PRAYERS FROM PILGRIMS

Mother Mary 

Mother Mary, pure and chaste, 
take our prayer, with utmost haste, 
to thy Son upon His throne; 
for He is God and He alone. 
Then, with the Father and the Spirit, 
three in one, our God might hear it; 
and with your intercession, please, 
obtain for us the peaceful ease 
that only comes forth from your Son 
in mercy on His lowly ones. 
Oh Holy Mother, full of grace, 
bring us one day face to face 
with His glory, as yet unseen, 
and to your heart our Virgin Queen. 
You who stood by cross so near 
and watched your Blessed Son, so dear, 
breathe His last as mortal man 
that we might with Him hand in hand 
leave the confines of this earth 
and come to share His heavenly birth. 
To the Father be all glory, 
through the Son, His mercy story 
and the Spirit, in our heart 
which never from us will depart; 
we offer up in prayer again 
the Holy, ancient, great AMEN. 

Michael Meakin 

The Gift of Love 

If truly one is given love, the gift, then, must come from above; 
In realms of light, where angels dwell and all life is ethereal; 
There is no male or female, there are no sad life stories to tell. 
In purest light all is known with one brief glance 
and coming things, then, just enhance the love, it grows. 
In this realm all lights become one, their souls to meld 
and there, for all eternity are held in love; embrace and certainty 
By one another
When spirits leave the world of light 
and, blindly, through this world must fight; 
Confined, imprisoned in the flesh 
In this great melting pot or mesh of good and evil beings, 
The gift of love remains. 

Now, the truly tortured test which this world on us does behest 
Is knowing that we have free will 
To choose to live in love or kill the gift 
and take the chance to lose the life of happiness 
We are meant for. 

I have been given love, there is no doubt; 
Voices deep within me shout the words I've heard  before 
When love came knocking at my door. 
For inside my chest my heart takes flutter 
When, even in silence, His name I utter; 
Tears well up within my eyes and nothing, 
Nothing can disguise the goose bumps on my skin that rise 
When I think of Him. 

His gift, the Holy Spirit spell, His eyes, an epic they would tell, 
The hair that all around them fell gave way to meet His face; 
This face I see unendingly. 
A face once launched a thousand ships, But this face, with its sun-parched lips 
Doth light every single star. 
I try to comprehend this some way, 
I try to calm myself and say a different word from that I hear, 
In constant echo in my ear. 

But no one word and no one thought and nothing that I have been taught 
Can possibly replace the spinning pictures of His face 
In my mind's eye. He gave me love, 
on the cross in pain; every other thought I have, in vain, 
is fleeting and escapes my mind as quickly as it came I find. 

So finally I do give in and whisper His name to the wind 
and it becomes a symphony, a strange unending melody 
That I can sing out anytime -- A gift to me. 

The gift of love; 
His sacrifice in bread and wine. 
Oh, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! 

Michael Meakin 

Michael is a seminarian who appreciates prayers for his vocation.

THE PRAYER/CHAPLET/ROSARY OF ST. DISMAS, The Good Thief.

from The Brothers of St. Dismas, BSD, Inc.

This chaplet is taken from, and based on, the conversation between
Jesus and the Good Thief, Dismas, as it is reported in Luke 23:35ff.

O St. Dismas, we come to you for God's Guidance, now that we are your Brothers/Sisters in Christ Jesus. Pray for us from your heavenly post, that we may believe and receive God's Grace, thus becoming true to your "call from The Cross:" to have a Holy Fear of God.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be ...

Pray for me, that I too, will have the heartfelt courage to rebuke my fellow Brothers/Sisters for not fearing God, while acknowledging my own guilt and helpless state.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be ...

Pray that I willingly concede my need for repentance and restorative justice. Just as you confessed faith in the innocence of Christ Jesus, help me to confess my need for faith, hope, charity/love, and truth in Jesus and in the Catholic Church.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be ...

Pray that I learn to give Catholic witness of Jesus as my Lord, and to proclaim my faith in the triumph of God's Kingdom over my past, present, and future actions.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be ...

Pray that I undergo forgiveness and mercy from Our Lord Jesus and that I will clearly experience heartfelt sorrow for my sins and my hurt-filled actions, never to do them again.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be ...

We ask you now, Inspired St. Dismas, to pray that we will always be proud to proclaim ourselves as true Brothers and Sisters in and for your holy bravery; and that we too, at the last hour, may hear the words Our Lord spoke: "Amen I say to you, this day you will be with Me in Paradise."
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be ...

Amen.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14
"Watch and be alert! Stand fast in the faith! Be brave! and be strong! Let all that you do be done in Love."

Romans 15:1-15
"We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his Brother for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself, but it is written, 'The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on Me.' For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we, through the patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have Hope. Now, may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus."

Deacon Robert R. Leicht, Jr.
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