As more men prepare to commit their lives to serving the people of God during this ordination season—and as 12 men from the Diocese of Brooklyn prepare to lay down their lives before the Lord Saturday morning—I offer for them this prayer. It is one of many excellent prayers contained in the handy book Ordained to Serve, edited by Denis Robinson, O.S.B. It is an adaptation of a traditional morning prayer:
+
O Master and holy God, who are beyond our understanding: at your word, light came forth out of darkness. In your mercy, you gave us rest through nightlong sleep and raised us up to glorify your goodness and to offer our supplication to you. Now, in your tender love, accept us who adore you and give thanks to you with all our heart. Grant us all our requests, if they lead to salvation; give us the grace of manifesting that we are children of light and day and heirs to your eternal reward. In the abundance of your mercies, O Lord, remember all your people; all those present who pray with us; all our brethren on land, at sea, or in the air, in every place of your domain, who call upon your love for mankind. In particular this day, I ask you to bless the work of our bishop as he calls and ordains me to the diaconate. Fill me with your grace this day as I fulfill your will in my life. Upon all, pour down your great mercy, that we, saved in body and in soul, may persevere unfailingly; and that, in our confidence, we may extol your exalted and blessed Name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, always, now and forever.
Amen.
And today we celebrate...