PRAYERS
TO THE ARCHANGELS
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I
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RAPHAEL,
angel of love,
Lord of the morning star,—
Splendor all proof above,
Glory beheld afar,—
Shine as though didst of old
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Through
the dark Syrian night,
For seeking eyes to behold
Thy promise and portent of light.
Over our trail in the dust,
Lead through the darkness still
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To the
waiting world of our trust
Beyond the cross-sown hill.
Kindle our hearts with fire
As the peaks are kindled with morn,
And quicken our steps to aspire
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15 |
| As spring
through the earth is born. |
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II
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Gabriel,
giver of knowledge,
Master of reason and thought,
Leader in ways of wisdom
For the wayward and untaught;
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When through the many voices,—
The rote of the sea and the rain,
The whispering snow and the thunder,
And the ancient wind’s refrain,—
The Unknown speaks to mortals
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And
the eager Soul gives ear,
Grant thou the understanding
That shall make the meaning clear.
Open our eyes to glory
As only a seraph can,
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And
teach us the angel’s measure
Of the stature and freedom of man.
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III
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Great
Michael of the flaming sword,
Unfearing, swift and strong,
Thou art the doer of the word,
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conqueror of wrong.
Of no avail were all the light
And love of Raphael,
If thou wert not at hand to smite
Traitor and infidel.
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And hope would not survive the hour
Of Gabriel’s “All hail!”
Save by thy pure unflinching power
To make the word prevail.
Then, Michael, give us grace to stand
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Where
still thy sword-flash gleams,
And love accepts thy stern command—
To win the world for dreams.
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