Word/Image: the hour

“Now my soul is troubled.
Yet what should I say:
‘Father, save me from this hour’?
No, it was for this
that I have come to this hour.
Father, glorify your name.”
John 12: 27

Father of the Eternal Word, Jesus perfect obedience to the Will of the Father, and Holy Spirit the Law of Infinite Renewing Love, grant us opportunities to approach this Holy Hour of our Salvation with reverent prayers of thanksgiving. Lord, You embraced Your Mission to announce the Kingdom of God with humility while accepting all of our human limitations, except for sin. Compassion, Mercy, and Love underscored every aspect of Your ministry. Show us how to follow Your example. You lived a simple and hidden life until the Father called You into action. From that hour, until the fateful hour of Your death, You never stopped pouring out Your Life for us. Our hunger for You fails to match our ability to digest Your Goodness. Without the consuming Fire of Your Spirit, we stumble to place our trust in You above all other things.  Every breath draws us near to our final hour. Wash us in Your Precious Blood that we may take our place in Your Mystical Body and give Glory to You forever. Father, Your Glory is Love. Jesus, You embolden our lives with signs of Your Presence and Your gifts of Grace. And Beautiful Sprit, You enrobe us in Purity and Love. “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”* AMEN

* Revelation 3: 10

Word/Image: Birthday

Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.
Psalm 37: 4-6

“God, you gave me a life that day I was born, and I hope I will spend all my life and do as much as I can to show you my love and gratitude! Through all these years, God, I feel your love and care. I hope that today you look at me and feel my love. I have become wiser, and now I know that was a part of a miracle done by you, God. Bless me and let me live happily, feeling your love and care. Glory to you, my Lord. Praise for all miracles you have shown in my life. On my birthday, I pray to you and ask you to forgive all of my sins. God, you have granted me health and happiness. Help me achieve all my goals in life. I dedicate all my wins to you, my Lord. Dear God, you have given me all I need: health, a sharp mind, and a happy family. Thank you, God! All years I have asked you, God, to stay close to me, take care of me and never forget about me. Please, God, protect me on all of life’s paths; please let me be successful in my love to you. Amen!”*

* Source: https://www.legit.ng/1154380-inspirational-birthday-prayer-myself.html 

Word/Image: Everything as loss

I consider everything as a loss
because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things
and I consider them so much rubbish,
that I may gain Christ and be found in him,
Philippians 3: 8-9

Father Source of All Goodness, Jesus the fullness of Life, and Holy Spirit Giver of Love, help us set our priorities straight. What do we have to gain if we do not have You? Steady our shaky hands of faith. Let us grab hold of You. Anything else other than You that we hold as dear or important, can only be an expression and extension of our Life with You and in You. You offer us the rich possibilities of life as a reflection of Your Love. May we treat all of our pursuits and goals as subservient to the one and true goal of being with You forever. Guide us in recognizing the things we need to let go of. Too many of these things are empty, and have no value to us, or to You in Your Kingdom. Intensify our passion for Your abundant Joy, and grant us opportunities to taste the heavenly blessings of breadcrumbs that You drop into our hungry mouths. Fashion our lives into an endless journey of wonder, awe and praise of the sublime sweetness of Your Love. Father, into Your Hands we commend our spirits. Jesus, free us from the bondage of our sins. And Beautiful Spirit, usher our hearts into the realms of endless Light and Glory. “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.”* AMEN

* Psalm 9: 1-2

Word/Image: Our cries…

“The LORD looked down from his holy height,
            from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
            to release those doomed to die.”
Psalm 102: 20-21

Father of Compassion, Jesus who cries for us, and with us, and Holy Spirit of Comfort, have pity on us. We are trapped in our vices. Free us from the prisons of our minds, cold hearts, and habits that hold us back from You. Where You are always ready to shower us with Graces through the agencies of people, situations, and even our mistakes to draw us deeper into the Mystery of Your Love, we are chained in networks of actions, thoughts, intentions, and habits that attack Your relationship with us, and with one another. Have pity on us. Hear our cries for help. Grant us contrite hearts, and shower us with Your Mercy. May our desire to adore You with lives ordered by Your Divine Will of Love, keep us safe in our world ruled by principalities of chaos. We place our hope in You. Unlock our prisons cell with Your key to eternal Life, and Your destruction of death. Father, knit us into a people woven together through prayer, gentleness, and kindness. Jesus, be our constant Help; take our hands and never let us go. And Beautiful Spirit lift us up on Your Wings of Love. “O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you. Hide not your face from me in the day of my distress. Incline your ear to me; in the day when I call, answer me speedily.”* AMEN

* Psalm 102: 2-3

Word/Image: Remain in my Word

“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8: 31

Father speak Your Word, Jesus be our Word, and Holy Spirit animate the Word, please help us become committed disciples of Your Way and Truth. Lord, You have the Words of Spirit and Life. Unite our hearts and spirits to the power of Your Word that accomplish all things through the endless Sacred Creative Fruits of Your Unconditional Love. How can we make Your Word our constant companion? Walk with us. Guide, each of our steps, so that we may move in concert with Your Divine Will. We can see the shadows and contours of Your Love as the center and originator of all that is Good and True. We hold onto the bits and pieces of Your Teachings that we understand with our rational minds but, while our spirits are willing, our flesh is weak. Grant us the Grace to Invite Your Mind and Wisdom to illuminate all of our decisions, thoughts, actions, and intentions that make up our earthly journey. Still our anxious and distracted hearts. Fill us with Your Peace especially when we must suffer or be completely powerless in whatever situation You allow to befall us. Father, Your Mercy is everything. Jesus, You are our Hope and we place all our trust in You. And Beautiful Spirit, kindle our imaginations of heavenly Joys that await us. “May your unfailing love come to me, Lord, your salvation, according to your promise; then I can answer anyone who taunts me, for I trust in your word. Never take your word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws.”* AMEN

* Psalm 119: 41-43

Word/Image: Test the just

O Lord of hosts, you who test the just,
who probe mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.
Jeremiah 20: 12

Father, the Glorious Victor of every test and trial bestowed upon us, Jesus our strength, courage, and wisdom in our battles of seeking the Way, and Holy Spirit, the Breath of Surrender that dissolves everything into the Light of Love, make us one in accord with Your Covenant of Eternal Life. Help us become more receptive to every obstacle, hardship, and test you place on our paths. While these tests may seem unfair, unwarranted, and almost always unwanted or unexpected from our limited points of view, we hold strong to the belief that You have already, or will, provide us with every Grace, experience, and insight to grow in Goodness and Holiness. Through the indwelling of Jesus’ Spirit of Wisdom grant us a greater portion of Your Love. Anoint us and our situations of injustice and suffering caused by our actions, the actions of others, and the heinous principalities of this world by vindicating everything that goes against Your Will with the wrath of Your Perfect Unconditional Love. Your Mercy and Justice are Holy Fires fueled with Your desire to pull us into Your sublime eternal Embrace. Father, we entrust our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies to Your Word. Jesus, grant us Communion in You, and let every test we encounter increase our humble Love of You and our ability to bring Your Love to others. And Beautiful Spirit, fuse our lives into the eternal firmament of Peace, Joy, and Love. “Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, And I have trusted in the Lord [b]without wavering. Examine me, O Lord, and try me; Test my mind and my heart.”* AMEN

* Psalm 26: 1-2

Word/Image: stones will cry out

As he rode along,
the people were spreading their cloaks on the road;
and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives,
the whole multitude of his disciples
began to praise God aloud with joy
for all the mighty deeds they had seen.

They proclaimed:

            “Blessed is the king who comes
                        in the name of the Lord.
            Peace in heaven
                        and glory in the highest.”

Father, the Immediacy of Love and Kindness in hearing and answering every one of our prayers, Jesus our King of Glory, and Holy Spirit the Fire of Truth manifest in every situation and our Advocate for bringing the Order of Divine Will into our lives, embolden our cries of praise. Lord, Your signs and wonders fertilize the seed of our soul’s longing for You. Despite the parade of miracles in Your Story, and the delicate – at times even hidden – deluge of graces You bestow on us, we hesitate in abandoning ourselves completely to You. Free us of manifesting images of You that are limited, and suited to our needs and self-serving notions. Bestow on us childlike eagerness and openness to encounter the King of Love who will shepherd our hearts to new places. Unfold us like a flower thirsty for the morning dew, and the Son’s radiant Light. Even the soil and rocks recognize that You are our great, Humble Unconditional Selfless Haven of Love. Let all of creation be joined in One Chorus of Communion of perfect thanksgiving. Father, grant us hearts full of wonder. Jesus consecrate our sacred imaginations. And Beautiful Spirit intoxicate us with the delicious elixir of Your Love. “Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.”* AMEN

* Psalm 148: 1-4

Word/Image: Anoint His feet

Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany,
where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served,
while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.
Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil
made from genuine aromatic nard
and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair;
the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
John 12: 1-3

Father with infinite Arms full of Love’s embrace, Jesus our Lamb of perpetual Sacrifice, and Holy Spirit the fullness of Joy and Love saturating the Sacred Now, fill the jars of our hearts with fragrant oil and our spirits with continuous prayers of thanksgiving. Make us aware of the spiritual overtones of these special movements of grace blessing Holy Week. May we enter deeply into the Passion of Jesus. May we be moved to sit with Him. May we become an agency of comfort to His sorrowful Heart. Let us spare no expense of time, care, or love to accompany Him on His Way of the Cross. Empty us of any preconceived ideas of what our walk will entail. Prepare us to be surprised, and help us to listen deeply for what You want to share with us. Overwhelm us with tenderness that moistens the languishing feet of our Savior with tears of sorrow, tears of reparation, and tears of hope. Grant us opportunities to dry off the despair of our brothers and sisters who are struggling. Saturate the spaces of conflict with the sweetness of Your Peace. Father, make us one in accord with Your Will. Jesus we adore You, and we promise to bring You all of ourselves. And Beautiful Spirit, lift the veil of Heaven that we might experience the Joys of eternal Love. “Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.”* AMEN

* Psalm 22: 11

Word/Image: Created an Easter Prayer Card today share with friends and family

Word/Image: Lord and Christ

On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jewish people, “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Acts 2: 36

Father, Architect of Truth and Illuminator of salvation history, Jesus, Divine Human and Purifying Love incarnate, and Holy Spirit, Unifying Joy manifest in Wisdom’s Loving movements, permit us to enter with our sacred imaginations into the Kingdom of God. School us in the ways of faith. Take away our doubts that keep us from inviting You into every facet of our lives. Where there is coldness in our hearts towards others, bring Your warming healing touch of reconciliation. While we seek Your Face in the mundane, ordinary things, open our hearts to the extraordinary but often hidden to us, expressions of the Compassion, Tenderness, and Mercy of Your Love. Everything changes when we step into Your gift to grow into our eternal call to be Your adopted sons and daughters. Be the King of our spirits, and never let us be separated from Your Love. Make us heralds of Your Good News by engraving Your Word on our hearts.  Father, thank You for your covenant and blessings. Jesus truly Your are the Christ, the Son of God – our Lord and Savior. And Beautiful Spirit, descend upon us with the full force of Your Love to embolden us with courage to surrender our lives to You. “From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth — he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.”* AMEN

* Psalm 33: 13-15

Word/Image: hearts burning

And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Luke 24: 30-32

Father of the Living Word, Jesus incarnate, consuming Fire of Purifying Love, and Holy Spirit Orchestrator of sacred moments of Mercy and Love, open our eyes to recognize You. Come and walk with us. Crack the armor of our meaning making with the Grace of Your unfolding Story. Renew our minds. Bring us rich reflections full of connections that challenge us and take us deeper into Your mysteries. Unpack Your Word and triangulate it with the situations of our life waiting to be brandished with Your Truth to change us. May we burn with anticipation, eager to experience how You want to walk with us. Feed us precious, adorable Bread of Life with Your heavenly, imperishable, Mystical Body. Make us whole through the perpetual sacrificial offering of Your passion and death. Grant us opportunities to share and be Your Good News to a world broken and hungry for You. Father, grant the fulfillment of Your Son’s Kingdom. Jesus, help us overcome our doubts, strengthen our faith, and show us how to place our trust in You. And Beautiful Spirit, order our lives with the radiance of Love’s expression in seeking the Divine Will. “Open my eyes so that I can see the wonderful truths in your law. I’m a stranger on earth. Don’t hide your commands from me. My heart is filled with longing for your laws at all times.”* AMEN

* Psalm 119: 18-20

Word/Image: Cornerstone

He is the stone rejected by you, the builders,
which has become the cornerstone.
There is no salvation through anyone else,
nor is there any other name under heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved.
Acts 4: 11-12

Father, Architect of Life, and Master Builder of Love, Jesus the Foundation and Catalyst of our salvation, and Holy Spirit, agitator of growth and change through Wisdom and Love, prepare the grounds of our souls for Your Life Giving work in us. We have gone astray. How easily we forget that we are Children of God the Most High. Take our hardened hearts and melt us into molten precious metal supple to Your sculpting influence of Holiness. Excavate the sordid, cluttered grounds of our spirits and drill a deep hole to accept Your Love. Dig a foundation based on Your Way, Truth, and Life that will withstand the forces and principalities of this world that seek our destruction. Bring the supplies of Your endless Mercy to build an artifice that will give Glory to Your Name forever. May we become welcoming archways for others to encounter Your Peace, Joy, Light, and Love. None of what we hope for, none of what we prayed for, none of what we worked for will be possible without our Cornerstone. Father, grant us every Grace we need to submit ourselves to Your Holy Will. Jesus make Your dwelling place in us. And Beautiful Spirit adorn our hearts and spirits with the Jewels of Christ’s Divine Love. “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.”* AMEN

* Psalm 118: 22-24

Word/Image: Humility

Beloved:        
Clothe yourselves with humility
in your dealings with one another, for:

            God opposes the proud
                        but bestows favor on the humble.

So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt you in due time.
Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5: 5-7

Father, Sovereign Lord of Everything and intimate with All, Jesus Son of Man – our Master and Teacher crowned as Servant, and Holy Spirit the salve of tender Love eager to anoint every relationship, protect us from the perils of pride. Empty us of self-importance. Robe us in humility, and fasten it with a sash of vigilance.  Open the eyes of our heart and focus our vision with Your gaze of self-forgetting care. Feed us with Your compassion. When we see people and situations, especially when we are feeling confused, threatened, hurt, or fearful help us turn to You for Wisdom, Mercy, and Love. We trust in the emerging possibilities born out of Your Divine Will’s Plan for us. Delight us with the sweet surprises of Your Healing touch. May we always be ready to be agencies of Your Love. We are eager to taste the Awesome Goodness of Your Wondrous Love at work in our lives. Father, we praise and thank You for giving us Life, and inviting us into Your eternal Kingdom of Love. Jesus, bring every fiber of our being into communion with Your Perfect but Meek and Humble Heart. And Beautiful Spirit, enrapture us with the Joys of Your Selfless, Unconditional Love. “He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way.”* AMEN

* Psalm 25: 9

Word/Image: Tell the people everything

The high priest rose up and all his companions,
that is, the party of the Sadducees,
and, filled with jealousy,
laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail.
But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
led them out, and said,
“Go and take your place in the temple area,
and tell the people everything about this life.”
Acts 5: 17-20

Father of Infinite Possibilities, Jesus the Resurrection, Good News, and Life Eternal, and Holy Spirit, our overflowing cup of Joy and Love, embolden us to be witnesses of Your Truth. Send Your angels to bust open any prison doors that incarcerate us. Neither this world nor our failings to live in perfect relationship with You and Your Divine Will can silence our voices. We will sing out with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength Your praises. Let no barriers prevent our voices from reaching the hungry spirits of every person desperate to find their way Home to You. We embrace the mystery of our hope and trust in Your saving Power. Our destination is heaven. Our purpose is to be reborn in Your Light, Joy, and Peace of never ending Unconditional Love. Set us on fire as Your mouthpieces. Make us candles illuminated with the Fire of Jesus’ Mercy. Help us to accept our wounds and hurts as gracious openings for receiving the gifts of Your Compassionate Tenderness. Father, we wait with anticipation to see the place You have prepared for us. Jesus, breathe on us, and place our meager humble souls into the temple of Your Sacred Heart. And Beautiful Spirit, fashion us into new creations through the Creative Powers of Your delightful Love. “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.”* AMEN

* Psalm 89: 1-2