|
Day One
Special request: An increase
of faith and our urgent human needs.
Background
St. Paul knew people in Rome
and he mentions them in
his Letter to the Romans.
At the time of the writing of this epistle,
he had not yet visited the city.
This Letter was an introduction
to people who had heard of Paul
but by and large had not met him personally.
He used this inspired letter
to explain his faith
and to strengthen the belief
of the Christians in Rome.
Reading this Letter
can also make us wiser today
than we were yesterday and wiser still tomorrow.
St. Paul's Prayers and Thoughts:
Romans 1:8-11 “First of all,
I give thanks to my God
through Jesus Christ for all of you,
because of your faith
that is being proclaimed
throughout the world.
God is my witness – Whom I serve
with my spirit by proclaiming
the good news of his Son – that I
continually mention you in my prayers
and ask that somehow
by God's will I'll finally manage
to come to you and to share with you
some spiritual gift
in order to strengthen you,
that is so we may be
mutually encouraged by one another's faith,
both yours and mine."
Romans: 15:13 "May God, the source of hope,
fill you with all joy and peace
through your belief in Him,
so that you will overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Romans 15:30-33 "I beg you, my brothers,
by our Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of the Spirit,
to join me in my struggle
so that I may be delivered
from unbelievers … and
that my service in Jerusalem will be
acceptable to the saints
so that God willing,
I'll come to you full of joy
and find rest with you.
May God who gives peace
be with you all.
Amen."
Prayer
St. Paul from your place in heaven
we ask you continually to pray for us
in the manner you prayed for the Romans.
May our faith and love
of the Gospel bring light
into our families, parishes,
community and the entire world.
May our witness even be a cause
for increasing the joy
of the angels and saints
who surround you.
We, however, are surrounded by unbelievers
and are assailed on every side.
May you come to us
with some spiritual gift
in order to strengthen us.
May we on earth encourage
one another in the faith.
May we be strong even though
we feel so weak and inadequate.
So often we know
the right thing to do
but find ourselves doing just the opposite (Rom 7:20)
yet you assure us that ultimately
nothing can separate us from Christ (Rom 8:35).
When you were in this world
you sought to address the human
as well as the spiritual needs of people.
You aided the poor of Jerusalem
in powerful and practical ways
knowing the physical aid you brought them
would make it easier for them to have
faith and trust in the God of love.
With confidence we ask you
to help us with our urgent
natural obligations and our needs
of food, shelter, clothing and health.
More than that,
however, we ask you to draw us
closer to Jesus, crucified and risen
who is the way, truth and life for the world.
In this way,
we will be filled with peace,
joy and that hope that comes from God,
which the world can
never understand or destroy.
Amen.
Our Father ...
Hail Mary ...
Glory Be ...
Day Two
Special request: Achieving and
maintaining peace in our
families and communities.
Background
Paul wrote the Epistle to the Ephesians
to help them focus on heavenly matters
and at the same time he addressed
practical ways for a person to grow
in the love of God and neighbor.
While in Ephesus Paul performed
many miracles, won many converts,
overcame demons, and caused the pagans
to riot as they saw the source
of their temple income begin to dry up.
St. Paul's Prayers and Thoughts:
Ephesians 1:16-19 "I give unceasing thanks
and mention you in my prayers that
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the glorious Father may give you
a spirit of wisdom and revelation
by which you'll come to a knowledge of Him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened
so you'll come to know what the hope is
to which He calls you,
how rich the glorious heritage
which will be shared among the saints,
and how extraordinary is
his great power for us who believe."
Ephesians 3:13-19 "Therefore I ask you
not to lose heart because of the afflictions
I'm suffering on your behalf – this is your glory."
"Because of this I bend my knees
to the Father.
From him every family in
the heavens and on earth is named,
so that from the riches of his glory
He may grant you inner strength and power
through His Spirit.
May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith,
firmly rooted and established in love,
so that with all the saints
you may be able to
understand the breath, the height,
and the depth, and know Christ's love
which surpasses all knowledge
so that you may be filled with God's fullness.
Now to Him,
Who is able to do so much more
than we can ask for or imagine,
by the power of the work in us,
to Him be glory in the Church in Christ Jesus
for all generations forever and ever,
Amen."
Prayer
St. Paul, as you stand
before the Father and the Lord Jesus in eternity,
pray for us unceasingly
just as you prayed for the Ephesians
when you were on Earth.
Pray that we gain wisdom and knowledge.
Enlighten the eyes of our hearts
so we can see the world as God sees it.
As you bend your knees
before the Father in heaven,
pray for our families here on earth
that we may live in harmony
as we grow in the humility, gentleness,
patience and the love (Eph 4:1)
that comes from the Holy Spirit.
If we are angry let it be without sin
and never let the sun go down
on our anger (Eph 4:26).
St Paul, beloved apostle pray that
we be delivered from
"all bitterness, wrath, angry shouting
slander and malice" (Eph 4:31)
If we are frightened by the powers
of darkness and sin help us put on
the armor of Christ (Eph 6:14-17).
When we are afflicted may we unite
our sufferings to Christ just as you did but,
if it is God's will, deliver us quickly
from our sorrows so that
they might never crush us, who are so weak,
and we might sing the praises of God
for his mercy towards us.
Help us to be rooted and established
in love so that we can gain
some understanding of the height, breath
and depth of Christ's love for us
that surpasses our imagination.
When we feel alone, misunderstood
and even abandoned it will be this knowledge
that will give us inner strength and power
so that we might walk in love (Eph 5:2)
all the days of our lives.
Amen.
Our Father ...
Hail Mary ...
Glory Be ...
Day Three
Special request: Leading lives of
joy and generosity while receiving
the help we need.
Background
Paul loved the Philippians and
they supported him in his mission.
In his letter to them we see
the joy that Paul had in serving the Lord
and his desire that others
might share in his delight.
Even though he was under arrest
at the time of his writing the letter
even his chains could not dampen
his enthusiasm for the Gospel.
St. Paul's Prayers and Thoughts:
Philippians 1: 3-11 "I give thanks to my God
every time I think of you.
Whenever I pray for you I pray joyfully,
because of your partnership in the good news
from the first day to the present.
Of this I am convinced, that
the one who began the good work in you
will bring it to completion on
the Day of Jesus Christ.
It is right that I should feel
this way about you because I have you in my heart,
and because you all share my grace,
both in my imprisonment and in
the defense and confirmation of the good news.
For God is my witness that I long for
all of you with the affection of Jesus Christ.
My prayer is that your love will increase
more and more with knowledge and
every manner of insight
so that you will be able to discover what's best
and may be pure and blameless
for the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of the righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ,
to the glory and praise of God."
Prayer
Beloved St. Paul, help us
live our lives with such integrity,
purity and innocence that you will
rejoice before the throne of God
as you remember us in your prayers.
Deepen our love, broaden our
knowledge and sharpen our insight.
May your prayers aid us
in the work God has begun in us
so that we may grow in grace
day by day and share with our
fellow believers a partnership
in spreading the news of God's love on Earth.
When we feel trapped by the hardships
and limitations this life imposes upon us,
may we remember how you handled
your own imprisonment and suffering.
Help us to face the difficult challenges
in our lives with a sense
of divine confidence.
We understand that all true
righteousness comes from Jesus,
our Lord and Savior.
On the bases of His power
we hope to be found
blameless on the day we meet Christ
in eternity for our own judgment.
We know that you have
an affection for us
similar to the one you had
for the Philippians.
Help us return your love
and live in the intense way
that you did serving God and neighbor.
May you rejoice in us
as we live and act
with one mind and spirit (Phil 2:2).
We stand in the midst
of a twisted and perverted generation (Phil 2:14-15)
but by the grace of the Christ,
whom you served so well,
we are confident that we will
be able to live our lives
in such a way that we will be like stars
in the midst of the darkness.
When you were
hungry and imprisoned,
the Philippians came to your aid (Phil 4:12-14).
You in turn prayed that
all of their needs would be filled
from the fullness of the riches of Christ (Phil 4:19).
May we learn to help
those in need around us
and may you petition the Lord of life
to send people into our midst
to help us with
our spiritual and physical needs.
Pour out the riches of Christ
upon us so that we may
share them with others.
Amen
Our Father ...
Hail Mary ...
Glory be ...
Day Four
Special request: Persevering in
prayer in times of struggle and hardship.
Background
Paul had never been to Collossae
but had heard about the faith community there
and rejoiced in its growth.
However, it was experiencing
controversies and disputes
about the true meaning of the Gospel.
In response to these difficulties
he wrote this inspired letter.
St. Paul's Prayers and Thoughts:
Colossians 1:3-14 "When we pray
for you we gives thanks through
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
because we've heard of your faith
in Christ Jesus and your love
for all the saints which comes
from the hope stored up for you in heaven
Therefore, from the day we heard
of you we haven't ceased praying for you.
May God fill you with
the knowledge of His will
through wisdom and all manner
of spiritual understanding
that you might conduct yourselves
in a manner worthy of the Lord
and fully pleasing to him
fruitful in every type of good work
and increasing in knowledge of God.
We pray that you will be
strengthened with all the power
of His glorious might so that
your steadfastness and patience
will be perfected and you may
joyfully give thanks to the Father
Who made you worthy to share
in the portion of the saints in light.
He has rescued us from the
power of darkness and has brought us
into the kingdom of his Son
by whom we are redeemed
and our sins forgiven."
Prayer
St. Paul, please never cease
praying for us, who are
in such dire need.
Through your intercession may we grow
in wisdom and all manner
of spiritual understanding
so that we may conduct ourselves
in a manner worthy of the Lord.
Multiply our good works
and help us be steadfast
in our resolve to live and love
the way the Lord has taught us.
More than anything else we, too,
want to share in the light of the saints
both now in this darkened world
and eventually with you in eternity.
May we not be misled
by empty philosophies or
mere human traditions (Col 2:8).
May we avoid being confused
by spurious visionaries
but cling to sound doctrine (Col 2:18).
May we be free from
a scrupulosity that would fill
our lives with endless rules
and regulations and rob us of joy (Col 2:21-23).
However, let us recognize the
evil of sin and avoid fornication,
evil desires, malice, greed,
wrath, obscene language and slander. (Col 3:5 & 8).
May we be clothed in compassion,
humility, patience, gentleness
and the capacity to forgive others
and bear with one another (Col 3:12).
Above all else
through your intercession
may we be clothed in love.
Help us, persevere in prayer
with a sense of thanksgiving
even in hard times.
When you were chained
and imprisoned you were able to
bless your persecutors and
sing the praises of God.
From your prison cell
you were able to teach people
how to be truly free.
Give us this freedom
and aid us in those everyday struggles
that might wear us down.
Help us so that we will be
in a position to help others.
Amen.
Our Father ...
Hail Mary ...
Glory Be ...
Day Five
Special request: Finding and
maintaining gainful employment
and comforting us in time of grief.
Background
The First Letter to the Thessalonians
is the earliest inspired
writing of the New Testament.
It dates from around the year 50 AD.
The events surrounding the letter
can be found in Acts 16:6 to 18:5.
The letter is very moving
and St. Paul's affectionate nature
is apparent throughout.
He loved and was loved by the
believing community in Thessalonica.
St. Paul's Prayers and Thoughts:
1 Thessalonians 1:2 "We
always give thanks to God
for all of you and mention you
in our prayers, constantly
calling to mind before
our God and Father
your active faith,
your loving labors
and your steadfast hope
in the Lord Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:23
"May the God of peace himself
sanctify you completely, and
may your spirit, soul and body
be kept sound and blameless
for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls us is faithful
and He will do it!
Brothers pray for us too!"
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
"We pray always that this will
come to pass for you,
that God will consider you
worthy of his call, and
that by his power He will
fulfill every desire for
goodness and every work of faith,
so that the name of
the Lord Jesus will be
glorified in you, and you in it,
in accordance with the grace
of our God and Lord Jesus Christ."
Prayer
Beloved Apostle Paul
may our faith, labor
and hope be a cause for you
to give thanks to God in eternity.
Like the Thessalonians, we
desperately need your prayers
so that we can be kept sound
in body, soul and spirit
and face the day of the Lord
with a clean conscience.
We know that God will
always remain faithful but we fear
our own weakness and inconstancy.
You rejoiced because the Thessalonians
accepted you as a brother
and adopted you as one of their own
and you in turn were
as gentle with them as
a mother nursing her infant (1 Thes. 2:7).
We sincerely invite you
into our families and our lives
so that you can nurture us
with the Gospel.
You urged the Thessalonians
to live quiet lives
of productive labor
supporting themselves
and their families (1 Thes 4:11-21).
Help us do the same.
When unemployed, help us find work.
When working help us share
what we can with others.
Assist us and our family members
in overcoming the vice of laziness (1 Thes. 5: 14)
and every other evil that tempts us.
Help us especially carry out
the works of faith so that
God can be made manifest
in our lives.
St. Paul pray for us
that we may prove worthy
of the call God has given us
even in times of sorrow and grief.
When we are heartbroken
because we have lost someone in death,
pray for us and console us
with the truth of the resurrection
just as you comforted
the Thessalonians when you were
on earth (1 Thes. 4:13-18).
This consolation will help us
be constant in hope and
steadfast in our faith.
This is the faith that
gives us a peace that
the world can never understand or grasp.
Through our faith
in the resurrected Lord Jesus
we hope one day to be with you
in eternity praising the God
who loves us beyond
anything we can imagine.
Amen
Our Father ...
Hail Mary ...
Glory be ...
Day Six
Special request: A prayer for
political leaders to be
just and Church leaders to be holy.
Background
Some scholars affirm that
the letter to Timothy
was written after Paul's death
and is not authentically Pauline.
Others however believe that
it was written
between the writing
of One and Two Corinthians.
The intent of the letter is clear.
The author wanted to strengthen
the Church in its structure
and its charity
and this was something that
St. Paul always strove to do.
St. Paul's Prayers and Thoughts:
1 Timothy 2:1-2 "First of all
I urge that supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and thanksgiving
be made for all men
for the kings and all those
in positions of authority
that we may lead a peaceful
quiet life, holy and
respectable in every way."
Prayer
St. Paul, you taught,
strengthened and encouraged Timothy
by word and example.
You formed him into
an effective leader and
servant of the Church.
Your wisdom was an
indispensable aid to him
as you supported him in his vocation.
You reminded him of his primary duty
to be a person of prayer.
His prayer was not only
to be for the flock he tended
but for all of humanity and
especially the leaders and
those in authority in this world.
Only through such a life
of prayer can we hope to
experience the peace we all long for.
St. Paul, pray with us
for the political leaders
whose power and responsibility
is so great.
Pray for the diplomats
so that they can find
ways to resolve conflict without war.
Pray for the leaders
of democracies so that
they can act in
the long term interest
of their people rather than
think only of short term
political gain.
Pray for the dictators
of the world
so that their hearts of stone
will be softened and
they will learn how to
share power with their people
and pave the way for more
humane ways of organizing society.
We pray with you, St. Paul,
that theocracies may allow
minority religions to exist
in peace and have
authentic freedom to
worship and speech.
We pray that
political leaders will fight
corruption, check crime,
and provide genuine security
for their lands.
We understand that a
stable just society is
the responsibility of every person
and ultimately must be supported
by a sense of justice
that is truly Godly
and life affirming.
You reminded Timothy
that the love of money
is the root of so much
evil in the world (1 Tim 6:10)
and you urged those who were
wealthy to use their riches
to perform good deeds (1 Tim 6:12-19).
St. Paul, help us use
our influence and resources
well and wisely.
However, often we do not have
the temptations that come from
having excessive wealth
but are struggling to
just get by from day to day.
Aid us in our struggles
so we will not succumb to
temptation and despair.
St. Paul, pray to the Lord
to send into our midst
religious sisters and brothers,
deacons, priests and bishops
who like Timothy will be
above reproach, temperate,
sensible, peaceful, gentle,
sober, sound in doctrine
and humble (1 Tim 3:1-6).
Pray with us St. Paul,
that our Church may
truly be holy and
our civil society
truly just.
Amen.
Our Father ...
Hail Mary ...
Glory Be ...
Day Seven
Special request: Prayer for freedom
in the midst of an unjust oppressive world.
Background
The Letter to Philemon
is a short but moving piece.
Paul while in prison meets
a runaway slave who has
converted to the faith.
Although he is serving Paul
in critical ways,
Paul sends him back to his master
Philemon recommending he be
treated as a brother in Christ.
St. Paul's Prayers and Thoughts:
Philemon 1:3 I always
give thanks to God when
I mention you in my prayers,
for I hear the faith and
love you have for the Lord Jesus
in all the Saints, and
I pray that the fellowship
in the faith may serve to
lead you to a deeper understanding
of all the good that
we have in Christ.
Your love has been a
great joy and comfort to me
because the hearts of the saints
have been refreshed through you,
my brother.
Prayer
St Paul in your heavenly glory
you are completely free.
Chains can never bind you.
Pray, however, for our freedom.
First of all pray that
we be delivered from the
slavery of sin and vice.
Next we ask you to intercede
for us so that we might
obtain the freedom that comes
from faith, hope, charity,
courage, prudence,
temperance and a knowledge of justice.
Finally, give us a prayer life
that embraces the entire world
and goes beyond our own
immediate needs.
Unite our prayers with yours,
as together, we plead
for an enslaved and
struggling humanity.
St. Paul, remember those
who are forced into
literal slave labor
of one form or another.
Pray with us for those
who are sexually exploited
and abused and moved
like commodities around the nation
and the world to fulfill
the evil desires of men.
Paul you labored with
your hands so as not to be
a burden to anyone,
but remember in your prayers
those individuals working
long hours in unsafe factories,
sweatshops and mines
around the world
just to survive.
Pray, St. Paul that
the migrant workers
be treated fairly
and with respect as they move
from place to place
to support their families.
May we pray for those
unjustly imprisoned, victims of war,
crime, civil strife and racism.
St. Paul, pray with us
for victims of famine,
pestilence, floods,
fires and other natural disasters.
In a special way
St. Paul remember all the parents
of this world who are
at this moment watching
their children die of illness
and starvation.
We know that
Jesus our Divine Master
hears the cry of the poor
and the desperate prayers
coming from billions of people
around the world.
In love we want to
offer our prayers
along with yours,
St. Paul, to the Savior
who sets us free.
In doing this we are
confident that the Father and Son
together will send the Holy Spirit
into our lives
to meet the challenges
that we face which are
important to us but
in the greater scheme of things
are relatively minor.
Amen.
Our Father ...
Hail Mary ...
Glory Be ...
Day Eight
Special request: Prayer for a
generous spirit and unity of heart.
Background
In Luke's Acts of the Apostles
we clearly see how much
the Christian community loved Paul
and how deep his affection was
for people. Luke the beloved physician
captures this reality
in the farewell passage at Miletus:
Luke's Account:
Acts 20:31 "So stay awake;
remember that for three years,
both day and night,
I didn't cease exhorting
each one of you with tears.
And now I commend you
to God and His word
of grace which can build you up
and give you an inheritance
among all His holy ones.
In every possible way
I have shown you that
we must help the weak
by working hard like this,
mindful of the word of
the Lord Jesus Himself,
‘It's more blessed to give than to receive.'
After saying this
he got on his knees
and prayed with them all.
They all wept a great deal
and embraced Paul and
kissed him because they were
especially pained by what
he said about never
seeing his face again."
Prayer
St. Paul, while on earth
you were forced to say goodbye
to those you loved.
Now you live in the kingdom
where love is the only reality
and you have no more
tears to shed.
We ask you to be
lovingly united to us
who are in the midst
of the battle for salvation
in a world filled with personal sin,
vice and social injustice.
We need your strength
and wisdom to guide us
and we are confident
that you will continually
intercede for us so that
our great pilgrimage
on earth may be successfully
concluded one day before
the throne of God.
Help the Church today
to be united in spirit
and affection.
May we who worship together
live in harmony and recognize,
as you did, that everyone
has unique roles to play
in building up the
kingdom of God on earth.
May our parishes, dioceses,
religious communities, and the
universal Church be united
in heart as well as doctrine
so that the non-believers
will say, "See how they love one another."
In your life you faced conflicts,
disagreements and misunderstandings
with your fellow saints
here on Earth.
Now all of you are
worshiping together before
the throne of God.
Help us, see the
goodness and grace
that fills the believers
around us and teach us
to reverence one another
so that we will truly be prepared
to live with one another in eternity.
St. Paul, you who now
contemplate the face of God,
Father, Son and Spirit,
teach us to see that face
reflected in our fellow human beings
who were created in God's
image and likeness.
Help us see beyond the
disfigurement caused by sin
and with the eyes of faith
see in those around us
and ourselves the handiwork of God.
St. Paul you were a great sinner
but the blinding,
eye opening light of Jesus
transformed you into a great saint.
Intercede for us
so that we too may become
the children of God
we are truly called to be.
May God the Father see
and love in us what
he sees and loves in his Son
and may we be filled
with the Holy Spirit
that transforms us into
one body on earth.
Amen.
Our Father ...
Hail Mary ...
Glory Be ...
Day Nine
Special request: Devout
reception of the Eucharist.
Background
St. Paul converted the
Corinthians by preaching
Christ Crucified.
It was a large and wealthy city
that was known for its
promiscuous way of life.
The people had indulged
in every pleasure and were not satisfied.
When Paul came to them
preaching love they were
ready to hear the Good News.
St. Paul's Prayers and Thoughts:
1 Corinthians 11:23-34
"For I received from the Lord
what I handed down to you,
that on the night he was betrayed
the Lord took bread and
after blessing it
he broke it and said,
"this is my body which is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me!
In the same way he took the cup
after he had eaten and said,
"This cup is the new covenant
in my blood.
Do this, whenever you drink it,
in remembrance of me!"
For whenever you eat
this bread and drink this cup
you proclaim
the death of the Lord,
until he comes.
Therefore, if anyone
eats the bread or
drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily,
he'll be answerable
to the body and blood of the Lord.
Each of you should
first examine yourself
and then eat the bread
and drink from the cup,
for whoever eats and drinks
without recognizing the body
and drinks judgment to himself.
That is why so many of you
are weak and ill,
and considerable number have died."
1 Cor 13:4-7 "Love is patient,
love is kind, it isn't jealous,
doesn't boast, isn't arrogant.
Love is not dishonorable,
isn't selfish, isn't irritable,
doesn't keep a record
of past wrongs.
Love doesn't rejoice
at injustice but
rejoices in the truth.
Love endures all things,
love has complete faith
and steadfast hope,
love bears with everything."
Prayer
St. Paul you reminded
the Corinthians of the reality
of the Eucharist and all
that it truly is.
You urged them to remember
that they should examine
themselves carefully and then
approach the reception of
the body and blood of the Lord
with the greatest reverence possible.
Help our parishes and
religious communities to always
come together in love.
Pray that we be patient
with one another and
endure each other's shortcomings.
But most of all help us
approach the agape meal,
the Mass with a sense of awe
knowing that as we eat Christ's body
we are gaining eternal life (Jn 6:47-58)
and if we fail to recognize
what we are doing
we will be eating and drinking
our own condemnation.
We rely on the forgiveness of
Christ that comes from the
sacrament of reconciliation and
also the plea for mercy
that is an essential part
of the Eucharistic Celebration
from "Lord Have Mercy" to
"Lord I am not worthy."
We trust, however,
in the Lord our Savior
whose word is able to heal us.
In the celebration of the liturgy,
St. Paul, we invite you and
all the angels and the saints
to join us.
As we approach the altar
we will remember that
this great gift of the Eucharist
was handed down to us through
the Apostles and
their successors.
We pray that the priests
and bishops of the Church
will be holy in their service
to us and that all of us together
will one day join
with the Lamb of God
and all the saints
in that feast that will never end.
Amen.
Our Father ...
Hail Mary ...
Glory Be ...
|
