For those in the path of Hurricanes: A prayer for sheltering from storms

Prayer for use while sheltering from storms

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

The Lord is our keeper;
God our Father will keep us from all evil;
he will keep our life in his hands.

Under thy protection, we take refuge, O Mother of God:
do not despise our petitions in time of trouble,
but rescue us from dangers.

Heavenly Father, send your angels to take charge of us,
to guard us in all our ways.
On their hands, may they bear us up.

We cling to you in love, deliver us.
Protect us, for we know your name.
Be with us in this trouble.
Rescue us and honor us.

Satisfy us with long life and your salvation.

Have mercy on us Lord. When we stand before your face, show leniency toward our wretchedness.

Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy. Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.

Holy Mary, queen of angels, pray for us.
Angels of God, pray for us.
My guardian angel and the guardian angels of each of us here, pray for us.
St. Joseph, protector of the family, pray for us.

Amen.

The imagery in the first lines is from Psalm 121. It brings to mind scenes of war movies or old Westerns, when the besieged protagonist is crouched behind some scraggly bush, quickly running out of ammo, and suddenly from the hill on the horizon, rank on rank of replacements come galloping in.

The “Under thy protection” prayer to Our Lady is the earliest known Marian prayer, dating as far back as only 200 years after Christ. Just think of the generations of Christians who have had these words on their lips in times of trouble.

We can also invoke the angels in times of physical danger. Scripture tells us of how successfully they are able to ward off threats. Just think of what Daniel reported after a night in the lions’ den: “My God sent his angel and closed the lions’ mouths so that they have not hurt me” (6:23). This prayer draws from the promise of the angels in Psalm 91.

Finally, the line about entrusting our souls to God’s mercy comes from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in his “Last Testament.”

Adapted from a Prayer for a Tornado Shelter.