Joann Nelander Studio

Mothers in Un-ending Mourning–Take My Hand

Posted by Be Holy on December 29, 2015

Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: abortion, Catholic, Christian, grieving, healing, infant, new beginning, poetry, prayer, Pro-life, reconciliation. Leave a comment

Take My hand,
The very same hand
That in infancy
Grasped My Mother’s finger,
Hugged her about the neck.

Look into My Eyes,
The very eyes
That held My Mother’s gaze.

Let me take you
To your child,
Never forgotten,
Buried in secret mourning,
No day without pain.

Your little one has a heart of love,
A soul of patience
A spirit of forbearance,
And one solitary prayer.

Playing on the lap of Our Father,
Whispering the heart’s desire
Into Abba’s listening ear,
Full of Love’s expectation,
Your babe smiles eternally
And waits for thee.

Take My hand,
The very same hand
That in infancy
Grasped My Mother’s finger,
Hugged her about the neck.
Now is a time to embrace
The gift I give you in Love.

Passion of a Warrior

Posted by Be Holy on December 27, 2015

Posted in: Uncategorized. 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.

Chosen

Posted by Be Holy on December 27, 2015

Posted in: Uncategorized. Leave a comment

O Holy Father,
On my death,
And the occasion of my judgement,
I offer You Jesus’ Love for me.

See how He wants me eternally.
Dying to hold me,
His Blood claims me as His own.

He created me with such care,
As I took form in my mother’s womb.

He lavished attentions on me
As living flesh, imbued with eternal soul,
Flourished in the abundant waters of Life.

Unique among His creations,
He smiled upon me, seeing my beauty,
And my need.

See how He sought me,
Playfully with joys,
And in sorrow as I hid myself.

See the iron of His intention,
Bent on me.

See His fury at the Foe,
Who pursued me,
Seeing His Grace reclaiming me.

My Father, minister to Your daughter,
That leaving behind my earthly life,
Heavenly couriers might present me
Before the One,
Whose Spirit lives in me.

See He pieced Side,
Opened wide inviting me,
All the more, longing,
He for me,
And me for Thee in Three,
As leaving the mortal for the immortal,
I seek sanctuary.

You are everywhere in Being,
And in me.
I wrap my heart around Your Godhead,
Your Jesus.

He embraces me with Spirit,
Even in judgement,
I am chosen for the Son.

Babe of All Perfection

Posted by Be Holy on December 25, 2015

Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: Babe, heart song, Jesus, Mother Mary, mother's gaze, perfection. Leave a comment

Luke2_16_Nativity

O 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

Short Form of Consecration to Mary

Posted by Be Holy on December 25, 2015

Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: Catholic, Christ, Christian, Jesus, Mary, prayer, religion and spirituality. Leave a comment

O Mary, my Queen and my Mother, remember I am all thine. Keep me and guard me as thy property and possession. Amen

This prayer can be said throughout the day, keeping us close to Mary, whose deepest desire and intention is to bring us to Jesus.

Your Light, My Light

Posted by Be Holy on December 24, 2015

Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: Catholic, Christ, Christian, poetry, prayer, religion and spirituality. Leave a comment

As the dark of night
Makes way for Your Sun,
Open our eyes to New Day.

To the Temple of our God,
Your Light is carried forth,
In the arms of the Virgin.

Pure Mother of Nations,
May we, too, be bathed,
And come up from the waters,
Open to Light and Life.

Radiant Light

Posted by Be Holy on December 24, 2015

Posted in: Uncategorized. 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.

Abortion Debate: Trent Horn vs. Professor Cecili Chadwick

Posted by Be Holy on December 24, 2015

Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: birth, Catholic, choice, Christian, Death, debate, feminism, killing, life, Pro-life, Professor Cecili Chadwick .legal abortion?, Trent Horn, womb, women, women's life. Leave a comment

An Act of Faith

Posted by Be Holy on December 23, 2015

Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: Catholic, Christ, Christian, faith, Father God, generations, God, life, mercy, poetry, pray it forward, prayer, Prose & Prayer, Religion, Spiritual Faith. 2 Comments

I have seen enough to know,
I just don’t know,
But there is One Who does,
Giver of Life,
Giver of generations,
Giver of prayer.

One generation to pray
For the next generation.
Mother, and father,
Grandmother, grandfather,
A circle of care
To pray it forward.

Faith waits upon the Lord,
A gift beyond measure,
A mystery waiting to happen,
Not in our time,
But in our Father’s.

No seed too bad
To wait upon,
Hope for,
Entrust to God,
In His Mercy,
And providential time.

Our own close their ears
To the prophet at home
Or next door,
But no one knows
What God has in store.

“Place them here
With Me in the tabernacle,”
Whispers God to the heart.
“I’ll have the last word,
My Love to impart.”

One generation to pray
For the next generation.
“All shall be well,
And all shall be well,
And all manner of thing
Shall be well.” (Bl.Julianna of Norwich)