Reading Prayers

1.

Come now, High King of heaven.

Come to us in flesh and bone.

Bring life to us who are weary with misery.

Bring peace to us who are overcome with weeping,

Whose cheeks are covered with bitter salt tears.

Seek us out, who are lost in the darkness of depression.

Do not forget us.

Have mercy on us.

Impart to us your everlasting joy,

So that we, who are fashioned by your hands,

May praise your glory.

-The Exter Book

2.

Lord, have mercy on the suffering.

Give food to those who are hungry;

Give clothing to those who lack;

Give shelter to those who shiver in cold;

Give love to orphans and outcast;

Give comfort to abused women;

Give redemption to the oppressed;

Give assistance to those ravaged by war.

May you teach them to grow toward you

In light of the hardships they suffer.

And to all of these may you give your gospel

That they might attain your kingdom

Where their sufferings will be exchanged

For the joy of your loving presence.

3.

Dear Lord

You suffered so much pain

In order to save us and all mankind from sin.

Yet we find it hard to bear even our minor pains.

Lord, because of your great pain

Have mercy on our little pains.

And if you wish us simply to bear our pains

Send us the patience

And the courage

That we lack.

4.

Let us all become a true and faithful branch

On the vine Jesus

By accepting Him in our lives

As it pleases Him to come:

As the Truth—to be told

As the Life—to be lived

As the Light—to be lighted

As the Way—to be walked

As the Love—to be loved

As the Joy—to be given

As the Peace—to be spread

As the Sacrifice—to be offered

In our families

In our neighborhood,

In our city,

And in our world.

-Missionaries of Charity

5.

O God

Since you created everything we can see, hear and touch,

May we constantly acknowledge your bounty.

And since you sustain everything we can see hear and touch,

May we always be mindful of your strength.

Thus may we walk the path of life

With a spirit of humility

Knowing that in all things we depend on you.

6.

Plant in our hearts, Lord,

Such fear of your power

That we always strive to live according to your laws.

Let us always remember

That through You alone

Comes joy and happiness

And that without You

There is only misery and despair.

And thus may we learn to obey you in all things.

7.

Whatever you make us desire for our enemies

Give it to them and give the same back to us.

You who are the true Light,

Lighten their darkness.

You who are the whole Truth,

Correct their errors.

You who are the incarnate Word,

Give life to their souls.

Tender Lord Jesus,

Let us not be stumbling blocks to them,

Nor rocks of offense.

We beg your mercy on our fellow slaves.

Let them be reconciled with you

And through you be reconciled to us.

8.

Lord, inspire us to read your Scriptures

And meditate upon them day and night.

We beg you to give us a real understanding of what we need,

That we in turn may put its precepts into practice.

Yet we know that understanding and good intentions

Are worthless,

Unless rooted in your graceful love.

So we ask that the words of the Scriptures may also be

Not just signs on a page

But channels of grace into our hearts.

9.

Holy Father

Allow us to be transformed into your mercy

And so be your living reflection.

May your mercy pass through our souls to our neighbors.

Help our eyes to be merciful

So we do not judge by appearances

But look for what is beautiful in our neighbor’s souls.

Help our ears to be merciful

So we give heed to our neighbor’s needs

Not being indifferent to their moanings.

Help our tongues to be merciful

So we never speak negatively of another

But have words of comfort for all.

Help our hands to be merciful

So that we do good to our neighbors

And take up ourselves the more difficult tasks.

Help our feet to be merciful

Overcoming our own weariness

Hurrying to assist our neighbors.

Help our hearts to be merciful

So we feel the sufferings of our neighbors

And refuse our hearts to no one.

May we be locked into the merciful heart of Jesus.

10.

O God,

We come seeking you in our worship together.

We come to you for truth

Because we are untrue.

We come to you for strength

Because we are so weak.

We come to you for wisdom

Because we are unwise.

Move in our midst;

Show us your truth, your strength, and your wisdom,

Through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

11.

Praise the One who hears the cry of the poor,

Who lifts up the weak and gives them strength.

Praise the One who feeds the hungry

And satisfies the longing of those in need.

Praise the One who holds with tenderness the orphan and widow

And gives the stranger a land and a home.

12.

Merciful and loving Father,

We ask you with all our hearts

To bountifully pour out on our enemies

Whatever will be for their good.

Above all, give them a sound and uncorrupt mind

With which they might honor and love you

And also love us.

Do not let their hating us turn to their harm.

Lord, we desire their amendment and our own.

Do not separate them from us by punishing them;

Deal gently with them and join them to us.

Help us to see that we have all been called to be citizens

Of the everlasting city;

Let us begin to love each other now

Because love is the end we seek.

13.

God of redemption and reconciliation—

You call us to live together in peace.

Look upon us and judge what we have done with our stewardship:

Witness the burned houses, meth labs, drug dealers, slumlords and prostitutes.

See the emptiness and the false promises

The alienation and despair

The injustice and oppressions

That bring these tragedies among us.

Heal this place,

God of mercy and forgiveness!

Send your love and grace upon all

Prostitutes, drug dealers, slumlords, loan sharks, bankers, lawyers and politicians.

Fill the emptiness that is the source of these sorrows

With love, peace, mercy and justice.

And give us courage so that we may show them your love.

14.

Grant me the grace of a broken heart.

Allow me to understand the damage my sin does

to my relationship to you

and to those around me.

Cause me to so deeply regret my unloving, impure actions

that I cry and shamefully moan my confession.

I pray that I would so long for righteousness

that I would do whatever it takes,

sacrifice whatever I have

so that You could create righteousness within me.

Let me never be so arrogant or insensitive

to see my unloving or impure actions

as acceptable or understandable or excusable.

Rather, I cry out to you—

make me righteous,

make me holy or

remake me.

Let your Spirit so infuse me with your faith,

love

and humility

that it become my lifeblood,

my driving power,

my whole existence.

Crucify my flesh

that I might be like your Son in every way

15.

Lord, help me face the truth about myself.

Help me hear my words as others hear them;

To see my face as others see me;

Let me be honest enough to recognize my impatience and conceit;

Let me recognize my anger and selfishness;

Give me sufficient humility to accept my own weaknesses for what they are.

Give me the grace to say, “I was wrong—forgive me.”

16.

God of Jesus,

Center of all existence,

King of the universe,

I desire you alone.

I resolve to be filled with nothing but You alone—

For there is contentment in no other.

Let me not desire You and earthly security,

but You alone.

Let me not desire You and material possessions,

but You alone.

Let me not desire You and entertainments,

but You alone.

Let me not desire You and human love,

but You alone.

Let me not desire You and status,

but You alone.

May You be my inheritance,

You my sufficiency,

You my restoration,

You my rest.

Your kingdom,

your righteousness,

your will,

your glory,

Your praise,

your holiness,

your promises,

your love—

Your satisfaction only may I desire.

Please, exchange all my desires to be a pure desire for You.

17.

O God, our true Life,

to know You is life

to praise you is the joy and happiness of the soul.

We praise and bless and adore You,

We worship You, I glorify You.

We give thanks to You for Your great glory.

We humbly beg You to live with us,

To reign in us

To make our hearts a holy temple,

A fit habitation for your divine majesty.

-Augustine

18.

May God bless us with discomfort

at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships

so that we may live deep within your heart

May God bless us with anger

at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people

so that we may work for justice, freedom and peace

May God bless us with tears

to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war

so that we may reach out your hand to comfort them and

to turn their pain into joy

And may God bless us with enough foolishness

to believe that you can make a difference in the world

so that we can do what others claim cannot be done

to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

- A Franciscan Benediction