God’s hand was on the people of Israel (2 Chronicles 30:12; NLT).
Father,
Lay your loving hand
On every mind today.
Please call us to repent
And turn to you.
Jesus,
Lay your loving hand
On every heart today.
Please touch us, heal us all,
And make us new.
Spirit,
Lay your loving hand
On every soul today.
Please fill us with your breath,
And cleanse us, too.
Yahweh,
Lay your loving hand
On every life today,
Then we will serve with love,
In all we do.
Do everything with love (1 Corinthians 16:4; NLT).
The Rosary Hospital
Yesterday I made a first communion rosary, using the restored centrepiece I mentioned a day or two ago. It’s not quite finished, but here it is so far:
Yesterday, in a vivid split second, I saw my heart as the tomb where Jesus was laid after his crucifixion. Out of this came today’s rather mysterious, ambiguous dialogue. The vision was completely silent, so it was exceptionally difficult to put into words. The last two lines are spoken by Christ.
Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there (John 19:40-2; NLT).
I saw that my mind is the tomb Where Our Lord was conveyed.
Will you rise from the dead there, To pray for the people I meet?
I saw that my heart is the tomb Where our Saviour was laid.
Will you rise from the dead there,
To love every person I greet?
I saw that my soul is the tomb Where our Master was sealed.
Will you rise from the dead there,
To shepherd my steps on your way?
I saw that my flesh is the tomb
Where Christ Jesus was healed.
Will you rise from the dead there,
To serve me in others today?
Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40; NIV).
References
Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light (the Ephesians 5:14; NLT).
They sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it (Matthew 27:66; NLT).
He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them (2 Corinthians 5:15; NLT).
Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17; NLT).
Those who die in the LORD will live; their bodies will rise again! (Isaiah 26:19; NLT).
The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28; NLT).
I wanted today’s blog to be about what I learned this morning in prayer, but it’s been another demanding day, and I’m very fatigued at present, so I haven’t had enough time to finalise the writing. However, I’m looking forward to sharing it with you when the time is right. Instead, here is a poem I wrote a little while ago:
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord (Lamentations 3:40; KJV).
Lord God,
I want to start afresh:
To turn from
My self-centred ways,
To love you, Lord,
In everyone,
And try to grow like Christ,
Your Son.
Lord God,
I want to start again:
To do my best to serve
And pray,
To wrestle with
Each chronic sin,
To bear my cross,
And follow Him.
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23; NLT).
Today’s blog builds on one of my very favourite prayers. I say it every morning, having come across it many years ago in “Pocket Prayers for Pilgrims”. This little book was compiled by John Pritchard (Church House Publishing; 2011; page 33). Here it is:
Lord God,
Whoever you bring into our path today,
May we see Christ in them,
And may they see Christ in us,
For your love’s sake.
Amen.
Over the years, without even realising it, I’ve made this prayer more personal. Then, when I was saying it with my circlet yesterday (on bead 1/4), I suddenly saw how it could be extended:
Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).
Lord God,
Whoever you bring into my path,
My mind,
And my prayers today,
May I see Christ in them,
And may they see Christ in me,
For Thy love’s sake,
Amen.
All of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18; NLT).
Having written this down I began to pray again (still on 1/4), but a question immediately flashed into my mind:
Do you really think it makes any difference to God whether we are Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, Methodist, Evangelical, Lutheran, or any other denomination?
The answer, of course, isNo – it makes no difference at all, because what God wants is for us to be Christian in the fullest and truest sense of the word. So what does being a Christian actually mean?
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23; NLT).
It means giving up our selfish ways,
Taking up our cross each day, And following Jesus.
It means growing more like him In all we think, say,
And do.
It means seeing, loving,
And serving him In everyone,
Including those we disagree with,
Or disapprove of,
And those who hate or hurt us.
Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:44; NLT).
By the time I’d written this down, I hardly dared to continue praying, for fear of what might follow. However, I needn’t have worried, because I was able to let bead 1/4 go, and to move on, though of course I never know what will come next. In fact, bead 1/5 turned out to be full of heartfelt thanks and praise, for which I was very grateful.
References
Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 19:19; NLT).
We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5; NIV).
Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:49; NIV).
The Rosary Hospital
Today I was able to begin trying out the new rosary-making method I stumbled upon yesterday. This means starting in the middle of the main circlet.
Apart from giving one decade 13 beads, and having to take back a couple of barrel knots to put this right, it worked out well. At the moment, I don’t really understand why it works, but that’s not important. What counts is that it enables me to make two identical knots at the places where the main circle joins the centrepiece, as shown in the photo below. Hopefully, I’ll be able to finish making this rosary tomorrow.
Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33; NLT).
Yesterday morning I learned something that was completely new to me. I had begun a migraine the evening before, so I knew I needed to have a day of complete rest to help it pass.This rest-day happened to coincide with the day a friend’s husband was due to have major surgery.
Suddenly I saw the migraine as a blessing in disguise, because it created the time, space and opportunity I needed to pray for them both throughout the day. Immediately after this, I grasped that many other illnesses and adverse circumstances could also be used in the same way.
It may be that seeing our own sickness as an opportunity for intercession is linked to our willingness to embrace suffering, and to thank God for it. There is much I don’t yet understand about this subject, but I hope to learn more.
For now, I glimpse that this approach to illness could become a helpful, meaningful way of sharing Christ’s suffering, and of serving others. Perhaps it could even be described as a “vocation”.
Together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering (Romans 8:17; NLT).
So, as a prisoner in the Lord, I beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the vocation to which you have been called: with all humility and meekness, with patience, supporting one another in charity (Ephesians 4:1-2; CPDV).
References
God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28; NLT).
He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10; NKJV).
Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies (2 Corinthians 4:10; NLT).
I want your will to be done, not mine (Luke 22:42; NLT).
In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).
Although this little prayer began to arrive early one morning, I didn’t finish it until almost midnight on the same day. As I wrestled with it, I felt in my bones that it wasn’t going to work. However, I didn’t give up on the original inspiration, and eventually today’s blog emerged. I wonder why the simplest prayers are so often the very hardest to write?
I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things (Ecclesiastes 7:25; NLT).
You are my reason for living:
Lord, may I seek you each day.
You are my reason for loving:
Lord, may I worship, and pray.
You are my reason for giving:
Lord, may I serve you in all.
You are my reason for dying: Lord, I’ll rejoice when you call.
Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! (John 12:26-7; NLT).
If welive, welivefortheLord; and if we die, we die forthe Lord. So, whether welive or die, we belong to theLord (Romans 14:8; NIV).
The RosaryHospital
Today I had a second try at making a simple prayer circlet, but this time I used nine beads in each section, whilst marking the beginning and end of each group with small crosses.
There are no static beads in this circlet, apart from at the join. It’s much slacker than a normal rosary. This should make it easier to pray with whilst walking, or carrying out simple tasks. Only one hand is needed to hold the circlet and move the beads along. I’m right-handed, so I can easily pray with it in my left hand. Having just finished my circlet this evening, I’m really looking forward to trying it out tomorrow.
Here are two shots of today’s circlet. The first is atmospheric, taken in my bedroom late at night, while the second shows more detail:
Context: This prayer arrived on Christmas Day, and took two more days to write. Maybe I’m slowing down in my old age…
He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20; NLT).
Come, Jesus, come –
Be born again in me,
And I in you.
I’ll do my best
To share your cross,
Your love for others, too.
The way is long,
The path is hard –
My efforts seem in vain,
But, Lord, despite
My fruitlessness, I long
To serve your name.
For you’re my Saviour
And my King,
My genesis and goal,
So come, Lord, come –
I offer you my heart, mind, strength
And soul.
You must lovetheLORDyour God withallyour heart, allyour soul, allyour mind, and all your strength (Mark 12:30; NLT).
References
I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3; NLT).
God is love, and all who live inlove live inGod, andGodlivesin them (1 John 4:16; NLT).
The gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it (Matthew 7:14; NLT).
The Rosary Hospital
To my great pleasure, the rosaries posted before Christmas are gradually reaching their destinations, despite the postal strikes and challenging weather conditions.
Meanwhile, I remade my Fiat rosary with the inadequate knot. It came out much better the third time, so I have no regrets about starting again – it’s all good practice.
One exciting development (from a purely personal point of view), is that over the last few days I’ve become more confident about the strength of my joining knots, so I’ve stopped reinforcing them with superglue. It’s taken quite a while to reach this stage, but I’m pleased to be getting there. Purists don’t use glue when making rosaries – perhaps mine could be held together with faith!
If you would like more rosary news, or if you have any broken rosaries to donate, you are very welcome to contact me at “The Rosary Hospital”, on Facebook.
Context: The moderator of a Facebook messenger group I follow used the phrase, “I will act confidently and not be afraid”, in her daily message yesterday. These words from St. Francis’ Office of the Passion had a huge impact on me. Soon afterwards, as I was praying and reflecting on what she had written, the first line of today’s prayer arrived, then the rest quickly followed:
We have placed our confidence in him (2 Corinthians 1:10; NLT).
I’ve placed my confidence In you:
I walk, Lord Jesus,
In your way,
And live forever In your hand
To praise and serve: With you, I stand.
Now I stand on solid ground, and I will publicly praise the LORD (Psalm 26:12; NLT).
References
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6; NLT).
He loves his people; all his holy ones are in his hands. They follow in his steps and accept his teaching (Deuteronomy 33:3; NLT).
It is God who makes …you stand firm in Christ (2 Corinthians 1: 21; NLT).
This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength (Isaiah 30:15; NLT).
Blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence (Jeremiah 17:7; NLT).
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1; NLT).
We can say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6; NLT).
As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world (1 John 4:17; NLT).
Rosary Hospital news:
I’m so grateful for my new work-station:
And here is the first rosary made using it:
It’s for someone who practices the Russian Orthodox faith. The “Jesus prayer” is said fifty times whilst using this rosary.
Context: I finished writing this prayer-poem on Sunday evening, after a quiet day spent trying to recover from a migraine, which I think has been caused by dose changes in two of my medicines. Yesterday I gave up, and put them both back to where they were last week, in the hope that this might help.
I love you, LORD (Psalm 18:1; NLT).
God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14; NLT).
I love you, Lord, the great I AM,
And long to be the best I can.
I want to serve you as I ought:
Please help me to correct each thought.
I want to bless in all I say:
Please help me with each word today.
I dedicate my life to you:
Please help me, Lord, in all I do.
I worship you, the great I AM –
May I become the best I can.
This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesians 4:13; NLT).
References
We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5; NIV).
Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ (Ephesians 4:15; NIV).
Do everything with love (1 Corinthians 16:14; NLT).
Worship the Lord your God and serve him only (Luke 4:8; NIV).
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5; NIV).
We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ (Ephesians 4:15; NLT).
Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him (Colossians 3:10; NLT).
Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy (Ephesians 4:24; NLT).
The Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18; NLT).
The Rosary Hospital
Slowly, slowly, the hospital is taking off. I’m now receiving orders, have a promise of more broken rosaries, and have bought suitable packing materials for posting rosaries to their new homes. It’s already clear that there is a demand for rosaries for people with sensory issues. Here is one I’ve made for an elderly lady with dementia. It’s not completely finished, but I don’t hurry to cut the cord before I’m ready!
