Category: Prayer
Favorite: Christmas in Germany
There at dawn all the shelling ceased for the first time since coming here, and an amazing, peaceful, stillness came and lasted for several minutes, with the twitter of a bird in the distance the only living sound.
Later, at sunrise, the same thing happened and lasted for almost an hour and the morning has been comparatively quiet.
Thanksgiving Blessings: Edelweiss and the Doxology
Our family tradition for Thanksgiving grace is sung to the tune of “Edelweiss” from the Sound of Music. The Von Trapp family at the festival performed the forbidden national anthem as they prepared to escape the country. Bless our friends, Bless our food, Come, O Lord, and sit with us. Make our talk glow with...
Prayer for Catholic Evangelization by Saint John Paul II
Loving God, you called each of us by name.
You gave your only Son to redeem us.
In your faithfulness you sent the Holy Spirit to complete the mission of Jesus among us.
Open our hearts to Jesus.
Give us the courage to speak his Name to those who are close to us, and the generosity to share his love with those who are far away.
Prayer Companion: Leave the Doing to God
God lets me wait for the surprise ending as my sisters did. My older sister would make me wait, just like I did my little sister, for a surprise kiss or cookie until the big task was finished — cleaning the bathroom, cooking dinner or decorating for a party.
When I work hard at my goals and wait on Jesus, I enjoy the ending more than the start because of the joy of looking in his eyes and anticipating a glorious ending.
The radiant joy of God’s presence
“Look to him that you may be radiant with joy.” (Psalm 34:6)
Joy creeps into our lives as we develop an intimate relationship with the Lord in prayer. Like the early Christians, God created us to display his presence through our happiness and joy so that the world will see that something is different. We are radiant with joy because God loves us. This transformation comes through the indwelling presence of God himself. These moments of radiant joy help us cultivate the habit of practicing the presence of God.
God’s presence dwells within us from our formation in the womb and then removes our original sin at our baptism. That sacrament eventually opens the door to the Eucharist, where we receive him ever more fully. Jesus calls us into a relationship with him through our baptism and shares his dynamic presence with us through every sacrament.