householdoftheholyfamily

Mary’s Lullaby

In one unguarded moment, sound so faint
Strikes heart’s true ear—to Word of God once tuned—
As Mary’s lullaby for us God paints
With pictures in her song that makes us swoon.
There, stretched across the sky of our own minds,
We see a rainbow’s strings of Noah’s hues,
And dove flies back and forth on heaven’s wind
To strum a melody both old and new.
The fragrance of that song from Eden wafts
O’er gate and angel, bars from paradise
All us in Adam born, so we can laugh
With joy as we are carried home in Christ.
May Mary’s song be our new lullaby
While with her Son we in his manger lie.

NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS

Blessed Theotokos

Blessed Theotokos, closest to God’s heart,
Who human life imparts
To Him, our nature needs
From us, so He can for us lifted bleed–
Pray we with you be drawn to wounded side
Of Him who for us all here suffered, died.

Blessed Theotokos, hold Him to your breast
From crib to final rest
He takes in borrowed grave
To bury sin and from that serpent save.
Pray our hearts with your heart in grave with Him
Will find in tomb the birth of Bethlehem.

Blessed Theotokos, present there with John,
Whose faith in Risen One
In garden Easter morn
Proclaims you first in Him to be reborn.
Pray seeing not with fleshly eyes, yet we
With your pure heart His Risen Body see.

Blessed Theotokos in that upper room,
Whose faith dispells our gloom,
Lead constantly in prayer
All those in hearts with you are gathered there.
Pray Spirit brings your Son to dwell in us,
As with you we God’s Holy Spirit trust.

MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, JANUARY 1ST

God’s Three

A husband and his wife await
The birth of God’s own Son
Who comes to us through heaven’s gate:
Those three are also one.

Our human family now remade
In Holy Family three–
Brings light in dark to Eden’s shade
To make us all sin free.

Of One above their likeness here
Shows three they also are.
By them in Baby they draw near;
We’re guided by a Star.

God’s Three to stable summon us
As two now three become;
Their Baby is the One we trust
To take us safely home.

We join with Angels, Shepherds, Wise
To sing our human praise;
We’ll once again see heaven’s skies
And live in endless days.

With Him in crib again we lie
And rise with Him from tomb;
Our sinful selves will with Him die,
Be born from Mary’s womb.

A new creation of us springs
From Trinity above;
Through Holy Family’s open ring
We’re raised to endless love.

HOLY FAMILY SUNDAY

Rejoicing With Mary

The Son of One who spreads the heavens broad
Is born of Mary, in a manger laid;
Within our world comes One who is our Lord,
Born with consent of chosen Virgin Maid.

All heaven and all earth with her rejoice
When she receives the Son who saves us all.
He comes to us through Mary’s human choice–
Will come to those on Him through Mary call.

From Jesus and His Father through her “yes”
We then receive their Spirit, brings Him nigh–
Makes every day with them a Christmas fest
As Adam Old in us on His Cross dies.

We rise with Him in stable to us comes,
And earth is taken into heaven’s home.

All Creation Saved

We journey make to Bethlehem
With her upon my back,
And also now I carry Him
Who’s light of world so black.

Her Joseph walks on my right side,
Protects us on the way,
Makes sure those two will safely ride
To stable with its hay.

For we won’t find a human bed
Where she with Him can lie;
A stable we will find instead,
And I’ll with her stand by.

Now I have witnessed her Son’s birth,
Who came to save us all,
For all of us to Him are worth
His life for Adam’s fall.

He comes to all creation save,
And all is born anew;
He will all creatures with Him raise—
A donkey like me, too.

His Witnesses

His witnesses are Innocents
Killed by the soldiers Herod sent,
and we hear Rachel’s cry.
They die amid their parents’ wail;
Their blood will mingle in His grail–
with Him in death will lie.

Their unjust deaths He soon will share,
As innocent like them He bears
the weight of others’ sin.
With Him they’re joined eternally
In death and life that set all free
and will know joy again.

All tears will then be wiped away,
And with Him they’ll forever stay
enfolded in His love.
The fullness of their human life
Will blossom far from Herod’s strife–
Jerusalem above.

FEAST OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS, MARTYRS

God’s Word

We search for reason for it all
So our own lives make sense,
And then is born in cattle stall
God’s Word, with no pretense.

Comes Israel’s history to the fore
When Mary speaks her “yes”—
The sum of all that’s gone before:
The answer to our quest.

Philosophers and poets come
To sit at Mary’s feet;
With shepherds kneel, and all become
The ones who wisdom seek—

For Mary and her Son present
God’s wisdom from above:
His Triune truth from heaven sent—
Descends His perfect Love.

His Holy Family mirrors Him,
A likeness of Himself–
His perfect Love that’s always been
Restores our human health.

When Logos enters into time,
Reveals eternity;
At last, His reason each one finds,
And we’re at last set free,

DECEMBER 27, FEAST OF ST. JOHN, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST

The Winds That Blow

The north wind blows a chill o’er Eden’s East
As evening comes to presage Eastern night
And Devil’s minions circle for their feast
Of souls consumed by sin from Adam’s blight.

But wind dies down and in the coming dark
Appears a stable with a beckoning light,
And Star is seen that will that stable mark
To draw the souls of all to that one sight.

And then on wind there comes a Baby’s cry,
A melody that joins the angels’ song,
As those that hear know although they will die
They’ll rise again with hearts that for Him long.

The wind now from the south will gently blow
And raise the hearts of those who will Him know.

THE FEAST OF ST. STEPHEN, THE FIRST MARTYR

God’s Word of Light

From crib a still small voice we hear,
Enlightens dark of night;
He comes to take away our fear
And lead us into light.

God speaks His Word, and light begins
To brighten all our hearts,
Gives us desire to make amends
And have a brand new start.

By Jesus’ crib His mother kneels,

With Joseph bowing low;

In Mary we see our hearts healed—

Through her His grace bestowed.

Now everyday can Christmas be

As we with angels sing;

In light of Word we now can see

Their Baby crowned as King.

Ever-Lightened Hearts

His wind that brought our Lord to Mary’s womb
Blows gently over world in Advent time
To bring His sovereign end to earthly gloom–
Prepares our hearts that He may each one find.

Our sins speak loud and each one knows his guilt,
But His forgiveness blows our sin away,
And our hearts led by Him begin to melt
When we see dawn of newly-breaking day.

Ahead we see a wind-borne light descend
From Star that in dark sky appears so bright
To show us where our Father His Son sends,
Who brings His light to penetrate our night.

We journey on with ever-lightened hearts
To welcome Triune Love, Himself impart.