Susan Bailey Collection
Ave Maria (Shubert - public domain)
(Susan Bailey) 
Ave Maria
Intro: G – G – G7 – G7 – C – Cm7 – G – G
G – Em – D – D7 – Em – Am7 – D – D7 – G
A---ve Mari-----------a! Gra-----ti-a ple---na.
B – Em – G – F# – F#m – B – Em
Maria gratia ple--na; Maria gratia plena
D – E – A – Em – A7 – D
A--ve, ave Dominus; Dominus te--cum.
D7 – G
Benedicta tu in mulieribus
D – Em – D – B7 – Am
Et benedictus; et benedictus fructus ventris
C – Eflat – D – D7
Ventri tui Jesus
G – Em – D – D7 – G
A---ve Mari-----------a!
G – Em – D – D7 – Em – Am7 – D – D7 – G
A---ve Mari-----------a! Ma-----ter De-----i
B – Em – G – F# – F#m – B – Em
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus; ora, o--ra pro no--bis
D – E – A – Em – A7 – D
O--ra, o--ra pro nobis peccator-----ibus
D7 – G
Nunc et in hora mortis
D – Em
In hora In hora mortis nostrae;
D – B7 – Am
In hora mortis, mortis nostrae;
C – Eflat – D – D7
In hora mortis nostrae
G – Em – D – D7 – G
A---ve Mari-----------a!
About this song
My dad passed away last year. I feel especially close to him when I sing this song.
Simon, Son of John
(Susan W. Bailey) 
Simon, Son of John
based on John 21:15-17
Refrain One:
Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?
Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?
Yes, Lord, you know how much I love You
Simon, son of John, feed my sheep.
Refrain Two:
Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?
Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?
Yes, Lord, oh don’t You know how much I do?
Simon, son of John, feed my sheep.
Verse One:
Why does He ask?
Doesn’t He know my heart?
How I have yearned for Him
From the very start
Oh Lord, am I not worthy to follow You?
Verse Two:
Doesn’t He know
How He has pierced my heart
I, who have loved Him so
From the very start
Oh Lord, am I not worthy to follow You?
Lord, am I not worthy to follow You?
(interlude)
Verse Three:
How well He knew
Right from the very start
That I’d deny Him thrice
And would break His heart
Oh Lord, I am not worthy to follow You
Refrain Three:
Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?
Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?
Yes, Lord, but I’m a weak and broken man
Then Simon, son of John, you can feed my sheep.
Simon, son of John, feed my sheep.
About this song
I wrote this song for a church service but found myself learning a lot about Peter, and humility, while writing it.
Teach Me to Love
(Susan Bailey) 
Teach Me to Love (Pray for Me, Mother)
(dedicated to Mother Teresa 9/5/97)
Teach me to love, teach me to serve
And may my eyes, like yours, shine at the sight
Of Jesus in my neighbor
Teach me to love, teach me to serve
And may my heart be moved and pierced by compassion
And so be compelled to reach out in love
May I be like you, reaching out to hold
The image of God in my hands
Teach me to love, teach me to serve
And may I never see rich nor poor
Age nor race, just a precious gift from God
Teach me to love, teach me to serve
And may I never seek reward nor glory
But only because I’m in love with Jesus Christ
May I be like you, with a single heart
Lost inside an ocean of love for the Lord
May I be like you, reaching out to hold
The image of God in my hands
May I be like you, learning from the poor
Shedding all my wealth for the love of Jesus Christ
May I be like you, reaching out to hold
The image of God in my hands
About this song
Teach Me to Love is a prayer of intercession offered to someone I admire greatly, Mother Teresa of Calcutta. When she died so soon after Princess Diana, I knew her life and death would be overshadowed but, in my heart realized how important she was and that she would be praying for us in heaven. I want her to teach me how to love the Body of Christ as she did.
A Shoot from Jesse
(Susan Bailey) 
A Shoot from Jesse (for Advent)
(Isaiah 11:1-10)
Verse 1
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse
And from his roots a bud shall blossom
The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him
A spirit of wisdom and understanding
A spirit of counsel and of strength
A spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord
No, not by appearance shall this one judge
Nor by hearsay shall he decide
But he shall judge the poor with justice
Decide aright for the land’s afflicted
And he shall strike the ruthless
With the rod of his mouth and the breath of his lips
Oh justice is the band round his waist
And faithfulness a belt on his hips.
And then the wolf shall be a guest
Of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie with the kid
The calf and the lion shall browse together
With a little child to guide them on
The child shall play by the cobra’s den
There shall be no ruin on my holy mountain
For the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord
Yes, the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord
Promised Son
(Susan W. Bailey) 
The Promised Son
A cold, dark night, a glistening star
Shining bright from afar
Upon the man whose wife would soon
Bear a child from her womb
In poverty, in a manger stall
No one came to help at all
The cold, dark night felt colder still
From hearts so hard, and lack of good will
And here was born the promised Son
Jesus Christ, the Holy One
The pain was great, her labor long
She wondered how she could be strong
Yet in her heart she felt no fear
For the child would soon appear
Onto the straw which made his bed
His mother laid His precious head
The fragile babe was heard to cry
She held Him closely to her side
And here was born the promised Son
Jesus Christ, the Holy One
Glory to our God
For His Son has come down
Made the least of all
That the poor and just be found
The shepherds came there to adore
The tiny baby which she had bore
And three great kings did humbly kneel
Their wonder, they could not conceal
This tender child, the promised Son
Jesus Christ, the Holy One
About this song
I was inspired by a reading in the book "To Our Priests" by Fr. Don Stefano Gobbi. In this book Mary speaks through locutions to Fr. Gobbi. In this particular locution, she spoke about the poverty that Jesus was born into - not just material poverty, but human poverty because there was no room for this baby or his parents at the inn, or in people's hearts.
I Will Remember You
(Susan Bailey) 
I Will Remember You
(in memory of Adolph W. Houde, Jr., Nov. 19, 1955 - May 5, 1996)
You were my friend
Through the days of our childhood
Sharing games and secrets from the start
Although we’d grown
Far apart from each other
I loved you as a brother
You never left my heart
And now your journey’s ended
The pain is gone
And too the fear that gripped you
For so long
I will remember you
In the flowers on the hill
I will grieve the loss of friendship
But your spirit will be still
In my memory
And when I look upon your face
The warmth is what I will recall
And what I will embrace
You chose a way
That I never would follow
And our paths would never cross again
But still I cared
Though you never had known it
I wish I could have shown it
Especially at the end
But now the journey’s ended
This is my prayer
That you have found your peaceful rest
In His care
About this song
I wrote this song for Dolph's memorial service
Still the Same
(Susan Bailey) 
Still the Same
CHORUS:
Jesus, He will never change
Ageless, everlasting, still the same
VERSE 1
Yes He died (yes He died)
But forever now He lives
We may sin and do wrong
But He always will forgive
If we turn to Him
VERSE 2
Though our world (though our world)
Is spinning out of our control
And it seems that our pain
Is getting harder to console
He is here for us, He is here for us
He is here for us
VERSE 3
Though your trust (though your trust)
May be broken and betrayed
And the ones that you counted on
You find have feet of clay
You can count on Him, you can count on Him
BRIDGE
The wounds will heal, His church grow strong
We are His Body, in His love we will go on
And every person we must embrace
The poor, the broken
And the fallen in His grace.
CHORUS
Jesus, He will never change (His love flows forever)
Ageless, everlasting, still the same (Through His wounded Body)
(Through His Body)
VERSE 4
You can find (you can find Him)
In the breaking of the bread
He in us, we in Him
And His healing love can spread
Spread forever
Take Joy in Me
(Susan W. Bailey) 
Take Joy in Me
(based on readings #83 and #89 of To the Priests by Don Stefano Gobbi)
Take joy in me, find peace, be free
In the refuge of my Immaculate Heart
Seek shelter there from all despair
Take your rest in the care of my Heart
Yes, the storms they are raging
And they want to do you harm
Run to me, oh my children!
Run into my arms!
Though you may have been wounded
Though you fell or were untrue
Don’t despair, oh my little child
You mother still loves you!
Take joy in me, find peace, be free
In the refuge of my Immaculate Heart
Seek shelter there from all despair
You will share in the Triumph of my Heart
When throughout the world
You will see a new birth of Jesus
In the heart and soul
Take joy in me, find peace, be free
In the refuge of my Immaculate Heart
Seek shelter there from all despair
Take your rest in the care of my Heart
Copyright 2005 by Susan W. Bailey
About this song
I was reading To the Priests by Don Stefano Gobbi and really loved the encouragement from this particular reading. Mary loves us so and takes care of us, always leading us to her Son.
Baby Jesus
(Susan Bailey) 
Baby Jesus
Oh baby Jesus can I bring my heart to You?
I am no king, no gold can I bring
Just my heart.
A heart that is broken, a heart that is cold
A heart that is not worthy of You
But I give it all
Oh baby Jesus can I bring my mind to You?
I am no king, no frankincense can I bring
Just my mind.
A mind that’s distracted, a mind that’s confused
A mind that is not worthy of You
But I give it all
(Oh baby Jesus can I bring my soul to You?)
I am no king, no myrrh can I bring
Just my soul.
A soul that is sinful, a soul that’s untrue
A soul that is not worthy of You
But I give it all
Oh baby Jesus I will give my life to You
With all my heart, my mind and my soul
I will love You, my Lord.
Hail, Holy Queen
(Salve Regina Coelitum) 
Hail, holy Queen enthroned above
Oh Maria
Hail mother of mercy and of love
O Maria
Triumph all ye cherubim
Sing with us, ye seraphim
Heaven and earth resound the hymn:
Salve, salve, salve Regina!
Our life, our sweetness here below
O Maria
Our hope in sorrow and in woe
O Maria
And when our life-breath leaves us
O Maria
Show us thy Son, Christ Jesus
O Maria
About this song
One of my favorites to sing!
Come Holy Spirit
(Susan Bailey) 
Come, Holy Spirit
(based on reading #521 of To the Priests, Our Lady’s Beloved Sons, compiled by Don Stefano Gobbi)
Come, Holy Spirit
Come fill our hearts
And kindle in us the fire of Your everlasting love
Oh breathe on us, dear Lord
Come breathe on us (now)
Oh, Holy Spirit
Soften our hardened hearts
Help us this day to recall
The love of our Savior
Oh precious Jesus
Suffering servant of all
Taking upon Him the wounds
Inflicted by all our sins
Come Holy Spirit
Rain down your fire from heaven
Purify every heart
And show us our poverty
Shower your rain on us
Filling each thirsty heart
That we may go forth refreshed and renewed
Singing praise to God
Come Holy Spirit
Fill us with praise
That we may proclaim the greatness of the saving heart of God
Sing praises to His Name
Sing praise to Him (His Name)
O Holy Night
(Susan W. Bailey) 
O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
The Lord Has Come to Save You
(Susan W. Bailey)
The Lord Has Come to Save You
(for Advent) (Isaiah 35:1-6, 10)
Verse 1
The desert and parched lands will bloom and rejoice
The glory of God is upon them
They’ll bloom with abundance in flower and song
The splendor of God is upon them
CHORUS:
Strengthen the hands that are feeble and make
The knees that are weak to be firm
Say to those people whose hearts are so frightened, “Be strong and fear not,
“The Lord has come to save you!”
Verse 2
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
The ears of the deaf will be clearing
Come see the lame leaping up like a stag
The tongues of the dumb will be singing
Verse 3
Then all the people the Lord God has ransomed
Will come into Zion with singing
Their hearts will be filled with such gladness and joy
While sorrow and mourning are fleeing
The Story in Her Eyes
(Susan W. Bailey) 
The Story In Her Eyes
I saw her picture sitting there on the shelf
And I felt compelled to gaze into her eyes
They had a story to be told that’s hard to hear
Of a life that now has learned to say goodbye
Of a willful heart that chose the darkness
A life that cost so much
But through this loss she gained it all
For now that heart’s been touched
FIRST CHORUS:
Her past is catching up to her
But she is not alone
She’s resting in your arms, dear Lord
And she is coming home
To be your own
She had a strength that couldn’t die despite the pain
It’s a strength that’s born from clinging unto you
And courage poured forth from that willful heart of old
And she stood for you and everything you do
Her eyes became a window that could
Show the world your light
I see that story in her eyes
A darkness now made bright
Our hearts are saddened that she’s leaving
Can we be consoled?
Believe in Christ, the risen body
And the eternal soul
SECOND CHORUS:
She’s resting in your arms, dear Lord
And she is not alone
For you have set her free, dear Lord
And she is coming home
To be your own
About this song
This is the conversion story of a family friend. As she faced her own mortality with the onslaught of AIDS, she came home to Jesus. Her devotion to the rosary and the changes that everyone saw in her as a result of her devotion sparked my own devotion to this special prayer.