WE give thanks to you, Almighty God, for your gift to us of spiritual DESIRE, of a longing within us that impels us out of isolation and into your creation, where we catch glimpses of your beauty in the things you have made.  Grant us the gifts of balance and ordering in the expression of our desire.

Forgive us for not treasuring and using well the gifts of food and drink,
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Lord, hear our prayer.

We ask your forgiveness for the times when our response to the beauty of other human beings has led us into fantasies, words, or deeds that do not find their final meaning in you:
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Lord, hear our prayer.

Forgive us for the time and energy we have wasted in pursuing money, property, or possessions that do not serve your purpose:
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Lord, hear our prayer.

Help us to reconsecrate to you our deepest desires, that you may transform our gluttony, our lust, and our avarice into selfless love:

       We pray to you, Lord,
          R/. Lord, hear our prayer.

WE give thanks to you, Almighty God, for your gift to us of spiritual ZEAL, for enthusiasm and dedication in opposing evil and attempting things that are difficult.  Show us how to direct our righteous indignation only at the root causes of evil and injustice, never confusing the demonic with human beings for whom you died and who bear your image.

Forgive our inappropriate and misdirected anger, especially the times we have been cruel or unkind to those who deserve our gentleness and compassion:
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Lord, hear our prayer.

We ask your forgiveness for the times we have turned our indignation inward, nursing what seemed to be injustices and wrongs done to us, imagining that were martyrs:
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Lord, hear our prayer.

Forgive us for preferring spiritual numbness and anesthesia to active engagement in doing your will.  For the times we have succumbed to torpor and cynicism:
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Lord, hear our prayer.

Teach us to reconsecrate to you our spiritual zeal, that we may rejoice in your calling and in our vocation to be your eager servants:

       We pray to you, Lord,
          R/. Lord, hear our prayer.

WE give you thanks, Almighty God, for your gift to us of spiritual VISION and thirst for truth.  Grant us the gift of prudence, of knowing how and when to proclaim your Good News in words and images your people can understand.  Make us constantly aware of how much we receive from them and from you.

We ask your forgiveness for the times we have imagined that we are the origin of the good we do.  For refusing to acknowledge that everything we are is a gift we have received from your people and from you:
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Lord, hear our prayer.

Forgive our superficiality, our failure to acknowledge and proclaim your presence in the world, and especially in the people you have created:
   We pray to you, Lord,
     R /. Lord, hear our prayer.

We ask your forgiveness for the times we have preferred isolation and separation to community and engagement, for viewing people and circumstances as means to our ends, rather than as reflections of your splendor – in short, for preferring hell to heaven:
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Lord, hear our prayer.

LORD, you are the author of our DESIRE, our ZEAL and our capacity for CONTEMPLATION.  Renew and restore your gifts within us, and accept the offering we now make to you of all we are.  Forgive, heal, and transform us:

       We pray to you, Lord,
          R/. Lord, hear our prayer.

 We pray together as our Lord Jesus taught us:  Our Father ...

COLLECT:

Almighty God,to whom all hearts are open,

all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden;

Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,

That we may truly see into our hearts

And offer to you all we find there.

Help us truly to believe in your mercy and your power to heal and renew

That we may repent and discover again the power

to perfectly love you,

and worthily proclaim your name,

We ask this through Our Lord Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. One God, Forever and ever.

Amen.

Matthew 11:28-30  28

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

WE give thanks to you, Almighty God, for your gift to us of spiritual DESIRE, of a longing within us that impels us out of isolation and into your creation, where we catch glimpses of your beauty in the things you have made.  Grant us the gifts of balance and ordering in the expression of our desire.

We thank you for the gifts of food and drink, and especially for the occasions when our sharing at table with those we love has afforded us a glimpse of your eternal wedding banquet.  Teach us the temperance and measure that will enable us always to use these gifts well:
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Blessed be God forever!.

We give you thanks, O Lord, for the times when we have perceived your beauty in the minds, the spirits, and the bodies of one another.  Help us always to reverence and to desire the good of all who bear your image:
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Blessed be God forever!.

Thank you, Lord for the abundance with which we have been blessed and for the opportunities you provide to share with others the blessings we have known:
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Blessed be God forever!.

Teach us always to regard as precious the gifts of food and drink, knowing that you have made them into the Sacrament of Unity; and help us truly to desire the good of others, and to delight in freely sharing with them what you have given to us:
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Blessed be God forever!.

WE give thanks to you, Almighty God, for your gift to us of spiritual ZEAL, for enthusiasm and dedication in opposing evil – for the courage to attempt things that are difficult. 

We thank you for the occasions on which your gift of courage has permitted us to intervene and to prevent harm or misunderstanding, and for the times we have been able to inspire gentleness and understanding in times of conflict:
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Blessed be God forever!.

We give you thanks for the times we have avoided returning pain for pain, thereby initiating the process of forgiveness you encourage us to practice
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Blessed be God forever!.

We thank you for the times we have resisted the lure of numbness and emptiness, seeking hope and the joy of your face rather than cynicism:
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Blessed be God forever!.

Teach us to reconsecrate to you our spiritual zeal, that we may rejoice in your calling and in our vocation to be your eager servants:
    We pray to you, Lord,
     R/. Blessed be God forever!.

WE give you thanks, Almighty God: for your gift to us of spiritual VISION and thirst for truth; for helping us discover how to proclaim your Good News in words and images your people can understand; for making us ever more conscious of how much we receive from them and from you.

We thank you for the times we have been able to acknowledge that You and your servants are the true source of the good we do; that everything we are is a gift we have received from your people and from You:
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Blessed be God forever!.

We give You thanks for the times we have been able to glimpse others as the Christ-bearers that they truly are.
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Blessed be God forever!.

We thank you for the discovery that it is in our relationships with others and with You that we become most truly what we are meant to be:
   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Blessed be God forever!.

LORD, you are the author of our DESIRE, our ZEAL and our capacity for CONTEMPLATION.  Renew, heal, and transform us; and restore your gifts within us, and accept the offering we now make to you of all we are:

   We pray to you, Lord,
      R/. Blessed be God forever!.

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