One morning, I woke up musing or praying a verse of the South African National Anthem:
Morena (uk’u) boloke/pholose sechaba sa heso. O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho.
Nkosi sikelel’ Africa. Maluphakanyisw’ uphondo lwayo…
Lord God, (may you) protect and save our nation! End wars and suffering…
Before that, I’d attended St Joseph’s prayer group, which brings together almost a dozen people, mostly those in their 60s, in our Mill Hill House in Glasgow, initiated and led by our veteran members.
This and similar prayer gatherings bring to mind and heart the power of prayer, the power of silence, the power of faith, the power of hope and hope against hope.
Everyone knows how difficult deliberate silence is – silent perseverance in prayer, contemplation, especially for beginners, amateurs or hypers…
Yet it is so profound, second only to, if distinguished with the Eucharist and sacramental celebrations.
No wonder Mother Teresa dared exclaim that the most important time we spend on earth is in prayer.
Such sentiments and faith impulses spurred me years ago to compose the following lyrics:
THE GLORY OF HOLY HOUR, BENEDICTION, ADORATION AND SILENT PRAYER!
The concluding prayer in that prayer group in Glasgow nailed it for, echoing and confirming my own prayer yearnings, our daily prayer impulses – prayer as rest, adoration, contemplation, petition, thanksgiving, supplication, sacrifice, charity, benevolence…
“May this group be a true spiritual home for the seeker, a friend, for the lonely, a guide for the confused.
May those who pray here be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to serve all who come and to receive them as Christ himself. In the silence of this chapel, may all the suffering, the violence, and confusion of the world encounter the power that will console, renew and uplift the human spirit.
May this silence be a power to open the hearts of men and women to the vision of God and so to each other, in love and peace, justice and human dignity.
May the beauty of the Divine Life fill this group and the hearts of all who pray here with joyful hope.
May all who come here weighed down by the problems of humanity, leave, giving thanks for the wonder of human life. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord, amen.”
Thanks to Fr Bernard Fox for sharing the lovely prayer with me and leading the meditations.
The joy of the Gospel in silence or worship, in exultant praise or chats. We are pilgrims of hope in prayer, compassion, empathy, and encounters.
St. Joseph, the man of silence, prayer, dreams, work, family, church and mission, pray for us.
Emmanuel Mbeh, March 2025
