Category: MORNING Prayers

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, Our MORNING Offering, POETRY, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 15 September – Sonnet to our Lord Crucified

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Our Morning Offering – 15 September – Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

As we celebrate today the holy mystery of the Sacrifice of the Mass,

let us contemplate our Lord Crucified.

Sonnet to our Lord Crucified
Anonymous

I am not moved to love You, O my God,
That I might hope in promised heaven to dwell,
Nor am I moved by fear of pain in hell,
To turn from sin and follow where You trod.
You move me, Lord, broken beneath the rod,
Or stretched out on the cross, as nails compel
Your hand to twitch. It moves me that we sell,
To mockery and death, Your precious blood.
It is, O Christ, Your love which moves me so,
That my love rests not on a promised prize,
Nor holy fear on threat of endless woe,
It is not milk and honey but the flow
Of blood from blessed wounds before my eyes,
That waters my buried soul and makes it grow.
Amensonnet to our lord crucified i am not moved to love you - 15 sept 2019.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on the CROSS of CHRIST, The HOLY CROSS, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 14 September – O cross, You are the Glorious Sign of Victory.

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Reflection – 14 September – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Gospel: John 3:13–17

“…And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”…John 3:14-15and-as-moses-lifted-up-john-3-14-15-14-sept-2018

REFLECTION – “We are celebrating the feast of the cross which drove away darkness and brought in the light…  Had there been no cross, Christ could not have been crucified. Had there been no cross, Life Itself could not have been nailed to the tree.   And if Life had not been nailed to it, they would be no streams of immortality pouring from Christ’s side, blood and water for the world’s cleansing.   The legal bond of our sin would not be cancelled, we should not have obtained our freedom, we should not have enjoyed the fruit of the tree of life and the gates of paradise would not stand open.   Had there been no cross, death would not have been trodden underfoot, nor hell despoiled…  The cross is called Christ’s glory, it is saluted as His triumph.”….St Andrew of Crete (650-740)we are celebrating the feast of the cross st andrew of crete 14 sept 2019

PRAYER – O God, who willed that Your Only Begotten Son should undergo the Cross to save the human race, grant, we pray, that we, who have known His mystery on earth, may merit the grace of His redemption in heaven.   For You placed the salvation of the human race on the wood of the Cross, so that, where death arose, life might again spring forth and the evil one, who conquered on a tree, might likewise on a tree be conquered through Christ. O cross, You are the glorious sign of victory. Through your power may we share in the triumph of Christ Jesus. We adore you Christ and we praise you, for by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world. Amenwe-adore-you-o-christ-14-sept-2018.jpg

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 14 September – O Mary, Sorrowful Mother

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Our Morning Offering – 14 September – Feast The Exaltation of the Holy Cross – Feast and A Marian Saturday within the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows

O Mary, Sorrowful Mother
By St John Paul II (1920-2005)

O Mary, sorrowful Mother,
you are a silent witness
of these decisive moments
for the history of salvation.
Give us your eyes
so that on the face of the crucified One,
disfigured by pain,
we may recognise
the image of the glorious Risen One.
Help us to embrace Him
and entrust ourselves to Him,
so that we be made worthy
of His promises.
Help us to be faithful today
and throughout our lives.
Amen!o mary sorrowful mothr st john paul - 14 sept exaltation of the cross.jpg

St Pope John Paul prayed this prayer on the Conclusion of the Palm Sunday homily, 13 April 2003 during the Eighteenth World Youth Day.

Posted in CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on FAITH, QUOTES on GRACE, QUOTES on SANCTITY, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 13 September – “Then you will see clearly”

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One Minute Reflection – 13 September – Friday of the Twenty third week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 6:39–42 and the Memorial of St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Church

“Then you will see clearly” … Luke 6:42

REFLECTION –
“O Lord, drive away the darkness from our minds
with the light of Your wisdom,
so that enlightened in this way
we may serve You with renewed purity.
The beginning of the sun’s passage through the sky
marks the beginning of the working-day for us mortals,
we ask You, Lord, to prepare in our minds
a place where the day that knows no end may give its light.

Grant that we may have within us, this light,
the life of the resurrection,
and that nothing may take away our delight in You.
Mark us with the sign of that day that does not begin
with the movement and the course of the sun,
by keeping our minds fixed on You.

In your sacraments we welcome You every day
and receive You in our bodies.
Make us worthy to experience within us
the resurrection for which we hope.
Be the wings for our thoughts, O Lord,
Drawing us lightly to the heights
And bearing us up to our true home.

By the grace of baptism we conceal within our bodies
the treasure of Your divine life…
Let us appreciate the great beauty that is ours
through the spiritual beauty that Your immortal will
arouses in our mortal nature…
May Your Resurrection, Jesus,
cause the spiritual man to grow in us (cf Eph 3:16)
and may the contemplation of Your mysteries
become the mirror in which we come to recognise you (1Cor 13:12).

Grant, Lord, that we may hasten to our true home,
and, like Moses on the mountain-top
seeing the promised Land, (Dt 34:1)
let us possess it even now through contemplation.”
Saint Ephrem (306-373)
Father & Doctor of the Churchluke 6 42 then you wil see clearly - o lord drive away the darkness - st ephrem 13 sept 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Lord God, strength of those who hope in You, by Your will, St John Chrysostom became renowned in the Church, for his astounding eloquence and his forbearance in persecution.   Grant that we may be enriched by his teaching and thus grow in sanctity, to follow the commandments You set forth in Your Word, Your Son who is our Saviour and Redeemer.  By the prayers of St John Chrysostom, may we attain the place You have prepared for us.   We make our prayer through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever amen.st-john-chrysostom-pray-for-us-13-sept-2018.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC TIME, Our MORNING Offering, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 13 September – Prayer Before The Crucifix

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Our Morning Offering – 13 September – Friday of the Twenty third week in Ordinary Time, Year C

Catholic Time – Friday:  Day of The Passion – Jesus was scourged, mocked and crucified on a Friday.   Because of this, the Church has always set aside Fridays of days of penance and sacrifice.   Many countries still practise what has become known as “Fish Fridays” whilst in others, another form of sacrifice has been instituted.  In most places, the Stations of the Cross, are prayed on Fridays, as a standard devotion.

Prayer Before The Crucifix
By St Vincent Strambi CP (1745-1824)

Jesus, by this saving sign,
bless this listless soul of mine.
Jesus, by Your feet nailed fast,
mend the missteps of my past.
Jesus, with Your riven hands,
bend my will to love’s demands.
Jesus, in Your Heart laid bare,
warm my inner coldness there.
Jesus, by Your thorn-crowned head,
still my pride till it is dead.
Jesus, by Your muted tongue,
stay my words that hurt someone.
Jesus, by Your tired eyes,
open mine to faith’s surprise.
Jesus, by Your fading breath,
keep me faithful until death.
Yes, Lord, by this saving sign,
save this wayward soul of mine.
Amenprayer before the crucifix by st vincent strambi 13 sept 2019 a friday for catholic time

Posted in CATHOLIC Quotes, GOD is LOVE, Hail MARY!, MARIAN TITLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES on LOVE, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 12 February – “Love your enemies”

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One Minute Reflection – 12 February – Thursday of the Twenty third week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 6:27–38 and the Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary

“Love your enemies” … Luke 6: 27

REFLECTION – “This Gospel passage is rightly considered the magna carta of Christian non-violence.   It does not consist in succumbing to evil, as a false interpretation of “turning the other cheek” (cf. Lk 6: 29) claims but in responding to evil with good (cf. Rom 12: 17-21) and thereby breaking the chain of injustice.
One then understands that for Christians, non-violence is not merely tactical behaviour but a person’s way of being, the attitude of one who is so convinced of God’s love and power that he is not afraid to tackle evil, with the weapons of love and truth alone.
Love of one’s enemy constitutes the nucleus of the “Christian revolution”, a revolution not based on strategies of economic, political or media power – the revolution of love, a love that does not rely ultimately on human resources but is a gift of God which is obtained by trusting solely and unreservedly in His merciful goodness.   Here is the newness of the Gospel which silently changes the world!   Here is the heroism of the “lowly” who believe in God’s love and spread it, even at the cost of their lives.” … Pope Benedict XVI 18 February 2007luke 6 27 love your enemies - here is the nucleus of the christian revolution - pope benedict 12 sept 2019.jpg

PRAYER – God of love and might, teach us Your ways!   You sent us Your only-begotten Son out of love for sinful man.   May we follow Him in all that we think, do and say.   May His humble heart be our hearts, may His gentle way be our way.   And may the sweet love of Mary His Mother and ours, aid us on our pilgrimage.   With great affection and confidence, we honour the Holy Hearts and invoke the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, to be our constant source of pure assistance and succour. Blessed Virgin, Most Holy Mother, pray for us.   We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God for all eternity, amen.blessed be the name of mary 12 sept 2019.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, Hail MARY!, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH

Our Morning Offering – 12 September – Hail Mary, the Angelic Salutation

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Our Morning Offering – 12 September – Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary

Hail Mary, the Angelic Salutation

The Hail Mary/Ave Maria

Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

Áve María, grátia pléna,
Dóminus técum.
Benedícta tū in muliéribus,
et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus.
Sáncta María, Máter Déi,
óra pro nóbis peccatóribus,
nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstrae.
Ámen.hail-mary-and-ave-maria-12 september 2019-st-simon-de-rojas-fr-ave-maria-no-2

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BEATITUDES, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 11 September – “Blessed are you that weep now…”

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One Minute Reflection – 11 September – Wednesday of the Twenty-third week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 6:20–26

“Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.” … Luke 6:21

REFLECTION – “Let us hope, let all those of us who weep and shed innocent tears keep on hoping, let us hope whether we are weeping for the pains of body or of soul, these will serve as our purgatory.    God will make use of them to… make us raise our eyes to Him, purify us and sanctify us.
Let us hope even more if we are weeping for the pains of others, for this act of charity is inspired by God and pleasing to Him.   Let us hope even more, if we are weeping, for our own sins, since this compunction has been placed into our souls by God Himself.   Let us hope even more if, with a pure heart, we are weeping for the sins of others, for this love for the glory of God and sanctification of souls has been inspired by God and is a great grace.
Let us hope if we are weeping with desire to see God and pain at being separated from Him, for this loving desire is God’s work in us.   Let us hope even more if we are weeping simply because we love, without either desire or fear, desiring completely what God wishes and nothing more, happy in His glory, suffering from His former sufferings, weeping sometimes for compassion at the remembrance of His Passion, sometimes for joy at the thought of His Ascension and glory, sometimes simply from emotion because we are dying for love of Him!
O sweetest Jesus, make me weep for all these reasons make me weep all those tears that cause love in You, through You and for You to spread abroad.   Amen.” … Blessed Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916) – Hermit and Missionary in the Sahara (Meditations on the passages of the holy Gospels referring to the fifteen virtues, Nazareth 1897-98 no15)blessed are you that wep now luke 6 21 - let us hope if we are weeping now 11 sept 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Lord God, in Your wisdom, You created us, in love. By Your providence, You rule us, in love.   Penetrate our inmost being with the holy light of Your Son.   Penetrate our hearts with the overwhelming love for Your love, so that we may weep in consolation.   May the prayers of Your holy saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary, be our guiding inspiration.   Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever amen.blessed virgin mary immaculate mother - pray for us - 2 sept 2018.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS

Our Morning Offering – 11 September – O Jesus, How Consoling!

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Our Morning Offering – 11 September – Wednesday of the Twenty-third week in Ordinary Time, Year C

O Jesus, How Consoling!
By St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Doctor of the Church

O Jesus,
how consoling You are
to those who invoke You!
What will You not be
to those who find You!
Only he who has felt it
can know
what it is
to languish in love
for Thee,
O Jesus!o jesus how consoling st bernard - 11 sept 2019.jpg

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on SILENCE, SAINT of the DAY

One Minute Reflection – 10 September – In Silence

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One Minute Reflection – 10 September – Tuesday of the Twenty third week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 6:12-19 and the Memorial of St Ambrose Barlow (1585-1641) Martyr

“Jesus departed to the mountain to pray and he spent the night in prayer to God” … Luke 6:12luke 6 12 jesus departed to the mountain to pray and he spent the night in prayer to god 10 sept 2019

REFLECTION – “Contemplatives and ascetics of every age and every religion have always sought God in the silence and solitude of deserts, forests and mountains.   Jesus Himself lived for forty days in complete solitude, spending long hours in intimate converse with the Father in the silence of the night.
We, too, are called to withdraw into a deeper silence from time to time, alone with God. Being alone with Him – not with our books, our thoughts, our memories but in complete nakedness, remaining in His presence – silent, empty, motionless, waiting.
We cannot find God in noise and restlessness.   Look at nature, the trees, flowers, grasses all grow in silence;  the stars, the moon, the sun all move in silence.   The important thing is, not what we are able say but what God says to us and what He speaks to others through us.   In silence, He listens to us, in silence He speaks to our souls, in silence we are granted the privilege of hearing His voice –

Silence of the eyes,
Silence of the ears,
Silence of our mouths,
Silence of our minds.
In the silence of the heart
God will speak.
… Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997) – No Greater Lovein silence - st mother teresa 10 sept 2019

PRAYER – Our Father who art in heaven, almighty and eternal God, teach us to pause often during our active lives and recollect ourselves.   Let us put away the problems of life and commune with You in prayer and meditation.   St Ambrose Barlow, amidst your life of constant threat and charity to all, you renewed your courage and strength in silence.   Pray for us that we may be inspired to turn to our God for strength, in this vale of tears.   Through Jesus Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit,God forever, amen.st ambrose barlow pray for us 10 sept 2019

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY GHOST

Our Morning Offering – 10 September – Come, O Holy Spirit

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Our Morning Offering – 10 September – Tuesday of the Twenty third week in Ordinary Time, Year C

Come, O Holy Spirit
By St Josemaria Escrivá (1902-1975)

Come, O Holy Spirit,
enlighten my understanding
to know Your commands,
strengthen my heart
against the wiles of the enemy,
inflame my will…
I have heard Your voice,
and I don’t want to
harden my heart to resisting,
by saying ‘later… tomorrow.’

Nunc coepi! Now!
Lest there be no tomorrow for me!

O, Spirit of truth and wisdom,
Spirit of understanding and counsel,
Spirit of joy and peace!
I want what You want,
I want it because You want it,
I want it as You want it,
I want it when You want it.
Amencome o holy spirit st josemaria escriva 10 sept 2019.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on ALMS, QUOTES on CHARITY, QUOTES on CONVERSION, QUOTES on PRIDE, QUOTES on SIN, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 9 September – “Stretch forth your hand” – St Ambrose

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One Minute Reflection – 9 September – Monday of the Twenty-third week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 6:6-11 and the Memorial of St Peter Claver SJ (1581-1654) “slave of the slaves” and Blessed Frédéric Ozanam (1813–1853) “Servant to the Poor”

“On another sabbath, he went into the synagogue and taught and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.” … Luke 6:6luke 6 6 there was a man thre whose right hand was withred - 9 sept 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “Are you angry at me because I have healed the whole man on the sabbath day?”   In this place he revivified, with the salutary strength of good works, the hand which Adam stretched out to pluck the fruit of the forbidden tree.   The hand which had withered through a crime, was healed by good deeds.   Christ thereby rebuked the Jews who violated the precepts of the law with evil interpretations.   They thought that they should rest even from good works on the sabbath, since the law prefigured in the present, the form of the future, in which indeed the days of rest from evils, not from blessings, would come.

Then you heard the words of the Lord, saying, “Stretch forth your hand.”   That is the common and universal remedy.   You, who think that you have a healthy hand, beware lest it is withered by greed or by sacrilege.   Hold it out often.   Hold it out to the poor person who begs you.   Hold it out to help your neighbour, to give protection to a widow, to snatch from harm one whom you see subjected to unjust insult.   Hold it out to God for your sins.   The hand is stretched forth, then it is healed.   Jeroboam’s hand withered when he sacrificed to idols, then it stretched out when he entreated God” …  St Ambrose (340-397)-  One of the 4 original Doctors of the Latin Church – Exposition on the Gospel of Luke, 5luke 6 6 there was a man with a withered hand - you think you have a healthy hand st ambrose 9 sept 2019.jpg

PRAYER – God of mercy and love, You offer all peoples the dignity of sharing in your life. Rule over our hearts and bodies this day.   Sanctify us and guide our every thought, word and deed, my our hands be held out to our neighbour in imitation of Your love and mercy.   By the example and prayers of St Peter Claver and Bl Frederic Ozanam, strengthen us to overcome all racial hatreds and to love each other as brothers and sisters.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever amen.

st-peter-claver-pray-for-us 9 sept 2017

bl frederic ozanam pray for us 9 sept 2019

Posted in ArchAngels and Angels, CATHOLIC TIME, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 9 September – My Oldest Friend

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Our Morning Offering – 9 September – Monday of the Twenty-third week in Ordinary Time, Year C – Monday the Angels Day

In Catholic Time, Monday is the day in which we remember the Angels. Angels are powerful guardians and each of us is protected by one. Many of the saints had a great devotion to the Angels in general and to their Guardian Angel in particular.

My Oldest Friend
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

My oldest friend, mine from the hour
When first I drew my breath,
My faithful friend, that shall be mine,
Unfailing, till my death….

Mine when I stand before the Judge,
And mine, if spared to stay
Within the golden furnace, till
My sin is burn’d away.

And mine, O Brother of my soul,
When my release shall come,
Thy gentle arms shall lift me then,
Thy wings shall waft me home.my oldest friend - prayer to our guardian angel by bl john henry newman - 2 october 2018.jpg

Posted in MARIAN TITLES, ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 8 September – Falling into the hands of Love eternal….

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One Minute Reflection – 8 September – Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel:  Luke 14:25–33 and the Feast of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre

“So, therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” … Luke 14:33

REFLECTION – “…We realise that the Lord is not speaking merely of a few individuals and their specific task, the essence of what He says applies to everyone.   The heart of the matter He expresses elsewhere in these words:  “For whoever would save his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it.   For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Lk 9:24f.).   Whoever wants to keep his life just for himself will lose it.   Only by giving ourselves do we receive our life.   In other words, only the one who love, discovers life.   And love always demands going out of oneself, it always demands leaving oneself.   Anyone who looks just to himself, who wants the other, only for himself, will lose both himself and the other.   Without this profound losing of oneself, there is no life.
The restless craving for life, so widespread among people today, leads to the barrenness of a lost life.   “Whoever loses his life for my sake … “ says the Lord, a radical letting-go of our self is only possible, if in the process, we end up, not by falling into the void but into the hands of Love eternal.
Only the love of God, who loses Himself for us and gives Himself to us, makes it possible for us also to become free, to let go and so truly to find life.   This is the heart of what the Lord wants to say to us in the seemingly hard words of this Sunday’s Gospel.   With his teaching He gives u, the certainty, that we can build on His love, the love of the incarnate God.   Recognition of this is the wisdom of which today’s reading speaks to us.   Once again, we find that all the world’s learning profits us nothing unless we learn to live, unless we discover what truly matters in life.” … Pope Benedict XVI – Saint Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna, Sunday, 9 September 2007 – on the occasion of the 850th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariazell (Feast day today!)luke 14 33 so therefore whoever does not lose his life for my sake - the restless craving for life - pope benedict 8 sept 2019

PRAYER – Since it is from You, God our Father, that redemption comes to us, Your adopted children, look with favour on the family You love, give true freedom to us and to all who believe in Christ, Your Son and our Saviour and bring us all alike, to our eternal heritage.   May we, in turn, give ourselves in true love to You and may the prayers of our glorious and merciful Mother, Our Lady of Charity, lead us to our heavenly home.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.our lady of charity of el cobre pray for us 8 sept 2019.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SACRAMENTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 8 September – My Lord, I am Unworthy!

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Our Morning Offering – 8 September – Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

My Lord, I am Unworthy!
Prayer before Holy Communion
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274)
Doctor of the Church

My Lord,
Who are You
and who am I,
that I should dare to take You
into my body and soul?
A thousand years
of penance and tears
would not be sufficient
to make me worthy
to receive so royal a Sacrament
even once!
How much more am I unworthy of it,
who fall into sin daily,
I, the incorrigible,
who approach You so often
without due preparation!
Nevertheless, Your mercy
infinitely surpasses my unworthiness.
Therefore, I make bold
to receive this Sacrament,
trusting in Your love.
Amenmy lord i am unworthy prayer before holy comm by st bonaventure 8 sept 2019.jpg

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 7 September – The day of Christ the Lord. 

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One Minute Reflection – 7 September – Saturday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time Year C, Gospel: Luke 6:1–5

And he said to them, “The Son of man is lord of the sabbath.” … Luke 6:5

REFLECTION – “The Eucharist is an essential part of Sunday… On Easter morning, first the women and then the disciples had the grace of seeing the Lord.   From that moment on, they knew that the first day of the week, Sunday, would be His day, the day of Christ the Lord.   The day when creation began, became, the day when creation was renewed. Creation and redemption belong together.

That is why Sunday is so important. It is good that today, in many cultures, Sunday is a free day and is often combined with Saturday so as to constitute a “week-end” of free time.   Yet this free time is empty if God is not present.

Dear friends! Sometimes, our initial impression is that having to include time for Mass on a Sunday is rather inconvenient.   But if you make the effort, you will realise that this is what gives a proper focus to your free time.   Do not be deterred from taking part in Sunday Mass and help others to discover it too.   This is because the Eucharist releases the joy that we need so much and we must learn to grasp it ever more deeply, we must learn to love it.   Let us pledge ourselves to do this – it is worth the effort!   Let us discover the intimate riches of the Church’s liturgy and its true greatness.   It is not we who are celebrating for ourselves but it is the living God Himself, who is preparing a banquet for us.” …Pope Benedict XVI – 21 August 2005luke 6 5 the sone of man is lord of the sabbath - the eucharist is an essential part of sunday pope benedict 7 sept 2019

PRAYER – Holy God, almighty Father, You taught us to honour Your holy day and the day of rest.   In Your divine Son, Whom You gave to us as our brother and glorified by His Resurrection, You showed us the way to our eternal life.   As His glorified body shines anew on Easter Sunday, we rejoice in our future life with Him and embrace His day as our own, each Sunday renewing His Resurrection.   We run forward to sing Your glory together with our Holy Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, to eternity, through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.bl virgin mother of god pray for us 7 sept 2019.jpg

Posted in MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The IMITATION of MARY, Thomas a Kempis

Our Morning Offering – 7 September – Most Merciful Mother of God – Thomas à Kempis

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Our Morning Offering – 7 September – Saturday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time, Year C and a Marian Saturday

Most Merciful Mother of God
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

From the Imitation of Mary

Most merciful Mother of God,
Mary ever-Virgin,
Queen of heaven,
Mistress of the world,
Joy of the Saints
and Comfort of sinners,
hear the groans of contrite hearts.
Grant the desires of the devout,
help the sick in their needs,
strengthen the hearts of the afflicted,
be present to those in their final agony.
Protect your suppliant servants
from the assaults of demons,
bring with you
all who love you
into the reward of eternal blessedness,
where, with your beloved Son,
Jesus Christ,
you reign happily forever.
Amen.most merciful mothr of god by thomas a kempis - 7 sept 2019

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 6 September – The Christian style

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One Minute Reflection – 6 September – Friday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time Year C, Gospel: Luke 5:33–39

“And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same but yours eat and drink.” … Luke 5:33

REFLECTION – “The accusatory style is the style of those believers who always try to accuse others, who live by accusing and always disqualify others.   A style, I would say, of failed promoters of justice, they are always trying to accuse others.   But they don’t realise that it is the style of the devil – in the Bible the devil is called the “great accuser”, who is always accusing others.
The Lord has offered you the new wine but you have not changed the bottles, you have not changed.   Worldliness is what ruins so many people, so many people!   Good people, but this spirit of vanity, pride, of being seen, enters in…  The Christian style is that of the Beatitudes – meekness, humility, patience in suffering, love for justice, ability to endure persecution, not judging others…  If you want to know what the Christian style is like, so as not to fall into this accusatory style, the worldly style and the selfish style, read the Beatitudes.   The Beatitudes are the new wineskins, they are the way to get there.” … Pope Francis -Santa Marta, 21 January 2019luke 5 33 the disciples of john - new wineskins - the accussatiry style - pope francis 6 sept 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Lord God, You hold out the light of Your Word as our guide and map.   Open our hearts to learn and to become new in holiness.   Strengthen in our hearts the faith You have given us, so that we may glow anew in the fire Your Spirit has kindled within us.   May the prayers of Your holy saints and the love of our blessed Mother, be a help as we seek to live in holiness.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever amen.virin mary queen of all saints no 2 pray for us 6 april 2019.jpg

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, franciscan OFM, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY GHOST

Our Morning Offering – 6 September – Holy Spirit, Fire of Love

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Our Morning Offering – 6 September – Friday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time, Year C

Holy Spirit, Fire of Love
By St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
Doctor of the Church

Holy Spirit,
fire of love,
come rest over each of us,
make our tongue ready
to confess our sins,
that in revealing everything
and concealing nothing,
we may attain heavenly life
to sing eternal praise
with the angels.
With your help,
You who live
and reign through all ages.
Amenholy spirit fire of love - by st anthony of padua -6 sept 2019.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC Quotes, CONFESSION/PENANCE, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONVERSION, SAINT of the DAY, The WILL of GOD

One Minute Reflection – 5 September – “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

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One Minute Reflection – 5 September – Thursday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 5:1–11 and the Memorial of St Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” ... Luke 5:8

REFLECTION – “This is the first decisive step of Peter along the path of discipleship, of the disciple of Jesus, accusing himself:  ‘I am a sinner.’   This is Peter’s first step and also the first step for each one of us, if you want to go forward in the spiritual life, in the life of Jesus, serving Jesus, following Jesus, must be this, accusing oneself, without accusing oneself you cannot walk in the Christian life.
There are people who go through life talking about others, accusing others and never thinking of their own sins.   And when I go to make my confession, how do I confess? Like a parrot?   ‘I did this, this…’   But are you touched at heart by what you have done? Many times, no.   You go there to put on make-up, to make-yourself up a little bit in order to look beautiful.   But it hasn’t entered completely into your heart, because you haven’t left room, because you are not capable of accusing yourself.   Do I do this?   It’s a good question to get to the heart.
Today, let us ask the Lord for the grace, the grace to find ourselves face-to-face with Him, with this wonder that His presence gives and the grace, to feel that we are sinners but concretely and to say with Peter – ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinner.” … Pope Francis – Santa Marta, 6 September 2018depart from me for i am a sinful man luke 5 8 - this is the first step of peter - pope francis - 5 sept 2019

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, help us to be holy in the way that You have laid out for all of us.   Grant us good Lord, the courage, faith and understanding, to see our own failings and to present ourselves to You for forgiveness, knowing always, that a repentant heart You do not spurn.   May the prayers of St Mother Teresa assist us in using the gifts You have given us, for the Glory of God.   We make our prayer through our Lord, Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever, amen.st-mother-teresa-pray-for-us-5-sept-2017.jpg

 

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 5 September – St Mother Teresa’s Daily Prayer

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Our Morning Offering – 5 September – Thursday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

St Mother Teresa’s Daily Prayer
“Radiating Christ”
By Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

Dear Jesus,
help me to spread Your fragrance
wherever I go.
Flood my soul
with Your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess
my whole being so utterly,
that my life may only be a radiance of Yours.
Shine through me
and be so in me,
that every soul I come in contact with
may feel Your presence in my soul.
Let them look up
and see no longer me
but only Jesus!
Stay with me
and then I shall begin to shine as You shine,
so to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from You,
none of it will be mine.
It will be You,
shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise You
the way You love best,
by shining on those around me.
Let me preach You without preaching,
not by words but by my example,
by the catching force
of the sympathetic influence of what I do,
the evident fullness
of the love my heart bears to You.
Amenradiating christ - bl john henry newman - 9 jan 2018

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 4 September – Raise My Heart

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Our Morning Offering – 4 September – Wednesday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time, Year C

Raise My Heart
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

O my God,
whatever is nearer to me than You,
things of this earth
and things more naturally pleasing to me,
will be sure to interrupt the sight of You,
unless Your grace interfere.
Keep You my eyes,
my ears,
my heart,
from any such miserable tyranny.
Keep my whole being fixed on You.
Let me never lose sight of You
and while I gaze on You,
let my love of You
grow more and more every day.
Amenraise my heart by bl john henry newman 4 sept 2019.jpg

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, SAINT of the DAY, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 September – “What is this word?”

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One Minute Reflection – 3 September – Tuesday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 4:31–37 and the Memorial of St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) – Father & Doctor of the Church

And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word?   For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out.”…Luke 4:36luke 4 36 what is this word for with authority he commands the unclean spirits - 3 sept 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “The power of Jesus confirms the authority of His teaching.   He does not just speak with words but He takes action.   In the Gospel in fact, we see that in His earthly mission, Jesus reveals the love of God both through preaching and through countless gestures of attention and aid to the sick, the needy, children and sinners.
Jesus is our Teacher, powerful in word and deed.   Jesus imparts to us all the light that illuminates the sometimes dark paths of our lives.   He also transmits to us the necessary strength to overcome difficulties, trials and temptations.   Let us consider what a great grace it is for us to have known this God who is so powerful and so good!   A teacher and a friend who shows us the path and takes care of us especially when we are in need.
May the Virgin Mary, the woman of listening, help us to create silence around us and within us, in order to hear, through the din of the messages of the world, the most authoritative word that there is – that of her Son Jesus, who proclaims the meaning of our existence and delivers us from all slavery, even that of the Evil one.”…Pope Francis – Angelus, 28 January 2018jesus-is-our-teacher-pope-francis-4-sept-2018

PRAYER – God our Father, Your rule is a rule of love, Your providence is full of mercy for Your people.   Through the intercession of St Gregory, grant the spirit of wisdom and understanding in Your Word through Your Son Jesus Christ.   Grant that by the light of His Resurrection we may know our eternal home and strive to attain eternal joy there with You.   Through Jesus Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.st-pope-gregory-the-great-pray-for-us-3-sept-2017

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 3 September – St Gregory the Great – Acclaim To The Suffering Christ

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Our Morning Offering – 3 September – Tuesday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) – Father & Doctor of the Church

Acclaim To The Suffering Christ
By St Pope Gregory the Great (540-604)
Father & Doctor of the Church

O Lord, You received affronts
without number from Your blasphemers,
yet each day You free captive souls
from the grip of the ancient enemy.

You did not avert Your face
from the spittle of perfidy,
yet You wash souls in saving waters.

You accepted Your scourging without murmur,
yet through Your meditation
You deliver us from endless chastisements.

You endured ill-treatment of all kinds,
yet You want to give us a share
in the choirs of angels in glory everlasting.

You did not refuse to be crowned with thorns,
yet You save us from the wounds of sin.

In your thirst You accepted the bitterness of gall,
yet You prepare Yourself to fill us with eternal delights.

You kept silence under the derisive homage
rendered You by Your executioners,
yet You petition the Father for us
although You are his equal in Divinity.

You came to taste death,
yet You were the Life
and had come to bring it to the dead.
Amenacclaim to the suffering christ by st pope gregory the great 3 sept 2019 his memorial

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, The PASSION

One Minute Reflection – 2 September – Today this scripture has been fulfilled

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One Minute Reflection – 2 September – Monday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Luke 4:16–30

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.   He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free…  Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”... Luke 4:18,21

REFLECTION – “The ‘today’, proclaimed by Christ that day, applies to every age, it echoes for us too in this Square, reminding us of the relevance and necessity of the salvation Jesus brought to humanity.   God comes to meet the men and women of all times and places, in their real life situations.   He also comes to meet us.   It is always He who takes the first step, He comes to visit us with His mercy, to lift us up from the dust of our sin. He comes to extend a hand to us in order to enable us to return from the abyss into which our pride made us fall and He invites us, to receive the comforting truth of the Gospel and to walk on the paths of good.   He always comes to find us, to look for us.

Let us return to the synagogue.   Surely that day, in the synagogue of Nazareth, Mary, His Mother, was also there.   We can imagine her heart beating, a small foreboding of what she will suffer under the Cross, seeing Jesus, there in the synagogue, first admired, then challenged, then insulted, threatened with death.   In her heart, filled with faith, she kept everything.   May she help us to convert from a god of miracles to the miracle of God, who is Jesus Christ.” … Pope Francis, 31 January 2016 Angelus, St Peter’s Squareluke 4 18 21 today the spirit of the lord is upon me - the today proclaimed by christ - pope francis 2 sept 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Almighty God and Father, open our eyes to see the coming of Your Son, to recognise Him in His Word, to hear His voice as He calls each one of us.   Christ be near at either hand!   Grant that by the prayers of His Mother, we may hear and follow Your Son and never be among those who wish to throw Him out.   Through Christ our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.hail mary pray for us - 28 sept 2018.jpg

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The SIGN of the CROSS

Our Morning Offering – 2 September – Prayer to our Lady of Sorrows

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Our Morning Offering – 2 September – Monday of the Twenty-second week in Ordinary Time, Year C ‘Month of Our Lady of Sorrows’

Prayer to our Lady of Sorrows
By St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Doctor of the Church

O most holy Virgin,
Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by the overwhelming grief you experienced
when you witnessed the martyrdom,
the crucifixion
and the death, of your divine Son,
look upon me with eyes of compassion
and awaken in my heart a tender
commiseration for those sufferings,
as well as a sincere detestation
of my sins, in order that,
being disengaged from all undue affection
for the passing joys of this earth,
I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem
and that henceforward all my thoughts
and all my actions may be directed
towards this one most desirable object,
the honour, glory and love
to our divine Lord Jesus,
and to the you,
the Holy and Immaculate
Mother of God.
Amenprayer-to-our-lady-of-sorrows-st-bonaventure-1-sept-2018.jpg

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES of the SAINTS, QUOTES on HUMILITY, QUOTES on OBEDIENCE, SAINT of the DAY

One Minute Reflection – 1 September -Always descend

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One Minute Reflection – 1 September – Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C,Gospel: Luke 14:7–14 and the Memorial of St Fiacre (Died 670)

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” … Luke 14:11for everyone who exalts himself - luke 14 11 1 sept 2019.jpg

REFLECTION – “[Christ:] See [My] devotion to men and consider what your own should be.   See that humility for man’s good and learn to humble yourself to do good…  to make yourself small to win others, not to fear to go lower or lose your rights when it is a matter of doing good, not to believe that in descending you make yourself powerless to do good.   To the contrary, by descending you imitate Me, by descending you make use of the same means, for the love of humankind, that I Myself employed, by descending you walk in My way and, therefore, in the truth and you are in the best place to lay hold of life and give it to others…  By my incarnation I place Myself on a level with creatures, by My baptism …on that of sinners, descent, humility…  Always descend, always humble yourself.

Let those who are first always stand in the last place, through humility and in disposition of spirit, with an attitude of descent and service.   Love of men, humility, the last place, in the last place, so long as the divine will does not call you to another, since then you must obey.   Obedience before all else, conformity to God’s will.   In the first place, be spiritually in the last, through humility, occupy it in the spirit of service, telling yourself, that you are only there, to serve others and lead them to salvation.” … Blessed Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916) – Hermit and Missionary in the Sahara – Retreat, Holy Land, Lent 1898in the first place be spiritually in the last - bl charles foucauld 1 sept 2019.jpg

PRAYER – Lord God, teach us by Your Grace, lead us by Your Hand and turn our hearts to love.   Your Son took the last place and became the servant of all.   By our obedience, may we grow in humility and follow in His way.   May the prayers of St Fiacre help us on our way.   We make our prayer through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.st fiacre pray for us 1 sept 2019.jpg

Posted in Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Our Morning Offering – 1 September – O Heavenly Father by Blessed Marmion

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Our Morning Offering – 1 September – Twenty second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

O Heavenly Father
Prayer after Holy Communion
By Blessed Abbot Columba Marmion OSB (1858-1923)

O heavenly Father,
I abide in Your Son Jesus
and He abides in me.
Your Son, proceeding from You,
receives the communication
of Your divine life in its fullness.
I have received Your Son with faith,
faith tells me at this moment,
I am with Him
and since I share in His life,
behold me in Him,
through Him,
with Him,
as the Son
in Whom
You are well-pleased!
Ameno heavenly father by al abbott marmion prayer after holy comm 1 sept 2019.jpg

Posted in ONE Minute REFLECTION, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 31 August – ‘..A steward of Providence’

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One Minute Reflection – 31 August – Saturday of the Twenty-first week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 25:14–30

“For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property….”…Matthew 25:14

REFLECTION – “The universal destination and the private ownership of goods – In the beginning God entrusted the earth and its resources to the common stewardship of mankind to take care of them, master them by labour and enjoy their fruits (Gn 1:26-29). The goods of creation are destined for the whole human race.   However, the earth is divided up among men to assure the security of their lives, endangered by poverty and threatened by violence. the appropriation of property is legitimate for guaranteeing the freedom and dignity of persons and for helping each of them to meet his basic needs and the needs of those in his charge.   It should allow for a natural solidarity to develop between men.   The right to private property… does not do away with the original gift of the earth to the whole of mankind, the universal destination of goods remains primordial, even if the promotion of the common good requires respect for the right to private property and its exercise.
“In his use of things man should regard the external goods he legitimately owns not merely as exclusive to himself but common to others also, in the sense that they can benefit others as well as himself” (Vatican II, GS 69).   The ownership of any property makes its holder a steward of Providence, with the task of making it fruitful and communicating its benefits to others, first of all his family.   Goods of production… oblige their possessors to employ them in ways that will benefit the greatest number.   Those who hold goods for use and consumption should use them with moderation, reserving the better part for guests, for the sick and the poor.”…Catechism of the Catholic Church # 2402-2405matthew-24-14-for-it-will-be-as-when-a-man-going-on-a-journey-the-ownership-of-property-ccc2402-2405-1-sept-2018 and 31 aug 2019

PRAYER – Holy God and Father, help us by Your grace, to remain “good and faithful servants” so that we may use all You have bestowed upon us and left to our care, in the loving care of our neighbour and of Your gifts. May Mary, the Mother of Your divine Son and our Mother, walk at our side and teach us to be true children and users of our talents and Your creation.   May we guard Your world with great wisdom.   Holy Mother pray for us, that we may one day enter “into the joy of our Lord”.   We make our prayer, through Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.holy mary mother of god - pray for us - 13 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, SACRED and IMMACULATE HEARTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 31 August – O Immaculate Heart of Mary

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Our Morning Offering – 31 August – Saturday of the Twenty-first week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the last day of the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

O Immaculate Heart of Mary
Heart of Love and Mercy

O Most Blessed Mother,
heart of love,
heart of mercy,
ever listening, caring, consoling,
hear our prayer.
As your children,
we implore your intercession
with Jesus your Son.
Receive with understanding
and compassion
the petitions we place before you today,
especially those so deep in our heart.
We are comforted in knowing
your heart is ever open
to those who ask for your prayer.
We trust to your gentle care and intercession,
those whom we love
and those who are sick or lonely or hurting.
Help all of us, Holy Mother,
to bear our burdens in this life
until we may share eternal life
and peace with God forever.
Ameno immaculate heart of mary heart of love and mercy 31 august 2019.jpg