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Sunday February 25, 2024

Second Sunday of Lent

For all who journey to Christ in these Lenten days. May our elect prepare with hope for Easter sacraments. May they discover compassion and at the baptismal font and awe at the sacred altar of the Eucharist.

We pray to the Lord.

For all who model faith to others in the Church. May bishops, women leaders, teachers and confessors, reveal God’s fidelity among the marginalized and the lost.

We pray to the Lord.

For a new vision of Christian life. May we follow Christ up the mountain to reveal a new fidelity in the Church. May we seek Christ in all moments along the journey.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who lack confidence and who second-guess themselves. May we not look to the ground but to the sky to discover the wonder of God.  May the glory of God lead us in every aspect of life.

We pray to the Lord.

For all people in nursing homes and hospitals. May the ill find relief of body pain and emotional loss in their journey with Christ Jesus.

We pray to the Lord.

For a new awareness of the earth. May we search mountains and cross rivers with a new understanding of our role to care for every earthly good and gift.

We pray to the Lord.

For children who cannot believe in themselves.  May the shy find a new voice of courage and the oppressed be released in love. May the gifts of all children be known and accepted in family life.

We pray to the Lord.

For music makers, artists who create with their hands, and souls who cannot contain their self-expression. May we see the beauty and joy of our creative spirits. May art enhance our journey along the way to behold the face of God.

We pray to the Lord.

For the good and well-being of our older adults. May our grandparents lean on the shoulders of families who care for them with love and patience.

We pray to the Lord.

For our beloved dead and all who sleep in Christ. May the Light of Christ shine brightly along the path to our eternal home. 

We pray to the Lord.

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“Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.”

Today, we begin the journey of renewal of our baptism, our second birth in Christ Jesus. In doing so, we remember all the pieces of our lives we leave behind, all the moments that have turned to dust so we can turn more profoundly to Jesus.

Remember past loves and know the dust of loss that leads to new love.

Remember regret and all the aspects of life you cannot change from the past, so to learn from your mistakes.  Remember to surrender more deeply into the freedom of God.

Remember the circumstances, the situations and the encounters where you were not your best self. Allow the dust of the past to give rise to hope in you.

Remember the job loss, the panic over not getting things right, the apprehensions, your lack of courage. Remember all is dust and that your true identity is not attached to any of those things.

Remember the innocence of childhood and the good old days. Remember even the good things give way to living in the present.  Stop clinging and start living today.

Remember how you lived, what you thought, what you were convinced of, what you held on to, and remember all these things are now dust so you may grow more deeply into trusting God.

Remember your journey in this life is beautiful, courageous and filled with hope for tomorrow.

Remember the cross on your forehead becomes your key to your heavenly home.

Sunday February 18, 2024

First Sunday of Lent

For people who face deserts of desperation. May new meaning grow strong in the hearts of people who have lost hope. May Christ reach for the hands of those who stumble.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who survive food deserts. May our children find sufficient food in our urban areas. May the richness of love be known to them.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who travel through deserts of ill health. May the bodies of our loved ones find healing in these days of prayer. May Christ touch the wounds of our aching bodies.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who wait in the desert for Easter sacraments. May our catechumens and candidates find patience and prayer as they wait for full initiation into our Church.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who live amid deserts of despair and emotional turmoil. May our lives and minds be eased in our Lenten journey. May the path to inner freedom be known in the most vulnerable.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who suffer trauma in deserts of abuse. May our adult children who have been sexually or emotionally abused find healing in their minds, hearts, and muscles. May courage be housed in those who wait for lasting healing.

We pray to the Lord.

For people existing in deserts of loneliness and self-hatred. May we reach out to people and build communities of love. May the existence of community heal all people.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who breathe in deserts of shallowness. May we breathe more deeply into our lives to rouse meaning and purpose. May we exhale in faith and give voice to God’s fidelity.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who wait in deserts of dying. May their last breath be without despair. May our beloved friends find new life in their home in heaven.

We pray to the Lord.

Click here to read today’s scriptures

CLICK HERE to listen to today’s reflection

Wednesday February 14, 2024

Ash Wednesday

For our Universal Church as we begin this Lenten journey. May our communities discover God’s healing mercy in our days of reflection and renewal.

We pray to the Lord.

For all religious leaders as we begin our journey toward Easter. May every leader find humility in the cross of ashes on our foreheads this day. May we surrender to God and turn toward justice for all people under heaven.

We pray to the Lord.

For all communities and organizations who benefit from our almsgiving. May our communities be renewed with our financial efforts and volunteering. May the Lenten season reveal the goodness of all people.

We pray to the Lord.

For a new courage to pray. May our Lenten journey help us find Christ within our stories of life. May we trust God’s healing presence. May we surrender joyfully to Christ’s enduring love.

We pray to the Lord.

For all who fast in these Lenten days. May our fasting from food, violence and falsity, fill us with new life. May we learn a new reliance on Christ’s passion and resurrection.

We pray to the Lord.

For our neighbors who need assistance with the basics of life. May we open our eyes to the needs of people as we enter the Lenten desert. May we reach out to others in joy.

We pray to the Lord.

For all in need of renewal and healing during this Lenten time. May forgiveness be near for the sinner and hope be on the lips of us who renew baptismal promises this Lenten season.

We pray to the Lord.

For kindness in our political lives. May our divisions be healed and words of hope be on the lips of people who serve our country.

We pray to the Lord.

For all people who bear the marks of shame and guilt within them. May our Lenten journey heal our hearts in the Cross of Christ. May God’s love become our true identify.  

We pray to the Lord.

For our beloved dead. May our loved ones know God’s mercy and forgiveness in their eternal home in heaven.

We pray to the Lord.

Sunday February 11, 2024

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

For all who guide us in faith. May our leaders hear the pain and anguish of us all. May we work together for reconciliation, harmony, and a new life in Christ’s healing mercy.

We pray to the Lord.

For the courage to touch pain. May our physical and emotional pain be touched and named. May we offer all that darkens our souls to Christ’s life. May peace abound in us.

We pray to the Lord.

For hope in our trials and in times of trouble. May we humbly ask Christ to heal our anxiety and our worry about tomorrow.

We pray to the Lord.

For sustenance for the hungry. May we work without limits to feed the lives of our families who live in food deserts in our cities.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who have been shamed in social media. May the wounds of doubt and despair be named and may we all be set free in the presence of Christ Jesus. May we not scar our neighbor or degrade others.

We pray to the Lord.

For our youth who have given up on faith and institutions. May our young find new life in our outreach to their needs. May we learn to listen to our children.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who live in doubt and in the dreariness of sin. May forgiveness be in our actions and may love fill our lives.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who suffer from scars and wounds. May we not judge the skin of other people. May our injuries find home in love.  May every hardship and disfigurement be healed in Christ’s touch. May we tell the world of God’s miracles.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who are ill and who face surgeries and procedures this week. May God be on the side of healing for all in need.

We pray to the Lord.

For our loved ones who have died. May our home in heaven be eternal.

We pray to the Lord.

Always grateful to preach and preside at Eucharist at Saint Mary’s College.