Tender Shepherd of My Soul

Retreat--Third Day

 
The time is drawing to a close, tender Shepherd of my soul, when I no longer may pass the day with Thee.  I must go out into the world and take up the same duties.  I shall meet the same people and I shall perhaps be thrown in the same occasions wherein before I fell.

Now what am I going to do, dear Shepherd?  Will I battle for awhile and then fall exhausted by the wayside?

Through these days of quiet peaceful thought, have I not learned to know Thee better, dearest Shepherd, to understand the true meaning of Life?

Do I not realize that it is an effort to be good,--that it is a struggle, a constant struggle to prevent myself from being drawn into the  mighty world-current surging about me?

When the ideals of my associates fall below those Thou hast given me,  divine Lord, shall I hold back and tremble to face their sneer,  their cold and piercing gaze?  Or will the thought of Thee, sweet Shepherd, be my strength and steady me to be true to my King?

It is very hard, divine Lord, but I can hear Thy reassuring Voice with its promise of victory.

Divine Shepherd of my soul,  I have a deep longing to be good, but a great fear of the pressure of external things and at times I lose sight of Thy beautiful Face which today is a charm to me.  Today I have an ardent desire to lead an entirely new life, a high supernatural life.  I feel today as though no cloud, no hardship, no suffering could deter me from being good.

 If the skies are dark and low,
And the waves run fast and free.
Oh! what to me are the clouds?
What are the waves to me?
Out on the offing there
A form in light I see."

Grant, beloved Lord, that all through the coming years Thy beautiful Form may stand out before me, no matter how great be the storms that rage in my bosom,--no matter how thick and dense be the fogs that close in about me.

"Stand, my beautiful  Lord,
So that Thy Face I see.
That its smile and Thine outstretched Arms
My beacon light may be.
And what to me shall be foaming wave
But foothold to come to Thee.

All through the coming years,
Call, keep calling to me
And clamp the trust in my heart
That shall steady my steps to Thee,
Then catch me up in Thine Arms at last
And bear me where I would be.


"Bless then,  tender Shepherd of my soul, this last day of my Retreat.  Let me pass it in close union with Thee.  Let it be a day of preparation for Thy coming tomorrow in Holy Communion.  I want my heart to be swept and garnished for the coming of my Lord.