A Lenten Journey

LENTEN
~ JOURNEY ~
~ Meditations and Reflections by ~
Meryl Viola Bravo, M.A.
Written by Meryl Viola Bravo, M.A. All Rights Reserved (c) 2018

THE PRINCIPLE
I entered into Ash Wednesday and was severely brought to a POINT where I was tired of
allowing even the simple gesture of making a fellow Catholic know her failure in representing
our Roman Catholic Church, in which I knew she too, LOVED! And when I realized my own
failure in voicing what my conscience would tug me into examining ~ I finally BLEW UP!
And the PRINCIPLE of ALL CHARITY is first and foremost an examination of my own
moments of coming to ~
And when I AM ~
GOD says, “WELL DONE!”
God in His Divine Goodness, will elate me to a POINT, where HE WILL ….TAKE OVER!
I was upset about a situation that in the past I would have easily just, “tish toshed”
And WOW! Was there an eye opener when, I realized the SERIOUSNESS of the little “tish
tosh” could be a BOMB ready to EXPLODE!

THE BREAD
What am I fasting? If I come before HIM, hungry ~ am I fasting? Or am I hungry because I
chose not to eat. Why am I hungry? The people before me see that even in SECRET God
knows what I eat~
And ALL IS FOR HIS GLORY!
ALL is for His GLORY!
Is there a moment, when you find that the BREAD you eat, is mingled WITH TEARS! I tell
you, the BREAD of TEARS is the HUNGER!
So I AM eating ~ and YET, I AM ~ so am I FASTING? Well, the SECRET is OBVIOUS!

THE OFFERING
When I AM stripped of all that I have, what else is there to GIVE? AND when THIS
RICHNESS is given ~ the offering BECOMES ONLY HIM!
And CHRIST ALONE is the OFFERING!
And I AM CHRISTS’ ~
When the Evening of LIFE COMES ~
I shall return to HIM NAKED!
And HE WILL ONLY SEE HIMSELF!
For there was nothing ELSE to GIVE ~
And God ALONE SUFFICES!

THE SPOTLESS LAMB
When the VICTIM is READY ~ there will be NO BLEMISH!
And the SPOT WILL NOT APPEAR!
When HE IS NOT READY!
The blemish will appear~
Where there is NO BLEMISH!
And the STENCH!
Will be EVIDENT!
Lazarus, COME FORTH! Or COME OUT! Or ……….
My Lord, he’s been in there for FOUR DAYS!
He STINKS!
So you know, HE’S ALIVE!
I believe in the RESURRECTION! I AM!

THE 153
When DOMINUS EST ~ the LORD FOUND THEM AWARE!
And WHILE they KNEW HIM ~
THE 153 came to BE!
Do you RECOGNIZE HIM as the AUTHOR OF ALL THE LIVING?
The NET did not TEAR ~
Because DOMINUS EST!
Are you the LORD? ~ they ask?
You KNOW NOT?
THE TEAR BEGINS!

THE BODY
Do you weep and are MOVED ~ by the CHARITY OF THE WHOLE?
Or is the WHOLE the ONE weeping?
JESUS WEPT ~ when his friend was DEAD!
And HOW HIS WEEPING brought forth the LIVING ~ among the DEAD!
THE BODY ~ IS WHOLE!
And the PART THAT IS sleeping is STILL OF THE WHOLE THAT IS BREATHING!
And do you WEEP for the one WHO SLEEPS?
Or are you the reason why we are WEEPING?
Or are you even weeping?
………

THE FRIEND
I call you, FRIENDS! For my FRIENDS know me, and I AM!
Do I know you as a FRIEND?
And the DEPTH OF MY KNOWLEDGE ~ KNOWN!
What do I KNOW, you ask?
YOU!
My FRIENDS, KNOW ME and I KNOW THEM!
WHO you are to me, is FRIEND and I to you, FRIEND!
Who defines the DEPTH and the RICHES and the UNFATHOMABLE WAYS OF
My FRIEND!

THE FOE
When I AM behind a DOOR ~ and the DOOR IS ~ LOCKED! The FOE is not aware ~ until HE
FORCES HIS ENTRANCE!
And HE WILL THEN ~
KNOW ~
HE IS
A FOE!

THE UNCTION
When there ARE PEOPLE ~ LOVED! THE UNCTION of MERCY ~ refreshes and BRINGS HOPE
to the THIRSTY!
When I DRINK FROM THE FOUNTAIN ~
There is a DESIRE ~
To DRAW THE LOVE ~ and POUR it upon the ONES’ who caused the DESPAIR!
And THE ~ TUG~ BEGINS!
Am I the UNCTION?

THE INNOCENT
The INNOCENT and the guilty ~
Who are the INNOCENT, you ask?
I will tell the INNOCENT, and they will listen ~
And the guilty, they will not!
I will tell the INNOCENT, and they will KNOW!
And the guilty, then will NOT!
I will the INNOCENT their VINDICATION to be VINDICATED!
And the guilty………

THE GUILT
The INNOCENT and the guilty ~
What is the GUILT?
And what is the VINDICATION?
The VINDICATION is the GUILT!
And THE GUILTY ~
Will never KNOW PEACE!
Until
The INNOCENT ARE VINDICATED!

THE GLORY
Is there a SEASON for ~
And a REASON ~
When THE GLORY WILL COME!
I know when the VICTORY IS WON!
And I KNOW ~
For EVERY REASON ~
There is a SEASON!
And the SEASONS are known by a TILT!
The TILT of the EARTH ~
And the TILT ~ of
VINDICATION!

THE PROFESSION
WHO do you PROFESS that I AM?
AM I the ONE?
THE one you have been SEEKING?
Is it the GLORY you seek?
Or the ONE who is ONE?
There is a GLORY TO COME, I say
THERE IS!
And the GLORY IS ONE!

THE ELECT
The ELECT KNOW ~
Who has ENTERED into the UNKNOWN!
And the UNKNOWN is KNOWN
By the ELECT!
There is NOTHING UNKNOWN ~
For ALL IS GRACE!
And the GRACE ~
Is being the ELECT!
Do you KNOW,
I do!

THE HOUR
The HOUR of the ELECT ~
Is the HOUR of REDEMPTION!
And where is the HOUR?
The SANCTA MISSA!
The ETERNAL BEING of ONE who IS THE HOUR ~
COMES!
And in this HOUR ~
THE GLORIFICATION IS DONE!
And the SANCTA MISSA ~
Is THE HOUR!

THE MESSAGE
Are the ELECT selective?
Well, I will tell you, the MESSAGE ~
Is HEARD ~
ONLY by the ELECT!
Enter into the SANCTA MISSA ~
And FIND!
ANSWERS ~
To the QUESTION!
Are you asking?
Are you knocking?
………..are you SEEKING?
And the MESSAGE will be given you 

THE GREETING
When I COME BEFORE ~
The FINDING ~
What will I FIRST HEAR?
Will FINDING be the SOUND ~
Of what I have always
HEARD?
I tell you, the LIFE you FOUND ~
Will be the LIFE
You have WILLED!
And the GREETING ~
Will be what
You
FOUND!

ACCEPTO
When there is a MOMENT ~
The LOST that was FOUND ~
Will find an ACCEPTANCE ~ of the BURDEN of carrying what WAS LOST!
And in the ACCEPTANCE ~
The FOUND is no longer LOST!
For GOD IS THE ONE ~
Who was FOUND!
And GOD
MAKES
ALL THINGS
NEW!

THE HAND
When the ACCEPTANCE is RECEIVED ~
The HAND IS OPEN!
To HOLD what was RECEIVED
And LOVED
~ accepto ~
What HAND receives what is not good?
What HAND ever holds on to what is not good?
~ accepto ~
What I ACCEPT
Is ONLY
LOVE!

THE WATER
Is there a HAND at the WELL? Holding a …….
And the WELL now has
What you were HOLDING ~
I LEFT EVERYTHING!
And what I held on to
Is where HE IS!
And the WELL ~
Is WHAT HE LEFT ME!
And where is what I was holding on to?
The WATER has washed it AWAY!

THE WINE
Has the WATER ~
Turned into WINE ~
Or the WINE still the MATTER~
For the TASTE is GOOD!
And the GOOD is the WATER
Turned into
WINE!
When the MARRIAGE becomes a FEAST ~
What was left behind
Becomes the SEASON FOR THE WINE!
And the WINE
Is the REASON
For THE GOOD!

THE BRIDEGROOM
Does my THIRST satiate HIS?
And am I to offer HIM BITTER HERBS?
Why do they add the bitter and the SWEET ~
And forget
What was …….
Shall I ever forget you?
Shall I?
The BRIDEGROOM WEPT!

THE VIRGIN
The VIRGIN WEPT~
And with HIS BRIDE ~
The COMING is FORETOLD!
Why am I ~
THE FORETOLD?
ONE SIGN
Will be foretold~
A VIRGIN SHALL ~
Bring forth ~
A
DEATH that will bring forth a LIFE!
For his weeping has been HEARD!
And HIS BRIDE is MOST WILLING
For HE LOVES HER!

THE LAMB AND HER OFFERING
What is the LAMB?
And the MYSTERY OF VIRGINITY ~
TOTAL AND COMPLETE!
TOTAL
And
COMPLETE!

THE CONSUMMATION
When the TOTAL and the COMPLETE ~
ARE!
The RENEWAL of her VIRGINITY
And HER VIRGINITY ~
Will be MANIFESTED!
The MANIFESTATION is in HER ~
COMPLETE!
And the
CONSUMMATION ~
Is Totus Tuus!

THE WANDERING
Where is this CONSUMMATION?
WITH WHOM?
The LOST are among the wolves
And the FOUND are among
With WHOM?
Who are my FRIENDS?
Who are my foes?
Who is with me?
Who is against me?

THE SOUND, THE FORM & THE MATTER
Do you HEAR THE VOICE ~
And THE VOICE ~
Is SOUND?
The MATTER ~ and the FORM
Is CLEAR AND CONCISE!
And the VOICE ~
IS CLEAR AND CONCISE!
Those who have ears, HEAR!

THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE LONG
You have been with me so
LONG
And still
You do not KNOW ME?
When the KNOWLEDGE of what was LONG ~
Became determined
By the LONG ~
And NOT THE WRONG ~
Then you will KNOW ME!
I tell you,
My SHEEP KNOW ME!
And I KNOW THEM ~
For my SHEEP have LONGED FOR ME!

THE WILL AND THE DIGNITY
Did you WILL the DIGNITY of man?
And the DIGNITY
Lost ~
When the Shepherd finds what was LOST ~
Is the DIGNITY restored?
Or the LOST
Never
Found?
What was lost was never a DIGNITY!
For the WILL was never found ~
And GOD ONLY WILLS
DIGNITY!

THE DIGNITY AND THE INHERENT
Is there an INHERENT DIGNITY in the VERY PERSON
BEFORE ME?
And when this DIGNITY is spit upon, and beat upon, and bombarded by the
Voice of the LIAR ~
Does my VERY PERSON become inherent by the voice of the LIAR!
And the DIGNITY no longer INHERENT?
Who is the PERSON before me, I ask?
The liar who has found my DIGNITY to be spit on?
Or
The DIGNITY of the INHERENT
That REMAINS!

THE DIGNITY OF REMAIN
REMAIN in my LOVE and I WILL REMAIN ~
THE VINE has many branches ~
And the branch that is CUT OFF!
Is no LONGER a DIGNITY REMAINED!
And the dignity of REMAIN
NO LONGER!
Who are my FRIENDS and the VINE that REMAINS?
Shall the branch remain and no VINE in the REMAIN?
A branch that is withered
Is a branch withered ~
And NO REMAIN is there,
I say, THERE!

THE GREAT CHASM AND DIGNITY
There is REMAINING a CHASM ~
And in REMAINING ~
The DIVISION ~
Will NO LONGER REMAIN!
For REMAINING ~
Has CAUSED THE CHASM!
And
Who
Will
KNOW ~
THE ONES WHO REMAIN in ~
The CHASM!

THE LAZARUS
Shall the DEAD REMAIN and LIVE as LAZARUS ~
With the STAIN of the STENCH ~
And NEVER LIVE!
When JESUS WEPT ~
HE CRIED, “COME FORTH!”
And in his forthrightness,
LAZARUS ~
HEARD HIM!
Do we hear CHRIST?
Do we hear HIM WEEP?
Do we hear HIM CRY?
And when we HEAR HIM ~
Are we MOVED to COME FORTH!?

THE INTENTION
Does the STENCH remain when the INTENTION
Is LOVE?
COME FORTH! ~
Does the weeping of my Lord ~
Bring TEARS ~
COME FORTH! ~
When the TEARS become ~
So CLEAR!
And the TEARS ~
SO PURE!
The stench becomes WASHED CLEAN!
For what was dead is NOW ALIVE!
And
ALIVE ~ is the LOVE THAT COMES FORTH!

THE GARDEN
Those who REMAIN in the VINE ~
Drink FULLY of the FRUIT
And the FRUIT
Is VERY SATISFIED!
Now those who have been washed clean
By the TEARS of the SATISFACTION ~
Will have to WASH CLEAN
What the
SATISFACTION
Completed!
And the GARDEN
Will be their WALK in the GARDEN!

THE WISDOM
The WISDOM of the REMAINING ~
Is above ALL THE REMAINED!
For her WISDOM ~
Is SOLELY on the VINE ~
And the VINE REMAINS!
Who is remaining, WISDOM asks?
If thou does not KNOW ~
WISDOM
WILL NOT TELL!

THE CONSECRATED
FATHER, the wisdom of the REMAINED ~
Are
CONSECRATED in TRUTH!
And TRUTH REMAINS while the remaining have not yet ~
Yet, I say ~
For the CONSECRATED have REMAINED!

THE TRUTH
THE TRUTH ~ is when the HEART is moved and the SPIRIT is spurred to MOVE!
Are you moving?
Backward or forward?
Backward FACE ~
Or
FORWARD FACE!
When the HEART is CONSECRATED ~
In TRUTH!
The Spirit MOVES
And as YOU MOVE ~
WHO ARE YOU FACING!

THE PRESENCE
Is TRUTH a VISIBLE SIGN?
Can I hold truth in my hands?
Is it objective or subjective?
Is it of the mind?
And of the mind ~
INVISIBLE?
Is there a PRESENCE, and the TRUTH KNOWN?
And the presence
A TRUTH?
Who will know, what is truth?
Who will tell me, what is truth?
And how do they know?

THE EFFECT
What is ENVY? And who is ENVIOUS?
Does a GOOD MAN ~ bring a PRESENCE THAT REMAINS ~
Even amidst
The envy?
And WHAT DO THE ENVIOUS DO ~
To the GOOD MAN?
I tell you,
They were ENVIOUS!
And HE WAS ONLY GOOD!

THE CAUSE
And the EFFECT with a CAUSE ~
Will FIND ~
CHARITY will OVERFLOW ~
When the ENVY ~
Is FOUND!
And CHARITY OVERLOADS!
And when the ENVY ~
Is LOST!
And CHARITY IS FOUND!
And when the ENVY is NO LONGER!
AND CHARITY OFFERS ~
And THE OFFERING ~
Is SELF-GIFT!
And the SELF-GIFT ~
Is the CAUSE!

THE SELF-GIFT
The BRIDEGROOM ~ will bring forth HIS BRIDE!
And the BRIDE ~
HIS CHURCH ~
Will be BORN FROM HIS SIDE!
The GIFT ~
Of HIMSELF ~
As BRIDEGROOM ~
Of the CHURCH ~
Is TOTAL AND SELF-GIFT!
Is HIS LOVE for HER!
And for HER
He dies and RISES ~
As HE DIES ~
And SHE RISES!
And THE TWO ARE ONE!

THE WHOLE
When the ONE has found the WHOLE ~
There is a NEWNESS!
For the NEWNESS
Is in the FOUND!
For the LOST was in the WHOLE ~
That in the FOUND
REDEEMED!
So neither you nor I KNOW ~
Who is the ONE?
Who is the WHOLE?
The WHOLE is ONLY ONE!
And the ONE
Is WHOLE!

THE REIGN
THE WHOLE ~ has found the ONE!
THE REIGN is in the ONE!
Who is STILL and KNOWS THE WHOLE?
The STILLNESS will REIGN!
For in STILLNESS,
GOD REIGNS!
BE STILL,
KNOW!
I AM GOD!

A Lenten Journey

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