I wrote this prayer for our Holy Cross religious at Holy Cross House based on today’s scriptures.
Holy Cross House: Prayers For Under Our Roof
October 1, 2023: The Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“…Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend…” Philippians 2
God of our longing,
You invite us into humility and love.
You encourage us to bend our knees at the name of Christ Jesus.
You desire us to live with generosity and patience of heart.
Loving Father,
We are your servants who have traveled the world.
We have crossed the complexities of pastoral life,
The intricacies of the classroom,
And the unforeseen terrains of missionary lands.
We have found you in unexpected journeys and in surprising relationships.
Now, we live and pray under a common roof.
The treasures of our experiences are often tucked away in our tired hearts.
Our arthritic knees no longer bend easily to your presence.
Our memories humbly turn to your life within us.
We rely on you as we rely on one another.
We lean on canes and walkers but you still lead us home.
Gracious God,
Reveal your tenderness in our nighttime anguish.
Show your healing remedy when pain overwhelms us in daylight.
Unveil your soothing grace when loneliness stifles our voices.
Turn toward us as we rest our souls in you.
Unveil your mercy as we bend our hearts to your name in love.
For our world and religious leaders. May those who lead us show up to the mercy of God. May they live out their lives of dignity in service of all people.
We pray to the Lord.
For us who bend our knees in prayer. May we learn a deep humility in our hearts when we surrender to God. May we long to know Christ Jesus in our every action and concern.
We pray to the Lord.
For a richer knowledge of how to care for one another. May we support our children with respect and hope. May each child be protected from abuse and malnutrition. May hope be manifest in the tears of our children.
We pray to the Lord.
For a deep and abiding commitment to follow Christ. May we show up to the grace of God in our lives. May we never despair in the richness of Christ’s mercy and forgiveness. May we live in such hope all the days of our lives.
We pray to the Lord.
For a remedy for depression and discouragement. May we seek to live in the beauty of nature and not in the confines of technology. May we look up to the sky and not down to the worries that bend our shoulders and harden our hearts.
We pray to the Lord.
For our relatives who have been taken to emergency rooms and who face surgeries. May Christ be in every sound of a siren of an emergency vehicle on our streets. May love motivate every doctor and healthcare worker.
We pray to the Lord.
For a new awareness of our gifts and talents. May we learn to show up to the beauty of our own lives in Christ Jesus. May we not neglect the bounty of grace in every human heart.
We pray to the Lord.
For a new path of freedom for all who live in regret. May our past choices be healed in Christ Jesus. May forgiveness be our food of life. May we show up to God’s mercy with joy and learn to let go of the past.
We pray to the Lord.
For our loved ones who have died. May they be found in the mercy of God in their last breath. May hope free them for eternal glory.
For Francis, our Pope, and ____, our Bishop. May all who lead us in faith listen attentively to the voice of the Father. May they serve generously upon the earth.
We pray to the Lord.
For people who live with stinginess and regret. May we all find the beauty of God’s bounty and lavish mercy.
We pray to the Lord.
For people who feel discouraged by their employment. May their skill sets find a home in various opportunities to serve others.
We pray to the Lord.
For people who honor only the past. May we all seek God’s fidelity in the lives we live today and not in the lives we wish we would have lived from the past.
We pray to the Lord.
For children who are ill and who suffer disability. May we work to find solutions to childhood diseases and work to ease the long-term burdens of parents.
We pray to the Lord.
For a new awareness of prayer in our households. May we surrender to the mystery of God. May we be free of addiction to technology and isolation.
We pray to the Lord.
For the healing of the earth. May our work never cease to provide healthy food and clean water to every person and nation.
We pray to the Lord.
For people who are ill. May we listen closely to the voices of those who cry out in pain. May we seek God’s mercy and healing.
We pray to the Lord.
For people who have recently died. May our loved ones be raised into the joys of heaven. May we who grieve upon the earth know God’s tender care.
Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, you stood near the cross of your Son, Jesus. You stood next to him in each moment of his suffering. Mary, you could not change his suffering. You could not fix him or control the outcome of his pain. Mary, your presence taught you how to be patient for healing and to wait for his promise of eternal life. Mary, your posture toward suffering ultimately brought joy to the world. In the Cross of Christ, we find our eternal home.
Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, stand among us, the suffering Body of Christ on earth. Hold the dying, the weary, the lost, the outcast, the prisoner, the bereft, the lovelorn, the mentally ill, the undiagnosed, and the immigrant. Stand among us who weep. Stand among us torn apart by dissension and rebellion. Stand among us who hold on to control, pride, and ego-centric ways. Stand among us who circle the wagons of our institutions and claim only the past as our home. Stand among us when our voices grow scratchy from shouting outrage against injustice. Stand among us when wars rage and indifference is our food. Stand among us when our memories dim from the chaos we experience from natural disasters, unspeakable moments of abuse and the threats of global violence. Stand among us when addictions threaten our futures. Stand among us in our anguish. Stand among us when grief overwhelms us and we become weak with guilt and shame. Stand among us when we bury a loved one. Stand among us when we take our final breath.
Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us
Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, is the Patroness of the Congregation of Holy Cross. She speaks of our posture to stand among people who suffer.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross: Ronald Raab, CSC 2023
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross 2023
Today, we celebrate the paradox of Jesus dying on the wood of the cross and the victory of his resurrection. We bend our knees to his love for humanity. We wait to be converted by his love within the suffering we face this day.
I invite you to kneel before him. I invite you to kneel before the sufferings of people in your silent prayer. We kneel without blame. We kneel without political colors. We kneel because this paradox is the source of our identity in life and in the church. We kneel in surrender to Christ alone. This cross is the way to new life. We offer him everything that creates hopelessness, suffering, and despair within us.
Jesus, we bend our knees on behalf of those facing the consequences of natural disasters. We bend our knees to the survivors of fire in Maui and earthquakes in Morocco and floods in Libya. We pray for the children who have lost homes, the parents who may never be able to build again. We pray for people overwhelmed with fear. We pray for the loss of trees, of water, and natural resources. We pray for the birds who built nests upon the earth, for wild animals who survived in the forests. We pray for people who are now homeless and who face years of financial and family struggle. We pray for the dead and the survivors.
Jesus, we bend our knees on behalf of people who have lost loved ones from mental illness and gunfire. We are humbled by our loved ones who have taken their own lives in this past year. We bend our knees to pray for all who are jailed only because of mental anguish and outbursts.
Jesus, we bend our knees on behalf of our nation that remains so divided. We bend our knees for those who live in rage and anger about their lives. We bend our knees on behalf of people who have made their identity from one political color or the other. We bend our knees to you alone.
Jesus, we bend our knees to you, the crucified, on behalf of our divided Church. We pray for those who claim the past as the only answer. We pray for those who have given up on the Church completely as a way forward. On our knees today, speak to us of how love must be our guide, how your kindness is our road home.
Jesus, we bend our knees on behalf of those who have suffered from our world’s pandemic in these past few years. We offer up to you the suffering of those who have lost a loved one. We lift high to you those who have lost their businesses and support systems. We lift high our children who face anxiety. Depression and loss have made a home within us all. We bend our knees to you, the source of healing. We bend our knees in absolute surrender to your holy name.
Jesus, we bend our knees to you, the source of hope, amid the children who have been abused within our church. We beg you to heal us, to mend the fear of our people. We beg you to heal the child within us all.
Jesus, we bend our knees to you. Lift us from the darkness we face. Lift us into seeing once again the beauty and joy of your life within us. May we surrender to your ancient and holy grace.
Mother of Sorrows: Mary of Maui, Painting by:Ronald Raab, CSC 2023
Friday September 15, 2023
Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, Memorial
Let us pray for Church leaders and decision makers. May God reveal hope through the lives of those who serve in the Church. May we all become instruments of justice and concern for people who most need us.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray bowing our heads in memory of people who suffer the most. May people in long-term healthcare facilities find comfort in their pain. May we strive to bring hope for people who cannot communicate their suffering.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray in heartfelt silence for our children who have been abused. May we reach out to survivors so to bring ongoing healing and mercy. May our Mother of Sorrows lead us to humility and truth.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray on our knees for the people of Maui and Morocco. May we seek God’s tenderness upon the people who have lost loved ones in the catastrophe of fire and earthquake. May Our Lady of Sorrows stand among the ashes to bring consolation and healing.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray without ceasing for the end of war and violence in our world. May we seek the presence of Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, to help us weep for those who have lost loved ones in Ukraine. May Ukraine’s children hush the fear and hopelessness from their liveswith the kindness of Mary, Mother of Sorrows.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray this day to live the example of Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows by standing next to those who suffer. May we hold the broken hearts of our people and learn to listen to those without resources for survival.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray for motherless children. May Our Mother of Sorrows reveal tenderness to those who cry out in the nighttime. May our work in daylight help ease the weeping of our young.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray to stand among people who face uneasy and uncertain questions in life. May Our Lady of Sorrows wrap the concerns of all people in a mantel of protection and love. May we work for clean water, adequate housing, and available health care for the least among us.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray for the Congregation of Holy Cross as they celebrate their Patroness, Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows. May our Priests, Sisters, and Brothers strive to lift up people in poverty and help carry the burdens of the lost as they learn a greater fidelity to model Mary’s care and love.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray for our elderly who cannot remember their own name or recognize those they love. May we seek Our Lady of Sorrows to console those readying to recognize their eternal home.
We pray to the Lord.
Let us pray in our lasting grief for our loved ones who have died. May we journey into the depths of loss with the consolation and guidance of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Broken But Not Divided 