Catholic Meditations

I
Jesus the Healer

Yours is the healing touch
that helps us rise from our bed,
sick with the fever
that sin always brings.

Yours is the soft word
that brings us back to our senses,
frees us from the bonds
that sin always brings.

Yours is the word of command
that calls us back from the tomb,
wrapped in the shroud of death
that sin always brings.

Lord, on this, and every day,
may I rise up
like she who was healed of her fever,
to do your bidding,
in your way,
now and forever.

Amen.

II

On the Baptism of the Lord

From the waters you rose
and Heaven bent down
to note the moment.

Your being there blessed the waters
with your perfect presence,
O you who had no need to wash away life's stains,
As you gave the waters their life-giving task
of giving men new birth
into your kingdom.

Thank you Lord,
for the channels of grace
you open to us here on Earth.

III

Prayer of Thanks

O Lord!

I praise your name,
you who knowing us for what we are,
you who knowing how much we fail,
how much we hate,
how willing we are to hurt,
still chose to be Emmanuel,
God with us,
who chose to dress yourself in human flesh.

O Lord,
you who knows the taste of dust in the heat of summer,
the feeling of loss at the passing of a parent,
the grief of those you love,
the bitterness of betrayal,
the horrors of torture,
hunger,
how the cold of winter creeps into your flesh,
rejection.

You know, you experienced,
yet you still chose to die
that we might live.

We will never be worthy
of what you have given,
but thank you for loving us enough
that you gave it any way.

Amen.

IV

O Lord,
at times I feel so overwhelmed,
so much I want to do,
so much I ought to do,
so much I need to do
so little time.

Remind me of the days
when the crowds pressed you in
and you left before dawn,
or escaped in a boat
to have a little quiet
with your Father,
or of the days
you saw the people in their need
so many of them
and so few do to the work.

My beloved Master,
You who knows just how it feels,
send me the wisdom
to deal with my exasperations
and the patience to deal with the anger and irritation,
and how to deal with all that comes
by the light of your love.

Amen.