Joan Clark Houk

Prayer for Workers

May you feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose in your work.
May you receive a just wage for your work.
May you serve the common good with your labor.

With gratitude to “the pickers” who do the backbreaking work of picking the vegetables, fruits and nuts that grace our tables.

With gratitude to those people who risk their lives to protect us through military service, as law enforcement officers, and as fire fighters.

With gratitude to those people who faithfully and silently show up on the job day after day and “do the job”.

May God bless you and give you peace.

Matthew 11:30
Jesus said, Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Hatred takes away life.

LOVE creates life; LOVE sustains life.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.  (1Corinthians 13:7)

Sending blessings of love into the universe that we may have life.

Christ is risen.  Alleluia!
Christ is risen, indeed.  Alleluia, Alleluia!

St. Joseph, protector of your spouse, Mary, and the Child, Jesus,
refugee from violence,
send your blessings upon the multitude of refugees this day.
Share your love and strength with all of us
that we may become a more peaceful world.

May the peace of Christ be with you on this St. Joseph’s Day!

The greening of the weeping willow tree outside my window
and the wearing of the green today
remind me of the Triune God, who is
Source of All Being
Eternal Word
and Holy Spirit

May God bless you on this St. Patrick’s Day!

Blessed are you, Mary of Magdala!

The Risen Christ Jesus chose you
to go tell the brothers, 
“I am ascending to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.”  (John 20:17)

The God of Jesus the Christ
is the God of the woman, Mary of Magdala
and the God of every woman who believes in Christ Jesus.
We women, like Mary of Magdala, are called upon to “tell the brothers”
and we must not fail in our calling.

Christ is risen, Alleluia!
Christ is risen, indeed, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Peace be with you
at Easter and always.

The crowd accompanied Jesus into Jerusalem
with shouts of honor and jubilation.
How quickly the mood changed
and jubilation turned to condemnation.

This coming week, Holy Week, will tell the rest of the story.

Caiaphas, the high priest, said,
“You know nothing at all!  
You do not understand that it is better for you
to have one man die for the people
than to have the whole nation destroyed.”
…So from that day on they planned to put him [Jesus] to death.
(from John 11:45-57)

Jesus, the one accused of the potential destruction of the Jewish nation,
is put to death,
and by rising,
Jesus becomes the Omega Point, the Cosmic Christ,
drawing all people and all creation into one with our God.