The Hidden Presence
In memory of the much-loved and much-missed Mary Lawler
How do I find You, God?
God is Love.
If you have ever loved,
If you have ever been loved,
You have experienced God
from Within and Without
God is Truth.
If you have ever told the truth,
If you have ever discovered Truth,
You have experienced God
from Within and Without
God is Beauty.
If you have ever helped to create something beautiful,
If you have ever witnessed beauty in any of its myriad forms,
You have experienced God
from Within and Without
God is Good.
If you have ever done or thought something good,
If you have ever recognised goodness in or through another,
You have experienced God
from Within and Without
All of those experiences, those gifts,
of Love, Truth, Beauty and Goodness
were directly from God through you or to you.
Glad to Meet You, God.
Let us be friends.
Prayer for Solutions
Creator God, Lord of times and seasons,
May we look for you not just as the fixer,
but as the friend in whose company we are happy to spend time.
May we enjoy the gifts you give us every day and not worry about what’s missing.
Teach us to live with grateful hearts
the good moments that make us smile,
the shared moments that make us glad we are alive,
the quiet moments that offer us peace.
Nourish our faltering faith so that we may have the courage and humility
to entrust everything to you who know us better than we know ourselves
and who still love us without ceasing.
Amen.
Seeking
Grant me, O Lord, an ever-watchful heart that no alien thought can lure away from You; a noble heart that no base love can sully; an upright heart that no perverse intention can lead astray; an invincible heart that no distress can overcome; an unfettered heart that no impetuous desires can enchain.
O Lord my God, also bestow upon me understanding to know You, zeal to seek You, wisdom to find You, a life that is pleasing to You, unshakable perseverance, and a hope that will one day take hold of You.
May I do penance here below and patiently bear your chastisements. May I also receive the benefits of your grace, in order to taste your heavenly joys and contemplate your glory.
Amen.
THOMAS AQUINAS
Lead, Kindly Light
Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,
Lead thou me on:
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead thou me on.
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.
ST JOHN HENRY NEWMAN
A Prayer for New Parents
From the moment you hold your baby in your arms,
you will never be the same.
You might long for the person you were before,
When you have freedom and time,
And nothing in particular to worry about.
You will know tiredness like you never knew it before,
And days will run into days that are exactly the same,
Full of feedings and burping,
Nappy changes and crying,
Whining and fighting,
Naps or a lack of naps,
It might seem like a never-ending cycle.
But don’t forget . . .
There is a last time for everything.
There will come a time when you will feed
your baby for the very last time.
They will fall asleep on you after a long day
And it will be the last time you ever hold your sleeping child.
One day you will carry them on your hip then set them down,
And never pick them up that way again.
You will scrub their hair in the bath one night
And from that day on they will want to bathe alone.
They will hold your hand to cross the road,
Then never reach for it again.
They will creep into your room at midnight for cuddles,
And it will be the last night you ever wake to this.
One afternoon you will sing ‘The Wheels on the Bus’
and do all the actions,
Then never sing them that song again.
They will kiss you goodbye at the school gate,
The next day they will ask to walk to the gate alone.
You will read a final bedtime story and wipe your last dirty face.
They will run to you with arms raised for the very last time.
The thing is, you won’t even know it’s the last time
Until there are no more times.
And even then, it will take you a while to realise.
So while you are living in these times,
remember there are only so many of them
and when they are gone, you will yearn for just one more day of them.
For one last time.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
Embrace Me
Bestow upon me, O Lord my God, an understanding that knows thee, wisdom in finding thee, a way of life that is pleasing to thee, perseverance that faithfully waits for thee, and confidence that I shall embrace thee at the last.
THOMAS AQUINAS
I Said a Prayer for You Today
I said a prayer for you today
And know God must have heard.
I felt the answer in my heart
Although He spoke no word.
I didn’t ask for wealth or fame
(I knew you wouldn’t mind).
I asked Him to send treasures
Of a far more lasting kind.
I asked that He’d be near you
At the start of each new day;
To grant you health and blessings
And friends to share your way.
I asked for happiness for you
In all things great and small.
But it was for His loving care
I prayed the most of all.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
A Prayer for Healing
Lord, You invite all who are burdened to come to You.
Allow Your healing Hand to heal me.
Touch my soul with Your compassion for others.
Touch my heart with Your courage and infinite Love for all.
Touch my mind with Your Wisdom, that my mouth may always proclaim Your praise.
Teach me to reach out to You in all my needs, and help me to lead others to You by my example.
Most loving Heart of Jesus, bring me health in body and spirit that I may serve You with all my strength.
Touch gently this life which you have created, now and forever.
Amen.
Lord Have Mercy
Go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a n-anamacha dílse.
May God have mercy on all we have loved and lost.
Short Prayer
O compassionate Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you
Carry, please carry me O Lord today.