A Prayer for Those Who Journey

On February 28, 2013, and unprecedentedly, Pope Benedict XVI has stepped down from papacy for health reasons, which for many (and that includes me), is a sign of genuine humility and love for the Church which has been entrusted to his care and which he has devotedly served. Not anymore a pontiff, he now calls himself an ordinary pilgrim. And that's who we really all are, pope or no pope,  in this temporary world we inhabit and find ourselves in . . . a pilgrim.  And through and beyond imperfections, we're pilgrims who are free to choose to find love, peace and joy in Christ, moment by moment. O Lord, how we love this journey! And for those of us who embark on this exciting pilgrimage we call life, here's the prayer of our heart.

Source of Image: alefeia.org

A Prayer for Those Who Journey
- An excerpt from Joyce Rupp's Meeting God in our Transition Times

Response: God of our journey, remind us you are near.

Life is an unfolding mystery, sometimes a painful search and sometimes a wonderful discovery . . .
As we journey through life, we often face the fear of the unknown, doubts, hesitations, anxieties and insecurities . . .
Our hearts are restless because they are pilgrim hearts whose home is not here . . .
When our footsteps grow weary, when we stumble along the way, discouragement and doubt so easily come forth to greet us . . .
We are always learning what to leave behind and what to take with us as we move along the road of life . . .
We  encounter God continually in the cycle of "setting out" and "coming home." Sometimes we allow life to be so busy as we travel that we miss this special presence . . .
Expectancy, anticipation, and courage rise up in our beings when we are open to the ways of God in the wilderness . . .
In our journeying, we need strong conviction about the beauty and goodness of life, a vision of hope that endures the pain and the struggle, and a thread of love that weaves through all of our dreams . . .
God of the journey, we need a burning bush to set our hearts aflame with deep love of you.  When the road of life seems long and tedious, when dying and rising get to be too much, be that pillar of fire by night. Be that comforting cloud by day so that we not only can see the way, but also can be confident of your gracious presence which is our strength and our hope. Thank you for your nearness to us. Amen
************************************************************************************************************************
In the same vein, two days from now our event- Road Trip: Finding God in Your Life's Journey will take place. We pray . . . God of our journey be with us all, the facilitator, organizers and especially with the participants as we invoke your grace to work through us. Amen.
************************************************************************************************************************