Thomas Merton’s prayer

The Lenten prayer for this week is written by Trappist monk Thomas Merton.  It is from Thoughts in Solitude (1958).

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 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 I will 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.

And here is a link to a choral setting of that prayer by Ysaye Barnwell, entitled “Tango with God.” It is performed in this video by the Minneapolis vocal ensemble Cantus.