Prayers and Reflections

God and gracious God, just as Saint Julie followed your light and your call for her Sisters to carry your light where ever they went; you invite us to follow your light on our journey. Help us to continue to open our minds and hearts to your Light that we may truly have hearts as “wide as the universe.” We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

(From February 2, 2007 Notre Dame Virtual School prayer service)

“Our Lord said, “Go teach all nations;” so our zeal ought to be wider than the universe.” (Saint Julie’s Word for December 16)

In silence we lift up the prayers of our hearts for our world: for peace, for the healing of the earth, for an end to violence, for all the needs of our world (pause) we pray: Good God, hear us.

“In Jesus Christ we are all one nation though we may come from different countries and different grades of society.” (Saint Julie’s Word for January 22)

In silence we lift up the prayers of our hearts for the peoples of our world: for those in need of healing, for those suffering from hunger, oppression, injustice, for those who have lost loved ones (pause) we pray: Good God, hear us.

“Many times the Bishop of Ghent said to me, ‘Mere Julie, it is your vocation to go anywhere in the world; you are not made to stay only in one diocese.’” (Saint Julie’s Word for October 27)

In silence we lift up prayers of gratitude for all the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur who have—and who continue to live Saint Julie’s charism and vision; and for Notre Dame co-workers and Associates around the world who also share the charism and mission of Notre Dame (pause) we pray: Good God, hear us.

“There must be nothing little among us; we must have the hearts of Apostles.” (Saint Julie’s Word for June 17)

In silence we lift up prayers of gratitude for the teachers and staff of our school as they continue to make God’s goodness known to us (pause) we pray: Good God, hear us.

“Patience, the good God has His plans; let us follow them with all our hearts.” (Saint Julie’s Word for March 20)

In silence we lift up prayers for each other that all of us may continue to grow in grace and wisdom as we seek to share our giftedness and uniqueness with each other (pause) we pray: Good God hear us.

(From February 2, 2007 NDVS prayer service)

Dear God, courage is a word usually reserved for heroic deeds. Some courageous people even sacrifice their very lives. My sacrifices are such little ones in comparison. But it seems, God, that you keep asking them of me moment by moment, one at a time. It never seems to stop! I know that you know so well the exact measure of my strength and will never ask for more than I can give. Grant me through the intercession of St. Julie Billiart, the faith and courage which helped her always to walk in the footsteps of your son, Jesus. Amen.

All: Taste and see the goodness of God.
1. I will bless our God always; raise will continually be on my lips! My soul will boast about God—let the oppressed hear it and be glad!
All: Taste and see the goodness of God.
2. Glorify God with me, and let us exalt God’s Name together! I sought God, who answered me and freed me from all my fears.
All: Taste and see the goodness of God.
3. Those who look to God are radiant, and their faces are never covered with same. The poor called out; our God heard and saved them from all their troubles.
All: Taste and see the goodness of God.
4. The angel of our God encamps around those who revere God, and rescues them. Taste and see how God our God is! Happiness comes to those who take refuge in our God.
All: Taste and see the goodness of God.

Dear Saint Julie,
God blessed you with humility and wisdom in the midst of struggle and misunderstanding.
Through you many came to know God’s love and concern.
Through your intercession, may all threatened by revolutions and political unrest know the peace the world cannot give.
Through your intercession, may all those who are injured and physically disabled receive courage.
Through your intercession, may all who suffer misunderstanding as they follow the guidance of the Spirit know comfort.
Help us all to use our gifts of nature and grace for God’s glory.
We ask this in the name of Jesus and his mother, Mary. Amen.

– by Sr. Jane Hughes SNDdeN, In Spite of Fog

Saint Julie, lover of the Heart of Jesus, teach us to grow in that love of God which made your heart as wide as the world and gave you the courage and vision to spread the Gospel of Jesus to the ends of the Earth. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Saint Julie, just as the sunflower keeps its face turned toward the sun, you always kept your heart and mind turned toward God. You showed your deep love for God in prayer and action. Even in great sufferings and trials you used to repeat, “How good God is!” And you meant it. Ask God to give me strong faith, Saint Julie. Help me to see his goodness in my life. I want to be like you. I want to spread the news of God’s goodness and love for us wherever and however I can. I look forward to meeting you in heaven, where we’ll enjoy this love and God’s presence forever! Pray for me, Saint Julie. Amen.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Saint Julie, pray for us.
Saint Julie, faithful disciple of the Heart of Jesus, pray for us.
Saint Julie, miraculously cured by the Heart of Jesus, pray for us.
Saint Julie, whose habitual dwelling was the Heart of Jesus, pray for us.
Saint Julie, devoted to the glory of the Heart of Jesus, pray for us.
Saint Julie, lover of the Heart of Jesus, pray for us.
Prayer Saint Julie, whose Institute had its birth in the Heart of Jesus, pray for us.
V. Pray for us, O Saint Julie,
R. That the Divine Heart of Jesus may grant our requests. Amen.

It is with great joy that we gather together today to celebrate the birthday of Saint Julie Billiart. We give thanks for her life, and pray that we may always trust in the goodness of God.
Let us pray —
Loving God, we thank you for Julie, a woman of great courage and compassion. May the good you have accomplished in her life continue through all those who have followed in her footsteps. We make our prayer in Jesus’ name.
Leader: O God, your daughter Julie was a woman of great courage who challenged the church she loved;
All: —may the church make known your compassion and justice for all.
Leader: Julie’s heart was filled with a deep love for the poor and needy;
All: —open our eyes and hearts to all those we serve.
Leader: For many years, Julie was paralyzed;
All: —give strength to all those who are suffering and physically disabled.
Leader: You blessed Julie with a spirit of simplicity and gave her a love for prayer;
All: —free our lives from all the clutter, so that we can have space and time for you.
Leader: Let us join in praying together the prayer Jesus taught us to say:
All: Our Father…
All: O God, our Life and our Love, look upon us with kindness as we celebrate the life of Your servant, Saint Julie. Give us generous loving hearts, and renew within us the desire to proclaim your Goodness to all the world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

— by Sr. Carol DeFiore SNDdeN

Saint Julie,
through your great devotion
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
you were miraculously cured
and favored by many graces.
By your powerful intercession
obtain for us, above all,
great trust in God
in all the difficulties of life,
the strength to accomplish
the Will of God in all things and
the special grace we now
ardently ask of you . . .
Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary,
Glory Be.
Saint Julie, pray for us.

Just as​ the sunflower turns toward the sun, 
Transform our hearts to be dedicated to You.
Empower us to become a community
of faith, service and leadership,
confident that we can inspire unity.
Encourage us to be life-long learners,
mirroring the example of St. Julie.
Joined with the tradition of Notre Dame,
may we embody the goodness of God
each and every day. 

St. Julie… Pray for us.
We pray this in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

by Amy Jobin

St. Julie Billiart asked that her Sisters pray an Examen every day. Here is an adaptation of an Ignatian Examen with quotes from St. Julie Billiart’s letters.

LIGHT

St. Julie: Let us help each other with all our hearts and all our prayers. (Julie, L 62)

Let us enter into a place of peaceful silence, asking God for light and wisdom to review this day. Beginning with when you awoke this morning and ending with where you are in this moment, review the events of the day. Consider the face of each person you interacted with, of the many conversations with family, friends, teachers. Who did you see? How did you spend your day?

[Pause, 2 minutes]

THANKS

St. Julie: Live in continual gratitude to the good God; never let the peace of your heart be disturbed by anything in the world. (Julie, L 301)

For what are you grateful? Consider all of the big things and the little things for which you are thankful in your life. If you’d like, you may express some words of gratitude to God. Or you may simply rest in the sensation of feeling grateful.

[Pause, 2 mins]

FEELINGS

St. Julie: Learn to see the good God in all things. As long as God wants you there you will stay. When God wants you somewhere else, very well, you will go. (Julie, L86)

Inevitably, feelings will arise as you go back over your day. What were some of those feelings? Did you experience frustration, excitement, happiness, joy? Whatever feelings came up for you today, think back on those now.

[Pause, 2 mins]

FOCUS

St. Julie: How good the good God is to make it easy for us to draw good from everything, even our [mistakes]. Let us not lose such a great advantage as this, because it is by using all these little means that we may [learn and grow]. (Counsels of Perfection, 91)

One feeling from today might stand out for you more than the others. Spend a few moments on one experience from today that calls your attention. What did you learn? How do you see yourself in this moment? Perhaps it is a moment that you wish you could do differently next time? Or perhaps it was a moment when you were acting with integrity and clarity and want to remember that. Spend some time now focusing on one experience in particular that stands out for you as important from this day. 

[Pause, 2 mins]

FUTURE

St. Julie: All will go well as I put all my hope, all my trust in my God. It is God’s work, not mine.” (Julie, L283).

What would you like to bring with you to tomorrow? What did you learn that you want to remember? What are you hopeful for? What are you looking forward to? Name a few of these for yourself, and express any other intentions on your heart as we close. 

[Pause, 2 mins]

God of Goodness, 

We offer to you wholly our experience of this day – the pain, the joy, the exhaustion, the hope. Give us eyes to see your goodness in our work. Where we are in need of healing, offer us strength. Where we are in need of change, offer us courage. Amen. 

Leader:
We come together today, a community of many faiths and stories, to express our gratitude, pride, and hope for our students as they cross this important threshold and begin a new chapter in their lives. We are proud of the young people they are becoming, and hopeful for their bright futures. Please stand as we invite our graduates and their families to join in a prayer for blessing.

God of Goodness,
Look kindly on your daughters.
We send them forth as messengers of love, justice, and peace.
May their impact grow far and wide as they glorify you with their lives.
Guide their steps with the strength of your Spirit.
Give them the light of your grace,
And, as their companion on the journey,
Empower them with your love, always.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

by Kathleen Quiazon, Ed.D.

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
Amen.

Mary Oliver

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

This morning at prayer
a voice spoke to me from behind the altar
beyond the chapel windows filled with trees
“Your task is to count the number of leaves
on all the trees covering the earth”
I smiled
aware of the impossibility of “my task”
Obviously, there are not sufficient numbers
nor do I have anywhere near sufficient time
for such an impossible task
Later I realized
that you were speaking to my heart
not my head
in answer to my daily prayer
to fill me with Your love for others.

– Patricia Ryan, RSM (2018)

In the deep fall
don’t you imagine the leaves think how
comfortable it will be to touch
the earth instead of the
nothingness of air and the endless
freshets of wind? And don’t you think
the trees themselves, especially those with mossy,
warm caves, begin to think
of the birds that will come — six, a dozen — to sleep
inside their bodies? And don’t you hear
the goldenrod whispering goodbye,
the everlasting being crowned with the first
tuffets of snow? The pond
vanishes, and the white field over which
the fox runs so quickly brings out
its blue shadows. And the wind pumps its
bellows. And at evening especially,
the piled firewood shifts a little,
longing to be on its way.

– Mary Oliver

This Advent prayer reflects the longings of our hearts and of our world for the light that can dispel the pain of people everywhere.

Emmanuel,

Our world waits in longing for Your light.
In the midst of distress, enkindle our hope.
As we long for lasting peace: be with those
who suffer the destruction of war.

As we long for families to be reunited, be with us.
As we long for enemies to be reconciled, be with us.
As we long for cures and healings, be with us.
As we long for life0fulfilling jobs and economic security, be with us.
As we long for love and community, be with us.

Fulfill the deepest longings of your people and
dispel the darkness in our hearts and in our world.

May your Word of Love and Peace
ignite the hope the world needs
to bring to life your love and justice.

Amen.

Sr. Katherine Feely, SND (adapted)
www.educationforjustice.org

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among all beings,
To tend the earth,
To make music in the heart.

-by Howard Thurman, 1956

A vagrant, a destitute wanderer with dusty feet, finds his way down a new road.
A homeless God, lost in the night, without papers, without identification,
without even a number, a frail expendable exile lies down in desolation under
the sweet stars of the world and entrusts Himself to sleep.

-by Thomas Merton, Hagia Sophia IV Sunset, The Hour of Compline, Collected Poems

St. Julie prayed with the story of the Holy Family and suggested to her sisters, “let us go to Bethlehem with the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, to study there the lesson of humility and poverty which they preach to us.” St. Julie and the sisters of Notre Dame de Namur live out this incarnational story by living with the knowledge that God is with us in the most ordinary of circumstances, continually offering hope and grace in the most challenging times and places.

As a Notre Dame de Namur community, we believe that God is actively present in our lives, in our schools, and in the communities we serve. May we take to heart the humble circumstances of the Holy Family, recognizing that Jesus was born to a family of poor means, who were migrants, and outcast, yet had the courage and hope to say yes to God who is Love.

Loving God, during this holy season, help us prepare to receive Jesus anew. Let us go to Bethlehem with the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, that we may see with new eyes the hope of the season, and remember that you, God who is Love, is with us in our most humble and human encounters. Amen.

God will enter into your night,
As the ray of the sun enters into the dark, hard earth,
Driving right down to the roots of the tree,
And there, unseen, unknown,
Unfelt in the darkness,
Filling the tree with life,
A sap of fire
Will suddenly break out,
High above the darkness,
Into living leaf and flame.
Carol Houselander

When young, it is not uncommon to harbor some fear of the dark. But our fear is not so much of the dark, but of not knowing what is there, what it is I hear in the dark. And, more often than not, there is nothing to fear.

“Too many of us panic in the dark. We don‘t understand that it’s a holy dark and that the idea is to surrender to it and journey through to real light.”
(Sue Monk Kidd in When the Heart Waits)

Darkness is essential for personal growth: it makes us, in our times of uncertainty and lack of clarity, to stretch our hearts, to seek the good. Advent is a season of holy darkness that seems to intrude on our light-filled lives. But these special days call for attention to what we seek deep in our hearts: the love and goodness of God.

We pray:
Teach us O God, to accept this season of holy darkness with the intention to be a light of friendship, generosity, patience, and prayer. May we ourselves be the light of “Emmanuel”—God-is-with-us

Amen

Advent is a coming to consciousness of God who is already present and loving us. We are not waiting for what is not there, what has not arrived; more truly this is a time to attend to the signs of the holy all around us. It is a time to respond to others with generosity and compassion. (adapted from comments by Sr. Ilia Delio)

Loving and good God, help us

to recognize what you are doing within in and around us;
to see those in search of gifts and abilities we have to offer;
to have the courage to be welcoming;
to not be swept up in the materialism of this holy holiday time
to find contentment in what we already possess
to be a blessing of support and peace to others.

Loving God, for this we pray.

Amen.

Good and Gracious God,
In the midst of our Lenten journey
may our hearts be drawn into deeper solidarity,
May our actions of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer
bring about a more just world.
May our fasting free us from the heaviness of the world
May our praying draw us into our inner light to find that
closeness with you we seek.
May our almsgiving be offered through the actions of
our love for others.
May we move through our Lent with
kindness and hopefulness.
As we walk the way of the Cross with courage
we walk knowing that we are closer to your love.
Amen.

Clarissa Aljentera

Jesus invites us to walk with him during Lent,
Meeting and being present with the humble and poor.
Let us walk his way with joy.

Jesus beckons us to a way of risk,
Letting go of our security.
Let us walk his way with joy.

Jesus challenges us to listen to the voices
Of those who have nothing to lose.
Let us walk his way with joy.

Jesus points us to a way of self-giving,
Where power and status are overturned.
Let us walk his way with joy.

Jesus calls us to follow the way of the cross,
Where despair is transformed by the promise of new life.
Let us walk his way with joy.

Help us pull back
From mindless consuming,
From endless spending,
To fast from buying things,
So we may have space and time
To be present to the Spirit.

Help us to open our hands.
To let go of material goods,
To breathe slowly,
And recognize the abundance
Of grace and goodness
We are freely given.

May our fasting from wanting more
Sharpen our awareness
Of the needs of others;
May the hunger to be more
Rather than to have more
Restore us to wholeness.

May our fasting from consuming
Bring us a peace and joy
That is more lasting than material goods,
And that allows us to be free,
With hands and hearts open,
Seeing the value of every human person.

Amen

-Jane Deren, Ph.D.

You Lord, you have loved us.
You have bowed before us,
Washed our feet and fed us hope with
your words.
You have showed us in your body,
With your hands and heart,
How to return the favor of your love.
We are to bend in respect and honor
before all others,
Caring for them and their needs as
completely
And as intimately as you have done with
each of us.
Lord, you stay with us now,
Telling us to look into the face of every
other person
And see your face mirrored back to us.
Let us recognize each one’s dignity,
And bend before each person, tending to
their needs,
Encouraging them, being gentle and
strong with them.
Let us bless you in gratitude
By drawing everyone closer
And deeper into your presence among us.
Lord, make us one with them in you
As you are One in your community of the
Three.

Amen

-Dr. Megan McKenna

Fast from judging others;
Feast on Christ dwelling in them.
Fast from fear of illness;
Feast on the healing power of God.
Fast from words that pollute;
Feast on speech that purifies.
Fast from discontent;
Feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger;
Feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism;
Feast on hope.
Fast from negatives;
Feast on encouragement.
Fast from bitterness;
Feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern;
Feast on compassion.
Fast from suspicion;
Feast on truth.
Fast from gossip;
Feast on purposeful silence.
Fast from problems that overwhelm;
Feast on prayer that sustains.
Fast from anxiety;
Feast on faith.

-Author Unknown

Listen and look to the earth,
to the gift of Creation.
In spite of present cold and the darkness,
The winter will be nearing its end,
And the light will warm us again,
As we move through Lent
Toward the Light who is our salvation.
Even now in the dark earth,
hidden seeds are growing, moving,
Reaching toward the hope of a Spring,
Just as Easter moves us forward,
Calling us to the work of inner renewal
So we may be strengthened for the work of
our day,
The renewal of hearts, the renewal of
community,
The renewal of our common home.
Guide us in these weeks ahead,
Loving Lord of Resurrection;
Draw us forward despite our pain and fear,
May we learn, like the barren trees,
To blossom again, to bear fruit,
To praise you by our lives,
Continuing the great work of justice, of
peace.
Amen

– Jane Deren, Ph.D.

May Lent be for us
A time of learning to see
Where Christ is crucified today,
A time of learning
To recognize the complex roots of injustice,
To recognize the Gethsemanes
In our global community.
May we witness the suffering
Of God’s children
As Mary witnessed
Her beloved son’s suffering.

May Lent be for us
A time of learning to become
An Easter people,
A time of learning
To recognize the deep roots of compassion,
To recognize we too are called
To witness the empty tomb and
To announce
To a world in despair
The Hope of the Resurrection. Amen.

– Jane Deren, Ph.D.

Jesus invites us to walk with him during Lent,
Meeting and being present with the humble and poor.
Let us walk his way with joy.

Jesus beckons us to a way of risk,
Letting go of our security.
Let us walk his way with joy.

Jesus challenges us to listen to the voices
Of those who have nothing to lose.
Let us walk his way with joy.

Jesus points us to a way of self-giving,
Where power and status are overturned.
Let us walk his way with joy.

Jesus calls us to follow the way of the cross,
Where despair is transformed by the promise of new life.
Let us walk his way with joy.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Let us not be closed to the newness that God wants to bring into our lives! Are we often weary, disheartened and sad? Do we feel weighed down? Do we think that we won’t be able to cope? Let us not close our hearts, let us not lose confidence, let us never give up.

This is how the newness of God appears to the women, the disciples and all of us: as victory over sin, evil and death, over everything that makes life seem less human. And this is a message meant for me and for you dear sister, for you dear brother. How often does Love have to tell us: Why do you look for the living among the dead? Our daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness and bitterness … and that is where death is. That is not the place to look for the One who is alive!

If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you won’t be disappointed. To remember what God has done and continues to do for me, for us, to remember the road we have travelled; this is what opens our hearts to hope for the future. May we learn to remember everything that God has done in our lives.

May we be open to the newness that transforms, to the beautiful surprises of God.

Amen.

-Pope Francis, 2013

So let us pick up the stones over which we stumble, friends, and build altars.
Let us listen to the sound of breath in our bodies.
Let us listen to the sounds of our own voices, of our own names, of our own fears.
Let’s claw ourselves out from the graves we’ve dug.
Let’s lick the earth from our fingers.
Let us look up and out and around.
The world is big and wide and wild and wonderful and wicked, and our lives are murky, magnificent, malleable, and full of meaning.
Oremus.
Let us pray.

– Pádraig Ó Tuama

Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest. Grant me a healthy body, and the necessary good humor to maintain it. Grant me a simple soul that knows to treasure all that is good and that doesn’t frighten easily at the sight of evil, but rather finds the means to put things back in their place. Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumbling, sighs and laments, nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called ‘I’. Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humor. Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke and to discover in life a bit of joy, and to be able to share it with others.

Attributed to St. Thomas More, from Pope Francis, Gaudete e Exsultate, Section 126, footnote 101.

Good people,
Most royal greening verdancy,
Rooted in the sun,
You shine so finely,
It surpasses understanding.
God hugs you.
You are encircled by the arms of the mystery of God.

– Hildegard of Bingen

In you, Father all-mighty, we have our preservation and our bliss.
In you, Christ, we have our restoring and our saving.
You are our mother, brother, and Savior.

In you, our Lord the Holy Spirit, is marvelous and plenteous grace.
You are our clothing; for love you wrap us and embrace us.
You are our maker, our lover, our keeper.

Teach us to believe that by your grace
all shall be well,
and all shall be well,
and all manner of things shall be well.

Amen

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying
that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.

Amen.

– Bishop Ken Untener of Saginaw wrote this prayer as a reflection on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Bishop Romero. Even though he never spoke it, the prayer is often attributed to Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, who was assassinated in 1980.

Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.

May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us. Amen.

Our true home is in the present moment.
To live in the present moment is a miracle.
The miracle is not to walk on water.
The miracle is to walk on the green Earth in the present moment, to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now.
Peace is all around us—
in the world and in nature—
and within us—
in our bodies and our spirits.
Once we learn to touch this peace,
we will be healed and transformed.
It is not a matter of faith;
it is a matter of practice.

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability—and that it may take a very long time.
And so I think it is with you.
Your ideas mature gradually—let them grow, let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on, as though you could be today what time (that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will) will make of you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.

– Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

How good it is to center down!
To sit quietly and see one’s self pass by!
The streets of our minds seethe with endless traffic;
Our spirits resound with clashings, with noisy silences,
While something deep within hungers and thirsts for the still moment and the resting lull.
With full intensity we seek, ere the quiet passes, a fresh sense of order in our living;
A direction, a strong sure purpose that will structure our confusion and bring meaning in our chaos.
We look at ourselves in this waiting moment — the kinds of people we are.
The questions persist: what are we doing with our lives? — what are the motives that order our days?
What is the end of our doings? Where are we trying to go?
Where do we put the emphasis and where are our values focused?
For what end do we make sacrifices? Where is my treasure and what do I love most in life?
What do I hate most in life and to what am I true?
Over and over the questions beat in upon the waiting moment.
As we listen, floating up through all the jangling echoes of our turbulence, there is a sound of another kind—a deeper note which only the stillness of the heart makes clear.
It moves directly to the core of our being. Our questions are answered,
With the peace of the Eternal in our step.
How good it is to center down!

– Howard Thurman

God of Wisdom,
I thank you for the knowledge gained
and the learning experiences of the semester.
I come to you and ask you to illuminate my mind and heart.
Let your Holy Spirit be with me as I prepare for exams, guiding my studies and giving me insight so that I can perform to the best of my ability.
Grant me the strength to handle the pressure of these days, the confidence to feel secure in my knowledge, and the ability to keep a proper perspective through it all.
Help me to keep in mind what is truly important, even as I focus my time and energy on these exams.
Finally, may I sense your peace in knowing that I applied myself to the challenges of this day.
Amen

– Author Unknown

Loving God,

We give thanks for this opportunity to come together in partnership in mission for the East West Province. May this meal and conversations enrich our work, and inspire us with courage and confidence to share the charism of St. Julie — the goodness of God — in the world.

Bless all those who provided this meal, from the farmers who grew it to the cooks and servers who prepared it.

May we be mindful of those who suffer from poverty and hunger, that our work together might change the systems and structures that cause their suffering.

In the spirit of Dorothy Stang:

“There are things you do because they feel right and they make no sense and they make no money and it may be the real reason we are here: to love each other (and to eat each others cooking) and to say it was good!” (Sr. Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN)

Let us say, Amen.

-By Amy Jobin

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.
– Pope Francis from the encyclical Laudato Si’ (2015)

Love all Creation
The whole of it and every grain of sand
Love every leaf
Every ray of God’s light
Love the animals
Love the plants
Love everything
If you love everything
You will perceive
The divine mystery in things
And once you have perceived it
You will begin to comprehend it ceaselessly
More and more everyday
And you will at last come to love the whole world
With an abiding universal love.

-Fyodor Dostoyevsky
From Life Prayers (Harper Collins: 1996)

O God,
creator of our land,
our earth, the trees,
the animals and humans,
all is for your honor.

The drums beat it out,
and people sing about it,
and they dance with noisy joy
that you are the Lord.

You also have pulled the other continents
out of the sea.
What a wonderful world you have made
out of wet mud,
and what beautiful men and women!
We thank you for all the beauty of this earth.

The grace of your creation is like a cool day
between rainy seasons.
We drink in your creation with our eyes.
We listen to the birds’ jubilee
with our ears.

How strong and good
and sure your earth smells,
and everything that grows there.

Bless us.
Bless our land and people.
Bless the waters
that flow through our land.

Be with us in the whole world.
Prepare us for the service that we should render.

St. Julie, that we will tend God’s creation with love and care… Pray for us.

To be of the Earth is to know
the restlessness of being a seed
the darkness of being planted
the struggle toward the light
the pain of growth into the light
the joy of bursting and bearing fruit
the love of being food for someone
the scattering of your seeds
the decay of the seasons
the mystery of death
and the miracle of birth. (John Soos)

O God, we thank you for the fact that you have inspired men and women in all nations and in all cultures. We call you different names: some call you Allah; some call you Elohim; some call you Jehovah; some call you Brahma; some call you the Unmoved Mover. But we know that these are all names for one and the same God. Grant that we will follow you and become so committed to your way and your kingdom that we will be able to establish in our lives and in this world a brother and sisterhood, that we will be able to establish here a kingdom of understanding, where men and women will live together as brothers and sisters and respect the dignity and worth of every human being. In the name and spirit of Jesus. Amen.
– Martin Luther King, Jr.

As we serve others we are working on ourselves.
Every act, every word, every gesture of genuine compassion naturally nourishes our own hearts as well.
It is not a question of who is healed first…
When we attend to ourselves with compassion and mercy, more healing is made available for others.
And when we serve others with an open and generous heart, great healing comes to us.
– Wayne Muller

Dear God,
Thank You for creating us all to be Your family. Help us to remember this truth about us and so make us more caring, more compassionate for our sisters and brothers, members of our family, members of Your family, through Jesus Christ, our brother.
– Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Creator God,
open our eyes so we can see you in the eyes of our immigrant brothers and sisters,
eyes downcast for having lived so long in the shadows,
eyes challenging us to join them in the streets or picket lines,
eyes lifted looking for the Christ light in us.
Compassionate God, who has come to dwell among us,
open our ears to hear the cries of your children,
children being separated from their parents,
rounded up in raids,
led to detention centers,
silently giving up dreams.
God of Justice, who crosses all boundaries,
give us courage to resist, to say NO
to unfair labor practices,
to unjust laws and contracts.
Give us the strength to stand with and for your inclusive love,
faith to believe,
another world is necessary and possible.
Amen.
– Sisters of Mercy of the Americas

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.
– St. Francis of Assisi

Peace is more than the absence of war,
More than the maintenance of balance of power between enemies.
It is more than the firm hold of a dictator that, for the moment, involves no bloodshed. But then, what is peace?

Peace is the result of justice.
When society is rightly ordered,
When people live as God intends, then peace reigns.
Peace must be constantly built up.
Human nature must be called again and again to make peace.

But even this is not sufficient. Peace comes, in the end, from love.

When we love our neighbor, even those who irritate us or alienate us, then we give peace its only chance. Unless people willingly come together to share their talents and bright minds, peace cannot be achieved.
– From Gaudiem et Spes, Vatican II (1965)

When our eyes do not see the gravity of racial justice,
Shake us from our slumber and open our eyes, O Lord.

When out of fear we are frozen into inaction,
Give us a spirit of bravery, O Lord.

When we try our best but say the wrong things,
Give us a spirit of humility, O Lord.

When the chaos of this dies down,
Give us a lasting spirit of solidarity, O Lord.

When it becomes easier to point fingers outwards,
Help us to examine our own hearts, O Lord.

God of truth, in your wisdom, Enlighten Us.
God of hope in your kindness, Heal Us.
Creator of All People, in your generosity, Guide Us.

Racism breaks your heart, break our hearts for what breaks yours, O Lord.
Ever present God, you called us to be in relationship with one another and promised to dwell wherever two or three are gathered. In our community, we are many different people; we come from many different places, have many different cultures. Open our hearts that we may be bold in finding the riches of inclusion and the treasures of diversity among us. We pray in faith.

– Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lord Jesus Christ, who reached across the ethnic boundaries between
Samaritan, Roman, and Jew, who offered fresh sight to the blind and
freedom to captives, help us to break down the barriers in our community.
Enable us to see the reality of racism and bigotry, and free us to chal-
lenge and uproot it from ourselves, our society, and our world. Amen.

– John Bucki, S.J.

Give thanks for everything you have,
For everything you receive,
And for everything you are going to receive.
Never cease to give thanks,
For this positive attitude towards life—
The very act of giving thanks—
Draws the best out of you,
Helps to keep your heart and mind open;
Helps to keep your awareness expanding.
The more blessings you count,
The more they increase.

-Eileen Cady

The “Honorable Harvest”: Lessons From an Indigenous Tradition of Giving Thanks

The canon of indigenous principles that govern the exchange of life for life is known as the Honorable Harvest. They are “rules” of sorts that govern our taking, so that the world is as rich for the seventh generation as it is for us. The Honorable Harvest, a practice both ancient and urgent, applies to every exchange between people and the Earth. Its protocol is not written down, but if it were, it would look something like this:

Ask permission of the ones whose lives you seek. Abide by the answer.
Never take the first. Never take the last.
Harvest in a way that minimizes harm.
Take only what you need and leave some for others.
Use everything that you take.
Take only that which is given to you.
Share it, as the Earth has shared with you.
Be grateful.
Reciprocate the gift.
Sustain the ones who sustain you, and the Earth will last forever.

How can we reciprocate the gifts of the Earth? In gratitude, in ceremony, through acts of practical reverence and land stewardship, in fierce defense of the places we love, in art, in science, in song, in gardens, in children, in ballots, in stories of renewal, in creative resistance, in how we spend our money and our precious lives, by refusing to be complicit with the forces of ecological destruction. Whatever our gift, we are called to give it and dance for the renewal of the world.

-Robin Wall Kimmerer

To be grateful for what is,
instead of underscoring what is not.

To find good amid the unwanted aspects of life,
without denying the presence of the unwanted.

To focus on beauty in the little things of life,
as well as being deliberate about the great beauties
of art, literature, music and nature.

To be present to one’s own small space of life,
while stretching to the wide world beyond it.

To find something to laugh about in every day,
even when there seems nothing to laugh about.

To search for and to see the good in others,
rather than remembering their faults and weaknesses.

To be thankful for each loving deed done by another,
no matter how insignificant it might appear.

To taste life to the fullest,
and not take any part of it for granted.

To seek to forgive others for their wrongdoings,
even immense ones, and to put the past behind.

To find ways to reach out and help the disenfranchised,
while also preserving the dignity and self-worth.

To be as loving and caring as possible,
in a culture that consistently challenges these virtues.

To remember to say or send “thank you”
for whatever comes as a gift from another.

To be at peace
with what cannot be changed.

-Joyce Rupp (from The Circle of Life)

As we approach the wonderful celebration of Thanksgiving, we cannot escape the news of Earth’s people suffering, mass migration, homelessness, hunger, fear, hatred, oppression, war and violence.
Let us hold those who suffer and grieve in a moment of silent prayer.

This time of Thanksgiving calls us to remember beyond the turmoil in our world, for we do live in the midst of many great blessings and for this it is right that we should express gratitude:

We have the truth of the Gospel and of the compassion of our God. [Compassion!] There are multitudes who work for peace and for justice, who attend to the suffering of others, and who bring hope to others. [Hope!] We experience daily acts of kindness and friendship shared among us. [Kindness!] There is a deeper understanding of our solidarity with Creation and of our opportunities to conserve and protect our wondrous natural world beauty and resources. [Beauty!] We do live in the midst of great blessing. [Great Blessing!]

We offer our gratitude, God, for the abundant love
that is always present for us
in the depths of our being and in the wonders of creation.
in the depths of our being and in the wonders of creation.

It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

– Mary Oliver

This place where you are right now
God circled on a map for you.
Wherever your eyes and arms and heart can move
Against the earth and the sky,
The Beloved has bowed there –
Our Beloved has bowed there knowing
You were coming…

– Hafi

Gracious God,
Thank you for the gift of today.
Refresh me.
Invite me to discover your presence
In each person that I meet
And every event that I encounter.
Teach me when to speak and when to listen
When to ponder and when to share.
In moments of challenge and decision
Attune my heart to the whisperings of your Wisdom.
As I undertake ordinary and unnoticed tasks,
Gift me with simple joy.
When my day goes well, may I rejoice.
When it grows difficult, surprise me with
New possibilities.
When life is overwhelming, call me to
Sabbath moments
To restore your Peace and Harmony.
May my living today reveal your Goodness.

Good and gracious God,
We gather together at the beginning of a new school year, grateful for summer rest, and energized for the work ahead.
Awaken our minds with creativity and imagination to serve our community with purpose and compassion.
Free us from anything that might limit our freedom or hope as a board and a learning community.
Inspire within us the courage and faith of St. Julie and Francoise, that we might know your goodness and walk in your grace.
Amen.

-by Julie Dowd

As we make the transition to a new season,
As we prepare to begin again,
Let us remember that we have been called,
In the urgency of these days,
To recognize the gift of the time ahead,
To know we enter onto sacred ground,
To be open to hope and healing.
To grow in compassion and community.
To seek justice and solidarity,
To practice peacemaking,
To honor and respect Creation.
O Lord, as we begin again,
May we be guided by Your grace,
May we seek our way in Your light,
May we be restored through Your love.
Amen.

-by Jane Deren from Education for Justice, ISN

Awaken to the mystery of being here
and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.
Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.
Receive encouragement when new frontiers beckon.
Respond to the call of your gift and the courage to follow its path.
Let the flame of anger free you of all falsity.
May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame.
May anxiety never linger about you.
May your outer dignity mirror an inner dignity of soul.
Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention.
Be consoled in the secret symmetry of your soul.
May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.

John O’Donohue

As we make the transition to a new season,
As we prepare to begin again,
Let us remember that we have been called,
In the urgency of these days,
To recognize the gift of the time ahead,
To know we enter onto sacred ground,
To be open to hope and healing.
To grow in compassion and community.
To seek justice and solidarity,
To practice peacemaking,
To honor and respect Creation.
O Lord, as we begin again,
May we be guided by Your grace,
May we seek our way in Your light,
May we be restored through Your love.
Amen.

Jane Deren, Ph.D.
Copyright © 2023, Education for Justice, a project of the Ignatian Solidarity Network.

God of all time, help us enter the New Year quietly,
thoughtful of who we are to ourselves and to others,
mindful that our steps make an impact
and our words carry power.
May we walk gently.
May we speak only after we have listened well.
Creator of all life,
help us enter the New Year reverently,
aware that you have endowed
every creature and plant, every person and habitat
with beauty and purpose.
May we regard the world with tenderness.
May we honor rather than destroy.
Lover of all souls,
help us enter the New Year joyfully,
willing to laugh and dance and dream,
remembering our many gifts with thanks
and looking forward to blessings yet to come.
May we welcome your lavish love.
In this new year, may the grace and peace of Christ bless us now and in the days ahead.

– Vanita Hampton Wright

Sacred Mystery,
waiting on the threshold of this new year,
you open the gates and beckon to us:

“Come! Come! Be not wary
of what awaits you
as you enter the unknown terrain,
be not doubtful of your ability
to grow from its joys and sorrows.

For I am with you.
I will be your Guide.
I will be your Protector.
You will never be alone.”

Guardian of this new year,
I set aside my fears, worries, concerns,
I open my life to mystery, to beauty,
To hospitality, to questions,
To the endless opportunity
Of discovering you in my relationships,
And to all the silent wisps of wonder
That will draw me to your heart.

I welcome your unfailing Presence
And walk with hope into this new year.

– Joyce Rupp