My hope for you

Poetry speaks to our minds and hearts and is meant to communicate more than the sum of its words. It is an apt expression of our walk with the Lord. I encourage you to forward this link to those you love. I pray this poetry leads you into reflection and prayer but I also want to start a conversation. You, too, have something to share with others-not only in person, but also here. Your experience is yours to give away to build up and learn from others in the Body of Christ. Share the word that you hear, the experiences you have lived. We are all part of the New Evangelization.If you also want to contact me by email, feel free: genefirn@yahoo.com

Table of contents: October 7, 2012

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

The Sin

regardless of the silence
bestowing a cloak of
invisibility to its existence we
absolve ourselves of any guilt  by
pragmatic subjectivity-
decrees of justification- by
self-righteous formulations
untethered from nature's law
whose logic is suppressed by
secularism's reliance on
transitory feelings bestowing a
crown of unbridled relativism
on morality thus ensuring
sin's disappearance-
even from the pulpit- which
obfuscates Calvary making the
Cross irrelevant
Resurrection superfluous
Christian Morality into
caricatures of religiosity
but look around...
death terrifies 
disease overwhelms
selfishness reigns
pride is idolized
murder justified
lust idealized 
envy trivialized
lukewarmness normalized
resentment rationalized
greed exceeded
debauchery exalted
anger validated
forgiveness resented
reality equivocated
enslaving  humanity into a
hopeless depravity wrapped in
fantasies of a guaranteed utopia by
intelligentsia's progressive decrees
dictating compliance since
they know better than you
beware
perfection of this world is
an illusion
fixing ourselves is
beyond our capabilities
only a transformation of
our nature can
conquer Eden's curse
only at an infinite cost can
infinite debts be pardoned
someone must pay the price for
our redemption from
sin and evil's domination or
it doesn't happen
Someone did-
the Savior Jesus Christ
Offering His Precious Blood for our
forgiveness
freedom
power
unequivocal Love-
exchanging His Life for ours
conquering sin and death
raising humanity into
sharing His Divinity
Born again into a
New Creation-
an Event and Process-
waiting for our
yes or no...hint...
yes is better

Reflection/Discussion:
-Is sin talked about in your parish/church? Why/not?
-What does "perfection of this world is an illusion" mean?
-What are some of the manifestations of sin in today's culture?incorrec
-What is relativism? Why is it an incorrect/inadequate philosophy?
-What does it mean to be "born again"?
-How is being "born again" an event as well as a process?
-How much is the Sacrament of Reconciliation part of your life? Why? 
-How does your sin limit your growth in holiness?
  



Thursday, October 11, 2012

The Encounter

yearning for more
than meets the eye
a vague uneasiness
filled my emptiness
within and without
the insufficiency of
temporal everything 
despite striving to
vacuum fulfillment
into my ego
I realized that
nothing finite could fill
infinite desires
nothing temporary could satisfy
eternal longings
except
Infinite and Eternal Love
finally admitting a
conviction of my life's
self-centeredness
a sorrow for sin
led to a turning away from
wrongdoing's false glamour
then a turning toward
reconciliation by
finding forgiveness
from a Savior
whose Identity is not ethereal
but rather Incarnate
the Person who initiates
an unspeakable offer
a transfer from slavery
to freedom-
death to life- but
only by my free choice
a Decision to follow Him as
my personal Lord and Savior
thus beginning a
Nuptial Journey
He is known
first by Word
then by heart
as the One who
died for me
but now is Alive
no longer just an idea
but now Real
through a
Passionate Encounter

Reflection/Discussion:
-How do your desires point to the Infinite?
-What does "Passionate Encounter" mean?
-What are the elements necessary to encounter Jesus?
-What prevents you from encountering Jesus or
  growing in your relationship with Him?
-What is the relationship between faith and feelings?
-What does " a nuptial journey" mean?




Saturday, October 6, 2012

The Refusal

demanding policies that
require strict observance
at odds with conscience
lawless lawgivers
coerce a
sham of freedom forcing
participation in the
breaking of Truth's Realities
contrary to the principles of
this country's foundation
self-justified by
simulating compassion in
disguises masking
intolerance by
tyranny's charade
negating nature's truth by
professing human rights
founded in
creative imaginations
promoting injustice
shutting down
dissent despite
religious principles to
the contrary
no less obvious to
all observers of
reason's deliberation of
right and wrong
unjust laws
untethered from
Divine foundations
require a
personal decision
not merely the
blind obedience of
fearful subjects
laws must be just to
be obeyed
secular commandments with
fraudulent  requirements 
must be refused for
they bring death to the
heart created for life
eternity's King
overrules
temporal tyrants
whose claims of
authority
overreach with an
immoral ruse and
echo from hell's chambers
disguised in sweet
dictations of human rights but
in reality are
liberation's dehumanization
not gonna happen here

Reflection/Discussion:
-What are some examples of laws/policies "at odds with conscience"?
-How is dissent shut down in our culture?  
-What is the principle(s) involved in civil disobedience?
-What part does "spiritual warfare" play in today's culture wars?
-Learn to defend Scriptural/Church moral positions using the "natural law" and reason.