Month: May 2024

Teach Us To Pray

Mothers Day

Smitten With Goodness
Season of neediness in prayer

Heavenly Father, I lift up to you today my mothers and all mothers. Bless them with strength to continue to care for their children, with the same bold, selflessness Mary showed Jesus. Help my mother and all mothers feel our gratitude and truly know their impact. May we honor them today and on all days as vessels of Your love. In Your name I pray. Amen.

The Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,

that never was it known 

that anyone who fled to thy protection, 

implored thy help, 

or sought thy intercession, 

was left unaided. 

Inspired by this confidence 

I fly unto thee, 

O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. 

To thee do I come, 

before thee I stand, 

sinful and sorrowful. 

O Mother of the Word Incarnate,

despise not my petitions, 

but in thy mercy hear and answer me. 

Amen.

Teach Us To Pray

Whiter Than Snow

Smitten With Goodness
Season of neediness in prayer

We all need to surrender and trust God. We learn to trust God beyond our psychological experiences. We become more courageous in facing, and letting go of the dark corners of ourselves and begin to participate, actively in dismantling all our pre-rational emotional crutches. We cannot escape from the world that is inside us, but we can acknowledge and confront it. The invitation to allow God to change our motivation from selfishness to divine love IS the transforming union.

Lord, I was born a sinner, from the moment my mother conceived me. But you desire honesty from my heart, so you can teach me to be wise in my being. Purify me for my sins, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Amen

Teach Us To Pray

True Victory

Smitten With Goodness
Season of neediness in prayer

Today is the Christian holiday that celebrates Jesus Christ’s ascension into heaven 40 days after Easter Sunday. In the Ascension, we find the completion of Christ’s earthly mission – our redemption is accomplished and we celebrate the victory.

In his Passion, Jesus lovingly bears the weight of the whole world’s sin, from the beginning to eternity. In his Crucifixion, he is raised up that he might defeat death. In his Resurrection, he unveils the life to come. And today, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, is raised up in glory, opening our heavenly path to heavenly glory.  We are indeed bound for heaven and the Ascension reminds us that our gaze  is to be fixed on Christ in glory as we labor tirelessly for him in this present age. 

O God, in your mercy help us as we pray. Just as we believe the Savior of the world is seated with you in your majesty, we may also be assured that he dwells with us as he has promised, even to the end of the age; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Teach Us To Pray

Searching

Smitten With Goodness
Season of neediness in prayer

When we search the world, it doesn’t fill us. The empty praise and treasures that fade are never enough. Our hearts are restless until we allow God to put us back together and every desire is satisfied by this agape love.

You turn mourning into dancing and give beauty for ashes. You turn shame into glory, and turn graves into gardens. There is nothing better than You. 

Lord, there’s nothing better than you, I’m not afraid to show you my weakness, my failures and flaws. You’ve seen them all and you call me friend because you are everywhere. There is not a place where your mercy and Grace won’t find me.

Teach Us To Pray, Uncategorized

Remember 

Smitten With Goodness
Season of neediness in prayer

God welcomes us into the mystery. Into the circle of love between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We are called to remain in this love but we forget. Let us wake up and remember. 

Lord, we remember you, and remembrance leads us to worship, and as we worship you, our worship leads to communion, we respond to your invitation, we remember you. 

Teach Us To Pray

Believe to Understand 

Smitten With Goodness
Season of neediness in prayer

We need to pray for the right order of things in our life. Many of the Saints lived a life of simplicity which helped them focus on what was important to pass through the narrow gate of God. 

It has been said that we do not seek to understand, but need to believe in order to understand.  Faith and reason are important partners but to walk the path of transformation and change, we must believe and then Gods grace through the Holy Spirit allows us to hear, see and understand. Our hearts are receptive to what they need to hear. 

Lord, I pray for the faithfulness to believe in your constant presence and goodness in all of creation. May all your creation wake up and participate in the circle of life according to Your will, in love. Amen

Teach Us To Pray

Need A New Song?

Smitten With Goodness
Season of neediness in prayer

At various points in our lives we find ourselves needing to sing a new song. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need an attitude adjustment, a change of mindset, in how I see the world and those around me. I need to sing a song of salvation rather than one of fear, doubt and despair.

As believers, we look forward to God’s coming reign. This isn’t just a future reality, it’s a present one. Every prayer, word or action can be a note of song. God gathers the world in mercy and love and everything sings together in response – the sea, the earth and everyone on it. What a beautiful vision of beauty and hope. Let’s remember this and be a part of God’s new song today! 

God of Salvation, 

The entire earth sings of your creative and saving presence in human history. We lift our voices to you in praise and thanksgiving. Grant that your power animates our thoughts, words, and deeds drawing us to sing Your healing and merciful song today!

Amen

Teach Us To Pray

Loving God

Smitten With Goodness
Season of neediness in prayer

This is our final nod to St. Catherine of Siena who the church celebrates this week. Her quotes are relevant to us today and Meredith Frediani shares her perspective on this final quote.

We are of such value to God that he came to live among us … and to guide us home. He will go to any length to seek us, even to being lifted high upon the cross to draw us back to himself. We can only respond by loving God for his love.

When I think about a person who hurt me, Would I be willing to suffer torture and death so that I could be with him forever? Probably not. I prefer that we not have any contact. I have hurt Jesus many times and he was willing to endure unimaginable horror so that I can be forgiven and be with him for eternity in heaven. By human standards, I would not blame him for giving up on me. He does not. He loves us so much. He has a well of forgiveness that never runs dry. He thinks we are awesome. How can I respond to this love? As St. Catherine said, I can respond by loving him. He has abundant, extravagant love for me and I can love him back.

Thank you Lord for loving us first so we can know how to love. Amen

Teach Us To Pray

Appreciating Myself 

Smitten With Goodness
Season of neediness in prayer

The Church celebrates St. Catherine of Siena this week and quotes from her writings are relevant to us today. Meredith Frediani shares her perspective on one of her popular quotes.

What is it you want to change? Your hair, your face, your body? Why? For God is in love with all those things and he might weep when they are gone.

I sometimes look at myself with dismay. My nose is more prominent than I think is attractive and my hair has weird straight sections mixed in with the curly. I have a beautiful friend from college and I wonder what it must be like to see that face each day in the mirror. 

Then I read a quote like this one and it reminds me that I am the way I am because this is how God made me. He loves me like this. The things that I think are goofy, he finds charming. I do not have to make anything different because I am fine the way I am. So I pray for the grace to accept myself this way: flawed, a little crooked and far from perfect. (I also pray for those straight sections of hair to get curly because that is just aggravating.) 

Lord, help me appreciate myself as God appreciates me and rejoice in the creation that I am: his beloved daughter. Amen