Our Prayers for Boston...

May God Bless and keep all of you safe in His Loving hands. 

Our prayers are for ALL of you. 

Remember, He knows all of our pain.

Your Benedictine Nuns

Divine Mercy Sunday 2013

Happy Easter and a blessed Divine Mercy Sunday!!!

The Collect for this Sunday wraps up the meaning of mercy that is shown by God.

God of mercy,

you wash away our sins in water,

you give us a new birth in the Spirit,

and redeem us in the blood of Christ.

As we celebrate Christ’s resurrection,

increase our awareness of these blessings,

and renew your gift of life within us.

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.

Cardinals Gather in Conclave, Church Gathers in Prayer, Come Holy Spirit - International - Catholic Online

"O Lord Jesus Christ, Supreme Pastor of Your Church, we thank you for the ministry of Pope Benedict XVI and the selfless care with which he has led us as Successor of Peter, and Your Vicar on earth. Good Shepherd, Who founded Your Church on the rock of Peter's faith and have never left Your flock untended, look with love upon us now, and sustain Your Church in faith, hope, and charity. Grant, Lord Jesus, in Your boundless love for us, a new Pope for Your Church who will please You by his holiness and lead us faithfully to You, who are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen."


For more information follow this link:

Cardinals Gather in Conclave, Church Gathers in Prayer, Come Holy Spirit - International - Catholic Online

Prayers for our Leaders

God our Father, 

You guide everything in wisdom and love.

Accept the prayers we offer for our nation.

In your goodness,

watch over those in authority

so that people everywhere

may enjoy freedom, security and peace.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

I beseech You, most sweet Lord Jesus

I beseech You,

most sweet Lord Jesus,

let Your Passion be to me strength,

to guard me,

protect me,

and defend me;

Your wounds my meat and drink,

to feed me,

inebriate me,

and delight me;

the sprinkling of Your Blood on me

the cleansing away of all faults;

and Your Death my everlasting glory. 

In these be my food,

my rejoicing,

my health,

the sweetness of my heart. 

Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Amen.

Behold, O good and most sweet Jesus

Behold, o good and most sweet Jesus,

I fall upon my knees before You,

and with most fervent desire

beg and beseech You

that You would impress upon my heart

a lively sense of faith,

hope and charity,

true repentance for my sins,

and a firm resolve to make amends. 

And with deep affection and grief,

I reflect upon Your five wounds,

having before my eyes

that which Your prophet David

spoke about You, O good Jesus

They have pierced my hands and feet,

they have counted all my bones.

Amen.

A Prayer for All Souls

O God, who willed that your Only Begotten Son,
having conquered death,
should pass over into the realm of heaven,
grant, we pray, to your departed servants
that, with the mortality of this life overcome,
they may gaze eternally on you,
the Creator and Redeemer.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity ofthe Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Source:  The Roman Missal, Third Mass Option for All Souls Day

Prayers for Hurricane Season



Prayer for Protection from a Hurricane

O God, Master of this passing world,
hear the humble voices of your children. 
The Sea of Galilee obeyed your order
and returned to its former quietude;
you are still the Master of land and sea. 
We live in the shadow of a danger
over which we have no control. 
The Gulf, like a provoked and angry giant,
can awake from its seeming lethargy,
overstep its conventional boundaries,
invade our land and spread chaos and disaster. 
During this hurricane season,
we turn to You, O loving Father. 
Spare us from past tragedies
whose memories are still so vivid
and whose wounds seem to refuse to heal
with the passing of time. 
O Virgin, Star of the Sea,
Our Beloved Mother,
we ask you to plead with your Son in our behalf,
so that spared from the calamities common to this area
and animated with a true spirit of gratitude,
we will walk in the footsteps of your Divine Son
to reach the heavenly Jerusalem
where a storm-less eternity awaits us.
Amen. 

(Originally dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Audrey in 1957.  - Fr. Al Volpe, Cameron Parish, LA)


Prayer for Protection against Storms and Hurricanes

Our Father in Heaven
through the intercession of Our Lady of Prompt Succor,
spare us during this Hurricane season from all harm. 
Protect us and our homes from all disasters of nature. 
Our Lady of Prompt Succor,
hasten to help us.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.  


Prayer to Avert Storms and Hurricanes 

Father, all the elements of nature obey your command. 
Calm the storms and hurricanes that threaten us
and turn our fear of your power into praise of your goodness. 
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. 
Amen.

Source:  Archdiocese of New Orleans website (www.arch-no.org)

O Mary...

O Mary, Virgin and Most Holy Mother,

behold I have received Your Most Beloved Son,

whom you conceived in your womb,

bore, suckled and bound with the most gentle embraces. 
Behold I humbly and lovingly bring back

and offer to you that very One, 
at whose sight you used to rejoice

and be filled with every delight, 
so that you may bind Him fast with your arms,

love Him with your Heart,

and offer Him to the Most Holy Trinity

as a supreme act of worship,

for the sake of your very honor and glory

and my own necessities

and those of the whole world. 
Therefore I beg you,

most faithful Mother,

by your asking,

obtain for me the pardon of all my sins,

and abundant grace to serve Him every more faithfully,

and at last the final grace, 
so that I might be able to praise Him

with you forever and ever.

Amen.

A Prayer to Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Most loving Savior,

whose Most Sacred Heart was pierced by a lance,

look on this, your servant,

and fill her heart with your love.

Empower her to love those she meets

with the same love you bestow on her.

Help her to be forgetful of self

but ever mindful of You.

Fill her soul

with the sweet food of prayer.

May she ever be

an instrument in your hands

and a compassionate presence

to all those she encounters.

May she be a mirror

of your love to all she meets.

Amen.

Petitions of St. Augustine

Lord, Jesus, let me know myself and know Thee,
And desire nothing save only Thee,
Let me hate myself and love Thee,
Let me do everything for the sake of Thee,
Let me humble myself and exalt Thee,
Let me think nothing except Thee,
Let me die to myself and live in Thee,
Let me accept whatever happens as from Thee.
Let me banish self and follow Thee,
And ever desire to follow Thee.

Let me fly from myself and take refuge in THee.

Let me fear for myself, let me fear Thee,
Let me be willing to obey for the sake of Thee.
Let me cling to sonthing save only to Thee.
And let me be poor because of Thee.

Look upon me, that I may love Thee;
Call me that I may see Thee
And for ever enjoy Thee.  Amen.

in The Prayer Book

In Honor of Our Guardian Angels

Lord of hosts, Thou didst create us in Thy likeness and hast made our souls a living temple of the most Holy Trinity.  Thou hast given us Thy holy angels to assist, protect, and guide us that we may persevere in Thy grace throughout life's journey.  Blessed by Thy Name above all!

Holy angels of God, you are the faithful companions of our earthly exile.  You conduct us on the way of life as the Angel Raphael accompanied young Tobias on his long and perilous journey.  You are ever speaking to our souls and filling our hearts with wholesome thoughts, urging us on to good and warning us against every danger and occasion of sin.

We have not always listed to your voice, but frequently disregarded your admonitions.  Forgive us our failings and neglect in the past, for we promise in the future to obey you willingly and faithfully, to love you sincerely, and to think of you often with reverence and gratitude.

Illustrious angels of God, noble and mighty, you stoop to guard and protect us and daily lavish your loving care anew upon us poor sinners.  You know the value of our souls inthe eyes of God.  Never permit us to forget that our immortal souls were redeemed by the Blood of christ.  May no stain of evil mar their bueauty nor any though of sin rob us of our dignity as children of God.  Above all, keep us from scandal, that we may not beocme an occasion of sin to others and thus destroy the work which Christ has wrought in their souls by His bitter Passion and Death.

O God, who in Thy providence dost vouchsafe to send Thy holy angels to keep watch over us, grant that we may always be defended and shielded by them and rejoice in their fellowship.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

in The Prayer Book

God has created me...

“God has created me to do Him some definite service.

He has committed some work to me

which He has not committed to another.

I have my mission.

I may never know it in this life,

but I shall be told it in the next.

I am a link in a chain,

a bond of connection between persons.
He has not created me for naught.

I shall do good;

I shall do His work.
I shall be an angel of peace,

a preacher of truth in my own place,
while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments.
Therefore, I will trust Him,

whatever I am,

I can never be thrown away.

If I am in sickness,

my sickness may serve Him,

in perplexity,

my perplexity may serve Him.

If I am in sorrow,

my sorrow may serve Him.

He does nothing in vain.

He knows what He is about.

He may take away my friends.

He may throw me among strangers.

He may make me feel desolate,

make my spirits sink,

hide my future from me.

Still, He knows what He is about.”

~ John Henry Newman

Universal Prayer

I came across a snippet of this prayer years ago and found it helpful in my spiritual journey in trusting in God more and more.  Recently, I can across its full version and was delightfully surprised and inspired by the riches it contains.  We hope you find this prayer, attributed to Pope Clement XI, to be as inspiring...

Lord, I believe in you: increase my faith.
I trust in you: strengthen my trust.
I love you: let me love you more and more.
I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.

I worship you as my first beginning,
I long for you as my last end,
I praise you as my constant helper,
And call on you as my loving protector.

Guide me by your wisdom,
Correct me with your justice,
Comfort me with your mercy,
Protect me with your power.

I offer you, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on you;
My words: to have you for their theme;
My actions: to reflect my love for you;
My sufferings: to be endured for your greater glory.

I want to do what you ask of me:
In the way you ask,
For as long as you ask,
Because you ask it.

Lord, enlighten my understanding,
Strengthen my will,
Purify my heart,
and make me holy.

Help me to repent of my past sins
And to resist temptation in the future.
Help me to rise above my human weaknesses
And to grow stronger as a Christian.

Let me love you, my Lord and my God,
And see myself as I really am:
A pilgrim in this world,
A Christian called to respect and love
All whose lives I touch,
Those under my authority,
My friends and my enemies.

Help me to conquer anger with gentleness,
Greed by generosity,
Apathy by fervor.

Help me to forget myself
And reach out toward others.

Make me prudent in planning,
Courageous in taking risks.

Make me patient in suffering,

unassuming in prosperity.

Keep me, Lord, attentive at prayer,
Temperate in food and drink,
Diligent in my work,
Firm in my good intentions.

Let my conscience be clear,
My conduct without fault,
My speech blameless,
My life well-ordered.

Put me on guard against my human weaknesses.
Let me cherish your love for me,
Keep your law,
And come at last to your salvation.

Teach me to realize that this world is passing,
That my true future is the happiness of heaven,
That life on earth is short,
And the life to come eternal.

Help me to prepare for death
With a proper fear of judgment,
But a greater trust in your goodness.
Lead me safely through death
To the endless joy of heaven.

Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Litany of Humility

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...

From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

Golden Arrow

May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable,
most incomprehensible and ineffable Name of God
be forever praised, blessed, loved, adored
and glorified in Heaven, on earth,
and under the earth,
by all the creatures of God,
and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Amen.

A Prayer for Christ's Mercy

O Lord,
show Your mercy to me
and gladden my heart.
I am like the man
on the way to Jericho
who was overtaken by robbers,
wounded and left for dead.
O Good Samaritan,
come to my aid.
I am like the sheep that went astray.
O Good Shepherd,
seek me out and bring me home
in accord with Your will.
Let me dwell in Your house
all the days of my life
and praise You for ever and ever
with those who are there.
Amen.

~ attributed to Saint Jerome

"Behold, I stand at the gate, and knock..."

"Behold, I stand at the gate, and knock."

(Rev. 3.20)

O most loving shepherd,

who, not satisfied with sacrificing

Yourself once to death on the altar of the cross

for the love of Your sheep,

has moreover been pleased to hide Yourself

in this divine Sacrament on the altars of our churches,

to be always near,

and to knock at the doors of our hearts,

and thus obtain Your admission!"

~ St. Alphonsus Liguori

Prayer to St. James the Greater

O Glorious St. James,

because of your fervor and generosity

Jesus chose you to witness his glory on the Mount

and his agony in the Garden.

Obtain for us strength and consolation

in the unending struggles of this life.

Help us to follow Christ constantly and generously,

to be victors over all our difficulties,

and to receive the crown of glory in heaven.

Amen.

O eterne deus

O Eternal God, now may it please you

to burn in love

so that we become the limbs

fashioned in the love you felt

when you begot your Son

at the first dawn

before all creation.

And consider this need which falls upon us,

take it from us for the sake of your Son,

and lead us to the joy of your salvation.

~Hildegard of Bingen