Prayers and Poems

The Visitor
The Soul’s Healer
Thoughts
Written in March
Draw me into yourself
A prayer for Lent
Dag Hammarskjold 
A constant prayer

The Visitor

Beautiful creature, who can you be?
Standing right there smiling at me.
Your robes are all shining
And shimmering white,
With face that is radiant
It seems like pure light.
Your smile is the sweetest I’ve ever seen
Am I awake – or is it a dream?

Beautiful stranger, why have you come?
Is it to heal my little one?
He has been sick for such a long time
Is this why you’ve come to this house of mine?
You are so welcome sweet guest of my soul
With your healing touch make my little one whole.
The angel was gone with the light of the dawn
And my baby was healed that very same morn.

                                                Kathleen Gillum

The Soul’s Healer

Healer thou of my soul,
At eventide keep whole,
Keep me at morning ray,
Keep me at full noonday,
As on my rough course I fare.

Safeguard me and assist
That this night I subsist,
I am tired and astray,
And so stumbling my way,
Shield thou from sin and from snare.

            From Poems of the Western Highlanders

Thoughts

‘Tis God’s will I would do,
My own will I would rein;
Would give to God his due,
From my own due refrain;
God’s path I would pursue,
My own path would disdain;

For Christ’s death would I care,
My own death duly weighed;
Christ’s pain my silent prayer,
My God-love warmer made;
‘Tis Christ’s cross I would bear,
My own cross off me laid;

Repentance I would make,
Repentance early choose;
Rein for my tongue would take,
Rein for my thoughts would use;

God’s judgment would I mind,
My own judgment close-scanned;
Christ’s freedom seizing bind,
My own freedom in hand;
Christ’s love close-scanned would find,
My own love understand.

                        From Poems of the Western Highlanders

Written in March

The cock is crowing,
The stream is flowing,
The small birds twitter,
The lake doth glitter,
The green field sleeps in the sun…

There’s joy in the mountains;
There’s life in the fountains’
Small clouds are sailing,
Blue sky prevailing;
The rain is over and gone.

                        William Wordsworth

Draw me into yourself

Draw me completely into yourself,
So that I might completely melt in your love.

Lay upon me, stamp upon me,
So that my stubborn pride might be destroyed.

Embrace me, kiss me,
So that my spiritual ugliness may turn to beauty.

Lock me into your chamber,
So that I might never stray from your presence.

                        Johann Freylinghausen, 1670 – 1739 German Pietist.

A prayer for Lent

We beseech you, O Lord, that as our bodies grow weaker for lack of food during the season of fasting, so our souls may grow stronger. May we learn to fight more valiantly against evil, and strive more earnestly for righteousness.  Thus, through abstaining from the fruits of the earth, may we bear more abundantly the fruits of your spirit.

                                                From the Gelasian Sacramentary c. 500
                                                The oldest official prayer book of the Western Church

Dag Hammarskjold (1905 – 1961) gave the impression of being an agnostic humanist while he was serving as Secretary-General of the United Nations.  So it was a surprise when after his death in a plane crash, his private papers contained some notes entitled “negotiations with myself – and with God”.  His prayers have a naked honesty which is deeply moving.

1957

In thy wind – in thy light –
How insignificant is everything else, how small are we – and how happy in that which alone is great.

1958

So shall the world be created each morning anew, forgiven – in thee, by thee.
Didst thou give me this inescapable loneliness so that it would be easier for me to give thee all?

1961

Have mercy
Upon us.
Have mercy
Upon our efforts,
That we
Before thee,
In love and in faith,
Righteousness and humility,
May follow thee,
With self-denial, steadfastness and courage,
And meet thee

In the silence.

Give us
A pure heart
That we may see thee,
A humble heart
That we may hear thee,
A heart of love
That we may serve thee,
A heart of faith
That we may love thee,

Thou
Whom I do not know
But whose I am.

Thou
Whom I do not comprehend
But who hast dedicated me
To my fate.
Thou -

A constant prayer

My God, here I am, my heart devoted to you.  Fashion me according to your heart. 
            Brother Lawrence, 1611 – 1691 Carmelite lay brother and cook

Go to Next Page

Go to Previous Page

Go to Index Page

Go to Home Page