Tender Dove

Holy Spirit from above, 

Tender, undefiled Dove,

In my spirit have Thy way,

O'er my actions hold full sway.

Blest  Companion from on high, 

In Thy comfort ever nigh;

Bind my heart to Christ in Love, 

O Thou precious, Heavenly Dove.

This cold heart and these dull eyes,

So unfit for Paradise,

Fire with Thy sacred flame, 

Show the power of Jesus' Name.

Weak I in myself may be, 

But my strength shall be in Thee.

Sweet provision of God's grace;

In Thy gift His love I trace.

I could no Thy coming earn, 

Could no more Thy wooing spurn. 

Take control and bless and use

As the Infinite shall choose.

FJR

Little Lamb

The Lamb

Little Lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who made thee?

Gave thee life, and bid thee feed, 

By the streams and o'r the mead;

Gave thee such a tender voice,

Making all the vales rejoice; 

Little Lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who made thee?

Little Lamb, I'll tell thee,

Little Lamb, I'll tell thee:

He is called by they name,

For He calls Himself a Lamb. 

He is meek, and He is mild;

He became a little child.

I a child, and thou a lamb, 

We are called by His name.

Little Lamb, God bless thee!

Little Lamb, God bless thee!

William Blake

0 My Bride, My Beloved:

Jewels

0 My Bride, My Beloved:

I have betrothed thee unto Myself. Yea, I have given thee a special token of our relationship and our future union, for I have sealed thee with My precious Holy Spirit; and ye shall be - Mine, saith the Lord, in that day when I make up My jewels, and ye shall be as a diadem upon My brow, yea, My crowning glory.

For I shall reign over kings and nations and peoples, yea, I shall be ruler over all the earth; but ye shall have a special place of honor, for thou art My prize possession. As it is written, having shared My agony, ye shall that day share My glory; having born for Me the cross, ye shall then share with Me the throne. (Know ye not ye shall even judge angels?)

Rejoice now, that ye have been chosen out and counted worthy to suffer for My sake. We share one common destiny, and we walk one single path. At this present time, it may hold sorrow and iso­lation; but cheer thine heart with the raptures that lie ahead. Some live now in the revelries and riches of this present world who shall that day be mourners and paupers. Will ye exchange places? Would ye desert Me now and be rejected then? Would ye ignore Me now, and be in that day rejected by Me?

Nay, ye would not! Rather, ye will do as Paul: ye will glory in the midst of suffering and affliction, because ye know these things shall in that day be counter-balanced by an exceedingly greater portion of joy. (weight of glory)

                                                                                      Frances J. Roberts, Come Away My Beloved

Praying with Our Lady at the Foot of the Cross

 

O my Son,

to see you thus breaks my heart,

yet I know that the Father's ways

are known to your heart.

 

The love You have,

the compassion You show,

can only be of mirror

of the love You know.

 

Placed under the tender care of John,

and becoming the Mother of the Church

are but small consolations

in the midst of so great a hurt.

 

Yet, with You

the Father's will I embrace

that all will come to pass

in its proper time and place.

 

 Jesus, my joy and my delight,

my Son and my Lord,

I can't help but remember You

as the small child I bore. 





Trust

Sure, it take a lot of courage

To put things in God's hands,

To give ourselves completely,

Our live, our hopes, our plans.

To follow where He leads us

And make His will our own,

But all it takes is foolishness

To go the way alone.

~Betsey Kline

inFavorites from the Salesian Collection

The year is closed...

The year is closed, the record made;

The last deed is done, the last word said.

The memory alone remains

Of all its joys, its griefs, its gains;

And with purpose full and clear

I turn to meet another year.

Robert Browning

Climb Until Your Dreams Come True

Often your tasks will be many,
And more than you think you can do…
Often the road will be rugged
And the hills insurmountable, too…
But always remember, the hills ahead
Are never as steep as they seem,
And with Faith in your heart start upward
And climb ’till you reach your dream,
For nothing in life that is worthy
Is ever too hard to achieve
If you have the courage to try it
And you have the Faith to believe
For Faith is a force that is greater
Than knowledge or power or skill
And many defeats turn to triumph
If you trust in God’s wisdom and will…

For Faith is a mover of mountains,
There’s nothing that God cannot do,
So start out today
with Faith in your heart
And Climb ‘Til Your Dream Comes True!

~Helen Steiner Rice

The Smallest Prayer

God hears the very smallest prayer,
Nor sends a cross too great to bear,
And though we stumble now and then,
He always picks us up again.
There is no moment day or night,
When we are hidden from His sight,
No wall too high nor door too stout,
To keep His loving care without.

His ways are wiser than our own,
His strength remains when ours is gone,
We must not doubt nor question why,
He sends the answers by and by.
And this I know within my heart,
All darkness fades and shadows part,
And that sometime, somehow, somewhere,
God hears and answers every prayer!

~ by Grace E. Easley

Be Still

Be Still, and Know that I Am God,
My Father said to Me,
And I will fill you with My Peace,
And set your Spirit Free.

You are my Own; I've Chosen You:
You are Precious in My Sight.
Give Me your Heart and I Promise
You I'll be Your Guiding Light.

My Love for you will Never Fade
By your side I'll Always Stay.
My Joy will be your Strength and Shield,
If you'll let Me have My Way.

I'm Standing here with Arms
Outstretched I want to Touch and make You Whole.
Of My Living Waters, Come and Drink,
And I will Quench your Thirsty Soul.

Peace! Be Still! I am with You now,
And no-one could Love You More.
My Love for you will never Die
Of that You can be sure.

That's what my Father said to Me
And I know His Words are true.
I know that He has Set me Free
And He'll do the Same for You.

So just Reach Out, ask Him to Forgive
And Pardon all your Sin.
Ask Him to be your God and King
And He will take You In.

(Psalm 46:10)

God Is Never Far Away

My Friend,
God isn't far away
But surrounds you with his love.
It was him who opened your eyes this morning,

It is his strength
That will carry you through this day,
And it is in his peace
That your heart will find rest tonight.

God isn't far away.
He is the light of this day.
He is the sky above you,
And the earth beneath you,
And the life of every living thing.

God isn't far away.
He is in every smile,
In every thought that gives you hope,
In every tear that waters your soul,
In every moment you can't face alone.

God isn't far away.
He is the love on a loved one's face,
He is in the friends along the way,
In strangers you've yet to meet,
And blessings you've yet to receive.

God isn't far away.
He is in every good thing that touches you.
He is in every step you make
And every breath you take.
God is not far away for he is with you

Always.........

By Nancye Sims 

In Every Heart...

In every heart there dwells a dream;

With every dream there's hope,

And everywhere we chance to go

God sends us strength to cope..

In every heart there dwells a smile;

With every smile there's love,

And everywhere we chane to go

God sends blessings from above...

In every heart there dwells a glow;

With every glow there's light,

And everywhere we chance to go

God sends a starlit night..

In every heart there dwells a friend;

With every friend there's gleee,

And everywhere we chance to go

God send joy to you and me!

~ Hope C. Oberhelman

Symbols

Gold helps those who help things grow

With seeds of kindness...that they sow.

For those who serve Him...every day

Unselfishly...in some small way,

His blessings pour out...our reward.

We are the vessels...of the Lord.

Our gardens grwo...our fields will flourish

For every soul...we help to nourish.

Growing...stretching...reaching out

To those in need...and those who doubt.

We are...extensions...of His love,

His hand...holds tightly...to our glove.

By our good works...and each kind deed

We manifest...His name...His creed.

Then mortals...such as you and I

Are Symbols...here to glorify.

With a cheerful heart...that gladly gives

We prove to all...that Jesus lives.

by Patience Allison Hartbauer

in Candles of Hope from the Salesian Collection

Walk in Faith

I'll walk in faith with God today

not knowing what it brings

I'll take each step that He directs

and trust Him in all things.

I'll not lose hope if I am lead

in moments of despair

I'll lean on Him with all my might

and trust me to His care.

I'll not assume that I know best

if heartaches come my way,

Because He'll meet my every need

I'll walk in faith today.

I'll walk in faith with God

by every single minute,

And although my pathway be unknown

by faith, I will walk in it.

He knows the road that I must take

He knows each rock and stone

In faith I'll walk with God today

I will not walk alone.

- by Betty Purser Patten

Published in Candles of Hope
from the Salesian Collection

Time Is Not Measured

Time is not measured
by the years that you live
But by the deeds that you do
and the joy that you give.

And each day as it comes
brings a chance to each one
To love to the fullest,
leaving nothing undone.

That would brighten the life
or lighten the load
Of some weary traveler
lost on life's road.

So what does it matter
how long we may live
If as long as we live
we unselfishly give.

From Daily Stepping Stones

by Helen Steiner Rice