Having recently penned CURIOSITY as an acrostic meditation to celebrate the landing of the Mars rover, (You can click through to it from the Alphabetic index), I was reminded that a little while back I wrote a meditation that reflected one of the styles of a few of the Psalms (seven of them). The reflection begins with A and works its way through the English alphabet to Z.
LITTLE CANTICLE 115 (An A to Z meditation)
Almighty God, Creator, Saviour
and redeemer of all people, we bless your Holy Name.
Beauty and Harmony come from
you, O God: they are ours to enjoy and the enjoyment is deeper when we see you
in them.
Creator of the whole universe,
we owe everything to you: if we could give you all that we can see, touch and enjoy,
it would not be enough to repay your love for us.
Daily, let us come before you
to render worship and praise for all your loving kindness.
Earth, moon, planets and stars
all formed as you desired: things both seen and unseen rejoice to be part of
your creation.
First and last, last and first;
you were there at the beginning and will be there at the end. Eternity is yours
and only yours, O Everlasting God.
Great and wonderful are your
deeds: may we be open to comprehending their source.
Holiness is your habitation and
heaven your kingdom. By your grace alone we are invited to be dwellers there.
Immortal, invisible, the only
wise God, hidden by light: and the fountain of light both in heaven and on
earth.
Justice is your desire, O Lord.
You hate those who thrive by the imposition of oppression and wickedness.
Kindness and mercy are yours, so
we can fearlessly acknowledge your might and power: we willingly subject
ourselves to your reign, for we know you are just and merciful.
Love is from your heart and
about your throne. It was love that brought perfect God and perfect man to the
humility and agony of the cross. That is the assurance of your boundless love
for us.
Marvellous are the works of
your hands, wrought by the power of your Holy Spirit. The Spirit's presence
with us is an reminder of your continual love.
No-one can bear the sight of
your face. It is too beautiful, too glorious and radiates transcendent
splendour. We can hope, only, for a glimpse of that magnificence until we come
to our eternal rest with you.
Omniscience is yours alone, O
God: everything in heaven and on earth is known to you; yes, even the deep
secrets of all our hearts.
Praise, O praise, our God who
reigns: three persons in one God, who is in everything that is good and shuns
all that is evil.
Quietness and stillness are his
gifts: into these he speaks and through them we can prepare to receive the
peace of knowing his presence.
Resurrection life is ours,
through Jesus, your Son. We thank you for this unfathomable gift.
Salvation comes through you
alone. Through Jesus it is assured and when we seek him, we can live in the
peace of that assurance.
Thanksgiving, honour and praise
are yours by right, O mighty God: we thank you for Jesus who showed us what You
are like by his presence here amongst us: God, incarnate, made manifest.
Universal praise will be yours
in the last days, when the end and the beginning of all things meet in the
triumph of Christ's second coming.
Very God of Very
God, we wait upon your glorious return.
When that day comes, we pray we
will be ready to be swept into its cosmic triumph.
X, the sign of the Cross,
points us to that day. We rejoice in it because, already, by it, Christ has
conquered death and sin.
Yesterday, today and forever
are gathered in your hand, O God. You are at our beginning and at our end. You
are our history, our present and our future and we wait upon the time of your
return.
Zeal for you, Lord is the mark
of our waiting. Zeal that spills out from us upon all nations, so they may be
gathered into your holy kingdom and to the fullness of your promise.
Other Little Canticles (similar format) can be accessed HERE
Other Little Canticles (similar format) can be accessed HERE
