Meteora, Greece
Opening Prayer
Lord to turn away from you is to fall. To turn to you is to rise. To stand before you is to abide forever. -Augustine of Hippo (354-430) (Silent reflection) Prayer of the Bible You O God save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness. For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. -Psalm 18:27-30 (Free expression of praise and thanksgiving to God) Confession of Sin Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! Hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness. -Psalm 130:1-4 (Time of silence for confession of sin) The Words of Jesus “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. -John 15:1-5 (Think deeply on these life-giving words of Jesus) Prayers for ourselves and others In all my prayers for others, I always pray with Joy. -Philippians 1:4 (Time to bring before God our own needs and the needs of others) Closing Prayer Father, I abandon myself into Your hands. Do with me what You will. Whatever You do, I will thank You. I am ready for all. I accept all. Let only Your will be done in me, as in all Your creatures, and I’ll ask nothing else, my Lord. Into your hands I commend my soul; I give it to You with all the love of my heart, For I love You, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into Your hands, for You are my Father. -Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916) 
Wittenberg, Germany
|
