Ubi Caritas

Where charity and love are, God is there.
Christ's love has gathered us all into one.
Let us rejoice and take delight in him.
Let us fear and let us love the living God.
And may we love each other with a sincere heart.
Amen.

Touch Me Lord

This is a great morning prayer. Amen!

Refreshment and Relaxation

God of Wonder-

With summer comes so many things. A chance to be renewed. Time to be refreshed. And yet we also see our summer days filled to the brim with things to do. Bless our sunny days with an increased awareness of your presence. Guide us so that we might really take the time needed to relax. Help us quiet ourselves so that we might better hear your voice.

We also ask your blessings on those who face difficult challenges in these summer days. Those who have no cool sheltering place to dwell. The many who face the dangers of summer fires and summer storms. We pray for their respite and comfort as well. Guide us to be active signs of your love in their lives.

Prayer for Proper 8A/Ordinary 13A/Pentecost +2

Loving God,
We come this morning first thanking you
for all the many blessings you have sent our way.
We thank you for your steadfast love that endures forever.
We want to tell you how often we feel so like Abraham
that we are being tried and tested.
We often feel like the Psalmist and wonder how long this testing is going to last.
We often wonder how long we will be in pain.
How long will this sadness last?
How long must we suffer?
Will we be able to go on with life when it feels like it has lasted forever?
Lord we call on you for your stead fast love to take us out of our pits,
We call on you for your mercy to reach out to those who need your healing touch.
We call on your faithfulness for all who are struggling with their faith..
We call on your care for those who are less fortunate to be the Lord who provides for their needs.

We call on you for the healing of the nations.
We pray for those in North Dakota who are dealing with major flooding. We pray for those whose homes destroyed or damaged by volcanic eruption in Chile and Ethiopia;
We lift up to you the violence and terror in the Middle East;
We pray for the people of Greece that there may be relief from economic straits they are in.
We cry out for those who are entrapped in modern day slavery that may be set free.
We pray for all who are still recovering from Spring storms.
We continue to pray for the jobless that they may find meaningful work.
We offer up to you the homeless of the world, especially the children, may there be homes and improvement in their wellbeing.

God of hospitality, may we remember that you welcomed us so that we too would welcome others into our churches, that we share with them the cup of cold water.
May we remember that as we welcome others we welcome you.

We pray all this in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

Friday Prayer of Praise

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you... Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; God's greatness no one can fathom. (Psalm 145:1-3)

Thursday Prayer Thought

With reverent hymns of praise
we should now sing the praises
of God's peace,
for it is this
which brings all things together.

~Pseudo-Dionysius

Wednesday Prayer

Opening Out

Great Spirit of Love,
how awesome your breathing over the first waters,
the circling moon and the wheel of fire in the first skies.
And here on earth after time passed, you created us part of all the wonder.
You made us a little lower than the angels with the imprint of heaven.
Be with each one this day who feels lower than life itself
and isolated from the company you have set us amongst.

May we notice little bits of birdsong, little flowers on stem,
the touch of little children, little grasps of holy hem,
little fragments of good fortune, little kindnesses from gentle soul,
that reconnect us to the height, width breadth and depth
of your great love for us this day.
        -Tess Ward, "The Celtic Wheel of the Yeat: Celtic and Christian Seasonal Prayers"

Prayer for Trinity Sunday

Oh God who created the world,
You are still at work in this world creating.
Your handiwork is shown everywhere in this world.
Every time there is a newborn we see your creating work

Your keep showing us your created children your fatherhood.
Your fatherhood is so different then our earthly fathers.
It is neither too harsh nor too soft.
It is neither too much nor too little.
It is neither too stiff nor too malleable.
Our earthly fathers try to love us the best they can given how they were loved.
Often they fail us, often they are quite capable.
Some of us miss our fathers terribly and some of us have had to put up boundaries with our fathers who were abusive.
Some of us have been abandoned, deserted or left by our fathers.
But you have always been our Father who loved us without fail.

You loved us so much that you sent your son into this world
To spend time with us,
To teach us, to show us your love,
To heal us, to save us,
To give us joy, and to give us your peace.

His death and resurrection made way for the Holy Spirit
Who keeps your creating work happening.
Your Holy Spirit keeps us knowing you are with us always.
Knowing that you love us, we pray for those who feel unloved.
Knowing that you heal us, we pray for those who need to be healed.
Knowing that you save us, we pray for those needing to be made whole.
Knowing that you give us joy, we pray for those whose lives are joyless.
Knowing that you give us your peace, we pray for those who live in war zones.

We pray all this in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Image of the Holy Trinty

Saturday prayer: meeting

With respect
And reverence
That the unknown
Between us
Might flower
Into discovery
And lead us
Beyond
The familiar field
Blind with the weed
Of weariness
And the old walls
Of habit.

~John O'Donahue, "on Meeting A Stranger" from to bless the space between us ~

Thursday Prayer

2 Corinthians 13:11-13

13:11 Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

13:12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.

13:13 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

Amen. Amen.

Abba Anthony's prayer

Grow us slowly, persistently, and deeply, Lord
to be people who watch without distraction
listen without interruption
and stay put without inclination to flee.

Amen.

Every Morning

Every morning, God,
I wake up...
and lay in my bed...
thinking.
I say to myself (and to You)
That I will do better today.
I will be kinder,
more forgiving, and welcoming.
I promise to be more aware,
to not center my thoughts on only my comfort, my wants, my wishes;
My hope is that I can be more focused on the needs and hurts and longings
of others around me--
whether it is my neighbor down the street (who drives me crazy)
or my co-worker,
or the mail carrier,
or the dismissive checker at the grocery store.
I also say to myself (and to You)
that I will eat better,
exercise more,
be focused and efficient,
judge less,
clean the bathroom,
and put away my shoes.

Then I get up,
brush my teeth,
and forget my prayers.
But,
as always,
You don't forget,
and send angels and demons
throughout my day
to remind me.

I am grateful (and sometimes annoyed, I have to be honest)
but mostly,
I am grateful.
Teach me, lead me oh Holy One.
Amen.

Prayer for Pentecost Sunday

Lord,
We are excited to be celebrating the church’s birthday today.
However, we are not sure what it would be like
if the Holy Spirit blew through our churches again as it did on the day of Pentecost.
In fact we not so sure we want that to happen again in our church.
It scares us this power of the Holy Spirit, and
yet we know that without the Holy Spirit
we are unable to accomplish the vision you have for your Kingdom of God.
We need your Holy Spirit.
It is after all your church.
So we pray;
come Holy Spirit come,
pour out your power into us your people and your church.
We do want to be your body of Christ in this world
that is often hurting, hungry and cynical.

We want to bring the good news to the poor, heal the broken-hearted, preach deliverance to captives, bring recovery of sight to the blind and set at liberty all that are bruised.
We want to be your body of Christ by praying for all who suffer, are poor, despairing, burdened, blind and battered.
So we pray for them right now and
claim the power of your Holy Spirit to do your will in this world.
We pray for your power of healing for those who are physically sick, for those who are emotionally ill, for those who are mentally ailing, for those who are money sick, for those who are spiritually unwell and for the world that is sick.
We pray for the healing of your creation,
and the renewal of the face of the land.
We pray for those who are thirsty,
that they would drink from your fountain of living waters and
never thirst again.

Thank you for hearing our prayers in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit!

Image is Pentecostes

Pentecost Saturday

God of wind and flame,

thank you for this day that you have made—

signs of new life

beauty of your creation

laughter of children.

You reveal yourself to us in surprising, even shocking, ways,

open our eyes and ears and hearts to take it all in

and open our eyes and ears and hearts to share with all.

You set tongues on fire with languages of love

now set our tongues on fire to speak good news in ways others can hear.

Amen.

image: http://www.artandicon.com/

A Prayer for Friends

 I want to thank you, Gracious Lord,    
for the good friends you give me;    
they are for me a priceless bounty.
Thanks to them, friendship is neither an abstraction,    
nor a distant, almost impossible, dream.
I owe to your providence, Lord,    
the possibiltiy of counting on    
the constant help of friends.
Between me and them you have formed a solid bridge,    
which can withstand all threats of destruction.
The happiness with which you have blessed us    
enables us to enrich one another.
Lord, there was something astonishing,    
almost mysterious,    
in the way I met my friends;    
it was always outside the expected pattern.
But you alone know the reasons    
that drew us closer together.
This surprise and joy are refreshing,    
and I experience them anew    
at every step of my life.
Not all proved to be steadfast friends,    
but I have to thank you    
for the faithful ones.
I promise to do everything in my power    
to deserve this precious gift    
that you have reserved for me.
I ask you, Gracious Lord, to keep them safe in your hands,    
for they are yours above all.
Amen.

From the Catholic Prayer Community, Ithaca College, New York

Thursday Prayer

Forgive me
if I am less than quiet
in Your namelessness.

Wednesday Prayer

God,
Bless the work of my hands this day.

Shock of the Spirit

Spirit of truth
whom the world can never grasp,
touch our hearts
with the shock of your coming;
fill us with desire
for your disturbing peace;
and fire us with longing
to speak your uncontainable word
through Jesus Christ.

--Janet Morley in All Desires Known


(Honestly, this book is a treasure of collects, prayers, psalms and litanies. If it isn't on your bookshelf, I highly, highly recommend it.  --revkjarla)

Prayer for Sunday 7A

Oh God, who is always available to hear our prayer,
We come to you with the needs of our lives,
The desires of our hearts,
And the hunger of our souls.
Father of orphans,
There are orphans all around the world
That need your tender love,
your arms of love to enfold them,
and your voice of care to sooth them.

Protector of Widows,
There are widows all around us,
Keep them safe from harm,
Provide them communities of friends
When they are lonely,
And Care for them when they are sick or grieving.

God of desolate,
Provide homes of warmth and comfort for them.
Provide sustenance for them.
Provide a means of making a living.


God of the prisoners,
Set them free of all that binds them.
Renew their lives.

God of the anxious,
Receive their worry that they cast on your.
Give them a sense of calmness
And trust in you.

God of all who suffer,
Restore their lives,
Support them in their time of trials,
Strengthen their resolve,
And Refresh their weary hearts.

Lord pour your holy spirit in our lives
That we too may devote ourselves
To prayer, to you, to those in need and to each other.
In the name of the Father, son and the Holy Spirit,
Amen.

meaning

Would you like to know your Lord's meaning?

Okay, then know it well. The Lord's meaning is love. Love is God's only meaning.

Who shows this to you? Love.

What did God show you? Love.

And why God show it to you? For love.

Stay in God's love, then, and you'll learn more about its unconditional, unending, joyful nature. And you'll see for yourself, all manner of things will be well.

~Julian of Norwich, from Revelations~

Thursday Thought

"Wherever God has put you,
that is your vocation.
It is not what we do but how
much love we put into it."

~~Mother Teresa

Be at Peace

Be at Peace
Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life;
rather look to them with full hope as they arise.
God, whose very own you are,
will deliver you from out of them.
He has kept you hitherto,
and He will lead you safely through all things;
and when you cannot stand it,
God will bury you in his arms.

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;
the same everlasting Father who cares for you today
will take care of you then and everyday.
He will either shield you from suffering,
or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace,
and put aside all anxious thoughts and imagination.
-St. Francis de Sales 1567-1622