Catholic Meditations

I woke up this morning
to the song of a robin
singing his morning prayers to the dawn,
announcing a new day.

I woke up this morning
to the gift of a new day,
a moment to raise up my heart to You, O Lord,
another opportunity
to be your light,
showing the daylight of Your hope
to the dark world around me.

O Lord,
Help me to be this day
sunlit with the Son's light,
and that as I go about my day,
I leave the places I go
Brighter with your love.

Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2007

Labels: Discipleship, Morning Prayer

Teach me, O Lord each morning, to see every single day,
The touch of your most perfect love upon life's weary way,
The touch of your supporting hand upon my weary life,
The touch of your unexpected peace that heals the deepest strife.

Teach me, O Lord, each morning to remember as I go
That you walked the way upon the earth, each step from heel to toe,
Dust and laughter along the way you've felt, the taste of joy and pain,
The burning of the summer sun, the blessing of the rain.

Teach me, O Lord each morning, that when you said "Come follow me,"
You knew that I could walk that way, no impossibility
Because you blazoned out the path, with hope and love and cross,
And walk it ever with me, in happiness or loss.

Susan E. Stone, 2007

Labels: Discipleship, Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer on a Sick Day

At this moment, Lord,
I come to you,
frail,
ill,
so aware of my mortality,
and full of knowledge of
how small a speck I am in the face
of an immense universe.

And yet,
rather than despair,
I instead
remember a time
you chose to become
frail,
vunerable,
grieved,
tortured,
and executed
by a miserable death
for all the poor
vunerable,
sinful
small specks that we are
for love.

Thank you Lord,
for holding our hands
when the days are dark.

Let me offer all my fears
and sorrows
on the altar of your love,
Hide me in your Sacred Heart,
for only there will I find my peace.

Susan E. Stone, 2004

Labels: Morning Prayer, Suffering

Morning Prayer to the Sacred Heart

This day, O Lord,
may all my works, words and thoughts
be permeated by the sweet love you have given me,
and give willingly to all who will accept it.

Use my imperfect hands to pass on the wonder of your touch,
Use my mouth, too often guilty of words of harm, to pass on words of your blessing,
Use my imperfect mind to realize your presence even in the most unseemly person,
and thus kindle in me
and those I come in contact with
the fire of your love.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
gentle and humble,
loving beyond comprehension,
make my heart like yours.

Labels: Morning Prayer, Sacred Heart

Morning Prayer

O my Jesus,

On this day, and every day, I give you myself to you.

I offer you my today with all its sorrows, pain, pitfalls.

I offer you my today, with all its hopes and joys, pleasant anticipations, enjoyments.

I offer you my today, full of opportunity to say your name, to draw close to you, to call you dear.


Use my hands, beloved Master,
Use my words, my feet, my heart
as tools to spread your light,
to heal the sick,
comfort the sorrowful,
help those in need
pointing the way back to you.

Let me remember always
the sorrow and pain you willingly bore
to give me life with you,
and ever in thanks and joy and wonder
may I speak your holy name with love and awe.

Amen

Labels: Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer

Dear Lord,

This day I give you my heart,
teach me to love you more and more each day,
and see your face in all those around me,
even those hard to love
and especially those who hate me.

This day I give you my knees,
where I come to meet you in prayer,
to learn the sweet truths of meekness
and gentleness of heart,
which are never learned standing tall and proud,
to learn to keep you
as my first and foremost treasure,
goal,
love.

This day I give you my hands,
may I clasp them often in prayer,
may you use them to do your holy work,
to build,
strengthen,
comfort,
aid.

This day I give you my feet,
may they walk always in your ways,
and step nimbly over the pitfalls and traps
that the enemy sets,
may they take me at last to my home with you.

Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2003

Labels: Morning Prayer

Morning Offering

Dear Lord,
On this day,
and every day,
I offer you my heart,
Hide it in your own sacred heart.

I offer my thoughts,
may they be centered in you,
thinking of you,
thinking like you.

I offer you my fears,
for you are the refuge from fear,
the rock against the storm.

I offer you my hopes,
for you are the source of all hope.

I offer you my pride;
it is more than I want or know how to use.

I offer you my sorrow,
for you are the source of all consolations.

I offer you my pain,
for you give dignity to pain
by your sacrifice for all of us.

I offer you my feet,
may they walk only in the paths you choose.

I offer you my hands
may they be busy at your work.

I offer you my lips,
may they only speak in love,
never in hurt,
for your glory,
today and every day.

Amen.

Susan E. Stone

Labels: Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer

O Lord,
today I offer you up all my trials
my worries,
my insecurities,
my doubts,
my fears.

Instead of my trials, let me think of your passion.
Instead of my worries, let me remember the care you
have for even the sparrow,
Instead of my insecurities, let me remember your
promise to be with me,
Instead of my doubts, let me think of your followers on
the morning of your ressurection,
Instead of my fears, let my thoughts dwell upon you in
the garden of olives.

Lord, today, tomorrow and every day, be my strength.

May I do everything through your power,
for your glory,
as if I were doing it for you.

Amen.

Susan E. Stone

Labels: Morning Prayer