Prayer to accept change

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, Lord,
things change again.
When will I be able to rest
in the comfort of knowing what comes next?

You, who transcend all time,
who created the stars and set them in place,
you, who are ageless yet known in every age,
grant me the grace to accept
the changes that are happening.

Empty my heart of anxiety,
and fill it instead with wonder and awe.
Release me from the chains of complacency,
and bind me to your ever-moving Spirit.

When the things I believed to be permanent and stable
are left by the way side,
enfold me in your undying love
that I may remember in whom all things are bound.

When fear of something new paralyzes me,
and grief cripples me with anger
over the loss of what had been,
send your angels to give me a gentle push
over that frightening edge into the unknown,
so that I may learn to trust in you.

For you alone are eternal.
You alone are enduring.
You alone are the everlasting Lord.
And in you alone will this restless world find peace.
Amen.

.
Copyright ©  2010, Diana Macalintal

Diana Macalintal

Diana Macalintal is the Director of Worship for the Diocese of San Jose in California and holds a Master of Arts in Theology, cum laude, from Saint John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota. She has served as a liturgist, music, and catechumenate director in campus, parish, and diocesan ministries for over 25 years and has authored numerous articles on liturgy, music, and the catechumenate. She was a contributing author for <em>The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers</em> and wrote <em>The Eucharist Catechist's Guide</em> (both Saint Mary's Press, 2009). She is an adjunct faculty member of the Institute in Pastoral Ministries of Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (Winona) and serves as a team member of the North American Forum on the Catechumenate. She founded and maintains a blog for the Diocese of San Jose called "Work of the People" and is a co-founder of TeamRCIA.com.

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10 responses to “Prayer to accept change”

  1. Dave Ceasar Dela Cruz

    Very nice prayer. I will pray it everyday. Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Jack Regan

    Nice 🙂

    Reply
  3. Lynne Gonzales

    Does God really care what kind of language we pray in? And should our prayer be all intercessory? Where does our relation with God happen…certainly not in asking, asking, asking all the time…

    I’ve often heard that the very best prayers are “Ahhh” and “Wow” and “Why?”. Gosh…now I’m so worried that these prayers are not direct, exact translations from Latin that was never spoken by Jesus, let along God the Father or the Holy Spirit!

    Reply
  4. Cody Maynus

    Lovely prayer.

    Lynne, that is an interesting point that I’ve never thought of: Jesus never prayed in Latin. If we, as Christians, are trying to become more Christlike, ought we to be wrapped up in the rubrics and translations? Or ought we to be wrapped up in the radical lifestyle of this Jewish Carpenter King?

    Thank you both, Lynne and Diana, for this food for thought.

    Reply
    1. Jack Wayne

      Or we could show a healthy concern for both rather than act like it’s an either/or situation.

      Reply
  5. Chris Owens

    Cody… what do you mean he never prayed in Latin?

    Certainly, his liturgical prayer was in Hebrew. And what makes you think that he cared naught for Tradition? He went to the Temple annually, and lived a liturgically based lifestyle.

    However, I’ll concede your point, in that I could see the Our Father from Scriptures having been prayed in Greek, or Hebrew, or Latin, depending upon the audience… of course, I’m extrapolating, based on a lot of assumptions, but it IS possible.

    But more to the point– Jesus didn’t mess with liturgical language. If he did, they probably wouldn’t have needed to trump up some other charges for his crucifixion! (joke.)

    But seriously, if liturgical language was (and is!) thought to be sacred– what is the big problem of latin rite Catholics praying in Latin, at least, liturgically??! It makes sense to me.

    Do we have a “right” to Mass in the vernacular? I have yet to see any text that says so.

    Reply
  6. Jack Rakosky

    Many scripture scholars think that Jesus got into trouble either because of his triumphal procession into the Temple or because of his demonstration against money changing in the Temple. Both we disruptions of how things we done in the Temple.

    Many scripture scholars think that Jesus spoke and prayed in Aramaic not Hebrew.

    Reply
  7. Donna Eschenauer

    In light of the tension attached to the revised translation, Diana’s prayer offers some perspective. In life change is inevitable yet difficult for many. People encounter life- altering changes all the time, for example, birth, death, marriage, divorce, and illness.
    Diana’s prayer reminds us – all of life is about paschal mystery – that is a letting go. And in the end we know everything will be all right.

    Part of my summer reading – Keith Peckler’s, The Genius of the Roman Rite, certainly eases my anxiety!

    Diana, with your permission, I would like to use your prayer at our next liturgy meeting.

    Reply
  8. Ron Jones

    Thank you Diana for a prayer that not only expresses faith but cries out for humility. I pray we can all move forward in unity and charity.
    I love to read the lives and writtings of the saints. Knowing how they delt with the issues of their day gives me hope in our time.
    I would like to share a few “saintly” quotes that I relate to the issues at hand.
    From Ven. John Henry Cardinal Newman:
    “To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.”
    “Nothing is more common than for men to think that because they are familiar with words they understand the ideas they stand for.”
    “Let us act on what we have, since we have not what we wish.”
    “Learn to do thy part and leave the rest to Heaven.”

    From Peter the Venerable:
    “more can be obtained from man through tolerance than complaint”

    From St. Bonaventure:
    “No one can be said to have perfectly renounced the world if one still keeps the purse of opinion in the hidden recesses on one’s heart.”

    Peace… please.

    Reply
  9. Diana Macalintal

    Thank you, friends, for your comments. I’m grateful to hear of the many ways this prayer is being used. Our diocesan coordinator for detention ministry is using it at the start of every gathering with the imprisoned women she meets with each week. My friends who are losing their jobs find some comfort in the prayer too.

    I appreciated Alan Hommerding’s guest post in last week’s Gotta Sing, Gotta Pray blog, reminding us to put things in perspective and see the bigger picture. We are indeed changing and are called to change all the time. We pray that we may do it with some grace and witness to our hope and trust in God.

    Reply

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