Heading back to the east coast...

 

Most of my readers know that I've spent the past week visiting with my sister and brother-in-law in Georgetown, Colorado.  I've had a wonderful, relaxing time here and it's been a joy to write my daily blog posts in this beautiful setting - just take a look at the photo above!

Thursday morning (2/29) I'll be heading into Denver for the flight home, landing in Boston around 10:00 p.m.  I'm calling this a travel day so I won't be posting on Thursday and my next post will be Night Prayer on Friday, March 1, with the third installment my Lenten series of reflections on images of the the face of Jesus.

 

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NIGHT PRAYER: Wednesday 2/28

 

I was praying Psalm 51 today, Lord,

and this verse stayed with me:

    Create in me a clean heart, O God...

 

I'm not sure my heart's actually dirty, Lord,

but there are probably places

    blemished by my faults, 

    soiled by resentments,

    grimy with bad habits

    tarnished by impatience,

    dirtied by pilfering,

    marred by my selfishness, 

    sullied by envy,

    fouled by lust, 

    mucky with deception,

    muddied with lies, 

    grubby with grudges,

    stained by cheating,

    smeared with prejudice,

    littered with wastefulness, 

    and spattered by my carelessness...

 

Hmm... 

 

Ya know, Lord, on second thought -

looks like my heart might need a good spring cleaning!

 

Create in me a clean heart, O God...

 

I need a clean slate, Lord, and I know:

    only your mercy can wash away

        the stubborn stains of all my bad habits;

    only the strength and pow'r of your grace

        can scour my soul 'til it shines and reflects

            your image - in which I am made;

    and only your kindness can gently bathe

        and heal the wounds and scars I bear:

            the marks of my need for your pardon...

        

  Create in me a clean heart, O God...

    wash away guilt and give me again

        the comfort and joy of your peace...

 

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 love the prayerful pace of this song...

 

Create In Me by Bob Hurd

 

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Create in me a clean heart.

Have mercy on me, God,
in your compassion.
Remove my sin.
Wash me from my guilt.

Create in me a clean heart.

O purify my heart and
teach me wisdom;
then I shall be
cleaner than the snow.

Create in me a clean heart.

O give me back the joy
of your salvation;
a willing spirit
sustain in me.

Create in me a clean heart.

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My bad!

As you may know, I'm spending a week in Colorado and it's been great!

 

But as one does when one's away, I lost track of the days and after writing Wednesday's Pause for Prayer, I realized I should have put together a Texting with God!

 

Mea culpa!

 

 

 

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Pause for Prayer: WEDNESDAY 2/28

 

The peace that only You can give...

That's the peace I'm always looking for, Lord 

    - although I often end up looking for it 

        in all the wrong places... 

 

In that sense, I guess peace is close to love:

    we often look for it in all the wrong places...

 

But the peace I seek, Lord,

the peace I desire,

the peace I long and hunger for

   is that peace that only comes from you...

 

Of course, there are people, things and relationships

    in which I do find peace 

        but if that peace is at all real, deep and lasting,

then I know that those persons, things, and relationships

    are your gifts to me,

        are expressions of your love for me,

    are somehow sacramental signs of you

        and of your Spirit moving in my life...

But there's also cheap peace, Lord, 

    on sale in stores and on line,

where the cost is not just dollars and cents

    but the price I pay in self-respect 

        or the loss of my integrity

    in settling for so much less than

        the genuine, pure and worthwhile,

        the beautiful, true and deep,

        the life-giving, natural and sound,

        that which helps me grow in faith and love

        and leads me on to share my finest gifts,

        all that draws me to you, always, ever closer 

        and brings me to find the peace I seek,

            the peace that only you can give...

Yours is the peace I always seek, Lord,

    but even more in this season of Lent:

        a time to seek the peace you offer,

        a time to make peace where I've been at fault,

        a time to speak peace when the cry is for war,

        a time to share peace as the most precious gift...

         

It's the springtime of Lent:

    a season of peace - for finding peace,

    a season of peace  - for making peace,

    a season of peace - of looking for joy,

        the joy that flows from Easter peace, 

            the peace, O Lord that only you can give...

In my Lenten prayer, help me find the peace

    of spending time alone with you,

    of finding myself in finding you,

    of finding in prayer the peace I seek,

        the peace, O Lord, for which I pray...

 

In my fasting in Lent, help me find the peace

    of giving up what I do not need, 

    of letting go what holds me fast,

    of doing without what keeps me, Lord,

        from knowing your full and healing peace...

In giving alms, help me find the peace

    of giving away what I want to keep,

    of sharing from want with those who have less,

    of wanting to give for the sake of giving 

        and finding in giving your peace, O Lord...

Be the peace I pray for these Lenten days:

    the peace I desire, hunger and thirst for,

    the peace I long for, deep in my soul,

    the peace the world needs but can't give itself,

    the peace that wisdom and truth provide,

    that peace that comes from only you,

        the peace O Lord, only you can give...

 

Amen. 

 

I found this song after writing the prayer above and on finding I thought, "Maybe I should just post the song!"  Well, I decided to post both - but for sure, don't miss the song...

 

Peace by Danny Gokey

 

 

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NIGHT PRAYER: Tuesday 2/27

 Lord, I can't count the number of times in scripture
   when you tell me to have no fear,
      to fear not, to be not afraid... 

I'm grateful for all that encouragement 

    but the truth is,
       I still have fears...  I'm often afraid...

And you tell me, Be not afraid...

Sometimes, Lord, I'm not even sure I know 

    what it is I fear
but I know when I'm afraid
    because I know how fear feels
         - and I know when I feel it...

And you tell me,  Be not afraid...

Sometimes I'm afraid of things in my past,
   things that don't even exist any more:
      the ghosts of things long gone...

And you tell me, Be not afraid...

And sometimes I'm afraid of what doesn't yet exist:
    I fear what's next

        or what might be, 
            or what could be

    and I even fear, Lord,

        what might never be...

And you tell me, Be not afraid...  

Sometimes, Lord,
    I'm afraid of people 

        I have no reason to fear,
    even people who love and care for me
        and that makes no sense at all.

But sometimes, 

    when I'm confounded and confused

that's when fear's most powerful

    and quick to blind me to my blessings...

       
And you tell me, Be not afraid...

And sometimes, Lord, I'm afraid of myself, 

    of who I am, of what I've done 

        or what I might yet do.

And when I'm afraid of myself, Lord,
   then fear runs circles 'round my mind,

       floods my soul and overcomes me:

 fear roots itself within me,

    in my doubts about myself,

    in mistrust of those around me,

    in my bleak view of the future

    in my loss of hope in you...

 
And you tell me, Be not afraid...

And sometimes, Lord, I'm afraid of you
    - who never tire of telling me

        not to be afraid.
Sometimes I fear how well you know me,
   what you think of me, what you ask of me,
      what you expect of me.

 
And sometimes, Lord, I'm afraid 

    that you're not listening,

    that you don't hear me
       - or see me or love me.
even though you tell me again and again:
      Fear not... have no fear... be not afraid...

What will it take, Lord, what must I do, 
   to take a step outside my fear, beyond my fear:
to trust in you, to walk with you with confidence
   that you're my strength and courage,

        my safety and my shield

        my refuge from all danger

        and my hope for what's ahead...

Let your Spirit fill my heart, Lord,
   with the grace I need - and will  need -
to take but one small step

     beyond my doubt, beyond my fear...

Can we start here, Lord, right now, 
   in the quiet of this night?

Will you give me now the faith I need,

    the courage and the strength

to take that one small step that leads

    beyond my doubt, my fear?

I need to hear your words, Lord,

    again and yet again
'til my faith is strong beyond my doubt
      secure beyond my worry and my fear...

 

Let me hear you whisper, Lord,

    have no fear... be not afraid...
        

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...

Be Not Afraid  by Bob Dufford, SJ

      performed by Sunday 7PM Choir

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Pause for Prayer: TUESDAY 2/27

 

With the fire of your love, Lord,
    cleanse my mind,
    my heart and my soul,

    my hungers and thirsts,

    my passions and my desires...

 

Burn away

    what's stubbornly selfish,
    biased, resentful, begrudging,

    angry, hard-hearted, deceitful,

    prejudiced, proud, self- absorbed...

 

Brand my heart with the sign of your Cross, Lord,

let my words and my deeds make clear:

    it's your love I want to rule my day
    and fashion the person I am...

 

Shine down from the heavens above, Lord:

touch and heal like the noonday sun

    the hurt I've caused for others

    and the pain in my wounded heart...

 

As in a refiner's fire, Lord,

    make pure my heart's intentions

    'til my soul's aflame with your Spirit

    and alive with the warmth of your love...

Amen.

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NIGHT PRAYER: Monday 2/26

The response for the psalm at mass today was:

    Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins...

  

Thank you, Lord,

    for not dealing with me according to my sins!

You know my sins, you know all of them,

    especially the ones I try to hide 

        from others and from you, Lord,

        - and even from myself...

 

You know how I've sinned - and why                                                                                            

and though you understand my weaknesses

    you see how I offend my neighbor 

        - and myself; 

    how my greed co-opts the poor;

    how I bend the truth and break my word;

    how I fail in justice and in fairness;

    how my pride and ego keep me

        from generously serving others;

    how I often choose the short-cut,

        what's easiest for me;

    how my careless greed lays waste

        to the beauty of creation;

    and how I often put myself 

        before you, Lord, and your word,

        before the prompting of your Spirit,

        before the plight of those in need...

All this, Lord (and much more, too) - and still

    you don't deal with me according to my sins...

 

Instead, Lord, you judge me

    according to your mercy 

        and your everlasting kindness,

    according to your justice,

        always tempered by your wisdom,

    according to your promise

        to keep me safe from harm

    and according to your purpose:

        that I should be with you...

   

Thank you for this mystery, Lord

    your providence of grace

that you deal with me in mercy,

    not according to my sins...

 

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.

Psalm 103: Bless the Lord My Soul

    by Sovereign Grace Music

 

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Monday Morning Offering 2/25

    Image: George Mendoza

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We're in the second week of Lent, Lord,

and I thought I'd offer this morning,

for your consideration,

some questions I often ponder...

Sometimes things happen, Lord,
(or fail to happen)
and I'm left wondering:
    where are you?
    why don't you intervene?
    why don't you make things different?

Those times, those questions,
    stick in my mind
    and lodge in my heart
    and I scratch my head
        in wonder - and disappointment... 

I think about these things, Lord - often...

Unfortunately, I don't pay near enough attention
to all the times I might be grateful
grateful for what's happened - or failed to happen:
    the times I owe you thanks and praise

        for just your being there;
    for your Spirit moving in my life,
        and showing me the way;

    for the growth and change I came to know
        through my hope and trust in you...

  

So, please help me, Lord,
    help me not miss a moment today
        when your arm's reaching 'round my shoulder,
        your hand's intervening with grace,
        and life's just a little bit brighter

        when I see through eyes of faith...

 

And should something happen (or fail to happen)
and I wonder again where you are:
    help me remember
        you never forget me,
        you're always beside me,

        your strength lifts me up,

        your word is my wisdom,

        you dwell in my heart
        so all shall be well,

        yes, all manner of things 

        shall be well... 

I offered you my questions, Lord, 

    and I'm grateful for the many ways 

        you've helped me sort them out...

 

Now I offer all that's yet to come,

    my  troubles and my joys,

and my thanks for how you'll guide me

    in the week that lies ahead...

 

Amen.

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NIGHT PRAYER: SUNDAY 2/25

 

On Sundays, Night Prayer takes its inspiration from some element of the day's liturgy. The gospel for this Second Sunday of Lent tells tells of Jesus taking Peter, James and John up a mountain where he's transfigured before them - and Moses and Elijah appear.  The Transfiguration is the subject hundreds of icons.  

The gospel narratives report that the disciples "fell prostrate and were very much afraid" (Matthew); "were terrified" (Mark); and  "became frightened" (Luke).  Iconographers always depict these three men in various forms of topsy-turvy disarray.  Here's a good example of such an icon, followed by detail from the same work. (Click on either image for a larger version.)

And detail from that image:

 

 

Let's go up that mountain now

    with Jesus and Peter, James and John!

 

Shock me, Lord!

 

Rouse me from indifference,

    from my sleepy inattention!

 

Upset my blasé nonchalance

    and startle my complacency! 

 

Disturb my laid-back listless faith 

    and knock me off my feet!

 

Help me see you so clearly

    that I can't unsee you!

 

Let the very sight of you

    turn me upside down,

    turn me inside out,

    turn me around

    and turn me back to you 

until 

    the glory of your presence,

    the vision of your beauty

    and the brilliance of your face 

are all I'll want or need to see

    for all eternity...

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake

    and watch over me while I sleep

that awake I might keep watch for you

    and asleep, rest in your peace...

     

Amen. 

 

Lord, Let Your Face Shine Upon us by Marty Haugen

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Lord, let your face shine upon us,

shine upon us, shine upon us, shine upon us

 

Listen to my song

hear me when I call O Lord, my God,

be gracious, hear my prayer! 

 

You have called my name,

set your seal upon my heart,

you hear me when I call 

 

Fill me with your joy,

grant to me a peaceful rest

to dwell in safety with my Lord 

 

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