the valley of vision

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory.
Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine;
let me find Thy light in my darkness,
Thy life in my death,
Thy joy in my sorrow,
Thy grace in my sin,
Thy riches in my poverty,
Thy glory in my valley.

-Edited by Arthur Bennett, The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions

anima christi

Soul of Christ, be my sanctification;

Body of Christ, be my salvation;

Blood of Christ, fill all my veins;

Water of Christ’s side, wash out my stains;

Passion of Christ, my comfort be;

O good Jesus, listen to me;

In Thy wounds I fain would hide;

Ne’er to be parted from Thy side;

Guard me, should the foe assail me;

Call me when my life shall fail me;

Bid me come to Thee above,

With Thy saints to sing Thy love,

World without end.

Amen.

-St. Ignatius, translated by Cardinal John Henry Newman

image the words

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
vast, unmeasured, boundless, free

Rolling as a mighty ocean
in its fullness over me

Underneath me,
all around me,
is the current of Thy love
Leading onward,
leading homeward
to Thy glorious rest above!

-S.Trevor Francis, O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus