A NEW UNDERSTANDING

A NEW UNDERSTANDING


In today's world=ESPECIALLY politically
It seems IMPOSSIBLE
To get two sides
To sit down=and speak
Together CIVILLY


It seems impossible
To devise PLANS for
Peace=for justice=for reconciliation
FOR UNDERSTANDING


“........Peace be within you” Psalm 122:8


So HOW do people break
THROUGH the wall
How do people find
A NEW UNDERSTANDING
With one another


ISAIAH says we need
To look no further
Than a LITTLE CHILD=
Who will come to BRING
Peace and justice
Who comes to bring


A NEW UNDERSTANDING


“The calf and the lion
Shall browse together


With a LITTLE CHILD
To guide them” Isaiah 11:6


This ADVENT let Jesus come
And RULE in your heart
Let him bring you
A new PEACE
Let him bring you
A NEW UNDERSTANDING


Let us REMEMBER
This Advent=this CHRISTMAS SEASON


That Jesus comes
NOT only to bring us
PERSONAL peace and salvation


But to bring the world
A new BETTER UNDERSTANDING
Between one another


“Give me UNDERSTANDING
So that I
May keep your law


And obey it
With all my heart” Psalm 119:34


“With all wisdom
And UNDERSTANDING
He made known to us


The mystery=of his will
ACCORDING to his good pleasure
Which he purposed IN CHRIST” Ephesians 1:8-9


This Advent=this Christmas season
Let Jesus bring you
An UNDERSTANDING


That leads to enemies seeking peace=
FINDING common ground and
A LIFE that leads to
Creating a COMMON HUMANITY


YES=let the
LITTLE BABE of BETHLEHEM
Be your GUIDE
To ALL hope and UNDERSTANDING
For this world


“But when he-
The SPIRIT OF TRUTH comes
He will GUIDE you
Into all the truth


He will NOT speak
On his own


He will speak ONLY
What he hears
And will tell you
What is YET TO COME” John 16:13


Dear Lord=this ADVENT
Let us FIND PEACE=and
A NEW UNDERSTANDING for us
And for ALL THE WORLD


In Jesus' name=and the name of our ALMIGHTY EVERLASTING FATHER


Robert P. Wallman
12-3-18




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Steve Givens

INNER PEACE=FINDING IT IN GOD ALONE

INNER PEACE=
FINDING IT IN GOD ALONE


Inner PEACE is a
Tough thing to FIND in
This crazy MIXED-UP world
That we live in


We live in a violent-me-first
World=that often does NOT
CARE about us at all


But we can FIND PEACE=
We can find peace IN God=
For he is our BEST FRIEND


FINDING PEACE IN GOD ALONE


“The calf and the young lion
Shall browse together


With a little child
To GUIDE THEM” Isaiah 11:6


We all HUNGER for peace
In this world= a PEACE
This world cannot give


But making the EFFORT to
Seek it REQUIRES more than
Lip service


It requires an EFFORT
To TALK to God every day
To PRAY to God every day


For we FIND this peace
In God ALONE=it is a peace
That the world CANNOT GIVE


“The Lord gives strength
To his people


The Lord blesses his people
With PEACE” Psalm 29:11


“Deceit is in
The hearts of those
Who plot evil


But those who PROMOTE PEACE
Have joy” Proverbs 12:20


“To all in ROME
Who are LOVED by God
And called
To be holy people


GRACE and PEACE
To you form God our Father
And from the Lord Jesus Christ” Romans 1:7


This world PULLS us
Out of our comfort zone
We have to KEEP working hard


We have to keep
Sensing our SPIRIT
We have to keep


Making the effort
To FIND PEACE IN God
To keep peace=
In our spirit of God


IF we do=we can find
A CALMING PRESENCE=serenity
That RESTS in God alone


“FOOLS give full vent
To their rage


But the wise
Bring CALM in the end” Proverbs 29:11


Dear Lord
GUIDE US GENTLY


Guide us in OUR
LIFELONG quest for peace


Help us to KNOW
That FINDING PEACE
RESTS in God alone


In Jesus' name and in the name of our ALMIGHTY=LOVING FATHER


Robert P. Wallman
12-4-18




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Gail Goleas

ONCE A YEAR

ONCE A YEAR


Advent is COMING=and
It is a REMINDER
That it is a season
That COMES but once a year


And it is the OPPORTUNITY
To AWAKEN our HEARTS
Who are possibly sleeping
And get them READY
For the COMING OF THE LORD


“Beware that your hearts
Do NOT become drowsy
From carousing and drunkenness


And the ANXIETIES of daily life
And that day CATCH YOU
By surprise........” Luke 21:34


ADVENT comes ONCE a year=
Christmas comes=COMES but once
So get ready=AWAKEN
Your hearts


Make ROOM=
Prepare them
For the coming of the LORD


ONCE A YEAR
Christ comes again
So PREPARE your hearts


“On the mountain
The LORD Almighty will PREPARE


A feast of rich food
For all peoples
A BANQUET of aged wine--------


The best of meats
And the finest of wines” Isaiah 25:6


“I will SEND my messenger
Who will PREPARE the way
Before me


Then suddenly
The Lord you are seeking
Will come to the TEMPLE


The messenger
Of the covenant
Whom you desire will come


SAYS the Lord Almighty” Malachi 3:1


“This is he
WHO was spoken of
Through the prophet Isaiah


'A voice of one
Calling in the wilderness


PREPARE the way
For the Lord
Make straight paths
For him'” Matthew 3:3


In the COMING WEEKS
We must PREPARE
For the Lord


We must make room=for
The Lord to DWELL
In our HEARTS
For he is
To LIVE IN US


“Make ROOM
For us in your hearts


We have WRONGED
No one=we have corrupted
No one=we have exploited
NO ONE” 2 Corinthians 7:2


The Lord COMES=but ONCE
A YEAR=make ROOM
In your hearts


It is the TIME of year
FOR LOVE=if not always
At least
ONCE A YEAR


In Jesus' NAME=and in the name of the ALMIGHTY LOVING FATHER


Robert P. Wallman
11-30-18




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Fr. James Stephen Behrens-O.C.S.O..

I AM SO BLESSED

WITNESS




2-24-13




I AM SO BLESSED




The GREATEST MIRACLE
That I ever did see
Was the one
GOD DID WORK inside of me


BLESSINGS come
Blessings go
But God
Is in my heart to stay
This much I do know


I AM SO BLESSED


Material blessings-spiritual blessings
SEEK YE FIRST
The Kingdom of God


Love God
And love others


“If you pay attention
To these laws
And are careful to follow them
Then the Lord Your God
Will KEEP his covenant of love
With you
As he swore
To your forefathers” Deuteronomy 7:12


Seek ye first……..


“Seek ye first
The Kingdom of God
And his righteousness
And all things
Will be given to you
As well


Therefore
Do NOT worry about tomorrow
For tomorrow will worry about itself


Each day has enough trouble
Of its own” Matthew 6:33-34


I AM SO BLESSED


36+ years
Of a SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE


ALL these family memories
ALL of these fantastic friends
What did I do
To deserve it-NOTHING


All I do
Is try to
KEEP MYSELF ALIVE
As healthy as possible
And love God
And love others
As best as I can


God has BESTOWED on me
Many many blessings
Through family and friends


YOUR FRIENDSHIP IS VALUABLE to me
AND I LOVE YOU


In a world
That values materialism-
I offer nothing
And I say thank you
To you
For what you have done
For stepping up
And keeping me going


At a time
When MANY have forgotten
About God in this world
It is important to remember
SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS
Are EVERY BIT as important




“From the FULLNESS
Of his grace
We have ALL received
ONE BLESSING AFTER ANOTHER


For the law
Was given through Moses
GRACE AND TRUTH
Came through Jesus Christ” John 1:16-17




LOVE GOD
AND LOVE OTHERS


“SEEK YE FIRST
His kingdom and his righteousness
AND ALL THESE THINGS
Will be given to you as well”


I AM SO BLESSED


Robert P. Wallman
2-14-13


Ps WITNESS 2-24-13




“I will BLESS them and the places surrounding my hill
I will send down showers in season
There will be showers of BLESSING” Ezekiel 34:26


12-3-18

SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER

SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER










I went to grade school at Saint Francis Xavier
In Pittsburgh
The church and school
Were right around the corner from our home


I have countless friends
From Saint Francis Xavier
And many of them
Are still active in my life today


While today
The church is called RISEN LORD
( it was combined with Saint Leo the Great )




It still begs the question
Who just was this Saint Francis Xavier
This man---who my church and school
Were named after


Francis Xavier was a Jesuit missionary
Who was a Basque Spaniard
Who lived from 1506 to 1551


He was educated
At the University of Paris
Where he met Saint Ignatius of Loyola
And both were ordained as priests 3 years later


The foreign missions
Has been an integral part
Of the Jesuit ideal and vocation
And in Francis Xavier---it was no different


In 1541
Francis sailed to Goa in the East Indies
At the invitation of the King of Portugal
And was backed by a Papal brief
Nominating him as Apostolic nuncio
In the East


The journey took 13 months
And his mission there was to evangelize
For the remaining 10 years of his life


And he did just that
By his example
And by his preaching and writing verses
On Christian truths


He went among the poor
As a poor man himself
Slept on the ground
And lived on only rice and water


He would return to his headquarters
From time-to-time in Goa
And made plans to go further East


Eventually
Despite his propensity towards seasickness
And difficulty in learning foreign languages
He did make it to Japan


His external appearance of poverty
Was unsuccessful in Japan
So he abandoned this tactic
And began to dress in fine robes
And present gifts to the rulers
As a representative of the King of Portugal


When he left Japan
There were 2000 Christians---and growing
But they were under fierce attack form the rulers there


Counted among them were Paul Miki and his companions
Who ALL died a martyr’s death in 1597
With many more to follow in the coming years


Having established
The roots of the Christian faith in Japan
Francis returned to Goa
Then decided to set out for China
To try to establish roots there


While on his way there
Francis fell ill and died
Practically alone on an island


He became a Saint in 1622
And in 1927---Saint Francis Xavier
Was declared the patron Saint of foreign missions


Robert P. Wallman
2-9-12




Ps This one is for ALL my friends from Saint Francis Xavier---with whom
I share so many beautiful memories


Saint Francis Xavier’s feast day is December 3^rd
Saint Paul Miki and his 26 companions---February 6^th


And for OUR NEW POPE-FRANCIS 1^st-a fellow Jesuit like Saint Francis Xavier

THE INTENSE GLORY OF GOD

THE INTENSE GLORY OF GOD


We have some BEAUTIFUL churches-
In this world=Catholic and Christian=
And some beautiful TEMPLES and mosques


GOD can live anywhere=
ESPECIALLY in our HEARTS


The one thing in COMMON
In all these churches-
Temples- and mosques


Is that it is an ATTEMPT
To express
The INTENSE GLORY OF GOD


“John said=an ANGEL showed me
The river of LIFE-GIVING water-
sparkling like crystal


FLOWING from the THRONE of God
And on the LAMB-
Down the middle of the street........” Revelation 22:1-2


The INTENSE GLORY of God!


Our BEST human efforts
Can't capture God's glory
And even John's APPEALING VISION
Only hints at it


But we TRUST in
The GLORY of God
And trust in GOD'S PROMISES


“Lord=our Lord
How majestic is your name
In all the earth!


You have set your GLORY
In the heavens” Psalm 8:1


“And the GLORY of the Lord
Will be revealed


And all people
Will SEE it together
For the mouth of the Lord
Has spoken” Isaiah 40:5


“He received honor and GLORY
From the Father
When the voice
Came to him
From the majestic GLORY-saying


'This is my SON
Whom I love
With whom I am well PLEASED'” 2 Peter 1:17


For ALL the outer GLORY
Shown in churches-cathedrals-
Temples-and mosques


It is the INNER GLORY
Of God=the reflection
IN our hearts
That God wants to see


And so as
We JOURNEY through life
We are drawn by the
GLORY OF GOD


And we attempt
With our lives and
With our hearts
To try to REFLECT
The GLORY OF GOD


“As water
REFLECTS the face
So ONE'S LIFE
REFLECTS the heart” Proverbs 27:19


Dear Lord=as ADVENT season
Comes closer


Let your GLORY
SHINE in our hearts
And all through


OUR churches-temples-and mosques


In Jesus' name=and in the NAME
Of our ALMIGHTY=our all LOVING FATHER


Robert P. Wallman
12-1-18




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Amy Welborn

JOURNAL/GIVING THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

JOURNAL/GIVING THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES




“I GIVE THANKS to my God for every REMEMBRANCE of you-I always PRAY WITH JOY because-of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now-BEING CONFIDENT of this-that he who BEGAN a GOOD WORK in you-will carry it on UNTIL completion in the day of Christ Jesus” Philippians 1:3-6


DO YOU REJOICE in your church or your churches as Paul did of the Philippians-WE SHOULD REJOICE in our brothers and sisters in Christ-after all we are ALL on a journey though life-and we are TAKING IT together


PERHAPS-we should take some TIME to be GRATEFUL for ALL of our brothers and sisters in Christ-
YES even the most difficult ones-for they TEACH us the most-IF we can continue to LOVE them-and we should also give thanks to our SPIRITUAL TEACHERS-and GOD and Christ-for leaving us TRUE WORDS to LIVE BY


it is A GREAT DAY to be ALIVE in GOD'S LOVE for us-and a great day to GIVE THANKS for all of our brothers and sisters in Christ








GIVING THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES




AS I sit here
REFLECTING on my life
PREPARING to fly to Maryland
To spend THANKSGIVING
With my 2 sisters, 4 nieces
And other family members
SOME memories flash through my mind
To times gone by


Lying there
Packed in an ice bed
For two weeks---with a temperature of 108


I thank God for life


Bleeding internally
My blood count going down to three


I thank God for life


The Good Father
Asking me if I wanted to say
An act of contrition
Or say something
In my own words


Saying: “I don't think God
Wants me to die
But if he does
He must have a reason
And to please bless
My father, my mother, my 2 sisters,
My family and friends,
Because it would be harder on them
Than it would be on me
I would be gone


But if God
Wanted me to live
I would live
For me family, my friends,
And for ALL PEOPLE everywhere”


And waking up a week or two later alive


I THANK GOD FOR LIFE


“MAY you never take
One single breath for granted
God forbid
LOVE ever leave you empty handed”
(Lee Ann Womack---”I HOPE YOU DANCE”)


THANKING GOD FOR LIFE


ALL the support
I received from my parents
Never questioning---ALWAYS LOVING


I thank God for family


Two sisters---four nieces
Always giving me emotional and financial support
Always being there for me


I thank God for family


An extended family
Beyond compare


I thank God for family


Old friends
That are still there for me today


I thank God for friends


NEW friends
That I have made
From Palm Beach Gardens and beyond


I thank God for friends


People that I have met
From all over the world


I thank God for you


Priests-clergy men and women
That I have met


I thank God for GOD
I thank God for you


By human standards
My life is a total failure
No health---no money-or material possessions
No family ( wife or children )


But along the way
I FOUND GOD
I FOUND YOU


“I have learned
The secret of being content
In any and ever situation
Whether well fed or hungry
Whether living in plenty
Or in want” Philippians 4:12


“BE joyful always; PRAY continually:
GIVE THANKS in all circumstances
For this is GOD'S WILL for you
In Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 4:18


TODAY-and everyday-
And particularly
this THANKSGIVING SEASON


BE AWARE of the BLESSINGS in your life


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!-I LOVE YOU


Robert P. Wallman
11-14-11




WITNESS 1-20-13




10-31-14
and 12-1-18