Thursday, March 29, 2007
Forgive Us
Forgive us our hubris, O Lord,
Our pride in our own strength and guile,
our cold-hearted lack of humility,
Our casting your image in our own personal style,
As we preen proudly at all our ability,
And look at the world and gleefully smile
Forgive us our high-handed facility
thinking how much better we are than our brothers.
Forgive us of our selfishness, O Lord
our eyes that see how deep the need,
the grief and the pain of those who share this place,
But we go shopping for fun while our brothers bleed,
So busy to get into the next fad and race
To show how cool we are and explain away our greed
by focusing on the unworthiness of the needy.
Forgive us our coldheartedness, O Lord,
When we hear the story of how you died,
How you took our stripes and bore our sin -
As the earth quaked and your mother cried.
And though your death amazed the hardened centurion
We sit there unmoved, bored, dried eyed
And ungratefully trying to ignore the reality.
Soften our hearts, O Lord, I pray
Open our eyes this very day.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Our pride in our own strength and guile,
our cold-hearted lack of humility,
Our casting your image in our own personal style,
As we preen proudly at all our ability,
And look at the world and gleefully smile
Forgive us our high-handed facility
thinking how much better we are than our brothers.
Forgive us of our selfishness, O Lord
our eyes that see how deep the need,
the grief and the pain of those who share this place,
But we go shopping for fun while our brothers bleed,
So busy to get into the next fad and race
To show how cool we are and explain away our greed
by focusing on the unworthiness of the needy.
Forgive us our coldheartedness, O Lord,
When we hear the story of how you died,
How you took our stripes and bore our sin -
As the earth quaked and your mother cried.
And though your death amazed the hardened centurion
We sit there unmoved, bored, dried eyed
And ungratefully trying to ignore the reality.
Soften our hearts, O Lord, I pray
Open our eyes this very day.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Labels: Mercy on Mankind, Need for God, Penitence
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Have Mercy
Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God,
who emptied yourself out to become our Emmanuel,
who walked our dust,
felt our pain,
have mercy on us.
Forgive us of our rage.
Jesus Christ, Son of God and son of Mary,
Who walked this earth,
suffered the hurts that life thrusts upon us,
the slings of undeserved wrongs,
have mercy on us.
Forgive us our desire to hurt as we are hurt.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Jesus Christ, who wept tears of blood in the garden of olives,
wrapped in the shadows of night,
the shadows of others' sin,
grieving under the weight of what evil man can do,
grieving under the weight of doing the Father's will,
have mercy on us.
Forgive us our desire to do as we would do, no matter the cost.
Jesus Christ, who bore stripes that we might be healed,
mocked and crowned with thorns
as an amusement for the hard men who kept you captive
Forgive us our coldheartedness at the sight of our brother in need.
Have mercy on us.
Jesus Christ, who was accused unjustly before the High Priest,
condemned in an unfair trial,
turned over to those who would kill you as a pawn,
Forgive us our eager willingness to be unjust, unmerciful.
Have mercy on us.
Jesus Christ, executed for no wrongs of your own,
but who died willingly to save us all,
the lost sheep of your flock,
Forgive us our ungratitude.
Have mercy on us.
O Lord, in the midnight, whisper to our hearts
the truth of a love like no other,
may the scales fall from our eyes,
and bring us to true contrition,
knowledge of what we are,
what we are worth,
and what you would have us to be,
and may we, in response learn to love
in mercy, gentleness and humility
this day and always, Amen.
who emptied yourself out to become our Emmanuel,
who walked our dust,
felt our pain,
have mercy on us.
Forgive us of our rage.
Jesus Christ, Son of God and son of Mary,
Who walked this earth,
suffered the hurts that life thrusts upon us,
the slings of undeserved wrongs,
have mercy on us.
Forgive us our desire to hurt as we are hurt.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Jesus Christ, who wept tears of blood in the garden of olives,
wrapped in the shadows of night,
the shadows of others' sin,
grieving under the weight of what evil man can do,
grieving under the weight of doing the Father's will,
have mercy on us.
Forgive us our desire to do as we would do, no matter the cost.
Jesus Christ, who bore stripes that we might be healed,
mocked and crowned with thorns
as an amusement for the hard men who kept you captive
Forgive us our coldheartedness at the sight of our brother in need.
Have mercy on us.
Jesus Christ, who was accused unjustly before the High Priest,
condemned in an unfair trial,
turned over to those who would kill you as a pawn,
Forgive us our eager willingness to be unjust, unmerciful.
Have mercy on us.
Jesus Christ, executed for no wrongs of your own,
but who died willingly to save us all,
the lost sheep of your flock,
Forgive us our ungratitude.
Have mercy on us.
O Lord, in the midnight, whisper to our hearts
the truth of a love like no other,
may the scales fall from our eyes,
and bring us to true contrition,
knowledge of what we are,
what we are worth,
and what you would have us to be,
and may we, in response learn to love
in mercy, gentleness and humility
this day and always, Amen.
Labels: Mercy on Mankind, Need for God, Penitence
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Have Mercy on Us, O Lord!
O my Jesus,
remember the hands raised against you in anger
as you stood there accused before the high priest,
and remember all of us here
hate-filled and angry,
victims of of that same hate.
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
O my Jesus,
remember the hardness of injustice
when unjustly accused,
you stood before those who wished you dead,
and remember those of us here,
those accused unfairly,
those who do wrong and call it justice.
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
O my Jesus,
remember the tears of those who wept,
seeing you so injured,
forced to march to the place of your death,
and remember those of us here,
weeping over our lost ones,
weeping over those we cannot help,
weeping over the victims of all this evil.
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
O my Jesus,
remember the looks of the bored guards,
who doing what they were instructed to do,
had no idea of the immensity of their actions.
Remember those of us here,
who think we are just doing our jobs,
allowing wrongs to be committed
and evil to flourish.
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
O my Jesus,
remember the eyes of your Mother as you neared death,
she who shared your birth,
she who shared your death with such pain and grief,
and remember the breaking hearts of mothers everywhere,
who see the grief in their children's lives,
who mourn their beloved, dead, injured, lost, without hope.
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
O my Jesus,
remember the gathering darkness as you sank down into death,
your life given because of the wickedness of man,
and remember all of us who will die this day
because of sin,
theirs or another,
in pain and fear and anguish,
entering into life's final darkness.
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
Lord, you who worked so hard to show us the way, to bring us into light, remember us,
and kindle into the hearts of all who will open to you the flame of your mercy, so that we, doing your work, may spread your mercy across this dark and troubled world, this day, and always.
Amen.
remember the hands raised against you in anger
as you stood there accused before the high priest,
and remember all of us here
hate-filled and angry,
victims of of that same hate.
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
O my Jesus,
remember the hardness of injustice
when unjustly accused,
you stood before those who wished you dead,
and remember those of us here,
those accused unfairly,
those who do wrong and call it justice.
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
O my Jesus,
remember the tears of those who wept,
seeing you so injured,
forced to march to the place of your death,
and remember those of us here,
weeping over our lost ones,
weeping over those we cannot help,
weeping over the victims of all this evil.
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
O my Jesus,
remember the looks of the bored guards,
who doing what they were instructed to do,
had no idea of the immensity of their actions.
Remember those of us here,
who think we are just doing our jobs,
allowing wrongs to be committed
and evil to flourish.
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
O my Jesus,
remember the eyes of your Mother as you neared death,
she who shared your birth,
she who shared your death with such pain and grief,
and remember the breaking hearts of mothers everywhere,
who see the grief in their children's lives,
who mourn their beloved, dead, injured, lost, without hope.
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
O my Jesus,
remember the gathering darkness as you sank down into death,
your life given because of the wickedness of man,
and remember all of us who will die this day
because of sin,
theirs or another,
in pain and fear and anguish,
entering into life's final darkness.
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
Lord, you who worked so hard to show us the way, to bring us into light, remember us,
and kindle into the hearts of all who will open to you the flame of your mercy, so that we, doing your work, may spread your mercy across this dark and troubled world, this day, and always.
Amen.
Labels: Mercy on Mankind, Passion of Christ, Prayer for Mercy
Monday, January 29, 2007
Miserare Nobis
Hear our prayer, this day, O Lord,
And let our cry come unto Thee,
You who walk us through the valley,
You who guide us across the sea,
Hear the wailing of our sorrow,
Each loss felt most bitterly,
Every day reaching up to Heaven --
"Lord, have mercy, mercy on me."
Miserare nobis, always --
How we send this cry to Thee,
Walking past the man in sorrow,
Focusing only on our "me".
Teach us, Lord, to hear your answer,
Give us, Lord, the eyes to see
How to learn to love each other,
Lord, have mercy, hear my plea.
Lord, bring light to cure our blindness,
Open up our hearts to see,
How you gave your life to love us,
Died in pain most miserably,
There to teach us all the lesson
Of how love is God's own key,
Help us strip away the shadows,
Lord have mercy, hear my plea.
Lord, may those of us who love you
Learn how not to turn and flee
When the need cries out for our hands,
When our hearts quake miserably.
Teach us how to walk that hard path
Transformed by Your love's truth to see
How we are the tools in your hand,
There to be Your love's mercy.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
And let our cry come unto Thee,
You who walk us through the valley,
You who guide us across the sea,
Hear the wailing of our sorrow,
Each loss felt most bitterly,
Every day reaching up to Heaven --
"Lord, have mercy, mercy on me."
Miserare nobis, always --
How we send this cry to Thee,
Walking past the man in sorrow,
Focusing only on our "me".
Teach us, Lord, to hear your answer,
Give us, Lord, the eyes to see
How to learn to love each other,
Lord, have mercy, hear my plea.
Lord, bring light to cure our blindness,
Open up our hearts to see,
How you gave your life to love us,
Died in pain most miserably,
There to teach us all the lesson
Of how love is God's own key,
Help us strip away the shadows,
Lord have mercy, hear my plea.
Lord, may those of us who love you
Learn how not to turn and flee
When the need cries out for our hands,
When our hearts quake miserably.
Teach us how to walk that hard path
Transformed by Your love's truth to see
How we are the tools in your hand,
There to be Your love's mercy.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Labels: Discipleship, Mercy on Mankind
Sunday, January 28, 2007
On My Knees
There are times and moments, Lord, like now,
Where the words rush by me, escaping somehow.
What is there for me to say,
When I see the darkness day by day.
On my knees I pray to Thee:
O my Lord, have mercy.
Word by word, and life by life,
The world gone mad with hate and strife,
Those who should be there to show us the way
Have secret sins that they must obey.
On my knees I pray to Thee:
O my Lord, have mercy.
The hardness of heart across the world
like a sword it slashes, like a spear, it's hurled
To pit the one against another,
Over and over Cain slays his brother.
On my knees, I pray to Thee:
O my Lord, have mercy.
Lord, help us stand against this night,
And touch our hearts with Thy pure light.
Help us walk in mercy's way,
Shine with your love, day by day.
On my knees, I pray to Thee:
O my Lord, have mercy.
Teach our hearts, then how to be
Loving followers of Thee,
Knowing how to shed your light,
In this land of sin and night.
On my knees I pray to Thee:
O my Lord, have mercy.
Remind us of Thy mercy-seat,
A cross where Heaven and earth do meet,
You bled and died to open the door,
A flame of Love forever more.
On my knees I pray to Thee:
Thank You, Lord, for Your mercy.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Where the words rush by me, escaping somehow.
What is there for me to say,
When I see the darkness day by day.
On my knees I pray to Thee:
O my Lord, have mercy.
Word by word, and life by life,
The world gone mad with hate and strife,
Those who should be there to show us the way
Have secret sins that they must obey.
On my knees I pray to Thee:
O my Lord, have mercy.
The hardness of heart across the world
like a sword it slashes, like a spear, it's hurled
To pit the one against another,
Over and over Cain slays his brother.
On my knees, I pray to Thee:
O my Lord, have mercy.
Lord, help us stand against this night,
And touch our hearts with Thy pure light.
Help us walk in mercy's way,
Shine with your love, day by day.
On my knees, I pray to Thee:
O my Lord, have mercy.
Teach our hearts, then how to be
Loving followers of Thee,
Knowing how to shed your light,
In this land of sin and night.
On my knees I pray to Thee:
O my Lord, have mercy.
Remind us of Thy mercy-seat,
A cross where Heaven and earth do meet,
You bled and died to open the door,
A flame of Love forever more.
On my knees I pray to Thee:
Thank You, Lord, for Your mercy.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Labels: current evils, Discipleship, Mercy on Mankind
Thursday, January 25, 2007
I Pray in a Voice Sad and Plain
How loud the pain and sorrow rises,
A sad crescendo reaching high,
Up to heaven, that growing cry,
Ratcheting up with each new crisis,
Against the screaming hurricane,
I pray in a voice, sad and plain:
Have mercy on us, O Lord!
Today, O Lord, if you hear my voice
against the screech of "Why o Why?"
"I hate you!", "Why don't you just die?"
And vengeance cries that now rejoice,
I pray in a voice, sad and plain
Against this endless wall of pain:
Have mercy on us, O Lord!
The voice of the orphan as he cries,
The parent who's lost his only child,
Those in war zones, hot and wild,
The unwanted, breathing their unseen sighs,
I pray in a voice, sad and plain,
That longs to heal and make things sane -
Have mercy on us, O Lord!
The darkness seems so dark today,
With anger and hate and willful pride
Death means nothing on this dark ride,
The truth forgotten, love turns to clay.
Open our parched hearts, let in the rain!
I pray in a voice, sad and plain.
Have mercy on us, Lord.
Open my hearts to your love's way
That sees with love the hurting one,
That sees the work that needs to be done,
That turns man's dark into Heaven's day.
I pray in a voice sad and plain,
Use me to stop the hurricane,
Teach me to love, O Lord.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
A sad crescendo reaching high,
Up to heaven, that growing cry,
Ratcheting up with each new crisis,
Against the screaming hurricane,
I pray in a voice, sad and plain:
Have mercy on us, O Lord!
Today, O Lord, if you hear my voice
against the screech of "Why o Why?"
"I hate you!", "Why don't you just die?"
And vengeance cries that now rejoice,
I pray in a voice, sad and plain
Against this endless wall of pain:
Have mercy on us, O Lord!
The voice of the orphan as he cries,
The parent who's lost his only child,
Those in war zones, hot and wild,
The unwanted, breathing their unseen sighs,
I pray in a voice, sad and plain,
That longs to heal and make things sane -
Have mercy on us, O Lord!
The darkness seems so dark today,
With anger and hate and willful pride
Death means nothing on this dark ride,
The truth forgotten, love turns to clay.
Open our parched hearts, let in the rain!
I pray in a voice, sad and plain.
Have mercy on us, Lord.
Open my hearts to your love's way
That sees with love the hurting one,
That sees the work that needs to be done,
That turns man's dark into Heaven's day.
I pray in a voice sad and plain,
Use me to stop the hurricane,
Teach me to love, O Lord.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Labels: current evils, man's inhumanity, Mercy on Mankind
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
In the darkness of the moment, I turn to you, O Lord,
You who are the light in which there is no darkness.
Help me to see my way among the rocks and the holes,
The rubble of this sin-filled land in its starkness,
All the places where I might trip and fall
And be swallowed up by the night.
How the sound of sin's dark consequences
pierce through the midnight of this poor world,
The hatred masquerading as good intentions,
in smoke and fire and death and grief unfurl,
in little ways, too, with heart rending words
designed to cut and blight.
O Lord, remember us, how you gave your blood in love
to open up the door to heaven's healing touch,
And looked upon all our hurts and pains with loving eyes,
Shepherdless this people, needing much --
And as the darkness thickens, Lord,
Restore to us our sight!
Steadfast love we have not, save what comes from You,
Who sends your grace to fall upon this hard place
In spite of who we are and what we've done since day began.
In spite of sin and coldness, O Lord, turn not your face,
But remember how you wept in the garden
That one spring moonlit midnight.
O Lord, have pity on the ones I cannot reach but know
How frightened, lost and hungry are their days,
O Lord, the children lost, their parents dying, the wars go on
Satan's laughter piercing through the blood red haze --
Remember Lord, the cross that awful day,
Help us by your might!
Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison,
Kyrie eleison.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
You who are the light in which there is no darkness.
Help me to see my way among the rocks and the holes,
The rubble of this sin-filled land in its starkness,
All the places where I might trip and fall
And be swallowed up by the night.
How the sound of sin's dark consequences
pierce through the midnight of this poor world,
The hatred masquerading as good intentions,
in smoke and fire and death and grief unfurl,
in little ways, too, with heart rending words
designed to cut and blight.
O Lord, remember us, how you gave your blood in love
to open up the door to heaven's healing touch,
And looked upon all our hurts and pains with loving eyes,
Shepherdless this people, needing much --
And as the darkness thickens, Lord,
Restore to us our sight!
Steadfast love we have not, save what comes from You,
Who sends your grace to fall upon this hard place
In spite of who we are and what we've done since day began.
In spite of sin and coldness, O Lord, turn not your face,
But remember how you wept in the garden
That one spring moonlit midnight.
O Lord, have pity on the ones I cannot reach but know
How frightened, lost and hungry are their days,
O Lord, the children lost, their parents dying, the wars go on
Satan's laughter piercing through the blood red haze --
Remember Lord, the cross that awful day,
Help us by your might!
Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison,
Kyrie eleison.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Labels: current evils, man's inhumanity, Mercy on Mankind, Need for God
Sunday, January 21, 2007
The Ways of Your Mercy
Teach me o Lord, the ways of your mercy,
How to reach out in truth,
Not in the false sentimentality of popular notions,
that shifting sense of fairness
that changes with fashion and taste,
but in the true ways your word reveals,
caring for the ugly and the outcast,
the unpopular, the needy,
in the ways that you show us to do.
Teach me O Lord, the ways of your mercy,
How to reach out in truth,
Not with the false rationality that blooms ever anew
to find reasons not to help, to say no
in spite of the truth of what your word reveals,
help me not to turn my back on the ones you send me,
help me not to grow hard hearted with the call now to love,
but to walk in the ways that you call us to do.
Teach me, O Lord, the ways of your mercy,
To see your eyes shining in the face of the lost,
To hear your voice calling in the cry of the hungry,
To reach out and cover your shoulders as I clothe the naked,
To feel your touch in the hands of the unloved.
Through your help, O Lord, let me reach out to God's children
As if I were reaching out in love to you.
This day, and always, Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
How to reach out in truth,
Not in the false sentimentality of popular notions,
that shifting sense of fairness
that changes with fashion and taste,
but in the true ways your word reveals,
caring for the ugly and the outcast,
the unpopular, the needy,
in the ways that you show us to do.
Teach me O Lord, the ways of your mercy,
How to reach out in truth,
Not with the false rationality that blooms ever anew
to find reasons not to help, to say no
in spite of the truth of what your word reveals,
help me not to turn my back on the ones you send me,
help me not to grow hard hearted with the call now to love,
but to walk in the ways that you call us to do.
Teach me, O Lord, the ways of your mercy,
To see your eyes shining in the face of the lost,
To hear your voice calling in the cry of the hungry,
To reach out and cover your shoulders as I clothe the naked,
To feel your touch in the hands of the unloved.
Through your help, O Lord, let me reach out to God's children
As if I were reaching out in love to you.
This day, and always, Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Labels: Discipleship, Love of Neighbor, Mercy on Mankind
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Your Children
Weeping and wailing over the world
Cries of loss that pierce the night,
Despair and grief piling high upon anger
Oil of death waiting to ignite --
Let us see it as You, O we Your children, Lord --
Rip the veils from our sight.
In a world that shows so clearly
The heart of darkness that painfully beats
There right beneath the surface,
In our homes and in our streets
Show us how to walk as Your children, Lord,
Bearers of Your light.
Only Your light can shatter the midnight,
Only Your touch can soften the hate,
Without Your voice to soothe the anger,
There is no escape from the evil fate
That awaits your erring children, Lord.
Keep us in your sight!
In this hard world that sin has wrought
A hard world growing ever darker,
May we who call You Master see
That what You taught us is the marker
And help us be Your children, Lord
Your hands in the night.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Cries of loss that pierce the night,
Despair and grief piling high upon anger
Oil of death waiting to ignite --
Let us see it as You, O we Your children, Lord --
Rip the veils from our sight.
In a world that shows so clearly
The heart of darkness that painfully beats
There right beneath the surface,
In our homes and in our streets
Show us how to walk as Your children, Lord,
Bearers of Your light.
Only Your light can shatter the midnight,
Only Your touch can soften the hate,
Without Your voice to soothe the anger,
There is no escape from the evil fate
That awaits your erring children, Lord.
Keep us in your sight!
In this hard world that sin has wrought
A hard world growing ever darker,
May we who call You Master see
That what You taught us is the marker
And help us be Your children, Lord
Your hands in the night.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Labels: Discipleship, Love of Neighbor, man's inhumanity, Mercy on Mankind
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Forgive us, Lord
Lord,
You offer so many graces to us,
your poor benighted children here on Earth,
graces that fall to the ground too often unwanted, ignored, unseen.
How often we turn to run to the dark when you offer us
that purifying light that will heal the aching in our hearts
as if it were some bitter tonic
instead of the Living Water,
perfect tonic for all that ails us.
Forgive us, Lord,
for the ingratitude of our wayward hearts,
for the cold determination to do what we want,
no matter what the cost.
Soften our hearts, O Lord, and open our eyes,
scaled over by sin and and willfullness and lack of trust,
until we see you standing there,
waiting patiently with outstretched hands,
ready to transform us step by step,
grace by grace
until you have made us into the child of light
you would have us be.
Susan E. Stone, 2006
You offer so many graces to us,
your poor benighted children here on Earth,
graces that fall to the ground too often unwanted, ignored, unseen.
How often we turn to run to the dark when you offer us
that purifying light that will heal the aching in our hearts
as if it were some bitter tonic
instead of the Living Water,
perfect tonic for all that ails us.
Forgive us, Lord,
for the ingratitude of our wayward hearts,
for the cold determination to do what we want,
no matter what the cost.
Soften our hearts, O Lord, and open our eyes,
scaled over by sin and and willfullness and lack of trust,
until we see you standing there,
waiting patiently with outstretched hands,
ready to transform us step by step,
grace by grace
until you have made us into the child of light
you would have us be.
Susan E. Stone, 2006
Labels: Jesus' Love, Man's Sinfulness, Mercy on Mankind, Prayer for Mercy
Monday, April 24, 2006
Ocean of Mercy
Your love, O Lord, is an ocean,
An ocean of mercy waiting to quench our burning thirst,
Living water,
Water ready to purify the darkness of sin,
Water to quench the fires of hate,
Water to fill the parched aching within,
Water to wash us clean,
Living water streaming from the heart of a loving God,
Endless fount of mercy,
Gift beyond our imagining.
Open our hearts, O Lord,
and remind us how we need that living water,
how we will perish without the touch of that healing flow,
how life becomes a meaningless desert
when we wander separated from the living water of your presence.
Help us to realize
that when the burning thirst touches us,
it is only you who can quench that fire within,
and when touched by your living waters,
may we remember the giver,
and pass the gift on to those whose lives we touch,
this day, and always,
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2006
An ocean of mercy waiting to quench our burning thirst,
Living water,
Water ready to purify the darkness of sin,
Water to quench the fires of hate,
Water to fill the parched aching within,
Water to wash us clean,
Living water streaming from the heart of a loving God,
Endless fount of mercy,
Gift beyond our imagining.
Open our hearts, O Lord,
and remind us how we need that living water,
how we will perish without the touch of that healing flow,
how life becomes a meaningless desert
when we wander separated from the living water of your presence.
Help us to realize
that when the burning thirst touches us,
it is only you who can quench that fire within,
and when touched by your living waters,
may we remember the giver,
and pass the gift on to those whose lives we touch,
this day, and always,
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2006
Labels: Jesus' Love, Mercy on Mankind, Prayer for Mercy
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Hold Us Close
God who breathed upon the waters
at the beginning of all things,
and created us as we are,
questioning, often confused,
but with that need for something
burning there in our center
a place where we go to meet you,
even if rarely,
even if awkwardly,
have mercy on us in our time of need.
Be with those in need of the healing touch of your hand into their lives,
Open the way you would have them go,
and bring them the peace that only comes from you.
Hold us close, O God,
even when we cannot see you.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2006
at the beginning of all things,
and created us as we are,
questioning, often confused,
but with that need for something
burning there in our center
a place where we go to meet you,
even if rarely,
even if awkwardly,
have mercy on us in our time of need.
Be with those in need of the healing touch of your hand into their lives,
Open the way you would have them go,
and bring them the peace that only comes from you.
Hold us close, O God,
even when we cannot see you.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2006
Labels: Mercy on Mankind, Need for God
Friday, March 03, 2006
Prayer for Mercy
O Jesus,
You who are our mercy,
look upon us, Lord,
and salve all the hurts this day that need healing,
those whose lives are shattered by unrepentant sin,
those whose lives are shattered by the sins of others,
those whose lives are shattered by events beyond their control.
O Lord,
You know the truth of
all the griefs that need mourning,
all the anger that needs calming,
all the violence that needs your peace.
Lord,
As your touch in life healed the blind,
may your touch open our eyes to the message you give us,
to the truth of your love.
Have mercy on us,
and may each of us who call you Master
be channels of your mercy,
this day and always,
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2006
You who are our mercy,
look upon us, Lord,
and salve all the hurts this day that need healing,
those whose lives are shattered by unrepentant sin,
those whose lives are shattered by the sins of others,
those whose lives are shattered by events beyond their control.
O Lord,
You know the truth of
all the griefs that need mourning,
all the anger that needs calming,
all the violence that needs your peace.
Lord,
As your touch in life healed the blind,
may your touch open our eyes to the message you give us,
to the truth of your love.
Have mercy on us,
and may each of us who call you Master
be channels of your mercy,
this day and always,
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2006
Labels: Mercy on Mankind, Need for God, Prayer for Mercy
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Jesus, Heart of Mercy
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
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
Thursday, January 01, 2004
Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows on Man's Inhumanity in the name of Freedom
She cries in the hospital
as the life ebbs from her child,
victim of a "freedom fighter"
who has brought in his wake
only pain,
anger,
sorrow,
despair.
She is too exhausted to cry,
as she and her child wait for the end,
an empty stomach
long past the point of hunger pangs,
far away from the home where she was raised,
a home now in a war zone,
the fields stripped by drought
and mines
and the blood of men
fighting in the name of freedom.
She weeps for her son,
child of a husband long dead,
brutalized and blamed
for all the evil in their village,
the hunger,
the poverty,
aids,
and every moment of bad luck
as her father and brother
call him a witch,
and she knows
they will kill him,
or drive him away in the name of their freedom.
She weeps for her child
a child deep in a coma,
that others long to kill,
in the name of the child's freedom.
O Blessed Mother,
O Lady of Sorrows,
hold these women,
and the countless victims of
man's willingness to harm
in the name of freedom
in your most loving arms,
like you held your son
in the unfathomable depths of grief
after he laid down his freedom
for the love of us.
Pray for us, O Mother of God,
that we may recognize where our true freedom lies,
at the foot of the cross.
Susan E. Stone, 2004
She cries in the hospital
as the life ebbs from her child,
victim of a "freedom fighter"
who has brought in his wake
only pain,
anger,
sorrow,
despair.
She is too exhausted to cry,
as she and her child wait for the end,
an empty stomach
long past the point of hunger pangs,
far away from the home where she was raised,
a home now in a war zone,
the fields stripped by drought
and mines
and the blood of men
fighting in the name of freedom.
She weeps for her son,
child of a husband long dead,
brutalized and blamed
for all the evil in their village,
the hunger,
the poverty,
aids,
and every moment of bad luck
as her father and brother
call him a witch,
and she knows
they will kill him,
or drive him away in the name of their freedom.
She weeps for her child
a child deep in a coma,
that others long to kill,
in the name of the child's freedom.
O Blessed Mother,
O Lady of Sorrows,
hold these women,
and the countless victims of
man's willingness to harm
in the name of freedom
in your most loving arms,
like you held your son
in the unfathomable depths of grief
after he laid down his freedom
for the love of us.
Pray for us, O Mother of God,
that we may recognize where our true freedom lies,
at the foot of the cross.
Susan E. Stone, 2004
Labels: Mary, Mercy on Mankind
Saturday, November 15, 2003
Response to Terror: A Prayer
Once again we humans offer up
a heaping pile of smoking rubble,
the open wreckage of buildings stripped of walls,
blood and crushed bodies,
the agony of the injured,
the wailing of the survivors,
a lingering cloud of dust that hovers for a time
like the bitter laughter of demons.
O Lord,
we commend our brothers and sisters to you,
crushed by the rubble,
torn by the explosion,
trapped, shattered and broken.
We commend to you, O Lord,
those whose anger burns like white hot steel,
victims of shattered dreams,
victims of the shattered dreams of others,
victims of exploitation,
victims of others' hatred,
victims of others' indifference,
victims used,
furnishing the bitter laughter
of demons dancing in the dust.
O Lord, open our hearts,
that we may be the instruments of your peace
in a world of hatred and anger,
use us to shed the balm to heal the wounded,
use us to heal the broken dreams,
use us to ease the hurt, the aching, the loss.
Lord, open our eyes,
remove the scales of our indifference,
that we may see the truth with your eyes,
and in seeing, respond in your way.
Teach us, O Lord,
how to break the bitter laughter of the darkness
with the light of your truth.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2003
Once again we humans offer up
a heaping pile of smoking rubble,
the open wreckage of buildings stripped of walls,
blood and crushed bodies,
the agony of the injured,
the wailing of the survivors,
a lingering cloud of dust that hovers for a time
like the bitter laughter of demons.
O Lord,
we commend our brothers and sisters to you,
crushed by the rubble,
torn by the explosion,
trapped, shattered and broken.
We commend to you, O Lord,
those whose anger burns like white hot steel,
victims of shattered dreams,
victims of the shattered dreams of others,
victims of exploitation,
victims of others' hatred,
victims of others' indifference,
victims used,
furnishing the bitter laughter
of demons dancing in the dust.
O Lord, open our hearts,
that we may be the instruments of your peace
in a world of hatred and anger,
use us to shed the balm to heal the wounded,
use us to heal the broken dreams,
use us to ease the hurt, the aching, the loss.
Lord, open our eyes,
remove the scales of our indifference,
that we may see the truth with your eyes,
and in seeing, respond in your way.
Teach us, O Lord,
how to break the bitter laughter of the darkness
with the light of your truth.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2003
Labels: current evils, Mercy on Mankind
Friday, October 17, 2003
Prayer for Forgiveness
Forgive us of our hubris, Lord,
our cold-hearted lack of humility,
the high-handed way
we look at those around us
and secretly smile,
thinking how much better that they we are.
Forgive us of our selfishness,
our eyes that see how deep the need,
yet look unmoved,
who explain away our greed
by focusing on the unworthiness of the needer.
Forgive us our coldheartedness
When we are reminded of what you did
so that we could live
and yet sit there unmoved,
dried eyed,
ungrateful.
Soften our hearts, O Lord,
that your spirit of love may transform the world!
Susan E. Stone, 2003
our cold-hearted lack of humility,
the high-handed way
we look at those around us
and secretly smile,
thinking how much better that they we are.
Forgive us of our selfishness,
our eyes that see how deep the need,
yet look unmoved,
who explain away our greed
by focusing on the unworthiness of the needer.
Forgive us our coldheartedness
When we are reminded of what you did
so that we could live
and yet sit there unmoved,
dried eyed,
ungrateful.
Soften our hearts, O Lord,
that your spirit of love may transform the world!
Susan E. Stone, 2003
Labels: Mercy on Mankind, Penitence
