For 2014, it's about the English language - words, expressions and all those constructs that support the architecture of communication and expression.

2 January 2014

Festival of agony
dunderheaded - stupid
grotty - unpleasant and of poor quality
irenic - aimed at peace
cavalcade - a series of related things; motorcade, etc (in the purest sense)

For humility

Dear God,

There are times when I have fabricated plans and schemes in my head after hours of contemplation and thought. These all seem to be very well developed and entirely examined for flaws and inconsistencies.  I have spent much time on them because they ultimately serve to edify your Kingdom on earth.

Yet, I am guilty of acting out of my own will and not necessarily yours.  I over think and step beyond my boundaries and reach, fully knowledgeable that in so doing I am not completely serving you but I am perhaps serving me more than anyone else.  I am truly sorry.  I get caught in the doing and lose sight of the purpose of my grind and sweat: your praise and honor through every living act.

Give me the grace to wait on you and to listen to your will through the angels you place all around me - givers of good counsel and judgment that will help me in the ministry you have given me to manage.  Give me humility to let go of those things which I have made non-negotiable items of discussion.  Give me the strength to let others speak when I should be silent; to let others lead in your glorification when I should follow; to let your divine providence guide the way in every project in which I embark.  So that, when all is said and done, everyone will know that your intervention made everything perfect and harmonious, promoting love and charity above all other human emotions.

Allow me to be small so that you may be magnificent.

AMEN.

For those whose life ends unexpectedly

Giver of life,

In you life itself has its origin.  Indeed you are the wellspring of all living organisms that inhabit the earth.  As the chief architect of this matter, it should be your call when a particular life should eclipse.
However, there are times when other living creatures decide that they need to usurp that role from you.
Tonight I pray for those people who, possessed by the most visceral of emotions - anger, retribution, envy, contempt - decide to end the life of another, with confounding violence and malignity.  I pray for their damaged hearts and perturbed minds.  I also pray for those who must endure a shattering loss, surprisingly and devastatingly.  May you provide consolation; may they find solace and ultimately restoration and security that you have embraced and welcomed their loved one amidst the chaos and uncertainty.

Amen.

For those battered and beaten

Father of Consolation,

I pray this afternoon for all those who might be battered and beaten by those who claim to love them unconditionally; by those who appear as their protectors, husbands, fathers, boyfriends; by those whose actions should be the polar opposite of what actually transpires in daily life.

I pray for the well being of their children.  I pray for the restoration of their dignity, the healing of their wounds both visible and invisible, the realization that no human being is worthy of inflicting injury and damage to such an extent.

I for the psychological health of everyone impacted by the blows and bruises.  May each stakeholder find the strength to emancipate themselves from the slavery of chaos and abuse, fully knowledgeable of your relentless love and support, especially in tribulation of this magnitude.

Come to their aid and lift their spirits so that they may live in joy and peace.

Amen.

For healing

Miraculous God,

Your son, during his pilgrimage on earth, healed and cured so many believers.  He performed a wide variety of miracles to the amazement and bewilderment of many of his contemporaries.  Each town he visited was blessed with the gift of healing.

I pray for all those who have a family member or loved one who may have received the crippling news that their condition has no remedy; that life for them is a fleeting iceberg; that termination is the inevitable future.

May you comfort them with your boundless and unrelenting love.  Assuage all fear and anxiety and replace them with peace and tranquility, with the knowledge that you are the watchful commander over the entire ordeal and that you have already taken measures to make a murky and morbid situation, one filled with your holy and magnificent presence.  May they know that you have sent angels and guardians to allay and make stable all inclemency and travails.

We know that this earthly journey is our only passage into the eternal life that is promised to us in scripture and teaching.  Therefore, even if the current situation seems futile and disheartening, we stand triumphant and joyful with the confidence that our loved ones are headed to eternal glory with you and those who have gone before us.

Grant every son, daughter, mother, father, wife, husband, sister, brother the equanimity to stand tall and strong in the face of adversity with the assurance that you have a perfect plan for each person.

Amen.

For serenity

All-powerful God,

Your beloved son was able to calm the tumultuous waters with one commanding instruction.  Surely, you power is immense and your omnipotence proven and timeless.

I ask you today for the ability to remain serene and calm even when the torrents that surround me seemed poised to drown and engulf me without escape or recourse.  Allow me to see the clarity and purity of the water as a cleansing agent, as a prism through which I can see your image and your will for my life.

Give me the equanimity to understand that only in struggle can I truly discover my strengths and capacity, while reveling in your mercy and presence; you are by my side even when I may not realize how present you really are in every single step and twist.

Thank you for being such a font of encouragement and support - my rock, my deliverer.

Amen.

For perseverance

Eternal Father,

The journey of life is replete with valleys, ditches, bumps, mountains and the great terrain of the basins.  Each chapter seems to pose a unique challenge.

However, my current trial seems to consume all remaining energy, patience and tenacity I have in the arsenal.  I don't understand why this is happening.  Do you judge me capable of enduring the race?  Do you not see my wounds, my sweat, my lack of breath, my desperation, anguish, disgust, bitterness and how this course is turning me into a different person?  Could I be as strong as you think I am?  I know you made me in your image and that for you all things are possible, but don't you know that I look away from the mirror and that I forget!

Allow me, in your kindness, to hold steadfast to your timeless promises and to secure my anchor in your wisdom, mercy and love, so that not matter how tough and ruthless the current, I can stand strong and formidable, with my eyes set on you.

In the end, you will be proud of me.  In the meantime, I seek your encouragement and help.

With pleading songs,

Amen.

Lilly Goodman - In the end (a beautiful song)