April 6, 2020
It seems Lord God, that You are leading me to slow down.
Now, I have more time to think and reflect.
It is the Lenten season.
So, what Lord, while this pandemic is on,
do You want me to do?
Yes, there is more time now to pray.
And yes, there is more time to reach out to friends and family.
How are they? May I be supportive to them.
Listen to them ...
It does seem now, that this is what You
are asking me, Lord, to focus on at this time.
Amen.
— By a Columban Missionary
April 5, 2020
Lord God, I give You thanks,
for You are good, and Your mercy is endless.
Here I stand, at the start of this Holy Week,
this week in which Your church remembers Jesus’ passion and death,
and I am distracted by many things.
Turn my eyes now to the One who comes in Your name
the one who opens the gates of righteousness
the one who answers when we call.
I bless You, Lord, for shining Your light upon me,
and for sending Your son to us, in human frailty.
To walk the road we walk.
Open my eyes that I may see him coming,
and may praise him with a pure heart.
And may walk in the way of his suffering,
and share also in his resurrection.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
Amen.
April 4, 2020
Good Saint Isidore, we are told that your
devotion to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
was so great that you would rise before it
was light in order to be able to attend Mass
before beginning your work in the fields.
Obtain for us, we pray you,
some of that loving devotion to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
There it is that the fruits of our farm labor,
bread and wine,
are brought and offered to God by the priest.
Then, in the consecration,
Christ Himself, Body and Blood,
Soul and Divinity,
becomes present on our altars
under the appearances of this same bread and wine.
And in what was the altar bread.
He comes to us to be the very food of our souls.
If we deeply realize the value and beauty of Holy Mass,
we will be very happy to attend as often as we possibly can.
April 3, 2020
Dear St. Joseph,
The bible never quotes your words.
We know you through the gospels
as the protector of our Lord Jesus
and his blessed mother, Mary.
We know you by your actions and your dreams.
Help us to take action, to do all we can in this time of crisis
to lovingly keep those around us safe.
But also inspire us with dreams,
dreams of a better world,
a world of truth and justice, love and peace.
Amen.
– By Columban Fr. John Burger, U.S. Regional Director
April 2, 2020
Lord, guide me in Your truth and teach me Your ways.
Forgive me for the times I have withheld mercy,
compassion and love from my sisters and brothers.
Show me how to use the gifts of love and goodness
You have created in me.
April 1, 2020
Heavenly Father, it is written that the
fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
I pray that You will prevent me from being lazy,
careless or neglecting the important things in my life.
Give me the wisdom to listen and make
informed decisions based on truth not talk.
Help me to do the wisest thing in the world
by hearing the words of Your Son
and putting them into practice.
March 31, 2020
The power of the Cross reveals
Your judgment on this world
And the kingship of Christ crucified.
Father, through His love for us
And through His Sufferings, Death and Resurrection,
May I gain eternal life with You in heaven.
March 30, 2020
Lord, You are the source of love and peace.
Soften my heart that I may learn to love
those who have hurt me.
March 29, 2020
Lord, with You there is kindness and redemption.
Forgive me for judging myself and others.
Help me to accept the fullness of the human experience,
including uncomfortable feelings such as danger.
March 28, 2020
The days of the life-giving Death
and glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Your Son, are approaching.
This is the hour
when He triumphed over Satan’s pride,
the time when we celebrate
the great event of our Redemption.
The Suffering and Death of Your Son
brought life to the whole world,
moving our hearts to praise Your glory.
March 27, 2020
God of times and seasons,
You have brought us again to Lent
for the study of Your Word,
for the remembrance of the temptation of Your Son,
and for the contemplation of His Cross.
The birds know their seasons;
forbid that we be blind to our times.
Grant us a Lenten blessing,
and may no one miss this time of growth.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
March 26, 2020
Prayer for the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the COVID-19 virus.
Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of the Angels and Mother of the Americas.
We fly to you today as your beloved children.
We ask you to intercede for us with your Son,
as you did at the wedding in Cana.
Pray for us, loving Mother,
and gain for our nation and world,
and for all our families and loved ones,
the protection of your holy angels,
that we may be spared the worst of this illness.
For those already afflicted,
we ask you to obtain the grace of healing and deliverance.
Hear the cries of those who are vulnerable and fearful,
wipe away their tears and help them to trust.
In this time of trial and testing,
teach all of us in the Church to love one another and to be patient and kind.
Help us to bring the peace of Jesus to our land and to our hearts.
We come to you with confidence,
knowing that you truly are our compassionate mother,
health of the sick and cause of our joy.
Shelter us under the mantle of your protection,
keep us in the embrace of your arms,
help us always to know the love of your Son, Jesus.
Amen.
– United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
March 25, 2020
O most holy Virgin Mary, to whom God sent
the Angel Gabriel to announce that you should
be the mother of His Only-Begotten Son,
pray for us who have recourse to you.
Holy, lovely Mary, we give our all to you
What is past and present, And the future, too.
Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception
of the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.
March 24, 2020
Lord Jesus Christ, we come to you
through the intercession of your Saint and Martyr, Oscar Romero.
Your grace has made him a living example
of Your justice and compassion.
He came to know that to all who come to You for Your help,
You show Your compassion and healing power.
You are closest to us when we are weakest
and most in need of Your help.
You ask us to be close to each other,
especially the poorest, as Oscar was.
I ask You now to listen to my prayer and grant what I ask.
If what I ask is not for my own or others' good,
grant me always what is best,
that I may build your kingdom of love in our world.
March 23, 2020
O God, who gave increase to Your Church
through the apostolic labors and zeal for truth
of the Bishop Saint Turibius,
grant that the people consecrated to You
may always receive new growth
in faith and holiness.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
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.
We go in the name of the Church to announce, by deed and word, the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Missionary Society of St. Columban
1902 N. Calhoun
St. Columbans, NE 68056
Phone: 877-299-1920
Fax: 402-291-4984
email: mission@columban.org
