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Eternity
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February 2, 2016
In Loving Memory of Martin Vernon Lawrence Turner (1948-2010)
Posted by demianturner under Eternity[3] Comments
November 29, 2009
The Easter Sermon of St John Chrysostom
Posted by mvlturner under Eternity | Tags: Eastern Orthodox devotion |Leave a Comment
The Easter Sermon of St John Chrysostom
If any man be devout and loveth God, let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast.
If any man be a wise servant, let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord.
If any have laboured long in fasting, let him now receive his recompense.
If any have wrought from the first hour, let him to-day receive his just reward.
If any have come at the third hour, let him with thankfulness keep the feast.
If any have arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; because he shall in nowise be deprived therefore.
If any have delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near, fearing nothing.
If any have tarried even until the eleventh hour let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness; for the Lord, who is jealous of his honour, will accept the last even as the first; he giveth rest unto him who cometh at the eleventh hour, even as unto him who hath wrought from the first hour.
And he showeth mercy upon the last, and careth for the first; and to the one he giveth, and upon the other he bestoweth gifts.
And he both accepteth the deeds, and welcometh the intention, and honoureth the acts and praiseth the offering.
Wherefore, enter ye all into the joy of your Lord; and receive ye your reward, both the first, and likewise the second.
Ye rich and poor together, hold ye high festival.
Ye sober and ye heedless, honour ye the day. Rejoice to-day, both ye who have fasted and ye who have disregarded the fast. The table is full-laden; feast ye all sumptuously. The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away. Enjoy ye all the feast of faith: Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness.
Let no one bewail his poverty, for the universal kingdom hath been revealed.
Let no one weep for his iniquities, for pardon hath shone forth from the grave.
Let no one fear death, for the Saviour’s death hath set us free.
He that was held prisoner of it, hath annihilated it. By descending into Hell, he made Hell captive. He angered it when it tasted of his flesh. And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry: Hell, said he, was angered, when it encountered thee in the lower regions.
It was angered, for it was abolished.
It was angered, for it was mocked.
It was angered, for it was slain.
It was angered, for it was overthrown.
It was angered, for it was fettered in chains.
It took, a body, and met God face to face.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.
O Death, where is thy sting?
O Hell, where is thy victory?
Christ is risen, and thou art overthrown.
Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen.
Christ is risen, and the Angels rejoice.
Christ is risen, and life reigneth.
Christ is risen, and not one dead remaineth in the grave.
For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
To him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages. Amen.
November 29, 2009
Daily Prayer of Father Parfeny of Kiev Pechersk
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Daily Prayer of Father Parfeny of Kiev Pechersk
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, do not allow vanity, selfishness, sensuality, carelessness or anger to have dominion over me and snatch me from Thy Love.
O my Lord, my Creator, all my hope, leave me not without a share in blessed Eternity.
Grant that I may follow Thy holy example, and be obedient to the authorities placed over me.
Grant me that purity of spirit, that simplicity of heart, which make us worthy of Thy Love.
To Thee, O my God, I lift up my soul and my heart; do not allow Thy creature to perish, but deliver me from the one supreme evil ─ sin.
Grant, O Lord, that I may bear disturbances and sufferings of soul with the same patience as I receive pleasures of the heart with joy.
If Thou wilt, O Lord, Thou canst purify and sanctify me.
Here and now I surrender myself to Thy goodness, beseeching Thee to root out of me all that is opposed to Thee and unite me to the company of Thine elect.
O Lord. take from inc idleness of spirit which wastes Thy time, and vain thoughts which hinder Thy Presence and distract my attention in Prayer.
And if’ when I am praying my attention is diverted from Thee by my thoughts, help me so that this distraction may not be voluntary, and that in turning away my mind I may not turn away my heart from Thee.
I confess to Thee, my Lord God, all the sins of my wickedness committed now and previously before Thee.
Forgive me for Thy holy Name’s sake and save my soul which Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious Blood.
I entrust myself to Thy mercy, I surrender myself to Thy will; deal with me according to Thy goodness, and not according to my malice and wickedness.
Teach me, O Lord, so to arrange my affairs, that they may promote the glory of Thy holy Name.
Have mercy, O Lord, on all Christians; hear the desire of all who cry to Thee, and deliver them from all evil.
Save Thy servants (N… ), and send them joy, comfort in their troubles, and Thy holy Mercy.
O Lord, I pray Thee especially for those who in some way have wronged, offended or saddened me, or have done me some evil.
Do not punish them on my account, who am also a sinner, but pour upon them Thy goodness.
O Lord, I pray Thee for all whom I, sinful as I am, have grieved, offended or scandalised, by word, deed or thought, consciously or unconsciously.
O Lord God, forgive us our sins and mutual offences; expel from our hearts all indignation, scorn, anger, resentment, altercation and all that can hinder charity and lessen brotherly love.
Have mercy, O Lord, on those who have entrusted me, sinful and unworthy, to pray for them.
Have mercy, O Lord, on everyone who asks for Thy Help.
O Lord, make this day a day of Thy mercy, and grant to each according to his faith.
Be the Shepherd of those who have gone astray, the Guide and Light of unbelievers, the Teacher of the foolish, the Father of orphans, the Helper of the oppressed, the Healer of the sick, the Comforter of the dying.
And lead us all to our desired end, to Thee, our Haven, and blessed Rest.
Amen.
November 29, 2009
AN INVOCATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT ─ ST SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN
Posted by mvlturner under Eternity | Tags: Eastern Orthodox Prayer, Kallistos Ware |[2] Comments
AN INVOCATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT ─ ST SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN
Translated by Kallistos Ware
Come, true light. Come. life eternal. Come, hidden mystery. Come, treasure without name. Come, reality beyond all words. Come, person beyond all understanding. Come, rejoicing without end. Come, light that knows no evening. Come, unfailing expectation of the saved. Come, the raising of the fallen. Come, the resurrection of the dead.
Come, all-powerful, for unceasingly you create, refashion and change all things by your will alone.
Come, invisible, whom none may touch and handle.
Come, for you continue always unmoved, yet at every instant you are wholly in movement; you draw near to us who lie in hell, yet you remain higher than the heavens.
Come, for your Name fills our hearts with longing and is ever on our lips; yet who you are and what your nature is, we cannot say or know.
Come, eternal joy. Come, unfading garland. Come, purple vesture of our great God and King. Come, belt of crystal set with precious stones. Come, sandal that none dares to touch. Come, royal robe and right hand of true sovereignty.
Come, for my wretched soul has ever longed and ever longs for you. Con-a, Alone to the alone, for as you see I am alone: you have separated me 4rnm all things and made me to be alone upon the earth. Come, for you are yourself the desire that is within me, and you have caused me to long after you, the wholly inaceessibl3.
Come, my breath and my life. Come, the consolation of my humble soul. Come, my joy, my glory, my endless delight.
I give you thanks, for you have become one spilt with me, in a union without confusion. Unchanging and unaltered, God over all, you have yet become all in all to me: food inexplicable, freely bestowed, ever nourishing my soul; a fountain springing up within my heart, a garment of light consuming the demons, purification that washes me clean through the immortal and holy tears that are granted at your coming to all whom you visit.
I give you thanks, for to me you are a light that knows no evening, a sun that never sets. You cannot remain hidden, for you fill all things with your glory. You never hide yourself from anyone, but we are always hiding from you, not wishing to come near you. For where could you hide yourself, since you have no place in which to take your rest? Or why should you hide, since you turn away from no one and are afraid of none?
Pitch your tent within me, gracious Master; take up your dwelling in me now and remain in your servant unceasingly, inseparably, to the end. At my departure from this life and afterwards, may I be found in you and reign with you, who are God over all.
Stay with me, Master, do not leave me alone. My enemies, who seek always to devour my soul, when they find you dwelling in me, will be put to flight; they will have no power at all against me, when they see. you, who are more powerful than all, lodging in the house of my humble soul.
You did not forget me, Master, when I was in the world and sunk in ignorance, but you chose me and separated me from the world and set me in the presence of your glory. Keep me constant and unshaken in the interior dwelling-place that you have made within me, Though dead, I live when I gaze upon you; possessing you, though poor, I am for ever rich, more wealthy than any ruler. Eating and drinking you, clothing myself in you from day to day, 1 shall be filled with blessings and delight beyond ll telling. For you are every blessing and all splendour end joy, and to you is due glory, to the Holy, Consubstantial and Life-giving Trinity, worshipped and confessed by all the faithful and adored in Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
Amen.
June 10, 2009
Jonathan Miller on ‘Disbelief’
Posted by mvlturner under Criticism, Eternity | Tags: Jonathan Miller |Leave a Comment
Jonathan Miller has begun, on BBC-2, a televisual ‘History of Disbelief’. Punctuated by absurd clips from silent movies ands thoughtful peregrinations of the philosopher through bosky St John’s Wood, New York restaurants and a North London synagogue, the talking head talked on and on.
I have always liked Miller – his earnest dilettantism – and, some minutes into the programme, began to feel thoroughly comfortable with his fearless spirit of enquiry. It is true I am a believer but I am also a free-thinker and rejoice in honest search, from which faith only benefits, and intrepid questioning, which it can only encourage. But sure enough, halfway through the programme, he identified as the point of departure, from his adolescent conflict between meaningless Judaism and cricket, towards rejection – modern linguistic philosophy!
There was then a certain amount of formal manoeuvring – dressage – regarding the possible meaning of ‘belief’ and the distinction between ‘belief’ and ‘thought’.
But there are two objections to all this. First Miller gives no indication that any of it is important, that, indeed, for many people the question of what kind of person they are and what kind of universe they live in is, literally, a matter of life and death. Miller is not serious.
The second objection is that all these intriguing considerations are a matter of ideas. The most revealing remark Miller made was early on when he said, “I personally find all these [Judaeo-Christian] religious ideas uncongenial, alien and frankly incomprehensible.” However, wandering round the chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, he concedes that such ideas are both beautiful and enriching. We would be imaginatively poorer without Christian narrative and imagery. One might note, in parenthesis, that this poses a problem for him – or ought to do so: ideas that are rubbish are not enriching.
Miller feels at home with ideas and inhabits very nonchalantly a Hampstead world of intellectual saltimbanques and cultural effervescence. But faith is not about ‘belief’ but experience; it is not an idea but a fact. However securely we live inside our cultural capsule, we will have, sooner or later, experiences that we would prefer not to have, we will be taken to the edge of what reason and analysis recognise and we will encounter there the limits of ourselves. This meeting cannot be indefinitely postponed. When once we realise that we are not the sources of our own being, as we do in the case of near-death experiences, then we discover that we are alive and must die. This experience is a fact and nobody whose mental outlook is grounded in facts will be shifted by the puff of ideas.
From a notebook entry dated 6th November 2005
June 10, 2009
| μή φυναι τόν άπαντα νι-
κα λογον
Not to be born is, past all prizing, best.
Sophocles Oedipus Coloneus l. 1225 (translation by R. C. Jebb) |
Who is as he were not –
nay, as he had never been – He has become pure God. O blessedness supreme!
Angelus Silesius, The Cherubinic Wanderer (1657), tr. Willard Trask. New York: Pantheon, 1953, p. 22. |
| Is God willing to prevent evil but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is God both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
Epicurus (341–270 BC) |
The existence of evil cannot be denied, but one can deny that the existence of evil is evil.
Fernando Pessoa. From The Book of Disquietude, tr. Richard Zenith. From A Centenary Pessoa ed. Eugénio Lisboa and LC Taylor. Manchester: Carcanet Press, 1995, p. 178. |
May 31, 2009
Letter to a friend about God
Posted by mvlturner under Eternity | Tags: Adrian Wooldridge, Alvin Plantinga, John Michlethwait, Richard Dawkins, the existence of God |Leave a Comment
Dear P
Yes, the Plantinga paper is delightful. I love the scrupulous steps of his arguments. Thank you for sending it. But no one is ever convinced by an argument. One is put in mind of Oscar Wilde: “It is only the intellectually lost who ever argue.”
The work of two scientists ─ one a believer, the other not ─ may be compared and found of equal merit. Indeed they may dovetail quite satisfactorily. From this it follows that the universe may be absurd but it is not random. That is, all manner of empirical reality is compatible with the hypothesis that God does not exist. This will frequently induce in some people a state of mind akin to despair. Why should God do such a splendid job of appearing not to exist? What if the universe really is empty? But to say that, bereft of supernatural meaning, life is absurd is not at all the same thing as to say that it is random. Second by second, like the ticking of a clock, events emerge that confidently appear to be part of a pattern that we cannot yet see, like a fragment of lace, elements in a sequence that we hold but cannot yet parse.
Of course, the existence of God is the whole argument. But granting for a moment that ‘He’ exists, the more stupendous thing is that He enables Himself to be known. Surely, given our finite nature and limited circuitry, the least breath of heaven should devastate us and blow all our fuses. And the sheer fact of God’s existence is so shattering, to believer and unbeliever alike, that we shall all stand, united with our opposites.
Thus for me all matters of faith are originally existential. People are convinced, not by arguments, but by experiences. God is not a theory that explains anything. God is the recognition of reality. We are all participating in the joyous miracle of the creation.
I personally feel that all the most important things cannot be verbalised at all. So I am reluctant to enter into pointless argument. Nevertheless, I recently bought (but have not yet read) a book by a philosopher friend of mine, Tony Flew, who has recently changed his mind: There Is A God. The book seems to have caused a stir.
Perhaps of equal significance to Dawkins and others is the fact that religion, far from fading away according to the European model, is actually making a global comeback. Indeed, I suspect this is a large part of what Dawkins is motivated by: the feeling that there is a need to fight a planetary battle against black superstition! There is a brand new book that looks, from a neutral perspective, at the failure of the European, and the success of the American, model: Micklethwait and Wooldridge, God is Back (subtitle, How The Global Rise Of Faith Is Changing The World). John Micklethwait was interviewed on Radio 3 the other night here.
All the best to you both
Martin
June 1, 2008
Prayers
Posted by mvlturner under Eternity | Tags: Biblical prayers, contemporary prayers, Islamic prayers |[2] Comments
I.
[… ] in the shadow of thy wings I sing for joy,
My soul clings to thee: thy right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63, verses 7b and 8. RSV.
II.
Night Prayer, to be spoken on a rooftop under the Sky.
My God and my Lord, eyes are at rest, stars are setting, hushed are the movements of birds in their nests, of monsters in the deep. And Thou art the Just who knowest no change, the Equity that swerveth not, the Everlasting that passeth not away. The doors of kings are locked, watched by their body-guards; but Thy door is open to him who calls on Thee. My Lord, each lover is now alone with his beloved, and Thou art for me the Beloved!
Night Prayer. From Muslim Devotions, by Constance Padwick, SPCK., 1969.
III.
Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the silent hours of this night, so that we who are fatigued by the changes and chances of this fleeting world, may repose upon Thy eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Final prayer from the Office of Compline (Ambrosian).
IV.
Elisabeth‘s prayer.
O God of unchangeable power and eternal light, look favourably on thy whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery, and by the tranquil operation of thy perpetual providence carry out the work of man’s salvation, and let the whole world feel and see that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and all things are returning to perfection through him from whom they took their origin, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
From the end of the Shorter Litany II – Scottish Prayer Book.
V.
Solzhenitsyn‘s Prayer
How easy for me to live with you, O Lord! How easy for me to believe in You! When my mind parts in bewilderment or falters, when the most intelligent people see no further than this day’s end and do not know what must be done tomorrow, You grant me the serene certitude that You exist and that You will take care that not all the paths of good be closed. Atop the ridge of earthly fame I look back in wonder at the path which I alone could never have found, a wondrous path through despair to this point from which I too could transmit to mankind a reflection of Your rays. And as much as I must still reflect You will give me. But as much as I cannot take up You will have already assigned to others.
Solzhenitsyn’s prayer, circulated at the time of his expulsion from the Soviet Union.
VI.
Lord, you have examined me and you know me.
You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts; you see me whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions.
Even before I speak you already know what I will say.
You are all round me, on every side; you protect me with your power.
Your knowledge of me is overwhelming; it is too deep for me to understand.
Where could I go to escape from your spirit? Where could I get away from your presence?
If I went up to heaven you would be there; if I lay down
in the world of the dead You would be there.
If I flew away beyond the East, or lived in the farthest place in the West, You would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me, or the light round me to turn into night,
But even the darkness is not dark for you, and the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because you are to be feared; all you do is strange and wonderful.
I know it with all my heart. You saw my bones being formed, carefully put together in my mother’s womb, when I was growing there in secret.
You saw me before I was born. The days that had been created for me had all been recorded in your book, before any of them had ever begun.
O God, how difficult your thoughts are for me; how many of them there are!
If I counted them, they would be more than the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.
Examine me, O Lord, and know my mind; test me and discover my thoughts.
Find out if there is any deceit in me, and guide me in the eternal way.
Psalm 139. TEV.
VII.
O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee.
My soul thirsts for thee, my flesh longs for thee, in a dry and weary land where no water is.
Let me look upon thee in the sanctuary and behold thy power and glory!
Because thy steadfast love is better than life my lips will praise thee and thus will I bless thee: I will lift up my hands and call on thy name!
Psalm 63, verses 1-4.
VIII.
When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart,
I was stupid and ignorant, I was like a beast toward thee.
Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou dost hold my right hand.
Thou dost guide me with thy counsel, and afterwards thou wilt receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is nothing upon earth that I desire besides thee.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.
Psalm 73, v.21-26. RSV.
IX.
I, for my part, like an olive tree growing in the house of God,
put my trust in God’s love for ever and ever.
I mean to thank you constantly for doing what you did,
and put my hope in your name, that is so full of kindness,
in the presence of those who love you.
Psalm 52, v.8-9. JB.
X.
Father of all, we give you thanks and praise, that when we were still far off you met us in your Son and brought us home. Dying and living, he declared your love, gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory. May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life; we who drink his cup bring life to others; we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world. Keep us in this hope that we have grasped; so we and all your children shall be free, and the whole earth live to praise your name; through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Communion prayer, Series 3.
XI.
We do not presume to come to this thy Holy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table: but thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his most sacred Body, and our souls washed through his most precious Blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.
Communion prayer, Scottish Episcopal Liturgy. Series 2.
XII.
I confess to thee, O Lord, my .God and Creator; glorified and worshipped, One in holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, all my sins which I have committed every day of my life and every hour, and at this present time, in deed, word, thought, sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and all my feelings of soul and body alike, wherein I have offended thee, my God and Creator, and done wrong to my neighbour. In sorrow for these I present my guilty self to thee, my God, and desire to repent: only do thou, O Lord my God, help me, I humbly pray thee with tears; of thy mercy forgive my past transgressions, and absolve me from them all; for thou art gracious and lovest all men.
Daily Confession of Sins. Morning Prayers, from the Eastern Church.
XIII.
O Lord, I know not what to ask of thee. Thou alone knowest what are my true needs. Thou lovest me more than I myself know how to love. Help me to see my real needs which are concealed from me. I dare not ask either a cross or consolation. I can only wait on thee. My heart is open to thee. Visit and help me, for thy great mercy’s sake. Strike me and heal me, cast me down and raise me up. I worship in silence thy holy will and thine inscrutable ways. I offer myself as a sacrifice to thee. I put all my trust in thee. I have no other desire than to fulfil thy will. Teach me how to pray. Pray thou thyself in me.
Prayer for the Acceptance of God’s Will, Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow, d. 1867.
XIV.
Prayer of Abandonment to God
Father,
I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures.
I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul; I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands, without reserve, and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father.
Prayer of abandonment to God. Charles de Foucauld, for the Little Brothers of Jesus.
XV.
Out of his infinite glory, may he give you the power through his Spirit for your hidden self to grow strong, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then, planted in love and built on love, you will with all the saints have strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; until, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond all knowledge, you are filled with the utter fullness of God.
Paul’s prayer, given by Dr Winifred Rushforth; from Ephesians chapter 3, verses 16-19.
XVI.
O God appoint for me light in my heart and light in my tomb and light before me and light behind me; light on my right hand and light on my left; light above me and light below me; light in my sight and light in my perception; light in my countenance and light in my flesh; light in my blood and light in my bones. Increase to me light, and give me light, and appoint for me light, and give me more light, give me more light, give me more light!
Islamic traditional Prayer of Light, from Padwick op. cit.
XVII.
The Old Age Prayer
O Lord may the end of my life be the best of it,
may my closing acts be my best acts,
and make the best of my days the day
when I shall meet Thee.
The Old Age Prayer, traditional Islamic, from Padwick, op. cit. The prayer of an Arab whom the Prophet overheard in passing.
XVIII.
O Lord, we have waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early.
Isaiah ch. 26, vv. 8,9.
XIX.
O Heavenly King, O Comforter, O Spirit of Truth, who art in all places and fillest all things, treasure of blessings and giver of life, come and abide in us. Cleanse us from all impurities, and of thy goodness save our souls.
Eastern Orthodox imprecation to the Holy Spirit.
XX.
O God, Thou knowest that Paradise weighs not with me so much as the wing of a gnat. If Thou befriendest me by Thy recollection, and sustainest me with Thy love, and makest it easy for me to obey Thee, then give Thou Paradise to whomsoever Thou wilt.
Prayer attributed to Ibrahim b. Adham, Sufi ascetic, d. 777 A.D.
XXI.
The Secret Prayer.
“May He who knows that which is hidden accept our call for help and listen to our cry.”
This is how Rabbi Uri expounded the words of the prayer: “We know very well how we ought to pray; and still we cry for help in the need of the moment. The soul wishes us to cry out in spiritual need, but we are not able to express what the soul means. And so we pray that God may accept our call for help, but also that he, who knows that which is hidden, may hear the silent cry of the soul.”
From Martin Buber, Tales of the Hasidim – Later Masters, p. 145 – Uri of Strelisk.
XXII.
Night Prayer
O God, You who remember and are remembered, O Lord, You who are the aim and desire of my heart, this servant of Yours now lies down to sleep, close by Your goodness, in safety under Your loving kindness. I pray that Your eyes may not close, but by their gaze hold mine from resting on anything that is not You. Increase the brightness of my eyes that they may look for the traces of You in Your creation, and view what is revealed of You to the fullest extent. Truly You are the source of strength. When you appear, how weak then are all other powers! You alone are God, You alone choose and act by right, sovereign over all, all-powerful God.
Bahá’i Night Prayer. Translation from the Arabic, Martin and Farah Turner, 3-Jan-1981.
XXIII.
If once in my life
I spent a moment
without Thee,
from that time
and from that hour
I repent
of my life.
From: ‘What is to be done, O Muslims, for I do not recognise myself?’ Rumi, tr. RA Nicholson.
XXIV.
Prayer of Dedication
Behold, King of all and Lord of the Universe, though totally unworthy yet trusting in your grace and your power, I make my spiritual offering to you and dedicate my entire will to yours. This I do in the presence of your own infinite goodness, in the sight of your glorious Virgin Mother and of all the court of heaven, making this my soul’s true desire, this my deepest resolve (providing only that this is for your greater service and praise) to follow your example in bearing all injuries, all insults and poverty itself, as well as spiritual poverty, so long as your most holy majesty is pleased to call and receive me to such a state of life.
Saint Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
XXV.
I can tell you: Simply stay –
whether in God or close to God;
and ask nothing more,
unless he prompts you.
Francis de Sales. In Wisdom of the Cloister: A Monastic Reader ed. John Skinner. New York: Doubleday (Image Books), 1999, p. 252.
XXVI.
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude
XXVII.
Great teacher, who is fully enlightened, you listen to my stumbling words, in which I express my spiritual knowledge and insights. I beg you to be patient with my faults, my ignorance, and my errors. Please correct them according to the Way.
Your compassion is like the sun. Its rays burn up my faults, my ignorance, and my errors. Its warmth and light open the lotus of my soul. And as the lotus opens, so I release the fragrance of my gratitude. No fragrance is sweeter than my gratitude for your teaching. To you I render perpetual homage.
Under your guidance I shall strive towards the limit of perfection. May my meditation bear fruit for all living beings.
You, great teacher, are good news. I bow before you. Yes, you are like the sun rising on the dark, snowy mountains.
Milarepa 2.4. In Robert van der Weyer (ed). 366 Readings from Buddhism. Cleveland, Ohio: The Pilgrim Press and New Alresford, Hampshire: Arthur James, 2OOO, reading for September 14th.
XXVIII.
LOVE, who created me to be the image of Thy Godhead;
Love, who in Thy mercy has brought me back after the Fall:
Love, I give myself to Thee to remain Thine for ever.
Love, who has chosen me before I was made,
Love, who was born as man and became like me in every way:
Love, I give myself to Thee to remain Thine for ever.
Love, who in this temporal world did suffer and die for me,
Love, who has won for me eternal joy and bliss,
Love, I give myself to Thee to remain Thine for ever.
Love, who loves me for ever, who intercedes for my soul,
Love, who gives the ransom and are my powerful advocate,
Love, I give myself to Thee to remain Thine for ever.
Love, who will wake me out of the grave of mortality,
Love, who will adorn me with the garland of glory,
Love, I give myself to Thee to remain Thine for ever.
Angelus Silesius (Johannes Scheffler), 1624-1677.
XXIX.
Ejaculations
- O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. Ps 65:2 AV
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O Lord, we have waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: Is 26:8-9 AV
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I shall be satisfied when I awake, with thy likeness. Ps 17:15 AV
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Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Ps 22:11 AV
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Oh God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. Ps 63:1-4 AV
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.. .in the shadow of thy wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to thee; thy right hand upholds me. Ps 63:7-8 RSV
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When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was stupid and ignorant, I was like a beast toward thee. Nevertheless I am continually with thee; thou dost hold my right hand. Thou dost guide me with thy counsel, and afterward thou wilt receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is nothing upon earth that I desire besides thee. Ps 73:21-25 RSV
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… you know I have not desired the day of despair. Jer 17:16 NIV
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Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget your decrees. Ps 119:83 NIV
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… my heart trembles at your word. Ps 119:161 NIV
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I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’ Lam 3:24 NIV
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Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live. Ez 37:9 NIV
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May my prayer be set before you like incense. Ps 141:2 NIV
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Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love. Ps 143:8 NIV
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A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench. Mt 12:2O AV
XXX.
God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in mine eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at mine end, and at my departing.
Sarum Primer, 1558
XXXI.
O my God, give yourself unto me; restore yourself to me. Behold I love you; and if my love is too slight, let me love you more strongly. I cannot measure my love so that I may come to know how much there is yet wanting in me before my life may run into your embrace, and not be turned away until it is hidden in the secret of your face. This only I know, that I am wretched except in you – not only in external things, but even also within. And all plenty which is not my God is poverty to me.
St Augustine, Confessions tr. J.G. Pilkington, ed. J Lovill, Book 13, ch. 8. London: Folio Society, 1993, p. 263.
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