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Hello everyone,

Today, Sunday 13th September we have 1278 people from all over the world and from many Christian and some non-Christian denominations joining together in prayer. The reflection at the bottom this week is from Bob and Debbie Gass of The Word for Today and is called 'Soaring…running…walking'

I've had to make a bit of an 'executive decision', I'm afraid. The numbers of prayer requests coming in are increasing, thanks be to God, so the time it takes to add them has also increased. Sunday night is the time I set aside for the reflection and getting it out and it's often 2 or 3 o'clock before I get to bed. Trying to go through every prayer and shorten it yet retain the main content for the weekly intentions list was taking longer and longer. So, please forgive me, but I've added the intentions 
prayer at the bottom to the weekly intentions' list to cover all the prayers that come in, rather than every individual prayer. They can still be found, of course, in the Prayer Book, just as they come in, except those tiny few who are 'taking the mickey' and these are 'changed slightly'. Never a one to waste anything! Please continue to check the Prayer Book, as some of the prayers are really heart-breaking or time-specific and might need special mention in your own prayer time.

This week we continue our sharing on prayer but from a different perspective - redemptive suffering as a form of prayer. For many people this is a really difficult part of life to understand. Why does God allow suffering! I don't know and I'm sure many would have the same answer. But remember in the Economy of Salvation God let's nothing go to waste!

We do know that man's first sin earned him hard labour and for woman that in sorrow she would bring forth children. (Gen.; 3:16-18) As a result of their sin Adam and Eve lost sanctifying grace, the right to heaven, and their special gifts; they became subject to death, to suffering, and to a strong inclination to evil, and they were driven from the Garden of Paradise. The chief punishments of Adam which we inherit through original sin are death, suffering, ignorance, and a strong inclination to sin. Original sin is removed at Baptism but we carry the other afflictions with us through life, with free will dictating our ability to avoid sin only through grace.

On Christ's death we became members of the Royal Priesthood, together as one in the One Body of Christ. Saint Paul tells us that '...we must put on Christ' and I'm sure he meant the whole caboodle, the joys and the sufferings. Just as in the Old Testament, Israel of the New Covenant is made of priests who offer the bloodless sacrifice of Christ to the Father at every Mass in the world, so we too, as the Royal Priesthood, are called upon to offer our sacrifices in conjunction with the sacrificial offering of the Eucharist.

Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, cried out to the Father in His suffering, asking Him, if it was His will, to remove the chalice from Him. He was afraid, He suffered and knew the suffering and pain He was to face. And so we can understand a little of what He meant below:

"Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any will come after Me let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" —Matthew 16:24

Have you ever known certain families which seem to have awful crosses to bear? There is an elderly couple in our parish who buried three adult children following separate road accidents over a short period of years. One of the ladies on the course with me buried her 26 year old son to cancer just a month before.

This reminds me of the old story of the lady who died and when she met Jesus said to Him, 'Lord you gave me such a heavy cross to bear'. Jesus took her by the hand to a room and within were hundreds of crosses, small, medium and large. He told her to pick the cross she felt she would have been most able to bear. When she selected one, He said to her, 'That is exactly the one you carried for my sake throughout your life'.

Pain and suffering comes in all shapes and sizes just like the room full of crosses - the physical pain of illness, injury or disability; the emotional pain of loss through bereavement, separation, divorce, rejection, unemployment, bankruptcy, war; the mental pain of abuse, depression, loneliness, psychiatric illness, addiction, financial worries; and the spiritual pain of that 'dark night of the soul' when we feel God is no longer there, or when our faith wanes and we no longer believe. Every one of them real pain, every one of them a blessing in disguise! 

How can I say that? Well, through them all we stand at the foot of the Cross with Mary, sharing both her pain as a suffering mother and the redemptive pain her Son endured for us all. Since last week we have had two beautiful Feast Days in the Church - the Triumph of the Cross last Sunday, followed by the Sorrows of Mary on Monday. Think about the significance of both. Pain and suffering for the redemption of man, allowing us to share the fruits of Calvary by taking up our cross, accepting our suffering and offering them all to the Father too.

'And whosoever doth not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.' Luke 14:27

As a Royal Priesthood we are joined to His sufferings and as a result turn that suffering onto something positive: 

'And if one member suffer any thing, all the members suffer with it: or if one member glory, all the members rejoice with it.' I Corinthians 12:26 

How many times have you heard someone say '..... offer it up'? Did it sound trite or simplistic when your heart was breaking or your physical pain was driving you mad? It is far from being trite or simplistic! It is climbing onto the Cross with Christ, bearing all for Him. What better example of suffering do we have than those who are killed for their faith or for the love of another human being, as were the martyrs. Today we watch Pope John Paul II suffering yet he carries his own cross with dignity and joy for Christ. When asked a couple of years ago why he did not retire because of his failing health his response was: 'Did Jesus climb down off the Cross?'

My sister, Ann, suffers from migraine and on Friday night she had a particularly bad one. In the early hours she came downstairs for a while as she couldn't sleep. At the foot of the stairs she decided to offer up the pain for the Holy Souls. By the time she got back up to the top the pain was completely gone. Mind over matter? I don't know, but her pain was gone and I'm sure some poor soul benefited.

So let's not waste one precious moment of any suffering that comes our way. Oh, it doesn't mean that we don't ask the Lord to relieve us of our pain, anxieties or suffering - remember Jesus' Agony in the Garden, He too asked the Father for relief - but let's try to turn it into something positive by offering it to the Father for a soul in need. Your offering could well be the means of salvation and conversion of a sinner or soul in great need. Isn't that a lovely thought, my toothache could be the means of saving a sinner, my heartache the means of converting even the hardest of hearts!.

Ah well - 'nuff guff from here. Don't forget the Mothers and Fathers Prayers group in the UK. Do try to get a few of you together weekly to pray for your children and grandchildren. They need all the prayers they can get in this crazy world! Drop an email to the address below for information and details.

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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Soaring…running…walking
 

"…THEY WILL SOAR…THEY WILL RUN…THEY WILL WALK…" ISAIAH 40:31 (NIV) 

Those who hope in the Lord…will soar…like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint. Today let’s look at each:

(1) Soaring: Birds have three ways of flying: (a) flapping their wings to counteract gravity. This isn’t particularly graceful and it’s a lot of work (b) gliding, where they build up enough speed to coast for a while before gravity kicks in c) soaring, where they utilize thermal currents and without moving a feather, climb to great heights. Sometimes we soar; we’re carried on the currents of God’s power and He uses us in amazing ways. We’re productive and we experience a strength and wisdom beyond our natural abilities.

(2) Running: Some days you can’t soar, but you can run without growing weary. You may have to flap a little, but with persistence you see results and know that at least you’re still in the race. When you run, never compare yourself with those who are soaring. Don’t try to manufacture spiritual ecstasy; just keep running and your time will come.

(3) Walking: Some days pain, failure and fatigue make it impossible to soar or run; all you can do is walk without fainting, and even that’s hard. Today, give yourself permission to be where you are. Walking counts with God. When it’s the best you can do - it’s enough! God’s requirements never exceed the grace He provides. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and following Him, for sometimes He values walking more than running or soaring. 

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Prayer for Your 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 Your 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 experience 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."

Prayer of Protection

Blessed Michael the Archangel, protect us in the hour of conflict. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God restrain him, we humbly pray, and do thou, Oh Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, by the Power of God, thrust satan down to hell and with him all the wicked spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen

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All of the Reflections to date are available to read in the Archives on the website for anyone who's interested.

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