NIGHT PRAYER: Sunday 8/30

On Sundays, Night Prayer takes its lead from some element from the day's liturgy.  In today's gospel from Matthew 16, Jesus says, 

     "If you want to come after me, you must deny himself,
        take up your cross, and follow me. 
    If you wish to save your life - you will lose it,
        but if you lose your life for my sake - you will find it"

I didn't have a preaching assignment this weekend, but as I heard the deacon proclaim the gospel on Saturday afternoon, I was struck as never before by the thought of losing my life - for the Lord's sake... My thoughts turned to all the many possible ways I might lose my life - not for the Lord's sake - but for the sake of so many other things...

 

For your sake, Lord!

That's what you ask of me...

 

You're ok with my losing the gift of my life

as long as it's for your sake... 

 

That got me to thinking, Lord:

    what might be some other ways

I might lose my life

    for the sake of so much less?

 

What other ways might I spend my life,

    waste my life, toss away your gift and grace?

 

For the sake of what paltry things

    might I let go the greatest gift I've ever received? 

 

I might lose my life

    for the sake of fame and fortune...

 

I might lose my life

    for the sake whatever, however,

        I've defined what happiness is...

 

I might lose my life

    for the sake of being accepted

        by someone or some group of people...

 

I might lose my life 

    for the sake of whatever habits

        addict my body, my attention,

            my affection, my soul...

 

I might lose my life

    for the sake of pleasure, self-gratification,

        comfort or indulgence..

 

I might lose my life

    for the sake of holding on 

        to what I should let go

    or for the sake of avoiding

        what I need to confront...

 

 I might lose my life

    for the sake of mindless dreams,

        fantasies and delusions...

 

I might lose my life

    for the sake of looking for love

        in all the wrong places...

 

I might lose my life

    for the sake of those, 

        for the sake of things

    whose promises are hollow, 

        empty, counterfeit and false... 

 

What then, Lord, does it mean

    to lose my life for your sake? 

 

How might I lose my life

    for your sake, Lord? 

 

I lose my life for your sake, Lord,

    by humbly naming you

        my Creator and Redeemer,

    and your mercy and your grace

        the greatest gifts I'll ever know... 

 

I lose my life for your sake, Lord,

    when I lose myself in prayer,

        when I lose myself in gratitude,

    remembering that you know me,

        that you call me by my name,

        that you're ever at my side,

            in good times and in bad,

                in sorrow and in joy...

 

I lose my life for your sake, Lord,

    when I remember how you love me

        in spite of all sins,

    when I remember that your mercy

        has no end and knows no bounds... 

 

I lose my life for your sake, Lord, 

    when I pray for the grace to let go

        all that holds me bound,

    what shackles and imprisons me

        and keeps me from being

            whom you created me to be... 

 

I lose my life for your sake, Lord,

    when I lose myself for others,

when I share with others, generously,

    from all that you have given me,

        all you've given me to give away...   

 

I lose my life for your sake, Lord,

    when I let go what has its hold on me

and welcome in the blessings

    you have ready for my heart...

 

I lose my life for your sake, Lord,

    when I let go my stubborn ways

and open wide my mind

    to your wisdom, word and will...  

 

I lose my life for your sake, Lord,

    when life with you forever

is my deepest, hope, my greatest dream,  

   the promise that sustains me

        in good times and in bad... 

 

I lose my life for your sake, Lord,

    when your heart becomes the place

where I first look for my home,

    for my peace and consolation,

the haven where there's healing

    for my wounded, broken heart...

 

Help me, Lord!

Help me not waste or spend 

    or lose my life on anyone or anything 

- less -

    than you, your mercy, 

        your promise and your love... 

 

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake

    and watch over me while I sleep

that awake, I might keep watch with you

    and asleep rest in your peace...

 

Amen.

 

O God, You Search Me 

    by Bernadette Farrell

 

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The view from my window...

My summer in the Rockies has come to an end! In a few hours, this will be the view from my window on United Airlines, heading east. I land in Boston at 10:00 p.m. and I'll probably sleep in late tomorrow morning. I'll be posting again on my blog on Sunday night!

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Pause for Prayer: FRIDAY 8/28

It's never too late to love God... 

Saint Augustine, whose feast we celebrate today, came to love God late in his life but understood that it's never too late to love God.  

Consider the words he prayed:

Late have I loved you, O Beauty so old and so new: late have I loved you! And look! You were within me, and I was outside myself: and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created: you were with me, but I was not with you. Those created things kept me far away from you: yet if they had not been in you, they would have not been at all. You called and shouted: and broke through my deafness. You flamed and shone: and banished my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me: and I drew in my breath and I pant for you. I have tasted you: and now I hunger and thirst for more. You have touched me: and I have burned for your peace.  (The Confessions, book 10, chapter 27, translated by Carolyn J. B. Hammond, Carolyn J. B.  Click here for other translations.)

At first glance, the words of his prayer may seem too much: too pious, too poetic, too romantic.  But these words capture the experience all of us have in responding to God's love through the years, the decades of our lives.  

Spend a little time with them and you'll find yourself in Augustine's prayer...

Here's a beautiful musical setting (from Schola Ministries) of Augustine's Late have I loved Thee (translated and composed by Kathleen Deignan, CND).

 

Sero Te Amvi by Kathleen Deignan

 

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(For those not familiar with Latin, the first three lines find their translation in the fourth and fifth.)

Sero te amavi,
pulchritudo tam antiqua et tam nova.
Sero te amavi!
Late have I loved Thee,
O Beauty ever ancient, ever new!

I was searching all around me; You were all within.

I grasped at your beauty everywhere
and longed to have and hold what can but be beheld.
Sero te amavi!

You attracted, I, distracted, did not see
the Giver of all gifts was gracing me.

Sero te amavi!

You called, you shouted – piercing through my deafness;
You flashed, you shone – dispelling all my blindness.
Sero te amavi!

You breathed your fragrance on me,
I drew my breath and now I am breathless for Thee.
I tasted your sweetness and now I am famished for You –
You touched me; now I am burning for your peace.
Late have I loved Thee, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new!
I was searching all around me; You were all within.
Sero te amavi! Vero te amavi…

With Augustine, ask the Lord to call, to shout, to pierce your deafness; to flash, to shine, to dispel your blindness; to breathe on you and in your heart; to touch your life with his love - that you might come to love him...  

And remember: it's never too late!

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NIGHT PRAYER: Thursday 8/27

Today is the feast of Saint Monica who was the mother of Saint Augustine. Monica is the patron saint of mothers - and here's why...  At about the age of 17, Augustine began a relationship with a young woman in Carthage. Though his mother wanted him to marry, the woman remained his lover, the couple persisting in the relationship for over fifteen years and producing a son.  In addition to a profligate life, Augustine was a thief and a heretic.  Saint Monica prayed for Augustine's conversion for 17 years. In 385, Augustine ended his relationship with his lover in order to prepare to marry a teenage heiress but before marrying here, Augustine underwent a great conversion, became a priest and bishop and one of the greatest theologians in the history of the Church.  

 

Lord,

I pray this night for mothers 

    who long for their children to find a home

        in the faith we share in the life of the Church

    where the gospel is preached

        and the grace of sacraments

        nourish and bind us together,

            all of us, one in you...

 

I pray this night for mothers 

    whose loving hearts break

when they watch their children lay aside 

    the wisdom and truth they've lived and taught 

        and faithfully handed on...

I pray this night for mothers who worry,

    "How did I fail? Where did I go wrong?" 

Help them see all the good 

    they've faithfully done

and all the ways they've done

    to raise their own in the faith we hold...

 

Help them trust that you, with patience and mercy,

    delight in their children and care for them; 

that you call them by name, move in their hearts,

    heal their hurts and forgive their sins,

so great is your love and desire for them to  

    to find their faith and peace in you...

And I pray tonight for mothers

    who've prayed and prayed, for years and years 

and who sometimes, perhaps, 

    were too strong, even harsh,

in calling their own to the Church and the faith

    they so much want them to share.

 

Give them patience, Lord, and trust in you,

    in the saving grace you offer us all

as we stumble and bumble our way to you,

    seeking that peace most fully found

in your love, in your word, 

    in your mercy and grace,

        in your Church and the gospel of joy...

Saint Monica, 

    pray for all mothers...

Saint Monica, 

    pray for our children...

Saint Monica, 

    pray for each one of us

        as you prayed for Augustine, your son...

 

Protect us, Lord while we're awake

    and watch over us while we sleep

that awake, we might keep watch with you

    and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen. 

 

Tonight's song by the Getty's is from  PBS Atlanta's 2015 concert: Joy - an Irish Christmas.  This accounts for the verse in Gaelic (translation provided below). 

A Mother's Prayer by Kristyn and Keith Getty

 

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Before you close your eyes to sleep 

I have a promise still to keep 

As I hold you in my arms. 

 

I pray your little frame grows strong 

And that faith takes hold while you are young; 

This is my prayer for you. 

 

Hold my hand; 

I’ll teach you the Way to go. 

Through the joys, through the tears, 

The journey of these years, 

May you trust Him ‘til the end. 

May you trust Him in the end. 

 

This world is not as it should be, 

But the Savior opens eyes to see 

All that’s beautiful and true. 

 

Oh may His light fill all you are 

And the jewel of wisdom crown your heart; 

This is my prayer for you. 

 

Hold my hand; 

I’ll teach you the Way to go. 

Through the joys, through the tears, 

The journey of these years, 

He is with us ‘til the end. 

He is faithful ‘til the end. 

 

Dún do shúil 

Close Your eyes

Dún do shúil, a rún mo chroí

Close your eyes, oh love of my heart

A chuid den tsaol, ‘s a ghrá liom

My worldly joy, my treasure

Dún do shúil, a rún mo chroí

Close your eyes, oh love of my heart

Agus gheobhair feirín amárach…

And you will get a gift tomorrow

 

You’ll travel where my arms won’t reach 

As the road will rise to lead your feet 

On a journey of your own. 

 

May my mistakes not hinder you 

But His grace remain and guide you through; 

This is my prayer for you. 

 

Take His hand 

And go where He calls you to. 

And whatever comes, seek Him 

With all your heart; 

This will be my prayer for you.

 

Father, hear my ceaseless prayer; 

Oh keep them in your care. 

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Pause for Prayer: THURSDAY 8/27

Today, Lord, help me 

    do no wrong in word or deed,  

    do no wrong to my neighbor,

    do no wrong to my family,

    do no wrong to my opponent, 

    do no wrong to my friends,

    do no wrong to my colleagues,  

    do no wrong to those who offend me,

    do no wrong to strangers,

    and do no wrong to myself...

 

Today, Lord, help me

    think kindly of those

        who are unkind to me,

    take steps to make peace

        when it's not my fault,

    speak the truth

        with clarity and charity,

    stand up for those

        whom others beat down,

    keep my mouth shut 

        when I want to scream,

    take time to discover

        how I might be wrong, 

    reach out to someone

        who's waiting for me,

    find joy wherever

        it finds me today... 

Today, Lord, help me to

    speak the truth,

    do the next right thing,

    cherish my family,

    stay in the moment,

    delight in your mercy, 

    help my neighbor,

    treasure my friends,

    value my colleagues,

    forgive someone's blunder,

    be gentle and kind to strangers,

    and respect the person you made me to be...

       

Today, Lord, help me

    to do no harm, 

    to do no wrong,

    to love all those whose paths cross mine

    and to love you, good and gracious God,

    to love you above all... 

Amen.

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All these things are infamies indeed...

In his encyclical letter, Veritas Splendor, Pope John Paul II reminded us that Church teaches that "there exist acts which per se and in themselves, independently of circumstances, are always seriously wrong by reason of their object."  He went on to quote from a Vatican II document a list of such infamies.  Few will be surprised to see abortion in this list but many may be taken back by the other moral atrocities included in this category.

• Whatever is opposed to life itself
such as any type of murder, genocide, abortion,
euthanasia or willful self-destruction

• Whatever violates 

the integrity of the human person
such as mutilation,
torments inflicted on body or mind,
attempts to coerce the will itself

• Whatever insults human dignity
such as subhuman living conditions,
arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery,
prostitution, the selling of women and children;
as well as disgraceful working conditions,
where men are treated as mere tools for profit,
rather than as free and responsible persons

• All these things,
and others of their like, are infamies indeed. 

They poison human society 
but they do more harm to those who practice them
than to those who suffer from the injury.
Moreover, they are supreme dishonor
to the Creator.

 

Gaudium et Spes, no. 27
Constitution on the Church in the Modern World
Vatican Council II 

December 7, 1965

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Pause for Prayer: Tuesday 8/25

  

At least once a day, Lord 

- and frequently more often-

I look at myself 

in a mirror...

 

Sometimes I love what I see 

but sometimes, well, I don't -

when I miss, 

when I fail to recognize

when I close my eyes 

to your mysterious design, 

the imprint of your touch 

and the gentle care you took

in shaping my appearance:

how I look to the world,  

    to you, Lord, and myself...

 

Help me reverence, Lord, 

help me love and respect:
    the face I see in the mirror,

    the face you cherish, 
    the face you fashioned for me,

    the face you take delight in, 
    the face by which you know me

    - my face -

    the face you've always loved... 

Help me, Lord, to look beyond,
the features I would change
and find within 

what needs no change: 

    the beauty of your image,

    imprinted on my soul,

    the divine imago Dei

    in whose likeness I'm created

    through the mystery of your love...  

 

Help me look through my own eyes, Lord,
and show me what you see:
    what you treasure, what you cherish
        and find worthy of your gaze...

Help me look within myself, Lord

to see what might be changed, 

'til I more clearly mirror

and more faithfully reflect

the gracious light of your face

warmly shining on my own...

Amen. 

 

The Image of God

    by Craig Courtney and Susan Boersma 

 

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In the beginning 

God shaped and formed me

I am skillfully and wonderfully made

 

I am the image of my Creator 

In every part of me 

his likeness is displayed

 

Life flows from life and love from loving,

gifts of the Father by nature and by grace,

a heart made glad, a soul unshaken

unbounded joy, in every breath a song of praise,

unbounded joy, in every breath a song of praise 

 

For his own purpose 

God shaped and formed me

I am his, I have a place with in his plan

I am the image of my Creator,

my past and future are secure within his hand

 

Life flows from life and love from loving

gifts of the Father by nature and by grace,

a heart made glad, a soul unshaken

unbounded joy, in every breath a song of praise,

unbounded joy, in every breath a song of praise 

 

Life flows from life and love from loving,

gifts of the Father by nature and by grace,

a heart made glad, a soul unshaken

unbounded joy, in every breath a song of praise, 

a song of praise 

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