Joy

Humor

Humor

Prayer

Creator God, sometimes life can be hard. The demands of work can pile up and our responsibilities can wear us down. It is in such times, Lord, that we are most grateful for the gift of humor. Humor can so often be a vital ingredient in our ability to be resilient. Stir within us a desire for laughter and an appreciation for the opportunity to delight each day in the joy of life. Help us always to learn to take life seriously when appropriate and enjoy humor always. We pray in your name. Amen.

Happiness

Happiness

Prayer

Gracious God, sometimes it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the troubles of the world. The news is often depressing, we can succumb to the temptation to gossip, we can feel burdened by work, and it seems everyone wants something from us. Yet, we know you call us to beatitude, to be happy. Open our hearts to the joyful presence of your Holy Spirit. Help us to remember you create us to delight in the world you fashion and the people who populate it. Inspire us each day to live from a spirit of joy and gratitude for the gift of life and for our loved ones and friends. In gratitude, we pray. Amen.

Holidays

Holidays

Prayer

Humble Lord, for some, today marks the unofficial beginning of the holiday shopping season. Too often, the holiday season can be the source of stress rather than a reason for celebration. Help us as we celebrate this unique holiday season to remain focused on the blessings these days illuminate. Open our hearts to the goodness of this special season and stir within us the spirit of peace and joy at the heart of the days we celebrate. We pray in your name. Amen.

Children

Children

Prayer

Loving Lord, today, the United Nations celebrates Universal Children’s Day. Raising and celebrating children is not the joy and responsibility of parents alone but of all people. Open our hearts to your love and truth that we might lead lives worthy of example. May they see in our commitment to justice, dignity, and the common good a path eminently worthy to follow and that new generations will respond to your call to make noble human existence and to fortify the bonds of community through the commitment to love. We pray in your name. Amen.

Joy

Joy

Prayer

Loving Lord, the challenges we face often risk draining from us the joy of life. Touch our hearts that we might have the confidence to trust in the goodness of life. Fill our minds with your wisdom that the decisions we make can be shaped by your truth. May we always have the courage to choose joy in the midst of a difficult world. May the example of your unending love inspire us to face each day with a spirit of profound joy. In gratitude we pray to you. Amen.

Peace

Peace

Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, let me sow pardon. Where there is doubt, let me sow faith. Where there is despair, let me sow hope. Where there is darkness, let me sow light. Where there is sadness, let me sow joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love, for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.