Tag: Prayer

“For everyone who asks, receives.” | Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to his people.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 11:5-13)

Jesus said to his disciples: “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

Jesus continues to teach the disciples how to pray. Today’s Gospel follows directly after Jesus teaches them to pray what we know as the Our Father. Describing prayer in terms of friendship, Jesus tells a story about a man who goes to a friend at midnight to ask for three loaves of bread. At first, the friend is reluctant to offer help. But because man is persistent, the friend eventually goes to him and gives him what he needs. Even in our brokenness, we give to our children and those we love what they need. For those who ask the Father, how much more will he provide for us out of his unfathomable mercy.

God, just as Jesus taught the disciples to pray, teach me through the events of today to ask you for what I need. In the midst of the day, it’s very likely I will forget you. The man who asks for bread doesn’t ask for his own sake but to feed another who has arrived at his house from a journey. In the same way, I want to ask you to help me provide for the needs of others. Give me the grace to persist in knocking and to trust in the words of Jesus: “ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Father, hallowed be your name.” | Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Praise the LORD, all you nations, glorify him, all you peoples! Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 11:1-4)

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”

One of the disciples sees Jesus praying as he must have often seen him do and approaches him. The need to be close to God as Jesus is close to him stirs in the disciple the desire to know how Jesus prays. In Luke’s version of the familiar Lord’s Prayer, we hear the acknowledgment of God’s holiness and the Son’s commitment to accomplish his will. When forgiveness is ours to give to others, God is able in turn to forgive us our sins. In perfect filial trust, Jesus prays for the protection and care that only the Father is capable of. Our Father is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Gospel acclamation, we hear: “You have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters through which we cry: Abba! Father!”

God, as much as I have hopes about the course of the day, its actual unfolding is not in my hands but in yours. Help me trust in your mercy and abandon all of my hopes and desires to you; do with them what you will. As Saint John Henry Newman said: “I come to you, O Lord, not only because I am unhappy without you, not only because I feel I need you, but because your grace draws me on to seek you for your own sake, because you are so glorious and beautiful.” Saint John Leonardi, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“There is need of only one thing.” | Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “O LORD, you have probed me and you know me; you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 10:38-42)

Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

As Jesus spends time in the home of Martha and Mary, he sees in them two ways to respond to his presence. Martha actively goes out to meet him and bring him to their home. Mary sits at the feet of the Lord listening to everything he teaches her. Trying her best to please the Lord in service to him without the help of her sister, Martha finally speaks up. Her words, “Lord, do you not care” and “Tell her to help me,” speak to her spiritual state. In responding to Martha, Jesus as Divine Physician not only diagnoses Martha but also gives her the means to obtain peace in his very presence. God did not create us to be anxious and worried; instead, he desires peace for us through the presence of Jesus Christ his Son.

God, just as Martha went out to welcome Jesus, let me use the gift of time to go out and welcome you throughout the day and to serve you. Left to myself, as Martha felt, I am likely to become quickly overrun by anxiety about how well I perform according to my own standards. Like Mary, give me the grace today to sit at your feet and to hear and do your will and choose the better part even as I am attentive to serving you. There is need of only one thing; let me remember to choose you. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Go and do likewise.” | Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

From the responsorial psalm: “The works of his hands are faithful and just; sure are all his precepts, Reliable forever and ever, wrought in truth and equity. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 10:25-37)

“Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Jesus is asked by a scholar of the law, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” In response, Jesus asks him what is in the law and how he reads it. The scholar answers that it is to love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself. The scholar then presses further by asking, “And who is my neighbor?” In response, Jesus shares the Parable of the Good Samaritan. In telling it, Jesus teaches the scholar—and all of us—that a neighbor is one to whom we have the willingness to show compassion and mercy. Jesus asks the scholar a question that sends us out to be compassionate toward others. Out of love for eternal life with the Father, Jesus tells him, “Go and do likewise.” O clement, O loving, O sweet virgin Mary. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“So they are no longer two but one flesh.” | Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; your children like olive plants around your table. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 10:2-16)

But Jesus told them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”

Out of love during creation God made man and woman and joined them together. From the same source of love, the sacrament of marriage is God’s means of consecrating man and woman in the truth of his name. Jesus publicly responds to the Pharisees’ question about divorce and then privately says to the disciples, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” One divorce or millions of them do not and cannot negate what God has made holy in the sacrament of marriage. “He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated,” Saint Paul says, “all have one origin.” In union with God and through him, we have no power to break what God makes holy.

God, help me put aside any willfulness that gets in the way of seeing your perfect plan for me today, even if that brings suffering. You have given me every good gift and every great gift, especially in the redemptive sacrifice of your Son and in the sacraments. I wonder at suffering and am easily misled in grasping its purpose, believing that it is something to be rejected rather than received. “For it was fitting that he, for whom and through whom all things exist,” says Paul, “in bringing many children to glory, should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.” Guide me, Lord, in the ways of your Son toward everlasting union with you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash

“Rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” | Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Teach me wisdom and knowledge, for in your commands I trust. Lord, let your face shine on me.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 10:17-24)

The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

Having given them his authority to cure the sick and cast out demons, Jesus witnesses the joy of the seventy-two disciples returning from their mission. The cause of their joy is what they are able to accomplish in the name of the Lord. Yet, Jesus calls them to ever-higher love, drawing their gaze to his Father in heaven. Jesus shares in their joy and recognizes their childlike trust and faith in the authority he has given them. “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,” Jesus says, “for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” Generations of kings and prophets hoped to see and hear what the childlike in faith have seen in following Jesus. He rejoices because they take joy in the love and providential care of the Father. In Job’s words: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.”

God, no purpose of yours can be hindered. Help me remember that throughout the day as I try to carry out plans—good plans that result from your gift of reason—that give glory to your name. Yet, I’m sure, as Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos experienced, to make mistakes and get in your way. Teach me wisdom, guide me in your paths. “But often in the midst of all this work,” Francis Xavier said, “I do something dumb and everything goes topsy-turvy.” Give me the grace today, as I journey toward my true home in heaven, to move in accordance with your will and especially to hear and respond to your gracious will. Blessed Francis Xavier, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Whoever listens to you listens to me.” | Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi

From the responsorial psalm: “O LORD, you have probed me and you know me; you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 10:13-16)

Jesus said to them, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.’ Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

For those who hear and reject the proclamation of the kingdom of God and reject, Jesus says, “Woe to you!” In the first reading, Job heard the call to repentance as the LORD addressed him. In response, he said, “Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you?” In choosing to live a life of poverty, Saint Francis also heard the call and responded, abandoning wealth to follow Christ, who made himself poor for our sake. “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”

God, I long to hear your voice. How is it I have difficulty hearing you, yet where can I go from your spirit, and from your presence where can I flee? I know you are the giver of every good gift, yet there are times when your voice is indistinct or completely silent. I want to listen to you; let me hear your voice. Meet me in my poverty of spirit, Lord, and let me know your presence. Saint Francis, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ | Thursday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 10:1-12)

Jesus said to the disciples: “Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, ‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.’ Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.”

As he sends out the seventy-two disciples, Jesus provides step-by-step instructions for the drama of missionary life. He shares with them what they are to do as they enter and exit whatever town, and he also tells them their line: “The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.” In teaching the disciples, Jesus also teaches us how to move about in peace as we enter and exit the lives of others we encounter throughout the day.

God, help me hear the words of Jesus and carry them with me through the end of the day. Although there might not be an opportunity to tell someone the kingdom of God is at hand for them, I have the moments you give me to see in them the gift of your presence. In recognition of your absence, I have the opportunity to long for you; in lack of recognition, that possibility goes away. Give me the grace, Lord, to know that the day is not about me but that I am made to see you face to face in your kingdom. Help me remember the words of Job: “And from my flesh I shall see God; my inmost being is consumed with longing.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

About the reality of angels—”their angels,” as Jesus says—he leaves no doubt. They look eternally on the face of our heavenly Father. Our holy guardian angels—guide us, protect us, and pray for us!

From the responsorial psalm: “Let my prayer come before you, Lord. Daily I call upon you, O LORD; to you I stretch out my hands. Will you work wonders for the dead? Will the shades arise to give you thanks? Let my prayer come before you, Lord.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 18:1-5, 10)

The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

Jesus responds to the disciples’ question about where greatness lies. In inviting them to humble themselves, he places a child before them to serve as an example. The kingdom of heaven is theirs and those whose humility is like theirs. Jesus asks us to receive the childlike in his name, and through that we receive him. About the reality of angels—”their angels,” as Jesus says—he leaves no doubt. They look eternally on the face of our heavenly Father.

St. Gertrude’s Prayer to One’s Guardian Angel: O most holy angel of God, appointed by God to be my guardian, I give thee thanks for all the benefits which thou hast ever bestowed on me in body and soul. I praise and glorify thee that thou condescended to assist me with such patient fidelity, and to defend me against all the assaults of my enemy. Blessed be the hour in which thou were assigned me for my guardian, my defender and my patron. In acknowledgment and return for all thy loving ministries to me, I offer thee the infinitely precious and noble Heart of Jesus, and firmly purpose to obey thee henceforward, and most faithfully to serve my God. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor of the Church

From the responsorial psalm: “O LORD, my God, by day I cry out; at night I clamor in your presence. Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my call for help. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 9:51-56)

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

Luke tells us that Jesus was resolutely determined to go to Jerusalem by passing through a Samaritan village. When Jesus learned that they would not welcome him, he goes another way. James and John seem to seek vengeance, but that is not a place where the grace and peace of Christ dwells. After rebuking them, Jesus and the disciples go to another village as they make their way toward Jerusalem, the place where he would ultimately undergo his passion and death. As close to Jesus as the disciples were, they struggle to follow him in his mission, one rooted in mercy, not vengeance.

God, help me understand the way to hold on to the Holy Spirit even as I encounter conflict and rejection. Jesus is not wishy-washy in his plans. Jerusalem was his destination, and he let nothing prevent him from reaching it, where he carried out your will through his passion, death, and resurrection. Give me the grace to stay off of the many paths that lead away from you and instead keep my eyes on my ultimate destination. And what is that destination? As Saint Thérèse said, “I leave myself in the Arms of Our Lord. We must abandon the future into the hands of God.” Saint Thérèse, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.