Monthly Archives: September 2016

John 3: 13-17, Feast of The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

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Exaltation of The Holy Cross: Painting: Ronald Raab, CSC

READ MORE ABOUT THIS FEAST: CLICK HERE

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
JN 3:13-17

Jesus said to Nicodemus, “No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
 Prayer: (Ronald Raab, CSC)
God of all eternity, you lift up all human suffering in the glory of your Son’s Cross. In his passion, death and resurrection, he redeems all life, forgives all sins, and encourages the life of all people. In the midst of war, you bring peace to human hearts.  In the core of despair, you open up the potential of love. In the reality of division, you call us back to forgiveness and in our days of restlessness, you sustain us in faith. Rouse within us the courage to live for others in the midst of all that casts down our hearts and give us the tenderness of your love and the gentleness of your Holy Spirit. In the Cross, we find our home. Amen

Luke 7:11-17 “Do not weep”

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“Do not weep” Charcoal sketch: Ronald Raab, CSC


LK 7:11-17

Jesus journeyed to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a  widow; and  with her was a large crowd from the town.

When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, rise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us!” and “God has looked favorably on his people!” This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.

Luke 15: The Prodigal Son (yesterday’s gospel)

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The Prodigal Son: Painting: Ronald Raab, CSC

Draw us closer, O God, to your fidelity and kindness. Receive our foibles, mistakes and heartaches, and our unfortunate decisions and bundles of regrets. Embrace us when we cannot even face ourselves. Give us courage when we are weak-kneed and haughty, when pride gets the best of us. Bring us closer to your heart in this Year of Mercy, especially when we believe that we are self-sufficient and sure-footed. Amen

Luke 15: The Prodigal Son

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“The Prodigal Son” Painting: Ronald Raab, CSC 2016

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Luke 15:1-32

Prayer text: Ronald Raab, CSC

Father God, in this Year of Mercy, we stumble humbly into your arms. Make room in our self-righteous attitudes and cramped hearts so that we may let go of the past. Allow the healing flow of your mercy into our every sin, hardship and false expectation. We approach your promised forgiveness finally realizing that we cannot live our lives alone, among the thorns of our arrogance and the bristles of our pride. Welcome us home where our illusions melt away. Amen

Day of Prayer for Peace

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Learn more about today’s day of prayer for peace: Click here

 

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“God, help us rest in you” Drawing: Ronald Raab, CSC

God, help us rest in you.

We are exhausted by our grief.

We ache for our families to be united around a common table.

We grieve our daughters who carry drug needles in their backpacks.

We grieve our sons who carry guns around their ankles and hatred around their hearts.

We grieve our children coming back from wars without limbs and hope.

We grieve the inner battles of emotional illness and rage.

We grieve our inability to be humble enough to see that people have dignity.

We stumble in our solutions and fall in our hardness of heart.

 

God, help us rest in you.

We do not know where else to turn.

We are restless in our unanswered prayers.

We are hopeless when we feel your absence.

We squirm in rage.

We fidget in our guilt.

We twist in our uncertainty.

We sweat through our sleepless nights.

We panic in our disrespect.

We struggle in our shame.

 

God, help us rest in you.

In your arms we find our home.

In your embrace we discover we are loved.

In your hold we rest the pain of our world.

 

God, help us rest in you.

Today, we pray for the peace in the healing of your embrace.

 

Amen

Is: 64:8 “The Potter”

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Is: 64: 8

But now, O Lord, you are our father. We are the clay and you are the potter; and all of us are the work of your hand. 

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“The Potter” Painting: Ronald Raab, CSC 2016

Prayer text: Ronald Raab, CSC

God, our Creator,

Open our imaginations and our creative efforts to express our faith.

We ache for wisdom in dealing with violence, hatred, neglect, racism and hunger, poverty and ignorance.

We can only find solutions if we ignite our imaginations, explore our talents and take responsibility in faith and love for our future.

We cannot blame people for their diseases, their mental illness or even their poverty and situations in life.

God, continue to call us through our creativity to build up people, to heal our nation and to offer consolation to those who hurt and who are alone.

God, help us believe that our voices expressed through art are important and that our talents are needed to create community.

Help us not shun our gifts or think that we are not good enough.

Help us get over our shyness and our reluctance to dance, paint, write poetry, sing, create, design, preach, draw, and imagine and explore the Holy Spirit in all we do.

God, our Creator, help us become your co-creators to heal and console the pain and suffering of our people.

 

Amen

Luke 6:6-11, “Stretch out your hand”

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Finger painting: Ronald Raab, CSC

LK 6:6-11

On a certain sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him.

Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” He got up and stood there.

Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?” After looking around at all of them, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored.

But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Prayer text by Ronald Raab, CSC
Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy of me, a sinner.
Help me stretch out my ailing heart where hidden grief wraps endlessly around the illusion of how I think life should be. 
My heart is often tied up with strings of control, lies and words of fear.
Give me the courage to untie my inner life, the life I hide even from myself.
Give me patience when I am tied down with defensiveness and self-sufficiency. 
Allow me to live without my comfort of control, doubt and anger. 
Help me offer you my entire being to be restored in your mercy. 
I want to hear you say, “Stretch our hand.”
Mend my heart with threads of love. 
Amen

The Canonization of Saint Teresa of Kolkata

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Saint Teresa of Kolkata. Painting: Ronald Raab, CSC

Response: Jesus, love us and send us forth in peace

Mother Teresa, you modeled simplicity of spirit…

Mother Teresa, you opened your heart to love…

Mother Teresa, you let go of your past…

Mother Teresa, you understood your true vocation…

Mother Teresa, you inspired others to follow your lead…

Mother Teresa, you spoke with integrity…

Mother Teresa, you gave up everything to start anew…

Mother Teresa, you showed us true poverty and injustice…

Mother Teresa, you understood the needs of people…

Mother Teresa, you held the bodies of the dying…

Mother Teresa, you challenged the world to wake up to people…

Mother Teresa, you entered into relationship with all people…

Mother Teresa, you lived a life of peace…

Mother Teresa, you followed your gifts and talents…

Mother Teresa, you lived and served with humble faith…

Mother Teresa, you spoke truth to the world…

Mother Teresa, you ministered to the ill, the fragile and helpless…

Mother Teresa, you model for us how to serve today…

Mother Teresa, you show us how to love our children in our time…

Saint Teresa, pray for us…