First Sunday in Lent — 14 February

Hear our voice, O Lord, according to your faithful love.

Lectionary readings (Click the links to see the readings):
Deuteronomy 26.1-11 | Psalm 91.1-2,9-16 | Romans 10.4-13 | Luke 4.1-15

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Marney Ward (Canada). Dance of the Daisies. Watercolor.

Who Am I To Pray?

Gracious God, we thank you for the gift of prayer. what an extraordinary thing that we can pray to you, unburden ourselves before you, place our cares, woes and joys before you. I confess I find praying an awkward business. I keep thinking, Who am I to pray? But I know that to be false humility, hiding my prideful desire to be my own creator. so we pray a prayer of joy in prayer, asking that we become your prayers for one another.

Teach Me To Beg

Dear Jesus, send your Spirit on us so that we will be taught to pray. Prayer is hard, requiring great effort, but when done, effortless. I confess I have never liked to pray. Prayer is too much like begging. So I have to pray that your generous Spirit will teach me to beg. I beg you to help dl of us discover that our lives are constituted by prayer, so that we may be in your world one mighty, joyous prayer. Make us so rested by such prayer, so content to be your people, that we kill no more.

—Stanley Hauerwas. Prayers Plainly Spoken (Downer's Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1999)

Benedictines of Mary, O Deus Ego Amo Te, C18th Century Traditional (Prayer of St. Francis Xavier).

O Deus, ego amo te,
Nec amo te ut salves me,
Nec quod qui te non diligent,
Æterno igne pereunt.

Ex cruces lingo germinat,
Qui pectus amor occupant,
Ex pansis unde brachiis,
Ad te amandum arripes. Amen.

O God I love Thee for Thyself
and not that I may heaven gain
nor yet that they who love Thee not
must suffer hell's eternal pain.

Out of the bud of the wood of the Cross
wherefore hearts' love embraces
whence out of extended arms
lovingly you take us. Amen.

May God our Redeemer show us compassion and love. Amen.