Two prayer books now belong to me. One belonged to my Great-Grandmother who I never met; the other to my Grandmother who lived with my family from the time I was eleven until she died many years later.
I love these books because they belonged to two women of strong faith. I love these books because they were used. The covers are torn and tattered, the bindings loose and some of the pages are falling out.
Inside my grandmother’s book I found little prayer cards with the names of family members and friends who had passed away. Some people I knew, some I had just heard about over the years. A grandchild who had preceded her in death, siblings, and her spouse, all passed on.
I hold these books now and marvel at how our lives come and go and how God is the thread that holds us all together.
I have two prayer cards to add now. One for my Mom, who died a year ago on All Saints Day; the other for my Dad, who passed away over the Thanksgiving holiday. Our lives come and go, but God remains constant. I think there is a lot of comfort to be found with Him in times like these. I know that now because these family members who have gone before me show me the way.
The prayer cards tell me to remember the past and the people I have loved. I have the dates they were born and the dates they died. Some lived long lives, others all too short. On the back of these cards I find the Lord’s Prayer, the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, and other prayers offering comfort and hope.
And these books are filled with Scripture verses and prayers that are filled with promise. They proclaim a God who loves us, and who died to save us. They contain prayers of praise and prayers of thanksgiving. They also contain passages from Proverbs on how to live a Godly life and make the most of the time we have here.
The fact that the Prayer Books are falling apart lets me know I am not alone in my sorrow and grief. Others have gone before me and found comfort in God. They also tell me to pray to God daily, in good times and in bad.
They are simple, yet profound lessons for me. Perhaps one day there will be a prayer book that I leave behind passing on this lesson to my grandchildren and great-grandchildren as well.