Prayer regarding a Former Workplace

Perhaps quitting a job is much easier than being laid off, because we usually only quit if we are prepared and feel we can handle it financially at that time. But it's often difficult, either way. I wrote this in the past after quitting a job (largely because I was needed more at home). I just decided today to share it with others. I'm "getting there" (the things I ask for myself in this prayer), and maybe that's why I began to realize that maybe there are others who might appreciate this prayer also.

Prayer regarding a Former Workplace

Heavenly Father,

Please take my sorrow at missing people at my former job and turn it to joyful memories. Please take away any confusion and feelings of unresolved issues and grant me peace. Bless all the people I worked with, and especially those who helped me and those who were helped by me. Please fill all their needs, physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional; and fill their hearts with peace.

Please help me to forgive from my heart - and forget - any words or other signs of unkindness toward me or toward others I love. And please forgive any unkindness I have spoken or thought. Grant that we may all gather together in harmony in heaven one day.

Please guide everyone, from the ownership to the management to hourly employees, as well as myself and other former employees, in all our decisions, both in our homes and in whatever work we do now or in the future. Please bless everyone with good health and medical care, and with the insurance and finances to receive the care they need. I ask this all in Jesus' Name. Amen.



Copyright Margaret Mary Myers 2011

Prayer to the Holy Spirit by Cardinal Mercier

I was just updating my personal prayer notebook, coordinating the printed version and the Microsoft Word version. When I came to the Prayer to the Holy Spirit, by Cardinal Mercier, I thought I would check it out online. Much to my wonder (and frustration), I never found the long form online, the form I had copied into a blank page in the back of my prayer book about forty years ago, from...I don't know, anymore, from where. Was it an old prayer book? Was it someone else's hand-copied copy?

If you are not Catholic you might like the short form, or the first few paragraphs of the longer form. For those of you who are Catholic, when you have time you might enjoy the longer form. Incidentally, my long form, copied so long ago, said "Holy Ghost" and had "Thee" and "Thy". But I have updated it to "Holy Spirit" and "You" and "Your". If there is anyone who is bothered by that change, you can switch it back for yourself. If anyone knows where else this long form can be found, besides here, or whether or not it was all penned by Cardinal Mercier himself, I would love to hear from you about it.


Short Form of the Prayer to the Holy Spirit by Cardinal Mercier:
O Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten, guide, strengthen and console me. Tell me what I ought to do and command me to do it. I promise to be submissive in everything that You permit to happen to me, only show me what is Your will.*

Notes:
(*According to several websites:
'This prayer is part of A Secret of Sanctity by Cardinal Mercier in which he said: "I am going to reveal to you a secret of sanctity and happiness. If every day during five minutes, you will keep your imagination quiet, shut your eyes to all things of sense, and close your ears to all sounds of earth, so as to be able to withdraw into the sanctuary of your baptized soul, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, speaking there to that Holy Spirit, saying: "O Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul..." If you do this, your life will pass happily and serenely. Consolation will abound even in the midst of troubles. Grace will be given in proportion to the trial as well as strength to bear it, bringing you to the gates of Paradise full of merit. The submission to the Holy Spirit is the Secret of Sanctity." ')

I would add that the short form might even be more conducive to the above form of meditation, simply by reason of its brevity. But I have always loved the long form - I - who usually am not attracted by long prayers; hence, I decided to share it with you, the hand-copied version from my old prayer book.

Long Form of this Prayer to the Holy Spirit:
O Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore You, I praise You, I love You, I thank You. Enlighten, guide, strengthen, console me. Inspire me what I ought to do and command me to do it. I promise to be submissive in everything You permit to happen to me; only show me Your holy will, and fill me with Your grace and Your love to refuse You nothing no matter how hard it may be. I abandon myself entirely to You. Strengthen my will to carry out all my resolutions, and give me the grace of perseverance.

Teach me to pray. Grant me the grace to pray with unlimited confidence of being heard, according to God's holy will.

Give me true humility of heart.

Increase and strengthen my faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Make me an ardent adorer and lover of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Strengthen my love and confidence in Our Blessed Mother.

Holy Spirit, I offer You the loving Heart of Jesus to repair for all my offenses and negligences.

I consecrate myself unreservedly to You. I place all my trust in You. Help me to make You better known and loved throughout the world. Give me an intense zeal for souls, to console Jesus. Amen.

Praying for you all, and please pray for me.

Prayer for a Workplace

When my oldest kids were teenagers, I told them "It's an employee's market." The market has changed. When I was in my 20's, someone could often switch companies or careers with little effort. Not so easy, anymore. From what I've heard, an awful lot of people find themselves stuck in a situation with fewer employees, longer hours, and more responsibility accompanied by either fewer hours or less benefits. Fear seems to abound, and people often don't trust one another in the workplace...and often it's more prudent not to be too trusting of co-workers. Owners, managers, and employees are often super stressed and it can affect their health, as well. Thinking of all the above, I wrote the following:

PRAYER TO THE ARCHANGELS FOR A WORKPLACE

St. Michael the Archangel, great warrior who battled Satan for the glory of God, please battle any evil that may lurk in this business. Please help overcome any errors or confusion which could perhaps prevent the business from prospering, or which could possibly cause innocent people to lose their jobs or reputations.

St. Gabriel the Archangel, glorious messenger who brought tidings of greatest hope and joy for mankind, please deliver hope and joy, as well as peace and prosperity, to this business: its owners, employees and former employees, and all their families.

St. Raphael the Archangel, powerful healer who healed the blindness of Tobias, please bring healing of mind, body, and spirit to each person who works in this business. Please promote a spirit of mutual respect among all levels of people, from owners to supervisors to hourly employees. Protect innocent people as you protected the young Tobias when you accompanied him on his journey; and guide everyone, as you did him.

We ask all these blessings from Almighty God Our Loving Father, through the intercession of the Archangels, and through Christ Our Lord. Amen.



Copyright Margaret Mary Myers 2011