Almighty ever-living God,
who in the abundance of your kindness
surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you,
pour out your mercy upon us
to pardon what conscience dreads
and to give what prayer does not dare to ask.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
As we heard this collect at Mass and at Lauds and Vespers yesterday, we were struck by its brilliance and intensity. With trust in God's desire to fill us with blessings beyond our imagining, we prayed to be given what we dare not ask for. For the monk this is truly the reality of our life of prayer- our hearts are expanded in desire, a desire for God that God himself initiates. This God-inspired desire makes us long for God himself who is beyond our comprehension. God creates the desire, God grants the capacity, God himself is the Gift.
Photograph by Brother Anthony Khan.
