A Special Prayer

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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 I am following your will does not mean 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 not 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 to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

--Thomas Merton--

-- Thomas (pdalm23@catholic.org), June 15, 2004

Answers

I came across this prayer when I made my first retreat to the Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery in Conyers GA several years ago. A copy of this prayer is left in every retreatants room. It was a time of uncertainty in my life, and this prayer gave a lift that I sorely needed. It really speaks to how I try to live my life - trusting God, knowing that he will guide me the right way even through the difficult times, and that some paths I take may not make sense at first, but upon looking back, I can see why God needed me to go that way.

Of course, this prayer is also special because it mirrors my favorite Biblical passage, as indicated in my (correct in this post) e-mail address.

I would like to invite others to share a prayer that is special to them, or has touched them in some way.

Pax et Bonum.

-- Thomas (psalm23@catholic.org), June 15, 2004.


Thomas,

Thank you so much for sharing that beautiful prayer. It spoke to me with what I needed to hear at just the right time.

God bless,

-- Emily ("jesusfollower7@yahoo.com), June 15, 2004.


A beaufitul prayer, Thomas, like everything Merton wrote.

Thank you

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), June 15, 2004.


thomas-- i admit i know very little of thomas merton. however, after reading this prayer, i am eager to learn more about him.

thanks for this prayer-- i read the first few lines and got a chill up my spine! i cant wait to absorb its meaning later, in more serene moments (which never occur during work hours, it seems! haha)

thanks, thomas!

-- jas (jas_r_22@hotmail.com), June 16, 2004.


Jas,

If you are interested in reading Thomas Merton, start with "The Seven Story Mountain." It is a beautiful story about his life.

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), June 16, 2004.



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