LEGACY

Reflecting on her life I see,

With greater clarity,

How brave and gallantly,

She faced all adversity.

Grit and firm resolve were writ,

Large upon her face,

Every challenge she would meet,

With dignity and grace.

Her loyalty was striking,

She drew her strength from God,

Through Him she found her courage,

To live her life unbowed.

Life’s riddles have been answered,

No shadows now remain,

Embraced by Love eternally

She’ll never more know pain.

Myra D’Souza / 9 DEC 2010

I KNOW NOT WHY

Who can fathom why the Savior loves me?
Why He willed to die to set me free?
I’ve oft’ committed treason,
So tell me what’s the reason,
He gave His life for me on Calvary?

Once I skulked in dark, unpleasant places,
All God's holy angels hid their faces,

Losing grace once mine,
I wallowed with the swine,
While He sweat great drops of blood for me.
I confess I’ve sinned - I know I’m worthless,
None but He thought I deserved redress,
My shame and fall from grace,
Were swept without a trace,
When He was lifted high upon the tree.
I am pledged to Him, I’m His unfettered,
His alone who for my sins atoned,
The love that I once spurned,
Is humbly now returned,
The King says I am His eternally.

Myra D’Souza/23 November 2010

Myra D'Souza / 23 November 2010

HAIL MARY - LUKE 1:26-38

Wrapped in perfect silence,

She was immersed in prayer,

Quite unaware an angel of

The Lord was standing there.

He called her name out softly,

“Hail Mary, full of grace.”

His greeting filled her with alarm,

As she returned his gaze.

“Be not afraid dear Mary,

You're chosen to fulfill,

God's plan to bear the Saviour,

Naming Him Emmanuel.”

“You know I am a virgin,

How then can this be true?”

“By the Spirit’s powerful presence,

And God overshadowing you.”

“I am the Lord’s handmaiden,

As you’ve said, so may it be,

According to God’s Holy Word

And His plan for me.”

Not even for an instant,

Did she contemplate,

Refusal to the angel’s plea,

Nor did she hesitate.

Heaven's gates flew open,

Angelic choirs sang,

With her fiat, Divinity,

Took on the flesh of man. 

Today we honour Mary,

As the Mother of our race,

God’s exquisite masterpiece,

Adorned with matchless grace.

MYRA D’SOUZA / 11.1.1999

SAFE IN HIS ARMS

Safe in the arms of Jesus,

Serenely silent and still,

Just like a child that is weaned my soul,

Quietly rests in His will.

When troubles arise to assail me,

The storm can fall where it may,

Safe in the arms of Jesus,

I know that I cannot stray.

I call on the Name of Jesus,

When I find I’m lost and alone

Foolishly floundering deep in sin,

I call and He carries me home.

I snuggle closer to Jesus,

When sorrow tears me apart,

He wipes away the tears from my eyes,

And turns my face to His Heart.

Safe in the arms of Jesus,

There’s no place I’d rather be,

His Heart my haven and harbor,

Heaven is Jesus for me.

 

 

Myra D'Souza/6th October 2010

PRAISING GOD FOR HER

It’s time to make a joyful noise,
In praise of God our Maker,
Drawing near the Throne of grace,
Thanking our Creator.
For the precious gift that He,
Bestowed on us a while,
By giving us this treasure,
In the land of our exile.

Every day since she’s been gone,
We’ve felt the pain of loss,
Together we have helped each other,
Share and bear the cross.
Although we weep in secret,
Our gratitude is strong,
For the treasury of memories,
We will reverence life long.


Leaving a living legacy,
In her daughter’s dimpled smiles,
Her impish sense of fun is seen,
In her firstborn child.
The youngest of her girls' displays,
Her grit and fortitude,
And we can trace her warmth and charm,
In her son’s attitude.

Let’s praise the Lord together,
For the love and laughter shared,
For the memories we treasure,
That will ease the years ahead.
We’ll speak of her with gladness,
Though tears may mist our eyes,
Thanking God we’ll meet again,
In the sweet by and by. 


Myra D’Souza / 3rd October 2010

YOU ALONE MY LORD

You alone fill all my deepest longings,

You stir my soul awake at break of day,

You raise my heart to heaven every morning,

My senses come alive as You hold sway.

I gaze at You in silent adoration,

My heart is set ablaze as gaze meets gaze,

Come Beloved, make Your tabernacle,

In my soul where I will sing your praise.

I muse about You in the sunlit hours,

I call to mind Your Name at night and pray,

I close my eyes and all the while I whisper,

Grateful thanks to You at close of day.

You alone can satisfy my longings,

No other love with Yours can be replaced,

I know, because I’ve wandered in dark places,

Counterfeit all love when it’s misplaced.

Call my name when day is done Beloved,

It matters not when that dear hour may be,

I am awake my Lord and I am ready,

To be espoused with You eternally.

Myra D'Souza / 29/09/2010

ALTER CHRISTUS

Grace gently wakes me up to greet the morning,

I rise at dawn to life anew each day,

The Spirit helps divine God’s Holy Presence,

My soul ascends to heaven as I pray.

Grace calls again and I come to the chapel,

To worship and adore Christ face to face,

I look at Him who is the Bread of  Angels,

In awe and silence my heart jubilates.

Grace invites me to approach the table,

Where we offer Eucharistic praise,

Ascending up Mt. Zion to its summit,

Partaking in the source of Christian grace.

In communion I consume Christ’s Body,

I’m grafted to my God who is the Word,

Empowered by the Living Bread I am able,

To be His faithful witness in the world.

May Christ alone be seen in all my actions,

Commissioned by the Spirit I must be,

Another Christ to all whom I encounter,

May all who see me see Christ reign in me.

Myra D’Souza /24th June 2010

FALLING SHORT

I have often failed and faltered,

In my journey with the Lord.

When tempted, I have fallen prey to sin.

My weaknesses are legion,

My nature’s frail and flawed,

To conquer, grace must emanate within.

Ungracious, stern and haughty,

I had a prideful  heart.

Forgiven often yet I chose to be,

Bereft of all compassion,

To those who failed like me,

I lacked a Christ-like generosity.

With ease I magnified the faults,

Of strangers, kith and kin,

Heedless of the log impeding light,

Blind, I scorned to follow,

The narrow way until,

God graciously restored my failing sight.

I had to climb Mount Calvary,

Clinging to the Cross,

The genesis of healing to my soul,

All pride, heart break has shattered,

I understand at last,

Christ alone has power to make whole.

Myra D’Souza / 10 June 2010

THE SPIRIT AND I

 

 A  soft, little  whisper,

A nudge to my soul,

Awake, I get down,

on my knees to the floor.

The Spirit is moving,

Enkindling in me,

A love that will flame,

To a blaze as He breathes.

In the rapt silence,

My  heart swells with praise,

Worship unspoken,

In jubilant phrase.

Aloft like an eagle,

My soul soars on high,

I meet with my God,

On the wings of a sigh.

Communing like Moses

As I face to face,

Encounter my God,

In this Holy Place.

Myra D’Souza / 27^th  May 2010

THE EUCHARIST

A day without the Eucharist,

Is dreary, dull and grey,

Hope loses all its promise,

Faith  lacks the will to pray.

He satisfies my hunger,

In the Eucharist,

Possessing Him I overflow,

With blissful happiness.

This holy, awesome Sacrament,

Empowers me with grace,

My soul holds in intimacy

My God in close embrace.

My soul a Sacred Monstrance,

My heart a sanctuary,

I am a living temple,

When God descends in me.

Myra D’Souza/24 May 2010

FRIEND OF MY HEART --(Written with a little heartache for a friendship that I thought had not stood the test of time. Thankfully I was wrong - it did!)

I chased the sound of laughter,

In the summer of an age,

When I weaved childish fantasies,

With the visage of a sage.

Looking back with longing,

Clutching on to straws,

Hungering to keep alive,

A season’s spell that was.

I blew on dying embers,

Cooling through the years,

Viewing a cherished friendship,

Fade and disappear.

In a flash spoke Wisdom,

Through the written Word,

Do not trust in mortals,

Place all your hope in God.

My truest Friend was waiting,

Until I recognized,

That He alone can love me,

With a love that satisfies.

The God of all creation,

Embraced me in His light,

When I let go my childish dreams,

And let the past take flight.

Myra D’Souza/15th April 2010

THE BRIDE OF THE LAMB - I wrote this poem as a tribute to my beloved sister Sandra who showed us how to live and to die. She will be remembered as one who lived her life with grace and courage and above all selfless love. She left to be with God on 03 April 2010 (Holy Saturday)

The Lord has turned my mourning into dancing,

He carried me from darkness into light,

Joy rode the dawn and on that glorious morning,

The Lamb appeared to claim me for His bride.

I have forgotten all my days of sorrow,

My bed in which my body racked with pain,

The painful agony of my life’s ended,

Consumed are faith and hope, but love remains.

The cross that Jesus Christ placed on my shoulder,

Hewn from the one He bore at Calvary,

Would often seem too great for me to carry,

Had He not walked each painful step with me.

My agony a prayer, my tears a blessing,

I offered all for you that you may be,

Someday with me and one in Christ united,

In love and joy and peace eternally.

Myra D’Souza – 13th April 2010

IN MARY'S SCHOOL

In the school of Mary,

I learn humility.

To walk alongside Jesus,

With fidelity.

My Mama trains me daily,

To seek the narrow way,

That leads to my Redeemer,

So I will never stray.

In the school of Mary,

My soul learns to be still,

She helps me recognize His voice

So I can do His will.

The first of Christ's disciples,

Teaches me to pray,

To put the needs of others,

Ahead of mine each day.

My Mama has the power,

To crush the serpent’s head,

God’s highly favored daughter,

Makes Satan quake in dread.

Like a child I lay my head,

On Mama Mary’s breast,

Enfolded in her loving arms,

My soul finds perfect rest.

Myra D’Souza/18 Jan 2010