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Prayer for the Evening (Monday, November 15)

raphael

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November 15, 2021

1

Prayer for the Evening

O sing to the Lord, giving thanks!

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

From north and south, from east to west,

All praise and honor be addressed

To God most holy, by whose grace

God’s people dwell in Love’s embrace.

The poor, the rich stand side by side.

To all, God’s arms are opened wide.

God beckons us to come, draw near,

Then comforts us and dries our tears.

And we, in turn, must show God’s care

To all in need or in despair.

That when our earthly course is run,

We hear these words of God’s own Son:

“The least, to whom you gave your hand,

Will walk with you to God’s own land.

By serving others and your Lord,

You’ve gained your life and your reward!”

Psalm 116:5-6, 12-19

I have given you a model to follow so that as I have done for you, you should also do. (Jn 13:15)

The immensity of God’s compassion for us is the measure of the compassion God asks us to show to one another in our exiles, our brokenness of heart, our wounds, and our lowliness. How can we possibly show compassion as great as God’s? Not alone, but in Jesus Christ, whose Body we are.

How gracious is the Lord, and just;

our God has compassion.

The Lord protects the simple hearts;

I was helpless so he saved me.

How can I repay the Lord

for his goodness to me?

The cup of salvation I will raise;

I will call on the Lord’s name.

My vows to the Lord I will fulfill

before all his people.

O precious in the eyes of the Lord

is the death of his faithful.

Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;

you have loosened my bonds.

A thanksgiving sacrifice I make:

I will call on the Lord’s name.

My vows to the Lord I will fulfill

before all his people,

in the courts of the house of the Lord,

in your midst, O Jerusalem.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. 1 Corinthians 12:12, 14, 26-27

As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.

Now the body is not a single part, but many. If [one] part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.

Now you are Christ’s body and individually parts of it.

Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of

these least brothers of mine, you did for me. (Mt 25:40)

Canticle of Mary

Well done, my good and faithful servant. Come, share your master’s joy. (cf. Mt 25:21)

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 for the world’s needs with compassion of heart, saying:

R/Hear our prayer, loving God!

For all who call out for our compassion and whom we fail to hear:

– have mercy on them, we pray: R/

For all who care for others without concern for the cost to themselves:

– grant them strength and perseverance, we pray: R/

For all who have died and stand in need of our prayers:

– grant them life eternal, we pray: R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

May Christ dwell in our hearts through faith, and may charity be the root and foundation of our life. Amen. (cf. Eph 3:17)

Marian Antiphon

Medieval Antiphon

Rejoice, O Mother of God, O Virgin Immaculate;

[rejoice], you who received joy from an angel;

rejoice, you who bore the glory of the light everlasting;

[rejoice], O Mother, rejoice,

O holy Virgin Mother of God;

you alone a maiden Mother,

all creation praises you, the Mother of light;

may you be for us, we beseech you,

a perpetual intercessor.

SALVE REGINA

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

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.

ALMA REDEMPTORIS MATER

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli

porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,

surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae genuisti,

natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,

Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore

sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

Loving mother of the Redeemer,

gate of heaven, star of the sea,

assist your people who have fallen yet strive

to rise again.

To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,

yet remained a virgin after as before.

You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,

have pity on us, poor sinners.

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

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

Prayer for the Morning

Let us invoke the Lord:

in the morning, he hears our prayer!

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

Who can compare with your holiness,

honor and glory?

Your wondrous deeds are the splendor

of your people’s story;

Your mighty arm

Saves your beloved from harm:

So shall the Lord reign for ever.

With constant love, O God, you set us free

and you fed us,

Bringing us safely to dwell in the land

where you led us,

Guarded by grace,

Planted in your holy place:

So shall the Lord reign for ever.

Psalm 5:2-4, 12-13

Over all, his glory will be shelter and protection:/ shade from the parching heat of day,/ refuge and cover from storm and rain. (Is 4:6)

To the Psalmist, the “glory” of God meant the sheltering, guiding, protecting cloud of light in which God accompanied his people across the desert and came to meet them in the place of worship.

To my words give ear, O Lord,

give heed to my groaning.

Attend to the sound of my cries,

my King and my God.

It is you whom I invoke, O Lord.

In the morning you hear me;

in the morning I offer you my prayer,

watching and waiting.

All those you protect shall be glad

and ring out their joy.

You shelter them; in you they rejoice,

those who love your name.

It is you who bless the just man, Lord:

you surround him with favor as with a shield.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. Sirach 34:16

The eyes of the Lord are upon those who love him;/ he is their mighty shield and strong support,/ A shelter from the heat, a shade from the noonday sun,/ a guard against stumbling, a help against falling.

My God is the rock where I take refuge;/ my shield,

my mighty help, my stronghold. (Ps 18:3)

Canticle of Zechariah

You are a refuge to the poor,/ a refuge to the needy in distress;/ Shelter from the rain,/ shade from the heat. (Is 25:4)

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 God who hears our prayers and protects us, let us pray:

R/To our words give ear, O Lord.

You shield us from harm:

– teach us to protect goodness in ourselves and in others. R/

You guard us against stumbling and help us against falling:

– strengthen our reliance on you in every temptation. R/

You are the shelter of all those who are in need:

– make us a shelter to all who call upon our help. R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

O God of glory, you are our shelter against the burning heat of the day and the storms of life. Help us when we stumble, catch us when we fall, and guide our steps firmly in faith toward the promise of eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Our Lady of Lourdes is known to intercede for both spiritual and physical healing.

Pray for healing with this novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Jesus is known as the “Divine Physician,” and while on earth, he healed numerous people. Also, God desires to heal our wounds and has left us with various ways to be brought to full health.

Over the past century, God has intervened on countless occasions through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes. Besides going on pilgrimage to the shrine in France, many have been healed from afar, simply by praying to the Virgin Mary.

No one is ever guaranteed a cure, but for someone who has a strong faith and trust in God, no matter what the end result might be, anything is possible.

Below is a novena prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes that can be prayed for nine consecutive days for the healing of a friend or family member, or maybe your own personal healing.

Prayer

Be blessed, O most pure Virgin, for having vouchsafed to manifest your shining with life, sweetness, and beauty, in the Grotto of Lourdes, saying to the child, St. Bernadette: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” A thousand times we congratulate you upon your Immaculate Conception. And now, O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of mercy, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, you know our wants, our troubles, our sufferings; deign to cast upon us a look of mercy.

By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favors, and already many have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and physical. We come, therefore, with the most unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain for us, O loving Mother, the granting of our request.

(state your request)

Through gratitude for your favors, we will endeavor to imitate your virtues, that we may one day share your glory. Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your divine son while upon earth. You have the same influence now in Heaven. Pray for us; obtain for us from your Divine Son our special requests if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

The Holy Family is our model of how to be.

There is no community as sacred as the family. When we reflect on the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary, and St. Joseph, we see modeled for us how to be a member of our own family. Whether we’re a father, a mother, or a child, the Holy Family shows us how to be. It is important we remind ourselves of this often. Family Prayer to the Holy Family can be a way to do so.

While our first duty is always to God, a close second is to our family. It is important that we take time to reflect on our choices and what impact those choices have on our family. Am I serving my family with the choices I make?

And if I am single, am I serving my human family by the choices I make? Can the reflection of my parish family be seen in how I behave?

Families are busy, and we often leave little room for reflection and for God. Mass becomes secondary to Sunday activities and we can be so busy, so in a hurry to eat that we skip praying before meals, assuming that God knows our gratitude. We refuse to pray in public because we don’t want to offend anybody and we listen to the music we like and watch television we find entertaining, regardless of the values it imparts because it’s fun and easy to let things be.

However, we are not called to follow an easy example.

The Holy Family was devoted to duty. Joseph reported for Octavian’s census, traveling with his family a great distance to comply. Mary was a doting mother, always caring for her Son, even after his crucifixion. Joseph was loyal, he respected Mary’s obligation to God, her chastity and vocation. Joseph followed a vocation of his own, teaching his son carpentry and certainly protecting him as he grew.

We too are called to do the same. [We] must respect our spouses and the vows they make with respect to God. We must care for our children, teaching them, providing for them, and raising them up in the faith which will make all the difference in their lives to come. As children. [we] must be obedient and respectful, honoring our fathers and our mothers.

PRAYER TO THE HOLY FAMILY

O Heavenly Father, our loving God,

you have given us the Holy Family as our patron

to bless and guide our families

that the fruit of the Holy Spirit,

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control,

shall reign in our homes.

As husbands and wives,

teach us to love our spouses more than ever.

As parents, give us wisdom and knowledge

in rearing our offsprings to be responsible

and successful Christians forever.

As brothers and sisters,

may we learn to care and support for one another

and be of inspiration to each other.

As children, teach us to be obedient

just as Jesus showed obedience

and respect to Mary and Joseph.

As Christians, melt us, mold us, fill us, and use us,

in spreading the good news in our community

that they may see Christ in us.

When trials come, help us to face them

with trusting faith and confidently hope

that all things work for good for those who love God.

May we have a happy holy family forever through Jesus,

Mary, and Joseph, our miraculous patron,

the adorable Holy Family.

Amen.

Prayer for the Morning

The Lord hears us when we cry:

let us praise his name!

Glory to the Father…. Alleluia!

Hymn

Where cross the crowded ways of life,

Where sound the cries of race and clan,

Above the noise of selfish strife,

We hear your voice, O Son of Man.

In haunts of wretchedness and need,

On shadowed thresholds dark with fears,

From paths where hide the lures of greed,

We catch the vision of your tears.

From tender childhood’s helplessness,

[From] human grief and burdened toil,

From famished souls, from sorrow’s stress,

Your heart has never known recoil.

The cup of water giv’n for you

Still holds the freshness of your grace;

Yet long these multitudes to view

The kind compassion of your face.

O Master, from the mountainside

Make haste to heal these hearts of pain;

Among these restless throngs abide,

O tread the city’s streets again.

Psalm 22:23-27, 31-32

I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me. (Mt 25:35)

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, herself an immigrant, was the first United States citizen to be canonized. Her Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart continue the many works she began in order to make the love of Christ visible in care for the multiple needs of immigrants, the sick, the poor, and the uneducated.

I will tell of your name to my brethren

and praise you where they are assembled.

“You who fear the Lord give him praise;

all sons of Jacob, give him glory.

Revere him, Israel’s sons.

For he has never despised

nor scorned the poverty of the poor.

From him he has not hidden his face,

but he heard the poor man when he cried.

You are my praise in the great assembly.

My vows I will pay before those who fear him.

The poor shall eat and shall have their fill.

They shall praise the Lord, those who seek him.

May their hearts live for ever and ever!”

And my soul shall live for him, my children serve him.

They shall tell of the Lord to generations yet to come,

declare his faithfulness to peoples yet unborn:

“These things the Lord has done.”

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. Deuteronomy 10:17-19

The Lord, your God, is the God of gods, the Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who has no favorites, accepts no bribes; who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and befriends the alien, feeding and clothing him. So you too must befriend the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.

Do to others whatever you would have them

do to you. (Mt 7:12)

Canticle of Zechariah

Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. (Mt 25:40)

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

The Lord hears the prayers of those who cry out to him. In faith, let us pray:

R/Have mercy on your people, Lord!

May we see and serve you in the sick, the suffering, and the sorrowful: R/

[May] we know you in the poor, the uneducated, and the unloved: R/

May we love you in the unwanted, the bereaved, the alien, and the refugee: R/

[May] we find compassion in the community of faith in time of our own need: R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

O God, you sent Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini from her home out into the wide world to preach in action the Good News of your love for all peoples, especially those in need. May her generosity continue to spark in your people an outpouring of love for all who suffer want of any kind. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for the Morning

There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism:

let us praise the God of our salvation!

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

Hasten the time appointed

By prophets long foretold,

When all shall dwell together

One Shepherd and one fold.

Let every idol perish:

Your truth to all make known

Till every prayer be offered

To God in Christ alone.

Let all that now unites us

More true and lasting prove,

A closer bond of union,

In a blest land of love.

Let war be learned no longer,

Let strife and tumult cease,

All earth his blessed kingdom,

The Lord and Prince of peace.

PSALM 133

Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are. (Jn 17:11)

Saint Josaphat gave his life in tireless pastoral service and in martyrdom for the unity of the Churches of East and West.

How good and how pleasant it is,

when brothers live in unity!

It is like precious oil upon the head

running down upon the beard,

running down upon Aaron’s beard,

upon the collar of his robes.

It is like the dew of Hermon which falls

on the heights of Zion.

For there the Lord gives his blessing,

life for ever.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. John 17:20-23

“I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.”

I give you a new commandment: love one another.

As I have loved you, so you also

should love one another. (Jn 13:34)

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them. (Jn 17:26)

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 one heart and one voice, let us pray:

R/Make all your people one!

For the Churches of East and West:

– make one what has been divided by differences of language, culture, and understanding. R/

For those who work for the reunion of the Churches:

– grant them the courageous faith of Saint Josaphat in times of discouragement. R/

For those who seek to divide those who share one Lord, one faith, one baptism:

– bring them to conversion of heart. R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

O God, you animated Saint Josaphat with a profound love for your Body, the Church. Through his intercession, lead your people toward the unity you desire, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Feeling down? Try These Spiritual remedies and powerful prayers from a saint

raphael

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November 12, 2021

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Feeling down? Try These Spiritual remedies and powerful prayers from a saint

St. Francis de Sales had much to say about getting out of a depressed mood.

Feeling down or depressed? These Spiritual remedies and powerful prayers will be of great help. Often when we are feeling down, it’s tough to come out of it. Besides seeking proper necessary medical guidance, sometimes all we need is to seek the advice of the saints and see how they handled depression.

St. Francis de Sales wrote much about depression in his Introduction to the Devout Life and had several specific remedies that he thought useful to combat it.

The first remedy he suggests is religious music.

Make use of hymns and spiritual songs; they have often frustrated the Evil One in his operations, as was the case when the evil spirit which possessed Saul was driven forth by music and psalmody.

Secondly, he suggests distracting ourselves with activity to get our mind off whatever it is that is plaguing us.

It is well also to occupy yourself in external works, and that with as much variety as may lead us to divert the mind from the subject which oppresses it, and to cheer and kindle it, for depression generally makes us dry and cold.

Third, St. Francis de Sales recommends praying frequently to Jesus crucified.

Use external acts of fervor, even though they are tasteless at the time; embrace your crucifix, clasp it to your breast, kiss the Feet and Hands of your Dear Lord, raise hands and eyes to Heaven, and cry out to God in loving, trustful aspirations: “My Beloved is mine, and I am His. A bundle of myrrh is my Well-beloved, He shall lie within my breast. Mine eyes long sore for your Word, O when will you comfort me! O Jesus, be my Savior, and my soul shall live. Who shall separate me from the Love of Christ?”

Last, of all, entrust your feelings to a spiritual director.

Lay bare all the feelings, thoughts and longings which are the result of your depression to your confessor or director, in all humility and faithfulness; seek the society of spiritually-minded people, and frequent such as far as possible while you are suffering.

Above all, struggle against low moods and don’t be resigned to them. Seek treatment for depression that interferes with your daily life and relationships. Offer up the struggle as part of joining your sufferings with those of Jesus.

God desires our peace of soul, and if we turn to him and seek the help we need, God will answer in his way.

PRAYERS

Be at Peace

Small Yellow Cross

Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life;

rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise,

God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it,

God will carry you in His arms.

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same understanding Father who cares for you today

will take care of you then and every day.

He will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, and

put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.

Blessed Virgin Mary

O Blessed Virgin, dear mother of mine, I salute you, and revere you with all my heart. Mother of Mercy, pray for me. Queen of Heaven, I commend my soul to you. O my tender Mother, obtain that I may be loved by your Son. Sweet hope with Jesus, sweet refuge of sinners, I throw myself at your feet. Cause me to experience the effect of the power which you possess with the Holy Trinity, O glorious Virgin Mary. Amen

Special Need

Say not, merciful Virgin, that you cannot help me; for your beloved Son has given you all power in heaven and on earth. Say not that you ought not assist me, for you are the mother of all the poor children of Adam, and mine in particular. Since then, merciful Virgin, you are my mother and you are all-powerful, what excuse can you offer if you do not lend your assistance? See. my mother, see, you are obliged to grant me what I ask, and to yield to my entreaties.

An Act of Abandonment

Small Yellow Cross

O my God, I thank you and I praise

you for accomplishing your holy

and all-lovable will without any regard for mine.

With my whole heart,

in spite of my heart,

do I receive this cross I feared so much!

It is the cross of Your choice,

the cross of Your love.

I venerate it;

nor for anything in the world

would I wish that it had not come,

since You willed it.

I keep it with gratitude and with joy,

as I do everything that comes from Your hand;

and I shall strive to carry it without letting it drag,

with all the respect

and all the affection which Your works deserve. Amen.

Direction of Intention

My God, I give you this day. I offer you, now, all of the good that I shall do and I promise to accept, for love of you, all of the difficulty that I shall meet. Help me to conduct myself during this day in a manner pleasing to you. Amen.

Confidence in God

It is good to mistrust ourselves, but how would that advantage us were we not to throw all our confidence on God, and to wait on His mercy? If you feel no such confidence, cease not on that account from making these acts and from saying to Our Lord: “Yet, O Lord, though I have no feeling of confidence in You, nevertheless, I know that You are my God, that I am all Yours, and that I have no hope but in Your goodness; so, I abandon myself entirely into Your Hands.” It is always in our power to make these acts; although we have difficulty in performing them, still there is no impossibility. Thus we testify faithfulness to our Lord.

My Cross

The everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross that He now presents to you as a gift from His inmost heart. This cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with His own hands to see that it be not one inch too large and not one ounce too heavy for you. He has blessed it with His holy Name, anointed it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the all-merciful love of God.

(By St Francis de Sales)

… St Francis de Sales, Pray for Us …

Prayer for the Evening

Come, let us praise the God of all good!

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

Saint Martin, with Apostle’s zeal

You were prepared to live or die

As pleased God best; smile down on us,

As lovingly to you we cry.

In spirit walk the earth once more,

Guide shepherds and their flocks as well,

Increase the beauty of God’s Church,

Restrain and curb the pow’rs of hell.

Three times you stole from death its prey,

So now raise up those fallen low,

And as you shared your cloak on earth,

True virtue on our souls bestow.

Psalm 10:12-18

Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? (Jas 2:5)

Saint Martin is perhaps best remembered for tearing his warm cloak in half and sharing it with a shivering beggar, only to discover later in a dream that the beggar was Christ. He never lost this love for the poor or for a life of personal poverty in service of the Gospel.

Arise then, Lord, lift up your hand!

O God, do not forget the poor!

Why should the wicked spurn the Lord

and think in his heart: “He will not punish”?

But you have seen the trouble and sorrow,

you note it, you take it in hand.

The helpless trusts himself to you;

for you are the helper of the orphan.

Break the power of the wicked and the sinner!

Punish his wickedness till nothing remains!

The Lord is king for ever and ever.

The heathen shall perish from the land he rules.

Lord, you hear the prayer of the poor;

you strengthen their hearts; you turn your ear

to protect the rights of the orphan and oppressed

so that mortal man may strike terror no more.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. Luke 14:13-15

[Jesus said,] “When you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

One of his fellow guests on hearing this said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God.”

It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)

Canticle of Mary

We are treated as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet possessing all things. (cf. 2 Cor 6:8, 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

Through the intercession of Saint Martin, let us pray:

R/Lord, you hear the cry of the poor!

For those who pursue wealth and power at the expense of the poor and powerless:

– grant them the insight of the Gospel. R/

For those who regard the poor and homeless with indifference:

– grant them eyes to see you in their suffering. R/

For those who care for the poor without reward:

– grant them Saint Martin’s reward. R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

May Christ dwell in our hearts through faith, and may charity be the root and foundation of our life. Amen. (cf. Eph 3:17)

Marian Antiphon

Medieval Antiphon

Rejoice, O Mother of God, O Virgin Immaculate;

[rejoice], you who received joy from an angel;

rejoice, you who bore the glory of the light everlasting;

[rejoice], O Mother, rejoice,

O holy Virgin Mother of God;

you alone a maiden Mother,

all creation praises you, the Mother of light;

may you be for us, we beseech you,

a perpetual intercessor.

SALVE REGINA

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

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.

ALMA REDEMPTORIS MATER

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli

porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,

surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae genuisti,

natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,

Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore

sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

LOVING MOTHER OF THE REDEEMER

Loving mother of the Redeemer,

gate of heaven, star of the sea,

assist your people who have fallen yet strive

to rise again.

To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,

yet remained a virgin after as before.

You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,

have pity on us, poor sinners.

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

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

Prayer for the Morning (Thursday, November 11)

raphael

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November 11, 2021

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Prayer for the Morning

To God let us sing a new song,

for he is our stronghold, our savior!

Glory to the Father…. Alleluia!

Hymn

O Jesus sent to bring good news

To poor and broken hearts to bind,

We praise you that in every age

You bring forth shepherds great and kind.

Saint Martin, once a soldier brave,

Became a soldier of your cross,

Renouncing force, embracing peace,

Rejecting wealth as useless dross.

As bishop, Martin taught the Faith

With constancy and gentle zeal,

And in the way, he led his flock,

Proved to the world God’s grace was real.

Concern for lowly, helpless folk

Was in the forefront of the task;

“What’s done to least is done to me!”

The poor we help are Christ in mask.

Psalm 144:1-2, 7-9

The weapons of our battle are not of flesh but are enormously powerful, capable of destroying fortresses. (2 Cor 10:4)

Saint Martin translated his long military career into a campaign of spiritual warfare against the paganism and the temptations to worldly wealth that threatened the people of the Church he served as monk and as bishop.

Blessed be the Lord, my rock

who trains my arms for battle,

who prepares my hands for war.

He is my love, my fortress;

he is my stronghold, my savior,

my shield, my place of refuge.

He brings peoples under my rule.

Reach down from heaven and save me;

draw me out from the mighty waters,

from the hands of alien foes

whose mouths are filled with lies,

whose hands are raised in perjury.

To you, O God, will I sing a new song;

I will play on the ten-stringed harp.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. Ephesians 6:12-13

Our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground.

In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield,

to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. (Eph 6:16)

Canticle of Zechariah

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…

Stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. (Eph 6:14-15)

Intercessions

Jesus Christ has overcome all evil. Through the intercession of Saint Martin, we pray:

R/Save your people, Lord.

In Saint Martin, you defeated the tempter in the desert:

– defeat in us the subtle forces of temptation. R/

In Saint Martin, you contradicted falsehood with truth:

– protect us from all inner and outward deceit. R/

In Saint Martin, you taught love for the true treasures of heaven:

– keep us from attachment to material goods. R/

In Saint Martin, you exchanged military weapons for the weapons of the Gospel:

– in all those who have died in military service, exchange suffering and death for life. R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

O God, you inspired Saint Martin with zeal for the Gospel lived and preached on behalf of his people. By his example of self-denying charity toward all in need, keep your Church and all our pastors alive with love for your word lived and proclaimed, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for the Evening

Jesus Christ is our Shepherd:

come, let us adore him!

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

Your hand, O God, has guided

Your flock, from age to age;

Their wondrous tale is written,

Full clear, on every page;

Your people owned your goodness,

And we their deeds record;

And both of this bear witness;

One Church, one Faith, one Lord.

When shadows thick were falling,

And all seemed sunk in night,

O Lord, you sent your servants,

Your chosen sons of light.

On them and on your people

Your plenteous grace was poured,

And this was still their message,

One Church, one Faith, one Lord.

Psalm 80:2a, 3b, 9-10, 15-16, 18-20

I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart,/ who will shepherd you wisely and prudently. (Jer 3:15)

In the name of Christ, Saint Leo watched over the Church, God’s beloved flock and vine, in troubled times not entirely unlike our own. He guarded the faithful in unity and truth during the early onslaught of the barbarian migrations toward Rome.

O shepherd of Israel, hear us,

you who lead Joseph’s flock,

O Lord, rouse up your might,

O Lord, come to our help.

You brought a vine out of Egypt;

to plant it you drove out the nations.

Before it you cleared the ground;

it took root and spread through the land.

God of hosts, turn again, we implore,

look down from heaven and see.

Visit this vine and protect it,

the vine your right hand has planted.

May your hand be on the man you have chosen,

the man you have given your strength.

And we shall never forsake you again:

give us life that we may call upon your name.

God of hosts, bring us back;

let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God. Acts 20:28, 32

Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, in which you tend the church of God that he acquired with his own blood. And now I commend you to God and to that gracious word of his that can build you up and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated.

The Lord is our shepherd;/ nothing shall we want. (cf. Ps 23:1)

Canticle of Mary

I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble; and none shall be missing, says the Lord. (Jer 23:4)

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

Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep. Through the intercession of Saint Leo, we pray:

R/Loving Shepherd, hear us.

You have led us through wise, prudent, and firm pastors:

– strengthen our pope in holiness, discernment, and singleness of heart. R/

You have cared for your Church in every danger:

– grant all those who hold the pastoral office the courage of the Gospel. R/

You have promised to be with your Church in every age:

– be with us amid the tensions and uncertainties of our time. R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, Jesus our Lord, furnish us with all that is good, so that we may do his will. May he carry out in us what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever. Amen. (cf. Heb 13:20-21)

Marian Antiphon

Medieval Antiphon

Rejoice, O Mother of God, O Virgin Immaculate;

[rejoice], you who received joy from an angel;

rejoice, you who bore the glory of the light everlasting;

[rejoice], O Mother, rejoice,

O holy Virgin Mother of God;

you alone a maiden Mother,

all creation praises you, the Mother of light;

may you be for us, we beseech you,

a perpetual intercessor.

SALVE REGINA

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

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.

ALMA REDEMPTORIS MATER

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli

porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,

surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae genuisti,

natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,

Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore

sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

LOVING MOTHER OF THE REDEEMER

Loving mother of the Redeemer,

gate of heaven, star of the sea,

assist your people who have fallen yet strive

to rise again.

To the wonderment of nature, you bore your Creator,

yet remained a virgin after as before.

You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,

have pity on us, poor sinners.

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

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

sharing the faith received

sharing the faith received

Recent Comments

Articles

Prayers

Exhortations

Saints and More

Recent Comments

Articles

Prayers

Exhortations

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Hymn

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Medieval Antiphon

SALVE REGINA

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ALMA REDEMPTORIS MATER

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HYMN

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Word of God. Luke 14:13-15

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Medieval Antiphon

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HAIL HOLY QUEEN

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Prayer for the Morning

Hymn

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