Come back to me with all your heart

 


The great season of Lent in the  Jubilee Year of Hope is upon us. As I began this blog, news came that Chi’s beloved grandfather in Saigon has slipped away to heaven to be with God whom he loved and served so well for 95 years. He died surrounded by his loving family and Chi accompanied him in prayer from Kilmacud Carmel. He gave her every encouragement to follow her  Carmelite vocation. May he rest in peace forever and watch over his loved ones especially Chi, our postulant.

 The refrain of a hymn we were learning seems to me to capture the heart of Our loving Father as he gazes on His children  preparing to live Lent.


 Come back to me , with all your heart.
 Don’t let fear keep us apart.
 Long have I waited for your coming home to me in love
And living deeply our new life.

Dear Sr. Kevin of happy memory loved the hymn – Come as you are by Paul Gurr.
It too captures the heart of Our Abba Father  as he sees into the hearts of His children.

Come as you are, that’s how I want you.
Come as you are, feel quite at home.
Close to my heart, loved and forgiven
Come as you are, why stand alone.

I came to call sinners, not just the virtuous.
I am to bring peace, not to condemn.
Each time you fail to live by my promise
Why do you think I’d love you the less?

Come as you are, that’s how I love you.
Come as you are trust me again.
Nothing can change the love that I bear you.
All will be well, just come as you are.

 Sr. Kevin knew that secret in her heart. Let her smiling face from heaven  help us to trust in God’s power to bring peace to our troubled world. She too lived in tumultuous times. She was born when our country was torn apart with civil war and her parents saw her as the little olive branch heralding future peace.

 Lent is a time to pour out our hearts to our Loving Father imploring  His help to cast light on how to  end the terrible wars that are destroying our world. Let peace come and let it be a just peace and let us all strive to be peace makers.

 At a recent Carmelite Formators course we learnt new little chants which we prayerfully sang at the end of the sessions. This one stays with me –

 Take, oh take me as I am. Summon out what I can be.
 Set your seal upon my heart and live in me.

 To finish with God’s own living Word to us this Lent.

 When you pray, go to your private room and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place and your Father who  sees all that is done in secret will reward you.(Matthew 6)

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