Sister Genevieve

Sister Genevieve Glen is a Benedictine Sister who is the prioress of the Abbey of St. Walburga in Virginia Dale, Colorado. I've never met her but I've been following her writing for several years. I subscribe to "Magnificat" and Sister's very original and moving hymns often show up there. I was moved by her hymn that appears in the Morning Prayer today. The Gospel for this Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, is Mark 1: 40-45, the story of how Jesus healed a leper and one of my favorites. Sister Genevieve's hymn was the perfect poem to use in reflecting upon this Gospel and here it is:

When love has been forgotten,
When clouds have darkened sight,
When faith has lost the pathway,
Lord, touch our hearts with light
That we may rediscover
The mercy you have shown
To lame and blind and leper
Whom you have made your own.

When prayer grows weak and falters,
When questions drown our plea,
When wav'ring faith betrays us,
Lord, grant that we may see
Your hand outstretched in power
To drive away all ill
In answer to our whisper,
"You can, if you but will."

Part of the beauty of Sister's hymns is that they can be sung to familiar melodies. This particular hymn goes with "O Sacred Head Surrounded."