From all my lame defeats and oh! much more From all the victories that I seemed to score; From cleverness shot forth on Thy behalf At which, while angels weep, the audience laugh: From all my proofs of Thy divinity, Thou, who wouldst give no sign, deliver me.
Thoughts are but coins. Let me not trust, instead Of Thee, their thin-worn image of Thy head. From all my thoughts, even from my thoughts of Thee, O thou fair Silence, fall, and set me free.
Lord of the narrow gate and the needle’s eye, Take from me all my trumpery lest I die.
(Quoted in Avery Dulles – A History of Apologetics)
Jesus Christ, you travelled through towns and villages “curing every disease and illness.” At your command, the sick were made well. Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus, that we may experience your healing love.
Heal those who are sick with the virus. May they regain their strength and health through quality medical care.
Heal us from our fear, which prevents nations from working together and neighbours from helping one another.
Heal us from our pride, which can make us claim invulnerability to a disease that knows no borders.
Jesus Christ, healer of all, stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow.
Be with those who have died from the virus. May they be at rest with you in your eternal peace.
Be with the families of those who are sick or have died. As they worry and grieve, defend them from illness and despair. May they know your peace.
Be with the doctors, nurses, researchers and all medical professionals who seek to heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process. May they know your protection and peace.
Be with the leaders of all nations. Give them the foresight to act with charity and true concern for the well-being of the people they are meant to serve. Give them the wisdom to invest in long-term solutions that will help prepare for or prevent future outbreaks. May they know your peace, as they work together to achieve it on earth.
Whether we are home or abroad, surrounded by many people suffering from this illness or only a few, Jesus Christ, stay with us as we endure and mourn, persist and prepare. In place of our anxiety, give us your peace.
Jesus Christ, heal us.
Amen!
(Author: Kerry Weber. Published initially by America Magazine under the title A Prayer Amid an Epidemic.)
To you, Champion Leader and Lord, the Vanquisher of Hades, I, your creature and servant, offer a song of praise, for you have delivered me from eternal death. But as you have inextinguishable loving-kindness, deliver me from all dangers that can be, that I may cry to you: Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.
Ikos 1
Creator of angels and Lord of hosts, as of old you opened the ear and tongue of the deaf and dumb, likewise open now my perplexed mind and tongue to the praise of your most holy name that I may cry to you:
Jesus, most wonderful, angels’ astonishment! Jesus, most powerful, forefathers’ deliverance! Jesus, most sweet, Patriarch’s exultation! Jesus, most glorious, Kings’ stronghold! Jesus, most beloved, Prophets’ fulfillment! Jesus, most marvelous, martyr’s strength! Jesus, most peaceful, monk’s joy! Jesus, most gracious, priests’ sweetness! Jesus, most merciful, fasters’ abstinence! Jesus, most tender, saints’ rejoicing! Jesus, most honorable, virgins’ chastity! Jesus, everlasting, sinners’ salvation!
Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!
St Dymphna, patron saint of those with mental disorders
As I stumble from my bed this morning, help me to remember to be gentle and kind.
My daughter’s mind is shredding into a million pieces. She lives in a constant state of atrocious fear. I can see it in her eyes. Give her peace.
Guide me as I hold her in my arms. Help me to know what to say. What to do. Fill my heart with healing love, understanding, and empathy.
Give me the strength of a thousand angels to hold back my tears. My heart is broken and a tidal wave of grief is overwhelming me with the need to cry. Give me the strength to bear it long enough to keep it from disturbing my child. Help me find someone I can safely bring it to.
Help me answer my family’s questions with the same amount of compassion I would want for myself. Help me remember they are hurting too. This is an unwelcomed assault on an entire family. My heart is not the only heart that is broken. We all need time and each other to heal. Continue reading →
We give thanks for birds. All types of birds.
Small birds and large birds.
Domestic fowl, migratory birds and birds of prey,
hooting birds, whistling birds, shrikes,
coloured parrots and dark darting wrens.
Birds too numerous to mention.
We pray for them all.Continue reading →
Prayers 