Let us pray for President-elect Trump, as well as all leaders in public life, that they may rise to meet the responsibilities entrusted to them as they serve our country and those whom they represent. Let us ask for the intercession of our Blessed Mother, the patroness of our nation, that she guide to uphold the common good of all and promote the dignity of the human person, especially the most vulnerable among us, including the unborn, the poor, the stranger, the elderly and infirm, and migrants.
All Hallows’ Eve, commonly known as Halloween, has deep roots in Catholic tradition. The term “Halloween” is derived from “All Hallows’ Eve,” which is the vigil of All Saints’ Day, celebrated tomorrow.This day is dedicated to honoring all the saints in heaven, both known and unknown.
Let us humbly approach our heavenly Father and ask that he hear and answer our prayers of petition:
That the Church may live in a manner worthy of God’s call, striving always to preserve the unity of the Body of Christ…….We pray to the Lord.
For world leaders: that their efforts may bring about greater unity and peace among nations…….We pray to the Lord.
For our farmers, ranchers and all who provide food for our tables: that they may know of our gratitude and experience God’s blessings…….We pray to the Lord.
For this faith community: that the Spirit may give us the grace to be vessels of God’s all-embracing love and hope, especially to those who are neglected and most in need……..We pray to the Lord.
For the sick and the suffering: that they may turn to Jesus, the divine physician, for comfort and healing…….We pray to the Lord.
For our own intentions that we hold in silence .……We pray to the Lord.
For our deceased loved ones: that they may enjoy eternal rest in God’s heavenly Kingdom…….We pray to the Lord.
Father, you have taught us to bring all our needs to you. As you answer our prayers, fill us with the joy of being disciples of your Son Jesus Christ, who is Lord forever and ever.
We are asked to love God with all our heart and all our strength. Let’s lift our heart to God in an act of love today.
O Lord God, I love you above all things and I love my neighbor for your sake because you are the highest, infinite and perfect good, worthy of all my love. In this love I intend to live and die. Amen
Do you live with a sense of Kingdom urgency, with confidence you have a soul to save and live life for the eternity that awaits us? With the tug of the world, we desperately need to keep an eternal perspective like Jesus.
This perspective was lightning focused on the mission that matters: bringing God’s love to the world, and being a conduit of grace. We live in a noisy world and as a result, we can no longer hear the voice of God in our lives. Through prayer we accept the gifts we have been given by God. Gifts like Faith. Hope. Love.
Prayer is talking to God and an elevation of our soul, offering homage and asking for God to grow us in holiness for His glory. The sanctification of the soul is the work of God. Our work is the intention and desire to transform our hearts through prayer and penance. Developing our awareness to eliminate anything that separates us from the love of God. When we begin to pray, we cease to sin. When we cease to pray, we begin to sin. Let’s keep an eternal perspective today!
God, give me an eternal perspective. Help my understanding of eternal life become bigger so that the cares of this world become smaller. Amen
HOLY – WHOLLY – HOLEY Three words that sound alike, are spelled differently, have their own distinct meaning and yet are connected one with the other.
The third is HOLEY – H-O-L-E-Y.
This holey is porous, permeable, spacious, expansive. I think of a donut hole. The hole of the donut offers a space, a spaciousness. Without its hole, it would be a different pastry. For us, the holey space is a place of being. It is not for doing, it has no form for doing. It is a space, which allows inner stillness that fosters authentic connection. I think of the womb, a spaciousness where a child becomes. In the silence and spaciousness of this holey space, a song, a poem, or this reflection is born.
Rabbi Mosche Gersht says, “It is in this inner spaciousness that we monitor our inner dialogue. From this spaciousness, the true power of who we are will shine the way it was meant to be. Everything seems to emanate from this space, there is a source of being in truth.” This space is that deep knowing that we experience. A knowing that seems to be filled with goodness, with God-ness inside, a place where our creator God is guiding, directing and moving the world toward the highest good. This kind of holey is a space inside us that allows creativity, connection and love to expand. It seems to me that it is the spaciousness of the tomb in which Jesus becomes the Christ of Resurrection.
Hafiz, the Sufi mystic and Persian poet, writes, “I am a hole in a flute that Christ’s breath moves through…..listen to the music.”
To become holey we rest and stay in silence where there is a space where we can authentically engage with the Divine. Perhaps, this prayer by Christin Lore Weber is ours to consciously consider: The world needs the hollowness of you. At times, this hollowness will be a passage that people will find their way through you. Or your hollowness will be a bowl and people will eat from you and not know hunger. Your hollowness will be a cup for those who thirst from suffering, they will find wisdom and love as they drink from you.
I believe from this spaciousness we may discover our sameness and oneness as the human race, with all creatures and all subatomic atoms. From this spaciousness, we will believe all are equal, all is one, and all is love. We will know there is a difference, but not separation, only connectivity.
HOLY – WHOLLY – HOLEY
Lord, Weave these three ways of being into one and allow us to become the manifestation Your glory…the Glory of God. Allow us to become radiant and who we are born to be. May our Easter Season and long beyond be holy, wholly and holey!
Excerpt from Easter Vigil Reflection March 30, 2024 Sister Marie Therese “MT” Summers, OSB, Prioress, Benet Hill Monastery
Today is Holy Wednesday, the day of Jesus’ aloneness. It is hard to get my head and heart around how he must have felt knowing the events ahead and what Judas will do. But Jesus knew the part Judas played in salvation history just as he knows the part we all play today.
Reflect what might have been in Judas’ heart. He must have been on edge as he sat at the table of the Last Supper with the others. Through the exchanges at the table, we see it is Judas’ own conscience that implicates him, not Jesus.
How does my conscience implicate me today? Do I love God through all the challenges I’m experiencing? Do I endeavor to see my fellow human person as God sees them? Do I see the divine who is infused in all of creation? Or do I betray God in my prideful pursuit of earthly desires?
God, you formed us as temples of your Spirit. Here, our prayers and grant that in the cracks and brokenness of our hearts we may offer you fitting worship and praise for the saving cross of your son, that conquers all evil, and brings us your healing light. Through Christ, our Lord Amen.
Trust. There are many layers of trust. We know we should always trust God but our experiences and perceptions skew our ability to have childlike faith and trust.
The best way we can demonstrate trust is to ask, “Where is God with me in this?”’ Keep asking until the question is answered.
Jesus, I trust in you. Your plan is better than anything else … Jesus, I trust in you. You always hear me, and in Your goodness always respond to me … Jesus, I trust in you. You give me the grace to accept forgiveness and to forgive others … Jesus, I trust in you. You give me all the strength I need for what is asked … Jesus, I trust in you. That my life is a gift … Jesus, I trust in you. That You will teach me to trust You … Jesus, I trust in you. That You are my Lord and my God … Jesus, I trust in you. That I am Your beloved one … Jesus, I trust in you. Amen
We are God’s people, created and sent by Him. Through his words and tradition we learn how to live the fullness of life. As we prepare our hearts for Holy Week, we continue to assess how we are living a life with God at the center, loving God and His ways with all our heart and soul.
The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your souls. Deuteronomy 26:16
Examine your conscience, in prayer, with what God asks of us::
Love God more than anything else.
Don’t make anything in your life more important than God.
Always say God’s name with love and respect.
Love and respect your parents.
Don’t kill (spoiler alert, anger is the first step in the path of killing).
Do not take anything that isn’t yours.
Always be faithful to your spouse.
Do not lie.
Be content with what you have and don’t wish for other people’s stuff.
There are moments throughout our day where we feel the sacredness, where the divine inside connects with the divine in another. Psalm 27:7-9 says it beautifully: “Here, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!
“You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’ Hide not your face from me.” As we see the face of God in our neighbor our interactions change. We become move loving. Let’s praise God for showing his face through love which is truth and beauty, today.
Smitten With Goodness 