Monday, March 19, 2007
How Quick
How quick we are to criticize,
How quick we are to hate,
How easy it's to strike and hurt,
Plot and retaliate.
But He knelt in the garden
In agony to pray,
To free us from the pain and hurt
The fruit of Cain's dark way.
How quick we are to doubt Him,
to justify our wants,
to find a reason to strike out,
Harsh words and angry taunts.
But He bore taunts to free us,
A crown of piercing thorn,
The harsh bite of the burning whip
To help us be reborn.
How quick we turn away from Him
For what a heart of darkness brings,
Power, lust, and anger
We choose as finer things.
But He let them lie about Him,
Condemn Him for no wrong,
So that He might open up the door
To save us from night's song.
How quick we lie about Him,
To weaken his bright light,
To use Him as a reason
To make our wrong our right.
But for us He took that heavy cross,
And walked that last hard road,
To save us from our hurting wounds,
Sin's dark and heavy load.
O open up our cold, hard hearts
And see you standing there,
The hand outstretched and pierced for us,
The depth of love and care.
O let us feel your loving touch,
And know the wrong we do,
And falling on our knees, O Lord,
Open up to you.
Forgive us, Lord, for loving dark,
Then crying from its pain,
O let us see the truth we've wrought,
The dark that is our stain.
O may we be as quick, O Lord,
To turn our hearts to you.
Guide us to your morning light,
Our hope, reborn, anew.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
How quick we are to hate,
How easy it's to strike and hurt,
Plot and retaliate.
But He knelt in the garden
In agony to pray,
To free us from the pain and hurt
The fruit of Cain's dark way.
How quick we are to doubt Him,
to justify our wants,
to find a reason to strike out,
Harsh words and angry taunts.
But He bore taunts to free us,
A crown of piercing thorn,
The harsh bite of the burning whip
To help us be reborn.
How quick we turn away from Him
For what a heart of darkness brings,
Power, lust, and anger
We choose as finer things.
But He let them lie about Him,
Condemn Him for no wrong,
So that He might open up the door
To save us from night's song.
How quick we lie about Him,
To weaken his bright light,
To use Him as a reason
To make our wrong our right.
But for us He took that heavy cross,
And walked that last hard road,
To save us from our hurting wounds,
Sin's dark and heavy load.
O open up our cold, hard hearts
And see you standing there,
The hand outstretched and pierced for us,
The depth of love and care.
O let us feel your loving touch,
And know the wrong we do,
And falling on our knees, O Lord,
Open up to you.
Forgive us, Lord, for loving dark,
Then crying from its pain,
O let us see the truth we've wrought,
The dark that is our stain.
O may we be as quick, O Lord,
To turn our hearts to you.
Guide us to your morning light,
Our hope, reborn, anew.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Labels: Need for God, Prayer for Mercy
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Dust and Ashes
Sometimes like ashes, Lord, as I come here to pray
like the charred remains of all my good intentions,
the words I want to say dry up, blow away,
I am left here, speechless, my heart a bare indention,
an empty thumbprint.
Kyrie eleison.
Dust and ashes - from dust we are made,
And it is your breath that gives that dust a soul,
A reason to reach out and touch before we fade
back into that dust, a purpose and a goal
so often unfulfilled.
Kyrie eleison.
Today I know the taste of dust, of what my flesh will be,
Hear my stumbling voice that cries out, wordless, lost,
Today I taste the ashes of my remorse, and see
How empty the cup, how painful is life's cost,
Spent in self-deception.
Kyrie eleison
Today, in the sackcloth and ashes of a pierced heart,
I kneel down before you, all wordless dust, and broken soul,
Forgive my self-deceptions and sin that keep us apart,
Forgive my dry and dusty self that longs to be whole
In the palm of your hand.
Kyrie eleison
Susan E. Stone, 2007
like the charred remains of all my good intentions,
the words I want to say dry up, blow away,
I am left here, speechless, my heart a bare indention,
an empty thumbprint.
Kyrie eleison.
Dust and ashes - from dust we are made,
And it is your breath that gives that dust a soul,
A reason to reach out and touch before we fade
back into that dust, a purpose and a goal
so often unfulfilled.
Kyrie eleison.
Today I know the taste of dust, of what my flesh will be,
Hear my stumbling voice that cries out, wordless, lost,
Today I taste the ashes of my remorse, and see
How empty the cup, how painful is life's cost,
Spent in self-deception.
Kyrie eleison
Today, in the sackcloth and ashes of a pierced heart,
I kneel down before you, all wordless dust, and broken soul,
Forgive my self-deceptions and sin that keep us apart,
Forgive my dry and dusty self that longs to be whole
In the palm of your hand.
Kyrie eleison
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Labels: Penitence, Prayer for Mercy
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
Friday, June 30, 2006
Lord, Giver of Life
Lord, giver of life,
our healer,
our hope,
our Mercy that prevails
even as the world grows more ruthless,
as we watch the storm clouds gather and thicken,
remember us who call you Master,
and help us who love you
to shed your light,
this day, and always.
Amen
Susan E. Stone, 2006
our healer,
our hope,
our Mercy that prevails
even as the world grows more ruthless,
as we watch the storm clouds gather and thicken,
remember us who call you Master,
and help us who love you
to shed your light,
this day, and always.
Amen
Susan E. Stone, 2006
Labels: Help, Need for God, Prayer for Mercy
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
Friday, May 12, 2006
Prayer for Mercy
O Lord,
You who gave so much in care and pain and sorrow,
emptying yourself out to come walk along the paths
of the world you created,
who looked at us with compassion in our pain, our fear, and our need,
who accepted the Father's will, and drank that bitter cup of hard, painful death
so that we might taste your mercy,
forgive us Lord, for all the times we spurn your mercy
and choose, like at the beginning of things to go our own way
in spite of what you offer.
O Lord,
As the current darkness descends,
and we are more interested in chasing after comforts than to give comfort,
and are more interested in spiting our brother
than to join hands to work to stop the calamities growing ever closer,
Open our eyes.
Although we demand the right to tell you what is good and what is bad,
Open our hearts to the truth.
Although we twist your truth
to justify the meanspiritedness or avarice or lust that motivates us today,
Fill us with the reality of the darkness we do.
Although we would grind you into insignificance,
Awaken us to the reality of your power.
Even though we stand proud against the universe
in what we think is our power,
Drop us to our knees.
Even though in our anger and our determination,
We use you as a tool to attack our enemies,
Teach us what you really want us to be.
O Lord, you are the fount of all mercy,
pull the scales from our eyes
that we see that dark is dark,
light is light,
truth is truth,
and that in that moment of reality,
we will be pulled into your loving arms,
never to depart again.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2006
You who gave so much in care and pain and sorrow,
emptying yourself out to come walk along the paths
of the world you created,
who looked at us with compassion in our pain, our fear, and our need,
who accepted the Father's will, and drank that bitter cup of hard, painful death
so that we might taste your mercy,
forgive us Lord, for all the times we spurn your mercy
and choose, like at the beginning of things to go our own way
in spite of what you offer.
O Lord,
As the current darkness descends,
and we are more interested in chasing after comforts than to give comfort,
and are more interested in spiting our brother
than to join hands to work to stop the calamities growing ever closer,
Open our eyes.
Although we demand the right to tell you what is good and what is bad,
Open our hearts to the truth.
Although we twist your truth
to justify the meanspiritedness or avarice or lust that motivates us today,
Fill us with the reality of the darkness we do.
Although we would grind you into insignificance,
Awaken us to the reality of your power.
Even though we stand proud against the universe
in what we think is our power,
Drop us to our knees.
Even though in our anger and our determination,
We use you as a tool to attack our enemies,
Teach us what you really want us to be.
O Lord, you are the fount of all mercy,
pull the scales from our eyes
that we see that dark is dark,
light is light,
truth is truth,
and that in that moment of reality,
we will be pulled into your loving arms,
never to depart again.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2006
Labels: Divine Mercy, Passion of Christ, Prayer for Mercy
We Ask For Your Mercy
O Jesus, my Savior and Redeemer,
Son of the living God,
Ocean of Divine Mercy,
whose loving Heart is big enough to embrace the entire world
behold, we kneel before You and plead for your mercy.
Hear us as we ask for your mercy for this poor world,
for all the lost and weary souls who refuse to see
that only You will fill the aching in their souls.
We ask your mercy on all the young people
who are growing up in a world who will not acknowledge the good,
but that chooses to call good evil, and evil good.
We who love you would make amends for all the blasphemies uttered against Your holy name,
for all the injuries done to You in the Blessed Sacrament,
for all the irreverence shown toward Your immaculate Virgin Mother,
for all the lies and slanders spoken against Your spouse, the Church.
O Jesus, who has said: "If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you,"
we pray and beg You to be with all who are in danger of sin;
May those who should know better but choose the wrong
find the way to your light..
For those who are wavering, shield them from every temptation to fall away;
save those who are even now standing on the brink of the abyss;
to all those who will hear your voice, give light and knowledge of the truth,
courage and strength for the conflict with evil,
perseverance in faith and active charity!
O Lord, you are our light.
In this dark time, may we stand forth,
witness of the light you long to shed to an aching mankind,
no matter the cost,
and know, that end the end, you have promised
to be with us, always.
Show us the way to go, and help us walk it,
This day, and always, Amen
Susan E. Stone, 2006
Son of the living God,
Ocean of Divine Mercy,
whose loving Heart is big enough to embrace the entire world
behold, we kneel before You and plead for your mercy.
Hear us as we ask for your mercy for this poor world,
for all the lost and weary souls who refuse to see
that only You will fill the aching in their souls.
We ask your mercy on all the young people
who are growing up in a world who will not acknowledge the good,
but that chooses to call good evil, and evil good.
We who love you would make amends for all the blasphemies uttered against Your holy name,
for all the injuries done to You in the Blessed Sacrament,
for all the irreverence shown toward Your immaculate Virgin Mother,
for all the lies and slanders spoken against Your spouse, the Church.
O Jesus, who has said: "If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you,"
we pray and beg You to be with all who are in danger of sin;
May those who should know better but choose the wrong
find the way to your light..
For those who are wavering, shield them from every temptation to fall away;
save those who are even now standing on the brink of the abyss;
to all those who will hear your voice, give light and knowledge of the truth,
courage and strength for the conflict with evil,
perseverance in faith and active charity!
O Lord, you are our light.
In this dark time, may we stand forth,
witness of the light you long to shed to an aching mankind,
no matter the cost,
and know, that end the end, you have promised
to be with us, always.
Show us the way to go, and help us walk it,
This day, and always, Amen
Susan E. Stone, 2006
Labels: Divine Mercy, Prayer for Mercy, Reparation Prayer
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
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
Saturday, September 11, 2004
In Memory of 9/11
I
Hear my prayer, O Lord,
and let my cry come unto thee,
and hear the voice of your children,
all those burdened
with death unexpected,
the dead, the dying, the survivors,
the blood of victims
here,
then,
throughout time
since Abel's blood first cried to you.
II
The Day
For some it was
a day to celebrate,
a day that a little David
brought down
a mighty Goliath.
that symbol of sin and oppression,
who would strip them of God
and truth and opportunity
and tear their world apart
and try to keep them
ground under it's thumb forever.
For some it was
the day life turned to ashes,
drifting in white dusty smoke
coating the survivors
as they groped,
ghostlike,
trying to find the light.
For some it was
children searching for fathers
now pulverized
beneath an unbelievable wreakage.
wives looking for husband
husbands crying for their wives,
voicemail messages played over and over,
the last quick message,
a final goodbye,
the last connection
before the unthinkable.
III
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
For the hardness of our heart
Forgive us, O Lord.
For the passing of our wrongs down to our children,
Forgive us, O Lord.
For the celebration of the death of our enemies,
Forgive us, O Lord.
For choosing to nurse our hate rather than be reconciled with our neighbor,
Forgive us O Lord.
IV
Words.
Words were spoken,
and soon,
reality is warped into the image
cast by words.
The words were spoken
twisting peace into hate,
twisting plowshares into swords,
twisting buildings of people into rubble and ruin.
Where are the words
to ease the pain
of a woman who has lost her child?
In the anger of hate,
is she real
or just a counter?
Where are the words
to fill the heart
of a husband who lost his wife?
Is his loss
justified
by the blow against the enemy?
Where are the words
to fill the lives
of the newly orphaned?
Are their shattered lives
able to heal
the twisting of others' hearts?
V
Dear Lord,
This day, let me commend to you
all those killed
in hatred,
whether by sword,
stone,
scapel,
poison,
bullet,
bomb.
This day I commend to you
victims chosen
to terrorize the surviving,
children,
beloveds,
friends,
coworkers,
strangers.
And on this anniversary
of the evil that man willingly does to others,
teach us not to hate,
but to break the chains
that try to drag us down into the pit
one word at a time
one refusal to hate at a time,
one reaching out to those in need at a time,
one willingness to walk in your steps at a time.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2004
Hear my prayer, O Lord,
and let my cry come unto thee,
and hear the voice of your children,
all those burdened
with death unexpected,
the dead, the dying, the survivors,
the blood of victims
here,
then,
throughout time
since Abel's blood first cried to you.
II
The Day
For some it was
a day to celebrate,
a day that a little David
brought down
a mighty Goliath.
that symbol of sin and oppression,
who would strip them of God
and truth and opportunity
and tear their world apart
and try to keep them
ground under it's thumb forever.
For some it was
the day life turned to ashes,
drifting in white dusty smoke
coating the survivors
as they groped,
ghostlike,
trying to find the light.
For some it was
children searching for fathers
now pulverized
beneath an unbelievable wreakage.
wives looking for husband
husbands crying for their wives,
voicemail messages played over and over,
the last quick message,
a final goodbye,
the last connection
before the unthinkable.
III
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
For the hardness of our heart
Forgive us, O Lord.
For the passing of our wrongs down to our children,
Forgive us, O Lord.
For the celebration of the death of our enemies,
Forgive us, O Lord.
For choosing to nurse our hate rather than be reconciled with our neighbor,
Forgive us O Lord.
IV
Words.
Words were spoken,
and soon,
reality is warped into the image
cast by words.
The words were spoken
twisting peace into hate,
twisting plowshares into swords,
twisting buildings of people into rubble and ruin.
Where are the words
to ease the pain
of a woman who has lost her child?
In the anger of hate,
is she real
or just a counter?
Where are the words
to fill the heart
of a husband who lost his wife?
Is his loss
justified
by the blow against the enemy?
Where are the words
to fill the lives
of the newly orphaned?
Are their shattered lives
able to heal
the twisting of others' hearts?
V
Dear Lord,
This day, let me commend to you
all those killed
in hatred,
whether by sword,
stone,
scapel,
poison,
bullet,
bomb.
This day I commend to you
victims chosen
to terrorize the surviving,
children,
beloveds,
friends,
coworkers,
strangers.
And on this anniversary
of the evil that man willingly does to others,
teach us not to hate,
but to break the chains
that try to drag us down into the pit
one word at a time
one refusal to hate at a time,
one reaching out to those in need at a time,
one willingness to walk in your steps at a time.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2004
Labels: current evils, Grief, man's inhumanity, Man's Sinfulness, Prayer for Mercy
