Prayer for Faithfulness

Holy God,
We are your pilgrim people.
We stand before you, people of faith on a path on which Patriarchs and Prophets walked before us.
Indeed, the Son of God walked that same path, showing us the way to You.
We follow His Footprints which are not dusted in sand, but firmly engraved in solid rock.
By following Him, we follow the sureness of the path to eternal redemption.

As we walk in this world today,
We see around us flickering shadows of darkness,
Forces that would cause us to stray from the path of righteousness that leads to Your Eternal Light.
Give us strength and wisdom not to be confused by the powers of darkness,
But to strengthen our faithfulness in following You.

Deep in the shadows of the past,
Your Holy Word was born
As You spoke to Your Prophets and Kings.
Help us to read Your Word with Wisdom and Obedience,
And to remain true to Your Holy Commandments.

Dear God, we pray for those parts of the world where there is violence, cruelty, destruction.
We pray for the victims of war, and for all who are unjustly treated.
We place our hope and trust in You, knowing that
One day, Before You, all the rulers of the world will stand in silence.

Help us to remain faithful and true to Your Word and Commands
Until that day, Lord.
Amen.

Morning Hymn; Alleluia 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwXFCwi0k_g

Morning Hymn with thanks to Youtube/Sound of Music

Prayer for Love and Mercy

Dear God,

Enfold us all in Your Love and Mercy,

Wipe away our tears of failure, fear and distress.

Give us the courage we need to face this day,

And be with us every step we take.

Amen.

Photograph by Lumiere Charity Volunteer Britain

Used with gracious permission

Prayer Blessing for the day

Be faithful in worship,

Unwavering in hope,

Fervent in the work of God's Kingdom.

May God's Blessing be upon you this day.

Amen.

Prayer of Thanksgiving for Health of Family

Dear God,
Thank you so much for granting return of health to (here mention the name of the person for whom you prayed). May Your Divine Providence be forever praised, Amen.

Prayer of Petition for Health of Family

Dear God,
I pray for the health of my family. In particular I pray for (here mention the name of the person) who is suffering from ill health. In Your Divine Providence, please grant (him/her) a speedy recovery. Amen.

Prayer of Thanksgiving for Opportunity for Marriage

Dear God,
Thank you for granting opportunity for Marriage to (here put the name of the person for whom you prayed). Through Your Divine Providence, (she/he) has met (here put in the name of the new fiancee/fiance). May their engagement and marriage be blessed by You, and may their faith in You and their love for each other never falter. Amen.

Prayer of Petition for Opportunity for Marriage

Dear God,
I ask that you grant the opportunity for Marriage for (here put in your name, or the name of the person for whom you are praying). Please grant (here put the name of the person) the blessing of a good and steady (husband/wife). May Your Divine Providence grant the right person who will ensure a marriage bond that will prove lasting, faithful and loving. Amen.

Prayer of Thanksgiving for Sale of Property

Dear God,
Thank you for helping me to make a good Sale of my Property. I pray your blessings on those who have bought the property. I also ask that you grant me strength and wisdom in my future path after this decision to sell. Amen.

Prayer of Petition for Sale of Property

Dear God,
I need to sell my property. Please help me to find a good buyer, and to be able to deal with all business connected to the sale with integrity, wisdom and foresight. Please bless both my family and myself at this important time. Amen.

Should Religion be Taught in Schools run by Christian Management? The Recurrent Question

Recurrent Theme
Should Religion be taught in Schools run by Christian Management? This is not a new discussion. It is a theme which recurs from time to time. An old nun who taught at a school was asked to remove her crucifix from the classroom and not to speak about Jesus Christ during academic class time (this was during the seventies). 
I happened to visit her when she was sitting in the classroom after receiving this directive. She was sitting deep in thought with the crucifix clasped between her hands. 
Troubled, she spoke to me about the directive she had just received shortly before. 
Sister told me the following story. As a girl of fourteen, she had left her native country to join the cloistered life, and was sent as a missionary to Africa. She never saw her mother and father again, as she toiled for no wage but the joy of serving God and bringing education to children. 
Now, after many years of devoted service, she was being asked to take down the symbol of the Son of God for whom she had laboured all the years, and not to speak of Him during academic classes.
"What will I do?" she asked me. 
"What do you think you should do?" I asked. 
For a few moments she looked down at the crucifix, then her expression firmed. 
Sister stood up and resolutely placed the crucifix back on the wall at the head of the classroom above the blackboard, and then gave a firm and satisfied nod. "There! That's where You belong!" she said. 

Academic Service
Sister then came back to where I was sitting and said, "This is how it is. I left my country at fourteen years of age to follow my calling in the cloister. I am getting on in years now, and I have worked every day to teach people in mission territories. I have worked in the heat, in the cold and for no wages in the service of God. 
I have taught thousands of children. I never saw my mother and father again because I dedicated my life to the people in the missions, and in my absence my parents died. 
Many times when the going gets tough, I look at the crucifix and gain strength when I remember the Sacrifice Jesus made. Then I carry on teaching the children in my classroom to the best of my academic ability in honour of Him. Now I am being told to get rid of His symbol in my classroom in order not to cause possible offence. 
I have laboured all my life for no wages because my call from the Son of God to teach the poor and those in need of tuition called me from my country. Well, a school run by a group of religious is not like department shopping.
People sometimes want to go to a department store that offers the best service, but once they are in they only want to take the best from some shelves and leave the items on the other shelves behind. A Christian school is not like a department store; you can't put the academic service in your shopping cart and ignore Jesus Who makes that academic service possible. We give of our best every day of our lives in this terrible heat to give the very best service only because it is Jesus Who inspires us. So; back at the front of my classroom He will go! And," Sister said to me, "If I am told again to take the crucifix down, I will tell them; make a decision. If He goes, I go!"

Gracious Christian Ethos
I have never forgotten this wise old nun's words. It seemed to me that as my parents chose to send me to a Christian school, then in all courtesy it was incumbent upon me to accept the gracious Christian ethos underpinning that educational facility.
It was also a privilege and solace to experience the quiet Unseen Presence of the Sacramental Son of God shining His Love and Influence into my life from the Chapel in the School.

Prayer to Jesus when in Difficulty

"Sacred Heart of Jesus, I am in difficulty. Please grant me the following request (here state your problem and what you need). Please grant my request if You deem it best for me. Amen."

Repeat this prayer on the hour for nine hours, over nine days. Or pray the prayer twice a day (morning and evening) as many days as you wish.

Happy Easter to All

As the Easter Weekend draws on, we draw strength from the knowledge that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. And so shall we. All our illness, ageing problems, loss of loved ones and friends through death - these will all be behind us forever when we live, risen and immortal, in eternal life. 
What a wonder Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has done for us. 
How ably He reunited us with our God, with whom our forefathers had committed irreparable breach of relationship. How strongly and sternly He dealt with Satan, who had led our forefathers astray. How lovingly He reaches out to us, His human brothers and sisters on earth. 

May the Name of the Lord Jesus be praised, both now and forever.

Have a wonderful Easter.

Jesus is Resurrected see http://www.mormonchannel.org/easter-videos?v=1537265083001

With thanks to Mormon Channel
Photograph of Church banner by Catherine Nicolette. With thanks to the artist

Were you working in Essential Services on Good Friday? Pray the Stations today, then

 

IT IS A TRADITION AMONG CHRISTIANS to hold the day of Good Friday as holy. This day is set aside, free of social engagements, entertainment or work. This enables Good Friday to be spent as a day of prayer, fasting and expectation for the celebration of Christ's Risen Life on Easter Sunday. During Good Friday we pray the Stations of the Cross in order to accompany our Beloved Jesus during his loneliest and most difficult hours on earth. Together, as a worshipping and believing Community, we make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer by meditating on the scene of Christ's sufferings.

However, there are many of us working in Essential Services - either day or night, over the Easter weekend. Doctors, Nurses, Hospital Staff, Chaplains, Firefighters, Police staff, Restaurant and shop staff, Road and Travel Maintenance Personnel, Air and Sea Rescue Personnel, Mothers and Fathers looking after sick children at home, the list could go on. These essential services cannot be held over times such as the Easter Weekend.

So, for those who have been working on Good Friday to serve the Community, or working during the nights and sleeping during the days to keep their strength up for the Essential Service work, here is a Prayer Chapel which can be done to remember Jesus' Sacrifice for us. Why not pray the Stations of the Cross online with the luminous Shrine of St Jude?
http://shrineofstjude.claretians.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ssj_stations_cross_nssj

With thanks to Shrine of St Jude, Claretians
Photograph taken by Rev Catherine - with thanks to the Sculptor and Tapestry Artist

Noah - The Movie; Review

GREAT FLOOD
Russell Crowe has brought Noah to life in the movie. So; what is the movie like?
Noah highlights a number of issues.
It is accepted that a Great Flood occurred. Scientific evidence such as fossils, rapid burial of plants and animals and rapidly deposited sediment layers spread across vast areas exists.

CATACLYSMIC EVENT
The Movie - Noah - is a creative interpretation of the cataclysmic event. Both producers and actors explore the Biblical facts, attempting to fathom the rationale behind the event, as well as to dramatise Flood events
The movie highlights that there is a God, a Creator, with whom humanity and certain angels alike suffered a break in relationship. Noah further highlights that the relationship breakdown occurred in the symbolic events surrounding the Fall.  This fracture in relationship surrounded events linked to a powerful Fallen Angel symbolised as the snake.

GOD AND NOAH
Noah goes on to highlight that God contacted Noah to put before him the plan to build a place of refuge from death for animals and Noah's family - the Ark.
The film movingly portrays the fact that Noah had to exercise his own faith and human judgement in the decisions he had to make. It also emphasises that God did not simply give Noah all the answers to the dilemma, but allowed Noah to pray and communicate with him and exercise his own human free will in making the decisions which led to human life still being extant today.

FALLEN ANGELS
The issue of fallen angels is explored by Noah. The movie highlights that Angelic beings called the Watchers exist (Genesis Chapter 6, verses 1 - 22; Daniel Chapter 4 verse 13; Daniel 4;17). The Book of Enoch also spoke in detail about the Watchers. The issue of forgiveness for fallen angels (symbolised as apparently Stone Golems in the movie) is explored.
The Movie explains the events from the Torah, the Bible, that animals and members of humanity were saved from death in the Flood.
The Movie Noah shows that humanity is capable of deep wickedness towards each other and animals. It also portrays that humanity is capable of great sacrifice, nurture, tenderness and love towards each other and animals. Thus Noah marvellously portrays the dichotomy of which human nature is capable of, and of the necessity of turning towards the Creator to meld our inner selves into the beings we were meant to be before the regrettable Fall of Humanity took place.

LUMINOUSLY PORTRAYED
The acting is sublime. Watching the expressions in the eyes of Russell Crowe, Anthony Hopkins and Jennifer Connolly is a privilege. The emotions and the best of humanity - love, tenderness, compassion, searching for the right decision, integrity and mercy - are luminously portrayed through their windows of the soul.Truly they are masters of the art.

MICROCOSMIC NOAHS
Today we look out at our world, each from our home or non-home on the street, we are all microcosmic Noahs. Today the same challenge that faced God and Noah at that faraway historic time faces us;
The struggle within ourselves between good and evil. The ease of despair and the difficulty of hope and integrity. The need for family values to underpin our struggling and oft-times broken areas of society.

WONDERS OF HUMANITY
We also see the same wonders of humanity that God does. The never-ending freshness and wonder of new love. The strength and wonder of mature love, when, after betrayal and all the manifold mistakes we humans are capable of making, a couple forgive past hurt and forge a deeper relationship built on love and start all over again. (This, to me, was beautifully portrayed by Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connolly near the end of the movie, when Russell helped her with her digging; and with their simple touch of their hands leading to luminous embrace, they spoke a conversation asking for, and receiving, forgiveness - that did not need words). We see the wonder of vibrant near cosmic birth time, when the earthly elderly rejoice in the simple pleasures of this earth that God gave us, accept that all the lessons in this present life have been learned, and ready for birth into the next life in Eternity. (This was beautifully portrayed by Anthony Hopkins as he embraced - not rejected - the Flood as he enjoyed the simple blessing of a berry from God's Creation).

The Movie portrays The wonder of plants, mountains, air and life in this planet of ours. The wonder and irreplaceability of each animal, insect, living being.
 And the supreme joy and blessing of each child to our society.

NEW COVENANT
Noah expresses the New Covenant between humanity and God, as Noah sublimely consecrated the New Beginning of humanity to God, with his family. Noah, on the mountain top, symbolises the eternal priesthood before God - the priest, who, called by God, continually has to move beyond personal interests and gain to become intercessor before God for a broken humanity. The priest is called to bring about - through prayer, care and healing - mended relationships, new hope, and new commitment to relationship with God and each other. As Russell Crowe wound the reminder symbol of the Fall, the snake skin around his arm, he reminds us that the Fall is not the end. As the snake shed the skin, so we too, can shed sin and begin again. As the world was reborn after the waters of the Flood, so we too can be reborn through Baptism and repentance of our sins.

BLESSINGS
May Blessings be on Darren Aronofsky, Ari Handel, Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connolly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Anthony Hopkins and Douglas Booth; for bringing the Word of God to life.
Their remembrance of Noah was a blessing on my path today.

Movie Trailer for NOAH;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OSaJE2rqxU

Prayer for Incarcerated Women

Good Shepherd Church 

Prayer for Incarcerated Women  

Prayer has been offered that Pregnant Incarcerated Women will not be Shackled. Prayer has been offered for all who assist Pregnant Incarcerated Women and assure the health of their babies.

Prayer for Unborn Children

 

Good Shepherd Church 

Prayer for Unborn Children  

Jesus reclined in Mary's Womb as a trustful and powerless infant. So too, each baby reclines in the mother's womb. Let us pray for each unborn child, for protection and safety in the womb until birth.

PREPARATION FOR EASTER

Ever been praised?
He was praised.
Ever been insulted and called names?
He was insulted and told that He drove out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of devils (Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 12, verse 24).
Ever been taken for granted?
He was taken for granted.
Ever been lied about?
He was lied about.

Ever been beaten?
He was beaten to near unconsciousness.
Ever been assaulted?
He was assaulted and stripped naked.
Ever been threatened?
He was threatened and nearly thrown over a cliff for telling the truth - that He is the Son of God.
Ever been spat at or looked down upon?
He was spat at, and laughed at while He hung dying.

Ever been ill and in danger of death?
He was nailed to a cross and died the death of crucificixion.
Ever been tortured?
He was tortured, and had thorns ground into His scalp while those around Him laughed at His suffering.
Ever been imprisoned and interrogated?
He was imprisoned and interrogated.
Born illegitimate and unaccepted by the family whose blood you bear?
He was born of a Virgin who became pregnant out of final wedlock.

Ever been poor?
He was from such a poor family that He was born in an animal pen with no running water or birth bed for His Mother.
Ever had your reputation or feelings sacrificed?
His Life was sacrificed - for us.

He is the Incomparable, the Magnificent, the Beloved
Jesus Christ.

Easter is coming - why not celebrate the Greatest Life ever lived, and watch the Message, Life and Love of the Son of God in the Jesus Film.
http://jesusfilmhd.com/now-on-dvd/

With thanks to jesusfilmhd.com