Expanding a Prayer

This old photograph is of a Carthusian monk just before his receiving Holy Communion at Mass. Afterwards, while purifying the chalice, paten and the empty ciborium (if there was one) he will pray these words silently:

What has passed our lips as food, O Lord,

may we possess in purity of heart,

that what has been given to us in time

may be our healing for eternity. Amen

Might I suggest we can make this prayer our own, perhaps using the first line as a kind of 'spring board' for reflection. Here's my ideas; you'll have your own. Let it be born out of silence.

What has passed my lips as food, O Lord, 

may it develop in me compassion and unselfishness,

may my religion not be second-hand, but a personal oneness with God,

may I be absorbed in God,

may God see my actions today as worship.

What has passed my lips as food, O Lord,

may my heart be illumined,

may I love God and neighbor,

may I walk as a child of the Light,

may I be satisfied - freed of desires and attachments.

What has passed my lips as food, O Lord,

may I dare to embrace non-violence,

may I hate no one and learn forgiveness,

may I have the mind of Christ,

may I translate this Communion into feeding the hungry; drink to the thirsty.

What has passed my lips as food, O Lord,

may I carry an atmosphere of contentment and happiness,

may I realize the Kingdom of God is within me,

may I discover my own dignity, as God has visited me,

may I understand that God wants me to be fully alive today.

Amen!

Intercessions ~ Feast of the Holy Family and January 1, Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

On this Feast of the Holy Family,/ we pray to learn a true globalism,/ with its far-reaching sense of family,/ born not of theology or law,/ but of love./ We pray to the Lord.

This weekend celebrates Mary's Maternity./ We pray for the world's mothers,/ and that every child would be welcomed and loved./ We pray for the forgotten children of Syria,/ Yemen,/ South Sudan,/ Somalia,/ Nigeria,/ Myanmar,/ Bangladesh and the Republic of Congo./ May they be embraced and saved./ We pray to the Lord. 

January 1 is World Day of Peace,/ We pray for the de-escalation of tensions with North Korea,/ mindful that a world war would degrade our planet utterly./ We ask for leaders to be truly wise men./ We pray to the Lord.

In the new month of January,/ we pray for the safety,/ peace and well-being of those who celebrate birthdays,/ anniversaries and other days of remembrance./ We pray to the Lord.

At the start of a new year,/ may we heed the Christmas message of Pope Francis/ and abandon whatever is superfluous,/ false,/ malignant and deceitful/ and embrace what is essential,/ true,/ good and authentic./ We pray to the Lord.

We pray for those who are stressed or fearful at the start of the new year./ For persons who live without security or joy./ May we work this year to overcome indifference,/ misunderstanding and hostility./ We pray to the Lord.

White Christmas Mary

We had a White Christmas in North East Pennsylvania this week. Here is Garden-Mary at dawn on Christmas Day. She has a snow cap, snow scarf, snow mantle, snow belt - even snow-filled hands.

I like the holiday song White Christmas because it invites imagining and pondering: "I'm dreaming," it begins. But the song's dreaming is limited:  Christmas cards, glistening trees, past years, children listening for sleigh bells.

I'm thinking that the White Christmas Mary of the garden here might invite us to more than that.  We might dream and ask heaven to cover (like snow) the world where we fail each other - where people, especially children, are in desperate need of heaven's help. Of course the real help we need is the changing of hearts, from top to bottom.

White Christmas Mary,
cover the children waiting to be born,
the ones who are lost,
enslaved,
orphaned,
withering from hunger and thirst,
any who are not in school.

Snow Covered Mary,
shelter the refugee - hoping,
the miserable,
the exhausted,
the war-damaged,
the wanderer.

Snow Mantled Mary.
shield the exploitable,
the trafficked ones,
the terrorized,
the rejected,
the tear-streaming world.

Open handed Mary,
hide the child - friendless,
not held,
smiled upon,
delighted in,
played with,
sung to,
read to
or rocked.

Snow-dawned Mary,
gift me with kindness,
a courteous, gentle spirit,
more patience with people than I have,
surrender and acceptance,
and that kind of happiness
you surely felt the
night of angel-song
and shepherd-visit.

Amen!