altar

Candles on Altars

Posted by Be Holy on July 11, 2017

Candles on Altars

An almost burnt-down lit candle on a candle holder. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

All men are candles,
Burning on some altar.
Some disappear into nothingness,
Before worldly idols,
Unable to sustain their spark
Beyond the veil,
Into eternity.

Others light the heavens
As they are consumed
On the altar of Love,
Merging imperceptibly,
Creature with Creator.

When my wax is spent,
I pray I am not distracted
By my sin.
When I melt
Into the arms of God,
May it be that Love,
That lit my flame,
Outshines my imperfections
In holy consummation.

Burn candle, all alight
Warming with mercy rays the night,
To Penetrate hearts of friend and foe,
To soothe and mend wounds,
Dispelling darkness
With the Uncreated Light
That set creation into being.

Now and forever,
I cast myself
Into the flame,
The furnace of His Sacred Heart.
Passing through pierced side,
One with the Virgin,
Holy angels and expurgated saints of ole,
Melted in union,
I am formed anew in Christ,
With the Father and Spirit,
Candle, altar and Salvation might.

Host upon the Altar

Posted by Be Holy on June 12, 2016

Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: abandonment, altar, Christ, christianity, divinity, Eucharist, fulfillment, holiness, host, Monstrance, religion and spirituality, salvific, savior. Leave a comment

Pristine the whiteness
Engulfed in radiant flame,
Golden the rays,
Set about Your throne upon the altar.
For all the beauty of the monstrance,
You outshine the artist’s creation,
Just as You outshine Creation.

Give me eyes to see the Reality.
My eyes are designed to apprehend matter.
Here, You give us Mystery, Divinity.
I long to look upon Your fleshly Flesh,
To see Your locks curl mildly on Your shoulders,
To see the flash of smile and twinkle of the eye,
Majesty of manner, and goodly gentleness.

I gaze upon the Host,
All the while my heart and mind
Bring visions to the fore.
Power subdued in obedience,
Might bowed to the Father’s Will,
Abandonment, a fulfillment of prophetic word,
Suffering and salvific.

A Babe, a Boy, a Man,
Commending unto You
From womb to tomb,
In ignominy, yet dignity,
A Life and Death
Swallowing up Your wrath.

He bequeathed to us His Mother,
His ark and monstrance,
Forever refuge of the sinner at the altar.
At the altar of His Dying,
He willed to us a Mother,
Pristine Whiteness.

Host upon the Altar

Posted by Be Holy on April 21, 2016

Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: abandonment, altar, Christ, christianity, divinity, Eucharist, fulfillment, holiness, host, Monstrance, religion and spirituality, salvific, savior. Leave a comment

Pristine the whiteness
Engulfed in radiant flame,
Golden the rays,
Set about Your throne upon the altar.
For all the beauty of the monstrance,
You outshine the artist’s creation,
Just as You outshine Creation.

Give me eyes to see the Reality.
My eyes are designed to apprehend matter.
Here, You give us Mystery, Divinity.
I long to look upon Your fleshly Flesh,
To see Your locks curl mildly on Your shoulders,
To see the flash of smile and twinkle of the eye,
Majesty of manner, and goodly gentleness.

I gaze upon the Host,
All the while my heart and mind
Bring visions to the fore.
Power subdued in obedience,
Might bowed to the Father’s Will,
Abandonment, a fulfillment of prophetic word,
Suffering and salvific.

A Babe, a Boy, a Man,
Commending unto You
From womb to tomb,
In ignominy, yet dignity,
A Life and Death
Swallowing up Your wrath.

He bequeathed to us His Mother,
His ark and monstrance,
Forever refuge of the sinner at the altar.
At the altar of His Dying,
He willed to us a Mother,
Pristine Whiteness.

Candles on Altars

Posted by Be Holy on January 17, 2016

Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: altar, Candle, Christ, Creator deity, God, Sacred Heart., Tabor Light, Virgin. Leave a comment

All men are candles,

Burning on some altar.

Some disappear into nothingness,

Before worldly idols,

Unable to sustain their spark

Beyond the veil,

Into eternity.

Others light the heavens

As they are consumed

On the altar of Love,

Merging imperceptibly,

Creature with Creator.

When my wax is spent,

I pray I am not distracted

By my sin.

When I melt

Into the arms of God,

May it be that Love,

That lit my flame,

Outshines my imperfections

In holy consummation.

Burn candle, all alight

Warming with mercy rays the night,

To Penetrate hearts of friend and foe,

To soothe and mend wounds,

Dispelling darkness

With the Uncreated Light

That set creation into being.

Now and forever,

I cast myself

Into the flame,

The furnace of His Sacred Heart.

Passing through pierced side,

One with the Virgin,

Holy angels and expurgated saints of ole,

Melted in union,

I am formed anew in Christ,

With the Father and Spirit,

Candle, altar and Salvation might.

Jesus , Savior in Repose

Posted by Be Holy on December 19, 2015

Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: adoration, altar, Catholic, Christian, Cross, Death, Jesus, poetry, prayer, savior. Leave a comment

O, my Jesus, 
In gentle and humble repose upon the altar,
Wrap Your arms about me.
My body yearns for Your embrace. 

Only Your Humanity can unlock 
The treasure trove of grace, 
You hold in store for me, 
A repentant sinner,
Grace, You purchased for me 
By Your coming to Man as Man, 
In Your weakness and poverty and might.

You called Yourself,"Son of Man",
And by Your obedience, 
Suffering and Death upon the Cross, 
Showed us True Love.

All Holy, All Human, All Love, All God,
Son and Servant of God, 
Benefit and Benefactor of Man,
Apply the fruit of Your Saving Death
To my humanity,
To the glory of God,
And the continuous deification
Of my poor, desirous body and soul.

Conceive in me thoughts, words and deeds, 
Which bring to fulfillment our Father's plan 
For my life and eternity,
So, that purged of all Sin and concupiscence,
I might shine with radiant joy,
Hidden and secure in Your Heart, 
As does Your Virgin Mother, Mary.
"Be it done to me according to Your Word."
Amen.

Copyright 2011 Joann Nelander
All rights reserved

You, Before the Altar

Posted by Be Holy on April 27, 2015

Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: adoration, altar, Catholic, Christian, God. Jesus, Jesus, poetry, praise, prayer, religion and spirituality, tabernacle. Leave a comment

Opening my eyes
And lifting my head
From my prayer,
My eyes fell upon you,
My friend.

Your steady gaze
Fixed on the naked Savior,
Your arms crossed
Over your breast
And you,
Lost to this world,
Spoke my prayer.
You, in iconic stature,
Embodied my heart’s cry.

Bowing my soul,
I turned within
To pray with clarity
In humble poverty of spirit,
With Faith’s certainty,
The Lord had heard,
And smiled on my desire.

Rising with my closing “Amen”,
I looked
Only to find your place
Before the altar,
Now abandoned,
Yet the holy sight is seared
On my impressionable spirit.
It lingers still.

Your gifted presence
Shall long capture,
And hold fast
The essence of being
At which I hope to arrive,
In the tabernacle of my heart,
As in pleading it resounds.
Anchored to an image
Of prayerful adoration
Living in my mind’s eye.

My God be adored,
And Your children
Forever graced.

Loving You

Posted by Be Holy on January 29, 2015

Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: altar, Cathollic, Christian, heaven, meditation, Monstrance, new life, poem, prayer. Leave a comment

I am with you,

As One Who has always loved you,

Loving you as you began your life’s journey

To the kingdom of Heaven,

Your true home,

Loving you all the days I have appointed you.

Loving you unto dying and your death,

Loving you as the breath of life.

I have played upon the strings of your heart,

So that you would hear My music,

Even midst dissimilitude and dissonance.

Let not the unbelieving of the world,

Let not discordance and strife of flesh,

Let not the deceiver of Men,

Draw a curtain before your eyes.

Fix the gaze of your soul upon Me,

Here in your heart,

I reign, holy and at rest,

Upon the throne

At the center of your being.

Do Me homage

As you arise at the break of day.

Bow before Me

With the rising of each sun.

Dance with Me,

Following My lead.

Cry with Me in the sorrowing.

Plead for sinners in their fall.

Lend the hand of prayer

To uphold the weak and weary.

You journey as one

In the One Who is All Love.

Peace, My child.

Peace and refreshment,

Here at my altar.

I polish and perfect you,

That you may be

A monstrance of humility,

Fading from prominence,

As I send out my splendor

As grace and blessing.

All is gift to the one

Who receives with the seasons,

Yielding to the winds that blow upon the soul,

Welcoming the water of spring rains,

And the summer torrents,

Allowing blankets of snow

To still you in repose,

Awaiting new life, My Life.

Resting in Your Spirit

Posted by Be Holy on January 27, 2015

Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: adoration, altar, Catholic, Christian, Eucharist, God, Jesus, poetry, prayer. Leave a comment

I am witness.
I am martyr.
You are silence in action,
No moving parts,
Yet accomplishing Your intent,
While I keep watch.
You rest upon Your Altar.
I rest in You.

You are Son.
You are Witness.
You are Martyr.
You are Living Testament,
Covenanting with Man,
Promising me.

Draw me.
Give me Your vision of holiness.
Cause me to desire.
Infuse wisdom
As answer to my pleading desire.

O, Happy Cause.
O, Moving Spirit.
Be one with the essence of me,
That fallen nature might drink
Of Your Eternal Spring.

By Joann Nelander
Copyright 2011
All rights reserved.

Jesus , Savior in Repose

Posted by Be Holy on January 19, 2015

Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: adoration, altar, Catholic, Christian, Cross, Death, Jesus, poetry, prayer, savior. Leave a comment

O, my Jesus, 
In gentle and humble repose upon the altar,
Wrap Your arms about me.
My body yearns for Your embrace. 

Only Your Humanity can unlock 
The treasure trove of grace, 
You hold in store for me, 
A repentant sinner,
Grace, You purchased for me 
By Your coming to Man as Man, 
In Your weakness and poverty and might.

You called Yourself,"Son of Man",
And by Your obedience, 
Suffering and Death upon the Cross, 
Showed us True Love.

All Holy, All Human, All Love, All God,
Son and Servant of God, 
Benefit and Benefactor of Man,
Apply the fruit of Your Saving Death
To my humanity,
To the glory of God,
And the continuous deification
Of my poor, desirous body and soul.

Conceive in me thoughts, words and deeds, 
Which bring to fulfillment our Father's plan 
For my life and eternity,
So, that purged of all Sin and concupiscence,
I might shine with radiant joy,
Hidden and secure in Your Heart, 
As does Your Virgin Mother, Mary.
"Be it done to me according to Your Word."
Amen.

Copyright 2011 Joann Nelander
All rights reserved

Candles on Altars

Posted by Be Holy on December 11, 2013

Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: altar, Candle, Christ, Christian, Christian poetry, Christmas, love.Catholic, poem, poetry, Religion, Spiritual. Leave a comment

All men are candles,
Burning on some altar.
Some disappear into nothingness,
Before worldly idols,
Unable to sustain their spark
Beyond the veil,
Into eternity.

Others light the heavens
As they are consumed
On the altar of Love,
Merging imperceptibly,
Creature with Creator.

When my wax is spent,
I pray I am not distracted
By my sin.
When I melt
Into the arms of God,
May it be that Love,
That lit my flame,
Outshines my imperfections
In holy consummation.

Burn candle, all alight
Warming with mercy rays the night,
To Penetrate hearts of friend and foe,
To soothe and mend wounds,
Dispelling darkness
With the Uncreated Light
That set creation into being.

Now and forever,
I cast myself
Into the flame,
The furnace of His Sacred Heart.
Passing through pierced side,
One with the Virgin,
Holy angels and expurgated saints of ole,
Melted in union,
I am formed anew in Christ,
With the Father and Spirit,
Candle, altar and Salvation might.