A Concord Pastor Comments: Monday Morning Offering

Image: George Mendoza

Good morning, good God!

It's 2012, Lord,
and I pray you'll find us making peace this year
with you, with one another, with ourselves,
and with our neighbors near and far...

I pray you'll find us
giving of ourselves without counting the cost,
sharing from our want, not our surplus,
forgiving those who have offended us
and seeking pardon of those whom we've hurt...

How will I have share in such a year, Lord?
Will I be a peacemaker?
By what measure will I give of myself and of what's mine?
By what merciful standard will I regard anyone who's hurt me?
Will I forgive others' trespasses as freely
as I hope and trust you forgive me mine?

Lord, in this new year, make me an instrument of your peace...

Help me become a peacemaker in my home, Lord,
in my extended family, at school and in my neighborhood:
help me be the one who offers the peaceful gesture,
who speaks the peaceful word,
who suggests the peaceful option...

Give me courage to be a peacemaker at work, among my colleagues:
help me be the first to take a step towards reconciling
disputes and differences...

In my parish, Lord, help me be a bridge
between groups not at peace with each other:
let me me lead the way towards understanding,
collaboration and unity...

In my community, Lord,
keep me from taking sides based on prejudice and personalities;
help me shape my opinions based on knowledge and truth,
and to work for what is just, what is fair
and what yields to peace...

When I'm at odds with someone close to me, Lord,
let me be the one who lets go the grudge, the resentment:
help me be the one who offers to reconcile...

Lead me every day to be at peace with you, Lord:
keep me faithful to your Word
and to whatever you ask of me
in service of my neighbor...

Keep me honest in my relationship with you, Lord,
and at peace with my true self:
open me to the peace that's yours to share,
the peace that comes only from your heart,
from your hand...

Open my eyes, my ears, my mind,
my intuition, my imagination,
my will and my heart, Lord:
open me to every opportunity for making peace...

Make me an instrument of your peace, Lord,
this Monday morning, this week
and day by day through the new year...

Amen.

A song for Morning Prayer