Good and generous Lord, You have once more brought the year to a full circle, through planting and growing and ripening to harvest time, and autumn. We thank You for the sun and the wind, the rain and the dew, the minerals of the earth and all the plants that grow and all the beasts and birds of farm and field. We marvel at Your wonderful ways of bringing food from the earth for man's good.
October 14, 2016
Deliver me, Lord Jesus Christ, from all my iniquities and from every evil, make me ever hold fast to Your commandments and never allow me to be separated from You. Amen.
October 13, 2016
Eternal God, in whom mercy is 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.
October 12, 2016
O Most Holy Heart of Jesus, shower Your blessings in abundant measure upon the Your Holy Church, upon the Supreme Pontiff and upon all the clergy; to the just grant perseverance; convert sinners; enlighten unbelievers; bless our relations, friends and benefactors; assist the dying; deliver the Holy Souls in Purgatory; and extend over all hearts the sweet empire of Your love. Amen.
October 11, 2016
My Jesus, by the sorrows You suffered in Your agony in the Garden, in Your scourging and crowning with thorns, on the way to Calvary, in Your crucifixion and death, have mercy on the souls in purgatory, and especially on those that are most forsaken; deliver them from the terrible torments they endure; call them and admit them to Your most sweet embrace in paradise. Amen.
October 10, 2016
O Divine Heart of Jesus, grant eternal rest to the Souls in Purgatory, the final grace to those who are about to die this day, true repentance to sinners, the light of faith to pagans, and Your blessing to me and to all who are dear to me. To You, therefore, O Most Merciful Heart of Jesus, I commend all these souls, and in their behalf I offer unto You all Your merits in union with the merits of Your Most Blessed Mother and of all the Angels and Saints, together with all the Masses, Communions, prayers and good works which are this day being offered throughout Christendom.
October 9, 2016
How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth! When I see the heavens, the work of Your hands, the moon and the stars which You arranged, what are we that You should keep us in mind, men and women that You care for us? Yet, You have made us little less than gods; and crowned us with glory and honor, gave us power over the works of Your hands, put all things under our feet. How great is Your name, O Lord our God through all the earth!
October 8, 2016
Lord, I am in this world to show Your mercy to others. Other people will glorify You by making visible the power of Your grace by their fidelity and constancy to You. For my part I will glorify You by making known how good You are to sinners, that Your mercy is boundless and that no sinner no matter how great his offences should have reason to despair of pardon. If I have grievously offended You, My Redeemer, let me not offend You even more by thinking that You are not kind enough to pardon Me. Amen.
October 7, 2016
O Lord, our God, You called Your people to be Your Church. As they gather together in Your Name, may they love, honor, and follow Your Son to eternal life in the Kingdom He promised. Let their worship always be sincere, and help them to find Your saving Love in the Church and its Sacraments. Fill with the Spirit of Christ those whom You call to live in the midst of the world and its concern. Help them by their work on earth to build up Your eternal Kingdom. May they be effective witnesses to the Truth of the Gospel and make Your Church a living presence in the midst of the world. Increase the gifts You have given Your Church that Your faithful people may continue to grow in holiness and in imitation of Your Beloved Son.
October 6, 2016
You are with us in all we say and do. Yet we can forget your presence and get caught up with the many distractions and false gods that beset us. We can forget that others are part of our lives. We can easily ignore or worse condemn the poor, the abandoned, the exiles and those whose beliefs differ from our own. Show us how to open our hearts and bear each other’s burdens. Amen – Columban Fr. John Comiskey
October 5, 2016
Lord Jesus Christ, take all my freedom, my memory, my understanding and my will. All that I have and cherish You have given me. I surrender it all to be guided by Your will. Your love and Your grace are wealth enough for me. Give me these, Lord Jesus, I ask for nothing more. Amen.
October 4, 2016
My good and dearest Jesus, I kneel before You, begging and praying with all the ardor of my soul to engrave deep and vivid impressions of faith, hope, and charity on my heart, with true repentance for my sins, and a very firm purpose of amendment. Meanwhile I ponder over Your five wounds, dwelling on them with deep compassion and sorrow, remembering the words that David the prophet long ago put into Your mouth, good Jesus, about Yourself: They have pierced my hands and my feet; they have numbered all my bones.
October 3, 2016
Father, I dedicate this new day to you, as I go about my work. I ask you to bless those with whom I come in contact. Lord, I pray for all men and women who work to earn their living, give them satisfaction in what they do. Spirit of God, comfort the unemployed and their families, they are your children and my brothers and sisters. I ask you to help them find work soon. – St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
October 2, 2016
Dear Angel at my side, my good and loyal friend, you have been with me since the moment I was born. You are my own personal guardian, given me by God as my guide and protector, and you will stay with me till I die. He who created you and me gave me to you as your particular charge. You assisted in great joy at my baptism, when I became part of the Mystical Body of Christ, and was made a member of the household of God and an heir of heaven. You saw the dangers that beset my path, and, if I sinned, it was in spite of you. Help me steadfastly to avoid evil and do good and always guard my soul from sin. Protect me as well from physical evils as I go about my daily work. Help me to face death bravely, patiently, with great love of God, knowing that it is only through death that I can come to Him in heaven! Then, come with me to my Judge, and when the hour of my salvation comes, take me home to my Father, God. Amen
September 30, 2016
Mother of Mercy, I name you Lady and Queen of my family and relatives, my interests and all my undertakings. Take charge of them; dispose of everything as it pleases you. Bless me and all my family. Never let any of us offend your Son. In every temptation defend us; protect us in every danger; provide for us in the necessities of life; counsel us in doubt; comfort us in every sorrow, in every sickness, and especially in the final sorrow of death. Never let the powers of Hell boast that they have enslaved any of those who here consecrate themselves to you. Grant that we may all enter into Heaven to thank you and, in your company, to praise and love Jesus our Redeemer for all eternity. 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.