February 18 Prayer

February 18 Prayer

Great suffering,
The journey begins
Rejection, death, loss.
The road leads deep yet the destination is life.

Those who will follow me
Walk in my ways.
He calls forth giving us due warning
It’s not an easy path
It will require sacrifice
To live righteous
To lose the chains of prisoners,
And bring justice to the oppressed,
To lose yourself to save it.

The walk leads you deeper
The loss of all the is false
The outer shell of protection will fall away
Leaving you naked
But without shame
Clothed by the very cross you carry

He carries you
Covers you
Raises you up again when you fall

There are mysteries unsolved and treasures,
Joys will glimmer on the edges of the dark path
Leading you there to your true home.

Do not run away from suffering,
embrace it, for you will find him there

As you carry your cross
He carries you

“Those who follow me must walk in my ways.”

Let the shadow of his cross fall upon you
For He carries the weight upon His shoulders
Choose life, not doom
For life is the destination
His Glory awaits you
The whole complete infinite weight of Glory
Falls on you by the shadow of the cross.

In the stillness of your imagination
begin to feel the soft glow of His presence upon you now
as you pray.

‘You, God of my heart, have fashioned all things,
that they might have being.

We are your beings.
Shape us and form us into your image so we may follow your ways.
Even in the ways of suffering that we are afraid of.
May we find your courage and strength there.
Knowing that where it leads us,
You are present

We receive your faith and trust to carry with you the cross
And leave our old selves behind.

Pull us out of ourselves into the infinite abundance
Of your divine life,
Your never ending love.

We choose to follow this path today.
Guide us to bring hope and kindness
to all that are suffering.
And keep us on the path that leads to life!
Amen - DB

Lk.9:22-25, Ws.1:14, Deut.30:15-20