Weekly Prayers
Monday 11 December 2017.
Imagine the scene. An excited boy is handed a Christmas present. Carefully he unwraps it, slowly pealing back each strip of sellotape. Once the gift is opened, he puts it away to the side and looks wide eyed at the wrapping paper. He straightens out the creases and spreads the paper out. He then spends hours looking at the colours and patterns and showing the paper off to others.
It would be absurd of someone to throw away the gift and focus on the wrappings. However, people often get so caught up with all the wrappings surrounding Christmas that Jesus, the most important gift at the centre of Christmas, is put to the side and ignored.
Lord, help us to keep you at the centre of Christmas.
Our Father…
Tuesday 12 December 2017.
On 12th December 1901, Italian physicist and radio pioneer Marconi succeeded in sending the first radio transmission across the Atlantic Ocean. The message was sent from Cornwall in England to Newfoundland in Canada, a distance of over 2000 miles. Marconi was a pioneer in worldwide communications and after his transatlantic transmission, his discoveries received world attention. In 1909, he received the Nobel Prize in physics.
Since the sending of the first radio message we have made great advance in communication especially in mobile phone. Most of us are never too far away from our mobile phone and indeed surveys say that we are spending a rapidly increasing amount of time on our phones. Is this a good thing?
Mobile phones are a good thing but open to being used wrongly and we seem to be developing the habit of using our phones while in the company of others. Let us take time to consider this. Communication is the key to good relationships and good friendships. Are we forgetting to talk to others but using our phone more?
Our Father…
Wednesday 13 December 2017.
Today is the Feast day of Saint Lucy.
Saint Lucy was a young brave woman who put her faith in God during a difficult time in history when many Christians were tortured for their beliefs.
Lucy means light and as such she is the patron saint for those who suffer visual impairment.
As we grow each day, let us pray to saint Lucy to make us strong in our beliefs and to have the courage to profess our faith without fear or intimidation.
We pray that inspired by the example of St Lucy we will be true to our faith and be strong enough to do and say what is God even if in difficult situations.
Hail Mary….
Thursday 14 December 2017.
Today we listen to Pope Benedict’s Prayer for Strength during Advent
Come Jesus;
Come, give strength to the light and to the good;
Come where dishonesty, ignorance of God, violence and injustice dominate;
Come, Lord Jesus, give strength to the good in the world and help us to be bearers of your light, workers of peace, witnesses of truth.
Come Lord Jesus!
Our Father…
Friday 15 December 2017.
We are ten days away from Christmas Day. We know that Christmas is the 25 December but still many of us will be running around to get presents, send cards, help our parents buy food and get the house ready and so on. Since the First Sunday of Advent, the Church has been encouraging us to prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus and to be ready to benefit from the graces of this feast.
We will make sure we have the presents and the food. We will do this in the next few days but we should make sure that we use the next few days to either continue our spiritual preparations or maybe even start them. There is still time to increase your prayer life and still many opportunities to show our faith in practical charitable ways. Use these days wisely.
Hail Mary……
