Thou, Whom I do not know, but Whose I am…

See Soulwork Toward Sunday: self-guided retreat
Lent 2 (year B), March 4, 2012
http://www.edgeofenclosure.org

Rooting around in his book Markings early last week, I found this prayer by the beloved United Nations Secretary General, Dag Hammarskjöld. He wrote it eight weeks before he died in a plane crash in 1961.  It’s been my prayer these first days of Lent. It is “meditation three” on the website.  It’s worth repeating here. I hope you love it, too …

 

Have mercy

Upon us.
Have mercy
Upon our efforts,
That we
Before Thee,
In love and in faith,
Righteousness and humillity,
May follow Thee,
With self-denial, steadfastness, and courage,
And meet Thee
In the silence.

Give us
A pure heart
That we may see Thee,
A humble heart
That we may hear Thee,
A heart of love
That we may serve Thee,
A heart of faith
That we may live Thee,

Thou
Whom I do not know
But Whose I am.

Thou
Whom I do not comprehend
But Who hast dedicated me
To my fate.
Thou –

 

 

 
– Dag Hammarskjöld 1905-1961
Markings