Catholic Meditations

O my Jesus,
when the darkness touches our lives
with screaming reality,
shattering
the moment of comfort
that you let us wrap ourselves in,
and we realize
how fragile,
how delicate
how precious
that which you give us really is,
help us remember
to run into your arms,
carry us like the children we are.

O Lord,
when after the wounding happens,
and our heart aches
with the need
to strike out
at that which hurt us,
even when there is nothing left to hurt
except our own wounded hearts,
teach us to accept what you have given us,
the way you accepted the Father's will
so long ago,
forgiving even as they killed you,
and Lord,
wrap yourself around us then,
when the darkness is too deep
and the anger to red
for us to see,
and bring us at last back
into your light.

Amen

Susan E. Stone, 2004

Labels: Need for God, Passion of Christ, Suffering

Sorrow

O Lord,
Today I offer up my sorrow
sorrow for words -
sorrow for words left unspoken,
sorrow for words spoken too quickly,
sorrow for words spoken to me.

O Lord,
Today, I offer up my sorrow,
sorrow for actions,
actions never taken that would have helped,
actions taken on purpose to hurt,
actions taken not meaning to that resulted in grief.

O Lord,
Today I offer up the pain and grief
at knowing
how many lives so need your touch,
yet how often I choose not to.
Today I offer up the sorrow of my life
for those
marked by pain,
by guilt
by need.

O Lord,
in my sorrow,
teach me repentance,
teach me to feel the need of others,
teach me to care,
to reach out
and be your hands,
as you reached out your heart to us
through all your pain,
all for love.

Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

O Blessed Mother,
O Lady of Consolation,
be with us
when the moments seem so dark,
and the anger builds
and we want to do
what we cannot do.
O Mary,
You too know what it is like,
to see your beloved
tortured,
beaten,
murdered
without being able to do more
than wait,
pray,
and give it all to the Father.
When our heart breaks,
intercede for us
that we too
will have the patience to wait for the Lord's time,
the grace to bear the load we are given,
and the ability to give him our resounding YES.

Amen.

Susan E. Stone

Labels: Mary

The goals that fill our minds,
becoming
a thing in themselves,
a hard reality that drives us,
with "if only -"
"Let me -"
"Give me -"
Do not let them
take me out of your presence,
O Lord,
nor get distracted
from the fact
that you are the true reality,
the center,
the core,
and without you
all these other goals,
hopes and dreams
would have no meaning.

Use me like an arrow Lord,
and may the goals filling my mind
be just the pull of the bowstring
to do your will.

Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

Lord,
I do not know why
you have put me where you have,
or why you let me experience
the pain
sorrow
frustration
anger
each day,
knowing that I will come here
and give it all back to you,
questioning,
but not like Job,
hurting,
but not like the widow of Nain,
sick,
but not like the woman with a hemmorhage,
guilty,
but perhaps not like the woman who
washed your feet with her tears.

Here, though,
in this place,
I learn about mercy,
the vague emptiness
the greyness
that life is
without your touch,
the joy
that comes
from your touch unexpected,
the perseverance
that makes each day worth facing.

Day by day, Lord,
hold my hand,
and bring me to this place
at the foot of the cross,
at the mercy seat,
at the fount of living water,
where heaven and earth meet,
where hope is given to mankind
and tomorrow
is given its light.

Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

Labels: Discipleship