Thanksgiving Prayers

We thank you, Father, for the gift of Jesus your Son who came to our earth and lived in a simple home. We have a greater appreciation of the value and dignity of the human family because he loved and was loved within its shelter. Bless us this day; may we grow in love for each other in our family and so give thanks to you who are the maker of all human families and our abiding peace. Amen

Thank you, Father, for having created us and given us to each other in the human family. Thank you for being with us in all our joys and sorrows, for your comfort in our sadness, your companionship in our loneliness. Thank you for yesterday, today, tomorrow and for the whole of our lives. Thank you for friends, for health and for grace. May we live this and every day conscious of all that has been given to us. Amen.

O Gracious God, we give you thanks for your overflowing generosity to us. Thank you for the blessings of the food we eat and especially for this feast today. Thank you for our home and family and friends, especially for the presence of those gathered here. Thank you for our health, our work and our play. Please send help to those who are hungry, alone, sick and suffering war and violence. Open our hearts to your love. We ask your blessing through Christ your son. Amen.

O God, source and giver of all things,
You manifest your infinite majesty, power and goodness
In the earth about us:
We give you honor and glory.
For the sun and the rain,
For the manifold fruits of our fields:
For the increase of our herds and flocks,
We thank you.
For the enrichment of our souls with divine grace,
We are grateful.
Supreme Lord of the harvest,
Graciously accept us and the fruits of our toil,
In union with Jesus, your Son,
As atonement for our sins,
For the growth of your Church,
For peace and love in our homes,
And for salvation for all.
We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

This Thanksgiving let those of us who have much and those who have little gather at the welcoming table of the Lord. At this blessed feast, may rich and poor alike remember that we are called to serve on another and to walk together in God's gracious world. With thankful hearts we praise our God who like a loving parent denies us no good thing.

O God, we thank you for this earth, our home;
For the wide sky and the blessed sun,
For the salt sea and the running water,
For the everlasting hills
And the never-resting winds,
For trees and the common grass underfoot.
We thank you for our senses
By which we hear the songs of birds,
And see the splendor of the summer fields,
And taste of the autumn fruits,
And rejoice in the feel of the snow,
And smell the breath of the spring.
Grant us a heart wide open to all this beauty;
And save our souls from being so blind
That we pass unseeing
When even the common thornbush
Is aflame with your glory,
O God our creator,
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

We bow our hearts to You and pray.
We give You thanks for all You've done
Especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son.
For beauty in nature, Your glory we see
For joy and health, friends and family,
For daily provision, Your mercy and care
These are the blessings You graciously share.
So today we offer this response of praise

With a promise to follow You all of our days. Amen

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends. Amen. 

Our Father in Heaven,
We give thanks for the pleasure
Of gathering together for this occasion.
We give thanks for this food
Prepared by loving hands.
We give thanks for life,
The freedom to enjoy it all
And all other blessings.
As we partake of this food,
We pray for health and strength
To carry on and try to live as You would have us.
This we ask in the name of Christ,

Our Heavenly Father. Amen. 

Prayers for the Month of Setember

Father of mercy, give your people help and strength.  The birth of Mary’s son was the dawn of our new life.  May this celebration of her birthday bring us closer to lasting peace.
Grant this prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Hail Mary

full of grace,

the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women,

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, mother of God,

pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.  Amen.

God of all courage, bless all grandparents.  Grant them good health.  Surround them with your love.  Bless the families they have raised.  May their families be a blessing to them as they come to rely on the goodness and charity of others. 

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Our Father, 

who art in heaven, 

hallowed be thy name; 

thy kingdom come, 

thy will be done 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread, 

and forgive us our trespasses, 

as we forgive those 

who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.  Amen.

Loving God, we pray that all people, young and old, will realize the immense value they have in your eyes and the eyes of their family and friends.  We pray for all adults to become more aware of what is going on in the lives of those around them, especially the young and all those who suffer the pain of loneliness or depression.  Help us trust in the promises of Christ, in his offering of a peace that no one can take from us. 

We make this prayer in Jesus’ name.  Amen. 

Redeeming saviour, you know our weakness and hurts.  We offer you our failings in exchange for your mercy and healing.  May the gift of this day be an acceptable offering to you as we pray for greater courage in dealing with the challenges of tomorrow.  Bless our friendships and grant us forgiveness so that we may begin anew.

Grant this and hear all our prayers through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

God of all kindness, we find it difficult to love as you love and to forgive as you forgive.  Send us your Holy Spirit so that we can be transformed into the image and likeness of your son who reminds us that the kingdom of God is near.

We ask this prayer through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Blessed Mary, 

we ask you to pray for us.  The power of the rosary makes known the mysteries of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  Thank you for your motherly attention.  May we make your Son known by our lives of goodness.

This we ask through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

My soul magnifies the Lord.

My spirit rejoices in God my Savior;

because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid;

henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;

The almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name;

his mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him.

He has shown might with his arm,

and scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.  Amen.

Loving God, 

grant us the courage we need

to go the way you shepherd us,

that when you call us

we may go without fear.

If you bid us come to you 

on the waters, may we not be frightened.  And if you bid us climb the hill, may we not focus on the struggle, but on the happiness of your company.  

We make this, and all our prayers, through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Heavenly Father, you gifted both Cornelius and Cyprian with a sincere love for Christ and the church.  Strengthen each one of us so that we can grow through all our struggles in our love for God and one another.

This we ask through Christ our Lord.   Amen.

Dear Lord,

help us follow you by what we say  and do.  Unite us as sisters and brothers in Christ.  Grant us the courage we need to respect, defend and protect the rights of all in unity. 

We make this and all our prayers through Christ our Lord.  Amen. 

God our Father, 

you gave Robert Bellarmine wisdom and goodness to defend the faith of your church.  By his prayers may we always rejoice in what we believe.  Grant us the courage to follow through any difficulties.  

We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Loving God, 

your love is always with us, constantly reaching out to all of us, especially those who are in need of much kindness.  We pray that we may learn to imitate St. Robert Bellarmine by bringing hope to those who need it most.  

We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen. 

Lord Jesus, 

teach us to see with your eyes the beauty inherent in every soul.  May our response to your love be one of gratitude and increasing service.  We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Creator God, 

we praise you for the wonders of your wisdom and love.  You gave your son Jesus to show us how to live in love.  You gather sisters and brothers, younger and older, into this community of faith and learning and you fill us with your spirit of hope.  May we have the freedom to dream dreams for the future, the honesty to discover the truth in those dreams and the courage to bring them to life. 

We make this prayer in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Loving God, 

you generously blessed your servant St. Padre Pio with the gifts of the Spirit.  You marked his body with the wounds of Christ-crucified as a powerful witness to the saving passion and death of your son. Endowed with the gift of discernment, St. Pio labored tirelessly in the confessional, offering words of forgiveness.  He invites us all to a greater union with Jesus in the Eucharist.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Loving God, 

you granted Emilie Tavernier-Gamelin the courage to overcome great suffering and the grace to help all those in need.  May we be inspired by Blessed Emilie in this present age as we make known your love for the most vulnerable know. 

We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Loving God, 

bestower of all gifts, you blessed both Cosmas and Damian with skills that they willingly used to alleviate suffering.  Grant us the courage to identify and put into practice our gifts that would make our school community stronger.  

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Loving God, 

help us to be bold in our desire to be good to others.  Let your spirit of courage come upon us to set us free to do great works in your name.  In all that we say and do make us mindful of the genuine needs of everyone. 

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Good and gracious God, 

in a wonderful way you guide the work of angels and that of the human family.  May those who serve you constantly in heaven keep our lives safe from all harm on earth.

We ask this prayer through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Heavenly Father, 

you gave St. Jerome delight in his study of holy scripture.  He desired to make your word known.  Give us the courage to live your word each day.

We make this and all our prayers through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Gracious God,

we pray for the courage to be happy with all we are given.  Let the good work you have begun in your saints inspire us to see that hope is the only solution to despair, that love triumphs over death and that all things are possible for the one who believes in you.  Amen.

Amazing Quotes from Pope Francis

-- "Brothers and sisters, good evening. You all know that the duty of the conclave was to give a bishop to Rome. It seems that my brother cardinals have gone almost to the ends of the earth to get him... but here we are." (First words as pope: March 13, 2013)

-- "The Lord never tires of forgiving. It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness." (First Angelus as pope, March 17, 2013)

-- "This is precisely the reason for the dissatisfaction of some, who end up sad -- sad priests -- in some sense becoming collectors of antiques or novelties, instead of being shepherds living with 'the odor of the sheep.' This I ask you: Be shepherds, with the 'odor of the sheep,' make it real, as shepherds among your flock, fishers of men." (Chrism Mass, March 28, 2013).

-- "Ask yourselves this question: How often is Jesus inside and knocking at the door to be let out, to come out? And we do not let him out because of our own need for security, because so often we are locked into ephemeral structures that serve solely to make us slaves and not free children of God." (Pentecost vigil, May 18, 2013).

-- "Men and women are sacrificed to the idols of profit and consumption: it is the 'culture of waste.' If a computer breaks it is a tragedy, but poverty, the needs and dramas of so many people end up being considered normal. ... When the stock market drops 10 points in some cities, it constitutes a tragedy. Someone who dies is not news, but lowering income by 10 points is a tragedy! In this way people are thrown aside as if they were trash." (General audience, June 5, 2013).

-- "Faith is not a light which scatters all our darkness, but a lamp which guides our steps in the night and suffices for the journey. To those who suffer, God does not provide arguments which explain everything; rather, his response is that of an accompanying presence, a history of goodness which touches every story of suffering and opens up a ray of light." ("Lumen Fidei," June 29, 2013).

-- "If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him? ... The problem is not having this tendency, no, we must be brothers and sisters to one another. The problem is in making a lobby of this tendency: a lobby of misers, a lobby of politicians, a lobby of masons, so many lobbies." (News conference during flight from Brazil to Rome, July 28, 2013).

-- "An evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral." ("Evangelii Gaudium," Nov. 24, 2013).

-- "Gossip can also kill, because it kills the reputation of the person! It is so terrible to gossip! At first it may seem like a nice thing, even amusing, like enjoying a candy. But in the end, it fills the heart with bitterness, and even poisons us." (Angelus, Feb. 16, 2014).

-- "The perfect family doesn't exist, nor is there a perfect husband or a perfect wife, and let's not talk about the perfect mother-in-law! It's just us sinners." A healthy family life requires frequent use of three phrases: "May I? Thank you, and I'm sorry" and "never, never, never end the day without making peace." (Meeting with engaged couples, Feb. 14, 2014)

-- “I am always wary of decisions made hastily. I am always wary of the first decision, that is, the first thing that comes to my mind if I have to make a decision. This is usually the wrong thing. I have to wait and assess, looking deep into myself, taking the necessary time.”


-- “I see the church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else. Heal the wounds, heal the wounds. And you have to start from the ground up.”

-- “Instead of being just a church that welcomes and receives by keeping the doors open, let us try also to be a church that finds new roads, that is able to step outside itself and go to those who do not attend Mass, to those who have quit or are indifferent.”

-- “If one has the answers to all the questions—that is the proof that God is not with him. It means that he is a false prophet using religion for himself. The great leaders of the people of God, like Moses, have always left room for doubt.”

-- “Men and women are sacrificed to the idols of profit and consumption: it is the “culture of waste.” If you break a computer it is a tragedy, but poverty, the needs, the dramas of so many people end up becoming the norm.”

-- “There is no worse material poverty, I am keen to stress, than the poverty which prevents people from earning their bread and deprives them of the dignity of work.”

-- “There is another important point: encountering the poor. If we step outside ourselves we find poverty. Today—it sickens the heart to say so—the discovery of a tramp who has died of the cold is not news. Today what counts as news is, maybe, a scandal. A scandal: ah, that is news! Today, the thought that a great many children do not have food to eat is not news. This is serious, this is serious! We cannot put up with this! Yet that is how things are. We cannot become starched Christians, those over-educated Christians who speak of theological matters as they calmly sip their tea.”

-- “It is a well-known fact that current levels of production are sufficient, yet millions of people are still suffering and dying of starvation. This, dear friends is truly scandalous. A way has to be found to enable everyone to benefit from the fruits of the earth, and not simply to close the gap between the affluent and those who must be satisfied with the crumbs falling from the table, but above all to satisfy the demands of justice, fairness and respect for every human being.”

-- “I am thinking of what St Ignatius told us…He pointed out two criteria on love. The first: love is expressed more clearly in actions than in words. The second: there is greater love in giving than in receiving.”

Prayers for the Feast of St. Hilary

Gospel: Mark 1:14-20

After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Then they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat

along with the hired men and followed him.

Prayers: 

Lord our God, help us to love you with all our hearts and to love all men as you love them. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Father in heaven, from the days of Abraham and Moses until this gathering of your Church in prayer, you have formed a people in the image of your Son.  Bless this people with the gift of your kingdom.  May we serve you with our every desire and show love for one another even as you have loved us.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.

Father, watch over your family and keep us safe in your care, for all our hope is in you.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

All-powerful and everlasting God,
as Saint Hilary defended the divinity
of Christ your Son,
give us a deeper understanding
of this mystery and help us
to profess it in all truth.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Prayers for Jan 8th - Wednesday after Epiphany

Gospel: Mark  6:45 -52

After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat
and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,
while he dismissed the crowd. 
And when he had taken leave of them,
he went off to the mountain to pray. 
When it was evening,
the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. 
Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,
for the wind was against them. 
About the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea. 
He meant to pass by them. 
But when they saw him walking on the sea,
they thought it was a ghost and cried out. 
They had all seen him and were terrified. 
But at once he spoke with them,
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” 
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. 
They were completely astounded. 
They had not understood the incident of the loaves. 
On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

Prayers:

O God, give us the courage to take the road less travelled, the determination to create our own path, and the wisdom that results in following our own trail.
Amen.

Remember, most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I come to you, O Virgin of virgins, my mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. Mother of the Word incarnate, despise not my petitions but in your mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.

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

Remember us, O God,
from age to age be our comforter.
You have given us the wonder of time,
blessings in days and nights,
seasons and years.
Bless us in this New Year
and fill the months ahead
with the bright hope
that is ours in the coming of Christ.
You are our God, living and reigning, forever and ever.   Amen.

Liturgy and Prayers for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

Gospel of the Day: Matthew 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod, 
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled, 
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, 
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, 
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly 
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word, 
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures 
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 
they departed for their country by another way.

Liturgy: 

Father: Christ has appeared among us.

All: Come, let us adore Him.

Mother: The precious gifts which the Magi brought to the
Lord this day are threefold,
and they are signs of divine mysteries.
By gold the power of the King is signified,
by frankincense His great priesthood,
by myrrh the burial of the Lord.

All: The Magi worshipped the Author of our salvation in
the crib,
and of their treasures they brought to Him gifts of
mystic nature.

Youngest Child: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and
to the Holy Ghost.

All: As it was in the beginning,
is now and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.

Father: Let us pray. O God,
by the leading of a star Thou didst manifest Thine
only begotten Son
to the Gentiles on this day;
mercifully grant that we who know Thee by faith,
may be brought to contemplate the beauty of Thy
majesty.
Through the same Jesus Christ Thy Son.


All: Alleluia.

Daily Prayers: 

O God, we believe that you are love and that you love us. Help us to live in love that we may live in you and you in us. Send us your spirit of love that we may love as Jesus loved, for he has taught us that we cannot love you if we do not love one another.
Amen

O God, you have given us Jesus to be our supreme high priest. Help us never let go of the faith which he has given us. We hope in him because he felt our weaknesses with us and was tempted in every way that we are, although he was without sin. Give us his spirit of trust that we may approach your throne of grace, confident in your memory.
Amen.

Oh, God of wisdom, like a loving parent, you bless us. Give us the strength of your great power. Let us be servants of others. May your spirit never leave us.
Amen.

God of unity, today we begin a new year in our schools.  Thank you for your goodness and abundance in all that we have.  Help us to listen to your word and open our hearts.
We pray that we will think and choose wisely in the coming days.
We pray to be fair to others and treat others with kindness.
We pray to be grateful for what we have and to be generous towards others.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.