Psalm 12

Come to our aid, O Beloved!

Darkness seems to pervade the earth;

Where is the faith, the integrity

that once lived in the hearts of your people?

Where is the truth, the trust

that made its hope in us?

O Love, cleanse us from our double talk,

Create in us new and single hearts,

Spare us from those who think,

"Our speeches will win over all.

Words are our weapons;

No one can master us!"

"For the hearts of those who call to Me,

For those who cry out with wholeness,

I shall now make myself known,"

says the Beloved;

"I shall make myself known in their hearts."

The promises of love are pure,

like silver refined in a crucible,

like gold purified seven times.

Be our safeguard, O Blessed One,

Stay close by throughout these dark days

where unloving hearts seem to abound.

Come to our aid, O Beloved!

From Psalms For Praying by Nan C. Merrill

Psalm 23

O my Beloved, you are my shepherd,

I shall not want;

You bring me to green pastures for rest

and lead me beside still waters

renewing my spirit,

You restore my soul.

You lead me in the path of goodness

to follow Love's way.

Even though I walk through the

valley of the shadow and of death,

I am not afraid;

For you are ever with me

your rod and your staff they guide me,

they give me strength and comfort.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of all my fears;

you bless me with oil,

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me

all the days of my life;

and I shall dwell in the heart

of the Beloved forever.

Taken from Psalms for Praying by Nan C. Merrill

Psalm for a Stalled Heart

My heart is cold today, O God.

I feel no burning desire,

no zeal to pray or be with you.

My heart is frozen by the chill of emptiness -

sluggish and stalled.

Send forth your Spirit

to revive my heart.

Spark it with a relish for service,

with a longing to pray.

Take me beyond the need to feel

the reassurance of a lover's heart.

May I seek to love and serve you,

even when my wintry heart

declines to dance

with springtime grace.

Remind me with the ageless truth

that we become what we pretend to be.

And as this long day passes,

may I begin to glimpse a glowing warmth

beyond my words and deeds,

the marriage of what I would be

and what I am.

And may my desire

to be your flame of warmth and love

spark other stalled souls

to come alive, aflame in you.

May this be so, O God, may this be so.

From "Prayers For A Planetary Pilgrim" by Edward Hays

Teach us to be for our children …

Teach us to listen and not be afraid; to trust in God's promise.

Teach us to love courageously with a heart that is true and just.

Teach us to protect one another, and all that belongs to God.

Teach us to dream a world where all are neighbors, a vision illumined by God's Light.

Teach us to keep the Word of God close to our hearts, to proclaim it in word and action.

Teach us to be gentle with our power and strong in our tenderness.

Teach us to be for our children, a living lesson of goodness and truth; a blessing of hope for all generations to come.

From: Ministry of the Arts | Congregation of St. Joseph