Prayer for All Occasions
Lord,
May everything we do
Begin with your inspiration
And continue with your help,
So that all our prayers
And works
May begin in You
And by You be happily ended.
We ask this through Christ
Our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer for Meetings
We stand before you, Holy Spirit,
Conscious of our sinfulness,
But aware that we gather
In Your Name.
Come to us, remain with us,
And enlighten our hearts.
Give us light and strength to know Your will,
To make it our own,
And to live it in our lives.
Guide us by Your wisdom,
Support us by Your power,
For You are God,
Sharing the glory of Father
And Son.
You desire justice for all:
Enable us to uphold
The rights of others
Do not allow us to be misled
By ignorance
Or corrupted by fear or favor.
Unite us to Yourself
In the bond of love
And keep us faithful
To all that is true.
As we gather in Your Name
May we temper justice with love,
So that all our decisions
May be pleasing to You,
And earn the reward
Promised to good
And faithful servants.
Amen.
Prayer Before Going to Work
Sharing my skills with others
How gracious you are, O God
You give us everything in this life:
Food on our table,
Clothes on our backs,
A roof over our heads,
A meaningful existence,
The spirit of discernment.
How gracious you are, O God,
To enhance this unworthy body
With a creative mind
And skilful hands.
You gift us with innumerable talents
And make us stewards of Your land.
You call us not servants but masters
Of all Your creation.
Guide us that we may remain
Faithful and responsible workers
And tenants of Your vineyard.
Grant us the grace
Not to doubt Your Word
Nor challenge Your divine will.
Keep us from succumbing
To the seductions of fame,
The lures of material wealth,
The quest for personal gain.
May we not gamble future glory
For the passing pleasures of this world.
Give us the courage to stake everything
On You alone, O dear God. Amen.
fifteenprayers.blogspot.com
It’s easy to get complacent in our places of employment, to work for the weekends or to collect a paycheck that helps us live “real” life outside of the workplace. But work should never be meaningless drudgery, nor should it be separate and contained from other aspects of our life. It should rather be an act of loving service to God, bringing glory to him who is our Maker.
Work isn’t a curse, it is ordained by God and is a holy duty. Our heavenly Father himself taught us how to work and rest, and even in Paradise, where there was no pain or sorrow, our first parents worked joyfully, tending the earth and keeping it.
St. Joseph, the Guardian of our Redeemer, also worked with his hands and taught the child Jesus his craft of carpentry. Indeed, St. Joseph teaches us that working silently for Jesus and Mary is the highest calling of every man. We should learn from our humble model, St. Joseph, to have no greater happiness than to work, and to work well as an act of sacrificial love.
Here, then, is a prayer to St. Joseph, asking his intercession for a good and holy work day. I have begun to pray it daily, and I invite you to as well.
O Glorious Saint Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in a spirit of penance for the expiation of my many sins; to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations; to work with thankfulness and joy, considering it an honor to employ and develop by means of labor the gifts received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation and patience, never shrinking from weariness and trials; to work above all with purity of intention and detachment from self, keeping unceasingly before my eyes death and the account that I must give of time lost, talents unused, good omitted, and vain complacency in success, so fatal to the work of God.
All for Jesus, all through Mary, all after thy example, O Patriarch, Saint Joseph. Such shall be my watch-word in life and in death. Amen.
– Composed by Pope St. Pius X
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Work is an essential part of society. Countless people go to work every day, whether it be in a factory, office, school, or even at home. St. John Paul II wrote in Laborem exercens, “Through work must earn daily bread and contribute to the continual advance of science and technology and, above all, to elevating unceasingly the cultural and moral level of the society.”
While most work deals with the secular, it doesn’t have to be without spiritual meaning. By working we participate in that original call of Adam in the garden to “till” and “keep” and respond to God’s call in our own lives to use the gifts and talents we have for the good of society.
To help you sanctify your work each day, here are five powerful prayers that elevate work to a spiritual dimension and gives added meaning to what can sometimes be a monotonous routine.
Prayer of Pope St. Pius X
O Glorious Saint Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in a spirit of penance for the expiation of my many sins; to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations; to work with thankfulness and joy, considering it an honor to employ and develop by means of labor the gifts received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation and patience, never shrinking from weariness and trials; to work above all with purity of intention and detachment from self, keeping unceasingly before my eyes death and the account that I must give of time lost, talents unused, good omitted, and vain complacency in success, so fatal to the work of God.
All for Jesus, all through Mary, all after thy example, O Patriarch, Saint Joseph. Such shall be my watch-word in life and in death. Amen.
Prayer to St. Joseph the Worker
Joseph, by the work of your hands and the sweat of your brow, you supported Jesus and Mary, and had the Son of God as your fellow worker.
Teach me to work as you did, with patience and perseverance, for God and for those whom God has given me to support. Teach me to see in my fellow workers the Christ who desires to be in them, that I may always be charitable and forbearing towards all.
Grant me to look upon work with the eyes of faith, so that I shall recognize in it my share in God’s own creative activity and in Christ’s work of our redemption, and so take pride in it.
When it is pleasant and productive, remind me to give thanks to God for it. And when it is burdensome, teach me to offer it to God, in reparation for my sins and the sins of the world. Amen
Prayer for Work
And when I do find work, may I make good use of my time, regarding it as a treasure. Help me to grow in the virtue of order, doing my work punctually, attentively and steadfastly. May I develop a well-structured plan that will permit me to live my spiritual life, family life, professional life and social life in a balanced way.
Prayer before a Day’s Work
Direct, we beg you, O Lord, our actions by your holy inspirations, and grant that we may carry them out with your gracious assistance, that every prayer and work of ours may begin always with you, and through you be happily ended. Amen.
aleteia.org
