Today’s Blessing Prayer: Christmas greetings and blessings to all! Later this morning I will head out to St. John and St. Mary Parish to celebrate the 10:00 am and noon Christmas Masses. I hope your Christmas morning and day will be one blessed by the gift of love in your life. I hope in the midst of this day with all its celebrating, eating and laughter with family you will not forget to give God a little time!
As we celebrate the gift of Christmas, I offer you Pope Francis’ Prayer… O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, and the Health of the Sick. At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus’ pain, with steadfast faith. You, Salvation of All People, know what we need. We are certain that you will provide, so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the Father’s will and to do what Jesus tells us: He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen. We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin. (Prayer Composed by Pope Francis) In the spirit of this day of joy, love and gathering here is my prayer of blessing for all… May there be harmony in all your relationships. May sharp words, envious thoughts, and hostile feelings be dissolved. May you give and receive love generously. May this love echo in your heart like the joy of church bells on a clear December day. May each person who comes into your life be greeted as another Christ. May the honor given the Babe of Bethlehem be that which you extend to every guest who enters your presence. May the Hope of this sacred season settle in your soul. May it be a foundation of courage for you when times of distress occupy your inner land. May the wonder and awe that fills the eyes of children be awakened within you. May it lead you to renewed awareness and appreciation of whatever you too easily take for granted. May the bonds of love for one another be strengthened as you gather with family, community and friends around the table of festivity and nourishment. May you daily open the gift of your life and be grateful for the hidden treasures it contains. May the coming year be one of good health for you and those you love. May you have energy and vitality. May you care well for your body, mind and spirit. May you keep your eye on the Star within you and trust this Luminescent Presence to guide and direct you each day. May you go often to the Bethlehem of your heart and visit the One who offers you peace. And may you bring this peace into the world… (From Out of the Ordinary – “a Christmas Blessing” by Joyce Rupp) I will remember all of you as I celebrate the Eucharist during this Christmas Season – Christmas blessings to all. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul PS I also remember my father in a special way today as it was 41 years ago today that he was born to eternal life. Dad, continue to watch over us and may you and Mom bless us with your spirits of love this day and always!
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Today’s Prayer: Loving Jesus, Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace, the Light of the World, as we celebrate your birth may we begin to see the world in the light of your gift of understanding with which you grace us. As you chose the lowly, the outcasts, and the poor to receive the greatest news the world had ever known, so may we celebrate you in meekness of heart, wonderment of love and joyful hope. May we bring your hope and love to all we meet today and always. Amen.
Today’s Blessing Prayer: Sunday greetings and blessings to all. On this final morning before Christmas begins this afternoon, I hope and pray you are navigating through this unusual day with faith and hopefulness for the future.
As we make this journey from Advent to Christmas today, I offer you Pope Francis’ Prayer… O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, and the Health of the Sick. At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus’ pain, with steadfast faith. You, Salvation of All People, know what we need. We are certain that you will provide, so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the Father’s will and to do what Jesus tells us: He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen. We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin. (Prayer Composed by Pope Francis) As we celebrate this Fourth Sunday of Advent, as we recall once again, Mary’s meeting with Gabriel and her response of yes. Let us ask God to bless us with the faith and trust of Mary and all the other characters in our faith story of the Incarnation. Bless us, O God, in the loving spirits of Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zacariah and others; bless us today body and soul; bless our dreams, our words and our actions; bless our journeys; bless all that we have and all that we are that we will always live our lives to your greater honor. Bless us with the grace of your mercy to be compassionate, forgiving and hopeful that all you have called us to be will bring about your presence in our lives and in the lives of all we meet. Help us to be gentle and kind especially when many around us are not. Gift us with the grace to say “yes” even when we are unsure where it will take us. Help us to trust in your ever-present love. Amen. Sunday blessings to all! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul Today’s Prayer: O God of Christmas wonder, grace us with the humble caring faith and trusting wisdom of Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zacariah and many others. May we too listen to our hearts and respond to the voice of God in our lives so that we to will always say “yes” to God’s invitation as we continue our journey through this life to the gift of everlasting life. Amen!
Today’s Blessing Prayer: Saturday greetings and blessings to all. I hope and pray you are navigating through these final days before Christmas with faith and hopefulness for the future.
As we begin a new day, I offer you Pope Francis’ Prayer… O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, and the Health of the Sick. At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus’ pain, with steadfast faith. You, Salvation of All People, know what we need. We are certain that you will provide, so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the Father’s will and to do what Jesus tells us: He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen. We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin. (Prayer Composed by Pope Francis) With just a little over a day left until the Christmas celebrations begin let us pray that these next hours of our life will be blessed and graced by God so we will be ready to welcome the gift of the Christmas spirit into our lives. Loving God bless us this day by reminding us that we have come into this world from your hands and that your loving hands are always at work in our life. You have created us in your image and likeness and gifted us to the world. May we live that gift today and every day. May we make present your presence, your love, and your hope in all that we do and say today. And may we be ready to celebrate the gift of Christmas surrounded, if possible, by the people most important to us, even if it is by Zoom or Facetime. Loving God come to life within us today and always! Christmas blessings to all and Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul Today’s Prayer: O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come, and set us free. Come because to know you is life. To serve you is freedom. To praise you is our soul's joy and delight. Guide us with the power of your grace here and in all places. Today and always, forever. Amen. (Adapted from a Prayer by St. Augustine of Hippo)
Today’s Blessing Prayer: Friday greetings and blessings to all. I hope and pray you are navigating through these last days of Advent and preparing for Christmas with faith and hopefulness for the future.
As we begin a new day, I offer you Pope Francis’ Prayer… O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, and the Health of the Sick. At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus’ pain, with steadfast faith. You, Salvation of All People, know what we need. We are certain that you will provide, so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the Father’s will and to do what Jesus tells us: He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen. We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin. (Prayer Composed by Pope Francis) With two plus days left until the Christmas celebrations begins let us pray that these next couple of days in our lives will be blessed and graced by God so we will be ready to welcome the gift of the Christmas spirit into our lives. Loving God bless us this day by reminding us that we have come into this world from your hands and that your loving hands are always at work in our life. You have created us in your image and likeness and gifted us to the world. May we live that gift today and every day. May we make present your presence, your love and your hope in all that we do and say today. And may we be ready to celebrate the gift of Christmas surround by the people most important to us. Loving God come to life within us today and always! Final days of Advent blessings to all. Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul Today’s Prayer: Today I am going to offer you a prayer that Pope Francis used a few years ago to end of his talk to the Roman Curia. It is a prayer often referred to as the "Romero Prayer" however it was not written by St. Oscar Romero. It was written by Bishop Kenneth Untener. I had the great honor of talking with Bishop Untener for over two hours one day many years ago before he died. He was a wonderful man, a great preacher, and the kind of shepherd that Pope Francis would have liked. I offer you Bishop Ken’s prayer today because I believe it speaks of Mary’s prayer in our Gospel today…
Every now and then it helps us to take a step back and to see things from a distance. The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts; it is also beyond our visions. In our lives, we manage to achieve only a small part of the marvelous plan that is God’s work. Nothing that we do is complete, which is to say that the Kingdom is greater than ourselves. No statement says everything that can be said. No prayer completely expresses the faith. No Creed brings perfection. No pastoral visit solves every problem. No program fully accomplishes the mission of the Church. No goal or purpose ever reaches completion. This is what it is about: We plant seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that others will watch over them. We lay the foundations of something that will develop. We add the yeast which will multiply our possibilities. We cannot do everything, yet it is liberating to begin. This gives us the strength to do something and to do it well. It may remain incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way. It is an opportunity for the grace of God to enter and to do the rest. It may be that we will never see its completion, but that is the difference between the master and the laborer. We are laborers, not master builders, servants, not the Messiah. We are prophets of a future that does not belong to us. (Prayer by Bishop Kenneth Untener, Former and Deceased Bishop of the Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan) Today’s Blessing Prayer: Thursday greetings and blessings to all. I hope and pray you are navigating through these last days before Christmas with faith and hopefulness for the future.
As we get ready to bring a close to Advent and prepare to celebrate Christmas, I offer you Pope Francis’ Prayer… O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, and the Health of the Sick. At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus’ pain, with steadfast faith. You, Salvation of All People, know what we need. We are certain that you will provide, so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the Father’s will and to do what Jesus tells us: He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen. We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin. (Prayer Composed by Pope Francis) As for today’s blessing I once again call upon spirits Mary and Elizabeth to focus us and remind us throughout this day that God is always with us. Loving God bless us all this day with the echoes of Elizabeth’s words to Mary, “How does it happen that the mother of my Lord, should come to me?” Make these words our own today, O God, for by your blessing of creation we all carry around in us the gift of your presence. May the story of Mary and Elizabeth remind us of your presence in our lives and give us the strength to give your gift to everyone we encounter today and always. May God bless us all today. Have a blessed and holy Thursday everyone! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul Today’s Prayer: Loving God, like Elizabeth in today’s Gospel we pause in gratitude for the many visits that Mary has made to our lives. We give thanks for those visits as they were made present by our own mothers. With the gift of life, our mothers carried us in their wombs and gave us life. Like Mary and Elizabeth, they tenderly, patiently cared for us and taught us to walk and talk. They read to us and made us laugh. No one delighted in our successes more; no one could comfort us better in our failures. We are grateful as we remember the gift of Mary during our journey to Christmas, for how our mothers, nurtured us and mentored us, and even disciplined us.
In the spirit of Mary and Elizabeth, please bless our mothers and all mothers, Lord, whether they are living or deceased. Comfort them, help them to have loving hearts and to continue to love and give of themselves to others. Strengthen them when they are down and give them hope when they are discouraged. Most of all, God, during the seasons of Advent and Christmas, give all mothers the graces they most need and desire. We pray this, grateful for the gifts of Mary and Elizabeth and all mothers in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen! PS Loving God, just two more things, in the spirit of Mary and Elizabeth bless all expecting mothers and all women who want to conceive too! |
Fr. Paul R. Fagan, C.P.A prayer or two to help you through your day! Archives
April 2024
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