O Blessed Joseph, happy man,
to whom it was given
not only to see and to hear that God
Whom many kings longed to see,
and saw not, to hear, and heard not;
but also to carry Him in your arms,
to embrace Him,
to clothe Him,
and guard and defend Him.
Pray for us, O Blessed Joseph.
That we may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ.
April 21, 2017
April 20, 2017
Keep us, O God, from all pettiness.
Let us be large in thought, in word, in deed.
let us be done with fault-finding
and leave off all self-seeking.
May we put away all pretense
and meet each other face to face,
without self pity and without prejudice.
may we never be hasty in judgment,
and always be generous.
let us always take time for all things,
and make us to grow calm, serene and gentle.
Teach us to put into action our better impulses,
to be straightforward and unafraid.
Grant that we may realize
that it is the little things of life that create differences,
that in the big things of life,
we are as one.
And, O Lord God,
let us not forget to be kind!
Amen.
April 19, 2017
Mary, powerful Virgin,
You are the mighty
and glorious protector of the Church.
You are the marvelous help of Christians.
You are awe inspiring as an army in battle array.
In the midst of our anguish,
struggle, and distress,
defend us from the power of the enemy,
and at the hour of hour death,
receive our soul in Heaven.
April 18, 2017
Jesus, Lord, don't let the fear of death overpower us.
And don't let the loss of our loved ones
cause us to doubt Your power to "Easter" everybody.
Remind us, Lord,
that You have the last words over death.
You are risen!
You are not "among the dead."
Neither are we.
We shall live forever in Your triumphant love.
Amen.
April 17, 2017
Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.
The first Christians recognized the signs and wonders of their day.
Help me to see your guiding hand each day.
Reveal your risen presence to me as you come to me in Holy Communion.
Let my heart burn with love for you as you speak to me in the scriptures.
Keep alive in me the joy of this season
that always and everywhere the Easter alleluia
may arise as a hymn of glory to Your name.
Amen
April 16, 2017
Heavenly Father and God of mercy,
we no longer look for Jesus among the dead,
for he is alive and has become the Lord of life.
From the waters of death
you raise us with him
and renew your gift of life within us.
Increase in our minds and hearts
the risen life we share with Christ,
and help us to grow as your people
toward the fullness of eternal life with you.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen
April 15, 2017
Jesus, in Your cruel scourging
in which You shed Your Blood
most painfully and abundantly,
offering it to Your Eternal Father
in payment for our impatience and our wantonness,
how is it, then,
that we do not curb our wrath and self-love?
Oh! let us try to be more patient in our trials,
to cultivate self-control,
and to bear in peace the injuries that men do to us.
April 14, 2017
O Jesus, Who by reason of Your burning love for us
has willed to be crucified
and to shed Your Most Precious Blood
for the redemption and salvation of our souls,
look down upon us here gathered together
in remembrance of Your most sorrowful Passion and Death,
fully trusting in Your mercy;
cleanse us from sin by Your grace,
sanctify our toil,
give to us and to all those who are dear to us our daily bread,
sweeten our sufferings,
bless our families,
and to the nations so sorely afflicted,
grant Your peace,
which is the only true peace,
so that by obeying Your commandments
we may come at last to the glory of heaven.
April 13, 2017
Eternal Father,
turn away Your angry gaze from our guilty people
whose face has become unsightly in Your eyes.
Look instead upon the Face of Your Beloved Son,
for this is the Face of Him
in Whom You are well pleased.
We now offer You this Holy Face,
covered with shame and disfigured by bloody bruises
in reparation for the crimes of our age
in order to appease Your anger,
justly provoked against us.
Because Your Divine Son, our Redeemer,
has taken upon His Head all the sins of His members,
that they might be spared,
we now beg of You, Eternal Father,
to grant us mercy.
Amen
April 12, 2017
O Blessed Virgin Mary, you are the mother
and queen of every Christian family.
When you conceived and gave birth to Jesus,
human motherhood reached its greatest achievement.
From the time of the Annunciation
you were the living chalice of the Son of God made man.
You are the queen of the home.
As a woman of faith, you inspire all mothers
to transmit faith to their children.
Watch over our families.
Let children learn free and loving obedience
inspired by your obedience to God.
Let parents learn dedication
and selflessness based on your unselfish attitude.
Let all families honor you and remain devoted to you
so that they may be held together by your example
and your intercession.
Amen.
April 11, 2017
O Virgin, fair as the moon,
delight of the angels and saints in heaven,
grant that we may become like you
and that our souls may receive a ray of your beauty,
which does not decline with the years
but shines forth into eternity.
O Mary, sun of heaven,
restore life where there is death
and enlighten spirits where there is darkness.
Turn your countenance to your children
and radiate on us your light and your fervor.
O Mary, powerful as an army,
grant victory to our ranks.
We are very weak
and our enemy rages with uttermost conceit.
But under your banner
we are confident of overcoming him.
Save us, O Mary,
fair as the moon,
bright as the sun,
awe inspiring as an army set in battle array
and sustained not by hatred
but by the ardor of love.
Amen.
April 9, 2017
Almighty and ever-living God,
I approach the sacrament
of Your only-begotten Son
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
I come sick to the doctor of life,
unclean to the fountain of mercy,
blind to the radiance of eternal light,
and poor and needy to the Lord
of heaven and earth.
April 8, 2017
I Beseech You,
most sweet Lord Jesus Christ,
that Your Passion may be to me power
by which I may be strengthened,
protected and defended.
May Your wounds be to me food
and drink by which I may be nourished,
inebriated, and delighted.
May the sprinkling of Your Blood be to me
an absolution for all my sins.
May Your death prove for me unfailing life,
and may Your Cross be to me eternal glory.
In these be my refreshment,
joy, health, and delight of my heart:
You who lives and reigns forever.
Amen.
April 7, 2017
Lord, unite me more closely to You,
the one true God
and lead me safely through death
to everlasting happiness with You.
And I pray that You will lead me,
a sinner to the banquet
where You with Your Son and Holy Spirit,
are true and perfect light,
total fulfillment,
everlasting joy,
gladness without end,
and perfect happiness to Your saints.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
April 6, 2017
O Lord, through your holy communion
may I be protected from evil.
May You be a helmet of faith
and a shield of good will.
May You purify me from evil ways
and put an end to my evil passions.
May You bring me charity and patience,
humility and obedience,
and growth in power to do good.
May You be my strong defense against all my enemies,
visible and invisible,
and the perfect calming of all my evil impulses.
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.