1 

Christ is the Alpha of our prayers;

   We know not how to pray

Save as His Spirit in our hearts

   Shall teach us what to say.

 2 

Christ is the Omega of our prayer,

   The Father's great Amen

That rounds our halting periods

   To sense beyond our ken.

 3 

But in the little space between

   He lets us make the links,

And with our slow and stammering speech

   Interpret what He thinks.

 4 

O First and Last, take Thou the prayers

   Of every trusting soul,

And weld them to Thine own desire

   To make a perfect whole.

 5 

Thou great Beginning of that Word

   We cannot speak or spell,

Of the short syllable we lisp

   Be Thou the End as well!