Sr. Lillian, the author of 'Prayer Pal Cards' is now an associate with Watkins.
Bless the Lord, my soul. Lord God, how great you are,
Clothed in majesty and glory, wrapped in light as in a robe.
I will sing to the Lord all my life, make music to my God while I live.
May my thoughts be pleasing to Him. I find my joy in the Lord.
From: Psalm 103
The Psalms pray for us and in us whether we are suffering, doubting,
or in joy and desiring to praise God; they quickly lead us to prayer.
Scene: Sunset near the hermitage - $2.00
'The "turning" of our whole self to God can be achieved only by
deep and sincere and simple faith, enlivened by a hope that knows
that contact with God is possible, and love which desires above
all things to do His will'
From: Thoughts in Solitude by Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton is a Cistercian monk who wrote many books on prayer,
spirituality and living life, ordinary life, in the deepest way.
His writings, full of wisdom often touch the soul, and give us
simple, practical ways to grow in prayer.
Scene: Pasture near the hermitage - $2.00
'Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name; Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen'
From: The Gospel of Matthew, C.6
Scripture teaches us to know and love Jesus; pondering it daily nurtures
our prayer. We have the beautiful 'Our Father' passage which Jesus Himself
has taught us - it always uplifts, encourages, and guides us in life's
journey.
Scene: Near the hermitage - $2.00
'The soul is great in proportion to its capacity for the eternal,
and upright in proportion to its desire for heavenly things, and the
soul which does not desire or have a taste for heavenly things, but
clings to earthly things, is clearly not upright but bent. But it
does not, for all of that, cease to be great, and it always retains
its capacity for eternity.'
From: St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Song of Songs, Serm. 80
St. Bernard, a twelfth century Cistercian abbot, renown in his century,
was a prolific writer who taught and lived a total love of the Word,
Jesus Christ. The fact that we are made in the image and likeness of
God is a prominent theme in the writings of the Cistercian Fathers;
this doctrine nourishes us in our desire to pray.
Scene: Sunset near the hermitage - $2.00
1. 0 Splendor of God's glory bright 3. So let us gladly pass the day
True light begotten of his light Our thoughts as pure as morning ray
0 Light, the fountainspring of light, Our faith as noontide shining bright
0 day with light dispelling night. our minds undimmed by shades of night
2. Come, very Sun of heavenly love, 4. The light is wholly in the dawn
Come, in thy radiance from above The dawn brings forth the whole of light
And shed the Holy Spirit's ray For in the Father is the Son
On every thought and sense today. And Father wholly in the Son.
From: the liturgical hymn attributed to St. Ambrose
(d.397) 'Splendor of the Father's Glory.'
Liturgical hymns are rich sources of prayer as well as vehicles of sound
theology - they lift up our minds and hearts to God.
Scene: Dawn near the hermitage - $2.00
'Now, 0 my soul, lift up your eyes, behold and look...
the grace of your God, the Charity of your Saviour...
O God of my life, I know not how to praise you...
From: St. Gertrude the Great, Exercise on
'Praise and Thanksgiving' from her book,
The Exercises of Saint Gertrude.
St. Gertrude is a thirteenth century Cistercian nun
from the renowned convent of Helfta in Saxony;
her ardent love of God and her beautiful writings
are rich sources we can use to deepen our prayer.
Scene: Palm tree near the hermitage - $2.00