Two Roads Diverge In Each Day’s Wood

Rhyme pattern: 1.2.1.1.2

“Two roads” diverge in each day’s wood (1)
Death to self OR deadly selfishness
A mystic donning Carmel’s hood (2)
San Juan’s words the test of time have stood
Confronting all with Spanish holiness

Teresa’s confessor advises
Choosing the “road… to life”* though thorned
Not doom’s “easy” road, is wisest
‘Ain’t natural’, ego surmises
Fear uprises; is not this path forlorned?

To borrow from a ‘Frosty’ bard
Choosing the “one less traveled by”
Makes “all the difference”, this road hard
Christ’s “narrow gate”*! All fear discard
Wherein find the strength? In His footsteps nigh

Give your neighbor the last word
With a smile, sprint the “extra mile”*
Listen to folks most leave unheard
Let them heist your time (your plans deferred)
Hide cheerfully your inner trial

Your preferences let others steal
Seek them to love, their burdens bear
Rather than to be loved! Then you’ll heal
The wounds they may not see, but feel
Your attention transmits the Lord’s own care

This road “less traveled” could be in vain
Without the off’ring up in prayer
Of ev’ry chosen sacrifice or pain
“Deny yourself”*, follow Him; His Reign
The “difference” ‘tween these roads compare
First His Cross, then His Crown, you will share

*****

(1) Poem inspired by Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken” (link) and by certain words of Jesus Christ oft quoted by St. John of the Cross
(2) St. John of the Cross
*Quotes from Jesus in the Gospels

Two Destinies

The “Beatific Vision”? Or worm and flame eternal? (Mk. 9:48)
The intended joy of sainthood? Or rebelhood infernal?
Rejoicing all together? Or gnashing teeth alone? (Lk. 13:28)
God’s paradise regained? Or misery full-blown?

Toward one of two destinies all folks are going
Consider the path that you’re on! What’s it showing?
Is heaven’s light shining through all of your deeds?
The “spade” of repentance uprooting sin’s weeds?

Is Christ living in you to further heav’n’s goals,
The glory of God and salvation of souls?
Do poor and oppressed ones through you find a voice?
Your destiny starts here and now! What’s your choice?

Then will We Be Surprised, or Not?

Will we be surprised, or not?
When meeting God above
He says the man we helped by placing
food in his torn glove
Was God’s own self in human form
with every pain thereof (Mt. 25)
‘Twas Christ disguised in reeking rags and
begging for our love (Jn. 19:28)

Will we be surprised, or not?
When meeting Christ the Lord
He gratefully reveals that hidden
‘neath the suff’ring faces
Of folks we visited at home
or psychiatric ward,
‘Twas His own Face! Still pleading from His
Cross in countless places (Col. 1:24)

Will we be surprised, or not?
When meeting Christ our God
We then discover that each soul
We served unshrinkingly
Was His live image: poor, unhoused, un-
fed, unborn, unshod
He’ll look into our eyes and say,
“You did those things for Me” (Mt. 25)

But Christ has also promised that for
Needs we would NOT meet
For folks we would NOT serve (or, at least
pray for with concern)
“What you did not do for these least, you
did not do for me”
At last, the fire of God’s love
Will either thrill… or burn

Heaven Could Begin Today

One’s heaven could begin today
But hell could start now too
So walk the “narrow road to life” (Mt. 7:14)
The Savior lights for you (Jn. 8:12)

For in the end we’ll make our choice
Of where we want to stay
The Father’s House of Love, or not? (Jn. 14)
On earth, our choice is made

Our entrance into heaven’s gates
Cannot be guaranteed (Heb. 10:26)
No matter what we do or don’t
Christ’s pardon we will need (Eph. 2:8-9)

God’s heaven is a gift, not earned
Unwrapped by love-in-action; prayer;
For heaven is a Person- Christ!
Where He is… heaven’s there (Jn. 15)

Eternal life begins today
When we return His gaze
And Mary’s gaze of love, as well

Our Queen, who for us prays (Jn. 2:3)

In The End, All That Matters

[when reading, pause at the commas]

In the end, all that matters
Is not money, is not cars
At life’s close, all that counts is
found in One who

counts the stars (Ps. 147:4)

In this life, all our visions
All our plans, may not happen
All that counts, is the plan of
Him who did not

count the cost (Phil. 2:6)

When at last, all our loved ones
will have passed, made brand new
through their trust, in the Savior (Jn. 3:16)
and His death and

rising too (1 Jn. 1:7)

In the end, Christ will conquer
Satan’s ploys, death and loss (1 Jn. 3:8)
Heaven’s joys, will be shared in
by the bearers

of His Cross (Mt. 16:24)