Prayer at Retirement
Oct 21
2 min read
Retirement closes one chapter of life and opens another. It brings gratitude for years of work, but sometimes also a sense of loss or uncertainty about what comes next. This prayer gives thanks for a working life and asks God to make the years ahead fruitful in prayer, family, and service.
The Prayer
Lord God, Master of every season, I thank You for the years of work You have given me. For the skills You entrusted to me, the people I worked beside, the provision for my family, and even the hard days that taught me patience, I give You thanks and praise. Now a long chapter closes and a new one opens. Forgive whatever I did poorly or with the wrong intention, and bless whatever good was done. Help me to lay down my old role gracefully and to receive this new season as a gift, not an ending. Show me how to spend these years well. Keep me from idleness and from restlessness alike. Give me time for prayer, for my family and friends, and for the service of others, especially the lonely, the sick, and the poor. Let me share what I have learned with the young, and let me keep learning from them. Grant me health of body and mind as long as it pleases You, and peace when my strength declines. As the evening of life draws near, help me to prepare my soul for the day when I will meet You face to face, and may I then hear Your words, "Well done, good and faithful servant." St. Joseph, who labored faithfully and now rests in glory, pray for me. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Suggested saint: St. Joseph. Many retirees find new joy in daily Mass, volunteering, or joining a parish ministry.
See also: Prayer of Thanksgiving for Benefits and Prayer for a Happy Death.
About this prayer: This is an original prayer written for Daily Catholic Prayers. It is not a traditional text and is not attributed to any saint. You are welcome to pray it and share it.
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