Beggar of Hope

Artwork by Helen Chouinard

Beggar am I

Beggar of hope am I,

Dear Prince of glory, press.

Thy face, Thy presence, I cry;

More, far more of Thy beauty and eternal presence.

Stir my devotion, reliance and trust;

Discern, divide, live within my conscience.

Shepherd my soul and entrust,

 Your gentle voice to a whisper.

I’ll wait as long as it takes;

       Pour out Your healing balm,

Peace and rest to humbly wait.

God of all mercies, gracious and true,

Beyond my prayers, keep my soul.

Your provisional love and justice;

redeems and restores whole.

Renew my mind according to Your Word,

For in Your holy presence, break not the bruised reed.

Eternal wind, cleanse and heal with the double-edged sword.

A chronic beggar of hope am I,

 for Your perfect labor of steadfast love, indeed.

                                                                                   ~mba

*

“Oh happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,

which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

Night truly blessed when Heaven is wedded to earth

and man is reconciled with God!”

~The Roman Missal

*

Crucified love, risen to proclaim a holy, steadfast love for all.

Fully trustworthy and sufficient; enough, suffice, whole.

He will not grow faint nor be crushed,

until He has established justice on the earth.

Our God is the holy One of Israel;

our God of love and justice.

May the comfort and counsel of your Spirit,

Almighty God,

help us to take in and rely upon Christ for our all-

in joyful hope, abiding rest, and strength in weaknesses.

Be our Refuge and eternal Prince of peace.

*

For this reason the Father loves me,

because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.

No one takes it from me,

but I lay it down of my own accord.

I have authority to take it up again.

This charge I have received from my Father.

                                                         ~Jn. 10:17 & 18

    *

For I know that my Redeemer lives,

and at the last he will stand upon the earth.  Job 19:25

“To know that Love alone was the beginning

of nature and creature,

that nothing but Love encompasses

the whole universe of things,

that the governing Hand that overrules all,

the watchful Eye that sees through all,

is nothing but omnipotent and omniscient Love,

using an infinity of wisdom,

to save every misguided creature

from the miserable works of its own hands,

and make happiness and glory

the perpetual inheritance of all the creation,

is a reflection that must be quite ravishing

to every intelligent creature that is sensible of it.”

                                                               ~WM. LAW