(A selection of prayers taken from Exposition and Benediction
of the Blessed Sacrament Irish Institute of Pastoral Liturgy 1982)
May it rise
Let the light of your face shine upon us!
May the kindness of your face
rise above the hardness of our hearts.
May the humility of your heart
Rise above the foolishness of our pride.
Let the light of your face shine upon us!
May the joy ofyour mercy
Rise above the sadness of our sins.
May the splendour of your eternal Day
Rise above the sleep of our death.
Let the light of your face shine upon us!
May the freedom of the children of God
Rise above our slavery.
May the peace of your love
Rise above our aguish.
Let the light of your face shine upon us!
May the dawn of your resurrection
Rise above the night of our world.
May the glory of God
Rise within the heart of each person.
Let the light of yourface shine upon us!-- Lucien Deiss.
"I AM"
Remember us, O Lord, in your Kingdom.
Lord Jesus, you said,
"I am the bread of life."
Satisfy our hunger for eternity,
We pray to you.
Lord Jesus, you said,
"I am the light of the world."
Light up our darkness with your splendour,
We pray to you.
Lord Jesus, you said,
"I am the gate of the sheepfold."
Lead us to your Kingdom,
We pray to you.
Lord Jesus, you said,
"I am the good shepherd."
Gather us into your fold,
We pray to you.
Lord Jesus, you said,
"I am the resurrection and the life."
Awaken us from the sleep of death,
We pray to you.
Lord Jesus, you said,
"I am the way, the trut, and the life."
Show us the face of your Father,
We pray to you.
Lord Jesus, you said,
"I am the true vine."
Help us to bear fruit in your love,
We pray to you.-- Lucien Deiss.
With the Church
Praise to you now and evermore!
With the Virgin Mary, your Mother,
We wish to listen to your Word.
With the patriarchs and prophets,
We wish to announce your Kingdom.
With the apostles and evangelists,
We wish to proclaim the Good News.
With all the disciples who answered your call,
We wish to follow you.
With all the martyrs who offered you their bodies in sacrifice,
We wish to give witness t you.
With the saints of all times,
We wish to serve you.
With all those who believe in you,
We offer you the obedience of our faith.
With all those who love you.
We offer you our love.
With all those who seek you in the night,
We wish to walk toward the light.
With all those who are unaware of your name,
We wish to learn to love you.
With all those whom you invite to the banquet of the Kingdom.
Invite us also, we beg you.
Wth all those whom you inscribe in the book of life,
Count us among your elect.
With all those who die in you,
We place our hope in your mercy.
With all those who have risen with you,
We sing your praises forever. -- Lucien Deiss.
May you be blessed, Lord
May you be blessed, Lord, because you are God:
The help of the opressed,
The support of the weak,
The refuge of the forsaken,
The saviour of the despairing.
May you be blessed, Lord, because you are our God!
(Judith 9-11. -- Lucien Deiss)
Let the day come, Lord
Come, Lord Jesus, come!
Let the day come, Lord,
When our misery
Will find your mercy.
Let the day come, Lord,
When our poverty
Will find your riches.
Let the day come, Lord,
When our path
Will find the way to your house.
Let the day come, Lord,
When our tears
Will find your smile.
Let the day come, Lord,
When our joy
Will find your heaven.
Let the day come, Lord,
When our Church
Will find the Kingdom.
May you be blest, Father,
For that day
When our eyes will find your face!
Throughout all the time of our life
You have not ceased to come before us
In your Son Jesus Christ,
Our Saviour and our brother.
(Revelation 21:1-4, 22:20 - Lucien Deiss.)
O Wisdom
Come, O Lord, come, save your people!
O Wisdom,
Issung from the mouth of the Most High,
Announced by the prophets:
Come to teach us the way of salvation,
Come, O Lord, come, save your people!
O Lord,
Shepherd of the house of Israel
Who guide your people:
Come to redeem us by the strength of your arm,
Come, O Lord, come, save your people!
O Son of David,
Standard of people and of kings,
You whom the world implores:
Come to deliver us, Lord, do not delay,
Come, O Lord, come, save your people!
O Key of David,
And septre of the house of Israel:
You who open so no one can close,
You who close so no one can open:
Come to fre those who wait in the darkness,
Come, O Lord, come, save your people!
O Rising Sun,
Splendour of eternal light and sun of justice:
Come to give light
To those who are seated in the shadow of death,
Come, O Lord, come, save your people!
O King of nations,
Expectation of peoples and cornerstone of the Church:
Come to deliver
The man that you have created,
Come, O Lord, come save your people!
Breastplate of Saint Patrick
I bind unto myself today
The strong name of the Trinity:
By invocation of the same
The Three in One and One in Three.
I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead:
His eye to watch, his might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need;
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, his shiel to ward;
The Word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard!
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
I bind unto myselftoday,
The strong name of the Trinity:
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three;
Of whom all nature has creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation -
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.
Lord, make us instruments of your peace
Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Were there is hatred, let us sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;
For your mercy and for your truth's sake.
Lord, grant that we may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted;
To understan than to be understood;
To love than to be loved;
For it is in giving that we receive;
Itis in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying that we awaken to eternal life. Amen.
Prayer for a happy death
My Lord and saviour, support me in my last hour in the strong arm
Of your sacraments and by the fresh fragrance of your consolations.
Let the absolving words be said over me, and your own body be my
food, and your blood my sprinkling; and let my sweet mother,
Mary, breathe on me; and my angel whisper peace to me, and my
patron saints smile on me; that in them all and through them all, I
May receive the gift of perseverance, and die, as I desire to live, in
Your faith, in your church, in your service, and in your love. Amen.
(Cardinal Newman (Slightly adapted).