Living with Christ Morning Prayer

Living with Christ Morning Prayer
December 5, 2013

The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse. It had been set solidly on rock.

Lord of hope,
there often seem to be so many rains and floods in my life,
so many strong buffeting winds from so many directions
that I don't know which way to turn my face.

And, I am afraid.
I am afraid, even despite
your comforting words about rock,
for, where I live,
houses built on rock
are blown away all the time
by tornadoes and hurricanes.
Or they are washed away by floods,
buried in mudslides,
destroyed in earthquakes,
or burned to the ground
in wind-driven fires.

I am afraid.

Of course, you're not really talking about buildings
Nor are you-who died on the cross-
promising your disciples an easy life if only
they have enough faith.
The rains and floods will come,
and the buffeting winds too.

Lord, I wish you would calm my winds and roiling seas
as you did for your disciples,
for I too am your disciple, or I try to be.
I wish you would give me solutions to my problems.
But if not, hold me tight at all times,
and help me to know
in joy or suffering,
in life or death,
that I belong to you, and you belong to the Father.

Give me the courage and strength to comfort others,
no matter how overwhelming my own life might be.
Help me to listen to those words of yours
and to follow you in doing the will of your Father,
no matter what.
Help me to trust that this is the only true path to life.

For a prayer for today from St. Anthony of Padua, see page 186 in the December issue of Living with Christ.