This is Mychal’s Prayer

Guaguer@s Estimad@s,

At a screening of the film, Saint of 9/11, Brendan Fay, one of the film's producers, gave me a prayer card with a picture of Father Mychal Judge on the front, and this text on the back: 

Lord, 
Take me where you want me to go, 
Let me meet who you want me to meet, 
Tell me what you want me to say, 
And keep me out of your way. 

That was Mychal’s Prayer, his personal mantra. 

I taped it to the outside of my apartment door. 

For years, I would utilize the card as a reminder as I rushed out the door. The card taught me the discipline to pray in the midst of busyness and tumult. I would pause, touch the card, look at Father Mychal, say his prayer and then head out onto the streets of New York City with that intention in my heart. I would head out with Mychal’s intention to be available for God to work through me. 

One day, as I paused at the door, I heard the prayer with this melody:

https://youtu.be/1lQmvjjRW30

The first version, in my head, was an old school R&B treatment, inspired by Mychal’s charisma. Horace Beasley, my mentor, voice coach and accompanist, brought it more clearly to a Gospel treatment. I think that was the right approach, ‘cause if Mychal’s life wasn’t Gospel, I don’t know what the Gospel is.

For a lot of New Yorker's, September is a time to remember. Pastor Heidi Nuemark invited me to perform the song at TLCofNYC.org on a recent sunday as an expression of Marcos and la Guagua's residency at Trinity. Gracias pastora. I'm remembering Mychal. Ruega por nosotros antes el Señor San Miguel. We need it...right now.

¡Yo soy Guaguer@!

Peace, Blessings and Thanks for Listening, 

Marcos

Leave a comment