Daily Prayers for February 29

O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you

as the day rises to meet the sun.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Come, let us bow down and bend the knee : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Song “Steal Away to -Jesus”

Whisper to us when we feel alone : sweet songs from around your throne.

Psalm 142:1 4

I cry to the Lord with my voice : to the Lord I make loud supplication.

I pour out my complaint before him : and tell him all my trouble.

When my spirit languishes within me, you know my path : in the way wherein I walk they have hidden a trap for me.

I look to my right hand and find no one who knows me : I have no place to flee to, and no one cares for me.

Whisper to us when we feel alone : sweet songs from around your throne.

Genesis 42:29 – 38 Hebrews 13:17 – 25

Whisper to us when we feel alone : sweet songs from around your throne.

Jean Vanier, founder of the L’Arche communities, has written, “Almost everyone finds their early days in a community ideal. It all seems perfect. They feel they are surrounded by saints, heroes, or at the least, most exceptional -people who are everything they want to be themselves. And then comes the let-down. The greater their idealization of the community at the start, the greater the disenchantment. If -people manage to get through this second period, they come to a third phase — ​that of realism and of true commitment. They no longer see other members of the community as saints or devils, but as -people — ​each with a mixture of good and bad, darkness and light, each growing and each with their own hope. The community is neither heaven nor hell, but planted firmly on earth, and they are ready to walk in it, and with it. They accept the community and the other members as they are; they are confident that together they can grow towards something more beautiful.”

Prayers for Others

Our Father

Lord -Jesus Christ, you alone are without sin. Grant us the grace to see ourselves and one another as you see us, stained but washed in your reconciling blood. Help us maintain concord and unity among ourselves so that your -people might be strengthened to go forth into the world. Amen.

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;

may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;

may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;

may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.

Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers: A Few Ideas

1.   Mow your neighbor’s grass.

2.   Create a directory of spiritual mentors and help folks find them.

3.   Practice radical hospitality, which includes the willingness to be a guest. Next time you make a vacation or business trip, stay in homes instead of hotels.

4.   Ask the next person who asks you for change to join you for dinner.

5.   Invest money in a micro-lending bank.

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