"Guard me as you would guard your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings." (Psalm 17:8)

Meditation: No enemy can stand against such a protective Father.

"Because I am righteous, I will see you. When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied." (Psalm 17:15)

Meditation: Those who do what is right and just in this life, will see the Lord face to face in the next. 

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Here is the 13th excerpt from my book, Rosary Poetry: Poems on the life of Jesus Christ. Enjoy!

The Crowning with Thorns⁶

Soldiers dragged Jesus to the palace hall,
Where they aimed to mock Him as a false king.
They stripped and cloaked Him in rags of purple,
Color of royals, now shame it would bring.

Holding a reed-scepter in His right hand,
Crowned with a circlet of thorns, out of breath,
Enduring the pain of needles on nerves,
He'd suffer from the thorns until His death.

Submissive, like a sheep led to slaughter,
He only sighed bitterly from the hurt.
Though blood bathed His face, drenched His features red,
Naught would stop Him or His mission avert.

Striking His sacred head hard with a reed,
The soldiers sought to make the thorns sink more.
Saluted, slapped, taunted and spat upon,
He was treated with scorn, one to abhor.

Bleeding, bowed, He was brought before Pilate,
Who, facing the crowd, said, "Behold the Man!"
To see Him so punished, one would judge Him
The most wicked criminal in the land.

⁶de Liguori, St. Alphonsus. The Passion and the Death of Jesus Christ. Brooklyn, NY: Redemptorist Fathers, 1927. 89-95. 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.

"Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts." (Psalm 15:1-2)

Meditation: Holy Spirit, take what is imperfect in me and make it perfect for the Father.

"I said to the LORD, 'You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you.'" (Psalm 16:2)

Meditation: Lord, you are the satisfying drink that refreshes my soul.

"I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me." (Psalm 16:7-8)

Meditation: Lord, I fear no evil because you are always with me.

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Here is the 12th excerpt from my book, Rosary Poetry: Poems on the life of Jesus Christ. Enjoy!

The Scourging at the Pillar⁵

Jesus, spotless lamb, scourged to please the crowd!
Pilate, there is no crime more horrible!
Flogged like a slave for us enslaved to sin!
To scourge a God! Unimaginable!

Blushing with shame, He was stripped of His clothes. 
Totally meek, the pillar He embraced.
Head bowed, He humbly awaited the lash,
To be given by torturers enraged.

Breast beaten, shoulders struck, both His legs slashed, 
Even His hallowed face suffered the blows.
Crimson the column and tormentors' hands.
Painful stripes caused His holy blood to flow.

No spot was left whole, flesh cut to the bone.
Willpower alone did keep Him alive,
To suffer still more for the love He bore,
And from the devil our souls to deprive.

Behold the Man! Is there no pity for Him?
Drained of blood, exhausted, hands bound by cord,
Wounded from sacred head to blessed feet. 
Behold the Man! Our Lacerated Lord!

⁵de Liguori, St. Alphonsus. The Passion and the Death of Jesus Christ. Brooklyn, NY: Redemptorist Fathers, 1927. 80-89. 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.

"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.

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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.

"For the righteous LORD loves justice. The virtuous will see his face." (Psalm 11:7)

Meditation: Lord, help me to do what is right and just for I long to see your face.


"The LORD’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." (Psalm 12:6)
Meditation: Can we trust in God's word? in 1931, Jesus instructed Saint Faustina to inscribe at the bottom of the Divine Mercy image he commissioned her to paint: "Jesus, I trust in you." If we can trust Jesus, we can certainly trust his Father.

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Here's the 10th excerpt from my book, Rosary Poetry: Poems on the life of Jesus Christ. Enjoy!

The Institution of the Eucharist

Our Lord awaited Passover evening
To share with His friends His body and blood.
They'd need His strength before the night was through
To endure the pain of His suffering.

While they were eating, He took up the bread,
Blessed and broke it, gave thanks to His Father.
This is My Body. Take it and eat,
That hunger for eternal life be fed.

Then He took the cup and gave it to them.
This cup is My blood I give up for you.
Remember Me, this covenant I make,
So that you may live and not be condemned.

We seek intimacy, O Lord, with Thee.
Sate our hunger, O Manna from heaven.
Slake our thirst, Fountain of living water.
O Christ, forever make Your home in me.

Let us eat the bread of eternal life.
Let us drink from the cup of salvation.
That we may encounter heaven on earth,
And find peace in this world of strife.

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.

"O LORD, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?" (Psalm 10:1)

Meditation: God is not really that far away. He's like a parent who is teaching his or her child to walk. He gives us freedom to move, but he is always there to catch us should we fall. The difference between God and the parent is one of perception. We can see our mother, but God is invisible. We can't see him with our earthly eyes. 

Yet we are drawn to God like a moth to a flame. There is a hole in us that cannot be filled with material or physical pleasures. Only God can fill such a hole. Someone once said that if God did not exist, we would have to invent him. Whoever said that was a person longing for God.

Perhaps the best way to show our love for God is to believe in him and trust him even though we cannot see him. To love a family member is easy; to love our Creator whom we cannot see is a remarkable love indeed. And perhaps that is the point: he wants us to love him as much as he loves us.  


"LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them." (Psalm 10:17)
Meditation: I am like the Lord who hears, knows and cares.

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

The Transfiguration

On Tabor Mountain God revealed Himself

That we might know the glory of His Son.
Jesus, robed in dazzling white, 
stunned Peter, James and John with a mystical vision.

Could we imagine such a divine sight?
Elijah, prophet; Moses, lawgiver,
Speaking with the One who fulfilled them both.
Beauty no artist could e'er deliver.

Amazed at the sight, Peter spoke with joy,
"Lord, how good it is for us to be here!"
But the voice of God broke through the glamor,
And the three witnesses collapsed in fear.

"This is My Beloved Son, obey Him!"
The words of the Father washed over them.
Then there was silence, all nature restored,
And Jesus sought to console the three men.

"Come! Rise My brothers, for all is quite well.
"It was for My glory you were brought here,
That you might understand where I will go,
And at the end of My trials shed no tear." 

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.

"The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. 

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you." 

(Psalm 9:9-10)
Meditation: I am without fear or anxiety because I dwell in the presence of the Most High God.

"Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem’s gates, so I can rejoice that you have rescued me." (Psalm 9:14)
Meditation: God has heard my prayer and healed me.

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

The Proclamation of the Kingdom

Who was this Man from Galilee, Whose gaze pierced a fisherman's soul? Why give up all to answer His call, A simple request, "Come follow Me?" He preached a gospel of peace, words of love. The weak would be blessed; humble exalted. He healed the sick and forgave us our sins, In the name of His Father from above. He was a Man of parables and prayer Who taught us to open our hearts to God, Live in the present, tomorrow's unsure, Love God the most, with each other to share. He is the Good shepherd who seeks the stray, The bread of life and manna from heaven. He lightens our burdens, bring us all peace. To reach Paradise, He showed us the way. He wanted us to see what life could be Without the trappings that lead us astray, To carry our cross and not count the cost, And love our enemies as much as He.

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.

"When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers — the moon and the stars you set in place —

what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?"

 (Psalm 8:3-4)
Meditation: The universe is vast, but the Lord is near.

"

Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. 

You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority

."

 (Psalm 8:5-6)
Meditation: God is the creator, but we are all in charge of his creation.

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

The Wedding Feast at Cana

To a Cana wedding Jesus had come,

With Mother Mary and friends He had made,

To hallow the marriage by their presence,

To celebrate and drink to their union.

Before God He blessed the enamored pair,

Spoke of their duties and graces to come.

That God would protect them and help them through

The life of joy and woe they both would share.

Something at the feast caught our Lady's eye.

The servants looked so worried and confused.

Perhaps the apostles had drunk too much,

For some complained that their cups had run dry!

"They have no wine," Mary gave the bad news,

But Jesus said His time had not yet come.

Still mothers know when it is time to go,

Telling the staff, "Do what He says to do."

Jesus could not refuse Mary's request,

So He ordered some jugs filled with water,

That at His command blushed at His power,

And the steward declared this wine the best.

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.