The Anima Christi

Lothar Schreyer

“Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds hide me.
Permit me not to be separated from you.
From the wicked foe, defend me.
At the hour of my death, call me
and bid me come to you.
That with your saints I may praise you.
For ever and ever.

Amen.”

• Attributed to Saint Ignatius of Loyola

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• Found at at Jesuit Resources

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Responsive Readings and Prayers For The New Year

Responsive Prayer:
“Gracious God,
You are Everlasting Love and Forever Faithful.
Grant us so to pass through
the coming year with faithful hearts,
that we may be able in all things
to please Thy loving eyes.
(Mozarabic, 700 A.D.)

Bless us, O Lord,
and bless the time and seasons
yet to come.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
And fill this new year with your kindness,
that we may be glad and rejoice
all the days of our life.
Amen.
(Fr Victor Hoagland, C.P.)

Responsive Reading:
Let us praise the Lord of days and seasons and years, saying:
Glory to God in the highest!
And peace to his people on earth!

Our lives are made of days and nights, of seasons and years,
for we are part of a universe of suns and moons and planets.
We mark ends and we make beginnings and, in all, we
praise God for the grace and mercy that fill our days.

Responsive Prayer:
Remember us, O God;
from age to age be our comforter.
You have given us the wonder of time,
blessings in days and nights, seasons and years.
Bless your children at the turning of the year
and fill the months ahead with the bright hope
that is ours in the coming of Christ.
You are our God, living and reigning, forever and ever.
Amen.

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• Adapted from The Prayer Book Guide to Christian Education noting Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers

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A Responsive Reading About The Life of Love

“What is the great and first commandment?
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind.

What is the second commandment like it?
Love your neighbor as yourself.

What does this mean?
Love is the fulfilling of the law.

To what does this call us?
To a life of faith working through love.
(Based on Matthew 22:37040)

Hear the teaching of Christ:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another just as I have loved you.”

(from John 13:34, SRSV)

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• Found in The Worship Sourcebook published by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, 2004)

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"One Breath"

“One breath to let go.
One breath to be present.
One breath to ask, “Now what?”

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• (Credited to Thich Nhat Hanh and found in the Interfaith Ministry Handbook)

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"The Only Moment"

“Breathing in, I calm body and mind.
Breathing out, I smile with joy.
Dwelling in the present, this is the only moment.”

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• (Credited to Thich Nhat Hanh and found in the Interfaith Ministry Handbook)

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A Prayer for World Peace, 1978

“We pray for the power to be gentle;
the strength to be forgiving;
the patience to be understanding;
and the endurance to accept the consequences
of holding on to what we believe to be right.

May we put our trust in the power of good to overcome evil and the power of love to overcome hatred.”

We pray for the vision to see and the faith to believe in a world emancipated from violence,
a new world where fear shall no longer lead men or women to commit injustice,
nor selfishness make them bring suffering to others.

Help us to devote our whole life and thought and energy
to the task of making peace,
praying always for the inspiration and the power
to fulfill the destiny for which we and all men and women were created.

- Author Unknown, Offered by Beth Amyot

• Found at Xavier.edu // Jesuit Resource page.

Advent Week Four

The Collect

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Old Testament // Isaiah 7:10-16

“Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test. Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.”

The Epistle // Romans 1:1-7

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Gospel // Matthew 1:18-25

“Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.”

A Litany of Thanksgiving (Book of Common Prayer)

Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us.

For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea.
We thank you, Lord.

For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ,
We thank you, Lord.

For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends,
We thank you, Lord.

For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,
We thank you, Lord.

For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,
We thank you, Lord.

For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,
We thank you, Lord.

For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,
We thank you, Lord.

For the communion of saints, in all times and places,
We thank you, Lord.

Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;
To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the
Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

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Taken from the Book of Common Prayer Online.

A Responsive Prayer Not To Just Pray

Eternal God,

You alone are Just and Righteous and Holy.

You alone are Good, Right, and Perfect.

You tells us that your eyes are on the righteous and that you hear our prayers (1 Peter 3:12) and that You the Spirit even helps us when we don’t know what to pray (Romans 8:26-27).

So we “approach Your throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16)

We pray to You, today to bring about Your Shalom; peace and flourishing for all Your children; that your will be done here and now as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10).

And we acknowledge that we are your ambassadors in and a broken and hurting world.

So we pray that we not merely pray to you, O God, to end war;

For we know that You have made the world in such a way that we must find our own path to peace: with You, within ourselves and with our neighbors.

As you have reconciled your people to yourself, we ask that you would equip and embolden us as your ministers of reconciliation here and now.

We do not merely pray that You, O God, would end starvation; For You have already given us the resources to feed the entire world, if we would only use them wisely.

We ask for wisdom with the resources you have given your people; that we would use them to further Your kingdom rather than our own.

We do not merely pray that You, O God, root out prejudice; For You have already given us eyes with which to see the good in all people, if we would only use them rightly.

You have shown us, O God, “what is good” and what You require of us: “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with You, our God” (Micah 6:8).

Empower us, O God, to humbly love the strangers in our midst, because we were once strangers to You (Deuteronomy 10:19).

Make us more like You, O God, who shows no favoritism to any country or people (Acts 10:34), protect us from believing that our country, our skin, or our position in society makes us any better than anyone else.

Remind us, O God, that Love does no wrong to a neighbor (Romans 13:10), and let us not justify our lack of love by asking: “who is my neighbor” (Luke 10:29), but form us into a people that owes nothing to anyone but Love (Romans 13:8).

We do not merely pray that You, O God, would end despair; For You have already given us the power to clear away slums and to give hope, if we would only use our power justly.

God, you have shown us that where your people are, the ideal is that there should be no needy people among us (Acts 4:34). Help us understand that we are stewards of Your resources and to use them wisely so that people will see our generosity and praise You (2 Corinthians 9:13).

We do not merely pray that You, O God, would end disease; For You have already given us great minds with which to search out cures and healing, if we would only use them constructively.

God, grant us the humble confidence to stand against systems which enable those who oppress the poor to increase their own wealth (Proverbs 22:16).

We pray to You, O God, for strength, determination and will power,

To do and not just ask,

To become instead of merely to wish.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10)

For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. (Matthew 6:13)

Amen.

(Adapted from a prayer by Jack Riemer featured at Social Justice Resource Center)

Identity In Christ: A Responsive Prayer

Eternal God,

Uncreated Creator,

Life-giver and Sustainer,

You created us in your image.

From the beginning, you made us to show the world who you are and what you are like.

To find our identity in you.

From the beginning, you blessed so that we would be blessings. (Genesis 12:2)

To find our identity in you.

And yet we stray.

Prone to wander, Lord we feel it.

When Jesus went out to John to be baptized (Matthew 3:13-17),

he did not do so out of repentance.

But to identify with his people.

God dwelt among us.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him (John 1:10).

But, you have redeemed a people for yourself.

You have blessed us to be a blessing.

Through the work of You the Holy Spirit, we are united to You the Son

so that what is true of Jesus is true of us.

We find our identity in Jesus.

When Jesus went out to John to be baptized,

the skies parted, the Spirit descended like a dove, and the Father’s voice said:

You are my child and I am well-pleased.

Lord, help us to believe this about ourselves.

We are your children and your are well-pleased with us.

Even when we are not.

If God is for us, who can be against us?

What shall separate us from the love of God in Christ?

Nothing.

Shall trouble?

No.

Hardship?

No.

Persecution?

No.

Famine?

No.

Nakedness?

No.

Danger?

No.

or sword?

Not even swords shall separate us from the love of God in Christ. (Romans 8)

We know that “whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.” (1 Corinthians 6:17)

After Jesus was baptized, You the Spirit sent him to be tempted, and Satan took the chance to question Jesus’ identity (Matthew 4:1-11).

Satan tested: If you are really are the Son of God . . .

The world asks the same question to us: Are you really loved by God?

Yes.

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3).

We are God’s children and He is well-pleased with us.

We are convinced that nothing will be able to separate us from the Love of God in Christ.

Not death, nor life,

Neither angels, nor demons,

Neither the present, nor the future,

Nor any powers, neither height nor depth,

Nor anything else in all creation

will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ. (Romans 8:38-39)