Birthday Prayer 10

YOU ARE THE INTRICATE WORK OF GOD’S LOVE

Introduction:

               One morning the angels realized that God is going to perform a great work. They anxiously waited to see what is going to happen. They even had an argument among them on this issue. Some said, he is going to create a new star, some said, no, He is going to build a nation, some had the opinion that He is going to perform a great miracle, that was to create a human being, who will be called …., the daughter, of Mr.& Mrs.                    Yes, dear sisters, today we are here this morning to celebrate the great miracle, which God had performed many years ago.

                 We thank God too, for the gift of life to Sr. .. who also celebrates her birthday today. For all that she is to her family, Congregation and to this community at ……………….. We thank and praise you Lord.

Pause

Lighting the Lamp –

 O God, lead us from darkness to light. Oh God the author of Creation, Beauty and life, this morning we come before you with grateful hearts. We greet you with songs and hymns. We move from darkness to light, from shadow to reality. Acknowledging God’s presence let us humbly worship Him and welcome Him in our midst as we invite Sr.                to light the lamp and then perform the arathi before the Blessed Sacrament while the hymn is being played and then all of us will go forward and receive the light of Christ.

Dear sister we thank and appreciate all that you are to us and all the joys, happiness and God’s concern which you share with us generously. Dear sister you are a blessing to us. We appreciate your kindness to the entire community member, students of theology and formation & working staff of this institute and all the good things you do to show us what a beautiful person you are. Like a mother your presence in the house is a blessing. You give yourself so silently that only when we approach you do we know how kind you are. We thank you and we thank God for you and for all that you are to each one of us. Now let us join silently as sister prays.

Psalm    105

How great is my God,

And how I love to sing His praises!

Whereas I am often frightened when I think about the future,

And confused and disturbed

By the rapidly changing events about me,

My heart is secured and made glad

When I remember how He has cared for me

Throughout the past.

When I was brought forth from my mother’s womb,

God’s hand was upon me.

Through parents and people, who cared, He loved and sheltered me

And set me upon His course for my life.

Through illness and accident my God has sustained me.

Around pitfalls and precipices He has safely led me.

When I became rebellious and struck out on my own,

He waited patiently for me to return.

When I fell on my face in weakness and failure,

He gently set me upon my feet again.

He did not always prevent me from Hurting myself,

But He took me back to heal my wounds.

Even out of the broken pieces of my defeats

He created a vessel of beauty and usefulness.

Through trials and errors, failures and success.

Through trails and errors, failures and successes,

My God has cared for me.

From infancy to adulthood He has never let me go.

His love has led me- or followed me-

Through the valleys of sorrow

And the highlands of joy,

Through times of want and years of abundance.

He has bridged impassable rivers

And moved impossible mountains.

Sometimes through me, Sometimes in spite of me,

He seeks to accomplish His purposes in my life.

He has kept me through the stormy past;

He will secure and guide me

Through the perilous future.

I need never be afraid,

No matter how and uncertain the months or years ahead of me.

How great is my God,

And how I love to sing His praises!

SYMBOLIC OFFERINGS:

SALT:         - flowers are the wealth of the plant

-          Fruits are the wealth of the tree

-          Birds are the wealth of the sky

-          Animals are the wealth of the forest

-          Vegetation are the wealth of the land

-          Salt is the wealth of seas

And you dear sisters are the wealth of our congregation.

Yes, dear Lord, all that we have on this earth is your perfect gift to us. Today as we thank you for the gift of our dear sister, we offer her at your feet in the symbol of salt. Salt has different functions. It preserves the food from getting decayed and gives taste and flavor. When it is put in the water, it dissolves itself in the water having no identity of its own, similarly let this offering may have impact in the life of our sister. Let the very gift of her vocation may enable her to give meaning to the meaningless, to give voice to the voiceless, to give strength to the weak, to be a mother and sister to the motherless.

          Thus add taste and flavor to the life of the people with whom she is entrusted.

Lord, be her support and guide, joy and solace, comfort and counselor. Walk with her, down through the valley and over the plain

       Down in the shadow and in the sunshine

       Down in her strength and strife

       Down in her joys and sorrows

       Down in her todays and tomorrows. Be with her all through her life’s uneven journey that she may find joy and fulfillment in serving you THANK YOU LORD!

PLANT: Dear sisters, this plant we now offer to the Lord has a special message to tell us especially to our feasterian sister. This plant speaks of the eight aspects of a community life namely living, giving, sharing, receiving, loving, praying, bearing and working.

          Dear Lord, this plant reminds us very much of our dear sister’s profound living and her generous giving, joyful sharing and her grateful receiving, angelic loving and her ardent praying, unconditional bearing and tireless working.

          As we thank you Lord, for all these good qualities, you have put within her, we ask your choicest blessings upon her. As the plant is well rooted in the earth to stand steadily and draw water and manure for its survival, let our sister’s faith may be firm and let her draw strength from your fount of living water. As the plant gets light from the sun to energize itself let the warmth of your love and light give energy to her when she is troubled. As the leaves are always greeny, let her be possessed in love and integrated personality. As the plant always draws the sap upward let all her thoughts, words and deeds be upward towards you to fulfill your plan in her. Accept it and bless our dear sister Lord!

SHELL WITH PEARL: You are a miracle of God.

               -   A tree is the miracle of a tiny seed

-          A flower is the miracle of a tiny plant

-          A melody is the miracle of music

-          A dance is the miracle of culture

-          A fountain is the miracle of a mountain

-          A gift is the miracle of love

-          A pearl is the miracle of shell

-          And you dear sister are the miracle of God.         

Dear lord, we place in your loving arms our dear sister as a symbol of shell with pearl. Our patron St. Francis de Sales in his IDL states that a pearl oysters though it lives in the sea, never let in a single drop of salt water, rather it goes to the spring of fresh water where it can let in the pure water. So also Lord, you have called our sister from the world to lead a life not of the world. The world around is corrupted by all sorts of evils, tormented by all sorts of trials. In the midst of trials and tribulation, difficulties and pain let our sister be to moved but like a mountain be strong in her faith and let she open her shell only to your divine graces which may enable her to grow day by day in your love.

Our Father

A. Our Father in heaven, we speak to you continually in Christ your Son.

B. You have made us your children and gave us Sr.            , as a precious gift.

A. Holy be your name.

B. May your holy name be a source of comfort and consolation to our dear

     Sr.          in all her difficulties.

A. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.

B. May she continue to be attached to you, as a branch to the tree. May she work in

     your vineyard many more years and be a sign of your kingdom here and now.

A. Give us today our daily bread.

B. Give Sr.                 and each of us strength to live our commitment day by day.

A. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

B. Lord, forgive us for all the times we went away from you, failed to see your

     hand in events and persons.

A. Do not bring us to test.

B. Continue to be with Sr. ……………., especially at the moments of trials and

    troubles.

A. But deliver us from evil.

B. Protect her from the evil. Watch over her always with your fatherly protection

    and motherly love and keep her ever closer to you.

Dear Sr. … as you look back into the shore of your life’s journey you see the foot prints of God. A God who has walked with you side by side all along the way  and listened to your cares and  helped you to carry  your burden and shared  your joys and sorrows. Following the footprints of God you have been filled with hope, freedom and wholeness in your life.

* On this special day we pray that all that is you, may proclaim god’s greatness and love.

* May the living and eternal God present within you be the destiny of your life and guide along the way.

* May you be free from anxieties and fears.

* May you always be enveloped in the great love of the Lord.

* May your life spread the fragrance of joy and goodness as you bloom  in the Lord’s garden.