Prayer of St. Brendan

Accompanying God,

Today we share the words attributed to St. Brendan: “Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown. Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with You. Christ of the mysteries, I trust You to be stronger than each storm within me. I will trust in the darkness and know that my times, even now, are in Your hand. Tune my spirit to the music of heaven, and somehow, make my obedience count for You.” Amen.

Prayer

Compassionate God,

Help us learn from you the meaning of genuine compassion and to practice showing compassion each day with integrity and sincerity. Where kindness is lacking, give us the generosity of spirit to share kindness with others freely. Where grace and mercy are absent, lead us in our words and deeds to make them more present. With gratitude for your goodness to all, may we be agents of goodness, renewing your people in the ways that we can. Amen.

Prayer

Ever-present God,

We all likely know that feeling, when we are desperate for help and so we reach out in prayer, yet our words hit the floor. We wonder: are you even there? As we wrestle through the challenge of a life of faith, it is comforting to know that even your saints felt this way. Help us consider that maybe, in some way, you are in fact closer when we feel you less. However we feel, strengthen our faith today and empower us to embrace the calling you have given and stand firm. Amen.

Prayer

Joyful God,

There is something so attractive about a heartfelt laugh. It is a source of refreshment in the course of our days. A new mom’s exhausted laugh-cry-sigh all at once, as the long-awaited delivery finally comes forth, an old man’s cackle at a well-spun tale from a friend, or a child’s giggle when the dog obeys, doing the same trick again and again. These are glimpses of freedom and spirit, which we are right to treasure whenever they come. Thank you that laughter and holiness go well together. Amen.

Prayer

God of Renewal,

Chaos. Brokenness. Destruction beyond imagining. These are the realities faced by many today, in their personal lives and shared lives together, as nations and across the world. We feel it, too, and we grieve. Yet we also have hope that your promise of transformation, redemption, and restoration will become a reality for all those in need. For the weak, the poor, and the vulnerable, empower us to help you bring order out of disorder, a meaningful world from the chaos. Amen.

Prayer

God of Rest and Restoration,

As we continue to celebrate Hospital Week, we are mindful of the strain and exhaustion affecting so many across our ministry. We pray for them today. Give our associates and colleagues the rest that they desperately need. Let a sense of urgency lead them to seek pathways for deeper restoration. May all those who are heavy-laden be encouraged today to seek and secure the renewal you long to give them for their health and well-being. Help us to continue to build a network that heals, protects and affirms each other. Amen.

Prayer

Servant of All,

We spend more and more of our waking hours looking at screens and devices than the faces of neighbors, friends, and family. There are benefits from all our technology, but we see trade-offs as well. As we forge ahead as a culture on-line, give us wisdom and discernment to remember our principles and hold on to our values. Help us always to put people first and to serve them as you have shown us, with humility, dedication, and neighborly love. Amen.