Pause for Prayer: FRIDAY 4/10

 

A new day's ahead of me, Lord, and I'm wondering: 

    who or what's

        gonna be my boss? 

        manage my time?

        bring me down?  lift me up?

        influence my decisions?  shape my desires?

        drain my energy?   charge me up?

        color my mood?  bring me to tears?

        turn my head?  grab my attention?

        seduce me?  inspire me?

        haunt my thoughts?  comfort me? 

        point the way?  lead me astray?

        walk by my side?

 

I've got a lot of bosses, Lord: 

        fear... fantasy... my schedule... the past... 

        resentments... anxiety... boredom... pleasure... 

        my job... pride... sadness... self-doubt... 

        family... friends... colleagues... classmates... 

        pain... sickness...  money... the news...

        busyness...  routine... relationships... hurt... 

        diet... substances...food...  drink... 

        worry... guilt... disappointments... shame...

        loneliness... laziness... grudges... habits...

        X______   Y______   Z______

 

Lots of bosses who can

    keep me from following you,

    keep me from leaning on grace,

    keep me from knowing your mercy,

    keep me from doing what I want to do,

    from becoming the person I want to be,

    from finding the peace I long for,

       finding my deepest only in you...

So, free me, Lord,

    from anyone or anything

        that keeps me from you, your mercy and love....   

        that keeps me from growing in grace and prayer...   

        that keeps me from walking the Spirit's path...   

        that wounds my heart or sours my soul...      

        that keeps me from knowing your wisdom and truth...   

        that keeps me from being healthy and whole...    

        that keeps me from finding the gift of joy... 

        that keeps me from __________  

        that keeps me from being only the person

            you created and made me to be... 

Be the boss of my life today, Lord:

    of my mind and my thoughts,

    my heart and my soul,

    my hopes and my dreams,

    my plans and my deeds,

    my work and my leisure,

    of my present moment

        and all that this day may bring...  

Amen

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NIGHT PRAYER: Thursday 4/9

Evil... It's not an exaggeration to say we find ourselves confronted with evil at almost every turn.  And sin...  Everywhere I look, I find evidence of the seven deadly sins - pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, indifference - all staining the fabric of our shared life on this planet.  But it's not fashionable, not socially acceptable, to name the evil and sin that's all around us. Perhaps we've normalized these realities to the degree that we no longer recognize them for what they are...

 

Drawing on Pope John Paul II’s letter, The Splendor of Truth in which he relied on the Vatican II document, Joy and Hope,  the American bishops offered these examples of intrinsic evil:

“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 and women 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…
    they are a supreme dishonor to the Creator. "

Categorizing these evils as intrinsic means that these are deeds so evil that no circumstance can make them good.  And the list above is not exhaustive. 

 

I recognize the power of the evil one and the reality of sin  in the world - and in my own life as well.  I know my own personal struggle to be a more faithful child of God, a sibling of Jesus, anointed by the Spirit - in the face of evil that tempts me to trust and follow my own mind and will rather than render myself vulnerable to divine wisdom and grace.

 

In that light, then, I offer this Night Prayer... 

 

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil:

 from its cunning, conniving wiles and schemes

 at work in the world, among and within us,

 crafty and sly, subtle and shrewd...

 

Deliver us, Lord, from evil's inducement

 to lay down our words and take up arms,

 to plunder and pillage,

 to kill and destroy...

 

Deliver us, Lord, from any evil

 that feeds our hearts

 with guile and bitterness, 

 spite and suspicion,

 rage and resentment…

 

Deliver us, Lord, from the bigoted evil

 that tempts us to hate and spurn our neighbor,

 to reject, despise and condemn the other,

   simply for being - other -

      for not being just like us...

 

Deliver us, Lord, from the lying evil

 that bends and twists, distorts and denies 

 the truth of the simple wisdom 

 that saves and sets us free…

 

Deliver us, Lord, from evil that works

 to excuse and condone, indulge and concede

 the death of innocent, blameless souls

 who’ve done no harm,

 who've committed no wrong…

 

Deliver us from, Lord, from the scurrilous evil

 that gossips and bad-mouths 

 smears and stains, destroys and defiles

 the virtue and honor 

 of someone’s good reputation...

 

Deliver us, Lord, from the grotesque evil

 of making a profit off drugs and porn,

   and weapons that harm and maim and kill;

 of making a living through grifting and graft

   and fraud and scams,

   extortion and insider trading... 

 

Deliver us, Lord, from evil's grip

  shackling those who are most in need 

  of the freedom and rights 

  belonging to all

  and given you, our Creator... 

 

Deliver us, Lord, from the devious evil

 that lurks in the hearts, 

 in the plans and the deeds,

 in the machinations 

 of those who hate and despise us...

 

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil

 haunting and taunting, teasing and tempting

 our personal pride, our selfish desires,

 our willful and obstinate minds…

 

Deliver us, Lord, from the evil of those

  who blaspheme your name

 and all that is holy, all that is just,

  all that is good and pure…

 

Deliver us into your mercy, O Lord:

 into your grace, into your peace,

 into your pure and abiding love…

 

Lead us not into temptation

  but deliver us, Lord, we pray,

from the prowling presence of evil

  roaming our world

   and seeking the ruin of souls...

 

Deliver us, Lord:

 by the strength of your arm,

 the gifts of your Holy Spirit,

 the loving protection of angels and saints

 and the prayers of Mary our Mother,

  the Queen and the Gate of heaven...

 

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. 

 

We Look to You by Joel Sczebel, Matt Searles

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Pause for Prayer: WEDNESDAY 4/8

 

 

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NIGHT PRAYER: Tuesday 4/7

Lord, let the peace of your Rising
        envelop me
        cover me
        overshadow me

        guide me
        fill me

        comfort me
        overwhelm me
        engulf me
        anoint me

        quiet me

        caress me

        support me

        guard me 

        heal me

        bless me 

        come upon me
        flood me

        lead me 

        still me

        hold me

        strengthen me 

        move me

        melt me

        lift me

        challenge me

        anoint me
        inebriate me
        infuse me

        mold me,
        bathe me       

        mend me 
        engage me
        embrace me
        feed me
        touch me    

        seduce me

        grip me

        and calm me...

 

Let your peace surround me
    from above and below
    on my left and my right
    from behind and before me

    from every direction

    from inside and out,

let your peace come upon me 

    and cover me, Lord,

with your mercy, compassion

    and kindness... 

 

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.

Cover Me, Lord by Andrew Culverwell

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Cover me Lord
    with your presence
Cover me Lord
    with your righteousness
Cover me Lord
    with your Holiness
Lord Jesus
    cover me

 

I need your protection from danger and harm

    shelter me safe in your strong loving arms

    help me to see there's no cause for alarm,

Lord Jesus, cover me

 

Under your shadow I won't be afraid;

    cover me, Lord, 'til the storm goes away

    then, in the heat of a beautiful day,

Lord Jesus, cover me

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Pause for Prayer: TUESDAY 4/7

 

Every day, Lord,
you give me all the help I need
    to do what I need to do, 

    to go where I need to go, 
    to say what I need to say,    

    to trust what I need to trust, 

    to let go what I need to let go,

    to hear what I need to hear, 
    to help whom I need to help,
    to stop what I need to end,

    to start what I need to begin, 
    and to pray as I need to pray...

 

Open my mind and my heart, O Lord,

    to the grace and strength you offer me

to live this day as a gift from you,

    blessed with your mercy and peace... 

 

Amen. 

     

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NIGHT PRAYER: Monday 4/6

There are so many things I take for granted, Lord:

    things I seldom give a second thought to,

    things I think I can always count on, 

    things I think will always be there for me

        - until I realize, discover and find out -

    things aren't as sure as I'd thought them to be,

        as I'd wished and hoped, dreamed and prayed

            expected, imagined and planned them to be...            

    

Even the basic things, Lord,

    things as fundamental as:

        freedom

        truth

        tenderness

        justice

        humility

        empathy

        kindness

        liberty

        benevolence  

        integrity

        generosity 

        gratitude

        mercy

        honor

        fairness

        compassion

        virtue

        honesty 

        common sense

        common courtesy

        common knowledge

        common decency

    

More and more, Lord,

    even the most simple, basic things

        can't be taken for granted...

 

So, I'm left feeling lost, 

    disoriented and bewildered;

I'm set adrift feeling unsettled,

    displaced and vulnerable;

I'm no longer sure

    where the boundaries are

        and if they keep me in or out...

 

I worry and I stress

    over what might might happen next,

    what might next befall me,

    what more will I lose...

 

I question and I wonder 

    what I can do or say,

    how will I make my way

        from here to there,

        from now to then,

        from this day to the next,

        from tomorrow to the future...

 

So I turn to you, Lord!

You're timeless

    - you never change;

you're constant, faithful

    and steadfast;

your justice, mercy and love

    are enduring and eternal...

 

Remind me Lord, that I can trust you,

    that I can be sure

       of your love and your goodness,

    that I can depend

        on your faithful mercy,

    that I can rely

        on your wisdom, word and truth;

    that I can count on your promise 

        to be with me, lead me and guide me,

        in good times and bad, 

        through sorrow to joy,

            from here to there,

            from now to then, 

            from today to tomorrow,

            and into a future that has no end...

Lead me, Lord, 

    from sin to grace

    from lies to truth

    from despair to hope

    from war to peace

    from inequity to justice

    from subjection to freedom

    from brutality to tenderness

    from tears to laughter

    from the distress to relief

    from prejudice to acceptance

    from fear to trust

    from entitlement to gratitude

    from iniquity to integrity

    from heartbreak to happiness

    from duress to liberty

    from selfishness to sacrifice

    from grief to joy

    from foolishness to common sense

    from rudeness to common courtesy

    from ignorance to common knowledge

    from vulgarity to common decency,

    from here to there

    from today to tomorrow

    and from death to life 

         with you for ever...

Protect me, Lord, when I'm unsure,

    watch over me night and day,

that awake, I might keep watch with you

    and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen.

 

There's a long intro to this evening's music

    but the piece is not instrumental 

        and the lyrics are uplifting...

 

Prayer for Peace by Margaret Rizza

 

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Monday Morning Offering: 4/6

Image: George Mendoza

 

Good morning, good God!

 

It's Easter Monday and I'm wondering, Lord:

    what was it like for your friends 

    the day after you rose from the dead?

 

On Sunday, the women came and found your tomb empty

    and then ran home quickly  to tell the others;

on Sunday night you appeared to your closest friends

    who'd locked all the doors where they were

        out of anxious fear for their safety

- and still your first, gentle word to them was

    "Peace... my peace be with you..."

 

Did they sleep after that - or stay awake -

    wondering what all this might mean...

Monday came, as it came today,

and I wonder, Lord:

    were they still  confused?

    doubting their own experience?

    fearful of  what might befall them?

    unsure of what to believe?

    afraid of what others might think

        if they spoke of your resurrection?

Had they heard your merciful greeting?

    your word of sweeping forgiveness?

    your pardon of how they had failed you?

    your gentle and healing blessing: 

        "Peace... my peace be with you..."

 

It's Easter Monday again, Lord, 

    and I offer today for your healing:

        my doubts and confusion,

        my fear of what others think of my faith

        and my failing to witness to what I believe...

 

I offer my need for your pardon and grace,

    my desire to hear you speak to my heart,

        "Peace... my peace be with you..."

 

Amen.

 

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