Stations of the Cross in Althofen; painted by Consuelo Mels-Colloredo, 1983. Neithan90, Wikimedia.
Yesterday I felt very tired, which had its up-side, as I was able to spend time putting the morning’s notes into words whilst resting. The lines in italics form a prayer within a prayer:
O Lord, you alone are my hope (Psalm 71:5; NLT).
My hope, my way,
My light each day: I want to do your bidding;
My peace, my Lamb,
My great “I AM”: For you are God’s dear Son.
My truth, my life,
My purchase-price: You, Lord, are my salvation; My strength, my blood,
My longed-for love: May you and I be one.
My Lord, my God,
My staff, my rod: My body is your temple;
My Guide, my Friend,
My start, my end: My mind is yours, Lord, too.
My bread, my wine,
My living vine: My heart is yours forever;
My Shepherd King,
My everything: My soul belongs to you.
The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7; KJV).
Our bodies will return to the dust of the earth, and the breath of life will go back to God, who gave it to us (Ecclesiastes 12:7; GNT).
When I fall silent, God continues to give. Sometimes I can’t help wishing this didn’t happen, so I could enjoy the stillness for more than a few brief seconds…
Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples (John 21:1; CSB).
Jesus,
You reveal yourself
In music,
And in dancing.
Jesus,
You reveal yourself
In others,
And in love.
Jesus,
You reveal yourself
In stillness,
And in silence.
Jesus,
You reveal yourself
In water,
And in blood.
Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross – not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony (1 John 5:6; NLT).
References
Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).
One of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water (John 19:34; NIV).
The Rosary Hospital
Yesterday I made a loose prayer circlet for someone, then decided to re-make my own, having learned a lot from experience since I originally put it together. Here it is, almost complete, now waiting in the queue to receive its finishing touches:
A few days ago I received my first ever personal glimpse into the concept of “vocation” (see https://wp.me/p45bCr-djN). You may, with complete justification, think me very ignorant about this. Anyway, yesterday, I was given a little more understanding.
I saw that there are many kinds of vocation, and that each is a gift from God to a particular individual. We can ignore, resent, resist, reject, or fight against our vocation. Alternatively, we can freely choose to accept and embrace it with joy, whatever it may be.
This made me wonder whether writing, running my website and being chronically ill have come together to form my vocation – a question which has never crossed my mind before. Then today’s blog began to flow, though it was extremely difficult to put into words. My apologies for the masculine pronouns; I just couldn’t make it work without them.
God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28; NLT).
Receive whatever God sends With grace,
Whether it’s good or ill,
For the Lord brings blessings
From everything,
When we accept his will.
Embrace whatever God gives With thanks,
Whether it’s bad or good,
For the Lord brings blessings
From everything,
Through his Son’s precious blood.
Give back whatever God takes
With love,
No matter how great the pain,
For the Lord brings blessings
From everything,
And he will restore us again.
You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again (Psalm 71:20; NLT).
References
I want your will to be done, not mine (Luke 22:42; NLT).
Should we accept only good things from the hand of God, and never anything bad? (Job 2:10; NLT).
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other (Ecclesiastes 7:14; NIV).
I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things (Isaiah 45:7; NLT).
God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood (Romans 3:23-5; NLT).
Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us (1 Chronicles 29:14; NLT).
Accept whatever he gives, and give whatever he takes with a big smile (Saint Mother Theresa).
The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. May the name of the LORD be blessed! (Job 1:21; NET).
Walk in a manner worthy of the vocation to which you have been called: with all humility and meekness, with patience, supporting one another in charity (Ephesians 4:1-2; CPDV).
The Rosary Hospital
Yesterday I was able to continue making my first rosary in the new way – by beginning in the middle of the circle. Hopefully I will finish it tomorrow:
Context: Today’s prayer arrived early yesterday morning when I woke at around 4am with a migraine. After taking my medications, I sat propped up in bed, alternately dozing and writing. These verses slowly emerged over the course of the day, finishing late in the evening:
What is sweeter than honey? (Judges 14:18; NLT).
What’s sweeter than honey,
And choicer than wine?
Higher than knowledge,
And vaster than time?
What’s brighter than sunlight,
And greater than wealth?
Warmer than friendship,
And finer than health?
What’s stronger than sharing,
And deeper than love?
Kinder than giving,
And richer than blood?
What’s wiser than serving,
And dearer than breath?
Simpler than worship,
And closer than death?
What’s better than living,
And makes us all one?
It’s Christ, our salvation,
God’s dearly-loved Son.
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12; NLT).
This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy (2 Peter 1 17; NLT).
References
I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him (Philippians 3:7; NLT).
There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28; NLT).
Your unfailing love is better than life itself (Psalm 63:3; NLT).
God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16; NLT).
Context: A few days ago, just before I began to be ill with Covid, I woke around 5am, and was surprised by the arrival of this prayer, which gradually unfolded over the space of about an hour:
Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker (Psalm 95:6; NLT).
You are my Maker,
My spirit,
My soul;
You are my source,
And my way,
And my goal.
You are my Pattern,
My body,
My blood;
You are my mind,
And my heart,
And my love.
You are my Master,
My strength,
And my breath;
You are my grief,
And my pain,
And my death.
You are my Shepherd,
My staff,
And my rod;
You are my life,
And my Lord,
And my God.
Context: I’m so drained that I’m finding prayer very difficult. Depression is creeping closer, threatening to overwhelm me. Two days ago I sat on the floor with my back resting against the wall, attempting to pray. After a time of silence, this little poem arrived:
I weep with sorrow (Psalm 119:28; NLT).
1. I weep with pain and sorrow, Lord,
With loneliness, and grief.
2. Weariness destroys my freedom,
Sickness is a thief.
3. Anguish closes over me, It suffocates, like sin,
4. Yet still your love beats in my blood,
For you, Lord, live within.
Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).
References
1.He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:37-9; NLT).
2.Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go (John 21:18; NIV).
3.Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me (Psalm 42:7; NIV).
4.You are the temple of the living God (Luke 17:21; NKJV).
Don’t you realise that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16; NLT).
Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10; NLT).
Transfixed by God in stillness, Here I wait, for you are always near,
To share each prayer, and sigh and tear
Together.
Transfixed by God in silence, Now I worship wordlessly, and bow,
For you are with me, I and Thou,
My Saviour.
Transfixed by God in solitude,
I celebrate your perfect love,
Renewed, forgiven through your blood
Forever.
Transfixed by God in darkness, Lord, your Spirit hovers here, adored;
Though made of dust, I am restored
To wholeness.
Transfixed by God in perfect bliss, I cleave to you; we interweave: United, may I never leave
Your presence.
Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
(Hebrews 10:22; NLT).
Because of Christ and our faith in him,
we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.
(Ephesians 3:12; NLT).
Context: After having the most astonishing, wonderful, joyful and liberating day yesterday, today’s blog just poured out as soon as I woke and started to pray this morning.
My grace suffices thee: for my power is perfected in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9; LET).
Yahweh,
You alone suffice:
My hiding-place,
My paradise;
My book, my priest,
My light, my peace –
I love you.
Yahweh,
You alone are God:
My resting-place,
My staff, my rod;
My night, my day,
My truth, my way –
I love you.
Yahweh,
You alone are good:
My dwelling-place,
My flesh, my blood;
My jubilee,
My liberty –
I love you.
Yahweh,
You alone are bliss:
My life, my death,
My longed-for kiss;
My welcome home,
My great shalom –
I love you.
I love you, Lord; you are my strength.
(Psalm 18:1; NLT).
Reference
Shalom is a Hebrew word meaning peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility. It can refer to either peace between two entities (especially between a person and God, or between two countries), or to the well-being, welfare or safety of an individual or a group of individuals (Wikipedia).
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind (Luke 10:27; NLT).
Through loving God,
We learn to love our neighbours.
Through loving them,
We learn to welcome strangers.
Through loving them,
We learn to love
Even those
Who thirst for blood,
And, loving them,
We learn to love ourselves.
Love your neighbour as yourself (Luke 1027; NLT).
When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified – one on his right and one on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
(Luke 23:33-4; NLT).
