Daily Reflections
Prayer
Lord, when John the Baptist was questioned, he knew it was not important who he was but the person whose way he was preparing. As we continue our celebration of the sacred season of Advent, fill our minds with the wisdom of John to know that our lives are not about ourselves but about serving the one born on that first Christmas.
With gratitude for your presence with and among us, we pray. Amen.
Prayer
Loving God, on this day when we honor your mother, inspire us by her example to lead lives of faith and perseverance. Fill us with your Holy Spirit that we might have the trust to believe in the fulfillment of your promises. Stir within us the trust to know you are with us always. Give us the strength your mother embodied to answer your call to discipleship. We pray in your name. Amen.
Prayer
Loving God, on the night before he died, your son Jesus called his disciples friends. Let us give thanks today for the friends in our lives who help us to be better people, who see us through the difficult times, and are there to rejoice with us in the good times. Fill our hearts with the love and our minds with the wisdom to be good friends for others. May we strive to grow in friendship with you and imitate the friendship you offer us through your son, Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Prayer
God of light and goodness, today, we join in prayer in a special way with our Jewish sisters and brothers as they begin at sunset this evening the Feast of Chanukah. Chanukah celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of good over evil, of knowledge over ignorance, and of hope over despair. May this eight-day festival of light inspire each of us to become instruments of God in helping to overcome darkness, evil, ignorance, and despair. Bless our efforts, as individuals, as communities, and as a ministry, to advance the cause of light, goodness, knowledge, and hope. With unshakeable trust in you, we pray. Amen.
Prayer
Living Lord, life can be difficult and filled with challenges and obstacles. And yet we trust in you and know that the darkness will never completely overcome the light. Fill our hearts and minds with an attitude of trust that we might face each day with confidence and courage. Bless our efforts this day and every day, that we might be vehicles of your compassion and care for others. Through the gift of your Holy Spirit, shape our prevailing attitude, that we might be people of faith and hope. Amen.
Prayer
Saving God, we remember in a special way this day the tremendous faith and courage of Mary, the mother of Jesus. May her willingness to do your will, with all of its uncertainty and mystery, inspire us to follow in the footsteps of your son, Jesus. Open our hearts and minds that we might imitate Mary’s openness and commit ourselves to growth in discipleship. Help us to surrender ourselves to your will as Mary did and strive each day to give ourselves ever more completely to your word. With faith in you, we pray. Amen.
Prayer
Lord of all, today is a day of remembrance, remembering a dark day in our nation’s history but also of those who sacrifice in the service of our nation. May our recollection of what occurred on this day and the memory of those who gave their lives inspire us to sacrifice in the service of our sisters and brothers, especially those who are poor, sick, and vulnerable. Amen.
