Spring Light and Blossoming Charity

WE join, O God! in the blessèd strain Thy holy children sang of old, when, filled full of gladness and Divine glory, they all met to sing Thy praise, to praise Thee as a God of glory, and to magnify Thy mighty Name. We too would call upon all things to praise Thee, and join the song poured forth unto Thee by the sweet birds and the flowers, and by all Thy works in nature.

If into this sweet song sad notes do creep, Lord God! forgive the sadness of our cry. Thou hast marked out for us a strange path, in which there is sunshine and shadow, light and darkness, sickness and sorrow, sadness and death. Yet, Lord God! we give Thee thanks that in our saddest hours Thou hast given us heavenly comfort, and shed upon us the light of Thy Divine brightness; and in the midst of depression and sorrow, Thou hast uplifted us, and given us to drink of the cup of God, drawn from the river of the water of life which is by Thy throne for evermore. Give to us the faith that shall blossom in the night, and grant that the eyes so dimmed with weeping and the souls bowed down by the hand of death, may hear the still small voice of the Comforter.

To all of us, give joy. Some have it; we praise Thee. Some have it not; we adore Thee. “The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!”

Now, we beseech Thee, pour upon us Thy sweet light, that our hearts may be gladdened, as our eyes are this day by the light of the sun. Lord, we have longed, we have desired, we have pined, for want of the light that these eyes of ours can behold. Would that we desired the Light of lights as we have done Thy sun! But as surely as the one doth come, so shall the other. Let the brightness of this day be but a prophecy to us of what shall come when the sun of God shall shine upon all waiting souls, when those that love darkness shall learn to wait still longer, and those that love the light shall rejoice.

Lord God! there are flowers that need to be opened in us, sweet blossoms of charity and peace; shine upon us by Thy light, that they may give forth their sweet odour; shine Thou upon the rich, upon their golden blossoms of wealth, that others may share their honey and brightness; shine upon all loving souls, that their boundless treasure may go forth in blessing to others; shine upon the wise, that they may speak words of holy wisdom; shine upon little children, that they may have a joyous childhood, the remembrance of which they shall carry with them when the days grow dark; shine upon those that work, that they may make honey whilst it is day. Sun of God, shine upon us, that we may be lifted up from all meanness of spirit, and living in the light of God, the beauty of the Lord may be upon us. Lord God! when the sun shines, mean things grow bright in its beams and dull things grow glorious; shine upon us, that all meanness and unfaithfulness may be killed; that dark things may slink away, and sweet things come forth. We give Thee thanks, hearty thanks, that Thou hast given us once again to see the fair blossoms and smell the sweet fragrances that tell of coming glory; to behold the mild Spring that tells of the glorious harvest. Now we beseech Thee, establish the work of our hands, that in good time we may behold the fairness of Summer and the rich bounty of Autumn, that, walking amongst these things, we may gain a double blessing, the blessing of beauty, and the blessing of holy teaching. Thus, made wise by all things, may we in lowly godliness hold on our way even to the end, then give us an abundant entrance to the life eternal. This we do ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.—AMEN.