Joann Nelander Studio

When Jesus Passed

Posted by Be Holy on February 11, 2012

Posted in: Paintings. Tagged: earth, Jesus. Leave a comment

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

Claimed in My Un-loveliness

Posted by Be Holy on February 8, 2012

Posted in: Paintings. Tagged: Accuser, bulwark, Christ, faith, fortress, salvation, succur. Leave a comment

Accuse me not,
But stand before me,
And claim me
As Your own.
Defend me from the Accuser of Men,
By covering me with Your mantle.

The blows I do deserve
Fall on the Son,
Who loves and protects me,
Possessing me as HIs own,
Directing me along the right path,
Walking before me with Shepherd’s staff,
As I learn to recognize His Voice,
And perceive the subtleties of Spirit.

Seeing You step out of the Fire,
And stand as fortress before me,
Naming me and protecting me.
I am finally possessed,
Claimed by Love,
In my un-loveliness.
I let down my guard,
Allowing embattled walls to fall at Your feet,
To rise again as bulwarks of Faith,
Against the Foe.

Succor,
Salvation,
and Sanctity,
Are now my lot,
And You, O Lord,
My own and All.

Contemplation

Posted by Be Holy on February 7, 2012

Posted in: Paintings. Tagged: comtemplation, eternity, ocean, peace, secret, time. Leave a comment

I held the ocean to my ear.
I heard it speak with peaceful roar,
And hearing I went off,
Leaving on the shore,
The secret of His presence,
But not forgetting,
What He had said
In that moment of Eternity,
Which is forever
Yet, not of Time.

Full of Grace

Posted by Be Holy on February 6, 2012

Posted in: Paintings. Tagged: Catholic Christian, Full of Grave, Grace, perfect, perfected. Immaculate, Promised One, Virgin Mary. Leave a comment

In my imperfection
I offer you the perfect.
Full of Grace,
Take up my cause.

Gracious God,
You have prepared grace
And holiness of life
For all men ,
Yet we are not ready
For Your wonders.

We delay.
We play with idols,
And take for granted
The universe that engulfs us,
As though it founded itself
And raised its own pillars.
We swim in a sea of plenty,
As though it is infinite.

Fool that I am,
May the Wise Virgin,
Trim my lamp
To light my way.
Holy Vessel of all graces
Waiting in your labor
To bring us forth,
And give us the Divine Life
Held in your treasury
For the Day
The Promised One will descend from heaven
Into my soul,
And carry me,
With all your children
To that place of safe repose.

The imperfect, washed clean,
In the waters of New Birth,
Rising perfect with resplendent Light,
As swaddling and infusion,
From El Shaddai,
the God of the Great Breast,
And the womb of the chased Virgin,
Immaculate,
Which brought forth Christ
In the unity of Trinity,
Receive again bodies
As splendid as their souls.

Passion of a Warrior

Posted by Be Holy on February 1, 2012

Posted in: Paintings. Tagged: Adam, Armegeddon, balm, Christ, forgiveness, God, healing, Jesus, memory.memorial, passion, soldier, victor, warrior. Leave a comment

When 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.

Poetry Picnic week 24

My Shalom

Posted by Be Holy on January 31, 2012

Posted in: Poetry, Prayer & Prose. Tagged: Cross, Denominations, Discernment, forgiveness, Pardon, peace, poetry, religion and spirituality, salvation, Shalom. Leave a comment

My Shalom, My Shalom,
Reigning over the waters,
Conquering the watery depths,
Making clear,
Revealing by discernment
Benefactor or maleficence.

Quieted soul,
Ever vigil heart,
Desirous of My Holy Booty,
Gazing through the fiery flame
Serene against the tumult,
Drinking from the Chalice of My Blood,
Covenanted through my Sacred Cross,
Lifted high above the world
As I, Myself, pass as flaming brazier,
Between the broken pieces of your life.

My Shalom, My Shalom,
I call you
By My All Holy Name,
To dwell secure in Love.
Cost counted, chosen,
And placed in the balance.
Infinity pays the price
And tips the scale of Life to
Favor a son of God.

Cloud Clutter

Posted by Be Holy on January 24, 2012

Posted in: Paintings. Tagged: belief, Catholic, Christian, conviction, faith, God, Hope, presence, promise. Leave a comment

Grey the day with cloud and clutter,

Music’s muted melody obscured,

Discord in search of harmony,

Gives lie to the Promise of His Presence,

If Truth were only that which can be seen.

Faith, though,

Believes not vision, but God,

For God’s sake.

All powers of perception,

But a touch of His finger,

A curtain parted for a peek,

Hardly the measure

Of the Almighty’s might.

By Faith,

The eyes of the soul see,

And pierce the veil,

Rendering gain,

That gleaned in blindness,

So I count the clouds joy,

For Faith keeps hope alive.

I am all believing,

And with conviction,

Clutched and cradled,

Felt with the fingers of my trust.

I live the Promise of His Presence.

What have I ?

Posted by Be Holy on January 18, 2012

Posted in: Paintings. Tagged: Catholic, dance.music, faith, poetry & prayer prose, the Word, time, universal, universe. Leave a comment

What have I,
That You have not given?
Can I count myself my own?
Clothed in flesh,
Before I knew the light,
I burst forth
From a borrowed womb.

Opening my eyes on life,
Mother love shown as my sun.
Before hunger could claim me,
My mouth was filled with sweetness,
Free flowing as a font.

Years brought knowledge,
But not answers.
My needs were met,
Far beyond survival’s mark,
So I presumed dominion,
Supposed myself a god.

In time it was Wisdom
That instructed,
As Providence constructed.
It was You
Who hung the heavens.
You commanded the Earth.
You birthed all powers that be,
Created Universe and Light.

Time and Tomorrow
Were born at Your Word,
As star and star dust
Danced to Your music.
I whirled in abandonment,
Irrational contentment.

You hold all in being,
And as summit and treasure,
And by Love possessed,
What have I?
What have I?
I have it all!
I have, by that same Love,
You, My Love,
You.

Radiant Light

Posted by Be Holy on January 13, 2012

Posted in: Paintings. Tagged: Adam, Fiat, God, Jerusalem, Joann Nelander, Palaces, Sun, Virgin. Leave a comment

Darkness, fleeing at the approach of Promise,
Star bright and resplendent,
The Sun, illuminating the Virgin’s womb,
Making of it a palace
Fit for a king, a King of Kings.

Light bright angel,
Carrying her “Fiat” heavenward,
Enfolding humility, modesty and obedience,
In the gold of innocence and virtue.

Most High overshadowing,
Virgin most pure and lowly,
Conceiving by privilege,
Godhead and Son of Man.