches the barren heart with that longing pain
For green vistas, so soft, to rest the eye.
This, the dust of our days misspent, and lost
Trickles like sand through fingers, caught by the wind --
How little we realized at first what the cost
Of making that dust would be, the coin we'd spend
In this turning our lives into deserts of sand,
Longing for hope's water in this barren land.
II
Once upon a time, it is whispered that man
Knew a time of walking along with God,
In the blessed cool of the evening, but then he ran
Into that desert, there heavy-hearted to trod
The wasteland of dust he created by hand --
A drought of separation, that loss of grace,
Parching his spirit like an unwatered land,
A unwanted gift left to all of his race.
From parent to child hear it echoing still,
The keening hot thirst only God's love can fill.
III
God took on the dust of his creation one day
To bring down the waters to break the long drought,
He came born as a child, in the dust and the hay,
Few saw his coming, few sought him out.
One cool of the evening he knelt down to pray,
His sweat fell like blood drops, the start of the rain,
His blood then was given the very next day,
Flood waters from Heaven released in his pain.
In his dying, forgiveness for what once was wrought,
The drought can be ended when his presence is sought.
IV
Here lies the dust, God gives the rain,
Ending the dust that makes the mouth grow dry
He touches the contrite heart to ease the pain
Gives green vistas, so soft, to rest the eye.
This, the dust of our days misspent, and lost
Are healed by his love, given back by the wind --
For those who will listen, he has paid the cost
Through love alone, the coin he chose to spend
In this turning our lives into gardens, not sand,
Bringing hope's water to a once barren land.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Labels: Jesus' Love, Man's Sinfulness
Verbum: a Meditation on Genesis 1 and John 1
In principio erat Verbum,
et Verbum erat apud Deum,
et Deus erat Verbum.
In the beginning,
In that place before time was,
In that place before space was,
In that place before place was,
In that place was the Word.
Verbum.
With God,
Loving God,
Was God.
Verbum.
In principio creavit Deus cælum et terram.
Terra autem erat inanis et vacua, et tenebræ erant super faciem abyssi:
et spiritus Dei ferebatur super aquas
Before the Breath of God hovered above the waters,
Before the Spirit of God danced above the waters,
Verbum erat,
The Word was,
Before the gift of physical light,
In ipso vita erat,
et vita erat lux hominum,
The Word was the light,
With God,
Loving God,
Was God.
Et Verbum caro factum est,
et habitavit in nobis:
et vidimus gloriam ejus,
gloriam quasi unigeniti a Patre
plenum gratiæ et veritatis.
The Sole Begotton,
The Light of Men,
He who through all things were made,
Came,
and tented among us
to touch us with his glory.
Verbum,
Lux,
Jesus.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
et Verbum erat apud Deum,
et Deus erat Verbum.
In the beginning,
In that place before time was,
In that place before space was,
In that place before place was,
In that place was the Word.
Verbum.
With God,
Loving God,
Was God.
Verbum.
In principio creavit Deus cælum et terram.
Terra autem erat inanis et vacua, et tenebræ erant super faciem abyssi:
et spiritus Dei ferebatur super aquas
Before the Breath of God hovered above the waters,
Before the Spirit of God danced above the waters,
Verbum erat,
The Word was,
Before the gift of physical light,
In ipso vita erat,
et vita erat lux hominum,
The Word was the light,
With God,
Loving God,
Was God.
Et Verbum caro factum est,
et habitavit in nobis:
et vidimus gloriam ejus,
gloriam quasi unigeniti a Patre
plenum gratiæ et veritatis.
The Sole Begotton,
The Light of Men,
He who through all things were made,
Came,
and tented among us
to touch us with his glory.
Verbum,
Lux,
Jesus.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Labels: Loving God, Praise and Thanksgiving, scripture
The Chain
What a dirge we send You, Lord, time and time again,
Injustice is the major tune, hurt and grief and pain,
Hearts burning with angry fire, while our tears fall like rain.
Teach us, Lord, how to forgive!
Blow by blow we forge it, each link of hate's own chain,
Created by our own hard hearts, black with anger's stain -
Each wrong done a brand new link, each new gift of pain.
Teach us, Lord, how to forgive!
Harder than steel it wraps our lives, this chain we forge of hate,
Bitter as sin, hotter than fire as it shifts through our lives to create
New wounds, new hurts that lead ever on to Hell's open, hungry gate.
Teach us, Lord, how to forgive!
You, O Lord, gave the one true key to unlock this evil chain,
Forgive, you said, and if needed more, forgive them once again.
"Forgive," you showed us by your own words said in your dying pain.
O Lord, give us hearts that will forgive!
Susan E. Stone
Injustice is the major tune, hurt and grief and pain,
Hearts burning with angry fire, while our tears fall like rain.
Teach us, Lord, how to forgive!
Blow by blow we forge it, each link of hate's own chain,
Created by our own hard hearts, black with anger's stain -
Each wrong done a brand new link, each new gift of pain.
Teach us, Lord, how to forgive!
Harder than steel it wraps our lives, this chain we forge of hate,
Bitter as sin, hotter than fire as it shifts through our lives to create
New wounds, new hurts that lead ever on to Hell's open, hungry gate.
Teach us, Lord, how to forgive!
You, O Lord, gave the one true key to unlock this evil chain,
Forgive, you said, and if needed more, forgive them once again.
"Forgive," you showed us by your own words said in your dying pain.
O Lord, give us hearts that will forgive!
Susan E. Stone
Labels: current evils, Forgiveness
Monday, March 12, 2007
The Touch of Your Spirit
O Lord, the touch of your Spirit
Fills my heart this day with song -
But I lift my heart in thankfulness,
A joy to know I belong
To you, my Lord and Master,
Who walks with me the whole day long.
O Lord, the touch of your Spirit,
A song of hope in the night,
A promise that there will be morning,
A knowledge that there will be light
Touches my soul with a soaring,
A foretaste of Heaven's delight.
O Lord, the touch of your Spirit
Reminds me of one darkest day
When you gave all in love's longing
Each trembling step of the way
To arise from the darkness with promise,
A love gift still precious today.
Best Bridegroom of all, my dear Master,
Who brings hope with a lover's delight,
Who whispers the words full of gladness
That shatters the terrors of night -
O keep me forever in your hands,
Forever in your loving sight.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Fills my heart this day with song -
But I lift my heart in thankfulness,
A joy to know I belong
To you, my Lord and Master,
Who walks with me the whole day long.
O Lord, the touch of your Spirit,
A song of hope in the night,
A promise that there will be morning,
A knowledge that there will be light
Touches my soul with a soaring,
A foretaste of Heaven's delight.
O Lord, the touch of your Spirit
Reminds me of one darkest day
When you gave all in love's longing
Each trembling step of the way
To arise from the darkness with promise,
A love gift still precious today.
Best Bridegroom of all, my dear Master,
Who brings hope with a lover's delight,
Who whispers the words full of gladness
That shatters the terrors of night -
O keep me forever in your hands,
Forever in your loving sight.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Labels: Loving God, Praise and Thanksgiving
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Let Me Walk
Let me walk, O Lord,
in the ways of Your peace,
in the paths of Your love,
where hope does not cease,
by the streams of Your mercy
where my soul finds release,
Let me walk, O Lord, with Thee.
Let me learn, O Lord,
To stand tall with You
Where my soul finds its solace,
touched by the True.
Transformed by Your light
into something brand new.
Let me learn, O Lord, from Thee.
Be my strength, O Lord,
when the day turns to night,
when the storm clouds gather,
obscuring my sight.
Let your cross be my guide
until faith is made sight.
All my strength, O Lord, comes from Thee.
Let me hunger, O Lord,
For the true Bread of Life,
That cuts through my emptiness
like the edge of a knife,
touching me, healing me,
ending my strife,
O Thou true Bread of Life, stay with me!
Susan E. Stone, 2007
in the ways of Your peace,
in the paths of Your love,
where hope does not cease,
by the streams of Your mercy
where my soul finds release,
Let me walk, O Lord, with Thee.
Let me learn, O Lord,
To stand tall with You
Where my soul finds its solace,
touched by the True.
Transformed by Your light
into something brand new.
Let me learn, O Lord, from Thee.
Be my strength, O Lord,
when the day turns to night,
when the storm clouds gather,
obscuring my sight.
Let your cross be my guide
until faith is made sight.
All my strength, O Lord, comes from Thee.
Let me hunger, O Lord,
For the true Bread of Life,
That cuts through my emptiness
like the edge of a knife,
touching me, healing me,
ending my strife,
O Thou true Bread of Life, stay with me!
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Labels: Discipleship, Loving God
