Pause for Prayer: WEDNESDAY 3/18

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NIGHT PRAYER: Tuesday 3/17

Tonight's prayer, the Patrick Compline, comes to us from the Nothumbria Community. (The word Compline is derived from the Old French word complir: to complete or bring to an end)  This prayer combines lines from The Lorica of Saint Patrick (see this morning's Pause for Prayer - and tonight's song, below) with the verses of Psalm 16 - and ends with three beautiful blessings. 

In the name of the King of life;
in the name of the Christ of love;
in the name of the Holy Spirit:
    the Triune of my strength.

I love you, O Lord my strength.

The Lord is my rock,
    my fortress and my deliverer.
My God is my rock
    in whom I take refuge.

I will praise the Lord who counsels me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.

I have set the Lord always before me.
Because He is at my right hand,
    I shall not be shaken.

I place my soul and my body
    under your guarding this night, O Christ.

May your cross, this night be my shield.

Into Your hands I commend my spirit:
    redeem me, O Lord, the God of Truth.

The God of life with guarding hold you;
    the loving Christ with guarding fold you;
        the Holy Spirit, guarding, mold you;
    each night of life to aid, enfold you;
        each day and night of life uphold you.

May God shield me;
    may God fill me;
        may God keep me;
may God watch me;
    may God bring me
        to the nearness of His love.
 

The peace of the Father of joy,
    the peace of the Christ of hope,
        the peace of the Spirit of grace,
    the peace of every peace
        be mine throughout this night.

Amen.
 

This haunting musical setting of The Lorica is the work of Arvo Part.  Of the several versions I've posted today, this is my favorite: this composer knows how to reach my soul...

 

If a video doesn't appear below, click here! 

 

 

 

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me
Christ on my right, Christ on my left
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down
Christ in me, Christ when I arise
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me
Christ in every eye that sees me
Christ in every ear that hears me
Christ with me

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Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

A clever friend created this image and included that little leprechaun lapel pin that another friend gave me some 20 years ago or more!

 

 

 

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Pause for Prayer: SAINT PATRICK'S DAY

Our prayer today is one usually attributed to Saint Patrick (387-461 A.D.) and goes by two titles: The Lorica (breastplate or shield) of St. Patrick and The Deer's Cry.  Here are three musical settings of the prayer, followed by shorter and long longer samplings of the complete text.   

1) The first is Shaun Davey's setting of much of the prayer's text, sung by Rita Connolly.

2) Second is Dwight Beal's adaptation of the Lorica text with a beautiful melody. Arvo Part's haunting choral setting of the section, "Christ with me..."  The music here is powerful and haunting: this composer knows his way into my soul...

3) Next is Sir John Rutter's choral setting, "A Prayer of St. Patrick."  (As many of you know, I love all of Rutter's work!)

4) And finally,  the last entry below, a longer selection from the complete text of the Lorica.

If three videos don't appear below, click here!

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The Lorica of Saint Patrick

Christ with me, 

    Christ before me, 

        Christ behind me,

Christ in me, 

    Christ beneath me, 

        Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,

Christ in the heart of every one who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me,

Christ in the eye that sees me,

Christ in the ear that hears me.  

Christ to win me
Christ to comfort and restore me
Christ in quiet
Christ in danger
Christ in hearts of all that love me
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

The Lorica of St. Patrick

I arise today

    through a mighty strength, 

        the invocation of the Trinity,

through a belief in the Threeness,

    through confession of the Oneness

        of the Creator of creation.

 

I arise today

through the strength 

    of Christ's birth and his baptism,

through the strength 

    of his crucifixion and his burial,

through the strength 

    of his resurrection and his ascension...

I arise today

through the strength of the love of angels...

in the hope of the resurrection,

in the prayers of ancestors in the faith,

in the preaching of the apostles,

in the faith of martyrs

in the innocence and purity 

    of the deeds of the righteous.

I arise today

through the strength of heaven;

    Light of the sun,

    Splendor of fire,

    Speed of lightning,

    Swiftness of the wind,

    Depth of the sea,

    Stability of the earth,

    Firmness of the rock.

I arise today

through God's strength to pilot me;

    God's might to uphold me,

    God's wisdom to guide me,

    God's eye to look before me,

    God's ear to hear me,

    God's word to speak for me,

    God's hand to guard me,

    God's way to lie before me,

    God's shield to protect me,

    God's hosts to save me

    from snares of the devil,

    from temptations of vices,

    from every one who desires me ill,

        afar and anear,

            alone or in a multitude.

I summon today 

    all these powers between me and evil,

against every cruel merciless power

    that opposes my body and soul,

        against false prophets, 

            false laws and idolatry...

Christ with me, 

    Christ before me, 

        Christ behind me,

Christ in me, 

    Christ beneath me, 

        Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,

Christ in the heart of every one who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me,

Christ in the eye that sees me,

Christ in the ear that hears me.  

Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ in quiet,
Christ in danger.
Christ in hearts of all that love me
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I arise today

    through a mighty strength, 

        the invocation of the Trinity,

through a belief in the Threeness,

    through a confession of the Oneness

        of the Creator of creation.

  

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NIGHT PRAYER: Monday 3/16

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My life was born of your love, Lord,
   and your love sustains me, night and day...

My heart is nurtured by your love, Lord,
   without it my soul would waste away...

My spirit's restored by your love, Lord,
   your grace heals the wounds of all my sins...

My life is redeemed by your love, Lord,
   my soul is saved by your grace...

I place all my trust in you, my God,
   my hope is in your saving Word...

In return for my life, Lord,
   in thanksgiving for your love,
I want to know and do your will...

Give me your counsel
   in every thought I entertain:
give me wisdom
   that all my thoughts might please you...
 

In  all the decisions I'll face, Lord,
    give me the light of your truth
      and the courage I need to choose wisely...

In planning and spending my time, Lord:
   give me strength to work,
      a place to pray 

         and time to rest in your peace...
 

Remind me, when worries steal my day,
    today's the day that you've made, Lord,
      the day I'm called to live...
 

When unexpected turns surprise me 

    give me insight and strength to manage
       what tries to manage me...

In the quiet of my prayer tonight,
   help me review my life, Lord,
      and your love for me
         and my fidelity to your word...

In the stillness here with you, Lord,
   help me count my foolish sins
      and your healing mercy in my heart...

In return for my life, O Lord,
   in thanksgiving for all your love,
      help me know and do your will... 

 

Amen. 

 

My God Is All I Need by CityAlight 

 

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Monday Morning Offering: 3/16

Good morning, good God!

So, Lent’s half over, Lord,

    and Easter's only three weeks away...

I should be at least half-prepared,

    half-ready to celebrate Easter

        - but I’m not!

Back on Ash Wednesday I was doing OK,

    right up 'til, oh,

        maybe the First Sunday of Lent.

 

(I know, Lord - that was only 4 days!)

So, I offer you my sketchy record here

    and ask you to forgive my unkept Lenten pledges…

I acknowledge my lack of self-discipline

    - and how I excuse myself so easily...

So many promises, Lord,

    made with firm intentions,

        but all too often a real FAIL in follow-through…

I confess my laziness,

    hoping you'll forgive me

and accept my renewed pledge

    to pray more often,

    to sacrifice some things I crave

    and to reach out to the poor…

And this time, Lord,

    let me not try to do this on my own

but rather 

    to depend and lean on you...

Be with me, Lord,

    and be my strength in every temptation,

especially when I'm tempted

    to give up on Lent,

    on you

    or on me...

• When I put off prayer,

    draw me to a quiet place

        and sit me down to be with you,

    to speak with you

        and rest, calmly, in your presence…

• When I’m tempted to indulge myself

    on what I’ve given up for Lent

        (or on anything else, for that matter!)

    remind me of my pledge and the reason for it:

        to empty out my fullness 

    and to learn from hunger

        what truly feeds my mind and heart...

• When I spend first on myself

    and consume more than I need.

   show me how much I already have

      (and where and how I have too much)

    and help me be more generous

        to those with little or nothing at all…

And if I’ve failed from the very beginning

    to pray and fast and sacrifice,

let today be my “Ash Sunday,”

    "day one" of Lent for me:

this day's the day that you’ve made, Lord,

    a day for me to grow in your mercy and your grace...

Lord, I offer you my renewed Lenten pledge:

    strengthen my resolve,

    deepen my commitment

    and keep me faithful to you

        as I prepare for Easter

            and the peace you offer me...

Amen.

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NIGHT PRAYER: Sunday 3/15

On Sundays, Night Prayer takes its lead from some element from the day's liturgy. Today is the Third  Sunday of Lent, the half-way point of this season, a day often called "Latetare (Latin for Rejoice!) Sunday....  In an email this morning, a friend reminded me of how in Advent, I have in my homily sometimes broken into song with "We Need A Little Christmas" from the musical, "Mame!" (Video)  He mused that in the days at hand, "We Need a Little Easter!"  I thought that to be a great connection with Laetare Sunday - thus tonight's prayer...

 

It's true, Lord: 

    We need a little Easter! 

 

This Earth we call our common home thirsts

    for a springtime of renewal and waits

for the sun to rise with light and warmth

    to coax new growth 

from what's lain buried in cold ground

    these long, dark wintry months...

 

Humanity's spirit, Lord,

    needs a little Easter!

 

The world's people hunger

    for Passover's bread of affliction*

        to be shared as the bread of freedom;

    for the paschal dough of Jesus' bread 

        to rise in our communion...

 

And our nation's tortured soul, Lord

    - needs a little Easter!

 

We need to be raised up - and out 

    of what splits and divides us;

we need to be delivered, renewed

    as those who claim, In God we trust;

we need to know once more

    that all that rises must converge... 

 

We need the earth to shake again

    and shudder in amazement

that you have conquered sin and death:

    our sin and our death;

that you have risen from the grave

    of selfishness and envy, of grudge and greed,

        of lust and hate, of lies and threats,

    of all that has entombed us

      in our prejudice and pride...

 

We need a little Easter, Lord

    - we need a lot of Easter, Lord!

 

We need the peace you offered us

    in laying down your life;

we need the grace that saves us

    in your rising from the dead;

we need the life that can be ours

    if we but rise with you...

 

Oh, yes - we need a little Easter, Lord,

    that we might rise again

        with you and in your peace... 

 

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. 

 

* In Jewish tradition, Passover matzo is called "the bread of affliction" — of suffering — and also "the bread of freedom" Those are two main themes of the story of Passover ... fleeing oppression and finding liberation.  

 

I Am the Bread of Life by Susanne Toolan, RSM

 

 

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Pause for Prayer: SUNDAY 3/15

First, a little background on this day. It's Laetare (Rejoice!) Sunday, the halfway point of Lent. There are two ways to look at this day: "Lent is half over!" - or - "We're halfway to Easter!" Or both! Today the somber purple of Lent is lightened to rose, calling us to rejoice, even in this season of sacrifice and penance. Sometimes life is like this - is it not? We're called to rejoice when our hearts are heavy... We're called to be at peace in the midst of war... We're called to believe when our doubts are many...  In such times and in every season, we''re called to find what we need most in God - from whom all blessings flow...

Let''s pause and pray: 

Lord, help me find the joy of your Spirit
   even and especially 

        when things aren't going well...

 

Help me find your consoling peace
   when I'm burdened 

        with sorrow and with grief...

 

Help me find my refuge in you
   when I'm and feeling lost

        andhave no place to go...

 

Help me find the gift of faith
   when my thoughts are all unsure

        and my mind is filled with doubt...

 

Help me know your wisdom, Lord, 
   when I'm tempted to be foolish,

        negligent or careless...           

Help me find new hope in you
   when my hope is all but gone

        and I'm not sure whom to trust...

 

Help me find your grace and strength
   when surrounded by temptation,

        when I'm tempted to give in... 

 

Help me find your healing love
   when my heart is scarred by hurt

        and my memories wear me down...     

 

Help me know your faithful presence

    when I'm longing for some company 
       and feeling all alone...     

 

Help me find my joy in you, Lord 
   in the middle of this Lent

and halfway now to Easter

    and the peace your promise holds...

Amen.

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