Prayer 859- Trinity Sunday

Two baptisms of two blessed angels on Trinity Sunday!

Holy, holy, holy God, bring us into deeper knowledge of You as we bow before You: Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. May we ever celebrate and wonder at your Holy Mystery, and humbly worship You in all your glory. For You are beyond our knowing, yet bend close to us in love and mercy. You have revealed yourself to us in creation, in the incarnation, and in the indwelling Spirit that inspires and animates us: hear our prayer of praise. May we seek You and a deeper knowledge of You in all our steps: may we be your disciples in word and deed. Reign in our hearts, Most Holy One, and accept the prayers we place at your feet.

Amen.

Prayer 858

Holy, Holy, Holy God, we rise in happiness to worship you this day. 

Let us be glad in the wonders of all your blessings, and give thanks for the might of your arm. Defend us, Lord God, from all perils and dangers: keep us as the apple of your eye. Draw us close to your side: hide us under the shadow of your wing; for You are our God, and we worship You in beauty. We turn to You in our work and in our rest, Lord Christ, for You are our guide and our stay, the keeper of our souls. 

May we place the spark of your love to the kindling of our hearts, and be set aflame to serve and worship only You, O God. Spread your blessing over us like the canopy of forest, O Holy One: let us walk with You on cool, wide paths of goodness and mercy. Place your hand of blessing upon those we now name, Almighty God.

Amen.

Prayer 857- for an Ember Day

Beloved One, abide with us this day, and hold us in the hollow of your hand. Be our companion, Brother Christ, and draw us into the embrace of your wide-flung arms. 

Turn our hearts and minds away from wickedness and folly, O Lord, that we may love you fully and embody your Spirit. 

Clad us in the armor of your love for your Name's sake, and make us a holy people devoted to your service. 

Strengthen and refresh our souls, Holy One, and give us courage to proclaim your grace. Bear us up on the wings of angels, and lift us up on the current of your mercy. 

We bow in gratitude for all your blessings, O God, and ask that you clasp to your heart those we now name.

Amen.

Prayer 856

A wildflower that grows along the trail at Osage Monastery Forest of Peace in Sand Springs, OK.

Holy God, we thank You for bringing us through the dark of night to the dawn of this new day. Awaken us from our slumber with a song of joy and wonder imprinted upon our souls, that we may worship and bless You through our day. 

You made us from the earth that we may remember our kinship with it: may we serve and care for this Earth, our home. May we remember and honor the wisdom that is woven into the very fabric of creation, that calls us to be humble and reverent before it. Merciful One, may we use your gifts to feed the hungry and care for those in trouble, remembering your call to love and compassion. May we seek to embody your healing touch upon those we meet, and serve the common good in each step. 

Broadcast your mercy like seeds, Almighty God, upon those whom we raise before You as we pray.

Amen.

Prayer 855

Luke 15:11-32
Loving God, You draw us into your arms as a parent embraces a long-lost child, and we are humbled by your forgiveness and grace. Heavenly Father, we have wandered far afield from your love, determined to go our own way: forgive us, we pray. Fixed upon our foolish desires, we have turned our backs upon our place in your household: forgive us, we pray. Our wandering ways have impoverished us in heart and soul, hungering for your love; yet in our depths, we hear You calling our names. 

May we turn our feet toward home, and to the place that You have saved for us. May we set our hearts upon the blessings You have given us, and work as your servants to tend to your kingdom. Envelop us within your forgiving embrace, O Holy God, and grant your blessing to those who approach You in humility.

Amen.

Prayer 854

Almighty God, we praise and bless your Holy Name today. 

You have searched us out and known us, each by each: let us be still, and feel the kiss of God upon our brows. Our Shepherd carries us upon his shoulders: Our Savior has freed us with His steadfast heart. Our wandering hearts find shelter and solace within You, Most Holy God: You revive our spirits with your tender mercy. 

O Loving God, we call upon You from the morning light to the setting sun: You hear our whispered prayers from our beds. Send your Spirit to shade us through your grace and encourage us in your paths, O Holy One. Extend the hand of thy blessing over those we now name.

Amen.

Prayer 853

Holy God, we give thanks to You for your gracious mercy upon us, and for the beauty of loving hearts in the world. 

We thank You for steadfast and faithful friends, whose love and support strengthens us each day. We thank You for the glory of your creation, which inspires us to love and care for this Earth. We thank You for your angels who bend over us at sleep or at work or at play. 

Kindle our hearts and minds with a holy fire to serve and worship You with all that we have. Soothe the pains and sorrows of those who mourn today those lost in defense of hearth and home. Accept the whispered supplications of your people, O Holy One, and scatter the blessings of your love and tenderness upon those we now name.

Amen.

Prayer 852- Pentecost Sunday

For Pentecost
Come, Holy Spirit, and renew our hearts and our minds that we may be animated to bear the holy fire of joy and faithfulness into the world. 

May we be united to one another and to Christ as one body, to set our entire beings upon worshipping and serving our God. 
May we be filled with holy forbearance and peace, inspired by love to tend to Christ in the least of those we meet. 
May goodness and gentleness take root in our hearts, breaking us open to new life in Christ our Savior and his Gospel. 

Come, Holy Spirit, we pray, and spread your sheltering wings over those who call upon You, especially:

Prayer 849

Most Holy God, may we open ourselves to your healing Spirit today. Direct us, O Eternal God, to follow the ways of your commandments, and practice justice and mercy in each step. May we throw wide the windows of our hearts that we may be filled with light and life through our Savior. May a Spirit of resurrection and renewal move within us and animate us to dance to the tune of your grace, O Merciful One. May we be filled with compassion for all living things, and celebrate the gift of each person in our lives. O Merciful One, bend near to those whose hope is in You, and hear the whispered prayers of your people.

Amen.

Prayer 846

O God, we sing a song of joy and thanksgiving to You, for you have filled our hearts with wisdom and truth. Renew our spirits within us, that we may set our minds upon directing our lives according to your will. Let all my words proclaim the wonders of your love, and direct my intentions to build your peace. Whatever this day brings, let me serve the Lord my God with all that is within me, with faith and joy. As the sea thunders against the shore, let my praise of You, O Holy One, reach to the heavens. Stretch out your right hand, O God, to lift up those who call out to You.

Amen.

Prayer, day 845

Yours is the night and yours is the day, O God Most High, and we raise our thanksgivings to You with the rising sun. Happy are those who act with justice, and always do what is right! We rejoice to do You homage, Lord, for You are the source of all our blessings. Let us preach peace to those far off and near, and live out peace in our own lives. Let us hasten the coming of your kingdom by being used to your glory and honor, loving each other as ourselves. Let us aid the weak, work for the common good, soothe the afflicted, and care for the vulnerable among us. Let us extend the hand of brotherhood to all, and love and live without fear. Grant your mercy and blessing to those we now lift up in our prayers.

Amen.

Photos of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion

Prayer, day 843

Loving God, spread the tent of your protection over us today. Guide us with your loving, almighty hand that we may walk in your paths with integrity. 

We fervently thank you for our abundant blessings: help us to spend our time numbering them rather than our worries. Bring us within your enclosure, that we may abide there forever, rejoicing that we are your own. 

Embrace us, Loving One, despite our manifold faults, for we seek to be worthy of You. Let our lives sing out a testimony of your love and faithfulness, your compassion and your forgiveness. Help us to speak in love, never in anger; help us to act with charity and forthrightness to all we meet today. 

Hear our prayers as we remember these, your beloved children, in their petitions and thanksgivings.

Amen.

Prayer 842- Ascension Day

(For Ascension Day)
Blessed Lord Jesus, you are our Shepherd and Savior: remember all those for whom you lived and died and rose again. Help us to spread your message of love, service, sanctity, and compassion throughout the world by our words and our deeds. Help us to be a testimony to justice and peace, and bind us together in the name of love, amity, and charity. Send the Holy Spirit to empower us to serve the weak and outcast and to make disciples of all who seek you. Through your example, let us unfailingly act with love and mercy, even to those who set themselves against us. Let us always be witnesses to your truth, and servants of your truth. Lifting our eyes to heaven, where you are enthroned in glory, we lift our prayers and petitions before You, Lord Christ, especially for those we now name.

Amen.

Prayer 841

O God, all that is within us blesses you and your holy Name, and we remember your blessings, one by one. Forgive us our sins against You, O Merciful one, and heal all our iniquities. Crown us with your mercy and forgiveness, and help us to likewise open our hearts to our brothers and sisters. Renew our strength to persevere, and lay your hand upon our heads in consecration that we may bear your Name with honor and righteousness. Grant peace and encouragement this day, O God, for all whom we remember at this hour.

Amen.

Prayer, day 839

Mother and Child by Renoir

O God, we are your children: Let us always trust in You.
O God, we are your children: Let us take You by the hand as we learn to walk in your pathways.
O God, we are your children: Let us burrow into your embrace in our sorrows and hurts.
O God, we are your children: Let us be fed by your Word and your Truth so that we may always follow in your shadow.
O God, we are your children: Let us rejoice in your Love that never fails and forgives us abundantly so that we may be guided to try to do the same.
O God, we are your children: Help us to plant compassion in our hearts.

Help us to comfort and aid these for whom we pray this day, who are your children too.

Amen.

Prayer for Mother's Day

My Mom and siblings in 1970. Yes, thumbs and pacifiers were popular.

A Prayer for Mother's Day 
Loving God, you are our Mother, and you have given us mothers to care for us. We thank you for mothers of blood, mothers of choice, mothers of the heart, and mothers in spirit. We thank you for their labor that brought us into the world and their labor that eased our way through this world. We thank you for the wisdom all our mothers have imparted to us and the guidance they have given us, even when we didn't listen. We thank you for all our mothers who have soothed our hurts and soothed our hearts. We know that all who have mothered us reflect your love for us, which never fails and never falls. Comfort those who miss or mourn their mothers today, O Love Divine, and bless all those who give their love to us as mothers. Amen.

Prayer, day 838

Loving God, you have given us this new day: may we fill it with acts of compassion to others. May we be renewed in faith and courage to carry your Love into the world. May we boldly proclaim your Name and represent it with open hearts, open minds, and open hands. May we walk gently upon the Earth, embracing your creation as You embrace us. May we encourage each other in walking the pilgrim path, hand in hand with each other as your people. And may your Spirit hover over those beloveds for whom we pray this day, especially those we now name.

Amen.