Praying Each Day in May

[MajestyJo]

MAY

I come into your presence, Father,
and ask that you help me
to be as trusting and close to you
as many little children are with their parents.
May my life today reflect
that you rejoice in my company.
May I rejoice in yours.

Let us pray:

On this day, Lord,
we can celebrate
many achievements of humanity
as a whole,
but never let us forget
that each and every individual
needs to be held in respect.
We pray today for the unemployed
and for those unable to work,
and we ask you to give success
to the work of our hands. Amen.

http://angelwinks.ca/images/iq/qcteddy385.jpg


Psalm 8917: Give success to the work of our hands, Lord.
Mt 2514-30: Good or poor use of people’s talents.
2 Thess 36-12,16: Some of you are living in idleness;
anyone who refuses to work should not be given any food.



All that I am; Come let us go up to the
Lord; I am with you for ever (all who
labour); I give my hands; Lord, make me
a means; Lord of all hopefulness (verse
2 refers to labouring); Make me a channel;
Peace, perfect peace; Take my
hands; Thank you for fathers
This is an excerpt from the page of this date in
‘Praying Each Day of the Year’,
a 3-volume book
by Nicholas Hutchinson, FSC.

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

God our Father, open our eyes
to see the vision
that you have for each of us,
and lead us to grow in confidence
in who we are,
and in the faith
that you call each of us by name.
Show us how to live in such a way
that we respect and accept others
for who they are,
and do not judge them
as we ourselves
do not want to be judged.
Inspire us to be generous
in praising others
and in showing appreciation
for their achievements.
Amen.

http://www.angelwinks.ca/iq/quick44.jpg

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus,
we read in the Gospels
that you brought healing
and acceptance
to many people,
In your love
stretch out your hands
and touch me
and bring healing and wholeness
in my life. Amen.


Christ be beside me; For to those who love God; Holy Virgin by God’s decree; if God is for us; Lay your hands...

This is an excerpt from the page of this date in
‘Praying Each Day of the Year’,
a 3-volume book
by Nicholas Hutchinson, FSC.

http://www.angelwinks.ca/images/religious10.jpg

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

O God, we are conscious
that many centuries of blindness
have blinded our eyes
so that we no longer see the beauty
of your Chosen People.
Across the centuries
our Jewish brothers and sisters
have lain in the blood which we drew
or caused to be shed
by forgetting your love.
Forgive us for the curse
we falsely attached
to their name as Jews.
Forgive us
for crucifying you a second time
in their flesh.
For we knew not what we did. Amen.

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[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

Lord,
lead us to be peace-makers,
building connections
between individuals,
focusing on what unites people
rather than on what separates us
and highlights our differences.
Lord, it’s easy to harm relationships;
instead,
give us the power of your Spirit
that we may build up and make new
the bonds between people.
Amen.

http://angelwinks.ca/images/iq/qc2bearsblanket.jpg

[MajestyJo]

“We all have ideals, and as we have grown
up we have the choice whether to pursue
them or to give them up. If we pursue them
we may not attain them. At times we may
wonder whether there is any point in the
pursuit, because of the sacrifices involved.

“We need to strive to achieve more and
more, not for purely selfish motives, but
because of the recognition of some higher
purpose. The aim is to move with the greatest
possible freedom towards the realisation
of the best within us. This is the quest
of a lifetime, and sport plays only a small
part in it.”

Let us pray:

Lord, each of us
has different talents and abilities.
We ask you to inspire us
to discover and develop
the best within us.
Lead us to be
both humble and generous
in praising others
for the good use of their talents.
Amen.

http://angelwinks.ca/images/iq/qcgirlwdande.jpg

[MajestyJo]

One of the world’s greatest musicians,
Ludwig van Beethoven, began to lose his
hearing when he was only 26. This was
particularly tragic for someone so gifted
in using sound as music. When he realised
he could not be cured of his deafness,
he wrote the following prayer. As
we hear his words, we can pray for those
who are going through difficulties at this
time:

O God, give me strength
to be victorious over myself.
O guide my spirit
and raise me up
from these dark depths,
so that
I may fearlessly struggle upward
in fiery flight.
For it is you alone, Lord,
who understand me
and can inspire me. Amen


Beethoven’s last words before dying are said to have been: “I will hear in heaven.”

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[MajestyJo]

We’ll use as our prayer today some words
written by Pope Paul VI (the sixth) about
25 years later:

Lord, God of peace,
we thank you for the hopes,
the efforts and the achievements
which your Spirit of peace
has inspired in our days
- stirring up love where there was hate,
sympathy where there was suspicion,
care where there was indifference.

Open our minds and our hearts
even more
to the specific demands
which love for others makes upon us,
so that we may be more truly
makers of peace.

Remember, God of mercies,
those who are oppressed,
those who are suffering and dying
for the birth of a world
in which all people
will be more truly
a single human family.

May your kingdom come
for all people of every race and language
- your kingdom of justice,
of peace, of love,
and may all the earth
be filled with your glory.
We make our prayer
through Jesus Christ,
the Prince of Peace. Amen.

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[MajestyJo]

A Muslim once said: “At night you Westerners
see thousands of stars in the sky. We
Muslims see only a few stars - and God.”

Let us pray:

God of all nations and all people,
inspire us
to live in your presence each day.
On our journey through life
lead us to choose
the right direction,
and show us
how to respect and value others,
even if we do not agree with them.
May we find other people
as willing to help us
as we are willing to help them.
Amen.

http://www.animated-gifs.eu/phone-240x320-stars/0031.gif

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

We know, Lord,
that throughout our lives
each of us will experience
problems and difficulties.
Give us courage and strength
at those times
and prevent us then
from looking only at ourselves.
Keep our vision wide
so that, even in times of difficulty,
we may still be of help to others.
Help us not to be bitter
towards people or situations,
but empower us
to take the initiative
and break the cycle
of hatred, bitterness,
and evil actions.
Help us to transform
the difficulties that come our way
into opportunities for
personal growth
and service of others. Amen.

http://angelwinks.ca/images/greetingspod/greetingspod61.jpg

[MajestyJo]

Tomorrow, 12th May, is the anniversary
in 1935 of the start of “Alcoholics Anonymous”.
Two men in New York began to
support each other to stay sober. “Alcoholics
Anonymous” - or “A.A.”, as it is
often known - has small group meetings
in many towns each week. Those who
feel they have a drink problem are welcome
to attend group meetings, where
everyone is anonymous. No one is ever
charged money to attend. Members encourage
and support one another to live
a day at a time.

A.A. has “12 Steps for Recovery” from alcoholism.
Some people who don’t have
alcohol problems still find A.A.’s 12
“Steps for Recovery” to be a good guide
when times are difficult. The ‘12 Steps’
include the following:

- Realising and admitting that I am powerless
over my problem, and have
made a mess of my life;

- believing that only a Power greater than
myself can make me better, so handing
my life over to God’s care;

- taking responsibility for what has gone
wrong in the past, and admitting my
mistakes to God and to one other person;

- asking God to remove my inner problems
of character, and bring me healing.

We’ll use as our prayer today some words
used every day by A.A. members. This
prayer is often said together at their group
meetings.

Let us pray:

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.
Amen.

http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Inspirational-Images/2-Timothy_1-7.jpg

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

Lord, remind us
that, along with our rights,
each of us
has duties and responsibilities
towards others. Amen.

http://angelwinks.ca/images/nostalgicpod/nostalgicpod95.jpg

[MajestyJo]

May 13

Let us pray:

Lord, we pray
for justice and peace in our world.
We pray, too, that those
who use violence as a weapon
may be touched
by the reaction of people
who have been hurt by violence.
Influence each of us, Lord,
to bring justice and peace
to our own part of the world this day.
Amen.

http://angelwinks.ca/images/nostalgicpod/nostalgicpod97.jpg

[MajestyJo]

200 years ago smallpox killed many people.
It was a terrible disease and highly
contagious, killing 2,000 people every
year in London alone.

Edward Jenner was aware that people
who milked cows caught cowpox, a mild
disease. He discovered that no-one who
caught cowpox ever caught the deadly
smallpox.

On this day in 1796 Jenner inoculated an
8-year old boy with cowpox, which is not
a serious disease. 6 weeks later he injected
the boy with smallpox, but the boy
did not become ill. The much milder cowpox
had made him immune - he couldn’t
be hurt by the deadly smallpox.

Eventually Jenner’s work was appreciated.
Giving a mild form of a virus in
order to prevent a much worse illness,
became known as “vaccination”, after
the Latin word for “cowpox”, recognising
that that disease provided the clue
to making people immune - resistant -
to some serious viral infections.

Edward Jenner’s work helped save many
lives. 100 years later, Louis Pasteur did a
lot of work on producing vaccines to prevent
other serious illnesses. We now
know that an inoculation of a harmless
form of a virus causes the human body
to produce “antibodies” which stay in the
bloodstream, ready to fight against the
worst form of the virus if the person becomes
infected.

Viruses are so tiny that about 40,000 of
them, laid end-to-end, would measure a
millimetre. Such tiny things can destroy
life, just as small things each day - our
actions, our attitude - can take life away
from other people.

Let us pray:

Loving Lord,
I often see on the TV news
examples of inhumanity to others
- people being tortured, abused,
injured or killed.
I need to remind myself
that the commandment “do not kill”
also refers to my attitude
and what I do each day,
because it is in smaller ways
that I can destroy people
if I ignore them
or cut them off
or do them down.
Loving Lord, inspire me
to take care
of the smaller things of life
as well as the bigger issues. Amen.

http://angelwinks.ca/images/2bearsineedahug.jpg

[MajestyJo]

John Baptist De La Salle was declared the
Patron Saint of teachers on this day in 1950.

300 years ago, John Baptist De La Salle
encouraged teachers to look upon their
students as individuals, rather than as a
group. He talked of people needing to
“touch hearts”.

“Touching hearts” is about acknowledging
and relating with people as individuals -
helping each person feel that they are
noticed and matter, and are significant
and special. A personal approach or reaction
can make all the difference to an individual,
showing that someone is “bothered
enough” to care.

Someone today can be made to feel
“worthwhile” if I call them by their name.

I can show human warmth and concern
today if I acknowledge individuals with
eye-contact, a nod, a smile, or a word.

I can “touch someone’s heart” if I set out to
remember what the person says or does. At
another time I can repeat those personal
details, showing that someone cares enough
about them to remember.

I can build up people today if I help them
to experience success or meaning in their
lives, and feel good about themselves.

I can help raise someone’s self-esteem
today if I show that I respect and appreciate
that individual and bear in mind their
own special circumstances.

Someone today can feel valued if I invite
them to become part of conversation, to
become part of what is going on; setting
out to make sure people feel included
rather than excluded.

I can “touch hearts” today if I compliment
individuals.


Let us pray:

Loving Lord, inspire me
to bring out the best in others
and “touch hearts”
by being welcoming and generous
and always positive in attitude,
showing individuals
that they matter and are important.
May those
who are part of my life this day
treat me in the same way
as I treat them. Amen.

http://angelwinks.ca/iq/qcprayforpeace3.jpg

If I am lacking love; O let all who thirst;
We come to you, Lord, teach us how to pray.

[MajestyJo]

Let’s pray in silence for a moment
for all who are going through
great difficulties…

(pause… )

Let’s pray in silence
that we may be people
who support and encourage others…

(pause … )

Let’s think in silence for a moment
of two people
to set out to encourage today…

(pause…)

http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Inspirational-Images/1-Corinthians_6-19.jpg

[MajestyJo]

In 1863, the “Football Association” was
founded, to set out clear rules for the
game and to distinguish it from rugby
football and other similar games. With
the foundation of the Football Association,
the game began to be called “association”
or “assoc”, giving the word “soccer”,
which at first was a slang word.

In May each year the Cup Final is held at
Wembley. After the First World War it
became a tradition for community singing
to take place at the Football Cup Final
at Wembley. King George V (the fifth)
suggested that a hymn be included, and
“Abide with me” was chosen. It is still sung
before the Cup Final every May.

The words were written by Henry Lyte
in the fishing village of Brixham in
Devon, where he had been the vicar
since the age of 30. His words are particularly
touching because he wrote them
whilst dying of T.B. - tuberculosis.

On the 4th September 1847 he said
goodbye to the congregation of his
church. He had been given early retirement
because of his chronic health. In
his last sermon he preached about the
time when two disciples were walking
along a road towards a village called
Emmaus. Jesus had been killed a few
days before, but now he joins them and
walks beside them. He is risen from the
dead. At last they recognise him and say
to him: “Stay with us. It is nearly evening.”

Henry Lyte took this theme and wrote
his hymn as he walked by the sea. He
heard the ebb and flow of the tide and,
for the last time there, he watched the
sun set. The following day he was to go
abroad on the advice of his doctor, who
had told him that in a drier climate he
might live a little longer.

And so he wrote “Abide with me” (meaning
“stay with me”), “it is fast becoming
evening.” As he wrote his words, Henry
Lyte also thought of his own life coming
to a swift end. No earthly helpers or comforts
could make much difference to him.

2 months later, on his way to sunny Italy,
he died in Nice, France. His last words
were “Peace, joy,” as he pointed his hand
towards the sky.

The words of his hymn we’ll make our
prayer today. We can use our imagination
and place ourselves on the seashore
as the sun is setting. We listen to the
words of his hymn as the prayer of this
sick man who knew he was at the
“evening” of his life, about to die from
tuberculosis - but at peace with himself:

Abide with me,
fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens,
Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail,
and comforts flee,
help of the helpless,
O abide with me.

Swift to its close
ebbs out life’s little day;
earth’s joys grow dim,
its glories pass away;
change and decay
in all around I see;
O thou who changest not,
abide with me.

I need thy presence
every passing hour;
what but thy grace
can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like thyself
my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine,
O abide with me.

I fear no foe with thee
at hand to bless;
ills have no weight
and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting?
Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still,
if thou abide with me.

Hold thou thy Cross
before my closing eyes;
shine through the gloom,
and point me to the skies;
heaven’s morning breaks,
and earth’s vain shadows flee:
in life, in death,
O Lord, abide with me.

http://www.angelwinks.ca/images/angel68.jpg


Parts of the first 2 verses are based on words
at the end of St Luke’s gospel, chapter 24. Two
disciples were disillusioned because Jesus had
been killed. As they walk along the road towards
Emmaus, just outside Jerusalem, Jesus himself
joins them and walks with them. At first they
don’t recognise him. “It is evening, and the day
is almost over,” they said to him. ”Come and
stay with us.”
✍ The words in the 4th verse - “Where is death’s
sting? Where, grave, thy victory?” - are a quote
from St Paul: 1 Cor 1555. This hymn is often
chosen to be sung at funerals.
✍ Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) also wrote the
words of the hymn, “Praise my soul, the king
of heaven”.
✍ Arthur Caiger had led community singing on
Armistice Day, 11/11/1918, and he also led the
community singing for the Cup Final, including
songs that were sung during the war.
✍ King George V was the grandfather of Queen
Elizabeth II.
✍ ‘Abide with me’ was the favourite hymn of the
Indian leader Ghandi, who was a Hindu. The
hymn is still played on India’s Republic Day,
as the sun goes down.

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

Lord, I ask for the gifts
of knowledge and wisdom
and understanding.
What I pray for
I intend to work at,
so that I may be someone
with an open mind,
a thirst for knowledge,
and a wisdom that makes good use
of my knowledge and experience.
I know that any gifts are useless
if I do not also have
love and concern for others,
and so I ask that you inspire me
to live in such a way
that I am caring and compassionate
and promote understanding
between people.
May others respect me, Lord,
as much as I respect them. Amen.

http://angelwinks.ca/images/angelpod.jpg

A prayer that keeps on giving. This Angel picture will change daily!

[MajestyJo]

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

http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Inspirational-Images/Philippians_4-13.jpg

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

My True Father,
I set my hopes upon You alone,
And I only ask You, God,
For my Soul salvation.

Let Your Holy Will
Be my strengthening on this way,
For my life without You is a mere empty moment,
And only serving You leads to Eternal life.

Amen!

prayer for the soul - st. agapit of pechersk - 11th century

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[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

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

http://www.angelwinks.ca/images/butterfly10.jpg

[MajestyJo]

‘Les Misérables’ is one of the world’s most
popular musicals. The Finale includes
these words:
“To love another person
is to touch the face of God.”

The first part of our prayer is based on a
prayer written by Victor Hugo, the author
of ‘Les Misérables’:

Let us pray:
We who weep come to you, Lord,
because you always
share our sorrow.
We who suffer come to you,
knowing that you cure.
We who are afraid come to you,
because you smile on us.
We share in your life
because you share ours
and so we know, God of love,
that “to love another person
is, indeed, to touch your face”.
May we live in your love forever.
Amen.

http://angelwinks.ca/images/angel3l.gifhttp://angelwinks.ca/images/angel3r.gif

An alternative prayer:

Lord, may people be as ready
to give me a break, a chance,
and let me make a new start,
as I am ready
to be generous to others.
Forgive me my faults
in the same way
as I forgive and accept other people.
Amen.


Similar to the words quoted from the Finale
are these by the Roman philosopher, Seneca,
who wrote shortly before his death in 65 AD:
“No-one is so near God as the person who
shows kindness.” He was not a Christian.

✍ Victor Hugo (26/2/1802-22/5/1885) wrote to his
publisher in 1862. As the author of ‘Les
Misérables’, he wanted to know if the book was
successful and selling. He simply wrote “ ? “,
to which his publisher replied: “ ! “ He wrote
the book during his 15-year exile from France
on the Channel Island of Guernsey. Hugo also
wrote “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”.

& Father, I place into your hands; If I am
lacking love; In you, my God; Oh the
love of my Lord.

[MajestyJo]

We bring before the Lord
those who have recently
been baptised or confirmed
- or who are about to be -
that they may be true to themselves
and may live their faith
in a genuine and credible way.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

We pray for our families and friends
that the power of the Holy Spirit
may be in our lives,
so that we may live fully with his gifts
of wisdom and understanding,
of knowledge and right judgement,
of courage and reverence,
and of wonder and awe
in God’s presence.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Let’s pray for those about to sit exams,
that nothing may prevent them
from doing as well as they deserve.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer

We pray for all in the mass media
- in TV, radio, films,
newspapers, advertising
and the Internet,
that they may be guided
by good principles
and the best motives.
We pray for wisdom ourselves
that, amidst the influences
and pressures around us,
we may make good decisions
and grow in wisdom and character
each day.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

This is an excerpt from the page of this date in
‘Praying Each Day of the Year’,
a 3-volume book
by Nicholas Hutchinson, FSC.

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May all I say and all I think
be in harmony with Thee,
God within me, God beyond me,
Maker of the Trees.

north american indian - chinook

[MajestyJo]

One of life’s
great lessons is this: we’re never sure just
how things are going to turn out. We’ll
live a good life if our attitude is always
positive - determined to make the best
of all situations that come our way.


Let us pray:

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

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[MajestyJo]

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

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

http://www.animated-gifs.eu/phone-240x320-biblical-characters/0040.gif

[MajestyJo]

We’re going to listen to three one-sentence
quotes:

The American poet, Walt Whitman,
who died on this day in 1892, said:
“In the faces of men and women
I see God.”

The musical of ‘Les Misérables’ has these
words in its Finale:
“To love another person
is to touch the face of God.”

A Church document says that
“The human person
is the clearest reflection
of God among us.”

Let us pray:

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

http://angelwinks.ca/images/iq/qcyoungangel310.jpg

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

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


Come, come, follow me; Follow me;
God’s Spirit is in my heart; He who
would valiant be.

http://angelwinks.ca/images/nostalgicpod/nostalgicpod110.jpg

[MajestyJo]

On this day in 1982 Pope John Paul II
started his Visit to Great Britain. Later in
the day he met many sick and disabled
people and gave them the Sacrament of
the Sick. Only a year after being shot and
seriously wounded, he spoke to those
who were ill or disabled:

“I myself have had a share in suffering,
and I have known the physical weakness
that comes with injury and sickness. It is
precisely because I have experienced suffering
that I am able to affirm with evergreater
conviction that nothing at all can
ever separate us from the love of God.

“Dear friends, there is no force or power that
can block God’s love for you. Sickness and
suffering seem to contradict all that is worthy,
all that is desired. And yet no disease,
no injury, no infirmity can ever deprive you
of your dignity as children of God.

“We often find in the Gospels the loving
bond of affection between Jesus and the
sick or disabled. We believe in Christ’s healing
love, and we reaffirm that nothing will
separate us from that love. Surely Jesus
wishes to say: ‘Be clean; be healed; be
strong; be saved.’ “


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

http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Inspirational-Images/1-Corinthians_10-31.jpg

[MajestyJo]

What really counts is the effort we put into
something to make it our own best. My
“success” and “achievement” can only be
measured against my own potential.

Let us pray:

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

http://angelwinks.ca/images/nostalgicpod/nostalgicpod112.jpg

[MajestyJo]

On his Visit to Britain in 1982, Pope John
Paul II spoke in Glasgow. The Pope said
that Jesus offers a new way of living:

“to be gentle, generous, simple,
and above all, sincere;
to avoid being arrogant,
fault-finding, or self-seeking.
The disciples of the new Kingdom
must seek happiness
even amidst poverty, deprivation,
tears and oppression.
To aim for the Kingdom
requires a radical change
in outlook, in mentality, in behaviour,
in relationships with others.

Jesus offers a new way of life…
He has a specific task in life
for each and every one of us.
Each of us is hand-picked,
called by name by Jesus.”

This is an excerpt from the page of this date in
‘Praying Each Day of the Year’,
a 3-volume book
by Nicholas Hutchinson, FSC.

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

http://www.animated-gifs.eu/phone-240x320-biblical-characters/0025.gif

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

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

Real education is to make people more human.

http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Inspirational-Images/Psalms_86-11.jpg