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Prayers for all Occasions
Prayers for all Occasions
This is a collection of eloquently written prayers drawing believers to the essence of faith—prayers that will glorify God's wondrous works, comfort during troubling times, and help readers lift others' needs to God.
For the times when you are led to pray, but don't know what to say, this chapter may help you find just the right expression for the situation.
Just click on the headings below
FOR TODAY
FOR TODAY
I will be attentive to any worries or concerns about the future that my loved one has.
I will offer assurance of my love.
I will also be attentive to my own worries and concerns
and try to entrust them into God's loving care.
SPIRIT OF PEACE
SPIRIT OF PEACE
Spirit of Peace,
You know how worry and fear
Can take over and hound
A person's tranquility.
Today I place my loved one,
With all his (her) worries and fears,
Into your caring hands.
I place myself and my concerns
In your caring hands, as well.
Calm our hearts and minds.
Encourage us to face what troubles us.
Help us each to let go of what we fear.
Breathe your peace
Through our anxious hearts,
And deepen our trust
In your abiding presence.
PRAYER FOR DECISION MAKING
PRAYER FOR DECISION MAKING
Spirit of Guidance, I see before me numerous choices and a decision to be made.
There is division in my heart.Sometimes I want none of what I find.Sometimes I want it all.
Sometimes I want to give up making decisions and wish that the future would go away.
I entrust my decision-making into your hands, ready to do my part but also knowing that I cannot do this without your help.
Lead me through all the unsure, unclear, doubtful, hesitant, and questioning moments that are mine as I search to find the right way in which to go.
Grant me the grace to choose freely, without being attached to the outcome. I trust that you will be with me as I make my decision prayerfully and with faith.
Assure me that your peace will rest deep within me as I make the decision that seems best for me at this time. I may continue to experience feelings of turmoil and confusion, but deep within I know that I can return to that settled place in me where you always dwell.
Guide and Director of my life, I place my life in your hands. Lead me to the path that will best deepen and strengthen my relationship with you.
BLESSED PRAYER FOR HEALING
BLESSED PRAYER FOR HEALING
May (you*) desire to be healed.
May what is wounded in your life be restored to good health.
May you be receptive to the ways in which healing needs to happen.
May you take good care of yourself.
May you extend compassion to all that hurts within your body, mind, spirit.
May you be patient with the time it takes to heal.
May the skills of all those who are caring for you be used to the best of their ability in returning you to good health.
May you be open to receive from those who extend kindness, care, and compassion to you.
May you rest peacefully under the sheltering wings of divine love, trusting in this gracious presence.
May you find little moments of beauty and joy to sustain you. May you keep hope in your heart.
*If praying for oneself insert 'I' instead of 'you'
Hold your hands over your own heart and remember the power of love within you. Then, extend your hands of love toward the one who needs healing. Give this healing love to the one being blessed. If blessing oneself, recognise and accept this power of love within you.
PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
In order to unite with one another,
We must love one another;
In order to love one another,
We must know one another;
In order to know one another,
We must go and meet one another.
REFLECTION-THE EARTH'S QUIET SEASON
REFLECTION-THE EARTH'S QUIET SEASON
Holy God, this is earth's quiet season.
The season of waiting.
We rest in the shelter of your love.
This is the season of darkness,
When we seek stars to guide us.
We trust in the light of your promise.
This is the season of solitude,
When we listen to our own heart's rhythm.
We find warmth in the signs of your presence.
This is the time to make room,
A time to make ready.
God, Lord of eternity, your Son came to visit us in time.
Grant to each one of us the heart of a child which never
ceases to marvel at your wonders, so that once again you
may find us watching in hope.
PRAYER OF SURRENDER
PRAYER OF SURRENDER
Lord Jesus,
I give you my hands to do you work.
I give you my feet to go your way.
I give you my eyes to see as you see.
I give you my tongue to speak your words.
I give you my mind that you might think in me.
I give you my spirit that you might pray in me.
Above all, I give you my heart,
that you may love in me,
your Father and all creation.
I give you my whole self,
that you may grow in me,
so that it is you Lord Jesus,
who live and work and pray in me.
Direct Lord, we beseech you all our actions by your
holy inspiration and carry them on by yourgracious assistance,
that every prayer and work of
ours may begin always from you
and by you be happily ended,
Through Christ Our Lord
Amen.
HOLY ONE YOU HAVE GIVEN US THE GIFT OF STORY IN OUR LIVES
HOLY ONE YOU HAVE GIVEN US THE GIFT OF STORY IN OUR LIVES
Holy One, you have given us the gift of story in our lives,
ways of understanding who we are,
ways of making sense of our world,
of finding meaning and knowing how to respond to all that happens in our lives.
Please show us where our stories fall short or are too narrow,
where they exclude rather than include,
where they divide rather than unite.
Help us to see where a story we live out of may go amiss of what is real,
where it allows us to escape becoming whole,
where it lets us live comfortably in fear.
Fill us with your story, the story of unity and compassion and love.
Fill us with images that energise us and give us hope
and lead us to the fundamental truth that you have tried to teach us all along:
we are all one.
Amen.
GOD BE IN MY HEAD
GOD BE IN MY HEAD
God be in my head,
And in my understanding;
God be in my eyes,
And in my looking;
God be in my mouth,
And in my speaking;
God be in my heart,
And in my thinking;
God be at my end,
And at my departing.
I AM A WREAK
I AM A WREAK
O Lord,
I am in ruins, restore me.
I am distressed, give me peace.
I am walking in the darkness,
Draw me again into your light.
I am afraid your glory will blind me,
Lord, protect me by your love.
Let me know you are watching,
And wanting me to return.
You wait with open arms
To welcome me home.
Forgive me Father, I have sinned.
I feel like a long-lost sheep,
I have erred and strayed far away.
Let me hear your voice calling me,
The voice that calls me by my name.
Lord, you are my strength and my salvation,
You are the hope and joy of my life.
Lord, I will come to you soon,
Give me the courage and strength to return.
FOR SOLITUDE
FOR SOLITUDE
May you recognise in your life the presence,
Power and light of your soul.
May you realise that you are never alone,
That your soul in its brightness and belonging
Connects you intimately with the rhythm of the universe.
May you have respect for your individuality and difference.
May you realise that the shape of your soul is unique,
That you have a special destiny here,
That behind the facade of your life
There is something beautiful and eternal happening.
May you learn to see yourself
With the same delight,
Pride and expectation
With which God sees you
in every moment.
FOR ONE WHO IS GRIEVING
FOR ONE WHO IS GRIEVING
Begin by quieting yourself.
Take a deep breath. Let the breath our slowly. Do this three or four times.
Relax. Be at ease.
Remember that you are held in the arms of God''s protective love.
Go inside.
Look for that place within you that needs comfort and consolation.
Imagine that you are in a cemetery.
Find a tombstone that reminds you of the loss that you feel.
Sit down by the tombstone and allow your grief to be present. . . .
Look up and see Mary coming to be with you.
She sits down beside you and holds your hand.
You can tell that she understands your hurt.
Speak to Mary about your grief, tell her what hurts the most. . . .
Mary sits quietly with you. . . . Then she speaks to you about your loss. . . .
Ask Mary any questions you have and listen to her response. . . .
Now Mary lets go of you hand.
She invites you to hold it open to receive a gift she has for you.
As you open your hand she gently places a small, brown seed in your palm.
Then Mary speaks this message to you:
' I know your sadness. I am sorry for how you hurt.
Please receive this tiny seed.
Let it be a reminder to your sorrowing heart
that there will be a new life for you.
Just as this little dry seed holds new life inside it, so do you.
In time, peace and joy will return to your heart.
Keep hope close to you. Don't give up. Joy will return.
Your sorrow is my sorrow. You are not alone.'
Hold the seed and stay with the message for as long as you like.
Let the message take root in your heart.
Thank Mary for being with you.
Bid her farewell and slowly come back to this time and place.
PSALM FOR PRAYING
PSALM FOR PRAYING
O Beloved, Heart of my heart,
I call to You for my help by day;
I cry out in the night.
Let my prayer come before You,
bend your ear to my cry!
For my soul is full of troubles, and my life like dust,
I have fallen into a pit of despair;
I have no strength and I feel powerless,
Like one from whom You have turned, like the soil people walk upon.
You alone can comfort me in the deep pit,
in the darkness of fear.
Separation from You is an agony,
hopelessness threatens to overwhelm me.
Through You alone can I pray for my enemies, for those who ignore my plight.
I am in a prison chained by fear;
I am weary of tears.
Every day I call upon You, O Beloved;
I lift up my hands in supplication.
Will You raise me from this living death?
Will You mend a broken heart?
Let not your steadfast love pass me by;
have mercy on me, O Comforter!
Reach Your hand into the darkness of my fears,
by your saving grace forgive my unholy ways.
O Merciful Redeemer, I cry to You;
each day my prayer comes before You.
Let not separation keep me from your Heart;
be my strength as I face the darkness inside.
Too long have I let fear control me,
projecting onto others the demons dwelling within.
Let Your Love circle and envelop me;
in Your mercy raise me up.
Let peace become my companion all day long;
By night free me from the bonds of fear.
Let me be reconciled with family and friends;
and may I know You
as Loving Companion Presence
as in days of old.
GIVING THANKS
GIVING THANKS
O Divine Gift-giver,
I stand beneath the endless waterfall
of your abundant gifts to me.
I thank you especially for the blessing of life,
the most precious of all Your gifts to me.
I thank you, Ever-generous One,
for clothing to wear,
for food and drink to nourish my body,
for all the talents and skills that You have bestowed upon me.
I thank you for the many joys of my life,
for family and friends,
for work that gives to me a sense of purpose
and invests my life with meaning.
I thank You as well
for the suffering and trials of my life
which are also gifts
and which together with my mistakes are among my most important teachers.
Grant that I may never greet a new day
without the awareness of some gift
for which to give you thanks.
And may constant thanksgiving
be my song of perpetual praise to you.
PSALM OF FEARLESSNESS
PSALM OF FEARLESSNESS
I am surrounded by a peaceful ebbing
as creation bows to the mystery of life;
all that grows and lives must give up life,
yet it does not really die.
as plants surrender their life,
bending, brown and wrinkled,
and yellow leaves of trees
float to my lawn like parachute troops, they do so in a sea of serenity.
I hear no fearful cries from creation,
no screams of terror,
as death daily devours
once-green and growing life.
Peaceful and calm is autumn's swan song,
for she understands
that hidden in winter's death-grip
is spring's open-handed
full-brim breath of life.
It is not a death rattle that sounds
over fields and backyard fences;
rather I hear a lullaby
softly swaying upon the autumn wind.
Sleep in peace, all that lives;
slumber secure, all that is dying,
for in every fall there is the rise
whose sister's name is spring.
GOD HAS A PLAN FOR MY LIFE
GOD HAS A PLAN FOR MY LIFE
God has created me to do Him some definite service.
He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another.
I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next.
I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.
He has not created for me a naught.
I shall do good; I shall do His work.
I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place,
while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments.
Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away.
If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him.
f I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him.
He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about.
He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers.
He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me.
Still, He knows what He is about.
DAY FOR LIFE PRAYER
DAY FOR LIFE PRAYER
We thank you Lord for the gift of life.
Help us to appreciate the unique dignity
of every person and the individual
contribution they make to the world,
in fulfillment of the task you give them.
Enable us by your grace to promote their
wellbeing, serving you in one another
in a spirit of generosity,
through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
"Only the great certitude of hope that my
own life and history in general, despite all its
setbacks and failures, are held firm by the
indestructible power of Love, and that this
gives them their meaning and importance,
only this kind of hope can give the
courage to act and to preserve."
Pope Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi, n.35
PSALM 80
PSALM 80
Eternal Listener, give heed to
your people.
You, who are our Guide and our
Light!
You, who dwell amidst the angels,
shine forth into the heart of
all nations!
Enliven your people with compassion
that peace and justice
might flourish.
Restore us, O Holy One;
let your face shine upon us,
teach us to love!
Gentle Teacher, help us to turn
to You in prayer,
fasting from our negative thoughts.
In your steadfast love, You weep
with our tears,
tears that rise from fear,
doubt, and illusion.
You uphold us when we feel the sting
of pride,
when anxiety threatens to
paralyse us.
Restore us, O Holy One;
let your face shine upon us,
teach us to love!
You companion us through the wilderness,
through the shadows created by fear.
You plant your Seed into each heart.
You uproot the weeds of our sin,
You cultivate the soil of our
goodness.
Truly, in You, we become like a tiny
acorn,
holding the secret of a mighty oak.
You nourish us with the food of Love,
with streams of Living Water.
Be our strength as we break down walls
that separate and divide;
let not fear pluck away the gifts
we would share.
Roll away the stones that become obstacles
to growth,
to producing a bountiful harvest.
Receive our gratitude, O Heart of
all hearts!
Look upon us and see what
Love can do;
rejoice in the new birth
that You create!
O LORD, FORGIVE
O LORD, FORGIVE
O Lord, forgive.
Our insensitivity to the needs of others,
O Lord, forgive.
Our prejudice and fear that prevent us from loving,
O Lord, forgive.
The narrowness of our vision and our shrinking from your demands,
O Lord, forgive.
Our resentment against those who have hurt us,
O Lord, forgive.
Our desire to do your work in our way,
O Lord, forgive.
Our impatience with those who are different from us,
O Lord, forgive.
Our failure to listen properly to other points of view,
O Lord, forgive.
Our fear of coming out of the fortress of our own souls into fuller life and deeper love,
O Lord, forgive.
PRAYER FOR ONE WHO YEARNS FOR A NEW HEART
PRAYER FOR ONE WHO YEARNS FOR A NEW HEART
Spirit of God,
I feel too tired to go on,
too empty even to want to be filled,
too broken to put the pieces together again.
Still, I feel a quiet stirring in me.
It is the call to come back to life, to be energised and renewed.
It is my heart crying out for newness,
for a lighter spirit, for a keener sense of hope in the future.
Spirit of God, who draws together bones of the desert and dryness of the heart,
come and take of my spirit all that has died in me.
Dream in me again.
Create of my brokenness a new and free heart.
Draw together life in me.
Let the dancing that's meant to be start its movement anew.
The grace of freedom, the gesture of rebirth, all of this awaits me.
I want to believe in my depths.
O God, I need a heart that is free from the dross of the past,
a heart that is fresh with enthusiasm and energy for the present as well as for the future.
A steadfast heart is what I want to claim,
a heart that does not waver about the truth or fall short when it comes to loving well.
Do not allow the events of the past to dominate my memory
or chain my heart to negative feelings.
Move me beyond this, God of new hearts.
Fill my entire being with a fresh freedom
so that I will walk the journey as well as possible.
Create in me a vibrant spirit, one that carries hope,
one that believes in peace.
Take this heart of mine and fill it with your goodness.
Amen.
INNER HEALING
INNER HEALING
God of love, you are the shepherd and I am one of your flock.
The words of Ezekiel speak to me of your comforting presence and the truth of your care.
I bear so much hurt inside from what has happened to me.
My inner world has been one of anxiety and distress.
In Ezekiel you promise never to let me out of your sight, to look after me and to keep me from harm.
You assure me that you will rescue me when I am scattered,
that you will draw me close
when I lose my way in the mist and the darkness created in my wounds.
The pain of my hurts keeps me in a foreign land
where I do not feel at home with myself or others.
Help me to believe that you will lead me into a future rich with growth and peace.
Show me where to rest,
how to lay down my burdens and what to do in order to be healed.
Loving shepherd, I need to find a source of new life.
Come, bandage my wounds
and grant to this weak one
a profound and deep strength to go on.
Amen.
DO NOT DELAY
DO NOT DELAY
Come, my Lord, down from above,
Come, my Lord, surround me with love.
Come, my Lord, enter my heart,
Come, my Lord, never depart.
Come, my Lord, my light, my way,
Come, my Lord, do not delay.
Come, my Lord, Prince of peace,
Come, my Lord, give me release.
Come, my Lord, free me from sorrow,
Come, my Lord, today and tomorrow.
Come, my Lord, shield me from strife,
Come, my Lord, protect me in life.
Come, my Lord, my dearest friend,
Come, my Lord, abide to life's end.
Come, my Lord, with each breath,
Come, my Lord, save me from death.
Come, Lord.
Come down.
Come among us.
LET THE MUSIC START
LET THE MUSIC START
Saviour, Master, let the music start
In the very depths of my heart.
Saviour, Master, let the music flow,
Until my whole life is truly aglow.
Saviour, Master, let my life vibrate
In your presence, let it celebrate.
Saviour, Master, let my whole being sing
Praise to you, Redeemer, Almighty King.
COME RENEW US
COME RENEW US
Come, Lord, come to us.
Enter our darkness with your light,
Fill our emptiness with your presence,
Come refresh, restore, renew us.
In our sadness, come as joy,
In our troubles, come as peace,
In our fearfulness, come as hope.
In our darkness, come as light,
In our frailty, come as strength,
In our loneliness come as love,
Come refresh, restore, renew us.
When you see the face of anger
look behind it
and you will see the face of pride.
Bring anger and pride
under your feet,
turn them into a ladder
and climb higher.
There is no peace until you become
their master.
Let go of anger, it may taste sweet
but it kills.
Don't become its victim
you need humility to climb to freedom.
Let us fall in love again
and scatter gold dust all over the world.
Let us become a new spring
and feel the breeze drift in the heavens' scent.
Let us dress the earth in green,
and like the sap of a young tree
let the grace from within sustain us.
Let us carve gems out of our stony hearts
and let them light our path to Love.
The glance of Love is crystal clear
and we are blessed by its light.
BLESSING FOR PENTECOST
BLESSING FOR PENTECOST
May the enthusiasm of Spirit leap incessantly within you
and help you to live a vibrant life.
May the warmth of Spirit's fire be extended through your concerns
and care for all those who need your love.
May the blaze of Spirit's courage enable you to speak the truth
and to stand up for respect, dignity, and justice.
May the undying embers of Spirit's faithfulness support you
when you feel spiritually dry and empty.
May the strength of Spirit's love sustain your hope
as you enter into the pain of our world.
May the clear light of Spirit's guidance be a source of effective discernment
and decision-making for you.
May the Spirit's patient endurance be yours
while you wait for what is unknown to be revealed.
May the steady flame of Spirit's goodness within you
convince you every day of the power of your presence with others.
May the joyful fire of Spirit dance within you
and set happiness ablaze in your life.
May the spark of your relationship with the Spirit catch afire
in the hearts of those with whom you live and work.
May you be mindful of the Eternal Flame within you.
May you rely on this Source of Love to be your constant ally and steady guide.
Amen.
PRAYER FOR STUDENTS FACING EXAMINATIONS
Father,
Be with me as I take this exam.
Keep my mind alert and my memory sharp.
Calm my nerves and help me concentrate.
I know that you walk with me,
Guiding my path and inspiring my heart.
I pray that I would feel you with me,
And that your friendship would soften the pressure I feel.
I pray that I would pass this exam and go on to new things with you.
Thank you for your peace and your love in my life.
Thank you for your kindness and care for me.
Amen.
PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO ARE FACING DIFFICULT EXAMINATIONS
PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO ARE FACING DIFFICULT EXAMINATIONS
Lord I am worried and tense as I think about my forthcoming exams.
I feel the tension rising in my heart and at times I am afraid.
I ask you to send down upon me the power of your Holy Spirit
to ease my worry,
to fill my heart with courage
and to give me the great gift of your wisdom.
Lord you know the path that lies ahead and how important my exams are for me.
Take away all fear and stress,
give me confidence and strength as I enter the place of examination.
Let there be no panic, but a deep trust in you and in my ability to succeed.
Help me to do myself justice for the work and effort I have put in to date
and may all my hard work bear fruit in plenty later on.
Spirit of calm, Spirit of peace, Spirt of confidence, Spirit of courage
come into my heart today and powerfully guide me as I sit and write.
Remove all fear from me and fill my heart to overflowing
with your understanding and love.
Amen.
DELIVER ME
DELIVER ME
Lord, deliver me;
Deliver my eyes from tears and my feet from falling.
Deliver me from deep darkness,
From eternal night.
Deliver me from evil,
From all that would harm.
Deliver me from anxiety,
My mind from despair.
Deliver me from isolation,
My heart from loneliness.
Deliver me from fearfulness,
And keep me from wastefulness.
Deliver me from all that would disturb,
And enfold me in you peace.
Come, Lord, surround me with your light,
Keep me under your protecting love.
Strengthen me with your gracious power,
My strong deliverer and my Saviour.
SAVIOUR OF THE SINFUL
SAVIOUR OF THE SINFUL
Saviour of the sinful,
Need of the needy,
Help of the helpless,
Hope of the hopeless,
Strength of the weak,
Healer of the sick,
Love of the loveless,
Come, O Christ.
LENTEN REFLECTION
LENTEN REFLECTION
Lord,
Take my small offering of self-denial this Lent,
as a sign of my great longing for you.
Lord I hunger for your presence in my life,
and I thirst for your love.
I hunger for justice for those who are wrong and oppressed,
and I thirst for your peace.
I hunger for a glimpse of your glory,
and I thirst for your stillness in my heart.
God of giving, God of longing,
God of pain, I hunger for you
SPIRIT OF GOD
SPIRIT OF GOD
Holy and Mighty One,
Holy and Strong One:
May the power of your Spirit
Enable us.
May the brooding of your Spirit
Awaken us.
May the fire of your Spirit
Enflame us.
May the wind of your Spirit
Move us.
May the wisdom of your Spirit
Inspire us.
May the breath of your Spirit
Enliven us.
May the gifts of your Spirit
Equip us.
May the presence of your Spirit
Be ever with us.
Holy and Mighty One,
Holy and Strong One.
LENTEN PSALM OF HEALING
LENTEN PSALM OF HEALING
I thank you, God,
for the warming of the winds
that brings a melting of the snow,
for daylight hours that daily grow longer
and richer in the aroma of hope.
Spring lingers beneath the horizon
as approaching echoes of Easter
ring in my ears.
I lift up my heart to you, Beloved,
in this season of Lent
that gently sweeps across
my sluggish and sleeping heart,
awakening me
to a deeper love for you.
May the wind of the Spirit
that drove Jesus into the desert,
into the furnace of prayer,
also drive me with a passion
during this Lenten season
to enkindle the fire of my devotion
in the desert of Lenten love.
Birds above, on migratory wings,
signal me to an inner migration,
a message that draws me homeward bound
on Spirit's wings
to the heart of my Beloved.
May I earnestly use this Lenten season
to answer the inner urge
to return.
Amen.
LEAD ME LORD
LEAD ME LORD
Jesus, Rest for the Weary,
the heaviness of my burden
overwhelms me.
The immensity of this situation
presses down upon me.
The weight of the pain I carry
crushes my hopeful vision of life.
I long for an easing of my distress.
Let me hear gain
Your promising words of comfort.
Speak them to my heart:
"Come to me, all you who are weary,
and carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28).
I lean my burdened life
on the bosom of your love
and wait to be consoled.
HEAVY BURDENS
HEAVY BURDENS
Jesus, Rest for the Weary,
the heaviness of my burden
overwhelms me.
The immensity of this situation
presses down upon me.
The weight of the pain I carry
crushes my hopeful vision of life.
I long for an easing of my distress.
Let me hear gain
Your promising words of comfort.
Speak them to my heart:
"Come to me, all you who are weary,
and carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28).
I lean my burdened life
on the bosom of your love
and wait to be consoled.
BLESSING OF ACCEPTANCE
BLESSING OF ACCEPTANCE
May the grace of acceptance
well up within you;
may it trickle into your pockets of resistance;
may it water desert areas,
and wash away barriers.
May it fill your being
with a wholehearted 'yes' to your illness,
and to whatever the future holds.
May the blessing of acceptance
be yours and yours in abundance.
BLESSING OF FORGIVENESS
BLESSING OF FORGIVENESS
May the God of forgiveness bless you
and bless you kindly.
May the forgiveness you offer yourself
be gentle and wholesome.
May the forgiveness you offer another
be generous and wholehearted.
May the forgiveness you offer yourself be lavish.
May the forgiveness you offer another be prodigal,
May all whom you may have harmed
touch you kindly with forgiveness,
and may you know the peace of true forgiveness.
BLESSING OF JOY
BLESSING OF JOY
May all the sings sing in me.
May all that dances dance in me.
May all that delights delight in me.
May all that laughs laugh in me.
EMBRACING HOPE
EMBRACING HOPE
Loving Gardener of Life,
turn my time of sorrow
toward a season of hope.
I long to return to joy.
I yearn to be free from sadness.
May the eyes of my faith
look beyond my loss
and see the promise of spring
that follows every winter.
Never-Ending Source of Hope,
may the power of the Resurrection
assure me of future happiness.
I hold out my downcast spirit to you
and offer you my trusting heart.
I await the healing I need,
confident that your grace
will restore my inner peace.
ONE WHO IS LONELY
ONE WHO IS LONELY
Eternal Presence,
you are with me on my journey.
You know the loneliness
that wraps around my heart
and leaves a void of sadness.
Comfort me on my dreary days
when emptiness is all I know.
Do not let me succumb
to isolated self-pity.
Let me experience your presence.
Fill my downcast spirit
with your joy.
Keep me close to your abiding love.
with every step I take.
A PRAYER FOR PATIENCE
A PRAYER FOR PATIENCE
God, teach me to be patient -
Teach me to go slow -
Teach me how to "wait on You"
When my way I do not know. . .
Teach me forbearance
When things do not go right
So I remain unruffled
When others grow "uptight". . .
Teach me how to quiet
My racing, rising heart
So I may hear the answer
You are trying to impart. . .
Teach me to let go, dear God,
And pray undisturbed until
My heart is filled with inner peace
And I learn to know Your will!
A PRAYER FOR HEALING
A PRAYER FOR HEALING
Lord, I come now before you in the weakness
that has overcome me, with the feeling that I
cannot share and try to hide, with the emptiness
that sometimes grips me, and with the physical
and mental pain that so often preoccupies me,
but I also come in faith and trust, in humility and
reverence, and I ask to be relieved and healed.
You took human weakness on yourself when you
lived, suffered and died for our sake. By rising
from the dead, you manifested your victory over
all human weakness, over all the negatives that
tend to break us, and over death itself. Because
of that our trust in you is deepened. You can
overcome the negative feelings we experience.
Now I present myself to you, knowing that you
love me just as I am, but knowing also that your
will is my happiness and that you can bring this
about in ways that I will not be able to
understand.
Help me this day not to be undermined by
illness, by pain, or by the problems that beset me.
I ask this, not just for myself but for the sake of
all those lives I touch.
Amen.
ST. TERESA OF AVILA'S BOOKMARK
ST. TERESA OF AVILA'S BOOKMARK
Let nothing disturb you
Let nothing frighten you
All things pass away
God never changes
Patience obtains all things
Those who have God
find they lack nothing.
God alone suffices.
Amen.
LEAD ME LORD, GO AHEAD OF ME
LEAD ME LORD, GO AHEAD OF ME
I am in trouble; Lord, hear me.
I am distressed in body and mind.
Listen to me, Lord of lords,
Hear my heartfelt cry, my prayer from the depths.
In my desperation I call upon you for survival.
In my great trouble I turn to you, God Almighty.
Lead me, Lord, go ahead of me.
Drive away my fears and my enemy.
Lord, make my way smooth and straight,
Until I recover my strength and my confidence.
Give me joy this day for my journeying.
Lord, let all who call upon you and find you.
Be to all a mighty strength and shield.
Forgive us our sinfulness and wandering.
We have left your way for confusion and darkness.
We have turned from your path and into trouble.
We have brought upon ourselves pain and distress.
Our wounds are self-inflicted,
For you would not hurt us.
Lord, hear our cry, forgive our sins,
Cleanse and restore us.
Holy God, listen to our plea,
And be our leader and guide.
Amen
I AM UNSURE
I AM UNSURE
Lord, I am unsure:
The future is all unknown.
I do not know what to do,
Or what lies before me.
Let me know who is there.
Let me know you are here.
I do not know what will happen:
I cannot predict my path,
I often walk in the darkness,
I cannot see what is ahead.
Let me know who is there.
Let me know you are here.
I do not know where I shall go:
I am unsure of the road.
I do not know much of tomorrow,
Yet I know you and your love.
I know you will meet me there.
I am uncertain of the way:
I do not know where I am to travel,
I am so able to get lost.
Yet you are there as my guide.
I know you will meet me there.
I do not know how life will treat me:
I do not know if friends will leave me,
Or if health and strength will fail me.
Yet I can depend on you and your love.
I know you will meet me there.
HELP ME TO COPE
HELP ME TO COPE
Open my eyes, that I sleep not in death,
Inspire me by your Spirit with every breath.
Touch my heart with the fire of your love,
Let my whole life burn with fire from above.
Guide my feet in your straight and narrow way,
Strengthen my will, that I do not stray.
I need you, Lord, I need your great might,
I need your protection by day and by night.
Here is my heart, here is my hope,
Lord, never depart, help me to cope.
Here is my mind, here is my will,
Lord, peaceful and kind, help me be still.
THE SHINING WORD "AND"
THE SHINING WORD "AND"
"And" teaches us to say yes
"And'' allows us to be both - and
''And'' keeps us from either - or
''And'' teaches us to be patient and long-suffering
''And'' is willing to wait for insight and integration
''And'' does not divide the field of the moment
''And'' helps us to live in the always imperfect now
''And'' keeps us inclusive and compassionate toward everything
''And'' demands that our contemplation become active
"And" insists that our action is also contemplative
"And" keeps us from the false choice of liberal or conservative
"And" allows us to critique both sides of things
"And'' allows us to enjoy both sides of things
"And" is far beyond any one nation or political party
"And" helps us face and accept our own dark side
"And'' allow us to ask for forgiveness and to apologise
"And" is the mystery of paradox in all things
"And" is the way of mercy
"And'' makes daily, practical love possible
"And" does not trust love if it is not also justice
"And" does not trust justice if it is not also love
"And" is far beyond my religion versus your religion
"And" allows us to be both distinct and yet united
"And'' is the very Mystery of Trinity
FOR SELF-FORGIVENESS
FOR SELF-FORGIVENESS
Today I am overcome with a sense of failure.
I am painfully aware of dreams not fulfilled,
of ambitions not realised, of work left unfinished,
of people not cared for, of bridges not mended,
of promises not kept.
I feel that I have wasted the days of my years.
Awaken within me an acceptance of myself as I am.
Quieten the voice of excessive self criticism within me.
Awaken in me a forgiveness that is unconditional.
Lead me to the conviction that:
in you all is forgiven,
in you all is understood and accepted,
in you the prodigal is welcomed home.
ADVENT PEACE PSALM
ADVENT PEACE PSALM
O Prince of Peace,
whose Advent we seek in our lives,
come this day and show us
how to beat our swords into ploughshares,
tools of life instead of instruments of fear.
May your love strip us
of all weapons and strategies of conquest
which are not the tools of lovers,
wise ones and God's children.
Let us not lust for power
but rather strive for the insight
to be guided on the Way of Peace.
Let us not yearn for a victory
that requires a sister's sorrow
or a brother's shameful defeat.
Let us be Advent adventurers and peacemakers,
hammering swords into shovels,
filling holes and levelling peaks.
Let us be disarmed and vulnerable,
for only through such open hands and hearts
can Emmanuel come.
A BLESSING OF ANGELS
A BLESSING OF ANGELS
May the Angels in their beauty bless you.
May they turn towards you streams of blessing.
May the Angel of Awakening stir your heart
To come alive to the eternal within you,
To all the invitations that quietly surround you.
May the Angel of Healing turn your wounds
Into sources of refreshment.
May the Angel of the Imagination enable you
To stand on the true thresholds;
At ease with your ambivalence
And drawn in new directions
Through the glow of your contradictions.
May the Angel of Compassion open your eyes
To the unseen suffering around you.
May the Angel of Wildness disturb the places
Where your life is domesticated and safe,
Take you to the territories of true otherness
Where all that is awkward in you
Can fall into its own rhythm.
PSALM FOR PRAYING
PSALM FOR PRAYING
May the spirit of the Lord rest upon us,
may the call of God sustain us,
as we seek to be God's people,
transformed by the Gospel,
announcing good news to the poor,
proclaiming freedom for those in prisons
of wealth, poverty, disease and disorder,
committed to making a difference
to the world's kingdoms
for the sake of Christ's Kingdom.
May we deploy our resources as the Spirit guides,
not shirk difficult decisions about the priority of mission,
pledge ourselves anew to work with all our fellow Christians
and use the gifts of all God's people
so that all may be filled
with the Spirit of healing, justice and peace.
Amen.
WALKING WITH SOMEONE WHO MOURNS
WALKING WITH SOMEONE WHO MOURNS
Holy Shelter,
I walk with one who grieves.
Help me to be patient
with their journey of loss.
Let me not rush or push
the process of healing.
Grant me the gift of insight
to know when to speak
and when to be silent.
May my words of advice be few
and my loving presence ample.
May my heart reflect
the fullness of your compassion.
Heart of Consolation,
ease the sorrow.
Relieve the aching spirit.
Bring your soothing solace
and comfort them.
A PRAYER FOR OTHERS
A PRAYER FOR OTHERS
Through the open door of your divine heart
may blessings pour forth in great abundance to those I love.
I pray for those who are prisoners of fear or hate
and for the intentions of all peoples of this planet,
in particular this night for:___________.
May those who find it impossible to pray,
who are burdened with cares
or lost in the desert of loneliness,
be touched by your gentle healing
and find peace today and always.
EMBRACING HOPE
EMBRACING HOPE
Loving Gardener of Life,
turn my time of sorrow
toward a season of hope.
I long to return to joy.
I yearn to be free from sadness.
May the eyes of my faith
look beyond my loss
and see the promise of spring
that follows every winter.
Never-Ending Source of Hope,
may the power of the Resurrection
assure me of future happiness.
I hold out my downcast spirit to you
and offer you my trusting heart.
I await the healing I need,
confident that your grace
will restore my inner peace.
OPEN MY EYES
OPEN MY EYES
God open my eyes so I may see
And feel your presence close to me...
Give me strength for my stumbling feet
As I battle the crowd on life's busy street,
And widen the vision of my unseeing eyes
So in passing faces I'll recognise
Not just a stranger, unloved and unknown,
But a friend with a heart
that is much like my own...
Give me perception to make me aware
That scattered profusely on life's thoroughfare
Are the best gifts of God
that we daily pass by
As we look at the world with an unseeing eye.
WALKING WITH SOMEONE WHO SUFFERS
WALKING WITH SOMEONE WHO SUFFERS
Attentive and caring God,
you hear the cries of those in pain.
There are people everywhere who walk
a path filled with suffering and sorrow.
I have the privilege and challenge
of journeying with ____________.
It pains me to be unable to take away the hurt.
It saddens me to be unable to alleviate his/her burdens.
Help me not to be afraid to be there with the pain.
Let me not run from what distresses and disturbs me
when this suffering invades my peace and happiness.
I want to be generous with my attention and my care.
May your spirit guide me so that I will make good choices
about how much I can be and do for ____________.
Do not allow me to become so engulfed with the suffering
that I lose my balance and my ability to be with his/her pain.
Bless all who walk with someone who suffers.
ENCOUNTERING DEPRESSION
ENCOUNTERING DEPRESSION
Giver of Life,
I am in the wasteland of depression.
I cry out to you, Source of Solace,
as I meet this empty void within me.
Sustain me as I try to exist
in this day-to-day dying
of my energy and vitality.
Wrap your arms around me.
Carry me through this bleak journey.
Help me to stay open to your love.
I rely on you. I lean on you.
I trust you to hold me close
as I stumble on this joyless path.
COMPASSION FOR SELF
COMPASSION FOR SELF
Unwavering Love,
when I am going through troubled times,
help me to attend to my own spirit.
I need to believe that my heartaches
are also worthy of a compassionate gaze.
Teach me how to offer kindness
to the part of me that hurts.
With your grace I can overcome
any obstacles that keep me
from being attentive to my own needs.
Remembering your great love for me,
I turn toward myself with understanding
and reach out with tenderness
as I lovingly embrace my hurting self.
MEETING MY OWN PAIN
MEETING MY OWN PAIN
Tender and loving God,
I know that you are with me.
Take my hand and stretch it
toward that which brings me hurt.
Lead me into my sufferings
and help me to be healed.
Together let us touch my woundedness.
Together let us meet my pain.
Teach me how to enter my suffering in a way
that brings me greater wisdom and growth.
Gift me with determination not to turn away.
Help me to meet myself with kindness and mercy.
Tender and loving God,
together let us walk the road to my healing.
FOR SUFFERING
FOR SUFFERING
May you be blessed in the holy names of those
Who, without you knowing it,
Help to carry and lighten your pain.
May you know serenity
When you are called
To enter the house of suffering.
May a window of light always surprise you.
May you be granted the wisdom
To avoid false resistance;
When suffering knocks on the door of your life,
May you glimpse its eventual gifts.
May you be able to receive the fruits of suffering.
May memory bless and protect you
With the hard-earned light of past travail;
To remind you that you have survived before
And though the darkness now is deep,
You will soon see approaching light.
May the grace of time heal your wounds.
May you know that though the storm might rage,
Not a hair of your head will be harmed.
REFLECTION
REFLECTION
The disciples were sitting on
a bank of a river.
"If I fall off this bank will
I drown?" one of them asked.
"No," said the Master. "It isn't
falling in that causes you to
drown; it's staying in."
I ARISE IN THE NEW YEAR
I ARISE IN THE NEW YEAR
I arise with amazement at the presence of the Holy One.
I arise with gratitude for life.
I arise with hope that all shall be well.
I arise with courage to meet what will be difficult.
I arise with conviction to do what is life-giving.
I arise with eyes ever alert for beauty.
I arise with openness to greater truth.
I arise with desire for continued transformation.
I arise with compassion for the hurting ones in the cosmos.
I arise with grief still settled in my spirit.
I arise with a sense of kinship with all whom I love.
I arise with determination to make good choices in using my time.
I arise with willingness to help those who will need my care.
I arise with hesitation as I think about the pain that may come.
I arise with longing for ever greater inner freedom.
I arise with happiness, knowing that I am invited to live life more fully.
I arise with love for the Holy One, my Intimate Companion.
Compassionate God and faithful Friend,
thank you for the opportunity to walk into another year of life.
Help me to be faithful, to be generous, to be yours.
Holy One, you have given us the gift of story in our lives, ways of understanding who we are, ways of making sense of our world, of finding meaning and knowing how to respond to all that happens in our lives. Please show us where our stories fall short or are too narrow, where they exclude rather than include, where they divide rather than unite. Help us to see where a story we live out of may go amiss of what is real, where it allows us to escape becoming whole, where it lets us live comfortably in fear. Fill us with your story, the story of unity and compassion and love. Fill us with images that energise us and give us hope and lead us to the fundamental truth that you have tried to teach us all along: we are all one.
Amen.
AN OLD HEBREW PRAYER
AN OLD HEBREW PRAYER
Birth is a beginning
And death a destination
And life a journey:
From childhood to maturity
And youth to age;
From innocence to awareness
And ignorance to knowing;
From foolishness to discretion and then,
Perhaps to Wisdom:
From weakness to strength
Or strength to weakness - and back, we pray.
To health again;
From offence to forgiveness,
From loneliness to love,
From joy to gratitude
From pain to compassion,
And grief to understanding - from fear to faith;
From defeat to defeat to defeat -
Until, looking backwards or ahead,
We see that victory lies
Not at some high place along the way,
But in having made the journey, stage by stage.
HOLY SPIRIT RENEW US
HOLY SPIRIT RENEW US
Come, Holy Spirit
Renew us with your gifts!
Heal our brokenness
Wash our guilt away;
Pour down your wisdom,
Guide us when we stray.
Instill your peace within us,
Watch over us in need,
Move our hearts to goodness,
Inspire our every deed.
AMEN
ONE WHO IS LONELY
ONE WHO IS LONELY
Eternal Presence
you are with me on my journey.
You know the loneliness
that wraps around my heart
and leaves a void of sadness.
Comfort me on my dreary days
when emptiness is all I know.
Do not let me succumb
to isolated self-pity.
Let me experience your presence.
Fill my downcast spirit with your joy.
Keep me close to your abiding love
with every step I take.
LOVE POEM TO GOD
LOVE POEM TO GOD
God speaks to each of us as he makes us,
then walks with us silently out of the night.
These are the words we dimly hear;
You, sent out beyond your recall,
go to the limits of your longing.
Embody me.
Flare up like a flame
and make big shadows I can move in.
Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Don't let yourself lose me.
Nearby is the country they call life,
You will know it by its seriousness .
Give me your hand.
BE PATIENT
BE PATIENT
"Be patient in the absence of answers."
the wise person would say.
Stop harassing your heart and your spirit.
They are unable or unwilling to answer you.
They know that some of those answers
may be unbearable to you at this time.
For now, welcome those questions without trying to find answers. Let yourself experience the questions.
One day you will find yourself living the answers.
--------------------------------
To be calm in the wake of irritation,
to be gentle in the face of annoyance is to hand life over to the impulse of the Spirit.
It allows life to happen in such a way that we can be alive to the surprise in it.
REAL SPIRITUALITY
REAL SPIRITUALITY
Real spirituality has something to do with not getting disturbed about anything that is not worth getting disturbed about. It is about the serenity that comes when the soul is so deepened that the spirit is naturally gentle.
-----------------------------
Real failure comes when we consider ourselves good enough at something
to be able to repeat it rather than to develop it.
"Success is dangerous," the painter Pablo Picasso said.
"One begins to copy oneself, and to copy oneself is more dangerous than to copy others.
It leads to sterility".
IN TIMES OF WORRY AND ANXIETY
IN TIMES OF WORRY AND ANXIETY
Source of tranquillity,
be a peaceful presence for me.
Calm and settle my anxious spirit.
Set me free from my turmoil and fear.
Give me a perspective on my life.
Help me to trust that all shall be well.
Loosen my grip on my need to control.
May I live in this moment, now,
instead of looking into the vast journey ahead.
You are here, Peaceful One, you are here.
I rest in you.
IN DIFFICULT TIMES
IN DIFFICULT TIMES
Consoling God,
be a source of serenity for me
when struggles and difficulties
threaten to overwhelm me.
God of hope,
assure me of your unconditional love
when I doubt myself
or question the worth of my life.
Truth-bringing God,
encourage me to embrace you
during those times when I get lost
in the lies of my weakness.
Compassionate God,
hold me to your heart
when I feel helpless
in the face of the world's pain.
Light-filled God,
keep me ever close to you
during those moments
when bleakness surrounds my life.
Comforting God,
shelter me under your wings
when I am engulfed in sadness
and overcome with distress.
God of peace,
you are the centre of my life,
a strong refuge of peace
in the whirlwind of my pain.
I look to you for strength
and a constant assurance of hope.
***************
There comes a time
when sea and land come to rest.
There comes a time
when even the heavens withdraw.
There comes a time
when weary travellers
need a rest from the journey.
***************
BLESSING PRAYER FOR HEALING
BLESSING PRAYER FOR HEALING
May you desire to be healed
May what is wounded in your life be restored to good health.
May you be receptive to the ways in which healing needs to happen.
May you take good care of yourself.
May you extend compassion to all that hurts within your body, mind, spirit.
May you be patient with the time it takes to heal.
May you be aware of the wonders of your body, mind, and spirit and their amazing capacity to heal.
May the skills of all those who are caring for you be used to the best of their ability in returning you to good health.
May you be open to receive from those who extend kindness, care, and compassion to you.
May you rest peacefully under the sheltering wings of divine love, trusting in this gracious presence.
May you find little moments of beauty and joy to sustain you.
May you keep hope in your heart.
Hold your hands over your own heart and remember the power of love within you. Then, extend your hands of love toward the one who needs healing. Give this healing love to the one being blessed. If blessing oneself, recognise and accept this power of love within you.
AWAKEN ME
AWAKEN ME
Risen One,
come, meet me
in the garden of my life.
Lure me into elation.
Revive my silent hope.
Coax my dormant dreams.
Raise up my neglected gratitude.
Entice my tired enthusiasm.
Give life to my faltering relationships.
Roll back the stone of my indifference.
Unwrap the deadness in my spiritual life.
Impart heartiness in my work.
Risen One,
send me forth as a disciple of your unwavering love,
a messenger of your unlimited joy.
Resurrected One,
may I become
ever more convinced
that your presence lives on,
and on, and on,
and on.
Awaken me!
Awaken me!
COME HOLY SPIRIT
COME HOLY SPIRIT
Come, Holy Spirit:
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation;
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm;
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence;
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith.
Replace the bitterness within us with the sweetness of grace;
Replace the darkness within us with a gentle light;
Replace the coldness within us with a loving warmth;
Replace the night within us with the day;
Replace the winter within us with your spring.
Fill our emptiness;
Dull the edge of our pride;
Sharpen the edge of our humility;
Light the fires of our love;
Quench the flames of our lust.
Let us see ourselves as God sees us,
That we may see you as you have promised,
And be fortunate, according to your word:
'Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.'
PRAYER TO MARY OUR MOTHER
PRAYER TO MARY OUR MOTHER
Mary, you have been there before us.
You have stood at the tomb of farewell.
We, too, often face painful endings.
Like you, we need to eventually let go,
believing that the Holy One will console us.
You know how grief engulfs the heart
and tries to strangle the hope it contains.
You have felt the drain of a great loss
and the emptiness it creates inside.
Teach us how to have confidence in God
when we question what the future holds.
Strengthen our faith as we try to let go
of whatever keeps us from growing deeper.
We remember those who are moving through painful farewells . . .
(pause for silent or vocal remembering).
Mary, teach us how to be people of faith.
SPEAK LORD
SPEAK LORD
Lord, why are you silent, when I am silent?
Why do you not speak to me when I am listening for your voice?
I make space for you. I make time. I hear nothing.
I know you are not there to be commanded.
I know I cannot order you to act at my request.
Lord, I need to hear your voice. I need your guidance.
I wait upon your word. I am in need of direction.
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. Let me hear you.
Why this silence? Why this lack of communication?
What do you mean, I should be satisfied with your presence?
Forgive me, Lord, I have been seeking presents, not the presence.
I have been searching for you, shouting for you, and you are here.
Lord, let my heart beat more in tune with your heartbeat,
Until I know that I dwell in you and you in me.
Let my will become in harmony with your will,
That my whole life may reveal you and your glory.
FAMILY PRAYER
FAMILY PRAYER
When they had done everything the Law of
the Lord required, Joseph and Mary went back
to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.
Meanwhile the child, Jesus, grew to maturity
and he was filled with wisdom and God's favour
was with him. (Lk.2:39,40).
May God's favour rest on our child/children
May they grow in wisdom and grace,
May they be safe from all evil and harm and
May they be guided by the Holy Spirit
in all their life's decisions. Amen.
GOD FORSAKEN
GOD FORSAKEN
God, why have you forsaken me?
Why leave me in this pain?
The sun is hidden from my sight:
The dark clouds drop cold rain.
The fury of the wind does not cease:
The very earth trembles and quakes.
The roaring waves increase:
The air vibrates and all shakes.
The storm gets stronger still:
A great darkness fills the sky.
Why, O God, do you keep silent?
Why, O God, I ask you why?
Do not trust your feelings:
They will lead you astray.
Trust me in the darkness:
I am a sure and safe way.
The sea will subside:
The surface will be calm.
The sun will shine again:
I will keep you from harm.
I am with you every moment:
I may be silent but I am near.
I stay with you always:
There is no need to fear.
WHEN YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE LORD
WHEN YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE LORD
When you have received the Lord and are in his presence,
try to shut the bodily eyes and open the eyes of the soul.
Do not lose such an excellent time for talking with Our Lord
as the hour after Holy Communion.
This is a good time for our Master to teach us and for us to listen to him.
Beg him to show you how to pray and never to leave you.
We have no need to go and seek him somewhere a long way off.
Delight to remain with him.
Talk to him.
It is as if we saw the Lord entering our poor abode.
Let us enter into that abode with him.
If while Our Lord went about in the world,
the sick were healed merely by touching his clothes
how can we doubt that he will work miracles when he is within us?
He will give us what we ask of him since he is in our house.
O my Lord, how little we profit from the blessings which you have granted us.
Your majesty seeks methods and ways and inventions
by which to show us what love you have for us.
Blessed forever so great a God.
Amen.
BLESSING OF BABY
BLESSING OF BABY
Jesus said;
Let the children come to me, for it is to
such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.
Then he put his arms around them, laid his hands on
them and gave them his blessing (Mark 10:13-16)
Make the sign of the cross on your child's forehead
and pray, expressing your hopes and dreams,
desires and wishes for him/her.
SET ME ON FIRE
SET ME ON FIRE
Lord, you are my light and my salvation,
Set me on fire with love for you.
Lead me to the radiance of your presence,
Scatter the darkness within me and around,
Deliver me from the deep dark of death.
Awaken me to life eternal,
That I may glow with the fire of your love,
And rejoice in the brightness of your glory.
Lord, you are my light and my salvation,
Set me on fire with love for you.
AWAKE WITH THE DAWN
AWAKE WITH THE DAWN
Anyone who has not wondered
At the dawning has died
During the night, or has never lived.
Each day should awaken us to wonder and awe,
To a fresh reverence for each creature.
Everything I touch burns with a presence.
All that I see dazzles me with its radiance.
A single sound fills my ears with its call.
Events flame in my heart, revealing Love.
How can I survive such wonder and awe.
They say I should not be so sensitive,
In allowing such glory to mix with the earth.
Lord, how can this be, for it is reality?
A handful of soil can open the eyes of the blind.
I have seen heaven and earth are one.
THE POWER OF GOD
THE POWER OF GOD
God the Almighty is the power of my life:
I need not be anxious or afraid.
God is a fortress about me:
I need not be overcome.
I dwell in his presence:
Nothing can take him from me.
He hides me in his shelter:
When troubles are about me.
He offers me this help
When I am weak or distressed.
He will never leave or forsake me.
Nothing can separate me from him.
I dwell in his presence,
And he dwells in me.
LORD, OPEN US TO YOU
LORD, OPEN US TO YOU
Open our eyes, Lord, to the beauty of this day.
Open our eyes to the glory of your presence.
Open the eyes that have narrowed their vision.
Open the eyes that are clouded with familiarity.
Open the eyes that are blinded to beauty.
Open the eyes that are weary with watching.
Open the eyes that distorted with sorrow.
Open the eyes that are only able to see the greyness.
Open the eyes that are selective in their seeing.
Open the eyes that are shut through fear.
Open the eyes that are closed in the sleep of death.
Lord, open the eyes of our hearts.
Enlarge our vision,
Increase our awareness,
Make us more sensitive,
Open our eyes to your presence and to you.
PRAYER OF ABANDONMENT
PRAYER OF ABANDONMENT
Father, I abandon myself into your hands;
Do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you;
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me and in all your creatures.
Into your hands I commend my soul:
I offer it to you with all the love in my heart,
For I love you Lord, and so need to give myself,
To surrender myself into your hands
Without reserve and with boundless confidence,
For you are my Father.
PRAYER OF AN EXPECTANT MOTHER
PRAYER OF AN EXPECTANT MOTHER
God our Father, as you are giving me the
blessing of bringing an infant into the
world and knowing that as Creator of all life
it is more truly more yours than mine, I ask you to
help me to fulfil all my maternal duties.
O Lord Jesus Christ, look upon this unborn
little one that lies close to my heart. Grant
that this baby may one day become a member
of the Church through the sacrament of Baptism.
Holy Spirit, sanctify us, father, mother and the baby.
Holy Mary, Mother of God nourish us with your
love and protection always.
Dear St. Joseph, watch over our baby as you
watched over Jesus.
Holy angel of our little child, pray for us.
Amen.
I AM A SEEKER
I AM A SEEKER
Father,
I am a seeker,
I am often unsure,
I need your guidance,
I need your presence,
I need your love.
Father,
Give me joy in my journey,
Give me wonder on the way,
Give me your grace to guide,
Give me sureness in seeking,
Lead me to you.
Father,
Let your eye watch over me,
Let your hand guide me,
Let your presence protect me,
Until I come to rest before you,
Until I come at last before your face.
O DIVINE CREATOR
O DIVINE CREATOR
Unless You, O Divine Creator, build
the house,
those who build it labour in vain.
Unless You watch over the city,
the watchers stay awake in vain.
For it is in co-operating with You
from morn to evening,
Eating the bread of your Word,
that we rest in peace throughout
the night.
Reverence the sacred gift of life that
nourishes all.
Who will grow in wisdom, abandoning
themselves into the chalice of Love?
Who will open themselves to the
imprint of Love's gifts upon
their heart?
Unless You, O Divine Spirit, make
your home within us,
we wander through life in vain.
MOST GRACIOUS PRESENCE
MOST GRACIOUS PRESENCE
Most gracious Presence, let me not
be arrogant,
nor boast of my virtuous deeds;
Let me not seek fame or set my heart
on the riches of the world.
Help me to calm and quiet my soul,
like a child is quieted at its
mother's breast;
like a child that is quieted,
so be my soul.
I shall hope in You, O Breath
of my breath,
from this time forth and
forevermore.
Amen
OUR REFUGE AND OUR STRENGTH
OUR REFUGE AND OUR STRENGTH
The Beloved is our refuge and our strength,
a loving Presence in times of trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though
the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the
heart of the sea;
Though it's waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble
with its tumult.
There is a river whose streams
make glad the Holy City,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
The Beloved is in the midst of it,
it shall not be moved;
Our loving Creator is an
ever-present help.
The nations may be at war,
countries left in ruins,
yet is the Voice of the Almighty heard,
melting hearts of stone.
The Beloved is with us,
the infinite Heart of Love.
Come, behold the works of the Beloved,
how love does reign even in
humanity's desolation.
For the Beloved makes wars to cease,
breaking through the barriers of fear,
shattering the greedy and oppressors,
refining hearts of iron!
"Be still and know that I am Love.
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth"
The One who knows all hearts is with us;
The Beloved is our refuge and our strength.
BE MERCIFUL TO ME
BE MERCIFUL TO ME
Be merciful to me , O Beloved!
I open my heart to You,
for in You is Love and Wisdom.
In the shadow of your wings I will
find peace.
until the fears that bind me
are transformed.
I cry to the source of all life,
to the Eternal One whose Plan
is wholeness for all.
Send in your angels to awaken me,
put to rest all that keeps me
in darkness.
The Beloved will send forth steadfast
Love and Light!
I lie at night in the midst of dragons,
fears that seek to overpower me;
They rise up to taunt me,
they seek to control my life.
Be exalted, O Holy One,
Creator of the galaxies!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
My fears have woven a web;
like a spider
they seek to entrap me.
They live within me, gnawing at my bones,
they bring only suffering and despair.
Yet in my heart I know, Beloved, that
Love is the healing balm for fear,
I will sing and make melody!
Awaken my soul!
Awaken to Love's song!
I will awaken the dawn!
I will give thanks to You
among the peoples,
O Heart of my heart;
I will sing praises to You among
the nations.
For your steadfast love fills the universe,
and makes a home in my heart!
Be exalted, O Holy One,
Creator of the galaxies!
For your Glory reigns over
all the earth!
FLAME OF THE SPIRIT
FLAME OF THE SPIRIT
Flame of the Spirit, burn within us,
Set our hearts on fire, and we shall be changed.
Wind of the Spirit, blow through us,
Move us by your power, and we shall be changed.
Breath of God, fill our lives,
Inspire our actions, and we shall we changed.
When the shutters are down and the doors are closed,
Come. Fill us, Holy Spirit.
When we are dried up and all hope is gone,
Come. Fill us, Holy Spirit.
When chaos rules and we live in fear,
Come. Fill us, Holy Spirit.
When our resources are gone and we cannot cope,
Come. Fill us, Holy Spirit.
When we are restricted and it feels like the grave,
Come. Fill us, Holy Spirit.
Come inspire, refresh, renew us.
HEAR OUR CRY
HEAR OUR CRY
God our Creator,
God most high,
God immortal,
Hear our cry.
God all-merciful,
God most high,
God all powerful,
Hear our cry.
God invisible,
God most high,
God ever present,
Hear our cry.
A PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH
A PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH
God of our fathers,
renew us in the faith which is our life and salvation,
the hope which promises forgiveness and interior renewal,
the charity which purifies and opens our hearts to love you,
each of our brothers and sisters.
Lord Jesus Christ,
may the Church in Ireland renew her age-old commitment
to the education of our young people
in the way of truth and goodness,
holiness and generous service to society.
Holy Spirit, comforter, advocate and guide,
inspire a new springtime of holiness a
nd apostolic zeal for the Church
May our sorrow and our tears,
our sincere effort to redress past wrongs,
and our firm purpose of amendment
bear an abundant harvest of grace
for the deepening of the faith
in our families, parishes, schools and communities,
for the spiritual progress of society,
and the growth of charity, justice, joy and peace
within the whole human family.
AN EASTER PSALM
AN EASTER PSALM
Christ is risen, Alleluia!"
cries out the chorus of creation
"Christ is risen, Alleluia!"
sing the supple winds of spring.
"Christ is risen, Alleluia!"
ring out lilies in silent splendour.
The feast of feasts,
the festival of hope,
the mother of all Sundays,
luminous in the full moon of spring,
radiant in the rising of the sun,
Easter dances upon my rooftop
and plays like a newborn child
in the cradle of my heart.
I rejoice like all of creation,
sailing on springtime's seed-bearing breezes,
and like the lily's trumpet,
I open wide my throat and my heart
to join with all of heaven and earth
in singing out the symphony of joy
at Easter's annual return.
I take hope in Christ's victory over death,
hope that, one with him,
I will also have my easter morning
when I will be freed from the prison,
the decaying dusty tomb,
of my marrow and stony spirit.
I trust that I too will spring-like arise
to a fullness of living and loving,
to a life beyond all time and space,
to a life one with you, my God.
"Christ is risen, Alleluia!"
Alleluia, Alleluia!
MORNING OFFERING
MORNING OFFERING
O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace.
Help, me in all things to rely upon your holy will.
In every hour of the day reveal your holy will to me.
Bless my dealings with all who surround me.
Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul,
and with the firm conviction that your will governs all.
In all my deeds and words guide my thoughts and feelings.
In unforeseen events let me not forget that all are sent by you.
Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others.
Give me the strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring.
Direct my will, teach me to pray,
pray in me.
GOD'S EMBRACE
GOD'S EMBRACE
Guardian of the Wounded,
wrap me in your embrace.
Hold me close to your heart
and assure me of your love.
Protect my sore spirit.
Ease the pain that it holds.
You are always ready
to embrace me,
no matter how hurt or desolate
my heart may be.
I will trust you with my pain.
I will rest in your solace.
I will take refuge in your love.
THE COMFORT OF OTHERS
THE COMFORT OF OTHERS
Companion of the Suffering,
the touch of your embrace
comes to me in the gift
of those who stand with me.
How grateful I am
for the compassionate ones
who wrap me in their care,
and console me with their kindness.
Source of All Love,
what encouragement is mine
in those you have given to me.
Thank you for their thoughtfulness,
their patience, their empathy.
When they stand with me,
I know in a more certain way
that you have not abandoned me.
YOU ARE A CHILD OF CREATION
YOU ARE A CHILD OF CREATION
You are a child of Creation,
A reflection of God.
No one can steal your beauty,
Or reduce your worth,
Unless you let them.
Don't let them.
You are a miracle of God's love,
You are a miracle,
Never look at yourself and see anything less.
Your life is not a random stroke of chance,
You are part of a Sovereign plan,
Loved into existence for eternity.
Let the fire in your soul
Live and love, laugh and leap with joy.
And for the short time you walk upon this earth,
Always remember
YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
LET ME KNOW YOUR LOVE
LET ME KNOW YOUR LOVE
Lord, let me know your love:
Let my heart feel it,
Let my mind absorb it,
Let my tongue proclaim it,
Let my eyes watch for it,
Let my spirit long for it,
Let it fill my whole being.
Lord, let me know your love:
Until I burn with love for you,
Until I am aflame with you,
Until my life reveals you,
Until my every action proclaims you,
Until I am one with you.
Lord, let me know your love.
REFLECTION FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS
REFLECTION FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS
Lent is not an obligation,
it is a choice, and it is an
opportunity.
It is a choice
because Jesus himself
invites us to it.
It is a difficult choice to live with,
marked by the Cross.
It is a choice to give ourselves
to deep reflection.
It is also an opportunity to seize:
Lent offers us a time
to confirm our decision
and to strengthen it.
It carries us to life.
Lent opens with a radical choice
but it gives us a share in the life
of Resurrection.
Our Lenten walk expresses our
will to live.
PRAYER FOR STUDENTS FACING EXAMINATIONS
PRAYER FOR STUDENTS FACING EXAMINATIONS
Father,
Be with me as I take this exam.
Keep my mind alert and my memory sharp.
Calm my nerves and help me concentrate.
I know that you walk with me,
Guiding my path and inspiring my heart.
I pray that I would feel you with me,
And that your friendship would soften the pressure I feel.
I pray that I would pass this exam and go on to new things with you.
Thank you for your peace and your love in my life.
Thank you for your kindness and care for me.
Amen.
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