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Today, Sunday 27th July we have 1054 people from all over the world and from many Christian and some non-Christian denominations joining together in prayer. After last week's suggestion for growth the Lord, in His own gentle way took another direction. We had fewer new members than usual! He will guide this the way He wants to, not me!

Our reflection is by Bob and Debbie Gass from Word for Today is called Work on your relationship

This week we pick up again on the theme of family, but one family in particular - mine. Now lest any of you reading the reflections think Mary Mullins is a bit of a holy person, get rid of that notion straight away. This lady has her space in Purgatory well and truly booked, as she has much to atone for!

On Thursday Eamon and I 'celebrated' 32 years of marriage and for the 'elder lemons' in the Circle of Prayer that statement is significant. Exactly one year ago I wrote in one of the earlier reflections:

"Just days before our 31st anniversay on Wednesday I prayed about and made the decision to leave the family home. Our kids are old enough now to be able to assess the situation and understand the
reasons. My heart is broken over the decision as I'd worked so hard to bulld our home and now I must walk away from it. But somehow there is a peace in the situation."

You see, my husband is an alcoholic and has been for each year of our marriage although I didn't recognise it as such in the early years. So the inverted commas around the word celebrated, really means Eamon celebrated in his usual way while I baked some scones for our wee prayer meeting.

Well guys - your prayers have held my marriage together. Now in case you didn't hear that statement - YOUR PRAYERS HELD MY MARRIAGE TOGETHER! I haven't a clue what stopped me leaving,
maybe the fear of loneliness, this is one awful noisy house with so many around, maybe it was the idea I always had that when that first child comes along, self goes out the window, maybe it was the graces of the prayers of all you lot, I don't know but here I am and I can honestly say the whole situation doesn't bother me one little bit now.

I also wrote:

"If any of you read the about me page in the Circle of Prayer website you will see that I'm no 'holy joe' or theological or spiritual expert, just an ordinary Mom and Granny with the same old problems as everyone else. You will have read that I am married to an alcoholic for the past 31 years and anyone in that situation knows the frustrations and angers that ensue. I've prayed for cures, for changes in both him and me, for the hurt and damage we have both done to our 6 children, yet there seems to be no answer.

Now I'm no angel either, I have a volcanic temperament and a vitriolic tongue at times that can hurt far more than any weapon in the hand. I have a need to be in control, but that could be linked to my marriage situation for over 30 years."

That temper seems to have gone and the vicious tongue with it, Praise and thanks be to God! But one of the results of all this has been a dysfunctional family, par for the course I believe in situations where alcoholism is a feature. I have to take much of the blame for the dysfunction coz I couldn't keep my mouth shut. Of the 8 of us, only one of my daughters, my youngest son and I go to Church. I pray for them all, there's nothing else I can do.

But this morning a situation arose where I had to make a decision. There was a family Mass for Eamon's deceased parents and our third child and his girlfriend were going. They live together. Now, 'tis late in the day I've really 'found Jesus' and understand His teachings. So before last October this wouldn't have bothered me too much, although I don't like this modern notion of living together. I feel it's wrong as there is no commitment. The intimacy of the marriage bed is just that. Hugh Heffner of Playboy has much to answer for when he promoted the idea that sex is no longer for procreation but for recreation!

Again in one of the earlier reflections last December I told the story of hearing an elderly Priest preaching on sin and not being allowed to receive Holy Communion if in a state of mortal sin. Now I knew our lad would go up to Communion and I also knew he shouldn't! The word tolerate in the Oxford Dictionary says: '... to allow the existence or occurence of without authoritative interference, ....., endure or permit with forebearance...'. And we have become tolerant of much that is wrong.

So I gave him a quick call and asked him to do me a favour and to refrain from receiving, explaing as gently as I could the reasons why. I got the expected barrage and for the first time in my life I understood what Jesus meant when He said:

"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." Luke 12; 49-53

It hurt like 'hell' having to do this yet I knew I had to say it. The whole family went for a meal together afterwards and all was peace, well a simmering peace on David's part anyway. I won't refer to it again
unless he wants to discuss it, but somehow I just couldn't say nothing and watch him go to Communion when he neithers believes nor has any respect for the Blessed Sacrament.

So there you have yer average Catholic Family I think, sadly. Meanwhile, Eamon and myself are off to the Galway Races tomorrow evening and Tuesday evening, with God's Good Help.

One of you sent me an email after last week's reflection saying that her faith in God remained intact but not her faith in the Catholic Church and I have to agree with her in some respect. Much is going on that is wrong and those Priests who have abused children have more than that to atone for. On their conscience also are the souls of many 'milk and water' Catholics who needed an excuse to quit going to Church. Eamon is one of them and so too are my two eldest lads and the 17 year old. Eamon wasn't at Mass this morning, even though it was for his own parents.

How do you answer their valid criticisms? My response is - I don't go to Mass for the Priest. I go to share in community our worship of God through the sacrifice of His Beloved Son and I find me a good Priest who says a Holy Mass.

So, in conclusion, I share with you a story from Sister Breege McKenna in a little book called 'The Power of The Sacraments'. Breege McKenna is a very special religious sister who has a very powerful gift of healing. This one's for those of you who send in prayer requests about broken marriages.

She tells of a gentleman coming to her for prayer. He was a successful business man of 35 with everything going for him and a devout Catholic. Arriving home early he lifted the phone one day to make a call and heard his wife speaking with another man. After 15 years of marriage he discovered his wife was having an affair. He had sought advice from a marriage guidance counsellor who told him to give her an ultimatum and if it didn't work to leave her.

Crying, he told Sister that he loved his wife and that he knew his marriage was sacred in the eyes of God. He said that he believed in the Sacrament of Matrimony and didn't want to leave her. Sr. Breege didn't know what to say so prayed quietly to the Lord for guidance. The Lord told her to say:

"Tell him it may get worse but it will get better. Tell him that I'm with him, and will sustain him with the grace of the sacrament. Tell him not to give up."

It turned out that this new man was big into New Age stuff and was a spiritist, determined to destroy this marriage.

Every week for the next 10 months this man travelled to meet with Sr. Breege and she prayed with him. All this time his wife would still not talk to him about it and he continued to go to daily Mass and would not condemn her. He knew while he was out working his wife went to see this other man every week. He prayed for her to get the grace to turn away from the other man.

Shortly after Sister received a phone call from him thanking her for all her prayers and support and telling her it was all over. Three months later Sister got the urge to phone him. He was about to ring
her at that very moment and asked if he could come see her. When he arrived he said that he needed prayers but couldn't tell her why and that if God wanted her to know He would reveal it to her.

He did and He did - He told Sister that the man's wife was pregnant with the other man's child. She told him what God had told her and asked him how he felt about it. His reply was that his wife had told him after she broke off with the other man. He decided that if God could forgive him every time he sinned how could he not forgive his wife.

When Sister asked him how his wife had responded to his forgiving her, he said her jaw dropped and said to him, "If you, a human being that I have hurt so deeply, can do this, what must God be like?" He then said to Sister. "I now realise that if it weren't for the grace of this sacrament, and if it weren't for your encouragement, I would be divorced," adding with a smile, "just pray that the child looks like me."

Seven years later Sister Breege met this man at a football game where some of her students were playing. His son was playing in the game and he was holding the hand of a beautiful little girl. She felt the Lord saying to her, "Satan tried to break this marriage". The man later wrote her a letter saying he had taken his marriage for granted, thinking his wife knew he loved her. He thanked her and said that he now knew how faithful God is if we but listen to Him.

May God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit bless you and yours and may Mary keep you in Her heavenly mother's care.

Mary in Galway, Ireland

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I meant to include the prayer below last week for the whole world but forgot. Don't forget the prayer for the family and one for our grown-up children:

Prayer for the Family

"O Dear Jesus, I humbly implore You to grant Your special graces to our family this day. In Your Divine Mercy make our home a shrine of peace, love and faith. I beg You, Dear Jesus, to protect and bless all of us and our families absent and present, living and dead. O Mary loving Mother of Jesus and our Mother, pray to Jesus the Divine Mercy for our family, and for all the families of the world. Ask Him to guard the tiny infant in the womb, the cradle of the newborn, the young in the schools and those about to start their vocations in life. Amen"

Prayer for Our Adult Children

"Heavenly Mother, keep us always in mind of Your Son's great mercy and understanding as we pray for our children. They are grown up now and have left us and are living their own lives according to their own ideals. We feel anxious and worried because they do not seem to feel the need for Christ. to understand the wisdom of His ways, or to be fully at ease with us or themselves. Intervene, dearest Mother, in their lives at the moment You know to be right and help them to understand the things that lead to their peace. Help them to see the need of Christ and to experiance the greatness
of His love, so that we may all proclaim as You did, that His mercy truly is from generation to generation. Amen"

Prayer for the World

"JESUS of NAZARETH has triumphed over Death.
His Reign is Eternal. He is coming to conquer the
world and the time.

"Mercy, my God on those who blaspheme You,
Forgive them, they know not what they do.

"Mercy, my God, for the scandal in the world,
Deliver them from the spirit of Satan.

"Mercy, my God, on those who run away from You
Give them an appreciation for the Holy Eucharist.

"Mercy, my God, on those who come to repent at the foot of the
Glorious Cross. May they find Peace and Joy in God our Saviour.

"Mercy, my God, so that Your Kingdom may come, but save souls,
there is still time; for the time is near, behold, I am coming. Amen
Come, Lord Jesus."

Recite one decade of the Rosary

"Lord, pour out on the whole world the treasures of Your
Infinite Mercy."

"Through the Mystery of Your Holy Incarnation,
deliver us from all evil, Lord.
Through Your Nativity,
deliver us from all evil, Lord.
Through Your Baptism and Holy Fasting,
deliver us from all evil, Lord.
Through Your Cross and Passion,
deliver us from all evil, Lord.
Through Your Death and Burial,
deliver us from all evil, Lord.
Through Your Holy Resurrection,
deliver us from all evil, Lord.
Through Your Admirable Ascension,
deliver us from all evil, Lord.
Through the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete,
deliver us from all evil, Lord.
Through Him whose Name reigns eternal,
deliver us from all evil, Lord."

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All of the Reflections to date are available to read on the website for anyone who's interested and can be found in the Archives page

The Weekly Intentions are available on a plain page to be able to print off and kept to hand for your own prayer time. The list has become too long now to include each week but please say the two wee prayers below. The Loving Father knows the heart of each person requesting prayer.

"Father, bless all those who have requested prayers in whatever it is that You know they may be needing this day! Father, we ask You to heal the broken bodies, broken minds, broken spirits, broken hearts and broken marriages and may all their lives be full of Your peace, prosperity, and power as they seek to have a close relationship with You. Amen."

"Thank You Jesus for answering our prayers because we know You hear every prayer and never refuse to answer. You are providing answers and healings from the prayers of all these wonderful people. Praise God!"

"Breathe in me O Holy Spirit that my thoughts may all be holy;
Act in me O Holy Spirit that my work, too, may be holy;
Strengthen me O Holy Spirit to defend all that is holy;
Guard me then O Holy Spirit that I always may be holy."

"O Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me, tell me what I should do. Give me Your orders. I promise to submit myself to all that You desire of me and to accept all that You permit to happen to me. Let me only know Your will. Amen"

May God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit bless and guide you and yours and may Mary keep you in Her heavenly mother's care.

Mary in Galway

PS. Someone passed on the reflection to Mary Ellen Burke but her email address isn't right and I need to respond to her. Could you ask her to drop me an email again with a reachable email address please.

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Work on Your Relationship

" NO MATTER WHAT I SAY…AND WHAT I DO, I’M BANKRUPT WITHOUT LOVE. "  1 CORINTHIANS 13 : 1 (TM)

By the time Ted and Bessie celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary, Ted’s hearing was about half gone. When the crowd left, Bessie looked at him and said, 'I’m so proud of you, Ted.' Confused and upset, he looked back at her and said, 'Well, Bessie, I’m tired of you too!' If you don’t want to get tired of each other, keep doing these four things:

(1) take responsibility for your own happiness. By blaming others you never have to face yourself or change your behaviour. That’s a cop-out! Relationships aren’t dumping grounds. Happiness is an inside job; it comes from a healthy self-esteem and a growing relationship with God.

(2) be a friend. Ever notice how easily you accept your friends as they are, yet have trouble doing the same thing with your loved ones? Look out, familiarity breeds contempt. Don‘t they deserve the same respect, loyalty, tolerance, and appreciation?

(3) share your dreams. Doing this will enrich your relationship and take it to a new level. You’ll always need something to plan for and work toward together. What’s your next goal?

(4) have courage. Doctor Theodore Rubin says, 'The problem is not that there are problems, it’s expecting otherwise, thinking that having problems is the problem!' There are no perfect situations. You need courage to face whatever comes; to realise that what you can’t solve, together you can outlive!

Outside of your relationship with God, there’s no greater joy than having a good relationship with the one you love, so work on yours today!

May God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit bless you and yours and may Mary keep you in Her heavenly mother's care.

Mary