Alleluia Blessings - An Easter Prayer
written by Kathleen McAvoy, O.P.

Flowers blooming,
Eggs hatching,
Cocoons abandoned,
Butterflies soaring,
Days are longer,
Nights shorter,
Weather is mild once again.
Take time to praise, to love, to serve
Spreading My Good News as you go.
All of creation points to Me,
Your Lord and God!
I am everywhere!
The earth is renewed,
And love is bursting out all over!
A wonderfully contagious excitement fills the air.
What an awesome privilege,
Just to be alive!

Acknowledge My presence,
For I am close yo you
As your closest friend.
Feel My touch,
For I long to hold you tight,
Especially through those inevitable hard times.
Listen to My Words,
For they come to you in the most amazing ways,
If you dare to open your heart and soul.

Just remember,
My son, Jesus, has risen,
Peace of heart and soul have been restored.
Let go of all that troubles you,
Give it over to Me.
Then and only then,
Will My Easter joy abound.
Proclaim this joy throughout the land,
Letting your Alleluias be heard,
By everyone, everywhere.

And be attentive to those who need your love,
Treat each person as a unique earthen vessel,
Waiting to be filled up with love.
Give of your love generously,
In a most tender and gentle way.
Then you will also awaken to the beauty that surrounds you,
As you absord the warmth of My won incredible love for you.
For it comes in many varied ways and forms,
Through those you call family and friends,
And all who care for you.

Do not hurry life too much,
For then you might miss out,
On all the precious moments,
That can feed your soul and fill your heart.
And with a multitude of Alleluia blessings,
At Easter and beyond.

A Prayer When Our Country is at War
Naomi Levy
Talking to God, Personal Prayers for Times of Joy, Sadness, Struggle and Celebration

Men and women have been called to serve our country in this time of war. Watch over them, God, on the ground, in the air, in the heart of the seas.

Keep them safe. Bless them with the courage and compassion, with wisdom and might, and with Your holy light.

Grant them swift victory, God, over those who threaten our world with tyranny and terror.

Hear their prayers, God. Bring peace. Let it rain down from the heavens like a mighty storm. Let it wash away all hatred and bloodshed.

Please, God. Gather our fallen into Your eternal shelter where there is no hatred, no pain, and no war. Just peace.

A Prayer for Peace
Naomi Levy
Talking to God, Personal Prayers for Times of Joy, Sadness, Struggle and Celebration

Let us live in peace, God. Let children live in peace, in homes free from brutality and abuse.

Let them go to school in peace, free from violence and fear.

Let them play in peace, God, in safe parks, in safe neighborhoods; watch over them.

Let husbands and wives love in peace, in marriages free from cruelty.

Let men and women go to work in peace, with no fears of terror or bloodshed.

Let us travel in peace; protect us, God, in the air, on the seas, along whatever road we take.

Let nations dwell together in peace, without the threat of war hovering over them.

Help us, God. Teach all people of all races and faiths, in all countries all over the world, to believe that the peace that seems so far off is in fact within our reach.

Let us live in peace, God. And let us say, Amen.

A Faculty Prayer for the Beginning of the School Year
Source unknown

(A candle is lit.)
Radiant Lord, may this candle which we now light be a sacrament of your presence here among us at our meeting. As the light streams forth from this candle, may your divine wisdom flow into every detail of our time together. By the light of your divine presence, may we truly see you, our God, in one another, in all the issues we face as we prepare for another year.

In your holy will, may all things work together for good. May all that we discuss be blessed and hasten the building up of your kingdom here in [mention name of school]. Through our mutual sacrifice and prayer, may your divine light shine even brighter within us and within our school.

Our reading is from The National Congress on Catholic Schools..."We believe that our Catholic schools are a great gift to our Church and a great gift to our nation. Our convictions are supported by fact and faith. Our convictions are shared by researchers, public officials and policy makers who have reminded us of the many achievements of the Catholic schools throughout our nation's history.

"Catholic schools are deeply rooted in the life of the Church, the Body of Christ, which is the source of all life. Catholic schools draw their life's breath from their roots in the Catholic community and they, in turn, breathe new life into the Church.

"Catholic schools are proud and productive partners in American education. At this moment in history, Catholic schools are no longer a small number of outposts offering separation and security in a hostile culture, but a vast network of institutions lighting the lives of the communities they serve in every corner of the land."

The future of Catholic schools is ours to shape. We must build on our present strengths. We must clearly identify our beliefs and respond boldly and imaginatively to the challenges of the future by offering clear directions rooted in our beliefs.

We are carriers of the new vision that is the Trinity's dream for us. May our response to God's challenge inspire all we serve to risk taking and rebirth as we journey together in a spirit of hope and faithful love. May the blessing of the future be with us. Amen.

A Prayer of Archbishop Romero

It helps now and then to step back and take the long view,
the Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of
the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete,
which is another way of saying that
the Kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that can be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection, no pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything,
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something, and do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference
between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders,
ministers not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future that is not our own. Amen.

Pope John Paul II's Prayer
for the Third Year of Preparation for the Great Jubilee Year of 2000

God, Creator of heaven and earth, Father of Jesus and our Father
Blessed are you, Lord, Father in heaven
Who, in your infinite mercy, stooped down to us in our distress
and gave us Jesus, your Son, born of a woman,
to be our savior and friend, our brother and Redeemer.
We thank you, good Father, for the gift of the Jubilee Year;
make it a time of favor for us,
the year of a great return to the Father's house,
where, full of love, you await your straying children
to embrace them in your forgiveness
and welcome them to your table, in their festive garments.

We praise you, Father, forever!

Father most merciful, during this Holy Year
may our love for you and for our neighbor grow ever stronger:
may Christ's disciples promote justice and peace;
may they proclaim the Good News to the poor,
and may the Church our Mother direct her love
especially to the little ones and the neglected.

We praise you, Father, forever!

Father of justice,
may the Great Jubilee be the fitting time
for all Catholics to rediscover the joy of living by your word
and obeying your will;
may they know the goodness of fraternal communion,
as they break bread together
and praise you in hymns and inspired songs.

We praise you, Father, forever!

Father, rich in mercy,
may the Holy Jubilee be a time of openness,
of dialogue and encounter, among all who believe in Christ
and with the followers of other religions;
in your immense love, be bountiful in mercy to all.

We praise you, Father, forever!

O God, Almighty Father,
as we make our way to you, our ultimate destiny,
may all your children experience
the gentle company of Mary most holy,
image of purest love,
whom you chose to be Mother of Christ
and Mother of the Church.

We praise you, Father, forever!

To you, Father of life,
eternal source of all that is,
highest good and everlasting light,
be honor and glory, praise and thanksgiving,
with the Son and with the Spirit, for ages unending. Amen.

The Christmas Season and New Year
A Christmas Reflection
from the Book of Isaiah 9: 1 - 6
by Jeanne Hagelskamp, S.P., ICEL Student

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing...
For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder,
And the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian...

For a Child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero ... Prince of Peace.
His dominion is vast and forever peaceful,
From David's throne, and over his kingdom, which he confirms and sustains
By judgment and justice, both now and forever.

Reflection:
Who, among our students and faculty, walk in darkness or sadness at this time? How can I be a quiet reflection of the Great Light which comes during this Christmas season? Is there a way that we, as a school community, can lighten the load, remove the yoke that burdens them? Oh baby, Child Jesus, you come to us in tiny ways ... but in ways which have great impact. Use us as your instruments to be strong shoulders and steadfast light for those who are heavily burdened and cannot see their way through this Christmas season.

And who has been my "wonder-counselor" this first semester when I have needed advice or encouragement? Who has been the bearer of Peace to me in a special way? Have I stopped long enough to say a special thank you to him/her? Prince of Peace, thank you for ... (name) ... and for all those who have provided counsel and wisdom and peace in my life.

How have we as a school community confirmed and sustained justice in our day, so that justice might reign both now and forever? How have we reduced the disparity between the powerful and powerless, the vocal and the voiceless, the rich and the poor? Infant Jesus, this was your mission ... a mission which you proclaimed in the temple at an early age. Keep us mindful that this is our mission, too. Give us the courage as individuals and as a community of believers to speak out against all those things that divide us. At this Christmas season, we thank you for being our Light, our Joy, our Counselor, our Peace. Amen.

A Prayer for a New Beginning
by Macrina Wiederkehr, Seasons of Your Heart

O God of young faith and new beginnings
I remember the church of my childhood where you first
stepped into my life and fed me with your life.

Your life is a treasure I have never stopped seeking.
It is a treasure I have never stopped finding.
I remember the deep, ever-growing faith of my parents
who not only taught me to walk but taught me to walk in your paths.

But now, in the middle of my years I need you,
O God of young faith and new beginnings.
For the path my parents pointed out to me seems to be a path that
leads to a cross, and I hunger for a sign
- a rainbow
- a sprouting seed
- a meal shared with love
- a warm embrace
to assure me that it really is the best path.

O God of young faith and tired faith
Breathe into my life a new beginning.

Prayer of Catholic School Personnel

Creator God, as we go about the work in our schools, keep us mindful that we are called to educate the whole person. We know that we do not do it alone; rather, you ask us to be part of a team of family, Church, and community who join together in educating our young women and men.

Ours is an ongoing commitment to build a relational community and to do as Jesus did as we guide our students in their search for knowledge, skills, faith, and values.

Give us insight to see realistically "what is"; but make us dreamers and give us vision of all the possibilities for "what can be." Use us as your instruments to form, inform, reform, and transform those who come to us.

Map your goals for us in our hearts. Make our classrooms oases in the busy world. Make them places of warmth and trust. May our affirmation of our students enable them to know that their opinion counts. Free them to stretch themselves as they seek wholistic growth in a safe, nurturing, Christian environment.

You are a global God. Grace us and grace our students with global vision in our mission to spread your love. May we be trailblazers as we bring that "touch of magic," that touch of your love, to those we meet each day.

Make us feeling people, who empathize with the many emotions which pervade our buildings each day. May we harness the energy of those feelings and use it in building a learning community of students, faculty, administrators, staff, and parents within the nurturing environment of our schools and homes.

In our work as Catholic educators, let us reach out to all, remembering that anonymity is not acceptable for anyone in our communities. May we live our lives so that people recognize you in us...so that wearing the cross would not be incongruous to those who know us. May those in our schools be "pearls" to us, valued for the unique beauty they bring to our communities.

May our lives be quilted together in love made visible, as we laugh, love, labor, and learn together. Enliven our spirits that our inner beings may give form and strength to all we do.

Finally, Creator God, grant that we who serve in Catholic schools may love you much, may love one another, and may never forget why we came! Amen.

In Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
I Have a Dream
by Martin Luther King, Jr.

I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons and daughters of former slaves and slaveowners will be able to sit down together at the table of all humankind.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of all humankind.

Reflection by Gwendolyn Brooks
His dream still wishes to anoint the barricades of faith and of control.
His word still burns the center of the sun, above the thousands and the hundred thousands.
The word was Justice. It was spoken.
So it shall be spoken.
So it shall be done.

Reflection by John Dixon
In an age when courage is measured by destruction, his courage was the courage of love. In an age when people are commodities with a price, he believed in the reality of persons. In an age afraid to believe, his faith was as innocent as a child's. In an age when subtlety of intelligence serves profit or power, his mind sought the liberation of peace.

Let us pray: God, giver of life and freedom, sustainer of truth and justice, we give you thanks for those who have kept the vision alive. Inspire in our hearts a dream for a better world where all can give in freedom and love. Imbue us with an innocent faith which gives us the courage to love. May we use our intellects in the pursuit of the liberation of peace. Amen.

A Prayer for Church Unity

Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier, you are one God. Across the world, peoples of all faiths praise and thank you for your steadfast love and for your call to continue the work of creation at this time in history.

For too many years, in too many ways, we, your faith-filled people, have focused on that which separates us rather than rejoicing in our common commitment to fulfilling your mission. As you are One who creates, redeems, and sanctifies, make us one as we go about doing your work. May our individual and communal efforts dispel the discord and turmoil in our world. May we be united in mind and heart as we work toward systemic change to effect lasting peace and enduring justice throughout the world.

Be with us on our communal journey, Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier.
Amen.

To Teach as Jesus Did: Reflection for Catholic Schools Week

Opening: Blessing and peace from Our Lord Jesus Christ, whose spirit moves freely among us, calling us forward to this time together.

Reading: To Teach As Jesus Did
"More than any other program of education sponsored by the Church, the Catholic school has the opportunity and obligation to be unique, contemporary, and oriented to Christian service: unique because it is distinguished by its commitment to the threefold purpose of Christian education and by its total design and operation which foster the integration of religion with the rest of learning and living; contemporary because it enables students to address with Christian insight the multiple problems which face individuals and society today; oriented to Christian service because it helps students acquire skills, virtues, and habits of heart and mind required for effective service to others. All those involved in a Catholic school--parents, pastors, teachers, administrators, and students --must earnestly desire to make it a community of faith which is indeed 'living,' conscious, and active."

Time for Reflection

Faith Response: (Lead by variety of people)
You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on your hearts, to be known and read by all;
and you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.

Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our sufficiency is from God, who has qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant, not in a written code, but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not see the end of the fading splendor...

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.

We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways; we refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

For it is God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness" who has shown us God's glory.

Closing Prayer:
Divine Spirit of God, come down upon this group with the fullness of your power, your light, and your strength, so that our hearts and minds might be running over with your gifts of wisdom and understanding, counsel and strength, knowledge and fear of the Lord, together with a holy relish for spiritual realities. Help us today and in the days ahead, to make known the glory of God shining on the face of Christ Jesus. We lift up our gates, O Holy One. May the King of Glory enter! Amen.

A Winter Reflection for Those Who Experience Snow
S. Jeanne Hagelskamp, S.P., ICEL Student

Reflect briefly on snow... what it looks like as it falls...how it tranforms the surfaces on which it falls...the beauty it provides...the dangers and frustrations it brings with it.

Over the past year, no doubt there have been "snows" in our lives... Ask yourself:

• Have there been "snows" which enlivened the child in me? ... moments or events which freed me to "sled down steep hills?"
• Were there soft, gentle "snows" that seemed to smooth out rough terrains in my life?
• Were there "snows" which touched me deeply enough that they brought quiet and peace to my otherwise busy and bustling heart and soul?
• Have there been "blizzards" which trapped me? Have I been able to dig out of those blizzards yet, or am I still trapped?
• Who have been the "snow shovels" or "snow plows" in my life this past year... those who have helped me dig out when I felt stuck or stranded?
• What dark, dingy earth in me have been tranformed into a sparkly blanket of white powder?
• What roads have been cleared for me to face this new year? What roads are still blocked? Are there still blizzards which are blinding me? drifts entrapping me?

Let us pray:
Creator God, snow has such a transforming power...those tiny, sparkly white flakes, each of them weighing next to nothing, sometimes become heavy, white blankets... and sometimes they are simply powdery white covers. We thank you for the snows in our lives which have been gentle enough yet powerful enough to smooth out the rough terrains...snows which brought peace and quiet to our hectic lives. Along the way, we have also encountered the blizzards...some have trapped us...some still bury us, even as we think we're about to dig out from under them. We thank you for the "snow shovels" and "snow plows" in our lives...for those who have left footprints and helped us find our way. And we are grateful for being the snow plows and shovels for others at times. As we encounter the "snows" of 1998, may the power and energy of each of those small flakes gather itself into a transforming power of your presence in our lives, that we might radiate that energy to all creation. Amen.

Beginning
Philemon/Epistles/Now by Leslie F. Brandt

"God has created you to do some definite service. He has committed some work to you, which he has not committed to another. You have your mission. You shall do well." - John Cardinal Newman

Leader: Creator God, bless this gathering with your presence.

All: That our work may be the work of the Lord.

Leader: Creator god, all that lies ahead of us is yet unseen. May we come to know one another and the ministry we have been called to. Let us not forget you have asked us to be the servants not the masters. We are here to work for the good of all our community. Be with us as our counselor and our support as we begin our journey. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord and brother. AMEN.

Reader 1: Our relationship to our fellow human beings with the body of Christ is of paramount importance. Our role as ministers of Christ, our assignments as His beloved servants may vary greatly. Some of us are leaders who have been granted a position of authority over others. We ought to be aware that our social and educational status, regardless of what it means to our peers, does not impress our Lord; every one of His children is equally important to Him. And we need to be reminded, from time to time, that with leadership comes responsibility, the responsibility to treat those who work under us as equals before God, and to love them as such, our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We are, every one of us, the minister of God. There are those who serve God even in the process of serving us. They are those who make it possible for us to fulfill our responsibilities in our arena of service. We need each other, parent and child, employer and employee, master and servant. We must, together, submit to the Master of masters, the Lord of lords, our Redeemer and King, our Father and our God. Together we seek to fulfill His objectives and advance His kingdom upon our world. We do so as members of the same family, the family of God and Christ.

Psalm response:

Left: May God show kindness and bless us, and make his face smile on us!

Right: For then the earth will acknowledge your ways and all the nations will know your power to save. let the nations praise you, O God, let all the nations praise you!

L: Let the nations shout and sing for joy, since you dispence true justice to the world; you dispence strict justice to the peoples, on earth you rule the nations. Let the nations praise you, God, let all the nations praise you!

R: The soil has given its harvest, God, our God, has blessed us. May God bless us, and let him be feared to the very ends of the earth. (Psalm 67)

All: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit...

Reader 2: John 13:1-17

Silent reflection

Leader: Let us pray for the guidance and support of our father.

Spontaneous prayers

Leader: In the words of Jesus Christ, let us pray...

All: Our Father...

Leader: Lord, bless and strengthen your people.

All: Let your face shine on us and bring us peace.

Doctoral Seminar Prayer
Instruments of God
Joyce Rupp

Call to Prayer:
Leader: Jesus, giver of all good things,

All: We gather with confidence bearing your promise in our lives as we ask for gifts to help us on our way.
(Taped song)

Opening Prayer:
A small wooden flute, an empty, hollow reed, rests in her silent hand.
It awaits the breath of one who created song through its open form.
My often-empty life rests in the hand of God,
Like the hollowed flute, it yearns for the melody, which only breath can give.
The small, wooden flute, and I, we need the one, who breathes,
We await one who makes melody.
And the one whose touch creates, awaits our empty, ordinary forms,
So that the song-starved world may be fed with golden melodies.

A Prayer for Autumn Days
Source unknown

God of the seasons, there is a time for everything; there is a time for dying and a time for rising. We need courage to enter into the transformation process.

God of autumn, the trees are saying goodbye to their green, letting go of what has been. We, too, have our moments of surrender, with all their insecurity and risk. Help us to let go when we need to do so.

God of fallen leaves lying in colored patterns on the ground, our lives have their own patterns. As we see the patterns of our own growth, may we learn from them.

God of misty days and harvest moon nights, there is always the dimension of mystery and wonder in our lives. We always need to recognize your power-filled presence. May we gain strength from this.

God of harvest wagons and fields of ripened grain, many gifts of growth lie within the season of our surrender. We must wait for harvest in faith and hope. Grant us patience when we do not see the blessings.

God of geese going south for another season, your wisdom enables us to know what needs to be left behind and what needs to be carried into the future. We yearn for insight and vision.

God of flowers touched with frost and windows wearing white designs, may your love keep our hearts from growing cold in the empty seasons.

God of life, you believe in us, you enrich us, you entrust us with the freedom to choose life.
For all this, we are grateful.