The Morning Offering

The Morning offering is a very efficacious way to begin your day. Offering all your joys as well as all your sufferings to the Lord for the intention of your loved ones is a way to unite your sufferings to those of Jesus on the cross.

Here is the Morning Offering that I (try to) say each day.

Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer you my joys, works and sufferings of this day,
in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
throughout the world.

I offer them for the intentions of the Sacred Heart,
the intentions of the Holy Father,
for the salvation of souls,
the remission of sins,
in reparation for my own sins
and those of my loved ones,
for the spiritual, mental and physical health of my loved ones.

I offer them for the reunion of all Christians,
for peace and faith in the world,
and for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

~Amen

Fatima Prayer

This prayer, given to the children at Fatima, Portugal in 1917, by an angel of God, prior to their visitation from Mary is a great comfort to me. Rather than fearing for our loved ones who have turned away from the Lord, we can entrust them to His tender mercies. This prayer is now said after each decade of the Rosary.

O my Jesus,
forgive us our sins.
Save us from the fires of hell.
Lead all souls to heaven,
especially those in most need
of Thy mercy.

Being Alone

Do you feel alone? That's ok. Sometimes, Our Lord wants us to be alone--alone with Him. God wants us to let go and rest in His healing arms. He wants us to give up our need for everything to be the same as it was. Jesus tells us, "Behold, I am making all things new." He wants us to celebrate being a new creation with Him. He wants us to trust Him and let go of our own need to control situations. He wants us to give up being God.

Jesus, I trust in You.

Friday Reminder

Today is Friday.

It's First Friday, in fact.

This is a good day to add some extra prayer or penance to your routine for the intention of your loved ones who have lost their faith.

Do not lose heart.

Jesus yearns for us all

How many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling! ~Luke 13:34

Jesus is a loving parent. He longs to gather our loved ones together under His wings and protect them but He will not go against free will.

Let us join together in fervent prayer for all our loved ones who have left the fold.

Jesus Never Tires

What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?

And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.'
I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

~Luke 15:4-7

Jesus, the Good Shepherd searches and calls out to our loved ones to return to Him. Let us join our voices with His in praise, prayer, and supplication.