Monday is the Feast of the Queenship of Mary./ Mary is Queen, but Queen Mother./ May the world know and be changed by this most tender face of heaven./ We pray to the Lord.
Wednesday is the Feast of the holy apostle, Bartholomew./ Apostle means one who is sent./ May our life in Christ not be left behind in church with the hymnal,/ but taken out and shared this week./ We pray to the Lord.
Some of us are taken aback at how much water we use,/ how much garbage we produce,/ perhaps how much food we waste./ May we take nothing for granted and learn some new way of conserving the earth's resources./ We pray to the Lord.
The Church is troubled in many places throughout the world:/ in Nicaragua where the government perceives the Catholic Church as an enemy,/ in Ukraine stressed by an invasive war,/ in Egypt where a Coptic Church caught fire on Sunday killing many worshippers including children,/ in Nigeria where the existence of Christianity is threatened./ We pray for the protection and well-being of Christians who are troubled,/anxious and mournful./ We pray to the Lord.
This coming Saturday,/ Pope Francis will create twenty-one new cardinals in Rome./ They come from places we usually consider to be far away or at the peripheries./ We ask for their ministries to be blessed./ And may we strive to "arrive at real maturity—that measure of development which is meant by 'the fullness of Christ.'" Eph 4:13/ We pray to the Lord.
Schools will re-open soon./ We pray for the safety of young people everywhere./ We ask blessings for teachers,/ parents,/ school administrators and staff./ May we live well the lessons of our earliest school years,/ especially consideration of others,/ courtesy,/ respect and love for living things./ We pray to the Lord.
We pray not to become discouraged,/ cynical or trapped in fear or anger./ May we remember in our living,/ the words of the 1960's hymn,/ "They'll know we are Christians by our love."/ We pray to the Lord.
