12 prayer cards for use in the home God speaks to us through our everyday experiences but sometimes we only look for God in what we perceive to be holy. These cards are an aid to prayer they are designed to help us to recognise and respond to God in the everyday, in the experiences we have in our homes, communities and workplaces. These cards can be used by couples, groups of friends, families etc. or can be adapted for individual use. Each card offers a seasonal reflection, a scripture passage to read, something to reflect on, and a possible action / something to do. This is not a rigid structure, but rather a range of material. Allow the Holy Spirit to work through you, staying with whatever strikes you and opens you to the presence and action of God in your life.
JANUARY Choose life. (Deut 30:19) January is a time when many people make New Year s resolutions. These symbolise a desire for a new start, an opportunity to act differently. While the New Year diet may be good in itself, our challenge as Christians is to make resolutions which will bring us closer to God and to others. The beginning of a new year can be a good time for us to look again at our lives: to take stock, and ask ourselves if there are things we would like to do differently in the coming year. How might God be inviting us to abundant life this year if we act differently? Deuteronomy 30:15-20 The passage from Deuteronomy invites us to look at the choices we make, and to always choose that which leads to life, to God for ourselves and for others. Reflect on how you make decisions in your life for example, what to do with your time, your resources, your energy. How can we ensure that what we do leads us closer to God? There is a danger that we can try to make too many resolutions which we have no chance of keeping. As an individual, or as part of a group, choose two or three ways in which you would like to do things differently in the coming year, which will bring life to you and / or those around you. Write these ideas down, and put them somewhere you will see them every day. Remember that it takes at least three weeks of doing something daily for it to become a habit. Don t worry when you forget the new habit, or slip up what s important is to try again. Ask God to give you the grace to develop these new habits of the heart, and to lead you to abundant life.
FEBRUARY Do not be afraid, for I am with you. (Isaiah 43:5) At this time of the year, when the days are short, it is easy to become downcast; to feel we have lost sight of God. We forget that God is with us in the darkness as much as in the light. There is a long tradition of seeking God in the darkness of life, in the moments when it feels like God could not be there. Some of the great spiritual masters, like St John of the Cross, have sought darkness as a way of coming closer to God. In darkness, when we feel that God is absent, it is good to take time to remember all those moments when we have been aware of God s presence and action in our lives. We might call to mind the promises in Scripture in which we are assured that God is with us in all our experiences and will never leave us. In those moments when we feel at our lowest point, God is closest to us. Isaiah 43:1-7 Have there been times of darkness, loneliness or depression in your life? Did you seek God in those moments, or was it too difficult? Sometimes, when we are at our lowest ebb, God can feel distant and perhaps too difficult to face. Are there any people we know who may feel that they are in darkness? How can we be a gift of God to them at this time? Make a special effort to offer a smile or a word of encouragement to those who seem to be struggling: people in your family, in your home, at work, in the parish, the homeless or marginalised. Don t try to talk them out of the darkness they are experiencing, but let them know that you are there, by their side. Is there a practical action you can take, such as buying them a coffee? If you are struggling, take a few minutes each day to look back over the day and call to mind three good things that have happened and thank God for them.
MARCH It is only right we should celebrate and rejoice. Your brother was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found. (Luke 15:32) March is always dominated by the season of Lent, a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving in which we are called to examine ourselves, repent and turn to God. Sometimes we associate Lent with giving things up. But it is also a time of insight, of invitation. In the gift of seeing our own weaknesses, we are more able to see God working in others, despite their failings. Just like us, they are weak but trying their best. Just like us, they fail time after time. Just like us, they need help from God. Most of all, they are just like us. Luke 15:11-32 and John 8:1-11 Among the stories we might reflect on during Lent are those of the prodigal son and the woman accused of adultery. In the first the one who has been faithful is called to go further: to forgive, to accept and even to celebrate the one who has repented. In the other the accusers are called to reflect on their own natures and to forgive. How easy is it to acknowledge our own weakness as a gift? How difficult is it to accept the gift of forgiveness from others, or to give this gift to others whose failings have hurt us? Any group of people, e.g., a family, a community, a workplace, is full of conflict and love at the same time. Often the pain in conflict is great because we know the other person so well and they know us. Take time to reflect on one gift and one weakness of someone close to you: a child, a spouse, a friend, a colleague. Now reflect on one gift and one weakness in yourself. Is there a person whose action(s) you are finding it difficult to forgive at the moment? Ask God for the grace to still love that person as you come to terms with, and work towards, forgiving them.
APRIL To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often. (Cardinal John Henry Newman) Biologists consider one of the great signs of life to be change. To grow is to change. To move is to change. To bring new life is to change. Change can be worrying too and often calls for faith. Family life has many moments of change: birth, starting to walk and talk, going to school, leaving home, getting married, and death, to name but a few. Each brings with it the loss of the old life and the opportunity for a faith- filled step into the new gifts that lie beyond. John 12:23-28 Think of times of change in your life. How have they challenged you? Have they brought gifts with them? Have you grown as a result? As we enter into Spring, this month is a good opportunity to explore change as a family. All around us nature is changing and bursting into life. Something we can do is to plant seeds in gardens or in pots on the window sill (runner beans give particularly good results). Over the coming months we can see the changes that take place from seed to seedling, to plant, flower and even fruit. Each step brings a new and wonderful gift.
MAY As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19) You don t know what you have until it s gone is a phrase we all too often find ourselves saying. A phrase filled with regret. As we enter May we are invited to give a little extra attention to Mary, who knew what it was to have something and to lose it. The Gospel tells us that she took time to treasure and reflect on the gifts given to her, not least her son. Mary is a model for stewardship in the home receiving her gifts, reflecting on and treasuring them, and giving them to the world. Luke 2:8-19 Mary looked at the world through grace- filled eyes which allowed her to see the treasures given to her. We can choose whether to look at the world through grace- filled eyes or cynical eyes. Have we allowed ourselves to become jaded? Can we take the opportunity to be a little more open? What may be hindering us from looking at the world through grace- filled eyes? The Rosary invites us to reflect on the joyful, sorrowful, glorious and luminous mysteries of Christ through the eyes of his mother. Try taking a couple of minutes each day, or perhaps once a week, to examine some events in the day or week and to look for the gifts they have brought, e.g., a moment of joy, such as an encounter with a friend or stranger a moment of sorrow, perhaps brought through personal experience or through news a glorious moment, when you felt the presence of God a luminous moment, when you have recognised yourself as a follower of Jesus
JUNE The kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed it is the smallest of all the seeds. (Matthew 13:31-32) Life at home can often feel like total chaos: so many things, so little time. But chaos can be good. We hear much about chaos theory, often called the butterfly effect. The idea is that something as small as the beat of a butterfly s wing somewhere in the world can change the course of a hurricane on the other side of the planet. Each day we make small choices and do small acts, but these can change the lives of many for years to come, especially those closest to us. Each day we are called to build the Kingdom of God in the small things we do. Matthew 13:31-32 Are you aware of a small act that has affected the way you approach life? It could be a kindness that has lifted your self- esteem, or a reproach which has shaken your confidence. Children are especially sensitive to this. Many people who leave the Church say that it was the insensitive act of one person that drove them away. Many people who enter the Church as adults say that it was the simple witness of one person that drew them in. Take a moment each day to look at the small things that you have done during the day, e.g., an act of kindness, or a gentle or harsh word that someone may carry in their heart for a long time. What you do may help to shape others. How have the words and actions of others shaped you today? What small seeds of God s Kingdom can you plant tomorrow?
JULY Is not this the carpenter s son? (Matthew 13:55) It s so easy to take things for granted, especially the people around us. We know them well, who they are and what they can do. They re nothing special. In fact, we sometimes make a point of stopping them from getting above themselves. So often we say who do they think they are? when members of our family or parish try to do something extraordinary. It can be very hard indeed to recognize the gifts of those close to us without feeling threatened ourselves. Matthew 13:54-57 Why do we often find it hard to recognize the gifts and talents of others? Is it because it is not enough for us to succeed, and that others must also fail in order to make us feel good? Is there room to be more generous in our lives with each other in our relationships, in our families, in our communities? In the groups that matter to you (such as with your spouse, family, friends or parish groups), take time this month to write down two gifts you see in the others, and let them know. Allow yourself to receive gratefully the acknowledgement of your gifts that comes from others. Help each other to nurture those gifts.
AUGUST God is in the bits and pieces of Everyday. (from The Great Hunger by Patrick Kavanagh) For many of us, the summer is a chance to travel, to be tourists. The exotic often seems so remarkable that it is hard to believe that the locals take it for granted. We also have tourists here where we live, coming from all over the world. What on earth do they see in us? What is special about the normal things? What might we see if we looked at our surroundings with new eyes? Our lives often seem very ordinary. How are we being invited to experience the extraordinary in our lives? Where and when are we aware of the presence of God in our lives? How do we respond to this presence? Genesis 28:10-17 Sometimes it is the stranger or the visitor who sees the value of who we are, what we do, what we have, the world around us. If a stranger were to look into our lives, what would they see as extraordinary? Take time to step back and be a visitor in your own life. Notice what is around you, especially people and places. Give thanks to God for everything that you notice for it all comes from God.
SEPTEMBER There is a season for everything, a time for every matter under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) September can feel like a time of returning to normal, to the trudge of daily life. People are back to school and work after holidays, the summer is nearly over, and the nights are drawing in. Many people start courses at this time of year, or begin new projects. It can sometimes seem like a long road ahead, a long time until Spring, with just a few events like Christmas to break what might feel monotonous. This time of year is an opportunity to dwell on the gift of time itself. It is also a chance to reflect on how well we use our time, and whether we ever find ourselves wishing it away for something better in the future. Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 We live in a society that describes itself as time poor, but we have just as much time as anyone ever had. Why do we fill our time with so many things and not give time to those people and things that deserve it most? Are we trying to do everything in this life because we don t think there is anything beyond it? List the things that are most important in your life: your family, friends, going to Mass, hobbies, sports, prayer, etc. Put them in order of importance to you. Why are they important? Ask yourself if the importance of these things is reflected in the time you give them. If it is not, ask yourself why, and try to make time for the most important things in your life.
OCTOBER The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers to his harvest. (Matthew 9:37-38) In our increasingly busy world we can easily become out of touch with the rhythm of the seasons and our close ties to the earth. Autumn gives us an opportunity to get in touch, not only with the harvest of the fruits of the earth, but with our call to be labourers for the Lord s harvest. We are called to work with God in creation to grow our food and to sustain life, a fact we celebrate in every Eucharist. We are also called to work with God in many other ways: to serve Him through the service of others and to be good stewards of all the gifts with which He has blessed us. Matthew 22:34-40 As labourers in the harvest we are called to serve our neighbours and to love them. Christ tells us to love our neighbour as ourselves and often our first challenge is to love ourselves. Only when we truly recognise ourselves as gifts from God can we see the gifts of others. Do we allow ourselves to love ourselves as God loves us? On your own, as a family, or with others, take time to list at least three positive things about yourself. You could also take time to list positive things about each other. Perhaps you could answer some of these questions: I am best at, I m getting better at, I am proud that, I am happiest when This can be a very powerful thing to do with children. Thank God for all the positive things named.
NOVEMBER We know that Christ has been raised from the dead and will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. (Romans 6:9) November is a month when we remember and honour the dead. We are often shy or nervous about discussing death, especially around children. Yet children often cope with death, or the idea of death, far better than adults. Perhaps this is because they spend most of their time having to accept difficult ideas, or because it seems remote for them. St Paul saw death as a gift: a way to an even closer life with Christ, made possible through our share in his resurrection. As Christians we are called to share in this belief: that even death is a gift that brings new life. Romans 6:1-11 Death brings with it bereavement for those who remain and a cycle of grief. Even if we have not experienced a death recently, it is likely that we have experienced change in our lives. Each change, for example, a birth, leaving home, changing or losing a job, brings with it a cycle, like that of bereavement, where we can move through anxiety, depression and anger towards a new life. Think of a major change in your life, or the life of your family. Have you been able to find new life beyond it and recognise it as a gift? Take part in the celebration of All Souls Day, a remembrance service, or perhaps even a funeral of someone you do not know very well. Spend some time meditating on the Paschal Candle in your church. It is first lit at Easter in celebration of the resurrection and again at baptisms and funerals. Between those two events is the gift of a life on earth lived in Christ. What one gift could you give to God in return?
DECEMBER Prepare a way for the Lord. (Matthew 3:3) At the heart of Christian discipleship is following Christ. We do this in many ways, such as worship, service and giving thanks. During Advent we are reminded of the need not only to follow, but also to lead. As followers of Christ we are called to prepare a way for him just as the disciples did many times in the Gospel, and John the Baptist did through his whole mission. For most of us, the ground we are called to prepare is that of our family or our community. Often it can feel like being a voice crying in the wilderness when young people or sceptical friends seem to hear nothing. But we are called, just like John the Baptist, to witness through our lives and to prepare a way that helps Christ to come into the lives of those we love. Matthew 3:1-17 This Gospel passage can sometimes make us a little uncomfortable, with talk of fires that will never go out and axes cutting down trees. Maybe there are aspects of our faith that make us uncomfortable. Can discomfort ever be a gift that spurs us to action? Can we ever get too comfortable in our faith? Christmas is a great time for gifts. It is a time when we think of others and show our care for them by giving something in return for what they have meant to us through the year. We do this in celebration of the great gift of Christ himself. During all the preparation for Christmas, take some time to reflect on the gifts you have received from God this year. Try to let your family, friends and colleagues know how they have been a gift in your life. Decide on one gift you would like to give to God in this coming year, e.g., some time given to prayer or service, or a talent offered to those around you.