Beautiful Prayer

My canon law professor in seminary, Padre Urru, always began class with a beautiful prayer. He prayed it quickly and in Italian. Class was held only on Fridays, so one Friday I had my pen ready to jot down the prayer, I only got half of it. The following Friday, I was able to get all of it, I was so happy.

The weekend passed and on Monday morning I was in the seminary chapel at 6:15am for Morning Prayer and Mass. When the priest uttered the words of the closing prayer for Monday, Morning Prayer, Week 1, I couldn’t believe it. He prayed:

Father,

May everything we do

begin with your inspiration

and continue with your saving help.

Let our work always find its origin in you

and through you reach completion.

There it was. Father Urru’s prayer in my breviary. I had probably prayed it 100 times before, every four weeks, throughout my years as a seminarian. I remember this incident every four weeks when we reach Week 1 in the Liturgy of the Hours which clergy, seminarians and many lay people pray.

This prayer can be a beautiful morning offering or a simple prayer to start a meeting, work or class. Read over it and pray with it, it’s wonderful.