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PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (MONDAY, JULY 13)

Prayer for the Evening

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

Glory to the Father…. Alleluia!

HYMN

Light of undying glory, shine,

Warming our hearts with love divine;

Come from the gracious Father’s side,

Bathe us in joy this eventide.

Lord Jesus Christ, your living breath

Restores the world from sin and death;

Giver of life and Lord of grace,

Show us the splendor of your face.

Westward the sun is lost to sight,

The star of ev’ning marks the night;

Be, Lord, the lamp that shed the glow

Of heaven’s radiance here below.

PSALM 67

Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. (1 Cor 3:7)

God’s blessing is true light in the mind’s darkness, true rain for the soul’s earth, true life for the seed of everlasting life that lies buried in the soil of the human heart. With God’s blessing, the earth yields a rich harvest of generous thoughts, kind words, and good deeds. For today’s harvest, we give thanks and praise.

O God, be gracious and bless us

and let your face shed its light upon us.

So will your ways be known upon earth

and all nations learn your saving help.

R/Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and exult

for you rule the world with justice.

With fairness you rule the peoples,

you guide the nations on earth. R/

The earth has yielded its fruit

for God, our God, has blessed us.

May God still give us his blessing

till the ends of the earth revere him. R/

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Isaiah 18:4, 7)

Thus says the Lord to me:/ I will quietly look on from where I dwell,/ Like the glowing heat of sunshine,/ like a cloud of dew at harvest time.

Then will gifts be brought to the Lord of hosts from a people tall and bronzed, from a people dreaded near and far, a nation strong and conquering, whose land is washed by rivers—to Mount Zion where dwells the name of the Lord of hosts.

Some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,

a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. (Mt 13:8)

CANTICLE OF MARY

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Gal 5:22-23)

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

Let us pray to the Lord of the harvest:

R/Gather us together into a harvest of love.

Lord Jesus, you are sower and harvester:

– water in us the seeds of charity, that we may grow beyond all division. R/

You are seed and harvest:

– raise up in us the fruit of the Spirit. R/

You freed all those possessed by demons:

– uproot from the fields of this world all the weeds sown by the evil one. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

May the Lord bless us and keep us!/ May the Lord let his face shine upon us, and be gracious to us!/ May the Lord look upon us kindly and give us peace! Amen. (cf. Nm 6:24-26)

MARIAN ANTIPHON

Antiphon for the Memorial of

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16,

from the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

Your head is like Carmel,

and the hairs of your head,

bound in tresses,

even as royal purple, alleluia.

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. Silas (MONDAY, JULY 13)

Missionary and Bishop (First Century)

 

His life

 

+ Silas is first mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, where he is called “one of the leading men of the brotherhood” and he was chosen to carry a letter from the Apostles in Jerusalem to Gentile Christians in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.

 

+ After Paul and Barnabas quarreled and separated (Acts 15:36-40), Silas accompanied Paul on his travels. At Philippi Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned together before being miraculously delivered from prison (Acts 16:16-34).

 

+ Silas is mentioned again in the letters of both Saint Paul and Saint Peter, who using the Roman form of his name—Silvanus—calls him “a trusted brother” (1 Peter 5:12).

 

+ Nothing else is known of the life and ministry of Silas, but it is clear that he was an important leader in the early Church.

 

+ According to tradition, Silas died in Macedonia and, according to some traditions, he is said to have served as bishop of Corinth.

 

For prayer and reflection

 

“Paul does not act as a “soloist”, on his own, but together with [Barnabas and Silas] in the “we” of the Church. This “I” of Paul is not an isolated “I” but an “I” in the “we” of the Church, in the “we” of the apostolic faith. And later, Silvanus is also mentioned in the First Letter of Peter, in which we read: “I have written [briefly] to you… by Silvanus, a faithful brother” (5: 12). Thus, we also see the communion of the Apostles. Silas/Silvanus serves Paul and he serves Peter, because the Church is one and the missionary proclamation is one.”—Pope Benedict XVI

 

Spiritual bonus

 

On July 13, the Church celebrates the commemoration of the Holy Roman Emperor Saint Henry II. Known as a fair and faithful monarch, he worked for the reform of the Church throughout the empire, particularly by supporting the work of monastic reformers. Because of his association with the Benedictine Order, he is honored as one of the patron saints of Benedictine oblates.

 

Prayer

 

O God, who gave increase to your Church through the zeal for religion and apostolic labors of blessed Silas, grant, through his intercession, that she may always receive new growth in faith and in holiness. 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: Common of Pastors—For a Missionary)

 

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

PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (MONDAY, JULY 13)

Prayer for the Morning

 

Be still and know the Lord: in peace, let us pray!

 

Glory to the Father…. Alleluia!

 

HYMN

 

Let every creature rise and bring

Peculiar honors to our King;

Angels descend with songs again,

And earth repeat the loud amen!

 

With power he vindicates the just,

And treads th’oppressor in the dust:

His worship and his fear shall last

Till hours, and years, and time be past.

 

As rain on meadows newly mown,

So shall he send his influence down:

His grace on fainting souls distills,

Like heav’nly dew on thirsty hills.

 

The saints shall flourish in his days,

Dressed in the robes of joy and praise;

Peace, like a river, from his throne

Shall flow to nations yet unknown.

 

PSALM 46

 

By waiting and by calm you shall be saved,/ in quiet and in trust your strength lies. (Is 30:15b)

 

God in his power is refuge and strength; God in his mercy is the river that refreshes the soul; God in his beauty stills all our useless struggles and gathers us into his peace.

 

God is for us a refuge and strength,

a helper close at hand, in time of distress:

so we shall not fear though the earth should rock,

though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea,

even though its waters rage and foam,

even though the mountains be shaken by its waves.

 

R/The Lord of hosts is with us:

the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

 

The waters of a river give joy to God’s city,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within, it cannot be shaken;

God will help it at the dawning of the day.

Nations are in tumult, kingdoms are shaken:

he lifts his voice, the earth shrinks away. R/

 

Come, consider the works of the Lord,

the redoubtable deeds he has done on the earth.

He puts an end to wars over all the earth;

the bow he breaks, the spear he snaps.

He burns the shields with fire.

“Be still and know that I am God,

supreme among the nations, supreme on the earth!” R/

 

Glory to the Father….

 

Word of God (Isaiah 49:5)

 

The Lord has spoken/ who formed me as his servant from the womb,/ That Jacob may be brought back to him/ and Israel gathered to him;/ And I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord,/ and my God is now my strength!

 

The kingdom of God is among you!

(cf. Lk 17:21)

 

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

 

The Lord himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still. (Ex 14:14)

 

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

 

Let us lay all our needs in the merciful hands of God:

 

R/Grant peace, O Lord.

 

You are a helper close at hand in time of distress:

– grant peace of heart to all who are troubled and

afraid. R/

 

You are in our midst when life’s ills assail us:

– keep our hearts fixed on you amid all disturbances. R/

 

Your Word is the river of life which gives joy to your ­people:

– refresh in prayer all who are burdened. R/

 

You put an end to war and to the weapons of war:

– teach us to lay aside all quarrels and attacks on our neighbors. R/

 

(Personal intentions)

 

Our Father….

 

Almighty and ever-living God, your Word is the rock in which we take refuge against all outward disturbance and inner turmoil. Pour forth upon your people the refreshing stream of living water which wells up from the heart of your Son, that we may dwell together in inward and outward peace, 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.

THE HOLY CLOAK OF SAINT JOSEPH NOVENA

Repeat the following Novena prayers every day for 9 consecutive days.

In the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

I give You my heart and my soul.

(Pray 3 “Glory Be…” to our Heavenly Father in thanksgiving for having exalted St. Joseph to a position of such exceptional dignity.)

Say 3 Glory Be…

OFFERING

I

O Glorious Patriarch St. Joseph,

I humbly prostrate myself before you.

I beg the Lord Jesus,

your Immaculate Spouse, the Blessed Virgin Mary,

and all the Angels and Saints in the Heavenly Court,

to join me in this devotion.

I offer you this precious cloak,

while pledging my sincere faith and devotion.

I promise to do all in my power

to honor you throughout my lifetime

to prove my love for you.

Help me, St. Joseph.

Assist me now and throughout my lifetime,

but especially at the moment of my death,

as you were assisted by Jesus and Mary,

that I may join you one day in Heaven

and there honor you for all eternity.

Amen.

II

O Glorious Patriarch St. Joseph,

prostrate, before you and your Divine Son, Jesus,

I offer you, with heartfelt devotion,

this precious treasury of prayers,

being ever mindful of the numerous virtues

which adorned your sacred person.

In you, O Glorious Patriarch,

was fulfilled the dream of your precursor the first Joseph,

who indeed seemed to have been sent by God

to prepare the way for your presence on this earth.

In fact, not only were you surrounded by the shining splendor

of the rays of the Divine Son, Jesus,

but you were splendidly reflected

in the brilliant light of the mystic moon, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

O Glorious Patriarch, if the example of the ancient Jacob,

who personally went to congratulate his favorite son,

who was exalted on the throne of Egypt,

served to bring all his progeny there,

should not the example of Jesus and Mary,

who honored you with their greatest respect and trust,

serve to bring me, your devoted servant,

to present you with this precious cloak in your honor.

Grant, O Great St. Joseph,

that the Almighty God may turn a benevolent glance toward me.

As the ancient Joseph did not reject his guilty and cruel brothers,

but rather accepted them with love

and protected and saved them from hunger and death,

I beseech you, O Glorious Patriarch,

through your intercession,

grant that the Lord may never abandon me

in this exiled valley of sorrows.

Grant that He may always number me

as one of your devoted servants

who dost live serenely under the patronage of your Holy Cloak.

Grant that I may live always

within the protection of this patronage,

every day of my life and particularly

at that moment when I draw my dying breath.

PRAYERS

I

Hail O Glorious St. Joseph,

you who are entrusted with the priceless treasures of Heaven and earth

and foster-father of Him

Who did nourish all the creatures of the universe.

You are, after Mary, the Saint most worthy of our love and devotion.

You alone, above all the Saints,

was chosen for that supreme honor of rearing,

guiding, nourishing and even embracing the Messiah,

Whom so many kings and prophets would have so desired to behold.

St. Joseph, save my soul

and obtain for me from the Divine Mercy of God

that petition for which I humbly pray.

And for the Holy Souls in Purgatory,

grant a great comfort from their pain.

(Pray 3 “Glory Be…” to our Heavenly Father in thanksgiving for having exalted St. Joseph to a position of such exceptional dignity.)

Say 3 Glory Be…

II

O powerful St. Joseph,

you were proclaimed the Patron of the Universal Church,

therefore, I invoke you, above all the other Saints,

as the greatest protector of the afflicted,

and I offer countless blessings to your most generous heart,

always ready to help in any need.

To you, O Glorious St. Joseph,

come the widows, the orphans, the abandoned,

the afflicted, the oppressed.

There is no sorrow, heartache or anguish

which you have not consoled.

Deign, I beseech you,

to use on my behalf those gifts which God has given you,

until I too shall be granted the answer to my petition

and you, Holy Souls in Purgatory,

pray to St. Joseph for me.

(Pray 3 “Glory Be…” to our Heavenly Father in thanksgiving for having exalted St. Joseph to a position of such exceptional dignity.)

Say 3 Glory Be…

III

Countless are those who have prayed to you before me

and have received comfort and peace, graces and favors.

My heart, so sad and sorrowful,

cannot find rest in the midst of this trial which besets me.

O Glorious St. Joseph,

you know all my needs even before I set them forth in prayer.

You know how important this petition is for me.

I prostrate myself before you

as I sigh under the heavy weight of the problem which confronts me.

There is no human heart in which I can confide my sorrow;

and even if I should find a compassionate creature

who would be willing to assist me,

still he would be unable to help me.

Only you can help me in my sorrow, St. Joseph,

and I beg you to hear my plea.

Has not St. Theresa left it written in her dialogues

that the world may always know

“Whatever you ask of St. Joseph, you shall receive.”

O St. Joseph, comforter of the afflicted,

have pity on my sorrow

and pity on those Poor Souls

who place so much hope in their prayers to you.

(Pray 3 “Glory Be…” to our Heavenly Father in thanksgiving for having exalted St. Joseph to a position of such exceptional dignity.)

Say 3 Glory Be…

IV

O Sublime Patriarch St. Joseph,

because of your perfect obedience to God,

you may intercede for me.

For your holy life full of grace and merit, hear my prayer.

For your most sweet name, help me.

For your most holy tears, comfort me.

For your seven sorrows, intercede for me.

For your seven joys, console me.

From all harm of body and soul, deliver me.

From all danger and disaster, save me.

Assist me with your powerful intercession

and seek for me, through your power and mercy,

all that is necessary for my salvation

and particularly the favor of which I now stand in such great need.

(Pray 3 “Glory Be…” to our Heavenly Father in thanksgiving for having exalted St. Joseph to a position of such exceptional dignity.)

Say 3 Glory Be…

V

O Glorious St. Joseph,

countless are the graces and favors

which you have obtained for afflicted souls.

Illness of every nature, those who are oppressed,

persecuted, betrayed, bereft of all human comfort,

even those in need of their life bread,

all who implore your powerful intercession

are comforted in their affliction.

Do not permit, O dear St. Joseph,

that I alone be the only one of all who has appealed to you,

to be denied this petition which I so earnestly beg of you.

Show your kindness and generosity even to me,

that I may cry out in thanksgiving,

“Eternal glory to our Holy Patriarch St. Joseph,

my great protector on Earth

and the defender of the Holy Souls in Purgatory.”

(Pray 3 “Glory Be…” to our Heavenly Father in thanksgiving for having exalted St. Joseph to a position of such exceptional dignity.)

Say 3 Glory Be…

VI

Eternal Father, Who art in Heaven,

through the merits of Jesus and Mary,

I beg you to grant my petition.

In the name of Jesus and Mary

I prostrate myself before your Divine presence

and I beseech you to accept my hopeful plea

to persevere in my prayers

that I may be numbered among the throngs

of those who live under the patronage of St. Joseph.

Extend your blessing on this precious treasury of prayers

which I today offer to him as a pledge of my devotion.

(Pray 3 “Glory Be…” to our Heavenly Father in thanksgiving for having exalted St. Joseph to a position of such exceptional dignity.)

Say 3 Glory Be…

SUPPLICATIONS in honor of St. Joseph’s hidden life with JESUS and MARY

St. Joseph, pray that Jesus may come into my soul and sanctify me.

St. Joseph, pray that Jesus may come into my heart and inspire it with charity.

St. Joseph, pray that Jesus may come into my mind and enlighten it.

St. Joseph, pray that Jesus may guide my will and strengthen it.

St. Joseph, pray that Jesus may direct my thoughts and purify them.

St. Joseph, pray that Jesus may guide my desires and direct them.

St. Joseph, pray that Jesus may look upon my deeds and extend His blessings.

St. Joseph, pray that Jesus may inflame me with love for Him.

St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus the imitation of your virtues.

St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus true humility of spirit.

St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus meekness of heart.

St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus peace of soul.

St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus a holy fear of the Lord.

St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus a desire for perfection.

St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus a gentleness of heart.

St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus a pure and charitable heart.

St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus the wisdom of faith.

St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus His blessing

of perseverance in my good deeds.

St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus the strength to carry my crosses.

St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus a disdain

for the material goods of this world.

St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus the grace

to always walk on the narrow path toward Heaven.

St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus the grace

to avoid all occasion of sin.

St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus a holy desire for eternal bliss.

St. Joseph, request for me from Jesus the grace of final perseverance.

St. Joseph, do not abandon me.

St. Joseph, pray that my heart may never cease to love you

and that my lips may ever praise you.

St. Joseph, for the love you did bear for Jesus,

grant that I may learn to love Him.

St. Joseph, graciously accept me as your devoted servant.

St. Joseph, I give myself to you; accept my pleas and hear my prayers.

St. Joseph, do not abandon me at the hour of my death.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.

(Pray 3 “Glory Be…” to our Heavenly Father in thanksgiving for having exalted St. Joseph to a position of such exceptional dignity.)

Say 3 Glory Be…

INVOCATIONS TO SAINT JOSEPH

I

Remember O most chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

my good protector St. Joseph,

that never was it known that anyone who did come to your protection,

and sought your intercession was left unaided.

Confidently I prostrate myself before you

and fervently beg for your powerful intervention.

O foster-father of our dear Redeemer,

despise not my petition,

but in your mercy, hear and answer me.

Amen.

II

Glorious St. Joseph,

spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

and virginal father of Jesus,

look upon me and watch over me;

lead me on the path of sanctifying grace;

take heed of the urgent needs which I now beg you

to envelop within the folds of your fatherly cloak.

Dismiss those obstacles and difficulties

standing in the way of my prayer

and grant that the happy answer to my petition

may serve for the greater glory of God

and my eternal salvation.

As a pledge of my undying gratitude,

I promise to spread the word of your glory

while offering thanks to the Lord

for having so bless your power and might in Heaven and on earth.

Recite the Litany to Saint Joseph

CLOSING PRAYER OF THE HOLY CLOAK

O Glorious Patriarch St. Joseph,

you who were chosen by God above all men

to be the earthly head of the most holy of families,

I beseech you to accept me within the folds of your holy cloak,

that you may become the guardian and custodian of my soul.

From this moment on,

I choose you as my father, my protector, my counselor,

my patron and I beseech you

to place in your custody my body, my soul, all that I am,

all that I possess, my life and my death.

Look upon me as one of your children;

defend me from the treachery of my enemies,

invisible or otherwise, assist me at all times

in all my necessities;

console me in the bitterness of my life,

and especially at the hour of my death.

Say but one word for me to the Divine Redeemer

Whom you were deemed worthy to hold in your arms,

and to the Blessed Virgin Mary,

your most chaste spouse.

Request for me those blessings

which will lead me to salvation.

Include me among those who are most dear to you

and I shall set forth to prove myself worthy

of your special patronage.

Amen.

PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH

To you do we cry in our tribulations, O Blessed Saint Joseph,

as we confidently invoke your patronage,

after that of your most holy spouse, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

By that sacred bond of devotion

which linked you to the Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God,

and for the fatherly love you did lavish on the child Jesus,

we beg you to cast a glance on those heavenly gifts

which the Divine Redeemer has obtained for all mankind

through His Precious Blood

and through your power and mercy,

help us in our needs.

O holy protector of the holy family,

protect us children of the Lord Jesus Christ;

keep far from us the errors and evils

which corrupt the world;

assist us from Heaven in our struggles

against the powers of darkness.

And as you once did protect the Divine Child

from the cruel edict of Herod,

now defend the Church and keep it safe

from all dangers and threats;

spread over all of us your holy patronage

so that by following your example

and aided by your spiritual guidance,

we may all aspire to a virtuous life,

look to a holy death

and secure for ourselves

the blessing of eternal happiness in Heaven.

Amen.

EFFICACIOUS NOVENA OF THE THREE HAIL MARYS

In Honour of the Power, Wisdom and Loving Mercy of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

I

 

Oh, Immaculate Mary,

Virgin most Powerful,

I beseech you,

through that immense Power

which you have received

from the eternal Father,

obtain for me Purity of heart,

Strength to overcome

all the enemies of my soul,

and the special favour

I implore in my present necessity.

 

(State your intention here…)

 

Mother most Pure!

Forsake me not,

despise not my prayer,

graciously hear me for God’s glory,

your honor, and the welfare of my soul.

To obtain this favour

I honour your Power

by reciting one Hail Mary.

 

Hail Mary…

 

II

 

Oh Virgin Mary,

my Mother,

through that ineffable Wisdom

bestowed upon you by the Incarnate Word of God,

I humbly beseech you,

obtain for me Meekness and Humility of heart,

a perfect knowledge of the divine Will,

and strength to accomplish it always.

Oh Mary, Seat of Wisdom,

as a tender Mother lead me

in the path of Christian Virtue and perfection,

enlighten and enable me

to do what is most pleasing

to your beloved Son,

and obtain my petition.

To obtain this grace

I honor your Wisdom

by reciting one Hail Mary.

 

Hail Mary…

 

III

 

Oh, Mother of Mercy,

Mother of penitent sinners,

I stand before you sinful and sorrowful,

beseeching you through the immense Love

given to you by the Holy Spirit

for us poor sinners,

obtain for me true and perfect contrition for my sins,

which I hate and detest with all my heart,

because I love God.

Mother most Merciful,

help me in my present necessity.

Turn then,

those eyes of Mercy toward us,

Oh Clement,

Oh Loving,

Oh Sweet Virgin Mary!

To obtain this precious gift,

I honour your Loving Mercy

by reciting one Hail Mary.

 

Hail Mary…

PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (SUNDAY, JULY 12)

Prayer for the Evening

 

Blessed is God who sows his word in our hearts:

let us give him 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

 

Almighty God, your word is cast

Like seed into the ground,

Now let the dew of heav’n descend

And righteous fruits abound.

 

Let not our selfishness and hate

This holy seed remove,

But give it root in ev’ry heart

To bring forth fruits of love.

 

Let not the world’s deceitful cares

The rising plant destroy,

But let it yield a hundredfold

The fruits of peace and joy.

 

And when the precious seed is sown

Your quick’ning grace bestow,

That all whose souls the truth receive

Its saving pow’r may know.

 

PSALM 104:13-15, 24, 33-34, 35b

 

For just as from the heavens/ the rain and snow come down/ And do not return there/ till they have watered the earth,/ making it fertile and fruitful,/ So shall my word be/ that goes forth from my mouth. (cf. Is 55:10-11)

 

In Jesus’ day, a sower first scattered the seed, then plowed it under. No matter how unpromising the landscapes of our hearts, Jesus can transform them into good soil with the living rain of God’s mercy and a plowshare fashioned from the wood of the cross. Let us pray for the willingness to welcome his saving work.

 

From your dwelling you water the hills;

earth drinks its fill of your gift.

You make the grass grow for the cattle

and the plants to serve man’s needs,

 

that he may bring forth bread from the earth

and wine to cheer man’s heart;

oil, to make him glad

and bread to strengthen man’s heart.

 

How many are your works, O Lord!

In wisdom you have made them all.

The earth is full of your riches.

 

I will sing to the Lord all my life,

make music to my God while I live.

May my thoughts be pleasing to him.

I find my joy in the Lord.

 

Bless the Lord, my soul.

 

Glory to the Father….

 

Word of God (James 5:7-8)

 

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand.

 

Let us fear the Lord, our God,/ Who gives us rain/ early and late, in its time;/ Who watches for us/
over the appointed weeks of harvest.

(Jer 5:24)

 

CANTICLE OF MARY 

 

The plowman should plow in hope, and the thresher in hope of receiving a share. (1 Cor 9:10)

 

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 

 

God desires to gather the harvest of holiness from the hearts in which he has sowed his Word with love. Let us pray:

 

R/You hear our prayers!

 

When we grow impatient with our own slow growth in holiness,

– teach us to abide by your time and welcome your work in us: R/

 

When we lose hope of harvest because of the crushing weight of our sins,

– renew us in hope, we pray: R/

 

When we cultivate in our hearts crops not of your sowing,

– plow them under with the saving power of the cross and plant the soil anew: R/

 

(Personal intentions)

 

Our Father….

 

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, so that we may abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit. Amen. (cf. Rom 15:13)

 

MARIAN ANTIPHON

 

Antiphon for the Memorial of

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16,

from the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

 

Your head is like Carmel,

and the hairs of your head,

bound in tresses,

even as royal purple, alleluia.

 

 

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.

PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (SUNDAY, JULY 12)

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Prayer for the Morning

 

God is our saving God, and we are his people:

come, let us worship him in purity of heart.

 

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.

 

Let the fierce fires which burn and try,

Our inmost spirits purify:

Consume the ill; purge out the shame;

O God, be with us in the flame;

A newborn people may we rise,

More pure, more true, more nobly wise.

 

CANTICLE OF EZEKIEL 36:24-28

 

A pure heart create for me, O God. (Ps 51:12a)

 

Stony land is like a stony heart. It is incapable of bringing forth the fruit of the Gospel, which is love. Yet God promises to give us a new heart, the heart of Christ, with which to love as Christ loved. Let us pray for the grace to accept the gift wherever our own hearts have been hardened against God or neighbor.

 

I will take you away from among the nations,

gather you from all the foreign lands,

and bring you back to your own land.

 

I will sprinkle clean water upon you

to cleanse you from all your impurities,

and from all your idols I will cleanse you.

 

I will give you a new heart

and place a new spirit within you,

taking from your bodies your stony hearts

and giving you natural hearts.

 

I will put my spirit within you

and make you live by my statutes,

careful to observe my decrees.

 

You shall live in the land I gave your fathers;

you shall be my people,

and I will be your God.

 

Glory to the Father….

 

Word of God (Jeremiah 31:33)

 

This is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

 

You are our letter, written not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but
on tablets that are hearts of flesh.
(cf. 2 Cor 3:2-3)

 

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

 

Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel? (Ez 18:31)

 

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

 

Let us pray for the gift to love with the heart of Christ:

R/Give us a new heart, O Lord.

Where our love has worn thin: R/

Where our love has grown lukewarm: R/

Where our love has been overgrown by anger, resentment, or disdain: R/

 

(Personal intentions)

 

Our Father….

 

God our Father, you commanded us to love you with all our mind, heart, and soul, and to love our neighbor as Christ has loved us. Sin hardens our heart inside a shell of self-centeredness. Renew our hearts, that we may live the Gospel with eager zeal, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Daily Prayer of Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa sought inspiration in daily prayer during a lifetime of Catholic devotion and service. Her beatification as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta in 2003 made her one of the most beloved figures in the Church in recent memory. The daily prayer she recited reminds the faithful that by loving and caring for the neediest, they will be brought closer to Christ’s love.

 

Who Was Mother Teresa?

The woman would eventually become a Catholic saint was both Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (Aug. 26, 1910—Sept. 5, 1997) in Skopje, Macedonia. She was raised in a devout Catholic home, where her mother would frequently invite the poor and destitute to eat dinner with them. At age 12, Agnes received what she later described as her first calling to serve the Catholic Church during a visit to a shrine. Inspired, she left her home at 18 to attend the Sisters of Loretto convent in Ireland, adopting the name Sister Mary Teresa.

 

In 1931, she began teaching at a Catholic school in Calcutta, India, focusing much of her energy on working with girls in the impoverished city. With her Final Profession of Vows in 1937, Teresa adopted the title of “mother,” as was customary. Mother Teresa, as she was now known, continued her work at the school, eventually becoming its principal.

 

It was a second calling from God that Mother Teresa said changed her life. During a trip across India in 1946, Christ commanded her to leave teaching behind and to serve the poorest and sickest residents of Calcutta. After completing her education service and receiving approval from her superiors, Mother Teresa began the work that would lead to her founding the Missionaries of Charity in 1950. She would spend the rest of her life among the poor and forsaken in India.

 

Her Daily Prayer

 

That spirit of Christian charity suffuses this prayer, which Mother Teresa prayed daily. It reminds us that the reason we care for the bodily needs of others is that our love for them makes us long to bring their souls to Christ.

 

Dear Jesus, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus. Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be a light to others. Amen.

 

By reciting this daily prayer, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta reminds us that Christians must act as Christ did so that others may not only hear His words but may see Him in everything we do.

 

Faith in Action

 

To serve Christ, the faithful must be like Blessed Teresa and put their faith into action. At the Triumph of the Cross Conference in Asheville, N.C., in September 2008, Fr. Ray Williams told a story about Mother Teresa that illustrates this point well.

 

One day, a cameraman was filming Mother Teresa for a documentary, while she was caring for some of the most wretched of the poor of Calcutta. As she cleaned the sores of one man, wiping up the pus and bandaging his wounds, the cameraman blurted out, “I wouldn’t do that if you gave me a million dollars.” To which Mother Teresa replied, “Neither would I.”

 

In other words, the rational considerations of economics, in which every transaction must be able to be monetized, leave the neediest—the poor, the sick, the disabled, the elderly—behind. Christian charity rises above economic considerations, out of love for Christ and, through Him, for our fellow man.

Thank your Guardian Angel with this prayer

Our Guardian Angel helps us on a daily basis, but too often we forget to thank them for what they do!

 

God has appointed a Guardian Angel to accompany you on your journey of faith and to protect you from both spiritual and physical harm.

 

However, we often forget that they are there, and rarely thank them for their assistance in our times of need.

 

Here is a prayer adapted from the The Catholic prayer book and manual of meditations that can be used to express gratitude to our heavenly helpers.

 

O most faithful companion, whom God has appointed to watch over me, my guide and my protector, ever at my side. What thanks can I offer you for your love, constancy, and protection? You watch over me in sleep; console me in sorrow; raise me when I fall; ward off danger; prepare me for the future; withdraw me from sin; urge me to do good; and move me to do penance, and reconcile me with my God.

 

Thank you for your assistance and may I never forget your presence. Please, continue to encourage me in adversity; protect me in dangers; and assist me in temptations, lest at any time I yield to them. Offer to the Divine Majesty all my prayers and sighs and works, and obtain for me the grace to die in the friendship of God, and so to enter into life eternal. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (SATURDAY, JULY 11)

Prayer for the Evening

 

Vigil of the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Come in; let us bow and bend low;

let us kneel before the God who made us.

 

Glory to the Father…. Alleluia!

 

HYMN

 

Abide, O risen Savior,

Among us by your grace;

And may your presence lead us

In faith to seek your face.

 

Abide, O great Redeemer,

Among us by your word;

To light our path and guide us,

In grace and truth restored.

 

PSALM 81:6b-8a, 9, 11-14

 

If today you hear his voice,/ harden not your hearts. (cf. Ps 95:7-8)

 

A path is a place worn hard by the repeated passing of feet. The repeated passing of familiar thoughts through the landscape of the heart can wear hard paths no seed can penetrate without the saving action of the plow. Critical judgments, blind prejudices, unexamined beliefs, indifference can all harden the heart to the Word. Let us pray that the word God speaks to us today will break through the hardened places.

 

A voice I did not know said to me:

“I freed your shoulder from the burden;

your hands were freed from the load.

You called in distress and I saved you.

 

Listen, my people, to my warning,

O Israel, if only you would heed!

 

I am the Lord your God,

who brought you from the land of Egypt.

Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

 

But my people did not heed my voice

and Israel would not obey,

so I left them in their stubbornness of heart

to follow their own designs.

 

O that my people would heed me,

that Israel would walk in my ways!”

 

Glory to the Father….

 

Word of God (Jeremiah 7:22-24)

 

In speaking to your fathers on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I gave them no command concerning holocaust or sacrifice. This rather is what I commanded them: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper.

 

But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned their backs, not their faces, to me.

 

Jesus grieved at their hardness of heart. (cf. Mk 3:5)

 

CANTICLE OF MARY

 

They shall know that I, the Lord, am their God. I will give them hearts, and heedful ears. (Bar 2:31)

 

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

 

Although we do not always listen to the voice of God, God always listens to our voices raised in prayer. Let us ask him:

 

R/Let us hear your voice, O Lord!

 

Break up the hardness of heart created by habits of criticism, we pray: R/

 

Soften the hardness of heart created by prejudice, we pray: R/

 

Pierce with your word the hardness of heart created by indifference, we pray: R/

 

(Personal intentions)

 

Our Father….

 

May the Lord rescue us from every evil threat and bring us safe to his heavenly kingdom. Amen. (cf. 2 Tm 4:18)

 

MARIAN ANTIPHON

 

Antiphon for the Memorial of

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16,

from the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

 

Your head is like Carmel,

and the hairs of your head,

bound in tresses,

even as royal purple, alleluia.

 

 

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.