H/T Julia : Golgotha of Jasna Gora – Artist: Jerzy Duda Gracz
Archive for Jesus
Golgotha of Jasna Gora
Posted in Art, Catholic, Christ, Christian, Church, Culture, Faith, Lent, Spirituality, The Cross, Tradition with tags Art, Ash Wednesday, Catholic, cross, crucifixion, golgotha, Illustration, Jerzy Duda Gracz, Jesus, Lent, life, Poland, priests, The Passion on February 21, 2012 by Joanna
To Greater Heights
Posted in Catholic, Christ, Poetry, Prose & Prayer with tags blood, bone, carry me, flesh, Jesus, Joann Nelander, My All, poetry prose & prayer, Religion and Spirituality, strong shoulder, throne, wound on February 15, 2012 by JoannaLift me to Your shoulder;
Carry me, henceforth.
I can see all things in a new way,
From my throne above the world.
Your Shepherd’s crook in view,
A sign of assurance,
Calming the sea, defeating the flesh,
Vanquishing the Foe.
Perched in Paradise,
I ride above the storm.
Battles won by stillness,
Flames quenched by Water from the Rock.
Carrying the one You love,
Bearing Your burden,
Loving Your labor,
Loving me.
I see the wound of Your Cross.
I see Blood,and Bone,
And I see me,
Carved in flesh,
As you carry me,
Onward and upward,
Onto greater heights.
© 2012 Joann Nelander
When Jesus Passed
Posted in My Journal with tags earth, Jesus on February 11, 2012 by Joanna
Where on this Earth has Jesus passed
That flowers failed to bloom?
What on Earth has Jesus passed,
That succumbed to Adam’s doom.
When on this sad Earth,
Did Jesus pass and desert’s dust remain?
Only if our fallen wills prevail,
Can Jesus come in vain.When Jesus passed,
Did flowers bloom and birds begin to sing?
When Jesus passed,
Did children run to jump into his arms?
When Jesus passed,
Did fallen men find strength to rise again?
When Jesus passed,
And left this world, once worst for Adam’s Sin,
Did Gates fling wide at Sin’s stemmed tide,
And Paradise begin again?© 2010 Joann Nelander
Passion of a Warrior
Posted in My Journal with tags Adam, Armegeddon, balm, Christ, forgiveness, God, healing, Jesus, memory.memorial, passion, soldier, victor, warrior on February 1, 2012 by JoannaWhen did his passion begin?
Did it commence with the kiss
By which he bid his loved ones adieu.
Or did the call to battle
Bid him count the cost,
Shattering vanities and proud hoorahs,
With winter ice
Though veins,
Piercing to the marrow of bone.
The Call was always greater
Than one man’s valor or presumption.
Holier than Adam could undertake in rage,
Yet a young David found an “Amen”
Rising within his shepherd- breast,
Shielded by hope and faith
Born of a Savior,
Yet borne into battle
By the foal that carried Him forth.
All battles,
Waged for the souls of men,
Find common ground;
Friend and foe,
Dying side by side.
As grains numbered as the sand,
And the blood,
Bridle high at Armageddon,
Corpses piled and claiming
The best among us,
As generations of spent warriors’ might,
Trust to God
To judge the heart of every man,
And wear his colors in His raiment.
Memories, born as festering wounds,
Or toughened scars,
Mark the man and record the Passion.
No jot or tiddle forgotten,
Fingered on the ground,
Condemning only the Accurser.
Angels minister the balm of Gilead
As the dead live again,
And the living love
Through the Darkness.
Mended hearts,
Held to a measure,
Weighed on scales of Mercy.
Are blessed.
None forgotten,
All forgiven.
How long? How long?
Martyrs witness the passion of the warrior,
And place merited crown,
And victor’s wreathe,
As a new name resounds,
Pronounced by the Mouth of God.
©2012 Joann Nelander 
Obedience
Posted in My Journal with tags Christ, God Son, Jesus, love, Mary, Saint Joseph, St. Joseph, The Way on December 30, 2011 by JoannaToday the Church sings, “Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of God, who was obedient to Mary and Joseph.”
My heart is singing , too, for as these words entered my soul, up sprang joy. Here within me was the path Jesus walked as He began life on Earth as the God Man. How can I not follow Him, as I prepare for a brand new year. The Way shows me, in my infancy, His Way. He turns my heart to Mary and Joseph, giving me the gift of loving parents to watch over me, to protect me, and to be all supplication on my behalf.
My happy resolve is to fix my eyes upon them and listen for their voices reverberating within me. My joyful way throughout the New Year will be to obey in imitation of my Christ and King. “Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of God, who was obedient to Mary and Joseph.”
Babe of All Perfection
Posted in My Journal with tags Babe, heart song, Jesus, Mother Mary, mother's gaze, perfection on December 21, 2011 by JoannaO happy Babe!
Babe of All Perfection,
Your little heart, so full of love,
Your face radiant,
Reflected in Your mother’s gaze.
Your soul, ablaze!
Hearth of longing and compassion,
The Family of Nations comes to adore You
©2011 Joann Nelander
Walking in the Fire
Posted in My Journal with tags Advent, Art, fire, God, Jesus, Joann Nelander, passion, purification on December 14, 2011 by Joanna“They walked about in the flames singing to God.”
My will is to sing to You,
To walk in Your fire.
Your love is a mighty flame,
Alive with its purifying blaze.
Help me be as You are,
Pleasing in Your obedience.
© 2011 Joann Nelander
Consolation of Eve
Posted in Advent, Art, Catholic, Christ, Christian, Church, Faith, Mary, Mother of God, Religion, Spirituality with tags Adam, Advent, Christ, Eve, Gaudete, good news, Holy Child, Jesus, Poetry, rejoice, Religion and Spirituality, Virgin, Virgin Mary on December 13, 2011 by Joanna
Crayon and pencil by Sr. Grace Remington, OCSO Copyright 2005, Sisters of the Mississippi Abbey
Mother Eve, waiting long,
Your bones resting in the earth,
At Adam’s side,
From which you were taken,
Waiting, waiting for the Woman.
Sustained in weary life by a Promise.
Enduring the grave,
Counting the centuries,
Waiting for Good News.
The Virgin is with Child. Rejoice!
©2011 Joann Nelander All rights reserved
Virgin Mary Consoles Eve
Posted in Pro-life, Religion, Spiritual with tags Advent, christianity, Christmas, Eve, Fallen Man, Hand Maid of the Lord, Holy Spirit, Incarnation, Jesus, Mary, Mother of God, Religion and Spirituality, The Fall on December 12, 2011 by JoannaThis painting is so consoling, I just have to share it again since Advent brings us closer and closer to the precious moment of our Savior’s birth. He comes to save Fallen Man, and with such a gentle hand.
“Virgin Mary Consoles Eve”
Crayon and pencil by Sr. Grace Remington, OCSO
Copyright 2005, Sisters of the Mississippi Abbey
Rejoice!
Posted in My Journal with tags Begging, christianity, Denominations, God, hope, Jesus, Joann Nelander, Poetry, Rejoicing, Religion and Spirituality, repentance on December 11, 2011 by JoannaRejoice!
Give me, God,
This glad rejoicing.
I am like a beggar at the gate.
My rags declare my need.
My knock trumpets my desire.
Your courts are full
Of plentiful redemption.
Wine and the merriment
Of the forgiven,
Invite my humble footsteps.
Although I bring myself
To Your threshold,
I cannot enter in,
For Sin is an effrontery,
An open assault on Your Majesty.
All awaits Your mercy.
Heaven is silent before You.
Tears are now my only arraignment
The voice of Your messenger
The only hope in my wilderness.
The King, Himself,
Rises from His throne.
Crowns are cast down at His feet.
As the sun shines from His Being,
Mercy rays meet my eyes,
And melt my heart.
He draws near.
His hand is at the Gate
To let in the beggar and the multitude,
For I am not alone.
The nations,
In long suffering and sorrow,
Kneel with me.
He approaches.
He is near.
Wedding garments in place of our polluted rags,
Rings and sandals for prodigal feet.
He comes,
He comes mid glad rejoicing.
We need wait but a moment.
The Virgin is with Child,
And He has left His throne
To succor the poor of all the earth.
By Joann Nelander
The Now of Time and Passion
Posted in My Journal with tags Christ, christianity, God, Jesus, Joann Nelander, Lord, Religion and Spirituality, The Passion on November 29, 2011 by JoannaJesus, You didn’t rush through the moments of Your Passion on the Way of the Cross.
You didn’t hurry through Your Suffering on the Cross on the way to Your Ressurrection.
Rather, You embrace the whole of each morsel of Time to sanctify the whole.
In Your steps along Your Way, may I walk embracing You,
In Your Passion, my passion,
In Your cross, my cross,
In Your Resurrection, my resurrection.
© 2011 Joann Nelander
Let Me Entertain You
Posted in Advent with tags Almighty, christianity, God, Jesus, Real Presence, Religion and Spirituality on November 29, 2011 by JoannaMy pastor commented on a quasi-supernatural event at our church as an example of how we are so spectacularly entertained by new media and extravaganzas of the 21 century, that we seem to conclude God had better produce better productions, if He wants to keep us.
Seems a lady noticed the face of Jesus in the veil before the tabernacle (shadows and light / a wink from the Almighty?) Well by the next day, 800 people had trooped into the church midweek to see the marvel.
As the liturgical rubrics of the season would have it, though, the veil had to be changed to a purple one, and so it was. How many people visited the next day?
The score:
Signs and Wonders – 800
Real Presence – 0
Life Everlasting – All Glory to God
Posted in Christ, Christian, Church with tags Christ, christianity, Evangelism, God, Immortality, Jesus, Lord, Religion and Spirituality on November 19, 2011 by Joanna
Image via Wikipedia
From a conference by Saint Thomas Aquinas, priest
I shall be satisfied when your glory is seen It is fitting that the end of all our desires, namely eternal life coincides with the words at the end of the creed, “Life everlasting. Amen.” The first point about eternal life is that man is united with God. For God himself is the reward and end of all our labors: I am your protector and your supreme reward. This union consists in seeing perfectly: At present we see through a glass, darkly; but then we shall see face to face. Next it consists in perfect praise, according to the words of the prophet: Joy and happiness will be found in it, thanksgiving and words of praise. It also consists in the complete satisfaction of desire, for there the blessed will be given more than they wanted or hoped for. The reason is that in this life no one can fulfill his longing, nor can any creature satisfy man’s desire. Only God satisfies, he infinitely exceeds all other pleasures. That is why man can rest in nothing but God. As Augustine says: You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our heart can find no rest until it rests in you. Since in their heavenly home the saints will possess God completely, obviously their longing will be satisfied, and their glory will be even greater. That is why the Lord says: Enter into the joy of your Lord. Augustine adds: The fullness of joy will not enter into those who rejoice, but those who rejoice will enter into joy. I shall be satisfied when your glory is seen, and again: He who satisfies your desire with good things. Whatever is delightful is there in superabundance. If delights are sought, there is supreme and most perfect delight. It is said of God, the supreme good: Boundless delights are in your right hand. Again, eternal life consists of the joyous community of all the blessed, a community of supreme delight, since everyone will share all that is good with all the blessed. Everyone will love everyone else as himself, and therefore will rejoice in another’s good as in his own. So it follows that the happiness and joy of each grows in proportion to the joy of all.
Pray Along with the Church – Office of Readings
Posted in My Journal with tags Christ, christianity, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Liturgy of the Hours, Matins, Religion and Spirituality on November 16, 2011 by Joanna
Marvelous praying of today’s Divine Office: Office of Readings
More- everyday, throughout the day, at divineoffice.org
In this place, Love…
Posted in My Journal with tags cave, Child Jesus, christianity, Christmas, cobwebs, Jesus, manger, Mariano de Blas LC, Poverty, Religion & Spirituality, Straw on October 30, 2011 by Joanna
My house is richer, cleaner, prettier. But I prefer your cave, because here everything is made of love. Straw, cobwebs, poverty, all loving. I prefer your cave, I love your manger, I admire the cobwebs, I kiss the straw and the floor. I will stay here. In this place, for love of me, the Baby Jesus was born.
Written by Mariano de Blas LC | Source: Catholic.net
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
Posted in My Journal, Prayer, Religion with tags Behold the Man, Christ, Christian, father, Father God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Religion and Spirituality, salvation, Video on October 29, 2011 by JoannaH/T Joyce Devivre
HOW DEEP THE FATHER’S LOVE FOR US
How deep the Father’s love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
And make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to gloryBehold the man upon the cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finishedI will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransomWhy should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
Listening to You, O God
Posted in My Journal with tags Christ, christianity, God, Jesus, Prayer on October 28, 2011 by Joanna
Listening to You, O GodI am listening, O God,
I am listening.As my ear rests upon Your Breast,
The throbbing of Your Heart, a plaintiff call,
Sounds a sacred prayer
In unending rhythm, eternal.Though stopped
In Your willed bodily Death,
It’s steady beat pierced the earth,
As Your Spirit descended to captivate
Those justified by Your Blood,
The prize of Salvation won upon Calvary’s mount.High ridged mountains of prayer
Span the course of centuries,
As I now in my ordained place,
Offer my will to You in this my time.As that same once spent Blood,
Now courses through my veins
In sweet Communion,
Speak peace to me.By Joann Nelander copyright 2011
All rights reserved.
Resting in Your Spirit
Posted in Catholic, Christian, Faith, In a nutshell, Thomas Sowell with tags adoration, altar, Eucharist, God, Jesus, Prayer on October 18, 2011 by JoannaI am witness.
I am martyr.
You are silence in action,
No moving parts,
Yet accomplishing Your intent,
While I keep watch.
You rest upon Your Altar.
I rest in You.
You are Son.
You are Witness.
You are Martyr.
You are Living Testament,
Covenanting with Man,
Promising me.
Draw me.
Give me Your vision of holiness.
Cause me to desire.
Infuse wisdom
As answer to my pleading desire.
O, Happy Cause.
O, Moving Spirit.
Be one with the essence of me,
That fallen nature might drink
Of Your Eternal Spring.
By Joann Nelander
Copyright 2011
All rights reserved.
Jesus , Savior in Repose
Posted in Catholic, Christ, Christian, devotion, Faith with tags adoration, altar, Catholic, Christian, Jesus, Prayer, savior, tabernacle on September 28, 2011 by JoannaO, my Jesus, in gentle and humble repose upon the altar, Wrap Your arms about me. My body yearns for Your embrace. Only Your Humanity can unlock the treasure trove of grace, You hold in store for me, a repentant sinner, Grace, You purchased for me by Your Coming to Man as Man, In Your weakness and poverty and might. You called Yourself, Son of Man, And by Your obedience, suffering and Death upon the Cross, Showed us True Love. All Holy, All Human, All Love, Servant of God, Benefit and Benefactor of Man, Apply the fruit of Your Saving Death To my humanity, To the glory of God and the continuous deification of my poor, desirous body and soul. Conceive in me thoughts, words and deeds, which bring to fulfillment, Our Father's plan for my life and eternity, So, that purged of all Sin and concupiscience, I might shine with radiant joy, Hidden and secure in Your Heart, As does Your Virgin Mother, Mary. "Be it done to me according to Your Word." Amen. Copyright 2011 Joann Nelander All rights reserved
Against Despair – Prayer by St. Claude de Colombiere
Posted in My Journal with tags Atonement in Christianity, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Lord, mercy, Pardon, sin on September 11, 2011 by Joanna
Lord, I am in this world to show Your mercy to others.
Other people will glorify You
by making visible the power of Your grace
by their fidelity and constancy to You.
For my part I will glorify You
by making known how good You are to sinners,
that Your mercy is boundless
and that no sinner no matter how great his offences
should have reason to despair of pardon.
If I have grievously offended You, My Redeemer,
let me not offend You even more
by thinking that You are not kind enough to pardon Me.
Amen.
