God grant me grace,Whenever I attempt a kindly deed,To help another in the hour of need; To do it cheerfully with smiling faceAnd willing hands, nor ever stop to heedThe sneers of those whose narrow souls and creed For Christ's broad charity can find no place.
God, make me strong,If when I see my brother's honored nameTarnished and marred by undeserved shame, To step from out the sneering, worldy throngAnd tho' he has no friend in all the land,To take him bravely, boldly by the hand And tell the carping critics they are wrong.
God, make me dumb,If, when I give a pittance from my shareTo ease the burdens that my comrades bear, I tell abroad the substance and the sumOf what I gave and vaunt my charity,And whine of man's ingratitude to me; If I should boast like this, God make me dumb.
God, grant me speech,When words are needed to defend the weak,God give me strength if ever, then to speak; And wing my words with truth that they may reachThe hearts of men and cause them to uniteIn bonds of sympathy for truth and right, And teach me, Lord, to practice what I preach.
