Our Lady holding Jesus as He accepts flowers from the shepherd child

Our Lady holding Jesus as He accepts flowers from the shepherd child

Welcome to our intercessory prayer ministry for families, babies, little ones and those who love them.

In our prayers for families, we pray for the sanctity of all life and for vocations to marriage, the priesthood and consecrated life, which are born and nurtured in families.

The
Prayer of Entrustment to Mary was prayed for this ministry at the icon of the Madonna Salus Populi Romani (Salvation of the Roman People, Our Lady of Good Health) in the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (Basilica of Mary Major) in Rome, Italy, in Nossa Senhora do Rosario da Fatima (Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary) in Fatima, Portugal, in Eglise du Sacre-Coeur (Sacred Heart Parish Church), the site of St. Bernadette's baptismal font, in Lourdes, France and at The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts at the Shrine of the Holy Innocents before Our Lady of Guadalupe and at Basilica Papale de San Pietro in Vaticano (St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City) at the Tomb of St. John Paul II in Rome, Italy and at the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Basilica of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe) in Mexico City, Mexico.

This ministry is consecrated to Jesus Christ, Wisdom Incarnate, through the hands of Mary and dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. In our prayers to Mary, we honor and worship her Son Jesus. When He was on the Cross, He gave His Mother to John and she became our Mother as well. "Behold, your Mother." John 19:27

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
For the greater glory of God

July 28, 2016

Reflection: You are our Father; we are the clay, the work of Your hand...

This word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: Rise up; be off to the potter's house; there I will give you my message. I went down to the potter's house and there he was, working on the wheel. Whenever the object which he was making turned out badly in his hand, he tried again, making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased. Then the word of the Lord came to me: Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done? says the Lord. Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand. house of Israel. Jeremiah 18:1-6

God is the Potter, we are the clay...

Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I dedicated you, a prophet to the nation, I appointed you. Jeremiah 1:5

We are a lump of clay in the hands of  the Father. In His hand, we are formed. He knew you before you were born. He created you for a purpose.

How do you know what purpose God created you for? 

Read and pray the Scriptures every day.  Before the potter can mold the clay, he must add water so the clay will be soft, pliable and easily molded.  The Word of God is like water for our souls. God transforms us as we do our part and nourish our souls with His Word. In this way, we grow in knowledge of God. As you immerse yourself in the Scriptures, God begins the sanctification process in you.

Receive the Sacraments as often as possible.  As God begins to mold you, strengthen yourself by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist often.  The Mass is the greatest prayer. God will shape you like the potter, adding just the right amount of water and He will reach deep into your inner self through the sacraments. Allow God's hands to reach into you to purify you and to form the inside of the pot. At times it may be difficult, but as you surrender to God, the Holy Spirit will open you and you will see vices removed and virtues being planted in your soul.

Pray in silence every day.  Pray before the tabernacle or in Eucharistic Adoration.  As you sit in the Presence of the Lord, in silence, you will hear him in your heart. He will pour His love into you and you will come to know His Will for your life. In this way, you will become who God created you to be. God delights in you. He will never abandon you and He will complete the good work He has begun in you as you seek Him. He will mold, transform and sanctify you.

Yet, Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay: we are all the work of Your hand. Isaiah 64:7

July 26, 2016

Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, pray for us

Today is the Feast Day of Saints Anne and Joachim, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They nurtured Mary and taught her how to listen and respond to God's request with faith, "Let it be done to me according to Your Will." Their example of faith gave Mary the courage to stand at the foot of the Cross as her Beloved Son was crucified. They are examples and models for all parents and for all married couples. Their heroism and holiness set the atmosphere for Mary. The Scriptures were central to their family. Mary developed a strong character to make decisions, a continuous practice of prayer, devotion to the laws of her faith, steadiness in moments of crisis, and devotion to her relatives. Saints Joachim and Anne faithfully and quietly performed their duties and practiced their faith.

Saint Anne is the patron saint of mothers, grandmothers and pregnant women. Devotion to her was the beginning of this prayer ministry. The novena to Saint Anne had a powerful impact on the pregnancy and birth of Lily Grace because of a community of people who were praying the novena to her that this precious baby would have abundant life. She is nine years old now. Her life is the fruit of prayer. The prayers were answered in the gift of this child who brings love and joy to everyone she meets.

Let us call upon the grandparents of Jesus, Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, to intercede for all our needs for our families. Let us turn to them as models for marriage and love.

"Joachim and Ann, how blessed and spotless a couple! You will be known by the fruit you have born, as the Lord says: By their fruits you will know them. The conduct of your life pleased God and was worthy of your daughter. For by the chaste and holy life you led together, you have fashioned a jewel of virginity: she who remained a virgin before, during and after giving birth. She alone for all time would maintain her virginity in mind and soul as well as in body." Saint John Damascene, Early Church Father and Doctor of the Church

Holy Mary, Good Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, pray for us and for all those for whom we pray.

July 24, 2016

Reflection: Like a little child, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find...

Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. Luke 11:9

Have you ever watched a child ask for something? They ask with persistence. They don't give up or give in. Have you ever watched a child in prayer? Children speak openly to God, asking for their heart's desire.

Jesus teaches how to pray and to ask for what we need. He wants us to be like little children, to ask Him and to seek Him, knowing that He will answer our prayers, according to His Will.

"Jesus has shown me the only way that leads to the fire of Divine Love; it is that of a little child who, full of trust, falls asleep in its father's arms."  Saint Therese of Lisieux

How can you pray like a little child?  Learn how to pray like a little child through Saint Therese and her "Little Way" who chose to remain as a child before the eyes of God and to perform all her duties with love and obedience no matter how small they were. Set aside time each day in silence to pray to the Father. He is waiting for you to come to Him. Come and rest in His arms...

The Little Way consists of simplicity in life, prayer to Jesus from the heart, confident, audacious trust in God our Father, being a true child of God, seeking God's Will in everyday activities, doing everything for the love of Jesus and having a sincere desire to be with Jesus forever.

Come, full of trust, and fall asleep in the arm's of the Father. Come away and rest awhile...

Prayer to Saint Therese for Guidance
Govern by all thy Wisdom, O Lord, so that my soul may always be serving Thee as Thou dost Will, and not as I may choose. do not punish me, I beseech Thee, by granting that which I wish or ask if it offended Thy Love, which would always live in me. Let me die to myself, so that I may love Thee. Let me live to Thee, who art in Thyself, the True Life. Dear Saint Therese, guide me in your Little Way so that I may ascend to the heights and happiness of Heaven.

July 22, 2016

Reflection: Mary Magdalene...Woman, why are you weeping?

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Mary Magdalene. The Gospels record her faithfulness to Christ even when the faith of the apostles wavered during and after the Passion. She is sometimes called "the apostle to the apostles" since she carried the news of the Resurrection to the twelve on Easter morning.

After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene. When she arrived at the tomb, Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" Mary did not know it was Jesus who speaking to her. Then Jesus called her by name, "Mary." As soon as He called her name, she recognized it was Jesus. Mary immediately called Him Rabboni, Teacher.

Recall a time in your life when you lost someone you loved. Invite Jesus to be with you as you remember this time of sorrow. You hear Jesus call you by name. Jesus is looking at you with great love. Pour out your sorrow to Him. As you weep, Jesus comforts and heals you.

Diary of Saint Faustina 1485
Child, do not run away from Your Father; be willing to talk openly to Your God of mercy who wants to speak words of pardon and lavish His graces on you. How dear your soul is to Me! I have inscribed your name upon My hand; yo are engraved as a deep wound in My Heart.

When Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus, He said, "Stop holding on to Me."  He told her to go to His disciples and tell them, "I have seen the Lord."

Jesus gave her the mission to go and tell His disciples that she had seen Him. Jesus is giving you a mission too. Go and tell others all the Lord has done for you.

Saint Mary Magdalene, pray for us and for all the intentions we carry and bring them to Jesus.

July 18, 2016

Reflection: Our Lady of Fatima...Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace in the world...

O Blessed Rosary of Mary, sweet chain that unites us to God, bond of love which unites us to the angels, tower of salvation against the assaults of Hell, safe port in our universal shipwreck, we will never abandon you.  You will be out comfort in the hour of death: yours our final kiss as life ebbs away.  And the last word from out lips will be your sweet name, O Queen of the Rosary of Pompei, O Dearest Mother, O Refuge of Sinners, O Sovereign Consoler of the Afflicted, may you be everywhere blessed, today and always, on heaven and on earth. Saint Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Letter on the Rosary 

Miracle of the rosary
On Sunday, October 7, 1571, the Christian and Turkish fleets met in Lepanto Gulf, off the coast of Greece. The bitter battle finished with a brilliant victory of the Christians who where vastly outnumbered. That very evening Pope Saint Pius V had at Rome a clear knowledge of this success. The same afternoon, the Confraternities of the Rosary, particularly in Rome, had marched through the streets in procession reciting the Rosary. This victory put an end to the naval power of the Turks and saved Christian Europe. To this day this victory has been attributed to the praying of the Rosary.

The Power of the Rosary

The most holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or, above all, spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families, of the families of the world, or of the religious communities, or even of the life of peoples and nations, that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the holy Rosary. With the holy Rosary, we will save ourselves; we will sanctify ourselves; we will console our Lord, and obtain the salvation of many souls. Conversation between Sr. Lucy of Fatima and Fr. Fuentes, Dec. 26, 1957

"The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin…If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors."  Pope Pius XI


"Among all the devotions approved by the Church, none has been so favored by so many miracles as the Rosary devotion." Pope Pius IX


"The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying." Pope Leo XIII


May we always remember Saint John Paul II's Apostolic Letter describing the Rosary as the "sweet chain that unites us to God."  

We are living in turbulent and distressing times with violence and lack of peace.  Our Lady of Fatima appeared to the shepherd children in 1917. She said, "I am the Lady of the Rosary. Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace in the world peace."  Our Lady of Fatima gave us the key to peace in the world. 

Do you pray the Rosary daily for peace? If not, begin today. 

Our Lady of the Rosary, we entrust to you all the names we receive through this prayer ministry. Keep them under your protective mantle and always in your loving care. Receive our rosaries and bring about peace in our world.  Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.

How to pray the rosary

July 14, 2016

Kateri Tekakwitha, Lily of the Mohawks

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin and Patron of consecrated virgins, the environment and ecology. Kateri was born near the town of Auriesville, New York, in the year 1656, the daughter of a Mohawk warrior. She was four years old when her mother died of smallpox. The disease also attacked Kateri and transfigured her face. She was adopted by her two aunts and an uncle. As a teenager, she converted and was baptized at the age of twenty under the hostility of her family and tribe. 

She suffered greatly for her faith, was treated as an outcast, but remained firm in it. She went to a new Christian colony of Indians in Canada where she lived a life dedicated to prayer, penances, and caring for the sick and aged. In 1679, Kateri made a vow of perpetual virginity, meaning that she would remain unmarried and totally devoted to Christ for the rest of her life.  Her health deteriorated rapidly due in part to the penances she inflicted on herself. Father Cholonec encouraged her to take better care of herself but she laughed and continued with her "acts of love." She died in 1680 at the age of twenty-four. Devotion to Saint Kateri led to the establishment of Native American ministries in Catholic Churches all over the United States.

Kateri became known as the "Lily of the Mohawks."  She loved the Rosary and carried it around her neck always. She was devoted to the Holy Eucharist and to Jesus Crucified.

People enjoyed being with her because they felt the presence of God. One time, a priest asked why they gathered around Kateri in church. They told him that they felt close to God when Kateri prayed. They said that her face changed when she was praying. It became full of beauty and peace, as if she were looking at God's face.

I have felt a connection in prayer with Kateri ever since we began praying for baby Lily Grace and I discovered she was known as Lily of the Mohawks. I feel even more connected with her because of her love of Jesus and Mary.

Novena to Saint Kateri
Kateri, favored child and Lily of the Mohawks, I come to seek your intercession in my present need: (State your intention here) I admire the virtues which adorned your soul: love of God and neighbor, humility, obedience, patience, purity and the spirit of sacrifice. Help me to imitate your example in my state of life. Through the goodness and mercy of God, Who has blessed you with so many graces which led you to the true faith and to a high degree of holiness, pray to God for me and help me.

Obtain for me a very fervent devotion to the Holy Eucharist so that I may love Holy Mass as you did and receive Holy Communion as often as I can. Teach me also to be devoted to my crucified Savior as you were, that I may cheerfully bear my daily crosses for love of Him Who suffered so much for love of me. Most of all I beg you to pray for me that I may avoid sin, lead a holy life and save my soul. Amen.

In Thanksgiving to God for the graces bestowed upon Kateri: (Recite the following prayers) Our Father...Hail Mary...Glory Be...(3 times)

Saint Kateri, pray for us and for all the families we pray for through this ministry.

July 12, 2016

Reflection: Saints Louis and Zelie, pray for us...

Today is the Feast Day of Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, parents of Saint Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, They were married at midnight between July 12 and July 13, 1858.  Louis designed a marriage medallion for Zelie with the Biblical pictures of Sarah and Tobias on one side with the date on the other side and the initials of their names. symbolizing the coming together of two families. They were models of holiness.  Marriage Medallion of Louis and Zelie

They were canonized saints on October 18, 2015. Their marriage was one of love, as well as suffering. They are models of the beauty of the Sacrament of Marriage and powerful intercessors for the fidelity and faith of married love of a man and woman who were open to children and the gift of life. They had nine children, five of whom entered religious life. They lost four children at a young age. Their desire to have many children was for the Glory of God. Louis and Zelie did not want to be canonized. They wanted to becaome saints in their daily lives and made the mission of their lives to serve God. They lived modestly, reached out to help the poor and needy and led daily prayers in their home. Zelie died of breast cancer at the age of 45 and Louis suffered greatly and had a three year stay in a psychiatric hospital. Through all their trials, Louis and Zelie were devoted to a life of family and prayer.

God created man in His image, in the Divine Image, He created him; male and female, He created them. Genesis 1:27

In the beautiful Sacrament of Marriage, husband and wife are called to help one another get to heaven by living lives of holiness. We live in a culture which undermines holiness and the sacredness of life and marriage. Saint Louis and Zelie are models for holiness within the family. We turn to them asking their powerful intercession for our families, our nation and our world.

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. From the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Pray for life and marriage and for the protection of religious liberty.

Learn about the beauty of the Sacrament of Marriage and family life.

Speak the truth and act with love and remain firm in our beliefs.

Be merciful. God is love and Jesus came to bring Mercy to the world.

Persevere in prayer and remain hopeful that all things are possible with God.

Saints Louis and Zelie, pray for us and all the intentions we hold in our hearts.

USCCB Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan

July 08, 2016

Prayers for Peace










Saint Francis of Assisi Prayer for Peace

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.  Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Let us pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for the souls of the police officers who died protecting our democracy and pray for their grieving, heartbroken families.

Let us pray for peace in our hearts, peace in our families, peace in our neighborhoods, peace in our country and peace in our world.

O Mary Undoer of Knots, pray for us.
Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots

July 06, 2016

Reflection: Saint Maria Goretti, Little Saint of Mercy + Fidelity + Fortitude + Forgiveness

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Maria Goretti. She was born in 1890 in Corinaldi, Italy. Saint Pope John Paul II often spoke of her virtues and example of fidelity and forgiveness. In a Homily commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the her birth, he emphasized her importance for the troubled times we live in. She listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit coming from the voice of her conscience. The Holy Spirit gave her fortitude (courage). When she was unable to defend her virginal purity, she chose death.

Maria had complete fidelity in God. Through the witness of her life, she helps us remember that we are called to offer ourselves to the Father. This young martyr reveals to us our call to holiness and is a model for adolescents and young people. She had a pure heart and she kept her body pure. Through her life, we see how to be unafraid, to take a stand against our culture and to be courageous witnesses by love, purity and virginity.

Maria was a silent witness of heroic virtue. Before she died, she forgave her attacker, Allesandro. He was sent to prison for her death. One night, Maria appeared to him in his prison cell and smiled at him. She was surrounded by lilies, the flower symbolic of purity. From that moment, he was converted and his heart was filled with peace. After serving his sentence, he lived in a Capuchin monastery, working in the garden. He asked forgiveness of Maria's mother and he went with her to Christmas Mass. There, he acknowledged his sin and asked forgiveness from God and the community. Forty years later, on June 24, 1950, Maria was canonized at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Alessandro's heart was converted, a miraculous fruit of Maria's life of forgiveness!

Have you been hurt by someone and been unable to forgive? Ask Saint Maria Goretti to help you have a forgiving heart, as she did. Go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and open your heart to the priest. Jesus is there waiting for you and He will help you forgive. Pray for the person who hurt you. When you pray, God changes your heart and He gives you a forgiving heart and He fills your mind and your heart with love and peace. 

Official Prayer to Saint Maria Goretti
"Oh Saint Maria Goretti who, strengthened by God's grace, did not hesitate even at the age of twelve to shed your blood and sacrifice life itself to defend your virginal purity, look graciously on the unhappy human race which has strayed far from the path of eternal salvation. Teach us all, and especially youth, with what courage and promptitude we should flee for the love of Jesus anything that could offend Him or stain our souls with sin. Obtain for us from our Lord victory in temptation, comfort in the sorrows of life, and the grace which we earnestly beg of thee (here insert intention), and may we one day enjoy with thee the imperishable glory of Heaven. Amen."

My Jesus, as you gave Saint Maria Goretti the crown of martyrdom, help us to be unafraid and to be faithful to your teachings of fidelity and forgiveness with her courageous witness.

July 04, 2016

God bless America

Magnificat in America

America, Our America! Hold to the Vision of Mary, Mary Immaculate. Her glory fills the earth. She is our race. Its solitary boast. She, alone without sin, keeps the doom of wrath from thee, Who art defending Her glory. She, conqueror of evil, conquers evil for thee, Who art resisting evil.

America, Our America! Pray always to Mary, Mary Immaculate. She, the Mother to nations. She, the Mother of Christ, The Lord of all nations. She guards them and guides, subduing their hates, inspiring their spirits. She mourns for the prodigals, as children mourn, torn by their treasons.

America, Our America! Give thy heart to Mary, Mary Immaculate. Join Her prayer of praise. All Heaven attending, for our land that is free. Sing thou Her song of joy, all nations listening, giving thanks to God. Sing thou the song of souls, The Magnificat of Mary, The Magnificat of America. Cardinal Francis Spellman +1967 Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York

Immaculate Mary, you are the Patroness of our country. We call upon you on this day, the 4th of July 2016, to restore the protection and sanctity of life and marriage and to defend our freedoms of religion and conscience. We ask in the Name of your Beloved Son Jesus.

July 01, 2016

The Precious Blood of Jesus

O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You. Jesus I trust in You. From the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

The month of July is dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God who was slain.

"Let us fix our gaze on the Blood of Christ and realize how truly precious it is, seeing that it was poured out for our salvation and brought the grace of conversion to the whole world. Pope Saint Clement

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. From the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

The early Church Father Saint Irenaeus wrote in Against Heresies:

"If the Lord were from other than the Father, how could he rightly take bread, which is of the same creation as our own, and confess it to be His Body and affirm that the mixture in the cup is His Blood?"

"He has declared the cup, a part of creation, to be His own Blood, from which He causes our blood to flow; and the bread, a part of creation, He has established as His own Body, from which He gives increase unto our bodies."

Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from Christ's side, wash me.Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O Good Jesus, hear me. Within Thy wounds, hide me. Suffer me not to be separated from Thee. From the malicious enemy, defend me. In the hour of my death, call me. And bid me come unto Thee. That I may praise Thee with Thy saints and with Thy angels forever and ever. Amen.

Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls, save us. Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.