There is a Call on your life.
Have you heard it?
A harmony of happiness and joy.
Yet, pain in good measure.Joy for the worldly,
The giddiness
Of pleasure,
Like a purse with holes,
Emptiness,without treasure.Deep and abiding joy,
Mark the Call of God.
Like a song played
In the Darkness
To herald the Light.The fearful man,
Unwilling to love,
Afraid of loss,
Gobbles life.
Heedless, peace-less,
Fearing to miss out,
His way becomes a ploy,
Losing the Eternal in the bout.A call embraced,
Won’t shield you from mistakes.
Rather impels us onward,
Love covering a multitude of aches.Perfection left to our Lord,
Prudent, not perfect,
Polished only in your dyings.
Dying and rising, the rhythm of a Call.Rising to the challenge of Christ,
“Be perfect as I am perfect,”
His Call, pruning and repenting,
Perfected only in your Christ.By Joann Nelander
Archive for January, 2011
The Call
Posted in Catholic, Christ, Christian with tags Christ, christianity, Christianity for Seekers, God, prose & poetry, Religion and Spirituality on January 5, 2011 by JoannaYad Vashem – What’s in a Name?
Posted in Christian, People, Religion with tags Benjamin Fondane, holocaust, Jews, New Year, Old Testament, Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, yad vashem on January 5, 2011 by Joanna
Yad Vashem Hall of Names / Wikipedia
As the New Year begins, the Church reminds us of the importance of a name. We celebrate the Octave Day of Christmas, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and on the Monday after the Epiphany we celebrate the Most Holy Name of Jesus.
Octave means eight. The Gospel for the day relates:
“When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given Him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”
On this eighth day the infant was circumcised and a name given. The name was so important that it was announced by an angel. So important was the Name to God!
The Old Testament reading from Numbers for this day speaks of another Name:
“The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! So shall they invoke My Name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
What’s in a name? Mystery! Holy Mystery!
As we begin our year, and as the liturgical year unfolds, celebrating the History of Salvation, let us remember the inhumane of Human History as well. Herod’s holocaust sought to wipe away all hope for humanity, the plan of the Evil One. that might makes right as the world has come to believe.
Yad Vashem, written sometimes as, Yad VaShem, literally “hand and name” means “memorial.”
In the Hall of Names, the victims of the Holocaust of our time are remembered.
“Remember only that I was innocent
and, just like you, mortal on that day,
I, too, had had a face marked by rage, by pity and joy,
quite simply, a human face!”
Benjamin Fondane
Murdered at Auschwitz, 1944
“If we wish to live and to bequeath life to our offspring, if we believe that we are to pave the way to the future, then we must first of all not forget.”
“If we wish to live and to bequeath life to our offspring, if we believe that we are to pave the way to the future, then we must first of all not forget.”
(Prof. Ben Zion Dinur, Yad Vashem, 1956)
(Prof. Ben Zion Dinur, Yad Vashem, 1956)
Feed My Lambs
Posted in Catholic, Christian with tags Bread, Christ, Eucharist, feed my lambs on January 4, 2011 by JoannaI am no one,
But see the army
Of saints and angels
Who implore Thee.You say “Feed my lambs,
Feed my sheep,”
And I am tempted
To think, I have nothing,
But, Lord, are You
Not the Whole Loaf,
And are You not
Eternal and ours?I will give
From my Ever Present Lord.
In my poverty,
You are my abundance.What I can not see,
I know is on the way.
You are not far off.
You have come,
And You are coming soon.
Emmanuel.By Joann Nelander
I Live By the Will of God
Posted in My Journal, Poetry, Prose & Prayer, Prayer & Prose with tags christianity, Jesus, persistence, petition, Prayer, Religion & Spirituality on January 4, 2011 by JoannaToday, I live by Your Will.
Today, I live by Your Cross.
Today, I live by the grace of God.I call on all heaven
To pray for me,
As I am weak,
And prone to sin.With Isaiah, I promise God,
That I will not be silent,
I will cry out
For the sake of Jerusalem.You saints of God
I station you on my walls
And at the city gate.Do not cease
To petition the King,
For He is poised
To answer the persistent.By Joann Nelander
Everything For You
Posted in Catholic, Christian, Poetry, Prose & Prayer with tags God, Jerusalem, persistence, Redemption, the Fallen on January 4, 2011 by JoannaIt is hard to be alone, Lord.
I know You are by my side.
In my heart of hearts
I turn to You.
Be Lord of this day.
Here is my hand in Yours;
Lead me!All in Your Name,
Everything for You,
Everyone in my life,
I give to you
In their present need.
Many do not know
To call to You.
Trifles control them,
And they flit away
Their Eternity with You.It may seem preposterous
That I should dare seek
For the whole world,
Forgiveness and conversion.
I am only one poor,
And wretched sinner,
Yet, Lord, see the army
That prays with me.
See the Blood and Water of Your Son
Pleading for the Redeemed.
By Joann Nelander
With St. Ambrose By My Side
Posted in Poetry, Prose & Prayer with tags Ambrose, Augustine of Hippo, christianity, Jesus, Monica, Religion and Spirituality on January 4, 2011 by Joanna
St Ambrose converting Theodosius /Wikipedia
St. Ambrose
Walk with me
This entire year,
As a friend and mentor.In your lifetime,
You had marvelous friends,
All of whom, you led
Closer to God.
May they also pray for me,
So to honor you.
Monica, Augustine, Marcella, Satyrus,
Were made holier
By your counsel.
You walked with Wisdom
By your side,
And made great strides.Counsel me,
For the glory of the God
That loves me.
I will thank you most properly in heaven;
Yet, my poor heart embraces you
As my particular friend in Christ, even now.
To God be the glory.
AmenBy Joann Nelander
If Sinner’s Be Damned
Posted in My Journal with tags Charles Spurgeon, christianity, God, Jesus, Prayer, Redemption, Religion and Spirituality on January 4, 2011 by JoannaHeart Fire/Yvonne Devilliers
“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.” Charles H. Spurgeon
I’m Spiritual, Not Religious
Posted in Christian, Church with tags Body of Christ, Christ, christianity, Church, Religion and Spirituality, religious, Spiritual on January 2, 2011 by Joanna“I’m spiritual, not religious.”
I’ve heard this so often from the most sincere people. They seem to wear it as a badge for having accomplished some sort of rite of passage.
What is your translation for:
“I’m spiritual, not religious.”
Here’s mine:
“I want the comforts of Christianity, without the challenges.”
Becoming like Jesus Christ – a challenge that lasts a lifetime, it certainly takes committment and direction from something more substantive than one’s gut. Reflecting further: Christ without a Body, why bother with the Cross.
I agree Church is work, and messy at times, just like a family, but Jesus thought we were up to this challenge with a little help from the Others in His Family, the Father and the Holy Spirit. Actually, Christians get two Mothers, Mary and the Church. The Church isn’t optional. It is the Body of Christ.
Did You Properly Welcome the New Year?
Posted in Catholic with tags 2011, celebration, Didgeridoo, New Year on January 2, 2011 by JoannaI’m thrilled by the New Year. Who knows why!
I’m still celebrating on the inside and want to make some noise. Please join me in the celebration. A didgeridoo seems the instrument of choice. Turn the noise sound up high and enjoy a bit of elation.
