And since I am confident of this (it is better for you that I stay)
I know that I will remain and carry on with all of you
for your progress and joy
in the faith

so that ‘what you can be proud of’
will abound
in Christ Jesus
in me
because of my coming again to you.

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art –
Thou my best thought, by day or by night;
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

For me, to be living is Christ 
and to die is an advantage. 

If  living in the flesh,
this is fruitful work for me, 

and I can’t tell which to choose. 
And yet I am caught between the two:

having a desire to die
and be with Christ.
For that is better in many ways.

But to stay in the flesh is better for you. 

Lord, you have given me so much,
I ask for one more thing –
a grateful heart.

George Herbert

Yes, and  I  will continue to rejoice,: 
for I know 
 that this will result in salvation for me
through your prayer
              and the provision of the spirit of Jesus Christ.
in accordance with the eager expectation
            and my hope. 
    (and) that that in no way will I be ashamed
        but with boldness
       as always and now
 Christ will be highly honoured  
     in my body
          either by (my life)
or by (my) death.

Be thou a bright flame before me,
Be thou a guiding star above me
Be thou a smooth path below me
Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me
Today – tonight -forever
Amen.

St Columba

Some 
    because of envy and rivalry
and others
    through good will,
preach Christ:

those from love, 
knowing that I am put  here for the defence of the Gospel, 

others proclaim Christ
from selfish ambition
not purely
supposing to raise trouble in my chains.

What does it matter?

Only that in every way
either by false motive
or by truth
Christ is proclaimed,
and so in this I rejoice.

O Love, O God who created me, in your love recreate me.
O Love, who redeemed me,
fill up in me whatever part of your love
has fallen into neglect within me.
O Love, O God, who first loved me,
grant that with my whole heart,
and with my whole soul,
and with my whole strength,
I may love you.

Gertrude the Great

Now, I wish you to come to know, 
sisters/brothers
that the things that happened to me
instead
have come about for the advancement of the Gospel

so that my chains have become known
(as being) in Christ.
in the whole Praetorium and to everyone else

and most of the sisters/ brothers
having gained confidence in the Lord
by my chains
are all the more bold to fearlessly to speak the Word.

Teach us, good Lord,
to serve thee as thou deservest;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labour and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do thy will,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

St Ignatius

And I pray this

that your love might yet abound more and more
in knowledge
          and discernment in every situation
 so that you would approve things which are superior
in order that you will be pure and blameless
for the day of Christ,           
having been filled with the fruit of righteousness
                      through Jesus Christ
        for the glory and praise of God.

Grant, Lord,
that we may hold to you without parting,
worship you without wearying,
serve you without failing;
faithfully seek you,
happily find you,
and forever possess you,
the only God,blessed now and for ever.
Amen

St Anselm

As it is right for me
  to feel this
  about all of you
  because
    you have me in your heart

(A partnership)

   being in my chains
  and in the defending 
  and the confirming of the Gospel
  all of you are sharers with me of grace .

For God is my witness
that I long for you all
with the compassion of Christ Jesus. 

Thank you, dear Jesus,
for all you have given me,
for all you have taken away from me,
for all you have left me.

Thomas More (c.1478-1535)

(I give thanks to my God…
(as I am)  making my prayers…

because of your partnership in the Gospel
from the first day
until now,
having been persuaded by this thing,
that the one who began a good work
among you,
will be completing it
until the the day of Christ Jesus.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy,
For your mercy and for your truth’s sake. Amen

I give thanks to my God
  -in every remembrance of  you,
  – every time
–  in every one of my  prayers
  – for everyone of you
with joy
(as I am)  making my prayers….

O Lord Jesus Christ,
stay beside me to defend me,
within me to guide me,
before me to lead me,
and above me to bless me,
that with you and in you,
I may live, and move and have my being,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

(unknown)

Paul and Timothy
– slaves of Christ Jesus
to all the ‘holy ones’ in Christ Jesus, 
who are in Philippi
including the church leaders and the deacons:

Grace to you all
and peace
from God, our Father,
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

O Love, O God who created me, in your love recreate me.
O Love, who redeemed me,
fill up in me whatever part of your love
has fallen into neglect within me.
O Love, O God, who first loved me,
grant that with my whole heart,
and with my whole soul,
and with my whole strength,
I may love you.

Gertrude the Great