End of Advent Prayer for Sunday, January 11, 2009

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

Opening Prayer:
Father in heaven, you revealed Christ as your son by the voice that spoke over the waters of the Jordan.

May all who share in the sonship of Christ, follow in his path of service to man, and reflect the glory of his kingdomeven to the ends of the earth.

For he is Lord forever and ever.

Today's Readings:
Daily Meditation:
This is how you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh belongs to God, and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus. 1 John 3

"The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen." Mt. 4

Jesus comes down to the Jordan and, in a profound gesture, enters our lives even more dramatically: he humbles himself to be one with us in the waters of baptism. In these days after Epiphany, let us keep letting the light shine into the places of darkness within us and around us. And where we have seen and felt his enlightening, freeing presence, let us continue to rejoice with Christmas joy.

Today's Daily Reflection:
Intercessions:
Our redeemer desired to be baptized in the Jordan by John; let us make this prayer to him: Lord, have mercy.

Christ, you made your light shine on us by revealing yourself, grant us the spirit of humble service to all people.

Christ, you humbled yourself and received baptism from your servant to show us the way of humility, grant us the spirit of humble service to our fellow men.

Christ, through your baptism you cleansed us of every blemish and made us children of your father, bestow your spirit of adoption on all who see you.

Christ, through baptism you have consecrated creation and opened the door of repentance to all who prepare for baptism, make us servants of your Gospel in the world.

Christ, through your baptism you revealed to us the Holy Trinity when the Father called you his beloved Sonand the Holy Spirit came down upon you, renew the spirit of adoption among the royal priesthood of the baptized.

Closing Prayer:
Lord, this incredible season comes to an end todaybut not the joy I have discovered in these weeks.

Daily Prayer for Saturday January 10, 2009

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

Opening Prayer:
God our Father, through your Son you made us a new creation. He shared our nature and became one of us; with his help, may we become more like him, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Today's Readings:
Daily Meditation:
And we have this confidence in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked him for is ours. 1 John 5

He must increase; I must decrease. John 3

Confidence in Jesus is so freeing. Until we have complete trust in Jesus, we will always be tempted to be the center of attention, and too absorbed with our needs and too discouraged if our needs aren't being met. When we have confidence in Jesus, we can ask for anything that he desires in us, and we will have it. If we ask that I might grow smaller in my desires, and the needs of others might grow in my attention, then he will increase his place in our hearts, and fill us with even greater love for others.

May we know how much he loves us. May he become the center of our lives.

Today's Daily Reflection:
Intercessions:
Let us give glory to Christ, the image of God, as we call upon him in faith: Christ, Son of God, hear us.

Son of God, you showed us the Father’s love, reveal him to men and women through the love we show toward one another.

You revealed yourself as Lord of life, now grant us the fullness of your life.

Let our bodies be signs of your life, as we bear your dying in our flesh.

Illuminate our hearts, with the brilliant knowledge of God’s light.

Closing Prayer:
You have said that we could ask for anything and you would grant it. Give me only the ability to trust you, Lord.

My mind and heart are so often at war with each other and I am used to a life in which my own needs come first. But I long to live my life as you lived yours, filled with the love of and compassion for others.

Give me the great grace to be more humble and to demand less in my life. Let me see the needs of others as more important than my own.

Too often I am at the center of my life; Help me to do the impossible: to put you in that central place.

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

Daily Prayer for Friday January 9, 2009

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

Opening Prayer:
All-powerful Father, you have made known the birth of the Savior by the light of a star. May he continue to guide us with his light, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Today's Readings:
Daily Meditation:
God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 1 John 5

"I do will it. Be made clean." Luke 5

Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean. That's our prayer, our desire. We have life in Jesus, a life that has integrity and peace.

Let us ask for what we need this week. Whatever is keeping us from real joy, real integrity, can be made clean and put into balance by him. May he heal anything that hinders our ability to love freely.

Today's Daily Reflection:
Intercessions:
Give honor and glory to Jesus Christ who comes to create a new heart and a new spirit in all. We call on him as we say: By the power of your birth, make us new persons.

You took on our life and offered us in return the mystery of God’s life, help us to recognize you in the mysteries of your word and your eucharist which you entrusted to your Church. Founder of the human race, through the spotless Virgin you became one of us, through her intercession, may we touch your divinity and be healed.

Our Redeemer, you descended upon the earth as the rain which fell upon the sheepskin of Gideon, now drench our lives in the living water that springs up to provide eternal life.
As we celebrate the beginning of your life on this earth, let us imitate that perfect manhood which you revealed in your life among us.

Closing Prayer:
Oh God of Wonder, even though I often feel like I am stumbling in the dark, I know you are there to guide me with the perfect light of your love. I know you can heal me and I believe that you want to do just that. I beg you now to look at me with your loving eyes and 'make me clean. Let my life reflect the balance of my faith in you and a love of those in my life. Help me to love more freely. Help me to love as you do.

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

Daily Prayer for January 8, 2009

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

Opening Prayer:
God our Father, through Christ your Son the hope of eternal life dawned on our world. Give to us the light of faith that we may always acknowledge him as our Redeemer and come to the glory of his kingdom, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever.

Today's Readings
Daily Meditation:
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God. 1 John 4

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." Luke 4

The mission of Jesus is so clear. He has come to show us how to love; how to love those who most in need of love. Sometimes the poorest, neediest person, is the person in my own house that I have the least patience with. I can't say I love God and ignore the one I'm called to love.

May we have the light, the grace, of this week, all about love, to love more and more, starting out very close to home.

Today's Daily Reflection
Intercessions:
Rejoice in the wonderful works of the Lord for he has given us hope through the birth of his Son. Let us all cry out with great joy:Glory to God in the highest.
With the angels and patriarchs and prophets, we praise you, Lord.
With Mary, the Virgin Mother of God,- our whole being proclaims your greatness, Lord.
With the apostles and evangelists,- we give you thanks, Lord.
With all the holy martyrs,-we offer our bodies to you as consecrated victims.
With all your holy witnesses in the Church, we dedicate our lives to you in deepest faith.

Closing Prayer:
You have given me the great gift of faith that offers so much meaning in my life. You call me to see with new eyes, those who are in my life and ask me to love them as you love me. Such a challenge, Lord!

As you touched the eyes of the blind and let in the light, touch my heart and help me to open it to those who most annoy me, those who are hardest for me to love.

I know that I am only redeemed through you and I beg you to fan the flame of hope in my life.

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

Daily Prayer for Wednesday January 7, 2009

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

Opening Prayer:
God, light of all nations, give us the joy of lasting peace, and fill us with your radiance
as you filled the hearts of our fathers.

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.

Today's Readings:
Daily Meditation:
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. ...There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. 1 John 4

"Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!" He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were (completely) astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened. Mark 6

How often fear takes away our ability to love! But, love drives out fear. It appears that the key is to "understand the incident of the loaves. "If Jesus has power, then it is foolish for us to fear. If we won't let Jesus have power in our lives, then our hearts are still hardened.

Let us surrender our hearts to the Lord, that we might let him love us and take away all our fears, that we might love more courageously, more completely.

Today's Daily Reflection:
Intercessions:
In the fullness of time, the eternal Word was begotten of the Father. He is the child who is born for us, the son who is given to us. To him we lift our voices in joy: Praise be to you, Lord.

Son of the living God, you existed before the world was made and you came on earth to save all, enable us to be witnesses to your Gospel.

Sun of Justice, whose brightness shone forth from the bosom of the Father and flooded the entire world, be light for all who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

You became a little child and lay in a manger, renew in us the simplicity of little children.

For our sake you became the living bread of eternal life, fill us with joy through the sacrament of your altar.

Closing Prayer:
My love for you is so imperfect, Lord. I know I am filled with fear and yet I long to taste the depths of your love.

Give me the joy of lasting peace and fill my heart with so much love that there is no more room for the worry and dread. Open my eyes to those around me and give me the courage to act in justiceto make their lives better as you would do for me.

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

Let us all be greatful! Daily Prayer for Tuesday, January 9, 2009

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

Opening Prayer:
Father, your Son became like us when he revealed himself in our nature: help us to become more like him, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever.

Today's Readings:
Daily Meditation:
In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. 1 John 4

O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the son of kings; That he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment, ...That he may defend the oppressed among the people, save the poor and crush the oppressor. Psalm 72

His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. ...They all ate and were satisfied. Mark 4

Jesus is full of compassion for us in his unconditional love for us. Even when it seems impossible, he still shows us the way and nourishes us with his love.

May we be grateful for his love for us these days. May we be like him in our love for one another.

Today's Daily Reflection:
Intercessions:
Let us rejoice in the compassion of Christ, who came to free mankind from the slavery of corruption and to give us the freedom of the sons of God. Trusting in this divine compassion, we plead: By your birth, deliver us from evil.

Lord, you existed before the ages, yet you entered into a new life, renew us continually through the mystery of your birth.

Without surrendering your divinity, you wondrously took on our humanity, grant that our lives may press on to a fuller participation in your divinity.

You came to be a light to the nations, the teacher of holiness, let your words be a light along our way.

Word of God made flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, you entered this world, live in our hearts always through faith.

Closing Prayer:
Jesus, you became one of us on this earth. What I want now is to be more like you: more compassionate and patient, more guided by your Holy Spirit.

'In this is love.' It is impossible to believe in the kind of love you have for me. If only I believed it how different my life would be! It seems impossible that you could love me as you do and yet you are the very center of that impossible love. Help me to be more grateful for all you have given me so that my response might be one of generosity to you and those you have placed in my life.

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

Daily Prayer for Saturday January 3, 2009

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

Opening Prayer:
All powerful Father, you sent your Son Jesus Christ to bring the new light of salvation to the world. May he enlighten us with his radiance, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Today's Readings
Daily Meditation:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 2

(John) saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. John 1

John recognizes Jesus, from the Light that descended from Heaven, and invites the disciples - and us - to recognize Jesus. He's the one who takes away our sins.

May we continue to welcome him, more deeply into our hearts this week. May we continue to celebrate the gift we havein Jesus, now, and where we need it.

Today's Daily Reflection
Intercessions:
Let us glorify the Word of God who was revealed in the flesh, appeared to the angels, and was proclaimed to the nations. Let us faithfully acknowledge him: We adore you, only begotten Son of the Father.

Liberator of mankind, through the Virgin Mary you came to renew us, through her intercession keep us from our old ways.

You made your uncreated justice radiate from heaven to earth, direct our days and our nights in the brightness of the Sun.

Son of God, you have shown us the Father’s love, help us to show him to one another by our love.

You chose to dwell with us, make us worthy of your companionship.

Closing Prayer:
Lord of Light, how many times do I walk by youand not see you?

You have come onto this earth to live in my life and embrace the humanity of us all. I ask that you give me the light to see you and to recognize your presence in others. Take away my sins: my sins of blindness and ignorance and of indifference.

Help me to share in your great and compassionate heart and the loving vision with which you see each one of us.

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

Sixth Day in the Christmas Octave - December 30

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

Opening Prayer:
Ever-living God, in the birth of your Son our religion has its origin and its perfect fulfillment. Help us to share in the life of Christ for he is the salvation of all, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever.

Today's Readings:
Daily Meditation:
I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you do. 1 John 2

But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God. John 1

The beginning of this gospel is so simple and so profound. Depending on what has been going on in us this week, this reading can pull it all together, or at least lead us to find our hope in him."From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace."

No one has ever seen God. The only begotten Son, God, who is at the Father's side, has revealed him. John 1

Today's Daily Reflection
Intercessions:
Humbly yet confidently, let us invoke Christ the Lord whose favor has been shown to all people:

Lord, have mercy. Christ, born of the Father before the ages, splendor of his glory, image of his being, your word holds all creation in being, we ask you to give new life to our world through your Gospel. Christ, you were born into the world at the fullness of time to save us and to give freedom to every creature, we ask you to extend the liberty of our relationship with you to all people. Christ, consubstantial Son of the Father, begotten before the dawn of day, and born in Bethlehem in fulfillment of the scriptures, we ask you to make your Church a notable exception of poverty and simplicity. Christ, God and man, Lord of David and Son of David, fulfillment of all prophecies, we pray that Israel may recognize you as its Messiah.

Closing Prayer:
God of all beginnings, thank you for choosing me, for giving me the great gift of faith.
Guide me to a better understanding of your Word, and help to strengthen my faith. I am so grateful to you for your many gifts given so lavishly in your generous love and for the fulfillment of your promises through the birth of your son. The profound truth is beyond my understanding but I am filled with hope and peace in your word.

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