PRAYER POEMS FOR "THE SURRENDERING HEART"
SECTION 2

Straw into Gold

Struggling to find You in my heart
I wade through pain and confusion,
Impatience and isolation;
I wade through what I think should be;
I wade through judgments and anger;
I wade through what I wish could be.
How did these things I loathe get in my heart again?
How do I find You in this dark, painful heart?
 
Yet You are always here
And You are always near
Though sometimes hard for me to find.
I beg You to help me lose
These pains and distractions.
I surrender all I am to Your Will,
To Your Sacred Heart, once again.
And then I wait, on You my Lord.
You do not lift this pain right away.
But still I wait.
The stone on this tomb is too heavy for me, my Lord.
Please help soon!
 
As I struggle to prepare a place for You,
I encounter my fears, my pains,
My total dependence on You.
I look to You, Lord, for only You
Can strengthen and heal me.
“I am not worthy to receive You,
But only say the word and I shall be healed,”
I chant as I clean house in my heart.
 
Emptying my chalice, I wait for You to fill.
I will not move until You come.
Day after day, hour after hour,
I wait, I pray, I dig, I prepare.
My heart reaches for Your Sacred Heart.
I call for You, I open the doors wider.
 
Contemplating Your Sacred Heart,
I remember the Thorns, the Wound, the Cross.
You know the constant pain.
You know the rejection and isolation.
You know the desire for Your people
Burning in Your Heart, a Love unrequited.
And I have asked for Your Heart!
What did I expect?
 
Contemplating Your abandonment
To us on Your Cross,
I draw near to Your Altar of Sacrifice;
Accepting Your Pain in mine, I let Peace in.
As Your Peace enters my heart,
Your Light overcomes the shadows
And the straw of the place I prepared
For You to rest Your head
Is turned to Gold as Your Presence
Touches it and comes to rest.
 
As I receive Your Body and Blood,
Our Communion, our Covenant of Love, is completed.
As I become one with Your pain,
So I become one with Your Peace.
I receive You, Jesus, into my heart once again
As You are born anew in me.
 
Please make me a willing carrier
Of the desire of Your Sacred Heart.
Please make me a willing example
Of Your Love through pain.
O Sacred Heart inspire me
With Your Love that knows no bounds!
And turn the unworthy straw of my heart
Into the Gold of Your Presence!
 

A Resting Place

Let me be Your Tabernacle, Lord.
Let me hold You in my heart.
Let me protect Your Heart from the attacks,
The sneers, the iciness and apathy.
Let me be a resting place
For Your weary head and ravaged Heart.
 
Let me build this tabernacle with love.
Let me hold it up with service.
Let me warm it with my heart.
Let me make it soft with my tears
That You may find some comfort,
However small and weak, in me.
 
Lord, if I could just be what You desire!
If I could just love You as You wish!
If I could blind Your eyes to the indifference
And soften the blows of rejection.
Lord, I will love You thus, always.
 
Like the manger, humble and weak,
That became Your earthly throne,
Will You allow my heart to be a resting place
For Your most Sacred Heart of Love?
 

Prayer at Journey’s End

There was a time
When I would have wanted to know
All the Secrets of Your Mind,
All the intricacies of Your Thoughts.
But now what I desire is to be held
Deep within Your Sacred Heart.
 
There was a time
I sought to find Your Truth.
I sought to taste Your Wisdom.
I sought to see Your Face.
But now what I desire
Is to touch Your Pure Heart.
 
You, Heart of my Lord, are all that I desire.
Your Love is all the Wisdom I can know.
Your Love is all the Peace I can feel.
Your Love brings all the Joy my soul desires.
 
You, O Sacred Heart, are every Treasure’s Source.
Your touch is ever healing to my soul.
Your pain is ever grieving to my heart.
Your desire is ever calling me to You.
 
“Come deeper,” You call.
“Come deeper in Me.
Release your hold
On everything else.
Sink into the depths
Of My Eternal Heart,
To where you find all you desire,
All Wisdom, all Truth, all Peace
Wrapped in My Eternal Love.
Come deeper,” You call.
“Come deeper as you bring
All that I desire
Wrapped in the tender embrace
Of My trusting child.”

For Your Heart

In the warmth of Your Sacred Heart,
That Love that eternally emanates,
More constant than the sun,
From the ever-sweet, ever-warming
Treasures of Your Heart,
I find myself basking,
Desiring every ray;
Wanting all You have to give,
I open every part of me
To Your Light and Love.
 
Come, pour Your Light
On all my darkness!
Brighten my soul,
Enlighten my mind,
Melt my heart,
And make it just for You!
 
I soak You in like the sun’s rays.
Your Love heals,
Your Joy transforms.
Your Sacrifice brings pain
And yet still joy!
That You would love so much
That You would speak Your Love
In a language I could never forget.
 
I draw to Your Cross,
Intent on every gesture,
Every word of Your love.
I take You in
And make even Your suffering
Part of my soul.
Your wounds sear my heart
But the joy of Your forgiveness,
Of Your love that burns through all pain,
Through all abandonment,
Opens my heart to Your Ways.

Longing for Your Heart of Love,
I will not be satisfied:
I will open my heart to Yours,
I will expose my soul to Your Light.
I lay all I am out
On the Sands of Penitence.Body, mind, soul, heart, spirit,
All there ready for Your Rays
Of Light, Love and Truth.

Come to me, Lord of my heart,
Sanctify me,
And satisfy my longing soul
With Your Sacred Heart
Of Pure Love,
Undiluted by my lack of faith,
By my feeble attempts at Love,
By my imperfect joy.
Come and let me soak You in
That I may be filled with Your Perfect Grace,
That I may reflect Your Perfect Love.