Catholic Meditations

O Lord,
hear our prayer,
and let our cry
come unto thee,
as we grieve
for our losses,
the death of a child,
the death of a spouse,
the loss of a friend,
the loss of a fellow human.
So much pain, Lord,
we pour into your hands -
everyday,
pain from war,
pain from greed,
pain from bad luck,
pain from self-righteousness,
pain from impatience,
pain from indifference.
In our grief,
teach us to love
instead of hate,
teach us to build,
rather than seek revenge,
teach us to heal
instead of rage,
teach us to forgive.

Sue Stone
sue_stone@stonesneatstuff.com
www.catholicmeditations.com

Meditation on the Crucifixion

Blood price.
The dark maroon fluid,
drip by drip,
running down the wood,
down bare flesh,
sticky,
fluid of life
marker of death,
of sacrifice,
of sacred.

Blood price.
Each drop
atonement for
the beggar ignored,
the lie told,
the aborted,
the killed in honor,
the lover deserted,
the theft,
the murder,
the angry word,
the greed
the hate
the lust.

Blood price.
The dark maroon fluid
drip by drip,
running down the wood.
down bare flesh,
sticky,
fluid of life
marker of death,
lamp of hope,
love song
God's touch,
redemption.


Susan E. Stone, 2004

Meditation on the Divine Mercy

"I offer you my mercy,"
says our loving Lord.
"Look at my hands,
my feet,
my side,
my heart.
I was willing to give so much,
you my precious ones,
important,
beloved.

"As callous as you are,
or lost and confused,
as sad and imperfect as you are,
or burdened with others needs,
as angry as you are,
or injured
stained within,
or without,
I call you.
Ask,
let me pour my love on you,
my heart's blood.

"Pray for my mercy,
mercy upon the whole world,
a world I would hide within my own heart,
heal it,
bring it home
if you would but ask."

Lord, help us to ask
for your love and mercy,
poured out on us,
poured out on others,
a living chain awash in your divine mercy,
You our heart,
our center,
our being.

Divine Mercy,
enclosed in the Heart of Jesus for us,
and especially for sinners,
I trust in thee.
Have mercy on us, and on the whole world.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

O Lord,
how the keening song
of those who suffer
must rise to heaven,
day after sad day,
the cry of the bereft,
the cry of the oppressed,
the cry of the despairing,
the cry of pain.
Lord, have mercy!

Lord,
open our eyes to see
the suffering all around us,
soften our hearts
that we do not tune that misery out,
that we may be
the hands of your mercy,
the instruments of your peace,
the tools of your care.

Lord,
we pray
for those wailing at the death of their children, their parents, their beloved, their friends,
for the mothers who have taken the life of their unborn child,
for those who have seen their children off to fight in the endless stream of conflicts,
then welcome back a coffin,
have mercy.

Lord,
teach us to see
the results of our anger,
the results of our selfishness
the results of our sin
that put the lives of your children at risk
who see humanity as commodity,
who think that grief is worth the cost.

Lord,
we pray
for those who do not know where their next meal is,
for those who scrabble a living on the casts off of the more fortunate,
for those twisted with the desire for more
and turn a blind eye to those who are oppressed by their need,
for those who are twisted by lack,
and those who are crippled by too much,
Lord have mercy.

Lord,
teach us to see the want,
spiritual, physical, mental
in our fellow man,
that we may reach out and help,
help us to live lives
that let others live,
teach us to share
instead of hoard,
teach us to see with your eyes.

Lord,
we pray for those abandoned,
those abandoned to death by neglect,
those abandoned to death by the hand of others,
those abandoned because of inconvenience,
those put to death
because they were dying,
or an embarrassment,
or an encumbrance,
street children,
the aged,
the unborn,
the ugly,
the damaged.
Lord have mercy!

Lord, teach us
that life is your gift,
both to the living one,
and those who touch his life,
as healers,
as helpers,
as beloved,
as friend,
as parent.
Teach us to cherish
those who cross our paths,
teach us to see even the undesirables,
the inconvenient ones
with your eyes,
to reach out with your hands,
to be your touch in their lives,
this day, and always,
Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

O Jesus,
Heart of mercy able to embrace
the whole of this sin-sick world,
Today, Lord,
pour out your mercy
onto those who have forgotten how to pray
in their waywardness or confusion,
or who never learned.

Today Lord,
pour out your mercy
on those who have seen loved ones
ripped from them in hatred,
or accident,
or who patiently wait
for their dear ones who will never return.

Today, Lord,
pour out your mercy
onto those who belittle life,
who see it as an accident
with no meaning or purpose,
who would enslave and kill the unborn
for convenience,
for biosamples,
to make profit,
who would end the life
of the ill,
the handicapped,
those unable to defend themselves
sometimes in the name of mercy,
sometimes in the name of gain.

Today, Lord,
pour out your mercy
on those abandoned,
the poor,
the aged,
the young,
those of the wrong group
or color or faith,
and left bereft of friend or family.

Today, Lord,
use us who hear your words,
as hands to bandage the wounds,
as hearts to share the pain,
as people able to reach out and help.
In little ways and large,
help us to share your love,
help us to be the tools of your mercy,
the instruments of your peace
this day and always,
Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

Labels: Divine Mercy, Mercy on Mankind, Sacred Heart

Lord,
when the darkness touches our lives,
and confusion and loss
swirl about us,
come to us then, Lord,
and help us to ask how instead of why:

Instead of why is it so dark,
may we ask how to light a candle in the darkness.

Instead of mourning our pain and loss,
may we ask how to be open to your healing touch.

Instead of asking "Why me, Lord?"
may we ask how to offer you all our griefs and sorrows.

Help us, when darkness is deep
and we imagine ourselves abandoned,
to remember your moments of darkness,
grieved enough to sweat blood
as those you loved slept unaware,
seeing your mother in grief
watching you in pain,
seeing the crowd cry for your blood
while you offered love in return,
even as you grew near the end.

And no matter how dark
the moment seems,
may we always find you there,
just waiting to be noticed,
holding our hands,
walking with us each step of the way.

Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

Lord,
You are the way
to our true home,
to peace,
to the ability to do
with love
all the things that give life meaning.
You are the truth
that reconciles man
to heaven,
through your words of truth,
through your sacrifice,
through being at the right hand of the Father,
through your mercy.
You are the life
that rescues us from death,
that brings meaning to what seems
a meaningless world,
that molds us into children of light
because that is what you wish.

O Lord,
help us to always be open to you,
this day and always,
Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

The Gift of Love

Dear Lord,
thank you this day
for giving us the gift of love,
the love of our families,
the love of our friends,
the love of those willing to dedicate all
for love of you.

Dear Lord,
thank you this day
for the gift of having those to love
who don't look lovable,
but who you use
as a guise
to teach us to love more like you,
the unattractive,
the poor,
the ugly,
the sick,
the cruel,
the angry,
those who we find hard to love
because they are the wrong sex,
wrong color,
wrong class.

Teach us Lord
to embrace them
as you embrace us all
with your Sacred Heart,
this day and always,
Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2004