Lord Jesus Christ, my heart
reaches out in gratitude.
You have raised me up
from the darkness.
You have taken me from night
into the light of day.
Lord Jesus, even in my stubborn
pride, and lazy ways;
You continued to find me.
Gracious God, I thank You
from the depths of my heart
for Your goodness continues
reaching out in love.
Each day, my gratitude soars
for the life of blessing that
You shower upon each of us.
Amen.
— By a Columban Missionary
Where will I go?
What road do I follow?
How long is this journey?
Will You be there when I arrive?
How long will it take me?
Hold my hand, and don’t let go.
How can I see if darkness comes?
Be my eyes and guide me.
I want to take this journey,
a journey to be with You.
It may be long, and I know
You will be there along the way.
Be my eyes; e my ears.
Be with me.
Be my strength; be my light.
Be with me.
Yes, I am ready!
Yes, I will go!
We sing our Alleluias today, for Jesus is risen.
Our souls proclaim the greatness of God,
Our spirits rejoice in our Risen Savior.
Mary, may your song be sung in our lives
At every moment of this day so that God's power,
Which can do far more than we can ask or imagine,
May continue to call life from death and light from darkness,
Transforming our meager efforts
Into your Son's victory over death.
Amen.
Lord, help me to show
compassion towards others,
as You show compassion to me;
help me to be forgiving towards others,
as You are forgiving to me;
help me to be considerate towards others,
as You are considerate to me.
So that in all things I may find peace,
knowing Your loving care in my life;
and that in all I do I may find joy,
knowing your loving presence in my hear.
Like the son who squandered Your gifts,
yet humbly returned seeking forgiveness
may I be truly sorry for my waywardness
and I give You thanks
that in spite of all my failures
I can still call You Father.
Amen.
- Columban Fr. Pat Sayles
At first
Mary didn’t sense
Your presence,
didn’t know it was You
there in the Garden.
When she realized,
her heart was filled
with joy.
How often You are
near to us
and we don’t realize
For You are never far
from any of us.
Lord, help us to be
aware You are close
to us, so that Your
presence can bring
us joy, a joy that
makes our heart sing.
Amen.
- Columban Fr. Pat Sayles
Even though I can be so proud,
You humbled Yourself on a cross for me.
Even though I can be so selfish,
You rose to share Your life with me.
A love so great, so deep!
A heart so humble, so generous!
Lord, thank you for caring so much;
for seeing the good I’m capable of,
rather than condemning the bad;
for encouraging the good that’s in me,
the new life within waiting to happen;
for patiently waiting for me
to come to life.
Lord, help me to lead a life
worthy of Your love.
Amen.
- Columban Fr. Pat Sayles
We thank you, Lord,
for all of the countless blessings
You have won for us,
for all of the graces
You have poured upon us,
for all the love
You have lavished on us
by giving Yourself up to death
and giving us all a share
in Your risen glory.
We thank you, Lord,
for You are the light
of the world,
risen out of darkness.
May your light
ever shine upon us
to give us the joy
of your consoling presence.
Amen.
- Columban Fr. Pat Sayles
Thank you, Thank you;
the women and men murmur politely.
It was a crowded room of 93
people experiencing homelessness.
On this cold winter day, they repeated their gratitude;
the prayerful expressions of appreciation
for the food and companionship.
Thank you Lord Jesus for the graciousness
of the people who have little materially
but, are rich in grace and gratitude.
- By a Columban Missionary
O God, Protector of all people and nations,
protect my family and friends at home
from the violence and evil of others.
Keep them safe from the weapons of hate and destruction
and guard them against the deeds of evildoers.
Grant them your protection and care
in tranquility and peace.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Let not your hearts be troubled.
You who believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house there are many mansions.
Were it not so, I would have told you,
because I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I am coming again,
and I will take you to myself,
that where I am, there you also may be.
And where I go, you know, and the way you know.
Look down, O Lord,
from Your sanctuary
and from the high habitation of heaven,
and behold this sacred Victim,
which our great High Priest,
Your Holy Child,
the Lord Jesus,
immolates unto You
for the sins of His brethren,
and be propitious
to the multitude of our iniquities.
Behold, the voice of the Blood of Jesus,
our Brother, cries to You from the Cross!
Graciously hear, O Lord:
be appeased, O Lord:
hearken and do not delay for Your own sake,
my God, because Your Name is invoked,
upon this city,
and upon Your people;
and do with us according to Your mercy.
Amen.
Dear Lord Jesus Christ,
You wanted all who are weary
To come to You for support.
Lord, I am worn out
By my inability to find work.
Guide my steps to a righteous path;
Give me the patience
To find opportunities with a future.
Calm my worries and fears
As my financial responsibilities mount.
Strengthen my resolve;
Embolden my heart to open doors;
Open my eyes to see life beyond rejections.
Help me believe in me.
Let me realize other ways
To bring about Your kingdom on earth.
Let me grow as a person
That I may be worthy
For Your greater glory.
In the name of the Father.
As the dawn breaks, Lord,
have mercy on me.
Strip away the sins that weaken me.
Mend my faults.
Cleanse my imperfection.
When the Holy Spirit speaks,
help me to grasp the meaning of the words,
and treasure them!
I place myself at your service
the whole day log.
Guard me from injuries of body and mind.
Let the rising of the sun find me blessing your name
and its setting proclaiming your praise.
Amen.
– By a Columban Missionary
God Our Heavenly Father
You created the world to serve humanity's needs
and to lead them to You.
By our own fault
we have lost the beautiful relationship
which we once had with all Your creation.
Help us to see that by restoring our relationship with You
we will also restore it with all Your creation.
Give us the grace to see all animals as gifts from You
and to treat them with respect
for they are Your creation.
May the order You originally established
be once again restored to the whole world
through the intercession of the Glorious Virgin Mary,
the prayers of St. Francis
and the merits of Your Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ
Who lives and reigns with You now and forever.
Amen.