Prayer for Autumn Days

God of the seasons,
there is a time for everything;
there is a time for dying and a time for rising.
We need courage to enter into
the transformation process.

God of autumn,
the trees are saying goodbye to their green,
letting go of what has been.
We, too, have our moments of surrender,
with all their insecurity and risk.
Help us to let go when we need to do so.

God of fallen leaves
lying in colored patterns on the ground,
our lives have their own patterns.
As we see the patterns of our own growth,
may we learn from them.

God of misty days and harvest moon nights,
there is always the dimension of mystery
and wonder in our lives.
We always need to recognize your power-filled presence.
May we gain strength from this.

God of harvest wagons and fields of ripened grain,
many gifts of growth lie within the season of our surrender.
We must wait for harvest in faith and hope.
Grant us patience when we do not see the blessings.

God of geese going south
for another season, your wisdom enables us
to know what needs to be left behind
and what needs to be carried into the future.
We yearn for insight and vision.

God of flowers
touched with frost and windows wearing white designs,
may your love keep our hearts
from growing cold in the empty seasons.

God of life,
you believe in us, you enrich us,
you entrust us with the freedom to choose life.
For all this, we are grateful.

Amen.

Autumn is a time for Prayer.

by: Sr. Joyce Rupp OSM

A Day of Remembrance

Almighty God:

September 11 is a day of remembrance.  A day when we reflect on the tragedy experienced by our nation ten years ago. On that day, we lost many of our fellow citizens, our first responder heroes, and our illusions of domestic safety.  It was a day of great sorrow and confusion, as we questioned the realities of our world.

From this tragedy has come, among other things, stories of courage, perseverance and triumph over adversity.  Unfortunately, stories have also arisen of prejudice, bias, and hate.  The events of that day rekindled in many the unspoken, but long held belief, that enemies of our country are also enemies of You, and therefore need not be treated with the same love, compassion and respect as those we consider “our own.”

Lord God, we ask for the courage to live our lives in ways that honor You.  We live in a global world.  I pray that we would each commit ourselves to being deliberate in building neighborhoods, states, and countries that foster understanding, respect, and reconciliation.  Peace does not happen because nations declare it.  Peace happens because individuals choose it. 

May we choose to live as instruments of Your peace.  Amen.

Out of the Same Mouth

In this world there is great chaos.

Lord, how your heart must weep

     As you witness
     Time and time and time again
     The ability of Your created ones
     To hurt each other.

 We are all created in Your image.

     In Your likeness
     Designed for the worship and honor
     Of You.

 Yet we neither worship nor honor You.

 We choose to worship another.

     Ourselves.
     Our desires.  Our opinions.
     Our world views.  Our prejudices.

And from our self-worship springs

     Selfishness.
     Disdain.
     Cruelty.
     War.

 We limit Your influence

     To the parts of life we choose.

     Worshipping You when convenient

     Judging others as we please.

We live as lord of our life

     And refuse You this rightful place

Forgive us, Father,

      For we have
      We have

      I have         

      sinned.

With the tongue, we praise our Lord and Father. And with it, we curse human beings who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing.  My brothers and sisters, this should not be!  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives or a grape vine bear figs?  Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.  James 3:9-12