Toward Contemplation: March 2010

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

I 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.

(Saint Patrick's Breastplate)

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Behold, O kind and most sweet Jesus

I cast myself upon my knees in Thy sight,
and with the most fervent desire of my soul
I pray and beseech Thee
that Thou wouldst impress upon my heart
lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity,
with true contrition for my sins,
and a firm purpose of amendment,
while with deep affection and grief of soul
I ponder within myself and mentally contemplate
Thy five Wounds,
having before my eyes
that which David, Thy prophet,
spoke of Thee, my Jesus:

"They have pierced My hands and My feet;
they have numbered all My bones."

(Traditional Prayer Before a Crucifix)

En ego, O bone et dulcissime Iesu,
ante conspectum tuum genibus me provolvo,
ac maximo animi ardore te oro atque obtestor,
ut meum in cor vividos fidei, spei et caritatis sensus,
atque veram peccatorum meorum poenitentiam,
eaque emendandi firmissimam voluntatem velis imprimere;
dum magno animi affectu et dolore
tua quinque vulnera mecum ipse considero ac mente contemplor,
illud prae oculis habens,
quod iam in ore ponebat tuo David propheta de te, o bone Iesu:
Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos:
dinumeraverunt omnia ossa mea.
Amen.

(from a previous post)

Two men went up to the temple to pray

"one was a Pharisee
and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position
and spoke this prayer to himself,
'O God, I thank you
that I am not like the rest of humanity
greedy, dishonest, adulterous
or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week,
and I pay tithes on my whole income.'

"But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'"

(Luke 18:10-13 - from today's Gospel and a previous post)