Daily Prayers for August 13
In 1957, following the Supreme Court’s decision against racial segregation in Brown v. Board of Education, African-American students in Arkansas were admitted to Little Rock High School for the first time.
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 sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “Freedom Train”
I will praise the name of God in song : I will proclaim his greatness with thanksgiving.
Psalm 69:34 – 38
The afflicted shall see and be glad : you who seek God, your heart shall live.
For the Lord listens to the needy : and his prisoners he does not despise.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him : the seas and all that moves in them;
for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah : they shall live there and have it in possession.
The children of his servants will inherit it : and those who love his name will dwell therein.
I will praise the name of God in song : I will proclaim his greatness with thanksgiving.
1 Sam-uel 20:1 – 23 Matthew 27:11 – 23
I will praise the name of God in song : I will proclaim his greatness with thanksgiving.
This is a prayer of Charles de Foucauld: “Father, I abandon myself into your hands. Do with me what you will. Whatever you may 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.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, you came as a child to lead us toward your kingdom. We thank you for the dreams of the young. Fill us with wonder and give us a childlike audacity, even in the face of trials and persecution, to believe in another world despite the evidence around us, and to watch the evidence change. 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.
Daily Prayers for August 12
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 sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “Holy, Holy, Holy”
Heaven and earth are full of your glory : Hosanna in the highest!
Psalm 66:1 – 4
Be joyful in God, all you lands : sing the glory of his name; sing the glory of his praise.
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! : because of your great strength your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth bows down before you : sings to you, sings out your name.”
Come now and see the works of God : how wonderful he is in his doing toward all -people.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory : Hosanna in the highest!
1 Sam-uel 17:31 – 49 Matthew 27:1 – 10
Heaven and earth are full of your glory : Hosanna in the highest!
Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, said, “Neither revolutions nor faith can be won without keen suffering. For me Christ was not to be bought for thirty pieces of silver but with my heart’s blood. We buy not cheap in this market.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Loving God, your goodness is all around us. But sometimes it seems overshadowed by pain, death, and suffering. Assure us in times of doubt that you are the God of resurrection. May our lips sing your praise, and may our lives be a living sacrifice to you. 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.
Daily Prayers for August 11
Clare of Assisi (1194 – 1255)
Clare Offreduccio was born into Italian nobility in 1194. She ran away from home at the age of eighteen after hearing St. Francis preach on the streets of Assisi. She chose to wed Christ instead of the man her parents wanted her to marry. With Francis’ help, she founded the Franciscan monastic community of the Order of Poor Ladies (The Poor Clares) at San Damiano. Clare became abbess of the order in 1216 and led the sisters in their commitment to poverty and manual labor. Her own mother and sisters later joined the order. As abbess she fought hard to resist any papal orders that the Poor Clares establish a rule of life. She is often depicted holding a monstrance, symbolizing her use of the blessed sacrament to defend her convent from invaders.
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 the bend the knee : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Song “O Lord, Have Mercy”
In your mercy, receive us, Lord : and give us grace to cling to you.
Psalm 57:1 – 5
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful, for I have taken refuge in you : in the shadow of your wings will I take refuge until this time of trouble has gone by.
I will call upon the Most High God : the God who maintains my cause.
He will send from heaven and save me; he will confound those who trample upon me : God will send forth his love and his faithfulness.
I lie in the midst of lions that devour the -people : their teeth are spears and arrows, their tongue a sharp sword.
They have laid a net for my feet, and I am bowed low : they have dug a pit before me, but have fallen into it themselves.
In your mercy, receive us, Lord : and give us grace to cling to you.
1 Sam-uel 17:17 – 30 Matthew 26:69 – 75
In your mercy, receive us, Lord : and give us grace to cling to you.
When the pope offered to absolve Clare from her rigorous vow of poverty, she answered, “Absolve me from my sins, Holy Father, but not from my wish to follow Christ.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, help us to be faithful, even when we face our own fears. Remind us that we are your children, even when we feel inadequate. We know that you have overcome giants and crosses and all things evil. Help our unbelief. 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.
Daily Prayers for August 10
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 the bend the knee : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Song “I Want -Jesus to Walk with Me”
Help us, God, by your power : to trust you now and every hour.
Psalm 54
Save me, O God, by your name : in your might, defend my cause.
Hear my prayer, O God : give ear to the words of my mouth.
For the arrogant have risen up against me, and the ruthless have sought my life : those who have no regard for God.
Behold, God is my helper : it is the Lord who sustains my life.
Render evil to those who spy on me : in your faithfulness, destroy them.
I will offer you a freewill sacrifice : and praise your name, O Lord, for it is good.
For you have rescued me from every trouble : and my eye has seen the ruin of my foes.
Help us, God, by your power : to trust you now and every hour.
1 Sam-uel 16:14 – 17:11 Matthew 26:57 – 68
Help us, God, by your power : to trust you now and every hour.
Listen to these words of Starets Zosima in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novel The Brothers Karamazov: “At some thoughts one stands perplexed, above all at the sight of human sin, and wonders whether to combat it by force or by humble love. Always decide ‘I will combat it by humble love.’ If you resolve on that once and for all, you can conquer the whole world. Loving humility is a terrible force: it is the strongest of all things, and there is nothing else like it.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
God of love and Prince of Peace, give us courage in the face of trouble. Walk with us and give us a power that is not like that of chariots or armies. Arm us with grace. Make our tongues sharp with truth. Walk with us amid the principalities and powers of this dark 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.
Daily Prayers for August 9
Franz Jägerstätter (1907 – 1943)
Franz Jägerstätter was a humble Catholic peasant born to a poor German farm maid in the small town of Radegund, Upper Austria. He was baptized, married, and worked as a sexton in the same small parish. Though he was never part of any formal resistance groups, Franz was his village’s sole conscientious objector to the annexation of Austria to Germany under Hitler. He felt deeply that his Christian faith could not permit him to fight in Hitler’s army. Even under pressure by local priests and bishops to conform and serve in the military, Franz refused. He was imprisoned and beheaded for his refusal to serve in the Nazi army.
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 sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “When the Saints Go Marching In”
Give us courage to confess your name : and go with you against the grain.
Psalm 46:5 – 10
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God : the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be overthrown : God shall help her at the break of day.
The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are shaken : God has spoken, and the earth shall melt away.
The Lord of hosts is with us : the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come now and look upon the works of the Lord : what awesome things he has done on earth.
It is he who makes war to cease in all the world : he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, and burns the shields with fire.
Give us courage to confess your name : and go with you against the grain.
1 Sam-uel 16:1 – 13 Matthew 26:47 – 56
Give us courage to confess your name : and go with you against the grain.
A quote from Franz Jägerstätter: “Through his bitter suffering and death, Christ freed us only from eternal death, not from temporal suffering and mortal death. But Christ, too, demands a public confession of our faith, just as the Führer, Adolf Hitler, does from his followers.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Sovereign Lord, forgive us for choosing violence instead of grace. Give us the courage to trust that the cross is more powerful than the sword. We thank you for the assurance that, in the end, love wins. Help us to live without fear in the light of your promise. 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.
Daily Prayers for August 8
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 sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “Go, Tell It on the Mountain”
Help us to watch and pray, -Jesus : prepare our hearts to wonder.
Psalm 40:1 – 6
I waited patiently upon the Lord : he stooped to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay : he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God : many shall see, and stand in awe, and put their trust in the Lord.
Happy are they who trust in the Lord! : they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.
Great things are they that you have done, O Lord my God! how great your wonders and your plans for us! : there is none who can be compared with you.
Oh, that I could make them known and tell them! : but they are more than I can count.
Help us to watch and pray, -Jesus : prepare our hearts to wonder.
1 Sam-uel 15:24 – 35 Matthew 26:36 – 46
Help us to watch and pray, -Jesus : prepare our hearts to wonder.
These are the words of thirteenth-century poet and mystic Hadewijch of Antwerp:
The madness of love
is a blessed fate;
and if we understood this
we would seek no other:
it brings into unity
what was divided,
and this is the truth:
bitterness it makes sweet,
it makes the stranger a neighbor,
and what was lowly it raises on high.
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, train us to hear your voice. When it is time to grieve, help us to grieve. When it is time to rejoice, help us to rejoice. When we grow weary, be the strength in our weakness. And may your most beautiful and perfect will, not ours, be done. 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.
Daily Prayers for August 7
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 sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “It Is Well with My Soul”
Teach us to trust in you, O Lord : and follow your way to the end.
Psalm 37:1 – 6
Do not fret yourself because of evildoers : do not be jealous of those who do wrong.
For they shall soon wither like the grass : and like the green grass fade away.
Put your trust in the Lord and do good : dwell in the land and feed on its riches.
Take delight in the Lord : and he shall give you your heart’s desire.
Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him : and he will bring it to pass.
He will make your righteous-ness as clear as the light : and your just dealing as the noonday.
Teach us to trust in you, O Lord : and follow your way to the end.
1 Sam-uel 15:1 – 3, 7 – 23 Matthew 26:26 – 35
Teach us to trust in you, O Lord : and follow your way to the end.
Hear these words of church father Augustine of Hippo: “Our pilgrimage on earth cannot be exempt from trial. We actually progress by means of trial. We do not know ourselves except through trial, or receive a crown except after victory.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, we take comfort in knowing that you have shared in our trials. You know pain and betrayal, and you are familiar with suffering. Strengthen us in hard times and remind us that you have overcome the evil of this 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.
Daily Prayers for August 6
The Transfiguration
In 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, marking the first use of a nuclear weapon against -people. As we remember the transfiguration of Christ in the mysterious light of glory, we also remember all those who were tragically and senselessly transfigured by the first nuclear blast. May their memory help us to see a way toward peace in our time.
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 sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “We Are Marching in the Light of God”
Overwhelm us with your beauty, Lord : and make us to shine like stars.
Psalm 99:5 – 9
Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God and fall down before his footstool : he is the Holy One.
Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among those who call upon his name : they called upon the Lord, and he answered them.
He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud : they kept his testimonies and the decree that he gave them.
“O Lord our God, you answered them indeed : you were a God who forgave them, yet punished them for their evil deeds.”
Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God and worship him upon his holy hill : for the Lord our God is the Holy One.
Overwhelm us with your beauty, Lord : and make us to shine like stars.
Exodus 34:29 – 35 Luke 9:28 – 36
Overwhelm us with your beauty, Lord : and make us to shine like stars.
Hear this story of the desert fathers: “Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, ‘Abba, as far as I can I say my little office, I fast a little, I pray and meditate, I live in peace and as far as I can, I purify my thoughts. What else can I do?’ Then the old man stood up and stretched his hands towards heaven. His fingers became like ten lamps of fire and he said to him, ‘If you will, you can become all flame.’ ”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Creator of the Universe, thank you for your dazzling imagination. Set a fire inside us that burns with your love. Help us to shine as you shine, so that -people might not see us but see you shining through us. 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.
Daily Prayers for August 5
In 1963, the United States, the USSR, and Great Britain signed a treaty banning nuclear testing in the atmosphere. President John F. Kennedy quoted Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev, saying they both hoped to avoid a nuclear war in which “the survivors would envy the dead.”
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 sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “-Jesus, Help Us Live in Peace”
Show us your beauty, Lord : in the face of an enemy, creation restored!
Psalm 27:5 – 9
One thing have I asked of the Lord; one thing I seek : that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life;
to behold the fair beauty of the Lord : and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe in his shelter : he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling and set me high upon a rock.
Even now he lifts up my head : above my enemies round about me.
Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation with sounds of great gladness : I will sing and make music to the Lord.
Show us your beauty, Lord : in the face of an enemy, creation restored!
1 Sam-uel 14:16 – 45 Matthew 26:17 – 25
Show us your beauty, Lord : in the face of an enemy, creation restored!
Twentieth-century priest and spiritual writer Henri Nouwen said, “That is our vocation: to convert the enemy into a guest and to create the free and fearless space where brotherhood and sisterhood can be formed and fully experienced.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Dear Lord, remind us that no one is above reproach, and no one is beyond redemption. Help us to look into the eyes of -people we find hard to like, and see your image. Assure us this day that your mercy triumphs over judgment. 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.
Daily Prayers for August 4
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 sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “What Is This Place?”
Bring us home to you, O God : here in this place, and wherever we may go.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd : I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures : and leads me beside still waters.
He revives my soul : and guides me along right pathways for his name’s sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil : for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me : you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over.
Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life : and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Bring us home to you, O God : here in this place, and wherever we may go.
1 Sam-uel 13:19 – 14:15 Matthew 26:1 – 16
Bring us home to you, O God : here in this place, and wherever we may go.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “God has identified himself with the hungry, the sick, the naked, the homeless; hunger, not only for bread, but for love, for care, to be somebody to someone; nakedness, not of clothing only, but nakedness of that compassion that very few -people give to the unknown; homelessness, not only for a shelter made of stone, but that homelessness that comes from having no one to call your own.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
God, we know that you never fail us. Even in our suffering and loneliness, help us to hear the whisper of your love. Be our refuge and shelter, and remind us over and over that we are your beloved children. 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.
