Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2014

By The Irish Jesuits

Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2014 has become the yearly prayer companion for busy Christians. Sacred Space books have sold more than 350,000 copies from their inception in 2005, providing insightful daily meditations in the rich traditions of lectio divina (sacred reading) and Ignatian spirituality.
With nine years of successful sales, Sacred Space continues to attract readers from all Christian denominations, offering them a year-long prayer aid and complement to the sacredspace.ie website. Using the simple six-step method first developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, this new edition provides daily readings and prayer starters. It is ideal for busy people who want to grab a few moments to read, reflect, and pray.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ave Maria Press
• Release date: Nov 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9781594714351

The Irish Jesuits

The Sacred Space series of books are adapted from the very popular Sacred Space website. The prayers and reflections are written by members of the Irish Province of the Society of Jesus (The Irish Jesuits).

Book preview

Acknowledgments

The publisher would like to thank Brian Grogan, S.J., and the Sacred Space team for their kind assistance in making this book possible. Comments and suggestions relating to the site or this book can be directed to [e-mail].

The Sacred Space team acknowledges with deep gratitude the writers who contributed to this volume: Paul Andrews, S.J.; Jean Cleary; Michael Drennan, S.J.; Philip Fogarty, S.J.; Michael Paul Gallagher, S.J.; Helen Gallivan; Pat Gayer, O.S.A.; Brian Grogan, S.J.; Carmel Harkin; Finbarr Lynch, S.J.; Sr. Anne Lyons, P.B.V.M.; Dermot Mansfield, S.J.; Aidan Mathews; Donal Neary, S.J.; and Fergus O’Keefe, S.J. Several authors chose to remain anonymous. To all of them, our sincere thanks.

Unless otherwise noted, the scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

First published in Australia 2013 by Michelle Anderson Publishing Pty., Ltd.

____________________________________

© 2013 Irish Province of the Society of Jesus

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews, without written permission from Ave Maria Press®, Inc., P.O. Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556-0428, 1-800-282-1865.

Founded in 1865, Ave Maria Press is a ministry of the United States Province of Holy Cross.

www.avemariapress.com

Paperback: ISBN-10 1-59471-434-7, ISBN-13 978-1-59471-434-4

E-book: ISBN-10 1-59471-435-5, ISBN-13 978-1-59471-435-1

Cover and text design by Andy Wagoner.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

Sacred Space Prayer

Dear Lord,

the music of our lives is meant to be a symphony of love.

Endlessly and lovingly you sustain us,

and we learn to respond as best we can.

You gaze on us and you smile, and we smile back.

You speak your life-giving Word in our hearts

and refresh us constantly through our daily prayer.

Grant that we, the Sacred Space community, may become

the Good News in the present tense to a needy world.

Contents

Preface

How to Use This Book

December 2013

January 2014

February 2014

March 2014

April 2014

May 2014

June 2014

July 2014

August 2014

September 2014

October 2014

November 2014

Preface

Sacred Space: The Prayer Book and www.sacredspace.ie

Sacred Space: The Prayer Book has been developed and produced by the Irish Jesuits since 1999 for its popular website www.sacredspace.ie. The online site now attracts over five million visitors each year from Christians of all denominations.

Updated on a daily basis with new insights and prayer offerings, the site is compatible with smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. Registered users now have the opportunity to customize their prayer experience with music and visual options.

The secret of Sacred Space’s success is its simplicity. At its core is a simple daily prayer based on scripture. But behind this apparently simple offering is a comprehensive daily spiritual guide and a translation service into nineteen languages, most recently including Russian, Arabic, Italian, and Filipino.

Registered users of the site also can receive regular newsletters, undertake online retreats, pray with the pope, and add their prayer requests into the chapel of intercession. The site has a small team of full- and part-time staff backed up by national and international volunteers, including communities of contemplative nuns who pray for the intentions of the visitors.

Another area of the online offering is Living Space, where users will find commentaries on the daily scripture readings.

How to Use This Book

We invite you to make a sacred space in your day and spend ten minutes praying, wherever you are, with the help of a prayer guide and scripture chosen specially for each day. Every place is a sacred space, so you may wish to have this book on hand at your desk, on your bedside table, in your briefcase, or wherever. Remember that God is everywhere, all around us, constantly reaching out to us and interested in meeting us, even in the most unlikely situations. When we know this—with a bit of practice—we can pray anywhere.

The prayer structure is simple. At the beginning of each week, you are offered prayer advice. This is the section titled Something to think and pray about each day this week.

A set of prayer stages follow, which help to focus you on God:

The Presence of God

Freedom

Consciousness

The Word (daily scripture and inspiration points)

Conversation

Conclusion

It is important to come back to these stages each day, as they are all integral to the prayer. The first three prepare our hearts to hear the Word of God in quietness. The next three help us to break open the Word. All the stages are for doing, not only for reading. Each stage is an exercise or meditation to help you get in touch with God’s presence in your life.

When you pray, you are not alone. We invite you to join the many people around the world who pray with us in sacred space.

December 1–7

Something to think and pray about each day this week:

A New Beginning

He was a young man caught in the web of drug addiction. She was the pharmacist who—with genuine love and care—dispensed to him the daily dose of methadone to help him break free from the effects of drugs. He shared with her his desire to reorder his life, to become free of the paralysing effects of addiction. He spoke of his hope for a new beginning, and she supported him as best she could. Suddenly he stopped coming. She wondered about him. Where was he? She watched and waited, but he never returned.

Years passed. One day her son invited a friend home for an evening meal. When she opened the door, standing before her was the young man of earlier years. Healthy and well, he now worked as a social worker with others caught in addiction. He shared how her words had struck his heart like an arrow, opening him to reform, freedom, and hope.

John the Baptist, the arrow in God’s quiver, waited in the wilderness. At the appointed time, he was sprung forth from God’s bow. John pointed a people who lived in dread and uncertainty to a greater power and a greater love revealed in the person of Jesus.

Can you find yourself among the many people who went out to hear John’s message? What might he say to you? Can you be a John the Baptist to others?

The Presence of God

Lord, help me to be fully alive to your holy presence.

Enfold me in your love.

Let my heart become one with yours.

Freedom

At this moment, many countries are suffering

the agonies of war.

I bow my head in thanksgiving for my freedom.

I pray for all prisoners and captives.

Consciousness

At this moment, Lord, I turn my thoughts to you.

I will leave aside my chores and preoccupations.

I will take rest and refreshment in your presence, Lord.

The Word

The Word of God comes to us through the scriptures.

May the Holy Spirit enlighten my mind and my heart to respond to the gospel teachings. (Please turn to your scripture on the following pages. Inspiration points are there should you need them. When you are ready, return here to continue.)

Conversation

Sometimes I wonder what I might say

if I were to meet you in person, Lord.

I might say, Thank you, Lord, for always being there for me.

I know with certainty there were times when you carried me,

when through your strength I got through the dark times in my life.

Conclusion

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end. Amen.

Sunday 1st December,

First Sunday of Advent

Matthew 24:42–44

Jesus said, Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

•Staying awake means noticing and being alert. As I take time to pray, I allow the things I have been too busy to see to come to my notice.

•Looking ahead, I consider what might help me remain alert.

Monday 2nd December

Matthew 8:5–11

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress. And he said to him, I will come and cure him. The centurion answered, Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it. When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

•It was not easy for an officer in the imperial army to come as a beggar to an itinerant Jewish rabbi. The centurion made an extraordinary leap out of his own culture and pride into a recognition of Jesus’ power. Jesus was amazed at his faith.

•Have I the insight to perceive holiness and God’s hand at work around me, or am I imprisoned by the stereotypes of my culture?

Tuesday 3rd December,

St. Francis Xavier

Luke 10:21–24

At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.

•Here I am brought in on a big secret: the love that the Father and Son have for each other. They share a common love for me, too, and welcome me into their family life and joy.

•I may seem very ordinary, but I have high connections! So have others, so let me never see them as rubbish.

Wednesday 4th December

Matthew 15:32–37

Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way. The disciples said to him, Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd? Jesus asked them, How many loaves have you? They said, Seven, and a few small fish. Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.

•Here are details that touch me, Lord. You felt compassion, which carries a weight of meaning. It is more than a warm feeling; it meant that you did something about it. Save me from warm feelings that are a substitute for effective action.

•You did not play the magician but started with what the apostles already had in hand: seven loaves and a few small fish. Teach me, Lord, to use everything I am given.

Thursday 5th December

Matthew 7:21, 24–27

Jesus said to the people, Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. . . . Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!

•St. Ignatius remarks that love is found in deeds rather than in words. Jesus praises good deeds over good intentions that are not carried out. I pray to be like a good servant who does the work assigned me by God.

•It is comforting in troubled situations to remember that God is rock solid. I ask for grace always to trust in God no matter what may fall apart.

Friday 6th December

Matthew 9:27–31

As Jesus went on his way, two blind men followed him, crying loudly, Have mercy on us, Son of David! When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to him, Yes, Lord. Then he touched their eyes and said, According to your faith let it be done to you. And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly ordered them, See that no one knows of this. But they went away and spread the news about him throughout that district.

•I am a cry for help. I am a longing and a yearning. I need God in every possible way, so I make the shout of the blind men my mantra.

•I stumble after the blind men into Jesus’ house and let him touch my closed eyes. How does that feel? And how does it feel to open my eyes slowly and gaze for the first time on the face of Jesus?

Saturday 7th December

Matthew 9:35–10:1, 6–8

Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.

•Jesus has a mission for me. Who are the lost sheep today whom he may want me to help? Am I generous enough to do what he asks of me?

•The kingdom of heaven has come near. This means that God’s way of doing things is beginning to take over! How far has God’s way of doing things taken over in me? Would people know?

December 8–14

Something to think and pray about each day this week:

Out of the Wilderness

The documentary revealed the harrowed faces of victims of an overinflated property bubble which had burst. Fear of losing their homes was etched on every face. Then the scene changed to the Horn of Africa. I saw the hollowed faces and heard the unrelenting cries of this famine-stricken land. To clear my head of all this pain, I decide to go for a walk. Propped up against the wall of a great commercial building is a beggar. His voice of desperation and hunger tries to pierce my heart. Do I dare to stop and get involved, or do I keep my distance? Each victim’s voice challenges my carefully constructed defenses and my programs for personal happiness.

We are more than halfway through our Advent journey. Again the prophetic voice of John the Baptist calls for our attention. Those whom he disturbed challenged him: Who are you? His response was direct: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness. John immersed himself in the flood of suffering of his day. He cried out against blatant injustice and corrupt systems. John was God’s mouthpiece of love, compassion, and hope.

John might ask you, Who are you? For whom will your voice cry out this Advent time? Perhaps you feel you are in a wilderness? The wilderness times in our lives are necessary. Until we see our world as starkly as God does, we will not stand rightly with those who suffer injustice, degradation, and desperation.

The Presence of God

God is with me, but more,

God is within me, giving me existence.

Let me dwell for a moment on God’s life-giving presence

in my body, my mind, my heart,

and the whole of my life.

Freedom

God is not foreign to my freedom.

Instead, the Spirit breathes life into my most intimate desires,

gently nudging me towards all that is good.

I ask for the grace to let myself be enfolded by the Spirit.

Consciousness

Help me, Lord, to be more conscious of your presence.

Teach me to recognize your presence in others.

Fill my heart with gratitude for the times your love

has been shown to me through the care of others.

The Word

I read the Word of God slowly, a few times over, and I listen to what God is saying to me. (Please turn to your scripture on the following pages. Inspiration points are there should you need them. When you are ready, return here to continue.)

Conversation

How has God’s Word moved me? Has it left me cold?

Has it consoled me or moved me to act in a new way?

I imagine Jesus standing or sitting beside me;

I turn and share my feelings with him.

Conclusion

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end. Amen.

Sunday 8th December,

Second Sunday of Advent

Matthew 3:1–3

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’

•I may feel uncomfortable when confronted with John’s call to repentance, but I let myself listen, acknowledging that I am a sinner in need of God’s mercy. If I cannot admit this, Advent is not for me.

•God does not want me to passively receive the Word. I work with God, preparing the way in my life, expectant and hopefully watching for God’s approach.

Monday 9th December,

The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Luke 1:30–33

The angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

•I imagine that I am visiting Mary when the angel comes. I watch and listen breathlessly to their conversation as if I have never heard it before. When the angel vanishes, I sit with Mary. My heart is full of admiration for her as she takes on the task God is giving her.

•When I leave Mary and go home, I carry her words in my heart and beg that I may say them when God asks something of me. Let it be with me according to your word. I ask to be sensitive to the angels that may come my way today.

Tuesday 10th December

Matthew 18:12–14

What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.

•Every gospel tells us something about God. Here, I learn that God has a particular care for everyone, especially for those who have gone astray. This is a comfort to me because I often lose my way in life. God is watching out for me always.

•I ask the Lord that I too may care for the little ones—those who are vulnerable and cannot cope with life’s demands.

Wednesday 11th December

Matthew 11:28–30

Jesus said, Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

•Most people would say they are weary and weighed down with problems. Jesus offers himself as one who has his own burden but is glad to shoulder my burden too.

•The yoke was used in Jesus’ time as a term for Roman oppression of the Jews. People felt crushed by Rome’s demands. Jesus promises that if I join in with him, he will not be oppressive. I ask to feel the lightness and energy that he offers me.

Thursday 12th December

Matthew 11:11–15

Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. Let anyone with ears listen!

•I ponder on what Jesus said about the greatness of John. I think of what John had seen and heard so that I might profit from understanding what Jesus valued.

•John proclaimed the gospel, allowing his disciples to leave him to follow Jesus. I reflect on what it might mean to be less so that Jesus might be more.

Friday 13th December

Matthew 11:16–19

Jesus spoke to the crowds: But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.

•Both John and Jesus reveal what God is like, but they are misunderstood and cruelly rejected. I thank Jesus that he does not despair of humankind. He knows what we are like, yet he also sees what we can become. May I never despair of myself or others.

•How much am I willing to put myself out for others as John and Jesus did? I pray not to be imprisoned in my comfort zones.

Saturday 14th December

Matthew 17:10–13

And the disciples asked him, Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? He replied, Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.

•Jesus often uses the title Son of Man for himself. The title gathers together his passion and his return in glory. All human beings experience suffering and death as he did. But because of him, we will then experience the glory of resurrection. I thank Jesus for achieving this for us.

•Like Elijah, John was austere, lived in the desert, and was a fearless prophet. Jesus admired him. John also admired Jesus, and John referred to himself as the friend of the bridegroom. I, too, am a friend of the bridegroom, and I rejoice in that.

December 15–21

Something to think and pray about each day this week:

Making Room for God

We are entering the last week of Advent, a week commonly filled with the frantic busyness that comes before Christmas Day. St. Columcille can help us to find a quiet space amid all our busyness so we can listen for God’s annunciation to us: Sometimes in a lonely cell, in the presence of my God, I stand and listen. In the silence of my heart, I can hear God’s will when I listen. For I am but a servant, guided by my king when I listen.

Denise Levertov’s poem Annunciation begins with the words Hail, Space for the Uncontained God. Mary is asked to be just this—a space for God. Like us, she had her dreams, but the uncontained God draws her into a far greater dream for herself and all of us. She is caught in a dilemma. She must choose between her little personal dream and the expansive dream of God.

Despite her well-founded fears, Mary trusts that God will be ever present. The place of fear becomes the birthing place of love. In Levertov’s words, Consent, courage unparalleled, opened her utterly.

Can I allow the untamable, unexpected God of surprises to cross my threshold space?

As I journey through this week, can I find room to receive and respond to the message of the uncontained God? Someone wisely said, Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.

The Presence of God

What is present to me is what has a hold on my becoming.

I reflect on the presence of God always there in love,

amidst the many things that have a hold on me.

I pause and pray that I may let God

affect my becoming in this precise moment.

Freedom

"There are very few people

who realize what God would make of them

if they abandoned themselves into his hands,

and let themselves be formed by his grace" (St. Ignatius).

I ask for the grace to trust myself totally to God’s love.

Consciousness

In the presence of my loving Creator,

I look honestly at my feelings over the last day—

the highs, the lows, and the level ground.

Can I see where the Lord has been present?

The Word

God speaks to each one of us individually. I need to listen to hear what he is saying to me. Read the text a few times, then listen. (Please turn to your scripture on the following pages. Inspiration points are there should you need them. When you are ready, return here to continue.)

Conversation

What is stirring in me as I pray?

Am I consoled, troubled, left cold?

I imagine Jesus himself standing or sitting at my side,

and I share my feelings with him.

Conclusion

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end. Amen.

Sunday 15th December,

Third Sunday of Advent

Matthew 11:2–6

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another? Jesus answered them, Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.

•Great as John was, we see that he did not live with pure certainty. He followed in faith even as he allowed good questions to be asked. I pray that I may ask the right questions and, like John the Baptist, always direct them to Jesus.

•Jesus does not answer with a statement of authority but points to his actions. I show who Jesus is to me by the way I live, by how I affirm and help the weak and poor.

Monday 16th December

Matthew 21:23–27

When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority? Jesus said to them, I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? And they argued with one another, "If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to