Unbusy with God

“Prayer is being unbusy with God instead of being busy with other things. Prayer is primarily to do nothing useful or productive in the presence of God. To not be useful is to remind myself that if anything important or fruitful happens through prayer, it is God who achieves the result.

“So when I go into the day, I go with the conviction that God is the one who brings forth fruit in my work, and I do not have to act as though I am in control of things. I have to work hard; I have to do my task; I have to offer my best. But I can let go of the illusion of control and be detached from the result. At the end of each day I can prayerfully say that if something good happened, God be praised.”

– Henri Nouwen

 

Creator of the Stars of Night

Creator of the stars of night,
Your people’s everlasting light,
Oh Christ, Redeemer of us all,
We pray you, hear us when we call.

When this old world drew on toward night,
You came, but not in splendor bright,
Not as a monarch but a child
Of Mary, chosen mother mild.

At your great name, O Jesus, now
All knees must bend, all heart must bow;
All things on earth with one accord,
Like those in heaven, shall call you Lord.

To God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit, Three in One,
Praise, honor, might, and glory be
From age to age eternally. Amen.

- Medieval Chant (translated from Latin)

You can here it sung here. (It’s it’s the best I could find.)