Mother Mary

Teach me Mother Mary.

How to still my soul,

To magnify my Holy God.

The God who makes me whole.

Father, Son and Spirit,
Were always at your side,

O teach me dearest Mother,

As you would teach a child.


Myra D'souza / 23.4.09

Our Eternal King

 

 Alleluia! Christ the King!
Hosannas to You Lord I sing,
Prostrate before You I adore,
Priest, Prophet, King my soul’s allure.

While the storm around me raged
I said, my God come to my aid
Unworthy though I knew I was
I cried to You like Bartimaeus

You answered me each time I called,
You said,  "You’re mine and I’m Your God."
You held me in Your warm embrace,
My soul You filled with wondrous grace,

Your Word refreshed my soul like dew,
Your faithful love my hope renewed,
How best express this joy of mine?
My life is Yours my King divine

Myra D’souza / 24.06.2008

Songs My Brother Sang

He lived his life with courage,
Knowing death had set a date,
Feigning he knew lady luck,
Ignoring his ill fate.

He dared to keep on dreaming,
His heart preferred to fly,
Although his dreaded flesh told him,
That he was doomed to die.

The ones he loved would break his heart,
But he would sigh no sighs,
Neither look nor word would dim,
His ever smiling eyes.

He was a gentle dreamer,
His dreams would soar on wings,
When he put paint to canvas,
Or plucked his guitar strings.

What is my brother’s epitaph?
He kept his face alight,
While life rained blows upon him?
Or his patience with a child?

He had so very little,
Yet claimed his life was grand,
Weaving dreams with star dust,
Building castles in the sand.

The songs my brother sang will be,
Remembered by us all,
We’ll smile a little sadly,
When his life we will recall.




Myra D’souza / 27 August 2008 /
12 October 2010

ONE TALENT

I think I have a talent,
But in my human sight,
It’s just a little trifle,
Unlike the widow’s mite.

I wonder if this talent,
Is given as a trust?
And someday I would rue it,
If I should let it rust?

Would it really matter,
If it were never found?
Who would care if I should dare,
To hide it in the ground?

I know my God has given me,
This talent as a gift,
And He will ask a strict account,
Of what I did with it.

I pledge to use my talent,
And by its tiny light,
Some weary soul may find in it,
A moment’s sweet respite.

Myra D’souza / 26/11/2008

MY KING

There’s joy in my heart,
I am wearing a grin,
A fire is glowing,
I’m lit from within.

My body His temple,
He’s my Royal Guest,
The Lord of creation,
In me finds His rest.

He moves me to laughter,
He calms all my fears,
When sorrow is welling,
He dries up my tears.

My name He has carved,
On the palm of His hand,
To Him I am precious,
I am His to command.

The treasures of heaven,
Are given to me,
Co-heir to God’s Kingdom,
I am royalty.

_{Myra D’souza / 4.12.2008}

MORNING GLORY

My eyes gaze on a pearl grey dawn,
While dying night still slumbers on,
My lips sing soft a song of praise,
My Lord I come to seek Your Face.

O Living Waters wash me clean,
And lead me on to pastures green,
In You my soul finds its sweet rest,
My heart’s own gracious, royal Guest.

I lift my soul to You and pray,
For grace sufficient for the day,
And every dream and joy and tear,
I offer with my hopes and fears.

Hold me now in Your embrace
With You at last I’m home and safe,
No harm can touch me when I’m one,
With Jesus Christ God’s only Son.

Together we have watched and prayed,
An hour my Lord with You I’ve stayed,
From Tabor’s heights I now descend,
To serve You Lord in every friend.

 

Myra D’souza / 19.06.2008

WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN

Weighed down with endless burdens,
My body racked in pain,
On days like this I’m tempted to
Believe that life’s in vain.

My heart is very weary,
It’s hard to wear a smile,
I make-believe that all is well
Though I feel crushed inside.

It seems at every corner
A snare is laid to trap,
Whatever crumbs of happiness
May fall into my lap.

I’m often tempted to believe
A curse hangs over me,
Making everything I touch
A calamity.

Yet, having faith is knowing
When all the chips are down,
That God will set my sorrows
Like jewels in a crown.

So despite my aching body
I chase away the frowns,
I know my God who loves me
Will turn my life around.

Myra D’souza
18.9.2000

THE RETURN

Take my lukewarm heart O Lord
And fan the dying flames,
Let your Spirit once again
My selfish spirit claim.

I’ve stayed away from You too long,
I yearn now to return,
To feel again the love that I,
So recklessly did spurn.

I’ve spent my days indulging
In selfishness and strife,
I now confess I’ve been a mess,
Without You in my life.

I’ve fallen often yet Your love,
For me has never dimmed,
You do not keep a count of all
The ways in which I’ve sinned.

You hold me like the Prodigal
I lean against your breast,
What bliss I’ve known since I came home
And found in you my rest.


Myra D’souza
17.9.2000

OWN ME LORD

Set Your seal upon me,
Claim complete control.
Imprint Your sacred image
Lord upon my soul.

Ensnare my willing spirit,
Held captive Lord I gaze,
Entranced, enthralled, enraptured,
By Your majesty and grace.

Each breath I breathe says Jesus,
For this empowers me,
To live each precious moment,
In Your hallowed company.

Take my heart Lord Jesus,
And on it build Your throne,
Take all I am, all I possess,
And make me all Your own.

MYRA D’SOUZA
14.3.2000

LET’S PRETEND

It matters not which god you bend
The knee to when you pray,
That is what the Christian
Who has left the Church will say.

Fret not if you’re Catholic
Whose knowledge never grew,
Beyond the Catechism taught
To you at Sunday school.

It matters not what you believe
As long as you’re content,
Who cares about the truth,
As long as you feel good my friend.

Who cares about the verity
That Christ has set you free,
Who wants to see our Saviour writhe
And bleed in agony.

So go ahead and choose a god
Continue to pretend,
He never paid the price that saved
Your life, my ransomed friend.

Myra D’souza 15.10.2000

I WALKED AWAY - MARK 10:17-22

Walking up to Jesus,

One lovely summer day,

I joined the throng to listen,

To what He had to say.

The children pressed around Him,

He held one on His knee.

Young and old alike were listening

To Him solemnly.

I wanted to be near Him

To never leave His side

So I exclaimed, “Good Master

I seek eternal life”.

He beckoned me and tenderly

Took me by the hand,

“Do all the law requires

Follow God’s commands”.

“I have paid heed to all of them

Since I was but a child”.

He looked at me with love and said,

“This then is my advice.

“There is one thing that you can do,

Sell all you have and then,

Give the money to the poor

And follow Me, my friend”.

I looked at Him and felt a pain

Ripping me apart,

I thought of all the worldly things

That held my foolish heart.

I walked away from Jesus

To where my treasures lay.

I kept my wealth but lost my life

That long, sad summer’s day.

MYRA D’SOUZA / 15.10.2000

EASY PREY

What is truth asked Pilate
Then turned and walked away,
He wasn’t interested
In what Jesus had to say.

Truth stood in perfect silence
Saying not a word.
For nothing can be said to those,
Who refuse to hear.

We’re strangers to the truth,
And so we swallow up the lies,
Fed by wolves who come to us,
Clothed in sheep’s disguise.

They seek to steal and plunder,
Murder and destroy,
And sowing weeds among the seeds,
Deceive with cunning ploy.

Our ignorance abysmal,
We fall without much fight
We make such easy pickings
Satan dances in delight.

We are God’s chosen people,
Royal, holy, set apart,
But being loosely grounded,
Fall prey to wily art.

MYRA D’SOUZA/5.6.00

TO MY BROTHER WITH LOVE

No one to take your little hand
When you were just a boy,
No one to hold you close and say,
“My son, my pride and joy”

No one to guide your little steps,
Each time they went astray,
No dad or mum to listen when
You knelt each night to pray.

No one to care enough to share,
Your triumphs, joys and fears,
No one to kiss you when you fell,
And dry away your tears.

Although you’ve grown into a man,
The little boy inside,
Is looking for the love that
As a child you never had.

So many roads now beckon,
With promises of peace,
Each one deceitfully beguiles,
Seduces and misleads.

You walk along blind alleys,
You bump into dead ends,
I sadly watch as you insist
That you are quite content.

Not blind yet have no vision,
Not deaf yet hear no song,
Not orphaned yet rejecting
The Church where you belong.

No matter where you wander,
Or how far you choose to roam,
With all my love I pray someday,
That Christ will lead you home.

MYRA D’SOUZA
29.8.99

THE NOT SO LITTLE MAN Luke 19:1-10

 Zacchaeus heard that Jesus,
Was passing Jericho,
Being short he thought he'd perch himself,
On a sycamore.

Jesus stopped below him,
And looking up he said,
“I’m coming to your house today
Make haste, come down Zacchaeus.”

Jumping swiftly off the tree,
His heart beat joyfully,
He knows me by my name, he thought,
He wants to dine with me.

When those around saw Jesus,
Had sought him from the crowd,
They murmured, “He has gone as guest,
Into a sinner’s house.”

His life till then was full of sin,
Rich through ill-gotten means,
A tax collector scorned by all,
Especially pharisees.

“Half of all I own I’ll give,
To the poor” he said,
“Those I have defrauded,
Will receive four times the share.”

“The Son of Man”, said Jesus,
“Comes to seek and save the lost,
The blind, the lame, the destitute
The prostitute, outcast”.

Zacchaeus once a little man
In spirit and in height.
Stood taller than the crowd once he,
Encountered Jesus Christ.

Myra D’souza 16.11.99

THE LITTLE PEARL

I pick a pearl of wisdom,
From God’s treasury,
And marvel at the many ways,
Its beauty speaks to me.

As I ponder on the Word,
My spirit glows within,
To know God loves the sinner,
Although He hates the sin.

I place my pearl of wisdom,
With the others in my soul,
And make myself a promise,
To reflect on it once more.

Next day at quiet time alone
With God, I realise,
I thought not once about the pearl,
I had so highly prized.

Although I did not think about
The Word that I had read,
I pray I lived its truth in all
I said and did instead.

Myra D'Souza / 13.6.1999

THE LEPER ­(Matthew 8:1-4) (Mark 1:40-45) (Luke 5:12-16)

Deep in the shadows hidden from view,

Just a little apart from the crowd,

Stood a man drinking in every word that issued,

Forth from the mouth of the Lord.

 He forgot for a while the dreaded disease,

That ravaged his body and soul,

Christ stood close to him, faith trembled within,

Dare he ask that he be made whole?

Watching amazed as the sick were being healed,

Awestruck at the power of God,

Limping out of the shadows to Jesus, he said,

“If You will, You can heal me my Lord.”

The crowd watched in horror, 

The leper approached

And sank to the ground on his knees,

Jesus stretched out His hand 

And touching the man said,

“I will it, my friend, be clean”.

I too was a leper, defiled by my sins,

Untouchable spiritually,

Deeply ashamed and riddled with guilt,

Was there hope for a sinner like me?

Then I saw my Saviour with arms open wide,

On the beam of a cross they were nailed,

On Calvary’s hill the blood that was spilled,

Was the price that He willingly paid.

MYRA D’SOUZA / 13.9.99

MY BROTHER'S KEEPER

Lost in a world that is narrowed by self,
Uncaring, untouched by the pain,
Of brothers who seek to worship strange gods,
With unpronounceable names.

Although I have dined on manna each day,
And I’m fed on the Bread that gives life,
I miserly hoarded the grace I received
I’ve been just as callous as Dives.

Enthralled and inspired as I read the Word,
Secure in God’s promise to me,
Indifferent was I that my brothers knew not,
That they too were royalty.

What use are my lips if they have been sealed,
Refusing to share the Good News,
And the light I received ‘neath a bushel concealed,
Hiding God’s treasures from view?

I cannot claim I’ve encountered the Lord,
If my love is shallow and flawed
A Christian who fails to proclaim the Good News
Is just a fake and a fraud.

Myra D'Souza / 28.9.1999

MORE LIKE HIM

Father, with my hand in Yours,
I know I cannot fail,
With You my Lord beside me,
No evil can prevail.

The storms rage all around me,
They rock my little boat,
I cling on to Your promise,
That You’ll keep me afloat.

Sometimes the load gets heavy,
And more than I can bear,
Thank You for sending angels,
To let me know You care.

In the crucible of suffering,
Each painful victory won,
Helps to melt and mould me,
In the image of Your Son

MYRA D’SOUZA
18/8/99

LIVING TO LOVE YOU

Every beat of my heart will tell You,
Lord that I love You,
Every breath I breathe will echo
This same sweet chorus too.

With all the ardour of my soul,
And all my strength and might,
I will love You my dearest Lord,
Until the day I die.

The more I know about You Lord,
The deeper I fall in love,
The better I get to know You I find,
There’s so much more to discover.

I know I’ve done nothing to merit
The love, O Lord You have for me,
Taking my place You died the death,
That was mine on Calvary.

I have discovered the reason why
My heart is brimming with bliss,
No greater joy on earth have I found,
Than living to love You Jesus.

Myra D’souza/10.1.1999

I KNOW WHY

He knows the number of the stars,
In the sky each night,
He calls each one by name and they,
Twinkle into sight.

He knows how many raindrops,
Are there in every shower,
He knows each little bird and bee,
Each butterfly and flower.

I know I need not worry,
What I will eat or wear,
For my God has counted,
Every hair upon my head.

I know I can be confident,
In Him do you know why?
The One who holds my hand in His
For me was crucified.


Myra D’souza/10.2.1999

HELP ME LORD TODAY

Help me Lord to let Your love
Shine through me today,
May all the work I undertake
Give praise to You I pray.

Help me Lord so I can be
A friend to all I meet,
Giving all the very love,
From You I have received.

Help me Lord to realise
A cold reserve could hide,
A heart weighed down with sorrow
And misery inside.

Lord if I should quarrel,
May I be first to smile,
Reaching out in friendship,
And prompt to reconcile.

Help me Lord to sanctify
Each moment of the day,
Adoring, loving, praising You,
In all I do and say.

Myra D’souza/10.2.1999

HE TOUCHED ME (Losing a baby)

Death took my little baby,
And I, distraught with grief
Wondered if the pain within
Would ever find relief?

No longer to embrace her,
No longer see her smile,
To cuddle and to kiss her,
Watch her wriggle in delight.

I thought that joy forever
Was extinguished from my life,
I thought I’d feel the aching void
Inside me, till I died.

One morning I kept asking,
My Lord repeatedly,
The reason why He had to take,
My little one from me.

I listened for an answer
But none came from above,
Instead my God encompassed me,
With His exquisite love.

He held me close, in silence,
For a long, long while,
Until the pain receded,
And I began to smile.

My healing had begun the day,
When gently from above,
My God stooped down from heaven,
To touch me with His love.

MYRA D’SOUZA/16.1.1999

WITH JESUS

When I abide in Jesus
And He abides in me
I am all that He is
Beauty, truth and purity.
I am love and goodness
Peace and righteousness.
Because He is my Brother,
I call His Father, Daddy God.

But apart from Jesus
I keep falling into sin.
I fail in all the virtues
And I am filled with guilt.
I am mean and wretched
Pride rears its ugly head.
Without Him all is dark within,
And I am miserable.

When I abide in Jesus
I look just like Him,
The radiance of His presence
Changes my countenance.
I share my Lord’s divinity,
The sunshine of my smile,
Is but a sweet reflection
Of the One who reigns inside.

Myra D’souza / 17.6.98

TRUE GIVING

When I’m called to be a giver,
Do I pause to count the cost?
Do I hesitate, procrastinate,
Until the moment’s lost?

When I’m called to be a giver,
Do I weigh the pros and cons,
Will I regret tomorrow,
Today’s benevolence?

When I’m called to be a giver,
Do I give of my excess?
Or like the poor widow,
Give all that I possess?

When I’m called to be a giver,
May I never count the cost
Of tender loving, giving,
Just as the Master taught.

Myra D’souza/1.12.1998

THE SWEETEST NAME

I whisper Your Name
It’s like music,
A sigh on a soft summer breeze,
The Name first revealed,
By the Angel,
To a girl soon a mother to be.

Your Name
Is the music of angels,
Soft as a mother’s caress,
Your Name is my sanctification,
In reciting Your Name
I am blessed.

I whisper Your Name
In the morning,
When I come to You in prayer.
And through the course
Of the hours,
I whisper it over again.

Then once more when night
Draws her curtain,
Another day comes to a close,
I say thank you Lord,
For grace, strength and power
In the sweetest of names - Jesus.

 





Myra D’souza  - 20.4.1998

THE STRANGER

The other day while walking
Along old memory lane,
I saw someone in filthy rags,
I couldn’t place her name.
She looked like someone I had known,
Someone out of the past,
She looked so worn and joyless,
She looked so very sad.

I looked again and recognised,
Who this person was,
She was none other than myself,
Before I’d found my God.
I look into the mirror now,
And what change I see.
For I have hope in Jesus,
My Saviour lives in me.

I have peace and happiness,
Such joy I’ve never known,
I have Love that satisfies,
The longings of my soul.
How sad she was that stranger,
I met out of my past,
So full of sin and misery,
So sorrowful and lost.

I’m glad I met that stranger,
My old and sinful self,
For now I know without Him,
My life is meaningless.
Now I walk with Jesus,
My loving God and King,
In Christ I am made perfect
And that’s why my soul sings.

MYRA D’SOUZA
18.2.1998

THE CRIPPLE LK 13:10-13

The Lord was in the synagogue,
One holy Sabbath day,
When He saw a crippled woman,
Enter in to pray.

Bound by an evil spirit,
Bent double eighteen years,
She lived a sad and lonely life,
Nobody cared for her.

On that memorable morning,
Of that sabbath long ago,
She heard the Master call her,
As she walked in through the door

He laid His hands upon her,
She stood up straight and tall,
Eyes brimming over tears of joy,
She praised the Living God.

I too was like that woman,
Crippled by my sins,
Until my Saviour touched me,
And healed me from within.

He drew me out of darkness,
Into His radiant light,
The Lord calls me beloved,
I call Him my delight..



Myra D’souza/26.10.98

TANYA, PAPA'S ANGEL

I am the little baby,
That your love caused to be,
Lying still within your womb,
In sweet serenity.

It’s dark, and all around me,
Is calm and gentleness.
I am content and yet I sense,
There is more for me than this.

I hear my brother’s laughter,
It rings out sweet and clear,
But mama’s is the voice that I
Always love to hear.

It is very reassuring,
That I am soon to be,
The baby girl of one I love,
Already tenderly.

Does happiness await me?
I have a sense of dread,
I feel a sense of anguish,
Of all that lies ahead.

I long to see my papa,
To hear him speak to me,
To have his arms wrapped round me
Smiling tenderly.

I’m sure once Papa holds me,
And looks into my eyes,
He’ll fall in love and then you’ll see,
His heart will open wide.

But Jesus said He’s looking,
For a baby just like me,
To be my daddy’s angel,
So I said, “Please send me”.

I will be his angel,
So heaven he will gain.
I know my papa will not let
My death be all in vain.



Myra D’souza - 9.6.1998

SO WHAT!!!!

“What is the worst that can happen”, I say
As I stare down my fears right in the face,
Carelessly shrugging I thumb my nose,
And look with disdain at each of my woes.

So what if the devil is rocking my boat,
The water is seeping, I’m barely afloat,
Who cares if the storm is gathering pace,
Who cares if the winds shriek as they race.

It seems every imp out of hades is here,
To weaken my faith and drown me in fear,
“The Master’s asleep”, they mock and they wink,
“He cares not a bit if you perish and sink”.

“Shoo you old creeps”, I say with a grin,
“There is no way I will ever give in,
You can do nothing to weaken my faith,
My Master will help me asleep or awake”.

The imps scowling at me shriek and stomp out,
The Master awakes at the sound of their shouts,
He opens His eyes and smiles tenderly,
Who cares if the storm is raging round me.


Myra D’souza/12.10.98

REMEMBERING YOU

There is deep sadness welling in my heart,
As I recall the day we had to part,
A tiny candle burning swift and bright,
A dancing, laughing, blazing meteorite,
One moment here enchanting with your smiles,
Gone before we even said goodbye,
One moment here, wrapped in a world of pain,
Gone the next as quick as summer rain.

I knew not then that we had just a while,
Before you'd go forever from my sight,
I held you close and looked ahead in time,
When I would take you home sweet baby mine,

An image then passed lightly through my mind,
A Mother just like me who held her Child,
But He was dead I cried and quickly turned away,
Her Son was dead, my baby's here to stay.

I close my eyes from memory and trace,
Your lovely curls encircling your face,
Dark sparkling eyes that shine with mischief bright,
Fringed by long lashes black as velvet night,
With such angelic looks one would suppose,
That you would have a perfect little nose,
And yet the button nose on your sweet funny face,
Could only serve to add a piquant grace.

I came to visit you that fateful eve,
I heard you cry and I began to grieve,
I could not stay I thought my heart would break,
And so I went to Church where I could pray,
Make her well I cried O take her pain away,
The Master heard I did not pray in vain,
He took you home sweet baby girl of mine,
And now no tear shall every dim your eye.

Today the sky is overcast with grey,
The heavens weep with me in sympathy,
Though sad, I know beyond a shadows doubt,
The sun is shining high above the clouds,
Hope in my heart is once again renewed,
Death woke me up to life in Christ anew,
And though I'll miss you baby till I die,
I know that this will be a short goodbye.

Myra D'souza / 8.3.1998

PRAYER FOR TODAY - Eph 3:14-19

Abba Father in heaven,

As I come in Your Presence today,

And fall on my knees before You,

Grant me this petition I pray.

From the wealth of Your glory in heaven,

Dear Father, I ask that You give,

Me power through Your Holy Spirit,

To be strong as long as I live.

I ask not for strength in my body

But strength in my inner self.

And of You My Lord and My Savior,

I have a favor to ask of as well.

In faith, I ask You, Lord Jesus,

To make Your home in my heart,

Then will my roots and foundation

Be deeply embedded in love.

So I, along with Your people,

Have the power to understand,

The breadth, length, the height, the depth of,

The wonderful love of my Lord.

Yes, my Lord and my Savior,

May I know and be filled with Your love,

A love that can never be fully known,

And so have the nature of God. 

Eph 3:14-19 

Myra D’Souza / 14.2.1998

ON FIRE WITH LOVE

Like flowers thirst for water,
On a hot, dry summer’s day,
So I yearn for You my Lord,
Please quench my thirst I pray.

Just like the morning glory,
Turns its little head,
To the early morning sunshine,
For its warm, gentle caress.

I turn to You Sweet Jesus,
Please touch my heart today,
So through the busy hours,
Your love I’ll radiate.

May the glowing embers of,
My love burst to a flame.
Set my heart on fire and
Consume me in its blaze.
Myra D’souza/21.6.98

NO GREATER LOVE

There is no greater union,

There’s no intimacy,

As close as You sweet Jesus,

In the Eucharist with me.

When I receive You Jesus,

In this sacrament as Bread,

You take possession of me,

As on manna I am fed.

No man and wife could ever be,

As truly one as when,

You my Precious Jesus,

Become mere bread for men.

The Arc of the Old Covenant,

Enclosed the sacred laws,

The ten commandments written by,

The finger of the Lord.

The Arc of the New Covenant

Is found within my breast,

When it enfolds the Living Word,

In the Holy Eucharist.

I am a sinful wretch my Lord,

And it would be quite right,

For You to turn away from me,

And banish me from sight.

I bow my head in gratitude,

As I bend my knee,

Thank You Lord for loving me

In this awesome mystery.

MYRA D’SOUZA/10.11.1998