MERCY
PRAYER FOR NIGERIA IN DISTRESS
All
powerful and merciful Father. You are the God
of Justice, Love and peace, you rule over all
the nations of the earth. Power and might are
in your hands and no one can withstand you. We
present our country Nigeria before you, we praise
and thank you for you are the source of all we
have and are.
We are sorry for all the sins we have committed
and the good deeds we have failed to do. In your
loving forgiveness, keep us safe from the punishments
we deserved. Lord, we are weighed down not only
by uncertainties but also by moral, economic and
political problems. Listen to the cries of your
people who confidently turn to you.
God of infinite goodness, our strength in adversity,
our health in weakness, our comfort in sorrow.
Be merciful, to us your people, spare this nation
Nigeria from chaos, anarchy and doom. Bless us
with your kingdom of Justice, Love and Peace.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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PRAYER
AGAINST BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA
Father in heaven, You always provide for all your
creatures, so that all may live as you have willed.
You have blessed our country Nigeria with rich
human and natural recourses to be used in honour
and glory and for the well being of every Nigerian.
We are deeply sorry for the wrong use of these
your gifts and blessings through acts of injustice,
bribery and corruption, as a result of which many
of our people are hungry, sick, ignorant and defenceless.
Father, you alone can heal us and our nation of
this sickness.
We beg you, touch our lives and the lives of our
leaders and people so that we may all realise
the evil of bribery and corruption and work hard
to eliminate it. Raise up for us God-fearing people
and leaders who care for us and who will lead
us in the path of peace, prosperity and progress.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us.
^
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FOURTEEN
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
CROSS EXAMINATIONS: Meditations for
Catholics on the Way of the Cross by James E.
Adams
During
the Stations of the Cross, we try to share with
Jesus Christ the hours before His death. On the
way to Calvary, he said little that we know of,
and the Gospels offer relatively few details about
the crucifixion.
The tradition behind the Stations is to allow
our Christian imagination to elaboration on and
enhance what we know. In the spirit of that tradition,
these Stations are offered in the form of Christ
speaking from His heart. Some poetic license was
needed, as when Christ is said to forget or to
have experienced other human faults. Scripture,
however, says He was like us in everything except
sin, so much liberties surely are within the limits
of sound theology. The precise words and the precise
thoughts may not be from the Gospels, but they
are inspired by Scripture and Church Tradition.
Many
traditional Stations have verses that are meant
to be recited aloud by various participants. These
Stations could be used in such a setting and recited
aloud by one reader or perhaps by several persons
taking turns. But they are intended primarily
for personal reflection and silent meditation
by individuals – especially during Holy
Week. However they are used, these stations will,
it is hoped, help prepare for a richer participation
in the Church’s Lenten and Holy Week liturgy.
You are my witnesses as you live out your vows
of Obedience/Poverty/Chastity & Community
Life. (Jn. 20:17; Acts 1:8). Rom. 13:8-10 –
Love can cause no harm.
FIRST STATION: Matthew 27: 19-26
I AM CONDEMNED TO DEATH
We
adore you O Christ and we praise you,
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the
Heart
Of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in
you.
Listen
to Jesus Christ:
Pilate has just read my death sentence. I am to
die on the cross. Should I rebel against Pilate?
How can I? He is not my enemy. He is an envoy
of my Father and the voice of my human destiny.
Pilate
told me when and how I would die. You may not
get that blessing. You won’t have a Pilate
to tell you the place, the time or the circumstances
of your death. Yet you stand condemned to death
surely as I was. You were destined to die the
moment you were conceived. That is part of being
human.
Lesson:
Do you think of that very often? If you thought
about your death, you could see more clearly that
some of the things you are most obsessed with
are the least important. You would not be so worried
about money, clothes, cars and careers. These
things don’t make you precious. These things
won’t help you when your time to die comes.
I
remind you of your death not because my Father
and I want you to be fearful and freely as my
brothers and sisters, as sons and daughters of
my Father. In my death and resurrection you will
receive the power to do that.
SECOND
STATION – JOHN 19:16-17
I AM MADE TO CARRY MY CROSS
We
adore you O Christ and we praise you,
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
O
Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart
Of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in
you.
Listen
to Jesus Christ:
My instrument of suffering and death has been
thrust on me. Should I curse this heavy timber
and those who laid it on me? No. The cross is
neither bad nor good. My response alone determines
whether it will be redemptive or destructive.
You
also must carry the instruments of your own suffering
and death. You were born with defects that you
may control but never abolish. You have fatal
flaws that cause pain and suffering. You want
to be kind, patient and understanding, but at
you find yourself mean, short-tempered and cynical.
But you must not curse yourself or your limitations.
That becomes like quicksand pulling you down lower.
Lesson:
My cross did not come only from Pilate or the
Roman soldiers. My cross came when I took on my
Father’s work and became human. Your crosses
are the same. The question is not whether life
brings crosses, but rather your response to them.
I embraced my humanity. You must embrace your
humanity. Resisting crosses leads you self-hatred,
hatred of others and bitterness. Some woods are
stronger than steel because they bend. Learn to
bend. Learn the wisdom of triumphing through your
crosses rather than in spite of them. Mtt. 10:38,
16: 24
THIRD
STATION: ISAIAH 53:1-3
I FALL THE FIRST TIME
We
adore you O Christ and we praise you,
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
O
Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart
Of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in
you.
Listen
to Jesus Christ:
I have just fallen flat on my face. I tried to
avoid it. I wanted to stay on my feet. I wonder
if I fell partly because I was trying too hard
to keep from falling?
Lesson:
You can learn from my fall. You also will fall
if you try too hard to succeed all by yourself.
I was so wrapped up in my efforts that I forgot
to let my Father guide me. I forgot for an instant
to let Him work through me.
You are often tempted to take on more than you
can do well. Or to take on goals that, however
worthy, may not be right for you or may be undertaken
for inferior reasons. You decide what you want
and then say to yourself. I am going to achieve
this goal, and when I succeed, even God will have
to be impressed.
You do not need successes to get my Father’s
attention. If you succeed, it is because of His
grace anyway. So what you would be holding up
as yours is really His already. My Father wants
you, not your successes. In all you undertake,
go first to Him in prayer and ask what He wants.
Then, when you go to work, open your heart to
Him and let Him work in and through you. Jn. 15:
1-8
FOURTH STATION – LAMENTATIONS 1:12
I MEET MY SORROWFUL MOTHER
We
adore you O Christ and we praise you,
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the
Heart
Of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in
you.
Listen
to Jesus Christ:
I have just seen Mary. I wished for a second that
she and I could have been spared that meeting,
which was short but painful. Was I trying to hide
this final agony from her, thinking she might
not be strong enough for it?
Lesson:
Do you tend to avoid your loved ones, and they
you, in times of crisis? Some spend a lifetime
shielding their deepest selves from their mothers,
fathers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, sons
and daughters. In the end, this will fail, because
your death exposes your weakness to your loved
ones as nothing in life could.
Why
wait until death or desperation to “meet”
your loved ones? Share with them your most profound
aspirations, joys, fears and trouble before the
opportunities are gone.
But
no matter how often you open yourself to them
in crises, it won’t be easy. I know. You
want them to see you at your best, just as I wanted
Mary to see me. I didn’t want her to see
me so helpless. For an instant I was underestimating
Mary and losing sight of my Father’s grace.
Just as He gives you the grace to face loved ones
when all hope seems lost, so He gives them the
grace to cope not only with your pain but theirs
as well. Gal. 6:9-10.
FIFTH STATION – LUKE 23:36
SIMON WAS FORCED TO CARRY MY CROSS
We
adore you O Christ and we praise you,
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
O
Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart
Of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in
you.
Listen to Jesus Christ:
I felt badly for Simon of Cyrene. He had no way
of preparing for what happened to him. He was
a farm hand coming in from the fields when the
soldiers forced him to carry my cross. I overhead
him complain to himself, “Why me?”
Lesson:
Don’t you dare condemn Simon. You would
have been startled, reluctant and bitter, too,
if you had been in his shoes!
You must learn, as Simon did, that much in life
is not just and fair. You will be startled by
crosses thrust upon you when you least expect
them. When that happens, my father and I will
not hold against you your reflexive cry of ‘Why
me?’ But you must quickly move beyond that.
You must not spend your life looking for “reasons”
for your crosses. You may never know until you
die.
Learn this from Simon’s plight. My Father
uses anything and anyone to accomplish salvation.
He used Simon, so Simon could be said to have
done the will of my Father. But that alone doesn’t
make one holy, because holiness is willing what
my Father wills, wanting what He wants, accepting
it and embracing it and making it your own. Only
you in the depths of your freedom can do that.
Lk. 22:41 – 42, John 12:22-29
SIXTH STATION – PSALM 17:15
VERONICA WIPES MY FACE
We
adore you O Christ and we praise you,
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
O
Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart
Of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in
you.
Listen
to Jesus Christ:
I am grateful to Veronica for wiping the blood,
sweat and dirt from my eyes. She had not been
as close to me in life as many others, but she
responded when I needed an act of kindness. Do
you realize she was the last person in my earthly
life to touch me in a gentle act of mercy?
You never know an act of Kindness you do will
be the last one a person experiences. So you should
regard every opportunity for kindness as act that
will last an eternity.
Lesson:
Kindness begets Kindness. Veronica didn’t
just happen to be at the right place at the right
time. She had spent a life-time learning to be
gentle. My face wasn’t the first –
or the last – that she soothed. You, too,
cannot expect to be gentle in a crisis unless
you have practiced gentleness so often that it
comes naturally.
Would you have wiped my face? How can you say
you would have if you had ignored a thousand troubled
faces before you saw mine?
Hebrews 13:16 – Keep doing good works…
SEVENTH STATION – ISAIAH 53:4-6
I FAIL THE SECOND TIME
We
adore you O Christ and we praise you,
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
O
Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart
Of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in
you.
Listen
to Jesus Christ:
I have wanted to pace myself better to make it
to Calvary without another fall. But I tripped.
I’m not sure how. May be it was a piece
of stone I stubbed my foot on or a wet spot that
was too slippery.
This
fall shows me up for being human as nothing else
on my way to Calvary. I had enough strength and
presence of mind to avoid it. Why did I fall?
I think I was lulled into a momentary lapse. Simon
had eased my burden. Veronica had soothed my sweaty
face. A breeze had cooled my body. What flashed
in my mind was that these fleeting strokes of
good fortune meant I could somehow bypass the
rest of the journey. Before I even recognized
that as a temptation, I fell.
I
smiled, the only time I remember smiling on my
way to crucifixion. I smiled because I recognized
how deeply I was like other people in being tempted
to cheat my Father.
Lesson:
What a profound lesson for you! Momentary good
fortune does not mean the struggle is over. If
things are looking rosy, be careful. You may be
about to fall harder. Both good and bad are fleeting
in this life. Do not count on them. Count on nothing
except my Father. Lk 22:40 watch and pray
EIGHT STATION – LUKE 23:27-31
I MEET THE WAILING WOMEN OF JERUSALEM
We
adore you O Christ and we praise you,
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
O
Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart
of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in
you
Listen
to Jesus Christ:
Why wasn’t I more understanding with these
weeping women, who, after all, seemed to be showing
me sympathy? Instead of graciously accepting their
show of concern, I turned on them with the seemingly
harsh words: ‘Don’t weep for me, Weep
for yourselves and your children.’
Lesson:
I was harsh because these women were part of a
great multitude of curiosity seekers who had turned
out to watch an execution. Remember that these
women were engaged in a kind of formal religious
practice of mourning and lamenting for the dead
or condemned. They were weeping for the sake of
weeping. They were weeping without really knowing
me or my Father.
I am intolerant of religious practice –
for its own sake. I detest your routines when
they are an excuse to avoid your deep personal
commitment to me and my Father. Sometimes it is
better to be silent, to pour out your heart where
no one can hear. Go to your room and pray. When
you know for whom you weep, then come to the Calvary’s
road. Mt. 6:5-6 – Prayer in secret.
NINTH STATION – ISAIAH 53:10-11
I FAIL A THIRD TIME
We
adore you O Christ and we praise you,
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
O
Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart
Of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in
you
Listen
to Jesus Christ:
I have no regrets about this fall. My strength
was gone. I did not want to fall and I did not
want to stand. I just fell. And this time I had
to be helped up. I couldn’t get up myself.
Lesson:
You may someday fall for a third time and have
no strength to get up. You will have to be picked
up by others. Don’t let that lead to despair;
it does not mean you are less than human. Do not
let those around you rob you of your dignity when
you are on the ground.
“Whet good am I to anyone,” you may
ask as others pick you up. If you bear your weakness
with love, you are doing wonders for yourself,
as well as the whole of creation. You are making
yourself like me.
In
this life, you cannot become like me in many things.
You cannot have the power I have. You cannot have
the knowledge I have. You cannot have the wisdom
I have. But you can become like me in the love
you show when you are weak and helpless. Romans
15:1-7 – The strong should help the weak…
TENTH STATION – MATTEW 27:27-31
I AM STRIPPED OF MY CLOTHES
We
adore you O Christ and we praise you,
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
O
Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart
Of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in
you
Listen
to Jesus Christ:
When I was stripped of my robes, it hurt because
parts of them were plastered to my body with cake
blood. But it didn’t hurt my ego. By this
time, I had nothing t cling to I was emptied.
I
want so much for you to know and live the truth
symbolized by the ripping of my clothes. My human
life was an emptying of myself so I could be filled
by my Father. Your life must be the same.
Clothes are very personal. You would instinctively
resist having them ripped from you. Yet clothes
are a part of your outer self, and a symbol of
it rather than your spirit.
Lesson:
The more you cling to your superficial self, the
more you wrap layers of clothing around you that
will one day be stripped off. Your death will
be the end of your ego, and all other empires
you have been building in a lifetime. If you have
died daily to yourself, the stripping of your
humanity at death will not hurt so much. You may,
like me, not even clutch at them as your clothes
are stripped from you.
1 Peter 5:5-11 – Humanity as the new garment…
ELEVENTH STATION – LUKE 23:33 &
34
I AM NAILED TO THE CROSS
We
adore you O Christ and we praise you,
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
O
Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart
Of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in
you
Listen
to Jesus Christ:
The pain of those nails almost made me black out.
They were blunt Roman spikes that crushed flesh
and bone. Yet it was not so much that pain I felt.
It was agony that welled up at the thought of
what was happening. “Why, Father”
Why nails in your Son?”
Let me tell you the difference between pain and
suffering. Pain is the blind impersonal clashing
of forces that is universal. Suffering is uniquely
human. A plant or an animal may be in pain, but
there is no suffering. Suffering springs from
a mind capable of turning raw pain into agony
by asking why. Why is this happening to me? Must
it happen? Is it fair?
Lesson:
That is why you must never underestimate the degree
of suffering of any of your brothers or sisters.
If you look only at their pain, you may wonder
what they have to complain about. But you cannot
see their suffering. You don’t know how
sensitive their souls are, how quickly their pain
can become insufferable agony. Instead of judging,
do all you can to relieve both their pain and
their suffering.
That is why, too, that you must never underestimate
the power of my suffering. No one sustained more
pain than I. But pain was not the issue. Suffering
was. My suffering was infinite because my capacity
to ask why was infinite and my love for you was
infinite. Jn. 15:9-17.
TWELFTH STATION – LUKE 23:44-49
I DIE ON THE CROSS
We
adore you O Christ and we praise you,
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
O
Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart
Of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in
you
Listen
to Jesus Christ:
I was dying, and it hurt. I was alone, so utterly
alone. I had never felt this way before. I was
sinking into hell and wondered if I was going
to come back. I said, “My God, My God, Why
have you forsaken me?”
Some
of you may think I said that only to fulfill an
Old Testament passage. But I said that because
I felt it. I was lost. I was in despair, even
if I didn’t stay in despair for long. This
was not pretending. How could it be? Could I have
lived and died as a man without experiencing despair
and doubt?
Lesson:
If someone tells you that faith and hope will
keep you from experiencing doubt and despair,
do not listen to them. Faith and hope are opposite
sides of doubt and despair. They are not as different
as most people think. You pass through doubt and
despair, not around them.
When
you are falling into hell, do what I did. Shout
your anguish directly to my Father. Complain to
Him to your last breath, as I did. Your complain
will become a prayer, even as mine did…
and He will hear and answer. Lk. 23: 39-49.
THIRTEEN STATION – LUKE 23:50-53
I AM TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS
We
adore you O Christ and we praise you,
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
O
Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart
Of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in
you
Listen
to Jesus Christ: The noise has stopped. Mary and
a few faithful disciples take me from the cross.
They say nothing. They do nothing, except, with
hearts aching, hold my limp body. All is silent.
Lesson:
You may have been taught that being my disciple
is an active role. The more you do to improve
yourself, the Church and the world, the better.
There are times when you must work, but there
are even more crucial times when you must say
nothing and do nothing except be with me, your
heart aching, as Mary and the faithful disciples
after the crucifixion.
I had asked some of my Apostles to be with me
during my agony in the garden. But they were so
depleted from talking, walking, planning and worrying
that they quickly fell asleep. Not even one of
them had the energy left to be with me. How often
that has happened through the centuries! After
my crucifixion, my disciples waited and watched
in silence. Some were closer to me then than before.
Do I have to die to get you to listen and love
in silence? Luke 22:39-46
FOURTEENTH
STATION – JOHN 19: 38-42
MY BODY IS PUT IN A TOMB
We
adore you O Christ and we praise you,
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
O
Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart
Of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in
you
Listen
to Jesus Christ:
I had no grave of my own. My body was laid in
somebody else’s tomb. Was it fitting that
I be buried in a borrowed tomb?
Lesson:
I was always borrowing things. I borrowed a crib
in Bethlehem to be born. I borrowed Peter’s
boat to preach from. I borrowed a donkey to ride
on when I came into Jerusalem. I borrowed bread
and wine to make my body move and my blood flow
in history. I borrowed thorns, wood and nails
to redeem the universe. Why should my burial be
any different?
I will go on borrowing things until the end of
time of time, until I have borrowed them all and
made them holy.
I will also borrow you. You will be my tongue
and my throat, parched. You will be my tongue
and my throat, parched. You will be my hand and
my feet, nailed. You will be my head, thorned.
You will be my side, lanced. You will be my body,
stripped. You will be my corpse, buried. And when
the borrowing is over, you will be my brothers
and sisters, risen.
Jn. 13 16; Mtt. 10:25 – Work of mercy Dm
1155 – 1158.
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THREE
O'CLOCK PRAYER FOR MERCY
You died, Jesus, but the source of life gushed
forth for souls, ... [Diary 1319]
·Silent
Prayer: (Ps. 46(45) 10
And then three times:
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the
heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust
in you. (Diary 84)
CHAPLET
OF DIVINE MERCY
One Our Father/One Hail Mary/Creed.
*Praying
the five decades. Each decade begins:
On the large bead pray:
Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood,
Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins
and those of the whole world.
On
the ten small beads:
For the sake of His sorrowful passion; have mercy
on us and on the whole world.
At the conclusion of the five decades, pray:
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One,
have mercy on us
and on the whole world. (3 times) Diary 476.
SILENT
PRAYERS AND PETITIONS
(Rom
8:26-27) St. Maria Faustina, pray for us. (3 times)
Let
Us Pray (All)
Eternal God, in whom mercy in endless and the
treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly
upon us and increase your mercy in us, that in
difficult moments we might not despair nor become
despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves
to your holy will, which is love and mercy itself.
Amen. [Diary 950]
A
PRAYER FOR DIVINE MERCY (All)
O Greatly Merciful God, Infinite Goodness, today
all mankind calls out from the abyss of its misery
to Your Mercy - to your Compassion, O God and
it is with its mighty voice of misery that it
cries out. Gracious God, do not reject the prayer
of this earth’s exiles! O Lord, Goodness
beyond our understandings, who are acquainted
with our misery through and through, and know
that by our own power we cannot ascend to You.
We implore You: anticipate us with your grace
and keep on increasing you Mercy in us, that we
may faithfully do Your holy will all through our
life and at death’s hour. Let the omnipotence
of Your mercy shield us from the darts of our
salvation’s enemies, that we may with confidence,
as Your children, await Your final coming that
day known to you alone. And we expect to obtain
everything promised us by Jesus in spite of all
wretchedness. For Jesus is our Hope: Through His
merciful heart, as through an open gate, we pass
through to heaven. Amen. [Diary 1570]
Reflect
on Deeds of Mercy
The corporal works of mercy are: Feeding the hungry,
giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked,
sheltering the travellers, comforting the prisoners,
visiting the sick and burying the dead.
The
spiritual works of mercy include: Teaching the
ignorant, praying for the living and the dead,
correcting the sinners, counselling those in doubt,
consoling the sorrowful, bearing wrongs patiently
and forgiving wrongs willingly.
Reflect
on Matt. 25:31-46 or a song “whatsoever
you do to the least of my brother…”
1.
REFLECT ON THE C-D-R (Complaints-Desires-Requests
of Our Lord Jesus Christ)
1. THE COMPLAINTS: [Diary 1702, 1703] Scripture:
[Joel 2:12-13; Micah 6:1-5; Ps 36:3; Mt 11:28;
Mt. 25: 31-46; Jn.15: 15-16; Rev.2: 1-5; Ps 50(49);
Ps 51(50), Canon 246
2.
THE DESIRES:[Diary 49, 50, 177, 570, 687,1521]
Words of Our Blessed Virgin Mary to Priests: [Diary
25, 1585] Our Lord Jesus Christ, addressed His
beloved daughter:[Diary 1074, 1160, 1572]Scripture:
Micah 6: 6-8
3.
THE REQUESTS of Our Lord Jesus Christ:
1. The Three O'clock Prayer [Diary 1320, 1572,
648, 474, etc]
2. The Chaplet of Mercy [Diary 474, 475, 476,
etc]
3. The Novena Prayers before the Feast of Mercy
[Diary 796, 1059, etc]
4. The Feast of Mercy, Mercy Sunday - Sunday after
Easter- [Diary 49, 88, 280, 341
5. The Deeds of Mercy [Diary 1312, 1694, 1695,
1156, etc ]
6. The Image of the Divine Mercy [Diary 47, 48,
49, etc]
7. Trust [Diary 327, 84, 187, 1485, etc]
^
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PRAYER
FOR EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
Merciful God, ever loving father, we come to you
with praise and thanksgiving. For the Eucharist,
the gift of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the
perfect expression of your love and compassion.
He is the bread broken for the life of the world,
broken that we may have life in abundance.
Father, you make your Son present in the Blessed
Eucharist, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
May the same Holy Spirit empower us to become
bread broken for the life of our brothers and
sisters, of every tribe, colour and tongue. Instill
in us all, real hunger for the Eucharist and help
us to receive it worthily. Make us conscious as
individuals and groups, who share this one bread
of the needs of our country Nigeria and our world.
May all especially the poor, the sick, the homeless,
Prisoner, the aged, the youth and children find
joy, fulfillment, encouragement and support. Both
in the Church and in the society we live.
Grand that the celebration of this Eucharistic
Adoration may dispose us henceforth to be willing
to make sacrifices, promote justice and unity
in our society. And thus, realize oneness and
unity in the Trinity of Love. Amen.
^
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PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS
OF ASSISI
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, where
there is hatred, let me sow love, where there
is injury, let me sow pardon, where there is error,
let me sow truth, where there is doubt, let me
sow faith, where there is despair, let me sow
hope, where there is darkness, let me sow light,
where there is sadness, let me sow joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood
as to understand, to be loved as to love. For
it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning
that we are pardoned, it is in dying that we are
born to eternal life.
^
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THE
ROSARY
My dear children of Our Mother, the Blessed Virgin
Mary and lovers of her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Divine Mercy Incarnate, may His peace be with
you all. Amen.
This Lenten/Easter Pastoral letter invites us
to reflect on the Rosary. This is one of the powerful
instruments in the Pastoral Care for Families
in the Third Millennium. Rev. Fr. Pyton wrote
“The Family that prays together, stays together”
so try and say your Rosary every day with your
family.
The 20 mysteries of the Rosary lead us through
the scriptures and the tradition of the Church.
How? Read and reflect on each mystery. (Lk 1:
26-38). Reflect on Ps 50 (51) - Have mercy on
me... Reflect also on the Mercy prayer given to
the three children at Fatima by Our Blessed Virgin
Mary. This prayer is said after each decade of
the Rosary. “O my Jesus, forgive us our
sins, save us from the fires of hell and lead
all souls to heaven especially those who are in
most need of your mercy”. At the marriage
at Canaan, Our Blessed Virgin Mary said to the
servants... “Do whatever he tells you”
(Jn. 2:1-5)
The
Mysteries of Light - Thursdays
1. The Baptism of Christ in the River Jordan
2. The Wedding Feast at Cana
3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God and
call to Conversion.
4. The Transfiguration of Jesus
5. The Institution of the Eucharist
The
Joyful Mysteries - Mondays and Saturdays
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Jesus
4. The Presentation
5. The finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple
The
Sorrowful Mysteries - Tuesdays and Fridays
1. The Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging of the Pillar
3. The Crowning with Thorns
4. The Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion.
The
Glorious Mysteries- Wednesdays and Sundays
1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption
5. The Coronation
