Mary Sullivan

“The World is Thy Ship, and not Thy Home.” (St. Therese)

This world is the ship which we travel,
To the gate of our heavenly home.
The world is a voyage of stormy seas,
Rogue waves cresting with foam.

Heaven’s the home we are made for.
In heaven, there is no fear,
In heaven there is no crying.
The Lord will wipe away all our tears.

If we’re feeling not quite at home here,
A little like we don’t belong,
It helps to remember and know dear,
This world is our ship, not our home.

May we open our eyes to Your truth, Lord.
The world is vain glory and show.
It’s heaven that we are made for,
And You, Lord, we are made to know.

Wherever we go and we wander,
Wherever it is that we roam,
May our hearts be yearning for heaven,
As we sail towards our heavenly home.

The gift of grace increases as the struggle increases.
(St. Rose of Lima)

The struggle is increasing.  In blackened night, we light Christian lamps.
Loved ones are ensnared, captured by evil camps.
Land mines all around us.  Things are now exploding,
We cling to truth, while in our midst, it seems truth is imploding.

Our clothes are torn in tatters, our faces marked by ashes.
Limping beaten and battered, blood drips from wounds and gashes.
The signs that are around us can make us feel like we are losing.
We struggle to fight for truth.  Life is now so confusing.

Help us remember, Jesus, as the struggle increases,
Your grace increases more.  Your protection never ceases.
The enemy is locked and ready, to attack our Christian base.
His guns are aiming at us. Dear Lord, send to us more grace.

We need grace to use our armor, when on us bullets rain,
We need the helmet of salvation, to protect our thoughts and brains.
We need grace to lift Your sword, to battle evil and to fight.
We need grace to speak Your words; to speak truth, bring truth to light.

We need grace to hold the shield of faith, against sinful arrows.
We need grace to walk Your holy path, along the straight and narrow.
We need grace to march in cadence, with feet firmly shod in peace.
We need grace to win this war, that war will one day cease.

We need grace merciful Jesus, to stand our holy ground,
When everywhere we look, wickedness abounds.
We need grace now loving Jesus, so we beg You do make haste.
Fill our hearts with Your love. Fill our lives with Your grace.

If any man would come after me,
Let him deny himself,
And take up his cross daily
And follow me. (Luke 9:23)

As we seek, to ourselves, now die,
Don’t leave us Lord.  Hear our cry!
Be with us.  Beside us stay,
As we lift this cross today.

May what we suffer, be the Way,
Our burden borne, the price we pay,
A stepping-stone to heaven’s glory,
A gift to You, a pure love story.

Our hearts grieve, with so much pain.
Yet joy seeps in, then grows and reigns.
From grief, our hearts become unchained,
Our crosses can become our gain.

Grief is fertile ground for flowers,
which bloom full in warming springtime hours.
In agony, and grief we mourn.
Then glory from our grief is borne.

For this cross, today we’re destined.
Let’s lift our crosses, drop our questions.
Carry them for love of You,
As loyal soldiers ought to do.

Sweet Jesus, help our loved ones too.
To lift their cross, for love of You.
Seek Your truth, find Your Way.
Help them pick up their cross each day.

May sin in loved ones be destroyed.
Through this cross, loved ones find joy.
May their wounds begin to mend,
Win heaven’s glory, in the end.

May we, our own selves deny,
in all we say and all we do.
May we lift our crosses high,
And henceforth seek to follow You.

“Consider it all joy, my brothers, and sisters, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

LORD, when we encounter trials,
As joy may this be counted.
When trials come our way, LORD.
By Your grace be they surmounted.

Alone, we can do nothing.
This we know to be true.
But with You we find glory,
In all we say and think and do.

So let us cling to You, LORD.
To truth and faith may we adhere.
Grant us all true wisdom,
Grant us grace to persevere.

And grant to all our loved ones.
The grace to cling to You.
To turn to You in trials,
In all they say and think and do.