Values and St. Benedict

STEWARDSHIP
God our Creator,
We praise and thank You for Your wonders of nature.
Teach us to live with an awareness of Your gifts.
Help us be worthy stewards in Your name.
Grant us compassionate hearts for those in need,
by every work, deed and thought.
Through Jesus, our Brother,
help us to be generous and kind.
May we respect all persons, places and things
to Your greater honor and glory,
both now and forever and ever.
AMEN.

SPIRIT OF WISDOM
God of Creation,
in the beginning You created
all that is good, true and beautiful.
Send Your Spirit of Wisdom
as we begin this meeting.
Help us to be mindful of our Benedictine mission
and all the people who are in need.
Bless us with listening hearts
and a spirit of cooperation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
AMEN.

BEGIN A GOOD WORK
Benevolent God,
You create, renew and sustain all creation.
Be present as we begin this good work.
Inspire and animate us
as we discern the good of (name facility).
Give us hearts attentive to the current needs
and future of all concerned.
May we be blest with a spirit of cooperation.
This we ask through Christ our Lord.
AMEN.

ADAPTABILITY

Ever-renewing God of the Universe,
You are always present, yet far removed.
In every age you share your gifts anew.
Help us to treasure Saint Benedict’s
vision to adapt to our time and place.
By seeking you in prayer,
may we continue to trust in your assistance
now and forever. AMEN.

BALANCE AND PEACE

God of the Universe,
You design and hold all creation in your loving hands.
With Saint Benedict as our model,
inspire us with ways of bringing balance to our lives.
May we cooperate with your abundant graces
to secure peace in our hearts and in our homes.
Send your Spirit of Serenity
through Jesus, the Christ,
both now and for ever. AMEN.

CHRIST IN OTHERS

God of Love,
Who sent your only Son to reveal your glory.
In the spirit of Saint Benedict,
may we see Christ present in ourselves,
in the sick and infirm,
in our family, guests, leaders,
and all who work with us.
Give us compassionate hearts,
ready and eager to serve Christ in others.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.

CONVERSION OF HEART

God of Transforming Love,
we praise and thank you for variety
and all that is changing in life.
As Saint Benedict calls us to conversion of heart,
dispel our fears
and give us confidence and courage to improve.
Give us patience with ourselves and with others.
This we ask through Jesus, the Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit
both now and forever. AMEN.

DAILY MANUAL LABOR I

Blest are you God of the Universe,
from nothing you brought forth all of creation.
As Saint Benedict values daily work,
help us to cherish the labor of our hands.
With grateful hearts,
we thank you for everyone who serves us.
Bless them and their families with health and happiness
now and forever. AMEN.

DAILY MANUAL LABOR II

God, Creator of the universe,
may all your works praise and glorify you.
Because idleness is the enemy of the soul,
Saint Benedict designated times for manual labor.
Help us to value the work of our hands
and cherish everyone we associate with.
Grant this through Jesus, the Christ, our Lord. AMEN.

GROUNDED IN GOD

Spirit of the Living God,
we thank you and praise you
for models of strength and courage.
Like Saint Benedict,
help us to be rooted and grounded in God.
Give us wisdom to discern our choices
for family, friends, colleagues and all in need.
May we be open to God’s Presence
in the daily events of our lives.
We ask this through Jesus, the Christ, our Lord.
AMEN.

HUMBLE REVERENCE

God of Loving-kindness,
You are ever gentle and meek.
You sent your only Son to be one with us.
As Saint Benedict fosters humility among his disciples,
help us to recognize the poor and lowly.
Bring us together in one family of faith,
where You live forever and ever. AMEN.

JUSTICE AND MERCY

God of Harmony,
You hold all things in balance.
Following Saint Benedict,
may we give everyone
and every thing their time and place.
Inspire us with Your Spirit of Justice and Mercy.
May we live rightly,
be fair and honest,
truthful and trustworthy.
Help us to be people of integrity and faithfulness.
This we ask through Jesus, the Christ,
who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit,
now and forever. AMEN.

LISTENING

Great Loving, Holy One,
Your silent presence is everywhere.
Teach us to listen with the ears of our hearts
as Saint Benedict directs us.
Help us to be attentive to the unspoken needs
of the most vulnerable among us.
This we ask in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

LISTENING HEARTS

God of Heaven and Earth,
You are the mystery hidden in the secrets of life,
You call us, in the spirit of Saint Benedict,
to have listening hearts.
Help us to be attentive to your Word,
to your presence in others
and in the events of our lives.
Reveal your Spirit of Joy
that we may reflect your goodness and happiness
all the days of our lives.
This we ask through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

PATIENCE

Great God of Little Creatures,
You devote as much attention to tiny things
as to gigantic masterpieces.
Saint Benedict tells us to support with the greatest patience
one another’s weakness of body or behavior.
Help us to endure especially when we are in trying situations.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

PRAY AND WORK

God of all Creation and Blessings,
worthy are You to receive praise and thanksgiving.
With Saint Benedict as our model,
may we value a balance of prayer,
work and leisure.
May we esteem work as we do prayer,
and contribute to the dignity of our human family.
May we be blest with a Spirit of Fruitfulness
through Jesus, the Christ, our Lord.
AMEN.

RELATIONSHIPS

God, the Holy Trinity,
You express yourself in relationships.
Help us to treasure human nature
as Saint Benedict did.
Give us wise discretion to make prudent decisions
in our relationship with one another.
May we value the poorest and least among us
as did Jesus, the Christ, our Lord. AMEN.

SEEK GOD

God of Revelation,
You communicate your goodness, truth and beauty
in a multitude of ways.
Foster in our lives a hunger to discover
You hidden among us.
Following Saint Benedict,
may we seek You, God above all things.
This we ask through Jesus, the Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit
now and forever. AMEN.

SIMPLE LIFESTYLE

God of all Unity,
in wisdom you create all things
and hold all beings in love.
Help us to have care and concern
for the smallest and least among us.
As Saint Benedict cultivated a simple lifestyle
for his disciples,
nurture that same spirit here at (name of facility).
Sustain us all in our relationships with one another
both now and forever. AMEN.

STEADFAST PERSEVERANCE

Eternal and Everlasting God,
You are ever faithful.
As Saint Benedict valued the stability of place
and consistent relationships in community,
help us to persevere in our everyday lives.
Bless us with steadfast trust
that we can make a difference in our life.
May your Spirit of Reliability be with us
now and forever. AMEN.

VALUE OF HOSPITALITY

Welcoming God of all time,
You continually call us to expand our life with greater love.
As Saint Benedict valued
the youngest and the poorest of people,
may we cultivate a spirit of hospitality
wherever we are.
Give us listening hearts,
ready and willing to be a channel of your grace.
We ask this through Jesus, the Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
now and forever. AMEN.

VALUE OF STEWARDSHIP

God of Harmony,
we thank you and praise you
for ordering all creation.
With Saint Benedict as our model,
help us to be good stewards of all you have given us.
May we care for people and things
as the sacred vessels of the altar.
Support our concern for all
with worthy companions
along our life’s journey of faith.
Grant us a caring Spirit of Cooperation.
This we ask in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

VALUE OF RESPECT

Holy God of Life,
You are worthy of all honor and glory.
May we catch the spirit of respect
manifested by Saint Benedict.
With listening hearts,
may we reverence each person
and all things entrusted to our care.
Help us to find and respect your Holy Spirit
hidden in our innermost being.
We ask this through Jesus, the Christ, our Lord.
AMEN.

VALUE OF JUSTICE

Faithful God of Creation,
You order all things with righteousness.
Inspire us with the spirit of Saint Benedict,
to value justice for all.
May we relate fairly and honestly
with all people.
May Peace be our guide and safeguard.
We pray through Jesus, the Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit
now and for ever. AMEN.

A MEAL PRAYER

God, our Creator,
You call us into being and sustain us with life.
You are here among us.
Help us to be aware of those less fortunate than we are.
Teach us the Spirit of Moderation.
Bless us and the food we share,
and all who provide and serve our needs.
In Jesus’ name we pray, now and forever. AMEN.

Saint Benedict, pray for us.