Fordham at Prayer: Prayers and Reflections For Our Community
Fordham at Prayer: Prayers and Reflections For Our Community
Fordham at Prayer: Prayers and Reflections For Our Community
at prayer
Rose Hill
University Church
Our Ladys Chapel (University Church, lower level)
Sacred Heart Chapel (Dealy Hall, first floor)
St. Robert Bellarmine, S.J., Chapel (Spellman Hall, first floor)
Keating Blue Chapel (Keating Hall, third floor)
St. Ignatius Chapel (Loyola Hall, first floor)
Muslim Prayer Room (Faber Hall, first floor)
Lincoln Center
Westchester
FORDHAM
at prayer
Prayers and Reflections
for Our Community
Dear Friends,
Generations have made Fordham University their home. Here,
minds have been nourished to maturity on rich intellectual fare, just
as souls have been enlightened in the knowledge and love of their
Creator. This University is at once a spiritual and an intellectual
home. For this reason, Fordham has always been a place of prayer.
As members of the Fordham family, we aim to be men and
women of generous service and self-giving love. Prayer helps
make this possible. The words we say in prayer and the spiritual
practices we take up are intended to carry us toward a personal
encounter with God. This sacred encounter stirs emotions, opens up
unimagined vistas, and enables us to recognize who we are: created
beings whose life is a gift bestowed and sustained by the One whom
we meet in prayer.
The logic of prayer is this: it transforms us into agents of
Gods creative power; it makes us recognize that we share in Gods
ongoing work today. Undertaken with regularity and sincerity,
prayer ultimately compels us to live in gratitude and give fully of
our selves.
We are an enormous family, but Fordham is a spiritual home
where we come to know God one soul at a time. Throughout and
beyond the sacred journey of your life at this University, I urge you
to use this book as a source of spiritual sustenance.
table of contents
Chapter 1
Why Do We Pray?
How? Where?
When?
Humans,
by their nature,
are spiritual beings.
Prayer gives voice to our
transcendence and thereby affirms
that we are more than just material
beings.
The biblical creation story tells us
that God breathed life into humans
(Genesis 2:7).
That breath of life is our spiritual
nature; it is the basis of an intimate
sharing between God and us.
When we pray,
we acknowledge
and exercise
our spiritual nature.
We articulate our most profound
hopes and discover our inmost
longings.
In the process, we become more
completely aware of who we are.
In prayer, we explore our intimacy
with God, and we enliven
our capacity to see ourselves
completelyas a body, mind, and
soul that each permeate one another
and make us into a whole person.
In prayer,
we can also discern
what we are capable
of becoming.
Prayer has the capacity to open
our eyes to our limitations and
faults, to enable us to realize our
talents and potentials, to give us
the resolve to freely choose what
God wants from us.
When we pray in a spirit of
honesty and openness, we can
see ourselves as God sees us
as a beloved creation called to
reflect the divine life breathed
into us.
We also pray
together because
our communal prayer
gives rise to our
personal prayer.
Praying together stirs our sense
of Gods presence around us and
within us, and it provides essential
seeds for ongoing reflection and
contemplation.
When we pray alone, we cultivate
those seeds and nurture them into
spiritual fruit that sustains us and
enables us to return to communal
prayer with ever more mature
spiritual gifts.
18
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
21
Chapter 2
St. Ignatius,
Ignatian Spirituality,
and Jesuit Education
at Fordham
23
25
27
Chapter 3
Prayers, Poems,
and Reflections
in the Ignatian
Tradition
29
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
31
Soul of Christ
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
33
Patient Trust
35
God of My Life
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
37
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
39
A Minister of Christ
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
41
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
43
Possessing Nothing
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
45
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
47
Chapter 4
Prayers, Poems,
Reflections
Catholic and
Christian
49
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be.
World without end.
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
51
My Nature is Fire
53
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
55
No Longer My Own
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
57
In Christs human life there were always a few who made up for
the neglect of the crowd.
The shepherds did it; their hurrying to the crib atoned for the
people who would flee from Christ. The wise men did it; their
journey across the world made up for those who refused to stir
one hands breadth from the routine of their lives to go to Christ ...
The women at the foot of the cross did it too, making up for
the crowd who stood by and sneered.
We can do it too, exactly as they did. We are not born too late.
We do it by seeing Christ and serving Christ in friends and
strangers, in everyone we come in contact with.
While almost no one is unable to give some hospitality or help
to others, those for whom it is really impossible are not debarred
from giving room to Christ, because, to take the simplest of
examples, in those they live with or work with is Christ disguised.
All our life is bound up with other people; for almost all of us
happiness and unhappiness are conditioned by our relationship
with other people. What a simplification of life it would be if we
forced ourselves to see that everywhere we go is Christ, wearing
out socks we have to darn, eating the food we have to cook,
laughing with us, silent with us, sleeping with us.
Dorothy Day (1897-1980),
Founder of the Catholic Worker Movement
Great Responsibilit y
59
Chapter 5
Prayers and
Wisdom from
Various Spiritual
Traditions
61
Blessings
J e wi s h t r a di t ion
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
63
Seeking Trust
L a ko ta Nat iv e Am e ric a n t r a di t ion
Great Mystery,
teach me how to trust
my heart,
my mind,
my intuition,
my inner knowing,
the senses of my body,
the blessings of my spirit.
Teach me to trust these things
so that I may enter my Sacred Space
and love beyond my fear,
and thus Walk in Balance
with the passing of each glorious Sun.
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
65
Chapter 6
Prayers for
College Life
67
A Student s Prayer
God Be in My head
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
69
Killing Time
How do I kill time?
Let me count the ways.
By worrying about things
over which I have no control.
Like the past.
Like the future.
By harboring resentment
and anger
over hurts
real or imagined.
By disdaining the ordinary
or, rather, what I
so mindlessly
call ordinary.
By concern over whats in it for me,
rather than whats in me
for it.
By failing to appreciate what is
because of might-have-beens,
should-have-beens,
could-have-beens.
These are some of the ways
I kill time.
Jesus didnt kill time.
He gave life to it.
His own.
Leo Rock, S.J. (1929-1998),
Spiritual Director and Retreat Master
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
71
Teach Me to Listen
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
73
Chapter 7
75
I Have My Mission
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
77
An Artist s Prayer
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
79
Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life with fear.
Rather, look to them with full confidence that, as they arise, God to
whom you belong will in his love enable you to profit by them. He has
guided you thus far in life. Do you but hold fast to His dear hand, and
He will lead you safely through all trials. Whenever you cannot stand,
He will carry you lovingly in his arms.
Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow. The same
Eternal Father who takes care of you today will take care of you
tomorrow, and every day of your life. Either He will shield you from
suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace then, and put aside all useless thoughts, all vain dreads
and all anxious imaginations.
St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622),
Theologian and Spiritual Writer
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
81
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 the desire to please You does in fact please You.
And I hope 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 I will 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.
Thomas Merton (1915-1968),
Trappist Monk and Spiritual Writer
As a University
As a Catholic University
As a Jesuit University
85
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
86
August
September
October
November
December
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
87
89
Patient Trust from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J., The Making of a Mind: Letters from a
Soldier-Priest, English translation by Ren Hague (Harper and Row, 1965).
God of My Life from Karl Rahner, S.J., Encounters with Silence (St. Augustine Press, 1999).
Reprinted with permission of St. Augustine Press.
As Kingfishers Catch Fire, from Gerard Manley Hopkins: The Major Works, edited by
Catherine Phillips (Oxford University Press, 2009).
Who Lives in Love, from Collected Poems: Robert Southwell, S.J., edited by Peter Davidson
and Anne Sweeney (Carcanet Press, 2007).
O God, I Love Thee, from Sermons and Devotional Writings, edited by Christopher Devlin,
S.J. (Oxford University Press, 1959).
A Minister of Christ, adapted and reprinted with permission from The Spiritual Writings
of Pierre Favre (Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1996). Used with permission: The Institute of
Jesuit Sources, St. Louis, MO. All rights reserved.
Possessing Nothing from George Aschenbrenner, S.J., Quickening the Fire in Our Midst:
The Challenge of Diocesan Priestly Spirituality (Loyola Press, 2002). Reprinted with permission
of Loyola Press. To order copies call 1-800-621-1008 or go to www.loyolapress.com.
Intimacy of Body and Soul, from Walter Ciszek, S.J., He Leadeth Me (Ignatius Press, 1995).
God Bless the World, Jack Morris, S.J. Reprinted with permission of the author.
Heart of JesusUnconditional Love, from Anthony de Mello, S.J., Sadhana: A Way to God
(Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1995). Used with permission: The Institute of Jesuit Sources,
St. Louis, MO. All rights reserved.
Chapter 4
Prayers, Poems, ReflectionsCatholic and Christian
Martin Luther King Jr., from Strength to Love (Fortress Press, 2010).
My Nature is Fire, from Catherine M. Meade, C.S.J., My Nature is Fire: St. Catherine of
Siena (Alba House, 1991).
Faithis the Pierless Bridge, reprinted by permission of the publishers and the Trustees
of Amherst College from THE POEMS OF EMILY DICKINSON, Thomas H. Johnson, ed.,
Cambridge, Mass.: the Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Copyright 1951, 1955,
1979, 1983 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College.
The MagnificatCanticle of Mary, reprinted from The New American Bible. (Catholic
World Press, World Bible Publishers, 2011).
Love Bade Me Welcome, reprinted from George Herbert: The Complete English Poems,
edited by John Tobin (Penguin, 2005).
No Longer My Own, reprinted from John and Charles Wesley: Selected Prayers, Hymns,
Journal Notes, Sermons, Letters and Treatises, edited by Frank Whaling (Paulist Press, 1981).
Take My Hand, Precious Lord, Words and Music by THOMAS A. DORSEY 1938
(Renewed) WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP. All Rights Reserved.
We Make Up for the Neglect of the Crowd, from Dorothy Day: Selected Writings, edited by
Robert Ellsburg. Copyright 1983, 1992, 2005 by Robert Ellsberg and Tamar Hennessey.
Published in 2005 by Orbis Books, Maryknoll, New York 10545. Reprinted by permission.
Great Responsibility, from Chiara Lubich, Essential Writings: Spirituality Dialogue Culture
(New City Press of the Focolare, 2007). Reprinted with permission of New City Press of the
Focolare.
90
acknowledgments
Chapter 5
Prayers and Wisdom from Various Spiritual Traditions
Annie Dillard, from For the Time Being (Vintage, 2000).
Blessings, from Arthur Hertzberg, Judaism (Free Press, 1998).
Pray to Be Shocked, reprinted from Abraham Joshua Heschel, On Prayer, Conservative
Judaism 25 (Fall 1970).
Sayings of the Prophet, from Robert Frager and James Fadiman, Essential Sufism
(HarperOne, 1999); Diane Morgan, Essential Islam: A Comprehensive Guide to Belief and
Practice (Praeger, 2009); and Bonnie Louise Kuchler, Sylvia Boorstein, and Andrew Harvey,
One Heart: Universal Wisdom from the Worlds Scriptures (Da Capo Press, 2004).
Whether Your Destiny Is Glory or Disgrace, from Andrew Harvey and Eryk Hanut,
Perfume of the Desert: Inspirations from Sufi Wisdom (Quest Books, 1999).
The Bodhisattva Vow, from Shantideva, The Way of the Bodhisattva (Shambhala
Publications, 1997).
The Path of Goodness, from Sandra Krebs Hirsh and Jane A. G. Kise, SoulTypes (Augsburg
Books, 2006).
Seeking Trust, from William Pillow, Love and Immortality: The Long Journey of My Heart
(iUniverse, 2009).
Chapter 6
Prayers for College Life
Archbishop Oscar Romero, from John Dear, S.J., The Questions of Jesus: Challenging
Ourselves to Discover Lifes Great Answers (Image, 2004).
A Students Prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas and Give Me a Holy Heart by St. Thomas
More, from A Time for God: St. Louis University Prayer Book (www.slu.edu/prayerbook).
Prayer for a New Semester, reprinted from www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource.
God Be in My Head, from the Sarum Primer, 1538.
Prayer for Light and Help, St. Claude La Colombiere, S.J., from Hearts on Fire: Praying
with Jesuits, edited by Michael Harter, S.J. (Loyola Press, 2005). Used with permission: The
Institute of Jesuit Sources, St. Louis, MO. All rights reserved.
An Examination of the Use of My Time, Leo Rock, S.J., from Orphaned Wisdom:
Meditations for Lent (Paulist Press, 1990). Used with permission: The Institute of Jesuit
Sources, St. Louis, MO. All rights reserved.
Teach Me to Listen, adapted by John A. Veltri, S.J., Orientations, Vol. 1 (Loyola House).
Used with permission: The Institute of Jesuit Sources, St. Louis, MO. All rights reserved.
Prayer for Guidance, adapted by John A. Veltri, S.J., Orientations, Vol. 1 (Loyola House).
Prayer for Humility, by Daniel A. Lord, S.J., from Hearts on Fire: Praying with Jesuits,
edited by Michael Harter, S.J. (Loyola Press, 2005). Used with permission: The Institute of
Jesuit Sources, St. Louis, MO. All rights reserved.
Prayer of a Single Person, reprinted with permission of the author.
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM
91
Chapter 7
Prayers for Life After Graduation
Dorothy Day, from Dorothy Day: Selected Writings, edited by Robert Ellsburg (Maryknoll,
N.Y.: Orbis, 2005).
I Have My Mission, from The Newman ReaderWorks of John Henry Newman, 2007
by The National Institute for Newman Studies.
An Artists Prayer, A Teachers Prayer, A Lawyers Prayer, Prayer for Those Who Work
in Healthcare, Prayer for Those Who Work in Finance, Prayer for All Working People,
Prayer for Those in Military Service, Prayer for Married Couples, and Prayer for
Parents, published with permission of the author.
Prayer for Complete Trust in God, St. Francis de Sales, from The Essential Catholic Prayer
Book: A Collection of Private and Community Prayers (Ligouri, 1999).
Prayer of the Seeker, Thomas Merton, from Thoughts in Solitude (Farrar, Straus and
Giroux, 1999).
We have sought permission to publish copyrighted material in this book. If any material has
been printed without proper permission or attribution, please contact us at [email protected].
Fordham University 2013 Produced by Development and University Relations, in collaboration with the
Office of University Mission and Ministry and the Fordham Center on Religion and Culture. 13-1479 eeo/aa
92
acknowledgments
WWW.FORDHAM.EDU/CM