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Readings – Prayers – Reflections – Mass Resources

LEARN “HOW TO PRAY” WITH DR. EDWARD SRI – VIDEO

Learn “How to Pray” with Dr. Edward Sri

Do you ever hear Catholics talk about prayer but feel like you can’t relate? – You know prayer is important, but you still find it challenging. Perhaps it’s hard to find time to pray, or you’re unsure what to do when you do pray. Or maybe you feel restless and distracted and don’t feel close to God.

If you feel this way, know that you are not alone. These struggles are very common. In this short video, Dr. Sri offers guidance on:

How to use the A.C.T.S. model to guide you deeper in prayer
How to break through common obstacles to prayer
How to transform our attitudes toward prayer by following the model of the leper in the Gospel of Matthew
How to enter into Scripture more deeply using two different ancient methods of Catholic meditation

Watch Video from Ascension Press YouTube Channel

SOME PRAYERS FOR DIFFERENT ISSUES

Prayer to St. Michael – St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
“Praedicate Evangelium” or “Proclaiming the Gospel” by Pope Francis – On the Roman Curia and its service to the Church in the World – CLICK HERE
Encyclical Letter “Fratelli Tutti” of the Holy Father Francis on Fraternity and Social Friendship – This is a valuable new document for our day and age – CLICK HERE to watch a video for Five Takeaways from Fratelli Tutti – CLICK HERE to read the document in English in its entirety
A Prayer from Fratelli Tutti by Pope Francis – O God, Trinity of love, from the profound communion of your divine life, pour out upon us a torrent of fraternal love. Grant us the love reflected in the actions of Jesus, in his family of Nazareth, and in the early Christian community. Grant that we Christians may live the Gospel, discovering Christ in each human being, recognizing him crucified in the sufferings of the abandoned and forgotten of our world, and risen in each brother or sister who makes a new start. Come, Holy Spirit, show us your beauty, reflected in all the peoples of the earth, so that we may discover anew that all are important and all are necessary, different faces of the one humanity that God so loves. Amen.
A Hurricane Prayer – A Prayer in the Storm – God of the Universe, at the dawn of creation, your Spirit breathed on the waters, making them the wellspring of all holiness. You created the oceans and rivers, and all that dwell within them, and at your word the wind and the waves were born. The seasons follow your plan, and the tides rise and fall on your command. In both calm and storm, you are with us. On the Sea of Galilee, even when the disciples began to fear, Jesus showed that he was Lord over the waters by rebuking the storms, so that all would know that even the wind and the waves obey him. Creator God, we ask you to calm the wind and the waves of the approaching hurricane, and spare those in its path from harm. Help those who are in its way to reach safety. Open our hearts in generosity to all who need help in the coming days. In all things and in all times, help us to remember that even when life seems dark and stormy, you are in the boat with us, guiding us to safety – From the America Magazine Website – CLICK HERE
A Prayer for Racial Justice and the Catholic Church – Social life is made by human beings. The society we live in is the outcome of human choices and decisions. This means that human beings can change things. What humans break, divide, and separate, we can – with God’s help – also heal, unite, and restore. What is now does not have to be. Therein lies the hope. And the challenge. Come, Holy Spirit! Fill the hearts of your faithful. Enkindle within us the fire of your love. Come, Holy Spirit! Breathe into us a fiery passion for justice. Especially for those who have the breath of life crushed from them. Amen. – By Bryan N. Massingale, Racial Justice and the Catholic Church (Orbis)
A Prayer for Clarity Amongst Chaos – Lord, There are so many voices and so much noise in today’s world. Tune my ears to become sensitive to your truth. While the world spins chaotically out of control, steady my heart and pull me to safety with you. When lies are spread and words manipulated, May your truth be my compass and groundwork. You created me for peace. Help me to seek it And free me from the chains of chaos. Amen. – By Lauren Winter, Brick House in the City
A Prayer for Peace by St. Pope John Paul II – O God, Creator of the Universe, Who extends your paternal concern over every creature, and guides the events of history to the goal of salvation, we acknowledge Your fatherly love when You break the resistance of mankind and, in a world torn by strife and discord, You make us ready for reconciliation. Renew for us the wonders of Your mercy: send forth Your Spirit that He may work in the intimacy of hearts, that enemies may begin to dialogue, that adversaries may shake hands and peoples may encounter one another in harmony. May all commit themselves to the sincere search for true peace which will extinguish all arguments, for charity which overcomes hatred, for pardon which disarms revenge. Amen!
Centering Prayer Practice – If you are seeking inner peace, remember that God is always here with us. Centering Prayer can help. Centering Prayer is simply sitting in silence, open to God’s love and our love for God – CLICK HERE (PDF Document) for a brief overview of the Centering Prayer practice.
Prayer from USCCB to Our Mother Mary – Oración de USCCB a Nuestra Madre María

English – Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of the Angels and Mother of the Americas, We fly to you today as your beloved children. We ask you to intercede for us with your Son, as you did at the wedding in Cana. Pray for us, loving Mother, and gain for our nation and world, and for all our families and loved ones, the protection of your holy angels, that we may be spared the worst of this illness. For those already afflicted, we ask you to obtain the grace of healing and deliverance. Hear the cries of those who are vulnerable and fearful, wipe away their tears and help them to trust. In this time of trial and testing, teach all of us in the Church to love one another and to be patient and kind. Help us to bring the peace of Jesus to our land and to our hearts. We come to you with confidence, knowing that you truly are our compassionate mother, health of the sick and cause of our joy. Shelter us under the mantle of your protection, keep us in the embrace of your arms, help us always to know the love of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Spanish – Virgen Santísima de Guadalupe, Reina de los Ángeles y Madre de las Américas. Acudimos a ti hoy como tus amados hijos. Te pedimos que intercedas por nosotros con tu Hijo, como lo hiciste en las bodas de Caná. Ruega por nosotros, Madre amorosa, y obtén para nuestra nación, nuestro mundo, y para todas nuestras familias y seres queridos, la protección de tus santos ángeles, para que podamos salvarnos de lo peor de esta enfermedad. Para aquellos que ya están afectados, te pedimos que les concedas la gracia de la sanación y la liberación. Escucha los gritos de aquellos que son vulnerables y temerosos, seca sus lágrimas y ayúdalos a confiar. En este tiempo de dificultad y prueba, enséñanos a todos en la Iglesia a amarnos los unos a los otros y a ser pacientes y amables. Ayúdanos a llevar la paz de Jesús a nuestra tierra y a nuestros corazones. Acudimos a ti con confianza, sabiendo que realmente eres nuestra madre compasiva, la salud de los enfermos y la causa de nuestra alegría. Refúgianos bajo el manto de tu protección, mantennos en el abrazo de tus brazos, ayúdanos a conocer siempre el amor de tu Hijo, Jesús. Amen.

Mercy Examen – When you feel discouraged, you might try this Mercy Examen to inspire you to be merciful as Our Heavenly Father is merciful – CLICK HERE (PDF Document)
New Prayers to pray at the End of the Rosary (written by Pope Francis, April 2020)

Beloved Mother, help us realize that we are all members of one great family and to recognize the bond that unites us, so that, in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity, we can help to alleviate countless situations of poverty and need. Make us strong in faith, persevering in service, and constant in prayer. Amen.

Mary Most Holy, stir our consciences, so that the enormous funds invested in developing and stockpiling arms will instead be spent on promoting effective research on how to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future. Amen.

Evening prayer live from Taizé, France – CLICK HERE
Prayer for Those Still Suffering from the Coronavirus – Lord Jesus, You traveled through towns and villages curing every disease and illness among the people. At your command, the sick were made well. Come to our aid now in this health crisis so that we may know your healing love. Heal those who are sick: may they regain their health and strength. Heal us from our fear, which prevents us from helping one another. Heal us from our pride, which makes us certain of our health and life apart from you. Bless health care professionals with strength and compassion as they selflessly respond to our needs. We make this prayer in your strong and holy name, You, who with the Father and Spirit, Live and Reign for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer During a Pandemic / Endemic – Lord Jesus Christ, our Divine Physician, we ask you to guard and protect those we love who are still experiencing acute or chronic illness from the pandemic. For all those who have died from it, have mercy; for those who are ill now, bring healing. For those searching for a remedy, enlighten them; for medical caregivers helping the sick, strengthen and shield them. For those working to contain the spread, grant them success; for those afraid, grant peace. May your precious blood be our defense and our salvation. By your grace, may you turn the evil of disease into moments of consolation and hope. May we always fear the contagion of sin more than any illness. We abandon ourselves to your infinite mercy. Amen. – Pedro de la Cruz
A Prayer from the Southwest Interfaith Team – Praying together as one! – Loving and gracious God of all creation, we ask your help and guidance. Help us to trust in you and not lose hope in your goodness and love. Work in and through each of us, that we may be messengers of your love by being patient, kind, and compassionate to all with whom we come in contact. Please give courage and strength to all doctors, nurses, first responders, and caregivers, and keep them safe every day. We pray for those who are dying and their families, all who are sick, and all who are lonely and abandoned. May some good come from their suffering. May we realize that we are all brothers and sisters and that we are all connected. We pray that people will be responsible and will do their part in bringing suffering to an end. We pray, loving God, that crisis will diminish and end. Amen.
A Prayer for Global Solidarity – O Creator, Our world is large, and yet the global community is so fragile. We glimpse the needs of our sisters and brothers, and those needs are great. We want to turn away, but You call us back. We want simple solutions, but You want us to help solve the complex problems. Through your Church, You call us to listen, to learn, to reflect and to act. Give us a deep sense of our place in this web of Creation. Give us the wisdom of mind and generosity of heart to seek your will in the world today. Inspire us to respond to the call to live in solidarity with impoverished countries of the world, so that all children of God might live in dignity and peace. Amen. – Written by Education for Justice staff. Copyright © Reprinted with permission. For additional resources at Education for Justice, go to www.educationforjustice.org.
Prayer for a Caregiver – May the wellspring of compassion be opened in you. May soothing words find a home in you. May tenderness bless you as you reach out to comfort in body, mind and spirit. In the midst of fear or frustration, may courage be given you. May patience keep vigil with you and peace of mind calm you. May your heart find a song to sing even when you are weary. May abundant love lift you and gratitude bless you as you live the mission of care entrusted to you. Amen.
Lamentation for Times of Crisis by Richard Rohr

“Intelligently responding to illness demands that we access resources of physical, emotional and spiritual resilience. One practice Christianity has developed to nurture resilience is lamentation. Prayers of lamentation arise in us when we sit and speak out to God and one another – stunned, sad, and silenced by the tragedy and absurdity of human events… Without this we do not suffer the necessary pain of this world, the necessary sadness of being human.

Walter Brueggemann, my favorite Scripture teacher, points out that even though about one third of the Psalms are psalms of “lament,” these have been the least used by Catholic and Protestant liturgies. We think they make us appear weak, helpless, and vulnerable, or show a lack of faith. So we quickly resort to praise and thanksgiving. We forget that Jesus called weeping a “blessed” state (Matthew 5:5) and that only one book of the Bible is named after an emotion: Jeremiah’s book of “Lamentation.”

In today’s practice, Reverend Aaron Graham reflects on the elements found in prayers of lament. I hope that you will find in his words and in the text of Psalm 22 a way to voice your own complaints, requests, and trust in God, who is always waiting to hear.

We need to be reminded that our cries are not too much for God. [God] laments with us. In fact, [God] wants us to come to the [Divine Presence] in our anger, in our fear, in our loneliness, in our hurt, and in our confusion. Each lamenting Psalm has a structure;

They begin with a complaint… that things are not as they should be.
They turn to a request. God, do something! Rescue me! Heal me! Restore me! Show mercy!
Laments end with an expression of trust. Laments end with the reminder that God is setting things right, even though it often seems so slow. It is right for our laments to turn towards a reminder that God is in control and about the business of righting all things made wrong. [Aaron Graham, “Lament,” An American Lent Devotional, eds. Jacalyn Barnes, Amy Leonard, Robert]

Consider praying these words found in Psalm 22, or choose another passage of lament. Before you pray, ask God to speak to you…

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame (Psalm 22:1-5).

READINGS, REFLECTIONS AND OTHER PRAYER RESOURCES

CATHOLIC MASS ELEMENTS – TO ACCESS DAILY AND WEEKEND MASSES AND OTHER FAITH VIDEOS

Learning about the Catholic Mass (Videos) – Elements of the Catholic Mass – The Liturgical Institute Website
An Article for You… Does TV Mass count? – CLICK HERE
St. Michael’s Daily Prayer Services and Sunday Masses – CLICK HERE
Archdiocesan YouTube Channel – CLICK HERE
Oregon Catholic Press gives you resources from home for viewing and participating in Daily Televised Masses, Prayer Resources, Daily Scripture, Music and Inspiration, and a Liturgy Podcast – CLICK HERE
Celebrate the Catholic Mass live from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame’s campus in South Bend, Indiana… Watch: Sundays at 10 AM – CLICK HERE
CatholicTV.org – To view daily and weekend Mass, for faith shows, and faith resources – CLICK HERE
Mass from Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago – Sunday at 5 PM – CLICK HERE
USCCB – Daily Mass Readings (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) daily and Sunday Mass readings, psalm, and Holy Gospel – CLICK HERE / Audios of Daily Readings – CLICK HERE / Daily Reflections Videos – CLICK HERE
En Español – USCCB – Lecturas Diarias de las Misas (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) daily and Sunday Mass readings, psalm, and Holy Gospel – CLICK HERE
The Daily Mass – An Act of Spiritual Communion – CLICK HERE
When you cannot receive the Eucharist sacramentally, you can make an Act of Spiritual Communion – My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you have already come and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen. – St. Alphonsus Liguori – CLICK HERE
Act of Contrition – Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishment, but most of all, because they offend thee, My God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.
An Act of Perfect Contrition disposes our Soul for Spiritual Communion and can be used when you cannot physically go to Confession. To make an Act of Perfect Contrition, pray the Act of Contrition (above) with all sincerity and then resolve to go to Confession as soon as possible.

MUSIC FOR PRAYER AT HOME

VIRTUAL DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET AT 3 PM EACH DAY

ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO – VOCATIONS – CHURCH Social Teaching

ARCHDIOCESE WEBSITES AND ORGANIZATIONS

HUMAN DIGNITY AND SOLIDARITY

VOCATION – PRIESTHOOD, CONSECRATED LIFE AND DIACONATE