Mary, powerful Virgin,
You are the mighty
and glorious protector of the Church.
You are the marvelous help of Christians.
You are awe inspiring as an army in battle array.
In the midst of our anguish, struggle, and distress,
defend us from the power of the enemy,
and at the hour of hour death,
receive our soul in Heaven.
December 17, 2020
December 16, 2020
In the day-to-day routine of life
I take my friends for granted,
I expect them to be good to me
even when I’m in a miserable mood,
but when I’m ill I start to think
how precious my friends are,
how important they are to me.
Lord, thank You for my friends,
bless each of them today,
wherever they are, and thank You
for Your friendship.
Thank You for the priceless treasure
of Your healing presence.
Amen.
— By Columban Fr. Patrick Sayles
December 15, 2020
Lord, you show me how to be just,
compassionate and generous.
May Your grace give me the courage
I need to change all that prevents me
from loving You, myself and my neighbor.
December 14, 2020
Almighty Father, you endowed John of the Cross
with a spirit of self-denial and a love of the Cross.
By following his example, may we come
to the eternal vision of your glory.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
December 13, 2020
Dear Jesus, I thank you from my heart
for the health and safety of my children.
It feels so good to see them full of life and happiness.
They are so precious to me and I want them to be safe and well.
We are now keeping ‘social distance’ from other people
to protect our own health and the health of the whole community.
I know I cannot expect them to accept this sudden change in our lives.
They are getting impatient with the extra restrictions.
And I am growing impatient with them.
Give me the wisdom I need to bear with them,
when they say they are bored and I think they are selfish.
And when they act up help me remember they too are fearful.
Help us all be reassured by your presence among us.
Amen.
— Columban Fr. John Burger, U.S. Regional Director
December 12, 2020
O our Lady of Guadalupe,
mystical rose, intercession
for us for Holy Church,
protect the Sovereign Pontiff,
help all those who invoke you
in their necessities, and since
you are the ever Virgin Mary
and Mother of the true God,
obtain for us from your most holy Son
the grace of keeping our faith,
sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness
of life, burning charity and the precious gift
of final perseverance.
Dearest Lady, fruitful Mother of Holiness,
teach me your ways of gentleness and strength.
Hear my prayer, offered with deep felt
confidence to beg this favor.
December 11, 2020
Saint Damasus, instead of worrying
about the short term of life on earth,
you took God's view and looked
to the things that last.
Pray for me that I may be able to look
beyond immediate popularity
and fleeting favors, and choose
to do the things that God wants me to do.
Amen.
December 10, 2020
It becomes you to be mindful of us,
as you stand near Him who granted you all graces,
for you are the Mother of God and our Queen.
Help us for the sake of the King,
the Lord God and Master who was born of you.
For this reason,
you are called full of grace.
Remember us, most holy Virgin,
and bestow on us gifts
from the riches of your graces,
Virgin full of graces.
December 9, 2020
Blessed Juan,
you faced the skepticism and rejection
of a bishop and the crowds
to bring Mary's message to Mexico.
Pray for us that when we are faced
with obstacles to our faith that we
may show that same courage and commitment.
Amen.
December 8, 2020
O God, who by the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, did prepare
a worthy dwelling place for Your Son,
we ask You that, as by the
foreseen death of Your Son,
You did preserve Her from all stain,
so too You would permit us,
purified through Her intercession,
to come to You.
Through the same Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son, who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, world without end.
Amen.
December 7, 2020
For You have mercy upon all, O Lord,
and hate nothing that You have made.
Remember how frail our nature is,
and that You are our Father and our God.
Don’t be angry with us forever,
and stop Your tender mercies in displeasure.
For it is not for our just works
that we present our prayers before You,
but for the multitude of Your tender mercies.
Take away from us, O Lord, our iniquities,
and mercifully kindle in us the fire of Your Holy Spirit.
Take away from us the heart of stone,
and give us a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore You,
a heart to delight in, to follow, and to enjoy You.
And we entreat Your mercy, O Lord,
that You would look down graciously upon Your family,
as it pays its vows to Your most holy name;
and that the desire of none may be in vain,
and the petitions of none unfulfilled,
inspire our prayers, that they may be
to Your delight to hear and answer.
Amen.
December 6, 2020
Lord, You have created me
for goodness, love, compassion and peace.
Help me to make good use of the gifts
You have given me to make a difference
where I am at this moment of my life.
December 5, 2020
You put up with my moods, Lord,
when it all gets too much,
and others don’t seem to understand,
when I’m lifeless as sand, not at peace,
not at rest, lacking in zest, without any go,
because something’s not right,
though what I don’t quite know.
Then somewhere in my heart,
gently you remind me
I’m precious to You,
that You are my friend.
A few moments with You makes all the difference.
Your friendship keeps me going.
Amen.
— Columban Fr. Patrick Sayles
December 4, 2020
Dear Lord,
This time of pandemic is indeed long.
And the statistics are grim.
Days of social distancing have turned to weeks.
And weeks of near isolation, have become
claustrophobic months.
Like the athletes running the Boston marathon
who named a part of their route ‘heartbreak hill,’
I am struggling and I observe some around me
who are also showing signs of impatience and fatigue.
Discouraged, some are saying ‘enough’ and giving up.
Help me to keep putting one foot in front of the other
and to be a source of encouragement to those around me.
In small acts of kindness, I can make You present.
Give me the inspiration and the strength
to care enough about others’ safety to do my part
and protect them from the virus so that as many
as possible can safely complete the course.
Amen.
— Columban Fr. John Burger, U.S. Regional Director
December 3, 2020
Lord God,
by the preaching of St. Francis Xavier
you brought many nations to Yourself.
Give his zeal for the faith to all who believe in You,
that Your Church may rejoice in continued growth
throughout the world.
May this prayer fill us with the same love
that inspired Francis Xavier to work
for the salvation of all.
Help us to live our Christian calling
and to inherit the promise of eternal life.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Amen.
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.