God our Father, you are a faithful protector and watchful guardian. We ask for your providing care for our brothers and sisters who are suffering from the effects of natural disasters. Give strength to those who are grieving and injured, and comfort those who have lost property. Protect us and keep us all safe in …

Lord, our God, friend of the lowly, you gave your servant, Saint André Bessette, a great devotion to St. Joseph and a special commitment to the poor and afflicted. Through his intercession help us to follow his example of prayer and love and so come to share with him in your glory. We ask this …

God of love and justice, St. Paul proclaimed that “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” As we celebrate your faithful disciple, Martin Luther King, Jr., may we be emboldened by your living Word and by his prophetic …

Dear Jesus, Thank you for giving us (name) to be part of our family. As we celebrate his/her birthday we ask you to always be with him/her as a friend and to guide him/her as he/she grows in the year ahead. (Each person can thank God for a special quality that the birthday person possesses.) …

Dear Lord, I feel so alone. My body, wracked with pain. The hurts of the flesh wound my heart. My spirit brims over with sorrows. My pain, which no one else can really understand, compels me to cry out to You in frustration, in anger, as I experience such powerlessness. Oh, God, how I hate …

God, author of creation, you breathed life into us and know us each by name. You sent your only Son to save us, and you guide us along right paths. As we celebrate another birthday, we rejoice in your gifts of life and love, family and friends. We give thanks for our parents and all …

Dear God, in the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, you give us an example of how to live in our own families, both in times of crisis and during uneventful moments together. Like Joseph, may we hear you speak to us as we guide and protect our family. Like Mary, may we stand …

Almighty God, you approached Mary through the angel Gabriel to invite her to participate in the Incarnation of your Son, Jesus Christ. In her acceptance of your will, grace broke forth into the world in a new and profound way. This season of Advent reminds us that your grace continues to break forth into our …

Hear my voice, for it is the voice of the victims of all wars and violence among individuals and nations. Hear my voice, for it is the voice of all children who suffer and will suffer when people put their faith in weapons and war. Hear my voice when I beg you to install into …

Dear God, We reflect upon the Eucharistic. Bread and wine become your body and blood. We, too, are taken, blessed, broken, and shared. You took us, God, and chose us to be your people—to be an example and to follow Jesus. You blessed us, God, gifted us with loving families, talents, and treasures beyond imagination. …

God of tenderness, we honor all women who cooperate with you in bringing life to the world, and we remember especially those mothers who have passed from this life and now rest in eternal life with you. We offer gratitude for the gift of their lives and for the ways they blessed their children with …

Lord Jesus, You know what it means to heal the sick, comfort the afflicted, and grieve with someone’s loved ones in a time of loss. We ask for your blessing upon all healthcare workers and first responders who give of themselves in similar ways. Protect them physically, emotionally, and spiritually as they aid those most …

Jesus, We come to you today to ask for your grace for our aging parents. Their minds and bodies, once strong, now show signs of their many years. Give them peace as they grow older. Give them courage as they draw nearer to seeing the fullness of your glory. Give us wisdom and compassion as …

Lord, thank you for the gift of parents—they cared for us when we were too young to care for ourselves. Be with us as many of us must in turn care for our loved ones as they experience the challenges of an aging body. Please give these special caregivers the fortitude, compassion, and grace to …

Creator of all things, true source of light and wisdom, origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your brilliance penetrate the darkness of my understanding. Take from me the double darkness in which I have been born—an obscurity of sin and ignorance. Give me a keen understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability …

“The Holy Spirit is the light and strength of my life, for which I am eternally grateful. My best daily prayer, apart from the Mass and breviary, continues to be simply, ‘Come, Holy Spirit.’ No better prayer, no better results: much light and much strength.” —Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C.

My Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I love you above all things and I desire to possess you within my soul. Since I am unable at this moment to receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as being already there, and …

Loving God, we thank you for the gift of family, and especially the gift of our fathers. We ask you to bless all fathers as they strive to serve you and to love, support, and care for their families. Be with our fathers as they work to be true examples of discipleship to our families. …

Gracious God, your word of peace stills the storms that rage in our world. Bring hope to all persons and places that know violence. Bring comfort to those who have been injured, and let your love be known through those who work to bring order to the chaos. Enfold us all in your love, and …

Santa María de Guadalupe, come to us as you came to Juan Diego so that we might believe in ourselves as you believe in us. Let us all work together to build that temple you requested: a space of universal welcome and fellowship for all the peoples of this hemisphere. Whether it is in our …

God of hosts and togetherness, we pause and offer our gratitude today. We sail on a sea of blessings – help us to cast wide our nets so that we may better see and name the abundant treasures in our lives. In our nets, we recognize the blessings of loved ones, health, and safety. We …

God, gracious and merciful, we offer thanks for the bounty you shower upon us. As we gather with loved ones to proclaim your goodness, may we remember those most in need of your love and our care. Help us see the face of Christ this day in those without food or shelter. Prepare us to …

Our Lady of Czestochowa, the Black Madonna, you show us the way to your Son. With one hand, you hold him tenderly near your heart; with the other hand you point to him. Help us to imitate you by always carrying Jesus with us, and lifting the vision of the world to him as the …

God of abundant generosity, source of all blessing, we give you thanks for this special celebration of Thanksgiving: a cherished day to be with family and friends around the table of the Lord and around the family table. We have much to be thankful for—loving relationships, good health, meaningful work and time for play. Bless …