Franciscan Retreats: Hour of Prayer

Franciscan Hour of Prayer

Dear Retreatants, Captains, and Workers,

Many people leave their retreat with a peaceful heart and full spirit. You eagerly look forward to coming back to Franciscan Retreats twelve months later. But a year is a long time and there are many demands.

To stay in touch with the experience of retreat throughout the year, to renew your memories of the retreat, to receive the comfort of prayer, and to encourage others to come back, why not gather for a "Franciscan Hour of Prayer" in your home or church or some safe place?

The following is a suggested outline, with some suggested prayers, for an Hour of Prayer in your home, at your church, or wherever you might gather a group of Franciscan Retreatants for prayer.

We hope that men and women, friends of Franciscan Retreats, might gather to pray for the retreat house and for all those who are making retreats.
These groups might meet two, three, or four times a year.
Kelley, our secretary, can provide a telephone list of people from your mailing zip code to invite to your Hour of Prayer
Retreat captains and workers can promote Franciscan Retreats, get acquainted with retreatants in their area, and share prayer with like-minded persons by gathering in this way. They might find others who are interested in making a retreat but need this local encouragement and this simple invitation to do so.
Organizers of this Hour of Prayer should try to re-create the hospitable atmosphere and warmth of Franciscan Retreats.

When you invite people to your home or gathering place, assure them that you're not collecting money but only gathering for prayer for Franciscan Retreats. If you plan to say a rosary, encourage them to bring their own, but make sure you have a few extra for those who forgot.

This method has already proven to be very successful in Le Mars, Iowa where Captain Mary Ann Ruether has brought as many as sixteen women on a single retreat. She and Captain Donald Kunkel have recruited dozens, if not hundreds, of people to make the four hour drive to Prior Lake for the sake of prayer.

The Hour of Prayer should begin soon after everyone gathers, and last no more than an hour. Guests might be invited to stay for a little while longer to share snacks and conversation, but the event need not be dragged out. People are happier to gather when they know they won't be detained too long.

Franciscan Hour of Prayer Agenda

Environment: Catholics love altars, statues, pictures, icons, linens, candles, and etc. Before your guests arrive set up a religious focal point where they can rest their eyes. A statue placed on a small square or circle of cloth, with a lit candle is wonderful. You might add a decorative bible or prayer book, a rosary, or scapular, even a smaller statue that doesn't compete with the dominant image.
Provide also some inexpensive rosaries for those who might not have brought their own. Many Catholic churches have a bag of them; we have some at Franciscan Retreats.

Hymn: anything you like
Opening prayer
Rosary or the Franciscan Crown Rosary
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Vocation prayer
Hymn -- anything you like
Peace prayer of Saint Francis
Reading -- a meditation
Rest & reflection -- a brief period of silence.
Prayer petitions
Closing prayer

Thank you for joining me this evening. Refreshments might follow.

The Franciscan Crown
A Rosary consisting of seven decades, in use among the members of the three orders of St. Francis, commemorating the seven joys of the Blessed Virgin. The seven mysteries of the Franciscan Crown are:
Annunciation,
Visitation,
Birth of our Lord,
Adoration of the Magi,
Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple,
the Resurrection of Our Lord, and
the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin and her Coronation in heaven.
The Franciscan Crown concludes with two more Hail Mary's to fill out the number of 72 because, according to legend, Mary died at the age of 72.

The origin of the Franciscan Crown is mysterious, but it developed around the same time as the more familiar Dominican Rosary, with its fifteen -- now twenty -- mysteries. A legend tells that a young man had an extraordinary devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and daily placed a crown of flowers on her statue. Led by his prayer, he felt called to join the Franciscan Order and entered the novitiate. However, in the rigorous life of the novitiate he found that he no longer had the leisure to create his daily flower-crown for the statue. Much dismayed, he considered leaving the novitiate.
The Virgin herself appeared to him and told him that he could complete his devotion and please her heart by creating daily a "crown" of seven decades of the rosary, remembering the joyous mysteries of her life.
The devotion has been maintained by the three orders of the Franciscan Order.

The Peace Prayer of Saint Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

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Prayer petitions

Standing in God's loving presence, let us place our cares in his hands

1. For an increase in vocations to the religious life especially to the priesthood in our diocese and to The Conventual Franciscan Order -we pray to the Lord

2. For the friars and staff at Prior Lake that God continues to bless them, their work, and the retreat center. We pray to the lord

3. For all who will make a retreat at Prior Lake that they experience fully the Lord's hospitality. We pray to the Lord

4. That people - young and old experience Jesus as a faithful friend in the trials of their lives. We pray to the lord

5. For those who lead the church in this millennium may they trust the power of the Holy Spirit. We pray to the lord

6. That unbelievers find in the church and in us a living sign of Christ's love. We pray to the Lord

7. I welcome your petitions

God of wisdom and understanding look into our hearts and grant our petitions spoken and unspoken, we ask this in the name of your son our lord Jesus Christ.

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Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Pray for us
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Savior,
Mother of our Church,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honor,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the Covenant,
Gate of Heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of angels,
Queen of patriarchs,
Queen of prophets,
Queen of apostles,
Queen of martyrs,
Queen of confessors,
Queen of virgins,
Queen of all saints,
Queen conceived without Original Sin,
Queen assumed into Heaven,
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
Queen of the Franciscan Order,
Queen of peace,

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we Thy Servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, be delivered from present sorrow and enjoy eternal happiness. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

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A Prayer for Priestly Vocations

Lord, in your love for the church you renew it in every age by raising up bishops, priests and deacons, outstanding in holiness, living witnesses of your unchanging love. In your plan for our salvation you call men to serve you joyfully as shepherds of your people.

Fill the hearts of men with the spirit of courage and love that they may answer your call generously. Give parents the grace to encourage vocations in their family by prayer and good example.

Raise up and give the church more worthy Priests, ardent but gentle servants of the Gospel and your altars. In choosing to serve You joyfully may those whom you have called Provide a convincing sign of your kingdom for The church and the whole world by devoting themselves to the service of your people.

Opening prayer

Glory be to the Father who created us, glory be To the Son who redeemed us, glory to the Holy Spirit who sanctified us. Heavenly Father, with our hearts open for your love and guidance we come together here this evening to join in prayer asking that you hearken to our voices and let our prayers come like incense before you. Send the Holy Spirit to enlighten us so we may understand your words and to strengthen us so We may have the courage to follow your words. Help us to pray to you through Jesus and his Mother Mary. Let us realize that prayer is the Breath of divine life and that which gives meaning to the whole of life at very moment and in every circumstance. Teach us the value of praying always and grant that every event of our Life may be the occasion for praying with our lips, with our hearts, or with our works.          This we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen

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Stories

During the hour you might read one, only one, of these thought-provoking stories or poems. If you have others to suggest, send me an email copy!

    Shining Silver
    Checking In
    The Touch of the Master's Hand
    Lorica, the prayer of Saint Patrick of Ireland
    I see his blood upon the rose
    Northumbrian Sequence IV


Shining silver

Each year during the holidays, families bring out their treasured pieces of silver to be polished. At first glance it’s a wonder why anyone would want those objects adorning their homes. Tarnished practically black they look almost ugly as they lay in piles on countertops and tables. Slowly as the silver polish is applied and the task of wiping, rubbing and buffing takes place the original beauty of each piece becomes apparent. It is then that the soft sheen of the restored treasure brings a smile of satisfaction to the face of family members.
We are all like those pieces of silver. Created by God intricately and wonderfully designed we are each a unique thing of beauty. But when left by ourselves, like the silver ignored on the shelf, we become tarnished by the world's wants and we become a bit ugly. Our salvation is Jesus who, like the silver polish, wipes away the darkness from our souls and restores us to our original beauty. With the gentle rubbing of the Holy Spirit, family and friends were brought back to what God created us to be. Just as brightly polished silver reflects the radiance of surrounding light and brings joy to the beholder, so also can we reflect the light of God's enduring love to those around us by allowing God to work in our lives.
Take a few minutes now to meditate on how we have and how we can or will permit God to work in us so that the radiant light of his enduring love will be reflected by us to those around us.

Checking in
A pastor passing through his church in the middle of the day, decided to pause and see if anyone would come to pray. Just then the door opened, a man came down the aisle, the pastor frowned as he saw the man hadn't shaved in awhile. His shirt was kind of shabby and his coat was worn and frayed. The man knelt down before the altar; he bowed his head, then rose and left the church. In the days that followed each noontime came this chap, each time he knelt just for a moment with his lunch pail in hand.
Well the pastor's suspicions grew, with robbery a main fear, he decided to approach the man and ask him
"How come you come each day at noon.
The old man said he worked down the road. Lunch was half an hour. Lunchtime was his prayer time, for finding strength and power.
"I stay only moments cause the factory where I work is so far away and when I kneel here talking to the Lord this is kind of what I say:
I just came again to tell you, Lord, how happy I’ve been, since we found each other's friendship and you took away my sins. I don't know much about the best way to pray but I think about you everyday and so, Jesus this is just Jim checking in."

The pastor feeling foolish told Jim that was fine and he was welcome to come and pray anytime. Time to go, Jim smiled, said "Thanks" and hurried for the door. The pastor went and knelt before the altar and with tears in his eyes he repeated the old man's prayer.
I just came into tell you, Lord, how happy I've been, since we found each other's friendship and you took a way my sin. I don't know much about the best way to pray but I think about you everyday so, Jesus, this is me just checking in"
Past noon one day the pastor noticed old Jim hadn't come. As more days passed without Jim he began to worry some. He asked about him at the factory and learned he was ill and in the hospital. At the hospital the staff was worried but he had given them a thrill. The week that Jim had been with them brought changes in the ward. His smile a contagious joy, changed people was his reward. The head nurse couldn't understand why Jim was so glad, no flowers, no calls or cards came, and not one visitor he had. The pastor standing by his bed, voiced the nurse's concern: not one friend came to show they cared. He has nowhere to turn. Looking surprised old Jim spoke up and with a winsome smile said:
“The nurse is wrong, she couldn't know, that all the while everyday at noon he came, a dear friend of mine. He sits right down, takes my hand, leans over and says to me:
I just came into tell you, Jim, how happy I have been since we found this friendship and I took a way your sins I always love to hear you pray. I think about you each day and so Jim this is Jesus just checking in

Today did you stop for a moment or two to just check in with Jesus? At some point in the next minutes let's, each in our own way, just check in with Jesus.

The Touch of the Master's Hand
Twas battered and scarred,
and the auctioneer thought
Tis scarcely worth his while
to waste much time on the old violin.
But held it up with a smile.
“What am I bidden, good people,” he cried,
“Who'll start the bidding for me?
A dollar, a dollar! not two, only two;
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?
Three dollars once, three dollars twice;
going for three?” but no.
From the room far back a grey haired man
came forward and picked up a bow.
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
and tightening up all the strings,
he played a melody pure
and sweet as an angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer
with a voice that was quiet and low
said, “What am I bid for the old violin?”
And he held it up with the bow.
“A thousand dollars,
and who will make it two,
two thousand and who'll make it three.
Three thousand once, three thousand twice;
and going and gone,” said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried
“We do not quite understand.
What changed its worth?”
Swift came the reply.
“The touch of a master's hand.”

And many a man with life out of tune
and battered and torn with sin
is auctioned cheap to a thousand crowd
much like the old violin.

A mess of pottage, a glass of wine,
A game, and he travels on.
He is going once, and going twice;
He is going and almost gone.

But the Master comes and the foolish crowd
never can quite understand
The worth of a soul
And the change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's hand

Author unknown

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Lorica, the prayer of Saint Patrick of Ireland,
        also known as The Deer’s Cry

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the creator of Creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
in obedience of angels,
in the service of archangels,
in hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
in prayers of patriarchs,
in predictions of prophets,
in preaching of apostles,
in faith of confessors,
in innocence of holy virgins,
in deeds of righteousness.

I arise today
through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me,
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me,
from snares of devils,
from temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in a multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,[1]
Against every knowledge that corrupts my body and soul.

Christ to shield me today,
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me.
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise.
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the creator of Creation.

St Patrick of Ireland, Bishop

I see his blood upon the rose
And in the stars the glory of his eyes,
His body gleams amid eternal snows,
His tears fall from the skies.

I see his face in every flower;
The thunder and the singing of the birds
Are but his voice -- and carven by his power
Rocks are his written words.

All pathways by his feet are worn,
His strong heart stirs the ever-beating sea,
His crown of thorns is twined with every thorn,
His cross is every tree.
                        Joseph M Plunkett, Irish poet and martyr

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Northumbrian Sequence IV

Let in the wind,
Let in the rain
Let in the moors tonight,

The storm beats on my window-pane,
Night stands at my bed-foot,
Let in the fear,
Let in the pain,
Let in the trees that toss and groan,
Let in the north tonight.

Let in the nameless formless power
That beats upon my door,
Let in the ice, let in the snow,
The banshee howling on the moor,
The bracken-bush on the bleak hillside,
Let in the dead tonight.

The whistling ghost behind the dyke,
The dead that rot in mire,
Let in the thronging ancestors
The unfulfilled desire,
Let in the wraith of the dead earl,
Let in the unborn tonight.

Let in the cold,
Let in the wet,
Let in the loneliness,
Let in the quick,
Let in the dead,
Let in the unpeopled skies.

Oh how can virgin fingers weave
A covering for the void,
How can my fearful heart conceive
Gigantic solitude?
How can a house so small contain
A company so great?
Let in the dark,
Let in the dead,
Let in your love tonight.

Let in the snow that numbs the grave,

Let in the acorn-tree,
The mountain stream and mountain stone,
Let in the bitter sea.

Fearful is my virgin heart
And frail my virgin form,
And must I then take pity on
The raging of the storm
That rose up from the great abyss
Before the earth was made,
That pours the stars in cataracts
And shakes this violent world?

Let in the fire
Let in the power,
Let in the invading might.

Gentle must my fingers be
And pitiful my heart
Since I must bind in human form
A living power so great,
A living impulse great and wild
That cries about my house
With all the violence of desire
Desiring this my peace.

Pitiful my heart must hold
The lonely stars at rest,
Have pity on the raven’s cry
The torrent and the eagle’s wing,
The icy water of the tarn
And on the biting blast.

Let in the wound,
Let in the pain,
Let in your child tonight.
    Kathleen Raine

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Closing prayer

Dear Lord, confident that you listened to us just as you listened to the woman at the well we now conclude this time of prayer for this evening. Through our prayers we told you our intentions and concerns knowing it is you that we depend upon for everything. We know also that is you who invites us to be your hands and lips. Help up day by day to be joyful messengers of your Good news and let us see ourselves as you see us so that we may see you as you have promised us.
As we bring this day and our prayer time to a close we ask forgiveness for any wrong we have done today and your help that we might forgive all who have wronged us. Let us walk in your Light and in your Light enable us to be peacemakers in our homes and places of work. As we depart praising your holy name grant that we may rest and sleep in peace, safely under the shadow of your wings and your protection.
Amen

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