Tag Archives: Poetry

By the Power of Your Grace

By the Power of Your Grace

 

Grace is the presence of God’s presence!

Guide me Lord,

May Thy will be done.

I feel confused and lost.

I  need FAITH.

Lift my anxiety Lord…

Grant me FAITH.

By the Power of Your Grace.

 

The world is chaotic, Lord.

Help me to see Your face.

Especially in dark and trying times, Lord

I want to trust in You.

Grant me Hope…

By the Power of Your Grace.

 

Perhaps I am anxious

because I need to ask

for Your forgiveness.

You are Love.

You are Mercy.

Grant me your Love and Mercy Lord…

By the Power of Your Grace.

 

FAITH, HOPE and LOVE

All three do I need.

I hear You say..

“Be not afraid!”

Heal my heart, Lord

that I may do Thy will always.

Grant that I may

grow old gracefully…

By the Power of Your Grace.

 

 

 

By the Power of Your Grace

 

By the Power of Your Grace

Grace is the presence of God’s presence!

Guide me Lord,

May Thy will be done.

I feel confused and lost.

I  need FAITH.

Lift my anxiety Lord…

Grant me FAITH.

By the Power of Your Grace.

 

The world is chaotic, Lord.

Help me to see Your face.

Especially in dark and trying times, Lord

I want to trust in You.

Grant me Hope…

By the Power of Your Grace.

 

Perhaps I am anxious

because I need to ask

for Your forgiveness.

You are Love.

You are Mercy.

Grant me your Love and Mercy Lord…

By the Power of Your Grace.

 

FAITH, HOPE and LOVE

All three do I need.

I hear You say..

“Be not afraid!”

Heal my heart, Lord

that I may do Thy will always.

Grant that I may

grow old gracefully…

By the Power of Your Grace.

 

Five Famous Hymns Written by St. Thomas Aquinas




St Thmas Aquinas-cr-01 Public Domain Image

St. Thomas was was born in Sicily in the year 1225. He died in 1274. The feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas is celebrated on Jan. 28. He is considered the patron saint of students and universities.

At the age of five he was placed in the care of the Benedictines of Monte Casino.

He became a Dominican priest against his families wishes. His brothers followed careers in the military. In an attempt to end his desires to become a Dominican, his brothers hired a prostitute to seduce him. According to legend, two angels appeared to Thomas to strengthen him and increase his determination to remain celibate. He thus became known as the “Angelic Doctor”.

St. Thomas studied at Cologne under St. Albert the Great. He was called “the dumb-ox” because he was so shy and quiet. He was also of a very large stature. Actually, he was quite brilliant, eventually being declared a Doctor of the Church.

After becoming a priest he was sent to Paris. In Paris he became a friend of the King, St. Louis, dining with him frequently. He was asked to teach at the age of 22. He has published many writings. The most well known are Summa Theologica and Summa Contra Gentiles.  He also wrote Hymns of Adoration which are well known today.  The belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is very evident in his hymns of praise and adoration.

His well known hymns are the following:

1. Panis Angelicus (Bread of Angels)  sung by Andre Bocelli

2. Adore te Devote (Humbly I adore thee)…Gregorian Chant

3. O Salutaris hostia (O saving victim)   Gregorian Chant

4. Pange Lingua Corperis (Now, my tongue, the mystery telling)  Gregorian Chant

5. Tantum Ergo Sacramentum (Come Adore)…sung by Daughters of Mary

 

St. Thomas Aquinas Public Domain Image
St. Thomas Aquinas

Panis Angelicus (Bread of Angels)

Holy and living bread,

Wondrous food from heaven sent,

God’s sacrifice foretold,

now in our hands we hold.

Sign and reality, challenge for us to be

Humble servants to all the poor.

God, Holy Three in One,

through this off’ring of your Son

All now on earth can see what we are called to be:

Hope for a world in need, signs that love can succeed

Where true justice and peace endure.

O Salutaris Hostia ( O Saving Victim)

O saving Victim, open wide

The gate of heav’n to us below,

Our foes press on from ev’ry side;

Your aid supply your strength bestow.

To your great name be endless praise,

Immortal Godhead, One in Three;

O grant us endless length of days

In our true native land with thee.

Amen

St. Thomas Aquinas Public Domain Image
St. Thomas Aquinas

Zion, to thy Savior; singing

Zion, To Thy Savior Singing
Zion, to Thy Savior singing,

To thy Prince and Shepherd bringing,
Sweetest hymns of love and praise,
Thou wilt never reach the measure
Of His worth, by all the treasure
Of thy most ecstatic lays.

Of all wonders that can thrill thee,
And, with adoration fill thee,
What than this can greater be,
That Himself to thee He giveth?
He that eateth ever liveth,
For the Bread of Life is He.

Fill thy lips to overflowing
With sweet praise, His mercy showing
Who this heav’nly table spread:
On this day so glad and holy,
To each longing spirit lowly
Giveth He the living Bread.

Here the King hath spread His table,
Whereon eyes of faith are able
Christ our Passover to trace:
Shadows of the law are going,
Light and life and truth inflowing,
Night to day is giving place.

Lo, this angels’ food descending
Heavenly love is hither sending,
Hungry lips on earth to feed:
So the paschal lamb was given,
So the manna came from Heaven,
Isaac was His type indeed.

O Good Shepherd, Bread life giving,
Us, Thy grace and life receiving,
Feed and shelter evermore;
Thou on earth our weakness guiding,
We in Heaven with Thee abiding,
With all saints will Thee adore.

Adore te Devote (Humbly I adore thee)

Humbly I adore thee, Verity unseen,
who thy glory hiddest ‘neath these shadows mean;
low, to thee surrendered, my whole heart is bowed,
tranced as it beholds thee, shrined within the cloud.

Taste and touch and vision to discern thee fail;
faith, that comes by hearing, pierces through the veil.
I believe whate’re the Son of God hath told;
what the Truth hath spoken, that for truth I hold.

O memorial wondrous of the Lord’s own death;
living Bread that givest all thy creatures breath,
grant my spirit ever by thy life may live,
to my taste thy sweetness never failing give.

Jesus, whom now hidden, I by faith behold,
what my soul doth long for, that thy word foretold:
face to face thy splendor, I at last shall see,
in the glorious vision, blessed Lord, of thee.

 

St. Thomas Aquinas Public Domain Image
St. Thomas Aquinas

Tantum Ergo Sacramentum (Come Adore)

Come adore this wondrous presence,

Bow to Christ the source of grace.

Here is kept the ancient promise

of God’s earthly dwelling place.

Sight is blind before God’s glory,

Faith alone may see his face.

Glory be to God the Father,

Praise to his co-equal Son.

Adoration to the Spirit,

Bond of love, in God-head one.

Blest be God by all creation

Joyously while ages run.


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Praying with the Poetry of the Mystics

St. Francis raphaelgallery.org Public Domain Image
St. Francis
raphaelgallery.org


Get to know the mystics! The mystics are saints in the Catholic Church who have had visions and personal experiences with the presence of God in their lives. Many of the Saints have written of their love of God. It can be contagious!

The following five poems are written by mystics of the Catholic Church. They are inspired by their own personal relationship and experience of God. Because their joy could not be kept to themselves, they became radiant lights to the world.

The different types of prayer are petition, intercession, thanksgiving, adoration, praise and glory. Their poetry uses all these types of prayer and can help lead us to a personal relationship with God.

St. Francis was born in Assisi, Italy in 1181. He is known for his love of animals and the suffering. He is the founder of the Franciscan Order. While praying in front of a crucifix, Jesus spoke to him saying, “Francis, rebuild my church!”

St. Teresa of Avila was born in Spain in 1515. She helped reform the Carmelite order. The poem in this collection shares one of her experiences during prayer.

St. Catherine of Siena was born in 1347. She began having visions as a young child pertaining to heaven and hell.

Bernard of Clairvaux was born in 1090 in Burgundy France. He wrote a treatise called Degrees of Humility and Pride which analyzed the human character. He also wrote many hymns.

St. Augustine was known for his conversion during the fourth century. He became a famous bishop. His poem Beauty ever ancient and so new is well known.

Learning about the spirituality of the saints can help us develop our own prayer life. Meditating on these prayers will change the course of your life.

 

St. Francis with Birds Public Domain Image
St. Francis with Birds

Canticle of the Creatures

All Praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens you have made them, bright, and precious, and fair.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brothers wind and air, and fair and stormy, all the weather’s moods, by which you cherish all that you have made.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water, so useful, humble, precious and pure.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten up the night. How beautiful is he, how cheerful! Full of power and strength.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth, who sustains us and governs us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through those who grant pardon for love of you; through those who endure sickness and trial. Happy are those who endure in peace, by You, Most High, they will be crowned.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death, from whose embrace no mortal can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Happy those she finds doing your will! The second death can do them no harm.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks and serve him with great humility.

St. Francis of Assisi

St. Augustine of Hippo by Sandro Botticelli Public Domain Image
St. Augustine of Hippo
by Sandro Botticelli

Beauty so ancient and so new

Late have I loved you, Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved you!

Lo, you were within,
but I outside, seeking there for you,

and upon the shapely things you have made
I rushed headlong – I, misshapen.
You were with me, but I was not with you.

They held me back far from you,
those things which would have no being,
were they not in you.

You called, shouted, broke through my deafness;
you flared, blazed, banished my blindness;

you lavished your fragrance, I gasped; and now I pant for you;
I tasted you, and now I hunger and thirst;

you touched me, and I burned for your peace.

St. Augustine

St. Bernard of Clairvaux Public Domain Image
St. Bernard of Clairvaux

O Sacred Head Surrounded

O sacred head, surrounded by crown of piercing thorn!

O bleeding head, so wounded, reviled and put to scorn!

Death’s pallid hue comes over you the glow of life decays, yet angel hosts adore thee and tremble as they gaze.

I see thy strength and vigor all fading in the strife, and death with cruel rigor, bereaving thee of life;

O agony and dying!

O love to sinners free!

Jesus, all grace supplying, O turn thy face on me.

In this thy bitter passion, Good Shepherd, think of me, with thy most sweet compassion, unworthy though I be,

beneath thy cross abiding forever would I rest, in they dear love confiding and with they presence blest.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

St. Catherine of Siena Public domain Image

Consumed by Grace

I first saw God when I was a child, six years of age.

the cheeks of the sun were pale before Him,

and the earth acted as a shy girl, like me.

Divine light entered my heart from His love
that did never fully wane,

though indeed, dear, I can understand how a person’s
faith can at time flicker,

for what is the mind to do
with something that becomes the mind’s ruin:

a God that consumes us
in His grace.

I have seen what you want;
it is there,

a Beloved of infinite
tenderness.

St. Catherine of Siena

St. Teresa of Avila Public Domain Image
St. Teresa of Avila

 

Laughter came from every brick

Just these two words He spoke changed my life,

Enjoy Me!.

What a burden I thought I was to carry, a crucifix, as did He.

Love once said to me,

“I know a song, would you like to hear it?”

And laughter came from every brick in the street and from every pore in the sky.

After a night of prayer,

He changed my life when He sang,

“Enjoy Me!”

St. Teresa of Avila




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