NIGHT PRAYER: Friday 6/5

As I mentioned this morning, the month of June and the first Friday of all months are times of devotion to the Heart of Jesus... 

    Sculpture by Timothy P. Schmalz

 

Lord Jesus...

 

    you have a heart for all God's children:

        have a heart for me, O Lord,

    and open my heart as wide as yours

        to all I meet and know... 

 

    you have a heart for my greatest foes:

        have a heart for me, O Lord,

    and open my heart, even to those,

        who have no heart for me...

 

    you have a heart for people of every stance,

        conviction, opinion: 

    have a heart for me, O Lord

        and open my heart to those whose ideas

            have something to add to my own... 

         

    you have a heart for people who love

        in ways I don't understand:

    have a heart for me, O Lord

        and help me remember that where I find love

            - there I find you...

 

    you have a heart for people who hold

        no faith or belief or trust in you:

    have a heart for me, O Lord,

        and open my soul to all the ways

            their goodness might lead me to you...  

 

    you have a heart for the homeless and hungry,

        the stranger, the poor, the abandoned:

    have a heart for me, O Lord,

        and open my well-fed, cared-for self

            to share til I feel their need...

 

    you have a heart for the broken and wounded,

        the sick in body, mind and soul:

    have a heart for me, O Lord,

        and strengthen my hands to care for and tend

            those who reach out for my help...

 

    your heart has a love that's deeper and wider

        than any that I might imagine;

    so have a heart for me, O Jesus,

        and widen and deepen, expand and grow

            the heart I have for others

     for the the heart I have for my neighbor, Lord

        - no more, no less and only - 

                is the heart I have for you... 

 

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. 

 

I just found this song - perhaps the best hymn to the heart of Jesus that I've ever heard or prayed...

 

Heart of Christ Jesus 

    by Paul Nienaber, SJ (lyricist)

        and Karen Schneider Kimer (composer)

 

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Heart of Christ Jesus, love overflowing

Sharing our struggles, taking our part,

Dwell with your people, graces bestowing,

Heart of Christ Jesus, most Sacred Heart!

 

Heart of compassion, perfectly gracious,

Wounded by sinners' heartless rebuff,

Still you pursue us, seek us, embrace us,

Heart of Christ Jesus, self-giving heart.

 

Heart of a teacher, patiently guiding,

Leading us gently, lighting our way,

Courage and wisdom always providing

Heart of Christ Jesus, grace for each day.

 

Heart of a healer, skillful and caring,

Tending the wounded, broken and sore,

Show us your mercy, comfort unsparing,

Heart of Christ Jesus, strengthen, restore

 

Heart of a servant, humble and lowly

Be our example, model and call,

Sacred and sov'reign, faithful and holy,

Heart of Christ Jesus, open to all.

 

Heart of redemption, source of salvation,

Son of the Father, Incarnate Word,

Hope for the pilgrim, bright destination,

Heart of Christ Jesus, Savior and Lord.    

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Pause for Prayer: FRIDAY 6/5

    Sacred Heart By Elizabeth Wang

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The whole month of June and the first Friday of every month are traditionally times of devotion to the Heart of Jesus.  In that spirit, then, let us pray...

Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me...

Heart of Jesus, forgive me:
   pardon my sins and offenses...

Heart of Jesus, cleanse me:

    wash my heart of its shame and guilt...

Heart of Jesus, help me admit
   the faults I'm slow to acknowledge...

Heart of Jesus, help me discover
   how much I'm in need of your mercy...

Heart of Jesus, fill my heart 

    with your gracious and generous love... 

Heart of Jesus, embed my heart 

    with your gentleness, kindness and mercy... 

Heart of Jesus, ignite my heart 

    with the flame of your Spirit's fire...
 
Heart of Jesus, open my heart 
   to the gifts you offer me daily...

Heart of Jesus, help me forgive 

    those whose words have stung me...

  

Heart of Jesus, help me forgive

    those whose deeds have betrayed me...

 
Heart of Jesus, help me forgive 

    those who have hurt me most deeply...
 
Heart of Jesus, help me forgive

    those who don't ask for my pardon...

 

Heart of Jesus, help me accept     

     the amends of those who make them...  

 

Heart of Jesus, help me forgive

    as freely as you forgive me...

Heart of Jesus, open my heart 

    to the breadth and depth of your mercy
     
Heart of Jesus, open my mind 

    to your wisdom, your counsel and truth...

Heart of Jesus, bathe my soul

    in fountains and springs of your grace...

 
Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me, 

    and bring me to life everlasting...

Heart of Jesus, protect me

    and guard me night and day

that awake I might keep watch with you

    and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen.

 

Heart of Jesus, Hear by Bukas Palad

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Teach our hearts to love like yours, 

love of God most high! 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, 

keep us by your side! 

 

Save us all from death and sin, 

our King crucified. 

Crowned with thorns and sorrow, 

you give us new life. 

 

Listen to our prayer! Heart of Jesus, hear! 

Make us always yours, and hold us ever near. 

Wherever we may go, whatever we may do, 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you. 

 

Grant us grace and all good gifts, 

heart of Christ, our Lord. 

Make your holy presence 

our home evermore! 

 

Fill us with your light and life. 

Guide us in your ways. 

Justice, peace, and mercy 

rule us all our days.

 

Listen to our prayer! Heart of Jesus, hear! 

Make us always yours, and hold us ever near. 

Wherever we may go, whatever we may do, 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.    

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NGHT PRAYER: Wednesday 6/4

What would my life be like, Lord

    - if I didn't believe in you?

 

How would I face all the hurt and pain,

    disappointment and sadness,

        anxiety and fear 

            - apart from my trust in you...

 

How would I hold it all together

    when grieving the loss of loved ones,

        of family and friends

    and the innocent victims 

        of poverty, war and classroom shootings?

 

How could I get up tomorrow,

how could I face one more day,

how could I think of the future

    - apart from you, my hope and my healing?

 

How could I deal 

    with the madness around me

were it not for the truth, 

    the counsel and wisdom

I find in your word, in your grace

    - in my prayer?

 

What would my life be like, Lord,

    were you not my strength,

        my companion, my healing,

    my light in the darkness,

        my shepherd, my guide,

    my rock and my refuge,

        my God of mercy,

    my Savior, Redeemer, my friend?

 

Because, indeed, you are my way,

    I give you my praise and thanks...

 

Because, indeed, you are my truth,

    I turn to your Word for wisdom...

 

And because, indeed, you are my life,

    I give you my heart,

        my Lord and God, 

            my hope, my all!

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. 

 

You Are My All In All

    by Dennis Jernigan

    

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Pause for Prayer: THURSDAY 6/4

 

Lord, there are so many ways 

    I wish I were more like you!

 

How I'd love to have your openness,

    your willingness, your capacity

to tolerate, to work with, to live with

    all my loose ends, last minute changes

and the unexpected twist and turns

    on the road I walk in life...

You rule, Lord, when it comes to 

    staying in the moment,

    taking things in stride,

    surviving disappointment 

    and never losing your cool...

Me? 

 

I get impatient 

    when things move too slowly
and frustrated 

    when things move too quickly...

I get cranky and irritable 

    when things don't go as I wanted,

     as I'd wished and hoped and prayed for...

I get angry at

    - well I often get angry -
at whatever or whomever's 

    most directly in my path...

All in all, Lord, I often 

    respond, reply and react
in pouting, petulant, peevish ways

    - and fail to follow you...

In your cool, considered 

    and compassionate manner, 
you don't miss a trick, Lord,
    you see the whole picture,  

    the visible and the invisible,

    inside and outside;

you see more 

    than the sum of the parts;

you see what's hurting, hidden and secret,

    you see the depths of my heart...

Help me, Lord, 

    be more like you...

Open the eyes of my heart
    and open the eyes of my mind and my soul
        'til I can see as you see, Lord,
        'til I can understand as you understand,

        forgive as you forgive

        and love others - as you love me...

 

Lord, there are oh- so-many ways 

    I wish I were more like you!

Help me draw on your patient compassion, Lord,
    'til your merciful wisdom
        becomes my own...

 

Amen.

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NIGHT PRAYER: Wednesday 6/3

Here's a  prayer to help us remember that our freedom is a gift from God...

Lord, you call us to freedom

but you caution us, too, 

lest we lose our freedom to self-indulgence,

selfishly serving our own desires...

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to love only you above all things

- and to love our neighbor as ourselves...

  

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to seek and to find your word and your truth,

to live by the Spirit's wisdom...

 

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to lay down our lives for love of our neighbor

as you gave your life for us...

 

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to spend ourselves for the sake of others,

not counting the cost or the trouble...

 

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to follow wherever your Spirit may lead,

trusting that you're always right by our side...

 

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to speak the hard saying - especially the truth

that sets others free...

 

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to follow your way, to live by your gospel

to do what is right, what is just...

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to generously share your mercy and peace

in all that we say and do...

 

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to surrender a share of the freedom that's ours

that others might live and be free...

 

Call us, Lord, from our self-indulgence

and free us to live in lasting peace

with you and with one another...

 

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. 

 

Freedom Is Coming / Hamba Vangeli 

      Arranged by Alexander L'Estrange

 

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Freedom is coming, O yes, I know!

Hamba Vangeli (Go with the gospel!)

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Pause for Prayer: Wednesday 6/3

 

 

The prophet Micah says 

    this is all that God requires of us!

 

Short verse - tall order!

 

To do what is just...

 

How's that playing out right now

    in my life, my family, 

    at work?  at school? in my neighborhood?

    in my political opinions and stands? 

 

To love what is good...

 

Are there good things I need to learn?

    to love more fully? more freely?

    more patiently? more generously?

    more selflessly? more gently? 

 

To walk humbly with you, my God...

 

Do I stay by your side as you stay by mine?

    do I humbly accept my talents and limitations?

    do I accompany the lonely, the sick, the poor?

    do I freely accept the help that I need?

 

Short verse - tall order! 

 

Amen.

T

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NIGHT PRAYER: Tuesday 6/2

There are lilac bushes outside my backdoor and at the side door of the church and they're in bloom - but sadly, not for long...  I wrote a "lilac prayer" three years ago but I found today I had another lilac prayer within me, waiting to be shared...

Lord, how I wish that lilacs had a longer life!

 

Oh, I know the bushes will stay green 

through the summer into fall,

til the first frost claims their color

and they take their winter nap...

 

But their blossoms, Lord,

are too soon gone and with them 

their intoxicating scent:

    the fragrance of your presence,

    the sweet air of your Spirit,

    the bouquet of gracious blessing,

    the aroma of your peace...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lilacs and their heady scent

are gifts I don't deserve, Lord,

so I lay no claim upon their stay

but rather take this moment

to thank you for this springtime grace

that fills me with contentment...

 

Make me, then, more grateful, Lord,

for gifts you give that never fade,

whose seasons are forever:  

    your never-failing presence, 

    your patience with my folly, 

    your healing word of mercy,

    your Spirit's guiding wisdom,

    your arms' strong, sweet embrace,

    and the glory of your beauty,

        the light upon my path...

 

Such gifts don't bloom at doorways, Lord,

but rather, in my heart

where your presence, much like incense,

fills creation with your fragrance

and my heart and soul with grace... 

 

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. 

 

The Fragrance of Christ by Charles Billingsley

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Sweet aroma fill this place
Let us feel your warm embrace
Touch us with your healing grace
Let us see your holy face

Hold us so close by your side
Let us see your loving eyes
Take our wrongs and make them right
Breathe on us the breath of life

The fragrance of Christ
It breaks apart the strongholds of pride
and the hardest of hearts
It makes all the wounded whole and then starts
to open the senses to your goodness
It's the fragrance of Christ

At the start of every day
Fill my heart with perfect praise
with this offering i raise
A holy tribute to your name

Take my feet and lead me to
All the world or just a few
With everything I say and do
May the glory go to you
 

Chorus

Fresh anointing cover me
With a balm of purity
Make me a bouquet of honesty

I will hold your name up high
By the way I live my life
Let me be the fragrance of Christ

 

Chorus

 

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