Prayer

My God, enable me to trust in the good outcome
      of the test I am about to take;
      help me to contribute my own share
      of optimism and confidence.
With your grace, my God,
      I hope to crown my efforts with success.
Keep far from me at this moment
      any presumption that it all depends
      exclusively on me.
You are next to me, my God,
      the necessary and welcome presence
      in all the moments of my life.
I will take this test, my God,
      because it is important
      for my personal development.
My God, be the source of my inspiration
      in my doubts and uncertainties,
      supporting me with your blessing.

Amen.

Lord our God, before you there are no secrets;
      nothing is hidden from your eyes
      and nothing happens without your permission.
Grant me the happiness of beginning this trip
      entrusted to you;
      permit me to go and to return in peace and tranquility,
      in your infinite love and mercy.
Accompany me with your loving security
      and direct my footsteps
      with the steady love of your heart,
      keeping me always close to you, Lord.
May I see clearly the obstacles
      of my journey,
      and may I keep safe from affliction and despair,
      thanks to your blessing and care.
Blessed are you, O Eternal God;
      you have protected me in such a way
      that by the light of your presence
      I shall always find new roads
      and fulfilling answers to my yearnings.

Amen.

Lord, Almighty God,
      source of light, truth, and eternal goodness,
      transform this present moment
      into an hour of vision and inspiration.
Help me to find wisdom;
      shed light on my thoughts.
May my aspirations come true
      through righteous and good deeds.
Give me the strength to concentrate,
      to think objectively,
      and to see clearly.
Shed your light on me so that I may see
      which decision to make.
Help me, O my Eternal God,
      to avoid vanity and pride,
      and thus be able to make worthy decisions
      as a true child of yours.

Amen.

I want to thank you, Gracious Lord,
    for the good friends you give me;
    they are for me a priceless bounty.
Thanks to them, friendship is neither an abstraction,
    nor a distant, almost impossible, dream.
I owe to your providence, Lord,
    the possibility of counting on
    the constant help of friends.
Between me and them you have formed a solid bridge,
    which can withstand all threats of destruction.
The happiness with which you have blessed us
    enables us to enrich one another.
Lord, there was something astonishing,
    almost mysterious,
    in the way I met my friends;
    it was always outside the expected pattern.
But you alone know the reasons
    that drew us closer together.
This surprise and joy are refreshing,
    and I experience them anew
    at every step of my life.
Not all proved to be steadfast friends,
    but I have to thank you
    for the faithful ones.
I promise to do everything in my power
    to deserve this precious gift
    that you have reserved for me.
I ask you, Gracious Lord, to keep them safe in your hands,
    for they are yours above all.

Amen.

I don’t even know what to say, Blessed Lord,
      I am so confused.
I am caught in the midst of a violent crisis of faith,
      so uncertain and doubtful.
I am going through a difficult time
      in what touches the depth of my belief.
I am almost tempted to give in
      to impatience and despair.
Something within me cries out for you,
      yet you seem not to be there.
I have broken away from many childhood beliefs.
I decided to let me faith pass through the filter
      of my personal experience.
Suddenly, I found myself too far from you,
      from security and certainty.
If I still turn to you, Blessed Lord,
      it is because I have not yet lost
      the hope of finding
      an exit door
      for my spiritual anguish
I begin to realize
      that by myself I will not be able to overcome
      life’s ambiguities and contradictions.
I know the mystery of you continues,
      and that my faith-existence is a challenge
      to be embraced.
The light of your occasional shadowy presence
      makes me see that my crisis comes
      from the depth of my maturity,
      from the depth of my faith.
The irony, Lord;
      there is a crisis of doubt
      only because there is faith.
Perhaps I have become too demanding
      and too positive.
Open my heart, Lord,
      to the right attitude
      when confronted with questions
      of my faith.

Amen.

Thank you, Lord of the Universe,
      for all the gifts
      you always offer me.
Thank you for all I receive:
      for the water that washes me,
      for the clothes I wear,
      for the bread that sustains me.
For my dwelling and my parents,
      for my sisters and brothers,
      and for my friends.
For the knowledge gained from striving,
      and for the toils of each day.
For the good mornings that have dawned upon me,
      for the light that shines upon me,
      and for the handshakes that link me to others.
For the time you have allotted me,
      for the life you have offered me,
      and for the blessings of each new day.
Thanks you for being with me, Lord,
      for listening to me,
      and for taking me seriously.
Thank you even for receiving today’s thank you.
Thank you, Lord, thank you very much.

Amen.

Blessed are you, King of the Universe,
      who has created this world.
Generation after generation,
      human beings praise your deeds.
Your powerful actions proclaim love to all.
Through the words of prophets and psalmists,
      you have announced to all the world
      the value, importance, and the need for peace.
Show and teach us, Lord, your paths
      that lead all peoples
      to understand the value of peace.
You listen with love
      and protect the weak and downtrodden;
      you teach the value
      of freedom, justice, and fellowship.
We witness your endless dedication to humanity
      and your eternal love.
We proclaim your glory and we sing your praises,
      aware of your kindness and the miracles you perform.
We beg you, Lord our God,
      for the miracle of true peace.
Light our way so that we may find it.
Grant us this peace,
      which is your most precious gift.
Plant virtue in all our souls
      and turn us into pioneers of true peace.

Amen.

As I celebrate my birthday today,
      permit me, God,
      to celebrate it with you in this private way,
      opening my heart to you.
If I reached this year
      it is because of you,
      who were never absent from my life.
Your presence has given me the will
      to fight against what is selfish and evil
You have accompanied me, Lord,
      with the power of your kindness
      all along the journey of my life;
      you have preserved me
      with a strong and happy disposition to do your will.
Keep lit for many years, O God,
      the spark of my life,
      so that I may thank you daily
      for the light of your blessing.

Amen.

From behind the clouds the morning sun appears,
      and light begins to shine on a new day.
God for the Covenant, I am glad to be able to start,
      today, a new task,
      to start all over again, in health and good spirits.
I bless you, my God, for the great will to live,
      and because you accompany me, guide me,
      direct my steps, and give me faith.
I am grateful to you for the miracles
      we discover at each moment
      that help us to live
      and to use the works of your creation.
Praised be you, my Lord,
      for this new day that is born.
Give me your help and guidance.
Guide me with your inspiration,
      benevolence, and blessing.
Help me to fulfill my duties,
      and to achieve my aims.
May your light, the divine light, continue
      to shine upon me.
May this new day be for me
      and for everyone
      another day of your glory
      and a day of peace and happiness.

Amen.

Another day ends and the lights go out.
Night testifies to the greatness of your creation.
Blessed are you, Father of the Universe,
      for the curiosity you awakened in me,
      for the daring plans,
      for the will power,
      and for the light that shone on my ways.
Blessed are you, King of the Universe,
      guide of those who worship you
      and place in you their trust
      and unwavering faith in the destiny
      that you hold in store for us.
Today, as always, I thank you,
      my Father, my Lord and Creator of the Universe,
      for another day of struggle and accomplishments,
      for the difficult hours and passing worries.
Blessed are you, Lord and Protector,
      who has lit our ways
      and kept us courageous,
      who has given us another opportunity
      to close with credit the balance sheet of this day.
The stars remind us of your infinite power,
      and the quietness of the night
      witnesses to the majesty of your silence.

Amen.