Fourth Sunday of Advent Prayer :: Advent Bidding Prayer

A prayer of intercession for the end of Advent (or Christmas Eve) when all four Advent candles (hope, peace, joy, love) have been lit.

Holy One, be the light in our darkness tonight.
As we have lit the candle of hope,
we pray for those who feel hopeless . . .

As we have lit the candle of peace,
we pray for all victims of violence . . .

As we have lit the candle of joy,
we pray for those whose hearts are weighed down by sorrow . . .

As we have lit the candle of love,
we pray for those who do not feel loved,
for those who struggle to love others . . .

Holy One, be the light in our darkness tonight,
that we might reflect your light into the dark corners of our world. Amen.

Taken from: http://re-worship.blogspot.com.ar/2012/11/prayers-of-people-advent-4.html
Written by Joanna Harader, and posted on her Spacious Faith blog: http://spaciousfaith.com/   

First Sunday of Advent :: Readings, Reflections & a Candle Litany

Scriptures readings for the first Sunday of Advent from New Revised Common Lectionary: HERE

A couple Advent reflections worth checking out this first week of Advent…
"Advent/Darkness" by Christena Cleveland

“Tireless Hope” by Andrew Ulasich


Candle Litany for Advent

God our life and our breath.
We witness your coming
In the humility of service,
The poor and marginalized,
The new born child,
In the heart of each person we meet,
And in the beauty of all creation.

We watch, wait and witness the mystery of your conception in us,
(The candle is lit)
We are waiting
We are watching
We are witnessing

~ Taken from:
http://re-worship.blogspot.com.ar/2014/11/advent-candle-litany.html
Originally posted by James Hawes, on Sunday Papers. http://www.sundaypapers.org.uk/

A Thanksgiving Liturgy & a Prayer from Walter Brueggemann...

A Thanksgiving Liturgy from Christine Sine on Godspace blog…HERE.

Thanksgiving Prayer from Walter Brueggemann

The witnesses tell of your boundless generosity,
and their telling is compelling to us:
You give your world to call the worlds into being;
You give your sovereign rule to emancipate the slaves and the oppressed;
You give your commanding fidelity to form your own people;
You give your life for the life of the world...
broken bread that feeds,
poured out wine and binds and heals.
You give...we receive...and are thankful.

We begin this day in gratitude,
thanks that is a match for your self-giving,
gratitude in gifts offered,
gratitude in tales told,
gratitude in lives lived.

Gratitude willed, but no so readily lived,
held back by old wounds turned to powerful resentment,
slowed by early fears become vague anxiety,
restrained by self-sufficiency in a can-do arrogance,
blocked by amnesia unable to recall gifts any longer.

Do this yet. Create innocent spaces for us this day
for the gratitude we intend.

In thankfulness,
we will give,
we will tell,
we will live,
your gift through us to gift the world. Amen

~ Walter Brueggemann, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth: Prayers of Walter Brueggemann (Fortress Press, 2002)

Prayer from Walter Brueggemann

Blown by God towards newness

The news is that God’s wind is blowing.
It may be a breeze that
cools and comforts.
It may be a gust that
summons you to notice.
It may be a storm that blows you where you have
never been before.

Whatever the wind is in your life,
pay attention to it …
and the blessing of God,
Father, Son and Spirit,
will abide with you always.

~ Walter Brueggemann
(Prayers for a Privileged People
Abingdon Press, 2008)

A Collection of Prayers for the New Year :: 2014

I recently posted a couple of prayers that personally resonate with me as I begin the new year. If you missed them, you can check them out here…

The Singing Bowl
A Sonnet by Malcolm Guite

And so we gather the scattered pieces…
By Jan L. Richardson

In addition, over the past few years I have shared several prayers for the new year on the Prayers & Creeds blog. You can check them out by clicking on the prayer below.

New Year’s Eve Prayer

A Sonnet for the New Year by Malcolm Guite

Celtic New Year’s Prayer – The Opening Door

New Year’s Prayer by Ted Loder

New Year’s Prayer by Christine Sine

Help Me to Believe in Beginnings by Ted Loder

Prayer of John of the Cross

“O Antiphons” Begin December 17

Since the eighth century the O Antiphons have been used by many liturgical Christian traditions during vespers the last seven days of Advent (December 17-23). These O Antiphons became the basis for the popular Christmas carol, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

“Their predominant theme is messianic, stressing the hope of the Savior's coming. Jesus is invoked by various titles, mainly taken from the prophet Isaiah. The sequence progresses historically, from the beginning, before creation, to the very gates of Bethlehem….In their structure, each of the seven antiphons follows the same pattern, resembling a traditional liturgical prayer.  Each O Antiphon begins with an invocation of the expected Messiah, followed by praise of him under one of his particular titles. Each ends with a petition for God's people, relevant to the title by which he is addressed, and the cry for him to ‘Come’.”
(Jeanne Kun, “Praising the Names of Jesus: The Antiphons of Advent”)

You can read the entire description of the “O Antiphons” by Jeanne Kun...HERE.

A couple years ago I posted an “O Antiphons Litany” for Advent on the Prayers and Creeds blog. You can check it out...HERE.

Other Resources:
Extended liturgies for the O Antiphons

The Antiphons of Advent (Readings & meditations for each day)

Contemporary translation on Everyday Liturgy 

Third Sunday of Advent :: JOY!

We Wait

(Inspired by Isaiah 35: 1-10)

This is the season of holy waiting.

We wait for the time when the desert will bloom abundantly.

We watch for the day when all God’s people will come together with singing.

We wait while the dawning light appears on the horizon.

Come let us walk in the light of God!

Taken from: re:Worship blog 

This morning I’ve been reading and reflecting on the third Sunday of Advent, as I prepare to light the pink candle of joy and try posture my heart for the third week of Advent ahead. In case you are wondering why the third candle is pink while the other three are purple, here is a good summary I took from the CRI Voice website.

The third candle, usually for the Third Sunday of Advent, is traditionally Pink or Rose, and symbolizes Joy at the soon Advent of the Christ.  In the four weeks of Advent the third Sunday came to be a time of rejoicing that the fasting was almost over (in some traditions it is called Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin word for "rejoice"). The shift from the purple of the Season to pink or rose for the third Sunday Advent candles reflected this lessening emphasis on penitence as attention turned more to celebration of the season.

The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday of Advent, referred to as "Gaudete" or "Rose Rejoicing" Sunday (from the epistle and introit which speak of "rejoicing in the Lord always"). "Rose Rejoicing Sunday" shows how anticipated joy over our Savior's coming breaks through all our serious Advent preparation. 

This year I am taking time out to read the weekly Advent season scriptures from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). My "go to" website for weekly Revised Common Lectionary scripture readings is from Vanderbilt Divinity Library. For the Third Sunday of Advent 2013 readings...Click HERE.

I also stumbled on this great resource of prayers, benedictions and liturgies that relate to the weekly RCL readings…
re:Worship Blog (Third Sunday of Advent 2013)...Click HERE.

Finally, some words from Gustavo Gutiérrez regarding this week’s RCL readings from Matthew 11:2-11...

“Gestures of love toward others nourish the hope of the final coming of the Lord, and they make it new and dynamic (James 5:7-8).”

“Relieving the suffering of a few poor in Jesus’ day is a sign, a sign of the strong promise that the good news of God’s kingdom is for all the world’s poor. It is a proclamation through liberating words and deeds. The gospel is proclaimed to the poor by way of concrete actions: enabling people to see, walk, hear, in other words, giving life. In his own days, Jesus gives the example in order for us to understand that it is a commandment for all his followers in the course of history. Today, our gestures of solidarity in the presence of the hunger and poverty of so many in the world have to communicate that God’s kingdom is among us.”

Taken from: Sharing the Word through the Liturgical Year by Gustavo Gutiérrez

A Collection of Advent Prayers

This will be my sixth year posting weekly prayers on Prayers & Creeds. I always enjoy finding new prayers for the season of Advent to share on this blog. Once again, here are links to some of my favorite Advent prayers posted in years past. Just click in the prayer…

A Sonnet for the New Year by Malcolm Guite

Advent Prayer by Ted Loder

Awaiting the Christ Child ~ Esperando el Niño Jesús

Advent Prayer for Hope

Prayer for Welcoming Advent

Advent Collect for Southern Hemisphere

Advent Prayer from Walter Brueggemann

Advent Prayer from Henri Nouwen

Awaiting the Christ from Christine Sine

Hope Revived

Advent Prayer from Advent in Art

O Oriens from Madeleine L’Engle

O Antiphons – An Advent Litany

Prayer Books for the New Year

For the past four years I have posted weekly prayers on the blog Prayers & Creeds (http://prayersandcreeds.wordpress.com/). While I often come across the prayers on various websites and blogs, many come from various prayer books that I have collected in recent years. I thought I would post the titles and links, in case anyone is looking for a prayer book for the new year. Most are available in Kindle versions, as well. Please post any additional recommendations in comments to this post! Just click on the book title below.

Yours Is the Day, Lord, Yours Is the Night: A Morning and Evening Prayer Book

Edited by Jeanie and David Gushee 

Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals 

By Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Enuma Okoro

Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings From the Northumbria Community

Guerrillas of Grace: Prayers for the Battle 

By Ted Loder

Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth: Prayers of Walter Brueggemann 

By Walter Brueggemann

Prayers for a Privileged People 

By Walter Brueggemann

The Book of a Thousand Prayers

Compiled by Angela Ashwin

Hearts on Fire: Praying with Jesuits 
Compiled by Michael Harter

For those on Facebook here is a great page of prayers from Christine Sine..."LIKE" it! 

Light for the Journey

Prayers for Advent

This will be my fifth year posting weekly prayers on Prayers & Creeds. This year I am posting prayers that go along with the Revised Common Lectionary each week of Advent. Each week also includes a link to Art that goes with the readings. You can check it out here:
Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Advent

Below the prayer links some of my favorite Advent prayers posted in years past. Just click on the prayer title...

Advent Prayer by Ted Loder

O Antiphons – An Advent Litany

Awaiting the Christ Child ~ Esperando el Niño Jesús

Advent Prayer for Hope

Prayer for Welcoming Advent

Advent Collect for Southern Hemisphere

Advent Prayer from Walter Brueggemann

Advent Prayer from Henri Nouwen

Awaiting the Christ 

Hope Revived

Traditional Irish Blessing

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! I stumbled upon this Celtic Blessing this morning (Thanks Jamie & Missional blog!). Good words of blessing and prayer for one another!

 

Traditional Irish Blessing
I wish you not a path devoid of clouds,
nor a life on a bed of roses,
not that you might never need regret,
nor that you shall never feel pain.
No, that is not my wish for you.
My wish for you is that you might be brave in times of trial
when others lay crosses upon your shoulders.
When mountains must be climbed
and chasms are to be crossed;
when hope scarce can shine through.
That every gift God gave you might grow along with you.
And let you give the gift of joy to all who care for you.
That you may always have a friend who is worth that name.
Who you can trust, and who helps you in times of sadness.
Who will defy the storms of daily life at your side.
One more wish I have for you:
That in every hour of joy and pain you may feel God close to you.
This is my wish for you and for all who care for you.
This is my hope for you, now and forever.

Prayers for 2012

As I begin 2012 there are a few prayers and quotes of inspiration that I plan to keep close at hand these first weeks of the new year. Thanks to my friends in my blogosphere who have shared them.

Help Me to Believe in Beginnings...HERE
Posted on Prayers & Creeds. Shared by my friend Ben.

Prayer for 2012...HERE
Shared by Christine Sine on Godspace.

Orthodox Morning Prayer from the Elders of Optino...HERE
Posted on Prayers & Creeds. Shared by my friend Adam.

And...for my Spanish speaking friends, this quote from Eduardo Galeano. Shared by my friend Carolina.

Ojalá seamos dignos de la desesperada esperanza. 

Ojalá podamos tener el coraje de estar solos y la valentía de arriesgarnos a estar juntos, porque de nada sirve un diente fuera de la boca, ni un dedo fuera de la mano. 

Ojalá podamos ser desobedientes, cada vez que recibimos órdenes que humillan nuestra conciencia o violan nuestro sentido común. 

Ojalá podamos ser tan porfiados para seguir creyendo, contra toda evidencia, que la condición humana vale la pena, porque hemos sido mal hechos, pero no estamos terminados.

Ojalá podamos ser capaces de seguir caminando los caminos del viento, a pesar de las caídas y las traiciones y las derrotas, porque la historia continúa, más allá de nosotros, y cuando ella dice adiós, está diciendo: hasta luego.

Ojalá podamos mantener viva la certeza de que es posible ser compatriota y contemporáneo de todo aquel que viva animado por la voluntad de justicia y la voluntad de belleza, nazca donde nazca y viva cuando viva, porque no tienen fronteras los mapas del alma ni del tiempo. 

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Today we pray the final of the O Antiphons….O Emmanuel, God with Us, Come! 

O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people. Come and set us free, Lord our God

“This last Veni, the final O Come, summarizes our entire Advent journey: its prayer, longing, and constant yearning for salvation. Come, Lord, set free the people whom you love. This last verse of the antiphon gives the necessary incentive we need for the last miles of our journey. A little bit longer, and then tomorrow his glory shall be revealed to us! “Veni ad salvandum nos, Domine Dues noster.” 

A Monastery Journey to Christmas by Brother Victor-Antoine D’Avila-Latourrette

O Emmanuel (December 23 entry)

The O Antiphons became the basis for the Christmas carol, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Today I posted the lyrics on Prayers & Creeds…HERE.

Here’s my favorite version of the hymn from “Advent Songs” by Sojourn Music…

Prayers for Advent

This will be my fourth year posting weekly prayers on Prayers & Creeds. Today I posted my first Advent prayer of the season on the Prayers & Creeds blog. Below the prayer are additional links to some of my favorite Advent prayers posted in years past.

Advent Prayer for Hope

Lord Jesus Christ,

who is, who was, and who is to come,

we pray for the virtue of hope,

that amidst the trials and difficulties

of this world,

we may keep our hearts fixed

upon you, who reigns over the cosmos.

May your grace enliven us,

strengthen us,

and defend us,

as we await your coming in glory. Amen

~David Bennett

(Taken from: http://www.churchyear.net/adventprayers.html)

Prayer for Welcoming Advent

Advent Collect for Southern Hemisphere

Advent Prayer from Walter Brueggemann

Advent Prayer from Henri Nouwen

Awaiting the Christ 

Hope Revived

Prayers of Thanksgiving & Gratitude

Click here for a collection of prayers posted on Prayers & Creeds blog...Prayers of Thanksgiving & Gratitude

Prayers from Saint Francis of Assisi

Saint Francis of Assisi Feast Day is coming October 4. Here is a collection of links to prayers from Saint Francis posted on the Prayer & Creeds blog. Just click on the prayer.

Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace ~

Señor, Hazme un Instrumento de Tu Paz

A Benediction of Saint Francis

Prayer for Doing God’s Will

Prayer for a Rich Spiritual Life

Paraphrase of the Lord's Prayer

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Fasting & Feasting

I just received the below reflection in an email, which seems appropriate as we enter Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent.

Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ dwelling in them.

Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of life.

Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the reality of light.

Fast from thoughts of illness; feast on the healing power of God.

Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.

Fast from anger; feast on patience.

Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.

Fast from worry; feast on divine order.

Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation.

Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives.

Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer.

Fast from hostility; feast on non-resistance.

Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.

Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.

Fast from discouragements; feast on hope.

Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm.

Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire.

Fast from shadows of sorrow; feast on the sunlight of serenity.

Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence.

Fast from problems that overwhelm; feast on prayer that sustains.

~ William Arthur Ward

Some additional recent Lent posts (click on the title):

Lent – A Season of Solidarity by Walter Forcatto

Autumn & Lent

Prayers for Lent

Lent Online Resources & Links

Some Prayers for Lent

This church liturgical year I continue to go through daily reflections in the book, Blessing of the Daily: A Monastic Book of Days by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette. One of the first Lent reflections shares a Lenten prayer by Saint Ephrem of Syria that dates back to the fourth century. This prayer encompasses the spirit of Lent. It is prayed daily by many in the Eastern Church tradition and is often accompanied with a posture of deep bodily prostration and repentance. I thought I would share the prayer in preparation for Ash Wednesday and Lent.

O Lord of my life, take away from me the spirit of laziness, faint-heartedness, lust for power and idle talk. Instead grant me, your servant, the spirit of purity, humility, patience and love. Yes, O Lord and King! Grant me to see my own sins and faults and not to judge my neighbor, for you are truly blessed forever. Amen.

~ Saint Ephrem of Syria (4th-Century)

Here are some additional Lenten prayers I have posted on the Prayer and Creeds blog over the past few years. To see the prayer, just click on the title of the prayer.

Litany of Penance for Ash Wednesday

Taken from The Book of Common Prayer

Prayer for the First Week of Lent

By Christine Sine

Lenten Prayer – Give Me Grace to Amend My Life

By Thomas More

Prayer for Lent: Saint Anselm

Lenten Prayer from Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Lenten Prayer for Freedom

Taken from “A Litany for the Brokenness of Hunger,” by Christine Sine

More Prayers & Creeds Favorites

I continue to post weekly prayers on the Prayers and Creeds blog. Last April I posted links to some of my favorites. You can see that list of favorites by clicking here.

I decided it was time to post some favorites I have posted since then. The prayers of hospitality have been, especially, popular. I will try to compile some favorite Lenten and Easter prayers soon.

Just click on the prayer title and it will take you to the original post.

Anima Christi

A rephrasing of this ancient prayer, a favorite of Saint Ignatius by David L. Fleming, SJ.

A Prayer of Blessing for Potters

By Sarah Baldwin

Celtic Prayer of Hospitality

Prayer for Our Neighborhoods

Prayer for Hospitality & Compassion

Prayer of Wayfarer

By Calvin Miller

Calm Me Into Quietness

By Ted Loder

Prayer of Sabbath Rest & Shalom

By Christine Sine

Celtic Prayer of God’s Presence

Christmastide

In the liturgical year the Christmas season has just begun and it continues through Epiphany, on January 6. This season is also known as Christmastide or the Twelve Days of Christmas. This Christmas weekend I just started using a new prayer book just published last month, Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Enuma Okoro. You can also follow the daily prayer liturgies here: http://commonprayer.net/. This book describes the Christmastide season this way…

A Note on Christmas (From: http://commonprayer.net/)

“The Twelve Days of Christmas” is not just the title of a fun song but also refers to the twelve-day celebration of the coming of Christ, from his birth, which is observed on December 25, until Epiphany, on January 6. This twelve-day celebration is often marked with the colors gold and white, and dates back to the fourth century. Christmas is short for “Christ’s Mass,” referring to the worship service that marks the birth of Christ. Celebrations during the season include the Feast of the Holy Innocents (December 28), when we remember that the joy of Christ’s coming was marked by genocide as Herod fearfully massacred other children in Bethlehem. We can remember that the coming of Christ is about God entering the mess of this world, from the stinky manger to the torturous cross.

I have posted a few Christmastide links on my sidebar. You might also like to check out Christine Sine’s Morning and Evening prayers for the Christmas season…

Christmas Season Morning Prayers...click here.

Christmas Season Evening Prayers...click here.