For the Greater Honor and Glory of God:: Prayer at Adoration

At this moment and the rest of my life

I pray to be unseen and ignored.
I pray to be hidden from the world.
I pray  silence envelops my soul
That I might hear Your voice.

I pray that You fill me with Your graces
So that with Your love piercing my heart,
I become less, and You become more.
I pray that nothing is left of me, but You, Oh, Lord.

I pray that when others see me,
They see only You.
I pray that my words be Yours,
 My actions be those of Your Love.
I pray that my pain join Yours for souls.
I pray that Your Love pours forth from me, even to those I do not love,
Those I do not want to love.

Yours are the words of eternal life.
Yours are the words of the Father.
Fill me with Your Spirit, Lord!
Bring me into the flames of Your Sacred Heart.

Without You, I am nothing.
I cannot be anything without Your grace.
I sought not You, but You waited with Love for me.
I heard You not, but You whispered my name in love.
When others  hurt me, rejected me, ignored me,
You surrounded me with Arms of love.
When no one heard my cries of pain,
You lifted me to the safety of Your heart.
When I was frightened,  attacked and beaten,
You covered my wounds with Your healing balm.
You protected me from the evil one.
When he attacked, You gave me strength.
You did not desert me.  You showed me the way.

When I sinned,
You forgave me.
Thank You, Lord,
I am nothing without You.

I beg to melt into the caverns of Your Sacred Heart
Consumed by the fires of Your love.
Unending fires of love
That cannot be quenched.
Unending fires of love in which I may burn,
Fires of  Your Eternal love.

Your love is all I need.
You are all I need.


Lord, I am not worthy,
If I but touch Your cloak,
I am healed,
And
Lord, I am not worthy.

 Yet, You love me.
The gaping wound in Your side was opened for Me.
You gave all,
That I might live
And die immersed in the Gift Your Precious Blood,
Saved by Your death,
Your gift of Love to me.

Lord, make me less, that You may be more.
Let my life be one of
Adoration, 
Praise,
And
Thanksgiving
For
You!

Lord, no longer let me be seen,
But only You.

Lord, make less.
I am Yours.

Though I've Stumbled, I Will for the rest of Advent...

Pray

each day.

I will worship

God

with my heart and soul.

Each morning

I will dedicate my day to God.

I will be His Child of joy.

I will trust in His Guidance.

I will read

His Word

in Sacred Scripture.

 

 I will walk in His Presence.

If I stumble and fall,

I will seek forgiveness.

I will hold Him in my heart.

I will move aside.

I will be less, and He will be more.

He will change me.

I will give thanks for all I have been given.

 

I will await His Coming and rejoice in Our Infant King.

"Rejoice always,  pray without ceasing,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench the Spirit.  Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do this."
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-24

 

 

Even Though It's December and We are no longer thinking about those who have passed before us or about Thanksgiving....

We need to continue to pray for the Souls in Purgatory and

to be a people of gratitude to God.

"For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me."

Matthew 26:11

Whether the poor are the poor of this world or the "poor souls" of the next world,

THEY

WILL

ALWAYS

BE 

WITH 

US,

ALWAYS.

Pray for the Souls in Purgatory daily.

This is an excellent article on how these souls whom we seek to help with our prayers will help us.

There are many testimonies.

CLICK

HERE.

Being a People of Gratitude To God.

Sacred Scripture tells us:

"Rejoice always,  pray without ceasing,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 

"I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.  

My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and be glad. 

 O magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together."

Psalm 34: 1-4

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving."

Colossians 4:2 

Prayer and Thanksgiving!

Fasting and Acts of Charity.

 

 

 

50 Ways to Show God You Love HIM!

Love His Mother.
Start your day with God.
End you day with God.
Pray.
Offer your day to Him.
Give Him your night.
Tell God you love Him.
Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in all His ways.
Follow His Commandments.
Be kind to all you meet.

Pray for the souls in Purgatory.
Pray for non-believers.
Pray for your children.
Pray for your families.
Pray for the lonely.
Pray for the sick.
Pray for the depressed.
Pray for our military personnel.
Pray for the homeless and hungry.
Pray for those who are alone.

Tithe, if possible.
Share what you have.
Take the priests a meal or out for a meal.
Make a meal for someone who is ill.
Give to your favorite charity.
Invite someone over for dinner.
Make a meal for a new mom.
Clean someone's house for them.
Visit a shut-in.
Visit a nursing home. 

Pray a novena.
Say 3 Hail Marys
Turn off the TV and pray.
Listen in silence for God.
Attend adoration frequently.
Trust in God.
Become a regular attendee of the Sacrament do confession.
Visit the sick.
Make friends with an enemy.
Be kind to those who do not like you.

Read Sacred Scripture.
Meditate on the Word of God.
Bless your food before each meal.
Praise God.
Thank God.
Give to the poor.
Follow the laws of God.
Take care of your body.
Be kind to others.
Be kind to yourself.

Padre Pio on Prayer

Making Time to Pray:: Is it really possible to make time to pray? And a free gift for you.

(Photo taken by:: Conniemod 
Found on Wikimedia Commons)


 Yes, you can.  Not only can you find more time to pray, you NEED to find more time to pray.  We all do!  

Prayer is direct communication with God.  God wants to hear from us, and we need to hear from God.  Through prayer, we lift our hearts and minds to God.  

Without prayer, we are dry.  God's love fills us with joy.  This is what happens when we pray--communicate--with God.  His graces flow to us and for us.  We need to find more time in our busy days to open our hearts to God in prayer.

So, how can you find more time to pray?  

Use Sacred Scripture to pray.  Dust off that family bible and begin to read.  

If you have favorite verses,  find those in your Bible.  If you don't own a bible, you can download one into your e-reader.  There are also free resources online.  Check these out and use them.

1) Now that you have your bible and you have found your favorite verses, write them down on index cards or print them out.  Use only 1 verse per index card.  I would say, at this point, write down 5-7 verse of sacred scripture, only 1 verse per card.  

2)  Tonight, read through your cards.  Choose the one card that appeals to you.  Put it somewhere so that you will see it the first thing in the morning.  This is very important!  If you don't think you have time to pray, this will help you.

3) In the morning, when you wake up, read the verse of sacred scripture that you chose the night before.  As you brush your teeth or put on your makeup, slowly read the verse you chose.  Ask God to help you find it's meaning for you today in your life.  Slowly read it one more time.  Now, let God do the work.

4) Take you verse card with you to work or as you run your errands or do house work.  During your break, read the card again, and open your heart to God.  He will work on you as you go through your day.

5) After supper, take a moment or two to read the scriptural verse again.  Take your time.  Let God enter your thoughts.  He will gently guide you.

6) Before you go to bed, choose another index card.  Repeat instruction #1.  Before you go to sleep, read the verse from sacred scripture that you chose last night.  Go through your day and let God show you how He worked in your life today.  Think about what this scripture means to you.  Think of how God lead you through the day with His words in your heart.  Let His graces flow into you.  

This process through the day takes a total of 15 minutes.  This is praying with the scriptures.
I'm going to share with you some of my favorite scriptural verses.  If they are also some of your favorite verses, feel free to use them.  It's very hard for me to choose which verses are my favorites, but I think these are good.

Verse#1

This banner is my gift to you.

This banner will fit your Facebook page at the top.

Feel free to use it and share it, but if you would give me credit for the design, not the verse, I would appreciate it very much.  

To save on either a MAC or PC,

Right click, save image.

Verse #2

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 14: 6

Verse #3

"Blessed are the Merciful, for they will receive mercy."

Matthew 5: 7

 

Verse #4

  "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you."

Ephesians 4:32

Verse #5

Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;  you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’  The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”  

Mark 29-30

Please let me know if this helps you.

If you have any favorite verses, I'd love to know what they are.

 

Fear

According to the Mirriam Webster Dictionary,

Fear is:

: "to be afraid of (something or someone)

: to expect or worry about (something bad or unpleasant)

: to be afraid and worried."

 Fear is the antithesis trust.

If I hadn't been forced to function today,

I would have sat down at Mass and done 

nothing.

I was terrified.

I was actually shaking.

My hands were white, 

Fear overwhelmed me.

Why would anyone be so full of fear in this encounter with our God?

I don't know.  I can't explain it, but I can only say that I did not trust.

It's been over 3 months since I cantored at Mass the last time.

My daughter has been seriously ill this summer.

I have been her caretaker.

Since she lives in another city, I have not been able to participate in the ministries at Church.

Cantoring has been one of these ministries.

I'm not the strongest cantor at Church, but I will do.

I practiced the materials for the last 5 days.

I had trouble with a couple of pieces, but I thought they would work out.

 

When I got to church for rehearsal, I found out that the organist I was expecting wasn't there.

She had a sub.

I was nervous enough.

The organist is one man who, for whatever reason, intimidates me.

He's never been unkind.

I don't know why he intimidates me, but he does.

That didn't help my nervousness.

It only got worse.  

I had trouble hitting the high notes.

Things only went from bad to worse.

I wanted to sit and cry after Mass.

I was so ashamed.

 

I don't know the problem.

I just know that I was in a state of great anxiety and panic.

 

I prayed for help, but there was none.

I am still trying to sort this out.

Fear does not equal trust in God.

What I know:

I have never experienced such debilitating fear.

 

Ironically the psalm was Psalm 93:

 

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.      

He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;      

he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
    for his name’s sake.

 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
    I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff—
    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows^.

  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    my whole life long.

 

God made me aware that I need to trust HIM completely. 

I didn't Trust today.

It's time to stop focusing on this.

The collective memory of a crowd is short.

I need to pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again.

Lord,

I come to you in awe of Your greatness.

I thank You for all that You have done and given me.

I praise You!

I adore You!

Lord, I come to do Your Will.

I give You my fears and anxieties. 

I give You All that I am and will be.

Lord,

I seek to do Your Will.

Help me to trust You, especially in times of fear.

I want to trust.

I need to trust.

Lord, I am Yours.

Help me.

Thank You!

 

 

 

The Call To Serve those with Cancer

Like Jesus became the servant the night of the Last Supper, we, too, must serve. Of course,  the first way to serve is through prayer.  St. Peregrine is the patron saint of those suffering from cancer.  To learn more about Peregrine, and why he is the patron saint of those suffering from cancer, click
                                                     HERE.

A good prayer to use when praying for the intercession of St. Peregrine, is this:

O great St. Peregrine, you have been called "The Mighty", "The Wonder Worker" because
of the numerous miracles which you obtained from God for those who have turned to you in
their need. For so many years, you bore in your own flesh this cancerous disease that destroys
the very fiber of our being.

You turned to God when the power of human beings could do no more, and you were favored
with the vision of Jesus coming down from His cross to heal your affliction. I now ask God to
heal these sick persons whom I entrust to you:

(here mention their names)

Aided by your powerful intercession, I shall sing with Mary a hymn of gratitude
to God for His great goodness and mercy. Amen.

However, the laborers are need in the field. 

There are ways to serve, using our talents.

"Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.  Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen."

1 Peter 4:10-11 

For Those Who Sew::

Port pillows - directions

http://www.regionshospital.com/ucm/groups/public/@hp/@public/@rgns/@cont/@volunteer/documents/webcontent/cntrb_041641.pdf
 

Sewn chemo caps
http://www.headhuggers.org/patterns/spatt01.htm

 

"I am not capable of doing big things, but I want to do everything, even the smallest things, for the greater glory of God."
- Saint Dominic Savio

 

For Those Who Knit or Crochet

Chemo Caps

Crochet:: Click HERE

Loom Knitting, Knitting, and Crochet

Click HERE

More Crochet

Click HERE

"Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak."
-Saint Anthony of Padua
 

"All the science of the Saints is included in these two things: To do, and to suffer. And whoever had done these two things best, has made himself most saintly."
-Saint Francis de Sales

“Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.” Mother Theresa

St. Francis of Assisi

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; 

where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, 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; 

it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life

Oxygen and Padre Pio

Walking the Camino - Thoughts on Love and Prayer

Prayer is communication with God.  In a loving relationship, there must be communication between lovers because love is not singular.  Love is for the other.  Love is not for the self.  Love is for the beloved that they might know that they are loved.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful;  it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.  So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”  1 Corinthians 13: 1-8, 13: 

Loving communication is the expression of our thoughts, words, deeds, and feelings to the beloved. The beloved hears and cherishes this communication.  The beloved has shown His Love for us. 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” John 3: 16
God is love.  When we communicate with God, He lovingly draws each of us into His Sacred Heart and holds us dear.  God will not abandon us, and He cannot betray us because He is Love. His Love is unending.  His Love is real.  His Love centered on His Beloved Children. 

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.”  1 John 4: 7-8

Love is reciprocal.  Love only asks that:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22: 37-40
God is Love.

“For God Who is Mighty has done great things for me, and Holy is His Name.” Luke 1: 49

30 Words - Walking the Camino with St. Joseph

Dearest St. Joseph,

My heart is at your feet.

Hear my prayer, Dearest Guardian of the Virgin and Child,

My prayer, 

Sweet Silent Joseph,

The Prayer that I bring you.

Walking the Camino - Listen to Jesus as He Teaches Us How to Pray

 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others.  Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.   

But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
Matthew 6: 5-8 

Invite Jesus to walk this Camino with you.  Go into your room.  Shut the door and pray to The Father in secret.  Use this time and place to grow closer to the Most Holy Trinity as you pray.  Walk this Camino and become the person God intended you to be!  Stop.  Listen.  God speaks to you in silence.  Stop.  Pray.  God loves the ripples of silence when you pray.  

At times, this Camino is difficult.  Stay the course, and may God be with us.

 

Walking the Camino - Grow Closer to God in Prayer

Where's your Rosary? 

Do you know? 

Do you own one? 

If you don't own a Rosary,
I strongly suggest you buy one or find one that might be freely given  by those who love this prayer.

 (Many churches have free rosaries available for anyone who wants one.)

Do you know how to pray a rosary.  If you don't remember, click HERE.  It's easy to pray the Rosary, and it only takes 20 minutes.  If you don't think you have 20 minutes to spare, and you might not, say one decade of the rosary as you walk your Camino Del Rey. 

Penance, Fasting, Prayer, and Alms giving.

Walk the Camino Del Rey and grow closer to God this Lent!

30 Words -Walking the Camino Del Rey as we Remember the Way of the Cross

 I walk where Your feet have been.

I stumble and see You reaching down to help me up.

Covered in blood and beaten,

You reach down to help me up.

Patience One of the 12 gifts of the Holy Spirit

Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…

1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

Psalm 37:7
Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over him who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.

I ponder patience.  Each time I enter the confessional, I say, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.  I have been impatient, again.  I want to be patient, but I have a very hard time being patient.”   The proclamation of this sin does not come as a surprise to my confessor.  He looks me straight in the eye and says, “Mallory, you cannot give what you don’t have.  You must learn to be patient with yourself so that you can give this gift to others.  Pray for this gift.  It is a gift of God.  Without God, you cannot be patient.”
   
I ponder patience.  If I am to become more patient, I must begin with myself.  I must learn to be kind to myself.  I must learn to be patient with me.  I begin with prayer.
   
Holy Spirit, the gift of patience is a fruit of Your love.  Help me to become more patient with me.  Help me to develop this gift that I may give it freely to all, that Your Holy Will may be demonstrated in this gift of Your love.  Help me to slow down and celebrate the daily lessons of patience in my life.  I offer up my successes to You.  I offer up my failures to You.  I beseech You to be with me and help me to recognize Your gift of lessons as they happen.  Help me to bless those with whom I must be patient.  Help them to forgive me when I’m not patient.  Bless them for their forgiveness.  Bless me when I am patient.  Thank You, Most Holy Spirit.  Amen.

    I ponder patience.  The lessons begin.  As I drive on the highway that has a speed limit of 55 mph, I come up behind a car going 35 mph.  The road has become a single lane with no passing allowed.  My fingers clench the steering wheel until I am able to pass the car.  I glare at the driver.  The driver is a very old man who is driving.  His glasses are thick.  He has no teeth in his mouth. 

Oh, Holy Spirit.  Forgive me for not being patient with this old man.  it’s not fair, though!  if you want me to learn patience, I need other lessons, not this kind! 

I ponder patience.  The lessons continue.  I go to church.  There is only one parking space left in the lot.  I try to pull into single space that is left.  I cannot fit into the space because someone is taking up two spaces.  I am forced to park in the street.  I am growling as I walk back into the church parking lot.  I see a very old woman with a walker and  opening the door to her car.  I still growl, but it’s not as loud.  I offer to help her get into her car.  She tells me that she can do it herself.  I slink away.

Oh, Holy Spirit, must you test me this way?  Then you make me feel guilty because I am not being patient.  That’s not fair! 

I ponder patience.  I have tried so many times to be fully attentive during adoration and not allow distractions to take my mind away from the Eucharistic Presence.  I sit in the presence of my God, and my mind wanders.  I’m worried about my daughter.  I’m worried about the cost of two root canals and crowns that I need.  The gentleman sitting across the aisle from me is snoring, loudly, too.  I wish I had more friends.  Wait!  I’m NOT PAYING ATTENTION, AGAIN!!! 

Wait, I’m not being patient with me. 

So, Holy Spirit, is this the lesson of adoration? I had forgotten, I must be patient with me.  I must learn to love myself and open my heart to you so that I can learn the gift of patience.  Thank you for all of your lessons even as I sit here in the Presence of Jesus.  I surrender myself to You so that I might bear this fruit of  Your Love.  Thank You, Most Holy Spirit!

I ponder patience.  The lessons continue.


   

   

In the Silence - Part 3

Yes, I've seen you in My Temple.
Yes, I know that you've sat in the quiet which lead to the silence.

Do you know that when you opened your eyes and saw the silence,
you saw what I see in the world?
You prayed for the homeless, for the unemployed, for the depressed, for the physically ill, for the children who have been sold into slavery.  You did this in silence.

Do you know that when you listened for the silence, you heard the whisper of silence which came from My Heart to yours? I gave you this silence as a gift.

Do you know that when you touched the silence, you reached out and touched Me?  Do you know that when, in My blessed silence, you hugged the weeping woman and prayed for her, you hugged Me in that tight embrace? 

Do you know that when you smelled the silence, you inhaled the breath we share?  Do you know that the Holy Spirit breathed His graces into You so that You might persevere and be strong?

Do you know that when you tasted the silence, you tasted the Love which I have for you?  You tasted the love of My Father Who gifted this dark, dark world with the Light of Love, which was Me.  You tasted the Love and Wisdom of the Holy Spirit who pours His graces down on you.

My beloved child,
No you did not hear My voice as you hear the voice of others, but you heard Me in your soul.  This is where I want to be, and you invited Me to be with you.
I love you so much!  I seek your open arms.  Hold Me in the silence of your heart.
I AM here.  I AM there, and I will be with you forever.

In The Silence

In the silence I hear you, and you hear Me.
Let silence envelope you.  I will then bring you to My Heart, My Sacred Heart,
Where you can rest in My
peace.

Silence.

Feel the silence.
Touch the silence.
Hear the silence.
See the silence.
Taste the silence.
I will hold you close to Me in the silence that begins with quiet.
Quiet is more than silence.
It is only the beginning.
Stop what you are doing, and rest, rest in My Wounds.  Rest in My Heart. 

Rest in My Loving arms.
I walk with You, daily, in the silence.  I walk with you in the quiet, but quiet is not enough. 
You must surrender to Me in  the quiet to be in the silence.
You must seek Me in that quiet so that You can hear the silence.
I love you even more when we are together.

My Sacred Heart bursts with love for you.
Even when, in your noisy world, I walk with You, but you will begin to feel My presence when you rest in silence.
Come into my quiet church.   The church is part of My heart.  Sit in the silence and think of Me.
I AM here waiting for you.

I thirst for your presence.  So often I AM alone in the silence with only My angels.  I call to you quietly in the whispers of the wind, but the noise drowns out My Voice.
Sit and listen.
Rest.  Think only of Me.  I will be there for You.

One day, you will hear My voice in Your heart, in the silence of Your heart.
Do not be afraid, for I AM with you.
My love extends beyond the universe.
I AM your God.  I love you. 
Be silent.

Personal Litany of Thanksgiving

Litany of Thanksgiving

Lord, have Mercy.           

R. Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.          

R. Christ, have mercy

Lord, have mercy.          

R.Christ, have mercy.








Lord, we thank You for this day.             R. Lord, we thank You!
Lord, we thank You for your mercies.                               
Lord, we thank You for the rising sun.
Lord, we thank You for the for Your Unending Love.
Lord, we thank You for kindnesses.
Lord, we thank You for your consolations.
Lord, we thank You for Your gift of kindness to us.
Lord, we thank You for Your blessings.
Lord, we thank You for the happy times.
Lord, we thank You for the sad times.
Lord, we thank You for the food we eat.
Lord, we thank You for the joy we feel.
Lord, we thank You for the world around us.
Lord, we thank You for our neighbors, good or bad.
Lord, we thank You for bringing us closer to You.
Lord, we thank You for the gift of free will.
Lord, we thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit.
Lord, we thank You for the gift of the Mass.
Lord, we thank You for our priests.
Lord, we thank You for the moon, the stars, the heavenly bodies.
Lord, we thank You for Your living Word in Sacred Scripture.
Lord, we thank You for the Eucharist.
Lord, we thank You for the annoyances in our lives.
Lord, we thank You for the people whom we love.
Lord, we thank You for our friends.
Lord, we thank You for our families.
Lord, we thank You for the gatherings of families and friends.
Lord, we thank You for technology.
Lord, we thank You for the gift of life.
Lord, we thank You for the babies who were born this year.
Lord, we thank You for the kindnesses we received.
Lord, we thank You for the blessings we received.
Lord, we thank You for the  sufferings.
Lord, we thank You for the cross.
Lord, we thank You for the gift of Your Mother to us.
Lord, we thank You for the wind, the  rain, the snow.
Lord, we thank You for Your protection.
Lord, we thank You for our pets.
Lord, we thank You for our extended families.
Lord, we thank You for the holidays.
Lord, we thank You for the love we are shown by our families and friends each day.
Lord, we thank You for our parents.
Lord, we thank You for our spouses.
Lord, we thank You for the angels and saints.
Lord, we thank You those who have gone before us.
Lord, we thank You for Your forgiveness.
Lord, we thank You for the sacraments.
Lord, we thank You for the Catholic Church.
Lord, we thank You for the talents You have given us.
Lord, we thank You for the warm days of spring and the hot days of summer.
Lord, we thank You for the cool days of autumn and the cold days of winter.
Lord, we thank You for our educations.
Lord, we thank You for each moment we breathe.
Lord, we thank You for the prospect of heaven.
Lord, we thank You for the prospect of Purgatory.
Lord, we thank You for those who are unkind to us.
Lord, we thank You for those who protect us.
Lord, we thank You for the sufferings we endure.
Lord, we thank You for dirty dishes.
Lord, we thank You!

Lord, have Mercy.        R. Lord, have Mercy.
Christ, have Mercy.        R. Christ, have Mercy.
Lord, have Mercy.`        R. Lord, have Mercy.
Amen.                R. Amen.

Amen

When I began my research to confirm what I remembered the meaning of the word "Amen" to be, I found that I knew nothing about the origins of this word. All I wanted to know was: Did the word "Amen" mean "so be it?" As I researched, I discovered that the word "Amen" has origins in pagan history, in Jewish history, in Roman history, and in Greek history. It's use and meaning came from these cultures.
For example, in ancient Egypt, the word "amen" was derived from the name of the god Aman. In the Old Testament, the word "amen" was used infrequently, but when used, meant truth. When, Our Lord and Savior, Jesus, used the word "amen," He used it to strongly affirm what scripture taught or what He had taught to his disciples and friends.
Through more research I learned that the word "amen" is very powerful when used in the liturgy of the Mass. Depending on where it is used in the celebration of the Mass, the word takes on different meanings. The differences are subtle, but have strong meaning in the parts of the Mass in which they are used.
That's a lot of information to digest when all I wanted to know was: Does the word "amen" mean "so be it?" The answer to that, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church in section 2856 is: Yes, but there are other meanings, too. These meanings and use of the word "amen" are discussed in more detail in our catechism.
If you do not own a catechism, I can only say that in my opinion,the cost of the Catechism is small because this book describes and interprets our faith. If you do not feel that you have the resources to purchase a Catechism at this time, here is a link to a free online version of the Catechism of the Catholic Faith. Click HERE to go read the catechism online.
So many questions can be answered about our faith, in the Catechism, including, "Does the use of the word 'Amen' mean 'so be it?' " The answer is yes and so much more.

Amen.