Prayer for an Easter Potluck Feast

Jesus, the sky went dark when you died

And the world grew cold

What joy could the world have without you

True source of love

We felt the emptiness, the hopelessness, the despair

When you died the best part of us died as well

And then this morning you rose from the dead

With joy in your heart

Blood pumping through your veins

Eyes opened to the light once again

Death defeated

Satan conquered

Sins atoned

Forgiveness won

We are untied with you once more

We rejoice with you

overflowing with new life

Super bloom of all super blooms

Spectacular redemption

Torrent of hope

Jesus, you are alive and at work among us

We are filled with your presence

Our hearts break out into song

Rejoicing in your victory

And did you say you wanted something to eat?

You’ve come to the right place, Jesus

We welcome you to this feast

We eat it with you

Jesus Christ, living one, firstborn from the dead

We celebrate your resurrection

Amen and Amen

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.
This prayer was inspired by the Ignatian Exercises.

If you are interested in praying the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with me starting in September, please contact me.

Resurrection: An Ignatian Meditation

Resurrection: an Ignatian meditation by Dale Gish

Easter Sunday morning. The Father and the Spirit come to the tomb, to raise you from the dead. They experience great loss. An angel rolls away the stone and they enter the tomb.

The Father proclaims, “Death you are defeated. Death you are broken. Death release your prey.” The Spirit breathes life into your body. They unwrap the grave clothes from your body. You open your eyes. You sit up. You feel new life in your veins. Death leaves your body. You are filled with Joy. The Trinity embraces with joy, together again, separated no more. The world is right again. All the pain and suffering and injury are healed in you, leaving only scars. And you are filled with love, love for your people, love everywhere. You have conquered death. You have won the victory.

Jesus, you turn to me and say, “you have accompanied me in my passion and death. You died with me, now receive new life with me.” I run to you and we embrace. Jesus, I love you. It is so good to see you alive. I can hardly believe it. We are together again.

And you say, “It’s good to be alive. My dying was terrible. I was abandoned and forsaken. The whole world turned against me and crushed me. Evil triumphed and destroyed me. See I still have the marks. Bitter death overcame me, but now I am raised in power to new life.”

Oh, Jesus, it has been so hard to see you suffer and walk this path. There is an ocean of grief in me. It’s hard to even take in that you are alive. Part of me still suffers with you in your passion. I begin to weep. You embrace me again and you say, “I give you my joy.”

Suddenly I am filled with and overwhelmed with joy. Your joy fills and overflows me. Everything is good; everything is right. We stand there a long time, just being together. My heart is filled with peace. Reunited with you.

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.

This prayer was inspired by the Ignatian Exercises. If you are interested in praying the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with me starting in September, please contact me.

Poem: By Your Wounds

By Your Wounds

There you are, wounded in your person

Drawing me close to you

To join myself with you

You open my heart and I weep

To see you afflicted, mortal, suffering

I am stricken

Then I am on fire

All my wounds blazing

Burning, overwhelming my senses

I did not come here for this

I came for you, not my woundedness

Jesus, you can’t help it, can you

Always there for me

Seeking my good, even in your time of trial

“Come closer,” you say

Bring my wounds close to yours

uniting them together

Sorrow and love flow mingled down all around me

And you say this is the beginning of my restoration

Mending what’s broken

Redeeming the losses

Making things right

Such blessed suffering you give me

That by your wounds I am healed

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.

This prayer was inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. If you are interested in praying the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with me starting in September, please contact me.

Poem: Your Wounds

Jesus, you call me to come to you

In your passion

Inviting me to be close to you

Whatever comes

Though my heart shudders to behold

And my body wants to flee

I see you there, suffering

I do not want to leave you alone

Or abandon you.

So I draw near

Joining you in your suffering

I see you separated from your friends

All alone, praying in agony

betrayed with a kiss

Arrested, accused, struck, judged

Beaten, mocked, abused, bloodied

Rejected, sentenced, carrying, falling, nailed

Weakened, suffering, abandoned

Forgiving, dying

I see you

And your wounds

Deepest wounds of love

Opened and offered up

Wounding complete

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.

This prayer was inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. If you are interested in praying the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with me starting in September, please contact me.

Poem: Thirsting

Thirsting

I know that I am thirsty

That I need you

And sometimes I can discern my lack

Deep in my heart

A longing, unquenched desire

For you to fill this dusty vessel

And so I come to the source of living water

You

You know that I am thirsty

That I need you

You can discern my lack

Deep in my heart

Full of longing and unquenched desire

For you to fill my dusty vessel

You invite me to the source of living water

You

And then I recognize that you are also thirsty

Parched by my distance

Experiencing my absence deep in your heart

You long for me with unquenched desire

Longing to fill this empty vessel

To be my source, my living water

You

Thirsting for me

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.

This prayer was inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. If you are interested in praying the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with me starting in September, please contact me.

Poem: Poor In Spirit

Jesus

You called me and I followed

Not knowing where you would lead

It wasn’t glorious or heroic

But deeper into poverty of spirit

So many things on the journey were broken, fallen, twisted

Things that you hope to redeem

But have not

Yet

There’s never enough time to mourn all the destruction

Nor could I bear it

So, one foot in front of the other

Persevere

With as much love as I can muster

And when perseverance wearied my bones

You called me on a deeper journey

Into You

Met with compassion, befriended

Drawn to living water

Companioned

The time of redemption begins

When You make morning flee

And wipe away tears

Plant trees that heal

My soul

Blessed to receive the kingdom.

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.

This prayer was inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. If you are interested in praying the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with me starting in September, please contact me.

Poem: The One That I Love (Jesus)

The One That I Love (Jesus)

I watch You with the intent to know

What motivates You

What is that inner passion that stirs in You?

Spirit blessed and directed

You look at me with eyes that are full

Of laughter, joy and longing

But what I notice most is Your eyes for others

You see, know and love

Love, for the good

Love for the weak

Love in brokenness

Love in the very heart of God

Your heart which overflows

You overflow me

Let me watch the One I love

Loving that I may love

Seeing with Your eyes

Your compassion flowing through my heart

Speaking words of freedom

United

At home with You.

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.

This prayer was inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. If you are interested in praying the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with me starting in September, please contact me.

Poem: A Journey of Soul Restoration

Lord, my hands are your hands
I give them to you

But your Kingdom does not stand or fall on my work
You have your own power and your own ways
You can raise up hands to serve you from these stones

Save me from the sin of self-importance
I can only receive what is given
I can only give when you invite

So I desire to trust you
And let you lead me amid the brokenness 
On a journey of soul restoration
Knowing that you are far better than what I can imagine
And more with me than I could dare to hope

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.

Reflection: A poem inspired by St. Francis

Reflection 
In light and dark
Breathed into existence
Spirit bursting in colors
Bathing eyes that are opened

Which is more beautiful
You or your reflection
In all that You make

What would I abandon for this
Oh such gifts You give
To the abandoned
Receiving in poverty
Brother, sister, mother

Father
I see in reflection 
Your upside down kingdom
Generously offered

So grateful

© Dale Gish 2019. All Rights Reserved.