I CALL TO YOU SONG ALBUM

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SCRIPTURE AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR EACH OF THE TWELVE SONGS IN MY "I CALL TO YOU" SONG ALBUM ARE COVERED BELOW:

shutterstock_47934826_-_Copy_1000x950_900x650_1000x625_225x141.jpg 1.  LORD OF THE LIGHT - When we are "born again of Water and Spirit," we are like the new born, who sees the light for the first time.  In the process of this spiritual rebirth, we are not only given membership in the Loving Family of the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - but also members of one another of the Mystical Body of Christ.  The Lyrics of this song are a prayer to Christ, who is the Light of the World.  We ask that His Light shine into the deepest recesses of our souls to soften our hearts and to cleave the web of our blindness, so we can see the road back to Him and accept his love and forgiveness.  We also pray that having received the light and the peace of God, we will be strengthened and enabled to spread and share this GOOD NEWS with others, especially the Lost and the Least among us.

10917140_561107037365536_3907965854564909977_o__2__200x133.jpg 2.  I CALL TO YOU - The Lyrics of this song are a heartfelt prayer for help. The one who prays is crying out to the Lord insistently and at great length.  In his/her moments of need, the petitioner is recalling how Jesus "walked the earth to preach the Good NEWS of the Kingdom and of all his saving kindness."  Strengthened by this knowledge, this believer confidently asks to be delivered from the heavy crosses and burdens that weighed him/her down.  This is a prayer from the heart with humility, honestly and trust.  They are the cries of a suffering, but confident soul, who knows that God is ultimately the Savior and Deliverer.

shutterstock_28820866_200x287.jpg 3. ON ANGEL'S WINGS - The lyrics of the Refrain of this song express the wishes and dreams of being carried on the wings of our (Guardian) Angel at the end of life and into the loving, open arms of God, while the heavenly, angelic choir sings.  The lyrics of the Verses outline what it takes, while we are on earth, to prepare for this blessed end:  we are to live the Love that Jesus preached and practiced while he walked the earth.  We are to have the Faith that enables us to endure the pain and crosses in our lives - knowing that our tears are all noted and known by our loving God.
 

Last but not least:  the Hope for an unending life spurs us to use our earthly goods and riches as trustworthy stewards, not only for our own needs, but also to share them with our less fortunate brothers and sisters, while on our heavenward journey.  It is through perseverance in the life of Faith, Hope and Love that we will enjoy the blessing of everlasting life where there is eternal peace.

11986373_1615901268683962_626288317453469220_n__2__300x418_200x279.jpg 4.  PRAYER OF THE UNBORN - The Lyrics of this song are the heartfelt prayer of a child, who did not have a chance to "come into the world!" The realities of Being and Living, for all of us, are what we often take for granted. The unborn child here compares his/her deprivation of life to the "stars in the sky, blinking out before they have a chance to shine," and of never having an opportunity to see the light of the world and its wonders.  The unborn questions the intimate connection between life and love.  He/She experiences the darkness of death instead of a joyful welcome as it starts its life. This tiny being turns to God and prays that at the end it will find his/her eternal rest and peace in the loving arms of God.
 

 

 

 

shutterstock_108805892_200x133.jpg 5. THERE IS A RAINBOW - The Lyrics of this song are based on three main themes :  GOD'S COVENANT - when God promised Noah after The Flood to use the Rainbow as a reminder that he would never use water to destroy all living things again (Gen.9:12-17);  OUR HOPE - The rainbow is compared to a bridge that carries us, with Faith and Prayer, through the storms and challenges of life;  the ABSOLUTE WORTH of our immortal soul (Luke 9:25) that the gain of the whole world is nothing, if we lose our soul in the process.
 

When we admire the beauty of a rainbow, we raise our voices and our hearts with all members of the human family, because we feel a sense of optimism and hope that the future will be better.  We pray that the Light of the Lord be our guide, so that only Love - for God and others - be the quest of our lives.
 

11070953_1580481415550267_5617778678452105213_n__2__200x212.jpg 6.  ALL MY HEART AND SOUL - "Without love, I am nothing...Without God, I am nothing.." St. John, the beloved disciple tells us "God is love, and those who remain in love, remain in God and God in them" 1Jn. 4:16 . This "remain in God" starts at our Baptism and enables us to live a life of love that qualifies us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  By following the example of Christ, who died and rose to set us free to love, and having known what it is to love in God, we are to show "Love in Action." We are to be kind, caring, and forgiving toward our brothers and sisters, who are members of the human family.
 

 A life without God and without love is an unfulfilled and wasted life. 

shutterstock_76946788_200x174.jpg 7.  LEAD US HOME - The lyrics of this song bring to mind the following questions:  Why are we born into this world?  What is the meaning of our existence?  Our lives?  Are we living lives of meaning and purpose or are we "drifting" like the wind along the dark and lonely shores of life? Hopefully, as Christians, faith already gives us some of the answers, but like the Prodigal Son, we are "not home yet,"  and we need to continue calling on the Lord Jesus not to let us roam too far.  We ask for guidance to get back to Him where there is Light, Love, and Peace.
 

 

1977269_617028738398461_1733793808484497893_n__2__200x200.jpg 8.  MY BEST FRIEND - The death of a close friend, a parent, or spouse is a life changing, traumatic event. Our heart is broken with grief, sadness, and tears that seem to be unending. Our soul is overwhelmed with pain and paralyzed with loneliness.  All these emotions are present, because death is such a total disruption and so final, as far as this life is concerned.
 

As people of faith, however, while we experience the "yesterday" of all our dreams and memories, we also turn our hearts and souls to the Good Shepherd, to Jesus, who walked through the "valley of death" in order to accompany us - who remain and our loved one, who is on the other side of existence.  We grieve because we love, but in hope, we continue our journey until we get to the place where our loved one is waiting for us, where there will be no more tears and sadness, but unending joy, peace, and fulfillment.

shutterstock_6048193_1000x625_375x234_200x125.jpg  9.  RISING TO THE CALL - The lyrics of this song are an invitation to the People of Faith to go up to Jerusalem, the City of Peace, the House of the Lord.  Like the walls of Jericho, which were blown down by the united efforts of the people of Israel (Jos. 6:5,20), we are called to come together to pray, to mutually forgive, and to knock down the walls of hatred, injustice, disbelief and indifference.  We are asked to examine our attitude of "looking the other way" when our less fortunate brothers and sisters suffer.  This recognition of what needs to be done spurs us to call on the Lord Jesus, who is the Truth, The Way, and the Light to be our guide and our strength.  It is only through Him that we will be able to affect any change, to heal any division, and to obtain peace.

We are encouraged to persevere in our efforts and to believe in the final victory, because our Lord has overcome the world by his Passion, Death and Resurrection.

11161722_1423827574593348_8619989452395948684_o__2__200x150.jpg10.  ALL FOR THE LOVE - This song is a Love Story told by the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity:  The Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ.  This God came into the world to preach, to suffer, to die and rose so that we - through Faith, Hope and Love - will be able to join Him in eternal happiness.
 

 Each of the three verses describes the process by which we became one with Him - from the very moment of our first breath and our first steps, He is there.  At the Sacrament of Rebirth , when the cleansing water of Baptism is poured over us, we are assured of Jesus being with us "until the end." The presence of Jesus continues throughout the life events of joy , sorrow, happiness, trials, temptations and the hardships of adult life.

The issue for us is not of Jesus's presence, but whether or not we are aware of and avail ourselves to his loving guidance and protection.  Finally, when the "evening' of our lives approaches,  we are faced with the required detachment and letting go of the familiar in order to return "home." This faithful God never leaves us.  When our loved ones say their last "good bye" and when we close our eyes to the light of this world, we are rising into the welcoming arms of this loving God.
 

Let us pray and live our lives in such a way that Jesus will be there with the greeting "well done!" 

12108162_529623063853471_6477051331106478183_n__2_cropped_200x142.jpg 11.  TRUE BELIEVER - This Song is the life story of all believers. The lyrics remind us of the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Daughter), as well as St. Augustine's Statement to the Lord after his conversion - "We are made for you O Lord!  Our hearts are restless until they rest in You."
 

Most of us would agree, as we reflect on our lives that this "journey of life" consists of an unending series of efforts, failures, trials, errors, mistakes , sins, sadness, pain, suffering; as well as success, triumphs, hope, joy, and happiness.  Blessed are we, who, through it all, keep our minds and hearts focused on the WORD MADE FLESH - JESUS, "the Star of Bethlehem, the Cross of Calvary."

This Lord Jesus, this compassionate God - who came to be one of us in order to show us how to live, and who experienced everything we do, yet never sinned - is our model, our guide and our strength, as we follow Him with Faith, Hope and Love.

10898290_745945815490956_7980814983862066277_n__2__cropped_200x154.jpg 12.  LIVING YOUR LIFE FOR GOD -  The Lyrics of this song show us the reasons and the ways by which we live our lives as Christians.  The Refrain of the song suggests that we are not only created by God, but we are also members of His Son -Jesus's Mystical Body;  as such, we breathe with His breath, we see with His eyes, and we reach out to others in works of love and service with His hands.  In other words, we are the "visible images of this invisible God".  Pope Francis affirmed recently that our human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships with God, with our neighbors, and with the rest of created things on earth and in the universe.

The Verses of the song also recount the "Story of Creation, where and when the predominant role of the Word of God, Jesus, takes place and remains. It was through Him that every thing came to be.  This God became flesh in order for us to share His glory and His life, since our very existence comes from and is sustained by this "First Born of all creation."  The only logical way of living our lives is to live in and for Him.  This recognition and conviction should give us joy , peace, and trust, as we face life and its challenges and opportunities.