Weekly Peace Prayer
prepared for the week of April 30th, 2024
by Sister Caramel Little, CSJP
For the week of the feast of St. Joseph the Worker
Reading from the Constitutions
From the beginning of the Congregation
Joseph was chosen as our patron
because he is a model of peace.
His courage to live a life of faith
inspires us to trust in God’s abiding love,
especially in times of struggle and uncertainty. #36,
In solidarity with our sisters and brothers
we engage in human labor
as a means of service and sustenance.
We recognize the value of leisure
as contributing to restoration and wholeness.
In these ways we come to share
in the creative power of God. #54
Prayer:
Blessed are you, Creator God, who enhances our lives with work
For the gift of work, we are grateful.
We are thankful for the dignity
and creative challenge of our unique tasks.
Blessed are you, Creator God, who enhances our lives with work
For the work that ennobles us, that lifts up our spirits, we are grateful.
By means of these labors,
we are able to give flesh to our spiritual dreams
and to work out the salvation of the earth.
Blessed are you, Creator God, who enhances our lives with work
Help us, Creator God, to use the work of this day –
to perform it with mindfulness and attention,
with care and devotion –
that it will be holy and healing
for us and for all the earth.
Blessed are you, Creator God, who enhances our lives with work.
Edward Hayes, Prayers for the Domestic Church (adapted)
Quiet Reflection
Reading: Work should be the setting for this rich personal growth, where many aspects of life enter into play: creativity, planning for the future, developing our talents, living out our values, relating to others, giving glory to God. It follows that, in the reality of today's global society, it is essential that "we continue to prioritize the goal of access to steady employment for everyone," no matter the limited interests of business and dubious economic reasoning. We were created with a vocation to work. The goal should not be that technological progress increasingly replace human work, for this would be detrimental to humanity. Work is a necessity, part of the meaning of life on this earth, a path to growth, human development and personal fulfillment. Helping the poor financially must always be a provisional solution in the face of pressing needs. The broader objective should always be to allow them a dignified life through work.
Pope Francis, On Care for Our Common Home [Laudato Si'], nos. 127-28
Prayer:
Thank you, Lord, for permitting me to live this new day!
Thank you all the more for permitting me to begin this workday.
I ask you, my Lord, to be the worker here
and, by means of my work instrument,
prepare for the magnificence of your return,
with the harmony of duty fulfilled,
with patience in the midst of impatience,
with community in the face of contempt,
with joy where there has been sadness.
I ask you, Lord, for work for those who do not have it,
for strength of will in all your children
so that they can share this blessing.
In turn, Lord, I offer you little:
simply each moment of this day as it comes.
Let us be your sons and daughters,
with our heads held high in material work,
and, afterwards, let us prepare to rest in your embrace
and await the coming of a new day to glorify you:
today, tomorrow and always, until our lives be your life.
Caritas Nicaragua,
from Prayers without Borders
Quiet Reflection
Prayer:
Saint Joseph,
from the beginning of the congregation
we have been blessed to call you our patron and model of peace.
Like Mary, you listened and pondered
the Word of God in your life
and responded with generosity and trust.
Help us to have the courage to live a life of faith
and inspire us to trust in God’s abiding love,
especially in times of struggle and uncertainty.
We pray with Jesus, our brother. Amen
Carmel Little, CSJP - Based on the Constitutions