The Hollow of Your Hand

Hollow in the palm of Your hand,

See me here,

A child hiding in this darkness

Which is All Light and All Truth.

 

The brightness of Your Sun

Has blinded me.

I grasp Your hand

And cling to You,

My Three, my One.

 

Bright Angel,

Announce your Truth

In my soul.

Let me not fear the shadows,

But find all things

Awakening anew

My confidence in You,

Truth and Trusted One.

 

Reign, God of my heart,

I have sought You,

Moment by moment,

Day after day.

Holy Solace, wrap me as in petals.

 

Heart of healing,

Open in the warmth

Of a new and holy day,

The Lord has made,

New day,

Day of the Lord.

 

No fear here,

All comfort, all strength, all joy.

I have become a child

In the palm of Your hand,

Ever resting, ever secure,

O Holy Love.

To You abandoned,

to You promised,

to You wed.

 

 

By Joann Nelander

The Deer Cry – St. Patrick’s Breastplate

Lorica of Saint PatrickI arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.

I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me;
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a mulitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.
Christ shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation

St. Patrick (ca. 377)

st patrick


Read more:http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/patrick.htm#ixzz2NpJncWwz

Practices of Lent–Fr. Barron-Video

Contemplative Prayer is Silence

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 

 2717    Contemplative prayer is silence, the “symbol of the world to come”12 or “silent love.”13 Words in this kind of prayer are not speeches; they are like kindling that feeds the fire of love. In this silence, unbearable to the “outer” man, the Father speaks to us his incarnate Word, who suffered, died, and rose; in this silence the Spirit of adoption enables us to share in the prayer of Jesus. (533498)

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The #Saints Crowned in Glory

The Saints are longing for us,
Longing that we share their glory.
No harm in such ambition,
Says Bernard.

This glory is to be spread abroad
By God’s sovereignty
And generosity.
This glory is  none other
Than the glory in which the Father
Robed His dying Son.

It is  now reflected in His Saints,
Who in life picked up their cross,
And followed  Him upon their knees.

The battle they fought on Earth now is ours.
They continue with us,
The Church Triumphant,
Pleading for the Church Militant.

Blessed are those who were poor in spirit,
Who were merciful, loving their enemies,
Who mourned and who were persecuted,
Who were pure of  heart,
And sought peace
Through the wood of the Cross.

Blessed are all those gathered
To the Father’s  bosom.
Blessed are they and generous,
Interceding for the saints,
As they look for us to follow in their steps.

Brothers and Sisters,
Radiant in glory,
Beam forth Christ.

All happiness to His Saints
Rewarded now and forever.
All glory to the Father,
The Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen!

By Joann Nelander

Everyday

Everyday is good.
Everyday is holy.
All days are present
In Your Light.

With my life lived
Under Your gaze,
I implore of You
A river of love.

Pour the many waters
To wash the dross away,
Then You, Yourself,
Provide pure gold.

Through the heart
And hands of the Virgin,
Purify my gift each day
As I sigh to You.

All my ways,
The moments now arrayed
Gilded by Christ
Shine in holiness.

And, though my acts
Be as the poor trinkets of a child,
Your wearing of them,
In Our Father’s Presence,
Makes Him smile.

Look on me loving You
With every beat of my heart,
Skipping happily,
As a playmate at Your side,
Everyday.

©2013 Joann Nelander