Vigils don't end in miraculous cures
for all who have placed their trust in the Lord,
and lighting a candle does not assure
what's been taken away will be restored.

For all who have placed their trust in the Lord,
victories prayed for don't always arrive.
What's taken away is sometimes restored,
but often our perils are not survived.

Victories prayed for don't always arrive,
no matter how ardent and faithful the prayer.
So often our perils are not survived -
so often the innocents are not spared.

No matter how ardent and faithful the prayer,
small children do starve and battles rage on;
so often the innocents are not spared -
they fall with the failure to right our wrongs.

Small children do starve and battles rage on,
as dying victims invoke the Lord's name.
They fall with the failures to right our wrongs,
each sure that the other side is to blame.

As dying victims invoke the Lord's name,
they pray for His mercy to intercede,
each sure that the other side is to blame,
each sure God their victory's guaranteed.

We pray for God's mercy to intercede,
and when prayers are answered, we offer praise,
each sure that good fortune was guaranteed
because of the supplications we made.

If when prayers are answered, we offer praise,
what do we do when the battle is lost?
When all of the supplications we made
don't produce benefits greater than cost?

What do we do when the battle is lost?
Do we believe God has broken our trust?
If benefits are not greater than cost,
do we believe God has abandoned us?

Do we believe God has broken our trust
when unexplained miracles do not come?
Do we believe God has abandoned us
if all our obstacles are not overcome?

When unexplained miracles do not come,
we are called to keep our faith in the Lord.
When all our obstacles are not overcome,
we learn faith itself is our reward.

We are called to keep our faith in the Lord
when candles do not our safety assure.
We learn faith itself is our reward
when vigils don't end in miraculous cures.