The Message of the Donkey

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey."

- Zechariah 9:9

On Palm Sunday we commemorate Christ's "triumphal entry" into Jerusalem. There was great celebration and jubilation as Jesus entered that city, just a few days before the One being proclaimed as king would be put to death. Notice that he came, however, riding on a donkey and not a horse. This is significant. The Bible mentions horses some 185 times, always in some sort of military context. When a king or general who was bent on war would enter a city, he would come riding in on a horse - a war horse, if you will, but when he was on a mission of peace, he would ride in on a donkey. Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem was as the Prince of Peace, not as a military general nor as a warrior king. May we, like our King, be people of peace.

"Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' The King of Israel!" - John 12:13

A Perspective on Prayer

Our Father,

Thy name;

Thy kingdom ;

Thy will;

(our stuff)

Thy kingdom;

Thy power;

Thy glory;

Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Breathe in me O Holy Spirit,

that my thoughts may all be holy.

Act in me O Holy Spirit, 

that my work, too, may be holy.

Draw my heart O Holy Spirit,

that I love but what is holy.

Strengthen me O Holy Spirit, 

to defend all that is holy.

Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, 

that I always may be holy. Amen.

 

~ ~ ~ St. Augustine (Algeria/354-430)

Prayer Against the Fear of the Unknown

O Lord, we beseech thee to deliver us from the fear of the unknown future; from fear of failure; from fear of poverty; from fear of bereavement;

from fear of loneliness; 

from fear of sickness and pain; 

from fear of age; 

from fear of death.

Help us, O Father, by thy grace to love and fear thee only, fill our hearts with cheerful courage and loving trust in thee; through our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.

~ ~ ~ Akanu Ibaim (Nigeria/1906-1995)

Saint Patrick's Prayer

May the Strength of God pilot us.
May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us.
May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us.
May the Shield of God defend us.
May the Host of God guard us.
Against the snares of the evil ones.
Against temptations of the world.
 
May Christ be with us!
May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us,
Christ be over all!
May Thy Salvation, Lord,
Always be ours,
This day, O Lord, and evermore. Amen.

Prayer to Do Good

"Forgive me, most gracious Lord and Father, if this day I have done or said anything to increase the pain of the world. Pardon the unkind word, the impatient gesture, the hard and selfish deed, the failure to show sympathy and kindly help where I had the opportunity, but missed it; and enable me so to live that I may daily do something to lessen the tide of human sorrow, and add to the sum of human happiness." ~ ~ ~ F.B.Meyer (England, 1847-1929)