Thomas Merton Prayer

When Pope Francis addressed the United States Congress in 2015,  he focused upon four Americans including Thomas Merton. Over the past forty years as a teacher in Catholic schools I had the practice of saying a prayer before each class.  Of all these prayers, Thomas Merton's prayer from his book Thoughts in Solitude meant the most to more of my former students than any other. It seems that we all find ourselves in need of such a prayer throughout our lives. I hope this is meaningful for you as well:

 "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”