UNDER JOSEPH'S MANTLE

 

                                                                                             Freepik

Under Joseph’s Mantle

O Joseph, guardian of the Lord,
In silent love, in deed not word,
The Church acclaims your hidden might,
A steady flame, a guiding light.

By pontiffs wise your praise was sung -
Pope Pius IX with fervent tongue,
Proclaimed you patron, strong and sure,
Of Christ’s own Church, which trials endure.

Pope Leo XIII, in prayerful plea,
Urged all the faithful bend the knee,
To seek your aid, your fatherly care,
Your watchful heart, your constant prayer.

You stood beside the Virgin fair,
Mary, Mother of Jesus, pure and rare,
Who bore the Son, spotless, Divine,
The Light no darkness could confine.

When danger rose with swift decree,
You fled by night across the lea,
To Egypt’s land, by angel led,
To guard the Child, to keep Him fed.

O foster-father, brave and mild,
You sheltered God - the Holy Child,
In your care the Saviour grew,
In work, in grace, in love so true.

Today the barque of Christ is under gale,
On restless seas of evil assail,
Yet still you stand, serene above,
Sign of strength, a shield of love.

Inspire our hearts to steadfast be,
With quiet faith and purity,
To labour well, to trust, to pray,
And walk with God from day to day.

Pray for us now, O Joseph dear,
That we all may persevere;
Obey God alone, and shun all sin,
Till heaven’s gates we enter in.

When earthly tasks at last are done,
And we behold the Father’s Son,
May we, through grace and lives made whole,
Find rest with God - our final goal.

THE TEKTON'S SON

 

                                                                                             Freepik

The Tekton’s Son

In Nazareth’s hush at break of day,
Where wood and stone and shavings lay,
A patient man with gentle tone
Taught God-made-flesh to shape the stone.

Saint Joseph, worker, strong and true,
Gave all he had, all that he knew,
The craft of tekton, skill refined -
A builder’s art, both hand and mind.

The saw would sing, the hammer fall,
A measured line, a steady call,
While Christ, the Word by Whom all grew,
Learned earthly work as children do.

He watched the grain, the stone, the seam,
He laboured long in sun’s bright beam,
By sweat of brow and aching limb,
Creation’s Lord learned work from him.

O wondrous sight the ages tell;
The Source of all in workshop dwell,
Receiving from a father’s care,
The humble trades that men must bear.

Joseph taught with quiet grace,
No pride to cloud his weathered face,
But love that formed in hidden years
The Saviour’s path through toil and tears.

So too are we by God assigned
Our works of heart, of hand, of mind,
Through changing days, through shifting call,
One path, then more - God orders all.

In youth we build, in age we guide,
In strength we strive, in frail abide.
Yet each vocation, great or small,
Is holy when we give our all.

Let us then walk as Christ has shown,
Who shaped the wood, who hewed the stone,
Then taught as Rabbi, healed, forgave,
And gave His life the world to save.

With Joseph’s love let us be true,
In faithful work whate’er we do,
And mark with prayer and hearts made bright
His feast upon May's first light.

O blessed worker, guard our way,
Teach us to labour, watch, and pray,
Till all our work on earth is done,
And we behold the Father’s Son.

LAMPS IN THE NIGHT

 

                                                           Freepik

Lamps in the Night

In hush of night when stars burn bright,
Ten maidens waited in silent light,
Their lamps held high in hopeful grace,
To greet the Bridegroom face to Face.

Five were wise with hearts aware,
They trimmed their lamps with patient care,
Their vessels filled with oil that stayed,
Prepared for joy that would not fade.

Five were foolish, light of mind,
They left their careful thoughts behind.
Their lamps grew dim, their oil ran dry,
Yet still they slept, 'neath darkened sky.

The midnight cry rang sharp and clear,
“The Bridegroom comes - His hour is near!”
The wise arose with steady flame,
Their lamps alive at Holy Name.

The foolish trembled, lost in dread,
“Our light is gone, our hope has fled,”
They rushed away to seek the oil,
But time was lost in hurried toil.

The door was closed, the feast begun,
The race of faith already won.
Too late they knocked with anxious plea,
But barred remained the mystery.

So let us walk with watchful sight,
And keep our lamps with burning light;
Through faithful hearts and deeds made pure,
In God’s commandments we endure.

For when He comes, both swift and true,
May He find light alive in you -
A flame of love that will not part,
Prepared in soul, and mind, and heart.

PUT UP THY SWORD

 

Put Up Thy Sword

There is no war that justice can defend,
No blade that heals, no fire that makes amend.
For Christ, upon the cross in sorrow cried,
Yet forgave those who pierced His Hands and Side.

No call He gave to Heaven’s vast array,
Though legions stood, awaiting but His Say.
More than twelve hosts of angels, strong and bright,
Held back their power, restrained by Love, not might.

To Peter then, His voice was clear and sure:
“Put up thy sword; this is not heaven’s cure.”
Not steel nor wrath, nor vengeance stained in red,
But mercy’s path is where His Feet have led.

The Father could have torn the skies apart,
Sent forth His Might with thunder from His Heart.
Yet silence reigned where fury might have dinned,
For Love stood firm where war has always sinned.

What justice lies in limbs by fire undone?
In blinded eyes that never see the sun?
When children fall and innocence is slain,
Can any cause make holy such deep pain?

No! Christ still weeps where bombs and hatred fall,
His gentle voice still pleads above it all.
“This is not justice - hear the wounded cry,
For every soul destroyed, a part of Me must die.”

The law was given: “Thou shalt never kill,”
A sacred truth, unbent by human will.
No throne of state, no banner raised on high
Can cleanse the blood that stains beneath the sky.

Though Augustine sought rules for war’s domain,
Christ’s words still echo, simple, clear, and plain:
Lay down the sword, let violence depart -
For God desires a clean and merciful heart.

For one day we shall stand before His Throne,
With nothing hidden, every deed made known.
Those who fell by unjust hand may rise
As silent witnesses before His Eyes.

Shall blood then drip from hands we cannot hide,
As voices cry from earth where they have died?
Or shall we meet Him bathed in mercy’s light,
With souls made gentle, choosing what is right?

Christ did not conquer through the spear or flame,
But bore our wounds and suffered all our shame.
No violence marked the victory He won
Just Love that rose, and cared for everyone.

So let us walk the path our Saviour trod,
With reverent hearts that honour life and God.
No war is just where love is cast aside - 
Put up thy sword, let Christ in us abide.

Image courtesy of ChatGPT with CN Whittle

CALLED BY THE VOICE

 

Called by the Voice

Jesus Christ called His friend by name that day,
Lazarus rose as death was turned away;
From shadowed depths, from silent night,
He stepped again into the light.

The crowd stood still in trembling awe,
At what their very eyes then saw;
The grave undone, its hold released,
By Him Who is the Life and Priest.

So too shall we, when life has passed,
Be called to rise at last, at last;
No need for fear, nor dark despair,
For Christ Himself shall meet us there.

Yet Lazarus, restored to breath,
Had walked the hidden halls of death;
And life anew he learned to live,
Each simple act a gift to give.

The sunlight warm, the voices near,
All changed by what he’d known so clear;
The echo of that mighty call,
Still stirred his heart beyond it all.

O mystery deep, O wonder bright,
That Love can conquer death’s long night;
How great is God, through all our days,
Worthy of endless song and praise.

Then let us not within hearts die,
Nor let the soul in silence lie;
But let God’s holy Will take part,
And dwell alive in every heart.

With joy embrace each given day,
Walk gently in the rightful way;
Delight in beauty, pure within -
The world’s fair charm, untouched by sin.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EvYQrYvrToU

With thanks to youtube

VOICES OF THE AMMAS

 

Voices of the Ammas 

They left the rush of crowded days, the markets loud and wide,
And journeyed to the desert’s hush where God alone would guide.
The early mothers, strong in grace, in silence made their home,
Where hearts grew vast in hidden prayer, though outward lives seemed lone.

In caves of dust and burning sun, in cells both bare and small,
They learned to hear the still, soft Voice that gently speaks to all.
Through fasting deep and vigils long, through tears both pure and wise,
They fixed their gaze on Christ alone, their treasure and their prize.

The Ammas spoke with quiet strength, their counsel clear and true,
To souls who sought the narrow path and longed their God to view.
Their words, like wells in desert lands, still draw the thirsty near,
A living stream of holy truth that echoes year by year.

They call to us within our hearts, beyond the world’s loud claim:
“Become a desert in your soul, and kindle there His flame.
Be anchorites in secret depths, though streets around you roar,
Hold fast the Word in silent faith, and seek His Face the more.”

For we who walk the marketplace, with hurried steps and eyes,
Are summoned to that inward place where deeper treasure lies.
To live the wisdom that they gave, with steadfast hearts made whole,
And carry Christ, the Living Word, to every seeking soul.

O mothers of the ancient way, your witness still remains,
A lamp within our modern night, a balm for hidden pains.
Teach us to dwell with God within, though outward paths we roam -
Till every heart, made still in Him, becomes His desert home.

Image courtesy of ChatGPT and CN Whittle "Living water in the desert cave" 

SOLUS CHRISTUS

 

SOLUS CHRISTUS

Upon the clouds in radiant light, Christ rides the heavens high,
A crown upon His gentle brow, all glory in His Eye.
A white horse bears our King of kings through vast eternal air,
All the saints in garments white stand gathered round Him there.

Beside Him stands the angel bright, with standard lifted strong,
A banner cast upon the wind, the truth down ages long:
Solus Christus - Christ alone - the saving, sovereign Name,
The Lamb once slain, now risen Lord, forevermore the same.

We follow Him, our Messiah, through shadow, storm, and flame,
With hearts made still in trust and faith, we call upon His Name.
For He alone has borne our sin, has opened heaven’s door,
And leads us onward, step by step, to life forevermore.

Let not another voice arise to cloud the truth we sing,
No fleeting word of passing earth can crown another king.
For in the marketplace of souls, where many call and rail,
We lift our gaze to Christ alone, our hope will never fail.

All worship, honour, praise belong to God enthroned above,
Who sent His Son to ransom us in sacrificial love.
In Him our future firmly rests, our endless destiny - 
O Christ, our Lord, our guiding Light, our all eternity.

Image courtesy of ChatGPT with CN Whittle "Solus Christus"