On Being Light and Leaven:
Poems on Walking the Christian Walk

I
Teach Me, O Lord

"Beloved, if God so loved us,
we must also love one another."
(1 John 4:11)

Teach me, Lord, to love when it's not convenient,
when I'd rather be doing something fun for me,
when the job is dirty and unpleasant,
when the person who needs me is mean, or frightning, or
ugly or greedy,
when I want to be angry and self-righteous,
when I hurt.

Teach me to look with your eyes,
full of compassion,
instead of mine,
full of me.


II

Fortunate are those who are like the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of Heaven belongs to them...

Lord, you hold everything in your hands,
and yet I think from time to time
that it is I who am in charge,
I who have to power to direct and control my destiny,
I who have the strength to get to where I want to be.

Those who depend on you,
although they may have little
have the greatest riches in the world,
for they have you.

Lord, I know that these veils
of self-sufficiency are just illusions.
It is by your strength that I am strong,
by your might that I have power,
by your love that I can love others.

May I always long to go where you want me.



III
In the Darkness of These Days

O my Jesus,
in the darkness of these days,
bring to our minds
the example of your martyrs who have gone before,
such as St. Maximilan Kolbe,
who show us by their example
how to choose what is right
and how to radiate your light
no matter the wickedness of the world around them.

O my Jesus,
in the darkness of these days,
may we who love you
learn from the example of your loving saints,
such as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
how to show the truth of your light
by loving action
no matter the darkness they find surrounding them.

O my Jesus,
in the darkness of these days,
when hope seems thinner,
may we hear the message of your love for us,
from the gospels, from your witnesses such as St.
Faustina,
and know that no matter how dark the night seems to be
falling,
that we can trust in you, O Lord, and the light of your
love,
now and forever.

Amen.



IV
Prayer to see Jesus in Others

Oh Lord,
Help me to remember that is not
the irritating neighor I aid,
the lonely traveller on the bus I listen to,
the sad child I hug,
the frightened friend who I pray for,
the grumpy husband I find keys for,
the sick person whose hand I hold,
but I do this all to you,
coming to me in the guise of the poor, and lonely, irritating and needy.

When my patience grows weary,
and my heart grows cold,
and my fright makes me faint,
may I warm my soul at this knowledge,
and come away,
strengthened to give once more.



V
On Being a Peacemaker

Lord, this day, make us the tools of your peace.

When we want to act with anger,
may we remember how you behaved when you were mocked and scorned,
and respond instead, with love.

When we feel burdened,
let us remember you falling from the weight of the cross,
and respond with offering our cares to you instead of feeling hurt.

When we feel we have been taken advantage of, or slighted, or are unrewarded,
let us remember you giving up everything, even your mother, your clothing, your life,
and realize you are our ultimate reward, and everything else is passing shadows.

Dear Lord,
help us to carry our daily crosses
in ways you would,
and instead of spreading hurt for hurt,
we can turn hurt
into the chance to spread your love and peace wherever we are.



VI
Leaven: A Prayer

Oh my Jesus,
you said the kingdom of heaven is like the leaven
that makes the bread rise,
light and fluffy.

May we be bearers of that leaven,
the perfect love that comes down from Heaven
to share your love and light and hope
so that wherever we turn,
we can leaven the dark hardness around us.

May each word we speak,
each choice we make,
each life we touch
be filled with your leaven.

Amen.

 

VII
On Malice

O Lord,
remember this day
all those whose lives are touched by the tragedy
of human malice,
from the angry word spoken in haste,
the blow of an angry hand,
the pain caused by retribution
the bomb exploded.

O Lord,
let us always be aware
of the ripples caused by our harsh words,
our anger,
our willingness to act out of hurt,
and instead,
teach us to be instruments of your peace,
to heal insstead of hurt,
to calm instead of agitate,
to love instead of hate.



VIII

Prayer for the right spirit when defending the faith

Forgive us Lord,
when in longing to defend what is right,
when in trying to support the truth
we do what is hurtful and mean,
forgetting to take out
whatever logs are in our own eyes
to take the speck out of the eye of our fellows,
forgetting to work all things in love.

Lord, forgive us
when hurt by our fellow man,
we complain, and strike back.

Heal us Lord,
and give us strength to offer you
our hurts and sadnesses,
to offer you the pain of being corrected,
rather rightly or not.

If it is our job to correct,
help us learn to do it in ways that heal,
not hurt,

And whatever we do in your name,
may we always do it for your glory,
without hate, anger,
or the taint of self-righteousness.

May we learn to be quiet
in our longing and respect for you,
rather than speak words
that would drive any away from you,
or harm those who love you.

And when we speak,
may it always be guided by the Holy Spirit.

Amen.



IX
Prayer to learn to love those we find hard to love

Lord,
give us the grace to remember
that to love our own is an easy thing,
for as you said, even sinners do this.

Help us to love those who aren't one of ours,
who aren't lovable,
and who need your help so badly.

Open our hearts that we may always respond to them!

Thus, may we spread
your light of love
hroughout the dark of life.

Amen.



X
A Prayer for Victims, Both Theirs and Mine

Let us pray
For all those victims
of injustice
and anger
and selfishness.

For all those babies never to be born,
for all those killed through violence,
for all those touched by terrorism,
for all those scarred by the anger of a loved one,
for all those marred by war,
for all those who die marked by our indiference,
Lord hear our prayer.

Forgive me, O Lord,
For all those times
I turned my back on someone I knew was in need,
for all those times
I hesitated because of my inconvenience,
for all the times
I did not cry out when I knew there was injustice,
for all those times
I didn't think to share,
For all the times
I said the word I knew would hurt,
for all those times
I didn't write the letter or make the visit,
for all those times
I had to prove I was right even though it hurt someone,
for all those times
I marked someone by my own indifference,
my own selfishness,
my own anger.


O my Jesus,
help me to always see you
in whatever distressing garb you choose to wear,
and let me realize
that by turning my back on them,
I am turning my back on you
and making the world a darker place
instead of a place filled with your light.


XI
Morning Prayer

Dear Lord,

This day I give you my heart,
teach me to love you more and more each day,
and see your face in all those around me,
even those hard to love
and especially those who hate me.

This day I give you my knees,
where I come to meet you in prayer,
to learn the sweet truths of meekness
and gentleness of heart,
which are never learned standing tall and proud,
to learn to keep you
as my first and foremost treasure,
goal,
love.

This day I give you my hands,
may I clasp them often in prayer,
may you use them to do your holy work,
to build,
strengthen,
comfort,
aid.

This day I give you my feet,
may they walk always in your ways,
and step nimbly over the pitfalls and traps
that the enemy sets,
may they take me at last to my home with you.

Amen.


All Original Material © 2003, Susan E. Stone

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