Dream High

A poem by Eliza Wilson

Some dreams are too cheap,
Some hearts are too small,
Dream high, wide and deep,
Give all to gain all.

Forgive when it hurts,
Let go when you cling,
Be free like the birds,
And joyful like spring.

Hold God in your heart,
And make love your treasure,
Be light in the dark
And give without measure.

There is a Light

A poem by Eliza Wilson

There is a light that shines upon the light,
There is a day no night could ever hide,
There is a sea to which all rivers run,
There is a Father waiting for His son.

There is a dream for which all dreams athirst,
There is a last that is before the first,
There is a song where silence holds its breath,
There is a life above all life and death.

There is a heart that every heart calls home,
There is an all that knows, yet is unknown,
There is a One for which the many ache,
There is an eye forever wide awake.

There is a Love that kindles love in all,
There is a tear for which all tears fall,
There is a timeless core where time can hide,
There is a Bridegroom waiting for His bride.

Just Because You are My God

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A poem by Ignatius of Loyola

Oh, my God, I want to love you
Not that I might gain eternal heaven
Nor escape eternal hell
But, Lord, to love you just because you are my God.

Grant me to give to you
And not to count the cost,
To fight for you
And not to mind the wounds,
To labor and to ask for no reward
Except the knowledge
That I serve my God.

Prayer of Sir Francis Drake

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

AMEN

Prayer in Times of Spiritual Dryness

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My Lord, I’m completely dry inside but I know that even out of that dryness you can bring fruit. Even if my soul is a desert and my thirst is not quenched, I know you haven’t abandoned me. So out of my wilderness, I raise my voice and my heart to you, not to make my will known, but to surrender to your will, not to get what I want, but to learn to be open to what you want for me.

I know, my Lord, that you can grow trees out of rocks and flowers out of sand, that nothing is impossible to you and there is no evil that you cannot turn into good if you will so. Take me to that point of perfect faith when I can surrender to you wholeheartedly even if you choose to hide your face from me. Help me trust in your almighty hand even when I cannot feel its warm touch, for I know you are faithful to your words and you will not abandon those who seek you in honesty and persevere in their love for you.

Use this time of trial and aridity to break the boundaries of my weakness and plant the seed of your strength in me. Let me die to my self, so that I can be born again as a new being filled with your spirit. Teach me the power of love that conquers all and overcomes all and keeps burning in spite of all the storms that try to extinguish its flame. Give me eyes to see the first signs of the dawn while the night is still dark and ears to hear the faint whispers of hope in the midst of the greatest silence. I ask you that in Jesus’ name.

AMEN