Prayers

Prayer of Thomas Merton

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think that I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this,
you will lead me by the right road
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear,
for you are ever with me
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Hail, Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy!
Hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn, then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy towards us;
and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.