Prayer Requests and Reports: July 2004 Archives

But you, Martha, if I may say so, are blessed for your good service, and for your labors you seek the reward of peace. Now you are much occupied in nourishing the body, admittedly a holy one. But when you come to the heavenly homeland will you find a traveler to welcome, someone hungry to feed, or thirsty to whom you may give drink, someone ill whom you could visit, or quarreling whom you could reconcile, or dead whom you could bury?

No, there will be none of these tasks there. What you will find there is what Mary chose. . . Thus what Mary chose in this life will be realized there in all its fullness; she was gathering fragments from that rich banquet, the Word of God. From a sermon by St. Augustine.

For those anxious and worried about many things, this special day. It is good to have a Martha heart embedded in a Mary life. Mary had the better part, but not all of us can or should spend our entire time in contemplation.

Praise

One of the three Carmelites from New York who recently had surgery had been on a ventilator for five days. Yesterday he was taken off the ventilator.

Requests
Please continue to pray for Dylan

For Katherine's two friends as they each struggle with a different difficulty related to their respective pregnancies. Especially for S. as she spends the next ten weeks in the hospital, separated from her family seeking to preserve the life and health of the infant she presently carries.

For Franklin's father and family as they struggle with the present circumstances

A special request from two gentleman battling particularly troublesome and besetting sins for grace and help as they continue forward.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

My apologies, I had trouble accessing this morning and I really want to put up a couple of things in this very short break.

Please see yesterday's requests and remember particularly one of our own who is in financial distress. Pray for something lucrative and stable for him that will restore stability.

Thank you, and once again, my apologies.

You are going to leave your money behind you here whether you wish to or not. On the other hand, you will take with you to the Lord the honor that you have won through good works. In the presence of the universal judge, all the people will curround you, acclaim you as a public benefactor, and tell of your generosity and kindness. from a sermon on charity--St Basil the Great

Requests
Please continue to pray for Dylan

For Katherine's two friends as they each struggle with a different difficulty related to their respective pregnancies. Especially for S. as she spends the next ten weeks in the hospital, separated from her family seeking to preserve the life and health of the infant she presently carries.

For Franklin's father and family as they struggle with the present circumstances

A special request from two gentleman battling particularly troublesome and besetting sins for grace and help as they continue forward.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

Joachim and Ann, how chaste a couple! While safeguarding the chastity prescribed by the law of nature, you achieved with God's help something which transcends nature in giving the world the Virgin Mother of God as your daughter. While leading a devout and holy life in your human nature, you gave birth to a daughter nobler than the angels whose queen she now is. Girl of utter beauty and delight, daughter of Adam and mother of God, blessed the loins and blessed the womb from which you come! from a Sermon--St. John Damascene

Requests
Please continue to pray for Dylan

For Katherine's two friends as they each struggle with a different difficulty related to their respective pregnancies. Especially for S. as she spends the next ten weeks in the hospital, separated from her family seeking to preserve the life and health of the infant she presently carries.

For Franklin's father and family as they struggle with the present circumstances

A special request from two gentleman battling particularly troublesome and besetting sins for grace and help as they continue forward.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

The requests remain unchanged from yesterday, for which please see below. Please especially remember Dylan.

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Liturgy of St. James

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six wingèd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

A red letter day for all you admirers and appreciators of The DaVinci Code. Let us pray to the Magdalene that through her intercession all who have become acquainted with her through this book might rightly order and honor her as a good friend and follower of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and that they might honor Him rightfully above all else. Let her intercession turn what has been a burden for many into a new fount of righteous and proper spiritual life. May she, like the Blessed Virgin herself, always point all who are truly seeking to fill the emptiness in their lives toward that source of all fullnes and completion--Our Lord Jesus Christ who is the same Lord she knew as leader, teacher, and friend.

Praise to the Lord,
the Almighty the king of Creation,
O my soul praise him
for He is my rock and Salvation,
All you who hear,
now to his Temple draw near,
joining in glad adoration.

Praise

There is so much sorrow and joy in this praise:

Chris, for whom we had been praying so hard, passed into the arms of the Father peacefully over the weekend. Both she and her husband are at peace, but naturally the children are devastated--please pray for the whole family and for the repose of the soul of Chris.

For Katherine's child in the womb who yesterday was revealed to the world in good health. May God protect this precious child and bring him or her into the loving embrace of Katharine's family.

One of the three Carmelites in New York came through his surgery yesterday with flying colors, please pray for his continued recovery.

Heather recently had some extremely effective treatment for some autism-related disorders. Christine reports that she is about two hundred percent better and the effects are expected to increase over the next year.

Requests
Please continue to pray for Dylan

For a young lady of e-mail acquaintance who is in a great trial, fighting for her life against the weight of dread and despair, that God who is infinitely good will show her goodness of life

For Katherine's two friends as they each struggle with a different difficulty related to their respective pregnancies. Especially for S. as she spends the next ten weeks in the hospital, separated from her family seeking to preserve the life and health of the infant she presently carries.

For Mary H as her daughter enters the process of discerning a vocation

For Christine as she discerns the proper path to take in setting up a community

For Franklin's father and family as they struggle with the present circumstances

For Kris in Galesburg IL. who a year ago was diagnosed with cancer; now she faces treatment for a cancer that has spread. The local group is invoking the Blessed Gianna Beretta Mola.

A special request from two gentleman battling particularly troublesome and besetting sins for grace and help as they continue forward.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

For my isolate Carmelite Brother and Sister in NY (Mr. and Mrs. O) one of whom is battling cancer, the other who has Parkinson's and has recently broken a bone, may God be with them in their trials and in their healing

Turn to the Lord with your whole heart and leave behind this wretched world. Then your soul shall find rest. For the kingdom of God is the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit. If you prepare within your heart a fitting dwelling place, Christ will come to you and console you. from The Imitation of Christ

Praise

There is so much sorrow and joy in this praise:

Chris, for whom we had been praying so hard, passed into the arms of the Father peacefully over the weekend. Both she and her husband are at peace, but naturally the children are devastated--please pray for the whole family and for the repose of the soul of Chris.

One of the three Carmelites in New York came through his surgery yesterday with flying colors, please pray for his continued recovery.

Heather recently had some extremely effective treatment for some autism-related disorders. Christine reports that she is about two hundred percent better and the effects are expected to increase over the next year.

Requests
Please continue to pray for Dylan

For a young lady of e-mail acquaintance who is in a great trial, fighting for her life against the weight of dread and despair, that God who is infinitely good will show her goodness of life

For Katherine's two friends as they each struggle with a different difficulty related to their respective pregnancies. Especially for S. as she spends the next ten weeks in the hospital, separated from her family seeking to preserve the life and health of the infant she presently carries.

For Mary H as her daughter enters the process of discerning a vocation

For Christine as she discerns the proper path to take in setting up a community

For Franklin's father and family as they struggle with the present circumstances

For Kris in Galesburg IL. who a year ago was diagnosed with cancer; now she faces treatment for a cancer that has spread. The local group is invoking the Blessed Gianna Beretta Mola.

A special request from two gentleman battling particularly troublesome and besetting sins for grace and help as they continue forward.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

For my isolate Carmelite Brother and Sister in NY (Mr. and Mrs. O) one of whom is battling cancer, the other who has Parkinson's and has recently broken a bone, may God be with them in their trials and in their healing

Be obedient to the bishop and to one another, as Jesus Christ was in the flesh to the Father, and the apostles to Christ and to the Father and to the Spririt, so that there may be unity in flesh and spirit. I have exhorted you only briefly, for I am aware that you are filled with God. Remember me in your prayers , that I may attain to God. from The Letter to the Magnesians--St. Ignatius of Antioch

Requests
Please continue to pray for Dylan

A special request from two gentleman battling particularly troublesome and besetting sins for grace and help as they continue forward.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

For my isolate Carmelite Brother and Sister in NY (Mr. and Mrs. O) one of whom is battling cancer, the other who has Parkinson's and has recently broken a bone, may God be with them in their trials and in their healing

Follow the ways of God, and have respect for one another; let no one judge his neighbor as the world does, but love one another always in Jesus Christ. Let there be nothing among you that could divide you, but live in accord with the bishop and those who are over you as a sign and a pattern of eternal life. from the Letter to the Magnesians--St. Ignatius of Antioch.

Requests
Please continue to pray for Dylan

A special request from two gentleman battling particularly troublesome and besetting sins for grace and help as they continue forward.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

For my isolate Carmelite Brother and Sister in NY (Mr. and Mrs. O) one of whom is battling cancer, the other who has Parkinson's and has recently broken a bone, may God be with them in their trials and in their healing

O Most Holy Mother of Mount Carmel, when asked by a saint to grant privileges to the family of Carmel, you gave assurance of your Motherly love and help to those faithful to you and to your Son. Behold us, your children. We glory in wearing your holy habit, which makes us members of your family of Carmel, through which we shall have your powerful protection in life, at death and even after death. Look down with love, O Gate of Heaven, on all those now in their last agony! Look down graciously, O Virgin, Flower of Carmel, on all those in need of help! Look down mercifully, O Mother of our Savior, on all those who do not know that they are numbered among your children. Look down tenderly, O Queen of All Saints, on the poor souls! Prayer from the Ninth Day of the Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Praise

According to an item posted recently by TSO, Mary Herboth, host of the Parish Hall and of the lovely "Ever-New " Blog has a daughter who is entering religious life. Praise God for the blessings of a new vocation and for His blessing on her family. May they all grow closer to Him through this act of obedience.

Requests
Please continue to pray for Dylan

A special request from two gentleman battling particularly troublesome and besetting sins for grace and help as they continue forward.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

For my isolate Carmelite Brother and Sister in NY (Mr. and Mrs. O) one of whom is battling cancer, the other who has Parkinson's and has recently broken a bone, may God be with them in their trials and in their healing

Christ is both the way and the door. Christ is the staircase and the vehicle, like the throne of mercy over the Ark of the Covenant, and the mystery hidden from the ages. A man should turn his full attention to the throne of mercy, and should gaze at him hanging on the cross full of fiath, hope and charity, devoted, full of wonder and joy, marked by gratitude, and open to praise and jubilation. Then such a man will make with Christ a pasch that is, a passing over. Through the branches of the cross he will pass over the Red Sea, leaving Egypt and entering the desert. There he will taste the hidden manna, and rest with Christ in the sepulcher, as if he were dead to things outside. He will experience, as much as is possible for one who is still living, what was promised to the thief who hung beside Christ: Today you will be with me in paradise. from Journey of the Mind to God--St. Bonaventure

Praise

According to an item posted recently by TSO, Mary Herboth, host of the Parish Hall and of the lovely "Ever-New " Blog has a daughter who is entering religious life. Praise God for the blessings of a new vocation and for His blessing on her family. May they all grow closer to Him through this act of obedience.

Requests
Please continue to pray for Dylan

A special request from two gentleman battling particularly troublesome and besetting sins for grace and help as they continue forward.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

For my isolate Carmelite Brother and Sister in NY (Mr. and Mrs. O) one of whom is battling cancer, the other who has Parkinson's and has recently broken a bone, may God be with them in their trials and in their healing

(A Reading appropriate for both blessed Kateri and the first item posted below)
Virgins, perservere in the way of life you have begun, persevere in what you are to be. For you will receive a glorious prize for you virtue, a most excellent reward for your chastity. You have already begun to be now what we shall all be in the future. You already posses, here in this world, the glory of the resurrection. You pass through this world without the world's infection. If you persevere in chastity and virginity, you are equal to God's angels. From a sermon On the Dress of Virgins--St. Cyprian.

Praise

According to an item posted yesterday by TSO, Mary Herboth, host of the Parish Hall and of the lovely "Ever-New " Blog has a daughter who is entering religious life. Praise God for the blessings of a new vocation and for His blessing on her family. May they all grow closer to Him through this act of obedience.

Requests
Please continue to pray for Dylan

A special request from two gentleman battling particularly troublesome and besetting sins for grace and help as they continue forward.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

For my isolate Carmelite Brother and Sister in NY (Mr. and Mrs. O) one of whom is battling cancer, the other who has Parkinson's and has recently broken a bone, may God be with them in their trials and in their healing

He sent the flood and ordered Noah, the righteous man, into the ark. When the flood began to subside Noah sent first a raven, then a dove, which as we read, came back with an olive branch. You see water, you see wood, you look on a dove, and you hesitate to believe the mystery?

The water is that in which the flesh is dipped, to wash away all its sin. In it all wickedness is buried. The wood is that to which the Lord Jesus was fastened when he suffered for us. The dove is the one in whose likeness the Holy Spirit descended, as you have learned from the New Testament: the Spirit who breathes into you peace of soul, tranquility of mind. from a Treatise on the Mysteries--St. Ambrose

Requests
Please continue to pray for Dylan

A special request from two gentleman battling particularly troublesome and besetting sins for grace and help as they continue forward.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

For my isolate Carmelite Brother and Sister in NY (Mr. and Mrs. O) one of whom is battling cancer, the other who has Parkinson's and has recently broken a bone, may God be with them in their trials and in their healing

Beloved, see what a marvellous thing love is; its perfection is beyond our expression. Who can truly love save those to whom God grants it? We ought to beg and beesech him in his mercy that our love may be genuine, unmarred by any too human inclination. From a Letter to the Corinthians by Pope St. Clement

Requests
Please continue to pray for Dylan

A special request from two gentleman battling particularly troublesome and besetting sins for grace and help as they continue forward.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

For my isolate Carmelite Brother and Sister in NY (Mr. and Mrs. O) one of whom is battling cancer, the other who has Parkinson's and has recently broken a bone, may God be with them in their trials and in their healing

My Father and I will come and make our home with him. Let your door stand open to receive him, unlock your soul to him, offer him a welcome in your mind, and then you will see the riches of simplicity, the treasures of peace, the joy of grace. Throw wide the gate of your heart and stand befor the sun of the everlasting light that shines on every man. This true light shines on all, but if anone closes his window he will deprive himself of eternal light. If you shut the door of your mind, you shut out Christ. Though he can enter, he does not want to force his way in rudely, or compel us to admit him against our will. From an exposition of psalm 118--St. Ambrose.

Requests
Please continue to pray for Dylan

A special request from two gentleman battling particularly troublesome and besetting sins for grace and help as they continue forward.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

For my isolate Carmelite Brother and Sister in NY (Mr. and Mrs. O) one of whom is battling cancer, the other who has Parkinson's and has recently broken a bone, may God be with them in their trials and in their healing

When you finish the meal [the Eucharist] offer thanks in this manner: "We thank you, holy Father, for your name which you enshrined in our hearts. We thank you for the knowledge and faith and immortality which you revealed to us through your servant Jesus. To you be glory for ever. Almighty ruler, you created all things for the sake of your name you gave men food and drink to enjoy so that they might give you thanks. Now you have favored us through Jesus your sevant with spiritual food and drink as well as with eternal life. Above all we thank you because you are mighty. To you be glory forever.

"Remember, Lord, your Church and deliver her from all evil. Perfect her in your love; and, once she has been sanctified, gather her together from the four winds into the kingdom which you have prepared for her. For power and glory are yours forever." From "The Didache"--Teaching of the Twelve Apostles

Requests
Please continue to pray for Dylan

A special request from two gentleman battling particularly troublesome and besetting sins for grace and help as they continue forward.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

For my isolate Carmelite Brother and Sister in NY (Mr. and Mrs. O) one of whom is battling cancer, the other who has Parkinson's and has recently broken a bone, may God be with them in their trials and in their healing

We entreat you, brothers, as earnestly as we are able, to have charity, not only for one another, but also for those who are outside the Church. Of these some are still pagans, who have not yet made an act of faith in Christ. Others are separated, insofar as they are joined with s in professing faith in Christ, our head, but are yet divided from the unity of his body. My friends, we must grieve over these as over our brothers; and they will onl cease to be so when they no longer say our Father. From a Discourse on the Psalms by St. Augustine.

Requests
Please continue to pray for Dylan

A special request from two gentleman battling particularly troublesome and besetting sins for grace and help as they continue forward.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

For my isolate Carmelite Brother and Sister in NY (Mr. and Mrs. O) one of whom is battling cancer, the other who has Parkinson's and has recently broken a bone, may God be with them in their trials and in their healing

These are the waters that the heart of the believer longs for, these are the waters that the heart of the newly baptized yearns for when he says: My heart thirsts for God, the living fountain. This is no a weak, faint desire to see God, rather the newly baptized acutally burn with desire and thirst for God. Before they received baptism they used to ask one another: When shall I go and see that face of God? Now their quest has been answered. They have come forward and they stand in the presence of God. They have come before the altar and have looked upon the mystery of the savior. From a Sermon to the Newly Baptized by St Jerome

Reports

TSO reports that his friend Ham has a consulting job that may develop into something permanent. Please pray that Ham and the job are a good fit and that good comes of this.

Requests
Please continue to pray for Dylan

A special request from two gentleman battling particularly troublesome and besetting sins for grace and help as they continue forward.

For those struggling against self to attain holiness, that the Good Lord will raise up new Saints for our times, visible beacons that draw all people toward Christ.

For my isolate Carmelite Brother and Sister in NY (Mr. and Mrs. O) one of whom is battling cancer, the other who has Parkinson's and has recently broken a bone, may God be with them in their trials and in their healing