The Catholic Writers Guild

Lady, giver of Bread,

Christ-bestowing,

give us the Bread of Life!

 

Fallow land for the sowing,

darkness over the seed,

secrecy for the growing:

give us the Living Bread.

 

Empty cup for the wine,

white linen, spread

without fold for the feast:

give us the Bread of Heaven,

yeast and leaven,

Christ-bestowing:

give us to eat.

Give us the Bread in the wheat,

Lady, giver of Bread.

Full grape in the vine,

give us the strong Wine

poured into the chalice

and lifted up.

Drained cup,

give us the broken Bread;

give us the crust of sorrow,

hard as rye,

Christ-bestowing.

Give us the emptiness

of the dark furrow,

while the great wind

of the Spirit is blowing

and sowing seed.

Lady, giver of Bread,

field sown by the wind,

snow white on the field,

darkness under the snow:

yield

the Bread of Life!

Wheat, leaven and yeast

and wine for the feast:

give us the Bread of Life,

Lady, give of Bread,

Christ-bestowing.

                         – Caryll Houselander

Most litanies are ancient. Carryll Houselander was a contemporary British Mystic laywoman who had this stunning view of Mary as our source of “bread”. She had amazing visions and experiences.  She died in 1954 and was a prolific writer.  The following quote is a great summary of her thinking:

“Love is most likely to spring from another’s need for us, and the fact of spending ourselves for another always generates new life in us. To give life is the purpose of love, and we love those people most of all whose needs waken a response in us that floods us with creative energy, causing us to put out new green shoots of life.”