In the world but not of it.

Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis.


Merry Christmas (still)
God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Holy Family

God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and may God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Christmas Eve

Corporeal apathy, twisting

Snuffing out the cold blue light

Snuffing out the sun

Cannot tell day from night

Closed eyes, refusing blindness

Can only see death and pain

Not admitting in the light

Death planned to end the pain

The angelic healer, with a spark

Opened the closed eyes

Death and blindness refused

Grasping through the pain and lies

Beautiful Mother, found unseen

Friends, reliance, trust, am blind

Pain fed to the Tree of Life

Peace and joy through darkness wind

Teaching Common Sense, a book

The blind, hands open receives

The red pill swallowed, can see trees

Walking with magical red leaves

Bread house

The blind man brought to a child

The child smiles

God bless,

>P<

Joshua Fahey

O Emmanuel!

God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Fourth Sunday of Advent

O Theotokos
Who visits with humility
Our Queen of heaven



God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

O King of the Gentiles!

God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

O Rising Dawn!

God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

O Key of David!

God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

O Root of Jesse!

God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

O Lord and Ruler

God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

O Wisdom

God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Third Sunday of Advent. Gaudete!

Dancing joyfully
Loving neighbor, praising God
Israel singing



God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

The Amazing Flaming Horse!

Epic fail :-(


God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Ear salesman

For those who can't read my print. He's saying 'Whoever has ears ought to hear!' and his sign says 'Ears 2 for $1'.


God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

St. Lucy

Unmoved by evil
Light who swore union to God
Virgin and martyr




God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Once upon a time in Mexico

A humble man found flowers
On a cold December's day
A gift from our Holy Mother
So that we may always pray



God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Ninety-nine

God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Doubter's proof

Lowered from the roof
Suffering ends
By faith of friends
Walking for doubter's proof



God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Second Sunday of Advent

Great preparation
Building a majestic road
Involves mounts and vales




God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Immaculate Conception

O Mary, conceived without sin
Teach us to be pure within
Guide us to be in your Son's trust
Dearest Mother, pray for us

All praise, glory, joy and laud
You gave, Maria, to our God
And enmity to Satan expressed
By praying God be ever blessed

O honored Mother of the Son
Who answered Lord thy will be done
Perfectly saved by His death
From conception to final breath

The Spirit rested on your womb
The Spirit took you to His tomb
And as angels sing Hail, Holy Queen
Your honors are by all nations seen



God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Thoughts on the day

Possible turning of phrase

Definite ending of days

Dawdling stares, no one prepares

Revelation

Slept where animals fed

Descended to the land of the dead

Food for life, ending strife

Salvation

Humility and meekness abound

A catechumen bishop is found

Peaceful teacher, prophetic preacher

St. Ambrose

God bless,

>P<

Joshua Fahey

St. Nicholas!

Generous wise man
Was unjustly imprisoned
Gave glory to God


God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Feast of rich food and choice wines

God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

A child's crown

Piercing red
Fiery flow, fumes of chaff
Glowing gold gilding snow
Creating a crown fit for a kid
A child of bread


God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

St. Francis Xaiver

Sing praise and dance
Glory to the Lord
Dance to His house
Glory to our God

Sing praise, sing songs
Glory to the King
The missionary cries
Glory to His court

Sing praise and teach
Glory to the Word
Joyfully we sing
Glory, sing His song

Sing praise and rest
Glory to the Priest
Dancing to our home
Glory to our God





God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

1st Sunday of Advent

All creation waits
All creatures anticipate
Light shines in darkness


God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Christ the King

Builders of babel and noise
Fighters and writers and dead
Flattened strains and deadened voice
Even the words of the wise

Warriors painting fields red
Leaders who've climbed to the top
Headed to the land of the dead
While blood from Abel cries

All empires will finally drop
Even Gaea and Uranus will fade
Pestilence and famine crop
Man who trusts in them dies

To us the Ancient One bade
The form of the Son of Man
Salvation has been made
Through the cross of sacrifice

We glory and praise His plan
His kingdom, dominion, and throne
Brought to us, He will, He can
All who trust in Him shall rise

We are never again alone
Belonging to Truth, to Light
He hears our every moan
And guards us with His eyes

And with His piercing sight
His bearing and divine poise
Separated by wrong and right
The righteous shall bear his prize

I'm back! (Happy nativity of St. John the Baptist!)

Alright, I took a road trip with my brother to San Francisco. I came back to MI on Tuesday, came back home Wednesday.

Alcatraz

Since then I've been catching up on things. Sorry, for the spar posting.

Golden Gate Bridge

Anyway, enough of that.

--

Blessed be the Lord,
The God of Israel;
He has come to His people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
Born of the house of His servant David.

Through His holy prophets He promised of old
That He would save us from our enemies,
From the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers
And to remember His holy Covenant.

This was the oath He swore to our father Abraham:
To set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship Him without fear,
Holy and righteous in His sight
All the days of our life.

You, My child shall be called
The prophet of the Most High,
For you will go before the Lord to prepare His way, 
To give his people knowledge of salvation
By the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our Lord
The dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness
And the shadow of death,
And to guide our feet into the way of peace.


--






Pray for us, St. John the Baptist,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

The last meal

My posting will be a bit light. I'm on a road trip with my brother.

What could be real?
What we can see?
Eat the last meal
And really be.



God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Holy trinity

Father, who gave us the law
And whose face inspires awe
To you be glory and be praise
He who created dark and light
Engendered both the day and night
Renews our hearts all our days

Son, who came to earth as ransom
Obliterates our sin, who sheds them
Never shall we end our praise
Ascended from death's fowl rank
Near to us He laughed and drank
Deliver us for all days

Spirit, who proceedeth still
Prophets voice and martyr's will
Interminably we sing your praise
Redeemer's gift of Love to friends
Infinite grace for God's ends
Till we reach the end of days



God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

The Visitation

Hark to the tale I tell
Of a woman named Mary (not Belle)
Who with child did traverse the earth
To help Elizabeth give birth

When they met after so long apart
Beth's child leapt up to her heart
And with the Spirit of the Lord inside
To Mary she began to confide

"I am honored the mother of my Lord
Blessed of women has crossed my sward
Blessed be the fruit of your womb
Blessed we who are saved from our doom."

Now to all who have heard my tale
Of the one to whom angels hail
Teach to your children to bless
The one whom the Child caressed





God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Tree climb

A cylinder delving below my sight
It has a hue, deep brown with speckled gray
Shooting out sticks to an infinite height
Its roughness causes my tender heart to pray

My arms freely reach out, of accorded joy
They grasp every stick and I foot each step
On and on, up and up, ascending joy
Not stopping for breath, with purpose I step

The depth of the brown which covers my mind
The speckles of gray which hold my arms high
The foliage of green before and behind
And the white mixed with blue of the pure sky

Around my gaze is drawn, both down and up
The joy of my heart's climb overflows my cup





God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Happy Pentecost!

Happy Birthday dear beloved Church!




God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Truth

I was feeling a little guilty that I didn't post Thursday. So you get two today.

Taken up into the sky
Readying the Spirit's gifts
Understanding our sinful drifts
Taken up into the sky
He humbly, with our spirits, lifts







God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Ascension Thursday Sunday

Alright so the ascension of a tree is slower. But I like trees.

Happy Ascension!



God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

To love, to love

To love, to love, it is what I cannot
So I shall die, shall lay my head and lie
I die, and rest, my body left to rot
Until He comes, Who is of Love comes nigh

A voice, melodious and sweet, does call
So intimate and sweet it sounds out 'Friend!
I Love you O so much I died for all!
I Love you O so much twill be your end!'

The voice pierces through to my deadened heart
My soul does soar through heavens to my God
With joy I hear commands God does impart
With joy I give honor glory and laud

For as Christ does treat me as His brother
He asks that we shall now Love one another



God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Vine and branches

God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Good Shepherd Sunday

Now if you could only peer into my mind to see what I see, you would have gone mad by now.


God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

St. Mark

A lion with wings
The good news with a loud roar
Disciple of rock


God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

St. George

Right.


God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Fish

God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

I'm sorry

As I lay down on the bed, settling my mind,
A voice inside me said, "Look at what I've got this time"
I know this song and a feeling of dread
Came rushing along as I lay on my bed

I've tried running and gnashing and complete surrender
Gouging and hashing, cutting off my hand
For the voice leads me to the deepest pits of hell
An addiction dragged me to this pitiful land

For saying yes too many times to the siren's call
My soul writhes and whines as it anticipates my fall
I am powerless in that moment, in that painful moment
The demons laugh at my torment, my self-inflicted torment

I call out to my Lord, but no relief comes
Doubt cuts like a sword, the devils grin and hum
The weightlessness of despair as I fall further than before
I say softly with great care, "I'm sorry." to the one I adore.




God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Happy Birthday Papa Ben!

Congratulations on 85 years!

























I tried to paint a picture of the pope. I don't like it.

If you must look then look.






















God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Smile!

Smile it's Sunday!
Happy Easter!

God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Haiku Easter Octave

A week of passion
Our crosses borne, embraced
Paschal sacrifice

A week of feasting
Of celebration and joy
High solemnity



God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Emmaus

Exiting the city
Mourning a friend
Making conversation
Asking to stay
Understanding God
Supping with bread



God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

A shepherd had one hundred sheep

A shepherd had one hundred sheep
Wooly white with loving eyes
Then yesterday one small sheep
Whose tiny bleating sounds its cries
Left the ninety-nine other sheep
And traveled earth

The shepherd then began to weep
As he only counted to ninety-nine
He set out leaving the other sheep
Knowing he had but little time
To find his little lost sheep
About the earth

Fording rivers, climbing hills steep
The shepherd searched both night and day
Desperate to hear a bleat from his sheep
The little one who had lot its way
The little one began to weep
Had lost its mirth

A shepherd of one hundred sheep
Is what the kingdom of God is like
Who would leave all to find one sheep
And would take any lonely hike
A shepherd who will find his sheep
Upon the earth

And when the shepherd finds his sheep
And takes him home to heal and care
The shepherd joyfully will leap
And give his friends a feastful fare
For the shepherd found his missing sheep
With joyous mirth


God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! He rose! He rose!


God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Holy Saturday

Suddenly silent
Procession through Hades' gates
Lily purity


God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Crucifixion and Death of Jesus

Our Father, who art in heaven, may your kingdom come
Through the example of Jesus and Mary's 'Thy will be done'.


Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.

>P<
Joshua Fahey

Carrying of the Cross

He walks in pain and sorrow carrying our deadened souls
Though we are His cross He carries us with unending love
He continues moving while His body is plagued with holes
He continues moving with no help from above


Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.

>P<
Joshua Fahey

Crowning of Thorns

A crown of thrones, a king of fools
Fools who mock and humble their God
Who fail to praise, give glory or laud
Laughing while the Man's blood pools


Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.


>P<
Joshua Fahey

Scourging at the Pillar

We seem to have an infinite capacity for pain
Though the amount of blood to lose is finite
Our blood would cause a speck of this world to stain
And it is just as temporary as the night


Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.

>P<
Joshua Fahey

Agony in the Garden

He stops with the memory of an event that soon proceeds.
The pain is remembered in body, in mind
His blood pours out as the stress starts to grind
But He decides to obey, and because of that, He leads.

Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy upon me a sinner.

>P<
Joshua Fahey

Palm Sunday!

Happy Palm Sunday!

Fellow Traveler

An attempt at a poetic story thinggummie



I happened to meet a fellow traveler
About the time my quest began
Like me he prized duty and valor
And our time together was quite grand

He told me he was duty bound
To search for an invisible treasure
From west to east from sky to ground
He must take every measure

This transparent gem for which
He must recover for his clan
Has no color, texture, or pitch
Has never been seen by any man

I asked him how he was to find it
If he couldn't sense a single part
He said that he would use his wit
And store the treasure in his heart

Then I asked if I could help search
He said I had already done enough
The treasure had found its perch
He smiled and said his quest was rough

It was over when you offered your help
For I searched for the sincerity of man
Stolen when mankind was but a whelp
By the serpent's trick were we thus damned

Now to my father I must return
For joy have I found on this earth
My heart in sacrifice will burn
For an honest man has proved its worth




God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Haiku stations of the cross (part 2)

What grief what sadness
Should be made for your children
Please do not worry

A little longer
Though fatigued and exhausted
Prostrate upon ground

A mere man naked
All possessions were taken
Gambled to strangers

Ferric suffering
Refusing to escape pain
Hung upon a tree

The tree of life's fruit
Grotesquely does it hang down
Without any breath

Immaculate heart!
What God gave He took away
Love left in your arms

All men accept death
From ashes only ashes
And from dust to dust


(part 1 is here)


God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Trinity Sonnet

Glory, honor, and praise to God our Father
Our rock, the ultimate cause, who formed us all
Forgives the debts of those who love the other
Breaks the stone made hearts, the selfish wall
Eternal praise and glory to God the Son
Incarnate Word and mysterious Paschal feast
Whose sacrifice brings us to the One
And sent us to serve the greatest and the least
Give laud and praise to God the Holy Ghost
The Spirit who guides and sanctifies the Church
Who causes our daily death, that in Christ we'll boast
And in humble hearts counsels from a holy perch
Infinite and endless praise to the One in Three
Let us worship forever the Triune Deity




(Much harder than I thought it'd be)
God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Baseball!

You may ask 'What does baseball have to do with being a Catholic?' and I would answer 'Because Jesus would be playing.' and that's that.



God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Look to the pole.

Are you weary?
Are you dreary?
Are you a suffering soul?
Then look to the pole.

Are you battered?
Are you tattered?
Is illness taking its toll?
Then look to the pole.

For those afraid
And those unpaid
And all whose lives have gotten droll
Look to the pole.

The pole in the past
Could not last
Then the Man came with an everlasting goal.
He'd be hung, on the pole.

So those who are dry
And those in darkness lie
There is hope, no matter what your loss
Just look at God on the cross.



God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Happy Anunciation!

Right, well, we celebrate today because yesterday was a Sunday, and the Church decided not to move the celebration of a Sunday.


God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Law on the heart

Take your stony hearts and give you natural hearts.

Doombells

Danger and duty, the doombells go ding dong
The nefarious nimrod nettles the singing knight
To prevent the pretty princess perilous escape
The lizard letting loose flaming liquid orally
Chivalry ventures towards venomous victory
The bells then break by knights blade covered by blood
Man and woman defeating ugliness
Causing darkness to become less



God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Haiku stations of the cross (part 1)

Without blame, condemned
A man, a God, a prophet
Our guilt on our king

Pain is accepted
Embraced, with the emptiness
The cross fulfilling

Weakness, weakness, weak
Shame to stumble processing
Solemnly humble

O virgin Mary!
His suffering on your heart
Excruciating

Omnipotence begs
Asking for help from Simon
A brother to help

Veronica wipes
Her kindness and caring love
Was returned with thanks

Fatigued and weary
Though halfway there faltering
A fallen angel



God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

A thoughtful haze

A thoughtful haze
Of grey and blue
Phlegmatic daze
Melancholic dew

Sanguine plots
Choleric knaves
From ink blots
On parched waves

An adventure here
A romance now
The waters clear
For fire's bow

On earth we run
This air surrounds
A library's fun
With silent sounds




God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

A doodle

What is it!? It's a doodle, not abstract, not anything. Not even at the level of those inkblots in psychiatry offices. I couldn't think of anything to draw, so I doodled and had fun doing it, so there.

But if you think you know what it is, feel free to comment. I won't be offended by being wrong.


God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Easy the yoke

I saw in large what the angel said with song
A dreadful dirge dutifully derelict in form
Pleading with grief to follow and join along
A perilous path prepared to head through the storm
I followed as one whose tail wags for the child
Wearily weakened by woes and full of dread
Though greatly afeared of forces speedily wild
With sluggish stone steps sleeping slow as the dead
Yet still the tune danced as Hamelin’s piper of old
Giving great strength gracefully guiding my path
With every breath I grow more joyful and bold
Closer, so close, am I coming to calamitous wrath
Once through what will I find? Treasure or joke?
But still this burden be light and easy the yoke.



God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

St. Joseph!

Happy solemnity!


God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

Laetare Sunday!

Well on Laetare (translates to (more or less) rejoice (I have it on good authority by people who know more latin than I do (which is a lot of people))) Sunday this year our old testament readings talks about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (see picture), the Babylonian captivity, and subsequent return to Israel. Do you have whiplash? Chronicles can do that to you.

Glad to see you survived yesterday. And if you didn't, glad to see you're in heaven (or purgatory, after all reading this blog could be punishment for most some people).

God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey

St. Patrick's!

Don't drink too late, there's mass in the morning.

God bless,
>P<
Joshua Fahey