Posted on 01/31/2005 9:09:46 AM PST by Knitting A Conundrum
Meditation on St. Patrick's Breastplate
Christ with me,
For without you, my Jesus, what am I
but aging, sad and foolish?
Christ before me,
For if I do not go your way,
the way you ask me
I am lost, confused,
homeless.
Christ behind me,
You who watch my comings and goings,
you who use me as your tool,
behind me, the footsteps
of where you have carried me.
Christ in me,
The gift of my baptism,
to be enwrapped in
the burning flame of divine love,
a particle in the body of Christ,
a child of God
Christ beneath me,
Each step I take,
may it be on the road you ask.
Christ above me,
watching me, interceding for me
at the right hand of the Father,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Each hand a tool in the hand of God,
each way a road in the work of God,
each direction proteced by the love of God.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. II Corinthians 4:7-11
BTTT
Prayer and Meditation Ping
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put me on ping list, please
You're on!
When you get down to the St. Patrick that's more than an excuse to drink green beer on his feast day, you find a man of great heart, wonderful faith, and who know how to step out in faith. Here is the whole of the Breastplate, which only a small smidgeon inspired my poem:
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.
We arise today, giving praise to the Lord for His many blessings.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father."
John 10:11-18
Some days
Some days it seems so confusing, Lord,
and I don't know where to turn,
or what to do,
or what to feel.
Those days, it's like I'm stepping out,
blindfolded, on a high wire
over an abbyss.
And yet I know,
it is you who hold my hand
and guide my feet.
Some days, it feels
that life is bitter dust,
drying out my mouth as the desert sun
beats down on my shoulders,
and even your name becomes
hard to pronounce from sunblistered lips,
But even then I know
you are quenching my thirst
with hidden springs
of unseen water.
When I walk through the valley of the shadow,
Lord,
Bring to mind the memory of how you too
suffered and thirsted and felt abandoned,
to remind me that yes, you know what it feels like;
in your suffering, may I always find the balm
that makes my darkness
bearable,
til I cross the desert
and find again the green pastures.
Monday, July 07, 2003
I would like to be put on this ping list. Thanks.
Done!
True Strength
but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9,10 RSV
O Lord,
is there any strength that counts
unless it is from you?
Is there any power that is true power
unless it comes from your hands?
Remind me, Lord
that at these times I feel so weak,
so uncertain,
so unable,
so frail,
that it is not I
who accomplishes,
it is not I who controls,
it is not I.
I offer up to you my weakness,
my pain,
my insecurities,
my pretense of control,
my desire for power,
for admiration,
for success.
Be thou my strength,
that the labor I do
is for you,
by you,
through you.
Amen.
Be thou my vision, O Lord, as I walk through life with thee.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
Thanks for posting the lyrics to "Be Thou My Vision", you'll have me singing them as I do the exercise bike. Cool!
I offer up my weaknesses to you, Lord, and ask you to fill me with your strength.
Lord,
while we rant and rave
about things "they" ought to do,
and actions "they" ought to take,
and the misery and pain and injustice
that surrounds the world,
teach us to look at our own hands,
teach us to open our hearts,
teach us to look at you,
high upon the cross
giving your lifeblood
that we might have life,
and that abundantly.
And in that moment,
may we fall to our knees,
and know
that the "they" we rant and rave about
too often should be us,
that ours are the hands
that you can use
to make a difference,
ours our the lips
that you can use
to bring your blessing
to the needful,
ours the feet
that can walk in the paths
of righteousness and goodness
for you
if we open our hearts
and let you in.
O Lord,
may we hunger and thirst for you
this day,
and always.
Amen.
I'm impressed with the lovely poems that you're posting!
Good for another bump. Lord, we hunger and thirst for you daily. Walk with us, strengthen us, comfort us, we pray.
A most beautiful thread, filled with lovely and edifying poetry.
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