, Birthday Prayer Service
Hymn
Introduction
Dear Brothers we have gathered here to celebrate the birthday of
Bro.Sunil .It is indeed a
great joy for us all for he has made a difference in the life of each one
in various ways. Let us
join together in thanksgiving, rejoicing in song, and thanking God for
the gift Sunil to all of us.
Bio data of Bhayyaji
(As we sing this hymn, I request Bro.Sunil to come and light the
candles
placed in front. Each of these candles represents the meaningful years
of life that our dear Br.
has lived on this earth. Just like the candles, he has never lived for her
glory, but for the
kingdom severing the poor and the needy.)
Hymn (Lighting the Candle)
Plant (Now let us present to our dear birthday baby a sapling filled with
life. Dear Bro.Sunil this
represents the many year of life that you have ahead of you. We pray
may you grow to become a
tree, giving life to many others. May many find meaning in their life’s
from the fruits they
receive. We also pray that may you be guided by the spirituality of a
tree that is by a forming life
that gives its fruits even when it is attacked.) Bro.Sunil will place the
plant in front
Prayer
God our Father, the birth of your Son Jesus Christ brought great joy to
Mary and Joseph.
Heavenly Father, We praise You for all Your gifts to us. In a special
way, We thank You for
Bro.Sunil whose birthday we celebrate today.
Bless him always in Your love.
May he ever grow in your faith, hope, and love.
We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Reading
“Every new day is a symbol of hope. Every new flower is a symbol of
beauty. Every new child is
a symbol of God’s immense love towards us.”
As we celebrate the gift of Bro.Sunil today we in a special way thank
God for the person he is to
each one of us. The challenge that he brings to our life as a religious
with his simple life style
and human way of dealing. Indeed it is true that he is a true human
being, with flesh and blood
who has dedicated his life for the Kingdom of God.
Dear Bro.Sunil we appreciate in you the person that you are the model
that you are to us in your
words and deeds. We thank you for the pain and suffering you
undertake for the well being
of our community. We thank you for all the good things that you are
doing for all of us. We hope
that gorgeous messages and loving callshave come your way to make
your birthday a fantastic day. Smiles andlaughter joy and cheer,
heavenly happiness that stays throughout the year, filling your life
withsurprises and joys galore. So on this very special day, we would
like to tell you that we love you,
we appreciate you, and we admire you for what you are to each one of
us. As the apostles
gathered around our Lord, keenly to listen what he said, so also we are
gathered around you.
However long the time may be, your loving presence is that which
makes huge difference in the
community as St. Paul was among the Ephesians.
Together with St. Paul we also would like to say:
(Philippians 1: 3-11 )
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy
in every one of my
prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the
first day until now. I am
confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will
bring it to completion by
the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of
you, because you hold me
in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my
imprisonment and in the
defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I
long for all of you with
the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love
may overflow more and
more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is
best, so that on the day of
Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of
righteousness that comes
through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
Thank you lord, together we sing and praise you for the gift of
Bro.Sunil to our lives
Hymn
PSALM 139
O Lord, you examine me and know me.
You know when I sit down and when I get up;
even from far away you understand my motives.
You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest;
youare aware of everything I do.
Certainly my tongue does not frame a word
without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it.
You squeeze me in from behind and in front;
you place your hand on me.
Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension;
it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it.
Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee to escape your presence?
If I were to ascend to heaven, you would be there.
If I were to lie in the grave, there you would be.
If I were to fly away on the wings of the dawn,
and settle down on the other side of the sea,
even there your hand would guide me,
your right hand would grab hold of me.
If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me,
and the light will turn to night all around me,”
even the darkness is not too dark for you to see,
and the night is as bright as day;
darkness and light are the same to you.
Certainly you made my mind and heart;
you wove me together in my mother’s womb.
I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing.
You knew me thoroughly;
my bones were not hidden from you,
when I was made in secret
and sewed together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb.
All the days ordained for me
were recorded in your scroll
before one of them came into existence.
How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God!
How vast is their sum total.
If I tried to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
Even if I finished counting them,
I would still have to contend with you.
(Life is a dance, each one dances in her own way the verities of steps
makes the difference)
Loving God, God of all life, we thank you for the many ways in which
you have gifted Bro.Sunil
and we rejoice in the many ways he has shared those gifts with us. We
pray that as Bro.Sunilcontinue his dance of life, he may always know
the graced rhythm of your love and presence.
Reading: “Dancing God” This will be read by Bro.Sunil.
Direct my steps, my dancing God, In rhythms slow or fast, To dance
life’s varied melodies,
Moving in clear-cut syncopated time Or swaying slowly to the haunting
music
Only hearts can hear. Direct my steps, my dancing God, To join the
dance of time,
Stretching, Reaching, Touching hand to hand All those who join the
dance,
All those whose inner music Sings your name. Direct my steps, my
dancing God,
In solo steps Across the stage of time, Swirling, Leaping, Drawn by
mystic music only I can hear,
Dancing life As only I can do. Direct my steps, my dancing God,
Moving to the rhythm of your heart,
Twirling, Spinning, Leaping unafraid, Trusting in the sureness of your
love That lifts me high
And whispers softly in my heart The music of the dance, I am.
Intercessions
Responses: Lord, in your mercy listen to our prayer...
1. For the Pope, bishops, priests and deacons and all religious: that
they may unfailingly
testify by their lives may lead many more to this noble vocation. We
pray to the Lord
2. For the World: that we all, recognize the minds and conscience of
people, making us
prophetic and helping us to treat each other more humanely so that all
wars, political
changes and trials may recede into the background leading to a more
peaceful living
world, we pray to the Lord.
3. For Bro.Sunil: that as he celebrates his gift of life today the lord may
bless him with good
heath of mind and body and may be guided by the Lord in his call to
follow him, we pray
to the Lord.
4. For the parents and dear ones of Bro.Sunil: that they may
experience the presence of God in
their daily life and may be guided to fulfill His wishes in their life, we
pray to the Lord.
5. For the Youth of today: that their presence will lead to a promising
future, lighting up the
path of all whom they encounter, in recognizing and answering to the
vocation that is
placed within them we pray to the Lord.
6. For all of us: that all our dreams may be lucid and meaningful,
growing realistically to it
fulfilment “for your greater glory and the salvation of the world, we pray
to the Lord.
Birthday Prayer by Bro.Sunil
Thank you, God, for giving me another year of life.
Thank you for all the people who remembered me today
by sending messages, and calls, prayers and good wishes.
Thank you for all the experience of this past year;
for times of success which will always be happy memories,
for times of failure which reminded me of my own weakness and of my
need for you,
for times of joy when the sun was shining,
for times of sadness which drove me to you.
Forgive me
for the hours I wasted,
for the chances I failed to take,
for the opportunities I missed this past year.
Help me in the days ahead to make this the best year yet,
and through it to bring good credit to myself,
happiness and pride to my loved ones,
and joy to you. Amen.
Concluding Prayer(all together)
May this year bring with it all the success and fulfilment of your heart
desires.
May each and every passing year bring you wisdom, peace and cheer.
May today be filled with sunshine and smiles, laughter and love.
May God bless you and keep you always in His tender, loving care.
May God soften the pillow on which you rest your head at night
May He make smooth the path you walk on.not just today but
everyday.
As God adds life to your years, may He add years to your life.
We make this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
