Lord, Hear Our Prayer

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Gospel
Mark 13:24-32

Jesus said to his disciples:
"In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

"And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates.
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.

"But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

Think
"Hope in God, for God will free you from your burdens or give you the strength to bear them. When we have faith in God, we are shielded from our enemies and the terrors of the night. To say “I believe in God” is to say we do not trust in our own strength but in the strength of God. It is most certain that God exercises a tender care for us when we abandon all our anxieties and fears to Divine Providence. Yet God desires that we do all that lies in our power to accomplish our tasks. Go ahead filled with courage, but go in simplicity. God wants us to use all the ordinary means to attain hope and trust. " -St. Francis de Sales

Pray
Dear Lord, When I am discouraged, remind me to lean into you. Help me to seek you in Word and in Sacrament, confident that you will strengthen me to do your will and grant me plenty of grace to do it with gentleness and peace.

Act
Is there someone close to you who is difficult? Someone whom you know God put in your life, but who requires of you supernatural grace and strength? Make a list of five (ten?) things about that person for which you are truly grateful. Share your thanks with him or her. Use words only if absolutely necessary.

How can we pray for you this week?

*This is the first post I've ever composed using the Typepad app on my phone. I'm huddled in my minivan, keeping warm while I wait for soccer to begin. Please excuse inevitable errors.

Lord, Hear Our Prayer

Praying and still Praying

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O God, we acknowledge you today as Lord,
Not only of individuals, but of nations and governments.

We thank you for the privilege
Of being able to organize ourselves politically
And of knowing that political loyalty
Does not have to mean disloyalty to you.

We thank you for your law,
Which our Founding Fathers acknowledged 
And recognized as higher than any human law.

We thank you for the opportunity that this election 
year puts before us,
To exercise our solemn duty not only to vote,
But to influence countless others to vote,
And to vote correctly.

Lord, we pray that your people may be awakened.
Let them realize that while politics is not their salvation,
Their response to you requires that they be politically active.

Awaken your people to know that they are 
not called to be a sect fleeing the world
But rather a community of faith renewing the world.

Awaken them that the same hands lifted up to you in prayer 
Are the hands that pull the lever in the voting booth;
That the same eyes that read your Word
Are the eyes that read the names on the ballot,
And that they do not cease to be Christians
When they enter the voting booth.

Awaken your people to a commitment to justice
To the sanctity of marriage and the family,
To the dignity of each individual human life,
And to the truth that human rights begin when human lives begin,
And not one moment later.

Lord, we rejoice today
That we are citizens of your kingdom.

May that make us all the more committed
To being faithful citizens on earth.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Archbishop Chaput on the election.

Cardinal Dolan on Religious Freedom

Let's Just Pray

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Let's just pray. From now until election day, let's just pray.  

O God, we acknowledge you today as Lord,
Not only of individuals, but of nations and governments.

We thank you for the privilege
Of being able to organize ourselves politically
And of knowing that political loyalty
Does not have to mean disloyalty to you.

We thank you for your law,
Which our Founding Fathers acknowledged 
And recognized as higher than any human law.

We thank you for the opportunity that this election 
year puts before us,
To exercise our solemn duty not only to vote,
But to influence countless others to vote,
And to vote correctly.

Lord, we pray that your people may be awakened.
Let them realize that while politics is not their salvation,
Their response to you requires that they be politically active.

Awaken your people to know that they are 
not called to be a sect fleeing the world
But rather a community of faith renewing the world.

Awaken them that the same hands lifted up to you in prayer 
Are the hands that pull the lever in the voting booth;
That the same eyes that read your Word
Are the eyes that read the names on the ballot,
And that they do not cease to be Christians
When they enter the voting booth.

Awaken your people to a commitment to justice
To the sanctity of marriage and the family,
To the dignity of each individual human life,
And to the truth that human rights begin when human lives begin,
And not one moment later.

Lord, we rejoice today
That we are citizens of your kingdom.

May that make us all the more committed
To being faithful citizens on earth.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Archbishop Chaput on the election.

Cardinal Dolan on Religious Freedom

Sad News {Updated}

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Our friend and mentor, Barbara Curtis, died this afternoon, surrounded by her family. She will be so missed. 

Eternal rest, grant unto her O Lord 
and let perpetual light shine upon her.

May she rest in peace 

May her soul and the soul of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.

 

A funeral Mass will be celebrated for Barbara Curtis on Saturday,
November 3rd, at 12:30pm at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in
Purcellville, Virginia.  There will be a reception in the hall
following Mass.  The family will leave after about an hour for a
private burial, but visitors are welcome to stay longer at the
reception.  There will not be a viewing.  Please continue to pray for
the family while they grieve and heal.

We are working on a PO Box for Mass cards and notes of sympathy. I'll update here tomorrow with those details.