On Sundays, Night Prayer will focus on an element from the day's celebration of Mass. This evening's prayer follows from today's story of Abraham bargaining with God (Genesis) and Jesus' instruction on prayer (Luke.)
As I wrote about prayer this past week, Lord,
and prayed about prayer in preparing to preach,
I came to realize how seldom it is
I ask you for something in prayer...
It's not that you've failed to be generous to me
with blessings, favors and help
- it's just that I find that prayer's greatest gift
is simply to know I can come to you,
that you welcome me,
that you truly want to spend time with me,
that you listen to every word I speak,
that you care from the very depths of your heart
about each of my sorrows and all of my joys...
I trust, in prayer, that you know all my needs
and will not leave me wanting,
even when, as is often the case,
I don't know the rhyme or the reason
why you do what you do, just when you do,
in the ways that you chose to move in my life...
But even then I find comfort, Lord,
just in knowing that I'm not alone,
in trusting you're right by my side,
that you always have my back,
that you walk with me every step of the way
and especially on days when, truth be told,
I have no idea where I'm going...
For all of the gifts you've given me, Lord,
I offer my thanks in return
and especially for the blessing of prayer:
the grace of meeting and knowing you,
of finding myself held in your love
like a child at rest in his mother's arms... 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.
Holy Spirit by Francesca Battistelli
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