Catholic Meditations

O Lord,
Open our eyes,
let the scales fall off
and let us see
the pain
and grief
and anger
and rage
and hate
and misery
and loneliness
and sickness
and sorrow
that permeates around us,
and how we effect it,
and how we should react to it.

Lord,
make our hearts burn
with the love that knows
that our actions count,
even in that little cup of water given,
that refusal to be angry,
saying the kind word instead of the cutting one,
praying instead of cursing,
smiling,
hoping,
loving.

Lord,
Open our eyes
to how we should respond
to loving you,
to the needs of our neighbor.
Help us to see what we are doing
when we find excuses
to not help,
when we find reasons
not to forgive,
when we wrap our anger around us
like a dark, motheaten cloak
dipped in acid,
pretending it is the cloak of your righteousness.

Teach us always to love
in the way you loved us,
You who loved us through the pain
of rejection,
torture
and death,
not afraid of the cost.

Open our eyes, Lord,
let the scales fall off
so we can see how we waffle,
how we compromise,
how we stall,
and falling on our knees,
let us come to you
at the foot of the cross
and be renewed.

Amen.



Susan E. Stone, 2004

Into your hands, O Lord,
I offer up my insecurities,
the little nagging doubts
that like to bloom
into handcuffs
of inaction,
of stumbling, burning anxiety,
of fear based on fear of what may be
of all those things
that let me doubt your wisdom
of loving me,
of leading me,
of saving me.

Into your hands, O Lord,
I offer up my guilts,
guilts I wield like a whip,
invisible stripes across my back
to incapacitate me
leaving me wounded,
guilt that ties my hands,
keeps me from seeking
your healing touch,
the oil that soothes,
the food that sustains,
the hope that comes
from you alone.

Teach me to trust you, Lord,
for you are stronger
than any darkness
I can imagine,
and in your touch,
I will find the light.

Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

To Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

O most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel,
rose without compare,
dew-kissed with tears like pearls
tears of love,
tears of concern,
tears of sorrow,
Pray for us.

Fruitful vine,
bearer of our Lord,
mother of all who call him Master,
gentle guardian who longs
to bring us all safely
to the foot of the cross,
where we will find love
and forgiveness
and healing,
Pray for us.

Splendor of Heaven
whose unfailing yes
shook the walls of sin and death
built by the refusal of Eve,
You who offer us hope
in the simple words,
"Do whatever he tells you,"
Pray for us.

O Star of the Sea,
be always our beacon,
to lead us home across the dark waters,
our comfort,
our sign,
O Virgin who gave birth
to God with Us,
O Flos Carmeli,
Pray for us
now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

This day O Lord,
teach me to share your word
to those around me
even when I say nothing,
silently
all throughout the day
by the way I act,
the things I choose,
the deeds I do.

Fill my heart with your love,
so that I can love
openheartedly
for your glory.

Fill my mind with your patience,
so I can see beyond
appearances
to the child of God that is each and every one of us.

Fill my hands with your compassion,
so I can reach out and
touch
whereever you show me the need for mercy.

Lord,
give me of your strength
so that as I see this sorrowful world
in its pain and grief
I will not despair,
but remember
how you gave your life in pain and sorrow,
in the most brilliant moment of love
for just this sad place
and understand
that it has value for you.

Help me always to remember to give
thanks
that you love us,
no matter how dark it gets,
and in the end,
you are there,
to be our light,
our beacon,
our hope,
this day, and always.

Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

O my Jesus,
you whose heart
is big enough to hold
the entire world,
with all its sorrows,
griefs,
fears,
you who long to comfort us,
free us,
be our peace,
help us, O Lord,
to see your eyes
in the eyes of that child needing help,
in the eyes of that woman,
desperate and confused,
in the eyes of that hurt and angry man,
in the eyes of a tired spouse,
our crying children,
a busy shop clerk,
a withdrawn teen,
a lonely co-worker.
O Lord,
help us to be the hands
you use to comfort,
help us to be the voice
you use to give strength and support,
the smile you use to ease the pain,
the ears willing to listen,
the heart touched enough to pray.
Lord, help us who love you
to be channels of your mercy
here on earth,
this day, and always,
Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

O Lord,
some days it seems
there are so many things
calling my name,
and only so much of me
to go around.
Some days it seems
I go from crisis to crisis,
one thing that must
be done now,
another
just as important
waiting in the queue,
and then my son brings me a third.
Mountains of laundry,
orders to be filled,
words to be written,
bills to be paid,
dusting,
dinner,
sweeping,
sewing
all saying NOW.

In these moments,
always remind me
that you come first.
When I am in your hands,
my hands can do all things
you set before me.

In these moments,
always remind me
that you are always there
with me
each step of the way,
while I fold the socks,
while I sort the papers,
while I run to the post office,
while I stare at the blank computer screen,
while I worry about my son,
while I cook dinner,
while I dust.

Be thou my strength, O Lord,
this day and always,
Amen.

Susan E. Stone
2004