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A PRAYER BEFORE YOU CLOSE YOUR SUITCASE

· Published · 4 minute read

Have you packed the charger? Is your identity document in the right pocket? The suitcase lies open on the bed and something always seems missing, however often you check. Meanwhile you think of the person collecting you, the one you will say goodbye to, a conversation you may finally have time for.

A suitcase in a railway station, ready for a journey

Leaving sets many things in motion. The pleasure of a change, the wish to return somewhere familiar, the effort of organising. Sometimes a little fear too, difficult to explain to someone insisting you should simply be happy.

You can pause before closing the zip. A prayer before travelling can begin here: with what you anticipate and what worries you, without having to choose a single emotion.

Psalm 121 and the trust of a traveller

Psalm 121 belongs to the Songs of Ascents and opens with a question about help from God. Verse 8 speaks of the Lord watching over our going out and coming in, now and for ever. It is a word of trust that can accompany a departure.

Praying this psalm does not make prudence unnecessary. The driver’s rest, attention to the road and organising the journey remain important. Trust in God enters our choices and responsibilities. We can ask him to accompany us while taking them seriously.

A prayer before closing your suitcase

Original text by CHIARA!, for personal prayer.

Lord, before closing this suitcase, I want to entrust to you what I cannot arrange between a jumper and a pair of shoes.

I entrust to you my wish to leave, the joy waiting for me, the hurry of my preparations and the worry I keep postponing.

Accompany my journey. Help me be careful, respect the work of those making travel possible and avoid treating others as obstacles to my plans.

Remind me that those in the queue have destinations too, that someone taking the wrong road may need patience, that a delay does not tell the story of the whole day.

I entrust to you those travelling with me. May we find room to listen, laugh about something small and remain close when tired.

I entrust to you those staying home and waiting for my call. Help me remember simple promises: say when I arrive, ask how things went, find time for a greeting.

If I return somewhere I miss, welcome my happiness. If returning frightens me, help me recognise what I can face and where I need support.

Watch over those I carry in my heart, including those I cannot embrace. Help me name their absence without being ashamed of longing.

May I notice goodness along the way: a landscape, a kindness, a conversation I had not expected.

When it is time to go home, accompany that passage too. Help me bring something good back and find you in the days beginning again. Amen.

When you travel to return to family

Around All Saints’ Day on 1 November and the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed on 2 November, some travel to see loved ones or visit a cemetery. For others it is simply a Sunday away from home. Reasons differ, as do the emotions accompanying them.

Returning may contain long-awaited embraces and an empty chair. Happiness at a familiar smell from the kitchen and difficulty with certain questions. You can bring all this to prayer without forcing the journey to match other people’s expectations.

If a visit feels heavy, agreeing beforehand how long you will stay and with whom may help. To remember someone, consider a simple gesture: a flower, a prayer, a memory to share. Expressing genuine affection does not require a perfect day.

If you travel purely for pleasure, you can be happy without adding a solemn reason. Walking through a new city, a long lunch, time with a friend can become occasions for gratitude. Entrust to God your wish to enjoy these days, remembering those who work to make them possible and what your finances truly allow.

A few words can travel with you

This prayer is a suggestion. Skip a passage, add a name, stop after the first sentence. Read it before leaving, then put your phone away. If you are driving, read before departure or during a stop.

You might choose just one intention: I entrust those waiting for me to you. Or: help me be patient. A few sincere words can accompany a noisy station, a busy road and the moment someone opens a door to let you in.

Now you can close the suitcase. Perhaps there will still be something to remember. Meanwhile you have found a moment to entrust your departure to God and the people who make it matter.

SOURCES AND FURTHER READING

Photo credits

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