People's Prayers

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Prayers for Lent, Day 26: Give Up, Take On, Pray

"[Faith] is the conviction that God is good to humanity and that God can and will triumph over all evil. The power of faith is the power of goodness and truth, which is the power of God.
The opposite of faith is therefore fatalism...[that] finds expression in statements like 'Nothing can be done about it.' and 'There is no hope.' These are the statements of people who do not really believe in the power of God, people who do not really hope for what God has promised." ~ Albert Nolan*1934-

Faith....do I have it? I think I do - I must, I go to church - but then there are those moments when I am unsure of what God means to my life. The times when I am certain there is nothing I can do that will make any useful difference in the world. I think about the question of my faith often and I suppose I always will. What helps is seeing that tiny mustard seed ~ is that really all I need? I think I can muster that much in my way of Faith.

Dear Jesus,
You said that if I have faith as small as a mustard seed I can move mountains. I feel that strength and know I can move anything larger than myself on those "good days." On those not so good days, sometimes it's all I can do to move myself. But when I look at that tiny seed, I can approach hope. For today, I'll give up pondering the details of what I am sure I believe and what I'm not so sure of. I'll take on walking through each day with that mustard seed as a tangible sign of Your love and inspiration - from its tiny beginnings to a full leafing of great height with the seeds to give flavor and spice to my life. I'll pray for more hope and more confidence in my faith. In the meantime, I have faith in that tiny seed's magic - within in it there is the potential for tremendous growth, just as there is within me, when I feel my faith. amen.

mustard tree

*Albert Nolan, OP, was born in Cape Town as a 4th generation South African of English descent. With inspiration from reading the works of Thomas Merton, he entered the Dominican Order in 1954. He taught theology to and has been Vicar General of the Dominicans in South Africa. The author of several books, his 1976 Jesus Before Christianity is the most well-known and has been reissued several times and as recently as 2001, its 25th Anniversary edition. In it, Nolan discusses Jesus' radical struggle for the full humanity of the poor in the time of first-century Palestine. Nolan writes that Jesus "challenged the rich to identify in solidarity with the poor," a universal theme that is persistently relevant across time and culture.

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.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Prayers of the People: Bone Dry, 5th Sunday in Lent

for Sunday, April 6, 2014, Readings: Ez 37:1-14, Ps 130, Romans 8:6-11, John 11:1-45
Have you ever just felt so dry inside that it feels as though dust will come out if you try to speak? Even while shedding an ocean of tears in the midst of immediate grief, there can be a sense of emptiness that feels as dry and as deep as the sands of the Sahara.
Drink deeply from the Well of God, from the Hope of Christ, from the Peace of the Spirit. Come into the Light...

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

LEADER: ~ Lord God of Healing and Life, our mortal selves dry up when we move out of Your glory and let go of Your hope. Fill us with Your Spirit, forgive us, and raise us from the dust of sin.

Jesus, Unbind our souls,

RESPONSE: Breathe Your light into our dry bones.

~ Lord God of Healing and Life, place Your hand on the hearts of those who lead this world. Fill them with compassion, virtue, and ethics for the benefit of all the peoples of Your Earth. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Jesus, Unbind our souls,
Breathe Your light into our dry bones.

~ Lord God of Healing and Life, surround those among us who are in ill-health, emotional turmoil, or in despair. Help set their minds, and of those who love them, on Your Spirit and Peace as they await Your healing touch. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Jesus, Unbind our souls,

Breathe Your light into our dry bones.

~ Lord God of Healing and Life, as Mary, Martha, and Jesus wept for Lazarus, we weep for those we have lost. Out of our depths we call to You for comfort in knowing that You have brought them into a fuller life with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Jesus, Unbind our souls,

Breathe Your light into our dry bones.

~ Lord God of Healing and Life, animate the wills of those who have been sent to lead Your Church. Strengthen their resolve to prophesy Your Word and bring us all into the Spirit of Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Jesus, Unbind our souls,

Breathe Your light into our dry bones.

The Celebrant adds: O LORD our God, awaken us from the death of sin and call us to come out into the Light of Christ, that we might know life everlasting in Your mercy and redemption. We ask this through Jesus, our Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier who live and reign with You, our Creator, one God, forever and ever. 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 for Lent, Day 25: Give Up, Take On, Pray

"Holding on to anger is like drinking poison

and expecting the other person to die."

"Holding on to anger is like holding hot coals you intend to throw at someone - you're the only one who gets burned."

"Anger is an acid that does more harm to the vessel in which it is stored

than to anything on which it is poured."

All of the above quotes, in a variety of similar iterations, have variously been attributed to The Buddha, Mark Twain, Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca, 12-Step programming, and any number of contemporary authors. It is often difficult to pin down the actual origin of an epigrammatic expression especially when widely quoted. Nonetheless, whoever said them first, the consensus of the above seems to be that anger is more dangerous to yourself than others. Anger that escalates to rage and/or combines with desperation, however, is certainly dangerous for everyone.
But not all anger is bad or dangerous - it's quite appropriate, justified, when it's directed at or a result of loss, injustice, discrimination, political decisions, economic hardship, and so on. How we use our anger, how we respond may make the difference between poisoning ourselves and resolving an issue. Thoughtful response rather than impulsive reaction? Some days are better than others.

Dear God,
There are days when I want You to be Your Old Testament Self - smiting and plaguing, wrathful and condemning, thundering, destructive, and vengeful, oh my! That gives me permission, sort of, to impose the eye for eye/tooth for tooth thing as I plot my revenge against a perceived enemy. But mostly, I want - and need - Your New Testament Self in the form of Jesus who relieves my angst and anger and shows me a quieter yet equally satisfying path. For today, I'll give up attempting to bend my part of the world to my will by just being angry. I'll take on seeking more positive outlets to right injustice, overcome discrimination, promote understanding, and be involved with political organizing to resolve the larger issues that affect us all. I'll also work toward calming my inner upsets, examining the why and how of what bothers me, and continuing my quest for inner peace. I'll pray for the guidance and blessing of the Holy Spirit, the support and friendship of a loving community of faith, and the collective wisdom and love of family and close friends. Oh, and I'll work on what I'm saying in the car while I'm driving. 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.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Prayer of Thanksgiving for Fr. Frohmader's Successful Surgery

We have grateful hearts this night, Dear Lord, that Your Servant, Ricardo has come through his 9 hours of surgery well. Keep him close to You as we continue to pray for a complete recovery. Bless all those who served this procedure and all those who waited through a very long day. 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 for Lent, Day 24: Give Up, Take On, Pray

THEN NOW

I throw myself down in my chamber, and I call in, and invite God, and his Angels thither, and when they are there, I neglect God and his Angels, for the noise of a fly, for the rattling of a coach, for the whining of a door.
~ John Donne* 1572-1631

Some things never change.
So, what are your distractions?

Dear Lord,

I have such good intentions, especially at New Year's, or when I want something from You, and of course during Lent. It's such a busy world - so much to do, so little time, and when I do have some free time I just need to relax. I have tried to just sit quietly and pray but I can't quite seem to be still and my mind just races. But, I will try again. For today, I'll give up 15 minutes of tv or that great book or start the dvr movie later. I'll take on finding some way to connect with You. I'll pray, somehow - I could read a couple of Psalms, go online and google Prayers, or I could just start with, Dear Lord, I want to talk to You but I don't know what to say, and then just tell You something about my day that worries me, makes me proud, or is just ordinary. I do know that You are waiting so I will show up, this time. amen.

*John Donne was a poet, lawyer, and satirist in England before becoming an Anglican priest at the order of King James 1. In and out of poverty, father of 12, he often wrote poetry for wealthy patrons. He wrote love poems with quite sensual language, also sonnets, and religious poems and he is also known for many well quoted phrases such as "No man is an island...," "...for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee," and..."Come live with me and be my love..." He became the Dean of St. Paul's in London where he is buried. His fascinating biography and the breadth and depth of his writing all serve the understanding of why he is still taught in English Literature classes today.

Monday, March 31, 2014

Prayer for the surgery of Fr. Ricardo Frohmader

by request of his faithful and loving parishioners

Holy God of all that is Healing and Healthy,
we ask Your special grace upon Your Faithful Servant, Fr. Ricardo Frohmader of the Mission of St. Alban's in the Diocese of Guatemala. Comfort him in Your sacred embrace as he undergoes back surgery on April 1. Grant the surgeon clear sight, steady, and blessed hands. Fill the nurses and the operating room with the restorative energy of the Holy Spirit. Enfold Ricardo's spouse Mari and their children with Your soothing and hopeful Presence. Gather the prayers of parishioners and friends from close by and from far and wide as a protective canopy of love. Grant that the curative compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ will speed Ricardo's recovery and we will soon again be the benefactors of his ministry among us.

Oramos para que en el nombre de Jesucristo para una recuperación rápida. Amen.

Prayers for Lent, Day 23: Give Up, Take On, Pray

Humor is, in fact, a prelude to faith; and laughter is the beginning of prayer … Laughter is swallowed up in prayer and humor is fulfilled by faith.

  ~ Reinhold Niebuhr* 1892-1971

             I read once that, if Christianity is so wonderful, why do Christians often look as though they're sucking lemons? Especially in this penitential season of Lent, some of us might be taking it all so seriously that we miss the lightness, the joy, and yes, the humor in life as a Christian. Had a good laugh lately? Start with a smile...

Jesus,
there's so much about my relationship with you that I've been taught should be quiet, restrained, sober, and even meek. I've memorized "The Don't List" - don't do this, don't do that...even though there have been times when I have done a little of the don'ts...but now that I think about it, surely You had fun with friends, enjoyed a good dinner, and even laughed out loud. I'm starting to realize that I might be less likely to do things on the don't list if I lighten up and experience the wonder of the gift that Your life has given me. For today, I'll give up feeling deprived in Lent. I'll take on finding one thing to laugh out loud about that is good-spirited, delightful, and soul satisfying. I'll pray a thanksgiving for the living legacy of Faith that fills me with eagerness to be a happier reflection of life with You.  amen.

*Reinhold Niebuhr was an American theologian, ethicist, and professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York City for more than 30 years. Two of his most influential books are Moral Man and Immoral Society and The Nature and Destiny of Man. Along with an extensive biography and body of work, Niebuhr was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, the highest US civilian award.  After working with labor and working classes, in 1944 he wrote The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness in which he said, "Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible; but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary." His theo-philosophical perspective became known as Christian Realism. Niebuhr is best known for his "Serenity Prayer" although most often it is only the first few lines that people know. Following is the complete text as he is said to have written it:

God, give me grace to accept with serenity

the things that cannot be changed,

Courage to change the things

which should be changed,

and the Wisdom to distinguish

the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.