View Full Version : A Veterans Prayer
The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. (Isaiah 35:1)
Lord, you are the God of life.
You give life, and you restore it when there is sickness, pain, or suffering.
Guide me, that I may bring joy and life where there is suffering and pain.
Amen.
The Lord our God comes with power. (Isaiah 40:10)
Lord, You are a God who acts.
With your mighty hand and outstretched arm, You reached out and saved the Hebrews.
You came and were born as one like us in all things, except sin.
You reach out to us.
Strengthen me that I too might reach out to those around me who need to feel Your presence and love.
Amen.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)
Lord, there are times when I am tired.
Sometimes tired from work, from tasks with my family and home, and at times even too tired to pray.
Give me strength that I may always turn to You and find my rest in your presence.
Amen.
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word. (Luke 1:38)
Mary trusted in You completely.
She was asked to do something that seemed impossible, and which she did not understand.
And yet, she said, “Yes!” Lord, when You ask things of me, help me to respond as quickly and generously as Mary did.
Amen.
“I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go.” (Isaiah 48:17)
Lord, You only ask me to do what is good for me and for others.
Yet, I find it so easy to resist and turn away.
Help me that I may listen to your Word and follow You.
Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation.
But deliver us from evil.
Amen.
“Brothers and Sisters: Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.” (I Thess. 5:16)
Eternal Father, the Advent of your Son in our world, in our homes and in our hearts is your greatest treasure and gift to us.
This day, with hearts that are filled with the joy of his fresh arrival expected soon, we ask you to help us use our burning yearning to share your good news with those who are sad,
who are worried, who are hungry and think they are alone in this world.
Help us to listen to their troubled hearts with the Love of your Son and to embrace them in their time of need with the warmth of brothers and sisters in Christ.
We make this prayer through your Son our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Prayer for Young People
God our Father, you see your children growing up in an unsteady and confusing world:
Show them that your ways give more life than the ways of the world, and that following you is better than chasing after selfish goals.
Help them to take failure, not as a measure of their worth, but as a chance for a new start.
Give them strength to hold their faith in you, and to keep alive their joy in your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Lord is kind and merciful; slow to anger and rich in compassion. (Ps 45)
Lord Jesus, in these days that we are living, there is much sadness and fear in our world.
Help us to turn towards you for strength and courage to bear the tragedies and sorrows that we are facing.
Help us to grow in trust that we will know of your presence in our lives and in the world.
Amen.
"Let the clouds rain down the just one and the earth bring forth a Savior". (Is 45:8 )
Lord, in raining down your Just One upon earth may your Spirit show me someone today with whom I may share your love, mercy and forgiveness.
May He help me know that whatever I do in my family, for my wife, for my husband, for my children, for my parents, I do for Jesus.
May He help me every night as I go to bed to ask one question; “Where have I found Christ today?”
Then, in the company of your Christ, I will safely make it through the darkness of night, to the brightness of a new day.
This I pray through the same Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths; all humankind shall see the salvation of God. (Lk 3)
Lord, we come before you this day in our hope of loving you more each and every day.
As we prepare our hearts and our lives to celebrate your birth,
may we be blessed with hearts that are open to celebrate the gift of your life and with lives that will truly know your love for us.
Amen.
“My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Is 56:7)
Heavenly Father, during these holy days of Advent, our house is a home filled with friends and family eagerly preparing for the birth of your only Son.
Help us in the busyness of Christmas celebration to remember that our house is a house of prayer for all people.
May we not forget to pray to you when it is just ourselves and also when we have a house full of guests.
We can pray in the morning and pray in the evening.
We can pray grace before meals.
We can pray each time we get into the car for another trip to visit distant friends or just to go shopping.
And we can fill our house with prayer so that Jesus, Mary and Joseph will know they are welcome in our home.
Amen.
The Lord our God comes in strength and will fill his servants with joy. (Is 40)
God of mercy and consolation, we stand before you this day in need of your mercy and consolation.
We desire to have our lives touched by this joy and to stand in your presence in gratitude for this gift of joy in our lives.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
For the Poor and Neglected
Almighty and most merciful God,
we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget:
the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them.
Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy.
Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
“He who is to come will come and will not delay, and now there will be no fear within our land, for he is our Savior.” (Is 45:8)
Father of all the living, this week is the precious time to seek out your Son in the Sacrament of Mercy.
He is there and does not delay.
He waits for me and all other sinners to come before Him with a heart silenced and made mute by my sins of selfishness, greed, lust, envy, anger, gluttony, laziness, pride and neglect.
Heavenly Father, help my spirit to be humble and obedient as I approach your priest as I would approach the Lord Himself and let this Doctor of souls heal the wound in my heart.
Then will my spirit sing your praises in the vast assembly.
Amen.
“The Angel said to Mary: Behold, you will conceive and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.” (Lk I: 31 )
Eternal, Loving Father of all men and women, your servant David sang beautiful songs to lift spirits and praise your goodness.
Your Spirit rushed upon him so that he became your devoted servant and the great king of Israel.
Long centuries after David, in his royal city, your Son will cause the angels themselves to sing at His Advent.
The Key of David is this Jesus who saves His people from their sins unlocks the door to your Kingdom.
Lord, make us fruitful in acts of generosity and mercy during these holy days so that we too can sing with the Angels, “Glory to God in the highest.”
Come, O Key of David, Come, free us from our sins.
Amen.
Come Emmanuel, God's presence among us, our King. Our judge: save us, Lord our God!
Lord Jesus, we are in need of your mercy.
As we approach the celebration of Christmas, may we feel your saving presence and respond with open hearts to your mercy and forgiveness.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." ( LK 1:46-47)
Dear Jesus, during this blessed season when we prepare ourselves for the celebration of your birth help us to proclaim the good news of your coming into this world to save us.
We pray that all people on earth rejoice in God as our Savior and share His peace among all.
Amen!
Christmas Tree Blessing
Holy Creator of Trees,
bless with your abundant grace
this our Christmas tree as a symbol of joy.
May its evergreen branches be a sign
of your never-fading promises.
May its colorful lights and ornaments call us
to decorate with love our home and our world.
May the gifts that surround this tree
be symbols of the gifts we have received
from the Tree of Christ’s Cross.
Holy Christmas tree within our home,
may Joy and Peace come and nest
in your branches and in our hearts.
Amen.
Author Unknown
"She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (MT 1:25)
On this eve of the birth of our Savior we contemplate on how our God loves us so much that he sent His only Son into this broken world to save us.
Dear Jesus, you come to save us even though there is nothing we can do to deserve your love.
We pray that your continued gift of love softens our hearts bringing your peace to all.
Amen!
"When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us. So they went in haste to find Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger." (LK 2:15-16)
Today is the day we can announce to the world that Jesus has come!
Lord we pray the faith that you instilled upon the shepherds will also be instilled in our hearts today.
We pray the world will truly know the love that is like no other, given freely to us, through your Holy Spirit.
We pray that we share that love with all those we touch in our lives.
Amen.
Prayer for Fallen Soldiers
Dear Lord Jesus and Mary, Mother of God,
Hold all these brave souls in the palm of your hand, comfort them and their families.
Send angels of protection, love, and comfort to all the service men and women still at war,
bring them home safely and comfort their families.
We ask all our prayers in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Day by Day
Day by day, dear Lord of you
Three things I pray:
To see you more clearly,
To love you more dearly,
To follow you more nearly,
Day by day.
Amen.
St. Richard of Chichester
In Time of Illness
Lord Jesus, you came into the world to heal our infirmities and to endure our sufferings.
You went about healing all and bringing comfort to those in pain and need.
We come before you now in this time of illness asking that you may be the source of our strength in body, courage in spirit and patience in pain.
May we join ourselves more closely to you on the cross and in your suffering that through them we may draw our patience and hope.
Assist us and restore us to health so that united more closely
to your family, the Church, we may give praise and honour to your name.
Amen.
" Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." ( LK 2:34-35)
Simeon kept watch for this child that would bring salvation to the world.
The child is indeed responsible for the rise and fall of many.
Dear Lord we thank you for the signs that we have received though your goodness to guide our paths.
We pray that your will be revealed to all of mankind.
We ask that you guide all people to your heavenly home.
Amen!
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