Sunday September 21, 2025

Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

For Leo, our Pope. May he live and serve in authentic love. May his leadership enkindle within us a true desire for God’s solace and merciful presence.

We pray to the Lord.

For healing among us who are overwhelmed by conflict and injustice, cruelty and viciousness. May God invite us to listen to the quiet of our hearts. May we silence our phones and stop our hateful rhetoric.

We pray to the Lord.

For our children and for our next generation. May we educate our youth in God’s fidelity and love. May the competing voices in our society not blur the message of God’s healing forgiveness and compassion.

We pray to the Lord.

For courage to lead in times of unrest and division. May God lead us all into actions of kindness and generosity. May uncertainty in life be turned into conviction of faith and hope.

We pray to the Lord.

For all who are ill. May God provide healing grace for people overwhelmed by body and emotional pain. May God’s love become food for us in our uncertainty and fear.

We pray to the Lord.

For our elderly who have been scammed in our society. May God comfort those who have been divested of their life savings. May we have the courage to stop violence among vulnerable people.

We pray to the Lord.

For people in need of health insurance and adequate housing. May our faith communities speak out for people in need of the basics of life. May God offer compassion for us to build shelters and healthy futures.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who grieve. May every loss under heaven be healed. May our hearts turn to God’s love and tenderness in every moment of loss and sorrow.

We pray to the Lord.

For our beloved dead. May our loved ones who have died find love and comfort in God’s promise of heaven.

We pray to the Lord.

Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, you stood near the cross of your Son, Jesus. You stood next to him in each moment of his suffering. Mary, you could not change his suffering. You could not fix him or control the outcome of his pain. Mary, your presence taught you how to be patient for healing and to wait for his promise of eternal life. Mary, your posture toward suffering ultimately brought joy to the world. In the Cross of Christ, we find our eternal home.

Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, stand among us, the suffering Body of Christ on earth. Hold the dying, the weary, the lost, the outcast, the prisoner, the bereft, the lovelorn, the mentally ill, the undiagnosed, and the immigrant. Stand among us who weep. Stand among us torn apart by dissension and rebellion. Stand among us to hold tight to control, pride, and ego-centric ways. Stand among us who circle the wagons of our institutions and claim only the past as our home. Stand among us when our voices grow scratchy from shouting outrage against injustice. Stand among us when wars rage and indifference is our food. Stand among us when our memories dim from the chaos we experience from natural disasters, unspeakable moments of abuse and the threats of global violence. Stand among us when addictions threaten our futures. Stand among us in our anguish. Stand among us when grief overwhelms us and we become weak with guilt and shame. Stand among us when we bury a loved one. Stand among us when we take our final breath.

Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us

Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, is the Patroness of the Congregation of Holy Cross. She speaks of our posture to stand among people who suffer. Please pray for our vowed family of sisters, brothers and priests.

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Sunday September 14, 2025

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

For Leo, our Pope and ___, our Bishop and ___, our Pastor. May the suffering of the world give our leaders courage to live in the love of Christ Jesus. May their leadership be sustained across the world with hope and joy.

We pray to the Lord.

For all who live under the weight of unimaginable suffering. May people facing violence, war, threats, hunger and homelessness find the basics of life. May the Cross of Christ offer healing and consolation.

We pray to the Lord.

For all widows and orphans. May God fill their empty days with hope for future years. May the Cross of Christ reveal courage when despair overwhelms us.

We pray to the Lord.

For married couples facing hardship or breakup. May families find true forgiveness in Christ. May all relationships find healing and hope in daily life.

We pray to the Lord.

For all who seek physical healing. May the Cross of Christ enrich our journey along treacherous paths and wayward roads. May hope be born in our bodily suffering.

We pray to the Lord.

For all who face the loss of employment. May God provide adequate work and health insurance for all families in need.  May the Cross of Christ protect and sustain all families on earth.

We pray to the Lord.

For people serving in our military. May God offer us security when violence falls upon us. May the Cross of Christ bring peace to all nations under heaven.

We pray to the Lord.

For all who cannot abide their grief. May people who live in depression or despair find peace within their hearts. May God grant mercy and consolation to weary hearts.

We pray to the Lord.

For all who have died. May the Cross of Christ bring us all safely home to heaven. May hope be born here on earth.

We pray to the Lord.

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September 7, 2025

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

For Leo, our Pope, and ___, our Bishop. May leaders set their priorities on Christ Jesus. May love and compassion be manifest among all who lead us.

We pray to the Lord.

For peace in every nation and land. May we act with justice for the benefit of all people. May war end and hope be born anew.

We pray to the Lord.

For all who hesitate to believe in Jesus Christ. May the Gospel bring healing and joy. May the Eucharist set our hearts ablaze for service among our neighbors.

We pray to the Lord.

For all who suffer from gun violence and threats to our children. May we turn our despair into healthy action. May hope be born from pain.

We pray to the Lord.

For courage to let go of possessions that hinder trust and faith.  May we recognize our greatest possessions of faith, hope and love.

We pray to the Lord.

For all who suffer mental illness and undiagnosed illness. May we stand among people who live in pain, those who most need us for support in daily life.

We pray to the Lord.

For the courage to carry our crosses. May we lift high our suffering and may our pain be transformed into hope in the dying and rising of Jesus Christ.

We pray to the Lord.

For all who remain lost in grief. May our lives witness God’s mercy and reconciliation. May our sorrow be eased and may we remain in hope.

We pray to the Lord.

For all people who have died. May heaven be home for all whom we have loved on earth. In this Eucharist, we remember…

We pray to the Lord.

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CLICK HERE TO read my latest article from The Priest Magazine, September 2025

August 31, 2025

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

For Leo, our Pope. May he voice peace from nation upon nation. May his life speak boldly of the beauty and mercy of God.

We pray to the Lord.

For leaders of nations. May our leaders seek justice and peace among every border and country. May hope become food for all peoples.

We pray to the Lord.

For a deep humility within our hearts. May we surrender with joy to the grace God has for us. May our lives speak only good and thanksgiving.

We pray to the Lord.

For our children who begin a new school year. May our youth be given a place to thrive and may their talents be nourished in every classroom.

We pray to the Lord.

For families struggling to find sufficient food. May every person be nourished in body and soul. May we learn to share our resources among the hungry.

We pray to the Lord.

For people surviving on the streets. May the marginalized find true home in our concern and efforts to provide housing and employment.

We pray to the Lord.

For courage within our prayer. May we come to the Eucharist willing to live the love we receive. May the Body and Blood of Christ nourish our prayer and service.

We pray to the Lord.

For the ill among us. May healing be manifest in our bodies and spirits. May God reach out to touch our pain and weariness.

We pray to the Lord.

For our beloved dead. May our families and friends find mercy and love in the face of Christ Jesus.

We pray to the Lord.

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