Catholic Faithleap
poetry
POETRY
By Marta Alves
When I grow old and feeble and in my old age
I start acting crazy and forget to pray...
Please, my son,
Fold my hands and help me pray!
When tired
After years of life,
Saturated by medicines
And with a weak heart
I forget to pray...
Please, my child,
Fold my hands and help me pray!
When with tired steps
I can walk just a short way
Overwhelmed by the weight of time
I forget to pray...
Please, my love,
Fold my hands and help me pray!
If I act crazy... don’t resent me.
My mind is tired
And although my soul still the same...
This old body of mine doesn’t respond anymore.
Respect me for what I was...
Don’t make fun of me.
This old body of mine is but my shell
That slowly chips and falls away.
Give me love and understanding...
In this last phase of life but most of all:
HELP ME PRAY!
When I start acting crazy... Pray with me!
If you are not here to do it ... Pray for me!
Just keep me in your prayers in these final earthly days...
and
HELP ME PRAY!!!
Ó 1983 Marta More Alves
By Marta Alves
Lord Jesus, You are the Giver of life.
You give me life to love You.
You give me faith to know You.
You give me wisdom to follow You.
You give me joy to rejoice in You.
To give in charity,
To wait in hope,
To come to know that all I have is Yours.
All I am is Yours.
All I desire is You.
I love You, Lord
I give You my all.
“God love a cheerful giver.”
2 Cor 9:7
©2009 Marta Alves
By Marta Alves
O God, Lord Jesus, we come with open hearts
We are thankful that you created us to love
We are thankful for your love
We are thankful that you taught us to care
We are thankful for your care
We are thankful we can see
We are thankful for the sunshine
We are thankful that we can feel
We are thankful for the rain
We are thankful that we can smell
We are thankful for peach pies
We are thankful that we can listen
We are thankful for your Word
For the birds that without going to school know how to sing
We are thankful for the voices you gave us
For the air we breathe
We are thankful for our loved ones
For our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren
For our parents and grandparents and great-grandparents
For Sisters and brothers
For Aunts, uncles and cousins
For our whole family
For Friends and neighbors
We thank you, Lord, for the world you made and put us in it
Most of all for your loving and all giving sacrifice of dying on the cross
Rising and ascending to heaven
For the Holy Spirit you sent to guide us
Thank you for the Eucharist and your divine presence
How can we even begin to thank you?
We could not thank you
If you would not have given us
Memory, intelligence and will
There is not enough paper in the world to write a list of thank you
Let us conclude by saying:
Thank you, Lord for the prayer you taught us
As we pray today
Our Father who are in heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
Amen.
Write your own list of thank you.
