PRAYER POEMS FOR "THE SURRENDERING HEART"
SECTION 3

Ash

Dust, ash,
So easily stirred by the least movement,
Scatter, swirl,
Then come to rest again.
Such little flecks of a big universe,
Discarded, unappreciated,
So like weeds, often us.
 
It is You, my Lord,
Who takes our dust,
So plain, so humble,
And forms us in Your image.
It is only You, O Lord,
Who takes our ash
After we have burnt ourselves out,
And forms us into Your image again.

You, whose thoughts, whose Heart
Can birth a universe,
You take our clay
And make us Your own.
You, whose most Sacred Heart,
Whose most pure Spirit,
Stirs to Life our souls,
Stir our hearts in Your Heart,
Our souls in You,
And bring us home to You.
 
As dust returns to the earth
After a disturbance,
Open Your Sacred Heart
For our return.
Take us, O Lord, O Master of Love,
And let us cling to You again,
Your dust, yet Your jewel in Your eyes.
 
You, who counts each fleck,
Each grain of sand,
Each hair on our heads,
Count our hearts, touch our souls,
Bring them into Your Heart
And like the ore of the earth,
Make them Your gold.
 
Though I am simple, though common, though dust,
You, my Lord, with Your Presence and Your Love,
Transform me, draw me to You
And in Your most Sacred Heart,
You make me feel precious to You.
 
Not with carbon, but Love
You formed Your universe;
Carbon is but the ash
Of Your Furnace of Love.
Touch my ash with Your Fire, O Lord,
And bring me to Life, once again, in You.
Take me to You and quench my thirst for Your Love.
Take my ash in Your hands
And breathe in me
Life in You.

Because I ask...

You give and keep giving.
There is no bottom to this
Well of Your love and tenderness.
There is no retaining wall
As Your Precious Lava of Love
Moves to every gesture,
Every thought, every emotion,
Every ache, every longing;
Moves so tenderly,
Moves so willingly,
Moves to engulf the willing soul
That surrenders
In Your ever-present, ever-willing,
Ever-attentive Heart of Love.
 
Come to me, Lord, I pray,
As I surrender to You
All I am to Your Sacred Heart of Love
And Your plan for me.
Let me be carried away
In the Lava of Your Love
Succumbing to every movement,
Every whisper, every nudge,
Every touch, every longing,
Every desire of Your Most Precious Heart.
 
Heart of Love, Most Sacred Heart,
Move in me as day by day
You teach me Your Ways
And engulf me in Your Love
With no desire of escape.

Do You Love Me?

Do you love me? You ask,
Cutting me to the quick.
Lord, You know I love You! I reply.
My heart grows heavy from Your question.
How often have I tried with
Everything I am
To love You, my Lord.
But how often I come away
Confused by Your higher ways.

Do you love Me? You ask again.
My heart aches to answer:
Lord, You know I love You!
Can You not see my love for You, Lord?
Is it because I find myself
So often confused by Your Love?
Is it because of
My impetuousness and impatience
That cannot wait for Your timing?
Is it because I just don’t understand
Your plan for me?
But I give myself to You and Your plan
Regardless of my inability to understand
What I am getting myself into!

Do you love me? You ask again.
Tears flow, my throat chokes.
What do You want from me? I ask.
My heart aches as I struggle to whisper
These words one more time:

Lord, You know I love You.
I am weak.
I am confused.
What, Lord, do You need?
Speak clearly, I beg,
Because You know I am simple.
In Your eyes I know I am small.
But, dear Lord, You are
Everything to me.
Your Sacred Heart is my Life, my desire.
Teach me to love You
As You desire to be loved,
My Lord, my God.
Come to my heart
And bring me peace
As I love You the only way
I know how,
With everything I am.
Lord, take my heart into Yours
Where I may love You always.
Feed My sheep, You reply.

Rest Your Head in Our Hearts

O Lamb of God,
So gentle, so pure,
The Unblemished One,
You, who brought us life,
You, who brought us Hope,
You who brought us Love,
A love so immense
Even the universe and eternity
Cannot contain it.
You ask so little in return.
You, who gave until  every precious drop of Blood
Drained from Your Body,
Breathing words of love and mercy until the end,
Have mercy on us!
 
Most Holy One,
Behind Your gentle eyes lies an
Eternity wrapped within
Your Sacred Heart of Love.
Receive our hearts into Yours!
 
You, Lord, could have been anything,
But You chose to be Love:
Pure, unblemished,
Unaffected by time and neglect,
Ever-hoping, ever-waiting
For a small return of our love.
Ever knocking at the cold door
Of our hardened hearts,
You whisper through the
Cracks in our hearts.
You weep in the cold,
The wounds in Your hands and feet aching,
Your pierced side seeping still
The precious Blood of Life Eternal,
The water of forgiveness.
But You die on that Cross alone, again,
In a world
That seldom hears You
That seldom sees You,
That turns away from Your precious gift of Yourself.
Forgive us for we know not what we do!
 

“The foxes have their lairs
The birds of the sky have their nests,
But the Son of Man
Has no where to lay His head.” (Luke 9:58)

The world of sin and weakness
Could never be home
To a love as pure as Yours.
Lord, we throw open the doors
Of our hardened hearts for You, our Perfect Lord!
Take comfort in our imperfect love
And find in our hearts a place
Washed clean by Your Sacrifice,
Made whole in Your Love,
A place of comfort to lay Your head and heart!
Teach us to love You, O Lord.
Teach us to love You as You desire, O Lord!
May You find Your rest in us,
May we find our rest in You.