Prayers for the week of November 30-December 6, 2008

For the intentions of Pope Benedict XVI...

For president-elect Barack Obama, may he be moved to enshrine a culture of life, defend the freedom and dignity of peoples everywhere, and remain safe from terrorism and harm...

For the people of Mumbai, and the victims of terrorism, may they know peace in death, may the survivors be comforted, and may the perpetrators of evil be brought to justice...

For our economy, may we learn the true value of money, spend wisely, and share our resources willingly with others out of love for Christ...

For the unemployed, may they find gainful, meaningful work...

For the emotionally and psychologically depressed and distressed, may they know the peace of Christ in their hearts and minds and find solace in communities of faith...

For persecuted Christians throughout the world, may God give them strength and fortitude to remain faithful in times of hardship and be glorified in heaven...

For religious freedom, may governments throughout the world respect the inherent rights of peoples to express their religious beliefs in public, and especially in political involvement, and protect religious persons from persecution, harassment, and unjust laws...

For an immediate end to abortion and a flourishing of the culture of life, may people everywhere respect their bodies and fertility, embrace life from conception to natural death, and may the rights of the unborn and women be protected with dignity, love, and assistance in times of crisis pregnancy...

For the disabled, the elderly, the infirm, the depressed, and all suffering with chronic or terminal illness, may they find dignity in their suffering, and a closer connection to Christ, and may our culture treat these people with respect, preserving and protecting their lives until natural death...

For persons dealing with addiction, may Christ strengthen them to defeat their addictions and may people of faith assist them in finding support and assistance to defeat addiction...

For missionaries both at home and abroad, may they be faithful witnesses to Christ, unafraid to speak the Truth of God's word and the works of Christ, and the teachings of the Christian faith...

For the victims of the priest sexual abuse scandal, may they find healing...

For the priests and bishops involved in the sexual abuse scandal, may they be brought to justice and repent of their sins...

For the Milwaukee Archdiocese and the Faith in Our Future campaign, may everyone involved prayerfully consider their contributions as they put forth time, talent, and treasure to ensure the continuation of the Catholic faith for generations to come...

For the protection of traditional marriage, may those caught in all sexual sin learn fully the beauty and dignity of God's design for our sexuality and live out that powerful, life-giving love in sacramental marriage...

For persons of other faith who face persecution for holding to traditional values and morality, may they find allies in Catholicism and Christianity who are willing to set aside theological differences for the sake of preserving religious freedom and morality...

For women persecuted and oppressed by terrorism and radical Islam, may they find freedom and peace in the protection of Christians...

For the repose of the soul of Leo Kitzke, Dorothy Leona Koretzky Martin, and for all the faithful departed, may they find peace and solace in spending eternity with Christ...

For the family and friends of the faithful departed, may they find comfort and healing in faith...

For the intentions of all in the blogosphere, may God hear the prayers they hold in the silence of their hearts...

For personal intentions...

Please feel free to e-mail any requests or intentions to oratefratres@yahoo.com.

December 2008 - Intentions of the Holy Father

From the Apostleship of Prayer

Culture of Life. That, faced with the growing expansion of the culture of violence and death, the Church may courageously promote the culture of life through all her apostolic and missionary activities.

Fraternal Witness. That, especially in mission countries, Christians may show through gestures of kindness that the Child born in Bethlehem is the Hope of the world.

Lord, we bring these intentions of the most Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, your faithful servant and successor of Peter to you with sincere and humble heart. Grant that our world may turn away from death and destruction and embrace life from conception to natural death.

Grant that Christians everywhere - through faith, hope, and love - may be a witness of Christ and of God's unchanging Truth in every corner of the world, calling mankind to repent of sin and walk in holiness.

Readings for the First Sunday of Advent

Reading 1
Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7

You, LORD, are our father,
our redeemer you are named forever.
Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways,
and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
with the mountains quaking before you,
while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for,
such as they had not heard of from of old.
No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you
doing such deeds for those who wait for him.
Would that you might meet us doing right,
that we were mindful of you in our ways!
Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;
all of us have become like unclean people,
all our good deeds are like polluted rags;
we have all withered like leaves,
and our guilt carries us away like the wind.
There is none who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to cling to you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered us up to our guilt.
Yet, O LORD, you are our father;
we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19

R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Reading II
1 Cor 1:3-9

Brothers and sisters:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Gospel
Mk 13:33-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be watchful! Be alert!
You do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man traveling abroad.
He leaves home and places his servants in charge,
each with his own work,
and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.
Watch, therefore;
you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight,
or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”

Advent

Advent begins Nov. 30 - that's when we'll be back on-line.

Lacking

Prayer is one of the most simple, yet most difficult things to do. Blogging prayers seems to be more difficult than it needs to.

I will resume the blog again this weekend.