Lord, Hear Our Prayer

There is one thing I miss very much since stepping back from active participation in message boards. I miss the prayer forum. I miss the privilege of praying for people and I especially miss being witness to the miracles brought forth when fervent, faith-fulled people prayed for one another.

Someone wrote me the other day to tell me how much she enjoyed all the Lenten daily prompts. Her kind note made me smile. She wondered if I might be able to do that year 'round. Well, I didn't do those prompts alone. I did them along with Danielle Bean, several years ago. And we did write one for every day of the year. Those are available in our book, Small Steps for Catholic Moms, which come to think of it, is actually unavailable. But that's a thought to ponder another day.

But how about this idea? What if I pop in here every weekend, share Sunday's gospel and talk a wee bit about how we can live it and pray it in our homes? And then you tell me how we can pray for you that week? Deal?

Jn 11:1-45 or 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

Think

Oh my Lord, my soul is the most wretched of all, and yet You stoop to it with such kindness! I see clearly Your greatness and my littleness, and therefore I rejoice that You are so powerful and without limit, and so I rejoice greatly at being so little. (Diary of St. Faustina)

Pray

Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet  today.

Act

This week, be aware of Jesus' infinite mercy and ask Him to show you how to extend that mercy and consoling love to those who are close to you-- and to those who cause you to stumble and despair. To console their hearts is to console Christ Himself. Share the Divine Mercy message with your children (lots of free downloads here and a CD-ROM you can order for more worksheet kinds of things). Also, this video brings the message alive for children.

How can I pray for you this week? How can we pray for each other?