NIGHT PRAYER: Thursday 7/10

In September of 2016, Scott Staniar, a parishioner at Holy Family in Concord, spoke to me about the possibility of forming a men's prayer group.  Within a couple of months, with the assistance of Mike Robichaud and Jeff Hackman, the proposed prayer group was a reality with as many as 30 or more men participating on a monthly basis.  The meetings were faith-filled, Spirit-driven, genuinely Christian and vulnerably prayerful - which are also the terms I might use to speak of Scott who, just recently, at 61, ended his battle with cancer and claimed the victory promised him by Jesus.

 

I'm away for two months and won't be there for Scott's wake and funeral but I'll certainly be there in spirit and in prayer... 

 

If you knew Scott, you knew, without a doubt, that Scott had personally met Jesus, that they were the best of friends, and that the Spirit of Jesus was very much at home and alive in the depths of Scott's soul.  All of that and yet Scott's faith and its expression was never at all off-putting or overwhelming - to the contrary it was inviting, warm and respectful.  Scott's life humbly heralded the gospel of Jesus wherever he went, in word and deed.

 

Scott leaves behind his wife, Rita, their children Garth, Leslie, Kimberly, and Elizabeth, and his parents and his sister - and countless others whose lives were touched by his faith in so many ways and venues.  I'm one of those countless others and I thank God for that grace - as I pray for Scott, for all who love him, and for all whose lives were touched by his faith.

 

Let us pray...

 

We thank you on this night, O Lord,

for the men and women in our lives:

    in whose faces 

        we've seen your face,

    in whose words 

        we've heard your voice,

    through whose hands

        we've known your help, 

    in whose hearts

        we've found your love,

    in whose eyes

        we've seen your light, 

    in whose arms 

        we've felt your warmth,

    in whose presence

        we've found your peace...

    

We thank you on this night, O Lord,

for these holy women and men who were:

    your gifts to us,

    your grace for us,

    your blessing in our lives;

    your gentle touch of mercy,

    your spirit hovering near us,

    your love within our reach...

 

We thank you on this night, O Lord,

for all those you've called home:

    bathe them in your mercy, 

    welcome them to paradise,

    reward them for their labors

    and hold them in your arms' embrace 

    'til comes the day

    when we'll all meet again...

 

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.

 

Deep Peace by Sir John Rutter

   sung by Aled Jones 

 

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Pause for Prayer: THURSDAY 7/10

A friend on Facebook posted a verse from Psalm 34 as a reminder to pray for those who have suffered the floods in Texas.  Her scripture quote prompted my writing the prayer below for those who have died, those who are grieving and those who are working on recovery efforts  in Kerr County.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
He saves those crushed in spirit...

Psalm 34:18

 

Lord, we lift up to you the young and the old 

who suffered the death-dealing flood:

    take to your arms those who died

    and fill with peace the ones who survived...

 

Lord, we lift up to you those who grieve

the loss of family and friends:

    hold them all in the palm of your hand,

    gently, with care and compassion...

 

Lord, we lift up those who lost their homes,

who have no where to go, to live:

    raise up in your people a generous spirit

    to welcome them in with love...

 

Lord, we lift up the first responders

and those still seeking the missing:

    give them strength to do what must be done

    and rest from their sad, sad labor...

 

Lord, we lift up those who survived the floods,

whose families and homes are in tact:

    fill their souls with praise and thanksgiving

    and open their hearts to their neighbors' needs...

 

Stay close to the brokenhearted, Lord,

    and lift up those whose spirits have been crushed... 

 

Amen. 

 

The Brokenhearted by Scripture Melodies 

 

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In the depth of sorrow,
When tears fall like rain,
I find my solace,
In Your healing name.

The Lord is near,
To the brokenhearted,
Saves those crushed in spirit,
From their pain departed.

When my heart is shattered,
And hope seems dim,
I find my refuge,
In the arms of Him. Bridge:

Oh, healer of hearts,
Mend my soul,
With Your love,
Make me whole.

The Lord is near,
To the brokenhearted,
In His loving arms,
I am safely guarded.

 

 

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An anniversary!

Today is the 157th anniversary of the ratification of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. From its very beginning, it was intended to protect the rights of the oppressed, the persecuted, the poor.

 

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NIGHT PRAYER: Wednesday 7/9

I was watching a foreign film, Lord, 

when the thought crossed my mind:

   you never have need of subtitles...

 

You're fluent in every language there is:

no dialect is beyond your ken,

no jargon or idiom trips you up,

no regional accent confuses your ear,

all of it's in your vernacular,

every human tongue is native to you...

And the same holds true in the animal world

with its sounds and calls and songs:

    every hoot, howl, growl and grunt,

    every bark, bleat, warble and gobble

    every moo, meow, bellow and bray, 

yes, every last sound, a prayer to your ear, 

   understood, discerned and welcomed...

    

And then, Lord, there's me:

you discern every sound I utter,

    every word, phrase, sigh or cry,

    every moan, groan, laugh and giggle,

    all my open weeping and silent tears 

    my long harangues and my silence, too...

You understand the prayer in my heart

even when I'm not sure

what I want or need to pray for...

You hear my voice when it's silent,

when I've no words to speak,

no songs to sing, no sounds to make...  

You have no need for subtitles, Lord,

you understand

    all the words I speak,

    my heart's expression,

    my emotions' inflection,

    my clumsy rhetoric,

    my soul's stumbling diction

    - and my silence when that's all there is...

 

You have no need for subtitles, Lord,

you hear and know, intuit and understand,

you really get every word I speak

and all I want and mean to say

even when words fail to come 

to mind, to my heart, to my lips...

 

For always listening, always hearing

and always understanding me,

I praise and thank you, Lord...

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. 

 

God Who Understands by Henry Roe

 

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Pause for Prayer: WEDNESDAY 7/9

 

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NIGHT PRAYER: Tuesday 7/8

So...  I noticed that the first reading at mass today is the Genesis story of Jacob wrestling with an angel.  I recalled writing about that many years ago so I went deep into the archives (2007) and found what I was looking for.  Tonight's prayer then is preceded by that background on the Jacob story, followed by a Night Prayer...

Image by Wayne Forte

The first scripture at Mass today was the story of Jacob at Peniel.

Jacob was no angel, but he wrestled one.

In the course of the night, Jacob arose, took his two wives, children and servants and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had taken them across the stream and had brought over all his possessions, Jacob was left there alone. Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. When the man saw that he could not prevail over him, he struck Jacob's hip at its socket, so that the hip socket was wrenched as they wrestled.

The man then said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go until you bless me.""What is your name?" the man asked. He answered, "Jacob."

Then the man said, "You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel, because you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed." Jacob named the place Peniel, "Because I have seen God face to face," he said, "yet my life has been spared."

At sunrise, as he left Peniel, Jacob limped along because of his hip. That is why, to this day, the children of Israel do not eat the sciatic muscle that is on the hip socket, inasmuch as Jacob's hip socket was struck at the sciatic muscle.

Some say Jacob wrestled with an angel, some say he wrestled with God. The scripture tells us he "contended with divine and human beings" and prevailed. It's also suggested that the wrestling match here is Flesh Vs. Spirit in Jacob's heart.

Whoever are the opponents here, we know several things for sure. Jacob was no angel. His name in Hebrew means "trickster" and indeed he had cheated his brother Esau out of his birthright. Even here in Genesis 32, Jacob is hustling off in the dark of night to escape his brother's advance on him and it's then that the wrestling event ensues.

The story may suggest a few questions for reflection and prayer:

What kind of spiritual wrestling do I engage in?

Angels are God's messengers: how do I wrestle with God's messages to me in the scriptures? in Church teaching?  in my prayer?  in my conscience?

Do  I try to wrestle with God himself? Does something within (hurt, anger, disappointment) prod me to square off with God, hoping to pin and submit him to my own will and way?

Or is it the struggle between the flesh and spirit that provides the mat on which I wrestle with choices I make in life and their consequences?

The good news in the Jacob story is that God respects my efforts and allows me to survive my match with the Divine. I survive not because  I am the superior contestant but rather because God calls the match before I suffer defeat. But I don't escape unscathed when I go up against God. His strong hold leaves its mark on me or, as in the case of Jacob's hip, deep within me. But it's a healing mark: I'm branded, tattooed, by my encounter with the Divine.

We all wrestle with issues human and divine, flesh and spirit. Some of us may be in the first period of the match and some of us may be limping away from the mat! Our divine opponent respects our efforts and, though greater and stronger than us, will never take advantage of our weaknesses.

 

For Night Prayer, keep this scripture in mind and heart:

"My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is made perfect in weakness,"
says the Lord.
I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses,
in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.
Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults,
hardships, persecutions, and constraints,
for the sake of Christ;
for when I am weak, then I am strong... "

 

I know that it's in my weakness, Lord,
and in my facing, accepting my powerlessness,
that I’ll come to know your strength
and welcome your grace to dwell in me
and to surrender myself
to your loving, strong embrace...

When I boast of my own strength,
I fail, Lord...

When I count on my own power,
I'm soon defeated...

When I believe that I can change my ways
- without confessing my sins
and my need for you -
I get lost in confusing circles,
on paths that lead me back once again
to the weakness of my own efforts…

I'm so often lost in doubt and fear
though I know you're there by my side, Lord,
waiting for me to surrender,
to free fall from my foolish pride
into your arms, into your hands,
outstretched to catch and save me...

Help me name my weaknesses, Lord,

help me face them, even boast of them:
that I might let go what holds me back
and gladly welcome into my soul,
your strength, your power,
your presence, your peace…

Send your Spirit to free me
from all my constraints:
to unlock the shackles of habit,
to loosen the bonds of fear,
to untie the ropes of self-doubt,
to free me from all that holds me back
from becoming the person you made me to be..,

In some small ways that I can see, Lord,
help me find in my weakness
your promise of strength,
your victory, your peace and your grace…

In my wrestling with you,
defeat me, Lord!
Let your mercy conquer
my sins and my failings!
Let the strength of your grace
overcome my pride!
With all that you have,
overwhelm me, Lord:
your victory, the prize I seek...

In the quiet of my prayer, right now, Lord,
help me trust that you’re by my side…

In the quiet of my prayer, right now, Lord,
open my heart to your love and your grace…

In the quiet of my prayer, right now, Lord,
let me boast of my weakness
as the path, the portal
to my finding my strength in you...

In the stillness of my prayer, let me free fall
into the peace you hold out for me -
and catch me and save me now, Lord,
in your strong and outstretched 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.

 

Reading the story of Jacob near the top of this post

    will help you appreciate this song... 

 

Jacob's Song by Gabrielle Ariana 

 

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Pause for Prayer: TUESDAY 7/8

Who wants war, Lord?

 

In the face of international conflict,

    who prefers armed conflict to diplomacy?

     

Who wants to settle territorial disputes

    by starving and bombing some people 

        who've crossed a line on a map?

 

Who wants to send their sons and daughters

    to fight a war in a foreign land? 

 

Would you take a survey for us, Lord?

Would you poll all the people of the world

    and ask them the questions above? 

Ask all the people, Lord, and not just those

    in the war rooms and board rooms,

ask all the people, Lord:

    Who wants war? 

 

I know my questions are simple,

    perhaps naive and too idealistic, 

but it brings me comfort, Lord, 

    to consider things as they ought to be, 

    as you desire them to be,

    as you call us to shape the world

    and live together in it...

 

Who wants war? 

Not too many, Lord,

    as I think your poll would reveal...

 

Who wants war?

Not the powerless poor, 

    the most innocent victims...

 

Who wants war?

 

No one in their right mind

    wants war, Lord....

 

No one who reveres life

    wants war, Lord... 

 

No one who seeks peace

    wants war, Lord...

 

No one who walks your path

    wants war, Lord... 

 

None who love their neighbor

    want war, Lord... 

 

No one who loves you

    wants war, Lord... 

 

Help us, Lord, we pray,

    to stop waging wars

        we do not want...

 

Amen. 

 

     

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NIGHT PRAYER: Monday 7/7

 

I wrote this prayer 11 years ago and have posted it several times over the past decade. The fact that it still "fits me" is a confession of how slowly I grow in the spiritual life -and- a testimony to God's merciful patience with me!  Here's the latest version of this prayer... 

 

Lord, sometimes I look back upon the last few days, the week just past - or even over months and years - and catch a glimpse or two (or more) of how your grace has brought me to the present moment through all those trials and troubles that seemed, 

even yesterday, to be impossible, irreparable, impassable...

But, here I am tonight, Lord! I've made it through these days and months and years - and only with your help and by your grace...

 

No, not everything has been resolved  - but here I am - tonight - with you - and that's a very good place for me to be... 

Sometimes, Lord, I only glimpse your grace when I look in the rearview mirror. I so often fail to see your helping hand in all the ways you reach out to help, encourage and support me. You lift me up when I am down... You lead me on when I hang back... You draw me out of my resentment, my anger and self-pity...

I let myself get in the way, Lord:  I look down instead of up, I look in instead of out, I think the worst and not the best, I give up hope when hope's exactly what I need the very most...

I get in the way, Lord: I close my eyes and ears, my mind and heart... I miss the ways you're there, right there by my side, to protect and guard and guide me...

I get in my own way, Lord, and I stumble and trip over disappointment, fear and worry.  I get in my own way and fail to see you're there for me in just the ways I need you.  I get in my own way, Lord, and miss the many ways you call to me: 

    Wake up! Get up! Shape up! 

    Lean on me!  Depend on me! Rely on me!    

    And remember that I'm always with you,  

       right by your side...

One day at a time is all you ask of me, Lord, and every day is just how often you reach out : to help me through, to lead me through, to get me through, to carry me through all the toil, troubles and trials that seemed, just yesterday, last week, last month, last year, to be impossible, impassable, irreparable...

Open my mind and heart, Lord... open my eyes and ears and all my senses to your presence all around me and to all the grace you offer me - each and every day - just one day at a time...

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.

 

See Me Through It by Brandon Heath

 

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MONDAY MORNING OFFERING: 7/7

Image: George Mendoza

Good morning, good God!

We come this morning to offer hearts, Lord,

    filled to overflowing with distress and sorrow

        at the tragic news from Kerr County...

 

So much of the time, the Guadalupe

    is life-giving, calm and beautiful...

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

But a combination of topography, geology, and climate

    give rise to deadly flash floods 

        thundering through Texas Hill Country...

 

So as we pray, Lord, we ask..

 

How can disaster be natural?   

Why does creation turn in on itself?

How can water, 

    a life-giving blessing,

become in a flash, 

    a death-dealing curse?

 

We ask, Lord, and we pray... 

 

We join the church in Texas, Lord,

    in the words of the prayer they're offering:

 

God of Mercy and Shelter,
In this time of devastation and loss, 

    we lift up our hearts to You.
Be close to all who suffer 

    from the flooding in our communities.
Embrace those who mourn,
    shelter the displaced,
    strengthen the weary,
    and inspire all of us 

    to offer loving assistance to those in need...*
 

We offer our prayers and our help...

 

Lord, have mercy on your people!

 

Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison! 

 

*Archdiocese of San Antonio, Texas 

 

After the Flood 

    by David Bjorlin and Mark Miller

 

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After the flood what can remain
but shattered homes and lasting pain
the ground is wrecked by rubble and blood 

as wastelands widen after the flood

 

Kyrie eleison!

Christe eleison!

Kyrie eleison!

 

After the flood, frail hope appears

from seeds we’ve watered with our tears

and tender shoots spring up from the mud

as life emerges after the flood.

 

After the flood, repairs are planned;

the helpers come to lend a hand

and beauty blossoms four from the bud

as God renews us after the flood

 

 

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NIGHT PRAYER: Sunday 7/6

Sunday's Night Prayer usually takes its lead from the day's liturgy but since it's still the weekend of the Fourth, we'll let the our nation's blessings and problems bring us to prayer...

 

Help us keep in mind and heart, Lord, that

Independence was declared with perfect unanimity...

 

Oh,  discord and division there had been 

- but then let go -

for the sake of something greater, 

something stronger,

something nobler: 

the welfare of the whole...

 

The rights of all as equals numbered three,

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,

rights were understood to be

self-evident, unalienable,

endowed on each and all 

by you, Lord, our Creator...

But now in our pride and greed:

we argue and debate the self-evident,

we deny and restrict the unalienable, 

we trade liberty for license,

mistake pleasure for happiness

and redefine the terms

of what once we held so dear... 

We've forgotten so much, Lord

when there's so much to remember,

to repent of and reform,

to restore and redirect

to recover and reshape... 

 

In those who govern our nation, Lord,

in those who mete out justice,

in those who make the law,

and in the minds and hearts of all:

stir up love and devotion 

to those simple self-evident truths

that long ago laid the foundation

of this country we call home...

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.

 

Tonight's music is a simple, instrumental variation on a familiar patriotic song.  Listen for the moment when the melody itself feels the pain of all we've forgotten - and then moves on to what can be ours again - if we would only remember...  

 

Improvisation on America the Beautiful

   by Jeffrey Kahane

 

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