December 29, 2018
O God, for the sake of whose Church
the glorious Bishop Thomas fell by the sword of ungodly men:
grant, we beseech You that all who implore his aid,
may obtain the good fruit of his petition.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
forever and ever.
Amen.
December 28, 2018
Lord, be good to them,
and show them all Your Love.
Lord, be kind to them,
and grant them peace above.
Lord, be merciful to them,
and wipe their sins away.
Lord, be generous to them,
with all my heart I pray.
Lord, be gracious to them,
for good that they have done.
Lord be gentle with them,
for sufferings undergone.
Lord, may we meet again,
when heaven’s crown is won.
Amen.
- Columban Fr. Pay Sayles
December 27, 2018
Lord, you are the living Word of God
who came to dwell in hearts of all people.
Increase my desire and strengthen my will
to know the Word of God and to live it in my life.
Share with me your abundant grace and power.
Show me your will for me as I learn
to do great wonders in small ways
in my home and community.
December 26, 2018
Stephen, full of grace and power,
who worked great wonders and signs among the people.
You crowned him with glory and honor, O Lord.
You gave him rule over the works of Your hands.
Now, Grant, O Lord, that we may
imitate Your servant, Stephen,
whose memory we celebrate.
Teach us to love even our enemies
as Stephen knew how to pray even
for his persecutors to our Lord Jesus Christ
Your Son, who lives and reigns forever.
Alleluia.
December 25, 2018
Moonless darkness stands between.
Past, the Past, no more be seen!
But the Bethlehem star may lead me
To the sight of Him Who freed me
From the self that I have been.
Make me pure, Lord: You are Holy;
Make me meek, Lord: You were lowly;
Now beginning, and always,
Now begin, on Christmas day.
December 24, 2018
God our Father,
every year we rejoice
as we look forward to this feast of our salvation.
May we welcome Christ as our Redeemer,
and meet Him with confidence
when He comes to be our judge,
who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit, one God,
forever and ever.
Amen.
December 23, 2018
Stir up Your might, we beg You, O Lord,
and come, so that we may escape through Your protection
and be saved by Your help from the dangers
that threaten us because of our sins.
Stir up our hearts, O Lord
that we may prepare for Your only begotten Son,
that through His coming
we may be made worthy to serve You with pure souls.
Through the same Christ our Lord.
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
December 22, 2018
Loving God, help me to find time
in the frantic moments of each day
to become centered on You.
Walking through a store,
riding on the bus,
hurrying down a street:
let each of these times be moments
when I can remember Your incredible love for me
and rejoice in it.
Amen.
December 21, 2018
Dear Doctor and Defender of the Church,
composer of books which have taught
and inspired countless persons in many lands.
Help those who compose catechisms
to communicate the true teachings of Christ
in ways that can be understood by our contemporaries
so that they will be moved to follow Jesus.
Amen.
December 20, 2018
Lord, help me to keep a balance this season.
Let me keep my buying in perspective,
not to spend more than I need to or can afford.
Let me not give in to the pressures of this world
and not equate love with money spent.
Let me always remember the many people
who have so much less in material things.
Help me to buy wisely,
so that my choices will not burden those in other countries
who are so deeply affected by economic conditions.
December 19, 2018
Dear God, as I look through my gift shopping list,
I hold up to You each person listed on it.
Slowly, one by one, I ask that the fire of
Your abundant love burn within each of them.
I pray that the gift I find for each person
will bring joy into that life.
And, I pray that I may be worthy
of Your love during this Holy of season.
December 18, 2018
Lord, give me a positive outlook on life.
Help me to lessen the stress and anxiety in the world.
May Your Spirit empower me to offer
comfort rather than complaints;
to speak tenderly rather than angrily;
to seek Your presence rather than
wander aimlessly on my own.
December 17, 2018
A Root shall come forth from the stock of Jesse
And a Flower shall rise out of his root!
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him —
the spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the spirit of counsel and of fortitude,
the spirit of knowledge and of godliness.
The people that walked in darkness
shall see a great light,
For a Child is born to us
and a Son is given to us.
To Him all power shall be given.
His Name shall be: Wonderful One,
Strong God, Eternal One, Prince of Peace.
He shall sit on the throne of David,
And He will found a new Covenant
which will last forever and ever.
December 16, 2018
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
O guide of the flock of Joseph!
Rouse Your power, and come to save us.
O Lord of hosts, how long will You burn with anger
while Your people pray?
You have fed them with the bread of tears
and given them tears to drink in ample measure.
You have left us to be fought over by our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.
O Lord of hosts, restore us,
if your face shine upon us, then we shall be safe.
December 15, 2018
O Jesus, the world waits for You.
Excite in me a wonder at the wisdom and power of Your Father and ours.
Receive my prayer as part of my service of the Lord
who enlists me in God's own work for justice.
Excite in me a hunger for peace: peace in the world,
peace in my home, peace in myself.
Excite in me a joy responsive to the Father's joy.
I seek His will so I can serve with gladness, singing and love.
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.
We go in the name of the Church to announce, by deed and word, the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Missionary Society of St. Columban
1902 N. Calhoun
St. Columbans, NE 68056
Phone: 877-299-1920
Fax: 402-291-4984
email: mission@columban.org
