(What appears in bold type is a prayer by St. Augustine of Hippo.)
Breathe in us O Holy Spirit
that our thoughts may all be holy;
We come to you in prayer with scattered thoughts.
Wandering thoughts.
Thoughts that will not be tamed –
Of sin or self- congratulation, Of distraction and self-indulgence.
Thoughts permeated by sadness, grief, longing, anger, revenge and self-hatred.
Holy Spirit, make us holy.
Act in us O Holy Spirit
that our works, too, may be holy;
We fail to come to you in prayer because we are busy –
With work and family, friends and obligations.
Doing Your own work in our own strength.
We have forgotten to say "no" to more in order to say "yes" to You.
We ask for wisdom to do what you will –
nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.
We ask for wholeness, which is another way of praying
Holy Spirit, make us holy.
Draw our heart O Holy Spirit
that we love only what is holy;
We love much but we do not always love what is right.
Guide our priorities. Help us to seek you above all else.
Help us to shape our relationships in the pattern that Christ has set –
Caring more for others than for being thought perfect.
Caring more for truth and faithfulness than for being popular.
Caring that Your Kingdom of perfect peace comes in just a little more fullness and fragrance every day in us and through us.
Holy Spirit, make us holy.
Strengthen us O Holy Spirit
to defend that which is holy;
As a church, strengthen us to submit to You and to one another,
In order that Your will be done.
In the places where we are tempted to go along to get along, help us to be prophets.
To love mercy and do justice and walk humbly with God.
In the places where we are afraid to speak and live truth, empower us to preach with the gusto of Peter at Pentecost.
Holy Spirit, make us holy.
Guard us then O Holy Spirit
that we always may be holy.
In the living and in dying of Your world,
Guard Your people.
In the laughter and tears of Your world,
Guard Your people.
In the war and peace of Your world,
Guard Your people.
In the wealth and poverty of Your world,
Guard Your people.
In the health and disease of Your world,
Guard Your people.
Holy Spirit, make us holy.
Make us patient to wait upon you. Give us wisdom the see the world the way you do and courage to live in the grace of our Savior Jesus Christ who with the Spirit and the Father is worshipped and glorified, one God now and forever. Amen.
2 comments:
There's just one problem with this blog.
"it's all about me, people".
A woman cannot be the Church's bridegroom. How can a woman be a husband?The Church being the bride of Jesus and the priest acting in persona Christi, a woman just doesn't work. It's not a sexist agenda by the Vatican, it's not a us vs. them war, it is simply the way God arranged it.
By the way, I am a woman who is all about equal rights for women. There are plenty of places in the world where women are truly oppressed. The Church founded by Jesus is NOT one of them.
Letting go of 'self' is just too hard for some people, and apparently you are one of them.
Have you tried emmulating Mary and saying God, 'Do with me as you will'?
Instead of, let me 'Let me do what I want for once.'?
You know that song by Frank Sinatra? "I did it my way"?
It's the theme song of Hell; and by the wording of your profile, it might be your theme song too.
Although your identity is anonymous, you're honest about your self-centeredness.
MaryJane
MaryJane,
Thank you for what I am choosing to read as your sincere concern for my soul and sanctification. I, too, am in the process of "working out my salvation with fear and trembling." I wonder how you came across my blog?
Thank you as well for pointing me toward Mary, who is a great resource and comfort to me. I take it from many of your comments that you come from a Roman Catholic background? There is much in the Church's practice of piety and social justice that has spoken truth to me, just as, I suspect, it has for you.
In fact it was a book by one Catholic sister, "The Feminine Face of the People of God" that first encouraged me to pursue God's calling to me. This book argues, as I understand it, with the weight of the Church's teaching behind it, that when Mary said to God, "May it be to me as you have said," that was the first example of the New Testament Church working in partnership with God to bring about redemption. Isn't that a beautiful picture?
So, let us both continue to emulate Mary as best we can and allow God to sort out the rest at His banqueting table in Heaven.
Post a Comment