FEED ME WITH YOUR COMMANDMENT O YOU THE DESIRE OF MY HEART

FEED ME WITH YOUR COMMANDMENT  
O YOU THE DESIRE OF MY HEART

From the inspiration of Ezekiel (3)

Feed me with your commandment, O You, the desire of my heart!
Stretch Your hand and offer me Your commandment, a heavenly Bread.
I am a child, even a suckling; I will not accept food from someone else!
You have compassion on me, more than my own parents, O Savior of my soul!

Your commandment is difficult, O Savior of my soul.
You cross is heavy; and Your way is narrow and rough.
Yet, from Your hands, Your commandment would be bread and honey.
Your cross would be glory; and Your way a new heaven!

You sent Your prophet carrying Your word to Your rebellious people.
Grant me to carry Your commandment to every soul, however rebellious it may be!
When Your word was delivered, there was great thunder in the sky.
Let the sky thunder, and let every hardness in my heart and in theirs tremble.
Let their shaky natural earthly nature be taken away.
And let them enjoy an eternal heavenly life.

As your prophet presented Your word to the rebellious people, his soul was embittered.
Was his soul embittered, because he wished to stay on beholding Your chariot?!
Or was his soul embittered, having come to experience the rebellion of mankind.
Grant me, amid the bitterness of my soul, to behold your heavens.
Grant me amid my grief, to experience the repentance of many.
Let my heart rejoice by Your divine work in me and in them, O divine Word.

Your prophet remained seven days among the captives.
Grant me to spend all the days of my sojourn working in Your vine.
I am not counting the days like a laborer.
But, as a son, I yearn to work in my father's vine.

Teach me, O divine Word.
When shall I get alone with You, to know Your mysteries?!
When shall I work in Your vine, to minister to Your people?!
Grant me in my retreat, not to forget Your people;
And in my ministry, not to stop meditating on Your mysteries.

Guide me, O True Word.
I do not know when to keep silent, and when to speak.
How should I keep silent; and how should I speak?!
Here I am in Your hands. Be My Guide working in me.  


Fr. Tadros Malaty
From the Inspiration of The Book of Ezekiel