God knows me and calls me by name
I have a place in God’s counsels, in God’s world, which no one else has;
whether I be rich or poor, despised or esteemed by man,
God knows me and calls me by my name.
God has created me to do Him some definite service;
He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another.
I have my mission–I never may know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next.
Somehow I am necessary for His purposes,
as necessary in my place as an Archangel in his
–if, indeed, I fail, He can raise another, as He could make the stones children of Abraham. Yet I have a part in this great work;
I am a link in a chain, a bond of connexion between persons.
He has not created me for naught.
I shall do good, I shall do His work;
I shall be an angel of peace,
a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it,
if I do but keep His commandments and serve Him in my calling.
Therefore I will trust Him.
Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away.
If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him;
in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him;
if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him.
My sickness, or perplexity, or sorrow may be necessary causes of some great end,
which is quite beyond us.
He does nothing in vain; He may prolong my life, He may shorten it;
He knows what He is about.
He may take away my friends,
He may throw me among strangers,
He may make me feel desolate,
make my spirits sink, hide the future from me
–still He knows what He is about.
Blessed John Henry Newman
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Me too! Thank you for posting this, Father
Heard this in a sermon yesterday preached at mass in Curtlestown, Ireland, and was very moved by the trust, optimism, faith in God and belief in the meaningfulness of life radiating from it. I searched for it on the web until I found it here. Many thanks for reproducing it…I have printed it out and it is now up on the wall beside my desk in my home.
Dear Gavin, Thank you for writing. Where in Ireland is Curtlestown? I have a great love for Ireland, my father’s people having roots in Leitrim. Yes, it is a beautiful text of Blessed John Henry Newman. I added two other texts, written in the same vein, yesterday.
Yes, Father Mark -Thank you for this one. After reading it last weekend and felt the healing power of these words, I had to share it with a couple of my closest, dearest friends. I am back again to re-read it, as I am in great need of this wisdom this day.
God bless,
+JMJ+
Kathy