Art: Sketchbook series: “Cruciform”. Easter Season brings the re-imagining of the experience, material, and shape of the cross.

April 21, 2024

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Let us pray for Francis, our Pope, and ___, our Bishop. May all who shepherd the Church find joy in prayer and courage to act in justice.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for our children who receive Eucharist for the first time in the Easter season. May our next generation discover a true hunger for God and a loving desire to live for others.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for parents and grandparents of our children who receive sacraments. May they find tears of joy for the lives of the young and the miracles of children. May all parents model faith with courage and integrity.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for vocations in religious life and priesthood in the Church. May we courageously explore God’s call to shepherd others and to bring faith alive in our world.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for all who shepherd the sick. May all healthcare workers discover their true call to help heal other people. May they reach out in the nighttime to comfort those who cry in pain.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to listen to the voice of Christ Jesus. May we discover in our silent prayer the miracle of God’s call within our hearts. May our hearts sing with hope in our communion with God.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to befriend the lost and discouraged. May we run toward people who feel isolated and alone. May we shepherd the stranger into the love of community and the richness of prayer.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for people caught in brambles of self-hatred. May we help those who feel abandoned by family and the Church. May we reach out to people suffering depression and mental anguish.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for our beloved dead. May Christ shepherd our loved ones in the green pastures of heaven.

We pray to the Lord.

Art: Sketchbook series: “Cruciform”. Easter Season brings the re-imagining of the experience, material, and shape of the cross.

CLICK here to read today’s scriptures

CLICK HERE to listen to today’s reflection

Art: Sketchbook series: “Cruciform”. Easter Season brings the re-imagining of the experience, material, and shape of the cross.

April 14, 2024

Third Sunday of Easter

Let us pray for all who lead us in faith. May Francis, our Pope, and ___, our Bishop, be given joy and integrity to teach all to work for justice. May they model prayer and service, the joy of the gospel.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for all who have received Easter sacraments. May our new Christians discover their call toward lives of prayer and works of justice.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for children who have been hurt by the hands of parents, teachers and siblings. May we listen to the stories of our young people with concern and honesty.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to witness Christ’s resurrection amid the chaos in life. May our human suffering give rise the healing power of Christ Jesus. May love flow from our lips and justice become the work of our hands.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for people who search for God. May faith be modeled by all Christians so the world may know the love of Christ Jesus. May Easter ring out in our care for people.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for prisoners confined behind bars. May Easter sustain the lives of people in fear.  May Christ’s healing and freedom be known in every heart.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for orphans, widows and people who feel abandoned in life. May Christ’s love be known in our sadness and in our quest for community and relationship.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for people who struggle to believe in themselves. May Easter bring us a clearer view of our own worth in Christ Jesus. May love be our food, and kindness become our hope.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for all who are ill and frightened by the future. May Christ’s healing touch become hope for people who ache for new life.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for our beloved dead. May Easter joy be made known in our friends who now see the face of Christ Jesus.

We pray to the Lord.

CLICK here to read today’s scriptures

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Invitation to Audacious Joy

The imprint of Mary of Magdala’s rush from the empty tomb remains in us who believe. We may sense her heartrate, the commotion of her limbs to push her body forward. We may feel the scars of her wounds from the seven demons. We hear her testimony echo in our ache for God We catch our breath as she runs toward the brothers and cries out in audacious joy.

Other companions of Jesus were slow to believe the tomb was empty. They struggled to wipe away their tears of stubborn grief. We may feel such obstinacy of heart. When bitterness becomes our only food, we may feel only hopelessness. When we constantly hear news that enshrines false power, revenge, or the devastations of war, our hearts may be fearful of the new life Christ is offering us. Change may become unimaginable. We may even fear Mary of Magdala’s testimony.

Jesus had revealed his new life around a simple table with his disciples. He shared the memory of bread and cup with them. And Christ still invites us to dine with him at Eucharist. He invites us, especially in the midst of suffering, and give assurance that new life is possible for us all. Sharing Christ’s presence in Word and Sacrament opens us to forgiveness, mercy, and healing. Christ offers us the grace to surrender to his love. He invites us to sit, to ponder, to quit running toward fear that we also may hear and understand the beautiful testimony of Mary who first found her way to the empty tomb.

—Fr. Ronald Patrick Raab

Ronald Patrick Raab, CSC, serves as religious superior at Holy Cross House, a medical and retirement facility at Notre Dame, Indiana. He is a retreat director, award-winning author, and visual artist. Learn more at ronaldraab.com.

I am continually grateful to Liturgical Press for publishing my reflections in Give Us This Day.

Art: Sketchbook series: “Cruciform”. Easter Season brings the re-imagining of the experience, material, and shape of the cross.

April 7, 2024

Second Sunday of Easter

Let us pray for Francis, our Pope, and ___, our Bishop. May they herald peace in words and in action. May the Risen Christ inspire all leaders of faith.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for people hesitant to believe in Christ Jesus. May the wounds of life be touched and healed in the love of Christ’s resurrection. May our suffering give way to new life.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for all who have been born again in baptism. May all who have received Easter sacraments be enlivened with peace and joy.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to touch the wounded Body of Christ on earth. May we work diligently for justice and the end of violence and war. May we realize the suffering of others and know the miracles of God’s presence in our midst.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for all wounded by illness and disease. May we sit among the sick and hold the hands of those who cannot sleep in the night. May we be instruments of healing in the love of the Risen Christ.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for the end of political hatred and backstabbing. May we work together for the common good and raise up the dignity of all people. May hope be born among us.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to lift up the spirits of our elderly. May we stop to listen to the stories of our older generation. May we learn from those who have lived through many hardships.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to engage the lives of our children. May we lift up the talents and lives of our next generation. May we learn the value of listening to one another’s stories, concerns and dreams.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to grieve our dead. May we know the beauty of our grief and the love it contains. May our dead find true home in heaven.

We pray to the Lord.

Art: Sketchbook series: “Cruciform”. Easter Season brings the re-imagining of the experience, material, and shape of the cross.

CICK here to read today’s scriptures

CLICK HERE to listen to today’s reflection

March 31, 2024

Easter Sunday

Let us pray for the beauty of life and hope for our eternal home this Easter morning. May we live the mystery of Christ’s resurrection in our choices and ways of life.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for Francis, our Pope, and ___, our Bishop. May Easter joy ring out from their pastoral care of souls upon the earth. May hope abide within the Church.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for our worshipping community this Easter morning. May our celebrations of faith inspire us to offer hope and justice to our world.
We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for people struggling with life and faith. May we support people who are lost in depression, anxiety or loneliness. May hope abound in our earthly questions of life.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for those who have received Easter sacraments. May we pass on to those born again in baptism our commitment to work for the soul of the earth and the lives of our next generation.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for people struggling to capture the promise of Easter. May our brothers and sisters in prison know in their hearts the freedom of God’s love and care for them.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray on this Easter morning for engaged couples and those pursuing religious vocations. May we be attentive to the work of the Holy Spirit and help guide the next generation to sing the praises of God and to work diligently for the well-being of all people.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for kindness toward people who challenge us. May Easter provide healing and forgiveness in our relationships.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for our beloved dead on this Easter morning. May people we have loved on earth find a new home in the mystery of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection.

We pray to the Lord.  

March 30, 2024

Easter Vigil

Let us pray to gaze upon the new fire of Christ’s presence in our midst. May our hearts become a blaze of hope for all people under heaven. May we live in the Paschal Light of integrity and joy.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for Francis, our Pope and ___, our Bishop on this holy night. May all leaders shine the love of Christ in every dark corner of the Church and our world. May hope become food for all Christians.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for our newly baptized this glorious night. May our brothers and sisters in faith across the globe find joy, healing and mercy in the waters of Baptism. May justice grow like spring grass and mercy shine like the sun.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for people who most need our prayers this Easter night. May all who live in the darkness of fear and loneliness find a flicker of hope in the light of Christ’s Resurrection.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for people who cry out in pain this night. May the sounds of human anguish be acknowledged by us who believe that darkness gives way to the morning light of Easter.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray that the love of Christ be the center of our lives. May we live Christianity with kind action and graceful service toward all humanity.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray to live Christ’s salvation story in our daily lives. May our ears be attentive to the stories of our elderly and the dreams of our young children. May we sit still listening to the voice of God’s love within us.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for our sisters and brothers living on the streets. May we listen to them and not give them what we think they want. May our ears and hearts be always attentive and caring.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for reconciliation among our children and their children. May we pass on kindness and gentleness to our new generations. May our children find the glimmer of faith in our eyes and souls.

We pray to the Lord.

Let us pray for our loved ones who are in the embrace of God in heaven. May this Easter renew our faith in Christ’s promise of eternal life.

We pray to the Lord.   

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