Faith, Hope, and Charity

Father,

Three gifts I   ask;  three growths I seek --

Faith, hope and charity.

Let my soul be the ore, and grace the torch

To extract faith, hope, and charity --

The steel frames for my soul's Jesus-Home.

So, when my faith's eyes blurr, seized by man-made fashions or

Tricked by the straw of illusions or,

Tired of crawling through weeds, then,

Sight my soul with the grace of faith.

And, when the winter plod of despair

Clouds the azure hue of hope and

Like an icicle, and icy spear, stabs the soul's heart, then

Warm my soul with the grace of hope.

And when my love is timid or still or dumb and

The flows of my soul shut to all, and

Hurt fruits anger and hate harvests prejudice, then

Open my soul with the grace of charity.

For,

"The greatest of these is charity." 1 Corinthians 13:13