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Canada Prays: #prayersof #oblation

Posted on October 30, 2016 by Laura Marie Piotrowicz

PrayerOfThePeople.org Canada PraysCANADA PRAYS: An initiative of Anglican Fellowship of Prayer and Society of St John the Evangelist to help us all enter more deeply into the richness of prayer. For more information, please visit anglicanprayer.org

 

This week: OBLATION

Q.What is prayer of oblation?
A. Oblation is an offering of ourselves, our lives and labours, in union with Christ, for the purposes of God.[1]

Brother Mark Brown, of SSJE, shares the cyclical and unending reality of oblation: “God gives us our lives, our selves.  In gratitude we offer our selves as an oblation to God.  In gratitude God returns our selves to us, transformed.”[2]

Our prayers of oblation offer to God the fruits of our labours. Just as we try to give wonderful gifts to our loved ones on earth, so too we want to give our very best to God. This giving of the best of ourselves speaks of a relationship with God, of knowing what is possible and striving to make it a reality.

In creating us, God knows our potential. In recognising and using our God-given gifts, we learn more about God and what is possible through God. In oblation, we pray acknowledgement that we have came from God, and discern new ways to offer our works back to God, with gratitude.

Canada Prays #prayersof #oblation: God of vision, I offer to you…

Some thoughts on oblation, from Michael and Veronica:

[1] “An Outline of the Faith commonly called the Catechism” in The Book of Common Prayer, According to the use of The Episcopal Church, 2007. p.857. Available at: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/files/downloads/book_of_common_prayer.pdf

[2] http://ssje.org/ssje/2010/01/19/the-prayer-of-oblation-br-mark-brown/

 

About Laura Marie Piotrowicz

I'm a high-energy priest, now serving in the Diocese of Niagara, catching glimpses of the kingdom in daily life. I consider church to be a verb, and I'm passionate about prayer, eco-theology, and social justice. I love travel, reading, canoeing, camping, gardening and cooking, playing with my dogs, and drinking good coffee. http://everydaychristianityblog.blogspot.ca
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7 Responses to "Canada Prays: #prayersof #oblation"

  • Kyle Norman
    By Kyle Norman October 30, 2016 - 11:41 am

    Thank you Laura Marie for these posts. I have very much enjoyed reading about, and being reminded of, the many different ways we can pray. CANADA PRAYS is a great resource. I only hope more people were aware of it!

    Keep it up!

    • By Laura Marie Piotrowicz October 30, 2016 - 6:20 pm

      Thanks Kyle. I appreciate the support!

  • By Robert Millar November 1, 2016 - 2:39 pm

    Amen!

    • By Laura Marie Piotrowicz November 1, 2016 - 10:46 pm

      Robert, I hope you’ve also enjoyed the previous 3 weeks – prayers of thanksgiving, petition, and penitence!

  • By Joanne Rowcliffe November 1, 2016 - 9:39 pm

    We are promoting this every week in the Parish of the Holy Spirit, Diocese of Huron.

    • By Laura Marie Piotrowicz November 1, 2016 - 10:47 pm

      Thanks Joanne, much appreciated!

  • By Kyle Norman November 2, 2016 - 9:39 am

    This is a great initiative!