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Morning Reflections
Second Sunday of Lent | March 1, 2026 This gospel reflection is based on Matthew Matthew 17:1-9.
Changed
Deacon Andy Cirmo
We are humbled and frightened
This is way beyond our dreams
What we see with our simple eyes
So incredible to us this all seems
For in our sight, he shines brightly
Like the sun blinding our eyes
Unreal yet right here before us
A miracle as our mind’s eye tries
Yet this is real, and we see them all
Moses and Elijah and Jesus together
The old and the new as foretold
We know all is now changed forever
Oh only if we could stay here
With our fathers in joy and power
Yet no earthly place can they stay
Not on this day nor in this hour
At the sound of his voice we fall
For this is beyond our dreams
Terrified and humbled we hide
A vision of glory in our eyes beams
Yet all now is peace and calm
At the touch of his hand, we sigh
For there is no word to describe
In no way would words even try
Truly we have seen and heard
The God of our fathers speak
We now know Jesus is the One
Our senses all awake at their peak
Yet what we have seen and heard
Is not to be revealed nor said
Until a time of which Jesus speaks
Of the Son rising from the dead
For we have seen salvation
And his name is the Christ, Jesus
As our minds and hearts burst
That he truly, in heart, sees us
First Sunday of Lent | February 22, 2026 This gospel reflection is based on Matthew Matthew 4:1- 11.
Tempted
Deacon Andy Cirmo
Jesua told us of his desert time A place of desolation and loneliness Where one‘s soul truly feels alone Humbled by the stark wilderness
That there is where he was tempted By the one who hates all mankind Who wants to gather all to himself And use for evil, all he can find
He tells of the tools of bread, fear and power Used by the evil one to deceive and control To tempt him and to bring him down Trying to capture one’s sacred soul
The same temptation we will all endure As we set forth to proclaim God’s love The desolation of loneliness and doubt Which we can only defeat with his love
For the evil one will surely follow us Whispering temptation all the while Persisting against us day and night Longing to tempt us and beguile
As Jesua has the Father and the Spirit So too we have been given this support To turn to in times of our weakness When the evil one all truth does distort
And as we venture out on mission To this sinful world of dry desert days We too, by Jesua are now assured Of protection from sinful ways
For as Jesua is the Son of the Lord So too we, as his children, have him To know the answer to those who query And help us avoid the occasions of sin
Lord Jesus we pray for your help In the desert dryness of our lives That we be protected from false longing Comforted and refreshed as we try
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time | February 15, 2026 This gospel reflection is based on Matthew 5:29-22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37.
Clarity
Deacon Andy Cirmo
I never understood until today
That what we end up doing isn’t all
But what we ponder means much
And could sadly lead us to fall
Jesua makes it: oh, so clear
That are ways we should never begin
Into temptations which consume
And which trap us into deep sin
Warning that we should avoid thought
And look away from evil cause
Lest we slip down into the valley
And cannot escape its claws
For a gentle slope attracts
Yet leads to a steep and ill-fated way
Which traps with a very deep hold
Eventually leading us to want to stay
He does not talk around weakness
But tells of what should be done
Warning of the valley we could enter
Where evil thoughts have already begun
The temptation to look is strong
As the evil one works his tricks
Designed to attract and confuse
Where none but evil sticks
Lord Jesus give me strength
To focus only on you
And from temptation look away
To know what and how to avoid
And keep my eyes looking up
Seeing the light of your loving way
For Your way is the only path
Not of my making but yours
On Your path I must stay
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time | February 1, 2026 This gospel reflection is based on Matthew 5:1-12a.
The Lamb Comes
Deacon Andy Cirmo
So many have now followed us As we have followed close to him Yet he wants us alone to listen Before he speaks to them again We must be first to understand To accept, and on this to agree Before he speaks to the crowd That we first can see and believe
For to teach others we must know That what he teaches is true And is a guide to living with grace Teaching us what to know and do
These teachings for us are hard Yet we must see in them his heart Which for us is all about love And from that truth we cannot part
Yet these are things needing trust As we will soon ourselves so teach As he will surely send us forth For all places and people to reach
He speaks to us in a special way Telling of loss of hope and heart To those who suffer and hurt Preparing us all before we start
This will be hard as he sends us To challenging places far and wide Our hearts and wills must be right Work and words devoid of pride
We will soon face sadness and pain As we would face crowds like this Trying to teach all, of the law of love Our very lives often they’d dismiss
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time | January 18, 2026 This gospel reflection is based on John 1:29-34.
The Lamb Comes
Deacon Andy Cirmo
I have answered God’s call to baptize
To help those who come to repent
Admit and face their sins and guilt
Acknowledging them as effort ill spent
To help those who come for mercy
Bringing their burdens to the water
To seek forgiveness and strength
Be they a humble son or daughter
I call them forth from the banks
To enter the river seeking God’s love
To face their own faults and weakness
Down to the depth and rise to above
I am but an instrument of his hand
Standing in my desert rags to call
To help those seeking mercy and love
And to refresh their hearts above all
Yet now comes One who is Love
Who kneels in the water like those before
But he alone brings to us all a new life
A life of love and hope he will restore
I must decrease as he now comes
For he is the One who is to come
And will baptize all now with fire
For I now know he is the One
Of water alone I have baptized
But he comes from The Father above
And baptizes with Spirit and Fire
Bringing the fullness of God’s love
It is now time for me to diminish
My role was to call forth and prepare
For now to us he has come
And I of his kingship am aware
Christmas Day | December 25, 2025 This gospel reflection is based on John 1:1-5, 9-14.
What Love Deacon Andy Cirmo
How can this be, this miracle Why would the Father be so forgiving What can compare to this love Restoring life to a world that stopped living
How can this be that the creator of all Who with all power and glory would do this For a perfect creation which had sinned This is a love which we cannot dismiss
That the All Powerful would love so much That he'd send his only Son to the world To enter a creation sadly gone wrong Which into hades he could have hurled
Such an act is beyond our human minds It is the essence and life of God’s love Embodied in his only begotten Son Sent from the Father in heaven above
In the form of a helpless child Borne of a spotless soul of his creation In a form fully human yet God himself To live and die to save all nations
And to earth his eternal Word Jesus, his only Son, so it did begin Who was sent and became One with us all To live and die as God and Man for our sins
Born of earthly vessel of perfection Protected by earthly Father with love Raised by loving Mother so pure A blessing beyond us, from above
To become one with all of mankind A Savior who would give us his all To set us free from ourselves That we could be forgiven at his call
Full of grace and truth in all ways Born to teach and heal and forgive To become God truly present That we all could again truly live
Who would give his earthly all To bring and to be love to man Who had indeed endured a fall As salvation for us all began
Dear Jesus God of all visible and invisible Your love is beyond our mind’s eye The creator of all coming to earth To become, to suffer and to die That we all may live
Fourth Sunday of Advent | December 21, 2025 This gospel reflection is based on Matthew 1:18-24.
Bar Jusef Deacon Andy Cirmo
I cannot believe this message Given to me by this angel That Mary is with child And is now so fragile
For I have not been with her Nor has any man I know Yet she is as it is said And it will begin to show
Oh she will be stoned Or worse if they find out Yet she is just the same Of this there is no doubt
Yet this angel sent to me Has relieved my deepest fear By telling me of the Holy Spirit And how this miracle will appear
They would have had her stoned As unclean and wrongly with child But I will take her in as told And show her my mercy mild
For the child’s name will be Jesua And I’ll be his earthly father And raise him with all my love A child of God like no other
For this prophecy is fulfilled As has been long foretold That a child will be born of a virgin God with us his name from old
Emmanuel, God with us his name God the Father’s Divine Only Son And I will raise and protect him For he is the awaited Holy One
Dear God be with me as I accept This holy task with love and praise And I will do my very best To bring Mary into my home And to love this new family Who to me you have given To raise and protect them always
Second Sunday of Advent | December 7, 2025 This gospel reflection is based on Matthew 3:1-12.
Down to the River Deacon Andy Cirmo
Many have come to the river To see and hear this prophet proclaim For he teaches of a new repentance And all will never be the same
People form every tribe and town Have travelled from far and wide To see and hear this man speak For he has nothing from us to hide
He cries out for us to repent And many have come to be freed Some have come only to watch For this is a special place indeed
I have come to just see it all The spectacle of this holy man Who cries out to all of us here To save ourselves while we can
He warns us to repent from sin To enter the water with our guilt To bring it down and let it out That in these waters it may wilt
But some have come to challenge To try to catch this Baptist in word While he speaks of a coming time Warning us of righteousness to gird
And he sees through their plotting That they want to trick and blame To learn more of this man’s teaching The people against him to inflame
But his words cut and warn them To prepare now for very soon One comes and all will change And for sins of the past will doom
Telling of One who is to come Who will forgive in a new way To lighten all of heart and soul And bring to life a new day
Unworthy to unloose his sandals He said this man would soon arrive As he spoke and then pointed At those with hate did contrive
That a new baptism he will bring Forgiving with fire and Spirit Bringing a new message of love That a new fire of grace will be lit
But John speaks of a holy One Who will grow as John diminish Of even his sandals he’s not worthy That his mission would so finish
Dear Lord guide me to your water Where I can cleanse and refresh Help me to go down to the river And to leave my faults there To be renewed by grace and love By the One who will soon come To save us all from our sins With power from the Holy Spirit And from his Father above