Catholic Meditations

Friday Morning Meditation

It is Friday, my Lord,
and once again,
bring my thoughts to that sad Friday
we call good,
for it brought the salvation of the world
in blood
and pain,
and grief
and love.

It is Friday, my Lord.
Renew in me
the gratitude I have
for what you chose to do that day,
for the love you shared
the blood you shed,
the pain,
the death,
for this poor, sad, marred world.

It is Friday, my Lord,
Help me to reach out
as you reached out,
with love
where there is hatred,
with hope
where there is despair,
with the light of God
where there is darkness.

Today, tomorrow, and always,
Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

Labels: Friday Meditations

Signs

"Euthanize Christians" - sign carried at the pro-abortion March for Women's Lives, April 24, 2004 Washington DC


Dear Lord,
Let us never forget
that the world hated you,
the good you stood for,
the truth you proclaimed,
but yet you continued to proclaim
God's love to an aching world,
and when they came to take your life,
you laid it down
lovingly,
forgiving,
and caring to the last.

Dear Lord,
Let us never forget
that if the world hates you,
it will hate us for following you,
for witnessing your truth
in counter to the lies,
in living your good
in counter to the evil,
in bringing your light
to the darkness.

Give us the strength
to carry on in your name,
in prayer always,
with love always,
forgiving always,
like you,
a sign of contradiction
to witness the reality of a loving God
in a world filled with
pain, and sorrow and hate,
caring to the end,
until you bring us home.

Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

Tears

O Lord,
this day I offer you my tears,
tears of sorrow,
the grief that each day brings,
both for me and others
in this dark valley we call life,
for acts committed,
for acts not done,
for words of hurt.

O Lord,
this day I offer you my tears,
tears of pain,
both mine and theirs,
pain that wakes one in the night,
pain that comes unbidden,
pain with each step,
pain that haunts us in this dark valley.

O Lord,
This day I offer you my tears,
tears of repentance,
for all the deeds I did poorly,
for all the deeds I left undone,
for the deeds that others do
the hurts of others' sin
that I so wish I could heal
in this dark valley we wander in.

O Lord,
you are the light in our dark valley,
you who walked each step of the way,
you who hold our hands,
who knows our sorrows, and pain, and grief.
Keep me close, Lord,
no matter the tears,
until that day you dry every eye
and in our joy,
we will weep no more.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

O Blessed Mother,
Help of Christians,
Mother of Consolation,
be thou my mother today,
and let me hide myself in your mantle.

O Holy Mother,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Mother of sorrows,
be thou my mother today,
let me cry myself to sleep in your lap.

O Full of Grace,
Refuge of sinners,
Mother of Good Counsel,
be thou my mother today,
guide me in the way your son would have me go,
now and forever.

Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

O Lord,
King of my heart,
Walk with me like you did
the disciples on the road to Emmaus,
and let my heart burn within me
as you teach me your way,
even if I do not recognize my teacher.

O Lord,
King of my heart,
breathe on me your Holy Spirit
that I may be filled with the fire of your love,
and be your tool
to renew the face of the world.

O Lord,
King of my heart,
Ask me often
if I love you
so that I may always be aware
of why I do what I do,
and for whom do I do it.
Help my heart and soul always and ever
reply Yes.

Susan E. Stone, 2004