10/23/13- Prayers of John Knox

A Month in Prayer

Praying the Prayers of the Reformers          October 23

Youtube video of the meaning of Labyrinth along with LMPC's labyrinth

John Knox (1505-1572) Knox was a Scottish clergyman and a leader of the Protestant Reformation
who is considered the founder of Presbyterianism.

John Knox with Mary Queen of Scots by Epps

 

WHAT PRAYER IS.
Who will pray must know and understand that prayer is an earnest and familiar talking with God, to whom we declare our miseries, whose support and help we implore and desire in our adversities, and whom we laud and praise for our benefits received.  So that prayer contains the exposition of our dolours [sorrows], the desire of God's defense,
and the praising of his magnificent name, as the psalms of David clearly do teach.

Mary, Queen of Scots, is reputed to have said:“I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe.”

John Knox (1505-1572)

HONOUR and praise be given to thee, O LORD God Almighty, most dear Father of heaven, for all thy mercies and loving-kindness showed unto us, in that it hath pleased thy gracious goodness freely and of thine own accord to elect and choose us to salvation before the beginning of the world.

And even like continual thanks be given to thee for creating us after thine own image; for redeeming us with the precious blood of thy dear Son, when we were utterly lost; for sanctifying us with thine Holy Spirit in the revelation and knowledge of thine holy word; for helping and succouring us in all our needs and necessities; for saving us from all dangers of body and soul; for comforting us so fatherly in all our tribulations and persecutions; for sparing us so long, and giving us so large a time of repentance.

These benefits, O most merciful Father, like as we acknowledge to have received of thine only goodness, even so we beseech thee, for thy dear Son JESUS CHRIST’s sake, to grant us always thine Holy Spirit, whereby we may continually grow in thankfulness towards thee, and be led into all truth, and comforted in all our adversities.

O LORD, strengthen our faith; kindle it more in ferventness and love towards thee, and our neighbors, for thy sake. Suffer us not, most dear Father, to receive thy word any more in vain; but grant us always the assistance of thy grace and Holy Spirit, that in heart, word, and deed, we may sanctify and do worship to thy name.  Help to amplify and increase thy kingdom; that whatsoever thou sendest, we may be heartily well content with thy good pleasure and will. Let us not lack the thing — O Father! — without the which we cannot serve thee; but bless thou so all the works of our hands, that we may have sufficient, and not be chargeable, but rather helpful unto others.

Be merciful, O LORD, to our offences; and seeing our debt is great, which thou hast forgiven us in JESUS CHRIST, make us to love thee and our neighbours so much the more. Be thou our Father, our Captain and Defender in all temptations; hold thou us by thy merciful hand; that we may be delivered from all hardships, and end our lives in the sanctifying and honouring of thine holy name, through JESUS CHRIST our Lord and only Saviour. Amen.

Let thy mighty hand and outstretched arm, O LORD, be still our defence;
thy mercy and loving-kindness in JESUS CHRIST, thy dear Son, our salvation;
thy true and holy word our instruction;
thy grace and Holy Spirit our comfort and consolation,
unto the end and in the end. Amen.

O LORD, increase our faith. Amen.

John Knox (1505-1572)

The great bishop of our souls, Jesus our Lord,
so strengthen and assist your troubled hearts
with the mighty comfort of our Holy Spirit,
that neither earthly tyrants,
nor worldly torments,
may have power to drive you
from the hope and expectation of that kingdom,
which for the elect was prepared from the beginning,
by our heavenly Father,
to whom be all praise and honor,
now and ever.

John Knox (1505-1572)

We present ourselves at this His table (which He has left to be used in remembrance of His death until His coming again), to declare and witness before the world that by Him alone we have received liberty and life; that by Him alone dost Thou acknowledge us Thy children and heirs; that by Him alone we have entrance unto the throne of Thy grace; that by Him alone we are possessed in our spiritual kingdom to eat and drink at His table; with Whom we have our conversation presently in heaven, and by Whom our bodies shall be raised up again from the dust, and shall be placed with Him in that endless joy, which Thou, O Father of mercy, hast prepared for Thine elect, before the foundation of the world was laid. And these most inestimable blessings we acknowledge and confess to have received of Thy free mercy and grace, by Thy only beloved Son, Jesus Christ, for the which, therefore we, Thy congregation, moved by the Holy Spirit, render Thee all thanks, glory, and praise for ever and ever.
Amen and Amen

October 23 – John Knox (1505-1572)

Knox was a Scottish clergyman and a leader of the Protestant Reformation who is considered the founder of Presbyterianism.  Little is known of Knox’s conversion, but he was close to reformer, George Wishart, even serving as his bodyguard. After Wishart was executed for his faith, Knox sought safety with the Protestants who had killed the cardinal who condemned Wishart.  He was appointed their chaplain and after struggle and tears accepted.  Soon however everyone in the castle was arrested. For the next nineteen months Knox served as a galley slave. He was chained, beaten and forced to row ships. Upon his release he was exiled to England where the young Protestant king Edward VI ruled. Knox served as one of his six chaplains. When Edward died, Knox fled to Geneva where he learned much from John Calvin. Returning to Scotland he was influential in the Protestants deposing Mary of Guise, the Roman Catholic regent for her daughter Mary, Queen of Scots who was then married to the young king of France. Knox helped write a new confession of faith and the ecclesiastical order for the newly created reformed church, the Kirk.  This confession is in the PCUSA Book of Order and is known as the Scots Confession.  Mary, Queen of Scots, returned to Scotland upon the death of her husband. Knox continued to serve as the religious leader of the Protestants throughout Mary's reign. Knox and Mary, a staunch Roman Catholic, debated their differences several times and Mary was often reduced to tears. While her tears disturbed Knox, her refusal to convert to Protestantism bothered him more. Mary made several serious missteps mostly involving her marriages and was forced to abdicate in favor of her son and a Protestant regent.  He continued to preach until his final days. Knox married twice. His second marriage was quite a May-December union as Knox was fifty and his bride just seventeen. However, the couple had three children in addition to Knox’s two sons from his first marriage.  Knox wanted no monument on his grave which remains unknown and unmarked probably beneath a parking deck in Edinburgh. However at his funeral it was said over his body, “Here lies one who never feared any flesh.” Mary, Queen of Scots, would have agreed.  She is reputed to have said: “I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe.”

The Prayer Labyrinth at LMPC

Note the rays pointing to the middle as if to say

1) He is listening and 2) Come pray some more here...

10/22/13- Prayers of John Calvin

A Month in Prayer - 2013

Praying the Prayers of the Reformers          October 22
Youtube video of Making Prayer Labyrinth at LMPC

 
John Calvin (1509-1564)
Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation.  He was a principal founder of the theology known as Calvinism. Reformed, Congregational, and Presbyterian churches all look to Calvin as their father.

“Believers do not pray with the view of informing God
about things unknown to him,
or of exciting him to do his duty,
 or of urging him as though he were reluctant.
On the contrary, they pray in order that they may
arouse themselves to seek him,
that they may exercise their faith in meditating on his promises, that they may relieve themselves from their anxieties
by pouring them into his bosom;
in a word, that they may declare that
from him alone they hope and expect,
both for themselves and for others,
all good things.”

“We ought to contemplate providence
not as curious and fickle persons are wont to do
but as a ground of confidence and excitement to prayer. When He informs us that the hairs of our head
 are all numbered it is not to encourage trivial speculations but to instruct us to depend on the fatherly care of God which is exercised over these frail bodies.”

John Calvin (1509-1564)
Blessing before a Meal

O LORD,
in whom is the source and inexhaustible fountain of all good things, pour out thy blessing upon us,
and sanctify to our use the meat and drink
which are the gifts of thy kindness towards us,
that we, using them soberly and frugally
as thou enjoinest, may eat with a pure conscience.
Grant, also,
that we may always both with true heartfelt gratitude acknowledge, and with our lips proclaim thee our Father and the giver of all good, and, while enjoying bodily nourishment,
aspire with special longing of heart after the bread of thy doctrine,
by which our souls may be nourished in the hope of eternal life, through Christ Jesus our Lord.
AMEN.

                                                                           John Calvin (1509-1564)

Lord,
save us from being
self-centered in our prayers
and teach us to remember
to pray for others.
May we be so bound up in love
with those for whom we pray,
that we may feel their needs
as acutely as our own,
and interceded for them with sensitivity,
with understanding
and with imagination.


                                                                                                                                                     
John Calvin (1509-1564)

Grant, Almighty God,
that as you shine on us by your word,
we may not be blind at midnight,
nor willfully seek darkness,
and thus lull our minds asleep.
But may we be roused daily by your words,
and may we stir up ourselves more and more to fear your name
and thus present ourselves and all our pursuits,
as a sacrifice to you,
that you may peaceably rule,
and perpetually dwell in us,
until you gather us to your kingdom,
where there is reserved for us eternal rest and glory
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

October 22 - John Calvin (1509-1564)

Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal founder of the theology known as Calvinism. Reformed, Congregational, and Presbyterian churches all look to Calvin as their father.  Originally trained as a lawyer, he broke with the Roman Catholic Church around 1530 and devoted his life to the Protestant church. He was forced to flee his native France and served Protestants in  Basil, Strasbourg, and Geneva

Calvin was a prolific writer. His seminal work is The Institutes of the Christian Religion  which he revised throughout his life. He also exchanged letters with many reformers and political figures. In addition to the Institutes, he wrote commentaries on most books of the Bible, as well as theological treatises, service books, catechisms, and confessional documents. He regularly preached sermons throughout the week and during his time in Geneva he preached over 2000 sermons. He also recognized the power of music in worship and encouraged the singing of the Psalms. Calvin worked so tirelessly that little is known of his personal life.  His friends urged him to marry and suggested different candidates but Calvin delayed. They were startled when he made his own choice and married a widow with two children who was described as quite pretty. Idelette and Calvin were not married long, but he felt a deep tenderness for her. At her death he wrote, “I have been bereaved of the best friend of my life, of one who, if it has been so ordained, would willingly have shared not only my poverty but also my death. During her life she was the faithful helper of my ministry. From her I never experienced the slightest hindrance.”

10-21-13- Martin Luther's Prayers

Sermon from Sunday 10-20-13 "Not Re-Inventing the Prayer Wheel" by Dr. Sloan 10-20-13

A Month in Prayer

Praying the Prayers of the Reformation and the Reformers October 21

 

Praying the Prayers of the Reformation and Reformers.

The following prayers are by people who reformed the church and thereby the world.
Most are from our own Reformed tradition, but not all.
We start with Martin Luther,
founder of the Protestant Reformation.

Then John Calvin and John Knox,
the pillars of our Presbyterian faith follow.

Next follow three lesser known Reformed figures
and on the next day, we will use the term reformed more loosely adding two saints from Methodism.

All of these Reformers stressed the importance of prayer
and the need to make it a regular discipline.
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A Month in Prayer

Praying the Prayers of the Reformation and the Reformers  October 21

 Martin Luther (1483-1546)

On October 1517, Martin Luther, a monk and professor of theology, nailed his 95 Thesis to the church door of Wittenburg and changed Christianity forever. Luther differed from the Roman Catholic Church  on three major issues. 

These three issues became known as the “three solas” of the Protestant Reformation. Sola is a Latin word meaning “alone.”

1) Sola Scripture assured that Scripture alone – not church tradition – was the only source of authority in the church.
2)Sola Fide or faith alone meant that we are saved by faith in Christ. Salvation is not earned.
3)  Sola Gratia asserts that grace alone offers salvation.
It is a gift from God.
Our good works are a grateful response to this unmerited gift.

 
The following statement, is attributed to Luther, though not found in his writings. If he did not say exactly these words, they certainly reflect his theology of prayer. “I have so much to do that if I didn’t spend at least three hours a day in prayer I would never get it all done.”

Today we will pray Luther’s prayers including
his Morning and Evening Prayers.

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled.
My Lord, fill it.
I am weak in the faith; strengthen me.
I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent,
that my love may go out to my neighbor.
I do not have a strong and firm faith;
at times I doubt and am unable to trust you altogether.
 O Lord, help me. Strengthen my faith and trust in you.
In you I have sealed the treasure of all I have.
I am poor; you are rich
and came to be merciful to the poor.
I am a sinner; you are upright.
With me, there is an abundance of sin;
in you is the fullness of righteousness.
Therefore I will remain with you,
of whom I can receive,
but to whom I may not give.
Amen.

Martin Luther (1483-1546)
Morning Prayer

In the name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

I thank you, my heavenly Father,
through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son,
that You have kept me this night
from all harm and danger;
and I pray that You would keep me this day
also from sin and every evil,
that all my doings and life may please You. 
For into Your hands I commend myself,
my body and soul, and all things. 
Let Your holy angel be with me,
that the evil foe may have no power over me. 
Amen.
                                                                                                                                                     
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
Evening Prayer

In the name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

I thank you, my heavenly Father,
through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son,
that You have graciously kept me this day;
and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong,
and graciously keep me this night. 
For into Your hands, I commend myself,
my body and soul, and all things. 
Let Your holy angel be with me,
that the evil foe may have no power over me. 
Amen.

October 21 – Martin Luther (1483-1546)

On October 1517, Martin Luther, a monk and professor of theology, nailed his 95 Thesis to the church door of Wittenburg and changed Christianity forever. Luther was upset that a friar named Tetzel was selling indulgences, a pardon from punishment for sins committed by oneself or others. Tetzel was raising money to build the Sistine Chapel. However, it soon became clear that Luther differed from the Roman Catholic Church on three major issues.  These three issues became known as the “three solas” of the Protestant Reformation.  Sola is a Latin word meaning “alone.” Sola Scripture assured that Scripture alone – not church tradition – was the only source of authority in the church. Sola fide or faith alone meant that we are saved by faith in Christ. Salvation is not earned. Sola gratia asserts that grace alone offers salvation. It is a gift from God. Our good works are a grateful response to this unmerited gift.

 

Luther’s father was determined that he should become a lawyer and Martin received a good education. But he angered his father by becoming a monk instead. Luther attributed his decision to being almost struck by lightning when caught in a thunderstorm.  He was terrified of death and divine judgment cried out, "Help! Saint Anna, I will become a monk!" Luther viewed this cry as a vow he could not break and he dedicated himself to monastic life, devoting himself to fasting, long hours in prayer, pilgrimage, and frequent confession. He would later remark, "If anyone could have gained heaven as a monk, then I would certainly have done so.” But he was in deep spiritual despair. He said, "I lost touch with Christ the Savior and Comforter, and made of him the jailer and hangman of my poor soul."  As Luther struggled to feel secure in his salvation, he found comfort in the book of Romans with its emphasis on Divine grace. His challenge of Tetzel exposed the greater issues he had with the Roman Catholic Church. In 1520 the pope insisted that Luther recant all his writings and in 1521 Luther was summoned before the Holy Roman Emperor at the Diet of Worms. Luther was once again asked to recant his writings. His response was, “… I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen.^” He was excommunicated, pronounced an outlaw, and anyone could kill him without suffering punishment. But another German ruler, Fredrick III, protected him. Christianity in the west broke into Protestant and Catholic branches. Luther translated the Bible into German, wrote extensively, and wrote several hymns that helped the development of singing in churches. His happy marriage to Katharina von Bora, a former nun, set a model for allowing Protestant clergy to marry.

Teaching Children to Pray

Teaching Our Children to Pray - A Personal Journey from a Mom\

By Tracie Mayes Stewart

 

As a parent we want the very best for our children.  And as Christians there is nothing more important to give our children a firm foundation in the faith. I truly believe that the greatest gift I can give my sons is to help them develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. If they will seek God’s perfect plans for their lives and obey His commandments, I know they will have lives that are more than the greatest dreams I could dream for them.

 

But I must confess that I thought about their faith development much more from my “head” than from my “heart.”  It was easy to read Bible stories and talk about all the great things God did every day.  I confess I did not put as much energy and thought into helping them learn how to pray. I just did what I knew how to do. Brian and I taught them to pray as we had been taught – with blessings before meals and good night prayers.

 

Growing up with two pastors as their parents, I initially thought this was okay.  After all, faith is caught more than taught. Even with three theological degrees between us, Brian and I basically followed what our parents had taught us.  We said blessings before meals and had prayers as we tucked in the boys. I had really never thought about teaching my children to pray. Isn’t it something you just know?

 

Over the years I have come to realize it is and it isn’t.  We are all born with a desire to know God, but we have to be taught how to seek Him. Fortunately, God had mercy on me and my two young sons.  A parent in the church I was working in asked me how she should teach her child to pray.  I immediately looked for a book to recommend and realized there wasn’t much on this. And I realized with horror it was something I had not given much attention to with my own sons.

 

That question changed me. I wanted my children to talk freely with God. But rather than praying freely with them I had taught them the prayers I had grown up saying and considered the task done.  So here are a few suggestions from things I have learned over the years:

 

1)      Think about the prayers you teach.  They will have great influence. View them through the eyes of child. And explain what the words mean and why you see them as important.  My father was taught “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” as a boy. One day in Sunday School he asked for the teacher to explain what “IFISHEDIE” meant. He thought it was a Bible word. Imagine his horror at learning he had been praying “If I Should Die.” The prayer he had thought was a source of comfort was now about his death. Fortunately, he discussed it with his mother who explained what a blessing it was to ask Jesus to protect you in both this life and the next.

 

2)      Allow children to open their heart to God.  We are all used to hearing lovely prayers in worship. Often these prayers have stood the test of many centuries. We tend to think that prayer sounds lofty and holy – and it can. But much prayer is just a raw cry of the heart. Nothing is too small to escape God’s Providential care. Children know this.  Often after praying a prayer we taught them, our boys would add their “God bless”es. They would ask God to bless worms, stuffed animals, tv characters, and most of all, our cat. I was troubled. I wanted them to understand this was serious. But these petitions were serious to them. It reflected their offering all that most mattered in their world to God. And I am glad to report that as they grew their prayers grew more mature too.

 

3)      Model prayer every chance you get. My sons had a playmate over. Suddenly I heard a cry and ran to find a skinned knee. The friend was in tears and as I comforted her I realized I could not provide the touch of her mother which was what she really needed. But I did have her Heavenly Father available. I prayed over the “boo-boo” asking God and Jesus to make it all better soon. Imagine my surprise when the prayer dried her eyes. And then I saw the look on my boys’ faces. That day they learned when we are hurt or scared, we go to the Lord in prayer. And it was a much better lesson than my words could have ever taught them.

 

4)      Pray about the things around you.  My little sister was very sick and had several close calls with death.  My mother told us whenever we saw an ambulance to pray “because it could be your sister and you would want people to be praying for her.” Post 9/11 fire trucks and police cars speeding by also receive our prayers. If you watch the news and a disturbing situation is highlighted, taking time to pray about it can be a great comfort. Encouraging older children to pray about the events in their community and the world is a great way to teach them empathy and compassion. Websites such as Voices of the Martyrs dedicated to the persecuted can help older teenagers follow situations that need prayer.

 

5)      Pray for the church and its ministries. Praying for those on our prayer list over prayers during a Sunday meal is another great way to teach children to pray for others. Getting involved in one of the many missions LMPC supports and praying regularly for that mission is another way to make prayer come alive to a child. Praying for those our mission serve reminds us that we are to care for one another.

 

6)      Pray together prayers with special meaning for your family. A friend prays the Lord’s Prayer as part of family prayers. Another family we know has a mother who is Dutch. They pray a treasured Dutch blessing before meals in Dutch even though the children are very young.  They then explained to us what it meant in a way that was most impressive. When my brother was in pre-school he learned about Johnny Appleseed complete with a blessing. We loved that blessing and sang it for years complete with a fake strumming of an air guitar after we said Amen and screamed Johnny Appleseed. Strum Strum! We were allowed to strum as long as the rest of the blessing was respectful and reverent. Some families sing a stanza of a hymn. Find what works for you.

 

7)      Pray before you travel. Dedicate each day to God over breakfast. Build a habit of prayer at night so it persists long after children are too old to “tuck in.” Pray over any problems your children bring to you.  Model prayer for them and let them see you praying together as a couple. Also model prayers when friends come over.

 

8)      Holidays are great times to stress prayer.  An advent wreath offers a wonderful way to worship as a family. There are also great worship tools for Lent and Easter available. Don’t worry if you miss a day. Just do your best. One of Brian’s (my husband’s) favorite Christmas memories was his grandfather reading the Christmas story from the family Bible and praying over the family. The toys faded but Papaw’s prayers remain. This Christmas one of Brian’s aunts started a memory wreath.  We light candles for loved ones in heaven and give thanks for their lives and faith. This is so that the next generation will know their heritage and that the most important part of that heritage is faith.

 

9)      Blessings – I went to a conference when my sons were young where the speaker talked about praying blessings upon our children. In the Old Testament a blessing held real power. Praying for your child and blessing their future decisions and life has been a meaningful tool to teach them the power of prayer.

 

10    Praying together when facing a crisis shows children their prayers matter. It also shows them to go to the Lord when they need help.

 

So now it is your turn.  Share your tips for teaching your children to pray.  And share the prayers you use in your family and how you use them. I’ve started with a few.

 

Family Prayers

 

Be near me, Lord Jesus!
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there.

Amen. (Jesus Loves Me)

God is great and God is Good,
And we thank God for our food;
By God's hand we must be fed,
Give us Lord, our daily bread.
Amen. – Traditional

 

Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the food we eat.
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you God for everything.

Father, we thank thee for the night,
And for the pleasant morning light;
For rest and food and loving care,
And all that makes the day so fair.

Help us to do the things we should,
To be to others kind and good;
In all we do, in work or play,
To grow more loving every day. -- Rebecca Weston - 1890

 

God in heaven hear my prayer,
keep me in thy loving care.
Be my guide in all I do,
Bless all those who love me too.
Amen. -- Traditional

Now, before I run to play,
Let me not forget to pray
To God who kept me through the night
And waked me with the morning light.
Help me, Lord, to love thee more
Than I ever loved before,
In my work and in my play
Be thou with me through the day.
Amen.  --- Author Unknown

 

Jesus, help my eyes to see
All the good Thou sendest me.
Jesus, help my ears to hear
Calls for help from far and near.
Jesus, help my feet to go
In the way that Thou wilt show.
Jesus, help my hands to do
All things loving, kind, and true.
Jesus, may I helpful be,
Growing every day like Thee.
Amen.

 

Come Lord Jesus,
our guest to be
and bless these gifts bestowed by Thee. Amen

 

Bless us Oh Lord and these thy gifts which we are about to receive through thy bounty through Christ Our Lord, Amen

 

Lord Jesus Christ, be Thou our guest,
and share the food which Thou hast blessed. Amen

 

Heavenly Father, great and good,
We thank thee for this daily food.
Bless us even as we pray;
Guide and keep us through this day. Amen

 

For food in a world where many walk in hunger;
For faith in a world where many walk in fear;
For friends in a world where many walk alone;
We give you thanks, O Lord. Amen.

 

Be present at our table, Lord!
Be here and everywhere adored.
Your mercies bless, and grant that we
May feast in Paradise with Thee! Amen

 

Thank you for the food we eat,
Thank you for the friends we meet.
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you, God, for everything. Amen

 

 

The Johnny Appleseed Blessing

Oh, the Lord is good to me,
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need
The sun, and the rain, and the apple seed.
The Lord is good to me.

 

10/20/13- Twentieth Century Prayers

 A Month in Prayer Praying the Prayers of the Church throughout the Ages                October 20

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)

God of the day and of the night,
in me there is darkness,
but with you there is light.
I am alone, but you will not leave me.
I am weak, but you will come to my help.
I am restless, but you are my peace.
I am in haste,
but you are the God of infinite patience.
I am confused and lost,
but you are eternal wisdom
and you direct my path;
now and forever.
Amen

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was a German Lutheran pastor and theologian. He also was a founding member of the Confessing Church, a group of Reformed, Lutheran, and United pastors who resisted Hitler’s attempts to control the churches in Germany.  Bonhoeffer staunchly resisted the Nazi dictatorship especially the persecution of the Jews.  He was also involved in plans to assassinate Hitler. He was arrested in April 1943 by the Gestapo and executed by hanging in April 1945 while imprisoned at a Nazi concentration camp, just 23 days before the German surrender. His last recorded words were, "This is the end - for me the beginning of life.”

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 Thomas Merton (1915-1968)

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

 

Thomas Merton (1915-1968) was an Anglo-American Trappist monk. His father was Anglican and his mother was a Quaker. His Catholic monastery was in Kentucky. He was a writer, a mystic, a poet, and a social activist.

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 Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

Dear Jesus,
Help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go.
Flood our souls with your Spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly
that our lives may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through us and be so in us
that every soul we come in contact with
may feel your presence in our soul.
Let them look up and see no longer us but only Jesus.
Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine,
so to shine as to be light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from you.
None of it will be ours.
It will be you shining on others through us.
Let us thus praise you in the way you love best
by shining on those around us.
Let us preach you without preaching
not by words, but by our example
By the catching force
the sympathetic influence of what we do
the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997) was born in Albania who served God in India most of her life . She founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation, which is now active in 133 countries. The over 4500 sisters run hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis; soup kitchens; children's and family counseling programs; orphanages; and schools. Members of the order must adhere to the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, and the fourth vow, to give "Wholehearted and Free service to the poorest of the poor".