The Lenten prayer for this week is written by Trappist monk Thomas Merton. It is from fromThoughts in Solitude (1958).
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 that 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 never 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 I will trust you always
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
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9 comments
[…] The Lenten prayer for this week is written by Trappist monk Thomas Merton. My Lord God, I have no idea …read more […]
Ah, one of my very favorite prayers. Thanks for sending it out.
Mine too Coe.
[…] The Lenten prayer for this week is written by Trappist monk Thomas Merton. My Lord God, I do not know the place I’m going. I don’t see the street forward of me. I can’t know for sure the place it is going to finish. Nor do I actually know myself, and the truth that I feel I’m following […] Godspace […]
The prayer by Thomas Merton is from Thoughts in Solitude (1958). When I was asked to lead prayers at my ‘discernment’ weekend – for people seeking ordination – I read it: it meant a lot to us then. The chaplain I remember was deeply struck by it. (This year’s Burns Lecture on Religious Studies was built around the anniversary of his birth.)
John thanks for giving me a reference for it. I have tried to find it by looking back through his books but that did not work.
I loved the video and have forwarded your post to one of my Facebook pages – Touch Holiness.
Thank you so much, Christine.
Glad you enjoyed it this is one I like to revisit frequently
The Merton Prayer – German Translation
http://cingolani.com/MertonPrayer.html