A Prayer

The Imitation of Christ
--Thomas A Kempis

Grant me, Lord, to know all that
I should know, to love what I
should love, to esteem what most
pleases you, and to reject all that
is evil in your sight. Let me not
judge superficially by what I see,
nor be influenced by what I hear
from ignorant men, but with true
judgement to discern between
things spiritual and material,
and to seek your will and good
pleasure at all times and above
all else."

DarkAndLight

---Sarah Abbett
The world is full of dark today
The light draws ever dim
Yet you know what the wise say
'Tis always darkest before dawn'

The world is full of dark
The light grows precious
All that glitters is not gold
And all that glistens is not Light

My dearest friend, draw nearer me
And listen while we pray
To the wind that beats against the house
In the winter night outside

The night is cold
The Dark is deep
But we have each other
No force can sunder us, not even in this weather

The Light is precious
For the world is Dark
And moveth towards the Dark
Yet the Light liveth still

Do not ever give up
Do not ever give in
They say nothing gold ever lasts
I know that to be false

For you and I will last forever
In the light and grace of God
We'll dance on the streets of gold together
And remain there ever more

The world is Dark
The Light is precious
And the Dark grows darker yet
Be not afraid of the Dark

The Dark is frightening
The Dark is evil
The Dark is not for friends
The Dark shall not last

The Light is comforting
The Light is good
The Light has many friends
The Light shall last forever

This is how you shall know
Light from Dark my friend
Be ye not afraid
For the Dark shall one day end

7. In Times Gone Past--ZAO

I see it in your eyes,
the tearing in your heart,
as I awaken I learn first, first of dying,
and lying inside the ground forgotten,
I learn of love, I learn of terror,

I feel the curse inside my body,
my God, my God,
why have you forsaken me and put this curse inside my body,
we live within a curse and within the divine,
we're born and raised to work,
and then grow old and die (in ourgolden time),
strange, cut and burnt then thrown into the tide (I have lived and died),

lie beneath the ground,
ascend into the sky,
I feel the earth spinning slow,
and winding down with the sun,
I feel the curse inside my body,
running through my veins into my mind

St. Francis of Assisi

"Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console;
Not so much to be understood as
to understand;
Not so much to be loved
As to love;
For it is in giving that we recieve;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying that we awaken to eternal life."

--Francis of Assisi

Now, my tongue, the mystery telling

Now, my tongue, the mystery telling--Thomas Aquinas (13th century)

Now, my tongue, the mystery telling
of the glorious Body sing,
and the Blood, all price excelling,
which the gentiles' Lord and King,
in a Virgin's womb once dwelling,
shed for this world's ransoming.

Given for us, and condescending,
to be born for us below,
he, with men in converse blending,
dwelt the seed of truth to sow,
till he closed with wondrous ending
his most patient life of woe.

That last night, at supper lying,
'mid the twelve, his chosen band,
Jesus, with the law complying,
keeps the feast its rites demand;
then, more precious food supplying,
gives himself with his own hand.

Word-made-flesh true bread he maketh
by his word his Flesh to be;
wine his Blood; which whoso taketh
must from carnal thoughts be free;
faith alone, though sight forsaketh,
shows true hearts the mystery.

Therefore we, before him bending,
this great Sacrament revere;
types and shadows have their ending,
for the newer rite is here;
faith, our outward sense befriending,
makes our inward vision clear.

Glory let us give, and blessing
to the Father, and the Son,
honor, might and praise addressing,
while eternal ages run;
ever too his love confessing,
who from both with both is one.