I arise today

I arise to-day:

 

Might of God for my piloting

Wisdom of God for my guidance

Eye of God for my foresight

Ear of God for my hearing

Word of God for my utterance

Hand of God for my guardianship

Path of God for my precedence

Shield of God for my protection

Host of God for my salvation . . .

 

Christ with me, Christ before me,

Christ behind me, Christ in me,

Christ under me, Christ over me,

Christ to right of me, Christ to left of me,

Christ in lying down, Christ in sitting, Christ in rising up

Christ in the heart of every person, who may think of me!

Christ in the mouth of every one, who may speak to me!

Christ in every eye, which may look on me!

Christ in every ear, which may hear me!

                     Excerpt from “The Lorica of St Patrick” (the Deer’s Cry)

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I arise today

it is dark out

 

I wander deep into my soul

it is dark there too

 

I feel assaulted, abused

by what is going on around me

it is shadowy

frightening

painful

 

so much dysfunction and chaos

a dystopian nightmare

of ego and power lust

greed and graft

 

it brutalizes and dehumanizes

 

until, violated, and my soul suffocated

thrashes

as a drowning soul

seeking air and safety

 

I arise today

and words about love and compassion

forgiveness and generosity do not come

 

instead I am left weak and gasping

on the shore of this day

as the sun rises

murky in the haze

 

and all I have is Christ

 

it is not bad that I have been driven to this point

where I must cling to the savior

like a drowning soul

 

for in this time

there is no power on earth that can give me breath

and keep my feet moving

no power that can overcome the encroaching darkness

 

except Christ

 

“Christ with me, Christ before me,

Christ behind me, Christ in me,

Christ under me, Christ over me,

Christ to right of me, Christ to left of me,

Christ in lying down, Christ in sitting, Christ in rising up”

 

Only in my deep awareness

that Christ is in me, and I am in Christ

and Christ is in all

and Christ, and love, will win

can I breathe again