Non-denominational prayer/need suggestions

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I am on the board of a non-denominational maternity home. I am the only Catholic on the board. I volunteered to lead the prayer time that we always begin our meeting with. Any suggestions on some music or a reading that won’t hide the fact that I’m a Catholic but, at the same time, not be in their faces about it? These people are always sensitive to the Catholic in their midst and are great Christians. Any ideas you may have would be helpful. Thanks Theresa
 
Something from this maybe?

ionabooks.com/files/pdf/1901557502.pdf

I have used the prayer of Cardinal Newman:

Dear Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance everywhere I go.
Flood my soul with Your Spirit and Life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly
that my life may only be a radiance of Yours.
Shine through me and be so in me
that every soul I come in contact with
may feel Your presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus!

Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine,
so to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from You;
none of it will be mine. It will be You,
shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise You in the way which You love best,
by shining on those around me.

Let me preach You without preaching,
not by my words but by my example,
by the catching force,
the sympathetic influence of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love my heart bears for You. Amen.

Or the prayer of Thomas Merton:

My Lord God
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following
your will does not mean
that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that my desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope that I have that desire
in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything
apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this
you will lead me by the right road
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear,
for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me
to face my perils alone.
 
Father, we seek the guidance of your Holy Spirit in the business that is before us.
In planning for the future, give us vision;
in matters of finance, give us responsibility;
in dealing with people, give us love.
Help us, and all Christians whatever their settings and circumstances,
in all things to honour your name, to advance your kingdom, and to carry out your will.
O God, by the power of your Holy Spirit,
set our hearts on fire with a new love for Christ;
that we may work with others to shape the world more nearly to his will;
that we may labour and long for the unity for which Christ prayed;
that we may be stirred to pray and work for the furtherance of your kingdom,
and that it may be acknowledged with joy to the ends of the earth.
We pray in the fellowship of all who confess the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Look upon us, O Lord, and grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit.
Where there is weakness, give us strength;
where there is disagreement, give us tolerance;
where there is misunderstanding, give us patience;
where there is hurt, give us the courage to forgive and the grace to accept forgiveness.
Be present in your church here and in all places;
bless our work, and everything that is undertaken by our Christian sisters and brothers,
for the furtherance of your kingdom of unity and love, peace and justice.
O God, holy and eternal Trinity,
we pray for people to recognize your presence in all the world.
empower its witness; heal its divisions;
make visible its unity.
Lead us, with all brothers and sisters,
towards communication in faith, life and witness
so that, united in one body by the one Spirit,
we may together witness to the perfect unity of your love. Amen
 
theresa said:
I am on the board of a non-denominational maternity home. I am the only Catholic on the board. I volunteered to lead the prayer time that we always begin our meeting with. Any suggestions on some music or a reading that won’t hide the fact that I’m a Catholic but, at the same time, not be in their faces about it? These people are always sensitive to the Catholic in their midst and are great Christians. Any ideas you may have would be helpful. Thanks Theresa
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My guess is that any prayer you would pray in the Catholic Church would be fine so long as you are not praying to Mary. Not trying to get into that debate here, just saying that that sort of prayer might not be recommended under the facts you describe above.
 
I knew my friends here would come through for me! God bless you very much for your help. I am not good with words and don’t have a lot of time to go searching for material to use in such a setting as this meeting. Thank you for the iona books website. It looks very, very helpful. And,st. bruno, where may I ask did you find such a beautiful prayer? God bless you all, Theresa p.s. Our meeting is in two weeks. Our home for pregnant young ladies is back in business after several months without house parents. We will have 4 women living there now, and the Home could use your prayers.
 
theresa said:
I am on the board of a non-denominational maternity home. I am the only Catholic on the board. I volunteered to lead the prayer time that we always begin our meeting with. Any suggestions on some music or a reading that won’t hide the fact that I’m a Catholic but, at the same time, not be in their faces about it? These people are always sensitive to the Catholic in their midst and are great Christians. Any ideas you may have would be helpful. Thanks Theresa
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The Psalms.

They are prayers, after all.
 
I went through RCIA just a few years ago. I was raised a Methodist and my immediate family is still Baptist (and I attend with them).

I love the Anima Christi prayer. It is so special. I fail to see why any Christian would not also really like it too – if they would pause long enough to really think about the words.

Even though my parents were Methodist, Mom put a “Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi” on my bedroom wall while I was still a child. I always liked that prayer (although when I was younger I thought that was so simple). My daughter now has one on her wall.

…“Where there is hatred, let me sow love”

My daughter told me she doesn’t know how to sew yet.

I suppose in your maternity home, there should be a framed prayer of St. Francis. I always thought it was the nearest thing to the Beatitudes that Jesus taught. It is certainly Christian (although regarded as Catholic).

jmm08
 
jmm08 said:
I suppose in your maternity home, there should be a framed prayer of St. Francis. I always thought it was the nearest thing to the Beatitudes that Jesus taught. It is certainly Christian (although regarded as Catholic).

jmm08
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That prayer of St. Francis is also quoted in the Alcoholic’s Anonymous book 12 and 12.

😃 AA is Christian, closing with the Lord’s Prayer…the Protestant version of the Our Father
 
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