To Love without Glue on my Hands

The official prayer of the Church, in the Liturgy of the Hours, begins with the Invitatory (an invitation to prayer) and the Invitatory Psalm (100).

When I pray it with others, I recite it as it appears in the Liturgy of the Hours. But when I pray it by myself, as I do most mornings, I pray a personalized version that also includes some additional petitions that have become important for me as I start each day.

The additions are drawn mostly from conversations with my spiritual director and from the teachings of St. John of the Cross and Pope John Paul II.

Adaptation of the Invitatory Psalm

Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will proclaim Your praise.

I come to sing to You, Lord,
to shout with joy to You,
the Rock who saves us.
I come before You now
with praise and thanksgiving,
to sing joyful songs toYou.

O Lord, You are God, the mighty God,
the great king over all the gods.
You hold in Your hands the depths of the earth
and the highest mountains as well.
You made the sea; it belongs to You,
the dry land, too, for it was formed by Your hands.

I come, then. I bow down and worship,
bending my knee before You, O Lord, our maker,
For You are our God and we are Your people,
the flock You shepherd.

Today, help me listen to Your voice.
Don’t let me grow stubborn,
Don’t let me challenge or provoke You,
Don’t let me disappoint or displease You.

Help me, Lord, to love without glue on my hands,
without grasping or seeking to possess,
But simply waiting upon You
with expectant joy,
my hands empty and cupped to receive
whatever You give.

Don’t let my heart go astray, Lord,
Don’t let me focus on myself,
but help me keep my gaze fixed on You,
contemplating Your face with Mary,
remembering and pondering with her
the great mysteries of Your love,
that I may come to truly know Your ways
and so enter into Your rest.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.