God our Father,
inspire us with a great respect
for all human life
from the time of the child
growing in the womb
to the point of death.
May that respect lead us
to grow in a sense of responsibility
for all our brothers and sisters
throughout the world,
knowing that, where one person suffers
and is degraded,
all of humanity is belittled and abused.
May we grow in a sense of love and care
for those less fortunate than ourselves,
and lead us to do something
about the troubles in our world.
Amen.
(NH)

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God our Father,
may no-one’s negative actions
ever overpower my determination
to choose to live in a positive way.
I know that to forgive someone
can be far from being an easy option,
and I know that forgiveness
isn’t somehow pretending
that something wrong hasn’t happened.
Instead it is being generous, Father
- as your Son showed in his dying words -
in being willing to release the other person
from what natural justice demands
should be ‘punishment’ for wrong-doing.
Isn’t this, Father,
what is meant by “your mercy”
and what we are to do
in being called
to “be merciful” ourselves? Mt 57
For what I have done wrong, Father,
forgive me
to the extent that I am generous and gracious
in forgiving - or truly hoping to forgive -
those who have done wrong to me. Lk 114
Empower me
to break the cycle
of any hatred, resentment or bitterness,
always resisting evil Rom 1221
and conquering it with goodness.
Bring your healing and peace and wholeness
into the lives of those I pray for,
and into mine. Amen.
(NH)

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Father,
perhaps you have best been described as “love” 1 Jn 48
and, as “love keeps no record of wrongs”, 1 Cor 135
I rejoice in the completeness
of your personal love and acceptance
of each one of us.
Lead me each day to be faithful
and grow closer to Jesus
who calls me his friend. Jn 1514
It is through him and in him, Father,
that I am enabled to see you most fully: Col 115
you who call me by name. Is 431
(NH)

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Loving Lord,
you tell us in the Bible
that whatever wrong we have done
you tread down our faults
to the bottom of the sea. Mic 719
We know there is no need
to keep thinking
about what we have done in the past, Is 4318
because you pardon
the wrongs we have done,
and you delight in showing mercy. Mic 718
You bind up all our wounds Ps 1473
and you renew us by your love. Zeph 317
Lord, you love all that you have made, Wis 1124
and it is your very nature
to love and forgive.
Lead us to be generous
in accepting and forgiving others
in the same way
as you accept and forgive us. Amen.


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Lord, I acknowledge my sinfulness.
I ask you to empower me
with your Holy Spirit,
that I may resist temptation
and “choose life
rather than death”, Deut 30:19
- good rather than evil -
in the ordinary circumstances
of my daily life. Amen.

Penetrate these murky corners
where we hide our memories
and tendencies on which we do not care to look,
but which we will not yield freely up to you,
that you may purify and transmute them.
The persistent buried grudge,
the half-acknowledged enmity
which is still smouldering,
the bitterness of that loss
we have not turned into sacrifice,
the private comfort we cling to,
the secret fear of failure
which saps our initiative
and is really inverted pride,
the pessimism which is an insult to your joy.
Lord, we bring all these to you,
and we review them
with shame and penitence
in your steadfast light.
(Evelyn Underhill)

Lord, inspire me to give of my best
and make good use
of the talents you have given me.
Show me how to be positive in attitude,
appreciating and valuing others,
always being ready to encourage
and give praise.
Sometimes I draw conclusions about people
in terms of what I think
is meant by “success” and “failure”,
but the “failure” of one person
might count as a great “success”
of someone with other talents.
Lead me never to judge people
but to accept others as they are,
knowing that it is together,
each with our differences,
that we build up your Kingdom. Amen.

God to enfold me,
God to surround me,
God in my speaking,
God in my thinking.
God in my sleeping,
God in my waking,
God in my watching,
God in my hoping.
God in my life,
God in my lips,
God in my soul,
God in my heart.
God in my sufficing,
God in my slumber,
God in my ever-living soul,
God in mine eternity.
(Carmina Gadelica)

Father and lover of life,
you know the depths of my innermost self,
and you understand me.
You protect me on every side,
shielding me from all harm.
When you put me together
in my mother’s womb,
you knew all about me.
I thank you for the wonder of myself,
and I stand in awe
at all that you have made.
As you know and love me,
so may I come to know and love you.
Guide me in your ways.
(NH: based on Ps 139)

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Loving Lord,
I often see on the TV news
examples of inhumanity to others
- people being tortured, abused,
injured or killed.
I need to remind myself
that the commandment “do not kill”
also refers to my attitude
and what I do each day,
because it is in smaller ways
that I can destroy people
if I ignore them
or cut them off
or do them down.
Loving Lord, inspire me
to take care of the smaller things of life
as well as the bigger issues. Amen.
(NH)

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