Pause for Prayer: FRIDAY 5/14

Lord Jesus... 

You're my Maker, my Creator,

    I'm the work of your fine hands;

You call me by my name, Lord

    - and you name me your beloved...

 

You're the source of all my talents, 

    all my blessings, skills and gifts;

you're my way, my truth and life

    and in the darkness, you're my light... 

 

You listen to my every word, 

    you heed each passing thought,

you hear my every prayer, Lord,

    long before it leaves my lips... 

     

You're with me in my greatest joys 

    and in my deepest sorrows;

 in good times and in bad

     and in sickness and in health... 

 

You are the inspiration, Lord,

    for all that I've accomplished, 

any good I've said or done or hoped,

    any work that bears my name...  

 

You comfort me, you challenge me,

    you send me out to do your will;

you give me strength when mine is gone

    and rest when day is done... 

You're the heart and brains and glue, Lord,

    of this outfit - me and you -

you're the source of all my wisdom,

    and what common sense I have...

 

- You've given me my friends, Lord,

        to encourage and advise me,

        to protect me and defend me,

        to pray for me, to play with me,

        to bring me peace and joy...

 

- You've been my silent partner, 

        (my so-much-better half)

    my advocate and helpmate,  

        my most forgiving judge...

 

- You're my refuge in the hard times,

        my shelter from the storm;

    you're the light on my dark path

        and my shepherd when I'm lost...

 

You’re the One who always has my back,

        who wipes my tears away:

    yours the shoulder I can lean on,

        yours the hand that lifts me up...

You're my teacher, always helping me 

    to see and understand 

the movement of your grace, Lord,

    in the mystery of my life...

 

You're the fine gold thread that's woven

    through the sackcloth of my life,

always binding us together,

    ever knitting us as one... 

     

Apart from you, I would not be,

    without you, I am nothing;

with you I have everything 

    - and even more than that... 

 

You’re my Alpha and Omega:

    my beginning and my end,

the source of all I am and have

    and all I'm called to be...

    

You are my Lord, you are my God,

    my Savior and Redeemer:

I'm your child, I'm your servant,

    I'm your own beloved child...

 

For all of this I thank you, Lord,

    I praise your holy name:

you are my all, my greatest hope

    from whom all blessings flow... 

     

Amen.  

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NIGHT PRAYER: Thursday 5/14

I think I know the spot, Lord,

    deep within my soul,

    the place you call your dwelling,

    your home within my heart...

 

It's the place within me, Lord,

    that's most in need of mercy,

    most in need of healing

    and most in need of peace...

 

It's the lonely, empty place within

    where I most need your presence

    and the fullness of your spirit

    and your sweet, amazing grace...

 

It's the place within me, Lord,

    most in need of deeper faith,

    most in need of saving hope,

    most in need of healing love...

Where you come to dwell, Lord,

    is exactly where I need you; 

where you pitch your tent

    is where I need your shelter

and where you  make your home

    is where my lonely heart awaits you...

 

So please, Lord, find a dwelling place

    down deep within my heart

and make yourself to home there

    as I make my home in you...

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.

 

Dwelling Place by John Foley, SJ

  

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1) I fall on my knees to the Father of Jesus, 

The Lord who has shown us the Glory of God. 

 

2) May he in His love give us strength for our living 

The strength of His Spirit the Glory of God. 

 

May Christ find a dwelling place of faith in our hearts. 

May our lives be rooted in love, rooted in love. 

 

3) May grace and peace be yours in God our Father 

and in His Son.

 

May Christ find a dwelling place of faith in our hearts. 

May our lives be rooted in love, rooted in love.

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A moment of reflection on Ascension Thursday...

Remain true to yourself, but move ever upward 
    toward greater consciousness and greater love! 

 
At the summit you will find yourselves united 
    with all those who, from every direction, 
        have made the same ascent. 

 
For everything that rises must converge.
 

– Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

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Pause for Prayer: Ascension Thursday

                    The Ascension of Christ by Dali  

The perspective of Dali's Ascension never fails to draw me in!  The earthy feet of the Risen Jesus ascending into heaven to reign for ever at the Father's right hand in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

 

It's not Ascension Thursday everywhere!

Is it Ascension Thursday where you live? In some parts of the Catholic world, the observance of the Ascension has been transferred to this coming Sunday. Or perhaps your local church will celebrate the Ascension today. The answer can be found here.

You can find the scriptures for Ascension day here. This Preface prayer for the Ascension offers a brief theological summary of what the Church celebrates on this 40th day after Easter. The theology is in the verbs!

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks and praise. Today the Lord Jesus, the king of glory, the conqueror of sin and death, ascended to heaven while the angels sang his praises.

Christ, the mediator between God and humankind, judge of the world and Lord of all, has passed beyond our sight, not to abandon us but to be our hope. Christ is the beginning, the head of the Church; where he has gone, we hope to follow.

The joy of the resurrection and ascension renews the whole world, while the choirs of heaven sing for ever to your glory: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

The Ascension is so much more than just an exit line after the Resurrection! The Ascension of the Lord, home to his Father in heaven, fulfills Jesus' mission and brings it to completion. 

A Prayer for Ascension Thursday

Just 40 days after Easter, Lord:
    you brought your friends together,
        to say goodbye, to bid them all farewell...

Taking leave was bittersweet:
    the memory of what had been,
        the promise of what was yet to be;
    the pledge that on a day to come
        we'd all be one again, with you...

In your life, Lord, there'd been

    comings and goings, meeting and knowing;

    sorrow and sadness, miracles and joy;

    deserts and dinners, feasting and fasting;

    your preaching, parables, words of wisdom;

    comfort and conflict, judgment and suffering;

    surrender and sacrifice, dying and rising

        - and hope born again - 

    with the promise for all 

        of life without end...

You left your friends, Lord, 

    but didn't abandon them:
you promised your Spirit, the Spirit of truth

    to lead and guide, console and comfort;

to show us the path we're called to walk,

    the way that leads us home to you 

and to that day, still yet to come,

    when all will be one, forever in peace,

    when all will be one, again, in you... 

Amen.

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NIGHT PRAYER: Wednesday 5/13

I'm back from my (really great) 8 day silent retreat at Eastern Point in Gloucester.  I know many of your were praying for me while I was away - and I was praying for you, too!  Thus, tonight's prayer...

On my retreat, Lord,  

I had time and reason 

to remember and to pray for 

all the good people,

the really fine people 

who've been and who are

such a part of my life!

Generous people who selflessly give 

and give and give 

    - and then give some more...

 

Those who are kind,

so genuinely kind:

    no pretense, self-interest or guile...

 

Folks who forgive, Lord,

    quietly, quickly,

whose pardon is healing,

    deep in my soul... 

 

And the ones who are holy
    - and don’t even know it -

 whose holiness models 

    your grace and your peace...

 

Folks who are gentle

    in word and in deed,

never rough, never harsh,

    neither careless nor coarse...

 

Those who are strong

    and are there for support 

when I'm weak, when I'm sad,

    when I'm down, when I'm out...

 

The ones who are true 

    to conviction and conscience,

whose zeal never flags,

    whose faith never fades…

 

Friends who are honest

    in all that they say,

whose gift is the plain

    and unadorned truth...

Folks of compassion,

    with patience unending,

who listen with love

    while drying my tears...

 

People of prayer 

    who share their faith,
whose friendship is healing,

    is balm for my soul... 

 

Good people, Lord,
    so many good people

whose paths have crossed mine

    and become part of my life...

 
People, O Lord,
    more generous and kind,
        more forgiving and holy,
            more deeply convicted, faithful and true,
    more thoughtful and caring,
        stronger and gentler,
            more prayerful and pure
                than I in my sins... 

            I'm grateful, Lord, 

                for the gift of such friends,

                each a gift, a gem, a grace in my life;

            I pray that I'll learn from their loving ways

                to be such a friend

                    in grateful return... 

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. 

 

No doubt about it - tonight's song is very different!  It's not a Christian hymn or canticle, it's the work of an Indian guru who travels internationally speaking on peace and the practice of meditation.  A few of the references are drawn from Indian culture but there's a depth here that beautifully crosses any boundaries that may separate us...

 

My Friend Showed Me by Prem Rawat

   

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My friend showed me the business of divine,

My friend showed me the way to the one that’s mine.

In the silence of the heart where the truth aligns,

My friend showed me the business of divine.

 

In the open field it waited, lying hidden in clay,

Shining softly in sunlight 

    though the world just walked away.

Many passed without a glimmer, 

    never caught the sign,

But the true heart heard it whisper,

    lifted what was left behind.

 

My friend showed me the business of divine,

My friend showed me the way to the one that’s mine.

In the silence of the heart where the truth aligns,

My friend showed me the business of divine.

 

Everyone speaks of the jewel, 

    says they know the sacred thread,

But the knot of life stays tightened 

    while the truth remains unsaid.

Only those who dare to loosen 

    what is tangled in the mud

Feel the openin’ inside them, 

    see the treasure left behind.

 

My friend showed me the business of divine…

 

Blind are traveling in darkness, 

    blind ones leading blind,

Who will point toward the doorway? 

    Who will light the hidden sign?

Only love can lift the shadow, 

    only grace can clear the path,

Only guidance from the inward 

`frees us from the wanderer’s wrath.

 

My friend showed me the business of divine…

 

Like a fly caught deep in honey, 

`    wings are dreamin’ of the sky,

Sweetness holds it in its prison 

    though it longs to rise and fly.

Desire pulls and tightens softly, 

    every struggle just reminds,

Some dreams free you when awakened, 

    some dreams keep you stuck inside.

 

My friend showed me the business of divine…

 

Henna leaves look dull and quiet 

    till the fire of truth is stirred,

Kabir saw the hidden color 

    in the silence of the word.

When the heart becomes a canvas 

    and the being begins to shine,

Then the color of awakening 

    paints the business of divine.

 

My friend showed me the business of divine,

My friend showed me the way to the one that’s mine.

In the silence of the heart where the truth aligns,

My friend showed me the business of divine.

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Prayer for Mothers Day

On this second weekend in May we honor our own mothers and Mary, the mother of Jesus and our mother in faith...

 

 Mothers will be celebrated by their families this weekend in special ways. There will be flowers and sweets; phone calls from children who live too far away for a visit; cards and gifts; breakfast in bed or brunch or dinner at a nice restaurant.  Keep a place in your prayer this day for all the mothers who will rejoice with their families this Mothers Day weekend...

Some women will spend this Mothers' Day in anticipation of the birth of a child they're carrying - perhaps their first child - a child whose ultrasound image has already won the hearts of mom and dad. Other expectant mothers are making their way through the long process of adoption - or perhaps the arrival of their adopted love is just around the corner! Still others welcome children into their lives as their stepmother.  Keep a place in your prayer this Mothers' Day for those who are expecting the arrival of a child - and pray that both mother and child will be healthy...


I lost my mother in August of 1991. I love her and miss her but I can't say that Mothers' Day is as difficult day for me as I know it is for many others. Tougher for me than the second Sunday in May are all the times through the year when wonderful things are happening in my life, in my ministry, and I think, "I wish mom could be here for this!" Open a place in your heart to pray for those who miss the wonderful mother God gave them...


Some mothers have and raise children with no spouse to help and support them.  Some mothers have chosen this path but others have not. Let's keep a place in our prayer for those who know the burdens of single-parent mothering and, when able, open ourselves and our homes to offer what company and help we might give...


My heart goes out to women who want very much to be mothers but who, for any number of reasons, are unable to bear a child... I know this day can be difficult for them, even as they celebrate their own mothers with love and devotion. Let's keep a place in our prayer for women who long for a child with all their heart and soul...


I think of mothers around the world who live in abject poverty, who have no food for their children, no clothing, no health care, no decent shelter... I don't pretend to know or understand what must be the depths of their pain as they hold a malnourished child in their arms with no food to keep them from dying... Pray with me for change in our world to ensure that no mother, no child need face such desperation... And pray for those who even now work to bring food, clean water, clothing and shelter to those who have none...


Part of my ministry is to serve the bereaved... Just recently I celebrated the funeral of a wonderful woman, a fine mother, a woman with faith as great as it was simple, as beautiful as it was profound. Her family grieved and prayed for her and I know this Mothers' Day will be especially difficult for them. Let's keep a place in our prayer this weekend for those whose grief over losing their mother is fresh in their minds and hearts...


We live in world where children are born to families able and ready to care for them and we live in a world where millions of children will be hungry this Mother's Day.  We live in a world where some nations limit the number of children a couple may legally have.  And we live in a world where many champion the "right" to end the life of a child already conceived. For the mothers of all these children, and for their children, let us keep a place in our prayer this weekend...


Some children have mothers who failed to care for them. Their sons and daughters understand deeply the lyrics of that old song, "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child." And some mothers will be burdened today with memories of how they missed the signs of harm being done to their own by others.  Let's keep a place of prayer in our hearts for those whose hearts are heavy today...


Some mothers today will be forgotten by their children: no visit, no card, no call, no candy or flowers. Some mothers this day don't know where a son or daughter has gone or what has become of them. A mother's heart aches on this day for the child of her womb who has forgotten her or who has disappeared. Pray with me on this Mother's Day for women who wait for a call that will not come...


Many mothers will remember today a child they've lost to sickness, addiction, an accident, war or other violence, miscarriage or abortion.  A parent's grief for a child can be unfathomable - and a mother's grief is deeper than any. We Christians pray and believe that one day we shall see those who have gone before us and enjoy their love again. Keep a place in your heart for mothers who need the consolation of such faith and pray they'll trust that the Lord will indeed keep his word...

There are many places in the world where mothers are shielding their children from the threat of drone strikes or armed militia in the streets.  There are places where homeless mothers are caring for their children after war has destroyed their homes.  Offer a prayer for peace and an end to the violence that war visits upon poor and innocent families...


Some mothers today will not know or recognize their children when they come to visit. Time has robbed them of their memory of even those they love the most. Keep a place in your prayer today for mothers who may know their children in their heart of hearts but are unable to remember or speak their names. And pray for those sons and daughters who tell their mothers of their love, hoping that a mother's heart will hear what her mind no longer holds...


This Mothers' Day, we turn our hearts to Mary, the Mother of God, the Mother of Jesus and Mother of us all: Christ's sisters and brothers. With a mother's care she raised her Son and lived the joys and the grief that only a mother's heart can know. Whatever our spirits on this Mothers' Day weekend, the Mother of Jesus embraces us all, so let us pray...

Hail Mary: Gentle Woman 

   by Carey Landry,

        sung  by the Daughters of Saint Paul 

 

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Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women
And blest is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners now
And at the hour of death.
Amen.

Gentle woman, quiet light,
Morning star, so strong, so bright.
Gentle mother, peaceful dove,
Teach us wisdom, teach us love.

You were chosen by the Father,

You were chosen for the Son,

You were chosen from all women

and for woman, shining one...

Blessed are you among women,

blest in turn all women, too,

blessed they with peaceful spirits

blessed they with gentle hearts...

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