10/4/26
NIGHT PRAYER: Sunday 10/4
On Sundays, Night Prayer will focus on an element from the day's celebration of Mass. Tonight our prayer is rooted in these readings, especially the second.
Finally, brothers and sisters, think on these things:
Whatever is true...
What are the truths by which I live?
the truths which root me in my faith?
the truths that shape my life?
Think on these things...
Whatever is honorable...
What in my life do I respect and honor?
who are the people I admire and esteem?
to whom, to what am I loyal and devoted?
Think on these things...
Whatever is just...
What works of justice am I proud to support?
what injustices move me to act?
how might I be more honest, fair and just?
Think on these things...
Whatever is pure...
What's the purest thing I've ever seen?
Whatever is lovely...
the purest love I've ever known?
the purest hope I've ever had?
Think on these things...
Where do I find beauty in the world around me?
who's the loveliest woman, the loveliest man
I've ever known?
what do I find to be lovely in God? in prayer?
in the arts, in science - in myself?)
Think on these things...
Whatever is gracious...
Who are the kind and gracious people in my life?
what gracious things have others done for me?
have I told God I'm grateful
for his gracious mercy?
Think on these things...
If there is any excellence
in the lives and work and love of those around me
and if there is anything worthy of praise, admiration, acclaim and appreciation
Think on these things...
And then the God of peace will be with me...
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.
Think On These Things by Lee Dengle
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Whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there's any excellence
or anything worthy of praise:
think on these things,
think on these things
What you have heard from me,
what you have learned from me,
what you have seen in me
you, too, must do
and if you do
the God of peace will be with you
Whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there's any excellence
or anything worthy of praise:
think on these things,
think on these things,
think on these things,
think on these things
"Whatcha' been thinkin' about?"
Above you'll find a video of my homily for this weekend, based on these readings, epecially the second one. Below you'll find the text of my homily.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
When someone asks you, “What's in your
mind?” - how often have you replied, “Oh, nothing really.”
Nothing?
Really?
The
truth is, we never stop thinking. The gears are always turning. I might not
always be paying close attention but my thoughts, my ideas and daydreams, my
cares, worries, and memories, my desires, insights, hunches, my suspicions and
aspirations, my observations and judgments, my reasoning, my reflections, my
guesses, my questions, my delusions, my opinions -- all of these, this whole
runaway train of thoughts, never stops chug-chug-chugging down the tracks of my
mind and heart all day long. And even through the night when I'm asleep - my
train of thoughts picks up speed, color, dimension, and content - in my dreams.
I
might not pay full attention to my thoughts while I'm awake, and I might not
remember all the dreams I dream while I'm asleep - but there's always something
on my mind.
How
about you? What about your thoughts? What's on your mind?
What
thoughts keep you awake at night as you try to fall asleep? What thoughts have
been renting space in the attic of your mind? in the closets of your heart? in
the corners of your soul?
Whatcha’
been thinking about when you're alone in your car? while you're grocery
shopping? when someone's talking to you - and your mind is miles away? when
someone's preaching to you and you're not really listening?
How
far have your thoughts traveled, and where have they taken you, since you
walked into church this morning? It's amazing where our minds and thoughts can
take us, whether we're alone and sitting still - or in a crowded place when
we're hurried and harried.
Our
thoughts often take us on an express train to our concerns and our problems, our
disappointments and hurt, our fears and anxieties, our regret about yesterday -
and our worry about tomorrow. We zoom there – so often.
Of
course, our thoughts can also take us to our joys and our loves, to our
happiest of memories. to our fondest hopes and dreams. What an amazing
playground is the field of our thoughts. What an incredibly powerful influence
our thoughts exercise over the words we speak and the things we do.
Perhaps
it's for all of this that in the second scripture this morning, St. Paul
actually tells us, “Think about this… Think about this.” He actually lists for
us the kinds of thoughts we ought to entertain. Literally - he's giving us “something
to think about.” Remember what he wrote? “Think about these things. Think
about whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just. Whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, whatever is excellent and
worthy of praise, think about these things” and “Then,” says Paul, “then
the God of peace will be with you.”
Of
course, the God of peace is with us even when our thoughts are negative. troubled
and worrisome. But if we live primarily, or only in our troublesome thoughts (and
some of us do) we may begin to imagine, even to believe, “That's all there is.”
My
sister is a worrier – a big warrior: worry about things that may never happen. Usually
don't happen. And I often say to her, “You know what? Will you stop awfulizing
everything?” We do that, don't we, in our thoughts - we awfulize everything. If
we think only about our problems, our troubles will be all we find.
And
Saint Paul is offering us something much more than that. He's offering us
nourishing food for thought. To those of us who are starving and thirsty for
what truly feeds our hearts and minds and souls, St. Paul is telling us, “Hold
that thought! The good one. Hold on to the thoughts that refresh you, that give
you life, that bring you hope.”
St.
Paul invites us to “get lost in thought” - lost in thoughts that lift us up,
bring us peace, draw us closely to the mind and the wisdom of God.
So
what's on your mind? What have you been thinking about? “A penny for your
thoughts!”
Well,
whatever might be in your thoughts and mind this morning, St. Paul invites us,
he urges us to think about whatever is TRUE - which will require some
searching, discerning, discovering, and treasuring what is true when we
find it.
Paul
says, think about whatever is HONORABLE - what's truly deserving of our
allegiance, our attention, our loyalty, fidelity, and devotion.
Paul
says, think about whatever is JUST - whatever accords with the word of God and
the spirit of the gospel, whatever serves the needs of humankind, especially
the poor.
Paul
tells us to think about whatever is PURE - whatever is natural, authentic and
innocent, whatever is clear and lucid - and simple. Whatever is genuine, Godly,
and without guile.
Paul
says think about whatever is LOVELY - what truly delights the eye, the mind,
the heart - in spirit and in form. Whatever simply, in its being, hints
at, suggests, discloses, and reveals dimensions of the divine in our daily
lives - whatever draws us closer to God.
St.
Paul tells us to think about whatever is GRACIOUS - what has spirit and power,
what has fire and finesse. What dances in the wind and blooms in the desert. What
brings life where there was none before - and sustains life wherever it is
found. He says, if there is anything of excellence, anything worthy of
praise, anything deserving of your awe and wonder, deserving of your heart and
soul, deserving of your bowed head, your prayer, your song, song on bended
knee, think on THESE things. And then, the God of peace will be with
you
In
a world of lies and dishonor, in a culture that's often coarse and crude, in
the face of all that has been sullied, degraded, and disgraced: we are hungry
and thirsty for that very peace of God that surpasses all understanding - the
peace that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, the Lord.
In
a time when lethal warfare proudly announces its intention to replace social
discourse, and when social discourse grows less and less civil every day; when
on all sides, bitter, snarky name calling regularly substitutes for
constructive debate and dialogue; when mistrust and accusation have supplanted
mutual respect and collaboration - in just such a time as ours - St. Paul's
advice can help us begin - indeed, maybe the only place for us to begin - to
refresh, to rebuild, and restore what's falling apart all around us and
threatening our welfare, our security - perhaps our very existence.
Of
this, I am sure. These words from Paul can be, for most of us, a modest point
from which we might begin, with God's help, to change ourselves and our self-defeating
patterns of thought -- and to think rather, on the things of God, those things
that bring life and love.
And
then, and only then, might we begin to understand and take seriously what Paul
means when he writes, “Have no anxiety at all… That's what he said, “Have no
anxiety at all.”
If
that seems impossible - as it often seems to me - then let us seek to find in
our day, in our week, in our lives, in our hearts - a small vineyard. A vineyard of all that is
good and true, pure and beautiful, peaceful and life-giving… a vineyard that is
gracious and worthy of praise… a vineyard of trusting prayer where we surrender
our cares into the hands and arms of God.
Find
that vineyard - and visit there often - to seek and to find that peace that
surpasses all our understanding. Visit the vineyard that the Lord has planted
within each of us. And in that vineyard, think on these things: whatever is
true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious. Whatever is excellent and worthy
of praise, think on all these things.
And
then, the God of peace will be with you.
10/3/26
Pause for Prayer: Feast of Saint Francis
 |
| Saint Francis by Daniel Bonnell |
On this feast of Saint Francis, here's my gloss on a prayer often attributed to him. Daniel Bonnell's art (used with permission) gives us Francis with a dove of peace and a visual quote from Francis' Canticle of the Sun praising Brother Sun and Sister Moon.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace...
Where there is hatred, let me sow love...
When politics tempt me to demonize the other side,when my envy delights in workplace intrigue,
when my thoughts walk the edge of anger's path,
when I'm tempted to endorse a violent solution,
when I fail to love as I want to be loved:
teach me to sow the seeds of love
and love others, Lord, as you've loved me...
Where there is injury, pardon...
When my words cut deep and sharp as a knife,
when my idle gossip rips others to shreds,
When my words cut deep and sharp as a knife,
when my idle gossip rips others to shreds,
when my plans and schemes divide and offend,
when my carelessness brings hurt and harm:
teach me, Lord, to pardon and heal
as you have healed and pardoned me...
Where there is despair, hope...
Teach me, Lord,
to hope when I fear all hope is gone,
to trust when suspicion fills my mind,
when my carelessness brings hurt and harm:
teach me, Lord, to pardon and heal
as you have healed and pardoned me...
Where there is despair, hope...
Teach me, Lord,
to hope when I fear all hope is gone,
to trust when suspicion fills my mind,
to endure when I'm weary, tired and spent,
to believe when I'm filled with confusion and doubt:
to believe when I'm filled with confusion and doubt:
teach me to share your truth and my hope
with those who hunger for both...
Where there is darkness, light...
Teach me, Lord,
with those who hunger for both...
Where there is darkness, light...
Teach me, Lord,
to walk by your light when shadows seduce me,
to trust in your light when the world goes dark,
to stand in your light when I'm tempted to hide,
to stand in your light when I'm tempted to hide,
to bathe in your light, in its mercy and grace:
to share the warmth and truth of your light
with any and all who seek it...
Where there is sadness, joy...
Lighten my heart with the gifts of your Spirit,
draw me out of my pouting self-pity,
with any and all who seek it...
Where there is sadness, joy...
Lighten my heart with the gifts of your Spirit,
draw me out of my pouting self-pity,
fill my soul with the peace of your presence,
heal my heartache and free me to share
the gift of your joy, the joy of your grace,
the gift of your joy, the joy of your grace,
the grace of your generous love...
O Divine Master...
Teach me find the peace that comes
in forgiving my brothers and sisters;
help me console my neighbor in grief
no matter how deep my own may be
help me to find the depths of your love
in loving those whose needs are great
Teach me find the peace that comes
in forgiving my brothers and sisters;
help me console my neighbor in grief
no matter how deep my own may be
help me to find the depths of your love
in loving those whose needs are great
and in serving them, Lord, help me discern
the things I myself most need...
Teach me to give from my heart, O Lord
as your heart gives to me;
teach me to pardon my neighbor's faults
as you forgive all of mine;
and deepen my trust, my faith and belief
that in dying to self I rise to new life,
to life forever
and peace in you...
Amen.
the things I myself most need...
Teach me to give from my heart, O Lord
as your heart gives to me;
teach me to pardon my neighbor's faults
as you forgive all of mine;
and deepen my trust, my faith and belief
that in dying to self I rise to new life,
to life forever
and peace in you...
Amen.
Prayer of St Francis by Allen Pote
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And if you're pining for the more familiar version, here it is!
NIGHT PRAYER: Saturday 10/3
Prayer comes, Lord,
when I put my foot on the brake
and pull off life's highway,
when I step aside from my schedule
and make some time to be still,
when I clear some space in my mind
and find a place in the chapel of my heart
and wait upon your presence...
And waiting can be the hard part...
I know you're there, by my side
but I wait to see you,
not with my eyes but with my heart...
I wait to hear you,
not with my ears but in your word...
I wait for your touch,
not on my skin but on my soul...
I wait for your presence beside me, around me,
and especially within me:
and especially within me:
and your presence, Lord, is a fine mist,
translucent, spun of the Spirit's breath,
it's a soft but steady light
glowing in the shadows of my heart,
burning with a warmth my soul desires...
And though I wait to find you, Lord,
I know that first
I know that first
- it's you who waits for me...
You wait all day
You wait all day
`for me to call upon your name...
You wait for me to slow my step
`and find you by my side...
You wait for me
to nod in your direction,
to tip my grateful heart towards you,
to open my soul's windows to your grace...
You wait for me
with help for this day's problems...
You wait for me
with mercy for my failings...
You wait for me
with healing for my bruises...
You wait for me
with peace to ease my sorrow...
You wait for me
with light to fill my darkness...
You wait for me
with grace to bless my nights...
You wait for me
to make some time and find a place
where I might rest
and wait for you...
You love me while I wait for you
who wait for me
with loving, open arms...
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.
Wait For Me by Zach Williams
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Pause for Prayer: SATURDAY 10/3
I've posted this prayer in other years, too, but it's one of my favorites and I've done some more work on it - so here it is again...
When fall comes 'round each year, Lord,
I wonder if, by night,
you climb down from the heavens,
perhaps on some great ladder,
to paint the leaves, just one by one,
in all their autumn glory...
I wonder and I muse, Lord,
on how it is you might decide
the trees that you'll choose first
as worthy your brush...
Why the ash and not the maple?
Why those towering elms
but not the oak
close by, just down the street?
And oh, the colors, Lord:
I love orange, red and yellow!
But it seems perhaps you favor
the purple, rust and brown...
It seems you move from tree to tree,
painting branches, here and there
- with swaths of green left in between -
until you next return and then
with blessings from your palette,
complete what you'd begun...
Do we see with different eyes, Lord,
a beauty I'm yet blind to?
Is your splendor in the branches
or in the changing, turning hues
of all that lives and breathes?
The wonder in my reverie
probes wisdom, grace and memory
but you alone, the artist, Lord,
know autumn's sacred mystery...
And sooner than I want, Lord,
these leaves in all their beauty
will lose their grip on branch and limb
and spill, swirl and fall,
in November's chilly gusts
to my backyard
for the coming winter's snow...
Draw my eye, my heart and soul
to see the beauty you reveal
when night by chilly night
you climb down from the heavens
and paint the leaves,
just one by one,
in autumn's passing glory...
Amen.
All photos by CP in Concord, MA
10/2/26
NIGHT PRAYER: Friday 10/2
Tonight: a litany of seasonal images, a simple guitar solo, a few questions to spark our prayer...
Autumn...
summer fades
time flies
sun hides
seasons turn
colors change
leaves fall
shorter days
rain pours
harvests yield
wind chills
frost numbs
shadows lengthen
night falls
silence stills
Spirit visits
grace attends
God whispers
I pray...
Tonight's music is instrumental, placed here that you listen while praying through the lines following the widget...
Autumn Hymn by Dong Hwan Noh
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Lord,
help me hear what word, what wisdom
you're whispering to me tonight...
And help me know
what words of prayer and praise
I might whisper in turn to you...
And help me see how your Spirit,
in our whispered conversation,
might help me through
this season in my heart...
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.
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