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THE COUPLE THAT PRAYS TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER.
Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R.
April 26th – May 2nd Our advocate with the Father
Jesus said: “You are witnesses of all I have said.” Over the past few years we have become very aware of the human frailty of the Church, often to the point of keeping our heads down and hoping that it will all go away. And we have good reasons for being ashamed and afraid and even at times resentful. But we also have a great responsibility to witness boldly to Jesus who has risen from the dead and is alive in us and in his Church. We do this, not so much by preaching, as by how we live our lives in joy and hope and love. Our families, our community and our society badly need the witness of people who are happy, content, forgiving, thoughtful, prayerful, caring. If we work at it together we can make a difference. That’s our call this week as husbands and wives, parents and children, and as a community of faith.
Morning Prayer, when together
God our Father,
May we look forward with hope to our resurrection
for you have made us your daughters and sons
and restored the joy of our youth.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
During the day, when apart.
God of love, receive the gift of our married love.
May the great joy you give us in our marriage and family
come to perfection in heaven.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord.
Evening/Night Prayer together.
Almighty God, look on us your people with kindness.
Help us to reflect deeply on our marriage
and on the richness we bring to each other in love.
Bring us to the glory of the resurrection.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord.
Questions for Action for the week.
For your marriage: What can you as wife/husband do this week to give your spouse a sense of hope and gladness in your marriage?
For others: Think of some missionary group that brings hope and faith to others. How could you help them this week?
www.loveisforlife.com
PRAYER REQUESTS
1. Please pray for my sister and brother-in-law and their marriage that is falling apart. There is so much pain and hurt and unforgiveness right now. Please pray that God will make all the crooked ways straight and shower his mercy on both of them, as they hold on to the promise that all things will come together for the good - for those who love Him.
- 2. Please pray for and with us in a difficult time of our marriage. I am 8 months pregnant and we have a 3year old son. Pray for guidance, forgiveness, re-gaining trust and love to fill uncertainties and empty spaces in our hearts. We need God back into our lives and we need to 'find' each other again in order to make this relationship work.
- 3. Urgent prayers are requested please for our niece Fiona who has been diagnosed with a tumour in her spine. She is to have surgery in the next few days. She is 35 years old with three very young children. Pray for God's help in helping her cope with the outcome.
- 4. Please pray for me as I am trying to find my way back into the workforce as my husband has just lost his job. We are afraid we will lose our home. We have 5 children and are under immense pressure. Please pray we will get through this crisis. Thank you all.
- 5. Please pray for my marriage. Trust has been broken. Husband is a recovering addict and relapsed. Draining the bank account and my trust in him. Give us strength to do God's will.
- 6. Please pray for Margaret who is waiting for a heart operation and is quite depressed. Would you also pray for Liam who is suffering greatly with a very sore back?
- 7. Dear brothers and sisters in God, please ask our Lord to heal my wife’s sufferings. It is already 8 years and it is our suffering since we are one. We also want to be close to our Lord in the joy of his healing.
- 8. Please pray for Kathleen from Grinan who is having an operation for a brain tumour on Tues next that she will recover and will be well again and all will go well in the operation Many thanks
- 9. Please pray for my daughter Sinead who is very sick at the moment after an operation. She needs all your prayers to recover full health.
- 10. Pray for Jim & Mary - thank you for your prayers.
- 11. Mary has a recurrence of cancer and is having chemotherapy at this time. Please pray for her that she will be cured this time. She is a young woman.
- 12. Please pray for my husband and me. Our union is threatened because of his joblessness. He tends to lose his temper over petty issues and turns to be quite abusive. I have a challenging job in a call centre that requires me to work odd hours. He is job-hunting and has of late become so insecure and abusive and violent.
- 13. Please pray for my Fiancé, Ann, she is in Uganda and I am in South Africa. Please pray for us so that God gives us blessings for our marriage which we are looking forward to.
- 14. My beloved Brothers and Sisters I need your PRAYER support. I am financially sick and I need a financial healing in JESUS name. May GOD bless you for your time. Amen.
- 15. Please pray for the restoration of my marriage and my family. Please help me pray for my husband's enlightenment, guidance and healing and that he may come to accept God in his life.
- 16. Please pray for a husband and wife who are going thru a very difficult time in their marriage.
- 17. I have a well answered prayer, my Dad will be coming home soon, he had a good business transaction done., with that I'll be able to pay school and will be going on to my Graduation. I'll be a Physician, thank God for helping me thru the pain and success of these studies..I’m happy I made it thru. I hope to be a success. I ask forgiveness for my flaws in Faith....please continue praying for my family, my friends especially Pj and my intentions for V.C. Hopefully with your prayers, God will have mercy and answer in my favour. To God be the glory.
New Publications: Veritas has published a new book by Fr. Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R. called Do you want to be well again? – Thoughts and prayers at times of sickness. It can be purchased from any Veritas bookshop. ISBN 1 85390 862 2 or from their website www.veritas.ie Another book by the same author together with Fr. Oliver Crilly, Paddi Curran and Frank Dolaghan, which has been published more recently, is called Think Big, Act Small – Working at Collaborative Ministry Through Parish Pastoral Councils ISBN 1 85390995 5
One of our major undertakings in Love is for Life Trust is working with couples preparing for marriage. It is a great joy and we have a very good residential programme for it. These weekends are held in Esker Retreat House, Athenry, Co. Galway. If you know of couples getting married in Ireland please encourage them to look up our website for dates for this year: www.loveisforlife.com
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