7.24.2009

My Retreat Prayer 2009

I’ve gotten in the habit of writing a prayer at the end of my annual retreat. I keep it in my bible and try to say it most days during the year. It reminds me of the gifts of retreat and the call to deepen my relationship with God. Of course, the prayer comes from my own inner experiences the past week, but I figured I’d share it anyway in case it strikes a chord with some.



Jesus
brother, redeemer and friend
help me to find the sacred in the everyday moments
of ministry, community and life in general;
to contemplate, re-create, and nourish
mind, body, and soul;
to remember that you are my peace,
the source of my power;
and that through you,
with the Creator and the Spirit,
all things are possible
even more than I could ever ask or imagine;
thank you for every gift.
peace, love and joy
Amen

3 comments:

Pachyderm said...

Thank you, Sr Susan. That was lovely. I also really like the idea of writing a prayer for yourself when on annual retreat. I'll have to try that one.

Pax
Robyn

Mary Ellen said...

Ever call God "Father"?

Susan Rose Francois, CSJP said...

Mary Ellen ... thanks for your comment. God has so many names for me - how can we ever put one name on someone so big? :)

When I pray the Our Father each day, I of course call God "Father."

When I'm praying in gratitude for God's loving embrace, I might call God "Beloved" or "Loving God".

When I'm praying in amazement at all the wonders of our world, I tend to use "Creator God."

One thing I love about our Catholic tradition is our many names for God. For example, the opening prayer for yesterday's Eucharist began "Almight and ever-living God." Last Tuesday it was "Our Help and our Guide" or in the alternate opening prayer "Father in Heaven."

Robyn - thanks for your comment too! I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this habit but it is a wonderful one that I highly recommend.