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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (MONDAY, JANUARY 18)

raphael

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January 18, 2021

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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (MONDAY, JANUARY 18)

Prayer for the Morning

Christ is our glory and our shield:

let us give thanks and praise!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

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

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

HYMN

Glory to you who safe have kept

And have refreshed me while I slept:

Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake,

I may of endless light partake.

Lord, I renew my vows to you;

Scatter my foes as morning dew;

Guard my first springs of thought and will,

And with yourself my spirit fill.

CANTICLE OF ISAIAH 33:2, 5-6

The One who rules over men in justice/ Is like the morning light at sunrise/ on a cloudless morning,/ making the greensward sparkle after rain. (cf. 2 Sm 23:3-4)

Every morning we arise afresh in Christ our light. Ancient Christian writers warn against “morning demons”: yesterday’s worries and grievances returning to poison the new day.

O Lord, have pity on us, for you we wait.

Be our strength every morning,

our salvation in time of trouble!

The Lord is exalted, enthroned on high;

he fills Zion with right and justice.

That which makes her seasons lasting,

the riches that save her, are wisdom and knowledge;

the fear of the Lord is her treasure.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Ephesians 5:14-15)

Everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says:/ “Awake, O sleeper,/ and arise from the dead,/ and Christ will give you light.”/ Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise.

In the morning you will see the glory of the Lord.

(Ex 16:7)

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

The favors of the Lord are not exhausted,/ his mercies are not spent;/ They are renewed each morning,/ so great is his faithfulness. (Lam 3:22-23)

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

Jesus Christ is our light and our life. To him we pray:

R/O Lord of salvation, bless your people!

Grant us fresh hope at the beginning of this day:

– that we may live it for your glory and our neighbor’s good. R/

Relieve us of the burden of old worries and stored grievances:

– that we may pass through the narrow gate that leads to the Kingdom. R/

Protect us from recurring fears:

– that we may serve you in freedom and in peace. R/

Heal all those who labor under the pain of depression, scrupulosity, and anxiety:

– that all may know the joy of your love. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

Lord Jesus Christ, you have brought us safely to this new day, as you have promised to bring us safely to dwell with you one day in your Kingdom of light. Defend us against all that would weigh us down and slow our steps, so that we may run with delight in the way of your Gospel, who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer to St. Rita for an impossible cause

raphael

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January 17, 2021

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Prayer to St. Rita for an impossible cause

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:

Under the weight of my burden, I turn to you, dear Rita, holy woman and saint. I am confident that you will hear my prayers and intercede on my behalf.

You, who were chosen by God to be an advocate for those whose cases are most desperate, have the graces necessary to understand my need. [Mention your intention.]

If my sins are an obstacle, impeding the fulfillment of my urgent plea, I beg you to obtain for me, from God, the necessary grace to see and understand my sinfulness, that I may, in sincere contrition, make a heartful reconciliation through the sacrament of penance.

From the glory of heaven, have compassion upon me, you who suffered by the grace of the thorn and the rose, that my suffering and anxieties may be lessened, that I may bear my crosses with courage, contentment and trust. I will everywhere proclaim my debt and friendship to you.

Oh, Bride of Jesus crucified, help me to live well and to die well.

Amen.

PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (SUNDAY, JANUARY 17)

raphael

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January 17, 2021

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PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (SUNDAY, JANUARY 17)

Prayer for the Evening

God chose us in Christ:

let us give thanks and praise!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

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

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

HYMN

O love how deep, how broad, how high,

How passing thought and fantasy,

That God, the Son of God, should take

Our mortal form for mortals’ sake.

For us he prayed; for us he taught;

For us his daily works he wrought:

By words and signs and actions, thus

Still seeking not himself but us.

For us he rose from death again;

For us he went on high to reign;

For us he sent his Spirit here

To guide, to strengthen and to cheer.

All glory to our Lord and God

For love so deep, so high, so broad;

The Trinity whom we adore

For ever and for evermore.

CANTICLE (Colossians 1:12-14, 18-20)

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
(1 Cor 6:15)

Christ calls us to an intimacy even deeper than discipleship. He invites us to become members of his body, animated by the Spirit of God, living the life of the Gospel to the full.

Let us give thanks to the Father

for having made you worthy

to share the lot of the saints

in light.

He rescued us

from the power of darkness

and brought us

into the kingdom of his beloved Son.

Through him we have redemption,

the forgiveness of our sins.

It is he who is head of the body, the church!

he who is the beginning,

the first-born of the dead,

so that primacy may be his in everything.

It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in him

and, by means of him, to reconcile everything in his person,

both on earth and in the heavens,

making peace through the blood of his cross.

Word of God (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)

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. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit

with him. (1 Cor 6:17)

CANTICLE OF MARY

You have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body. (1 Cor 6:20)

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…

INTECESSIONS

In faith let us pray to Christ to whom we belong:

R/Lamb of God, have mercy on us.

You have offered your life for us on the cross, that we may live:

– deepen our life in the Spirit. R/

You have given yourself to us as the bread of life and the chalice of salvation:

– deepen our communion with you in love. R/

You have promised that those who live and die in you will also rise in you:

– deepen our faith and hope in your Word. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant us to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord we may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (Rom 15:5-6)

MARIAN ANTIPHON

Antiphon for the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, January 1

The root of Jesse has budded,

a star has arisen from Jacob;

a Virgin has brought forth the Savior;

we praise you, our God.

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.

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.

Saint of the Day: St. Anthony of Egypt

raphael

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January 17, 2021

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Father of Western Monasticism. Abbot (ca. 201-306)

His life

+ Anthony was born in Upper Egypt. After the death of his parents, he divided up his inheritance and possessions and journeyed into the desert, desiring to seek and serve God in solitude.

+ Anthony lived as a hermit for many years, practicing heroic penances and devoting himself to silence, prayer, and manual labor.

+ After nearly twenty years of seclusion, trials, and temptations, word of his sanctity began to spread and hundreds of other men began to build a community of hermits around Anthony.

+ To guide the community, Anthony would give instruction to the hermits and eventually wrote a rule of life for them. In 305, he established another community of hermits at Fayum and, later, another at Pispir.

+ In the years before Anthony died, Saint Athanasius of Alexandria wrote an account of the hermit’s life. This book greatly contributed to Anthony’s popularity and helped promote the monastic movement within the early Church.

+ Saint Anthony, who is known as “the Great” in the Eastern Church, died in 306 at 105 years of age. Throughout the centuries, he has been honored as the patron saint of hermits, gravediggers (because he spent several years living in an abandoned tomb), and pig farmers.

For prayer and reflection

“The days are coming when men will go mad; and, when they meet a man who has not lost his mind, they will rise up against him, saying, ‘You are mad, because you are not like us.’”—Saint Anthony of Egypt

Spiritual bonus

On this day, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a group of villagers in the tiny hamlet of Pontmain, France, in 1871. This apparition—sometimes known by the name “Our Lady of Hope”—took place during the Franco-Prussian War, as German troops were approaching the village. During the apparition, the Blessed Virgin wore a dark blue dress covered in stars and carried a crucifix. Below the figure a series of words appeared: Please pray. God will hear you soon. My Son lets himself be touched. That same night, the German army was ordered to withdraw and the village was spared; the armistice calling for the end of the war was signed 11 days later. The apparitions at Pontmain were approved by the local bishop in 1872. In 1905, Pope Saint Pius X elevated the shrine in Pontmain to the status of a basilica and Pope Pius XI approved a Mass and office in honor of Our Lady of Pontmain.

Prayer

O God, who brought the Abbot Saint Anthony

to serve you by a wondrous way of life in the desert,

grant, through his intercession,

that, denying ourselves,

we may always love you above all things.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

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

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(from The Roman Missal)

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

PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (SUNDAY, JANUARY 17)

raphael

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January 17, 2021

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PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (SUNDAY, JANUARY 17)

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Prayer for the Morning

Now is the hour to wake from sleep:

come, let us adore.

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

Eternal light, shine in my heart;

Eternal hope, lift up my eyes;

Eternal power, be my support;

Eternal wisdom, make me wise.

Eternal life, raise me from death;

Eternal brightness, make me see;

Eternal Spirit, give me breath;

Eternal Savior, come to me:

Until by your most costly grace,

Invited by your holy word,

At last I come before your face

To know you, my eternal God.

PSALM 108:2-6

The Lord called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.” (1 Sm 3:4)

God called Samuel from sleep to become the servant of his word. Christ calls his disciples to wake from whatever dulls our capacity to hear the Word and follow faithfully.

My heart is ready, O God;

I will sing, sing your praise.

Awake, my soul;

awake, lyre and harp.

I will awake the dawn.

I will thank you, Lord, among the peoples,

among the nations I will praise you,

for your love reaches to the heavens

and your truth to the skies.

O God, arise above the heavens;

may your glory shine on earth!

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Romans 13:11-13a, 14a)

Do this because you know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness [and] put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day…. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you are called, reply, “Speak, Lord,

for your servant is listening.”

(1 Sm 3:9)

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Give ear and hear my voice,/ pay attention and listen to what I say. (Is 28:23)

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

Christ is our Light. To him we pray:

R/Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening.

When we grow careless of our calling as disciples,

– awaken us from sleep: R/

When we become distracted by our daily cares and pastimes,

– awaken us from sleep: R/

When we grow deaf to your Word because of other interests,

– awaken us from sleep: R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

O God, you call us daily to arise and follow Christ the Lord. Awaken us from whatever lethargy holds us back from listening; shake us from the deadly sleep of sin. May Christ, your Word and our Light, lead us in the ways of life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (SATURDAY, JANUARY 16)

raphael

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January 16, 2021

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PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (SATURDAY, JANUARY 16)

Prayer for the Evening

Vigil of the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Christ is our Lord and Teacher: come, let us adore!

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

O Christ, our Teacher and our Way,

Teach us to follow you this day,

And as our hearts with love expand

To run the way of your commands.

O Christ, our Teacher and our Light,

Illumine us with truth and right

That we may see but you alone,

And by your light and truth be known.

All praise to you, O Christ, our Way,

Our Truth and Life, our only Day!

All praise to you, O Christ, the Son

With Father and the Spirit: One!

PSALM 25:1-5, 8-9, 12-14

What are you looking for? (Jn 1:38)

Jesus’ question to the disciples is his question to us. Like them, we need a Teacher to show us the way to the answer. Let us pray for the gift of lifelong discipleship.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

I trust you, let me not be disappointed;

do not let my enemies triumph.

Those who hope in you shall not be disappointed,

but only those who wantonly break faith.

Lord, make me know your ways.

Lord, teach me your paths.

Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:

for you are God my savior.

The Lord is good and upright.

He shows the path to those who stray,

he guides the humble in the right path;

he teaches his way to the poor.

If anyone fears the Lord

he will show him the path he should choose.

His soul shall live in happiness

and his children shall possess the land.

The Lord’s friendship is for those who revere him;

to them he reveals his covenant.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Isaiah 30:20-21)

The Lord will give you the bread you need/ and the water for which you thirst./ No longer will your Teacher hide himself,/ but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,/ While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:/ “This is the way; walk in it,”/ when you would turn to the right or to the left.

Behold, God is sublime in his power./

What teacher is there like him? (Jb 36:22)

CANTICLE OF MARY

I will give my teacher grateful praise. (Sir 51:17)

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

Christ is our Teacher. To him we pray:

R/Lord, teach us your paths.

You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life:

– make us true disciples. R/

Your Word is a lamp for our steps:

– lead us in the paths of the Gospel. R/

You have the words of everlasting life:

– show us the way to life. 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

Antiphon for the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, January 1

The root of Jesse has budded,

a star has arisen from Jacob;

a Virgin has brought forth the Savior;

we praise you, our God.

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.

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 (SATURDAY, JANUARY 16)

raphael

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January 16, 2021

1

PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (SATURDAY, JANUARY 16)

Blessed Virgin Mary

Prayer for the Morning

Through our Blessed Mother Mary,

we poor banished children of Eve

entrust ourselves to you, O Lord.

Glory to the Father…. Alleluia!

HYMN

Holy Mary, we implore thee,

By thy purity divine;

Help us bending here before thee,

Help us truly to be thine.

Thou unfolding wide the portals

Of the kingdom in the skies,

Holy Virgin, hast to mortals

Shown the land of paradise.

Thou, when deepest night infernal

Had for ages shrouded man,

Gavest us that Light eternal

Promised since the world began.

God in thee hath showered plenty

On the hungry and the weak;

Sending back the mighty empty,

Setting up on high the meek.

Teach, oh teach us, holy Mother,

How to conquer every sin,

How to love and help each other,

How the prize of life to win.

Thou to whom a child was given,

Greater than the sons of men,

Coming down from highest heaven,

To create this world again.

PSALM 84:6-13

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,/ whose hope is the Lord. (Jer 17:7)

The papal motto of Saint John Paul II was Totus Tuus (“totally yours”). This statement of trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary is not an unimportant factor in reflecting on the life of this great pope. John Paul, following the Marian piety of Saint Louis de Montfort, entrusted all his prayers and works to the Blessed Virgin Mary. We would do well to entrust all our cares and our very lives to her, for she is “the safest, easiest, shortest, and most perfect way” to Jesus and to sanctity (Treatise on the True Devotion to Mary 55).

They are happy, whose strength is in you,

in whose hearts are the roads to Zion.

As they go through the Bitter Valley

they make it a place of springs,

the autumn rain covers it with blessings.

They walk with ever growing strength,

they will see the God of gods in Zion.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer,

give ear, O God of Jacob.

Turn your eyes, O God, our shield,

look on the face of your anointed.

One day within your courts

is better than a thousand elsewhere.

The threshold of the house of God

I prefer to the dwellings of the wicked.

For the Lord God is a rampart, a shield;

he will give us his favor and glory.

The Lord will not refuse any good

to those who walk without blame.

Lord, God of hosts,

happy the man who trusts in you!

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (John 19:25-27)

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Jesus is Mary’s only son, but her spiritual motherhood extends to all men whom indeed he came to save.(CCC 501)

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

She reaches out her hands to the poor,/ and extends her arms to the needy. (Prv 31:20)

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet

of the Most High;

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

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father…

INTERCESSIONS

In union with Mary our Mother, we entrust these prayers to our heavenly Father.

R/Lord, hear our prayer.

That, like Mary, we may trust completely in divine providence,

– we pray: R/

For an increase in Marian devotion,

– we pray: R/

For a greater closeness to Jesus Christ,

– we pray: R/

That we may never stray from the path which leads to our Father’s house,

– we pray: R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

God our Father, you gave us the Blessed Virgin Mary as our mother. We thank you for the great goodness of this sublime gift. May we ever become more faithful children of this worthy Mother, that, being led by her maternal hand through the bitter valley of this life, we may arrive safely upon the heights of your heavenly Zion. 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.

PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (FRIDAY, JANUARY 15)

raphael

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January 15, 2021

1

PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (FRIDAY, JANUARY 15)

Prayer for the Evening

Jesus Christ is the source of life:

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

Lord, let my evening prayer

As incense sweet ascend;

And while I lift my hands to you,

From heaven in mercy bend.

For in your name I hope,

And brightness floods my way;

The night departs, and clouds that roll,

And threaten with dismay.

And in your name I trust,

To find your promise sure;

Your cov’nant like the mountains strong,

That evermore endure.

Now, at this evening hour,

My hope and trust renew;

Refresh me as the earth that drinks

The cool refreshing dew.

PSALM 49:6-10, 17-21

Store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. (Mt 6:20-21)

Where we invest our trust and our hope, we invest our lives. Let us choose to invest in the true source of life, Jesus Christ!

Why should I fear in evil days

the malice of the foes who surround me,

men who trust in their wealth,

and boast of the vastness of their riches?

For no man can buy his own ransom,

or pay a price to God for his life.

The ransom of his soul is beyond him.

He cannot buy life without end,

nor avoid coming to the grave.

Then do not fear when a man grows rich,

when the glory of his house increases.

He takes nothing with him when he dies,

his glory does not follow him below.

Though he flattered himself while he lived:

“Men will praise me for all my success,”

yet he will go to join his fathers,

who will never see the light any more.

In his riches, man lacks wisdom:

he is like the beasts that are destroyed.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (1 Peter 1:17-21)

Now if you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one’s works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning, realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb. He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you, who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

The Son of Man came to give his life

as a ransom for many.

(cf. Mk 10:45)

CANTICLE OF MARY

Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, [rise and] walk.” (Acts 3:6)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father…

INTERCESSIONS

To Christ our life, we pray:

R/Ransom us, O Lord.

When we are tempted to compromise Christian principles out of fear of the rich and powerful: R/

When we are tempted to drain our time, energy, and love from family and friends for the sake of material gain: R/

When we are tempted to trust in our own resources rather than in you as the source of life: R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

In the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification by the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ: may grace and peace be ours in abundance. Amen. (cf. 1 Pt 1:2)

MARIAN ANTIPHON

Antiphon for the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, January 1

The root of Jesse has budded,

a star has arisen from Jacob;

a Virgin has brought forth the Savior;

we praise you, our God.

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.

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 (FRIDAY, JANUARY 15)

raphael

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January 15, 2021

1

PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (FRIDAY, JANUARY 15)

Prayer for the Morning

The Lord accepts our prayer: come, let us adore!

Glory to the Father…. Alleluia!

HYMN

O only hope of all below

Who dost the full reward bestow:

Regard thy servants one and all

Who unto thee devoutly call.

Our troubled conscience tells that we

Have bitterly offended thee;

We pray thee, cleanse us by thy grace

And every stain of sin efface.

If thou wilt not, who shall condone?

Send pardon, for ’tis thine alone;

And grant that we may pray aright

From hearts all blameless in thy sight.

PSALM 6

The Lord God will wipe away/ the tears from all faces. (Is 25:8)

The poet of this first of the seven penitential psalms pleads with God for deliverance from the dreadful misery of sin. Our foes are really our own distorted thoughts and selfish habits, which wreak more damage than we often imagine.

Lord, do not reprove me in your anger;

punish me not, in your rage.

Have mercy on me, Lord, I have no strength;

Lord, heal me, my body is racked;

my soul is racked with pain.

But you, O Lord…how long?

Return, Lord, rescue my soul.

Save me in your merciful love;

for in death no one remembers you;

from the grave, who can give you praise?

I am exhausted with my groaning;

every night I drench my pillow with tears;

I bedew my bed with weeping.

My eye wastes away with grief;

I have grown old surrounded by my foes.

Leave me, all you who do evil;

for the Lord has heard my weeping.

The Lord has heard my plea;

the Lord will accept my prayer.

All my foes will retire in confusion,

foiled and suddenly confounded.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Daniel 9:4-5, 9)

I prayed to the Lord, my God, and confessed, “Ah, Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you and observe your commandments! We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws. But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness!”

Gracious and merciful is God! (cf. Jl 2:13)

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Blessed are they who mourn/ for they will be comforted. (Mt 5:4)

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

God wipes away our tears of repentance with the hand of mercy. Let us pray for ourselves and for all sinners:

R/O Lord, hear! O Lord, pardon! (Dn 9:19)

Forgive us our pride: R/

Forgive us our stubbornness of heart: R/

Forgive us our anger against one another: R/

Forgive us our greed in all its forms: R/

Forgive us our mercilessness: R/

Forgive us the harm we have done: R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

God of mercy and compassion, you hold out to us the hand of your mercy to raise us up from the misery our selfish sinfulness has brought upon us and upon those whose lives we touch. Teach us to weep where we have caused weeping, to mourn where we have caused mourning, and to lift up what we have brought low. In hope and trust, we turn to you for healing, 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.

Prayer to St. Joseph for those seeking an adoption

raphael

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January 14, 2021

0

Prayer to St. Joseph for those seeking an adoption

St. Joseph is seen as a powerful intercessor for anyone currently pursuing an adoption.

St. Joseph is often called the “foster father” of Jesus and is the prime example of a saint who adopted a child that was not his biological son.

For this reason, St. Joseph is a patron for all adoptive parents.

Here is a prayer from the document Misericordiae Vultus that invokes St. Joseph’s intercession for all adoptive parents.

Invoking the intercession of St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, we pray that the Lord will bless all who travel upon the path of adoption. And, recalling the mercy which God our Father has shown to us, we also ask that, through our words and actions, they may encounter the outstretched hands of his mercy. May all know the care of the Father, whose love for each person “gushes forth from the depths naturally, full of tenderness and compassion, indulgence and mercy.”

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Recent Comments

Articles

Prayers

Exhortations

Saints and More

Prayer for the Morning

HYMN

CANTICLE OF ISAIAH 33:2, 5-6

Word of God (Ephesians 5:14-15)

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

INTERCESSIONS

Prayer for the Evening

HYMN

CANTICLE (Colossians 1:12-14, 18-20)

Word of God (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)

CANTICLE OF MARY

INTECESSIONS

MARIAN ANTIPHON

Father of Western Monasticism. Abbot (ca. 201-306)

His life

Prayer

Prayer for the Morning

HYMN

PSALM 108:2-6

Word of God (Romans 13:11-13a, 14a)

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

INTERCESSIONS

Prayer for the Evening

HYMN

PSALM 25:1-5, 8-9, 12-14

Word of God (Isaiah 30:20-21)

CANTICLE OF MARY

INTERCESSIONS

MARIAN ANTIPHON

Prayer for the Morning

HYMN

PSALM 84:6-13

Word of God (John 19:25-27)

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

INTERCESSIONS

Prayer for the Evening

HYMN

PSALM 49:6-10, 17-21

Word of God (1 Peter 1:17-21)

CANTICLE OF MARY

INTERCESSIONS

MARIAN ANTIPHON

Prayer for the Morning

HYMN

PSALM 6

Word of God (Daniel 9:4-5, 9)

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

INTERCESSIONS

St. Joseph is seen as a powerful intercessor for anyone currently pursuing an adoption.

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