Sr. Sue's Thoughts on Prayer

I’m not a scheduler when it comes to my hair. If you’re like me, you plan on getting around to it, until suddenly you can’t stand it anymore and you simply have to get it done. So as I found myself in dire need of a haircut, I thought, perhaps we could pray for those who take care of our hair!

This week, we pray for hairdressers and barbers:

As they trim, cut, shave, curl, color, wash and dry, their efforts do much to help us to feel better about ourselves.

May we give thanks to God for the work of their hands!

Be well and be at peace!

If you’re like me, you have some framed photos around your room or home, of family or friends – people who have been part of your life. Photos tell stories of relationship and experiences.

Perhaps this week you want to choose a photo to pray with. 

~ Take some time gazing at that photo

~ Allow yourself to remember that person and that moment

~ Ask God to help you remember the gifts you received from that person or moment 

~ Give thanks to God for that person, that place, that experience and what they have added to the story of your life!.

Be well and be at peace!

I woke up to ice covering everything - every surface, every needle of every pine tree. Very pretty, yet a bit dangerous. 

So let's pray with ice: 

~ For the glistening beauty that makes the world around us sparkle

~ For those who are recovering from injuries after falling on the ice

~ For those who risk their lives to help us in icy conditions - police, EMTs, firefighters, power line workers, tree cutters, plow/salt truck drivers 

~ For polar bears and penguins and all creatures that are losing their habitat as the ice caps melt

~ For the gift of cooling ice on a hot summer's day

God, may we acknowledge the beauty, the danger, and the gift that is ice.

Be well and be at peace!

This past week, I had a very bumpy plane ride to Baltimore. When we landed safely, everyone on the plane applauded! 

Let's pray for all those responsible for getting us safely from here to there: 

~ For the pilots of planes who fly is through the clouds

~ For the captains of boats who navigate us through the waters

~ For the engineers of trains and subways who guide us along the rails

~ For the drivers of buses, taxis, and other cars who move us along our streets

We are grateful for your service and for all you do to get us to our locations safely!

Be well and be at peace!

Many faith traditions have fasting as a prayer practice. As we in the Christian traditions begin lent, I share the following from Pope Leo XIV on fasting:

“I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor. Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.”

Be well and be at peace!

Today is Valentine’s Day where we celebrate those we love, and those who love us. 

Perhaps it is a good reminder to take some time in prayer:

~ to sit and feel the loving presence of God surrounding you

~ to thank God for God’s loving presence in your life

~ to lovingly acknowledge your own goodness, created in the image and likeness of God

Happy Valentine’s Day Beloved Child of God!

Be well and be at peace!

Have you ever gotten lost in something you enjoy? Looking at a sunset, gardening, doing a puzzle, cooking… You lose all sense of time and space. You don’t think about anything other than what you are doing – momentarily wordless, worry-free, and relaxed.

Sometimes I think that’s all God wants of us – to just get lost in a moment of something we enjoy, knowing that God is with us in it. The saints would call it contemplation…another way of praying. 

Today, may you and God find something to get lost in together, and enjoy the graces you find in being there!

Be well and be at peace!

I don't know about you, but on these freezing cold mornings I want to hibernate like the bears - curl up under my covers where it is warm and not come out until spring. I have to convince myself to "just do it". Turn the covers down, get out of bed, and get on with life. 

Sometimes I think prayer time can be like that. I'm involved in other activities that I don't want to stop. It takes an effort to change gears and slow down. I hear the voice of my spiritual director in my head saying, "Just do it. Put your fanny in the seat." So then I give time and attention to the One who created me and loves me more than I can ever imagine... and I'm always glad I did!

Prayer? Just do it!

Be well and be at peace!

Many of us across the country this weekend are preparing for a "weather event" (aka storm). That means stocking up on food, water, medicine and necessities; making sure we have flashlights and candles; maybe some good books or board games; and rearranging plans. 

But there often come storms in our lives. How do we prepare for them? I find a favorite prayer that you know by heart and rely on is a good way to lean into a "life storm".

One of my favorites is Psalm 121:

I lift up my eyes to the hills;

from where will come my help?

My help comes from the Lord,

who has made the heavens and the earth.

Your maker will keep your foothold firm;

your guardian does not slumber.

Know this! The guard of Israel

neither slumbers nor sleeps.

God is your guard and your protector;

God is ever at your side.

The sun will not strike you be day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will guard you from every harm,

will keep your life secure.

The Lord will guard you in all your ways,

both now and forevermore.

Which I sometimes paraphrase in the midst of the storm to:

"God, I know that you love me and are with me. Help me through this."

What prayer do you rely on for the storms in your life?

Be well and be at peace!

For many years now, I have been going to the same place to make my own retreat each January. Nearby, where I go walking, there is a tree that I have come to love. She is huge – her trunk being at least 6 feet in diameter. She is scarred, yet strongly rooted with her branches reaching up to the sky. She has become a friend. I look forward to seeing her each year when I take my first walk, and I make sure a say goodbye before I leave. No matter how cold it is, I always take the opportunity to simply put my hand on the bark of her trunk and connect in some unspoken (or sometimes spoken) way.

Perhaps this week, you will find a tree to pray with:

~ What is it saying to you either in its barrenness or clothed in its evergreen needles?

~ Is there something you want to say or share with it?

~ What message is God giving you through this tree?

Large or small, green or bare, may we honor these friends who clean our air, provide homes for creatures, shade us from the sun, hold our soil in place, and do so much more! For these, let us give God thanks!

Be well and be at peace!

Sr. Sue is on retreat - Thoughts on Prayer will resume Jan. 17, 2026 

For those of us in the Christian tradition, the Gospel of Luke tells us that after all the events of Jesus’ birth, Mary kept these things in her heart and reflected/pondered/treasured them. (Depending on the translation)

For people of all faith denominations, this time of year may include specific celebrations or simply time together with family. 

So, the prayer question of the day is:

Given what we have just celebrated or are continuing to celebrate,

~ what are you keeping in your heart?

~ what are you remembering, treasuring, pondering?

May we give thanks for these moments and may God give us the grace to continue filling our hearts with the joys of this Holy Season!

Be well and be at peace!

**Sr. Sue will be on retreat - Thoughts on Prayer will resume Jan. 17, 2026 **

We had a squirrel(s) in the eaves…and wall of the convent/office. Not unusual for an old building that used to be a barn, but this one had found a hole in the eaves and had apparently settled in quite nicely! Our pest people kindly set up an eviction door so it (they) could get out but not back in. 

This week the door was taken down and work was done on the eave to eliminate the entrance hole. In doing so, we encountered a gazillion nuts eaten and stored in that area of the roof - well at least is seemed like a gazillion, but probably closer to 60.

It got me thinking. What do I store up that I might want to take to prayer?

~ Are there regrets for which I need God’s help to let go?

~ Are there grudges for which I need God’s grace to forgive?

~ Are there “things” which consume my time and attention, distracting me from the needs of others or my own self-care?

May God give us the grace to empty the storehouses of our hearts and make room for an abundance of God’s grace, mercy and peace during this Holy Season!

Be well and be at peace!

As I write this, I am sitting listening to the wind – blowing through the trees, swirling around the house, whisking dried leaves around and creating snow drifts that will have to be shoveled again. It moves all around us and although we can’t actually see it, we know where it’s been active.

So let’s pray with the wind: 

~ For all those who have to deal with the effects of the wind – fallen trees or damaged homes – may they have the means to quickly deal with the damage.

~ For all those who work on roofs and telephone poles and scaffolds, may they remain safe as they work up high in the winds.

~ For those who are homeless and are at the mercy of the winds, may they find safe shelter.

~ For each of us, may we remember that just like the wind, God’s presence is constantly swirling and dancing around us!

Be well and be at peace!

Yesterday, Bishop Mark O'Connell was installed as the Eleventh Bishop of the Albany Diocese.

We pray for Bishop Mark and for all leaders of faith communities. 

May they be graced with wisdom and understanding so they that may lead with integrity and compassion.

Be well and be at peace!

Do you ever have one of those days where you are just cranky? No particular reason, just out of sorts. Nothing is really wrong, but nothing is really right. Sometimes after the fact, I might be able to look back and go, “Oh that’s what was going on with me.” But other times, all it takes is a new day. 

And so we pray for those who are cranky or out of sorts today: 

~ may you know that God loves you and is with you in your crankiness

~ may you have good friends and family who love you just the way you are

~ may you know that this is a temporary state and you will soon see the goodness around you again

~ and as you greet a new day, my God grace you with understanding…or not…and they are both OK. So are you!

Be well and be at peace!