Ascension of the Lord / Lawrence OP / Flickr
Jesus, whose birth as human child the angels sang,
Jesus, whose passion lawgiver and prophet in the mount foretold
Jesus, whom men refused
Jesus, who called his own and gave them power to endure
Jesus, who sent the Holy Spirit to live within his Church
Jesus, before whose feet the doubting apostle bowed
Jesus, at whose presence the seer in Patmos lay as dead
Jesus, my Lord, my God
Jesus, my strength, my life, my food, my end,
without you I am nothing –
you are my all.
Jesus, I am not free, but bound to you:
for me you paid the price of sin
for me you gave yourself to draw my love to you
you gave you all to win my all, such as it is,
my sinfulness and separation from you.
Jesus, if I rebel, punish me,
if I flinch from suffering, encourage me,
if I endure, reward me with yourself.
Gilbert Shaw, 1886 – 1967, Anglo-Irish Church of England priest
The Westminster Collection of Christian Prayers slightly modernized
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For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him