Holy Thursday 2014

Holy Thursday Post

April 17, 2014

Holy Mary, I beg of you to assist me 

in avoiding the act of adding 

to the wounds of your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  

Guide my hands to do God’s work.  

Direct my thoughts to bring glory 

to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.   

Help me to see Christ in the faces of whomever I meet, 

whether at my own door, at church, 

or in the check-out lines or in traffic.  

Keep my mind ever aware of the gifts 

for which God has provided me 

and to give thanks at all times.  

Help me to enter into this Triduum- 

Mass of the Last Supper,

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion 

and Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord-  

with sincerity and deep love in my heart, 

true piety and faithful attention 

to all that occurs at your Son’s altar.  

I ask all of this by your intercession 

to Your Son, Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Virgin A Day: My Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

image found here

Trying to modify my attitude

while changing the date once again

for the Christmas gathering of my family.

Thoughts of “Why am I always the one 

who needs to accommodate others’ plans? 

Why can’t we have a tradition set in stone 

so I don’t go through this each year?”

Frustration layers upon resentment 

till I just want to go to bed 

and stay there till the onset of the new year.

Then I gaze upon your face, sweet Mother, 

and I ponder your long journey to Bethlehem

while being heavily laden with your divine Babe.

Your Immaculate Heart overcame

any questions concerning the reason

for this journey of 80 miles,

just to be counted for the greedy King 

and his tax-filled purse.

I ask your intercession now, Holy Mother, 

to help me remember that there are 12 days of Christmas,

not just the eve of Christmas and your birthday on the 25th, 

and to ask your Son to send me the grace

in order that our family’s Christmas get-together

will be filled with thoughts 

of the reason for the celebration-

Jesus’ birth and our gratitude for your “yes.”

Gospel Reading: Luke 18:1-8

In today's Gospel reading, Luke 18:1-8, 

Jesus told his disciples a parable

about the necessity for them to keep praying

without becoming fatigued. 

I think that we who worship God 

should be praying constantly

for our President and Congress

to accept that the Affordable Care Act

disenfranchises those who believe in

the right to worship

as our Constitution's first amendment states.

Here is a prayer

given to us by the 

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

I am asking for all of our faith

to pray it daily until our government

recognizes why we object to this mandate

and makes the appropriate changes so that Catholic hospitals 

and others who do not accept abortion as a moral act

will be excluded from performing abortions.

Or pray using your own words,

but please pray always.

Thank you.

Haiku My Heart: Evening Sky

I look to Heaven
to seek my Lord's assistance
in choosing my way.

May I hear His words,
and have clear understanding
to set on my path.


lovingly linked
to Rebecca's
Haiku My Heart

Mornings with Mary: Prayer by Pope John XXIII

marigolds
diminutive flow'rs
for Mary

Prayer of Pope John XXIII 

Love of Mary

Holy Immaculate Mary, help all who are in trouble.  

Give courage to the faint-hearted,

console the sad, heal the infirm, 

pray for the people, intercede for the clergy, 

have a special care for nuns;

may all feel, all enjoy your kind and powerful assistance,

all who now and always render you honor,

 and will offer you their petitions.

Hear all our prayers, O Mother, and grant them all.  

We are all your children; 
grant the prayers of your children.

Amen forever.

lovingly linked to Rebecca's 
Mornings with Mary

Prayer to God: Trust

A Christmas gift from two granddaughters

 is aiding me on my Lenten path this year.  

They had checked my wish list on Amazon.com 

and saw that my number one wish 

was to have a year's subscription

to the Magnificat magazine 

published by St. Anthony Messenger Press.

Having an interest in the lives of saints,

I ordered Lent with the Saints: Daily Reflections

by Greg Friedman, O.F.M.

Today's reading and suggestion...

(Reflect, then write a petition 

for some special need.)

led to my composing a prayer.

Lord, I ask that my trust in you
grow and bloom
as does the cactus in the desert.
My thirst for faith in you
to be quenched alone
by your Word.