prayer for detachment

Prayer for Detachment

I beg of you, my Lord,

to remove anything which separates

me from you, and you from me.

Remove anything that makes me unworthy

of your sight, your control, your reprehension;

of your speech and conversation,

of your benevolence and love.

Cast from me every evil

that stands in the way of my seeing you,

hearing, tasting, savoring, and touching you;

fearing and being mindful of you;

knowing, trusting, loving, and possessing you;

being conscious of your presence

and, as far as may be, enjoying you.

This is what I ask for myself

and earnestly desire from you. Amen.

—Saint Peter Faber, SJ

On December 17, 2013, Pope Francis announced the canonization of Peter Faber, the first recruit or “companion” of San Ignacio de Loyola.  St. Ignatius considered Peter Faber the person best suited to lead others in "The Spiritual Exercises."

Thank You

I fell in love with the Psalms during a very difficult time in our marriage… but that part of the story is for a different day!

When I look back on that period of our lives, I realize that the Psalms allowed me to pray by giving me language to express myself when I couldn’t come up with words to describe how I really felt.

It still awes me that, as the Psalms emphasize, King David loved and praised God, “with his whole being.” And when he fell into sin, David repented—and received not only pardon from God, but also the promise of an everlasting kingdom. 

Statue of David in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome

I continue to learn from King David about the fundamental elements of an intimate relationship with God. He prayed daily. He sang God’s praise. He asked God for help. He repented and returned to God. And he thanked God regularly for his abundant blessings. 

Many of the Psalms are songs of thanksgiving, and perhaps we don’t consider the words “thank you” a prayer. Yet as Meister Eckhart once said, 

"If the only prayer you ever say is 'Thank you,' it will be enough."