Tag: eucharist

Our Shepherd’s Voice

Our Shepherd’s voice is strong and clear
And travels down the length of time
As through the Church to us draws near
Through bishop with the bread and wine.

Through hands laid on we hear His voice
With Confirmation’s baptized ears,
And know that Jesus made the choice
To speak in words that we can hear.

His human words through bishop speaks
And through His pastors to our hearts;
We recognize the one who seeks
With Jesus’ truth to us impart.

As sheep we know a pastor false
Whose honeyed words will make no sense;
We separate the wheat and dross
And know the pastors Jesus sent.

We hunger for His truth in words
That live in Body and His Blood,
And we can recognize our Lord
As we ‘neath cross with Mary stood.

The pastors false deny His cross
And never will deny themselves,
So, in the end, they will be lost,
For they refuse His truth to tell. 

Cloaked in Humility

We long to be inside that gate
     So we can know God’s love
Where Tree of Life for us awaits
     And we can look above. 

But we too often  have looked down—
     In pride we’ve taken charge—
And in our sins our hope is drowned
     As sinful self enlarged.

Our god becomes our human strength
    But find it cannot lift
Ourselves from mire in which we sink
     And cry for Spirit’s gift. 

And then from where we wish to be
     One comes in heaven’s cloak,
A garment of humility,
     From inside out it soaks.

For heart of Him within is great
     And colors what’s without;
In Him there is no room for hate
     Nor is their any doubt.

He for us is God’s Truth and Way—
     The Life for which we’ve longed—
God’s Word for us has final say
    For to Him we belong.

Humility casts out our sin—
     In Him we are sin free—
And gate is opened, we step in
     To eat of His Life Tree.

We feast on risen Body, Blood—
     At last we truly live—
His key to gate is Holy Rood,
     And Paradise He gives. 

Our Lord’s Visitation

Continue, Lord, your story through your Church
This Advent as the dawn of new day breaks,
When you again with your hand our earth touch
To show you never will your world forsake. 
In coming, give us your humility
To break our pride that we may you embrace
In Bethlehem, where our hearts long to be
With poor and wise, receive your saving grace.
Bring forth your fruit in plenty for your land—
Too long has starved for Truth in Holy Food.
In us, show forth to all your loving hand
By Spirit who breaks bread on Calvary’s Rood.
In us, continue visitation made
By Father in His Son through Virgin Maid.