Prophecy: A Song and A Prayer

 Looking ahead to this Sunday's Mass , the Fourteenth of Ordinary Time, dealing with prophets not being recognised in their own country.

Scripture readings for Sunday's Mass are here

Richard Rohr's article here  
is a great one on prophecy, titled
 "Life on the Edge: Understanding the Prophetic Position."

It seems a lot of prophets live their lives on a song and a prayer 

so here's one of each; actually the first is both a poem and a song !!

The  Music Makers

is a great poem by Arthur William Edgar O'Shaughnessy,(1844 – 1881) a poet of Irish descent, born in London.

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    We are the music-makers,
    And we are the dreamers of dreams,
    Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
    And sitting by desolate streams.
    World-losers and world-forsakers,
    Upon whom the pale moon gleams;
    Yet we are the movers and shakers,
    Of the world forever, it seems.

    With wonderful deathless ditties
    We build up the world's great cities,
    And out of a fabulous story
    We fashion an empire's glory:
    One man with a dream, at pleasure,
    Shall go forth and conquer a crown;
    And three with a new song's measure
    Can trample an empire down.

    We, in the ages lying
    In the buried past of the earth,
    Built Nineveh with our sighing,
    And Babel itself with our mirth;
    And o'erthrew them with prophesying
    To the old of the new world's worth;
    For each age is a dream that is dying,
    Or one that is coming to birth.

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The first verse of O'Shaughnessy's poem is used in this lovely song of the same title.

This is a poem that sings ! 
Lyrics below video: ( unfortunately, stills only )

We are the Music Makers
and we are the dreamers of dreams
Wandering by lone sea breakers
and sitting by desolate streams
world losers world forsakers
on whom the pale moon gleams
yet we are the movers and shakers of the world
forever it seems

we are the music makers
and we are the makers of song
within our hearts a melody
that beautifully rights all the wrong
Our voices united offer a gift of love
touching every spirit with passion and emotion
we give you a song

Sometimes your life holds sorrow
and life seems all in vain
the healing power of music
can ease the anguish and pain

No matter what life holds for you
or what the past has been
through out all eternity
music has no end-no end

For we are the music Makers
and we are the makers of songs
within our hearts a melody
that beautifully rights all the wrong
Our voices united offer a gift of love
touching every spirit with passion and emotion
we give you a song-a song
we give to you a song!

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 A Prophet's Prayer

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity

And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;

Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

Sir Francis Drake -1577

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