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Tradition has labeled St. Luke the Evangelist as a Greek physician, in addition to being the writer of a Gospel and the Book of Acts. For this reason, St. Luke is frequently called upon by doctors and physicians and those about to undergo surgery.

Surgery can be a frightening endeavor, because we don’t know what will happen or if the procedure will be successful. Whatever happens, God is with us through it all and we are encouraged to call out to him, especially through the intercession of St. Luke.

Here is a common prayer to the patron saint of surgeons, asking that the doctors will be able to “cure the ills of both body and spirit.”

Most charming and saintly Physician, you were animated by the heavenly Spirit of Love. In faithfully detailing of the humanity of Jesus, you also showed His divinity and His genuine compassion for all human beings. Inspire our physicians with your professionalism and with the divine compassion for their patients. Enable them to cure the ills of both body and spirit that afflict so many in our day. Amen.

After falling from purity, pray this prayer of repentance

Prayers

raphael

December 18, 2019

After falling from purity, pray this prayer of repentance

If purity is struggle for you and you have recently fallen from grace, pray this prayer.

Living a pure and chaste life is not always easy. Even when we try to resist certain temptations, our will power is often not enough and we fall.

While it’s easy to give up the fight and embrace our sins, the best response is to cry out to God in repentance. You may have to do this one time or 99 times before your heart is fully open to God’s grace. Either way, pray this prayer of David, who himself struggled with purity.

Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love;
in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions.
Thoroughly wash away my guilt;
and from my sin cleanse me.
For I know my transgressions;
my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your eyes
So that you are just in your word,
and without reproach in your judgment.
Behold, I was born in guilt,
in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, you desire true sincerity;
and secretly you teach me wisdom.
Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
You will let me hear gladness and joy;
the bones you have crushed will rejoice. (Psalm 51:1-10)

Pray this prayer to St. Joseph for a “happy death”

raphael

December 18, 2019

Pray this prayer to St. Joseph for a “happy death”

Death can be scary, but with St. Joseph at your side, it doesn’t have to be.

The mystery of death can create a great deal of anxiety, especially when someone is on their deathbed. We don’t know what will happen to us when we die and we hope and pray that our soul will join God in eternal bliss.

One saint who can help ease our fears is St. Joseph, the patron of a happy death. While no one knows for certain when St. Joseph died, most biblical scholars believe Joseph died prior to Jesus’ crucifixion. With this in mind, many traditions believe that Joseph died in the arms or presence of Jesus and Mary. It’s a beautiful image, one that has led the Church to proclaim Joseph the patron saint of a happy death. It would have certainly been the most peaceful death a person could experience!

Here is one prayer that recalls this image and can give us comfort while we await our own death. We never know when God will call us home, so in the meantime, let us do all we can to prepare for that day, making it a day of great joy.

O Blessed Joseph, who yielded up thy last breath in the arms of Jesus and Mary, obtain for me this grace, O holy Joseph, that I may breathe forth my soul in praise, saying in spirit, if I am unable to do so in words: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give Thee my heart and my soul.”
Amen.

Ask God to bless your friends with this prayer

raphael

December 18, 2019

Ask God to bless your friends with this prayer

Send some heavenly love to those friends you cherish the most.

Many of us have friends we could not live without and we want the best for them. Why not send them some heavenly love?

Here is a short prayer adapted from the Golden Manual, asking God to shower your friends with heavenly graces, both for their body and soul.

O God, who, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, has poured into the hearts of your faithful the gifts of charity; grant to my friends, for whom I implore your mercy, health both of body and soul; that they may love you with all their strength, and cheerfully perform those things which are pleasing to you. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer to Mary to revive the spirit of Advent

raphael

December 18, 2019

Prayer to Mary to revive the spirit of Advent

Pope Benedict XVI prayed to the “Mother of Hope” to prepare for Christmas.

Advent is a beautiful liturgical season in the Catholic Church, but one that is increasingly difficult to celebrate. Too often the material celebration of Christmas overtakes the spiritual preparation that is at the heart of Advent.

Pope Benedict XVI saw this as well and during his pontificate, looked to the Virgin Mary for inspiration. In particular, he looked to her as the “Mother of Hope,” who can help reorient our lives to God and live as Christians who longingly hope for a future united with God for all eternity.

Here is a short prayer he composed for a homily he gave at the beginning of Advent that we can recite daily to focus our attention on God during this special time of year.

O Mary, Virgin of expectation and Mother of hope, revive the spirit of Advent in your entire Church, so that all humanity may start out anew on the journey towards Bethlehem, from which it came, and that the Sun that dawns upon us from on high will come once again to visit us, Christ our God. Amen.

Find peace by offering God your anxiety

raphael

December 18, 2019

When you are feeling anxious, offer those feelings to God and pray for peace of soul.

Anxiety is often one of the most difficult feelings to have, as it puts your entire body on edge. This can create a great deal of emotional and bodily suffering that can be difficult to endure.

While there doesn’t exist a single solution to bring lasting peace into your mind and soul, it is important to offer your suffering to God. This holds true with any type of suffering, as it reminds us that we are never alone and that God wants to be with us and relieve our heavy burden. This prayerful offering is in addition to any treatment we may be undergoing to address the mental and physical causes of anxiety.

Whatever is weighing on your heart, unite your suffering to Jesus on the cross or even to the suffering Jesus may have endured as a little babe in Bethlehem. Give it to God and let his peace invade your soul.

Here is an adapted prayer from The Family Prayer Book, published in 1845.

Let not my soul be troubled, O my dear Savior; and let it not be afraid. I believe that you, Lord, art the greatest good. Help me to look upon this matter in its true light—as it is beheld by you. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give me the grace to fulfill your heavenly will.

I offer myself to you and I offer the result of my present anxiety. Accept me, I pray, and bear me through this and through every worldly care. With eternity before me, let me see things in their true light.

Grant me true and abiding peace and help me to do all things for your glory and so be admitted into your everlasting rest. Amen.

Reignite your love of God with this emotional prayer

raphael

December 18, 2019

Reignite your love of God with this emotional prayer

Our love of God needs to be expressed in both words and deeds.

Sometimes we don’t always love God as we should. We know God deserves our love, but we don’t know how to express it.

While it’s certainly good and praiseworthy to show God our love through our actions of charity and by attending Mass on Sunday, it’s also important to tell God that we love him.

Think of it in terms of a marriage relationship. Is it OK if a husband only shows his love to his wife by washing the dishes? Shouldn’t he also tell his wife that he loves her? Or how about writing a love letter on occasion?

We know deep down that our love needs to be expressed both in deeds and words. If words for your love of God don’t come easily, try using prayers of others who were on fire with God’s love. It may be difficult at first, but the more we incorporate the language into our lives, the more it will penetrate our soul.

Here is one emotional prayer from an old prayer book (A select manual of prayers for daily use) that asks God to inflame our love of him.

O Jesus, most sweet, most secret, and most intimate Spouse of holy souls, inflame vehemently, I beseech thee, my heart with the love of thee, that I may delight in thee from my inmost soul. Visit me in thy mercy, and fill my heart with thy grace, for the very depths of my being long for thee, the fountain of sweetness.

O my Lord Jesus, O Fire that burnest sweetly, and shinest secretly, and consumest gently, take full possession of my whole heart, O King of kings, King of eternal glory, grant that I may hunger and thirst for thee alone, and sigh after thee.

O amiable Jesus, pierce my heart of hearts with the sweetest dart of love; penetrate my soul with burning charity, that it may languish altogether with desire and love of thee. Let it be wholly dissolved in love, wholly melt away, and be absorbed in thee.

A powerful novena for the mentally afflicted

raphael

December 17, 2019

A powerful novena for the mentally afflicted

This prayer to St. Dymphna is known for its efficacy.

According to the World Health Organization, “One in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives. Around 450 million people currently suffer from such conditions, placing mental disorders among the leading causes of ill-health and disability worldwide.”

Mental illnesses affect many of the people we love and it can often be difficult to see them suffer in various ways. The good news is that God is here to help and will respond eagerly to our prayers.

One effective prayer that is often prayed as a novena (for nine consecutive days) is the following prayer to St. Dymphna. She is known as the patron saint of those suffering from mental disorders and was very familiar with the negative side-effects of such cases during her life time.

She is also known as a “wonder-worker” and many who pray to her are grateful for her prompt intercession.

Here is the prayer that many turn to when confronted with mental afflictions. As a reminder, God always hears our prayers, but it is up to us whether or not we open our hearts and listen to his answer.

O God, we humbly beseech You
through Your servant, St. Dymphna,
who sealed with her blood
the love she bore You,
to grant relief to those
who suffer from mental afflictions
and nervous disorders, especially …

[Name the mentally afflicted person here.]

Saint Dymphna, helper of the mentally afflicted,
pray for us.

Saint Dymphna, comforter of the despondent,
pray for us.

Saint Dymphna, renowned for many miracles,
please hear my plea.

Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

An effective prayer against lustful thoughts, by St. Thomas Aquinas

raphael

December 17, 2019

An effective prayer against lustful thoughts, by St. Thomas Aquinas

If you are struggling to remain pure in body and soul, pray this prayer.

It is extremely difficult to remain pure and chaste in today’s world. The internet in particular has opened up an entire Pandora’s Box of temptations that are available to us at the touch of a finger.

This has left many of us with a flood of lustful thoughts that constantly tug at our soul, luring us to commit further sins against our God-given sexuality.

Only through the power of God and a life wedded to the sacraments of the Church can we conquer these thoughts and banish them from our minds. We need all the help we can get to walk away from the slavery of sin and embrace the freedom found in a life of virtue.

One prayer that has proven to be effective in this spiritual battle is the “Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas for Purity.” Aquinas had his own struggles with purity during his lifetime and turned to God for strength and relief. God provided and allowed him to remain strong in the face of temptation.

Dear Jesus,
I know that every perfect gift,
and especially that of chastity,
depends on the power of Your providence.
Without You a mere creature can do nothing.
Therefore, I beg You to defend by Your grace
the chastity and purity of my body and soul.
And if I have ever sensed or imagined anything
that could stain my chastity and purity,
blot it out, Supreme Lord of my powers,
that I may advance with a pure heart in Your love and service,
offering myself on the most pure altar of Your divinity
all the days of my life. Amen.

Refresh your soul with this powerful prayer before communion

Prayers

raphael

December 17, 2019

Refresh your soul with this powerful prayer before communion

This is an effective prayer that can help rekindle your desire for the Holy Eucharist.

As Catholics, It’s tempting sometimes to fall under the habit of attending Mass on Sunday and simply going through the motions. We sit, kneel, stand and get in line to receive the holy communion. Our heart is not really present and we have a very little desire to receive Jesus in the Eucharist.

One way to overcome this lack of desire and to prepare ourselves spiritually is to pray a short prayer before communion. Generally, the best prayers are those that come from within our heart, but there are some days we don’t feel feel particularly inspired and don’t know what to pray that can rouse our soul from slumber.

Here is a prayer from the Golden Manual that is called an “Act of Desire.” Sometimes all it takes to reignite our passion for the Eucharist is to pray words that excite our thoughts and imagination reaching inside to touch the depths of our heart.

As the wearied hart thirsts after the fountains of water, so does my soul pant after you, my Savior, my Lord, and my God. It ardently longs to drink of those fountains which your love hath opened for its comfort and relief. Tired with my own evil ways, I return hungry and thirsty, crying out aloud, Have mercy on me, O Son of God, and permit me to taste of your banquet, that my soul may be refreshed.
Oh, that my soul did truly hunger after you, the bread of angels, the food of blessed souls, and that all that is within me might be delighted with the taste of your sweetness! I desire forever to renounce my folly and weakness, and from my heart request that, for the future, my joy, my relief, my treasure, and rest, may be entirely centered in you. May I never desire any thing besides you; and may all things seem as nothing without you, O my God.
Golden Manual – Act of Desire

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The patron saint of physicians and surgeons is known for his heavenly intercession.

If purity is struggle for you and you have recently fallen from grace, pray this prayer.

Death can be scary, but with St. Joseph at your side, it doesn’t have to be.

Send some heavenly love to those friends you cherish the most.

Pope Benedict XVI prayed to the “Mother of Hope” to prepare for Christmas.

When you are feeling anxious, offer those feelings to God and pray for peace of soul.

Our love of God needs to be expressed in both words and deeds.

This prayer to St. Dymphna is known for its efficacy.

If you are struggling to remain pure in body and soul, pray this prayer.

This is an effective prayer that can help rekindle your desire for the Holy Eucharist.

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