Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Morning prayer

Numbed and crushed and overcome,
my heart groans, I moan aloud.

Lord, all that I long for is known to You,
my sighing is no secret from You;
my heart is throbbing, my strength deserting me,
the light of my eyes itself has left me.

My friends and my companions shrink from my wounds,
even the dearest of them keep their distance;
men intent on killing me lay snares,
others, hoping to hurt me, threaten my ruin,
hatching treacherous plots all day.

But I am like the deaf, I do not hear,
like the dumb man who does not open his mouth;
I am like the man who, hearing nothing,
gives no sharp answer in return.

For I put my trust in You, Yahweh,
and leave You to answer for me, Lord my God.
Psalm 38

Hide me in Your wounds,
in Your wounds I take refuge, Lord,
hide me,
though I am as the nail
that pierced Your hands and feet,
though I am the cause of Your suffering,
hide me.

Open the gate of Your body, Lord,
open Your side to receive me,
though I am as the lance
whose head tore You,
Lord, receive me.
I am Yours,
save me.

For I put my trust in You, Lord,
and leave You to answer for me.
Lord my God, have mercy.

3 comments:

Jim Swindle said...

It's a powerful Psalm and a powerful poem following. Thanks for posting it.

How can he bear to look with favor on us who caused his pain?

Incidentally, there's a minor typo in the third line from the end.

Ρωμανός ~ Romanós said...

Thanks Jim, for your comment, and the correction! (I typed this in under duress and didn't have a chance to proof-read it!)

Ρωμανός ~ Romanós said...

The typo was actually in my original Jerusalem Psalter blog, from which I copied and pasted the Psalm text, so double, no triple, thanks, brother, for your help!