Category Archive

GLORY TO GOD ON HIGH

Praise be to the Holy Trinity!
God sound & life,
Creator of the Universe,
Source of all life,
whom the angels sing;
wondrous Light of all mysteries
unknown to humankind,
& life that lives in all.
~ Hildegard of Bingen

TO GOD WITH LOVE

Good Jesu,
fountain of love:
fill me with thy love,
absorb me into thy love,
compass me with thy love,
that I may see all things
in the light of thy love,
receive all things as tokens of thy love,
speak of all things
in words breathing of thy love,
win, through thy love
others to thy love,
be kindled, day by day,
with a new glow of thy love,
until I be fitted to enter
into thine everlasting love,
to adore thy love
& love to adore thee,
my God & my all.
~ Edward Bouverie Pusey

MY SOURCE & MY DESTINATION

Thee, God, I come from, to thee go,
All day long I like fountain flow
From thy hand out, swayed about
Mote-like in thy mighty glow.

What I know of thee I bless,
As acknowledging thy stress
On my being and as seeing
Something of thy holiness.

Once I turned from thee and hid,
Bound on what thou hadst forbid;
Sow the wind I would; I sinned:
I repent of what I did.
~ Gerard Manley Hopkins

THE COLLECT FOR TODAY

Almighty God,
who in the passion of your blessed Son
made an instrument of painful death
to be for us the means of life & peace:
grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ
that we may gladly suffer for his sake.

THE COLLECT FOR THE FOURTEENTH SUNDAY
AFTER TRINITY

Almighty God
whose only Son has opened for us
a new
& living way
into your presence:
give us pure hearts
& steadfast wills
to worship you
in spirit
& in truth…

IN CREATION-TIME

God said, ‘Let the waters be gathered together,
and let dry land appear.’
We thank you for the beauty of the earth,
for the diversity of land and sea,
for the resources of the earth.
Give us the will to cherish this planet
and to use its riches for the good and welfare of all.
God of life: hear our prayer.

THE HEAVINESS OF HEAVEN

Gather us together, O Lord,
that our diversity
may not be the cause of strain
the one tugging against the other,
but rather may be offered to you
& lifted up,
no longer a burden
but a joy.

PRAYER & PURPOSE

”As the pillar supports the edifice,
so does the praise of God
support the mind.”
~ Guru Arjan Dev
So as we offer you our worship, Lord,
bring us to our right senses
that we may see our true place
in the world you have made for us.

A CELTIC PRAYER

As it was,
As it is,
As it shall be
Evermore,
O Thou Triune
Of grace!
With the ebb,
With the flow,
O Thou Triune
Of grace!
With the ebb,
With the flow.

THE COLLECT FOR
THE TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Almighty & everlasting God
you are always more ready to hear
than we to pray
& to give more
than either we desire or deserve:
pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy,
forgiving us those things
of which our conscience is afraid
& giving us those good things
which we are not worthy to ask
but through Christ’s merits & mediation.

STANDING FIRM

Like John the Baptist, O Lord,
may I not be blown about
by every passing wind,
but rather be driven forward
by the power of your purpose
in the strength of your Spirit.

REFRESHMENT

God of life,
there are days when the burdens we carry
chafe our shoulders & wear us down;
when the road seems dreary & endless,
the skies gray & threatening;
when our lives have no music in them
& our hearts are lonely,
& our souls have lost their courage.
Flood the path with light, we beseech you;
turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise.
~ St Augustine of Hippo

A PARENT’S PRAYER

Lord, I place in your hands
my children who have now grown up
& in some ways grown away from me.
Where sadness & annoyances
invade my heart
check my frustrations
& give me grace to become one
whose words do not wound but heal.
Let me build bridges of understanding
between one generation & another
that they in turn may become parents
who affirm those who depend upon them.

DURING RAMADAN

Praise be to you God,
ever unmatched in power & greatness,
from & to eternity.

Yours is the glory that excels,
You are the One the only,
the ever living, the all sufficient,
the disposer who brings into being
& makes to pass away,
the arbiter of will who decrees & decides & determines,
in whose power resides all lapsing
& receding & approaching in the world of things.

You are the listener, the observer,
who hide us in your Grace,
who surveys all that we conceal
or that we disclose,
the King who bestows & withholds,
who brings together & who puts apart,
who enriches & makes poor.

You are the One who speaks
the eternal word from of old
which never perishes & never fades.

~ Taharat al-Qulub

REPLY

You speak words of promise,
and we answer.
A thousand times we answer,
in a thousand tongues–
we answer in hymns of praise,
we answer in songs of thanksgiving,
we answer in lyrics of gladness,
we answer in candour about hurt,
we answer in abrasive anger,
we answer in deep abandonment.

We answer & draw close to you.
And in answering we are changed:
given freedom,
come to truth,
bound in obedience.

We answer & are yours, all yours,
not our own,
yours, &glad that we belong to
you our faithful Saviour.

~ Walter Brueggemann

THE COLLECT FOR
THE FEAST OF ST BARTHOLOMEW
(adapted)

Almighty & everlasting God
who gave to your apostle Bartholomew
grace
truly to believe
& to preach your word:
grant that we
may love that word
which he believed
& may faithfully receive
& pass on that same word.

A PRAYER FOR RAMADAN

On this day,
take me closer towards your will,
bring me nearer to your delight.
Keep me far from your anger
& grant me by your mercy
the opportunity
to hear & repeat your word.
~ From a prayer for today
the second day of Ramadan

RESOLVE

These things,
good Lord,
that we pray for,
give us
thy grace
to labour for.
~ Sir Thomas More

CALM

Give me
a bomb-proof constitution,
God,
a spirit to withstand
this rain-soaked life.
Fortify my faith
to face the fire…
~ Gerard Kelly

DEPENDABILITY

Work as if everything depended
upon work
& pray as if everything depended
upon prayer.
~ William Booth

Be with us, Lord, in our work
& be with us in our prayer
that we may know
that the answer to prayer
& the result of our labour
depends not upon us
but upon you.

FOR GUIDANCE

O God,
who has taught us
to come apart from the world
& rest awhile,
help us to set aside all our cares & concerns
that we may look upon
the brightness of your Being,
& think only of your power & love.
Ease the tension of our bodies
& set our minds at rest,
that we may be ready to receive
that which you are ready to give.
Help us to lose ourselves
in the wonder of your presence
that we may find ourselves
renewed to do your will.
~ Ted Ferris

OUR OWN INADEQUACY…

Lord, I follow you,
but I can only come
at your bidding.
No one can make the ascent
without you,
for you are my way,
my truth,
my life,
my strength,
my confidence,
my reward.
Be the way that receives me,
the truth that strengthens me,
the life that invigorates me.
~ St Ambrose

DEALING WITH ANGER

For violence
I have committed mentally,
For violence
I have committed verbally,
For violence
I have committed physically,
I ask forgiveness.
~ A Jain Prayer

CARRY ON PRAYING

Lord of heaven & earth,
your Son taught his disciples
to be persistent in prayer:
give us the patience & courage
never to lose hope
but always to bring our prayers to you
in his name.

~ The C of E Shorter Collect for Today

FOR THE FEAST
OF THE VIRGIN MARY

Almighty God,
who looked upon the lowliness
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
& chose her to be the mother of your only Son:
Grant that we who are redeemed by his blood
may share with her
in the glory of your eternal kingdom.

FEAR BY ANOTHER NAME

Courage
is fear
that has said its prayers.
~ Dorothy Bernard
As today we remember with thanksgiving
the life of Maximilian Kolbe
may we like him lead a life of prayer
that death may have
no more dominion
over our lives
or over our world.

A HAPPIER HOROSCOPE

A wise man shall overrule his stars,
and have a greater influence
upon his own content
than all the constellations & planets
of the firmament.
~ Jeremy Taylor

Lord, give us the determination
to master our own destiny.

A MOTHER’S PRAYER

He looks so little
as he struggles up the high steps
of the school bus!
Please, Lord, reach down
& give him a boost
~ the first of many he’ll need
through the big steps
& high climbs
of future lessons in living!
Thanks, Lord, for being there to help
when I can’t be.
~ Mary Sue H. Rosenberger

THE SCENT OF THE SPIRIT

Dear Jesus,
help me to spread your fragrance
wherever I go.
Flood my soul with your spirit & life.
Penetrate & possess my whole being so utterly
that my life may only be
a radiance of yours.
Shine through me
& be so in me that every soul I come in contact with
may feel your presence in my soul.
Let them look up & see no longer me,
but only Jesus!
Stay with me
& then I will begin to shine as you shine,
so to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from you;
none of it will be mine.
It will be you,
shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise you
in the way which you love best,
by shining on those around me.
Let me preach you without preaching,
not by words but by example,
by the catching force,
the sympathetic influence of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love
my heart bears for you.
~ a prayer inspired by John Henry Newman
recited daily by the sisters
of the Community of Mother Teresa

REMEMBER THE POOR

Wherever they are,
wherever we are,
may we not forget them.
However hard pressed we are,
however hard pressed they are,
may we never forget them.
Whatever it takes,
may we not forget them…
knowing that whatever it takes
we will receive, Lord, from you.
~ Adrian Benjamin
for the Feast of St Lawrence

REFRESHMENT

Gracious Father,
revive your family the Church
in this our day:
make her holy,
make her strong
& make her faithful
for your glory’s sake.
~ The Shorter Collect
for today,
The 9th Sunday after Trinity
(The C of E’s Common Worship)

ENCOUNTERING THE NIGHT

“When it is dark enough
you can see the stars.”
~ Charles A. Beard
Lord, come with us
when we find ourselves approaching
the valley of shadows,
that in them we may see
the outlines of your light.

THE PLACE OF MEETING

When one knows thee,
then alien there is none,
then no door is shut.
Oh, grant me my prayer
that I may never lose
touch of the one
in the play of the many.
~ Rabindranath Tagore

For
THE FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION

Father in heaven,
whose Son Jesus Christ
was wonderfully transfigured
before chosen witnesses
upon the holy mountain,
& spoke of the exodus
he would accomplish at Jerusalem:
Give us strength to hear his voice
& to bear our cross
that in the world to come
we may see him as he is.

For
LAILAT-UL-BARAH
The Islamic Night of Forgiveness

God, truly You have said in your Word,
“Call onto Me and I will answer you.’
We have called onto You, O Lord.
So forgive us in accordance with Your command.
For You do not break your promises.
Our Lord, truly we have heard
the caller calling us to faith:
‘Believe in your Lord.’
And, ‘O Lord, we have believed.
Then forgive us our trespasses
& rid us of our iniquities.
O Lord, in you have we trusted,
to you we have returned.
Yours is the ordering.
Forgive us, O Lord,
& forgive our brethren
who have preceded us in the faith.
Let there be no ill will
towards those who have believed.
For You are kindly & merciful.
O Lord, Make our light complete
& forgive us.
You art powerful over all things.
I take refuge with You.
~ Adiyat al-Tawaf

FOR PRIESTS

O Father, raise up among us
numerous & holy vocations
to keep the faith alive
and guard the gracious memory of your Son
through the preaching of his word
& the administration of the Sacraments,
with which you continually renew your faithful.
Give us holy ministers of your altar,
who are careful & fervent guardians of the Eucharist,
the sacrament of the supreme gift of Christ
for the redemption of the world.
Call ministers of your mercy,
who, through the sacrament of Reconciliation,
spread the joy of your forgiveness.
~ Pope Benedict XVI

A QUAKER PRAYER

Eternal lover of thy children,
bring us into thy life,
make us sharers in thy love
& transmitters of it.
Help us to become serene & patient
in the midst of our frustrations,
but at the same time
make us heroic adventurers,
brave, gentle, tender,
but without fear
& with radiant faces.
Rufus Jones
1863 ~ 1948

THE CRUNCH & THE CRUMBS

Lord God,
your Son left the riches of heaven
& for our sake became poor:
when we prosper
save us from pride
& when we are needy,
save us from despair,
that we may at all times
trust in you alone.

HUNGER FOR JUSTICE

Giver of breath and bread,
we give thanks for the food
that graces our table
and for the labour of farm workers
whose hands pick, lift, pack and carry
the vegetables and fruits we enjoy.
As this food nourishes our bodies,
may our spirits receive the energy
to seek with them the justice
they so rightfully deserve.
~ A Table Prayer
of the National Farm Worker Ministry

FOR GENEROSITY

Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give & not to count the cost,
to fight & not to heed the wounds,
to toil & not to seek for rest,
to labour & not to ask for reward,
save that of knowing that I do your will.
~ The Prayer of St Ignatius Loyola

PUBLIC LIFE & PRIVATE PRAYER

“Of all things,
guard against neglecting God
in the secret place of prayer.”
~ William Wilberforce

Lord, as we attempt
to follow the example
of William Wilberforce
in his work in the world,
may we also remember
how the strength for this task
must be drawn from times
listening in quietness for your voice.

THE HOME AT BETHANY

Lord, your Son graciously received
the hospitality of the home at Bethany.
May we be ready both to receive & give
the welcome of friendship,
the joy of a shared table.
With Martha may we serve,
with Mary may we listen
& with Lazarus may we discover
a love stronger than death itself.

THE PILGRIM WAY

Control me, O my God,
gently, pervasively,
irresistibly, increasingly;
so that I walk my pilgrim way
steadily & in a sure light;
so that I neither dally nor disobey,
nor slip aside,
nor stand still,
nor sink down.

~ Eric Milner-White

RELAX: RELY ON GOD

O Lord God,
in whom we live and move and have our being,
open our eyes that we may behold
thy presence ever with us.
Draw our hearts to thee
with the power of thy love.
Teach us to be anxious for nothing,
and when we have done what thou givest us to do,
help us, O God our Saviour,
to leave the issue to thy wisdom.
Take from us all doubt and mistrust.
Lift our hearts up to thee in heaven,
and make us to know
that all things are possible to us
through thy Son our Redeemer.
~ Brooke Foss Westcott

THIS SUNDAY’S COLLECT

Lord of all power & might,
the author & giver of all good things:
graft in our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness,
& of your great mercy keep us in the same.

THE COLLECT FOR THE FEAST OF ST JAMES

Merciful God,
we pray that as your holy apostle Saint James
left his father & all that he had
& obeyed the calling
of your Son Jesus Christ
even to death:
so may we forsake every selfish desire
& be ready at all times
to answer your call.

A SUMMER PRAYER

May you breathe in the beauty of summer
with its power of transformation.
May this beauty permeate
all that feels un-beautiful to you.
May you seek & find places of repose
during theses summer months.
May these moments refresh & restore
the tired places in you.

May the God of summer give us rest.

FROM A RASTAFARIAN PRAYER

O God of divine majesty,
may your spirit come within our hearts
to dwell in our righteous parts,
that the hungry be fed,
the sick nourished,
the aged protected,
& the infant cared for.
Teach us love & loyalty as it is in Zion.
Deliver us from the hands of our enemy
that we may prove faithful for the last day…
O give us a place in your kingdom
forever & ever.
Hear & bless us & sanctify us,
& cause your loving face
to shine upon us your children
that we may be saved.

THE COLLECT FOR TODAY

Almighty God,
whose Son restored Mary Magdalene
to health of body & mind
& called her to be a witness to his resurrection:
forgive our sins & heal us by your grace,
that we may serve you
in the power of his risen life.

SCARY?

“The eternal silence
of these infinite spaces
terrifies me.”
~ Blaise Pascal
Lord, as we explore your creation,
may we discover those angels
who visit our planet,
with the words,
“Fear not.”

SPACES ABOVE & WITHIN

Two things fill the mind
with wonder & reverence:
the star-lit heavens above me,
& the moral law within me.
~ Immanuel Kant
Lord, may we never be intimidated
by either the vastness of outer space
or the complexities of conscience,
but rather seek to discover
within ourselves & beyond ourselves
the skill of your creative hand.

GOD’S DAILY MIRROR

Creator God,
you make us to reflect your being
& show your likeness in your world:
in all that we see
may we discover your doings
& in all that we do,
help others discover
what you are about.

CONSTANCY IN LOVE

Lord, let me strive with might & main along the path,
Let me search it out & accustom myself thoroughly to it,
To that end let me remain steadfast
In love towards all beings in all the worlds;
And still to that to direct my mind again and again until,
I have gone far beyond the transitory, and have gained the real.
~ The Buddhist Milinda’s Prayer

FOR TRUST

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you
and I hope that I have that desire
in all that I am doing.
And I know that if I do this,
you will lead me by the right road
although I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death,
I will not fear,
for you are ever with me
and you will never leave me
to face my perils alone.
~ Thomas Merton

FOR GOOD HEALTH

Heavenly Father,
giver of life & health:
comfort & restore those who are sick,
that they may be strengthened
in their weakness
& have confidence
in your unfailing love.
~ among the prayers
recently issued by the Church of England
for use as swine flu spreads

A PRAYER OF ST BONAVENTURE

Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus,
my inmost soul
with the most joyous and healthful wound
of Thy love,
and with true, calm and most holy apostolic charity,
that my soul may ever languish and melt
with entire love and longing for Thee,
may yearn for Thee and for thy courts,
may long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.
Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee,
the Bread of Angels,
the refreshment of holy souls,
our daily and super substantial bread,
having all sweetness and savour
and every delightful taste.
May my heart ever hunger after
and feed upon Thee,
Whom the angels desire to look upon,
and may my inmost soul be filled
with the sweetness of Thy savour;
may it ever thirst for Thee,
the fountain of life,
the fountain of wisdom and knowledge,
the fountain of eternal light,
the torrent of pleasure,
the fullness of the house of God;
may it ever compass Thee,
seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee,
come up to Thee, meditate on Thee,
speak of Thee,
and do all for the praise and glory of Thy name,
with humility and discretion,
with love and delight,
with ease and affection,
with perseverance to the end;
and be Thou alone ever my hope,
my entire confidence,
my riches, my delight, my pleasure,
my joy, my rest and tranquillity,
my peace, my sweetness, my food,
my refreshment, my refuge, my help,
my wisdom, my portion, my possession,
my treasure;
in Whom may my mind and my heart
be ever fixed and firm and rooted immovably.

THE COLLECT COMMEMORATING KEBLE

Grant, O God,
that in all time of our testing
we may know your presence
& obey your will;
that, following the example
of your servant John Keble,
we may accomplish with integrity & courage
what you give us to do,
& endure what you give us to bear.

YEARNING & DISCERNING

Sift, O Lord, my wantings
& shape within me the words
to think them through.
With your Spirit’s aid may I discern
how my own needs
might coincide with yours,
& how my wanting
might be one with what others want.
Then, O Lord, help me
to rein back those desires that have no place
in the longing you have for your world
& spur on my will to attain
all for which you & I can together yearn.

FOR SEA SUNDAY

Lord God, who cares for all creation
and in particular for all human life,
we pray for those who sail the seas
to bring us all kinds of food and goods
on which we depend.
May they be given
courage when they are in danger;
friendship when they are lonely;
strength when they feel weary;
and hope when they feel discouraged,
so that they may return to loved ones
with the knowledge of a good job done.
~ Missions to Seafarers

THE PRAYER OF ST BENEDICT

O gracious & holy Father,
give us wisdom to perceive you,
a mind to understand you,
diligence to seek you,
patience to wait for you,
eyes to behold you,
a heart to meditate upon you,
& a life to proclaim you.

BENEATH THE SURFACE

O God,
forgive the poverty
& the pettiness of our prayers.
Listen not to our words
but to the yearnings of our hearts.
Hear beneath our petitions
the crying of our need.
~ Peter Marshall

MARTYRDOM

Magnified be Thy name,
O God, the Lord of heaven!
Attire my head
with the crown of martyrdom,
even as Thou didst attire my body
with the ornament of tribulation
before all that dwell in Thy land.
Grant, moreover,
that they whose hearts yearn over Thee
may draw nigh unto the horizon of Thy grace,
above which the Day-Star of Thy beauty
sheddeth its radiance.
Ordain, also, for them
what will make them rich enough
to dispense with aught else except Thee,
and rid them of all attachment
to such as have repudiated Thy signs.

There is none other God but Thee,
the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting.

~ Bahá’u’lláh

TIDE’S REACH

Leave me alone with God
as much as may be.
As the tide draws the waters
close in upon the shore,
Make me an island, set apart,
alone with you, God, holy to you.
Then with the turning of the tide
prepare me to carry your presence
to the busy world beyond,
the world that rushes in on me
till the waters come again
and fold me back to you.
~ A prayer of St Aidan, from Sheffield Cathedral

A BUDDHIST PRAYER FOR JOY

May all be happy,
& have cause to be happy.
May all be free from sorrow,
& from what causes their sorrow.
And may all live in equanimity,
without too much attachment
or too much aversion,
& live believing in the equality
of all that lives.

THOMAS MORE’S PRAYER

O Lord,
give us a mind
that is humble, quiet, peaceable,
patient & charitable,
& a taste of your Holy Spirit
in all our thoughts, words, & deeds.
O Lord,
give us a lively faith, a firm hope,
a fervent charity, a love of you.
Take from us
all lukewarmness in meditation
& all dullness in prayer.
Give us fervour & delight
in thinking of you, your grace,
& your tender compassion toward us.

Give us,
good Lord,
the grace to work for
the things we pray for.

~ Sir Thomas More

SUNDAY’S COLLECT

O God,
the protector of all who trust in you,
without whom
nothing is strong, nothing is holy:
increase & multiply upon us your mercy;
that with you as our ruler & guide
we may so pass through
things temporal
that we lose not our hold on
things eternal.

FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY

Even as people take pride
in their national independence,
we know we are becoming more and more
interdependent.
~ Bill Clinton

God, you give us freedom.
May we use it
in service of others
& our independence
in acknowledging
our reliance on one another.

TODAY’S COLLECT

Almighty & eternal God,
who, for the firmer foundation of our faith,
allowed your holy apostle Thomas
to doubt the resurrection of your Son
till word & sight convinced him:
grant to us, who have not seen,
that we also may believe
& so to confess Christ
as our Lord & our God.

THE AUTHOR’S AUTHORITY

Life is God’s novel.
Let him write it.
~ Isaac Bashevis Singer

Lord,
as best I can,
I offer you this day
as a clean sheet of paper.
Without distractions, preconceptions
& the urging of my own will,
may I wait for you to write my story.

THE UPWARD PATH

“We are called to live
a spirituality of the road,
not of the balcony.”
~ David Bosch

Be with us on our journey, Lord,
that with you we may find new places,
& crossing borders.
Be with us too when our journey,
like all real journeys,
leads to weariness & disorientation.
Be with us in loneliness
& in our company along the way.

FOR THE RIGHT USE OF POWER

“When the government fears the people,
there is liberty.
When the people fear the government
there is tyranny. ”
~ Thomas Jefferson

Teach us, O Lord,
not the ways of fear but of respect;
that those in power
& those whom they rule
may respect each other,
support each other
& enable each other
to seek the common good.

TRANSFORMING GRACE

Pursuing,
shepherding,
& converting God,
your risen Son appeared
to both Peter and Paul,
undoing their past,
claiming them for the work of your Church,
sending them out as witnesses
to a deeper love.
Undo & claim us,
that we too may finish the race
that you have set before us
in our day & age.

FOR A SHARE IN GOD’S BOUNTEOUSNESS

Lord,
sink your generosity deep into our lives
that your muchness may expose our false lack
that endlessly receiving, we may endlessly give,
so that the world may be made Easter new,
without greedy lack, but only wonder
without coercive need, but only love
without destructive greed, but only praise.
~ Walter Bruegermann

FOR A SENSE OF PURPOSE

Let me not wander in vain.
Let me not labour in vain.
Let me not mingle with the prejudiced.
Let me not leave the company of the virtuous.
let me not fly into anger.
Let me not stray off the path of goodness.
Let me not seek for this day
or for the morrow.
Give me such a wealth, O Almighty!
~ The Hindu poet Pattinatar

FOR THOSE BEING ORDAINED

Spirit of life & love,
enter we pray into our hearts & lives
& particularly into the life of those
who are now accepting
the responsibilities & obligations of ministry.
May they find fulfilment of purpose
as they give of themselves
sharing their talents as they join
in the attempt to make this world
a better place for all.
May they be imbued with
a spirit of compassion for those in need;
a spirit of wisdom to deal with the problems
that beset their parishioners;
a courageous spirit of humility
to recognize their limitations;
& above all, the spirit of love
as they minister to all sorts & conditions of people.
As they find this time of dedication
but the beginning of a fruitful ministry
that will bring to them, & to those closest to them,
the great & abiding satisfactions
that come to those who give generously
of themselves in the service of others.
~ adapted from a Unitarian ordination prayer

FOR COURAGE

Father,
I pray for courage
as I begin this day,
for I understand there is
work to be done,
burdens to be carried,
feelings to be shared
& joys to be celebrated.
Grant me the courage
to be silent that I may hear Thy voice;
to persevere, that I may share Thy victory;
& to remember,
lest I forget the way
by which Thou has led me.
And when this day is done, O Lord,
may I have the courage to see
Thy guiding hand
in the friendships that have been made,
in the hurts that have been healed,
and in the strength that has been given.
~ Michael Davis
Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation

FOR THE FEAST OF THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

Lord, you despatched
the troubler of Israel,
the turner of hearts:
Last but also First–
John the Baptizer!

Make straight a new path,
through today’s wilderness,
& bring a new people,
to you, awaiting us & inviting us
to a Message that is always
bigger than we are.

Like John,
as we hear & speak this great news
may we grow smaller.
~ based on a prayer
of the Centre for Action & Contemplation

MAY GOD ARISE!

Merciful Love,
we pray to you,
do not fail!
Merciful Love,
we pray to you,
be tireless!
Be constantly greater than every evil,
which is in man & in the world.
Be constantly greater than that evil
which has increased in our generation!
Be more powerful
with the power of the crucified King!
“Blessed be his kingdom which is coming!”
~ Pope John Paul II