Showing posts with label Prayers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prayers. Show all posts

Thursday, June 07, 2012

Summer Driving with Extra Care and a Prayer

 Accidents happen. We can't prevent all of them. And when we have a close call, even when it turns out okay, sometimes we get all shaky...and grateful.

Yes I - whose son was hit by a car a little over a year ago - came close to hitting a pedestrian yesterday. It was way too close for comfort...and yes, I was shaky...and grateful.

And so, I'd just like to remind us all, drivers and pedestrians, how careful we need to be.  I was making a left turn (where there is no arrow), paying attention to the cars in front of me, figuring out whether they were going to go straight across or turn left (or whether someone might go right, because when people make right turns at that intersection, they rarely stay in their own lane). And the pedestrian that I didn't see until it was almost too late was crossing where there is no crosswalk, just as though there was one.  Well, the son who was with me at the time saw her before I did and said "Whoa!" - and I heard him and I saw her - and I swerved. It only took a tiny swerve to clear her safely, but...  It scared me so badly! 

And I hate to think what would have happened if I had been holding a cell phone to my ear. Would I have been able to swerve quickly enough?  But I'm not going to go on about cell phones, because this wasn't about that; I had a momentary lapse.  I have driven accident-free for 44 years and I had a moment.  But that's all it takes.  It has reminded me to watch so carefully when making a left turn...and to watch for pedestrians everywhere. And now that the weather is nice, they do seem to be everywhere.

Also, when you're the one walking, please be careful and watch for cars, whose drivers may not always see you if you don't.  I hesitated to post this story because I didn't want to scare my friends who are blind, but listen, although you may be in more danger in some ways, yet in other ways, you compensate because you are more savvy than many other pedestrians. You know how to cross.  You learn where to cross. I've always thought there should be some kind of Orientation and Mobility lessons for sighted pedestrians. And also, when I told yesterday's story to my son who is legally blind, he knew the intersection I was referring to, and he was adamant that the pedestrian was crossing illegally and unsafely. Unfortunately, people do that a lot.

I would like to share a prayer for drivers which I've been saying since I was a teenager. (I don't know the origin of it.)  If anyone has a prayer for pedestrians, please feel free to share with us in the comments.


The Motorist’s Prayer

“Grant me, O Lord, a steady hand and watchful eye
that no one shall be hurt as I pass by.
Thou gavest life. I pray no act of mine
May take away or mar that gift of Thine.
Teach me to use my car for others’ need;
Nor miss through love of undue speed
The beauty of the world
That thus I may with joy and gladness go my way!”





Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Prayer to the Holy Spirit by Cardinal Mercier

I was just updating my personal prayer notebook, coordinating the printed version and the Microsoft Word version. When I came to the Prayer to the Holy Spirit, by Cardinal Mercier, I thought I would check it out online. Much to my wonder (and frustration), I never found the long form online, the form I had copied into a blank page in the back of my prayer book about forty years ago, from...I don't know, anymore, from where. Was it an old prayer book? Was it someone else's hand-copied copy?

If you are not Catholic you might like the short form, or the first few paragraphs of the longer form. For those of you who are Catholic, when you have time you might enjoy the longer form. Incidentally, my long form, copied so long ago, said "Holy Ghost" and had "Thee" and "Thy". But I have updated it to "Holy Spirit" and "You" and "Your". If there is anyone who is bothered by that change, you can switch it back for yourself. If anyone knows where else this long form can be found, besides here, or whether or not it was all penned by Cardinal Mercier himself, I would love to hear from you about it.


Short Form of the Prayer to the Holy Spirit by Cardinal Mercier:
O Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten, guide, strengthen and console me. Tell me what I ought to do and command me to do it. I promise to be submissive in everything that You permit to happen to me, only show me what is Your will.*

Notes:
(*According to several websites:
'This prayer is part of A Secret of Sanctity by Cardinal Mercier in which he said: "I am going to reveal to you a secret of sanctity and happiness. If every day during five minutes, you will keep your imagination quiet, shut your eyes to all things of sense, and close your ears to all sounds of earth, so as to be able to withdraw into the sanctuary of your baptized soul, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, speaking there to that Holy Spirit, saying: "O Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul..." If you do this, your life will pass happily and serenely. Consolation will abound even in the midst of troubles. Grace will be given in proportion to the trial as well as strength to bear it, bringing you to the gates of Paradise full of merit. The submission to the Holy Spirit is the Secret of Sanctity." ')

I would add that the short form might even be more conducive to the above form of meditation, simply by reason of its brevity. But I have always loved the long form - I - who usually am not attracted by long prayers; hence, I decided to share it with you, the hand-copied version from my old prayer book.

Long Form of this Prayer to the Holy Spirit:
O Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore You, I praise You, I love You, I thank You. Enlighten, guide, strengthen, console me. Inspire me what I ought to do and command me to do it. I promise to be submissive in everything You permit to happen to me; only show me Your holy will, and fill me with Your grace and Your love to refuse You nothing no matter how hard it may be. I abandon myself entirely to You. Strengthen my will to carry out all my resolutions, and give me the grace of perseverance.

Teach me to pray. Grant me the grace to pray with unlimited confidence of being heard, according to God's holy will.

Give me true humility of heart.

Increase and strengthen my faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Make me an ardent adorer and lover of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Strengthen my love and confidence in Our Blessed Mother.

Holy Spirit, I offer You the loving Heart of Jesus to repair for all my offenses and negligences.

I consecrate myself unreservedly to You. I place all my trust in You. Help me to make You better known and loved throughout the world. Give me an intense zeal for souls, to console Jesus. Amen.

Praying for you all, and please pray for me.




Sunday, October 02, 2011

Prayer for a Workplace

When my oldest kids were teenagers, I told them "It's an employee's market." The market has changed. When I was in my 20's, someone could often switch companies or careers with little effort. Not so easy, anymore. From what I've heard, an awful lot of people find themselves stuck in a situation with fewer employees, longer hours, and more responsibility accompanied by either fewer hours or less benefits. Fear seems to abound, and people often don't trust one another in the workplace...and often it's more prudent not to be too trusting of co-workers. Owners, managers, and employees are often super stressed and it can affect their health, as well. Thinking of all the above, I wrote the following:

PRAYER TO THE ARCHANGELS FOR A WORKPLACE

St. Michael the Archangel, great warrior who battled Satan for the glory of God, please battle any evil that may lurk in this business. Please help overcome any errors or confusion which could perhaps prevent the business from prospering, or which could possibly cause innocent people to lose their jobs or reputations.

St. Gabriel the Archangel, glorious messenger who brought tidings of greatest hope and joy for mankind, please deliver hope and joy, as well as peace and prosperity, to this business: its owners, employees and former employees, and all their families.

St. Raphael the Archangel, powerful healer who healed the blindness of Tobias, please bring healing of mind, body, and spirit to each person who works in this business. Please promote a spirit of mutual respect among all levels of people, from owners to supervisors to hourly employees. Protect innocent people as you protected the young Tobias when you accompanied him on his journey; and guide everyone, as you did him.

We ask all these blessings from Almighty God Our Loving Father, through the intercession of the Archangels, and through Christ Our Lord. Amen.



Copyright Margaret Mary Myers 2011

Friday, October 31, 2008

Powerful Novena of Childlike Confidence - Praying for Our Country

This upcoming election time scares me for a lot of reasons...but hey, that's nothing new. I've lived over a half century and a lot of things have scared me. One wonderful thing I've learned in all that time is that God is always with us. And so far, in my 55 years, even when some things in the world go badly, it seems that other things improve...not always because of circumstances but because God brings good not only out of good, but God also brings good out of evil.

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I am planning to say this nine hour novena some time over the weekend for the elections, for our country, for all of our citizens. I'm posting it here in case any of you would like to join me.

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Novena to the Infant of Prague

This novena is to be said at the same time every hour for nine consecutive hours - just one day.

O Jesus, Who hast said, ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you, through the intercession of Mary, Thy Most Holy Mother, I knock, I seek, I ask that my prayer be granted.

(Make your request.)

O Jesus, Who hast said, all that you ask of the Father in My Name, He will grant you, through the intercession of Mary, Thy Most Holy Mother, I humbly and urgently ask They Father in They Name that my prayer be granted.

(Make your request.)

O Jesus, Who hast said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away but My word shall not pass", through the intercession of Mary, Thy Most Holy Mother, I feel confident that my prayer will be granted.

(Make your request.)

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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Prayers for the Elections and for our Nation

Anyone who visits my blog may know that I don't discuss politics. But I do have concerns, like everyone else, about the elections...and about the general health, safety and economy of our country, now and for the future.

You can find a daily prayer for the elections at Maureen Wittmann's blog. For any of us who are just now getting to it, it may be too late to say the prayers as a nine day novena; however, we can still join in the prayers for the days that remain. The power of prayer is in the intention and in the love we put into it.

What great power of love will be flooding our country in the coming week...as people all over the country pray! Whatever the beliefs or prayers may be, whatever the outcomes may be, God will surely bless in His own mysterious ways a country that is steeped in prayer.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Novena to St. Jude - Day Nine

O Holy Saint Jude, Apostle and Marytr, grant that we may so dispose our lives that we may always be pleasing to God. In working out our salvation in this vale of tears we have many needs and necessities. Today we turn to thee, asking you to intercede for us and obtain for us the favors we ask of God. Especially do we petition for [here mention your intentions].

May we not so much seek temporal good but rather what will avail our souls, knowing that it profiteth us nothing if we gain the whole world yet suffer the loss of our soul.

Therefore, may we incline ourselves towards the Divine Will, seeing God's grood and gracious purpose in all our trials.

Saint Jude, pray for us!
My Jesus, mercy!

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You can find the prayers for all nine days of the St. Jude Novena by visiting the Scriptures and Prayers page.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

St. Jude Novena - Day Eight

O Saint Jude, Apostle of Christ, pray that we may ever imitate the Divine Master and live according to His Will. May we cooperate with the grace of God and ever remain pleasing in His sight. Especially do we ask you to plead for us and obtain whatsoever is necessary for our salvation. Forget not our special petitions [here mention your intentions]. May we always be thankful to God for the blessings we have received in the past. Whatsoever we ask for the present or future, we submit to the Divine Will, realizing that God knows best what is good for us. We know He will respond to our prayers and petitions in some way or other.

Saint Jude, pray for us!
My Jesus, mercy!

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You can find the prayers for all nine days of the St. Jude Novena by visiting the Scriptures and Prayers page.

Monday, September 22, 2008

St. Jude Novena - Day Seven

O Holy Apostle Saint Jude, in whose honor we are gathered today, may we never forget that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ chose you to be one of His twelve Apostles. On this account and on account of the martyrdom you suffered for the Faith, we know you are a close friend of Almighty God. Therefore we do not hesitate to petition you in our necessities, especially [here mention your intentions]. We humbly submit ourselves to the Will of God, knowing full well that no sincere prayer is ever left unanswered. May we see God's good and gracious purpose working in all our trials.

Saint Jude, pray for us!
My Jesus, mercy!

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You can find the prayers for all nine days of the St. Jude Novena by visiting the Scriptures and Prayers page.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

St. Jude Novena - Day Six

Saint Jude, Apostle of Christ, and helper in despairing cases, hear the prayers and petitions of those who are gathered together in thy honor. In all our needs and desires may we only seek what is pleasing to God and what is best for our salvation. These, our petitions [here mention your intentions] we submit to thee, asking you to obtain them for us, if they are for the good of our souls. We are resigned to God's Holy Will in all things, knowing that He will leave no sincere prayer unanswered in some way, though it may be a way unexpected by us.

Saint Jude, pray for us!
My Jesus, mercy!

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You can find the prayers for all nine days of the St. Jude Novena by visiting the Scriptures and Prayers page.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

St. Jude Novena - Day Five

O Holy Saint Jude, Apostle and companion of Jesus Christ, who has shown us by example how to lead a life of zeal and devotion, we humbly entreat thee today to hear our prayers and petitions. Especially do we ask you to obtain for us the following favors [here mention your intentions]. Grant that in praying for present and future favors, we may not forget the innumerable ones showered upon us in the past but often return to give thanks. Humbly we resign ourselves to God's Holy Will, knowing that He alone knows what is best for us in our needs and our necessities.

Saint Jude, pray for us!
My Jesus, mercy!

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You can find the prayers for all nine days of the St. Jude Novena by visiting the Scriptures and Prayers page.

Friday, September 19, 2008

St. Jude Novena - Day Four

Saint Jude who was called to be one of Christ's chosen Apostles and who labored to bring men to a knowledge and love of God, listen with compassion to those gathered together to honor thee and ask thy intercession. In this troubled world of ours we have many trials, difficulties and temptations. Plead for us in the Heavenly Court, asking especially that our petitions may be answered, especially the particular one we have in mind at this moment [here mention your intentions]. May it please God to answer our prayers in the way that He knows best, giving us grace to see His purpose in everything.

Saint Jude, pray for us!
My Jesus, mercy!

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You can find the prayers for all nine days of the St. Jude Novena by visiting the Scriptures and Prayers page.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

St. Jude Novena - Day Three

O Saint Jude, Apostle of Jesus Christ, thou who has so faithfully and devotedly helped to spread His Gospel of Light, we who are gathered together today in thy honor, ask and petition thee to remember us and our needs. Especially do we pray for [here mention your intentions]. May it also please our Lord to lend an ear to your supplications in our behalf. Grant that we may ever pray with fervor and devotion, resigning ourselves humbly to the Divine Will, seeing God's purpose in all our trials and knowing that He will leave no sincere prayer unanswered in some way.

Saint Jude, pray for us!
My Jesus, mercy!

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You can find the prayers for all nine days of the St. Jude Novena by visiting the Scriptures and Prayers page.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

St. Jude Novena - Day Two

O Blessed Apostle Saint Jude, who has been instrumental in gathering us here together today, grant that we may always serve Jesus Christ as He deserves to be served, giving of our best efforts in living as He wishes us to live. May we so dispose our hearts and minds that God will always be inclined to listen to our prayers and petitions, especially those petitions which we entrust to thy care and for which we ask you to plead for us [here mention your intentions].

Grant that we may be enlightened as to what is best for us, in the present and future, not forgetting the Blessings we have received in the past.

Saint Jude, pray for us!
My Jesus, mercy!

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You can find the prayers for all nine days of the St. Jude Novena by visiting the Scriptures and Prayers page.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Prayers to St. Jude for the Economy

Just for the record: I do NOT think the nation is on the brink of another great depression. Let me repeat that in a positive way: Personally, I think that we, as a nation, will pull through the present economic crises.

However, for people who have lost their homes, for people who have lost or are in danger of losing their jobs, for young people (and old) who are struggling to find jobs, the crisis is very real. So let us pray for our own families and for all those who are in financial need of any kind.

In case anyone would like to join me again in praying the Novena to St. Jude, I am going to include it here again. Interestingly, it was five months ago that I posted it, but people have continued to leave comments, thanking St. Jude for favors. Sometimes someone asks us to include them in our St. Jude novena, not realizing, I think, that the post they have found is from the past...So then I start thinking, hmm, maybe I should be saying a perpetual St. Jude novena with, and for, all these people.

So today I have restructured my sidebar so that you can more quickly get to the Scripture and Prayers link, from which you can easily get to the St. Jude Novena link.

But, once again...

I am taking this novena from a book called The Catholic Family Book of Novenas, copyright 1956 by John J. Crawley & Co. with Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur. (For you who are non-Catholics, those two Latin names grant permission to publish and assurance that the prayes are approved by the Catholic Church. And a "novena" is a prayer repeated for a specified period of time, often for nine days. The repetition shows perseverance as in the parable, where Jesus said that if someone keeps knocing on the door, the master of the house will let him in just because he keeps knocking).

I am posting these prayers in good faith, assuming that the 1956 copyright has expired. If I find out that the copyright was renewed, I will remove this from my blog.

NOVENA TO ST. JUDE

INTRODUCTORY PRAYER:
Glorious Saint Jude, by those sublime prerogatives wherewith thou wast enobled in thy lifetime namely, Thy kinship with Our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh and thy vocation to be an apostle, by that glory which now is thine in heaven as the reward of thy apostolic labor and thy martyrdom, obtain from me from the Giver of every good gift and every perfect gift all the graces whereof I stand in need, especially [Here mention your request.], in order to treasure up in my heart the divinely inspired doctrines which thou has transmitted to us in Thy epistle, that is to say, to build our edifice of perfection upon our most holy faith, praying by the grace of the Holy Spirit to keep ourselves in the love of God by all means, to help them that go astray, exulting thus the glory and majesty, the dominion and power of Him Who is able to keep us without sin, and to present us spotless, with exceeding joy, at the coming of our Divine Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

FIRST DAY:
O Blessed Apostle Saint Jude, who labored so zealously for the conversion of the Gentiles in many lands, and performed numerous miracles in needful and despairing cases, we invoke thee to take a special interest in us and in our needs. We feel that you understand us in a particular way. Hear our prayer and our petitions and plead for us in all our necessities especially [here mention your intentions.]. May we be patient in finding out God's Holy Will and courageous in carrying it out.

Saint Jude, pray for us!
My Jesus, mercy.

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You can find the prayers for all nine days of the St. Jude Novena by visiting the Scriptures and Prayers page.


Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Novena to Saint Jude - Day Nine

Novena to Saint Jude

Day Nine

O Holy Saint Jude, Apostle and Marytr, grant that we may so dispose our lives that we may always be pleasing to God. In working out our salvation in this vale of tears we have many needs and necessities. Today we turn to thee, asking you to intercede for us and obtain for us the favors we ask of God. Especially do we petition for [here mention your intentions].

May we not so much seek temporal good but rather what will avail our souls, knowing that it profiteth us nothing if we gain the whole world yet suffer the loss of our soul.

Therefore, may we incline ourselves towards the Divine Will, seeing God's grood and gracious purpose in all our trials.

Saint Jude, pray for us!
My Jesus, mercy!

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You can find the prayers for all nine days of the St. Jude Novena by visiting the Scriptures and Prayers page.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Novena to Saint Jude - Day Eight

Novena to Saint Jude

Day Eight

O Saint Jude, Apostle of Christ, pray that we may ever imitate the Divine Master and live according to His Will. May we cooperate with the grace of God and ever remain pleasing in His sight. Especially do we ask you to plead for us and obtain whatsoever is necessary for our salvation. Forget not our special petitions [here mention your intentions]. May we always be thankful to God for the blessings we have received in the past. Whatsoever we ask for the present or future, we submit to the Divine Will, realizing that God knows best what is good for us. We know He will respond to our prayers and petitions in some way or other.

Saint Jude, pray for us!
My Jesus, mercy!

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You can find the prayers for all nine days of the St. Jude Novena by visiting the Scriptures and Prayers page.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Novena to Saint Jude - Day Seven

O Holy Apostle Saint Jude, in whose honor we are gathered today, may we never forget that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ chose you to be one of His twelve Apostles. On this account and on account of the martyrdom you suffered for the Faith, we know you are a close friend of Almighty God. Therefore we do not hesitate to petition you in our necessities, especially [here mention your intentions]. We humbly submit ourselves to the Will of God, knowing full well that no sincere prayer is ever left unanswered. May we see God's good and gracious purpose working in all our trials.

Saint Jude, pray for us!
My Jesus, mercy!

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You can find the prayers for all nine days of the St. Jude Novena by visiting the Scriptures and Prayers page.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Novena to Saint Jude - Day Six

Novena to Saint Jude

Day Six

Saint Jude, Apostle of Christ, and helper in despairing cases, hear the prayers and petitions of those who are gathered together in thy honor. In all our needs and desires may we only seek what is pleasing to God and what is best for our salvation. These, our petitions [here mention your intentions] we submit to thee, asking you to obtain them for us, if they are for the good of our souls. We are resigned to God's Holy Will in all things, knowing that He will leave no sincere prayer unanswered in some way, though it may be a way unexpected by us.

Saint Jude, pray for us!
My Jesus, mercy!

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You can find the prayers for all nine days of the St. Jude Novena by visiting the Scriptures and Prayers page.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Novena to Saint Jude - Day Five

Novena to Saint Jude

Fifth Day

O Holy Saint Jude, Apostle and companion of Jesus Christ, who has shown us by example how to lead a life of zeal and devotion, we humbly entreat thee today to hear our prayers and petitions. Especially do we ask you to obtain for us the following favors [here mention your intentions]. Grant that in praying for present and future favors, we may not forget the innumerable ones showered upon us in the past but often return to give thanks. Humbly we resign ourselves to God's Holy Will, knowing that He alone knows what is best for us in our needs and our necessities.

Saint Jude, pray for us!
My Jesus, mercy!

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You can find the prayers for all nine days of the St. Jude Novena by visiting the Scriptures and Prayers page.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Novena to Saint Jude - Day Four

Novena to Saint Jude

Fourth Day

Saint Jude who was called to be one of Christ's chosen Apostles and who labored to bring men to a knowledge and love of God, listen with compassion to those gathered together to honor thee and ask thy intercession. In this troubled world of ours we have many trials, difficulties and temptations. Plead for us in the Heavenly Court, asking especially that our petitions may be answered, especially the particular one we have in mind at this moment [here mention your intentions]. May it please God to answer our prayers in the way that He knows best, giving us grace to see His purpose in everything.

Saint Jude, pray for us!
My Jesus, mercy!

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You can find the prayers for all nine days of the St. Jude Novena by visiting the Scriptures and Prayers page.