Below is a prayer from Thomas Merton which we pray often in our community, especially at the beginning of our Community Council meetings.

Wonderful God,

We have no idea where we are going;

we do not see the road ahead of us;

we cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do we really know ourselves,

and the fact that we think

we are following your will

does not mean that we are actually doing so.

But we believe

that the desire to please you

does in fact please you.

And we hope we have that desire

in all that we are doing.

We hope that we will never do anything

apart from that desire.

And we know that if we do this

You will lead us by the right road,

though we may know nothing about it.

Therefore we will trust you always

though we may seem to be lost

and in the shadow of death.

We will not fear,

for you are ever with us,

and you will never leave us

to face our perils alone.

Prayer by Thomas Merton, 

adapted by Flav to make it a communal prayer, 2/08.