Sundays are days of mini-retreats -- a time spent in the presence of God. Sundays are days where we worship God together with our community. Sundays are days of renewing and being renewed -- a reflection of Easter.
Following is a prayer that Frederick Macnutt included in his book "A Prayer Manual". This is a fascinating book. It was in 1915 that Frederick Macnutt begin collecting prayers. Macnutt was a Chaplain during WW1 and saw the effects of a place and era that needed prayers. In 1939, Frederick Macnutt put together a collection of prayers in a book called "War Primer". He continued to collect prayers until 1945 when his work on earth was completed. But that wasn't the end of his prayer collection.... his wife, EM Macnutt and Canon Lee put the prayers into book form and got it published. The Prayer Manual is a book that every person should have in their collection. The prayers are for every portion of our life.
While the words are old, the insight and power of the prayers are still brand new.
A Prayer before beginning a retreat (or before beginning your day on Monday!!)
Prayer: O LORD Jesus Christ, who did say to Your apostles, “Come ye apart into a desert place and rest awhile”, for there were many coming and going; grant, I beseech You, to Your servant, gathered here that I may rest awhile at this present time with You. May I so seek You, whom my soul desire to love, that I may both find You and be found of You. And grant such love, and such wisdom to accompany the words which will be spoken in Your name, that they may not fall to the ground, but may be helpful in leading me onward through the toils of my pilgrimage to that rest, which remains to the people of God. May You grant me peace and enthusiasm so that I will not become discouraged in Your service. This day I live within Your love, world without end. Amen. (Richard Meux Benson prayer #581 from Frederick Macnutt “A Prayer Manual” Mowbray, 1955).
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