Prayer in the Fog

Mystical Shepherd,  


I am enveloped by the opaque vapor created where warm and cold collide.

 

A cinereal ceiling obstructs my sense of sky and I seem no longer to stand but rather to levitate over a groundless cloud.  

My dimmed vision sees neither ahead nor behind, neither above nor below.

 

The silence penetrates my soul. 

YOU are HERE.  

I can live in You.

amen.

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space.

You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution

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Prayers of the People: The Baptism of Jesus

            BAPTISM ~ is a Sacrament, a Rite of Initiation, or admission, or adoption into the Christian faith. A simple definition is that the word comes from a hybrid of Latin and Greek and literally means "washing." John, who Baptizes Jesus in today's Gospel reading, used it as a sacrament in his messianic rituals and it has roots in the Jewish tradition as a ritual of purification.          
                 Depending on denomination, there may or may not be infant baptism sometimes called Christening, or there may be no baptism for anyone at all. In those churches that do baptize, baptism may be by immersion - standing in water while water is poured over the upper body, submersion - one's whole body being dipped under and out of the water three times, aspersion, or affusion with aspersion as the sprinkling of the water, while affusion is pouring water over the head. As there are many methods, there are as many reasons given for and against the ritual that is sacred to some. 
                                                     The Gospels are pretty clear that Jesus was baptized by a somewhat reluctant John who thought that Jesus should baptize him. Jesus prevails - as he does with the footwashing and Peter later on - and we hear the words of God directly who announces "This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Of course we don't know if everyone present heard God, but isn't the warmth and satisfaction within all of us when we think about a moment (maybe exceedingly rare) when a parent announces pleasure or pride in us or for something we've done? Let it be so with us again, that we may please the One Parent who matters most!  Jesus rises for the first time from the waters of Baptism.  Let us walk with Him through to the time he rises again...

Prayers of the People:  Baptism of the Lord, Jan 12, 2014        Readings:  Is 42:1-9, Ps 29, Acts 10:34-43, Mt 3:13-17

The Leader: ~ Blessed Jesus, Beloved of God, in Your immersion into the Living Waters of Baptism by trusting the hands of John, we discover that our path to righteousness is through You. Help us to live our lives as a reflection of that trust, purified by the inspiration of Your Goodness and Peace.

 Jesus, Fount of Living Water, sanctify our hearts and cleanse our souls,
Response: We put our trust in You.

~ Blessed Jesus, Beloved of God, You are the Covenant God has given even to the lowliest of us; the Wellspring of Glory and Splendor that can reach into the darkest of hearts and blindest of eyes. Open our hearts and eyes, and animate our wills and feet to answer our call to follow You.

Jesus, Fount of Living Water, sanctify our hearts and cleanse our souls,
We put our trust in You.

~ Blessed Jesus, Beloved of God, anointed with the Holy Spirit and the Power of Goodness, we find in You the Perfect Example of humility and the Ideal of Servant as Leader. Impart this special grace to all those who govern in this world in order that they may work together and with us to seek peace, equity, and healing mercy for all. We pray especially for: add your own petitions here.

Jesus, Fount of Living Water, sanctify our hearts, cleanse our souls and strengthen us to do as You will us. 
We put our trust in You.

~ Blessed Jesus, Beloved of God, we ask You to shower with Your healing mercies all those who are ill or filled with worry and dread and for those who care for them. Let them feel Your Glory within and know the Spirit of Hope has descended upon them. We pray especially for: add your own petitions here.

Jesus, Fount of Living Water, sanctify our hearts and cleanse and heal our souls. 
We put our trust in You. 

~ Blessed Jesus, Beloved of God, we mourn the loss of those we love who have returned to the Source of all life. We know they live again with You, yet we ask for Your strength and peace to find solace in our hearts and joy in the memories. We pray especially for the repose of: add your own petitions here.

Jesus, Fount of Living Water, sanctify our hearts, cleanse and soothe the sadness in our souls. 
We put our trust in You.

~ Blessed Jesus, Beloved of God, Your Presence is gentle enough to cajole us and strong enough to cause the oaks to whirl and shake the wilderness. Speak in gentle tones to those who would lead Your Church so they will be moved to whirl the oaks in Your name with grace, wisdom, and strength of spirit. We pray especially for: add your own petitions here.

Jesus, Fount of Living Water, sanctify our hearts and cleanse our souls, 
We put our trust in You.


Celebrant adds: Jesus, our Christ, You rise first from the Living Water of Baptism to bring New Life to carry us through to the time that You will rise again to carry us through eternity. You cleanse us with Your Holy Water, anoint us with the Holy Spirit, and walk with us on the life-path you set before us. We pray that You will be well-pleased with who we strive to become in Your Holy Name. Amen.

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. 

You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution 

as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayer to just "be"

       
                    In the misty gloom of the woods today, I suddenly discovered a moment to just be.  I was able to breathe in the all-too-rare silence and experience the peace of the real world that is Creation. I spend too much time inhaling and absorbing the noise of the artificial world, the world that doesn't contain You, the world that chips away at my soul. YES, there are exponential multiples of grief and need in that other world, the one that I live in ~ war, poverty, brutality, hunger, anger, and so   many   -isms.  I get lost in trying to sort out where I'm called first.  And yet, there are as many moments of love and beauty ~ grandchildren, family, friends, music, art, nature, and, even memories.  Today, I remembered You and took a moment to just be in the real world where there is always You.  I must come back more often for quiet, peace, solace, joy, and soul-fueling for the other place.  Maybe I can even learn to bring more of You with me.   amen. 

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space.

You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com 

 All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution

as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayer for Feeling Helpless

                          OMG, All I can do is wait.     Waiting is one of the most difficult things in life to do.  I cannot help.  I cannot do anything useful. I cannot change the outcome.  All I can do is wait.  Please help me get out of what I'm feeling and be available for what is coming.  The clock is ticking; the time is passing, what is the answer?  OMG, help me DO whatever is best.  Help me get out of the way and BE what and where I'm needed.  amen.

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space.

You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com 

 All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as

they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayer for Bitter Weather

                     Dear Ruler of the Universe ~ how do we cope with such extreme weather?  Please send your warming grace to those whose very lives are at stake from homelessness and poverty in this brutal, frigid weather.  We pray also for those who respond to their needs by being outdoors - Firefighters, EMTs, Paramedics, Police.  Care for those whose livelihoods also require them to be outside - postal workers, utility workers and repairers, sea rescuers, and all others we can't name.  Bless all the caregivers who are doing what they can to care for the elderly, the sick, and others not able to care for themselves. Where it is flooding, let the waters recede. Where the wind howls, may it be calmed.  And where the ice overwhelms, let the thaw be gentle. Please help us keep the heat on, the pipes warm, and the children safe.  Dear Lord, we beseech You.   Amen. Amen.    

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space.

You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com 

 All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution

as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers of the People: Epiphany!

              EPIPHANY! 

      The dictionary definition is a sudden intuitive understanding; an appearance of God. For Christians, it is the celebration of the sudden appearance or manifestation of Jesus.  The traditional image for many are the "Three Kings", the "Magi", or "The Wise Men" who traveled to present their offerings in recognition of the Divinity of the Infant and unwittingly giving Herod a heads up that something dangerous to his power was nearby.  The travelers' gifts were symbolic of their understanding of the momentous occasion of the long-awaited birth of the King of the Jews:  gold to symbolize Kingship, the sweet burning frankincense honors the Child's Divinity, and the bitter myrrh as a foretelling of what is to come. 

        Once a significant marker of the end of the Christmas season as the Twelfth Night, in recent times the "holiday" celebration of Epiphany is more often merely a mention on the calendar. There is the occasional parish that centers on children and youth searching for the token inside a "Three Kings Cake."  It's time for us to engage again.  The glory of God is with us!  Let us each experience an Epiphany and grow along with this Holy Child.  Find the Light of Christ, even if only a single beam, and Follow.  Where is the Star leading YOU?

Prayers of the People 2^nd Sunday after Christmas, Readings for Epiphany

Readings:  Is 60:1-6; Ps 72:1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12; Mt 2:1-12

~ Holy Child of God, the darkness of our past is pierced by the brightness of Your dawn.  Lift our eyes to see, and open our hearts to feel the blessings of Your Radiance.

Blessed Child, Your Star has risen! All the Glory of God is upon You and through You to all of us together.

~ Holy Child of God, You have come to us that we may rejoice in the blessings You bring and flourish in Your love as we humbly and gratefully serve You. 

Blessed Child, Your Star has risen! All the Glory of God is upon You and through You to all of us together.

~ Holy Child of God, the Wisest of the Wise came to You with profound joy to acknowledge this auspicious Birth.  May those who govern in our names also come to You to receive and deliver Your Rich Wisdom to this world with peace, justice, and mercy, and rid the world of brutality, poverty, and despair.  We pray especially for those we have elected for our local and national positions: (add your petitions here) 

Blessed Child, Your Star has risen! All the Glory of God is upon You and through You to all of us together.

~ Holy Child of God, shine Your Healing Light on those who are ill and on those who love and care for them. Shield them from fear and pain and guide them to Your peace and comfort.  We pray especially for: (add your petitions here) 

Blessed Child, Your Star has risen! All the Glory of God is upon You and through You to all of us together.

~ Holy Child of God, even in our Joy at Your Sacred Birth, we are saddened by the loss of those we love.  Shepherd us through our grief and warm our hearts with Your Grace until we come to know that those we mourn live again with You. We prayer especially for: (add your petitions here) 

Blessed Child, Your Star has risen! All the Glory of God is upon You and through You to all of us together.

~ Holy Child of God, sanctify the Leaders of Your Church and give them Your Vision and Strength to defend the poor and provide deliverance to the needy.  Let Your Leaders enfold and embolden the rest of us to live our lives in order to prosper all of Your People, for Your Glory and with all confidence in our Faith in You.  We pray especially for:  (add your petitions here) 

Blessed Child, Your Star has risen! All the Glory of God is upon You and through You to all of us together.

~ Holy Child of God, we know we are precious in Your sight.  Let us feel the Love in Your Holy Heart written on our own from the rising of Your Star until the moon is no more.

Blessed Child, Your Star has risen! All the Glory of God is upon You and through You to all of us together.

 

The Celebrant adds:  Blessed and Holy Child of God, Your Glittering Star shows itself again as the Compass for our lives.  Let us follow the Light of Your Guidance to fulfill God’s Perfect Mystery for our lives and seek the bold path that will lead us to Eternal Life.  We ask this through Your Grace and for the Glory of God and the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.  

 

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space.

You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com 

 All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution

as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

 

 

Prayer for the Time of Waiting

A   N   T   I   C   I    P   A   T   I   O   N

   What is calling you to just wait?  Out of work, new baby, test results, the next paycheck, loan approval, diagnosis, good news, bad news, someone to love you, delayed flight...Will you cope, accept, deny, light up, flame out, smile, cry...tick,tick,tick,tick,tick,tick,tick...

Holy Spirit, Breath of God ~ breathe Your gentleness into my worried heart, my anxious head, my shaking hands.  As I inhale You deeply and slowly into my body and hold  1,   2,   3,   4,   5,   6  Your lightness fills my soul and soothes the fever of my impatience. As I exhale deeply and slowly out  1,   2,   3,   4,   5,   6     the turbulence of uncertainty is calmed and the ticking of time passing is quieter.  I repeat this process as long as I must while Your soothing presence enfolds me; Your cooling countenance carries me.  Whatever the outcome, You walk with me and strengthen my resolve.  Breathe on me Breath of God, fill me with life anew...  

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space.

You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com.

 All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution

as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.