These prayers are taken from from Edward Hays' Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim

Season's of Prayer

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Spring

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Sunday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

As the earth once again turns to face the sun on this first day of the week, I rejoice in this season of spring. I give thanks, O God, that each day grows longer in light and that the earth has been liberated from the grip of winter.

On this day that remembers the resurrection of your son Jesus from the depths of death's decay in the tomb, I lift my heart to you in gratitude. I thank you for the gift of a day of worship and all the graces it holds. I thank you for the healing touch of sleep as I begin this day refreshed and renewed. With a full heart, I enter now into the prayer of silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

I now unite myself with all the peoples of this earth, my companion pilgrims, as I pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

As I begin this first day of a new week, I ask for the grace, my God, to live in a new way. Grant me fresh dreams and new visions. May this day come upon me like Spring herself, so that my heart may be filled with hope.

Remind me, as I begin this day, to discipline myself so that it may be a day of rest from my usual labors. May I thus taste more deeply the joys of simply being alive. May I find the countless hidden treasures that you have scattered throughout this day.

On this day of worship and prayer, I pause to pray especially for the intentions of: _______, as well as all those whom I love. May your peace rest upon all the members of the earthen family with whom you have made me one.

I begin this day

in your Holy Name

and in the name of your son Jesus

and in the name of the Holy Spirit,

as I bow before you. Amen.

sacred gesture

Sunday Evening Prayer

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 O Divine Parent, in harmony with all the earth, with sun and moon, stars and comets, I thank you for this day that is now ending. As the earth turns away from the sun, and night comes to visit me, I bow down before you in adoration and gratitude.

I pause to recall how I have responded to your gifts of persons and events this Sunday.

 pause for silent examination of conscience

 I ask pardon from you, O God, for any haste or lack of kindness on my part that may have been a cause of pain or separation. I bow in wonder before your love that forgives me instantly and unconditionally. In a like way, may I now pardon all who may have caused me pain this day....

At peace with you and with all, I enter now into a time of silent affection and union with you.

 period of silent prayer or meditation

With love I join myself with all those on this planet Earth who at the beginning of night praise you, as I now pray.

 a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

Once again, Beloved God, this planet has turned outward in its unknown destination into space. I look with wonder upon the vastness of the universe as the family of our sun's planets travels onward in its galactic pilgrimage.

Come and be with me in a sleep that will refresh me for a new day and for the work that it holds for me. Grant comfort to all who face the darkness of this night with fear. Give shelter to those without a home and peace to all.

With gratitude and faith, I conclude this day

in your Holy Name

and in the name of your Son

and in the presence of your Spirit. Amen.

sacred gesture

Monday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

My Beloved Divine Parent, the earth is turning from its vision of countless star-suns to look once again with great joy upon one star, our sun. A new day has dawned, and with it come fresh challenges to grow more mindful of you and of the web that unites me with all life.

I pause now in the midst of this springtime morning to be in a conscious communion with you, my God, so that I will use wisely this gift of a day of life. Wrap me in your Spirit as I now enter into silent prayer.

period of silent prayer or meditation

You who alone know the secrets of hearts, look with love upon my feeble attempts at silent prayer. I am grateful that you do not measure my effort but look only upon my love for you. As springtime life quickens upon this planet, may this morning prayer express my devotion.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

I know that your love for me, O God, is ever-constant and that you know all my needs, but as I begin this new spring day, I awaken my reliance on you as I pray for the following personal intentions:_______.

My happiness is not divorced from the well-being of others, and so I pray now for these persons:_______.

Grant me the grace to look with respect upon all I will meet this day and upon every event I encounter. Mindful that I am a pilgrim, may I treat each and every one with reverence and love, as a manifestation of you to whom I journey. May the work of my hands be part of the redemption of the world and its eternal springtime liberation.

As your priestly pilgrim, I dedicate this day and all that I shall do as an act of sacrifice to you, my God. I begin this day in a holy way

in your Holy Name

and in the name of your son Jesus

and in the name of the Spirit. Amen.

 sacred gesture

Monday Evening Prayer

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O Beloved One, Divine Parent of each of us, so quickly has this spring day come to an end. I rejoice in the signs of new life that are appearing and only regret that your spring comes so slowly in me. I lift my heart to you in gratitude for all the numerous blessings and gifts of this day that is now ending.

As this part of our planet turns away from the sun, and the darkness grows, I ask forgiveness for any lack of the Light in myself this day. I am sorry if my patterns of behavior have prevented me from loving unconditionally or have caused me to judge others. I pause now to take inventory of my day....

Wrap me, O Holy One, in your absolution as I readily give full pardon to all who may have caused me pain this day. In peace now, I enter into silent prayer.

period of silent prayer or meditation

O Blessed Silence, Divine Presence, after the toil of this day I am refreshed by your touch. With a grateful heart I now pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

From every corner of this green planet, from every place of worship and from every heart wrapped in prayer comes a single chorus of praise to you, O God. Oceans, mountains, prairies and valleys add their praise to my prayer of adoration and love.

I surrender myself to your safekeeping as night draws close to me. Bless with your presence those I love and especially this night:_______. Bless as well those who have no bed in which to sleep or who fear the coming of tomorrow. With your grace, I pledge to strive with more love to make my tomorrow better than this day.

I seal myself now in your presence

in your Holy Name

and in the name of your Son

and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen.

sacred gesture

Tuesday Morning Prayer

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O Divine Parent, vest me in prayerfulness as I join with all the earth on this springtime morning to lift up my heart to you. With splendor, our daystar, the sun, now floods this planet with light and energy. May your presence flood my heart with light eternal as I rejoice in this dawn.

As a planetary pilgrim, I marvel that I have traveled over a million miles in space since yesterday morning. My personal journey this day will be small in distance, but I pray that it will be significant and sacred in my drawing closer to you. As the earth turns toward the sun, I turn my whole self toward you, my God, as I now enter into silent prayer.

period of silent prayer or meditation

Your Word is written large across all the universe, in the wonders of creation and in the holy books, written by the pen of your Spirit. Open my heart to your Word as I now pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

May this morning prayer and all my prayers this day be one with all this earth which you have ordained to prayer. May my day be prayerfully one with jungle rivers, hills and valleys and crowded cities as they all raise their prayerful praise to you, Most Holy.

I dedicate this new day to you and ask that as spring unfolds before me, I may unfold according to your ancient dream. As I reflect upon my personal needs this day, I ask the following blessing: _______. I ask that you would look upon my work this day as a sacrifice performed in solidarity with: _______, who is (are) in need of your grace and assistance.

Imprint upon my body, and upon all that I shall touch, your sacred signature as I conclude this prayer

in your Holy Name

and in the name of your Son

and of the Holy Spirit,

One God, forever and ever, ages without end. Amen.

sacred gesture

Tuesday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

Beloved God, Eternal Womb from which all life has come, I greet the arrival of night with gratitude and faith in you. As this part of the earth turns away from the sun and darkness shadows us, dawn is breaking aglow in golden light on the other side of this small planet. One with those who are now awakening, united with those of us who are preparing to enter into sleep, I pause to reflect on how I have used the hours of daylight that have been given to me....

I am filled with gratitude that your love is unconditional and that you have forgiven me the moment that I stumbled in my journey to be your living presence in my world. Grant me the grace to forgive others as you have forgiven me. One with your Spirit who prays continuously in my heart, I now enter into the prayer of silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

This night is filled with the sounds of life. To all those sounds I now join my voice in a prayer of devotion.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

With faithfulness, this planet earth has traveled over a million miles in its orbit around the sun since I last slept. Because of its life-path, this planet flourishes with living beings, plants and animals. I pray that my life path this day has also enriched and given life to all with whom I have come in contact.

As I prepare to enter into the sacrament of sleep, I lift up into your divine heart the following intentions:_______. I pray as well for my brothers and sisters who have no roof over them this night and for those who are imprisoned by the chains of fear, doubt or addiction.

Grant me a restful sleep, and if it be your will, may I rise tomorrow to the gift of a new day of life. With trust I place myself in confidence

in your Holy Name

and in the name of your Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Wednesday Morning Prayer

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O Beloved Sacred Parent, I rise from sleep to join the great dance of life. One with stars and planets no longer visible because of the dawning light of our one star, the sun, yet which are still blazing in beauty all about me, I enter into prayer. One with this whole planet, whose northern hemisphere is awakening to the season of spring, I now awake to your hidden presence in my life as I descend into my heart to be one with you.

period of silent prayer or meditation

As darkness slides around this planet to the other side and the light of our daystar reveals a springtime world, I put flesh upon my silent song of love as I pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

I rejoice that this simple expression of my affection for you, Beloved One, rises in harmony with temple chants, with the prayers of hermits as well as the life prayer of those preparing to begin a new workday. While silent to my ears, I acknowledge the cosmic chorus of adoration of which my prayer has been a part.

Open as well my third eye that I may see you hidden in countless forms in the springtime beauty of creation and in my brothers and sisters, each made in your image. Remember my needs this day, especially the need to grow in patience. Enlarge my heart that I may love more and with greater zeal. I place before you at the beginning of this new day the following intentions:_______. I pray on this springtime Wednesday morning especially for the conversion of my society. May I, by simple deed and word, be part of the redemptive work begun by your son Jesus and so bring about justice and peace on this small planet.

May I live in the spirit of hope, so alive in this season of rebirth, as I begin my day

in your Holy Name

and in the name of your Son

and in the Spirit of the Holy. Amen.

sacred gesture

Wednesday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

O Beloved One who never sleeps, I prepare to conclude this day in a oneness with you. This side of our planet has turned away from the sun, but the evenings grow warm as the earth tilts toward our daystar. May this springtime evening, so fertile with life, enrich my prayer as I now recall the gifts of this day....

Grant me as well the light of your Spirit that I may now search this day that is concluding for any words, thoughts or deeds that were devoid of love....

May others forgive me for any way I may have caused them pain. Let this day not end without me forgiving those who have injured me. Graced with your neverending forgiveness and at peace with all, I enter now into the prayer of silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

As I come forth from the cave of my heart, I thank you, Beloved One, for your patience as I struggle to sit in silence, with its emptiness of sound but fullness of you. I thank you for all the expressions of yourself that I tasted this day in my work, my struggles and my loves. Like a fish in the ocean, I have been immersed in your presence this day. I proclaim that communion as I pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

As death's shadow, sleep, approaches, may I embrace it with faith and peace. I pray that these twin gifts be also given to all who are in need of your touch in their lives, especially:_______. Into your hands I place all those this night who are in need in body or spirit.

As this planet and all the solar family travel endlessly outward into space as I sleep, may I, day and night, asleep and awake, journey without ceasing toward you, the source of life. I place myself and all those I love under your blessing,

in your Holy Name

and in the name of your Son

and in the name of the Holy Spirit,

One God forever and ever. Amen.

sacred gesture

Thursday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

Once again, as it has done for endless ages, the earth is slowly turning around toward the sun. Dawn comes with the freshness of that first day of creation. May my worship at the beginning of this day be united with that of birds and wild animals, with clouds and sky. May my rising be a rehearsal for my resurrection from the dead. With gratitude for the wonder of this day, for the rich gift of life itself, I enter into silent prayer.

period of silent prayer or meditation

In harmony with all the earth as it soaks up the fire of the sun, I express the gratitude and devotion of my heart as I now pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

In the quiet of this spring-touched morning, I absorb the light of this new day and soak up the love that ceaselessly flows out of your divine heart. As a cosmic pilgrim traveling with the earth and her sister planets outward into space, I ask you to accept my sacrifice of this day in solidarity with the special needs today of: _______.

May I embrace with joy my pilgrim work of unity. May I, with your grace, be an instrument of your peace to all I will meet and in every situation of this day. May our tiny planet, divided in a multitude of nations, races and religions, be united in its love of you. May my prayer and all the prayers, sacrifices and deeds of compassion performed on this planet today be blended together as one and reach you through the mystery of your son Jesus, the cosmic Christ.

O Divine Giver of Life, you in whom we breathe and live, show yourself to me this day in countless ways. And grant me the grace to bow in wonder and in joy wherever and whenever I discover you. Boldly trace your sacred sign upon me in love as I begin this day

in your Holy Name

and in the name of your Son

and in the abiding presence of your Spirit,

One God forever and ever. Amen.

sacred gesture

Thursday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

O Beloved Sacred Parent, this spring evening is green-edged with hope and filled with promise. With each passing day, the light of the sun lingers longer upon this planet. Even in the darkness of this night, one can feel the earth stirring with life. The night wind is full of promise as I reflect upon my actions this Thursday. I ponder if they, like this season of spring, have been full of hope and rich in life.

Open my heart and pour in all that is lacking. Saturate my words with love and encouragement, so that I may be truly an expression of your presence in this world. I thank you for the countless blessings of this day: gifts of sight, sound, hearing and smell, for wonders without end. I thank you as well for your endless patience with me and your pardon of my failings. Robed in your peace, my heart ripe with gratitude, I now enter into the prayer of silence to be one with you.

 period of silent prayer or meditation

O Gracious Creator of the moon and stars, of galaxies spreading outward beyond the vision of our tiny telescopes, I marvel that you have chosen to dwell within the temple of my heart. I ask your understanding, for that temple is a crowded place where I have stored concerns and conflicts, work and worries as well as all the content of this day. I take springtime hope that all those things that clutter my heart, while they seem so distant from you, in reality hold your presence, my God. In that confidence, I now express my gratitude as I pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

Mindful of the needs of others, before I retire I lift up into your divine heart the needs of all who are in need of your protection, healing and care this night, especially: _______. Encircle my bed, my home and all those I love with your divine love. I ask this

in your Holy Name

and in the name of your Son

and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

sacred gesture

Friday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

O Beloved Parent, be near as I begin this new day of life. The work of this spring day knocks at my door, anxious for me to begin. But let this present moment be as still as a stone as I rest my heart in you. May past and future meet in the peace of this springtime morning prayer. Quiet my restless heart as I now enter into silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

May this spirit of silence be like a golden thread woven into every work of this new day that is dawning. May I feel the touch of that thread in everything and so recall the fullness of this moment. May my love for you now find expression as I pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

This planet, O Gracious Creator, has made one complete turn since yesterday morning and continues its sacred spin as I pray. Together with this movement, it circles the sun and with her sister planets continues outward in a cosmic pilgrimage into space. Grant that in my personal journey and the complex turnings of this day I may remain balanced in you, my God. May I, with your assistance, use every opportunity this day to grow in love and service. I pray this morning for these personal needs:_______, as well as the special needs of:_______.

May this prayer and all my labors this day be united with the prayers of all my Moslem brothers and sisters on this their weekly day of prayer and worship at the mosque. May my sacrifice and worship today be in communion with that of all peoples of this planet.

More precious than gold or silver are the prayers of your children, my companion pilgrims on this planet earth. May we all be one in you as I begin this day

in your Holy Name

and in the name of your son Jesus

and in the Holy Spirit,

One God forever and ever. Amen.

sacred gesture

Friday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

O Gracious God, Divine Beloved, as this part of the earth turns away from the sun, I turn toward you. I lift up to you my song of thanksgiving for all the gifts and blessings of this day. Among those gifts are the trials and tribulations that serve as opportunities to strengthen my love for you. As the earth comes alive in this season of spring, I remind myself that there is no true growth without struggle, effort and even pain. May my pain this day reflect the labor of springtime that gives birth to new life. Before I conclude this day, I desire that all things be at peace with me. I reflect on my relationships with the earth, with others and with you, my God....

As the darkness of outer space surrounds me, heal me and all the earth of our failings this day. Absolve us of our sluggish delays in bringing about an age of peace and justice, of our blindness to the sufferings and plight of our brothers and sisters. May your pardon be the tent of peace I enter as now I descend into silent prayer.

period of silent prayer or meditation

Love sings many songs; may this prayer be the song of my heart.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

How wondrous, O God, is the universe that you have made. To reach the nearest star would take several lifetimes, so vast is the distance that separates us. As I prepare to sleep, your act of creation continues as new stars are born amidst a swirl of dust and gases, exploding in an ecstasy of light. May the work of my re-creation continue as you rest my mind and body in sleep. With trust, I turn over my world and all I love to you. I place before you the concerns of all those who are alone and abandoned this night, especially the needs of: _______.

Encompass me in your presence as I pray

in your Holy Name

and in the name of your Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

sacred gesture

Saturday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

O Divine One who never slumbers, smile on me as I awake to greet this seventh day of the week. I arise from sleep united with all of the House of Israel who greet this dawn as a sacred day. Holy is this Saturday, holy have been each of the days of this week that concludes today. That I may live in that sense of holiness and fullness, I now enter into silent prayer. Wrap me in your Spirit as I enter the cave of my heart.

period of silent prayer or meditation

Splendorous is the song of silence, for how can words speak of you who are beyond all names, beyond the concepts of my mind yet nearer to me than I am to myself. I celebrate the wonder of your being as I pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

As this earth spins around at thousands of miles an hour, my mind spins with plans for this day. At the same time as I use your gift of organizing, grant me also the gift of openness to what you, my God, may have in store for me on this new spring day. May I be open to sacred surprises. Grant me the readiness to set aside my plans when life proposes another agenda or the needs of others invite me to unexpected service. I present to you these my personal needs this day:_______, as well as the special needs of:_______.

Mindful this day of the great commandment that you gave to Moses, that we are to love you with all our heart, mind, soul and body, help me this Saturday to love in such a way. How easily do I live but half a life and love with but half a heart, but with your grace, this day will be different. May a zeal for life and for you consume me as it did your son Jesus and all the great saints of this earth.

May the new life of spring that fertilizes the earth be but a mirror of your ever-new life within my heart. I begin this day with joy and gratitude

in your Holy Name

and in the name of your Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

sacred gesture

Saturday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

O Holy Father and Divine Mother, from whom all life and creation has come, I bow before you in wonder and adoration. As this seventh day of the week concludes, I marvel that within this week I have traveled seven million miles outward into the mystery of the night of space. Where is this cosmos, which you have shaped, traveling? Why have you placed me here at this place on this planet, at this precise moment in history? The only answer I hear is silence-and so only silence can be my response. With all my heart, I now enter into the prayer of stillness, one with you and all the earth.

period of silent prayer or meditation

How patient are you, my God, with my infant efforts to sit in silence before you. Pardon my restless mind and receive the gift of my desire to sit still. As this week concludes, while this planet once again looks outward at the great sea of stars and the beauty of the moon, I pray the following prayer.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

May my ears and eyes be open to the marvel of green life pushing up through the skin of the earth and struggling free in buds on branches. This is the season of lovers, so let my heart freshly fall in love with you, my God. May the growing presence of ever-virgin Spring speak of the perennial possibilities for new beginnings in my life. And so I prepare to conclude a week now grown old. May this night be alive with springtime hope for the new week that will begin tomorrow.

I reach out to the web of life that binds all that you, my God, have created in a sacred unity. May I be united with all living beings on this planet, with the sun, planets and moons of our solar family and all the glittering colonies of night stars. May I sleep this night, and the hour of my death, in that sacred oneness.

Seal me this Saturday night with yourself, as I pray

in your Holy Name

and in the name of your son Jesus Christ

and in the Spirit of the Holy. Amen.

sacred gesture

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Summer

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Sunday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

I bow before you in adoration, O my God, on this first day of the week, the day of your son Jesus' resurrection from the dead. The earth also rises to new life this morning and has turned round once again to face the sun. Yet I hear not a sound; silent to my ears is the revitalizing energy of the roaring nuclear furnace of our daystar, the sun. You too, my God, are silent, yet the sole source of my life. I seek your quiet presence in my life as I now descend into the cave of my heart to be one with you.

period of silent prayer or meditation

On this Sunday may I be aflame with love for you, my Beloved, like the sun which praises you with fire and light. I unite myself with all those who have set aside this day as holy, as I now lift up my heart to you in prayer.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

I rejoice in this season of warmth and growth, so full of life. As plants and animals soak up the sun's life-energy, may I absorb your Life this day in countless ways. On this day of rest from work, may I find healing in the absence of my usual duties. By the touch of leisure, may I be restored in creativity and new vision. As I worship you on this summer day, may my heart dance in wonder at all that you have ever made and all you are bringing forth in this moment.

Present in my heart this morning are my concerns for the needs of:_______, as well as my own needs for:_______. May I be one this day with all believers and with all unbelievers, with peoples of all religions and races. Grant me a holy unity with all living beings, with life in every shape and form.

I bow before you, Divine Father, Holy Mother,

Eternal Source of my existence.

Your heart is my home,

from you I have come

and to you I journey this day.

sacred gesture

Sunday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

As the darkness of space slowly enfolds the earth and the light of the sun disappears, I come before you, O God, to conclude this day of pilgrimage. I marvel that since this time last summer, the earth, in company with her sun and the other planets, has traveled outward over 300 million miles into the uncharted darkness of space. As your pilgrim, I also have traveled closer this day to my destination in you, my hidden God. I pause now to be consciously one with you as I enter into silent prayer.

period of silent prayer or meditation

The summer night is filled with sounds of life. I add my voice to them with a song of devotion and love.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

The earth is traveling on a threefold mystical journey, as it whirls in the dance of day and night, makes its annual pilgrimage around the source of its life, the sun, and moves outward into boundless space. I too have traveled this day on my pilgrim's path. I pause to examine whether on my way I have failed to remember who I am and how I am to respond if I would be faithful to you, my God....

In your pattern of absolution which is unconditional and without end, I grant pardon to all who have caused me pain or injury. May tomorrow find me more awake to the Way and to your presence in all of life.

Grant me a sleep of refreshment, a rest that heals and restores the body and freshens my soul. I entrust into your holy hands and heart the following intentions:_______. And when the earth has completed its circle-journey and again faces the sun, I look forward to once again sitting in your silence, one with you in the prayer of love.

I bow before you, Divine Father, Holy Mother,

Eternal Source of my existence.

Your heart is my home,

from you I have come

and to you I journey this night.

sacred gesture

Monday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

Our great daystar floods the earth with fire in this season of summer. The heart of the sun prays at 40 million degrees; grant me a heart of such fierce fire as I now begin this new day in an act of devotion and adoration. Wrap me in the silence of your Spirit and lead me into quiet prayer.

period of silent prayer or meditation

Like comets, various thoughts and concerns of my life have circled in my silent prayer. I consecrate these concerns which have been present without my permission in this time. By your presence, O God, you have touched them and made them the timeless fuel of my journey to you. Great is your love for me; may this prayer echo my deep affection for you, my Beloved.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

This summer day is heated by the intense nuclear fires of the sun. May my day be alive with love and compassion for all, as it is fueled by this prayer and my communion with you, O God. Remind me frequently that I am a pilgrim. May I see all the events of this day as hidden lessons, directions for the unfolding map of my sacred journey. Grant me these graces this day:_______. And grant me assistance in these practical matters which are part of my task for this Monday:_______. I pray as well for the needs of:_______.

By thought, speech and deed, may I be concerned for the needs of the helpless. May justice for all be my will so that I may truly do your divine will on earth this day. As I prepare to begin the tasks of this summer day, let me never forget your presence within me. May all I do delight your heart.

I bow before you, Divine Father, Holy Mother,

Eternal Source of my existence.

Your heart is my home,

from you I have come

and to you I journey this day.

sacred gesture

Monday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

We have named the darkness of our planet's turning outward, "night." I enter into the mystery of this summer night, which is alive with the sound of my brothers and sisters, the insects. How short is their life. But let me not screen out the reality that my life is also brief. May I now be busy with the real business of my short life, as I enter into silent communion with you, O God.

period of silent prayer or meditation

In this prayer of mine now concluded, I have let go of words and ideas about you who are beyond all words and names. In my attempt to be still I have been naked before you, aware of my creaturehood. But my heart dances in the knowledge that you delight in my simplest attempts to be one with you. I now join my voice to the many sounds of praise this night as I pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

Unlike the earth, which is traveling at over 66,000 miles an hour in its pilgrimage around the sun, I feel that I have covered little ground in my pilgrimage to you. I pause to reflect on how I may have been detoured this day because I forgot that I was a pilgrim, homeward bound to you.... I lift up my heart in a song of gratitude that you forgive me even as I ask. May I now do the same for all who have presented difficulties to me this day.

The chorus of insects, this summer night's concert, is nature's night prayer of praise. Brief is their song, but so is mine compared to the age of mountains. Grant me the gift, O God, to not take my life for granted, to live ready to depart this planet, homeward bound for you. I surrender to death's sister, sleep, at peace with others and one with you.

I bow before you, Divine Father, Holy Mother,

Eternal Source of my existence.

Your heart is my home,

from you I have come

and to you I journey this night.

sacred gesture

Tuesday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

I bow before you, my hidden but beloved God, as I begin this day. An alarm rings in my heart to awaken me to the fact that I am a pilgrim who travels a sacred path. I now answer that call to mindfulness, as I prepare to enter into silent prayer. I join myself with all who are in prayer at this sacred hour when the earth once again faces its source of life, the sun. I now turn fully to face you, O God, the source of the universe and of my life, as I enter into silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

 With fidelity I have tried to still my restless heart in you the divine source of all I am. May this effort bear fruit by my living more fully in the present moment this day. I join my voice to all the awakening sounds of the earth at this hour, as I pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

This summer day is growing warmer as we turn to face the fullness of our daystar, the sun. Plants, animals and we humanfolk are all solar-powered in the marvel of your clever creation. May this morning prayer give me the energy to act at all times this day with love and kindness. May I treat each person and each living being as a brother or sister, as a member of your sacred family. I pray now for these personal needs:_______, and for the special needs this day of:_______.

May the business of this Tuesday never eclipse my real work as a pilgrim on the sacred path. Open my eyes and ears to the miracles you have hidden along my path this day. Let my mind find its joy in the present moment, the only place where you dwell.

I bow before you, Divine Father, Holy Mother,

Eternal Source of my existence.

Your heart is my home,

from you I have come

and to you I journey this day.

sacred gesture

Tuesday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

O Holy Parent, in the magnificent splendor of its setting the sun has slipped from my view, as the earth turns outward on its ageless journey among the stars. As we drink in the coolness of the eternal night of space, those in another part of this earth are rejoicing in the warmth of the sun on a new winter day. One with those who are awakening as well as those who prepare for sleep, I enter now into silent prayer.

period of silent prayer or meditation

My heart was full of the cares of this day as I returned again and again to the stillness of your presence within me. Cleanse my heart of any thoughts that might separate me from others so that I may be one in you. I pause to take inventory of the gift of this day of life....

May the coolness of your touch heal all that is broken and mend all that is divided, as I express my praise in this prayer.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

While darkness hides the light of the sun, the earth retains the warmth of its solar fires. May my heart likewise retain the fire of your love as I prepare to close my eyes in sleep. As this summer day ends, I place before you these needs:_______. I pray as well for those who face this night with fear and dread and for all who end this day hungry, alone or prisoners of pain. May the sun of your justice rise on all who suffer from oppression, slavery or the hatred of their brothers and sisters.

Come, Beloved of my heart. Be with me in sleep, that I may rise in glory. As I prepare to end this day, I look forward to the restoring prayer of tomorrow, when I shall greet a new day one with you.

I bow before you, Divine Father, Holy Mother,

Eternal Source of my existence.

Your heart is my home,

from you I have come

and to you I journey this night.

sacred gesture

Wednesday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

O Blessed One, as it has done each day for millions of years, the earth once again has circled around to face the sun. Yet the appearance of that great daystar is like the first time: forever new, forever fresh. May the freshness and the coolness of this summer morning inspire me as I enter into silent prayer.

period of silent prayer or meditation

As I come forth from the refreshment of my solitude in you, all the earth arises, revived by the night, to the work of this day. Plants and trees, fields and forests are busy with the work of this summer day, the work of Life. To their songs of love, I join this prayer.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

Enriched by your touch, O loving God, I now prepare to join my tasks on this Wednesday to the work of birds, flowers and plants, to the labors of all the human family. I am aware of how easily I forget to live in communion with all your creation, so l now pray for these personal needs:_______. May my work this day be done as a prayerful sacrifice in solidarity with those who also are in need of your constant presence, especially:_______.

As the sun pours forth its life that we on this earth may live, may I pour forth my life this day in service to others and in love of you, my beloved God. Remind me in countless ways as I walk the sunlit hours of this day that I am on a sacred journey; along with the stars traveling through space, I am on a pilgrim path.

I bow before you, Divine Father, Holy Mother,

Eternal Source of my existence.

Your heart is my home,

from you I have come

and to you I journey this day.

sacred gesture

Wednesday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

Beloved Father, the light of this day has lingered long as our earth drinks in the great heat of the sun. I rejoice in these long hours of sunlight and hope that I have used them well. Holy Mother, with great care you have helped me in my feeble attempts this day to walk as your child, a pilgrim on a sacred path. One with you and with all your children, I enter now into silent prayer.

period of silent prayer or meditation

Rich is your silence, full of peace, even if mixed with the thoughts that zig-zag through my silent prayer. The sounds of this summer night rise up in a canticle to you. I ask that my voice harmonize with them, as I now pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

As you plunge your thermometer deep into my heart, may you find there the same intense heat which burns in the nuclear blast furnaces of the stars that illuminate the night of outer space. May the presence of your fiery Spirit, who prays continuously within my heart, make up for all the zeal my heart may lack. I conclude this day mindful of my poverty before you, as I lift up the special needs of:_______.

All of creation in this part of the earth has been busy this day growing to maturity. Have I been in concert with them in my efforts to grow in patience, hope and faith? I pause in this prayer to reflect upon my activities this day.... I thank you, O God, for the opportunities that you have placed on my sacred path this day to grow in maturity of heart and spirit. I thank you for the times that took me to the limit in my efforts to love and to serve. Wrapped in gratitude as clothing for my sleep, I rest in you.

I bow before you, Divine Father, Holy Mother,

Eternal Source of my existence.

Your heart is my home,

from you I have come

and to you I journey this night.

sacred gesture

Thursday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

O Sacred Source of sleep, Creator of night stars and oceans deep, I arise to this new day to sing of my love for you. Glorious is the light of our daystar, the sun, full of life and heat. As this summer day is sun-kissed into awakening, I seek to live it fully awake. I enter now into sacred silence, one with all who live in your light.

period of silent prayer or meditation

My ears ring with the songs of silence, as the melodies of this summer day counterpoint that ancient silent song of the universe. To all the sounds of this new day, I add my voice as I pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

How easily, my God, come the words of my prayer. Pour forth your Spirit, the fire of your heart, into each of them so that they may express your Word, as I strive this day to put flesh upon the prayer I sing to you.

I know you will give me all I need for the success of the labors of this day and for the work of my sacred journey to you. But your son Jesus told us to pray for our daily needs, so I place before you these Thursday intentions:_______.

Whatever this summer day holds for me, may I find, among its many events, signs to confirm and direct me in my primary vocation of pilgrimhood. May I be eager to assist my sister and brother pilgrims in their journeys. May I do nothing by word or deed that will detour them on their homeward path to you. May I burn with the fire of the sun in loving all the earth and all the members of your sacred family.

I bow before you, Divine Father, Holy Mother,

Eternal Source of my existence.

Your heart is my home,

from you I have come

and to you I journey this day.

sacred gesture

Thursday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

O Divine Parent, how wondrous is my view of the universe

as our planet earth turns outward into space once again. Beyond counting are the stars that congregate in colonies of distant galaxies. May my heart blaze with their brilliance as I enter now into sacred silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

Oh that my prayer may be as silent as the stars spread across this summer night sky. Grant me patience as I strive to sit in stillness, listening to your song of silence. I join my small voice to the symphony of the stars as I now pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

The sun and her planets travel tonight, as they have for billions of years, on their eternal night journey in space. As I look out toward their unknown destination, I reflect on how I have used the gift of this day....

As marvelous as the universe is your gift of conscience, a beacon for my pilgrimage. I thank you for that gift which keeps me on course and continually calls me to give more and to be more. Tomorrow may I follow it with still greater devotion.

With great beauty you created our sun among a family of stars, in a great cloud of interstellar matter, gas and fire. Somewhere out in the starscape of this summer night, the brothers and sisters of our sun, born five billion years ago, are traveling their own mysterious paths, known only to you. I easily forget that, like our daystar, I too have brothers and sisters who are far distant but who share the same sacred Womb. I pray for them tonight, especially the lonely and afflicted, the dying and the sick. Wrap me in the cloud of your compassion and love as I soon will surrender to sleep.

I bow before you, Divine Father, Holy Mother,

Eternal Source of my existence.

Your heart is my home,

from you I have come

and to you I journey this night.

sacred gesture

Friday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

Beloved God, as the call to prayer is heard by your children of Islam on this their sacred day of the week, I hear in my heart the call to bow down before you in adoration and surrender at the beginning of this Friday. One with all, I wrap myself in silent prayer.

period of silent prayer or meditation

Many are the voices that speak their love for you, O Sacred Parent of all the earthen family. I now join my prayer to theirs.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

With this prayer I dedicate this new day in the season of summer to you, the creator of day and night, of the seasons and endless cycles of life. May the work of this day and all my daily duties be a living sacrifice of love.

In the midst of the heat of this day, grant me the grace to be at peace and centered in you. I ask for the grace to faithfully do your will so that all may enjoy the fruits of your bounty and justice. I pray now for those who are in urgent need of your care and love, especially:_______.

As the cool and quiet of this morning is slowly joined by the sounds of summer life, I prepare to set forth on this day's journey. May your Spirit, the Spirit of the Holy, be with me. So escorted, I shall make holy all the work of my day. May I strive to do all that is required of me with an awareness that I dwell constantly within your great cosmic temple. So mindful, each act will be a sacred ritual, each word a prayer and all my life worship. Grant that when this day concludes and the earth turns slowly outward to gaze into the night of space, I may bring a harvest of light and love as my gift to you.

I bow before you, Divine Father, Holy Mother,

Eternal Source of my existence.

Your heart is my home,

from you I have come

and to you I journey this day.

sacred gesture

Friday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

Divine Beloved, I ask your seal upon this summer day before I close my eyes in sleep. I began this day one with you and have struggled to live it in your harmony. Now I seek to bring it to conclusion in unity with you. Invest me with a spirit of prayer as I enter now into silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

From this shrine of prayer the web of worship extends outward and touches all peoples-black, brown, yellow, red and white-and all creation on this planet and the far distant stars of the universe, all your holy family. May my desire echo the eternal design of unity and peace as I now pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

In the heat of this day, in the crowded events of my work, I may have rushed past you, my Beloved, in blindness. Quiet of heart, I look back upon this day....

Unite me now in a holy communion with all those I love and with those I do not know personally but whose needs I include as my own. I pray now for:_______. As together we watch the night sky, pondering the unanswered questions of our lives, calm our fears and anxieties as you encircle us in your divine compassion and love. We are all pilgrims on our way to you: pilgrims with different orbits, different dreams and different burdens to bear, but each homeward bound to you. Teach us to be like the sun and her planets, that we might travel together with trust into the darkness of the future.

May I surrender to sleep, filled with the joyful music of the universe, with your melody that plays in ten thousand tongues as if in one and whose sweetest song is silence.

I bow before you, Divine Father, Holy Mother,

Eternal Source of my existence.

Your heart is my home,

from you I have come

and to you I journey this night.

sacred gesture

Saturday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

Blessed are you, Creator of the Universe. After a night of viewing the moon and a million stars, our earth turns so that we might look with wonder upon a single star, the sun. Large and orange it appears, as in turquoise twilight the sunrise leaves behind the darkness of space at dawn. Silent and golden, the rising sun fills the new summer day. May I, in a fullness of silence, a silence that leaves no room for fear, be one with you.

period of silent prayer or meditation

May my personal prayer be one with the prayer of your children Israel on this the Sabbath day. May my prayer rise like incense along with all prayers addressed to you, the God of Abraham and Sarah.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

Your love, O God, has been my tent this past night. As this new day begins in that love, may I taste your tenderness and care. Full-bodied and green are the leaves of trees that know no five-day week. Their labors ceaselessly create oxygen as a free gift for all, so that life might abound on this small green planet. May I also labor tirelessly to create a world of peace and harmony so that life may abound. I pray now for these intentions:_______.

Whatever this day holds for me, may I embrace it as sacrament and gift. In play or work, may I ever travel the pilgrim's path to you, O God. Restrain my desire to rush eagerly from one task to another. Slow me down that I may not miss the mysteries of your presence hidden in this warm summer day.

I bow before you, Divine Father, Holy Mother,

Eternal Source of my existence.

Your heart is my home,

from you I have come

and to you I journey this day.

sacred gesture

Saturday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

O you who are Life-my very being, my peace and my joy-you who are my hope, my wealth and my strength, I bow before you as this week of seven days concludes. Our daystar is disappearing as I again turn outward to view a starscape of such vastness that it is beyond the grasp of my mind. You are my home, my place of rest, my heaven, my salvation. You are the source of all the work of my hands and all the gifts of this week now ending. I pause to recall from my memory the days of this week....

O Divine Magnet who draws me ever to yourself, make my heart still and overflowing with gratitude at the memories of these past seven days, as I now enter in to the prayer of silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

O you who hear all sounds as one sound, all songs as one song, listen now as I sing of my love for you.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

How quickly has this week passed, the days and nights now fused as one. Just so quickly will my life reach its fullness, like ripe fruit upon the vine, heavy upon the limb.

I prayerfully place before you these intentions:_______. I also pray for those who labor this night that the rest of us may be secure and may relax and enjoy the pleasures of life. May they know that their labors help make possible the divine gift of joy for all who are at leisure.

Warm Saturday night, electric with music and play, feasting and celebration, may you praise the God of joy who delights in the loves and pleasures of our lives.

I bow before you, Divine Father, Holy Mother,

Eternal Source of my existence.

Your heart is my home,

from you I have come

and to you I journey this night.

sacred gesture

Autumn

<~>

Sunday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

As our planet earth whirls eastward toward the sun-star, I arise on this autumn morning refreshed by sleep. I greet the mellowness of this fall day with gratitude. As trees and plants acknowledge the death segment of their yearly cycle, I take hope in this morning that echoes the resurrection of your son Jesus. On this first day of the week, I enter into my heart to be one with you, my Sacred Guest, as I pray in silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

I unite myself with all your children who on this day gather for prayer and worship of you. One with all the disciples of the Risen and Cosmic Christ, I now sing of my love for you.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

May I greet every gift of this day with a song of gratitude. May my heart be full and content, like a harvest festival, as I enjoy this day of rest and re-creation. Guide me, O God, to spend it in a spirit of holy rest, free from the clock and its deadlines, free from the need to be useful.

Blessed are you, O God, who takes delight in the play and leisure of this first day of the week. I ask that these sacred elements of Sunday in which I engage will be worship and prayer, a holy communion with you who also played and rested on the seventh day of creation.

I begin my day as I place before you these intentions for my family and friends:_______. May these prayers be a communion ritual of love with them. I pray as well for all who are in need of your presence: Grant your servant the grace of worship, as I fashion this day and every gift that it holds into the music of my continuous song of gratitude. I take up the challenge of this day one with you, my God, as I bow in adoration.

Blessed are you, O Harvest of my heart,

Sacred Source of all life,

Delight of my days.

sacred gesture

Sunday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

Holy Mother, Divine Father, you who are beyond all images, this first day of the week is coming to a close. I thank you for all it has held for me, the pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, each moment rich with a lesson for my pilgrimage home to you. Sleep, death's sister, is near at hand. But before I release control of this day, I desire to enter into holy communion with you. One with all the earth, one with all who pray as the book of this day is closed, I enter into silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

In the darkness of my heart, crowded with the memories of this day and my plans for tomorrow, I have sat in stillness with you, my Beloved. One with the harmony of the moon and stars, I now sing of my love for you, as I pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

A new week of seven days has begun. Many will be the demands upon me and many are my needs. So I place before you, Divine Beloved, these intentions:_______. I am mindful also of those who are in need, the helpless and the oppressed, victims of violence and injustice. Be with them this night. I pray as well for the needs of my family and friends:_______. Be as close to them as you now are to me.

Once again, this planet's perpetual path around the sun has come to the shrine of autumn. A year has passed so quickly since last we visited here. Remind me by this season of completion that soon my life will come round full course. As I now open the doorway of sleep with confidence, may I do the same, when the time comes, with the doorway of death.

With a full heart and my soul at peace, I surrender to the sleep of this night, as I bow before you.

Blessed are you, O Harvest of my heart,

Sacred Source of all life,

Ever-watchful Guardian of my sleep.

sacred gesture

Monday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

Once again the earth has completed its 24-hour turnaround and again has come to face the brilliance of our sun-star. As its light floods the darkness of space, may the Spirit that sings its ageless song continuously in the cave of my heart now flood my heart with the rays of light eternal. Encircled in that light, I enter now into silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

As the sounds of life begin on this Monday, may my voice be one with the chorus of all creation which rejoices in the ripeness of autumn. May this morning prayer echo through my every deed of this new day.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

O Giver of all gifts, who has so enriched my life, I have many needs this day. Grant me the gift of patience so that I may live in harmony with all. Grant me the grace of compassion so that I may not bypass anyone in need. And give me enthusiasm for the tasks of this autumn day so that I may invest it with your love and life. I pray for the following intentions:_______.

Although alone at the moment, I embrace the mystery that I do not pray privately but am one with all the earth and all your children. I place within your heart these needs of the other members of the sacred family to which I belong:_______.

I ask you, my hidden God, who has filled heaven and earth with your glory, to help me to make my hands into your hands, so that your will may be done by me this day. Form my words into your words to affirm the faint hearted, to support the faltering and to encourage the poor of spirit. Fill up all that is lacking in me, so that I may be your humble servant, a co-creator in your endless drama of creation.

I begin this day as I bow before you.

Blessed are you, O Harvest of my heart,

Sacred Source of all life,

Delight of my days.

sacred gesture

Monday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

As this autumn day draws to a close, I marvel that this earth has been spinning at over a thousand miles an hour. Quickly indeed, for so massive a planet, has one complete revolution finished since this time last evening. As the nighttime view of space opens before me, filled with the splendor of sparkling stars, I pause to be consciously one with you, the loving creator of this whole universe. Wrap me in wonder and awe as I now enter into silent communion with you.

period of silent prayer or meditation

This autumn evening, whose wind carries songs of harvest gratitude, is part of the prayer my heart lifts up to you with love and thanksgiving.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

Oh how easily, my beloved God, do I believe that I am in charge of my life, that this day has succeeded because of my efforts. With humility I acknowledge that you have been at the sacred source of the good that I have done and the evil I have avoided. To raise that awareness, I now ask your gracious assistance in my life as I pray for the following intentions:_______. May my prayers for those I love weave ever more strongly the web that unites us, as I now lift up their needs:_______.

Tired of body but full of gratitude, I prepare to enter into the healing embrace of sleep. May this night be salve for both body and soul; may it fill me with energy and grant rest to my mind. I am mindful that I sleep secure while many are homeless, aliens in a strange land or separated from those they love. Cover them in the tent of your holy presence and give them hope, as I now surrender in love my day, my life and my very being unto you, my Beloved.

Blessed are you, O Harvest of my heart,

Sacred Source of all life,

Ever-watchful Guardian of my sleep.

sacred gesture

Tuesday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

A new autumn day is dawning, as the earth turns around once again to view the majesty of our sun-star. While with each autumn day we lean further away from the rays of its great heat, the sun continues to warm creation as it embraces this season of completion. This fall day holds a great challenge as it calls me to toil for the harvest of justice and peace. Without you, Sacred Source of all energy, what success can I hope for from the work of my hands. So I now enter into holy union with you in a prayer of stillness.

period of silent prayer or meditation

With gratitude for the gift of speech, I add my voice to those of all your children who greet the dawn of this day with prayer and worship of you.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

As the hours of daylight shorten, I give thanks that you are a luminous and loving God. You, my God, who are so Light-hearted, make my heart like yours. As a disciple of your son Jesus, may I be a light this day for those who are still in the darkness of night. As the light of the sun-star warms this planet after a nighttime of facing into the icy darkness of space, may I give warmth and light to all I meet. I pause to pray for my daily needs and for the graces necessary for this day:_______. Be mindful as well, O God, of the special needs of:_______.

May I see your holiness in the golden beauty of this day. May I touch with reverence all things, since everything is saturated with the sacred, is a tabernacle of your presence. Broaden the boundaries of my heart that it may encompass more than it did yesterday, as I begin this day one with you.

Blessed are you, O Harvest of my heart,

Sacred Source of all life,

Delight of my days.

sacred gesture

Tuesday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

Another day is ending as I put away the work of this autumn Tuesday. I come before the doors of the holy to seek and knock. Open to me, O God, the mystery of your presence, for I rap with reverence, firm in the faith that you open to all who knock at your door. All about you, Most High, angels swarm and saints are robed in blinding light. While my eyes are blind to this reality, open my heart to the splendor of your luminous presence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

Touch my restless heart which finds silence difficult. Affirm within me the knowledge that you judge prayer only by the heart's hunger to be one in you. One with all your children, I now sing of my love for you.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

Blessed are you who have made the entire universe your holy temple, spread out in the autumn evening sky. Sacred are the mountains and valleys, prairies and fields of this planet. Holy are the forests and meadows, the canyons and oceans deep, the cities and villages-all your sacred space. All who dwell upon this planet walk on holy ground, are priestly stewards of your earthly shrine. Aware of that priestly dignity, I now pray for the special needs of all the earth:_______. I pray also for the needs of my family and friends:_______. Pour forth through me the renewing grace of your pardon as, in communion with you, I now forgive all who have injured me.

May all the earth share the peace of my heart as I close my eyes to this day of life and slip into sleep, filled with confidence that I shall wake in the splendor of your presence. Tomorrow as the earth again spins around our sun-star, I shall return to my place of prayer to sing of my love for you. Make of my sleep a prayer of rest in you.

Blessed are you, O Harvest of my heart,

Sacred Source of all life,

Ever-watchful Guardian of my sleep.

sacred gesture

Wednesday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

With a silent thunderous roar, the sun star of this planet is once again visible. The moon has reflected its light like a mirror this past night, but now our sun explodes in flaming beauty to warm this autumntide day. Make of my heart a mirror, O God, a new mystic moon to reflect your splendor, as I now enter into silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

Aware of my spiritual poverty, my hands are upraised and cupped like a beggar's, as I ask you to fill my heart with your Spirit. Grant that this prayer will spread through my being like a forest fire driven by the wind of your Spirit. Then the flames of devotion will leap from word to word, causing each one to burst into flame, till all is fire, till all is love.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

O Divine Beloved, how richly you have seeded your creation with the mystery of life. You are not a stingy God, for you allow the sun to shine on good and bad alike. You daily pour forth a torrent of beauty for all on this earth. Aware of your endless generosity, I now offer to you the following intentions:_______. Lean close and hear my prayers as I remember my family and all those I hold dear:_______.

Drenched in the shower of your gifts, I am amazed that every year two million tons of cosmic dust fall upon this small planet. I marvel that my body is dust from stars whose blazing beauty is now silent. May my body which is composed of star dust, blaze anew with light this day, as I seek to do all out of love for you.

May your justice shine in my deeds, your truth in my words, your love in my acts of compassion, as I begin this day one with you.

Blessed are you, O Harvest of my heart,

Sacred Source of all life,

Delight of my days.

sacred gesture

Wednesday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

The magnetic power of this planet's gravity makes walking on the surface of the earth effortless and also holds in place the atmosphere of life that encircles us. That magnetic force further holds the autumn moon in obedient orbit about the earth. May the mystic magnet of your love now draw me into the shrine of my heart and ever closer to you, as I enter now into sacred silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

How rich a gift is this holy communion with you. It is the deep well of peace, the eternal fountain of creativity and womb of endless life. In this season of gratitude and fullness, I join the chorus of chants from midnight vigils and the praise rising up from temples, pagodas and mosques all over the world, as I now pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

O Compassionate One, who knows my every need and hastens to provide whatever is lacking in my life, I place before you my intentions. May this prayer remind me of my poverty in your sight and that every gift comes from your generous heart. I pray for the needs of those I love:_______. Great is my family, spread far and wide across this planet. I pray tonight for those who are imprisoned, for those who are in fear and for all who suffer from injustice. Call all your children to live in peace, their hands empty of weapons, their hearts free of hatred and discrimination.

While I am quiet and still of body, I realize that, one with the earth, sun and planets, I am traveling 43,000 miles an hour toward our mysterious destiny in the uncharted starscape of space. As I prepare to surrender to sleep, remind me that I am indeed a planetary pilgrim, homeward bound to you. As this planet is encircled in our atmosphere's ocean of life, surround me with your peace and presence as I sleep.

Blessed are you, O Harvest of my heart,

Sacred Source of all life,

Ever-watchful Guardian of my sleep.

sacred gesture

Thursday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

The darkness of outer space retreats as the earth turns full face toward the sun-star, the flaming heart of our solar family. Having risen from sleep, my daily shadow of death, I greet this new autumn day in the joy of the resurrection. Blessed are you, Holy Parent, who awakens your children to light. Fill my heart with light as I now enter the shrine of my heart to be one with you, my God.

period of silent prayer or meditation

Like a parent who delights in a child's stumbling speech, receive my feeble efforts to pray, as I lift up my heart in gratitude and love to you.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

Open my eyes this day to the splendor of your creation, now dressed in autumn colors. Enflame my imagination as you peel back the scabs of cynicism from my eyes, so that I might see your holiness ablaze at the tip of every branch and alive in every autumn leaf. Grant to me this day the heart of a child, holding within it the secret path that leads to you.

With a child's confidence, I place before you, my Beloved, these personal needs:_______. I also ask of you these favors for those who are dear to my heart:_______. And may the work of my hands and the journey of this day bring your age of justice and peace closer to realization.

As I prepare to meet the challenges and conflicts of this Thursday, grant me the constant advice of the Paraclete, your Spirit. So counseled, I will choose wisely those words and deeds that will make your ancient dream unfold in this time and place.

Blessed are you, O Harvest of my heart,

Sacred Source of all life,

Delight of my days.

sacred gesture

Thursday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

Blazing in beauty, hovering full on the horizon, was our sun-star, as this autumn day ended. This part of our planet has turned its view from the sun and is now draped in darkness. Each night the dark beauty of space comes earlier as the starlight hours of our sun shrink. I lift up my heart in gratitude for the numerous gifts of this day. I pause now to be mindful of how I have been blessed on this Thursday....

My heart wrapped in thanksgiving, I enter now into oneness with you as I pray without words.

period of silent prayer or meditation

Beyond all comprehension are you, O Divine Mystery. You are holiness, light and love in their fullness, yet you love me and delight in my childlike words of affection and praise. I lift up, as a gratitude gift, this prayer to you.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

Hear, O God, these prayers for the special needs of my friends and family:_______. May the needs of my brothers and sisters who share this planet with me also be my needs. I pray for those who are without proper medical care, for those who must go to sleep hungry or homeless and for those who are without employment that gives them a sense of dignity and purpose in life. For these and for all who are helpless this night, I pray.

And for myself, I ask for the gift to truly appreciate all that I have been given, all my talents, blessings and gifts.

As I travel outward this night into the mystery of space, one with the earth, the planets and the sun, I soon will lay aside my consciousness in sleep. Grant a peaceful night to this pilgrim, who has sought this day to be faithful to the Way that leads to you.

Blessed are you, O Harvest of my heart,

Sacred Source of all life,

Ever-watchful Guardian of my sleep.

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Friday Morning Prayer

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As this new autumn day dawns, fresh with promise and abundant opportunities, the peoples on this side of the earth once again greet the gift of our sun-star and greet you, my God. While dawn has come to this hemisphere, I realize that on the other side of this earth, more than 7,000 miles away, night now enfolds my sisters and brothers in the East. O you who hear morning and night prayers with equal delight, as one song of love, receive my prayer of silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

On this day, O Holy One, your children of Islam praise you as the one God, the only God. O you of countless names yet beyond all names, may my prayer now be one with all your earthly children as I lift up my heart to you.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

May this prayer and all I do this day be in holy harmony with Tibetan prayer wheels that spin in sacred praise of you, with oblations in Hindu temples, fasting of Indian ascetics and the sacred offerings of all peoples. May the untold sacrifices of lovers and saints and parents for their children invest my day with beauty before your eyes. As I rejoice in this cosmic communion, I pray for these personal needs:_______, and the needs of those who are dear to my heart:_______.

The mystic guides of Islam teach that "a person who has put a foot to the holy path must be content to travel like a turtle." For me at least, O God, this seems so true. Grant me patience, then, as I plod slowly toward wholeness and holiness. But also, make me eager to achieve a largeness of heart, a generosity of giving and a greater depth of humble service.

The whisper of winter and of death is upon the autumn wind; let me not delay my enjoyment of this day nor the wise use of what little time I have in this life.

Blessed are you, O Harvest of my heart,

Sacred Source of all life,

Delight of my days.

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Friday Evening Prayer

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The darkness of this autumn night is lit by holy fire as candles flicker on Shabbat tables to welcome Saturday, the Sabbath, as Israel's Bride. I hear the night wind's echo of far-off cries from minarets, as the faithful of Allah are called to prayer. A holy night, an evening of prayer, is this Friday, and I add to these prayers of your Jewish and Islamic children, my prayer of the heart.

period of silent prayer or meditation

May my heart pulse in rhythm with the drum beats of Hopi Indians, with Hindu flutes that delight in Krishna and the chimes of Buddhist temple bells, as I also praise you, my God.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

Holy Father and Mother of the children of this earth, hear the many prayers that flood this autumn night. Mindful of the wondrous unity of the chorus of your devoted lovers, I humbly ask you for these favors:_______. When I pray for others, they are in my heart. So in an act of holy communion, I pray for the needs of those who are dear to me:_______. And I make my own the needs of those who are trapped in poverty and ignorance, those whose life span is cut short by a lack of food or medicine and those for whom this day has been a heavy burden.

In this autumn season of gratitude for the fruits of this earth, I give you thanks for the gifts of this Friday. Full of thanksgiving, I seek to overflow with pardon for all who may have caused delay or disturbance, pain or injury on this fall day.

Lean near and close my eyes with your compassionate touch so that I can sleep this night as I hope to sleep in death: anointed in your love and at peace with all.

Blessed are you, O Harvest of my heart,

Sacred Source of all life,

Ever-watchful Guardian of my sleep.

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Saturday Morning Prayer

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This Saturday is saturated with the sacred. It is a day holy to all of Israel, set aside to remember the liberation from slavery and the completion of creation. I greet this day in a union with my Jewish brothers and sisters and with everyone who anoints the coming of dawn's light with prayer. One with all those I love, one with all those whom you, O God, love, I enter into the cave of my heart to sit in silence with you.

period of silent prayer or meditation

Generous are you, O Holy One, to overlook the wanderings of my mind as I try to center it in you. The Hasidic masters teach that "Every breath shall praise God," that every breath is a prayer. May each breath of my silent prayer be a morning benediction, one with the breath of heaven. To the prayer of my breath I add these words. It is my desire that each letter of my every word be filled with a fire of devotion for you.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

May all my words and deeds this day be rooted in this time of prayerful communion with you, my God. May my worship extend to all I do this day, as I now ask these favors for those I love:_______. Grant me this day all I need to be a pilgrim, whether I am at play or at prayer, in work or at rest.

The brilliance of our one star, the sun, has hidden in daytime brightness the unfolding splendor of the millions of stars that light up our galaxy. To look upon a star so close, a mere 93 million miles away, is blinding. May I walk the pilgrim's path this day, aware that many other wonders may be hidden from my view, both near and far. Grant me the gift of worship on this autumn Saturday, the grace to live in perpetual wonder. May I treat all that is given me this day as gift.

Blessed are you, O Harvest of my heart,

Sacred Source of all life,

Delight of my days.

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Saturday Evening Prayer

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Seven holy flames dance atop the days of this week whose conclusion I celebrate this night. Each day has been holy, as has this Sabbath. On this day that remembers the creation of this planet, I rejoice that in an awakening of ecstasy you made your human creatures to be your lovers. One with all the earth, the sun and moon and with all those who love you, I enter into the prayer of silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

I thank you that it is not a drab world that you created, but rather one of endless variety, color and form. I thank you for all the beauty you have bestowed upon this planet, so small in the vastness of the universe. May gratitude enflame every word I now pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

I marvel at how my pilgrim path this day, while passing through the common and ordinary, has been filled with the extra-ordinary wonders which you have woven into your creation. I am humbled that you, my God, have watched over me and so richly gifted me this day. In trust as well as gratitude, I also ask these favors for those I love:_______. For myself, I only ask that my senses may be opened ever wider to the magnificent mystery of your presence in all that you have created. I place into your compassionate care the needs of those who this night are alone and lonely, who feel the sharp knife of separation, who are dying or mourn the loss of one they loved. May you who never sleep be at their side and at mine this night.

This autumn night, the windshield of the sky, reveals stars whose number and size stun my small mind. One star is awesome, but a million times a million stars, gathered in galaxies like gems in a necklace, is beyond my comprehension. I bow in humble adoration before you, O God, and the grandeur of your universe.

Blessed are you, O Harvest of my heart,

Sacred Source of all life,

Ever-watchful Guardian of my sleep.

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Winter

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Sunday Morning Prayer

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I lift up my heart to you, Creator God of heaven and earth and of all seasons. In your cyclic design the earth now leans away from the fire of the sun in this season we call winter.

Although the sun's light weakens as the earth tilts away, I ask in this time alone with you that your light not lessen within me. May I, with your assistance, not turn away from the truth when it visits me, even the truth about myself. I desire rather that I turn toward the light in all I say and do, in all I think and dream. Guided by your light I now enter the cave of my heart to be alone with you in stillness.

period of silent prayer or meditation

I rejoice, O Blessed One, that you have placed within my small heart not only your divine seed but the essence of all that you have created. I now express my joy in your being, as I invest these words with love for you.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

Today, Sunday, is a day of prayer and worship for your children who follow Christ. May my morning prayer be in harmony with all the prayers, songs and acts of devotion that rise up to you from churches and places of worship.

May I also be one with all who fail to worship you, with all who reject you and your dream because those of us who profess to be Jesus' disciples have failed to be living examples of your love and justice. Instill in me this Sunday the fiery heat of the sun-and of the Son-so that ablaze with devotion for you, I may enflesh your love and kindness in all I do and with everyone I meet on this first day of the week.

Mindful of the needs of those I love, I pause to lift up into your sacred heart the special intentions of:_______. Care for them and for all the children of this planet as it journeys through the winter of endless space.

Blessed and beautiful are you, my God.

May your light be my sun this winter day.

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Sunday Evening Prayer

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I bow before you this night, Beloved One, my heart overflowing with gratitude for all that this first day of the week has held for me. May the thanksgiving of my heart give glory to you and enrich this time of silent prayer. One with the far distant stars of the winter night sky, one with all the earth, I now enter into silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

Holy is this night, holy is the earth and the heavens, for all is filled with your glory. May my prayer glisten with a star's brilliance as I now proclaim my love for you.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

As I prepare for sleep, may I join the seeds of plants that sleep in the long night of winter as they await the sunrise of spring. May I let go of this day with faith, in the conviction that with unconditional love you watch over all that you have created. May I enter into sleep in a lover's surrender to your will, mindful that you embrace all living beings with a mother's love.

I lift up to you who never sleeps, the special needs of my family and friends:_______. May those who will pass this night through the doorway of death be reunited with you for whom their hearts have hungered throughout their lives.

May the hunger in my heart for goodness, for truth and for love remind me that you, and you alone, are the Feast that satisfies. As I soon will let go of this day and will surrender to sleep, may I fall asleep by falling into you.

O Guardian of galaxies,

Mother of the cosmos and

Father of stars beyond counting,

may I sleep in you tonight.

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Monday Morning Prayer

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O Creator of day and night, I begin this first day of the workweek with gratitude for the gifts that have come to me over the weekend. May my gratitude for being renewed through resting from my usual tasks help me to begin this week of work with a desire to remember what truly is the work of my life.

I have come from you and to you I return. And so as I journey home to you, my work is to become one with you. I desire to do your will and so become your love and compassion in the midst of a busy world.

May this prayer of the heart, my striving to sit in silence- quieting my ever-restless mind by returning again and again to you-inspire me to imitate you in all that I do. Come, Beloved, sit beside me now as I enter into the prayer of meditation.

period of silent prayer or meditation

O you who search all hearts, we both know that my words fall short of what I feel in my heart, but allow these words that I am about to pray to become love-filled vessels of my devotion for you.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

The time has come, my Beloved who lives outside of time, to leave this time of prayer and to invest myself in the activities of this first workday of the week. As I do, I ask that you be with all who are in need of you this day:_______. I pray as well for all the earth, all her children and for all life on this planet.

Blessed and beautiful are you, my God.

May your light be my sun this winter day.

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Monday Evening Prayer

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Our earth has turned once again toward the endless limits of space, as a thousand stars come out to play. I come before you in adoration and in wonder at the vastness of your creation which spans thousands of billions of miles. I descend now with devotion into the tiny cave of my heart to be one with you in silent prayer.

period of silent prayer or meditation

O Beloved, your song of love is a silent one, heard only by the ears of the heart. Look with compassion upon my feeble efforts to still my ever-restless heart and my desire to listen to your eternal whisper. Look with affection upon my words, as I now proclaim my love for you.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

I pray to you, aware that my prayer is never private, even if I pray alone. For my prayer is but a single thread in the great weaving of this world's prayers which rise up to you from every part of this planet.

My friends and my family are dear to me, and so I ask that you care for them this night. In your providence especially watch over:_______. Care for and protect those who on this winter night are without lodging and food. And grant that the children of this earth may look upon all who are in need as their brothers and sisters.

Grant a peaceful night, O God, not only to my body but also to my mind and soul. May the sacrament of sleep refresh my whole being this night.

O Guardian of galaxies,

Mother of the cosmos and

Father of stars beyond counting,

may I sleep in you tonight.

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Tuesday Morning Prayer

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I greet you with affection, my Beloved One, as this new winter day begins. The weather weaves a chilly spell around me, as I seek to keep warm and dry. May this my morning prayer awaken me to the needs of others, to all the needs I will encounter this day.

While my body naturally responds to the winter wind with a shiver, may my heart respond with a warm wave of love as I seek to make my heart aflame like yours. Make me one with the earth as it makes its journey through this season of winter. Make me one as well with all those who lift up their hearts to you at this early hour, as, through the doorway of silent prayer, I seek to enter your compassionate heart.

period of silent prayer or meditation

One in stillness with you, I have also sat in the stillness of creation wrapped in winter sleep. On behalf of creation that slumbers till spring, in harmony with all earth's children, I now lift up my heart in prayer.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

O Merciful God, you who held me in the palm of your hand as I slept, hold me in your love and providence as I begin this new day. May I not fear the challenges of this day but rather see them as opportunities to live out my beliefs in non-violence, compassion and justice.

May my work this day be a continuous prayer of praise to you. I ask your loving care for all those who are in need, especially for:_______. I lift up to you all who begin this day frozen without hope or empty of purpose and meaning.

I bow before you, O Beloved Source of my life, you from whom I have come and to whom I return.

Blessed and beautiful are you, my God.

May your light be my sun this winter day.

sacred gesture

Tuesday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

O you for whom my heart hungers, the night sky is arched over me like a winter window that looks outward onto the vastness of space. Earth, her sister planets and their moons and our great daystar are on an eternal voyage toward a cosmic mysterious destination. I too journey toward a lover's rendezvous with you. May this time of silent prayer be but a foretaste of that eternal encounter.

period of silent prayer or meditation

Invisible Lover, I know that you are here even if my senses do not experience your presence. I thank you for being at my side every minute of this day that is now concluding. I sing of my gratitude for your abiding presence, as I now pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

May the hours of sleep into which I shall sink, grant me the divine gift of elasticity. May I know the gift of new wine skins, which are able to embrace the new and the untried. When I awake tomorrow I will need such flexibility to flow with the changes in my life and in the world. Such a gift is a necessity if I am to be a faithful steward of the Spirit in these times of great transition.

I pray now for those who live in my heart, my family and my friends:_______. I pray as well for all the citizens of this earth, men and women of all races and creeds, of various political beliefs. I ask that you gift us all with elasticity of mind and heart, so that we might create a new earth according to the design of your son Jesus' new age.

But for now, I let go of my quest for peace and justice and surrender myself into your loving nighttime embrace.

O Guardian of galaxies,

Mother of the cosmos and

Father of stars beyond counting,

may I sleep in you tonight.

sacred gesture

Wednesday Morning Prayer

sacred gesture

The part of this earthen planet in which I live is wrapped in winter as this new day dawns for me. The winter earth leans away from the sun, and I miss its light and warmth. How easily do I lean away from you, Beloved God, and your warmth. How readily I lean toward other things and so find the cold touch of winter upon my words and deeds. How often I forget you, who formed my being and who shaped the cosmos, sending spinning suns by the billions into the winter wasteland of empty space.

I dedicate this winter day to you, as I now enter into the chapel of my heart to sit in stillness with you. May I leave outside the circle of silence all my worries and concerns for this day, as I enter into prayer.

period of silent prayer or meditation

O Weaver of oneness and Reader of hearts, I know you need no spoken words to tell you of my affection for you. But may these words of prayer be sacraments of my love.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

I pray for the needs of all those across this small planet who are in great need this day, and especially for:_______. I am mindful of all those who suffer because of the winter weather, of all who suffer because they experience on this Wednesday the winter of war, of those who know the cold winds of oppression and violence. May all who suffer this day experience your compassion through their brothers and sisters.

May this morning prayer awaken me to turn the needs of all who ask me for help this day into my personal needs. May this brief time of prayer make me aware that the needs of those whom I assist are really your needs. Grant me the grace to see you in all whom I meet and serve. With that sacred vision this prayer of communion with you will have no end.

Blessed and beautiful are you, my God.

May your light be my sun this winter day.

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Wednesday Evening Prayer

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O Clever Creator of all life, just as you have created your children as male and female, so you have created time as day and night. Our whirling planet has turned me around again toward the perpetual winter of outer space as I come before you to conclude my day. All this day I have tried to be in prayerful communion with you. May this act of devotion, as I enter into the silence of my inner space, be but the final note of this Wednesday's song of love.

period of silent prayer or meditation

As I come out of silent prayer, I open my eyes to the small world of my home. May the following prayer open my heart to all peoples in the larger world around me. I knock at the door of your heart, O Fountain of mercy and Source of all blessings: open to your beloved.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

Through the open door of your divine heart may blessings pour forth in great abundance to those I love:_______. I pray for those who are prisoners of fear or hate and for the intentions of all the peoples of this planet, in particular this night for:_______. May those who find it impossible to pray, who are burdened with cares or lost in the desert of loneliness, be touched by your gentle healing and find peace this night.

As this part of the earth and her children look out upon the freezing darkness of unknown space, may we find comfort in the marvelous order and design of all that you have created. Pitch above my bed the tent of your peace and your presence, as with confidence and without regrets I now close the cover of this day.

O Guardian of galaxies,

Mother of the cosmos and

Father of stars beyond counting,

may I sleep in you tonight.

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Thursday Morning Prayer

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As this winter day begins, O God, I realize that while I have risen from sleep, I must also be awakened in my heart. Your son Jesus has called me to live each day awake, for I know not the hour or the day when you will knock at my door to call me home.

Open the eyes of my heart, stir the seat of my soul and awaken it to the mystery of your presence in every corner of this day. Send forth your Spirit, and ignite the embers of my heart that it may come alive with compassion, devotion and zeal.

As I enter into silence, I proclaim the mystery of my faith, that you dwell perpetually within my heart.

period of silent prayer or meditation

O Loving God, prevent me from judging this time of prayer. Remind me that only you read hearts, that regardless of how poorly I have prayed, how many were the distractions or wanderings of my mind, that you take delight in my desire to be with you in stillness.

As the numerous duties of this winter day call to me, I take time to put into words my affection and devotion for you, as I now pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

I pause before I begin my day to be mindful now of the needs of all who struggle for peace and justice, of all who refuse to return violence for violence and for those who labor to lift the burdens of all who suffer in mind or body. I remember in particular the needs of:_______.

The clock calls me, my Beloved: my day is about to begin. May this time of prayer be the design of my day; may everything I do be done in, with and through you.

Blessed and beautiful are you, my God.

May your light be my sun this winter day.

sacred gesture

Thursday Evening Prayer

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O Gracious God, the season of winter wraps much of this part of our planet with long dark nights. Our daystar, the sun, seems to have turned its face away, as we feel the cold of winter upon us. The warmth of this winter must come from within. So stoke with your Spirit the dying embers of my heart, that my meditation may be afire with love. Send your Spirit to guide me down the passageway to the innermost temple of my heart where you dwell in luminous splendor, as I now enter into the prayer of silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

As the sounds of the winter wind rattle about, I join my prayer to the sacred wind of heaven, the Holy Spirit, so that it may become one with the aspirations of all those who love and adore you this night. I join this my winter night prayer to the prayers of my brothers and sisters on the other side of our planet who rejoice in the warm glories of summer. From north and south, east and west, may the wind of heaven sweep up all acts of devotion into a single song of love, as I now pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

I pray this night for those who are sick and dying, for those yoked by heavy debts or poverty, for those in the midst of divorce and separation and for all who face this night in great need. I lift up to you the special intentions of those I love, especially the needs of:_______.

My trust is buoyed by the touch of your presence. I now prepare, without fear or dread, to close my eyes in sleep. Grant me the grace to also close my eyes at the moment of my death with the same peacefulness and confidence.

O Guardian of galaxies,

Mother of the cosmos and

Father of stars beyond counting,

may I sleep in you tonight.

sacred gesture

Friday Morning Prayer

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The touch of winter has made much of the earth seem like the moon: cold and barren. But as the first gray light of dawn creeps across the earth, I ask that my heart will not be a chilled chapel, but rather a torrid temple, filled with the fire of love. In that desire I now anoint this new day with my prayer of silence.

period of silent prayer or meditation

The night has ended and day begins. I likewise long for the night of winter to be over and for spring to dawn upon us. I seek not so much to grow in virtue this day as to grow in likeness of you, O Compassionate One. As one of your priestly people, may the following prayer express my care for all peoples and all of creation.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

May this time of prayer awaken me, Gracious God, to all the hidden gifts of your life that are secretly contained in this day. I ask to be awakened to the wisdom within the words of your son Buddha who, guided by your Spirit, said, "Wakefulness is the way of life, the fool sleeps as if already dead but the saint is awake and lives forever."

Send me frequent wake-up calls this day, that I might become aware of the true purpose of life. May I be awake to life as a gift from you that is intended to be enjoyed and experienced with delight. Remove from me ruts of habit that prevent me from truly seeing, hearing and tasting your presence in this winter day.

May wakefulness be my watchword as I dedicate my desire to be mindful of your glory for the intentions of all who are in need this day, and especially for:_______. May my prayer on this Friday morning be one with all the prayers that rise up from mosques on this sacred day of Islam. May it join the great chorus of praise that rises up from all those who love you.

Blessed and beautiful are you, my God.

May your light be my sun this winter day.

sacred gesture

Friday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

God of all creation, who lives in one eternal season, this season of winter seems the longest of the four. Perhaps it is the chill and dampness or the short hours of daylight, but part of me longs for spring. Soon the hearts of birds will ring with a call to make their migratory journeys homeward. Awaken my heart to journey inward to you, the source of my life's migration as well as its destination. May your Spirit lead me into prayer, as I now enter the innermost chamber of my heart.

period of silent prayer or meditation

O Ever-patient One, the affairs of this day often felt like magnets that pulled me away from the still point of your presence. Forgive any lack of zeal in my prayer and fuel me with fervor as I now pray.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

I acknowledge that my prayers are threads within a web of worship that spans this earthen planet. I reach out across the miles to touch with prayer and love those who are dear to me; in particular this night I pray for:_______. I remember as well those who have tasted the bitterness of loneliness and defeat this day and those whose hearts are empty of faith in themselves and in you. I pray too for my sisters and brothers who are called the national enemies of my country, and for all who work for disarmament and peace.

As this day rapidly comes to a conclusion, I ask that you would encircle me with the Spirit of the Holy and with the abiding presence of your son Jesus Christ. Bless my home on this winter night. Bless too my sleep and my dreams. May Mary, the Blessed Mother, watch by my bed this night that I may sleep in peace.

O Guardian of galaxies,

Mother of the cosmos and

Father of stars beyond counting,

may I sleep in you tonight.

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Saturday Morning Prayer

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How quickly, O Creator of wintry ice and snow, has this week passed. May any chill within my heart be melted by your Spirit, as a summer sun would melt a field of snow. I begin this morning prayer mindful that my life passes as quickly as the days of this winter week. This morning the temple of my body rises from sleep, seeking to enter into prayer. May I do so in communion with all who pray to you this Saturday in synagogues and who worship by study of the Torah. In that unity, I now descend into the bottomless well of your presence within the cave of my heart.

period of silent prayer or meditation

As all lovers long to sing the praises of their beloved, I desire to express my love for you. May I fill each of these words with my very self. May each letter of each word dance with devotion, so that this prayer will be pleasing to you, Yahweh, my God.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

As this winter day begins, may I see your glory in the heavens and in all the earth. Grant, O Blessed One, that I may look with love upon every person, object and event that I will encounter this Saturday.

Long ago you called Moses to spend this day in restful pleasure in your presence. May I use whatever this day holds for me to refresh my body and rest my soul, and so give great pleasure to you. I pray for all who must work this day as well as those who have no work and must struggle for the bare essentials of life. Look with favor upon the needs of all who petition you in their need, especially:_______. May this day lead me to trust more fully in your great care for all the earth and her children. And may I grow in the capacity to care as you do.

Blessed and beautiful are you, my God.

May your light be my sun this winter day.

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Saturday Evening Prayer

sacred gesture

O my Beloved, your heart is wider than the whole universe whose great black starlit eye stares down on me this winter night. I bow before you, whose glory fills the heavens and all the earth. Tonight is a sacred wedding night that unites the Sabbaths of the first and second testaments and makes all peoples chosen.

As a bride and groom long for their wedding night, I long to be joined with you, as I now enter the shrine of my heart to begin my silent prayer.

period of silent prayer or meditation

Awesome and full of power are you, my God, who finds delight not in poetic words or long hours of vigil, but only in the passion of love that prompts your children to pray. May your Spirit, who prays continuously within my heart, now fan the flames of devotion into a living fire in the words of this prayer.

a psalm, spiritual reading or personal prayer

How quickly have these past seven winter days slipped a through my fingers. I pause now to recall in gratitude all the numerous gifts of this week that you have given me....

My heart overflowing with thanksgiving, I ask another gift from you. Watch over those I love, especially:_______. Smile upon all who relax and enjoy themselves on this Saturday night after a long week of work. And bless our earth and all who dwell upon it.

Tomorrow, Sunday, is the memorial of the resurrection of your Son. May my sleep this night be filled with hope in the fullness of life that has been given to me through him. And when death closes my eyes in a final sleep, may I awaken to the splendor of an eternal Sunday, my resurrection and eternal life in you.

O Guardian of galaxies

Mother of the cosmos and

Father of stars beyond counting,

may I sleep in you tonight.

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