Pause for Prayer: FRIDAY 4/4

This morning's post isn't quite a "pause for prayer" - but it's definitely a "pause for reflection."

Getting ready to celebrate Easter...

 

Some individuals in our faith communities are preparing this Lent to be baptized at Easter when they will make a profession of faith.   But we're all preparing to celebrate Easter with minds and hearts renewed and all of us (the already baptized) will be invited to renew the promises of our baptism: we'll be invited to make a profession of faith.

At the Easter Vigil and at all the Masses on Easter Sunday, we will be asked:

- Do you reject sin 

    so as to live in the freedom of God’s children?
- Do you reject the glamor of evil 

    and refuse to be mastered by sin?
- Do you reject Satan, 

    and all his works and empty promises?
- Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, 

    maker of heaven and earth...?
- Do you believe in Jesus Christ, 

    the only begotten Son of God...?
- Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, 

    the Lord and giver of life...?
- Do you believe in 

    one, holy, catholic and apostolic church?
- Do you believe in the forgiveness of sins?
- Do you look for the resurrection of the dead 

    and the life of the world to come?

And we'll respond: I do, I do, I do!

But ... do we? 

Is this what we believe? 

Is this what we live?
Do we even understand the questions?

Here's a way to better understand the profession of faith, the renewal of our baptismal promises...

Fr. Bill Reiser, SJ has proposed some additional questions for us to ponder in preparation for Easter. His questions can be food for our prayer and fasting in this holy season.

- Do you accept Jesus as your teacher, as the example whom you will always imitate and as the one in whom the mystery of God’s love for the world has fully been revealed?

- Do you dedicate yourself to seeking the kingdom of God and God’s justice, to praying daily, to meditating on the Gospels and to celebrating the Eucharist faithfully and devoutly?

- Do you commit yourself to that spirit of poverty and detachment that Jesus enjoined on his disciples, and to resisting the spirit of consumerism and materialism that is so strong in our culture?

- Do you accept responsibility for building community, for being a person of compassion and reconciliation, for being mindful of the poor and the oppressed, and for truly forgiving those who have offended you?

- Will you try to thank and praise God by your works and by your actions, in times of prosperity as well as in moments of suffering, giving loyal witness to the risen Jesus by your faith, by your hope, and by the style of your living?

- Do you surrender your life to God as a disciple and companion of Jesus? Do you believe that God is the Lord of history, sovereign over nations and peoples, and that God’s promise to redeem all of creation from its bondage to death and decay will one day be accomplished?

All of these questions, the traditional and the new ones, are offered here for our Lenten reflection, prayer and action. Soon we’ll be renewing our baptismal promises and professing our faith in God. Let us pray for one another that this Lenten season of preparation will find us ready to answer “I do!” with voices and hearts filled with faith.

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TODAY is a FRIDAY in LENT

  

April 4 is a FRIDAY in LENT:
   - a day of abstinence.

What does that mean?  

On the Fridays of Lent 

Catholics over 14 years of age

are expected to abstain from eating meat.

For more on this topic, check out this earlier post...

Note: Individual, personal health concerns and "doctor's orders" always take precedence over regulations for fast and abstinence!

 

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NIGHT PRAYER: Thursday 4/3

Sitting here with you in the quiet, Lord,
   I know you're near, you're by my side
but sometimes, it's not easy 

    to raise my eyes to you,
        to look you in the face...

It might be something I've done 

    or something I've failed to do
        that keeps me from looking you in the eye...

 
I so easily forget 

    that you look upon me, always
        - and with eyes of mercy -

    especially in those times
        when I most need your forgiveness...

Then there are times when I don't look up
   because I feel so small before you:
      insignificant, of no account,
         unworthy of your notice;
and it's just then, precisely then,

    that I need to remember your word:
       that you keep me as the apple of your eye!

How I see myself, Lord, 

    and how you see me
       are so often so very different!

 
Are you and I looking at the same person?

 
You see me as your own, 

    your child, your beloved,
while I regard myself as

    - well, so much less than that...

 

While all I see are sins and imperfections,
    you look upon me as someone you love

         someone in whom you delight...

 

Yes, you see my faults and failings
   but first you see in me 

        the work of your hand,
            the person you created...

 

Cataracts of self-doubt cloud my vision   
    and I fail to see in me what you so clearly see:
      the image of the One 

        in whose likeness I was made...

Sometimes, Lord, 

    I sink so deep into my own pain and sadness

that I'm unable to lift my head, to raise my eyes, 

    to see the light of your face...

But apart from your gaze, Lord 

    - I am nothing...

 
That you hold me in your eyes 

    - is life to me...

Outside the warmth of your glance 
   - I would perish in the lonely cold...

 

Lord, let your face shine upon me!

 

Whatever keeps my head bent low,
   place your gentle hand beneath my chin
      and lift my face to yours... 

Open my eyes
    that I might see and know 

        the warmth of your eyes
            seeking mine...

Lord, let your face shine upon me!

Raise me up, Lord, 

    from whatever keeps me down!
I want to raise my eyes to you
    to keep my vision trained on you   

and on your hand,  

    leading and guiding me to serve you, 

        the Master of my heart and soul... 

Even now, Lord, as I sit with you in prayer,
   lift my eyes to your eyes, my heart to your heart
as when I lift my face to the summer sun
      whose light warms my cheek...

Even now, Lord, in the quiet of this time and place, 
   let me see the gift of your mercy 

        smiling on me
and help me know, help me believe 

    help me see in me what you see:
       your child, your own, your beloved...

Let your face shine upon, me Lord,
   and keep me as the apple of your eye...

 

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.

 

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. 

Listen to my song, 

hear me when I all 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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Pause for Prayer: THURSDAY 4/3

 

Who doesn't need some joy today? 

I know I do...

 

Joy! 

Right here, 

    smack-dab in the middle of Lent! 

 

So, open my heart, Lord, 

    and open my soul

to the peace of your presence

    and the joy of your peace...

 

Open my mind, 

    my eyes and my ears

to any small joy 

    you send my way,

    or drop in my lap

    or hide in my coming and going...

 

Open my imagination, Lord

    and help me discover

        secret joys

        and hidden joys

        and joys just waiting to surprise me..

 

Help me trust 

    there'll be joy in my life today,

    joy to be found,

    joy to be savored,

    joy to be shared

no matter what else may come my way

    there'll be joy in my life today... 

          
And give me a heads-up, Lord,

    when there's a time or a place today,

         a circumstance or a situation

    when I might bring joy,

        just some little joy
    to others this day

        whose paths cross mine...

And most of all, Lord, open me wide

    to the joy of your peace all around me,

    the calm of your peace deep inside me

and the blessing of joy to lift me up

    in prayer and thanksgiving and praise..

Amen. 

 

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NIGHT PRAYER: Wednesday 4/2

Tariffs are in the news tonight and so I wondered, 

    what tariffs might God impose upon us?

 

I import all your blessings, Lord,

    your generous gifts and graces

your benefits and godsends,

    your kindnesses and favors

        - and all without a tariff... 

Through the harbors of my heart 

    and through my soul's imagination,

I import inspiration, Lord:

    insight, visions, dreams, ideas

        - and all without a tariff...

 

Across the borders of my life, 

    I traffic in your goods, Lord:

shipments of your wisdom's truth

    in trade for my brash folly 

        - and all without a tariff...

 

I've little to exchange with you,

    my idle hands are empty,

and yet you flood and fill me

    with presence and your peace

        - and all without a tariff...

. . .   . . .   . . .  

 

What's that, Lord?  

     I'm missing something?

. . .   . . .   . . .   

 

Oh...  Romans 13:8

    Owe no one anything

        save the debt of love

            you owe one another... 

 

Ah, there's the tariff I owe you, Lord:

    the levy that love imposes on freedom,

    the duty I pay in self-sacrifice, 

    the tithe you ask of all I've been given, 

    the tribute I owe your sovereign dominion,

    the surtax imposed to stretch my reach

        to love you and serve you always

            while never counting the cost...    

This, then, Lord, is my only debt:

    to love my neighbor as you have loved me:

        freely and fully, with mercy

           and sweet forgiveness...

           

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 Have Loved You by Michael Joncas

 

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Pause for Prayer: WEDNESDAY 4/2

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NIGHT PRAYER: Tuesday 4/1

It's April Fools Day, Lord,

    and this morning I asked your forgiveness

        for the many times I've been foolish

but tonight I come to pray for your pardon 

    for the times I've feared I'd look foolish

        - if I did as you bid me to do

        - if I spoke as you call me to speak

        - if I witnessed to gospel truth

        - if I took the unpopular stand

        - if I refused to abide what's unjust

        - if I dared to openly share my faith

        - if I called out those who do wrong

        - if I took up the cause of the outcast

        - if I spoke the truth to power

        - if I invited others to pray with me

        - if I refused to engage in gossip 

        - if I made no secret of what I believe...

 

I ask your mercy and pardon, Lord,

    for the times I've feared I'd look foolish

if I openly shared all I believe:

    that you are my God,

        my Redeemer, my Savior, 

    my strength and my hope,

        my way, my truth and my life... 

Make me a fool for your sake, Lord

    and give me the strength and courage I need

        to make no secret of what I believe

    and to boldly live and freely share

        the faith that lives in my heart...

         

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.

Fool for You by Nichole Nordeman

 

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There are times when faith 

    and common sense do not align,
when hard core evidence of you is hard to find,
and I am silenced in the face 

    of argumentative debate, 

    and it's a long hill it's a lonely climb. 

 

Cause they want proof,
They want proof of all these mysteries I claim. 

Cause only fools would want to chant 

    a dead man's name.
Maybe it's true, yeah but....

 

I would be a fool for You, 

    all because You asked me to.
A simpleton who's seemingly naive,
I do believe, You came and made Yourself 

    a fool for me.

 

I admit that in my darkest hours I've asked what if,
What if we created some kind of 

    man-made faith like this,
Out of good intention or emotional invention,
and after life is through there will be no You.

 
Cause they want proof of all these miracles I claim,
Cause only fools believe that men can walk on waves.
Maybe it's true, yeah but...

 

I would be a fool for You, 

    all because You asked me to.
A simpleton who's seemingly naive,
I do believe, You came and made Yourself 

    a fool for me.

 

Unaware of popularity,
and unconcerned with dignity,
You made me free
- proof enough for me.

 

I would be a fool for You
Only if You asked me to,
A simpleton who's only thinkin' of
the cause of love.

 

I will speak Jesus' name.
If that makes me crazy,
they can call me crazed,
I'm happy to be seemingly naive,
I do believe, 

You came and made Yourself a fool for me.

 

A fool for you.

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Pause for Prayer: TUESDAY 4/1

 

It's MY day, Lord  

    - All Fools Day -

right in the middle of Lent!

 

So, with Lenten contrition I pray:

    - forgive my foolish thoughts and plans

    - forgive my foolish dreams and schemes

    - forgive my foolish words and deeds

    - forgive the foolish things I do,

        the foolish choice I often make

    - forgive my foolish waste of time,

        of food and goods and gifts I have,

        of money in my purse and bank,

        of nature's gracious beauty and her bounty...

             

And please, Lord

    - give me some wisdom,

oh, how I need some wisdom,

    at least enough to rescue me

        from all my foolish ways...

Give me wisdom to see what I'm doing, Lord,

    and wisdom to see what I've done;

wisdom to see what a fool I can be

 and wisdom to know and follow your will...

"There's no fool like an old fool," 

    so make me a little bit wiser, Lord,

through the truth of your word

    and common sense,

through the grace of prudence

    the blessing of patience

        and the light of your Holy Spirit...   

    

Yes, it's my day, Lord

    - April Fools Day -

         and that's the reason I pray

    for the gift of your holy counsel,

        the wisdom I need every day!

Amen.

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NIGHT PRAYER: Monday 3/31

Can it really be the last day of March?

Are we now three full months 

    into a year we hailed as new

        - just 12 short weeks ago?

 

Is one quarter of 2025 already-  history? 

And what a three months it's been, Lord!

 

So much has happened, 

    and much of it tragic, disturbing and sad,

some brought on by natural disasters,

    by wild fires, earthquakes and floods

but all too often disaster arrives man-made:

    forged in our foolishness,

    bred of our greed and our grasping for power,

    sprung from our crude and selfish desire

    to seek, to take, to steal and possess

    more than the plenty we already have...

 

Lent's half over, Lord,

    our season for giving and sacrifice, 

a time for going without and giving away,

    generously and freely, to those in need...

 

And we've 9 more months in this "new" year

    to turn our hearts to you,

    to turn away from serving ourselves,

    to turn to those whose lives cry out

        for a share in the bounty that's ours...

 

Forgive us, Lord, and heal us;     

    in your mercy, restore us to your grace,

and let us begin again, each day,

    to serve you who are

        our way, our truth and our life...

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.

 

Forgive Me, Lord by Nathan Surgenor

 

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Cuts in aid from USDA

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In the United States, the Saint Vincent de Paul Society operates at the parish level with nearly 90K volunteers making 1.8M visits to neighbors in need serving over 5M individuals in more than 4K communities across the nation. The total value of services rendered annually is $1.7B  (Statistics are from the latest available annual report FY 22/23.  Revenue is raised through donations and a large network of thrift stores.)

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