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Be Filled with the Holy Spirit.
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Morning ReflectionsThe Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the UniverseNovember 23, 2025
This gospel reflection is based on Luke 23:35-43.
Saved
Deacon Andy CirmoOh, I’ve lived a wretched life
From my younger days till now
Looking for an easy way to live
And really not knowing how
I longed for the things of others
And wanted them for my own
Never thinking they were earned
Now I reap the seeds I’ve sown
In younger days I wandered about
Hanging out with those I admired
And never thinking of a better way
Finding myself in evil, totally mired
Disregarding the value of work
And from my friends I sadly learned
As I looked for easier ways to obtain
Envying that which others earned
My friend showed me how to sneak
And to get things other people owned
Regardless of the penalties awaiting
Never fearing for this we’d be stoned
Yet it’s all come to a terrible end
On this cold and evil hill of death
This is the place where I’ll die
And take my last wretched breath
I don’t hate my friend for this
It’s the only way he knew to live
And he taught me well how to steal
And never once to ever give
Only sadness and regret consumes me
And face my God with a painful story
Hoping but grieving my wretched life
For me there would be no saving glory
For he and I have earned this terrible day
And the pain will forever remind our souls
That all we did was to insult our maker
And dig one after another, sinful holesWe are not alone in this pain today
On this frightening and horrific day
There is a man here who they call Jesua
A rebel king I hear them say
Yet I once heard him speak
As we crept and stole from the crowd
He spoke of love and mercy and peace
And of things rarely heard out loud
I saw him heal a blind man with a touch
As his words cut into my heart
Oh only if I had lived differently
If only my wretched life could restart
We they tied be he is nailed on his cross
Why such cruel and vicious pain
The soldiers seemed to enjoy
We should have be treated the same
We can’t take it and my friend cries out
If you are such a great king let us down
If you are so powerful You can do this
As his head turns with bloody crown
My friend “Stop This” I cried out to him
For we have earned this…he has not
As his eyes moved and pierced my soul
All of my pain for a moment I forgot
Then he lifted his head with terrible pain
And in agony yet calm voice spoke
This day you shall be with me in paradise
And something inside my soul awoke
He is indeed who they say he is
This Son of David has looked upon me
And knowing as only God’s Son would
My troubled heart is now set free
Oh Holy God forgive us our sins
For I did not know what I had done
Yet This Jesua knew and forgave us
In my pending death, new life has begun -
This gospel reflection is based on Luke 21:5-19.
Anxious Hope
Deacon Andy CirmoOh, we fear this of which he speaks
This time of coming time of dark
This time when all will be challenged
And anxiety will consume our hearts
Such warnings we’ve never heard
As Jesua describes things to come
How will we survive this I ask
How will we remain as one
For the things Jesua predicts
Frighten us all for our well being
As all will collapse as one together
We won’t believe what we’re seeing
And in this way all will know
That indeed Jesua is the One
Foretold by prophets of old
Who was prophesied to come
Oh the tumult and disruption
He tells of those times ahead
As we hear his strong voice
We know him but still dread
How can it be that even our family
Will look away and from us all turn
As we only spread the truth and love
And our hearts with peace do burn
Yet he will go before us in strength
To protect and make all whole
Thus we should be always brave
And pursue our noble goal
Nothing will stop us from truth
And we will proclaim it always
With wisdom beyond understanding
And in very surprising ways
And our lives will be secured
From all who would betray
Our very teaching of Jesua’s love
And the coming of a bright new day
And so we will always persevere
To reveal the truth of his love
Knowing of his presence and strength
As revealed in truth from above -
This gospel reflection is based on John 2:13-22.
This Temple
Deacon Andy CirmoOh I’ve never seen him like this
His rage scares us and we hide
For what he does is so very bold
This day we dare not even go inside
For the temple guards seem frozen
As Jesua rages in word and act
Challenging the merchants one and all
Yet none in defense can react
For the merchants profit and sin
In this, the very holiest of place
And have turned from innocence away
In this, God’s home and worship space
We’ve never seen him like this
As with word and act he does rage
Against those who cheapen and profit
And for confrontation sets the stage
He’s right, we all know it
As the merchants and priests profit
At the expense of worshipers’ guilt
And all have lost the will to stop it
He is right of course, we all know
These things have desecrated this place
The house Jesus says is of his Father
As only prayer should occupy this space
What should always come first
Is that we prepare our souls and hearts
When we bring our lives to his house
Resolving a new life within to start
Destroy this temple and I will raise it
Is Jesua’s loud lament this day
And in three days he promises
He will be rebuild to be forever this way
Dear Jesus, cleanse me of my distractions
Help me to always reverence you
In my home and in yours
That I may approach your temple
Unworthy as I am with all I have
Myself, my heart and soul
To worship humbly in your house
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This gospel reflection is based on John 6:37-40.
Savior
Deacon Andy CirmoOh, that it would be true
That he is indeed the One
Sent to us from the Father
That salvation now be won
We have followed him for years
And we long to be with him
When the new kingdom arises
And our new life doth begin
We long for this last day
When we all will arise together
And with Jesua see the Father
With a new life lasting forever
While we fear the last day
We know with him and together
That if we remain in his love
This is a tie he will never sever
It is with a holy fear and longing
That we anticipate the last day
For as Jesua has so foretold
He is the truth and the way
In Jesua we have seen the Father
Through the Son, have seen his love
For the miracle of Jesua is real
And we long for what is above
He has told us of that day
When we will all rise with him
To meet the Father and Spirit
That our eternal live would begin
Dear Jesus, I long for you
To be with you and the Father
Lifted up together by the Spirit
To sit at your feet in joyful bliss
Forever in the warmth of your grace
In eternal joy and thanksgiving
In that dreamed of heavenly place
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Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time | October 26, 2025
This gospel reflection is based on Luke 18:9-14.
Not of Self
Deacon Andy CirmoOh, I am not like the rest
For I follow all I must
Doing what I am required
Of that all to see and trust
I avoid sin and follow all rules
And all know who I am
For they see me as a model
Not as an ordinary man
I must not live like the lowly
Showing my honor and grace
I must be a model to follow
And be known in this place
I look up and see that all watch
As I model piety and prayer
Required of my rank and call
That others will see and bear
Holding myself out, an example
Of righteousness and grace
To be admired and to follow
To be known by all in this place
Yet this Jesua speaks of the others
Of sinners who come to pray
As those who will be exalted
That they alone are saved todayHow can this be that a sinner
Who all know and most revile
Can be exalted above another
After a life of such sinful style
Jesua tells of sinners being saved
As they pray for their life of sin
How can this be a better truth
That they can begin again
Does my pride allow for mercy
As I live and pray for all to see
As a model for those who come
Yet this, Jesua says is not to be
That these sinners will be saved
And our hard hearts not to be
For they pray humbly and earnest
And their souls our God does see
Help me dear Lord
To look beyond my role and place
For a heart and soul of prayer
That I find you in my true humility
That you help me see beyond myself
Praying that I may humbly accept
And worship in thanks and love
Not for and as others so to see
But as You want me to humbly be -
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time | October 19, 2025
This gospel reflection is based on Luke 18:1-8.
Persistence
Deacon Andy CirmoI am a judge of the people
And my role is to enforce
To try to render fair decisions
Doing it as a matter of course
I am called to be impartial
To never harbor personal feelings
But to listen coldly and to judge
Lenient or harshly in my dealings
No amount of human influence
Shall ever change my mind
For mine is not to feel but to know
Solely based on what I find
Yet I listen to those who speak
Those who would try to sway me
Yet I rarely move for the other
Those who lobby for their will to be
For justice is solely in my hands
And justice can be in some ways swayed
To decide other than for the righteous
Determining a penalty to be paid
Yet this woman persists
Pushing and pulling beyond my will
Lest I decide against her
My conscience she tries to fill
Her pressure is so relentless
It affects my will and decision
And I must bend mine to hers
To retain my worthy vision
Dear Jesus, I know you hear my prayer
As I cry out for you each day
My persistency reveals my passion
In what I do and say
Be with me Lord and see me through
As I plead and reach to you
For I know you are always listening
And what is righteous You will do -
Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time | October 12, 2025
This gospel reflection is based on Luke 17:11-19.
Healed in Heart
Deacon Andy CirmoFor so very long and so very alone
We have hidden from all men
As our curse has consumed us
As we hide and beg again and again
For our curse even now consumes us
As we cry out in pain and rejection
Is there no one who cares at all
As we are cast off from all men
Oh we have sinned all say
Is the reason for our plight
But I know in my heart the truth
As we all hide from the burning light
We are sinners all say out loud
Keep say they all cry as they run
For from us they fear the sickness
Which ravages us until we’re done
Fear of us is all they know
As all pass far from view
And shun even our shadows
And those who care are far too few
We are hungry and cold and cry out
Have mercy and feed us we plead
For we are human just as you
Though our bodies rot and bleed
All run from our sight each day
As we slowly lose all and then die
Reaching out for mercy, just this once
We pray to God and to all we cry
No man except this one even looks
Let alone comes toward our group
As many lie here in pain and despair
None would ever approach and stoopYet this man, this Jesua comes
Approaching us answers with love
Trust and go show yourselves he says
And in trust we to the priests
Beyond hope we do as he asks
A miracle begins, we again feel
On the way to the temple mount
Our wounds close and sores heal
Oh joyous day for us all to know
This Jesua, this prophet heals
Not wounds but our eyes now weep
No longer numb, we can again feel
To show the priests we are sent
But to him first now I must go
For he has saved my failing life
My heart with thanks doth overflow
And as I fall at his feet he reaches
Wondering about the other nine
For my heart bursts with thanks
All I know is that I’m now fine
Praise be to the Father and to you I pray
For today I cried out and you heard
As my heart soared and I’m healed
Beyond a power ever known or heard
Dear Jesus
Heal me today
As my wounds consume my heart
Help me and all to find truth in you
And trust in your power over all
For your mercy can heal us
If we bring you all our life’s wounds
In trust for healing and strength
And give all our love and thanks
In trust and gratitude to you -
Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time | October 5, 2025
This gospel reflection is based on Luke 17:5-10.
More
Deacon Andy CirmoHow much we want to be closer
And how we want to believe
As deeply as he longs us to
And of his blessings so receive
Yet we are unworthy, we know
And our faith in him has begun
But it is weak and needing more
Like a seedling in the sun
It is he who we wish to serve
And it is only he we need
And we believe, we trust in him
But our faith, merely a tiny seed
We have so much to grasp and learn
And know our faith needs to grow
As our hearts for more yet burn
That in us the seed of faith doth grow
We serve him in total respect
And will always do all he asks
For he is truly the Son of David
Happily performing His servant’s tasks
Obedience is not a sole purpose
But love and dedication is his need
Our total selves are what he wants
For our faith is yet as small as a seed
And humbly offer ourselves to him
To do always as he commands
Yet more of us he so requires
Our hearts full love he demands
Lord Jesus we are humble servants
Undeserving of your amazing love
We long to sit at your side
Invited with you to recline
At your heavenly table above