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Be Filled with the Holy Spirit.
Find a peaceful start to your day with spiritual self care and divine inspiration.
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Morning Reflections
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time | September 24, 2023
This gospel reflection is based on Matthew 20-:1-16a.
Enough
by Deacon Andy Cirmo
With thanks I finally have work
And can earn a good day’s pay
Doing what I shall and will
To earn with pride and feed my family
And properly use my day
This master is so kind and fair
What he offers to me is good
That is enough for my work
A wage upon which we agree
Which will buy my family food
But the vineyard is so large
And there is so much to do
The harvest is so plenty
Such that we can’t do it alone
And the laborers are so few
As the master has seen our work
There is so very much more
He rightly brings on more laborers
Who lighten our burden and help
To bring in the harvest to store
Yet now they are paid as we
Who have worked all the day
And in their only few hours
Bringing in much less than we
They also receive the same pay
I know I agreed on my wage
But I worked from morning till night
Yet these for only a few hours
And for bringing in much less
Being paid the same seems not right
Yet the master so reminds
That he honored his promise to me
And to him I honored mine as well
Asking if that was not as discussed
That we both to that term agreed
For he has enough to give all
And wants us all to thrive
Instead of jealousy there should be thanks
That with his love we have our reward
And be thankful we are alive
For it matters not how long or how much
That we labor in this place
His mercy and kindness know no bound
And is enough for all who love
Without limit to his abundant grace
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Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time | September 17, 2023
This gospel reflection is based on Matthew 18:21-35.
Seventy Times
by Deacon Andy Cirmo
This lesson is difficult
It lies heavy on my heart
As I harbor wound and pain
And from forgiveness stay apart
This wound brings such pain
As righteous anger wells up in me
For I have been wounded deeply
And forgiveness I cannot see
Yet now he tells me to forgive
And it’s hard for me even to say
Hard to even look at my accuser
For me even to say his name
Yet Jesua tells me to reach out
And love over and over again
To offer to forgive in gentleness
Seventy times seven!
Oh this is so very hard to do
A lesson I stretch to learn
As I painfully reach out to my accuser
Both mind and heart burn
Over and over he asks us to forgive
This challenge which stretches my will
Yet I know his hard lesson is true
And my angry heart I must still
For he teaches us so very well
As he has so deeply forgiven
Beyond our stubborn will
With the strength he has given
For this “seventy times seven”
Is a very difficult challenge to me
It so stretches my stubborn will
Yet its holy wisdom I now see
Dear Jesus, help me to forgive
As difficult as it might be
May I follow your example
Seventy times seven times
That I might gain your mercy
And in your loving presence stay -
Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time | September 10, 2023
This gospel reflection is based on Matthew 18:15-20.
To Forgive
by Deacon Andy Cirmo
For so long now I have hurt
The harm I have felt will not heal
The hurt inside grows day by day
What has been done is painful and real
Forgiveness is so very far away
The wound is so fresh and near
My memory still feels the pain
I have been wronged and I still feel
Nothing will ever be the same
This wrong cannot right what is real
This wound rules my every day
Festering in my inmost soul
Like a fresh cut to my skin
Daily taking its slow toll
How can newness ever begin
I think of this pain every day
As it has become part of my self
I so dearly long for it to go away
To be another box on the shelf
Yet it still seems to always stay
I know the only way is to forgive
But my pain and anger so upswells
That I cannot even consider this path
And only my stubborn will can I so tell
Oh can I ever rid of this inner wrath
He has come to ask on bended knee
But I have rejected him as wrong
And has returned with others to plead
Yet I have sent them back all along
Though they have planted a seed
I know that it will never go away
This wound inflicted by a friend
Who I no longer can be near
Yet he I so do miss in the end
I must confront this anger I fear
And so I ask for your help Lord
That I might swallow my pride
To reach out and so to live
To put out this fire inside
To gain the strength to forgive
I do miss the one who has wronged
He has tried but I have rejected
His words once hurt and do still
My heart I have so protected
Yet this wound is now only my will
He has reached out with sorrow
To ask for forgiveness and restart
And from my hardness I must relent
And listen to the call of my heart
As his will is to recant and repent
I know this anger has held me in chains
And it truly binds us both in pain
But it is hard to stop and restart
And return ever to things the same
Yet forgiveness I know will heal my heart
My prayer Dear Lord is ardent today
That like you forgiveness I can give
That darkness can truly move to light
And from my heart I can truly forgive
And restart the flame of love’s might
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Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time | September 3, 2023
This gospel reflection is based on Matthew 16:21-27.
God Forbid
by Deacon Andy Cirmo
These words hurt my ears
This cannot happen to him
I cannot bear what he says
The suffering he foretells
I will not let these things begin
Yet my words raise his anger
I do not know why
For I just want to protect
I want no harm to come
Yet he pulls me aside
His rebuke hurts my very heart
For I cannot fathom him in pain
Yet he seems so very resolved
That this must be the only way
So inward my passion I must rein
He tells us now of what will happen
Of suffering in times to come
That our lives must be offered up
And our crosses painful to bear
If we are to follow the One
Yet he tells of our path of salvation
Of lives lost yet eternal gain
Of sacrifice and denial of self
Of saving life when all is lost
Of redemption in denial and pain
Of how he will come again in glory
To bring us to his heavenly throne
That all here and now will be of no worth
That our reward will be with him
Together forever in holy home
Dear Jesus, help me to follow
To deny myself of those things
Which cause loss of life and faith
To trust in your will for my life
That in heaven your praise I’ll sing
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Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time | August 27, 2023
This gospel reflection is based on Matthew 16:13-20.
The Rock
by Deacon Andy Cirmo
We have followed Him so very long
And travelled far and wide
To many places and peoples
Hearing with our own ears
And seeing with our own eyes
We’ve walked with this Son of David
Learning and often in awe
Of His words and incredible works
Truly things not of man alone
Many amazing things we saw
For His power is not from here
And His words just burn in our heart
His strength of spirit inspires us
As we humbly follow in His steps
And never want to be apart
We have for centuries so longed
Taught by our forefathers to wait
For the fulfillment of the promise
For the Messiah to come
To reveal our awaited heavenly fate
For such a time we have wondered
In question and in doubtful fear
As we have listened and have seen
But now I know in my heart
This Man, the Son of God is here
And to me His question turns
“Who do You say that I am”?
And from my mind and heart
“Of the living God You are the Son”
Who is to come, the “One”
And now He calls me Petra
The “Rock” upon whom He will build
Of all these, why me I wonder
There are those here more worthy
I lead, but am the least one skilled
To “bind and to loose” He says
On earth and also in heaven
Such power I cannot comprehend
I will build His Church of love right here
On the shoulders of the eleven
Dear Jesus, be with me
As I marvel at Your wondrous gift
This Holy Church, Your presence
Truly and clearly given by You
Help me to come closer today
Through sacrament and in love
To receive the grace You have bestowed
In faith and gratitude to You above
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Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time | August 20, 2023
This gospel reflection is based on Matthew 15:21-28.
In Helpless Hope
by Deacon Andy Cirmo
Oh, how frightened I am
For there has been no hope
My daughter has been so long lost
I have prayed and then prayed
Yet now for help I still grope
The evil spirit in her is strong
It holds and her spirit consumes
Yet I will never give up trying
I will go wherever for help
Until her life in freedom resumes
This foreigner, this prophet comes
This man of God foretold from afar
And I call out: Son of David
Have mercy on her a child
But from him his disciples bar
He says he is not here for us
But for the people of Israel
And they all consider us lost
Yet I will not give up trying
For only he this scourage can unseal
Oh if only a crumb of mercy would fall
From his table grace would come
And so in desperation I cry out his name
Have mercy on this one lost soul
For in your love Lord we are all one
Turning back, his eyes upon us now
He speaks of our hope and our faith
And looks at my daughter in love
With a nod of head then looking above
Casts away the demon from her face
Oh Jesus I too call out
From the distance I have drifted away
For on your mercy my life depends
You came for all of us regardless of place
Forgive my sins and heal my wounds
Undeservedly I long for your help
Although I have drifted far till this day
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Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time | August 13, 2023
This gospel reflection is based on Matthew 14:22-33.
The Walk
by Deacon Andy Cirmo
I have heard and again now seen
Your works and marvelous deeds
As all were fed in miraculous way
And find it hard from you to leave
As You alone want to pray
We have left you ashore to this day
As we cast off and sail out to sea
Hoping the catch will be great
Yet now the stormy winds do howl
In fear our fishing is not to be
Like a cork in water tossed and turned
Bouncing from wave to wave
Wondering if this could be our end
We grasp tight to all we hold dear
Crying out in prayer for our lives to save
Despair consumes our thoughts
As we fear the end is near
Our small boat like a leaf is tossed
On it we have no control at all
And we hold each other in fear
A frightening vision; an angel appears
Walking toward our tossing boat
On the waves toward us in the storm
Yet now John yells It is HE
Jesus coming to restore our hope
Oh that it could only be we pray
As our salvation can surely from him come
He beckons and I jump into the sea
And held up by faith walk myself to him
Yet I submit to fear he is not the One
And so, sinking I cry out Jesus save me
As I slip in my doubt under the waves
Only to feel a hand pull me back up
Reminding me to in him to believe
That it is faith in he alone that saves
Dear Jesus, help me trust in you
As I weather the storms of my life
And in my weakest moments
As my hope fails and I despair
When I need you and cry out in hope
Lift me up and save me
Calm the stress of my life’s stormy sea
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Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord | August 6, 2023
This gospel reflection is based on Matthew 17:1-9.
Changed
by Deacon Andy Cirmo
As we follow him and climb
Up the steep slope of our lives
Rock after craggy rock upward
Climbing all barriers to reach the summit
To be with and follow him, we strive
Unsure yet filled with expectation
We follow with faith and some fear
As the path is narrow and steep
The climb to the unknown summit
Narrows as we grow near
Jesua seems driven, reaching back
Helping us follow the last small way
To the summit of all our striving
To reach a place of unknown glory
A holy place we long to stay
His presence has changed, just here
As we witness a great brightening cloud
Slowly descending upon us all around
And now hearing clearly a great voice
In awe we look up and hear it aloud
This is he as we have never before seen
As we shade our eyes from the glow
Hearing a voice deep and all around
And seeing prophets we fall in prayer
As in our vision his grace does bestow
For what we now humbly witness
Is truly beyond merely a dream
Encountering this presence divine
We fall before his almighty power
And the prophets we have now seen
He says “Arise” as we open our eyes
And now alone with him as before
Looking at each other in awe
Jesua transformed and revealed
We fall again and humbly adore
Dear Jesus
Help me return from this Holy mountain
For I have seen His Holy presence
With this Eucharist of God himself
Changed and inspired to love
To return to my life fully with you
Transformed in grace from above
Sent to bring you to the world