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Posts Tagged ‘Christianity’

“Embracing Life” copyright 2012 John J. Rigo, upcoming poetry book, “Passion Amidst Apathy”

Posted in "Embracing Life" a poem by John J. Rigo, A poem about embracing Life., tagged , , , , , , , on January 15, 2014| 2 Comments »

 
 

Courtesy of asmp.org

Embrace your Youth.
The ticks of time move more quickly
than observed or counted. 
 
Embrace the Love of your Youth.
The embers lose their warm and glow
more quickly than our memories will capture.
 
Embrace the Wisdom 
that is bestowed upon you.
It will carry you
through the dark days
before you.  
 
Curse not your regrets.
They are but markers along the road. 
Regrets render the opportunity
to seek forgiveness.
 
Embrace your Lord
with Love and Worship.
He will Bless you along the road
and to the final place
of His Love for you. 

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“Am I Now Lost to my Time?” copyright 2012 John J. Rigo, upcoming book, “Passion Amidst Apathy”

Posted in Is this the Future of the US?, The New Obama flag for the US, What three more years of Obama will bring., tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Courtesy of freerepublic.com
Somewhere along my journey I stepped into a time machine.
I do not remember exactly when it happened.
I stepped forward in a strange land where a language
was spoken that did not sound like any tongue I knew.
 
The beings looked like me.
The planet seemed the same
but it was not.
 
There was a new God
in this land
in this dimension.
His name was Obama.
 
I looked closer at the eyes
of those about me.
Their was a strange blankness
in their eyes
an emptiness of spirit
I could not explain. 
 
I eagerly sought a sight of a flag pole
to see what land I might be in.
My eyes sought the Red, White and Blue.
 
Instead I looked with fright upon a flag
all to familiar from a past election.
God did not save us.

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"The Magic Christmas Bells of Florence Street" copyright 2008 John J. Rigo, upcoming book, "Passion Amidst Apathy"

Posted in upcoming book "Passion Amidst Apathy", tagged , , , , , , , on December 20, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 
 
 
 
Courtesy of telegraph.co.uk

Courtesy of telegraph.co.uk

This is a magical Christmas story from my past.
It was a new beginning for my life in 71′
a new marriage and becoming the Step-Father
of three children was my accomplishment.
 
It was Christmas eve 
just a few minutes before midnight.
We just got home from a trip to a family
gathering in Dallas.
 
It was cold with clear night skies
as we began to hear the sound of sleigh bells
over our home.
 
We all stood outside the front door
of our home in amazement,
as we hear the bells from far away
come closer overhead
then pass over our house
then on to the distance in sound.
 
We could not see anything overhead
but we all knew that evening
truly  St. Nick and his sleigh
had passed
somehow
over our home.
 
 

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“A Prayer To Dispel Evil” copyright 2010 Revised John J. Rigo, upcoming “Passion Amidst Apathy”

Posted in Begone Oh Evil One, Behold Evil One The Lord Stands at my Door, I know who you are you are named evil in my prayers, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 14, 2013| Leave a Comment »

"The Lord Defeats my Enemies Thru Michael who brings Death and Destruction to their doors.....Bless the Lord's name, be in awe in the power of his angel."

“The Lord Defeats my Enemies Thru Michael who brings Death and Destruction to their doors…..Bless the Lord’s name, be in awe in the power of his angel.”

 
 
Saint Michael My Protector
I call on you in the Mighty Name of Jesus
to Protect my Beloved from the Evil
that has been brought upon our household.
 
Remove all powers from The Evil One
and their covey of assistants
that have brought a dark shadow across my Beloved. 
 
Let Evil One’s darkness be forever removed from our home.
From this moment to never darken our home again.
Let my Beloves’ Goodly Spirit be renewed again
by the Love of my Lord and His protection.
 
Thank You Jesus
for letting the Mighty Michael 
stand in place in our home
forever guarding us from this Evil
to never hurt us again.

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"The Abuser" copyright 2009 John J. Rigo, Revised upcoming book, "Passion Amidst Apathy"

Posted in Calling out an Abusive Relationship, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 11, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 
 
"The Abuser" A Poem by John J. Rigo

“The Abuser” A Poem by John J. Rigo

The words were hammered blows to my heart.
A stranger would dare not speak such words to me
crushing fists would they find
quickly pounding their bodies.
The slap of the glove upon their face
to face certain death on the field of honor.
 
The answer to your acts are simple enough
you are an abuser.
Your love of God and Jesus
but a front
a lie to all.
 
Deep within your heart lies hate
pouring on one who has loved you
beyond all others.
A faithful friend
you no longer are to me.
 
I have seen your soul.
It is dark
black 
ridden with the shit of the world
upon your lips.
 
Oh where
oh where
did my love go.
 
You are without honor
heroism
or truth
in your declared love.

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“As Death Comes Closer to My Door” A Christmas Thought, copyright 2005 John J. Rigo, poem from “Rainbows Amidst Storms” Revised

Posted in "Rainbows Amidst Storms" Second Published Book, A Christmas Thought by John J. Rigo, tagged , , , , , , , on December 6, 2013| Leave a Comment »

lightofheavenAs death comes closer to my door

my eyes, though weak, seem to become clearer

about what I see about me.

Something about the look of God’s creations

that I did not notice before now

In seeing this creation

a wonderment stops my breath.

 

Is it the sound of wind singing

that I had not noticed before now?

Is it the vastness of the night skies filled with a beauty

beyond words that I cannot describe?

 

I find myself noticing beauty in people

a beauty that before

I did not see.

I see beauty in the old, the sick

the visions that I used to turn away from seeing

but no longer do.

 I feel the pain and joy of other people

I used to not feel such things.

The laughter of a child

ringing like a heavenly bell,

pealing in a meadow

sounds in my ears.

Is this God’s way of saying

“Look at what you have missed earlier in your life?”

I am not sure

but I do know

now I have become more thankful.

More thankful each day

for the gifts God has given to me.

 

I seem to be getting closer to heaven each day.

I now know, what I see, hear and Feel

are all but a small part of what will be in God’s world.

 

I can only hope

that in this twilight of my life

I might become worthy

in the areas that I have been unworthy.

May I be worthy of the love and blessings

He has given me in this life.

Thank you God

for this day.

 

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"It Was My Sweet Jesus" copyright 2009 John J. Rigo, upcoming book, "Passion Amidst Apathy"

Posted in Poetry, upcoming book "Passion Amidst Apathy", tagged , , , , , , , on December 2, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 
  

Courtesy of scotdodge.blogspot.com

It was my sweet Jesus
who brought me to the light
from the darkest place in my life.
 
It was my sweet Jesus
Who loved me
and kept me safe
when no one cared
whether I lived or died.
 
It was my sweet Jesus,
Who protected me against
the darkest of evils
that befell my life. 
 
It was my sweet Jesus
Who showed me the beauty of heaven
when I no longer believed in Him.
 
It was my sweet Jesus,
Who answered my prayers
when I cried out in pain and agony.
 
It was my sweet Jesus,
Who brought joy to my heart
and hope for my soul.
 
It was because of my sweet Jesus
that the eternity before me
is now filled
with the promise
of His eternal Love for me.

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"A Christmas Memory From Long Ago" copyright 2008 John J. Rigo, upcoming "Passion Amidst Apathy"

Posted in A Lesson About Love, upcoming book "Passion Amidst Apathy", tagged , , , , , , , on December 2, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Courtesy of free-christmas-deskstop-wallpaper.blogspot.com

 
 
 
This poem comes from a true story in my life…..I think it is timeless in its message.   The lesson is that when two people share love, as I and my childhood bride did then, it truly was all the processions we needed.  
 
 
It was our first Christmas together.
We both were eighteen
with barely more
than the clothes on our backs.
 
I was just out of basic training
in the U.S. Air Force.
She had just graduated from high school
and then wrote a bus to Savannah, Georgia,
to join me
the love of her life.
 
We had rented a several room apartment
on the second floor of an old Savannah home.
It was in a falling-down condition.
 
The gifts we shared were inexpensive
but meant the world in their value
and meaning to each of us.
 
She gave me a St. Christopher‘s medal of Silver
while I gave her a Catholic missal.
She wanted to become a Catholic like me
prior to us getting married.
 
I took a picture of her opening her present.
The smile upon her face was beautiful.
It was a Christmas in 1960.
 
It will always be a Christmas
I will always remember.
The lesson I learned
that day was
the love between us
was truly
the greatest gift
we could have shared
that Christmas. 
 

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"The Magic Christmas Bells of Florence Street" copyright 2008 John J. Rigo, upcoming book, "Passion Amidst Apathy"

Posted in upcoming book "Passion Amidst Apathy", tagged , , , , , , , on December 2, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 
 
 
 
Courtesy of telegraph.co.uk

Courtesy of telegraph.co.uk

This is a magical Christmas story from my past.
It was a new beginning for my life in 71′
a new marriage and becoming the Step-Father
of three children was my accomplishment.
 
It was Christmas eve 
just a few minutes before midnight.
We just got home from a trip to a family
gathering in Dallas.
 
It was cold with clear night skies
as we began to hear the sound of sleigh bells
over our home.
 
We all stood outside the front door
of our home in amazement,
as we hear the bells from far away
come closer overhead
then pass over our house
then on to the distance in sound.
 
We could not see anything overhead
but we all knew that evening
truly  St. Nick and his sleigh
had passed
somehow
over our home.
 
 

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"I Remember Fondly Christmas’ Past" copyright 2005 by John J. Rigo, selection from "Rainbows Amidst Thorns"

Posted in A Remembrance of Christmas by John J. Rigo, Selection from "Roses Amidst Thorns" published in 2005, tagged , , , , , , , on November 30, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Courtesy of dailymail.co.uk

(The little boy’s story in the poem is true and a time from my own past.) This Christmas Season of 2013, I was thinking of my Father. This poem mentions him several times. I remember how dirty he was when he came home from work when I was a little boy. My Father was an iron and steel worker.  After he came home and took a bath, my Mother would then attempt to clean the ring out of the bathtub from his bath.  Many times with close to a half hour of scrubbing, she still could not get it out.  In those days, my Father made about a hundred dollars a week.  He worked very hard for that money.

*****************************************

 
 
I remember fondly Christmas’ past
our first tree alive with lights
before it caught fire later that week.
 
I remember fondly the Christmas with toys.
Never before had my brother and I received toys.
How angry my Father became when we broke several
toys after a few hours of play.
 
It was my Father’s first Christmas bonus
as a steel worker.
He spent that bonus on toys for us that Christmas.
He thought those toys would never break.
 
I remember fondly a special Christmas as a kid
when no money was available whatsoever for toys.
We found a punch-out cardboard castle in a
department store window.
 
One dollar and ninety-eight cents was the price of that castle.
My young brother and I played with it for days.
A punch-out castle was the best toy we ever had.
 
I remember fondly Christmas past,
acting in the church Christmas pageant.
I was a little child with the beard of a prophet
shaking in a spotlight in the church play.
It snowed that night.
 
My best friend and I asked
permission to keep wearing the beards.
A most beautiful snow floated through the air
as we walked home together.
 
The dirty streets of the city were made
clean and white with heavy, swirling snow flakes.
We sang church carols walking home
our arms around each other’s shoulder.
How close to baby Jesus we were back then.
 
I remember fondly Christmas’ past
when life seemed so much simpler.
Joys more easily shared with
laughter much deeper than now.
 
Still I thank God that I had those Christmas’ past
even to this special day of a new Christmas.
Another December which will also will soon be gone
into the misty memory of another Christmas’ past.  

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