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Celebrate any saint’s feast day with this short prayer

raphael

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September 24, 2020

Celebrate any saint’s feast day with this short prayer

The prayer honors the saint that is celebrated and asks God’s grace to imitate their example.

One of the primary reasons why the Church celebrates saints’ feast days is to show us an example to follow. The Church wants us to remember these men and women who have followed so closely after Jesus Christ, and to imitate their example.Here is a short prayer adapted from The Catholic prayer book and manual of meditations that can be used on any feast day, calling to mind the specific saint and asking God for help in following their footsteps.

Grant, we ask you, Almighty God, that the examples of your saints may move us to reform our lives, that while we celebrate their feast, we may also imitate their actions. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Ask St. Joseph to protect the Church during adversity

raphael

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September 24, 2020

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Ask St. Joseph to protect the Church during adversity

When the Church is going through hard times, ask St. Joseph for help and protection.

It is fitting that St. Joseph is the patron of the Universal Church, as he was given the weighty task of ensuring the safety of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus. He was successful in protecting them from danger, and now he has been entrusted with the care of the Church, watching over it in a similar way.In a particular way, St. Joseph is a perfect intercessor during times of trial. His presence can help preserve unity within the Church and bring peace during difficulties.

Here is a prayer from My Prayer Book that encapsulates all of these sentiments and cries out to St. Joseph for help.

O most watchful Guardian of the Divine Family, defend the Church. Ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence. O our most mighty Protector, look favorably upon us and from heaven assist us in this our struggle with the power of darkness; and, as once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity. Shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your aid, we may be able to live virtuously, to die holily, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven. Amen.

AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE… Saint of the Day: The Blessed Virgin Mary ~ Our Lady of Mercy (THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24)

raphael

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September 24, 2020

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AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE… Saint of the Day: The Blessed Virgin Mary ~ Our Lady of Mercy (THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24)

Patroness of the Mercedarian Order

The meaning of the celebration

+ Devotion to Mary under the title “Our Lady of Mercy” originated with the Mercedarian Order and the apparitions of Our Lady of Ransom.

+ Tradition relates that the Blessed Mother appeared to Saint Peter Nolasco, who would go on to found the Order of Our Lady of Mercy, in 1218. In this vision, she affirmed Peter’s desire to establish a new religious family that would be dedicated to ransoming Christians who had been enslaved by the Moors.

+ In time, the Mercedarians added a distinctive fourth vow (in addition to their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience) to die, if necessary, for the sake of one who is in danger of losing their faith.

+ Today, devotion to Mary under the title “Our Lady of Mercy” remains a poignant reminder of the dangers faced by oppressed Christians and of Mary’s maternal intercession and protection.

For prayer and reflection

“Praise the Lord our God, for in Mary his handmaid he has fulfilled his promise of mercy to the house of Israel.”—Communion Antiphon from the Common of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Prayer

Almighty God,

through your infinite mercy

and under the patronage of the Mother of your Son,

you raised up a family of religious

who, in imitation of Christ the Redeemer,

offered even themselves for the redemption of slaves.

Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother,

the inspirer of this work,

may we dedicate our lives to promote true freedom

for all people.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(Adapted from the Proper Office of the Mercedarians)

Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.

https://youtu.be/k0UD7HPlndU

PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24)

raphael

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September 24, 2020

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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24)

Prayer for the Morning

Come, let us adore the Lord our God!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

HYMN

Before thy throne, O God, we kneel:

Give us a conscience quick to feel,

A ready mind to understand

The meaning of thy chastening hand;

Whate’er the pain and shame may be,

Bring us, O Father, nearer thee.

Search out our hearts and make us true;

Help us to give to all their due.

From love of pleasure, lust of gold,

From sins which make the heart grow cold,

Wean us and train us with thy rod;

Teach us to know our faults, O God.

For sins of heedless word and deed,

For pride ambitious to succeed,

For crafty trade and subtle snare

To catch the simple unaware,

For lives bereft of purpose high,

Forgive, forgive, O Lord, we cry.

CANTICLE (cf. Daniel 3:26-27, 29, 34, 39-41)

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled. (Mt 23:12)

Pride sets subtle snares. Whenever we imagine that we are in control of life—our own or someone else’s—we have fallen prey to the ancient whisper in the Garden: “You shall be like gods.” Mortality is the enduring reminder that we become like God not by our own power but by the power of the cross.

Blessed are you, and praiseworthy,

O Lord, the God of our fathers,

and glorious forever is your name.

For you are just in all you have done;

all your deeds are faultless, all your ways right,

and all your judgments proper.

For we have sinned and transgressed

by departing from you,

and we have done every kind of evil.

For your name’s sake, do not deliver us up forever,

or make void your covenant.

But with contrite heart and humble spirit

let us be received;

as though it were holocausts of rams and bullocks,

or thousands of fat lambs,

So let our sacrifice be in your presence today

as we follow you unreservedly;

for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame.

And now we follow you with our whole heart,

we fear you and we pray to you.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Sirach 10:7, 12-13a, 15-16)

Odious to the Lord and to men is arrogance,/ and the sin of oppression they both hate./ The beginning of pride is man’s stubbornness/ in withdrawing his heart from his Maker;/ For pride is the reservoir of sin,/ a source which runs over with vice./ The roots of the proud God plucks up,/ to plant the humble in their place:/ He breaks down their stem to the level of the ground,/ then digs their roots from the earth.

Before his downfall a man’s heart is haughty,/

but humility goes before honors.

(Prv 18:12)

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Mt 23:12)

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet

of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father…

INTERCESSIONS

In the mystery of the Incarnation and still more of the cross, Jesus Christ reveals the true power of self-abasement. Let us pray:

R/Make us wise, O Lord.

You did not think equality with God something to be clung to:

– release us from the desire for power and prestige, we pray. R/

You emptied yourself, taking on the nature of a slave:

– free us from all disdain for works of service, we

pray. R/

You became obedient even unto death, death on the cross:

– deliver us from the lure of self-sufficiency, we pray. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

O Christ, you washed the feet of your disciples, you who are both Lord and Master. Strip us of the garments of pride and free us to do for one another the tasks of love, as you have done for us. In your name we pray, Lord Jesus Christ, who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER FOR OUR DECEASED LOVED ONES

raphael

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September 24, 2020

1

PRAYING FOR OUR DECEASED LOVED ONES AT THIS TIME OF THE CORONAVIRUS/COVID 19 when we cannot attend the funeral

Preparing to pray…

These prayers can be prayed by an individual or by a family — while attending to social distancing requirements.

On a small table place a candle which you will light as you begin the time of prayer. If you have them, also a photograph of the deceased and a bible or missal.

SIGN OF THE CROSS

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

[Light the candle]

We offer this time of prayer for ourselves and for our beloved N. May it give us consolation and hope, and strength for the days ahead.

PRAYER FOR THE BEREAVED AND THE DECEASED

Lord Jesus,

You hold out a hand of love to so many who seek your help.

Take hold of our hands this day and see us through this time of sorrow and loss.

Renew our faith in your healing touch and help us to place our trust in your gentle care. In the days that lie ahead, keep us close to you,

that we may find comfort and peace in the nearness of your unfailing love. We pray for N. and commend him/her to your love and compassion.

Forgive N. his/her sins, and grant him/her a place of happiness, light and peace in the kingdom of your glory forever. Amen.

THE WORD OF GOD JOHN 14:1-3

Jesus says: ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house; if there were not, I should have told you. I am going now to prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me, so that where I am you may be too.’

PAUSE FOR SILENT PRAYER FOR OUR DECEASED LOVED ONE

Family members may wish to share words with one another and say thanks to God for the person and the life of their loved one.

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

In baptism, N. died with Christ. May he/she now share the fullness of life with the Risen Lord. Lord, hear us.

Lord, graciously hear us.

We pray that our family may find comfort through faith in Christ and the support of the Christian community. Lord, hear us.

Lord, graciously hear us.

May we live our lives in the love of God’s presence. May we be reunited with N. some day when God calls us. Lord, hear us.

Lord, graciously hear us.

We pray for all who care for the sick and the dying and for all our healthcare workers. Keep them safe and free from harm. Lord, hear us.

Lord, graciously hear us.

Guide with your wisdom all those who are working to protect us at this time of trial. Lord, hear us.

Lord, graciously hear us.

We pray for all who have died, especially our relatives and friends, that they may enjoy eternal life in heaven.

Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

OUR FATHER or A DECADE OF THE ROSARY – The Resurrection of the Lord

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Lord God, You listen to the voice of our pleading. Let us find in your Son, comfort in our sadness, certainty in our doubt, and courage to live through this hour. Make our faith strong through Christ our Lord. Amen.

CONCLUSION

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

PRAYER OF ST JOHN HENRY NEWMAN

May the Lord support us all the day long,

till the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed,

and the fever of life is over and our work is done.

Then in His love and mercy may he give us and N. a safe lodging, a holy rest and peace at the last.

Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Remember to extinguish the candle

PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23)

raphael

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September 23, 2020

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PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23)

Prayer for the Evening

Too heavy for us, our offenses!

Lord, have mercy!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

HYMN

Christian! do you see them

On the holy ground,

How the powers of darkness

Rage your steps around?

Christian! up and smite them,

Counting gain but loss;

In the strength that fills you

From the holy cross.

Christian! do you hear them,

How they speak you fair?

“Always fast and vigil?

Always watch and prayer?”

Christian! answer boldly:

“While I breathe I pray!”

Peace shall follow battle,

Night shall end in day.

“Well I know your trouble,

O my servant true;

You are very weary—

I was weary too;

But that toil shall make you

Some day all my own—

And the end of sorrow

Shall be near my throne.”

PSALM 65:2-5

Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away. (Acts 3:19)

At great cost to himself, Padre Pio devoted himself especially to the personal and sacramental work of penance, that all sinners might know and receive the mercy that flows upon us from the cross of Christ.

To you our praise is due

in Zion, O God.

To you we pay our vows,

you who hear our prayer.

To you all flesh will come

with its burden of sin.

Too heavy for us, our offenses,

but you wipe them away.

Blessed is he whom you choose and call

to dwell in your courts.

We are filled with the blessings of your house,

of your holy temple.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Luke 24:46-48)

And [Jesus] said to them, “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

Come now, let us set things right,/ says the Lord:/ Though your sins be like scarlet,/ they may become white as snow;/ Though they be crimson red,/ they may become white as wool.

(Is 1:18)

CANTICLE OF MARY

We know that our old self was crucified with Christ, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. (cf. Rom 6:6)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father…

INTERCESSIONS

Through the intercession of Padre Pio, let us pray:

R/Forgive us, O Lord, that we may be healed!

For all believers in whom the Gospel witness burns only dimly: R/

For all who fail to recognize and benefit from the power of the Sacrament of Penance: R/

For all who persist in their sins: R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

May we receive a blessing from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings we have come for refuge. Amen. (cf. Ru 2:12)

MARIAN ANTIPHON

Antiphon for the Feast of the Nativity

of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

8 September

With joy let us celebrate the nativity of blessed Mary,

that she may intercede for us

before the Lord Jesus Christ.

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;

vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.

Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes

in hac lacrimarum valle.

Eia ergo, advocata nostra,

illos tuos misericordes oculos

ad nos converte.

Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,

nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,

our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

To you do we cry,

poor banished children of Eve.

To you do we send up our sighs,

mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, O most gracious advocate,

your eyes of mercy toward us,

and after this our exile

show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE… Saint of the Day: St. Pio of Pietrelcina (WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23)

raphael

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September 23, 2020

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AND TODAY WE CELEBRATE… Saint of the Day: St. Pio of Pietrelcina (WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23)

Spiritual Guide and Friend of the Poor. Capuchin Franciscan Priest (1887-1968)

His life

In one of the largest such ceremonies in history, Pope John Paul II canonized Padre Pio of Pietrelcina on June 16, 2002. It was the 45th canonization ceremony in Pope John Paul’s pontificate. More than 300,000 people braved blistering heat as they filled St. Peter’s Square and nearby streets. They heard the Holy Father praise the new saint for his prayer and charity. “This is the most concrete synthesis of Padre Pio’s teaching,” said the pope. He also stressed Padre Pio’s witness to the power of suffering. If accepted with love, the Holy Father stressed, such suffering can lead to “a privileged path of sanctity.”

Many people have turned to the Italian Capuchin Franciscan to intercede with God on their behalf; among them was the future Pope John Paul II. In 1962, when he was still an archbishop in Poland, he wrote to Padre Pio and asked him to pray for a Polish woman with throat cancer. Within two weeks, she had been cured of her life-threatening disease.

Born Francesco Forgione, Padre Pio grew up in a family of farmers in southern Italy. Twice his father worked in Jamaica, New York, to provide the family income.

At the age of 15, Francesco joined the Capuchins and took the name of Pio. He was ordained in 1910 and was drafted during World War I. After he was discovered to have tuberculosis, he was discharged. In 1917, he was assigned to the friary in San Giovanni Rotondo, 75 miles from the city of Bari on the Adriatic.

On September 20, 1918, as he was making his thanksgiving after Mass, Padre Pio had a vision of Jesus. When the vision ended, he had the stigmata in his hands, feet, and side.

Life became more complicated after that. Medical doctors, Church authorities, and curiosity seekers came to see Padre Pio. In 1924, and again in 1931, the authenticity of the stigmata was questioned; Padre Pio was not permitted to celebrate Mass publicly or to hear confessions. He did not complain of these decisions, which were soon reversed. However, he wrote no letters after 1924. His only other writing, a pamphlet on the agony of Jesus, was done before 1924.

Padre Pio rarely left the friary after he received the stigmata, but busloads of people soon began coming to see him. Each morning after a 5 a.m. Mass in a crowded church, he heard confessions until noon. He took a mid-morning break to bless the sick and all who came to see him. Every afternoon he also heard confessions. In time his confessional ministry would take 10 hours a day; penitents had to take a number so that the situation could be handled. Many of them have said that Padre Pio knew details of their lives that they had never mentioned.

Padre Pio saw Jesus in all the sick and suffering. At his urging, a fine hospital was built on nearby Mount Gargano. The idea arose in 1940; a committee began to collect money. Ground was broken in 1946. Building the hospital was a technical wonder because of the difficulty of getting water there and of hauling up the building supplies. This “House for the Alleviation of Suffering” has 350 beds.

A number of people have reported cures they believe were received through the intercession of Padre Pio. Those who assisted at his Masses came away edified; several curiosity seekers were deeply moved. Like Saint Francis, Padre Pio sometimes had his habit torn or cut by souvenir hunters.

One of Padre Pio’s sufferings was that unscrupulous people several times circulated prophecies that they claimed originated from him. He never made prophecies about world events and never gave an opinion on matters that he felt belonged to Church authorities to decide. He died on September 23, 1968, and was beatified in 1999.

Referring to that day’s Gospel (Matthew 11:25-30) at Padre Pio’s canonization Mass in 2002, Saint John Paul II said: “The Gospel image of ‘yoke’ evokes the many trials that the humble Capuchin of San Giovanni Rotondo endured. Today we contemplate in him how sweet is the ‘yoke’ of Christ and indeed how light the burdens are whenever someone carries these with faithful love. The life and mission of Padre Pio testify that difficulties and sorrows, if accepted with love, transform themselves into a privileged journey of holiness, which opens the person toward a greater good, known only to the Lord.”

For prayer and reflection

“He wants you entirely for Himself, He wants you to place all your trust and all your affection in Him alone and it is precisely for this reason that He send you this spiritual aridity, to unite you more closely to Him.”—Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

Spiritual bonus

On this day, the Church also remembers Blessed Émilie Tavernier Gamelin. Born in Montreal, Canada, she married and became the mother of three sons. Following the death of her husband and children, she opened her home to the poor, orphans, the mentally ill, and the destitute. This work of service grew into the Sisters of Providence. Blessed Émilie died in 1851 and was beatified in 2001.

Prayer

Almighty ever-living God, who, by a singular grace,

gave the Priest Saint Pio a share in the Cross of your Son

and, by means of his ministry,

renewed the wonders of your mercy,

grant that through his intercession

we may be united constantly to the sufferings of Christ,

and so brought happily to the glory of the resurrection.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

(from The Roman Missal)

Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.

PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23)

raphael

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September 23, 2020

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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23)

Saint Pius of Pietrelcina

Prayer for the Morning

He was pierced for our offenses:

let us give thanks and praise!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

HYMN

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss

And pour contempt on all my pride.

See, from his head, his hands, his feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down.

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine

That were a tribute far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

CANTICLE OF ISAIAH (52:13-15; 53:2-5)

We who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (2 Cor 4:11)

Padre Pio was a man of sorrows. He participated daily in the physical suffering of the wounded Christ, in the humiliation and rejection of the spurned Christ, and in the endless labors of the servant Christ, for the sake of those whom Christ redeemed through the cross. And his reward was to rejoice in the triumph of the cross.

See, my servant shall prosper,

he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.

Even as many were amazed at him—

so marred was his look beyond that of man,

and his appearance beyond that of mortals—

So shall he startle many nations,

because of him kings shall stand speechless;

For those who have not been told shall see,

those who have not heard shall ponder it.

He grew up like a sapling before him,

like a shoot from the parched earth;

There was in him no stately bearing to make us

look at him,

nor appearance that would attract us to him.

He was spurned and avoided by men,

a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,

One of those from whom men hide their faces,

spurned, and we held him in no esteem.

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,

our sufferings that he endured,

While we thought of him as stricken,

as one smitten by God and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our offenses,

crushed for our sins,

Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,

by his stripes we were healed.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Galatians 2:19b-20)

I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking

in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body,

which is the church. (Col 1:24)

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

From now on, let no one make troubles for me; for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body. (Gal 6:17)

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet

of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father…

INTERCESSIONS

With confidence in the mercy of the Crucified, let us pray through the intercession of Saint Pius:

R/Lord, have mercy.

For those who give their lives to the mystery of the cross for the sake of others:

– grant them the courage of their vocation: R/

For those who suffer without understanding the value of their suffering:

– teach them to put their hope in the cross: R/

For those who reject suffering:

– let the suffering of others enlighten them: R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

God of mercy and of love, you called your servant Padre Pio to extend the mystery of the cross visibly into the lives of sinners and sufferers, that they might be converted and believe in the Gospel. Through his intercession, strengthen all believers in willingness to take up the cross daily and follow our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Novena to Padre Pio: Day 9

raphael

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September 23, 2020

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May it please Jesus to hear all the offerings that I am making for you!

Padre Pio’s feast is September 23. Let us grow closer to God through the writings and reflections of this great saint.Name your petition for this novena and then consider the following reflection from St. Pio:

May Jesus always be the sovereign king of your heart, may he assist you always with his watchful grace, may he make his divine love grow continually in your soul, may he transform you completely into himself, and may he make you holy …

May it please Jesus to hear all the offerings that I am making for you!

May Jesus always watch over you with a benevolent eye, may he be always and in everything your escort, sustainer and guide, and make you worthy always of his love!

~From Words of Light.

PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING)

raphael

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September 22, 2020

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PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING)

Prayer for the Evening

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good;

for his love endures for ever!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

HYMN

When, in his own image,

God made humankind,

he enfolded freedom

in his great design.

For he loved us even

from before our birth;

granting us dominion

of our planet earth.

God entrusted to us

life as gift and aim.

Sin became our prison,

turning hope to shame.

Cain against his brother

lifted hand and sword,

and the Father’s pleading

went unseen, unheard.

Then in time, our Maker

chose to intervene,

set his love in person

in the human scene.

Jesus broke the circle

of repeated sin,

so that our devotion

newly might begin.

Choose we now in freedom

where we should belong,

let us turn to Jesus,

let our choice be strong.

May the great obedience

which in Christ we see

perfect all our service:

then we shall be free!

PSALM 107:1-3, 10-16

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives,/ to let the oppressed go free. (cf. Lk 4:18)

The notion that one gains freedom by rebelling against God has been a popular illusion since Eden. The paradox of the Gospel is that we are set free from the chains of our own making by choosing to yoke ourselves to Christ, who bursts our bonds by his own Death and Resurrection.

“O give thanks to the Lord for he is good;

for his love endures for ever.”

Let them say this, the Lord’s redeemed,

whom he redeemed from the hand of the foe

and gathered from far-off lands,

from east and west, north and south.

Some lay in darkness and in gloom,

prisoners in misery and chains,

having defied the words of God

and spurned the counsels of the Most High.

He crushed their spirit with toil;

they stumbled; there was no one to help.

Then they cried to the Lord in their need

and he rescued them from their distress.

He led them forth from darkness and gloom

and broke their chains to pieces.

Let them thank the Lord for his goodness,

for the wonders he does for men:

for he bursts the gates of bronze

and shatters the iron bars.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Matthew 11:28-30)

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

(2 Cor 3:17)

CANTICLE OF MARY

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives/ and release to the prisoners. (cf. Is 61:1)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father…

INTERCESSIONS

For freedom Christ set us free (Gal 5:1). In grateful trust, let us pray to him:

R/We cry to you, O Lord, in our need.

For those who are in prison,

– that they may learn the way to true freedom. R/

For those who are entrapped in addiction,

– that they may find the road to recovery. R/

For those who live in defiance of your Word,

– that they may discover the freedom of the Gospel. R/

For those who have been sent to minister in your name to all who are captive in body or spirit,

– that they may be rewarded. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

To the one who is able to keep us from stumbling and to present us unblemished and exultant, in the presence of his glory, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord be glory, majesty, power, and authority from ages past, now, and for ages to come. Amen. (cf. Jude 24-25)

Marian Antiphon

Antiphon for the Feast of the Nativity

of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

8 September

With joy let us celebrate the nativity of blessed Mary,

that she may intercede for us

before the Lord Jesus Christ.

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;

vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.

Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes

in hac lacrimarum valle.

Eia ergo, advocata nostra,

illos tuos misericordes oculos

ad nos converte.

Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,

nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,

our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

To you do we cry,

poor banished children of Eve.

To you do we send up our sighs,

mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, O most gracious advocate,

your eyes of mercy toward us,

and after this our exile

show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

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Recent Comments

Articles

Prayers

Exhortations

Saints and More

Recent Comments

Articles

Prayers

Exhortations

Saints and More

The prayer honors the saint that is celebrated and asks God’s grace to imitate their example.

When the Church is going through hard times, ask St. Joseph for help and protection.

Patroness of the Mercedarian Order

The meaning of the celebration

For prayer and reflection

Prayer

Prayer for the Morning

HYMN

CANTICLE (cf. Daniel 3:26-27, 29, 34, 39-41)

Word of God (Sirach 10:7, 12-13a, 15-16)

INTERCESSIONS

PRAYING FOR OUR DECEASED LOVED ONES AT THIS TIME OF THE CORONAVIRUS/COVID 19 when we cannot attend the funeral

SIGN OF THE CROSS

PRAYER FOR THE BEREAVED AND THE DECEASED

THE WORD OF GOD JOHN 14:1-3

PAUSE FOR SILENT PRAYER FOR OUR DECEASED LOVED ONE

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

CONCLUDING PRAYER

CONCLUSION

PRAYER OF ST JOHN HENRY NEWMAN

Prayer for the Evening

HYMN

PSALM 65:2-5

Word of God (Luke 24:46-48)

CANTICLE OF MARY

INTERCESSIONS

MARIAN ANTIPHON

Spiritual Guide and Friend of the Poor. Capuchin Franciscan Priest (1887-1968)

His life

For prayer and reflection

Spiritual bonus

Prayer

Prayer for the Morning

HYMN

CANTICLE OF ISAIAH (52:13-15; 53:2-5)

Word of God (Galatians 2:19b-20)

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

INTERCESSIONS

May it please Jesus to hear all the offerings that I am making for you!

Prayer for the Evening

HYMN

PSALM 107:1-3, 10-16

Word of God (Matthew 11:28-30)

CANTICLE OF MARY

INTERCESSIONS

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