Ocean of Love,
Silent abyss at the heart of all things and in my heart as well,
Relieve me of the burden of anxiety,
So that the story of my life might fully be shaped by liberty and love.
I offer this prayer with trust in your ever-present presence. Amen.
Serene Giver of Infinite Love,
Source of all kindness and the fulfillment of all graced desire,
Heal me of my selfish anger,
Of all the ways I fold in on myself rather than embrace the wonders of life.
You are the Spirit of abundant life, so I dedicate myself to trusting you.
Transcendent and Immanent God,
You contain the universe and yet you snuggle in my heart,
Gift me with your all-compassionate sight,
That I may see (and love) others as you do, and so live in harmony with you.
This as ask, confidently recognizing that you are the source of every blessing. Amen.
God of Justice, God of Community,
You create humanity as a gift to yourself and to each other,
Help us to see the promise and potential of your joyous call,
That we may live together in harmony, love one another lavishly, and treat all fairly.
By your grace and guidance, we know all things are possible.
Sovereign Source of all Mysteries and Mystical Gifts,
You are infinite unity and you call us to union with you;
Provide each of us an unfolding path into the ecstasy of your bliss,
That we may be transformed from glory to glory, for ourselves and each other.
You are the source of contemplative silence, singing love, and infinite felicity. Amen.
Recently I attended a poetry and spirituality workshop presented by Pádraig Ó Tuama. To say it was a wonderful day would be an understatement. Pádraig’s gentle and warm demeanor invited everyone present into the adventure of writing poetry. Among the exercises he led us through was an opportunity to create several collects — which Merriam-Webster defines as “a short prayer comprising an invocation, petition, and conclusion.” If you are familiar with liturgies as practiced in sacramental churches (Catholic, Episcopal, etc.) then you are a familiar with collects as one of the first prayers offered at the liturgy of the word on Sunday mornings.
As the dictionary suggests, there are three main parts to a collect: an invocation of the God to whom you are praying, a request made of that God, and a concluding word that is often an expression of love or praise. Pádraig encouraged us to make it a five-part template, “unfolding” both the invocation and the petition to provide greater depth and nuance to the prayer. He had us write three during the workshop (and we did not have to address our collects to God, although certainly that is the traditional use of this poem-as-prayer).
Of the five collects presented here, I wrote the first one at the workshop, and the others I have composed since then. As someone who struggles with anxiety, the first prayer is very personal, but I hope others who find anxiety calling on them might see some value in this prayer. The others I wrote imagining a variety of persons and settings for which they would be appropriate. I hope there’s at least one of these that will speak to you. Enjoy!