Friday, December 26, 2008

St. Stephen Prayers- December 26

"Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise."

Opening Prayer:
Lord, today we celebrate the entrance of St. Stepheninto eternal glory.

He died praying for those who killed him. Help us to imitate his goodness and to love our enemies.
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.

Daily Meditation:
The gates of heaven opened for Stephen, the first of the martyrs; in heaven, he wears the crown of victory.

We remember the first martyr today to emphasize the invitation we haveas followers of Jesus to witness to his presence in our world, even whenit is unpopular, counter-cultural, or may even cost us our lives.

May we ask for the grace today to pray for our enemies and to surrender even our lives in sharing this Good News with others.

Today's Daily Reflection:
Our Savior's faithfulness is mirrored in the fidelity of his witnesses who shed their blood for the Word of God. Let us praise him in remembrance of them: You redeemed us by your blood.
Your martyrs freely embraced death in bearing witness for the faith,- give us the true freedom of the Spirit, O Lord.

Your martyrs professed their faith by shedding their blood,- give us a faith, O Lord, that is constant and pure.Your martyrs followed in your footstep by carrying the cross, help us to endure courageously the misfortunes of life.

Your martyrs washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb, help us to avoid the weaknesses of the flesh and worldly allurements.

Closing Prayer:
God of all great love, you know how full of courage Stephen was and how full of fears I am.
Help me to have the strength to be a witness for my faith, standing up for those who are weaker, speaking out for what I believe, and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone.
Also give me a share in your compassion and understanding that I might pray for those who oppose me,those who ridicule me, and those who dismiss me.

May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

1 comment:

  1. thank you for this prayer & meditation...it isn't always easy to be a witness...I need help & strength, too ;)

    ReplyDelete