Prayers & Meditations

[majestyjo]

May 19

Let us pray:
Lord, most of us
will not become well-known
or be written about
because of great achievements,
but we will be known and loved
for our attitude
and the smaller ordinary things
that we do
that make our part of the world
a better place.
Inspire us, Lord, each day,
to find joy in giving
as well as in receiving,
and lead us to act justly,
love tenderly,
and walk humbly with you, our God.
Amen.

[majestyjo]

May 20

In the Church’s Year, May has been called
“the month of Mary”. In our prayer we
can think of the times that Jesus’ Mother
is mentioned in the Gospels as she supports
her Son. We pray:

Mary, chosen by God,
you believed the angel’s message
and became the Mother of Jesus.
You welcomed
shepherds and wise men:
Pray for us, Mary,
that Jesus may live in us.

Mary, you were beside Jesus
at the wedding feast at Cana,
and you noticed
that the servants were worried
that the wine was running out.
You told them to do
whatever Jesus would ask of them,
and then he changed
water into wine
in jars that the servants
had filled to the brim:
Mary, ask your Son
to fill us with the Holy Spirit.

Mary, your love met Jesus, your Son,
as he suffered on the cross:
Mary, in your love, support us
as we carry our crosses
in daily life.

Mary,
you stayed with the friends of Jesus,
waiting for the Holy Spirit
to change their lives at Pentecost:
Mary, wait with us
and our families and friends
so that we, too,
may receive all the promises
of Jesus, your Son.
Amen

[majestyjo]

May 21

Let us pray:
Lord God,
I can think of some of the chemicals
my body is made of
and the way
the different cells of my body interact,
but I know how much more
a human being really is.
I pray that I may always appreciate
the wonder
of the human body, mind and spirit.
I pray for good health,
an enquiring mind,
and a spirit that seeks all that is good,
knowing that I will only
be fully at rest and in peace
as I live in your presence. Amen.

[majestyjo]

MAY 23

1 We bring before the Lord
those who have recently
been baptised or confirmed
- or who are about to be -
that they may be true to themselves
and may live their faith
in a genuine and credible way.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
2 We pray for our families and friends
that the power of the Holy Spirit
may be in our lives,
so that we may live fully with his gifts
of wisdom and understanding,
of knowledge and right judgement,
of courage and reverence,
and of wonder and awe
in God’s presence.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer

3 Let’s pray for those about to sit exams,
that nothing may prevent them
from doing as well as they deserve.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
4 We pray for all in the mass media
- in TV, radio, films,
newspapers, advertising
and the Internet,
that they may be guided
by good principles
and the best motives.
We pray for wisdom ourselves
that, amidst the influences
and pressures around us,
we may make good decisions
and grow in wisdom and character
each day.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

[caressa222]

May 24

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, you promised
to be with your people always,
and so we know that you are with us
in good times and bad.
Nothing that ever happens to us
can separate us from your love.
Help us always to be positive
in our attitude
that we may seek and find
the best in people and in situations,
and so draw good
out of all that happens to us.
Amen.

[caressa222]

Let us pray for God’s protection, using a
prayer of St Columba,
written 1400 years ago:

Be a bright flame before me, Lord.
Be a guiding star above me.
Be a smooth path below me.
Be a kindly shepherd behind me
- today, tonight, and forever. Amen.

[majestyjo]

May 26

Let us pray:
Father, God of love,
as I come to recognise you
in the faces of those people
you have placed into my life,
I ask that I may grow
as the loving person
you call me to be. Amen.

[majestyjo]

Let us pray:
God our Father,
when times are difficult,
I ask for courage and determination.
When there is hostility between people,
lead me to see the best
in people and in situations,
and give me the gift of making peace.
Remove from me
whatever contradicts your love
that I may share more fully
the Good News of your love. Amen.

[majestyjo]

May 28

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, we read in the gospel
that you spoke individually
to many people and said:
“Be cured”; Lk 513
“Get up and walk”; Lk 524
“What do you want me to do for you?”
Mt 2032
“Of course I want to cure you: be healed”;
Mt 83
“Let what you want be done for you”;
Mt 929
“Receive your sight”; Lk 1842
“Receive back your hearing”; Mk 734
“Young man, arise”; Lk 715
“Go, your son will live”; Jn 450
“Go, your faith has saved you.” Mk 1052
Knowing that you are present
in our midst,
we ask you today
to touch each one of us individually
and bring us your healing
of body, mind and spirit. Amen.

[majestyjo]

May 29

Let us pray:
Lord, I ask that you inspire me
always to do my best
- not comparing myself with others,
but only with myself.
Lead me, Lord,
to discover and use
my own talents to the full.
May I live in such a way
that I help others
to experience success.
Inspire me to be generous
in praising others
for the good use of their abilities
- looking not so much
at the degree of achievement
but at the effort put in. Amen.

[majestyjo]

May 30

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus,
you call us friends
and you call each one of us
by name.
May your Holy Spirit
be fully alive in us
that we may truly
appreciate and love ourselves,
and so more readily
value and serve others.
When we experience sorrow
or the loss of someone,
give us courage and support
that we may better encourage others
who share
the same kind of experience.
Lead us to act justly and fairly,
helping people
to see the best in one another,
so that those who have fallen out
may be reconciled and live in peace.
May we learn always
to be genuine and sincere,
avoiding arrogance
and doing others down,
treating other people
as the equals that they are.
Bless us when times are hard,
and walk with us
as the Good Shepherd
who leads and protects. Amen.

[caressa222]

May 31

Let us pray:
God our Father,
I pray that I may live in such a way
that I choose wisely each day,
and take responsibility
for the choices that I make.
Inspire me to use for good
my education
and all the challenges
that I will face,
that I may grow more fully human,
and do good to those around me.
Teach me to discern good from evil
that I may grow
in integrity of character
and develop a true sense of values
through following Jesus,
your Son and our Brother. Amen.

[majestyjo]

JUNE

May my horizon this day, Lord,
not be so foreshortened that I notice little.
Instead, open my eyes
that I may see afar and above
as well as in front and beneath me.
Lead me to keep my life in perspective and balance
and discover that the thread of your presence
is interwoven through the events and people of this day.

Let us pray:
Lord our God, open us up to your Spirit
living within us,
that we may live fully
each day of our lives.
Touch us,
that we may become more aware
of all that is around us,
growing in a sense
of wonder and awe,
and in appreciation
for all that we see and hear
and touch, taste and smell.
May we live in such a way
that we never take anything
for granted,
but always be appreciative
and express our thanks
to those who are part of our lives.
Amen.

[majestyjo]

June 2

Let us pray:
Lord, you have given skills and talents
to each of us,
and you are pleased
when we use them well.
I ask
that I may work well with others
and bring out the best in them
as well as in myself.
Lead me to live in such a way
that I show appreciation
for the achievements
of all who use their talents well.
Amen.

[caressa222]

Let us pray:
Lord our God,
you have made me
in your own likeness
and you love all that you have made.
I thank you
for all that has been positive
in my life.
I ask that I may live in such a way
that I may learn
from whatever I may find
is negative or hurtful in my life.
May my disabilities and weaknesses
teach me
how to be sensitive to individuals,
that I may grow
more caring and compassionate
with others who experience difficulties.
May I grow in strength of character
through all that happens to me,
living fully each day.
Amen

[majestyjo]

June 4

We’ll use as our prayer some words of
Saint Ignatius Loyola:
Teach us, good Lord,
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 to ask for no reward,
save that of knowing
that we do your will. Amen.

[majestyjo]

June 5

Let us pray, using words based on that
speech of Robert Kennedy:
Lord, we pray
that we may not be people
of hatred or violence or lawlessness,
but people of love and wisdom
and compassion towards one another,
having a sense of justice
towards all who suffer.
These things that we pray for
give us your grace to work for.
Amen.

[caressa222]

June 6

Let us pray:
Lord our God,
inspire us to make our choices well
and understand our responsibilities
and the consequences of what we do.
Help us to make good use
of the opportunities that come to us.
Lead us to be positive in our attitude,
that we may work well with others
and live this day to the full. Amen.

[majestyjo]

June 7

Let us pray:
Lord,
show me how to learn from others,
how to be patient,
and how to persevere. Amen.

[majestyjo]

In March or April each year the Jewish
community celebrates the Feast of Passover,
calling to mind how God used Moses
to lead the people from slavery in
Egypt. 50 days later - in May or June - is
held the Jewish Feast of Pentecost (from
a Greek word for 50). It calls to mind that
God gave the 10 Commandments to
Moses.
2 The 10 Commandments can be phrased
in this way:
1 Give God the first place in your life.
2 Don’t love anything more than you love
God.
3 Show respect to everything that’s holy,
particularly God’s name.
4 You need one day of the week free for
rest and for worshipping God.
5 Respect your parents and all who care
for you.
6 Do not kill anyone.
7 Sexual love is special - keep it for the
person you’re married to.
8 Don’t take what isn’t yours.
9 Don’t do people down by spreading lies
about them.
10 Don’t be jealous of what others have.

We’ll use as a reflection today the words
of a hymn that the Jewish community
uses at the Feast of Pentecost:
If all the ocean was ink,
and if every blade of grass
was a quill with which to write;
if the earth itself was parchment,
and if every person
started to write on it,
there would not be enough ink or pens
or parchment or people
to write fully
of God’s love and greatness.