HELLFIRE

Dear God of Mercy,
please save me from the tortures of Hell.

Save me from from eternal fiendish flames
ever-burning but never consuming bodies and souls.

Save me from the horrible satanic monsters
envisioned by Hieronymous Bosch.

Save me from the caverns of endless dark,
and the ravaging jaws of demon-beasts.

Knowing that all these
are but human fantasies of Hell
Save me from the real hell,
horrible far beyond man's blind comprehension.

Save me from the wrath of Your fallen Light-Bearer:
Lucifer, Satan, the Devil King of Darkness.

Save me from the everlasting never satisfied
broken-hearted yearning to see Your Face.

Most of all, God of All Lover,
Save me from separation from You,
Who created me of nothing
and Who called to me throughout my life on earth,
constantly inviting me to join You
in Your Majesty, Father, Son and Holy Sprit.

Guide me now, God, before it is too late.
Keep me, your inconstant servant
always now on the shining path to You.
Guide me to Paradise and to the glories
which no eye has seen and no ear heard,
to the everlasting heavenly home,
created for Your loyal constant servants.

Please, dear God, judge me on my hopes
and my attempts and not on my
imperfect spiritual accomplishments.

Please, dear Lord, accept my intentions
and my remorse, my willful failures,
and my all too-human weakness, but my ever undying
hope and trust in You.

Let my attempts be valued as achievements
and my good intentions counted as good deeds.

Please accept my body, my whole being,
my every action and my humble love.
I have nothing else to give
except to return my immortal soul to You.

Please cleanse my spirit again in eternal baptism.
Clothe me in the shining robes of mercy.
Wash away all earthly lusts and greed
and shortcomings.

Pardon all my evil acts, and all my failures
to do good when occasions arose.

Destroy my blind and evil pride.
Forgive my failure to see You
in the faces of the poor.
Forgive the times I hurried by
when I should have stopped to care.
Forgive the times when I have talked
instead of listening.

Forgive me for caring too much about this world
when I should have readied myself for the next.
Forgive me for busying myself
with vainglorious earthly concerns
when I should have been kneeling in prayer to You.

I offer you my contrite soul.
Forgive my sins and take me into Your Sacred Heart,
My God, my Creator, my only Hope and Eternal Goal.

Amen

Images - Hell: Hieronymous Bosch
Image - Background Embers: Paul Roeder
Image - Fiery Pit - SkyToday.com

(c) 2011 Donn B. Murphy

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dbm at nowstar.net