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

June 28, 2016

Saint Irenaeus: Mary as the New Eve

Saint Irenaeus was one of the most important Church Fathers of the 2nd century AD. Today we celebrate his feast day. Irenaeus was bishop of Lyons, in Southern France, though he appears to have grown up in Smyrna, in Modern day Turkey. There, he had personal contact with Saint Polycarp, one of the Apostolic Fathers who in turn knew the Apostle John, son of Zebedee. He was a pastor and a missionary. Before becoming bishop, Irenaeus studied in Rome where he was influenced by Saint Justin Martyr. His major work, Against Heresies, which appeared around the year 185 AD, exposed the absurdities of the Gnostic cults of the day and included a strong presentation and defense of Catholic Christianity. His heroic writing in defense of the church cost him his life. It is said that he received the martyr's crown around the year 200. He gave up his life for the Lord. He upheld the truth and always sought to foster unity and peace.

Excerpt from Saint Irenaeus' classic work, Against Heresies. 
"The Lord, coming into his own creation in visible form, was sustained by his own creation which he himself sustains in being. His obedience on the tree of the cross reversed the disobedience at the tree in Eden; the good news of the truth announced by an angel to Mary, a virgin subject to a husband, undid the evil lie that seduced Eve, a virgin espoused to a husband.

As Eve was seduced by the word of an angel and so fled from God after disobeying his word, Mary in her turn was given the good news by the word of an angel, and bore God in obedience to his word. As Eve was seduced into disobedience to God, so Mary was persuaded into obedience to God; thus the Virgin Mary became the advocate of the virgin Eve.

Eve was visited by a fallen angel and Mary was visited by an angel of the Lord. Eve, by her disobedience, brought sin and death to the human race; whereas Mary, by her obedience, brought salvation and new life to all humanity.

O Mary, you are the New Eve, the Sanctuary of God, the first Tabernacle of Jesus. Pray for us.


June 27, 2016

Reflection: Falling off the cliff...








A few years ago, I went on vacation with my family and we visited Yosemite National Park. The wonder and awe of God's creation was all around us. I remember a moment when my husband and I stood on a precipice. It was so beautiful but also frightening to look over the steep cliff. I was thinking about this moment on the cliff and about the protection of life in the womb. We see a continual assault on the sanctity of life and the family. We have turned away from God, the Creator and Giver of all life.

Thus says the Lord, This is what I command My people. Listen to My voice; then I will be your God and you shall be My people. Walk in all ways I command you, so that you may prosper. But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts, and turned their backs, not their faces to Me.  Jeremiah 7:23-28

Last year, when this reading from Jeremiah was the daily Mass reading, my pastor spoke about the words, "turned their backs, not their faces to Me." He said that we turn our backs to God when we sin. He also spoke about how wrong it is when we turn our backs on one another. It is painful to witness the assault on life and family. As a nation, we have turned our backs on God, the Creator and Giver of all life.

We must remember that we are not alone. God is in our midst. This is a battle of good against evil but the battle is the Lord's.

The Lord says to you: Do not fear or be dismayed at the sight of this vast multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.  2 Chronicles 20:15

What can we do to build a culture of life and restore the sanctity of life when it seems like we are falling off the cliff?

Do not be overwhelmed or afraid. Stay close to the Lord by receiving the Sacraments often, obeying the Commandments and praying the rosary every day.

I was thinking about those who climb mountain cliffs. They use safety equipment and they are harnessed to a cord with a hook that can attach to the rock.

We have to remain attached to the Lord in the Sacraments for He is our strength. He is our Rock.

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my rock in whom I take refuge. Psalm 18:2

Our Lady of Fatima appeared to the shepherd children and told them to pray the rosary every day. The rosary is the chain and beads which keep us connected to Jesus and Mary by pondering their lives. We can think about the rosary as the cord that is harnessed to the mountain climber.

Be not afraid of the assault against life and the family. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and Mary.

Pray for the souls who have been wounded by abortion. God wants them reconciled to Himself. When these souls are converted, healed and reconciled to God, they will teach others about mercy and forgiveness and the love of the Father.

Kiss of Mercy Prayer 
(To be recited after kissing a child or an image of the Child Jesus)
Jesus I trust in You. With my kiss, convert, heal and reconcile to the Father, one soul wounded by abortion. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Kiss of Mercy Apostolate for healing from abortion

June 26, 2016

Reflection: The Lost Sheep...

Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, "Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town, Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation, 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" Matthew 10:5-7

Jesus told the disciples to go to the lost sheep. Jesus then said to the disciples: cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.

In the Parable of the Lost Sheep, Jesus spoke of a hundred sheep and one of them strayed. The Good Shepherd left the ninety-nine sheep and went out in search of the one who was lost.

I Myself will pasture My sheep; I Myself will give them rest. The lost I will search out, the strays I will bring back, the injured, I will bind up and the sick, I will heal. Ezekiel 34:15-16

Do you know any lost sheep, someone who has strayed off or walked away? How can you find them and bring them home?

Pray, pray, pray for them.
Ask Our Lady to intercede for them.
Trust in God's love for them.
Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.
Listen to why they walked away.
Invite them to Eucharistic adoration.
Gently share your faith with them.
Share a personal witness/testimony.
Invite them to go to Mass with you.
Give them a good Catholic book or CD.
Never give up praying for them to return.

Jesus placed the lost sheep on His shoulders. Safe from harm, He took him home rejoicing.

For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.  Luke 19:10

June 22, 2016

Reflection: So by their fruits you will know them...

In the Gospel of Matthew 7, Jesus spoke to the disciples about bearing good fruit. He said that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a rotten tree cannot bear good fruit.

So what does that mean to us?

Jesus is teaching us about cultivating our hearts with goodness so that we bear good fruit in our lives, fruit that will last.

We are in the middle of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, proclaimed by Pope Francis. He began the year with a penitential liturgy and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

How can we bear good fruit in our lives?

Make a commitment to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation often. This sacrament will draw you near to the Father who is "rich in mercy." Turn to Jesus in confession and repent. He will extend His mercy with abundance to those who turn to Him with a sincere heart.

What happens when we go to confession frequently?

When you confess your sins in confession often, you receive forgiveness and mercy,  Grace comes down upon you which gives you strength to sin  no more. Little by little, your faults and vices are rooted out and replaced by virtues. Catechism of the Catholic Church: Virtues

"A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good." CCC 1803

Make this Jubilee Year of Mercy fruitful by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation often. In this way, you will create a clean heart in yourself and you will develop virtues which will help you bear good fruit. Let us ask Mary, our Mother of Mercy, to keep her gaze upon us and draw us to Jesus in the Throne of Grace where we will receive forgiveness and mercy.

A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit.  Psalm 51:12

June 19, 2016

Our Father who art in heaven...

Today we celebrate Father's Day, a day to honor and remember our fathers, living and deceased. Let us pray to our Father in heaven for all our fathers on earth and for all our beloved priests, our spiritual fathers on earth. 

As the Father loves me, so I also love you.  John 15:9

Jesus taught the disciples to pray the Our Father:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Your Father knows what you need before your ask Him.  Matthew 6:8

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church; 2761
"The Lord's Prayer "is truly the summary of the whole gospel." "Since the Lord...after handling over the practice of prayer, said elsewhere, 'Ask and you will receive,' and since everyone has petitions which are peculiar to his circumstances, the regular and appropriate prayer (the Lord's Prayer) is said first, as the foundation of further desires."

We pray in the Name of our Heavenly Father, and of the Son Jesus, and of the Holy Spirit. Where the Holy Trinity dwells, our Blessed Mother Mary is in the center.

June 10, 2016

Reflection: After the fire, there was a tiny whispering sound...

At the mountain of God, Horeb, Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter. But the Word of the Lord came to him, "Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord; the Lord will be passing by." A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice aid to him, "Why are you here, Elijah?" 1 Kings 19:11-13

God speaks to us in silence. Elijah recognized the Lord's voice in "a tiny whispering sound." We have to be silent in order to hear the Lord.

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

How can you be still and place yourself in the Presence of God?

Go to Eucharistic adoration or spend time near the tabernacle in a chapel or find a quiet place at home. Set a regular time period of the day and allot 10-15 minutes. You can increase the time period as you grow more comfortable with the silence.

In Eucharistic adoration, you are in the Presence of Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. As you sit with Jesus, remember that He is your closest friend. You don't have to do anything, just be with Him, as you would be with a friend. If you want, you can pour out your heart to Him. Tell him your fears, sufferings and miseries and ask Him to be with you. Thank Jesus for all the blessings in your life.

During Eucharistic adoration, it is helpful to bring a notebook. Often Jesus will speak to you in the silence and you can write down thoughts that may come to you. Saint Pope John Paul II and Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen did this. During Eucharistic adoration, you have an intimate encounter with God, face to face.

"I encourage Christians regularly to visit Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament, for we are all called to abide in the Presence of God."  Saint Pope John Paul II

"The greatest love story of all time is contained in a tiny white Host." Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen

In the Scriptures, Jesus went away to a quiet place and made time to pray to the Father. This is your invitation to do the same. Jesus is waiting for you. He wants to whisper a word of love into your heart. Come away and listen to the tiny whispering sound. It is the Lord. As you gaze at Jesus, He is gazing at you with great love.

My soul rests in God alone. Psalm 62:2

June 05, 2016

Reflection: "Young man, I tell you, arise!"

In the Gospel of Luke 7, the only son of a widow had died and was being carried out.  A large crowd was with her.  Jesus saw her and was moved with pity and said, "Do not weep."  Then Jesus moved forward and touched the coffin and said,

"Young man, I tell you, arise!"

Immediately, the dead man got up and spoke. Then Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized the crowd and they glorified God.

This morning, upon entering church, I noticed clumps of little yellow flowers which seemed to be sprouting out of the cement at the foot of the church stairs. Drawing closer, I saw there were beautiful little yellow pansies coming out of a crack between the sidewalk and the granite foundation of the church. I was struck by the beauty of God's creation and how God brings new life in unexpected ways.

God brings new life in our spiritual lives, as well. He is always near and He will make His Presence known, sometimes in unexpected ways. Have you experienced a loss or gone through a period of sadness, when someone speaks a word of comfort that lifts your spirits? Have you read a verse of Scripture which touched your heart deeply? Have you listened to the music during Mass and felt a surge of love come upon you? Have you received the Sacraments and experienced God's love in a new and profound way? Have you prayed for something or for someone and your prayers were answered? Have you prayed, in confident trust, that your prayers will be answered in God's perfect timing?

The story of the widow whose only son had died is a story of how Jesus makes new life out of death. He wants us to know that all things are possible with Him. He wants us to come to Him, as we are, and He will make new life in us. Jesus will bring new life to you, in unexpected ways.

Our hearts were made for love and God is always near and He waits for the perfect moment to come inside, to bring us new life. There may be times that we are not open to receive His grace. God will come, even through the tiniest crack or opening, like the crack between the sidewalk and the granite foundation of my church.

I was blessed to be at a Mass celebrated by Fr. Greg Staab OMV. Father has a very rare disease and has been in the hospital for more than 20 months. Every day, he celebrates Holy Mass followed by a Eucharistic Holy Hour. In his homily on the Gospel of Luke 7, Fr. Greg spoke about the widow whose only son had died. He said Jesus raised the young boy from the dead. In the Gospels, Jesus performed the miracle of raising someone from the dead only three times.

Fr. Greg said the greatest miracle occurs when a person goes to confession. He said, "Never stay away from confession. Go often and go immediately, if you have mortal sin." He said, "If your house is on fire, do you wait six months before you call the fire department?" Of course not. Fr. Greg said, "What would happen if you didn't clean your kitchen for a month?" If your house is on fire or if your kitchen has not been cleaned for a month, you can't wait. And so it is with your soul. Fr. Greg said confession is the place where a soul is resurrected from the death of sin to new life through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

God delights in you and He wants to do something new and unexpected in your life. Open your heart and invite Him in. Ask Him to help you let go of the things that keep you away from His Presence. He will come to you.  He will help you and He will bring new life in you. Go to confession and go often. Like the little yellow pansies coming out of the crack, Jesus will come into your heart and He will say to you, "Arise!"

My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest.  Exodus 33:14

June 04, 2016

Reflection: Two Holy Hearts, The Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary...


Prayer of Consecration to “Two Holy Hearts”

Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary, I consecrate my entire self to the Most Holy Love of Your Two Hearts. I wish to make reparation for all the sins of the world including my own. I offer these things for the love of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

I will keep my mind on beauty and turn my thoughts from evil things. I will hold my temper and bear the mistakes of others with love and a forgiving heart. I will admit when I am wrong and ask others to forgive me. I will not show off but remain humble. I will offer up all my sufferings, sickness and hurts. I will seek God’s will not my own. I will show appreciation for all the kindness, the blessings that I receive, and thank God for all things. I will do everything in my life for love of God. And I will love others as God has loved me.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, receive the offering and consecration I now make of my self to You. Keep me faithful unto death. Bring me one day to the happy home in heaven. I desire to live forever with God the Father and the Most Holy Spirit and You my Jesus together with your Most Immaculate Mother Amen.

The heart of a precious child
This prayer ministry began praying for an unborn baby, Lily Grace. Before she was born, doctors discovered she would need heart surgery. So many prayers were offered for her during the pregnancy and after her birth. The heart surgery was performed when she was three months old and she weighed about five pounds. She was born with only two chambers in her heart. Four chambers are needed in a human heart. Doctors placed a little plastic wall between each chamber, creating four chambers out of two. They literally created a new heart in her. These doctors are truly the Hands of God, performing such miraculous surgery on the heart of such a tiny baby. She is nine years old now and she loves her six year old sister Norah. They are precious together. Lily has a heart filled with so much love that everyone is drawn to her. Her Mom and Dad celebrate the anniversary date of her heart surgery as Happy Heart Day. She truly has a Happy Heart and love emanates from her heart. When someone is sad or discouraged or afraid, she is a consoler and an encourager and will often say, "I will give you my happy heart."

The human heart was created to know love and to live by love. This is a love that gives life. Of all creation, only the human heart can love. We can love because we are "of God" and we can freely choose to live according to our dignity in the image and likeness of God.

Yesterday was the Feast Day of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

One of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a lance, and at once there flowed out blood and water." John 19:34
The Heart of Jesus is pure love. The revelation of the Heart of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque showed the mark of the piercing and the purifying flame of love with the cross within it, which crowns the Divine Heart. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is surrounded by the crown of thorns to signify the entire Passion by which He poured out His life for us.

Today is the Feast Day of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

"Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart." Luke 2:19
It was the Heart of Mary which expressed her "yes" to God. This was her response to the message sent through the angel at the Annunciation. By her loving consent, Mary first conceived Christ in her heart and then in her womb.

"Jesus wishes to use you in order to make me known and loved. He wishes to establish devotion to my Immaculate Heart in the world. I promise salvation to those who embrace it; and these souls will be beloved of God like flowers arranged by me to adorn His throne." Our Lady of Fatima

Let us consecrate the names we receive through this prayer ministry to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, entrusting them into their loving care and protection.




June 03, 2016

Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Annual Global Rosary Rally for Priests

Today is the Feast Day of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and it is the World Day for Priests and the Annual Global Rosary Relay for Priests. Saint Pope John Paul II established the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On this day, the entire world is encircled in praying the rosary for our beloved priests. Pray the rosary today for all these intentions asking Mary, Mother of Priests, to be a refuge for her beloved sons, keeping them in her Immaculate Heart.

First Friday devotions in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: 
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Act of Reparation, The Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, The Sacrament of Reconciliation 

Promises of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus given by Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque: 
1. "I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life."
2. "I will establish peace in their homes."
3. "I will comfort them in their afflictions."
4. "I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all in death."
5. "I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings."
6. "Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy."
7. "Tepid souls shall grow fervent."
8. "Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection."
9. "I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be set up and honored."
10. "I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts."
11. "Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out."
12. "I promise thee in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving the Sacraments; My Divine heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment."


Saint Thérèse, the Little Flower, Prayer for Priests

‘O Holy Father, may the torrents of love flowing from the sacred wounds of Thy Divine Son bring forth priests like unto the beloved disciple John who stood at the foot of the Cross; priests: who as a pledge of Thine own most tender love will lovingly give Thy Divine Son to the souls of men.

May Thy priests be faithful guardians of Thy Church, as John was of Mary, whom he received into his house. Taught by this loving Mother who suffered so much on Calvary, may they display a mother’s care and thoughtfulness towards Thy children. May they teach souls to enter into close union with Thee through Mary who, as the Gate of Heaven, is specially the guardian of the treasures of Thy Divine Heart.

Give us priests who are on fire, and who are true children of Mary, priests who will give Jesus to souls with the same tenderness and care with which Mary carried the Little Child of Bethlehem.

Mother of sorrows and of love, out of compassion for Thy beloved Son, open in our hearts deep wells of love, so that we may console Him and give Him a generation of priests formed in thy school and having all the tender thoughtfulness of thine own spotless love.’

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.  Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for and protect your beloved sons, our priests.


Annual Global Rosary Rally for Priests