Sanctuary
last
edited on: Monday,
March 27, 2006, 9:47 PM, Central
Daylight Time
Welcome !
This is page 1 of my virtual sanctuary.
Below are some prayers and
Christian inspiration for you to take a lookat:
Prayer
of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord,
make me an instrument of your peace.
where
there is hatred, let me sow love;
where
there is injury, pardon;
where
there is doubt, faith;
where
there is despair, hope;
where
there is darkness, light;
and
where there is sadness, joy.
______________________________________________________
O
Divine Master,
Grant
that I
may
not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to
be understood, as to understand;
to
be loved, as to love;
for
it is in giving that we receive,
it
is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
______________________________________________________
The
Lord's Prayer
Our
Father, who art in Heaven,
Hallowed
be Thy name.
Thy
Kingdom come,
Thy
will be done, on Earth, as it is in Heaven.
Give
us this day our daily bread,
And
forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those,
who
trespass against us.
Lead
us not into temptation, but
Deliver
us from evil,
for
Thou art the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory,
Forever
and ever,
Amen.
______________________________________________________
PSALM
144
A
Prayer for Victory and Prosperity
Blessed
be the LORD, my rock,
who
trains my hands for battle,
my
fingers for war;
My
safeguard and my fortress,
my
stronghold, my deliverer,
My
shield, in whom I trust,
who
subdues peoples under me.
LORD,
what are mortals that you notice them;
human
beings, that you take thought of them?
The
are but a breath;
their
days are like a passing shadow,
LORD,
incline your heavens and come;
touch
the mountains and make them smoke.
Flash
forth lightning and scatter my foes;
shoot
your arrows and rout them.
Reach
out your hand from on high;
deliver
me from the many waters;
rescue
me from the hands of foreign foes.
Their
mouths speak untruth;
their
right hands are raised in lying oaths.
O
God, a new song I will sing to you;
on
a ten stringed lyre I will play for you.
You
give victory to kings;
you
delivered David your servant.
From
the menacing sword deliver me;
rescue
me from the hands of foreign foes.
Their
mouths speak untruth;
their
right hands are raised in lying oaths.
May
our sons be like plants
well
nurtured from their youth,
Our
daughters, like carved columns,
shapely
as those of the temple.
May
our barns be full with every kind of store.
May
our sheep increase by thousands,
by
tens of thousands in our fields;
may
our oxen be well fattened.
May
there be no breach in the walls,
no
exile, no outcry in our streets.
Happy
the people so blessed;
happy
the people whose God is the LORD.
Amen.
______________________________________________________
Prayer
for all the Homeless
God
grant that those who have no home to live in, will be shielded by the
elements,
will be protected by the harshness of
the
world outside, when we, as your humble servants, who
have
a home to live in, have an extra room, and can spare an
extra
bed, and let us be blessed for our compassion and charity
towards
one in need. Please make this world a safe haven for
all
who walk alone, and without shelter, and without hope, so
that
one, by one, we can make a difference. If but one man
can
do right unto his God, by showing charity in sharing but
one
small place, so that one person will by the grace of God,
survive,
and be touched by the Spirit of Kind deeds, then,
as
a nation, we can and will be the light of God's love,
shown
upon the rest of humanity, in this I pray to the Lord.
Amen.
______________________________________________________
The
Serenity Prayer
God,
grant me the serenity,
to
accept the things that I can not change,
the
courage to change the things that I am able,
and
the wisdom
to
know the difference.
Amen.
______________________________________________________
The
Prayer of John Sr.
Forgive
others, as God has forgiven you,
Live
each day as if it were your last,
and
above all,
Love
everybody.
Amen.
______________________________________________________
The
Hail Mary
Hail
Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed
art thou amongst women,
And
blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy
Mary, Mother of God,
Pray
for us sinners, now,
And
at the hour of our death.
Amen.
______________________________________________________
Prayer
in Time of Distress
Hear
me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and oppressed.
Preserve
my life, for I am loyal;
save
your servant who trusts in you.
You
are my God; pity me, Lord;
to
you I call all the day.
Gladden
the soul of your servant; to you, Lord,
I
lift up my soul.
Lord,
you are kind and forgiving, most loving to all
who
call on you. Lord, hear my prayer;
listen
to my cry for help.
In
this time of trouble I call, for you will answer me.
None
among the gods can equal you, O Lord;
nor
can their deeds compare to yours.
All
the nations you have made shall come to bow before you,
Lord,
and give honor to your name.
For
you are great and do wondrous deeds; and you alone
are
God.
Teach
me, LORD, your way
that
I may walk in your truth, single hearted and revering
your
name.
I
will praise you with all my heart, glorify your name
forever,
Lord my God.
Your
love for me is great; you have rescued me from the depths of
Sheol.
O
God, the arrogant have risen against me; a ruthless band
has
sought my life; to you they pay no heed.
But
you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God,
slow
to anger, most loving and true.
Turn
to me, have pity on me; give your strength to your
servant;
save this child of your handmaid.
Give
me a sign of your favor;
make
my enemies see, to their confusion, that you, LORD,
help
and comfort me.
Amen.
______________________________________________________
PSALM
57
Confident
Prayer for Deliverance
Have
mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
In
you I seek shelter.
In
the shadow of your wings I seek shelter
till
harm pass by.
I
call to God Most High, to God who provides for me.
May
God send help from heaven to save me,
shame
those who trample upon me.
May
God send fidelity and love.
Selah
I
must lie down in the midst of lions hungry for human prey.
Their
teeth are spears and arrows;
their
tongue, a sharpened sword.
Show
yourself over the heavens, God;
may
your glory appear above all the earth.
They
have set a trap for my feet;
my
soul is bowed down;
They
have dug a pit before me.
May
they fall into it themselves!
Selah
My
heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast.
I
will sing and chant praise.
Awake,
my soul; awake, lyre and harp!
I
will wake the dawn.
I
will praise you among the peoples, Lord;
I
will chant your praise among the nations.
For
your love towers to the heavens;
your
faithfulness, to the skies.
Show
yourself over the heavens, God;
may
your glory appear above all the earth.
Amen.
______________________________________________________
PSALM
26
Prayer
of Innocence
Grant
me justice, LORD!
I
have walked without blame.
In
the LORD I have trusted;
I
have not faltered.
Test
me, LORD, and try me;
search
my heart and mind.
Your
love is before my eyes;
I
walk guided by your faithfulness.
I
do not sit with deceivers,
nor
with hypocrites do I mingle.
I
hate the company of evildoers;
with
the wicked I do not sit.
I
will wash my hands in innocence
and
walk round your altar, LORD,
Lifting
my voice in thanks,
recounting
all your wondrous deeds.
LORD,
I love the house where you dwell,
the
tenting place of your glory.
Do
not take me away with sinners,
nor
my life with the violent.
Their
hands carry out their schemes;
their
right hands are full of bribes.
But
I walk without blame;
redeem
me, be gracious to me!
My
foot stands on level ground;
in
assemblies I will bless the LORD.
Amen.
______________________________________________________
PSALM
5
Prayer
for Divine Help
For
the leader; with wind instruments, A psalm of David
Hear
my words, O LORD;
listen
to my sighing.
Hear
my cry for help, my king, my God!
To
you I pray, O LORD;
at
dawn you will hear my cry; at dawn I will plead before you and
wait.
You
are not a god who delights in evil; no wicked person
finds
refuge with you;
the
arrogant cannot stand before you.
You
hate all who do evil; you destroy all who speak falsely.
Murders
and deceivers the LORD abhors.
But
I can enter your house because of your great love.
I
can worship in your holy temple
because
of my reverence for you, LORD.
Guide
me in your justice because of my foes;
make
straight your way before me.
For
there is no sincerity in their mouths; their hears are
corrupt.
Their throats are open graves;
on
their tongues are subtle lies.
Declare
them guilty, God;
make
them fall by their own devices.
Drive
them out for their many sins; they have rebelled against you.
Then
all who take refuge in you will be glad
and
forever shout for joy.
Protect
them that you may be the joy of those who love
your
name.
For
you, LORD, bless the just;
you
surround them with favor like a shield.
Amen.
______________________________________________________
PSALM
25
Confident
Prayer for Forgiveness and Guidance
I wait
for you, O LORD;
I
lift up my soul to my God.
In
you I trust; do not let me be disgraced;
do
not let my enemies gloat over me.
No
one is disgraced who waits for you, but only those who lightly
break
faith. Make known to me you ways, LORD;
teach
me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are
God
my savior. For you I wait all the long day, because of your
goodness, LORD.
Remember
your compassion and love, O LORD;
for
they are ages old.
Remember
no more the sins of my youth;
remember
me only in light of your love.
Good
and upright is the LORD, who shows sinners the way,
Guides
the humble the way.
All
the paths of the LORD are faithful love
toward
those who honor the covenant demands.
For
the sake of your name, LORD,
pardon
my guilt, though it is great.
Who
are those who fear the LORD?
God
shows them the way to choose.
They
live well and prosper,
and
their descendants inherit the land.
The
counsel of the LORD belongs to the faithful;
the
covenant instructs them.
My
eyes are ever upon the LORD,
who
frees my feet from the snare.
Look
upon me, have pity on me,
for
I am alone and afflicted.
Relieve
the troubles of my heart;
bring
me out of my distress.
Put
an end to my affliction and suffering;
take
away all my sins.
See
how many are my enemies, se how fiercely they hate me.
Preserve
my life and rescue me;
do
not let me be disgraced, for I trust in you.
Let
honesty and virtue preserve me;
I
wait for you, O LORD.
Redeem
Israel, God,
from
all its distress!
Amen.
______________________________________________________
A
Prayer for World Peace
Dear
God, deliver me from the hate and horrors of this world,
and
instill in me your peace, that I may proclaim to all
the
nations of the Earth, your truth, and let us all unite
in
humanity for all people, so that your will be done, on
earth
as in heaven. Make the chains of oppression weaken
until
they break, and set free all suffering in bondage.
Comfort
me in this moment of hope, in the middle of
chaos
and discord. Though I live in a world of superficiality,
greed,
and arrogance and foolishness, I seek your strength
to
overcome the mediocrity and rise above it, then let my soul
rise
higher so I may contribute to the cause of Justice,
honor,
and equality for all mankind and help me keep my
faith,
for without it I would surely be lost.
Amen.
______________________________________________________
Prayer
for Sinners
I write
these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life,
you
who believe in the name of the Son of God. And we have this
confidence
in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he
hears
us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we
ask,
we know that what we have asked him for is ours. If anyone sees
his
brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray
to
God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin
is
not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about
which
I do not say that you should pray. All wrongdoing is sin,
but
there is sin that is not deadly.
We
know that no one begotten by God sins; but the one begotten by
God
he protects, and the evil one cannot touch him.
We
know that we belong to God, and the whole world is under the
power
of the evil one. We also know that the Son of God has come and
has
given us discernment to know the one who is true. And we are in
the
one who is true, in his Son
Jesus
Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Children,
be on your guard against idols.
Amen.
______________________________________________________
below
are a few inspirational words
Would
you want to be a "Cracked Pot"?
THE
CRACKED POT
A Water
Bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a
pole
which he carried across his neck.
One
of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect
and
always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long
walk
from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived
only
half full.
For
a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering
only
one and a half pots full of water to his master's house.
Of
course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect
to
the end for which it was made.
But
the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and
miserable
that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been
made
to do.
After
two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke
to
the Water Bearer one day by the stream.
"I
am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
"Why?"
asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I
have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my
load
because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the
way
back to your master's house.
"Because
of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't
get
full value from your efforts," the pot said.
The
Water Bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his
compassion
he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to
notice
the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed,
as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of
the
sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path,
and
this cheered it some.
But
at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked
out
half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its
failure.
The
bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers
only
on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side?
"That's
because I have always known about your flaw, and I took
advantage
of it.
"
I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while
we
walk back from the stream, you've watered them.
"For
two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to
decorate
my master's table. Without you being just the way you are,
he
would not have this beauty to grace his house."
Each
of us has our own unique flaws.
We're
all cracked pots.
But
if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His
Father's
table.
In
God's great economy, nothing goes to waste.
______________________________________________________
Subject:
Nothing is by accident (contributed by a God@Work subscriber)
The
brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry,
to
re-open
a church in urban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about
their
opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and
needed
much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have
their
first service on Christmas Eve.
They
worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc.,
and
on
Dec.
18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On Dec 19 a terrible
tempest,
a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st,
the
pastor went over to the church. His heart sunk when he saw that
the
roof
had
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 6 feet by 8 feet to fall
off the
front
wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.
The
pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do
but
postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he
noticed
that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so
he
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory
colored,
crochet
table cloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a cross
embroidered
right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole
in
the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.
By
this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the
opposite
direction
was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her
to
wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later She sat in a
pew
and
paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to
put
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe
how
beautiful
it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.
Then
he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was
like
a sheet. "Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
The
pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to
see
if the initials, EBG were crochet into it there. They were. These were
the
initials
of the woman, and she had made tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria.
The
woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten
the
tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband
were
well to do people in Austria. When the nazis came, she was forced
to
leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week She was
captured,
sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again.
The
pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor
keep
it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the
least
he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was
only
in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.
What
a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was
almost
full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service,
the
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that
they
would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the
neighborhood,
continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor
wondered
why he wasn't leaving.
The
man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it
was
identical
to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in
Austria
before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
He
told the pastor how the nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for
her
safety,
and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a
concentration
camp. He never saw his wife or his home again for all the
35
years in between.
The
pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride.
They
drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken
the
woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of
stairs
to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest
Christmas
reunion he could ever imagine.
True
Story -- submitted by Pastor Rob Rid
______________________________________________________
2Chr
36:14-16, 19-23; Ps 137; Eph 2:4-10; Jn 3:14-21
Alienated
from God by sin, we sit in darkness, longing for the light of
God.
Far from home, we weep rivers of tears. The songs of joy once sung are
silent. How can we rejoice in a foreign land? Searching our memories we
recall God's fidelity. Over and over God sent messengers to warn us,
but
we mocked them and despised their counsel. Too late we mourn our loss:
"How could we forget you?" Yet God is rich in mercy.
We
must not make the same mistake again and think this gift is our reward.
Jesus
reminds us that our reward is not due to something we have done. It is
through God's love that the world is saved. We have heard the words so
often, our ears are dulled to their meaning. We need to be reminded:
God
sent Jesus to us because God loves us. The paradoxical sign of this
love
is the cross. Moses gives us a glimpse of what this means. When the
people,
bitten by venomous snakes in the desert, cry out to be saved. God tells
Moses to mount a replica of the serpent on a staff. All who look
at this instrument of suffering are healed. We have a
choice.
We can die in the toxic poison of sin or turn to look upon Christ's
love
on the cross and be saved. We must not fear to examine ourselves. There
is healing in that wonderful light.
Reflection:
Am I an instrument of God's love in the world, or am I a sign of
adversity?
What healing do I need?
Peace.
. .Fr. Fred
______________________________________________________
Jer
31:31-34, Ps 51: Heb 5:7-9, Jn 12-20-33
When
we are faithful to God's law, God does not break the covenant.
God
offers a whole new covenant. Our hearts grow cold as tablets of stone,
are
broken open so that God's word can be placed within us. Create in
me
a clean heart." We pray as we scrutinize ourselves. "Wash me from
my
guilt, cleanse me of my sin."
Jesus
knows how hard-hearted we are; he shares our flesh, our prayers
and
our tears. Jesus is willing to offer his life on our behalf. He
does
not
plead
to be saved from this hour; it is the very purpose for which he came.
The
"hour" it is lifted up is not self-glorification but an inglorious
cross.
Jesus
knows that holding on to life serves no one. To love one's life to the
exclusion
of all else is to lose it. to let go of one's life is to gain something
of
infinite value. Because he learned obedience from what he suffered,
Jesus
becomes
the source of new life for us all.
Christian
baptism has a profound sense of this mystery of Christ's
dying
and rising. The new life that emerges from the tomb is far more
beautiful
than we can ever imagine.
Reflection:
How
does my heart need to be cleansed and recreated?
Where
do I see signs of new life?
______________________________________________________
Acts
9:26-31; Ps 22; 1 Jn 3:18-24; Jn 15:1-8
"Give
us a voice to sing your praise throughout this season of joy!" we
pray.
It takes a lot of courage to tell our story in the midst of the
assembly.
Paul had to testify to a community he had persecuted, and the
church
had to swallow its pride in order to accept Paul as one of their own.
Barnabas
stood between them as mediator--no wonder they call him 'son of
encouragement!"
both sides needed support in order to be reconciled. Only
through
love and forgiveness can the church make progress in faith and peace.
John
knows the church is made up of "little children," brothers and
sisters
who bicker and squabble. just talking about our problems is not
enough;
we must act accordingly. We can be sure that God is with us to heal
and
forgive despite our differences. When we love others as Jesus loves us,
everyone
can see that he is with us through the Spirit.
Jesus
uses the metaphor of a vine to illustrate how we live in him. A
branch
can produce nothing. Connected to the vine, it can be fruitful. In
order
to be productive, the barren branches must be pruned. Even the vigorous
ones
must be trimmed so that their yield may increase. What does that mean to
us?
It means we must be willing to say, " I'm sorry. Please forgive me." It
means
saying. "I forgive your." It also means standing in the middle of a
dispute
and assisting both join hands in peace. Jesus says that when we act
like
him, our lives and communities will bear much fruit. people in all ages
to
come will reap the harvest of justice we have sown.
Reflection;
is my community a fruitful vine or a dead branch? What do we need
from
one another in order to bear good fruit?
Peace.
. .Fr. Fred
