Prayer on Friday, May 30

 Responding to the global pandemic, on Friday, May 1st, at 3:00 pm, the bishops of the United States and Canada will unite in a prayer of consecration to the care of the Blessed Mother, which will be offered for our two countries. More information here: http://www.usccb.org/about/communications/consecration.cfm


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NIGHT PRAYER: Thursday 4/30

Tonight's prayer is taken from He Karakia Mihinare oAotearoa*

It is night.

The night is for stillness.
     Let us be still in the presence of God...

It is night after a long day.
     What has been done has been done;
     what has not been done has not been done:
     let it be...

The night is dark.
     Let our fears of the darkness,
     of the world
     and of our own lives
     rest in you...

The night is quiet.
     Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,
     all dear to us,
     and all who have no peace...

The night heralds the dawn.
     Let us look expectantly to a new day,
     new joys,
     new possibilities...

In your name, O God, we pray...

Amen.

A Suggestion...
Pray the text above, three or four times, slowly, 
with Ravel's peace-filled Pavane 
as the musical ambience for your prayer...

Lyon National Orchestra: Pavane by Maurice Ravel


* From A New Zealand Prayer Book (He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa)


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Pause for Prayer: THURSDAY 4/30

Last night, Lord,
an old friend and I had a great Zoom conversation,
checking in and catching up with each other...

Looking back on the past, my friend said, 
"Well, that was me when I was Version 2.0
but I think by now I'm probably Version 4.5. 
My Creator keeps remaking me!"

I love that image, Lord!
You created me over 73 years ago
but you're still not finished with me:
I'm still a work in progress, 
your work in progress;
you're the potter, I'm the clay
and you're still shaping me
on your spinning potter's wheel...

And what version am I now?  
I'm really not sure -
but I am certain of this, Lord:
you never give up on me;
you never stop refining me,
smoothing my rough edges,
sharpening places where I've grown dull,
and mending and replacing
any torn and broken parts of my soul
- if not my body!

Whatever version I become, Lord,
you continue to offer me free upgrades
through the terms of your warranty
of patience, compassion and mercy...

You're my Creator, Lord,
and you never stop:
retooling me, recasting me,
repairing me, remodeling me, 
restoring me, reworking me,
reforming me, rebuilding me, 
reshaping me, remolding me
- you never stop remaking me
more and more in your image,
more and more the person
you created me to be...

Amen.
 

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NIGHT PRAYER: Wednesday 4/29

As another day ends, Lord,
I find myself thinking in terms of "how long?"

How long has this been going on?
How long has it been since I last (fill in the blank)?
How long before a vaccine is discovered?
How long before the economy rebounds?
How long before I can once again (fill in the blank)?
How long before I can go back to church?
How long until this is over, Lord?

Those are my questions, Lord, but even as I ask them 
I realize that others have questions they've been asking for years,
questions they've been asking all their lives:

How long will I be poor, Lord?
How long will my children be hungry? homeless? helpless?
How long can I, will I endure my chronic illness?
How long before I'm not judged by my color? 
How long before my homeland is free again?
How long before I can freely practice my faith?
How long until my spirits lift, Lord?  

I hope and I trust, Lord, 
that my questions will be answered soon,
perhaps not fully resolved until next year or the year after,
but I trust there's an end to the present crisis...

But for others, Lord, there's no end in sight:
the light at the end of the tunnel is so far away
it's not visible to the naked eye, nor the naked heart...

Help me keep my troubles in perspective, Lord,
and keep me mindful, prayerful and generously supportive
of those who've asked, "How long, Lord?" all their lives
and whose children will ask the same for years to come...

Let whatever discomfort and suffering are mine now, Lord,
give me a glimpse of, a small share in carrying the burdens
that others bear for a lifetime... 

Make me especially aware of and sensitive to those
whose already heavy load is only made heavier
by this virus and its threat...

Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake
(especially those who are homeless and hungry)
and watch over us as we sleep
(especially those who will not wake tomorrow morning)
that awake we may keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen.

Tonight's song is the beautifully haunting
Elegy for the Victims of the (2011) Earthquake and Sunami in Japan
by Nobuyuki Tsuji, an internationally acclaimed pianist and composer, 
blind from birth, who has never seen a page of sheet music.
 



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Pause for Prayer: WEDNESDAY 4/29

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Quick recap of last week, an invite for this Sunday!

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NIGHT PRAYER: TUESDAY 4/28

It's the end of the day, Lord,
and I'm seeking shelter...

Shelter me from worry and fear,
shelter me from sickness and death,
shelter me from hopelessness,
   from lack of trust and faith...

Shelter the sick, O Lord,
and shelter those who care for them
and shelter  in peace their families and friends
  in your strong and loving arms...

Shelter those who are dying, Lord,
and shelter those who have passed
and shelter those who grieve their loss
   with your mercy and compassion...

Shelter us through the night, Lord:
shelter us as we stay awake
and shelter us as we sleep,
that awake we may keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen.

Here's a new song Shelter Me by Jan Michael Joncas,
also the composer of On Eagle's Wings




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Pause for Prayer: TUESDAY 4/28

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This season of stay-at-home and quarantine,
of social distancing and face masks,
seems to dull my senses, Lord,
so I pray that in the days ahead you'll:

help me see the world with your eyes, Lord:
clearly, with wisdom and insight,
neither ignoring nor fixating
on whatever I'd rather not see...

help me hear with your open ears, Lord:
listening carefully, with true compassion,
especially to those with whom I'm living...

help me touch others' hearts with your hands, Lord:
gently and firmly, with healing
- even from six feet away...

help me taste of life as you made it, Lord,
savoring the salty, relishing the sweet,
learning to accept the sour:
make me mindful of those who are hungry these days
and generous when I reach out to help...

help me breathe in all you've inspired, Lord
sniffing the scent of the fresh and fragrant
especially outdoors on these early spring days... 

In this pandemic season, Lord,
help me to see, hear, touch, taste and smell
your glory in the world around me:
help me use all my senses to come to know you,
to love you and to serve you in any way I can...

Amen.



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NIGHT PRAYER: Monday 4/27

Well, Lord,
it's the end of another chilled, rainy day
as pandemic April sets its sights on May...

I'm longing for a real springtime, Lord,
a sunlit season warming my bare arms
and the grace of longer days
whispering, hinting, promising
June, July and August yet to come...

And I do pray they come, Lord,
but tonight - tonight I'll don a sweater
and find the warmth I seek
in prayer, unpacking this day's worries,
laying out tomorrow's hopes,
resting at your side, entrusting to your care
my family and my friends
and all who need your healing and your grace,
your mercy and compassion,
your strength and consolation...

If I had a fireplace, Lord, I'd kindle it tonight
but since I don't, I pray for the flame of your love
to keep me through the night ahead
and the light of your peace to greet me
when a new day dawns tomorrow...

Amen.

Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings by Stjepan Hauser



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Monday Morning Offering: 4/27

Good morning, good God!

Or is it?

Is it a good morning?

Right off the top of my head, Lord,
I can think of millions of people around the world
who woke up this morning
for whom this is not good morning:
    - the sick and the dying
    - the recently diagnosed
    - the vulnerable and compromised 
    - the quarantined in isolation
    - the selfless, exhausted caregivers
    - the newly bereaved
    - the heroic first responders
    - the suddenly unemployed
    - the perennial or just-now homeless
    - the poor standing in line for food
    - the worried, the impatient,
          the anxious and the fearful...

These burdens are heavy, painful and universal, Lord:
    - our world has been humbled by a microscopic tyrant;
    - our expectations dismantled by a mindless virus;
    - our pretensions unmasked by a shared and common grief...

I don't blame you for any of this, Lord:
my faith and science more than assure me
that none of this is of your making --
which leads me to ask, good God:
   What will you make of all this/

How will you forge our fear into faith?
How will your touch heal the pain in our hearts?
How will your grace bring to life what we've lost?
How will your love keep us serving each other?
How will your word speak the wisdom we need?
How will your Spirit rekindle our hope?
How will your compassion relieve our grief?
How will your strength restore our vitality?
How will you bring us
    through sickness to health?
    through sorrow to joy?
    through distress to serenity?
    through darkness to light?
    through isolation to community?
    through want to abundance?
    through fear to trust?
    through death to life in you?

I believe you created the world out of nothing,
I believe you reap where you did not sow,
I believe that for those who love you
    all things work together for the good...

I believe it's your heart's desire, Lord,
    to make of our plight a path to your peace,
    to make of our weakness the way to your strength,
    to make of our pleading your answer to prayer...

So I offer a prayer this morning, Lord,
for what your heart desires and our hearts plead:
    your people healed, 
    our faith refreshed,
    and peace of mind and heart restored...

Make of us your own, Lord,
and in your mercy,
hear our prayer...

Amen.


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NIGHT PRAYER: Sunday 4/26

Lord,
I hear we'll have a few more cloudy days
before we see the sun again, so this eventide 
no pastel bands of sunset will ease our way 
from daylight into night...

Even midnight will be darker
as clouds mask the moon and mute the stars
while city lights are dimmed
by stay-at-home and quarantine
of all but what's essential...

I'm not a child afraid of the dark, Lord:
I'm just a grownup looking for some light,
an adult who sometimes wonders (like a kid, I guess)
where the light has gone 
and when it will return...

Remind me, Lord,
remind me over and over again,
remind me as often as I need to be reminded
(and these days, that's fairly often)
remind me that yours is the light
   that overcomes the darkness,
that there is no darkness 
   can overcome your light..

No matter how gloomy the night, Lord,
no matter how thick the clouds,
yours is the light no darkness can quench:
with you as my light
the night shall be as bright as day;
with you for my light
the night shall light up my joy! 

Remind me, Lord,
remind me over and over again
that yours is the light
   that overcomes the darkness,
that there is no darkness 
   can overcome your light..

Amen.

There Is A Light by Cyprian Consiglio

There is a light that can overcome the darkness.
There is no darkness that can overcome the light.

1) Creator of unfailing light

give that same light to those who call you.

May our lives proclaim your goodness

our voices sing your praise forever.

2) Lord Jesus Christ,

you are the true light of the world.

Give us courage, strength and grace

to build a world of justice and peace.

3) May the light of the Holy  Spirit

dispel the darkness of our times.

Turn our hatred into love

our wars into the peace we so desire.

There is a light that can overcome the darkness.

There is no darkness that can overcome the light.

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Pause for Prayer: SUNDAY 4/26

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49 years ago when I was in the seminary, a good friend asked me what I believed about the Eucharist. I knew he wasn't looking for a text book answer but rather for what was in my heart. I wrote this prayer/poem in response to his question. I know that this helped me articulate my faith in the Eucharist and I believe it helped my friend, too. This weekend the gospel tells the story of two disciples making their way to Emmaus on the first Easter Sunday afternoon.  A stranger joins them and they speak of what's been happening over the last couple of days.  The two don't realize that the stranger is the risen Jesus until the end of the day when they sit down at table together and they recognize him in the breaking of bread.  Here, then, is my 49 year old reflection on the breaking of bread...


BREAKING BREAD

Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat,
but if it dies, it bears much fruit...

You have to listen with all of you
to hear the white-green shoot
pushing, rubbing, scraping up through
cool, moist earth: wheat being born...

It's a comforting sound when, finally,
you hear it and you know the growing sound
isn't out there, in the field
but in your frailty, your brokenness,
in you...

Then fear comes over you:
you'll be torn inside, again, until it hurts
and this may be the time
when growing leaves behind
the one you think you are,
harvesting the one 
you were made to be...

Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat,
but if it dies, it bears much fruit...

You don't have to listen so closely
to hear the wind shuffle its way
through fields of wheat
so you have to look very carefully
to see it's not the wind after all, but simply
wheat brushing against wheat,
wheat supporting wheat,
wheat enjoying wheat,
wheat embracing wheat...

The rustling becomes a symphony
of meeting, knowing, touching, growing:
wheat reaching out to wheat
not with fear, not with flushed face,
but only with the need to touch.
And the sound of reaching
is strong, enveloping, alive!

Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat,
but if it dies, it bears much fruit...

Grinding grains of wheat: harsh,
breaking, crushing sounds,
a not soft noise - hard.
And now you don't want to hear
wheat being crushed:
it just doesn't look like wheat anymore
and maybe the explosion in you
wasn't a matter of life but...

water is cool
and now it is all around you:
bubbling and swirling
in flour ground of wheat
and now you're not surprised to know
you're listening to blood filling your veins,
flowing all through you - life...

And just before the fire consumed us, too,
we found bread: one beautiful brown loaf
of wheat, wind and water
all rising to life in bread...

Then came One who broke the bread
and was broken for us, like a loaf,
and we heard in the cracking and tearing of the crust
the Word of life grown, ground and given
for all who share
in the breaking of the bread...

Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat,
but if it dies, it bears much fruit...

CC2013

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NIGHT PRAYER: Saturday 4/25

It's that time of day again, Lord:
the sun is setting
and I'm fading, too...

Tonight I'm thinking of all the people I miss,
how I miss the simplest things we do together,
things that are, for the time being,
beyond our reach...

There's a sadness here, Lord,
but it's important to remember,
to keep fresh in my heart my family and friends
and the simplest of things that bind us together,
hold us together, mold us together as one...

But with the sadness there comes, 
if I welcome it, a certain joy:
the peace of recalling favors I miss,
blessings I long for, gifts I pray for tonight:
the return of those simplest of things
that bind us together, hold us together,
mold us together as one...

Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake,
remembering with sadness all that we miss,
and watch over us as we sleep,
dreaming in hope, even with joy,
of the day we'll all be together again... 

Amen.

On The Day We Are Together Again 



On the day we are together again,

on the day we are together again,

I will pull you in close like a hoop with no end,

on the day we are together again.

We will share the same table again,

we will share the same table again,

I’ll pass you the salt, the candle light will bend,

when we eat at the same table again.

We will walk around the block hand in hand,

we will walk around the block hand in hand,

we will stop for a snack at the taco truck stand,

we will walk around the block hand in hand.

Someday we will go back to work,

someday we will go back to work,

may we be among people who respect our work,

someday we will go back to work.

I will help the strangers I meet,

I will help the strangers I meet,

it is possible to get back on our feet,

I will help the strangers I meet.

I will write you a letter for now,

I will write you a letter for now,

hope is a message that survives somehow,

I will write you a letter for now.

To the healers who keep us alive

to the healers who keep us alive,

a toast to your courage, knowledge and life,

to the healers who keep us alive.

And the ones we love who are gone,

and the ones we love who are gone,

we remember the stories, we sing the songs

for the ones we love who are gone.

On the day we are together again,

on the day we are together again,

I will pull you in close like a hoop with no end,

on the day we are together again.

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Good Job! A timely song from Alicia Keys

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Pause for Prayer: SATURDAY 4/25

Photo by CP

Philosophers and theologians study, write and speak 
of "proof for the existence of God"
but my proof of your being, Lord, 
is simpler and much less academic...

April's flowering trees are proof enough for me that you exist,
each blossom a telling witness of your eternal nature...

You bring all trees back to life each spring,
dressing their barren branches in shades of green
lavish, dense, lush and abundant

but then with extravagant divinity
you select some, not all, and generously grace them,
adorning their leafy arms with blossoms 
white, gold, lilac, red and lavender...

That's just one of my proofs for your existence, Lord,
a seasonal one for sure, but then there's also:
   artichokes and full moons; a baby's reaching hand;
   every kind of music; understanding and compassion;
   long and loving hugs; imagination's endless scope;
   Jesus and his gospel; the gift of human language;
   wine and cheese and bread;  faith that's prayed and shared;
   the capacity to learn and know; hope in hopeless moments;
   unexpected friendship; mercy undeserved;
   the written, printed word; a passion for the truth; 
   bare skin warmed by sunlight; intuition, thoughts and hunches; 
   unconditional, selfless love; butterscotch and chocolate;
   sweet memories of the past; gentleness and kindness;
   and on and on and on...

All these, my simple proofs, Lord,
my proofs of your existence
rooted in my everyday, my ordinary life,
proof, for sure, that I am yours
and you're my Lord and God...

Amen.

     
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