Sr. Sue's Thoughts on Prayer

I’ve been thinking about stones this week. For those of us in the Christian tradition, today is Holy Saturday. The large stone has been rolled in front of the tomb and we wait. Last weekend was Palm Sunday. While not used this particular year, in Luke’s gospel, during Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, Jesus says that even if the crowd were silent, the stones would cry out. 

What are the stones in our lives and what are they saying to us?

~ Are there physical stones, that we are rearranging in our gardens or paths after a long winter?

~ Are we hikers, who like to sit on a good boulder and enjoy the view?

What are the metaphorical stones in our lives?

~ stepping stones that lead us along a path

~ boulders that seem to block the way – that we can’t get past

~ pebbles that cause us to lose our balance

Perhaps this day you may want to find a small stone to carry in your pocket or hold in your hand. Ask God to help you hear what the stone is saying to you. And may you be blessed by what you hear!

Be well and be at peace!

With all this crazy weather going from warm to cold and back again, there is quite a bit of mud. Mud is kind of a blessing and a curse. Babies and little ones love to play in it. Some animals live in it. Others of us work on not slipping on it or getting a vehicle stuck in it.

So we pray for the mud lovers:

~ For the children who entertain themselves with the fascinating medium

~ For potters who use mudlike clay to create things of use and beauty

~ For toads, newts, salamanders, water birds and other animals who find their food and homes in mudlike areas

And for those who find mud difficult (actually or figuratively):

~ For those who are stuck in the mud and need assistance

~ For those who have been slip sliding on the mud, and need a little clean up or medical attention

~ For those whose thoughts or memories are muddy

God give us the grace to enjoy the mud, appreciate the mud, or simply accept the mud.

Be well and be at peace!

I’m not a scheduler when it comes to my hair. If you’re like me, you plan on getting around to it, until suddenly you can’t stand it anymore and you simply have to get it done. So as I found myself in dire need of a haircut, I thought, perhaps we could pray for those who take care of our hair!

This week, we pray for hairdressers and barbers:

As they trim, cut, shave, curl, color, wash and dry, their efforts do much to help us to feel better about ourselves.

May we give thanks to God for the work of their hands!

Be well and be at peace!

If you’re like me, you have some framed photos around your room or home, of family or friends – people who have been part of your life. Photos tell stories of relationship and experiences.

Perhaps this week you want to choose a photo to pray with. 

~ Take some time gazing at that photo

~ Allow yourself to remember that person and that moment

~ Ask God to help you remember the gifts you received from that person or moment 

~ Give thanks to God for that person, that place, that experience and what they have added to the story of your life!.

Be well and be at peace!

I woke up to ice covering everything - every surface, every needle of every pine tree. Very pretty, yet a bit dangerous. 

So let's pray with ice: 

~ For the glistening beauty that makes the world around us sparkle

~ For those who are recovering from injuries after falling on the ice

~ For those who risk their lives to help us in icy conditions - police, EMTs, firefighters, power line workers, tree cutters, plow/salt truck drivers 

~ For polar bears and penguins and all creatures that are losing their habitat as the ice caps melt

~ For the gift of cooling ice on a hot summer's day

God, may we acknowledge the beauty, the danger, and the gift that is ice.

Be well and be at peace!

This past week, I had a very bumpy plane ride to Baltimore. When we landed safely, everyone on the plane applauded! 

Let's pray for all those responsible for getting us safely from here to there: 

~ For the pilots of planes who fly is through the clouds

~ For the captains of boats who navigate us through the waters

~ For the engineers of trains and subways who guide us along the rails

~ For the drivers of buses, taxis, and other cars who move us along our streets

We are grateful for your service and for all you do to get us to our locations safely!

Be well and be at peace!

Many faith traditions have fasting as a prayer practice. As we in the Christian traditions begin lent, I share the following from Pope Leo XIV on fasting:

“I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor. Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.”

Be well and be at peace!

Today is Valentine’s Day where we celebrate those we love, and those who love us. 

Perhaps it is a good reminder to take some time in prayer:

~ to sit and feel the loving presence of God surrounding you

~ to thank God for God’s loving presence in your life

~ to lovingly acknowledge your own goodness, created in the image and likeness of God

Happy Valentine’s Day Beloved Child of God!

Be well and be at peace!

Have you ever gotten lost in something you enjoy? Looking at a sunset, gardening, doing a puzzle, cooking… You lose all sense of time and space. You don’t think about anything other than what you are doing – momentarily wordless, worry-free, and relaxed.

Sometimes I think that’s all God wants of us – to just get lost in a moment of something we enjoy, knowing that God is with us in it. The saints would call it contemplation…another way of praying. 

Today, may you and God find something to get lost in together, and enjoy the graces you find in being there!

Be well and be at peace!

I don't know about you, but on these freezing cold mornings I want to hibernate like the bears - curl up under my covers where it is warm and not come out until spring. I have to convince myself to "just do it". Turn the covers down, get out of bed, and get on with life. 

Sometimes I think prayer time can be like that. I'm involved in other activities that I don't want to stop. It takes an effort to change gears and slow down. I hear the voice of my spiritual director in my head saying, "Just do it. Put your fanny in the seat." So then I give time and attention to the One who created me and loves me more than I can ever imagine... and I'm always glad I did!

Prayer? Just do it!

Be well and be at peace!

Many of us across the country this weekend are preparing for a "weather event" (aka storm). That means stocking up on food, water, medicine and necessities; making sure we have flashlights and candles; maybe some good books or board games; and rearranging plans. 

But there often come storms in our lives. How do we prepare for them? I find a favorite prayer that you know by heart and rely on is a good way to lean into a "life storm".

One of my favorites is Psalm 121:

I lift up my eyes to the hills;

from where will come my help?

My help comes from the Lord,

who has made the heavens and the earth.

Your maker will keep your foothold firm;

your guardian does not slumber.

Know this! The guard of Israel

neither slumbers nor sleeps.

God is your guard and your protector;

God is ever at your side.

The sun will not strike you be day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will guard you from every harm,

will keep your life secure.

The Lord will guard you in all your ways,

both now and forevermore.

Which I sometimes paraphrase in the midst of the storm to:

"God, I know that you love me and are with me. Help me through this."

What prayer do you rely on for the storms in your life?

Be well and be at peace!

For many years now, I have been going to the same place to make my own retreat each January. Nearby, where I go walking, there is a tree that I have come to love. She is huge – her trunk being at least 6 feet in diameter. She is scarred, yet strongly rooted with her branches reaching up to the sky. She has become a friend. I look forward to seeing her each year when I take my first walk, and I make sure a say goodbye before I leave. No matter how cold it is, I always take the opportunity to simply put my hand on the bark of her trunk and connect in some unspoken (or sometimes spoken) way.

Perhaps this week, you will find a tree to pray with:

~ What is it saying to you either in its barrenness or clothed in its evergreen needles?

~ Is there something you want to say or share with it?

~ What message is God giving you through this tree?

Large or small, green or bare, may we honor these friends who clean our air, provide homes for creatures, shade us from the sun, hold our soil in place, and do so much more! For these, let us give God thanks!

Be well and be at peace!