Here is a prayer by Joe Tetlow, S.J. that I really like. I first came across it in Jim Manney’s A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer.
Spirit of the risen Lord, who moved the Holy One to care for friends with his still wounded hands and pierced heart — make me attentive to my friends even with my fearing touch and wearing spirit.
Open my eyes to see what gifts they really are; open my ears to hear what good they really mean to say. Brace my spirit to feel what they need me to feel.
And as you steeled the heart of Jesus while he lived misunderstood and they betrayed, brace me now while I find how I have fared in risking my self to remain true to who I am and to be open in giving and receiving love. Amen.
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The idea of “risking my self to remain true to who I am” is breathtakingly beautiful.
I am thinking about who or what that “self” is that I should be willing to risk — my reputation; the comfort and saftey of my physical body; the bad habits and sinfulness I don’t really want to lose or feeling powerless to overcome; my perceived limitations; all those areas of my spiritual life where I have gotten complacent; — and how none of that is truly who I am. I hope.
Thank you for highlighting this today. I needed the reminder to ask God to “brace me” for facing and dealing with this stuff, that I’m not asked to do all this without a good supernatural support system in place.
Denise J
Denise,
I agree with you about that part of the prayer being “breathtakingly beautiful.” It’s amazing how tough and demanding of us good prayer can be.
Paul
Thank you for this beautiful prayer. So many things ran through my mind while reading this, particularly this passage:”Open my eyes to see what gifts they really are; open my ears to hear what good they really mean to say. Brace my spirit to feel what they need me to feel.”
I was looking into the ways I really look at my friends and loved ones, whether I am really seeing them for who they are or who I think they are, and my expectations of them. I am not sure whether I have really listened to what they have to say, or my own interpretations of what I think they are saying. I am afraid that most often, I fail to see and hear others very well, especially those closest to me. This prayer reminds me once more that people do not have to live up to my expectations of them for they are solely mine and not theirs.
I can see that even on the Cross, Jesus loved us so that he still set us free to love or not love him and the Father. Freedom is the key element to his love, and like what Anthony de Mello, S.J. said in his book, The Way to Love (Nowhere to go), his Last Meditations, he wrote: “Love can only exist in freedom. The true lover seeks the good of his beloved which requires especially the liberation of the beloved from the lover.”
This is one excelllent prayer to meditate on. Thank you for sharing this.
Dolly,
You’re most welcome. I’m thrilled that you got so much from it.
Paul
Recently, I’ve been put off by the honesty with which a very close friend called me out re some plans I’d begun to put into action. Some of which would have long lasting consequences. At the time that I began to carry them out, this person pointed out the pitfalls and what those consequences could and more than likely would be. At first, I reacted defensively. Aren’t friends supposed to encourage us and support us in our aspirations? I was very hurt. Now that I’ve, through that sense of a break of trust, been shocked into facing this issue, I appreciate this person so much more than I ever did for displaying the integrity and loving friendship needed at that moment that forced me to reexamine where this was taking me.
I love this prayer as it directs once again the need to listen with our hearts rather than our ears. Also, we might gain the insight to be better friends, not only to others, but to ourselves.
Beautifully said Emma.
Emma,
It says a lot about you that you were able to go beyond your initial hurt reaction to see the deeper truth.
Paul
Something that I try to be always mindful of, and something I always pray for is greater awareness. To truly appreciate the people and all that is around us. Things, events, messages, communication flies by us a light speed. I have to remind myself to say, “OMG, did you see that? Did you really listen to what was just said?”
When I am aware of others and what is going on, it is an incredible feeling of sharing that moment, that experience, and hopefully, getting to know God a little more than I did previously. I just wish I would do it more often…
Tim,
We all wish we could do it more often…
Paul
Whoa!!! Did he cover a few issues in those few lines!?
When these prayers are presented to me I think of how limited my prayers are. I then think of how unlikely it is that most people would sit down and write their prayers out. It is a bit like someone making a speech. Some people ad-lib (see Clint Eastwood for the wisdom of that strategy) while others write it out and practice. When I receive a presentation, or listen to a speech, I am usually struck by something in it that is useful to me going forward. There is loads in this prayer that I can use and meditate on. However, I hope God is happy with my usual mumblings of; “Hi Big Man. I’m not on top form today. Any help very welcome. John/Jill/Frank, etc, could do with a bit of help too.”
Unfortunately, that is usually how it goes
Simon,
God, I believe, is thrilled by any prayer – spoken, written or whatever – and reads your heart and doesn’t care a fig about how it is expressed.
Paul