Poems from a Contemplative Heart

I started to write poetry after beginning a Christian-based 12 Step program.  The questions in my 12 Step book were probing.  A voice urged me to write poems even though I had not written poetry in 30 years so I began to write poems help me open up.

This poem below talks about the healing power of contemplative prayer. One of my friends was sick, so I decided to write a poem of encouragement.  I found out after writing it that my friend had been in the ER that night, so God gave me this poem for healing.

Be Still

by Julie Burbach

Be still and wait for His tender care.

Close your eyes, just feel,

So you will be aware,

Of a gentle touch that will lift

You out of despair.

Be still and reflect

On blessings in your life.

A mother's love, special times,

Let them fill up your mind,

And gently push away,

All the sadness left behind.

Be still and feel the beauty of your light,

See people you've touched,

It has shone so bright.

Don't let it grow dim,

In this dark night.

Be still and wait for He will be there.

Close your eyes, just feel,

Give Him all your cares.

And He will heal you, but only if you dare

To be still.

My next poem is on grief and loss issues.  Although mine are not as difficult as grieving the death of a loved one, we all face little deaths in our lives.  Working the steps brings these issues out in the open.  The only way out is to surrender and trust in God.  Here is the poem which shows my vision of grief and surrender.  I just finished it this week.

Endlessly Dark

by Julie Burbach

Endlessly dark,

A moonless sky,

Stars obscured,

I look for light.

Surrounded by mist,

My shattered heart,

Pierces the night,

With anguished cries,

Of emptiness,

And being apart.

Gentle whispers,

Stir up inside.

Tender thoughts,

Cut through pride.

Starlight pokes through.

And darkness takes

A softer hue.

Light from inside,

Becomes my guide.

Letting go of it all,

Though I stumble,

And fear to fall.

Insects hum,

And birds sing.

Fireflies go by,

I hear bells ring.

Color returns to the sky,

For soon the sun will rise.

So I am thankful to the Lord for giving me this desire to write poems.  I also believe that spending time in meditation opens the door to creativity.

Divine Mercy in My Life

One night in late March 2009 changed my life.  I attended a presentation on the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at my church.  I had never understood the need to repeat prayers or use a rosary, so I was not sure if I would even stay for the entire lecture.  However, I was fascinated as a man and woman shared the story of St. Faustina Kowalska from Poland (1905-1938) who started the tradition of praying for divine mercy from her visions with Jesus.  She shared these visions that occurred from 1934-1938 in her diary which is a bestseller today.  They then shared testimony on the power of this prayer.  People used it when faced with desperate situations such as cancer or the death of a loved one from suicide.  Jesus especially promised his mercy to people who were near death or to souls that have passed on with unresolved issues.  We then learned how to pray it and I went home with the prayer on a CD.  So, I thought maybe I would try it and put it on my ipod.

Little did I know how much I would need this prayer in the days to come.   A few days after this presentation, a friend’s father suddenly passed away without him having the chance to go home and say goodbye.  So I prayed to the Lord to have mercy on the soul of his father and also to ease his grief.  Then, my father became gravely ill with a staph infection.  By the time he went to the hospital, it had affected his major organs.  I did not think he would make it through the night so I went to my church’s chapel and took out the prayer instructions fighting tears in my eyes.  Another friend in Chicago also prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for my dad at the same time.  My father managed to make it through the night and eventually recovered after several weeks in the hospital.  Doctors told him that he was a walking miracle.  There is no doubt in my mind that this prayer was behind his healing.

To pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, you take out a rosary and say an Our Father (Lord’s prayer), Hail Mary and The Apostle’s Creed.  This is to quiet your mind and prepare for the prayer.  I find it helpful to visualize yourself in the presence of Christ but it is not required. Then, you say on the main Our Father bead:  “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and the Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.” (476)  On the remaining 10 Hail Mary beads, say: “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” (476)  Add at this time the intention of your prayer which could be a person, country like the US or yourself.  You can also visualize the person needing the prayer.  Repeat this 4 times to go around the rosary.  You can stay with one intention or go to other people.  At the end, say 3 times “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world."  (476)Then, it is tradition to say “Jesus, I trust in you” three times.  For more information, see this link:  http://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/chaplet.php

Now, many would wonder why you need to say this prayer instead of a quick prayer asking for the Lord’s mercy.  Certainly, the Lord will respond to any heartfelt plea for mercy.  However, often we still feel anxiety for the person or issue after a short prayer.   I believe Jesus gave us this prayer to heal our stress as well as heal the other person.  The repetition puts us into a meditative state.  When I listen to the CD, the prayer takes 20 minutes so normally I feel peaceful after completing it.   It is 20 wonderful minutes of your time spent with Jesus and caring for other people. 

An alternative way to do this prayer without a rosary would be to get into a quiet, meditative place.  Picture yourself with Jesus.  Slowly bring up people who need prayers and picture them with the Lord.  Spend time requesting for His mercy.  The importance is to take your time doing the prayer and quiet your mind from other distractions.

I, however, encourage you to try the chaplet.  It is easy to do especially if you obtain a CD.  Often, I pray it at bedtime and feel peaceful before sleeping. I began praying this prayer more as I was faced with difficult situations in my life.  It gave me hope when there did not seem to be any at the time.  Even when my cousin died last Spring, I felt comforted that the Lord provided him an easy and merciful death from this prayer. 

Divine mercy can and should be used for oneself.   I experienced this need last week.  I had been sick over the weekend from sudden surgery complications that were not normal.  In addition, I had to go in for a breast ultrasound after an inconclusive mammogram.  I also needed emotional healing from other issues in my life.  All I could do was quietly pray for His mercy which helped me stay strong during the week.  I am feeling a little better now and my doctor gave me a diagnosis of “probably benign” after the ultrasound.  So I will continue to pray for his mercy as I work on recovering in body and soul.

I will conclude with the words of Jesus in Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska : “The souls that say this chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and especially at the hour of their death.” (754)  For more information on the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, this is a wonderful and comprehensive website: http://www.thedivinemercy.org/.