Bethlen Naptár, 1945 (Ligonier)

Dr. William Toth: Five Seasonal Prayers

BETHLEN NAPTÁR AZ 1945-IK ESZTENDŐRE

141. OLDAL

Five

Seasonal Prayers

by Dr. William Toth

Harrisburg, Pa.

Advent

I

Merciful art Thou, 0 Lord, and supremely compassionate. We rejoice in this season of the church that Thou didst not leave Thy people in the dark night of hopelessnes, but has brought them to see a great light. When the nigh was far spent, Thy day was at hand. Behold, in Thine abounding grace Thou didst send a messenger before the face of them that waited for Thee to prepare Thy way.

Joyfully do we claim ourselves to be His, 0 God, who came that we might have life and have it abundantly. No 'vision ever brought nor has ear ever caught such glory as attended His coming, even the revelation of Thyself in Christ. He is our soul’s glory, joy and crown, indeed, whom truthfully we cheirish and honor. We look for no other: Christ is our all and, with body and soul, we belong to His community of love.

Not in a spirit of pride do we make this confession, 0 Lord, but in deep humility. For when we behold whose we are in truth we are profoundly ashamed of our wanderings in life. The weight of our sinfulness crushes

our soul. We cannot rise to meet Him, who comes in Thy name. Forgive, we pray, that in attaining we fall short, in hoping we grow weary and upon our pilgrim way we lose sight of the eternal goals. Speak to our souls, as the springtime of the spirit of man approaches, that it is high time to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

We are far from Thee, O God, very far, indeed are the lives of Thy children from the peace and joy and good-will the angels proclaimed. Shadows haunt our ways. Clouds of fear hang over tomorrow and we are surrounded by furies that our own hate and greed and unloveliness have begotten. Thy whole creation growns together in agony. Open our eyes, 0 Father in heaven, that we may see the Way, the Truth and the Life in Thy Son, whom Thou didst not spare but gave up for us all as Thy gift. Would that we were not separated from Christ’s love!

With voices united we beseech Thee then, merciful and supremely compassionate Lord, awaken the mood of anticipation in our hearts. Set our feet upon the highway of love that we may all go toward Bethlehem to greet the Prince of Peace, Thine ambassador of forgivness. We wait upon the Lord to lift the heaviness of our sins and release us to the life of sonship. We look