Daily Prayers Monday, 12 December 2022
ASHES OF LIFE
by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Love has gone and left me and the days are all alike;
Eat I must, and sleep I will,–and would that night were here!
But ah!–to lie awake and hear the slow hours strike!
Would that it were day again!–with twilight near!
Love has gone and left me and I don’t know what to do;
This or that or what you will is all the same to me;
But all the things that I begin I leave before I’m through,–
There’s little use in anything as far as I can see.
Love has gone and left me,–and the neighbors knock and borrow,
And life goes on forever like the gnawing of a mouse,–
And to-morrow and to-morrow and to-morrow and to-morrow
There’s this little street and this little house.
Welcome to Prayers for the Day.
We light a candle…
Lord God, may we, your people, who look forward to the birthday of Christ experience the joy of salvation and celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
Amen.
Presence
I remind myself that I am in your presence O Lord.
I will take refuge in your loving heart.
You are my strength in times of weakness.
You are my comforter in times of sorrow.
Freedom
Lord I ask for the grace to know
That doing your will is a joy
Because your will is my deepest desire
And you are always willing what is best for me.
Consciousness
To be conscious about something is to be aware of it. Dear Lord help me to remember that You gave me life. Thank you for the gift of life. Teach me to slow down, to be still and enjoy the pleasures created for me. To be aware of the beauty that surrounds me. The marvel of mountains, the calmness of lakes, the fragility of a flower petal. I need to remember that all these things come from you.
THE WORD OF GOD
Psalm 16:1–2
Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.
WORDS OF WISDOM
The writer of the Book of Psalms sums up his reason for hope in Psalm 56:9–11: “This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, … in God I trust; I am not afraid.” There you have it. The person who believes and trusts in God, in my observation, has far less fear because he or she senses God’s presence, care, and protection. In the Scriptures, hope is visualized as an anchor. By hope we are anchored to Christ, so we don’t go adrift. He comes to us spiritually to be our anchor amid the storms of life. Be open to him.
Lord, it is so easy for me to drift. Be my anchor. Amen.
by Monsignor Frank Bognanno
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Dear Father in heaven, look on us as your children, and grant that we may feel in you the highest good for time and eternity. Even if we have to deny ourselves and make great sacrifices, you remain our treasure, our riches, our love, and our joy. Give us strength as a gathered people ready to serve you. Grant us your Spirit whenever we do not understand what we should do. Shelter us always in your hands, and allow us to see your miracles in souls and in bodies. For you are our God, the Almighty, and you find the way to help in everything.
Amen.
THE BLESSING
May God the provider of green pastures and
quiet waters be the peace in our hearts today
May Jesus our guide on mountain top and valley
deep be the hope in our hearts today
May the Spirit of truth and knowledge
comforter and friend be the strength in our hearts today
Amen
Thank you for join us. Have a wonderful day
Revd. Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga
