Good Evening Dear Ones!
I hope everyone had a good day so far. I know that I have. It was a very warm day here in Santa Maria! 94 Degrees! Today our church's exterior was being painted. That called for moving Martha's Meals out to the patio and into the shade. It worked really well. I looked back on my Facebook Memories and realized that a year ago I had my stroke. I give thanks to God for still being here to be your blogger and to be able to feed our beloved brothers, sisters, and siblings on a hot day. I realized one thing, our calendar of saints celebrate the death days not the birthdays. Tonight we celebrate the birth of St. Ignatius of Loyola whose birthday will be tomorrow. We will ponder some of his most famous quotes and then enter into a time of worship. So let us begin.
"All the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully." ~ Ignatius of Loyola
"Whatever you are doing, that which makes you feel the most alive...that is where God is." ~ Ignatius of Loyola
"O my God, teach me to be generous
to serve you as you deserve to be served
to give without counting the cost
to fight without fear of being wounded
to work without seeking rest
and to spend myself without expecting any reward
but the knowledge that I am doing your holy will.
Amen" ~ Ignatius of Loyola
"For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who disbelieve, no amount of proof is sufficient." ~ Ignatius of Loyola
"He who carries God in his heart bears Heaven with him wherever he goes." ~ Ignatius of Loyola
"Teach us, Good Lord, to give and not count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do thy will." ~ Ignatius of Loyola
"If our church is not marked by caring for the poor, the oppressed, the hungry, we are guilty of heresy." ~ Ignatius of Loyola
"The servant of God earns half a doctorate through illness" ~ Ignatius of Loyola
"May it please Christ our Lord to grant us true humility and abnegation of will and judgment, so that we may deserve to begin to be His disciples." ~ Ignatius of Loyola
+++++
Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for thse who abuse you. Do good and lend, expecting nothing in return; for God is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish.
Be merciful as your father is merciful. Judge not and you will not be judged. Condemn not and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and it will be given to you; for the measure you give will be the measure you receive. From Luke 6:27-38
We know that the whole creation is groaning together and suffering labor pains up until now. And it’s not only the creation. We ourselves who have the Spirit as the first crop of the harvest also groan inside as we wait to be adopted and for our bodies to be set free. - Romans 8:22-23
"Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess You have given me. I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more." ~ Ignatius of Loyola
"Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within Thy wounds hide me. Permit me not to be separated from Thee. From the wicked foe defend me. At the hour of my death call me. And bid me come to Thee. That with Thy saints I may praise Thee For ever and ever. Amen." ~ Ignatius of Loyola
"Pardon me, O perfections of my God, for having preferred imperfect and evil inclinations to Thee! Pardon me, O justice of my God, for having outraged Thee by my sins. Pardon me, O holiness of my God, for having so long stained Thy sight's purity by my sins. Pardon me, O mercy of my God, for having despised so long Thy mercy's voice. In deep sorrow and contrition, I cast myself at Thy feet: Have mercy on me." ~ Ignatius of Loyola
with the saints and members of the household of God.
Ephesians 2:19
God is Spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and
in truth. John 4:24
Light of the World Phos hilaron
Light of the world, in grace and beauty,
Mirror of God’s eternal face,
Transparent flame of love’s free duty,
You bring salvation to our race.
Now, as we see the lights of evening,
We raise our voice in hymns of praise;
Worthy are you of endless blessing,
Sun of our night, lamp of our days.
We light our candles or turn on our porch lights and make vigil and pray.
Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love?' These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will be many fruits, here in this world and the life to come." - Henri Nouwen
A Smudging Prayer
Creator, our Father in heaven, we come to you as your children. We confess that we are weak and broken images of you. We pray for the forgiveness and healing you give in Jesus Christ. May his Spirit clean our spirits, minds, hearts, and bodies. We pray that your Holy Spirit will help us to worship in spirit and truth. We pray in the name of Jesus, so that his Spirit will carry our prayers to you. Amen.
Creator, our Father in heaven, we come to you as your children. We confess that we are weak and broken images of you. We pray for the forgiveness and healing you give in Jesus Christ. May his Spirit clean our spirits, minds, hearts, and bodies. We pray that your Holy Spirit will help us to worship in spirit and truth. We pray in the name of Jesus, so that his Spirit will carry our prayers to you. Amen.
IN LAK’ECH
Tú eres mi otro yo.
You are my other me.
Si te hago daño a ti,
If I do harm to you,
Me hago daño a mi mismo.
I do harm to myself.
Si te amo y respeto,
If I love and respect you,
Me amo y respeto yo.
I love and respect myself.
Luis Valdez
We continue to pray and remember to pray for our neighbors:
Our Neighbors are The Family of God who are in the following prayers and I invite you pray for them daily:
Jesus help us to remember who our neighbor is by praying for our family members below.
Jesus help us to remember who our neighbor is by praying for our family members below.
Women
Men
Children
Enemies
Refugees, immigrants of any kind
Caregivers
Those who don't share your political or religious beliefs
LGBTQ family members
Elderly
Family members with whom we are estranged
Everyone
The sick and the suffering
The mentally ill and memory challenged
Those living with H.I. V./ A.I.D.S
Everyone
Those who have caused you harm or abused you
Those who hate you or you hate ( Not acceptable)
Those who have forgiven you and those whom you have forgiven
Everyone
Those who do not share the same ethnicity or race as you
Political prisoners
Prisoners of war
Those who cause terror, violence, bullying, and do unspeakable things.
Everyone
Jews
Christians
Muslims
Buddhists
Hindus
All faith communities
Everyone
Indigenous peoples
Victims of Human Trafficking
Everyone
Cancer patients,
Chronically ill
The disabled
The poor
The homeless
The hungry
The lonely,
The lost,
The unemployed
The farm worker
Everyone
The misunderstood
The learning disabled
The marginalized
The invisible ones
The least of these
Everyone
The family of nations and all the peoples God's world
The unemployed
The farm worker
Everyone
The misunderstood
The learning disabled
The marginalized
The invisible ones
The least of these
Everyone
The family of nations and all the peoples God's world
Jesus we pray for all of our family members nearby,stranger, and enemy and in particular those mentioned about that we may love one another as you have loved us . May we strive to be better at loving, accepting, and including everyone. We know that in Your world all means all and not some. May we continue to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you to the end of our days and beyond. Amen.
Tonight we light our candles and pray for an end to hatred an fear that keep us from being reconciled to each other and ourselves. We light these candles for all of our family members who live in fear because they are afraid to be who they are. We pray and light candles for reconciliation between all family members who have sought to be divided and not united. We pray and light our candles in memory of all indigenous peoples of the world and that we may respect their history, their persons, and their gifts to the world. We pray and light our candles this night so that we may light up the world with God's light as a message of Love, Peace, Hope, and Joy to all who have been affected by hatred, bigotry, racism, phobias, discrimination, violence, abuse, and terror. We pray that we may shine the light of God by authentically showing to others our true selves that God has made in God's image and likeness. We light our candles and celebrate each other's diversity and the gifts we bring to this beautiful world that God created. We lift up our prayers each day for the
all who have been victimized by terror. We pray for_____________________. The Light of Christ in Me, Recognizes the light of Christ in you
Amen.
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think that I am following Your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please You
does in fact please You.
And I hope that I have that desire
in all that I am doing.
and the fact that I think that I am following Your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please You
does in fact please You.
And I hope that I have that desire
in all that I am doing.
And I know that if I do this,
You will lead me by the right road
although I may know nothing about it.
You will lead me by the right road
although I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust You always,
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death,
I will not fear, for You are ever with me,
and will never leave me
to face my perils alone.
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death,
I will not fear, for You are ever with me,
and will never leave me
to face my perils alone.
Thomas Merton
From The Resistance Prays
Holy God, you call us to trust you and to work for the end of suffering of all creation. Remind us that we are all of us connected. Call us into holy work, so that all people may have a world that is healthy and safe. Amen.
Psalm 34:1–8
Benedicam Dominum
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; *
his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
2 I will glory in the Lord; *
let the humble hear and rejoice.
let the humble hear and rejoice.
3 Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord; *
let us exalt his Name together.
let us exalt his Name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me *
and delivered me out of all my terror.
and delivered me out of all my terror.
5 Look upon him and be radiant, *
and let not your faces be ashamed.
and let not your faces be ashamed.
6 I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me *
and saved me from all my troubles.
and saved me from all my troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him, *
and he will deliver them.
and he will deliver them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; *
happy are they who trust in him!
happy are they who trust in him!
Proverbs 22:1–6
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favour is better than silver or gold.
and favour is better than silver or gold.
The rich and the poor have this in common:
the Lord is the maker of them all.
the Lord is the maker of them all.
The clever see danger and hide;
but the simple go on, and suffer for it.
but the simple go on, and suffer for it.
The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
is riches and honour and life.
is riches and honour and life.
Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
the cautious will keep far from them.
the cautious will keep far from them.
Train children in the right way,
and when old, they will not stray.
and when old, they will not stray.
A Song of the Wilderness
Isaiah 35:1-7,10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, *
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
It shall blossom abundantly, *
and rejoice with joy and singing.
They shall see the glory of the Lord, *
the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weary hands, *
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to the anxious, “Be strong, do not fear! *
Here is your God, coming with judgment to save you.”
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, *
and the ears of the deaf be unstopped.
Then shall the lame leap like a deer, *
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness *
and streams in the desert;
The burning sand shall become a pool *
and the thirsty ground, springs of water.
The ransomed of God shall return with singing, *
with everlasting joy upon their heads.
Joy and gladness shall be theirs, *
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away
1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 32Give no offence to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved. 111Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
The Song of Mary Magnificat
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in you, O God my Savior, *
for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,
and holy is your name.
You have mercy on those who fear you *
from generation to generation.
You have shown strength with your arm *
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
Casting down the mighty from their thrones *
and lifting up the lowly.
You have filled the hungry with good things *
and sent the rich away empty.
You have come to the help of your servant Israel, *
for you have remembered your promise of mercy,
The promise made to our forebears, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Luke 9:57–62
As they were going along the road, someone said to Jesus, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."
A Song of the Spirit
Revelation 22:12-17
“Behold, I am coming soon,” says the Lord,
“and bringing my reward with me, *
to give to everyone according to their deeds.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, *
the beginning and the end.”
Blessed are those who do God’s commandments,
that they may have the right to the tree of life, *
and may enter the city through the gates.
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to you, *
with this testimony for all the churches.
“I am the root and the offspring of David, *
I am the bright morning star.”
“Come!” say the Spirit and the Bride; *
“Come!” let each hearer reply!
Come forward, you who are thirsty, *
let those who desire take the water of life as a gift.
Settings of the Lord's Prayer as found in A New Zealand Prayer Book
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
or the alternative form.
Eternal Spirit,
Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples
of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and for ever. Amen.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
or the alternative form.
Eternal Spirit,
Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples
of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and for ever. Amen.
Of a Prophetic Witness in Society
Almighty God, whose prophets taught us righteousness in the care of your poor: By the guidance of your Holy Spirit, grant that we may do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly in your sight; through Jesus Christ, our Judge and Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the same Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Collect for the Week
Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Pray for peace among the nations
Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of the world into
the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace
which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the kingdom
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Pray for every human heart
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every
human heart and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that
barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds
cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Pray for those who influence public opinion
Almighty God, you proclaim your truth in every age by many voices:
Direct, in our time, we pray, those who speak where many listen and
write what many read; that they may do their part in making the heart
of this people wise, its mind sound, and its will righteous; to the honor
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
We Praise You, O God Te Deum laudamus
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
all creation worships you,
the Father everlasting.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
the cherubim and seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you took our flesh to set us free
you humbly chose the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come to be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
God of abundance help us to be helpful towards all of our family members.
We pray that we may offer our time and our best selves in your service and in the service of others.
We pray that we may offer help to organizations that go against our grain to help those who differ from us.
We pray that we may learn to give of ourselves freely and gracefully.
We pray that our works may be pleasing to you.
We pray that we may find community within the many aid agencies that need our help.
We pray that we may help comfort our family members who mourn.
We pray that we may be of help to our family members who are ill.
We pray that we may work for justice and peace and speak truth to power.
We pray that we may seek to end hunger, homelessness, bullying, economic injustice, and hatred.
We pray that we may find ways to serve when we don't feel like serving.
We pray for peace in the war torn areas of the world.
We pray for sensible policing and gun laws.
We pray that we may offer our time and our best selves in your service and in the service of others.
We pray that we may offer help to organizations that go against our grain to help those who differ from us.
We pray that we may learn to give of ourselves freely and gracefully.
We pray that our works may be pleasing to you.
We pray that we may find community within the many aid agencies that need our help.
We pray that we may help comfort our family members who mourn.
We pray that we may be of help to our family members who are ill.
We pray that we may work for justice and peace and speak truth to power.
We pray that we may seek to end hunger, homelessness, bullying, economic injustice, and hatred.
We pray that we may find ways to serve when we don't feel like serving.
We pray for peace in the war torn areas of the world.
We pray for sensible policing and gun laws.
We pray for equality for all and universal human rights.
We pray for our family members who have died.
We pray for our family members who are ill.
We pray for refugees, all victims of violence and oppression, victims of human trafficking.
We offer our own prayers in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Or these prayers!
Prayers that calm and renew
Calm our nerves, minds, and spirits God.
God we pray for peace in this your broken world.
Calm our fears, banish hate and let us sew seeds of love and mercy to those whom we fear and hate.
God we pray for all those who have entered into hospice care and are in transition.
Calm their fears and those of their loved ones as they vigil and sit at bedside. We pray for a gentle and peaceful transitioning.
God we pray for all who are ill and in need of healing.
Give us a sense of calm while we wait for your healing O God.
God give us courage when we make mistakes and admit our wrong doing.
Calm our fears and make us strong as we meet the bumps in the road and along our life's journey.
God we pray for our nation as it goes through many trials and tribulations.
Calm our unnecessary fears and banish all of our phobias, hate, and mistrust.
God we pray for a restful and peaceful night and that we may be rested, relaxed, renewed, and refreshed.
Give us Calm bodies, minds, and spirits as we rest.
God we pray for all those who ask us for prayer remembering especially__________________ and for ourselves._____________.
Give us calm while we pray.
God we pray for rain in the drought parched lands. Help us to conserve water and be diligent in conservation of our environment.
God we pray for all the leaders of the nations around the world that need to feel the power of your love and remember they are ambassadors for peace and that they do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you O god and that they may turn their swords into plough shares and spears into pruning hooks and that they may never learn war anymore.
Calm all this extremism and warring madness.
God we pray for all who lead the various faith communities and the people with whom they minister. Calm our fears when we meet other family members of God from other faiths that we may show our love and compassion to them.
God we pray this night for all the least of these. Keep them safe from harm.
Calm their fears in the night hours and may they feel your loving and protective arms around them.
Calm us O God That we may be renewed by your loving presence that we may use the presents you have given us in the presence and service of others.
God we lift up these prayers in the name of your only Son Jesus the Christ. Amen.
St. Teresa's Bookmark
Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything. Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices.
Christ has no body- St. Teresa of Avila
Christ has no body now on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ must look out on the world. Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which He is to bless His people.
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to
generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever.
Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
An optional Rite of Compline from the Northumbria Community
Tuesday – The Cuthbert Compline
Cuthbert, a shepherd lad looking after his flock on the Lammermuir hills, had an angelic vision coinciding with the death of Aidan which convinced him that he was meant to follow Christ as surely as the beloved founder of Lindisfarne Abbey. He became a monk at Melrose Abbey, under the guidance of Boisil. Cuthbert later succeeded him as Prior. Later in his life Cuthbert became a dearly-loved bishop at Lindisfarne, from where, until his death in 687, he loved to retreat in solitude to pray and fast on the Farne Islands.
If this Compline is being used in a group setting the * notation indicates a change of reader; words in bold are said all together; words in bold italic are said by each person in turn; and + indicates where you might make the sign of the cross.
+ (silently)
* I will lie down and sleep in peace
for You alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
O God, and Spirit, and Jesu, the Three,
from the crown of my head, O Trinity,
to the soles of my feet mine offering be.
Come I unto Thee, O Jesu, my King –
O Jesu, do Thou be my sheltering.
My dear ones, O God, bless Thou and keep,
in every place where they are.
* Whoever has chosen to make
the shelter of the Most High their dwelling place
will stay in His over-shadowing.
* He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
He is my God, and I am trusting Him.
* He will rescue you from the traps laid for your feet,
and save you from the destroying curse.
* His faithful promises are your armour.
You need no longer be afraid of any terror by night,
or the death-arrow that flies by day.
* The Lord Himself is your refuge;
you have made the Most High your stronghold.
* Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for You are my crag and my stronghold.
* How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.
I will not lie down tonight with sin,
nor shall sin
nor sin’s shadow
lie down with me.
O God of life, this night,
O darken not to me Thy light.
O God of life, this night,
close not Thy gladness to my sight.
O God of life, this night,
Thy door to me, O shut not tight,
O God of life, this night.
* Be it on Thine own beloved arm,
O God of grace,
that I in peace shall waken.
* Jesu, Son of Mary!
my helper, my encircler.
Jesu, Son of David!
my strength everlasting.
Jesu, Son of Mary!
my helper, my encircler.
The peace of all peace
be mine this night
+ in the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
+++++++
Good Night my dearly loved ones. I love you and give thanks to God for you this night and always. May we feel God's calming presence this night and always.
With love and blessings and prayers that you will feel God's abiding presence.
Sara
With love and blessings and prayers that you will feel God's abiding presence.
Sara
Resources:
Prayers of Power
Enriching Our Worship 1
Book of Common Prayer
A New Zealand Prayer Book
Northumbria Community
A to Z Quotes
Walk With Me On Our Journey
Metis Aboriginal Ministries for Smudging prayer
Satucket Lectionary
Lectionary Page
Bonus Reflections:
“Go forth and set the world on fire.”
― St. Ignatius Loyola
Pause
― St. Ignatius Loyola
Pause
Reflect
Pray
“Love is shown more in deeds than in words.”
― St. Ignatius of Loyola
“To give, and not to count the cost
to fight, and not to heed the wounds,
to toil, and not to seek for rest,
to labor, and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do thy will”
― St. Ignatius of Loyola
“God freely created us so that we might know, love, and serve him in this life and be happy with him forever. God's purpose in creating us is to draw forth from us a response of love and service here on earth, so that we may attain our goal of everlasting happiness with him in heaven.
All the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully.
As a result, we ought to appreciate and use these gifts of God insofar as they help us toward our goal of loving service and union with God. But insofar as any created things hinder our progress toward our goal, we ought to let them go.”
― St. Ignatius of Loyola
“Laugh and grow strong”
― Ignatius of Loyola
“He who goes about to reform the world must begin with himself, or he loses his labor.”
― St. Ignatius of Loyola
“Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.”
― St. Ignatius Loyola
“[L]ove ought to manifest itself in deeds rather than in words.... love consists in a mutual sharing of goods, for example, the lover gives and shares with the beloved what he possesses, or something of that which he has or is able to give; and vice versa, the beloved shares with the lover. Hence, if one has knowledge, he shares it with the one who does not possess it; and so also if one has honors, or riches. Thus, one always gives to the other.”
― St. Ignatius of Loyola, The Spiritual Exercises
“If our church is not marked by caring for the poor, the oppressed, the hungry, we are guilty of heresy.”
― Ignatius of Loyola
“Try to keep your soul always in peace and quiet, always ready for whatever our lord may wish to work in you. it is certainly a higher virtue of the soul, and a greater grace, to be able to enjoy the Lord in different times and different places than in only one.”
― Saint Ignatius
“For they speak of Christ, not that they may preach Christ, but that they may reject Christ; and they speak of the law, not that they may establish the law, but that they may proclaim things contrary to it.”
― Ignatius
“He who carries God in his heart bears Heaven with him wherever he goes.”
-- Ignatius Loyola
“Love is shown more in deeds than in words.”
― St. Ignatius of Loyola
Pause
Reflect
Pray
“To give, and not to count the cost
to fight, and not to heed the wounds,
to toil, and not to seek for rest,
to labor, and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do thy will”
― St. Ignatius of Loyola
Pause
Reflect
Pray
“God freely created us so that we might know, love, and serve him in this life and be happy with him forever. God's purpose in creating us is to draw forth from us a response of love and service here on earth, so that we may attain our goal of everlasting happiness with him in heaven.
All the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully.
As a result, we ought to appreciate and use these gifts of God insofar as they help us toward our goal of loving service and union with God. But insofar as any created things hinder our progress toward our goal, we ought to let them go.”
― St. Ignatius of Loyola
Pause
Reflect
Pray
“Laugh and grow strong”
― Ignatius of Loyola
Pause
Reflect
Pray
“He who goes about to reform the world must begin with himself, or he loses his labor.”
― St. Ignatius of Loyola
Pause
Reflect
Pray
“Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.”
― St. Ignatius Loyola
Pause
Reflect
Pray
“[L]ove ought to manifest itself in deeds rather than in words.... love consists in a mutual sharing of goods, for example, the lover gives and shares with the beloved what he possesses, or something of that which he has or is able to give; and vice versa, the beloved shares with the lover. Hence, if one has knowledge, he shares it with the one who does not possess it; and so also if one has honors, or riches. Thus, one always gives to the other.”
― St. Ignatius of Loyola, The Spiritual Exercises
Pause
Reflect
Pray
“If our church is not marked by caring for the poor, the oppressed, the hungry, we are guilty of heresy.”
― Ignatius of Loyola
Pause
Reflect
Pray
“Try to keep your soul always in peace and quiet, always ready for whatever our lord may wish to work in you. it is certainly a higher virtue of the soul, and a greater grace, to be able to enjoy the Lord in different times and different places than in only one.”
― Saint Ignatius
Pause
Reflect
Pray
“For they speak of Christ, not that they may preach Christ, but that they may reject Christ; and they speak of the law, not that they may establish the law, but that they may proclaim things contrary to it.”
― Ignatius
Pause
Reflect
Pray
“He who carries God in his heart bears Heaven with him wherever he goes.”
-- Ignatius Loyola
Pause
Reflect
Pray
“Discouragement is not from God.”
-- Ignatius Loyola
Pause
Reflect
Pray
“Finding God in All Things.”
-- Ignatius Loyola
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience." ~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"Love is the most powerful and still most unknown energy in the world." ~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"We are one, after all, you and I, together we suffer, together exist and forever will recreate each other." ~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"Sometime in your life, hope that you might see one starved man, the look on his face when the bread finally arrives. Hope that you might have baked it or bought or even kneaded it yourself. For that look on his face, for your meeting his eyes across a piece of bread, you might be willing to lose a lot, or suffer a lot, or die a little, even." ~ Daniel Berrigan
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"Faith is rarely where your head is at. Nor is it where your heart is at. Faith is where your ass is at!" ~ Daniel Berrigan
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"The gift we can offer others is so simple a thing as hope." ~ Daniel Berrigan
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"One is called to live nonviolently, even if the change one works for seems impossible." ~ Daniel Berrigan
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"Free will is the liberty to choose what is right according to Gods law." ~ Malachi Martin
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"Wisdom tends to grow in proportion to one's awareness of one's ignorance." ~ Anthony de Mello
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"You see persons and things not as they are but as you are." ~ Anthony de Mello
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"These things will destroy the human race: politics without principle, progress without compassion, wealth without work, learning without silence, religion without fearlessness and worship without awareness." ~ Anthony de Mello
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"Knowing God is more important than knowing about God." ~ Karl Rahner
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"Only in love can I find you, my God. In love the gates of my soul spring open, allowing me to breathe a new air of freedom and forget my own petty self. In love my whole being streams forth out of the rigid confines of narrowness and anxious self-assertion, which make me a prisoner of my own poverty emptiness. In love all the powers of my soul flow out toward you, wanting never more to return, but to lose themselves completely in you, since by your love you are the inmost center of my heart, closer to me than I am to myself." ~ Karl Rahner
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"When man is with God in awe and love, then he is praying." ~ Karl Rahner
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"To love God as He ought to be loved, we must be detached from all temporal love. We must love nothing but Him, or if we love anything else, we must love it only for His sake." ~ Peter Claver
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"To lift up the hands in prayer gives God glory, but a man with a dungfork in his hand, a woman with a slop pail, give Him glory, too. God is so great that all things give Him glory if you mean that they should." ~ Gerard Manley Hopkins
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"For Christ plays in ten thousand places,/ Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his/ To the Father through the features of men’s faces." ~ Gerard Manley Hopkins
Pause
Reflect
Pray
"Our Lord Jesus Christ , my brethren, is our hero, a hero all the world wants." ~ Gerard Manley Hopkins
Pause
Reflect
Pray
For More information:
Prayers of St. Ignatius of Loyola
Trust in Jesus
Small yellow Cross
O Christ Jesus,
when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love
and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we shall see Your hand,
Your purpose, Your will through all things. Amen.
Prayer of St. Ignatius Loyola
Dearest Lord,
teach me to be generous;
teach me to serve You as You deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labour and not to ask for reward
save that of knowing I am doing Your Will.
Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds hide me.
Permit me not to be separated from you.
From the wicked foe, defend me.
At the hour of my death, call me
and bid me come to you
That with your saints I may praise you
For ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to Know God’s Will - St. Ignatius of Loyola
May it please the supreme and divine Goodness
to give us all abundant grace
ever to know his most holy will
and perfectly to fulfill it.
Suscipe
St. Ignatius of Loyola
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace,
that is enough for me.
Trust in Jesus
Small yellow Cross
O Christ Jesus,
when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love
and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we shall see Your hand,
Your purpose, Your will through all things. Amen.
Prayer of St. Ignatius Loyola
Dearest Lord,
teach me to be generous;
teach me to serve You as You deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labour and not to ask for reward
save that of knowing I am doing Your Will.
Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds hide me.
Permit me not to be separated from you.
From the wicked foe, defend me.
At the hour of my death, call me
and bid me come to you
That with your saints I may praise you
For ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to Know God’s Will - St. Ignatius of Loyola
May it please the supreme and divine Goodness
to give us all abundant grace
ever to know his most holy will
and perfectly to fulfill it.
Suscipe
St. Ignatius of Loyola
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace,
that is enough for me.
Ignatian Prayers
Daily Examen
Thanksgiving:
What am I especially grateful for in the past day?
The gift of another day?
The love and support I have received?
The courage I have mustered?
An event that took place today?
Petition:
I am about to review my day; I ask for the light to know God and to know myself as God sees me.
Review:
Where have I felt true joy today?
What has troubled me today?
What has challenged me today?
Where and when did I pause today?
Have I noticed God's presence in any of this?
Response:
In light of my review, what is my response to the God of my life?
A Look Ahead
As I look ahead, what comes to mind?
With what spirit do I want to enter tomorrow?
O Deus Ego Amo Te
O God, I love thee, I love thee,
Not out of hope of heaven for me
Nor fearing not to love and be
In the everlasting burning.
Thou, thou, my Jesus, after me
Didst reach thine arms out dying,
For my sake sufferedst nails, and lance,
Mocked and marred countenance,
Sorrows passing number,
Sweat and care and cumber,
Yea and death, and this for me,
And thou couldst see me sinning:
Then I, why should not I love thee,
Jesus, so much in love with me,
Not for heaven's sake;
Not to be out of hell by loving thee;
Not for any gains I see;
But just the way that thou didst me
I do love and I will love thee:
What must I love thee, Lord, for then?
For being my king and God.
Amen.
- St. Francis Xavier, translated by Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J..
The Slow Work of God
Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are, quite naturally, impatient in everything to reach the end
Without delay.
We should like to skip
The intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on
The way to something unknown,
Something new,
And yet it is the law of all progress
That it is made by passing through
Some stages of instability ---
And that it may take a very long time.
And so I think it is with you.
Your ideas mature gradually ---
Let them grow,
Let them shape themselves,
Without undue haste.
Don't try to force them on,
As though you could be today
What time will make you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new spirit
Gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
That his hand is leading you,
And accept the anxiety of
Feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.
- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J..
As Kingfishers Catch Fire
As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame;
As tumbled over rim in roundy wells
Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell's
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;
Each mortal thing does one thing and the same;
Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;
Selves -- goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,
Crying What I do is me: for that I came.
I say more: the just man justices;
Keeps grace: that keeps all his goings graces;
Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is --
Christ. For Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men's faces.
- Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J..
"Glory be to God for dappled things-
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches' wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced-fold, fallow, and plough;
And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.
All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise him." ~ Gerard Manley Hopkins
GOD’S GRANDEUR -Gerard Manley Hopkins
The world is charged with Your grandeur, O God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do we then now not reck Your rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared smeared with toil;
And sears our smudge and shares our smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—
Because Your Holy Power over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do we then now not reck Your rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared smeared with toil;
And sears our smudge and shares our smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—
Because Your Holy Power over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings
P.S. Don't forget we are continuing our midweek meditation on the Arusha Call to Discipleship and taking the Matthew 25 Pledge!
The Arusha Call to Discipleship
13 March 2018
World Council of Churches’ Conference on World Mission and Evangelism
Moving in the Spirit: Called to Transforming Discipleship
The Arusha Call to Discipleship
The World Council of Churches’ Conference on World Mission and Evangelism met in Arusha, Tanzania, from 8-13 March 2018. More than one thousand participants—all of whom are engaged in mission and evangelism—gathered from many different Christian traditions and from every part of the world.
We joyfully celebrated the life-giving movement of the Spirit of God in our time, drawing particular inspiration from African contexts and spiritualties. Through Bible study, common prayer and worship, and by sharing our stories together, we were encouraged to be witnesses to the reign of God that has come to us through the life, crucifixion, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Despite some glimmers of hope, we had to reckon with death-dealing forces that are shaking the world order and inflicting suffering on many. We observed the shocking accumulation of wealth due to one global financial system, which enriches few and impoverishes many (Isaiah 5:8). This is at the root of many of today’s wars, conflicts, ecological devastation, and suffering (1Timothy 6:10). This global imperial system has made the financial market one of the idols of our time. It has also strengthened cultures of domination and discrimination that continue to marginalize and exclude millions, forcing some among us into conditions of vulnerability and exploitation. We are mindful that people on the margins bear the heaviest burden.
These issues are not new for 2018, but the Holy Spirit continues to move at this time, and urgently calls us as Christian communities to respond with personal and communal conversion, and a transforming discipleship.
Discipleship is both a gift and a calling to be active collaborators with God for the transforming of the world (1Thessalonians 3:2). In what the church’s early theologians called “theosis” or deification, we share God’s grace by sharing God’s mission. This journey of discipleship leads us to share and live out God’s love in Jesus Christ by seeking justice and peace in ways that are different from the world (John 14:27). Thus, we are responding to Jesus’ call to follow him from the margins of our world (Luke 4:16-19).
As disciples of Jesus Christ, both individually and collectively:
We are called by our baptism to transforming discipleship: a Christ-connected way of life in a world where many face despair, rejection, loneliness, and worthlessness.
We are called to worship the one Triune God—the God of justice, love, and grace—at a time when many worship the false god of the market system (Luke 16:13).
We are called to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ—the fullness of life, the repentance and forgiveness of sin, and the promise of eternal life—in word and deed, in a violent world where many are sacrificed to the idols of death (Jeremiah 32:35) and where many have not yet heard the gospel.
We are called to joyfully engage in the ways of the Holy Spirit, who empowers people from the margins with agency, in the search for justice and dignity (Acts 1:8; 4:31).
We are called to discern the word of God in a world that communicates many contradictory, false, and confusing messages.
We are called to care for God’s creation, and to be in solidarity with nations severely affected by climate change in the face of a ruthless human-centered exploitation of the environment for consumerism and greed.
We are called as disciples to belong together in just and inclusive communities, in our quest for unity and on our ecumenical journey, in a world that is based upon marginalization and exclusion.
We are called to be faithful witnesses of God’s transforming love in dialogue with people of other faiths in a world where the politicization of religious identities often causes conflict.
We are called to be formed as servant leaders who demonstrate the way of Christ in a world that privileges power, wealth, and the culture of money (Luke 22:25-27).
We are called to break down walls and seek justice with people who are dispossessed and displaced from their lands—including migrants, refugees and asylum seekers—and to resist new frontiers and borders that separate and kill (Isaiah 58:6-8).
We are called to follow the way of the cross, which challenges elitism, privilege, personal and structural power (Luke 9:23).
We are called to live in the light of the resurrection, which offers hope-filled possibilities for transformation.
This is a call to transforming discipleship.
This is not a call that we can answer in our own strength, so the call becomes, in the end, a call to prayer:
Loving God, we thank you for the gift of life in all its diversity and beauty. Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, we praise you that you came to find the lost, to free the oppressed, to heal the sick, and to convert the self-centred. Holy Spirit, we rejoice that you breathe in the life of the world and are poured out into our hearts. As we live in the Spirit, may we also walk in the Spirit. Grant us faith and courage to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus: becoming pilgrims of justice and peace in our time. For the blessing of your people, the sustaining of the earth, and the glory of your name. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
I pledge to protect and defend vulnerable people in the name of Jesus.
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