The Seasons: A Poem

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Sunrise over Amazing Grasses Family Farm The mad Artist wields His brush, Painted colors rush, To life and give flush, Before the quiet autumn hush. The life seems to pour, As colors fall to the floor, To be seen no more, Outside the dark, grey door. Brightness from below, Sun upon the snow, High, cold clouds blow, Flakes and ice appear to grow. The man melts with little seen, Underneath, pale, grey green, Hides life in dark unseen, Waits for warmth and to careen. Buds on branches show, Patience starts to grow, Trickles, streams and veins flow, Bringing fruits of melted snow. Sprung to life it springs, Bees, birds, sound rings, Lush green flings, Its gift bounty brings. Green growth gives one last rush, Underneath the Painter's brush. The mad Artist wields His brush, before the quiet autumn hush. More poetry is available from James M. Hahn in  The Last Dragon and Other Poems  available now. My new book of cryptogram puzzles " Secret Messages from the Saints " is avai
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Now is the Time for Mercy

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Luke 6: 36-38

There are certain passages in Scripture that I know would change my life if only I could live them fully.

Today's Gospel is packed full of those passages, but one only need read the first sentence and spend the rest of the day/weeks/life working on bringing that to life - "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." 

What does it mean to be merciful? It certainly does not mean to overlook sin. It does not mean that I should be indifferent to the truth. It means rather that I should "be compassionate towards other people's afflictions as if they were [my] own, and try to remedy them." (St. Pius X Catechism 944f) 

As God the Father looks upon me with mercy so should I look upon others. I don't know what sort of temptations they might be undergoing at the time. I try constantly to remember this fact and pray for the person. When someone speaks ill about me, it hurts; but I work to be merciful because there must be some hurt in their life that they are seeking to pass on. I try to make that hurt stop with me. I try to imitate Christ and suffer for them and for their salvation. 

Being merciful is certainly not easy. The easy way is to seek revenge, to seek to make things "equal" - an eye for an eye so to speak. However, as Father James Coleman once said, "Vengeance is a sword without handle or hilt. In order to use it you must grip the blade and in doing so you are the first one to be cut." To be merciful requires humility and charity. As St. Paul says, "love endures all things." 

Lent is a time for mercy. It is a time to receive the mercy won for us on the cross. It is a time to show mercy to those made in the image and likeness of God. Take a moment today and recall how merciful God has been to you and then go and do likewise "for the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you." 

For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

FROM THE SAINTS - I listen to you, Lord when your tell me:

"Forget your brothers' and sisters' past. If you base your relationships on the past, then who will be mistaken: you or them? You will be the one i n the wrong for not having forgiven. You want to know everyone's curriculum vitae, and that is why , little by little, communion is broken. I want to open the door wide to them, but you insist on keeping it closed. I want to forgive them, but you insist on condemning them. How different my way of seeing is from yours! Rejoice because your brother was dead. Now he is alive." - Venerable Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan

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