Head. Heart. Feet.

"Thanks be to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ,

For all the benefits Thou hast given me.

For all the pains and insults Thou hast borne for me.

O most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother,

May I know thee more clearly,

Love Thee more dearly,

Follow Thee more nearly."

St. Richard of Chichester

 

We had an amazing homily on Sunday, in Helena, based around this prayer.  Yes, it was part of the lyrics to a song from Godspell, but, before that, it was a prayer.  Broken down, how does this look in our 21st century lives?

Well, the "know Thee more clearly" refers to our head knowledge of Jesus.  Who do we think Jesus is?  What have we studied and learned about Jesus?  If we want to emulate someone we first must learn about the person.

Second, "love Thee more dearly" refers to our heart.  What does our heart tell us about Jesus? That Jesus loved us far beyond our comprehension.  Jesus showed us what real love is: sacrifice and mercy for others.  We feel Jesus in our hearts and that love can bloom and grow.

Finally, "follow Thee more nearly" refers to our feet!  Our feet walk the walk Jesus taught us to walk, that is, caring for the needs of others.  Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for those who suffer.  Jesus has no hands or feet but ours, and they need to be moving! 

Head. Heart.  Feet.  This is a lovely prayer that says it all, doesn't it?  Let's put it in our day today...love, heidi