A Concord Pastor Comments

Pause for Prayer: SATURDAY 6/13

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 04:33:35 +0000

I wrote this prayer about a year ago but recently reworked it for a group of men in prison who gather each week to pray together... I thought we might all find it helpful, whatever may be the realities that incarcerate our spirits, our freedom, our lives...

In my prayer, Lord,
you hold me in your arms…

In my prayer,

my heart beats one with yours…

In my prayer,

you call me by my name…

In my prayer, Lord, I find a place

to find my peace in you...

In my prayer, Lord,

I find home…

In my prayer,

the mask comes off my face…

In my prayer,

I lose myself in you…

In my prayer,

I find myself in you...

In my prayer,

there’s nothing I need fear…

In my prayer,

my cares and worries melt…

In my prayer,

I know that I’m loved…

In my prayer,

I know that you know me…

In my prayer,

I find a place of refuge…

In my prayer,

I'm sheltered from my fears…

In my prayer,

you wait patiently for me...

In my prayer,

I’m washed in your mercy…

In my prayer,

you pardon all my sins...

In my prayer,

my wounds are gently healed…

In my prayer,

your gift of grace sustains me…

In my prayer,

I’m unburdened and set free...

In my prayer,

I find a new beginning...

In my prayer, Lord,

I find hope…

In my prayer,

I seek and find your wisdom…

In my prayer,

you touch my very soul…

In my prayer,

you mend my broken heart…

In my prayer,

you make me whole and strong…

In my prayer,

you fill me with your Spirit…

In my prayer,

I find your sweet refreshment…

In my prayer,

you're right there by my side…

In my prayer,

I speak quietly – wordlessly…

In my prayer,

your silence speaks to me…

In my prayer,

you hear my every cry…

In my prayer,

you whisper that you love me…

In my prayer,

my restless heart grows calm…

In my prayer,

I see the light of truth…

In my prayer,

I find the way to go...

In my prayer,

I come to understand…

In my prayer,

I face what I avoid…

In my prayer,

there simply are no secrets…

In my prayer, Lord,

you know me as I am...

In my prayer,

you love me as I am…

All in my prayer, Lord,

every day and every night,

in my prayer...

Amen.

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Pause for Prayer: FRIDAY June 12

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 05:36:53 +0000

I mentioned last Friday that the month of June and the first Friday of each month are times of special devotion to the Heart of Jesus.

For our prayer this morning, I invite you to take to heart these beautiful words from Joyce Rupp, O.SM.

I am leaning on the heart of God.
I am resting there in silence.
All the turmoil that exhausts me
is brought to bear on this great love.

No resistance or complaint is heard
as I lean upon God’s welcome.
There is gladness for my coming.
There is comfort for my pain.

I lean, and lean, and lean
upon this heart that hurts with me.
Strength lifts the weight of my distress.
Courage wraps around my troubles.

No miracle of instant recovery.
No taking away life’s burdens.
Yet, there is solace for my soul,
and refuge for my exiled tears.

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noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 01:55:53 +0000

I'm getting a way for a few days and posting here will be light - unless the Spirit decides to interrupt my break!

See you sometime on Friday or Saturday!

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NIGHT PRAYER: 6/8

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 23:32:28 +0000

It's been about 5 years since I wrote and first posted this prayer but in the past couple of weeks, a number of people I've met on my path have shared with me their brokenness and the desire for healing and wholeness... So I though it might be time to do some more work on this prayer and share it with you tonight...

You know all my working parts, Lord,
each and every one,
you know all my moving parts
for you're the master of them all...

You know all my broken parts::
those tired, worn out fixtures
still in need of some retooling,

restoring and repairing...

You know parts I haven't nurtured,
the ones I haven't tended,
the parts in need of mending,
the ones that ache for healing...

You know the parts I just ignore, Lord,
the ones I don't acknowledge,
the parts I don't accept,
the ones I won't embrace...

And...

You know the parts that work quite well,
the ones I often take for granted:
fine parts made by your own hand
and unique to me alone...

You know all my working parts, Lord,
you're familiar with each one:
all the hardware and the software
of what makes me who I am...

So...

Tune the parts that make me
all you fashioned me to be, Lord,
and restore, rebuild, replace the parts
in need of your repair...

But be merciful and gentle
when you touch my broken parts:
the damaged pieces of my heart,
deep down within my soul...

I always need your help, Lord,
with my rusty, broken parts,
your work on me is never done,
there's always more to do...

With all the parts that make me
who I am and called to be
make me patient with each one of them
as you, Lord, are with me...

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake

and watch over me while I sleep

that awake, I might keep watch with you

and asleep rest in your peace...

Amen.

Dan Moen's song here is very simple and more than worth the repetition of its simple lyrics...

Heal Me, O Lord by Dan Moen

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Monday Morning Offering: 6/8

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 06:36:25 +0000

Image: George Mendoza

Good morning, good God!

I offer you my praise, Lord,
   for the universe and all it holds,
the sun and moon and stars
   and the planet I call home...

All I have, am and hope to be
   is blessing, grace and gift:
       crafted in your wisdom,
       shaped by your hand
       and offered for the taking...

Though my thoughts may come and go, Lord,

   there's not one passes through my mind
       but your'e the first to know it...

I try to keep some secrets
   but all of my desires
       are laid bare before your eyes...

No pain, no hurt can bruise my heart
   without it touching first, Lord,
       your own heart's love for me...

No burden weighs upon me,
   that you don't reach to lighten,
       lift up and help me carry...

No grief has ever pierced my soul
   without your gentle, blessing hand
       reaching out to heal me...

It's only by your grace, Lord,
   that I'm here to pray this day,
trusting that you're with me,
   beside me to protect me..

I praise you for this mystery
   that you, eternal God,
have time and love
   to spare for me,
to share in my heart's struggles
   as if they were your own...

Make me mindful, Lord, of others
   whose paths cross mine today:
as you make time for me
   so may I make time for them
whose needs, like mine, rest safely,
   in your heart and in your hands...

Receive my morning offering, Lord:
   hear my prayer today, tonight
       and through the week ahead...

Amen.

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What do you believe happens to the bread and wine at Mass? Do you believe the gifts we offer become the Body and Blood of Christ? My homily looks at these questions...

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 03:25:04 +0000

Above you'll find a video of my homily for this Sunday. Here are the scriptures for today's mass and the text of my homily follows below. (If a video doesn't appear above, click here!)

On this feast, this solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, I'm gonna cut to the chase and ask you a few questions. Four, as a matter of fact.

Question one: What do you believe happens to the bread and wine on the altar? After you hear me speak the words of Jesus, “This is my body, this is my blood…” what do you believe happens to the bread and wine?

Two: Do you believe that the bread and wine we offer at the altar become the Body and Blood of Christ?

Three: When you receive communion, what do you believe you are receiving? Or more precisely, do you believe you are receiving some-ONE?

Four: When you come forward for communion, and the minister says, “The Body of Christ… the Blood of Christ” - what do you mean when you say, Amen?

Today's feast reminds us of what we Catholic Christians believe about the Eucharist: that the bread and wine we offer and pray over and receive, become the Body and Blood of Christ. So if you're thinking, “Well, yeah, that's what I believe…” - you are in very good company.

For the first nine centuries, from the time of the apostles, through the 800s, all Christians, without exception, believed, wholeheartedly, that the bread and wine at mass do indeed become the Body and Blood of Jesus. Of course, in the first 9 centuries - everybody was Catholic! There was nobody else. All Christians were Catholics - all Catholics were Christians.

And then around the year 850 AD, there was a Benedictine monk in France, Ratramnus was his name. And Ratramnus said, “Yeahhh… I'm not so sure!” Ratramnus did not believe that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. He believed that the bread and wine become a “figure,” a “representation,” a “symbol” of Christ's real presence. And we can understand why he thought that - can't we? He thought that - because he looked at the bread and wine before the words of consecration - and then after the words of consecration - and he didn't see any difference... And so began, in the ninth century, a history of debate and disagreement about the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

But you know what? In the 5th century, in the early 5th century, St. Augustine had addressed this very question. He asked, and I quote him here:

How is the bread his body?

And the chalice, or what is in the chalice,

how is it his blood?

These elements, brothers and sisters,

are called sacraments, because in them,

one thing is seen, but another is understood.

What is seen has physical appearance.

But what is understood is the spiritual fruit.

These elements are called sacraments.

And what are sacraments? The older folks among us here this morning know the answer to the question. “What is a sacrament? A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.” We learned that in the Baltimore catechism.

At the Last Supper, Jesus offered bread and wine as an outward sign of how, on the very next day, he would offer himself, his body and blood, on the cross. In the bread and wine of the Eucharist then, there is an outward sign - what we see with our eyes. But with the eyes of faith - we see so much more. With the eyes of faith, we see what Jesus promised us:

the nourishment of his life,
broken once on the cross,
and broken now for us,
even this morning,
like bread,
so that we might have a share
in his body,
in his life…
and the refreshment of his life,
shed as blood on the cross,
now poured out for us in a cup,
that we might drink in
the life he gave for us…

Remember, again, what Augustine preached: These elements, brothers and sisters are called sacraments - because in them, one thing is seen, but another is understood. What is seen has physical appearance, but what is understood is the spiritual fruit.

The change in the bread and wine on the altar can be seen only with eyes of faith… can be believed only through eyes of faith… can be accepted, received, and consumed only by people of faith…

Let me ask one more question of you… “Have you ever found yourself changed by the love of someone who loves you? Or you can turn that around, too: “Have you ever seen how your love for someone else has changed that person's life?”

Your outward appearance, and the outward appearance of the one you love - remain the same. But at a depth you cannot describe - everything is changed, everything is different because of love.

That's how it is with a sacrament. That's how it is with the Eucharist. That's how it is with the bread and wine we will offer this morning on this altar. A real change will take place at a depth we cannot perceive, a change that can only be known by eyes of faith, and faithful hearts - hearts who know what it is to love and to be loved. Only those with eyes of faith will perceive it. Only those who love Jesus and know that they are loved by Jesus, will know and see and believe and accept and receive the Body and Blood of Christ in the sacrament.

But wait! Augustine has even more to say! He wrote, “If, then, you wish to understand the body of Christ, listen to what St. Paul tells us. ‘You are the body of Christ. You are members of Christ's body.’ If, therefore, you are the body of Christ, your mystery has been placed on the Lord's table. In communion, you receive your mystery.”

We who have been baptized and are already one with Christ in baptism, we are already one in Christ. So when we offer the sacrifice of the Eucharist, we are offering the sacrifice, the mystery of our own lives. Because we are members of the body of Christ - we are the offering we place on the altar. And in turn, we receive the offering Christ made for us on the Cross. Augustine wrote, “When you receive communion, you reply Amen to that which you are - and by replying, you consent. For you hear the words, “The Body of Christ, and you reply, Amen. Live them as a member of the body of Christ so that your Amen may be true.

Now... I'm wise enough, or at least smart enough, to know that everything I've just said may have sailed right over the heads of many - and out the front doors of this church. So let me add one more voice, a contemporary voice, to what I'm trying to share with you this morning. Let me share you with you the words of Dan Barrigan, a Jesuit priest, a poet, a prophet of peace in our own times. Here's what he wrote about the Eucharist. Listen carefully. He wrote,

When I hear bread breaking,
I see something else.
It seems almost as though God
never meant us to do anything else.
So beautiful a sound!
The crust breaks up, like manna,
and falls over everything.
And then we eat.
Bread gets inside humans.
It turns into what the experts call
“the formal glory of God.”
But don't let that worry you.
Sometime in your life,
hope you might see one starved man
and the look on his face
when the bread finally arrives.
Hope you might have baked it,
or bought it,
or even needed it yourself.
For that look on his face,
for your hands meeting his
across a piece of bread
you might be willing to lose a lot,
you might be willing to lose a lot,
or suffer a lot,
or even die a little.

Does Father Berrigan's imagery touch a place in you? in your heart, in your soul, in your faith. I hope it does. It does for me. It has for a long time. 53 years ago, I put those words in the program for the first mass I celebrated as a priest. It's how important those words are to me.

That place where Father Berrigan's words may have touched you, that is the place from which you begin to believe that the bread and wine on the altar become the Body and Blood of Christ.

Understanding or believing in the real presence is not something you do in your head. Ratramnus tried that in the 8th century, and he failed. He left the path of faith. No - understanding and believing in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist is something we do in our hearts in our faith, in our prayer, in that place within us where we love, and where we are loved. In that place inside of us where we know that Jesus loves us – and, in our own halting ways, we try to love Jesus.

What we see in the bread and the chalice, that is what our own eyes report to us. But what our faith invites us to believe and accept and receive is that the bread is the Body of Christ, and the chalice holds the Blood of Christ, offered and given for us, so that we might share in his life - in the real presence of Jesus.

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NIGHT PRAYER: Sunday 6/7

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 23:20:15 +0000

On Sundays, Night Prayer takes its lead from some element from the day's liturgy - today is the feast of Body and Blood of Christ.

Make me hungry, O Lord, and give me a thirst

for what feeds my heart, nourishes my soul

and strengthens my will to do the right thing...

Make me hungry, O Lord, and give me a thirst

for what cleanses my thoughts, lifts my spirits

and purifies all my desires...

Make me hungry, O Lord, and give me a thirst

for the truth of your word, the grace of your Spirit

and the beauty of all creation...

Make me hungry, O Lord, and give me a thirst

for doing what's just, righting what's wrong,

for making peace with my family and friends...

Make me hungry and thirsty for you, O Lord:

for the bread of your truth and your wisdom,

for the cup of your sweetness and healing;

for the bread of your mercy and kindness,

for the cup of your grace and refreshment;

make me hungry and thirsty for you, O Lord…

Make me hungry and thirsty for you, O Lord,

for the bread of your body, given for me,

for the blood from your side, spilled for me;

for the bread of your body, bruised for me,

for the blood of your heart, pierced for me;

for the bread of your body, broken for me,

for the blood of your life, poured out for me;

for your body and blood, shared with me

on your cross and the table of love...

Make me hungry and thirsty for you, O Lord,

and nourish and strengthen my heart and hands

to break and share the bread of my being,

to pour myself out - and generously so -

with all who hunger and thirst for you...

Make me hungry and thirsty for you, O Lord:

the bread of angels from heaven come down,

the saving cup of eternal life…

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake

and watch over me while I sleep

that awake, I might keep watch with you

and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen.

The Body of Christ by Sarah Hart

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This is the Body of Christ,

beautiful, broken and blessed;

miracle of the greatest of loves,

presence of God in our midst.

This is the Cup that he shares,

endlessly emptied and poured;

sacrifice made so that we might be saved

now and forevermore.

Amen, amen!

We are healed by the Bread of life.

Amen, amen!

We are one in the Body of Christ.

This is the Body of Christ,

word become flesh by his grace;

miracle of a myst’ry no tongue

ever could fully explain.

This is the Blood of the Lamb,

gift of a heart open wide;

poured from the Cross to the altar where love

comforts and fills and provides.

This is the Body of Christ,

gathered in hope and in faith;

bound by this love, this Body and Blood

he offers again and again.

All of the hunger we have,

satisfied only by this;

so we receive, we remember, believe

and share so that others may live.

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Pause for Prayer: SUNDAY 6/7

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 03:36:33 +0000

This is the 18th year I've posted this prayer on Corpus Christi, a prayer which I wrote 55 years ago while in the seminary. A good friend asked me what I believed about the Eucharist. I knew he was looking not for a text book answer but rather for what was in my heart. I wrote this reflection in response to his question. I know this helped me articulate my own faith in the Eucharist and I believe it helped my friend, too. As we celebrate today's feast of Corpus Christi, here's my old reflection on the breaking of bread...

BREAKING BREAD

Unless a grain of wheat

falls into the earth and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat,
but if it dies, it bears much fruit...

John 12:24

You have to listen with all of you
to hear the white-green shoot
pushing, rubbing, scraping up through
cool, moist earth: wheat being born...

It's a comforting sound when, finally,
you hear it and you know the growing sound
isn't out there, in the field
but in your frailty, your brokenness,
in you...

Then fear comes over you:
you'll be torn inside, again, until it hurts
and this may be the time
when growing leaves behind
the one you think you are,
harvesting the one

you were made to be...

Unless a grain of wheat

falls into the earth and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat,
but if it dies, it bears much fruit...

You don't have to listen so closely
to hear the wind shuffle its way
through fields of wheat
so you have to look very carefully
to see it's not the wind after all, but simply
wheat brushing against wheat,
wheat supporting wheat,
wheat enjoying wheat,
wheat embracing wheat...

The rustling becomes a symphony
of meeting, knowing, touching, growing:
wheat reaching out to wheat
not with fear, not with flushed face,
but only with the need to touch.
And the sound of reaching
is strong, enveloping, alive!

Unless a grain of wheat

falls into the earth and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat,
but if it dies, it bears much fruit...

Grinding grains of wheat: harsh,
breaking, crushing sounds,
a not soft noise - hard.
And now you don't want to hear
wheat being crushed:
it just doesn't look like wheat anymore
and maybe the explosion in you
wasn't a matter of life but...

water is cool
and now it is all around you:
bubbling and swirling
in flour ground of wheat
and now you're not surprised to know
you're listening to blood filling your veins,
flowing all through you - life...

And just before the fire consumed us, too,
we found bread: one beautiful brown loaf
of wheat, wind and water
all rising to life in bread...

Then came One who broke the bread
and was broken for us, like a loaf,
and we heard in the cracking and tearing of the crust
the Word of life grown, ground and given
for all who share
in the breaking of the bread...

Unless a grain of wheat

falls into the earth and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat,
but if it dies, it bears much fruit...

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NIGHT PRAYER: Saturday 6/6

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 21:01:15 +0000

I believe in tomorrow

when today is going nowhere...

I believe in peace of mind

though my thoughts be greatly troubled...

I believe in prayer

when my soul can find no words...

I believe in truth

even when I cannot find it...

I believe in beauty's glory

when all seems stark and barren...

I believe in joy and gladness

though my heart be filled with sorrow...

I believe in friendship's comfort

even when I'm all alone...

I believe in the sun

even when it isn't shining...

I believe in love

even when I do not feel it...

And I believe in you, my God,

even when you're silent...

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake

and watch over me while I sleep

that awake, I might keep watch for you

and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen.

Even When He Is Silent

by Kim Andre Arnesen

performed by the Voces 8

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The lyrics of this piece were scratched on a cellar wall, written by a Jew hiding in Cologne, Germany, during World War 2...

I believe in the sun, even when it's not shining.

I believe in love, even when I feel it not.

I believe in God, even when He is silent.

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Pause for Prayer: SATURDAY 6/6

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 06:27:15 +0000

I wrote this 12 years ago, revised it 4 years ago, and significantly expanded it for today...

Today, Lord,

let nothing and no one

shake my faith in you,
keep me from your love,

rob me of my hope,

dull my thirst for justice,

shade me from your light,

threaten my integrity,

seduce me from fidelity,

still your voice within me,

indulge my pride and envy,

sway me from the truth I know,

persuade me to act foolishly,

diminish my self-worth,

trigger my anxieties,

steer me from your path,

tempt me with forbidden fruit,

weaken my conviction,

curb my will to serve you,

smooth-talk me with flattery,

hold me back from prayer,

take advantage of my fears,

encroach upon my conscience,

make me doubt your mercy,

close my heart to others,

dampen my soul's joy,

hide me from your presence,

distract me from your Spirit's way,

shield me from your grace

or hinder me in any way

from knowing, loving, serving you,
my Lord, my God, my all...

Amen.

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NIGHT PRAYER: Friday 6/5

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 23:50:43 +0000

As I mentioned this morning, the month of June and the first Friday of all months are times of devotion to the Heart of Jesus...

Sculpture by Timothy P. Schmalz

Lord Jesus...

you have a heart for all God's children:

have a heart for me, O Lord,

and open my heart as wide as yours

to all I meet and know...

you have a heart for my greatest foes:

have a heart for me, O Lord,

and open my heart, even to those,

who have no heart for me...

you have a heart for people of every stance,

conviction, opinion:

have a heart for me, O Lord

and open my heart to those whose ideas

have something to add to my own...

you have a heart for people who love

in ways I don't understand:

have a heart for me, O Lord

and help me remember that where I find love

- there I find you...

you have a heart for people who hold

no faith or belief or trust in you:

have a heart for me, O Lord,

and open my soul to all the ways

their goodness might lead me to you...

you have a heart for the homeless and hungry,

the stranger, the poor, the abandoned:

have a heart for me, O Lord,

and open my well-fed, cared-for self

to share til I feel their need...

you have a heart for the broken and wounded,

the sick in body, mind and soul:

have a heart for me, O Lord,

and strengthen my hands to care for and tend

those who reach out for my help...

your heart has a love that's deeper and wider

than any that I might imagine;

so have a heart for me, O Jesus,

and widen and deepen, expand and grow

the heart I have for others

for the the heart I have for my neighbor, Lord

- no more, no less and only -

is the heart I have for you...

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake

and watch over me while I sleep

that awake, I might keep watch with you

and asleep rest in your peace...

Amen.

I just found this song - perhaps the best hymn to the heart of Jesus that I've ever heard or prayed...

Heart of Christ Jesus
by Paul Nienaber, SJ (lyricist)
and Karen Schneider Kimer (composer)

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Heart of Christ Jesus, love overflowing

Sharing our struggles, taking our part,

Dwell with your people, graces bestowing,

Heart of Christ Jesus, most Sacred Heart!

Heart of compassion, perfectly gracious,

Wounded by sinners' heartless rebuff,

Still you pursue us, seek us, embrace us,

Heart of Christ Jesus, self-giving heart.

Heart of a teacher, patiently guiding,

Leading us gently, lighting our way,

Courage and wisdom always providing

Heart of Christ Jesus, grace for each day.

Heart of a healer, skillful and caring,

Tending the wounded, broken and sore,

Show us your mercy, comfort unsparing,

Heart of Christ Jesus, strengthen, restore

Heart of a servant, humble and lowly

Be our example, model and call,

Sacred and sov'reign, faithful and holy,

Heart of Christ Jesus, open to all.

Heart of redemption, source of salvation,

Son of the Father, Incarnate Word,

Hope for the pilgrim, bright destination,

Heart of Christ Jesus, Savior and Lord.

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Pause for Prayer: FRIDAY 6/5

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 02:57:14 +0000

Sacred Heart By Elizabeth Wang

The whole month of June and the first Friday of every month are traditionally times of devotion to the Heart of Jesus. In that spirit, then, let us pray...

Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me...

Heart of Jesus, forgive me:
pardon my sins and offenses...

Heart of Jesus, cleanse me:

    wash my heart of its shame and guilt...

Heart of Jesus, help me admit
   the faults I'm slow to acknowledge...

Heart of Jesus, help me discover
   how much I'm in need of your mercy...

Heart of Jesus, fill my heart

with your gracious and generous love...

Heart of Jesus, embed my heart

with your gentleness, kindness and mercy...

Heart of Jesus, ignite my heart

with the flame of your Spirit's fire...

Heart of Jesus, open my heart
to the gifts you offer me daily...

Heart of Jesus, help me forgive

those whose words have stung me...

Heart of Jesus, help me forgive

those whose deeds have betrayed me...

Heart of Jesus, help me forgive

those who have hurt me most deeply...

Heart of Jesus, help me forgive

those who don't ask for my pardon...

Heart of Jesus, help me accept

the amends of those who make them...

Heart of Jesus, help me forgive

as freely as you forgive me...

Heart of Jesus, open my heart

to the breadth and depth of your mercy

Heart of Jesus, open my mind

to your wisdom, your counsel and truth...

Heart of Jesus, bathe my soul

in fountains and springs of your grace...

Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me,

and bring me to life everlasting...

Heart of Jesus, protect me

and guard me night and day

that awake I might keep watch with you

and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen.

Heart of Jesus, Hear by Bukas Palad

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Teach our hearts to love like yours,

love of God most high!

Sacred Heart of Jesus,

keep us by your side!

Save us all from death and sin,

our King crucified.

Crowned with thorns and sorrow,

you give us new life.

Listen to our prayer! Heart of Jesus, hear!

Make us always yours, and hold us ever near.

Wherever we may go, whatever we may do,

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

Grant us grace and all good gifts,

heart of Christ, our Lord.

Make your holy presence

our home evermore!

Fill us with your light and life.

Guide us in your ways.

Justice, peace, and mercy

rule us all our days.

Listen to our prayer! Heart of Jesus, hear!

Make us always yours, and hold us ever near.

Wherever we may go, whatever we may do,

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

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NGHT PRAYER: Wednesday 6/4

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 20:32:36 +0000

What would my life be like, Lord

- if I didn't believe in you?

How would I face all the hurt and pain,

disappointment and sadness,

anxiety and fear

- apart from my trust in you...

How would I hold it all together

when grieving the loss of loved ones,

of family and friends

and the innocent victims

of poverty, war and classroom shootings?

How could I get up tomorrow,

how could I face one more day,

how could I think of the future

- apart from you, my hope and my healing?

How could I deal

with the madness around me

were it not for the truth,

the counsel and wisdom

I find in your word, in your grace

- in my prayer?

What would my life be like, Lord,

were you not my strength,

my companion, my healing,

my light in the darkness,

my shepherd, my guide,

my rock and my refuge,

my God of mercy,

my Savior, Redeemer, my friend?

Because, indeed, you are my way,

I give you my praise and thanks...

Because, indeed, you are my truth,

I turn to your Word for wisdom...

And because, indeed, you are my life,

I give you my heart,

my Lord and God,

my hope, my all!

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake

and watch over me while I sleep

that awake, I might keep watch with you

and asleep rest in your peace...

Amen.

You Are My All In All
by Dennis Jernigan

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Pause for Prayer: THURSDAY 6/4

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 06:24:51 +0000

Lord, there are so many ways

I wish I were more like you!

How I'd love to have your openness,

your willingness, your capacity

to tolerate, to work with, to live with

all my loose ends, last minute changes

and the unexpected twist and turns

on the road I walk in life...

You rule, Lord, when it comes to

staying in the moment,

taking things in stride,

surviving disappointment

and never losing your cool...

Me?

I get impatient

when things move too slowly
and frustrated

when things move too quickly...

I get cranky and irritable

when things don't go as I wanted,

as I'd wished and hoped and prayed for...

I get angry at

- well I often get angry -
at whatever or whomever's

most directly in my path...

All in all, Lord, I often

respond, reply and react
in pouting, petulant, peevish ways

- and fail to follow you...

In your cool, considered

and compassionate manner,
you don't miss a trick, Lord,
you see the whole picture,

the visible and the invisible,

inside and outside;

you see more

than the sum of the parts;

you see what's hurting, hidden and secret,

you see the depths of my heart...

Help me, Lord,

   be more like you...

Open the eyes of my heart
   and open the eyes of my mind and my soul
       'til I can see as you see, Lord,
       'til I can understand as you understand,

forgive as you forgive

and love others - as you love me...

Lord, there are oh- so-many ways

I wish I were more like you!

Help me draw on your patient compassion, Lord,
'til your merciful wisdom
becomes my own...

Amen.

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NIGHT PRAYER: Wednesday 6/3

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 20:48:26 +0000

Here's a prayer to help us remember that our freedom is a gift from God...

Lord, you call us to freedom

but you caution us, too,

lest we lose our freedom to self-indulgence,

selfishly serving our own desires...

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to love only you above all things

- and to love our neighbor as ourselves...

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to seek and to find your word and your truth,

to live by the Spirit's wisdom...

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to lay down our lives for love of our neighbor

as you gave your life for us...

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to spend ourselves for the sake of others,

not counting the cost or the trouble...

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to follow wherever your Spirit may lead,

trusting that you're always right by our side...

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to speak the hard saying - especially the truth

that sets others free...

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to follow your way, to live by your gospel

to do what is right, what is just...

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to generously share your mercy and peace

in all that we say and do...

You call us to freedom, you give us the freedom

to surrender a share of the freedom that's ours

that others might live and be free...

Call us, Lord, from our self-indulgence

and free us to live in lasting peace

with you and with one another...

Protect us, Lord while we're awake
and watch over us while we sleep
that awake, we might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen.

Freedom Is Coming / Hamba Vangeli
Arranged by Alexander L'Estrange

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Freedom is coming, O yes, I know!

Hamba Vangeli (Go with the gospel!)

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Pause for Prayer: Wednesday 6/3

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:23:58 +0000

The prophet Micah says

this is all that God requires of us!

Short verse - tall order!

To do what is just...

How's that playing out right now

in my life, my family,

at work? at school? in my neighborhood?

in my political opinions and stands?

To love what is good...

Are there good things I need to learn?

to love more fully? more freely?

more patiently? more generously?

more selflessly? more gently?

To walk humbly with you, my God...

Do I stay by your side as you stay by mine?

do I humbly accept my talents and limitations?

do I accompany the lonely, the sick, the poor?

do I freely accept the help that I need?

Short verse - tall order!

Amen.

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NIGHT PRAYER: Tuesday 6/2

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 01:35:25 +0000

There are lilac bushes outside my backdoor and at the side door of the church and they're in bloom - but sadly, not for long... I wrote a "lilac prayer" three years ago but I found today I had another lilac prayer within me, waiting to be shared...

Lord, how I wish that lilacs had a longer life!

Oh, I know the bushes will stay green

through the summer into fall,

til the first frost claims their color

and they take their winter nap...

But their blossoms, Lord,

are too soon gone and with them

their intoxicating scent:

the fragrance of your presence,

the sweet air of your Spirit,

the bouquet of gracious blessing,

the aroma of your peace...

Lilacs and their heady scent

are gifts I don't deserve, Lord,

so I lay no claim upon their stay

but rather take this moment

to thank you for this springtime grace

that fills me with contentment...

Make me, then, more grateful, Lord,

for gifts you give that never fade,

whose seasons are forever:

your never-failing presence,

your patience with my folly,

your healing word of mercy,

your Spirit's guiding wisdom,

your arms' strong, sweet embrace,

and the glory of your beauty,

the light upon my path...

Such gifts don't bloom at doorways, Lord,

but rather, in my heart

where your presence, much like incense,

fills creation with your fragrance

and my heart and soul with grace...

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake

and watch over me while I sleep

that awake, I might keep watch with you

and asleep rest in your peace...

Amen.

The Fragrance of Christ by Charles Billingsley

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Sweet aroma fill this place
Let us feel your warm embrace
Touch us with your healing grace
Let us see your holy face

Hold us so close by your side
Let us see your loving eyes
Take our wrongs and make them right
Breathe on us the breath of life

The fragrance of Christ
It breaks apart the strongholds of pride
and the hardest of hearts
It makes all the wounded whole and then starts
to open the senses to your goodness
It's the fragrance of Christ

At the start of every day
Fill my heart with perfect praise
with this offering i raise
A holy tribute to your name

Take my feet and lead me to
All the world or just a few
With everything I say and do
May the glory go to you

Chorus

Fresh anointing cover me
With a balm of purity
Make me a bouquet of honesty

I will hold your name up high
By the way I live my life
Let me be the fragrance of Christ

Chorus

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Pause for Prayer: TUESDAY 6/2

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 05:21:08 +0000

Image source

People often ask us to pray for them...

And we often ask others to pray for us...

This morning's is about just that...

In fact, you might want to send a link to this post

to folks who've asked you to pray for them:

https://tinyurl.com/2ccnus5x

My heart and soul, my pockets and arms

   are filled, O Lord,
       with the people I pray for today...

You know who they are and you what they need
   and you don't need me
to remind you...

But there's something's sacred
   in saying aloud the names of those
      who've asked me to pray for them...

There's something holy
   in whispering to you
      what they once whispered to me...

And there's something graced
   in simply remembering
      the prayer I saw in their eyes...

(Let's all take some time here

to share with the Lord the names of those

who've asked for our prayers

- and those, too, who may not have asked

and yet hold a place in our hearts...)

My heart and soul, my pockets and arms

are filled, O Lord,
with the people I pray for today...

Hear every prayer I whisper
for those who've asked me, Lord,
to lift their names and needs in prayer

with faith and trust and hope in you...

Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are two songs for this morning: the first I posted some years ago, the second I've used more frequently - they both have the same message and each one is just right for today's prayer...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I Will Pray For You

by Mark Hayes and Randy Cox

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I have prayed for you
that your faith is still held fast.

I prayed for you,

a guard against the tempest

Every time you’re brought to mind,

every prayer you’ve left behind.

I have raised you up on high,

I have prayed for you.

I have prayed for you

that God’s will is your guide.

I pray for you that you are led each day.

Every time I sense you there,

every time I knelt in prayer,

and in all this world of care

I have prayed for you.

I will pray that God’s strength

will hold you in the arms

of the One who gave his all for you.

I will pray every day

that this life of faith remains close

to my heart and mind.

I will pray, I will pray,

I will stay on my knees,

I will pray for you today.

God, who hears in all the secret places

will attend to our every plea.

All we ask, all our desires will be answered

in God’s own time, God’s own time.

I will pray that God’s strength

will hold you in the arms

of the One who gave his all for you.

I will pray every day

that this life of faith remains close

to my heart and mind.

I will pray, I will pray,

I will stay on my knees,

I will pray for you today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I Prayed for You by Andrew Maycock

and the Songsters of the Salvation Army

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Today I said a prayer for you

I just felt I really needed to

I’m not certain why you’re on my mind

Or why you need my prayers this time

Still I prayed anyway

Today I said a prayer for you

I asked blessings on your heart anew

I prayed that you would somehow feel

my prayers for you as I kneel

Believing you’ll receive

I prayed for hope, I prayed for peace

I prayed that God’s work in your life

will never cease

I prayed for joy, I prayed for love

I prayed that he’ll enfold you in his arms

I prayed for you

Today I said a prayer for you

Across the miles or far from view

As the sun rises and falls

He’ll be there through it all

I pray, I pray

Today I said a prayer for you

I prayed that he’d draw close to you

That he’d touch your day some way

and I promised I’d always pray now and always

I prayed for hope, I prayed for peace

I prayed that God’s work in your life

will never cease

I prayed for joy, I prayed for love

I prayed that he’ll enfold you in his arms

I prayed for you

Never underestimate the power of prayer

It’s greater than we can imagine,

what a privilege to care

Taking time to think of those

known or known to him

Lifting up those souls to our life-giving King

I prayed for hope, I prayed for peace

I prayed that God’s work in your life

will never cease

I prayed for joy, I prayed for love

I prayed that he’d enfold you in his arms

I prayed for you, I prayed for you, I prayed for you

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NIGHT PRAYER: Monday 6/1

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:37:57 +0000

I first posted this six years ago - but I've added a few more "over" prayers to a prayer that most of us might prayer every day, every night - over and over again...

It's at the end of day, Lord,
when folks feel the weight
of all that's hanging over them,

all that crowds their minds and hearts...

So I tonight I pray for all who are:

overburdened with worries and cares
overextended and exhausted
overindulged - and yet still empty
overworked and underpaid

overwhelmed by daily news

overstepped and left behind
overruled with no appeal
overinvolved and burning out
overboard without a line

overfed and yet still hungry

overthrown by "powers that be"

overhauled against our will

overwatched but not protected
overthinking anxious thoughts
overshadowed, lost, abandoned
overcome by grief and sorrow

overheard and quoted falsely
overlooked and left alone

overgrown by weeds and thorns

overpowered and strong-armed
overturned by other voices

overcast by gathering clouds
overcautious, stuck in fear
0verprotected, smothered, stifled
overpowered, trapped and cornered
overscrupuled, plagued by doubt
overtired, all worn out,

all over being "over"
- overwhelmed by daily life...

All these I lift in prayer
to you and to your Spirit, Lord...

Raise us up and out from under
all that oversteps our freedom,

all that overclouds our joy,
all that overrides our will,

    all that overruns our hope
    and all that overrules our claim
       to all the hope and grace and joy
             you offer us each day...

Raise us up to stand upon the mountains
    and raise us up to walk on stormy seas;
raise us up from all that undercuts us

   raise them up to fly on eagles' wings...

Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake
   and watch over us as we sleep
that awake, we may keep watch with you
   and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen.

The relentless affirmation of this song's repeating refrain is likely one that all of us can take to prayer, take to the Lord - any day or night...

You Raise Me Up

by Rolf Lovland and Brendan Graham,

performed by Peter Hollens

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When I am down, and, oh, my soul, so weary
When troubles come, and my heart burdened be
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence
Until you come and sit awhile with me

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas
I am strong when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be

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Monday Morning Offering: 6/1

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 02:00:00 +0000

Coffee in the Morning

The Lorica (Breastplate) is a prayer attributed to Saint Patrick (c. 337). You might picture Patrick donning his faith as the breastplate in his armor as he faces a new day. The Lorica comes to mind this Monday after Trinity Sunday because it opens and closes with these words:

   I arise today
   through a mighty strength,
   the invocation of the Trinity:
   through a belief in the Threeness,
   through confession of the Oneness
   of the Creator of creation.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

Good morning, good God!

Like Patrick, Lord, I want to don

the armor of faith, hope and love:

the breastplate of the Father, Son and Spirit,

the strength of the grace you offer me

to meet whatever challenge

may come my way today...

Give me the armor of perseverance

to move through this day with courage;

give me wisdom I need to think clearly

and to make good choices and decisions;

give me humility, that I might learn

to put my neighbor's needs before my own;

give me purity, to seek what's true,

praiseworthy, genuine and whole;

give me patience,

to bear with others kindly;

give me the generosity to share

not just from my bounty but also from my want;

and give me the reverence I owe to you,

to all creation, to my neighbor and to myself...

I offer you my person, Lord,

my heart and soul, my mind and body,

I offer you my self, Lord:

arm me with conviction,

drape me in mercy,

vest me in virtue,

garb me in grace,

equip me with strength and courage,

clothe me in a generous spirit

and be my shield against any and all

who would come between you and me...

I offer you my weak, naked self, Lord:

cover my shame,

gird me with strength,

clothe me in dignity

and wrap me in your glory,

the robe of my salvation

lest anyone or anything

come between you and me...

Amen.

The Deer's Cry by Shaun Davey

performed by Rita Connolly

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NIGHT PRAYER: Trinity Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Sun, 31 May 2026 23:30:00 +0000

On Sundays, Night Prayer will reflect some element from the day's mass. Today is Trinity Sunday!

I pray to you, O God,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

your triune mystery

more than I can fathom...

So many ways to name you,

to seek you and to know you,

to call on you in prayer...

So many holy images

to ponder and reflect on,

to feed my dreams and visions....

Glory and divinity,

touching my humanity,

inviting me to sanctity...

You are God, my Father

triune in your majesty,

your power and your strength...

You are God, Eternal Word,

triune in your mercy,

in your kindness and compassion...

You are God, the Holy Spirit,

triune in your wisdom,

in your blessings and your gifts...

You are one, my Lord and God,

may I be one with you

in your triune, holy peace...

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake

and watch over me while I sleep

that awake, I might keep watch with you

and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen.

Here's a trinity of musical possibilities to close this evening's prayer: a very simple piece, almost a mantra, from Sandra McCracken; a powerful choral piece from the master composer Tchaikovsky and a reflective, contemporary song from by Jason Upton...

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Trinity Song by Sandra McCracken

Holy Father, Son and Spirit
Holy Communion, Three in One
Holy Father, Son and Spirit
Holy Communion, Three in One

Come with Your peace, with Your invitation
Bind us together in holy love
Come with Your peace, with Your invitation
Bind us together in holy love

Holy Father, Son and Spirit
Holy Communion, Three in One
Holy Father, Son and Spirit
Holy Communion, Three in One

Three in One
Three in One
Three in One
Three in One

Cherubic Hymn
by Pyotr IlyichTchaikovsky,
   The Saint Peters burg Chamber Choir

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Let us represent the cherubim
in mystic harmony,
praise the Father, Son and Spirit,
raise our three-fold song,
praise the Trinity,
raise our three-fold song to the Trinity,
Let us now cast aside,
let us cast aside all this earthly life,
cast aside, cast aside, cast aside,
all this earthly life. Amen.

Izhe kheruvimy tayno obrazuyushche,
I zhivotvoryashchey Troytsye,
trisvyatuyu pyesn’, pripyevashche,
trisvyatuyu pyesn’ pripyevashche.
Vsyakoye nynye, nynye zhityeskoye
otlozhim popyecheniye, otlozhim,
popyecheniye. Amin’.

Father, Son, Spirit by Jason Upton

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Pause for Prayer: Trinity Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Sun, 31 May 2026 04:02:31 +0000

There's a saying that "anyone who preaches on the Trinity for more than three minutes will lapse into heresy." And this because the Trinity is a mystery we can name - but cannot fully comprehend. As soon as we begin speaking about the Trinity, human language, inadequate for revealing let alone explaining this mystery, opens us to making statements that are neither true nor reflective of more than 2,000 years of faith and Church teaching.

Our Lutheran friends have produced a short, lighthearted and entertaining video that explains this quite well. If you follow the link here - be sure to watch until the end!

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So I've decided not to risk writing an heretical prayer for Trinity Sunday! Instead, I offer you a prayer by theologian Karl Rahner. In response to his own prayerful question, Rahner he names neither the Trinity nor the Persons in it - but you'll recognize, nonetheless, the Father, Son and Spirit in his words. Wisely, Rahner does not answer his own question - apart from finally naming our triune God as Love - as we find so eloquently stated in 1 John 4.

Here, then, is Rahner's prayer:

What can I say to you, my God?

Shall I collect together all the words

that praise your holy Name?

Shall I give you all the names of this world

- you, the Unnameable?

Shall I call you

"God of my life,

meaning of my existence,

hallowing of my acts,
my journey's end,

bitterness of my bitter hours,
home of my loneliness,

you my most treasured happiness"?

Shall I say:

"Creator, Sustainer, Pardoner,
Near One, Distant One,

   Incomprehensible One,
   God both of flowers and stars,
   God of the gentle wind

       and of terrible battles,
   Wisdom, Power, Loyalty, and Truthfulness,
   Eternity and Infinity, you the All-merciful,
   you the Just One,

you - Love itself!"

Be with me, God of Love,

Father, Son and Spirit,

as you are one, be one with me,

most Holy Trinity.

Amen.

Here's Rachmaninoff's Glory to the Trinity where, I believe,

he succeeds in not lapsing into heresy! This powerful peace ends

with intercessory prayer.

If a video doesn't appear below, click here!

Glory to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
both now and ever and to the ages of ages
Amen
Only begotten Son, Word of the Father
Who art immortal
Thou didst vouchsafe for our salvation
to become incarnate of the Holy Spirit
upon the Virgin Mary
Changeless essence
lo, Thou wast made very man
and crucified, Thou the GodMan
to vanquish death by dying
Thou alone, O Christ art glorified
in the Trinity with Father and Holy Spirit.
O save us…

Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord
Lord, have mercy upon us
Help us, save us, have mercy on us
and keep us O God by Thy grace
Lord, have mercy upon us
Let us entrust ourselves and each other
and all our life unto Christ our God
To Thee, O Lord, we cry
For Thou art a good God
and lovest mankind
and unto thee w render

Glory to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
both now and ever
and to ages of ages
Amen

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NIGHT PRAYER: Saturday 5/30

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Sat, 30 May 2026 23:30:00 +0000

On this eve of Trinity Sunday, we'll turn to the prayer of the great poet John Donne and his ode to our three-person'd God... Donne's language and style are of his time (17th century) but with just a little time and effort - and the help of the Thornton singers - I'm sure you'll grasp Donne's message...

Image source

Batter my heart, three-person'd God
-by John Donne

Batter my heart, three-person'd God, for you
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend
Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
I, like an usurp'd town to another due,
Labor to admit you, but oh, to no end;
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captiv'd, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly I love you, and would be lov'd fain,
But am betroth'd unto your enemy;
Divorce me, untie or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.

Batter My Heart Three-person'd God

compoased by Richard Nance

performed by USC Thornton School of Music

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake

and watch over me while I sleep

that awake, I might keep watch with you

and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen.

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Pause for Prayer: SATURDAY 5/30

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Sat, 30 May 2026 04:20:38 +0000

Madonna of the Streets by Roberto Ferruzzi

May is a month of special devotion to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. On this last Saturday of May, I'm pleased to feature the well known Ferruzzi Madonna (above). It was a favorite of my mother and this image graced our living room for many years. This morning's prayer is a very contemporary Marian litany, written by Joseph Lackner, a priest of the Society of Mary.

A Marianist Litany to Mary

Holy Mary, pray for us!
Mother of God, pray for us!
Mother of our redemption, pray for us!
Mother of a lost child, pray for us!
Mother of comfort and understanding, pray for us!
Mother who shares our joys, pray for us!
Mother who endures our sorrows,pray for us!

Mother whose heart

was pierced by a sword, pray for us!

Mother most merciful, pray for us!

Woman responsive to God's word, pray for us!
Woman willing to believe the impossible, pray for us!
Woman who rejoices in her lowliness, pray for us!
Woman with an undivided heart, pray for us!
Woman of perfect freedom, pray for us!
Woman wrapped in mystery, pray for us!
Woman moved by the Spirit, pray for us!
Woman champion of the poor and lowly, pray for us!
Woman graced by a husband's love, pray for us!
Woman widowed by a husband's death, pray for us!
Woman at the cross, pray for us!
Woman patient and waiting, pray for us!
Woman clothed with the sun, pray for us!

Queen of the fullness of times, pray for us!
Queen of beauty unalloyed, pray for us!
Queen of integrity, pray for us!
Queen of painful meetings, pray for us!
Queen of all our heart's treasure, pray for us!
Queen of our destiny, pray for us!
Queen of peace, pray for us!

Mary, you are

mother and virgin,

wife and widow,

peasant and queen,

blessed for all time.

We need the comfort of your prayers.

Remember us always to our Father

through your Son, Jesus Christ,

who is our Lord for ever and ever.

Amen.

- Rev. Joseph H. Lackner, S.M.

We often hear the Schubert Ave Maria sung at weddings and funerals. Here's an instrumental performance by Emmanuel Rossfelder which is stunning in its artistry, simplicity and interpretation.

Ave Maria (Schubert)

performed by Emmanuel Rossfelder

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NIGHT PRAYER: Friday 5/29

noreply@blogger.com (Concord Pastor) — Sat, 30 May 2026 01:52:32 +0000

Lord...

When I take for granted
all that I have:
help me find
my deepest joys -
in the simple things of life...

When I want more and more,
so much more than I need:
help me remember
the joy that's mine
in the simplest of my possessions...

When I want what I want
- and must have it now -
then help me remember
the joys at hand -
in all that I already have...

When greed and envy
spoil my heart:
help me cherish
true peace
in the simple joys

that heal and fill my soul...

And remind me, Lord,

to share with others

the bounty that's mine:

the joys I've known

and joys yet to come,

the joy that I find

in your and your love...

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake

and watch over me while I sleep

that awake, I might keep watch with you

and asleep rest in your peace...

Amen.

Simple Song from MASS

by Leonard Bernstein

sung by Alan Titus

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Sing God a simple song, lauda laude*
Make it up as you go along, lauda laude
Sing like you like to sing,

God loves all simple things.
For God is the simplest of all,

For God is the simplest of all.

I will sing the Lord a new song,

to praise him, to bless him, to bless the Lord.
I will sing his praises while I live,

all of my days.

Blessed is the man who loves the Lord,
Blessed is the man who praises him.
Lauda, lauda, laude,

and walks in his ways.

I will lift up my eyes,

to the hills from which comes my help.
I will lift up my voice to the Lord,

singing lauda, laude.

For the Lord is my shade,

is the shade upon my right hand.
And the sun shall not smite me by day,

or the moon by night.

Blessed is the man who loves the Lord

lauda, lauda, laude,
And walks in his ways.

Lauda, lauda, laude,

lauda, lauda di da di day
All of my days

* Lauda, Laudē = praise!

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