Cathedral

Incense

Vapor of Heaven,

the smell of Mercy.

Prayers rise

on tendrils of smoke

and the echoes of bells

to the throne of the Lord.

 

Icons

Windows to Heaven.

Images

of the Lord

of the blessed saints

help us enter into

the Holy of Holies.

Heads bows

Bodies prostrate

Fingers make

the sign of the Cross

Lips kiss

the hem of Grace.

 

Byzantine Chant

Music of Heaven

Ancient tones

Ring out

Comfort,

Truth,

and Faith.

 

Chalice

Body of Christ

Immersed in

the Blood of Christ.

Healing Medicine

on the tip

of a spoon.

For Those Who Have Hurt Me

And I pray for

the spirit of forgiveness

to rise up in me

so that I may bless you

instead of curse you.

I ask that I see you

through the eyes of

the spirit of compassion

instead of the eyes of

the spirit of resentment.

And I pray for the peace

that surpasses all understanding

to flood every facet

of your life

that when you lay down at night

that sleep will come

quickly and gently

and that each morning

you wake refreshed

ready to face the new day.

I pray that the Lord

bestow wisdom and discernment

upon all decisions

you have to make

that your path

always be brightly lit

with no hint of shadows

hindering your way.

I pray for your health and safety

that the Lord will keep you

in His ever extending hands

that He will protect you and shield you

from all harm

and that when the storms arise

He will harbor you

and keep your dry.

I pray that the Lord

grows you and challenges you

in the ways that He sees fit

and that through the process

that you flower

bearing a bounty of fruit.

I pray that the Lord

blesses the works of your hands

and that He turns your

failures into success

that your economic situation

will be secured.

I pray that your enemies scatter

to all directions of the wind

that the Lord rains down love

upon the fields

of your life.

And I pray that

through His strength

the Lord will give me

the willingness and courage

to love you as He loves you,

a love without any expectations,

a love that may never be returned.

Prayer of Contentment

And so this is where I find myself at.

Don’t quite know what I am doing here.

Don’t quite know where I am going.

 

But oh Lord, I praise Your Holy name.

I praise you for your hand of protection

that has brought me to this place,

the arms that have sheltered me

from the dangers I know not of.

 

I praise you that you have kept me

on bended knee, have allowed me

to experience need so that I

may be aware of your Grace.

 

I praise you for lighting my path

step by step, not mile by mile.

For I need to learn how to listen to your voice,

to trust you and be obedient

in the small day by day living.

 

I praise you for the opportunity

to grow in my suffering,

to find joy in my afflictions

because what strength

can come from a life free of obstacles?

and what radiance

can come from a life never tested, never tried?

 

And oh my sweet Lord,

I praise you for the unfulfilled desires and dashed hopes

because that is when I taste you the most

and feel with every fiber of my being

that You alone can satisfy.