His Litany to the Holy Spirit

In the hour of my distress,
When temptations me oppress,
And when I my sins confess,
   Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When I lie within my bed,
Sick in heart and sick in head,
And with doubts discomforted,
   Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the house doth sigh and weep,
And the world is drowned in sleep;
Yet mine eyes the watch do keep,
   Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the passing-bell doth toll,
And the furies in a shoal
Come to fright a parting soul,
   Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the tapers now burn blue,
And the comforters are few,
And that number more than true,
   Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the priest his last hath prayed,

And I nod to what is said, 

Because my speech is now decayed,

   Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When, God knows, I am tossed about,

Either with despair, or doubt;

Yes, before the glass be out,

   Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the tempter me pursuit

With the sins of all my youth,

And half damns me with untruth,

   Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the flames and hellish cries

Fright mine ears and fright mine eyes,

And all terrors me surprise,

   Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the Judgement is revealed,

And that opened which was sealed;

When to Thee I have appealed,

   Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

-- Robert Herrick (1591-1674), English poet and Anglican priest

Image: Stained glass window of the anointing of the sick from St. Timothy Catholic parish, Miami, FL

July Thunder (Domine non est)

 Psalm 131

 

My shivering dog draping himself over me 

like a quaking blanket, pride abandoned,

driven to anxiety by the sound of thunder 

rumbling overhead for most of this week, sometimes 

bringing rain, sometimes just a threat. And for all with pets, 

 

this entire week holds more of the same--

the neighborhood will echo with the report of 

fireworks and hopefully not gunfire 

at least through the sixth of July. 

 

 “Domine non est

exaltatum cor meum…”

 

But the sky right now is exactly the color of a bruise, 

matching the one inflicted on me as

he pawed me last night to make the insufferable

thunder stop. Stevie Nicks once 

famously sang, “Thunder only happens when it’s raining.”

 

She was wrong. But Kobe believes her. His first owners 

left him outside in all weather, and thunder is a memory 

of being swept into wind and downpour 

with no chance of shelter. Thunder is the memory 

of storms and cruelties long past, 

the menace fresh, the carelessness vivid.

 

Don’t we all know the weight of helplessness

when hoping in God is all there is? 

 

So into the basement we descend. I will 

sit next to him, the press of my body and 

Bach cello suites by Ma in attempted comfort, 

notes gliding and bouncing exactly like rain,

the blare of the C string masking the thunder 

perhaps enough that he can be quieted and rest.

 

And sleep will come and breath will ease 

for all afraid yet drawn into love’s leeward side,

like a child upon his mother’s shoulder

asleep on a damp cheek,

sliding gratefully into open-hearted trust,

elusive too often for the proud and haughty self

I too often wear like armor.

 

I wait upon you gratefully, O Mothering God,

and rest upon you as the storms 

within and without subside.

I have no need to walk in mighty matters

for the reward in my soul

is your abundant lovingkindness and mercy--

more than enough.

--LKS, written for Episcopal Cafe's Speaking to the Soul for July 1, 2021.

Psalms of Trust: Psalm 23

Psalm 23

The Holy One is my shepherd;
     I shall not be in want.
You make me lie down in green pastures
     and lead me beside still waters. 
You revive my soul
     and guide me along right pathways
     for the sake of your Name.
Though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil;
     for you are with me;
     your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You spread a table before me
in the presence of those who trouble me;
     you have anointed my head with oil,
     and my cup is running over.
Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
     and I will dwell in the house of God for ever.

--from the St. Helena Psalter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Lord is my shepherd;
     I lack nothing.
He lets me rest in grassy meadows;
     he leads me to restful waters;
     he keeps me alive.
He guides me in proper paths
     for the sake of his good name.
Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger because you are with me.
     Your rod and your staff--
     they protect me.
You set a table before me
     right in front of my enemies,
You bathe my head in oil;
     my cup is so full it spills over!
Yes, goodness and faithful love
     will pursue me all the days of my life,
     and I will live in the Lord's house
     as long as I live.

-- from the Common English Bible


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yahweh is my shepherd,
     I lack nothing.
In grassy meadows he lets me lie.
     By tranquil streams he leads me
to restore my spirit.
He guides me in paths of saving justice
     as befits his name.
Even were I to walk in a ravine as dark as death
     I should fear no danger, for you are at my side.
     Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me.
You prepare a table for me before the eyes of my enemies;
     you anoint my head with oil;
     my cup brims over.
Kindness and faithful love pursue me
every day of my life.
     I make my home in the house of Yahweh
     for all time to come.

-- from  the Revised New Jerusalem Bible

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Lord is my shepherd
     I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
     he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
     he leadeth me along right pathways for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
     I shall fear no evil: for thou art with me;
     thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies:
     thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
     and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

-- from the Authorized King James Version

The Place of Rest

The soul is its own witness and its own refuge.

Unto the deep the deep heart goes,
It lays its sadness nigh the breast:
Only the Mighty Mother knows
The wounds that quiver unconfessed.

It seeks a deeper silence still;
It folds itself around with peace,
Where thoughts alike of good or ill
In quietness unfostered cease.

It feels in the unwounding vast
For comfort for its hopes and fears:
The Mighty Mother bows at last;
She listens to her children’s tears.

Where the last anguish deepens — there
The fire of beauty smites through pain:
A glory moves amid despair,
The Mother takes her child again.

--AE (George William Russell) (1867-1935), Irish poet, painter, nationalist, and mystic

Open Unto Me

Lord, Lord, Open Unto Me

Open unto me, light for my darkness

Open unto me, courage for my fear

Open unto me, hope for my despair

Open unto me, peace for my turmoil

Open unto me, joy for my sorrow

Open unto me, strength for my weakness

Open unto me, wisdom for my confusion

Open unto me, forgiveness for my sins

Open unto me, tenderness for my toughness

Open unto me, love for my hates

Open unto me, Thy Self for myself


Lord, Lord, open unto me!

--Howard Thurman (1899-1981), African American theologian, educator, Baptist minister and civil rights leader

Celtic Blessing in Time of Sorrow or Trial

May you see God's light
on the path ahead
When the road you walk is dark.
May you always hear,
Even in your hour of sorrow,
The gentle singing of the lark.
When times are hard,
may hardness
Never turn your heart to stone,
May you always remember
when the shadows fall—
You do not walk alone.