Master Perfumer of souls
A Prayer to Christ for the Perfume of Sanctity
O Christ, my Master, let my life impart
The sweet, holy fragrance of a sanctified heart;
In Your sacred atelier, let me sit near,
And watch as You fashion the virtues most dear.
You gather the roses of charity bright,
Lilies of purity, washed in Your light;
Rare blossoms of patience, of mercy, of grace,
You blend with such love in this still, holy place.
The violet of meekness, hyssop of prayer,
Blossoms of kindness, fragrance of care;
Sweetness of courage, balm of forgiveness,
Flowers of hope and humble faithfulness.
O Master Perfumer, so skilful and wise,
What beautiful fragrance beneath Your Hands lies!
You know every soul, every wound, every need,
And choose just the virtues through which it may lead.
For each life You fashion a fragrance unique,
A perfume of holiness, gentle, not meek
In truth, but in love that is steadfast and strong,
Fragrance that helps others on life's path along.
Teach me to sit in Your workshop of grace,
And yield You my heart in this quietest place;
Let nothing within me resist Your design,
But make every fibre of my being Your shrine.
Outside, in the city, the streetlamps aglow,
Lights in the windows like scattered stars show;
People move onward through market and street,
With burdens to carry and strangers to meet.
They know not the workshop where grace has begun,
Nor see how Your fragrance is formed, O God's Son;
Yet out in the marketplace, day after day,
Your perfume may touch them along life's hard way.
For sanctity sounds not a trumpet's loud blast,
Nor seeks the applause of a crowd gathered fast;
It blossoms in gestures so little, so slight,
Yet changes a life with its fragrance of light.
Kindness is offered where harshness was due,
Gentle word spoken when anger breaks through;
Forgiveness extends where resentment held sway,
Bitterness slowly gives kindness its way.
Mercy is granted where sternness was planned,
Understanding heart reaches out a hand;
Patient response where sharp judgement might fall,
Welcome extended to one shunned by all.
These small acts of grace, which the world may pass by,
Are flowers that bloom where Your Love dwells on high;
Each kindness, each mercy, each word that makes whole,
Is Your holy fragrance at work in the soul.
O Jesus, dear Master, Perfumer Divine,
Make virtues like blossoms take root and entwine;
Blend patience with courage, let gentleness grow,
Teach me the beauty of love's quiet flow.
Let others encounter Your Goodness in me,
Not seeking my glory, but Your Love to see;
May souls be encouraged, their hope born anew,
As they glimpse, through my living, the beauty of You.
When evening descends and my day's work is done,
When the last rays of gold fade beneath setting sun,
May the fragrance remaining, wherever I trod,
Be the fragrance of Christ, drawing hearts close to God.
O Master of souls, let Your work be complete;
Make my life an offering, fragrant and sweet.
Till heaven receives me, my prayer shall remain:
Make my life, Lord Jesus, Your perfume again.
Image courtesy of ChatGPT with CN Whittle "Perfumer of souls"
