My sisters and brothers, Happy 4th week of Easter. Today’s podcast is about Praising the Lord and our podcast song is, ‘Praise The Lord’.

This song has been with me and sung throughout all my journey for five decades. It was written for retreat gatherings, prayer groups, gospel shows and concerts, presentations, and also now and previously used in my podcasting.

As I’ve mentioned in my previous podcast, the life of this song started with just a thought, while meditating on Scriptures. The traveling from Providence/Warwick retreat centers in R.I., to the Immaculata Retreat Center in Willimantic, CT., then back to My Father’s House Retreat Center in Moodus, CT., gave me opportunities for meditation on the scriptures that would stay in my thoughts, but I wasn’t aware of why, not until the Holy Spirit’s nudging became alive deep inside me. 

Did I mention, this song is another get up, clap your hands, dancing and singing Praises to the Lord? Yes, another ALLELUIA Praise the Lord song! Amen!

My sisters and brothers, Happy 3rd week of Easter. I’ll be wishing you this for 4 more weeks, because there are 7 weeks of Easter. The Church prepares us during these weeks for the Ascension of the Lord, which is on the 7th week, and also for the following week of Pentecost Sunday.

The song for this podcast is, ‘Help Me Find The Way’. It came to me during many of my ‘centering prayer’ rituals, until it was completed. I spoke of ‘Centering Prayer’ in one of my previous podcast, also know as, ‘Contemplative Prayer’. It is a form of prayer which brings you deeper into relationship with Jesus.

Now this song is a bitter sweet song to Jesus. I am expressing to Jesus how much I know of His Love for me and how much I know He cares, and at the same time, how much I can see in His eyes within my heart, that He is worried, and how much He’s troubled and hurting. I’m asking Jesus how can I help Him, and I’m asking Jesus to help me find the way to His promised Land. Yes, Bitter Sweet.

My special friend, Gwen, again helps me with putting another song on paper. And again, I was able to sing this song with her choir on a special day. A day which my son, John, was saying yes in his own way to the Lord, and receiving Jesus in the Holy Eucharist for the first time, for this day was his First Holy Communion day.

My sisters and brothers, I pray that your Easter Season fills your lives with the Blessings of the Resurrection of Jesus. 

Our podcast song is, ‘Prince of Peace, King of Kings’. Now this song made it’s entrance giving all Glory, Honor and Praise to our Lord, Jesus Christ, in a captivating melodic way. The tune is quite catchy and has a get up, clap your hands and dance joyfully for the Lord, sound. This song was getting its energy deep inside my being, one verse at a time every time I would be with Sister Bernadette, for she also would be so joyful and encouraging with my songwriting. So, once again here’s another song of many, in deep memory of my First Spiritual Director, who has always made me feel like ‘her special friend’.

Now I played my12 string Ovation and sang this song at countless prayer gatherings. It was part of celebrations at retreat centers, churches, prayer groups and Spiritual gatherings. It was especially engaging at Father Bill’s and Sister Bernadette’s Holy Spirit Breakfast in Bristol, CT., and following them into, ‘My Father’s House Retreat Center’ in Moodus, CT. Yes, for sure, I loved being with them and serving in which ever way I could at their retreat center, for this place also was a very special place to grow in the Lord.

Good morning my sisters and brothers, Happy and Blessed Easter and may you experience the Resurrection of Jesus in your very own heart and soul.

Our podcast song is, ‘JESUS Lives’. This song was written while on my 15 year mission.

It was while living in Pittsfield, N. H. I was a music minister there at our Catholic Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, and wrote this with my guitar, for Easter morning. My folk group and I went over it during the beginning part of Holy Week, and also just before Mass started on Easter morning. We sang it there for the Easter morning entrance and again at the end of Mass. They were absolutely great and they sang it so beautifully. Unfortunately, that year there was also our last year together, for we moved on to continue on our journey.

In the churches that I ministered in music, while on my mission, this song was always my Easter morning song, bringing all Glory, Honor and Praise to our Lord Jesus Christ!

This song came alive as I pondered on our Blessed Mary, and how she must have been so joyful to see her risen Son conquered death and darkness, and rule in Majesty!

Then thoughts of the Resurrection of Jesus filled my soul with so much joy, and to know that He will raise us also, if we believe in Him. Wow, in the Gospel of John 6:40, Jesus himself tells us:

Quote: “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him [on] the last day.”  Unquote. This is the promise Jesus made to us!

My sisters and brothers, Palm and Passion Sunday starts Holy Week. Our podcast song is, CRUCIFIXION. This song is also based on Holy Scripture from the Crucifixion of Jesus. In the later part of the seventies, I was at the beginning part of my thirsting for Jesus. I so desired for a personal relationship with Jesus my Lord and Savior. I found myself many a times where I would be alone in my home just longing to know more and more, and it seemed I could not get enough to satisfy my thirst. Always going to Father Bill’s and Sister Bernadette’s Holy Spirit Breakfast each Wednesday for deeper understanding. This particular year at the start of lent was a very special time for me, I found myself in love with the Divine Outcast. I was in love with the Word of God, with the Will of God, with God’s love that He has for each of His children, for you, and me. That Lenten season opened not only my heart, but my mind as well. I remember during lent of 1977, the haunting of my inner soul, as I longed to be receiving a deeper and more personal relationship with my Lord Jesus. This CRUCIFIXION song came to me with the music’s haunting sound that played its melody over and over till this song was complete. But, not without much support from my very dear and special friend, Gwen, who helped me put it onto music sheets with those notes and different parts, that stirred my inner soul. Thank you my dear Gwen, your special friendship is a true blessing in my life!

My dear brothers and sisters, we are into the 5th. week of Lent and the song for this podcast is, ‘Father, Forgive Them’. This song is about the last words of Jesus when He was Crucified, and again, this song also was deeply haunting my inner self until it came alive in me.

My brothers and sisters, another deep soul searching prayer. Jesus gave his life for you and for me. Would we do the same? Would you give your life for your friends? Would I give my life for my friends? We like to think we would, we may even answer quickly and without hesitation, yes. But when I ponder on what our Lord Jesus went through for each and every one of us, I can not help but think that I would not be strong enough to. I desperately pray that the strength of Jesus enters my body and soul, so that I may be able to give my life for my friends. I know there is no greatest love then this. The Gospel tells us in John, chapter 15, verse 13. Jesus says, Quote: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Unquote. Each year during Lent, the church reads from the New Testament about the Crucifixion of Jesus. We hear those last seven sayings Jesus spoke as He hung there on the Cross. Not one Gospel writer will give us all seven sayings Jesus spoke, however, each of the four Apostles combined tells the story on the Crucifixion of Jesus.

My dear brothers and sisters, this is the 4th. Week of Lent and the song for this podcast is, ‘Keep Watch With Me’. When I first wrote this song it didn’t end with, ‘Keep Watch With Me’, but it continued with a short talk and then right into the Last Words of Jesus, in the song, ‘Father, Forgive Them’. It was written actually as a meditative piece, a prayer in music form, for Holy Week. And even though it was copyright, it was not complete because this piece was never recorded, until now. Only now it will be a two part prayer in music form, this week, ‘Keep Watch With Me’, and next week when it continues into, ‘Father, Forgive Them’. Holy Week for me was always a haunting deep in my soul longing to come alive in me. These two songs came alive through my meditation during Lenten season one year. Again it was during the weekly Holy Spirit Breakfast with Father Bill and Sister Bernadette, who’s teachings on the Holy Bible truly were powerful and deeply heartfelt. If I haven’t shared my feelings of them before, I’m sharing it right now, these two Holy people of God, are Saints who walked among us, and brought those of us who were there at the Holy Spirit Breakfast and are still here on earth, to Jesus. My sisters and my brothers, ‘Keep Watch with Me’ is a deep soul searching prayer. Imagine yourself knowing that you will be going through torture, but, you’re nearly to the point of extreme physical and or mental fatigue. A condition that I can’t even begin to comprehend, this is a heart heart wrenching condition.

My dear brothers and sisters, this is the 3rd week of Lent, our podcast song is, ‘His Sorrows’, and is based on the ‘15 Prayers revealed by our Lord to Saint Bridget of Sweden’. Taken from the Prayers of St. Bridget: Quote: As St. Bridget for a long time wanted to know the number of blows Our Lord received during His Passion, He one day appeared to her and said: “I received 5480 blows on My Body. If you wish to honor them in some way, say 15 Our Fathers and 15 Hail Marys with the following Prayers for a whole year. When the year is up, you will have honored each one of My Wounds.”Pope Pius IX took notice of these 15 Prayers with the prologue; and he approved them on May 31, 1862, recognizing them as true and for the good of souls. This sentence of Pope Pius IX has been confirmed by the realization of the promises by all persons who have recited the prayers and by numerous supernatural facts by which God wanted to make known their exact truth. A collection of small books, these prayers among them, was approved by the Great congress of Malines on August 22, 1863. These prayers can serve as the Way of the Cross. Unquote. To continue, the St. Bridget of Sweden Parish website states, Quote: Pope Benedict XV said that while belief in the promises is not mandated by the Church, it is permissible to believe in them "out of human faith." Now that we've covered that, let's take a look at these beautiful prayers. Unquote. Then he goes on to say, Quote:  Taken together, they serve as a meditation on the Passion and death of Jesus, focusing especially on the physical suffering He endured. They are beautiful, but intense. Unquote.

Now this song, His Sorrows, came to me through my meditation on these prayers. I learned of these prayers through the weekly Holy Spirit Breakfast I was attending.

My dear brothers and sisters, today my podcast song is, ‘There’s a War’. As I mentioned in the first week of lent, last week, lent is also a perfect opportunity, for you and for me, to examine our own hearts, on where we are, where are we going, and, to ask ourselves, is my life centered on God, or, myself? I mention this again only because this song, There’s a War, has brought back into my thoughts, my Christmas Reflection, from where I was, and where I was going. This song was written about actual events that took place. My brothers and sisters, I know, you’re thinking, why is she talking about a Christmas reflection during Lent, right? Well, bear with me my friends, while I share with you how this Christmas reflection fits into Lent. Now in the late seventies into the beginning of the eighties, I wrote a few articles in the Bristol Press for their little corner story of their newspaper. It was Christmas season and I was reflecting on the Crucified Christ, because, at that time, I became more aware of God’s sadness. Now this sadness I speak of is written in my Christmas Reflection.

My dear brothers and sisters, today my podcast song is, ‘Blessed Mary of Seven Sorrows’. This is our first week of Lent. Happy Lent everyone. Lent is also a perfect opportunity, for you and for me, to examine our own hearts, on where we are, and where are we going, and to ask ourselves, is my life centered on God, or, myself?

You know it’s good for us to take time to examine ourselves. I like to do this as often as I can, but I don’t do it as often as I’d like. Ironic, right? So, when opportunities like this present themselves to me, I literally become joyful and my heart opens to Blessed Mary’s Heart, for I know she wants and desires with all her heart, yes With All Her HEART, to lead me to her Son, Jesus, and to know Jesus.

A-ha, do you, my brothers and sisters, know why? Why our Blessed Mary wants you, and me, to know Jesus? Because to know Jesus, is to know, Love, Peace and Joy.

The heart of Mary is open, what better heart is there, than the Faithful Heart of the Holy Mother of God, our Mother too, who deeply loves you, and me.

Here’s the experience I received in this song’s creation. I believe the first time the Seven Sorrows of Blessed Mary became vividly real to me, was while I was still in my twenties, and I could not deterred these events from my thoughts, nor would I want to, still, this music inside me, kept haunting my Spirit until this song was complete, in the early spring of 1978.