"O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? 

How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?" 

(Psalm 13:1-2)

Meditation: The Lord will never forget me; he will always keep an eye on me; he eases my pain and suffering; his goodness will prevail over evil in the end. How do I know this? Because he has given us his Holy Word. Therefore I rest in his Word. His healing Word, his blessed assurance, flows through me with every breath I take and every word I speak. Lord, you are my hope, my joy and my rest.


 "The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed, but the LORD will protect his people." (Psalm 14:6)

Meditation: Evil will never prevail. The plans of the wicked bear no lasting fruit, and there is always hope for the sinner. Amazing grace has saved many a wretch. Nothing is impossible with the Lord.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's the 11th excerpt from my book, Rosary Poetry: Poems on the life of Jesus Christ. Enjoy!

The Agony in the Garden⁴

Fearful, weary, sorrowful 'til the end,
He accepts the anguish, gives His consent.
Jesus' humanity begs for release,
But His divinity, added torments.

To endure all His sufferings to come:
Betrayal, beatings, rejection and death,
Abandoned by friends, forsaken by God,
An Angel soothes Him while sleeps His elect.

A tortuous procession of scourges, 
Barbed crown and nails passes before His eyes.
My transgressions increase His wretchedness,
He is burdened by wrongs yet to arise.

Intense agony turns His sweat to blood,
That soaks the ground, dyes crimson His attire.
My sins make Him bleed, His tears to run red,
I, His torturer and crucifier.

My failings, not the lash, inflict His wounds.
He falls to the ground, by me He's undone.
His sorrowful cry rises to heaven,
"I offer all, Father, for Your kingdom."

⁴de Liguori, St. Alphonsus. The Passion and the Death of Jesus Christ. Brooklyn, NY: Redemptorist Fathers, 1927. 62-69. Print.

Copyright © 2010 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact This book is not for sale, but is offered to the public free of charge for the glory of God, in deep appreciation for the mercy and grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.