24 May 2017

Caryll Houselander: On the Ascension

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A poem of Caryll Houselander's on the Second Glorious Mystery:


Christ,
ascended into Heaven,
You bear the wounds
of the whole world
in Your hands and feet
and in Your heart.

They plead for us,
shining like stars
before the secret face of God.

By Your five wounds
purify our five senses;
lift up our hearts into Heaven.

While You draw down
God's mercy to us,
showing our wounds
in Your glorified Body,
let us draw men up to You,
showing Your wounds to the world,
scored on our grey dust
in the bright crimson
of Your love.


The poem above comes from Caryll Houselander's marvellous little book on the Holy Rosary containing Rosary prayers that she wrote in London in the bomb shelters during World War II. The prayers were originally commissioned by Maisie Ward for her book The Splendour of the Rosary.


Frances Caryll Houselander, pray for us.