Prayer For Awarding Ceremony
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
O Eternal God, bless all schools, colleges, and universities [and especially __________], that they may be lively centers for sound learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom; and grant that those who teach and those who learn may find you to be the source of all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Father, we thank you so much for our time here together For all the friends we have made For all the days of laughter and fun And for all the times of great discovery and learning. We thank You for all who have given of their energy and skill So that we can graduate today. Our teachers and mentors Our family and loved ones We thank You for them and give them all to You in prayer. As this chapter on our life closes, so a new one begins. We present ourselves like an open book before You. Come and scribe Your words of life into our lives - Fill our minds with Your thoughts Fill our bodies with Your strength Fill our hearts with Your dreams That we might eternally love and serve You This day and every day. We ask all this in the glorious name of Jesus Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit World without end. Amen.
Dear God, Today we join with heaven as we celebrate and give thanks for every student here. Thank you that each one is unique and brimming with potential. Thank you for leading them in their learning, for keeping them safe as they studied, and for watching over them in their final exams. We pray that they may all feel proud this day and enjoy sharing their achievements with family and friends. May today be a memory that burns bright within them as they embark on life's great adventure. Amen.
O God, Most Creative and Sustaining Spirit,
Through the long sweep of time, and within the vast distances of space, we in this present moment, and in this place, acknowledge you and praise you. We are privileged to come together today on a happy occasion, in which we celebrate the particularly wonderful human beings we call our children, our students, our friends.
As their parents, we thank you for our treasured children, loved from the first moment we knew of their existence. Though once helpless and dependent on us, they have become the young adults we celebrate and admire today through a transformation that has never ceased to amaze us.
As faculty, staff, and administrators at this University, we are grateful to you for the opportunity to participate in the development of these students, to honor them for their hard work and achievement, and to thank them for the inspiration they provide to keep us going in our chosen professions.
And as their friends, we thank you for the gifts of loyalty and kindness they have shared with us, and for the models of service and dedication they have been as we ourselves have struggled to grow to adulthood alongside them.
O God, you sustain all of us at every moment, as we work and weep and worry, and as we rejoice and celebrate! You have inspired us with your creativity, displayed throughout this ever-evolving universe and echoed in the varied academic achievements of the students we honor in this convocation. As we celebrate them today, we ask that you bless and guide their future lives.
We pray that they, and we, may use our many gifts of intellect, heart, and soul to address the problems that the human community faces in bringing justice more fully into the world and in tending wisely to the lovely garden that is our earth and our home.
Amen!
O Who is like you, God, who is holy and loving like you? Source of All Blessing, we desire your presence here among us as we honor our fine students and their dedication.
We celebrate their capacity for creativity, for critical thinking, for focused effort. You, O God, are the source of inspiration, the spark that urges us on to excellence.
We thank you for this university which embodies Jesuit and Catholic values and which provides an educational opportunity that transforms minds and hearts.
We thank you for families that offer emotional, financial, and spiritual support.
Finally, we thank you for Ignatius of Loyola, whose leadership has made this institution a wonderful place to work, to learn, and to grow.
O Who is like you, God, who is holy and loving like you?
Amen.
Gracious God,
We ask your blessing upon these young women and men who we honor today for their achievements.
We celebrate their capacity for creativity, for critical thinking, for focused effort.
We are grateful that they and their families entrusted Xavier's faculty and staff to engage them intellectually, morally, and spiritually.
Thank you for their confidence to discover and explore new possbilities and knowledge to discern what is right and good and just.
Enable them to draw upon the wisdom and experience of yesterday as they respond to the questions and concerns of tomorrow.
Support our honored student leaders as they continue to make a difference in the world and lead a life 'For the Greater Glory of God.'
Amen.
Dear God,
I ask for your blessing on this ceremony, our awardees and all who are gathered with us today. I pray that you will fill each employee with satisfaction at the great work they are doing for the sake of their country. I especially pray for those who are deployed away from home. Keep us all, and those we love, safe and strong. Grant us success in every good endeavor as we serve our community, our nation and our world. Be with us this hour, and every hour, I pray. Amen.