A Smorgasbord for Everyman

Prayer of a Husband

2010-05-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

Prayer of a Husband

Ruperto Santos

Dear Jesus

I place myself in your presence;

I put my whole life at your disposal.

Before you, I acknowledge

my shortcomings and failures.

I shed my pretenses and excuses.

You know what it means

to be part of a family

for you lived among us,

sharing the joys and trials

of a home built on the love

of a father and a mother,

and reflected in hte life

of an obedient and dutiful son.

Today my Lord with your blessing and guidance,

I consecrate my commitment

to build my family

in the image of your own Holy Family in Nazareth.

I renew my marital commitment to the mother of my children.

I promise to serve her to my utmost;

to cherish and not to forsake her;

to be faithful and not to neglect her;

to forgive and not to bear a grudge against her;

to protect and not to hurt her;

and to love her till my last breath.

With your grace, I also renew my commitment to my children.

I will cherish them as gifts from teh Father:

provide for their needs:

nourish their bodies, minds, and spirits;

give them my time as well as my treasures;

build for them a home of love and peace;

set them on the path of holiness

and grace,

raising them as worthy children of God

heirs of the kingdom to which they belong.

For these, dear Lord,

I humbly seek your blessing.

Guide me through this life

and strengthen me against temptation.

Grant me health of mind and body

that I may live long for the sake

of my wife and children

May I continue to dedicate my life

in your service and theirs.

Come into our family and be part of it.

Make our house your home.

Keep us together, live among us,,

and remain always with us dear Lord.

Amen

Prayer of a Husband

A Dark Night of the Soul

2010-05-04T22:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord, you know I don’t want to grumble. I don’t want to complain. I try not to. I try not to think there’s no hope for me. I’m trying to count on you. I try so hard to cling on the reality that you are faithful even if I feel so worse every single day. However, today is different. It seems like all my courage has dried up and I am in a desert where I can cling on nothing and where I can call nobody. I am very thirsty but I don’t know what can quench this thirst. You don’t allow me to fill this extreme nothingness with anything. I have literally nothing, nobody, or anyone to be with. You don’t allow any kind of comfort of any sort. It is just me. How will I live now when the reason that puts me to sleep and makes me excited to be awake each day is nothing but a fantasy – an imagination? What is there to be excited about life? What is there to live for?

I have nothing else but this pain… I don’t think I can handle another failure. I am but a failure, Lord. I don’t think I can take another blow. It’s like you’re cutting all my attachments and I’m not rooted anywhere. And I don’t know where this will lead me… I just don’t know what to do now.

You can do whatever you want with me, Lord. You have such liberty! I do not want to be angry with you for I have no reason. I have no right. How can this nothing turn to you and be asking you to fill her? I have nothing else to do but to cling to you because I have no one, nobody, nothing. May be if I have everything, I would never run to you. It is because I am nothing that I turn to you. I have turned to nothing. How can I boast of anything now? I am just a speck of dust easily drifted away and forever gone! How can you take such a special attention on this insignificant speck of dust when no one else does? I don’t know what is there in me that you go right after me? My nothingness? Is that what you want? Even if I don’t see you, even if I feel that you are not there and feel that you have deserted me, I can sense you are looking after what I’ve become each second, each minute, each hour as if just looking at me battling and groping gives you pleasure. It seems like you are watching me make my first few awkward steps… it aches you to see me in pain but I have to learn how to stand.. I have to learn how to walk. Even if I may stumble, you risk this because you want something done in me… Oh, how you love me! How great you love me Lord. Even if I fail so many times and even if you hear me say hurting words, you still take those words and believe in the good that you want to be done in me. Realizing this gives me courage to bear all of this for another hour…

A Touching Story About Marriage

2010-05-02T23:06:00.001-07:00

I hope you'll be touched with this story... Read along...

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and
said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly.
Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know
what I was thinking. I want a divorce.. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly,
why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the
chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't
talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what
had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory
answer; she had lost my heart to Dew. I didn't love her anymore. I just
pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated
that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.

She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent
ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for
her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I
had said for I loved Dew so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of
me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a
kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several
weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something
at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell
asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not
care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want
anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce.

She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a
life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a
month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken
marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to
recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of
our bedroom to the front door ever morning.. I thought she was going
crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd
request.

I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions.. . She laughed loudly and
thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to
face the divorce, she said scornfully..

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was
explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we
both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy
in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to
the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in
my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about
the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside
the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the
office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my
chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I
hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time.. I realized she
was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair
was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I
wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy
returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was
growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry
her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me
stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few
dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my
dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so
thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her
heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out.
To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an
essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer
and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I
might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms,
walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her
hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly;
it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held
her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I
held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked
intimacy.

I drove to office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the
door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked
upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not
want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead.. Do you have
a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I
won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I
didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each
other any more. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on
our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed
the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my
wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and
wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I
run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead.

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a
relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the
bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot
give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend
and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a
real happy marriage!

If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you.

If you do, you just might save a marriage.

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they
were to success when they gave up.

Daily Reflections

2010-05-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

You might find these words I have jotted down helpful and inspiring as you face the many challenges of every day.

God-love needs to give himself and finds his joy in this - a joy according to the measure of his giving. How great then will be God's joy when he finds a soul that leaves him entirely free and in whom he can pour out his love as much as he wants to. Fr. Marie Eugene Grialou

Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed. Each is loved. Each is necessary.

St Paul says, "God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and he will show pity to whom he will show pity. So then there is question not of him who wills nor of him who runs, but of God showing mercy. "

Prayer for the One Who is Suffering

2010-05-02T20:34:00.000-07:00

Prayer for the One Who is Suffering

As inspired by the Little Therese of the Child Jesus

My Heavenly Father,

I do not understand why I have to go through all of these discouragement, failures, pain, betrayals and struggles. Part of me wants to question why you have to have me go through each of these struggles one after another. Some part of me wants to doubt your love and some part of me wants be angry with you since it seems like you are so far away just when I need you most.

However, I stand firm in my faith in you because you are a just and faithful God. Your faithfulness knows no bounds and limits. Deep within me I know that you long for my soul to mature in the crucible of exterior and interior trials. Like a "little flower, I am strengthened by the storm and I can say the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie in green pastures. I shall not want. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. Even though I walk through the valley of death, I fear no harm for you are at my side."

O Loving Father, I trust that you are All Mighty and all be well as you have prepared the way for me. I have no doubts and I cast all my burdens at the foot of your cross. I am also comforted with the thought that with every difficulty, you give me enough courage to overcome it. In every pain, I am united with you. I just need to accept my weaknesses and my failures; for with my nothingness you shall lift me up as though I am the most beautiful thing in the world. You are a God of love and there's nothing that pleases you but to be entirely free to pour out your love as much as you want to. With this, I believe in you more and more. My faith is tested and refined as the finest gold. I offer myself to you, my heavenly father. I trust in your love for me.

Prayer for the One Who is Suffering

Prayer to St. Joseph, the Worker

2010-04-30T19:41:00.001-07:00

Prayer to St. Joseph, the Worker

Day One

FOSTER-FATHER OF JESUS

Saint Joseph, you were privileged to share in the mystery of the

Incarnation as the foster-father of Jesus.Mary alone was

directly connected with the fulfillment of the mystery, in

that she gave her consent to Christ's conception and

allowed the Holy Spirit to form the sacred humanity

of Jesus from her blood. You had a part in

this mystery in an indirect manner, by fulfilling the

condition necessary for the Incarnation -- the

protection of Mary's virginity before and

during your married life with her. You made the

virginal marriage possible, and this was a part of

God's plan, foreseen, willed, and decreed

from all eternity. In a more direct manner you

shared in the support, upbringing,

and protection of the Divine Child as His

foster-father. For this purpose the

Heavenly Father gave you a genuine heart of a

father -- a heart full of love

and self-sacrifice. With the toil of your hands

you were obliged to offer protection

to the Divine Child, to procure for Him food,

clothing, and a home. You were

truly the saint of the holy childhood of

Jesus -- the living created providence

which watched over the Christ-Child.

When Herod sought the Child to put Him to

death, the Heavenly Father sent an

angel but only as a messenger, giving orders

for the flight; the rest He left

entirely in your hands. It was that fatherly love

which was the only refuge that

received and protected the Divine Child. Your

fatherly love carried Him

through the desert into Egypt until all enemies

were removed. Then on your

arms the Child returned to Nazareth to be

nourished and provided for during

many years by the labor of your hands. Whatever a

human son owes to a

human father for all the benefits of his up-bringing

and support, Jesus owed

to you, because you were to Him a foster-father,

teacher, and protector.

You served the Divine Child with a singular love.

God gave you a heart filled

with heavenly, supernatural love -- a love far deeper

and more powerful than

any natural father's love could be.

You served the Divine Child with great unselfishness,

without any regard to

self-interest, but not without sacrifices. You did not toil

for yourself, but you

seemed to be an instrument intended for the benefit of

others, to be put aside

as soon as it had done its word, for you disappeared

from the scene once the childhood of Jesus had passed.

You were the shadow of the Heavenly Father not only

as the earthly

representative of the authority of the Father, but also by

means of your

fatherhood -- which only appeared to be natural -- you were

to hide for a while

the divinity of Jesus. What a wonderfully sublime and divine

vocation was yours --

the loving Child which you carried in your arms, and loved

and served so faithfully, had God in Heaven as Father

and was Himself God!

Yours is a very special rank among the saints of the

Kingdom of God, because

you were so much a part of the very life of the Word of

God made Man. In your

house at Nazareth and under your care the redemption

of mankind was prepared. What you accomplished,

you did for us. You are not only a powerful

and great saint in the Kingdom of God, but a

benefactor of the whole of

Christendom and mankind. Your rank in the Kingdom

of God, surpassing

far in dignity and honor of all the angels, deserves

our very special

veneration, love, and gratitude.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of

having been chosen by

God to be the foster-father of His Divine Son.

As a token of your

own gratitude to God for this your greatest privilege,

obtain for me the

grace of a very devoted love for Jesus Christ, my

God and my Savior.

Help me to serve Him with some of the

self-sacrificing love and

devotion which you had while on this earth with Him.

Grant that

through your intercession with Jesus, your foster-Son,

I may reach

the degree of holiness God has destined for me, and

save my soul.

*NOVENA PRAYER

Second Day

VIRGINAL HUSBAND OF MARY

Saint Joseph, I honor you as the true husband of Mary.

Scripture says:

"Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary, and of her

was born Jesus who is called Christ"

(Matt. 1:16). Your marriage to Mary was

a sacred contract by which you and Mary gave

yourselves to each

other. Mary really belonged to you with all she

was and had. You had

a right to her love and obedience; and no other

person so won her

esteem, obedience, and love.

You were also the protector and witness of

Mary's virginity . By your

marriage you gave to each other your virginity,

and also the mutual right

over it -- a right to safeguard the other's virtue.

This mutual virginity also

belonged to the divine plan of the Incarnation, for

God sent His angel

to assure you that motherhood and virginity in

Mary could be united.

This union of marriage not only brought you into

daily familiar

association with Mary, the loveliest of God's creatures, but also

enabled you to share with her a mutual exchange of spiritual goods .

And Mary found her edification in your calm, humble, and deep

virtue, purity, and sanctity. What a great honor comes to you

from this close union with her whom the Son of God calls

Mother and whom He declared the Queen of heaven and earth!

Whatever Mary had belonged by right to you also, and this

included her Son, even though He had been given to her

by God in a wonderful way. Jesus belonged to you as His

legal father. Your marriage was the way which God chose

to have Jesus introduced into the world, a great divine

mystery from which all benefits have come to us.

God the Son confided the guardianship and the support of

His Immaculate Mother to your care . Mary's life was that

of the Mother of the Savior, who did not come upon earth

to enjoy honors and pleasures, but to redeem the world by

hard work, suffering, and the cross. You were the faithful

companion, support, and comforter of the Mother of Sorrows.

How loyal you were to her in poverty, journeying, work, and

pain. Your love for Mary was based upon your esteem for

her as Mother of God. After God and the Divine Child, you

loved no one as much as her. Mary responded to this love.

She submitted to your guidance with naturalness and easy

grace and childlike confidence. The Holy Spirit Himself

was the bond of the great love which united your hearts.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of being the virginal

husband of Mary. As a token of your own gratitude to God,

obtain for me the grace to love Jesus with all my heart, as

you did, and love Mary with some of the tenderness and

loyalty with which you loved her.

*NOVENA PRAYER

Third Day

MAN CHOSEN BY THE BLESSED TRINITY

Saint Joseph, you were the man chosen by God the Father. He

selected you to be His representative on earth, hence He granted

you all the graces and blessings you needed to be His worthy

representative.

You were the man chosen by God the Son . Desirous of a worthy

foster-father, He added His own riches and gifts, and above all,

His love. The true measure of your sanctity is to be judged by

your imitation of Jesus. You were entirely consecrated to Jesus,

working always near Him, offering Him your virtues, your work,

your sufferings, your very life. Jesus lived in you perfectly so

that you were transformed into Him. In this lies your special

glory, and the keynote of your sanctity. Hence, after Mary,

you are the holiest of the saints.

You were chosen by the Holy Spirit . He is the mutual Love of the

Father and the Son -- the heart of the Holy Trinity. In His wisdom

He draws forth all creatures from nothing, guides them to their

end in showing them their destiny and giving them the means

to reach it. Every vocation and every fulfillment of a vocation

proceeds from the Holy Spirit. As a foster-father of Jesus

and head of the Holy Family, you had an exalted and most

responsible vocation -- to open the way for the redemption

of the world and to prepare for it by the education and

guidance of the youth of the God-Man. In this work you

cooperated as the instrument of the Holy Spirit. The

Holy Spirit was the guide; you obeyed and carried out

the works. How perfectly you obeyed the guidance of

the God of Love!

The words of the Old Testament which Pharaoh spoke

concerning Joseph of Egypt can well be applied to you:

"Can we find such another man, that is full of the spirit of

God, or a wise man like to him?" (Gen. 41:38). No less is

your share in the divine work of God than was that of Egypt.

You now reign with your foster-Son and see reflected in the

mirror of God's Wisdom the Divine Will and what is of

benefit to our souls.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for having made you the man

specially chosen by Him. As a token of your own gratitude

to God, obtain for me the grace to imitate your virtues

so that I too may be pleasing to the Heart of God. Help

me to give myself entirely to His service and to the

accomplishment of His Holy Will, that one day I may

reach heaven and be eternally united to God as

you are.

*NOVENA PRAYER

Fourth Day

FAITHFUL SERVANT

Saint Joseph, you lived for one purpose -- to be the personal servant

of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.Your noble birth and ancestry,

the graces and gifts, so generously poured out on you by God -- all this

was yours to serve our Lord better. Every thought, word, and action

of yours was a homage to the love and glory of the Incarnate Word.

You fulfilled most faithfully the role of a good and faithful servant

who cared for the House of God.

How perfect was your obedience! Your position in the Holy Family

obliged you to command, but besides being the foster-father of Jesus,

you were also His disciple. For almost thirty years, you watched the

God-Man display a simple and prompt obedience, and you grew to

love and practice it very perfectly yourself. Without exception you

submitted to God, to the civil rulers, and to the voice of your

conscience.

When God sent an angel to tell you to care for Mary, you obeyed in

spite of the mystery which surrounded her motherhood. When you were

told to flee into Egypt under painful conditions, you obeyed without the

slightest word of complaint. When God advised you in a dream to return

to Nazareth, you obeyed. In every situation your obedience was as simple

as your faith, as humble as your heart, as prompt as your love. It

neglected nothing; it took in every command.

You had the virtue of perfect devotedness , which marks a good

servant. Every moment of your life was consecrated to the service of

our Lord: sleep, rest, work, pain. Faithful to your duties, you sacrificed

everything unselfishly, even cheerfully. You would have sacrificed

even the happiness of being with Mary. The rest and quiet of Nazareth

was sacrificed at the call of duty. Your entire life was one generous

giving, even to the point of being ready to die in proof of your love

for Jesus and Mary. With true unselfish devotedness you worked

without praise or reward.

But God wanted you to be in a certain sense a cooperator in the

Redemption of the world . He confided to you the care of nourishing

and defending the Divine Child. He wanted you to be poor and to

suffer because He destined you to be the foster-father of His Son,

who came into the world to save men by His sufferings and death,

and you were to share in His suffering. In all of these important tasks,

the Heavenly Father always found you a faithful servant!

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of being God's faithful

servant. As a token of your own gratitude to God, obtain for me the

grace to be a faithful servant of God as you were. Help me to share,

as you did, the perfect obedience of Jesus, who came not to do His

Will, but the Will of His Father; to trust in the Providence of God,

knowing that if I do His Will, He will provide for all my needs of

soul and body; to be calm in my trials and to leave it to our Lord

to free me from them when it pleases Him to do so. And help

me to imitate your generosity, for there can be no greater reward

here on earth than the joy and honor of being a faithful servant

of God.

*NOVENA PRAYER

Fifth Day

PATRON OF THE CHURCH

Saint Joseph, God has appointed you patron of the Catholic

Church because you were the head of the Holy Family, the

starting-point of the Church. You were the father, protector,

guide and support of the Holy Family. For that reason you

belong in a particular way to the Church, which was the

purpose of the Holy Family's existence.

I believe that the Church is the family of God on earth.

Its government is represented in priestly authority which

consists above all in its power over the true Body of Christ,

really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, thus

continuing Christ's life in the Church. From this power, too,

comes authority over the Mystical Body of Christ, the

members of the Church -- the power to teach and govern

souls, to reconcile them with God, to bless them, and to

pray for them.

You have a special relationship to the priesthood because

you possessed a wonderful power over our Savior Himself.

Your life and office were of a priestly function and are

especially connected with the Blessed Sacrament.

To some extent you were the means of bringing the

Redeemer to us -- as it is the priest's function to bring

Him to us in the Mass -- for you reared Jesus, supported,

nourished, protected and sheltered Him. You were

prefigured by the patriarch Joseph, who kept supplies

of wheat for his people. But how much greater than

he were you! Joseph of old gave the Egyptians mere

bread for their bodies. You nourished, and with the

most tender care, preserved for the Church Him

who is the Bread of Heaven and who gives eternal

life in Holy Communion.

God has appointed you patron of the Church because

the glorious title of patriarch also falls by special

right to you. The patriarchs were the heads of families

of the Chosen People, and theirs was the honor to

prepare for the Savior's incarnation. You belonged

to this line of patriarchs, for you were one of the last

descendants of the family of David and one of the

nearest forebears of Christ according to the flesh.

As husband of Mary, the Mother of God, and as the

foster-father of the Savior, you were directly connected

with Christ. Your vocation was especially concerned

with the Person of Jesus; your entire activity centered

about Him. You are, therefore, the closing of the Old

Testament and the beginning of the New, which took

its rise with the Holy Family of Nazareth. Because the

New Testament surpasses the Old in every respect,

you are the patriarch of patriarchs, the most venerable,

exalted, and amiable of all the patriarchs.

Through Mary, the Church received Christ, and therefore

the Church is indebted to her. But the Church owes

her debt of gratitude and veneration to you also, for

you were the chosen one who enabled Christ to enter

into the world according to the laws of order and fitness.

It was by you that the patriarchs and the prophets and

the faithful reaped the fruit of God's promise. Alone among

them all, you saw with your own eyes and possessed the

Redeemer promised to the rest of men.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of being the

Patron of the Church. As a token of your own gratitude to

God, obtain for me the grace to live always as a worthy

member of this Church, so that through it I may save my

soul. Bless the priests, the religious, and the laity of the

Catholic Church, that they may ever grow in God's love

and faithfulness in His service. Protect the Church from

the evils of our day and from the persecution of her

enemies. Through your powerful intercession may the

church successfully accomplish its mission in this world

-- the glory of God and the salvation of souls!

*NOVENA PRAYER

Sixth Day

PATRON OF FAMILIES

Saint Joseph, I venerate you as the gentle head of the Holy Family.

The Holy Family was the scene of your life's work in its origin, in its guidance

, in its protection, in your labor for Jesus and Mary, and even in your death

in their arms. You lived, moved, and acted in the loving company of

Jesus and Mary. The inspired writer describes your life at Nazareth

in only a few words: "And (Jesus) went down with them and came to

Nazareth, and was subject to them" (Luke, 2:51). Yet these words

tell of your high vocation here on earth, and the abundance of graces

which filled your soul during those years spent in Nazareth.

Your family life at Nazareth was all radiant with the light of divine

charity. There was an intimate union of heart and mind among the

members of your Holy Family. There could not have been a closer

bond than that uniting you to Jesus, your foster-Son and to Mary,

your most loving wife. Jesus chose to fulfill toward you, His foster

-father, all the duties of a faithful son, showing you every mark of

honor and affection due to a parent. And Mary showed you all the

signs of respect and love of a devoted wife. You responded to

this love and veneration from Jesus and Mary with feelings of

deepest love and respect. You had for Jesus a true fatherly love,

enkindled and kept aglow in your heart by the Holy Spirit.

And you could not cease to admire the workings of grace in

Mary's soul, and this admiration caused the holy love which

you had consecrated to her on the day of your wedding grow

stronger every day.

God has made you a heavenly patron of family life because

you sanctified yourself as head of the Holy Family and thus

by your beautiful example sanctified family life. How peacefully

and happily the Holy Family rested under the care of your fatherly

rule, even in the midst of trials. You were the protector,

counselor, and consolation of the Holy Family in every need.

And just as you were the model of piety, so you gave us by

your zeal, your earnestness and devout trust in God's

providence, and especially by your love, the example of

labor according to the Will of God. You cherished all the

experiences common to family life and the sacred

memories of the life, sufferings, and joys in the

company of Jesus and Mary. Therefore the family is

dear to you as the work of God, and it is of the highest

importance in your eyes to promote the honor of God

and the well-being of man. In your loving fatherliness

and unfailing intercession you are the patron and

intercessor of families, and you deserve a place

in every home.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of

living in the Holy Family and being its head. As a

token of your own gratitude to God, obtain God's

blessing upon my own family. Make our home the

kingdom of Jesus and Mary -- a kingdom of peace,

of joy, and love.

I also pray for all Christian families. Your help is

needed in our day when God's enemy has directed

his attack against the family in order to desecrate

and destroy it. In the face of these evils, as patron

of families, be pleased to help; and as of old, you

arose to save the Child and His Mother, so today

arise to protect the sanctity of the home. Make our

homes sanctuaries of prayer, of love, of patient sacrifice,

and of work. May they be modeled after your own at Nazareth

. Remain with us with Jesus and Mary, so that by your help

we may obey the commandments of God and of the Church

; receive the holy sacraments of God and of the Church;

live a life of prayer; and foster religious instruction in our

homes. Grant that we may be reunited in God's Kingdom

and eternally live in the company of the Holy Family in

heaven.

*NOVENA PRAYER

Seventh Day

PATRON OF WORKERS

Saint Joseph, you devoted your time at Nazareth to the work

of a carpenter. It was the Will of God that you and your foster-Son

should spend your days together in manual labor. What a beautiful

example you set for the working classes!

It was especially for the poor, who compose the greater part of mankind,

that Jesus came upon earth, for in the synagogue of Nazareth, He read

the words of Isaiah and referred them to Himself: "The Spirit of the Lord

is upon me, because He has anointed Me to bring good news to

the poor..." (Luke 4:18). It was God's Will that you should be occupied

with work common to poor people, that in this way Jesus Himself

might ennoble it by inheriting it from you, His foster-father, and by

freely embracing it. Thus our Lord teaches us that for the humbler

class of workmen, He has in store His richest graces, provided

they live content in the place God's Providence has assigned

them, and remain poor in spirit for He said, "Blessed are the

poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3).

The kind of work to which you devoted your time in the workshop

of Nazareth offered you many occasions of practicing humility.

You were privileged to see each day the example of humility

which Jesus practiced -- a virtue most pleasing to Him.

He chose for His earthly surroundings not the courts of

princes nor the halls of the learned, but a little workshop

of Nazareth. Here you shared for many years the humble

and hidden toiling of the God-Man. What a touching

example for the worker of today!

While your hands were occupied with manual work,

your mind was turned to God in prayer. From the Divine

Master, who worked along with you, you learned to

work in the presence of God in the spirit of prayer,

for as He worked He adored His Father and

recommended the welfare of the world to Him,

Jesus also instructed you in the wonderful truths

of grace and virtue, for you were in close contact

with Him who said of Himself, "I am the Way and

the Truth and the Life."

As you were working at your trade, you were reminded

of the greatness and majesty of God, who, as a most

wise Architect, formed this vast universe with wonderful

skill and limitless power.

The light of divine faith that filled your mind, did not

grow dim when you saw Jesus working as a carpenter.

You firmly believed that the saintly Youth working

beside you was truly God's own Son.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of being

able to work side by side with Jesus in the carpenter

shop of Nazareth. As a token of your own gratitude

to God, obtain for me the grace to respect the

dignity of labor and ever to be content with the

position in life, however lowly, in which it may

please Divine Providence to place me. Teach

me to work for God and with God in the spirit

of humility and prayer, as you did, so that I may

offer my toil in union with the sacrifice of Jesus

in the Mass as a reparation for my sins, and

gain rich merit for heaven.

*NOVENA PRAYER

Eighth Day

FRIEND IN SUFFERING

Saint Joseph, your share of suffering was very great because

of your close union with the Divine Savior. All the mysteries

of His life were more or less mysteries of suffering. Poverty

pressed upon you, and the cross of labor followed you

everywhere. Nor were you spared domestic crosses,

owing to misunderstandings in regard to the holiest

and most cherished of all beings, Jesus and Mary,

who were all to you. Keen must have been the

suffering caused by the uncertainty regarding

Mary's virginity; by the bestowal of the name

of Jesus, which pointed to future misfortune.

Deeply painful must have been the prophecy

of Simeon, the flight into Egypt, the

disappearance of Jesus at the Paschal feast.

To these sufferings were surely added interior

sorrow at the sight of the sins of your own

people.

You bore all this suffering in a truly Christ-like

manner, and in this you are our example. No

sound of complaint or impatience escaped you --

you were, indeed, the silent saint! You submitted

to all in the spirit of faith, humility, confidence,

and love. You cheerfully bore all in union with

and for the Savior and His Mother, knowing

well that true love is a crucified love. But God

never forsook you in your trials. The trials, too,

disappeared and were changed at last into

consolation and joy.

It seems that God had purposely intended

your life to be filled with suffering as well as

consolation to keep before my eyes the truth

that my life on earth is but a succession of joys

and sorrows, and that I must gratefully accept

whatever God sends me, and during the time

of consolation prepare for suffering. Teach me

to bear my cross in the spirit of faith, of

confidence, and of gratitude toward God.

In a happy eternity, I shall thank God fervently

for the sufferings which He deigned to send

me during my pilgrimage on earth, and

which after your example I endured with

patience and heartfelt love for Jesus

and Mary.

You were truly the martyr of the hidden life. This was

God's Will, for the holier a person is, the more he

is tried for the love and glory of God. If suffering is

the flowering of God's grace in a soul and the triumph

of the soul's love for God, being the greatest of saints

after Mary, you suffered more than any of the martyrs.

Because you have experienced the sufferings of this

valley of tears, you are most kind and sympathetic toward

those in need. Down through the ages souls have turned

to you in distress and have always found you a faithful friend

in suffering. You have graciously heard their prayers in their

needs even though it demanded a miracle. Having been so

intimately united with Jesus and Mary in life, your intercession

with Them is most powerful.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege of being able to

suffer for Jesus and Mary. As a token of your own gratitude

to God, obtain for me the grace to bear my suffering patiently

for love of Jesus and Mary. Grant that I may unite the sufferings,

works and disappointments of life with the sacrifice of Jesus

in the Mass, and share like you in Mary's spirit of sacrifice.

*NOVENA PRAYER

Ninth Day

PATRON OF A HAPPY DEATH

Saint Joseph, how fitting it was that at the hour of your death Jesus

should stand at your bedside with Mary, the sweetness and hope

of all mankind. You gave your entire life to the service of Jesus

and Mary; at death you enjoyed the consolation of dying in Their

loving arms. You accepted death in the spirit of loving submission

to the Will of God, and this acceptance crowned your hidden life

of virtue. Yours was a merciful judgment, for your foster-Son, for

whom you had cared so lovingly, was your Judge, and Mary

was your advocate. The verdict of the Judge was a word of

encouragement to wait for His coming to Limbo, where He

would shower you with the choicest fruits of the Redemption,

and an embrace of grateful affection before you breathed

forth your soul into eternity.

You looked into eternity and to your everlasting reward with confidence.

If our Savior blessed the shepherds, the Magi, Simeon, John the Baptist,

and others, because they greeted His presence with devoted hearts

for a brief passing hour, how much more did He bless you who have

sanctified yourself for so many years in His company and that of

His Mother? If Jesus regards every corporal and spiritual work of

mercy, performed in behalf of our fellow men out of love for Him,

as done to Himself, and promises heaven as a reward, what

must have been the extent of His gratitude to you who in the

truest sense of the word have received Him, given Him

shelter, clothed, nourished, and consoled Him at the

sacrifice of your strength and rest, and even your life,

with a love which surpassed the love of all fathers.

God really and personally made Himself your debtor.

Our Divine Savior paid that debt of gratitude by granting

you many graces in your lifetime, especially the grace

of growing in love, which is the best and most perfect

of all gifts. Thus at the end of your life your heart

became filled with love, the fervor and longing of

which your frail body could not resist. Your soul

followed the triumphant impulse of your love

and winged its flight from earth to bear the

prophets and patriarchs in Limbo the

glad tidings of the advent of the

Redeemer.

Saint Joseph, I thank God for your privilege

of being able to die in the arms of Jesus and

Mary. As a token of your own gratitude to

God, obtain for me the grace of a happy

death. Help me to spend each day in

preparation for death. May I, too,

accept death in the spirit of resignation

to God's Holy Will, and die, as you did,

in the arms of Jesus, strengthened by

Holy Viaticum, and in the arms of Mary,

with her rosary in my hand and her

name on my lips!

Novena to
St. Joseph

*NOVENA PRAYER
*(prayer to be said at the end of each day's devotion)

Saint Joseph, I, your unworthy child, greet you. You are the

faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate

you. You know that I have special confidence in you and that,

after Jesus and Mary, I place all my hope of salvation in you,

for you are especially powerful with God and will never abandon

your faithful servants. Therefore I humbly invoke you and commend

myself, with all who are dear to me and all that belong to me, to

your intercession. I beg of you, by your love for Jesus and Mary,

not to abandon me during life and to assist me at the hour

of my death.

Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin,

obtain for me a pure, humble, charitable mind, and perfect

resignation to the divine Will. Be my guide, my father, and

my model through life that I may merit to die as you did in

the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, I

raise my heart to you to implore your powerful intercession

in obtaining from the Divine Heart of Jesus all the graces

necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare,

particularly the grace of a happy death, and the

special grace I now implore:

(Mention your request).

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel confident that your

prayers in my behalf will be graciously heard before

the throne of God. Amen.

MEMORARE
Remember, most pure spouse of Mary, ever Virgin, my

loving protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse

to your protection or asked for your aid without obtaining

relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come

before you and humbly implore you. Despise not my

petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer, but

graciously receive them. Amen.

Prayer to St. Joseph, the Worker

A Night Prayer

2010-04-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

A Night Prayer

O My God and Creator, I firmly believe in Your infinite goodness and mercy. I adore you with all my love. I must humbly offer, for your greater honor and glory, all the good works I have done this day.

Bestow on us your holy protection tonight and grant us a restful sleep so that we may wake up refreshed with new vigor to cope with our duties and responsibilities.

For all the blessings bestowed upon me this day, my food and drink, my health and welfar, I thank you for them all. O heavenly father through Jesus Christ, Your son, your Lord, Amen.

A Night Prayer

Morning Prayer

2010-04-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

Morning Prayer

Most Holy and adorable Trinity, one God in three Persons, I firmly believe that You are here present; I adore you with the most profound humility. I praise You and give You thanks with all my heart for the favors You have bestowed on me. Your goodness has brought me safely to the beginning of this day. Behold, O Lord, I offer my whole being and in particular all my thoughts, words, and actions, together with such crosses and contradictions as I may meet with in the course of this day. Give them O Lord, Your blessing; may Your divine Love animate them and may they tend to the greater honor and glory of Your Sovereign Majesty. Amen.

Morning Prayer

Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

2010-04-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Frances J. Spellman, D.D.

Archbishop, New York

O Lord, I pray that in my home, peace, quiet and well being may prevail under the shadow of Your holy mantle. Bless and protect, O lord, my endeavors, my enterprises, and all those who depend on me and everything that I long for and desire. Banish from my mind and my heart false ideas and evil sentiments. Infuse in me a love of my neighbor and grant me the means to help him. Give me resignation and fortitude of spirit in time of adversity, so that I may rise above the contradictions of life. Guide and protect, O Lord, my own who are exposed to the dangers and contingencies of the world. Do not forget, O my Jesus, our loved ones with whom we were united in life and whose departure from this earth caused us sorrow, at the same time consoled by the thought that, because they remained faithful to You, You did not abandon them at the hour of death. Have pity on them, O Lord, and bring them to their eternal glory in heaven. Amen.

Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Prayer for Enlightenment

2010-04-30T19:21:00.001-07:00

Prayer for Enlightenment

Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of thy faithful

and enkindle in them the fire of thy love.

Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created.

And thou shall renew the face of the earth

Let us Pray

O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit has taught the hearts of the faithful, grant us by the help of the

same Holy Spirit to be always truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation; through Christ Our Lord. Amen

Prayer for One who's Losing Hope

2010-04-20T20:39:00.000-07:00

Prayer for One who's Losing Hope

Loving Father,

I lift up to you all that has been and all there is to be. I can never tell what lies ahead no matter how I try. Oh, dear God, please lead the way. You know my plans, my hopes, and dreams. You know my frustrations and my disappointments. You also know the plans that didn't work or my dreams that are just too good to be true. You know that I'm losing hope, but please be with me in this most difficult time. You are God All Mighty and I know that your plans for me are far greater than I can think of. Please Lord, do not forsake me. I humbly ask your assistance. Help me to never lose sight of you especially in times of difficulties. I ask this in the mighty name of Jesus.

Father,

You know how difficult it is to remain hopeful in each day. As I wake up each morning, the harder things have become and it just takes all my strength to even get up and face the day. Sometimes it is harder to keep my gaze in you and believe that all will be well. Oh Lord, every minute just becomes more difficult to bear. I feel lost and so tired of trying. But you have said that all that I have to do is to lift my little foot and take my first step while you take care of the rest. You also have said that in every challenge, you give me the grace and the courage to endure. At this time Father, I need you! Please be with me. Please hear my pleas. Please hear my prayer. I believe that you are God All Mighty and nothing is impossible in your name. You only have to will it Lord and if this I ask brings good for my soul then please grant it to this little one who is blindly hoping for your mercy.

Luke 7:50 Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious upon thee:

The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace (Numbers 6:23-27)

You shall cross the barren desert, but you shall not die of thirst.

You shall wander far in safety though you do not know the way.

You shall speak your words in foreign lands and all will understand.

You shall see the face of God and Live

Be not afraid

I go before you always

Come follow me,

and i will give you rest.

Be not afraid, neither be dismayed

for the Lord God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

Prayer for One who's Losing Hope

God of the Valley

2010-02-23T01:00:00.001-08:00

The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, "This is what the Lord says: 'Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord'." ~ 1 Kings 20:28

Whenever we stand on the mountain, we are able to see clearly. It is the best vantage point to see what lies ahead. Wouldn't it be great to live on the mountain all the time in order to anticipate what is ahead? God allows us to experience the mountaintop at times. Joseph's first mountaintop experience was as a young man. He had the favor of his father, Jacob. He was given a fine coat and even had a dream about his future. As a young man, Joseph had a sense of destiny about his life. God often gives us a picture of our future so that we will remember this picture when we are being tested to trust Him in the valley. This picture usually does not reveal how God intends to bring about the visions for our life.

However, none of us really derive the character qualities God desires for our lives while we are on the mountain. It is in the valley where the fruit is planted and harvested. It cannot grow on the mountain; it must grow in the valley. God is a God of the mountain, but he is even more a God of the valley. In the valley, it is more difficult to see ahead; the clouds often cover the valley and limit our sight. Joseph was thrust into a deep valley that left him wondering if the God of his father had forsaken him. Jesus hoped that He might be able to avoid the valley that caused Him to sweat blood. There is a valley that each of us must enter, usually unwillingly, in order to experience the God of the valley-and to experience His faithfulness in the valley. Once we have spent time in this valley, we come out with something we would have never gained if we had not entered it. The valley brings much fruit into our lives so that we might plant seeds into the lives of others. God does not waste valley experiences. If we are faithful in the valley, we will enter a new dimension with God that we never thought possible. There is a harvest of wisdom and virtue that can only be grown in the valley.

Has God brought you into the valley? Know that the valley is a place of fruitfulness; it is a place of testing. It is where God brings what you know in your head into your heart. The only value of knowledge is when it becomes part of your heart. Look for God in the valley today. (OS Hillman)

Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

2010-02-22T21:11:00.000-08:00

O my Jesus you have said, "Truly I say to you, ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek, and ask for the grace of... Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father..
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name. He will give it to you. " Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of... Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be to the Father...
Sacred Heard of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O my Jesus you have said, "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words, I now ask the grace of ... Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be to the Father...
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O sacred Heart of Jesus for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender mother and ours.
Say Hail Holy Queen. St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus pray for us.

Grace to Sustain While in Expectancy of Greater Things to Happen

2010-02-16T05:31:00.000-08:00

I am turning 30 this year, single and very much unsettled. Though I am not desperate to get married just yet, realizing that I am almost thirty created a stir within me that I am just about to be thirty and nothing seems to be going on in my life. It seems to me that I have wasted my youth and I have my last chance of turning the tables on my favor. Being almost thirty,I found myself in a crossroad.

I have a very comfortable job. I just need to go to work and perform what is expected of me, and I am secured with a satisfying paycheck, a retirement plan, a health care, and a lot more until I turn 60. In short, I am doing just fine and I have never thought about leaving.

However, the thought about being so comfortable made me forget about realizing the biggest dream of my life and now this dream has haunted me. My dream dares me to dare! Perhaps it has something to do with me almost 30 and I have this mantra going on my head, "It is now or never." After much considerable thought, I submitted my resignation without any particular place to go yet. I thought I had become the most decisive woman! However, I found myself being confronted with the same decision again and again. I seem to know it always works that way to see perhaps how firm one is about his/her decision.

At the most troublesome week of discernment - whether to stay in my comfort zone or dare to live and dare to seek God's grace in my life, I found this comforting prayer, which I think you might also find most helpful when you see yourself being torn on what to do.

Read along and hope this gives you enough strength to carry out whatever decision you have to make or have made.

Father God, thank You for the good things You have in store for my future. Thank You for Your peace and joy that surrounds my every step. I choose today to keep my heart focused on the good things You have in store for my future. In Jesus' Name. Amen. (Joel Osteen)
"Sometimes we have to keep going, to keep our hearts open and understanding." Saint Paul Miki’s [His feast day was last Saturday] advice to those Christians resonates today. We need to look inside and ask God what we really need to be truly happy.Lord, grant me an understanding heart and the patience and strength to make the right decisions and carry through with them.
Also from a Supplementary Reading last Saturday 'When the Lord Tarries' taken from these passages by author OS Hillman:

"For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it lingers, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." ~ Habakkuk 2:3

"Although it is sometimes difficult to understand, the Lord is just and gracious in His dealings with His children. When He does decide to move on our behalf, we will appreciate the delay and will often understand the reason it was needed. Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice."

Blessed are all who wait for Him! (Is. 30:18)

If you are awaiting the fulfillment of a vision in your life, ask the Lord for His grace to sustain you. It will be worth the wait. (OS Hillman)

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

2010-02-03T20:25:00.000-08:00

LORD, make me an instrument of Your peace

Where there is hatred,
Let me sow love:

Where there is injury – pardon
Where there is doubt – faith,
Where there is despair – hope,
Where there is darkness – light; and
Where there is sadness – joy.

O DIVINE MASTER, grant that I may
Not so much seek:

To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
It is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and
It is in dying that we are born to Eternal life. Amen.

A New Year Prayer for a Fresh Start

2009-12-27T18:49:00.000-08:00

Lord, my precious Savior and God, help me turn to You through this New Year’s prayer. May I be grateful for every breath. Dear Lord, as circumstances and issues came against me last year and have followed me into this New Year, I cry out to You. Empower me with Your Holy Spirit to overcome these obstacles with a good perspective, realizing You allow trials in my life to mold me into the image of Your marvelous Son.

I need a Father to truly love and care for me. You are that Daddy, though at times I don’t feel Your presence. Remind me that You will never leave or forsake me. Teach me to find rest for my troubled heart. Lord, let Your Word renew my mind day after day in this New Year. Protect me from the enemy who is on the prowl to devour me.

This New Year, help me trust in You rather than be clothed with discouragement. My desire is to follow You wholeheartedly this New Year. Let my mind be renewed, refreshed, and returned to the joy of Your salvation.

Heavenly Father, let me be not only a hearer of Your Word, but also a doer, practicing Your teachings, no longer quenching the Holy Spirit. Cause me to act on opportunities instead of apathetically overlooking them. This readiness involves praising and worshipping You with a pure heart.

This New Year, I trust Your closeness and care. I have no need for fear because You lavish Your love on me. My Father, I purpose to know more and more of You, seeking Your Kingdom and reign over my life. May my actions prove I treasure the Holy Spirit indwelling inside me.

Let this New Year and the following years consist of You reign in me. Let me take the time daily to lift Your name on high. Let me realize all the marvelous gifts that come from above: rain, sunshine, blessings. Then, I will bless You with all my soul.

May my mind focus on heavenly priorities: loving You and my neighbor. Lord, this New Year let me walk in humility, serving You, loving You, giving You glory and honor every day. Each day of this New Year may I acknowledge You in everything and for everything. I thank You for the work You do inside me by Your love, power, and might.

Thank You for this New Year. Let me do according to Your good pleasure and purpose, pleasing You in every area of this life. Thank You for Your mercy which makes all things new each morning -- even after a day of failure.

Father, thank You for adopting me as Your child. In this New Year, I cry Abba Father, thanking you for restoring a right relationship with me through the cross. Conform and transform me unto all godliness through the burdens and blessings You allow to cross my path.

Lord, thank You for hearing my prayer. You care intimately for me. May this New Year be truly about You – May I be all about God in my actions and attitudes. From this New Year’s prayer, let me not forget to listen carefully to You. Give me eyes to see and a heart to do Your will this New Year and each and every New Year to come.

Amen!

A New Year Prayer

2009-12-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

A New Year Prayer

Holy Father,

God of our yesterdays, our today, and our tomorrows.

We praise You for Your unequaled greatness.

Thank You for the year behind us and for the year ahead.

Help us in Your new year, Father, to fret less and laugh more.

To teach our children to laugh by laughing with them.

To teach others to love by loving them.

Knowing, when Love came to the stable in Bethlehem, He came for us.

So that Love could be with us, and we could know You.

That we could share Love with others.

Help us, Father, to hear Your love song in every sunrise,

in the chriping of sparrows in our backyards,

in the stories of our old folks, and the fantasies of our children.

Help us to stop and listen to Your love songs,

so that we may know You better and better.

We rejoice in the world You loved into being.

Thank You for another new year and for new chances every day.

We pray for peace, for light, and for hope, that we might spread them to others.

Forgive us for falling short this past year.

We leave the irreparable past in your hands, and step out into the unknown new year knowing You will go with us.

We accept Your gift of a new year and we rejoice in what's ahead, depending on You to help us do exactly what You want..

I say it again, we rejoice!

In Jesus name,

Amen.

A New Year Prayer

A Christmas Prayer For Lonely Folks

2009-12-23T19:56:00.000-08:00

A Christmas Prayer For Lonely Folks

by: Henry Van Dyke

Lord God of the solitary,
Look upon me in my loneliness.
Since I may not keep this Christmas in the home,
Send it into my heart.

Let not my sins cloud me in,
But shine through them with forgiveness in the face of the child
Jesus.
Put me in loving remembrance of the lowly lodging in the stable of
Bethlehem,
The sorrows of the blessed Mary, the poverty and exile of the
Prince of Peace.
For His sake, give me a cheerful courage to endure my lot,
And an inward comfort to sweeten it.

Purge my heart from hard and bitter thoughts.
Let no shadow of forgetting come between me and friends far away:
Bless them in their Christmas mirth:
Hedge me in with faithfulness,
That I may not grow unworthy to meet them again.

Give me good work to do,
That I may forget myself and find peace in doing it for Thee.
Though I am poor, send me to carry some gift to those who are
poorer,
Some cheer to those who are more lonely.
Grant me the joy to do a kindness to one of Thy little ones:
Light my Christmas candle at the gladness of an innocent and
grateful heart.

Strange is the path where Thou leadest me:
Let me not doubt Thy wisdom, nor lose Thy hand.
Make me sure that Eternal Love is revealed in Jesus, Thy dear Son,
To save us from sin and solitude and death.
Teach me that I am not alone,
But that many hearts, all round the world,
Join with me through the silence, while I pray in His name:

Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we
forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.

A Christmas Prayer For Lonely Folks

Prayer for Reassurance in Times of Desperation

2009-12-23T19:49:00.000-08:00

Prayer for Reassurance in Times of Desperation

God spoke to me today.
He broke through my childish doubts
with words of comfort and assurance:
"Hang on there. Sit tight.
Stick to my course for your life, " He said.
"I will not let you down."

He reminded me of how
he cared for the holy people of the old,
how he watched over them and kept them
through their hours of suffering
and uncertainty.

He reviewed my own life for me --
his living concern for me
in the days of my youth.

He told me again of his commission for me
and the task he wanted me to do,
and his trust in me as his servant
in this sorry world.

He repeated once again
his promises always to stand by me,
to give me strength
and support me in the conflicts
that lie ahead of me.

I know that God was with me today
just as surely as he was
with the holy man of old.

I have nothing to be afraid of
nor any reason to doubt the love
and the presence of my Lord.

Prayer for Reassurance in Times of Desperation

Our Christmas Prayer: A Christmas Song

2009-12-23T19:34:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas Prayer
by
Plus One

The snow is falling as I make my way home.
I feel so grateful I have somewhere I can go.
But in troubled times like these,
with all the ones in need, it's Christmas time
so, Jesus, I'm before you, on my knees.

We pray for joy.
We pray for peace, from west unto the east.
And that every man may find someone to love (someone to love).
We pray for strength.
We pray for light.
And on this holiest of nights, deliver hope where there is despair. (hope where there is despair).
Jesus, hear our Christmas prayer.

I pray that I become what you would have me be
That I would give as much as you have given me.
In a world that's turn apart, heal the hatred in our hearts.
It's Christmas time and there's no better time for us to start.

We pray for joy.
We pray for peace, from west unto the east.
And that every man may find someone to love (someone to love).
We pray for strength.
We pray for light.
And on this holiest of nights, deliver hope where there is despair. (hope where there is despair).
Jesus, hear our Christmas prayer.

Merry Christmas,
Merry Christmas,
Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for joy.
We pray for peace, from west unto the east.
And that every man may find someone to love (someone to love).
We pray for strength.
We pray for light.
And on this holiest of nights, deliver hope where there is despair. (hope where there is despair).
Jesus, hear our Christmas prayer.
and that our voices fill the air
A Merry Christmas, everywhere.
Well, Jesus, hear our prayer.

written by: Gerard Matthew/Benenate Bridget
Warner Chapel Music Inc., Windswept Holdings LLC

Christmas Eve Prayer

2009-12-23T18:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve Prayer
Robert Louis Stevenson

Loving God, Help us remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate
and open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings,
and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children,
and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts,
forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Christmas Eve Prayer

Prayer for a Promotion

2009-12-22T19:53:00.000-08:00

Prayer for a Promotion

Heavenly Father!

Hear to my cries and listen to my supplications. Yes! Lord I am eagerly waiting for my promotion, but nothing seems to be working. I earnestly seek Your intervention O Lord!

Master! Your word says that You never despise the cries of the afflicted. Please look at the unjust treatment meted out to me! Lord all power and authority on this earth and in Heaven are in Your hands. What can man do against me Lord! You turn the hearts of kings wherever You wish. So Lord! Speak to the concerned officials, grant me favour in their eyes and let me get my promotion! O Lord when You open a door no man can shut it. I do not look upon the adverse situation Lord! My eyes are only upon You from where my help always comes. Let me not be ashamed O Lord! I thank You for listening to this prayer and exalting me. I praise You for breaking open all the obstacles that are hindering me from receiving this blessing! You are with me and You will fight the battle for me and maintain justice. Thank You for Your assurance and thank You for lifting me up. I expect a miracle from Your hand and I give You all the glory. In Jesus name I pray.

Prayer for a Promotion

Prayer for Finding a Good Spouse

2009-12-22T19:51:00.001-08:00

Prayer for Finding a Good Spouse

St. Raphael, you were sent by God to guide young Tobias in choosing a good and virtuous spouse. Please help me in this important choice which will affect my whole future. You not only directed Tobias in finding a wife, but you also gave him guidelines which should be foremost in every Christian marriage: "Pray together before making important decisions."

Amen.

Prayer for Finding a Good Spouse

A Christmas Party Prayer

2009-12-22T19:15:00.000-08:00

Prayer on a Christmas Party
by Romil

God our Father, as one community of faith,
we are here gathered
to celebrate the joy of having sent to us
the long awaited Savior of the entire human race,
Jesus, Your Son by nature, and our brother in the flesh.

Loving Father, help us to recapture
the original and real meaning of Christmas.
Let us not celebrate it as the world does—
through excesses of materialism and commercialization—
which only pervert and corrupt the SANCTITY
of the Birth of Our Lord Jesus.

Let the wisdom, awe and wonder of the MAGI be ours…
Let the profound humility and adoration of the SHEPHERDS be ours…
Let the glory and Peace of the ANGELS be ours…
And above all, let the ineffable JOY of MARY and JOSEPH be ours
as they behold the God-made-flesh around their arms…

Teach us that the TRUE PEACE, JOY, and LOVE of Christmas
happened in silence, humility, and poverty.
Help us understand that the BLESSINGS of Christmas
Consists, PRIMARILY and ESSENTIALLY
in the ENJOYMENT of the PRESENCE
in our hearts and souls, of the God-Man Jesus,
our MERCIFUL and LOVING SAVIOR…our ALL. AMEN

Prayer on a Christmas Party

The Reason for the Christmas Season

2009-12-22T19:11:00.001-08:00

With 2 days to go before Christmas REMEMBER:
Jesus is Better than Santa

Santa lives at the North Pole.
JESUS is everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh
JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.

Santa comes but once a year
JESUS is an ever present help.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies
JESUS supplies all your needs.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited
JESUS stands at your door and knocks.. and then enters your heart.

You have to stand in line to see Santa
JESUS is as close as the mention of His name..

Santa lets you sit on his lap
JESUS lets you rest in His arms.

Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, What's your name?"
JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.

Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly

JESUS has a heart full of love..

All Santa can offer is HO HO HO
JESUS offers health, help and hope.

Santa says "You better not cry"
JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you."

Santa's little helpers make toys
JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.

Santa may make you chuckle but
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength..

While Santa puts gifts under your tree
JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.

It's obvious there is really no comparison.
We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.

We need to put Christ back in Christmas.
Jesus is still the reason for the season.

May the Lord Bless and Watch over you and your loved ones this Christmas 2009
And may He prosper and bless the work of your hands in the New Year.

Have a safe and Happy 2010!

The Reason for the Christmas Season

2009-12-22T19:11:00.000-08:00