PSALM OF AN OPEN HEART

You gave to me an open heart
for all who come to call,
to welcome and enfold them
to love them one and all.

I’ve done my best throughout the years
to follow where You lead,
it hasn’t been an easy road
it’s been hard to plant the seed.

For the ground’s become more barren
the good slowly filtered out,
the sower of His choking weeds
has strewn them all about.

The good soil has become so sparse
it’s in pockets here and there,
it will never be extinguished
for it’s in the Master’s care.

When we become Your labourers
isolated by our choice,
some think we’re high and mighty
and discontentment they do voice.

I know I can’t please everyone
it was the same for You,
my heart will, be ever open
in Your service my life through.

Margaret Rose Larrivee
Mar. 31, 2007

JOURNEY TO GLORY

Jesus, this last journey of your short life will be the hardest.
What came before will not compare with what You are about to experience
upon Your Holy Person. Why couldn’t we have been true to You and followed
Your teachings, and all that is to come could have been only a bad dream.
From the time of our first parents, Adam and Eve, we have not
understood or taken to heart Your Saving Graces, and You will not force us
as You have given us all free will. So amazing is Your all encompassing love
and so powerful Your every Word. You spoke all Creation into being, and there
is no one like You. Our every sin, even those of omission are about to tear Your
Holy Flesh from Your body with the horrific scourging that You must endure for
our sake. The mocking, the spitting and bits of Your beard being torn from Your Sacred
face, forgive us Jesus for we know not what we do. The Crown of Thorns bearing
down upon Your Precious Head, piercing even to the skull and causing rivers of
Your life-giving blood to flow even into Your eyes so between the sweat and the blood,
You were nearly blinded, which caused You to stumble on Your Way. Oh Jesus,
the weight of that Cross upon Your already wounded body, and the horrible fatigue
after Your night of beatings and the jeering of the soldiers who delighted in
tormenting You not letting You get any rest. Three times You fell and could
barely carry on, but they finally made Simon of Cyrene assist You, or You might
have died there on the road, instead of on the Cross, and they didn’t want that.
Then Mary Your Mother was there in front of You and with Your lips so swollen and
cracked from Your great thirst, You could but gaze into each others eyes which spoke
of an Ocean of Love flowing back and forth between You. At that moment You both
were joined as one in the Love of the Father and there was no need for words. Your
two souls gazed one unto the other sharing all, the pain, the rejection, the abandonment.
Jesus forgive us for we know not what we do. Lord, You’ve made it to Calvary and You
fall on the ground along side of the altar, Your Cross, and they fasten You to it with the crudest of
spikes and the sound, oh my Jesus, when You were pierced through Your hands and
Your feet as You cried out in agony and Your Blessed Mother must have died inside being
so near to the gruesome scene. When the Cross was raised and dropped into it’s bed,
the sound it made still echos through time and repeats and repeats every time we
contemplate Your Suffering and Death. Not one bitter word did You utter as
You saw some of the ones You had healed not long before who are now
mocking You and taunting You,,” if You are God, come down, save Yourself.”
As it nears Your last breath, in Your great Love You ask Your heavenly Father
to forgive us and my heart shatters at this extraordinary act of selflessness.
Please forgive me Jesus, what can I do to make it up to You? As the skies get blacker
and blacker You breathe Your last and it is finished.
What can I say my Jesus? I will spend the rest of my days following You
and I will serve Your people and will be Your best friend. Help me Lord, with You beside me everything
is possible. I give You my ALL.

Margaret Rose Larrivee
Mar. 30, 2007

LITTLE CHILDREN

How Jesus loves the little children
He used to put them on His knee,
and tell them glorious stories
oh how happy they would be.

Some tried to keep them from Him
they thought they’d be a bother,
but Jesus said “No let them come”
they’re the children of My Father.

Whenever you are sad or lonely
remember He said “Come”,
there will be joy upon your meeting
true happiness to be won.

Margaret Rose Larrivee
Mar. 30, 2007

WHO I AM

In the eyes of the world I am a woman,
a house wife and a mother. I am a Catholic,
and I am interested in many things such as,
I love to cook and clean often passing by the cleaned
area to see what a good job I did, a bit of pride there.
I love babies and old people and love to do things to make
them happy. The elderly are full of knowledge, some of it
maybe forgotten but what remains is a lesson for our ears.
I love to hear about the ‘good old days’, and our parents filled
our eager ears with many a tale. I find all people interesting,
no matter what colour or creed. Their cultures, their habits,
the ‘whys’, the ‘wherefores’ what makes up their daily lives.
More than likely they have good days and bad days like the rest of us.
I guess you could say I have an ingrown curiosity about a lot of things.
Our world is a beautiful place created by the One True God. Sometimes
though I find it a hard place to live when mankind seems to be doing all in
its power to reek havoc on all that is good. I do realize there is a lot of good
still manifesting itself , but when all we see or read in the media proves the
opposite to be true, we begin to wonder just what is happening in the region of
people’s hearts. It appears the ice age has returned to mankind and their frozen
hearts can’t function in the manner God intended. If we want things to get back
to times when compassion was the norm, when empathy dwelled among us, and sharing
was done without thought, it was just something you did, we must start to
realize Who we are in Christ, not the world. The first thing being the fact that
I am God’s child, and He loves me with an everlasting love. He knew me before I
was born, and He loves me just the way I am. I am loveable and beautiful and have
infinite worth. Without me, creation would not be complete and I am unique.
He lives in me and I in Him. He wants me to live fully and abundantly and He sets
me free and fills me with joy. It is by His grace alone that He gives me life. I
accept all that He gives me and I thank Him for the real person I am.
All those who read these words, acknowledge that it’s true for the whole
family of God everywhere in all His Creation.

Margaret Rose Larrivee
Mar. 29, 2007

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS

With the experience that comes with time
I’ve realized it’s not the size of the gift, but the
attitude and the sentiment of the giver. A gift given
begrudgingly might as well be back in the store,
as there will be no joy in it, and there will be bad
feelings all round. I’d rather just be remembered,
or treated special for awhile, fix my dinner for me and then
we could dance together in the living room to some romantic
music. Wouldn’t that be nice? The things of this life just gather dust
and I want the gift of memories, that comes from doing personal,
loving, touching things for each other, that speak of genuine love
and respect. It can happen in those unforgettable
moments when you suddenly realize that you both have been sitting
in each other’s company in total peace without a word
for the longest time. To me, that is happiness of the lasting kind and hearts
overflow with that special love that God gives us, all comforting and serene.
Another thing that must be kept fresh is the touching. The caress of a hand
on the neck of our spouse as we pass by has the affect of letting the receiver know
that we acknowledge his/her presence and tells them that we care. Touch is needed
by each and every person from the cradle to the grave and without it we humans
become disfunctional and unable to interact with our peers in a normal way.
A hug heals, rejuvenates, soothes and encourages the hugger as well as the huggee.
A simple ‘thank you’ and a smile can work wonders and when you listen to someone’s
pain filled words and let them know you are there for them, somehow it halves the
problem and gives solace to a heart heavily burdened.
So don’t give me gifts a-plenty, of them I have no need,
It’s the little things I care about, they mean everything to me.

Margaret Rose Larrivee
Mar. 28, 2007

PRAYER FOR A PRISONER

When you have a lonely day
lift your eyes to God and pray,
He promised you’d not be alone
He knows your heart it’s hurts enthroned.
You were His child before your birth
He’ll show you all that is your worth
just trust in Him for all you need
and from your prison you’ll be freed.
Wings He’ll give you so to soar
and you’ll dwell with Him forevermore.

Margaret Rose Larrivee
Mar. 28, 2007

APPOINTMENTS

We are appointed in this life
to take on special tasks,
and there are rules to follow
if this blessing is to last.

When we go to see the doctor
it is best that we prepare,
the answers to the questions
that we know he’ll ask us there.

When exam time nears in every school
this appointed time to find,
how all the students have progressed
and those who’ve wasted time.

At every precious moment
there is something to be learned,
don’t squander time for it’s God’s gift
never to be spurned.

The last appointment we must keep
no one can pass it by,
when we’re in the court of Jesus
and we meet Him eye to eye.

It will be best if we’ve prepared
done our homework so to say,
this exam will be our final one
for it will be judgement day.

Margaret Rose Larrivee
Mar. 27, 2007