Friday, January 09, 2004
Like the fragrance of rose
wafted on the breeze
on a spring afternoon,
sweet,
gentle,
almost unperceived at first,
but growing more precious by the second,
O Maria,
Blessed Virgin,
beloved mother,
you come into my life,
when I need it most,
when I least expect it,
calling me gently home.
How could it be,
that the mother of my Lord
would deign come to me,
with the gentlest of mother's touches
to call me home
in that kindest of ways
never condemning,
ready to wipe my tears
and take me gently home?
O my Lady and my Queen,
Friend and comforter,
too often I have sent you looking for me!
Forgive me,
and thank you
for always keeping me under your mantle,
ready to lead me gently home
to your son Jesus.
Amen
Susan E. Stone, 2004
wafted on the breeze
on a spring afternoon,
sweet,
gentle,
almost unperceived at first,
but growing more precious by the second,
O Maria,
Blessed Virgin,
beloved mother,
you come into my life,
when I need it most,
when I least expect it,
calling me gently home.
How could it be,
that the mother of my Lord
would deign come to me,
with the gentlest of mother's touches
to call me home
in that kindest of ways
never condemning,
ready to wipe my tears
and take me gently home?
O my Lady and my Queen,
Friend and comforter,
too often I have sent you looking for me!
Forgive me,
and thank you
for always keeping me under your mantle,
ready to lead me gently home
to your son Jesus.
Amen
Susan E. Stone, 2004
Labels: Mary
This day, O Lord,
I offer you that which I have to give:
my willingness to go through the doors you open
(If you please, help me realize that they are there!)
my hardheadedness,
(O Lord, may it become steadfastness, and not
wrongheaded mistakes!)
my pity for those in need,
(Please turn this into compassion in action!)
my longing to be righteous,
(I ask you to transform this into true action,)
my awareness that I am nothing without you
(May this awareness lead me not into the paths of
insecurity, fear and depression, but only lead to true
conversion and contriteness of heart!)
My audaciousness
(to ask your aid in this and everything!)
Lord,
teach me
the patience I need,
the willingness to rely on you,
the knowledge to remember to offer all my day up
the joy and the sorrow,
the obstacles, the successes
for love of you
for your glory,
now and forever.
Amen
Susan E. Stone 2004
I offer you that which I have to give:
my willingness to go through the doors you open
(If you please, help me realize that they are there!)
my hardheadedness,
(O Lord, may it become steadfastness, and not
wrongheaded mistakes!)
my pity for those in need,
(Please turn this into compassion in action!)
my longing to be righteous,
(I ask you to transform this into true action,)
my awareness that I am nothing without you
(May this awareness lead me not into the paths of
insecurity, fear and depression, but only lead to true
conversion and contriteness of heart!)
My audaciousness
(to ask your aid in this and everything!)
Lord,
teach me
the patience I need,
the willingness to rely on you,
the knowledge to remember to offer all my day up
the joy and the sorrow,
the obstacles, the successes
for love of you
for your glory,
now and forever.
Amen
Susan E. Stone 2004
Labels: Discipleship
Thursday, January 08, 2004
O Lord,
at times I feel so overwhelmed,
so much I want to do,
so much I ought to do,
so much I need to do
so little time.
Remind me of the days
when the crowds pressed you in
and you left before dawn,
or escaped in a boat
to have a little quiet
with your Father,
or of the days
you saw the people in their need
so many of them
and so few do to the work.
My beloved Master,
You who knows just how it feels,
send me the wisdom
to deal with my exasperations
and the patience to deal with the anger and irritation,
and how to deal with all that comes
by the light of your love.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2004
at times I feel so overwhelmed,
so much I want to do,
so much I ought to do,
so much I need to do
so little time.
Remind me of the days
when the crowds pressed you in
and you left before dawn,
or escaped in a boat
to have a little quiet
with your Father,
or of the days
you saw the people in their need
so many of them
and so few do to the work.
My beloved Master,
You who knows just how it feels,
send me the wisdom
to deal with my exasperations
and the patience to deal with the anger and irritation,
and how to deal with all that comes
by the light of your love.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2004
Labels: Emmanuel, Help Me O Lord
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
On the Eucharistic Lord at the Elevation
Lord, in your servant's hands,
you are lifted up,
high for all to see,
like so long ago, you were lifted up
upon the cross.
a spectacle meant to shame and kill,
but instead, brought life.
And in your priest's hands,
Glowing like a soft white beacon in the night,
you become our life,
the food for our famished souls,
the drink for our parched spirit
lost for too long in the desert.
O life-giving Master,
who feeds us again and again with his own self,
who waits day in and out
vunerable,accessible,
yet Lord of the universe,
to join us in joy
out of pure love.
Deo Gratis!
Susan E. Stone 2004
you are lifted up,
high for all to see,
like so long ago, you were lifted up
upon the cross.
a spectacle meant to shame and kill,
but instead, brought life.
And in your priest's hands,
Glowing like a soft white beacon in the night,
you become our life,
the food for our famished souls,
the drink for our parched spirit
lost for too long in the desert.
O life-giving Master,
who feeds us again and again with his own self,
who waits day in and out
vunerable,accessible,
yet Lord of the universe,
to join us in joy
out of pure love.
Deo Gratis!
Susan E. Stone 2004
Labels: Bread of Life, Eucharist
O Mother of Consolation,
hold my hand
as I walk the road
that your Son has led me.
And as the light grows clearer
and each veil of self deception
is pulled from my eyes,
and I see clearer and more certainly
the faults in me
and the perfection in him
and learn how utterly short I fall,
O Blessed Mother
let me weep in your arms
over what I have done.
O how I have driven the nails myself,
wielded the whip,
joined in the angry mob,
betrayed the One
whom I should love best of all -
but I will not despair,
for your Son has called me,
and the radiance of his love
heals my aching soul.
Pray for me, O holy Mother of God,
That I may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ,
no matter how painful the transformation.
Susan E. Stone, 2004
hold my hand
as I walk the road
that your Son has led me.
And as the light grows clearer
and each veil of self deception
is pulled from my eyes,
and I see clearer and more certainly
the faults in me
and the perfection in him
and learn how utterly short I fall,
O Blessed Mother
let me weep in your arms
over what I have done.
O how I have driven the nails myself,
wielded the whip,
joined in the angry mob,
betrayed the One
whom I should love best of all -
but I will not despair,
for your Son has called me,
and the radiance of his love
heals my aching soul.
Pray for me, O holy Mother of God,
That I may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ,
no matter how painful the transformation.
Susan E. Stone, 2004
Labels: Mary
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
O my Jesus,
tortured,
beaten,
bloody,
mocked,
and stripped of all,
who laid down your freedom
willingly,
knowing what we are,
what we have done
and are likely to do again.
Our hands are not clean, Lord,
never could we be worthy
to be given what you offer us,
your own dear self,
your own body and blood,
medicine beyond all others.
Yet you call us home
to wash us,
heal us,
renew us.
Teach us how to love!
Susan E Stone, 2004
tortured,
beaten,
bloody,
mocked,
and stripped of all,
who laid down your freedom
willingly,
knowing what we are,
what we have done
and are likely to do again.
Our hands are not clean, Lord,
never could we be worthy
to be given what you offer us,
your own dear self,
your own body and blood,
medicine beyond all others.
Yet you call us home
to wash us,
heal us,
renew us.
Teach us how to love!
Susan E Stone, 2004
Labels: Passion of Christ
Monday, January 05, 2004
Prayer for Crabby Days
O Lord,
on days when I feel touched with anger,
or frustration,
or pain,
teach me to keep my tongue silent.
Help me remember
that it is better to be silent
than right
in a way that hurts another,
that the right to admonish
is not a right to harm
or belittle,
or injure,
but only to heal.
O Lord, on days when I long to complain or attack,
teach me to smile,
and offer up the tension to you.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2004
O Lord,
on days when I feel touched with anger,
or frustration,
or pain,
teach me to keep my tongue silent.
Help me remember
that it is better to be silent
than right
in a way that hurts another,
that the right to admonish
is not a right to harm
or belittle,
or injure,
but only to heal.
O Lord, on days when I long to complain or attack,
teach me to smile,
and offer up the tension to you.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2004
Labels: Discipleship
Prayer of Thanks
O Lord!
I praise your name,
you who knowing us for what we are,
you who knowing how much we fail,
how much we hate,
how willing we are to hurt,
still chose to be Emmanuel,
God with us,
who chose to dress yourself in human flesh.
O Lord,
you who knows the taste of dust in the heat of summer,
the feeling of loss at the passing of a parent,
the grief of those you love,
the bitterness of betrayal,
the horrors of torture,
hunger,
how the cold of winter creeps into your flesh,
rejection.
You know, you experienced,
yet you still chose to die
that we might live.
We will never be worthy
of what you have given,
but thank you for loving us enough
that you gave it any way.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2004
O Lord!
I praise your name,
you who knowing us for what we are,
you who knowing how much we fail,
how much we hate,
how willing we are to hurt,
still chose to be Emmanuel,
God with us,
who chose to dress yourself in human flesh.
O Lord,
you who knows the taste of dust in the heat of summer,
the feeling of loss at the passing of a parent,
the grief of those you love,
the bitterness of betrayal,
the horrors of torture,
hunger,
how the cold of winter creeps into your flesh,
rejection.
You know, you experienced,
yet you still chose to die
that we might live.
We will never be worthy
of what you have given,
but thank you for loving us enough
that you gave it any way.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2004
Labels: Praise and Thanksgiving
Prayer for dealing with others
Dear Lord,
Expand my patience!
Let me give you all my anxieties,
worries, and fears.
Help me see into the hearts
of those who depend on me for guidance,
teach me to guide them with your wisdom,
not to feel attacked when they ignore me
or choose the wrong.
Remind me to pray often for them,
to commend them always to your will,
to ask you to watch over them often,
to keep them ever in your hands.
Help me to understand
that it is your will that matters,
not mine,
that it is your timing that counts,
not mine,
and that free will is a gift you give to all of us.
Teach me above all
to let go and let you do your work
in your way and in your time.
Amen
Susan E. Stone, 2004
Dear Lord,
Expand my patience!
Let me give you all my anxieties,
worries, and fears.
Help me see into the hearts
of those who depend on me for guidance,
teach me to guide them with your wisdom,
not to feel attacked when they ignore me
or choose the wrong.
Remind me to pray often for them,
to commend them always to your will,
to ask you to watch over them often,
to keep them ever in your hands.
Help me to understand
that it is your will that matters,
not mine,
that it is your timing that counts,
not mine,
and that free will is a gift you give to all of us.
Teach me above all
to let go and let you do your work
in your way and in your time.
Amen
Susan E. Stone, 2004
Labels: Discipleship
