Month: February 2015

2015.02.13: Ephphatha!

he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly. – Mk 7:34-35

amazing Grace
how great it was
the first time i heard

“Ephphatha,” he said
the man in vestments
with graying red hair

how sweet the sound
that saved my soul
silence

and now i hear
the words of the Lord
spoken from within

how my soul sings
with praise for the Lord
who opened my heart

Ephphatha, i say
let your heart be opened
the Lord is speaking to you

2015.02.12: what matters

She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Mk 7:28

it didn’t matter
that she was a woman
what mattered was
that you are the great I AM

it didn’t matter
that she wasn’t born a Child
what mattered was
that she loved her child

it didn’t matter
that she didn’t practice the faith
what mattered was
that she had faith in you

it didn’t matter
that they weren’t worthy
what mattered was
that you are kind and good

2015.02.11: broken pottery

the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and so man became a living being. – Gen 2:7

from the clay of the ground
you formed me
with your very breath
you gave me life
into the kiln of the world
you placed me
through the trials of fire
you tempered me

all was good until
i learned of good and evil
i learned to judge
myself and others
i took pride in my beauty
and envied others theirs
until self loathing defiled me
and i cracked into many pieces

yet you didn’t throw me
into the rubbish heap
you still saw beauty
in my brokenness
so with loving care
you gathered my broken body
and with compassion
you poured yourself into me
until i became whole again
better then newly formed
for where the cracks were
your love now shines through

2015.02.10: God looking at everything

God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good. – Gen 1:31

in this moment
God sees everything
He created,
is creating,
and will create
(without zooming)

in this moment
God knows us
and He loves us

to borrow a phrase:
“a picture is worth a thousand words”

to borrow a picture:
http://www.numbersleuth.org/universe/magnify/
Copyright 2012. <a

2015.02.09: i want to know you

As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. Mk 6:54

i don’t want to know you
like sick people recognizing a healer

i don’t want to know you
like the demon recognizing the Holy One of God

i don’t want to know you
like a believer knows his creed

i want to know you
like the childhood scar on my face

i want to know you
like the fears that keep me paralyzed

i want to know you
like the friend i’ve had all my life

i will never fathom the works of the Creator
nor understand his gift of free will

all i want is to know the Incarnate God
who knocked on the door of my house
and made a home in the empty room

grant that i know Him who carries my cross
and loves me on my journey home