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Hello everyone, 

Today, Monday 22nd December we have 1768 people from all over the world and from many Christian and some non-Christian denominations joining together in prayer. Our reflections this week come from Bob and Debbie Gass of The Word for Today, all with a Christmas theme.

I'm going to keep my mouth shut this week and let the selected reflections from Word For Today say it all. Let me just say, though, that I love each and every one of you, my brothers and sisters, and thank you so much for all your prayers, for your committment and your constancy. May I wish each and every one you a very beautiful, peaceful, happy and holy Christmas. For those of you who do not celebrate this season, may I wish you the peace and happiness that only God can give.

Mary in Galway

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Struggling with Christmas?

"HE IS... ACQUAINTED WITH GRIEF" ISAIAH 53:3 

Christmas can be a difficult time, especially when you’ve lost a loved one. The sounds and sights that once brought you such joy now remind you of them, and reinforce your sense of loss. There’s no magic formula; grief is a process you must walk through, and it takes time. Here are some personal thoughts that might help:

Try to keep things in perspective: Christmas is only one day out of 365. You can do anything for 24 hours because God promised that '... your strength will equal your days' (Deutronomy 33:25 NIV). 

Check and see if there’s a needy family or a lonely neighbour who’d enjoy spending an hour with you. Reaching out is difficult - but it brings healing. 

Don’t accept the myth that everybody else is having ‘a perfect Christmas’ while you struggle. The truth is, even for Christians, Jesus’ birth gets eclipsed by unrealistic demands and the pressures of shopping, entertaining and gift-giving. Why do you think we’re so relieved when it’s all over?

Don’t maintain old traditions if they make you feel worse. Create new ones that work for you now - you might even want to keep them.

If you’re struggling with Christmas this year, here’s a prayer for you:

'Lord, You know how I feel today because Your Word says You are familiar with grief. Heal my heart and fill its emptiness. Become more real to me than the activity without and the loneliness within. Help me to discover You and, in so doing, make this a Christmas like none I’ve ever known. Amen.' 

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Four Christmas Gifts

"MAY GOD GIVE PEACE TO YOU...AND LOVE, WITH FAITH...MAY GOD'S GRACE...BE UPON ALL WHO SINCERELY LOVE OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST." Philippians 6:23 (TLB) 

It's easy to get caught up in the craziness of shopping, parties, gift giving and family obligations. In fact, it's exhausting just thinking about it all! Imagine however, that when you wakened this morning you found four gifts you'd overlooked and tucked away under the tree. You open the first one, and you are filled with an awesome sense of peace you've never known before. You unwrap the second, and experience an overpowering love for others - even those who've wronged you. You open the third, and you're infused with a faith that enables you to trust God for anything - even things you previously considered impossible. Finally, you unwrap the fourth gift, and receive such grace, that you can handle criticism and hurt without retaliating. 

Sound far-fetched? Not at all! These are the gifts Paul says God wants to give you. Listen: 'May God give peace to you...and love, with faith...May God's grace...be upon all who sincerely love our Lord Jesus Christ' (Eph 6:23 TLB). What gifts! And you won't have to return any of them the day after Christmas: they're guaranteed to last a lifetime. Remember, God's already given them to you - all you have to do is open the packages and start using them.It's Christmas Day, the day that changed everything. Why don't you take a moment and thank God for all His wonderful gifts - especially for the gift of His Son. After all, without Him you'd have nothing to celebrate. Right? 

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He came for – you!

"…GOD WAS MANIFEST IN THE FLESH…" 1 TIMOTHY 3:16 

He was born in abject poverty, yet a choir of angels filled the heavens with songs of His greatness. A star that astronomers still can’t explain to this day became the compass that brought world leaders to worship at His crib.

His birth defied the laws of biology and His death defied the laws of mortality. No miracle is greater than His life and teaching. He owned no cornfields or fisheries, yet He spread a table for 5,000 and had bread and fish left over. He never walked on expensive carpeting, yet when He walked on water it supported Him; when He spoke the wind and the seas obeyed Him. 

His crucifixion was the crime of all crimes, yet in God’s eyes no less a price could have made your redemption possible. When He died, few mourned, yet God hung black crepe over the sun. Those who crucified Him never once trembled at what they’d done, yet the earth shook beneath them. Sin couldn’t touch Him. Decay couldn’t claim His body. The soil that was reddened with His blood couldn’t claim His dust. 

For over three years He preached the gospel, yet He wrote no books, built no cathedrals, and seemingly had no great financial resources. Yet 2,000 years later, He’s still the central character of human history, the perpetual theme of Christian preaching, the pivot around which the ages revolve – and the only Redeemer of the human race!

For every other job, God sent a man. But in order to rescue and recycle you, God became a man. Aren’t you glad? 

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Finding God in the ordinary!

"THERE WERE… SHEPHERDS…IN THE FIELD…AND…THE ANGEL OF THE LORD CAME UPON THEM…" LUKE 2:8 

It was an ordinary night. In fact, if it hadn’t been for a God who loves to put ‘extra’ before ‘ordinary’, it might have gone unnoticed. One minute the shepherds are sleeping, the next they’re rubbing their eyes, staring at an extra-terrestrial being who says, ‘…I bring you good tidings of great joy…unto you is born…a Saviour…’ (Luke 2:10-11). A Saviour – just what we needed, right?

Ever wondered why the angel appeared to ordinary people? Think about it; if he’d appeared to theologians, they’d have had to consult their dusty commentaries and denominational boards. If he’d appeared to celebrities, they’d have had to check and see who was watching. If he’d appeared to jet-setting executives, they’d have had to look at their Filo-faxes and spread sheets. So he gave the news to a bunch of guys with no reputation to protect, no axe to grind, no ladder to climb - men who didn’t know enough to argue that angels don’t serenade shepherds and messiahs aren’t found wrapped in rags in a feeding trough! 

In Bethlehem, there’s a cathedral marking Jesus’ birthplace. Behind the altar is a cave with a symbolic star embedded in the floor. You can enter and admire the ancient church. You can also enter the cave – but with one requirement. You must bow down. The door’s too low to get in standing upright. The same is true of Jesus. He’s generally found among the commonplace. To experience Him, all you have to do is get down on your knees! 

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Two little reminders again for this week - Eucharistic Adoration for Vocations - let's keep this up now that Christmas is so close. It could be a New Year's resolution. And prayers for the Holy Souls, 
with prayers for them below. Did you know that Christmas Day is the day when most Holy Souls finish their journey home to their Father in Heaven? Please keep your deceased relatives, friends, neighbours and especially those who have no one to pray for them, in your prayers and at Masses you attend.

http://www.circleofprayer.com/vocations-poster.html
http://www.circleofprayer.com/vocations-form.html

Here's the Vocations website:

http://www.vocation.com

And here's the Holy Souls Crusade website:

http://www.holysoulscrusade.org

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

Mary Mullins in Galway, Ireland

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Chaplet of the Holy Souls

This Chaplet can be prayed on a set of Rosary Beads.

Begin with: The Creed, then 1 Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be for the Pope’s intentions.

On Large Beads Pray: 

O holy souls draw the fire of God’s Love into my soul to reveal Jesus crucified in me, here on earth, rather than hereafter in Purgatory.

On Small Beads Pray:

Crucified Lord Jesus have mercy on the souls in Purgatory

End with: Glory Be three times

Cardinal Newman’s Prayer for the Holy Souls

O most gentle heart of Jesus, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, ever consumed with burning love for the poor captive souls in Purgatory, have mercy on the souls of Your servants. Bring them from the shadows of exile to Your bright home in Heaven, where we trust You and Your Blessed Mother have woven for them a crown of unfolding bliss. Amen.

Prayer of St. Gertrude for the Holy Souls

Eternal Father, I offer you the Most Precious Blood of your Divine Son, 
Jesus, in union with all the masses said throughout the world today for 
all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the 
Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."

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 to Saint Joseph, Patron Saint of Families

"Good Saint Joseph, Your life and love protected and nourished the Mother of God and Jesus Christ, her son. Your fatherly care led to maturity He through whom all creation began. Through your
intercession, may God guide and protect all human life from conception to natural death, and lead our nation in the ways of truth and love. Pray for us, good Saint Joseph, that joined with Christ Jesus, we might give praise to God forever.  Amen"

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS & THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary, I consecrate myself and my whole family to You. We consecrate to You our very being and all our life, all that we are, all that we have and all that we love. To you we give our bodies, our hearts and our souls. To You we dedicate our home and our country.

Mindful of this consecration we now promise you to live the Christian way by the practice of Christian virtues without regard for human respect. O most Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary accept our humble confidence and this act of consecration by which we entrust ourselves and our family to you. In you we put all our hope, we shall never be confounded. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus have mercy on us. Immaculate Heart of Mary pray for us.

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

'The fruit of silence is prayer; the fruit of prayer is faith; the fruit of faith is love; the fruit of love is service; the fruit of service is peace.'